Virtualization for cost-effective teaching of assembly language programming

A virtual system that emulates an ARM-based processor machine has been created to replace a traditional hardware-based system for teaching assembly language. The proposed virtual system integrates, in a single environment, all the development tools necessary to deliver introductory or advanced courses on modern assembly language programming. The virtual system runs a Linux operating system in either a graphical or console mode on a Windows or Linux host machine. No software licenses or extra hardware are required to use the virtual system, thus students are free to carry their own ARM emulator with them on a USB memory stick. Institutions adopting this, or a similar virtual system, can also benefit by reducing capital investment in hardware-based development kits and enable distance learning courses.

Ser professor de português: o que dizem os discursos reguladores, os alunos e os professores no contexto da formação inicial (UMINHO/Portugal e UFRN/Brasil)

The constitution of being a teacher of Portuguese occurs in a dynamic process involving various factors, such as the requirements of regulatory documents, the context of teacher formation, and the configuration of current society, per se. This study is aimed at reflecting on the initial formation of teachers of Portuguese and on official documents that face this formation, raising the following questions: (1) what does it mean to be a Portuguese teacher? (2) what is the vision of the subjects (teachers and students) involved with the formation of teaching the Portuguese Language? (3) how do these individuals deal with official documents? and (4) how do these subjects discourses relate? To understand the context of the formative processes and the knowledge inherent in them, first we take the studies of Garcia (1999) and Tardif (2002) as a theoretical framework, and to understand and interpret the utterances of the interviewees, we were grounded in the writing of Bakhtin (2003), for whom the object of the Humanities, the sciences of man, is the text, since man is, by nature, an expressive being. We situate this study in the framework of qualitative research. It is a multiple case study that focuses on two contexts: formation of teachers of Portuguese at the University of Minho, Portugal, and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The data that make up the research corpus come from documents elaborated by the Ministries of Education of Portugal and Brazil and were adopted by the two teacher formation institutions cited, from individual interviews involving eight trainer teachers (four from each university), and from two group-interviews (one in each institution), done with students in training. Our analysis is divided into three stages: first, document analysis; second, analysis of the discourse of the teachers in both contexts studied; and, third, analysis of the speech of the students in training. It is noteworthy that our purpose in this research was not to come out with a definition like being a teacher of Portuguese is X, but we are interested, above all, in discussing the issues surrounding initial formation, seeking different points of view, and hearing voices coming from different social positions for better understanding our object of study. Our analysis reveals that the initial formation of teachers of Portuguese, both in Portugal and Brazil, occurs in a complex way, under the influence of various factors, including: (a) difficulties in having the individuals involved adapt to the demands of regulatory agencies; (b) students and teachers adequacy to the organizational model of the post-secondary institution; (c) teachers difficulties to deal with the learning problems of students who have limited schooling basis and come from distinct socioeconomic realities; (d) a search for the establishment of methodologies for teaching and learning the Portuguese Language more adequate to reality; and (e) a search for a definition of professional knowledge needed for the teaching practice

The impact of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) listening comprehension through first language (L1) listening strategy training

Listening is the basic and complementary skill in second language learning. The term listening is used in language teaching to refer to a complex process that allows us to understand spoken language. Listening, the most widely used language skill, is often used in conjunction with the other skills of speaking, reading and writing. Listening is not only a skill area in primary language performance (L1), but is also a critical means of acquiring a second language (L2). Listening is the channel in which we process language in real time – employing pacing, units of encoding and decoding (the 2 processes are central to interpretation and meaning making) and pausing (allows for reflection) that are unique to spoken language. Despite the wide range of areas investigated in listening strategies during training, there is a lack of research looking specifically at how effectively L1 listening strategy training may transfer to L2. To investigate the development of any such transfer patterns the instructional design and implementation of listening strategy of L1 will be critical.

Patterns of Activity Sequencing in the Teaching of English as a Foreing Language and Their Effects on Learning : a Quasi-Experimental Study.'Patrones de secuenciación de actividades en la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera y su incidencia en el aprendizaje : estudio cuasi-experimental.

Contrastar el modelo denominado CPM (basado en el desarrollo de los procesos comunicativos) con el modelo de secuenciación de actividades P-P-P (presentación-práctica-producción) que es el utilizado con mayor frecuencia en los libros de texto para la enseñanza de los idiomas, para medir la eficacia diferencial en el aprendizaje lingüístico del inglés como lengua extranjera.. Estudio llevado a cabo en la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Murcia con una muestra inicial de 51 sujetos que se redujo a 34 nativos de lengua española de edades comprendidas entre los 16 y 41 años formada mayoritariamente por mujeres. Estudio cuasi-experimental de análisis de medidas repetidas con grupo experimental y grupo de control (factor intersujetos). La variable dependiente es la eficacia de la intervención objeto de estudio o intervención CPM. La variable independiente es el grupo, que consta de dos partes, el que sigue el programa establecido en el centro de enseñanza, versión P-P-P y el grupo experimental (EG) que recibe instrucción basada en el CPM. La aplicación duró 4 meses (enero-mayo 2003) y el total de sesiones fue de 35 para cada uno de los dos grupos. Se utilizó el examen estandarizado internacional Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) en su parte: Use of English.. La secuenciación de actividades en general y la basada en el CPM en particular merecen un justo reconocimiento en el ámbito de la investigación en enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras debido no solo a las puntuaciones obtenidas en la investigación sino también a su fundamentación teórica basada en un modelo cognitivo de adquisición de conocimientos ampliamente aplicado en SLA y a su flexibilidad en cuanto a las vías de aprendizaje propuestas, su atención al concepto script y su afinidad con los enfoques didácticos actuales (integración de destrezas, relevancia e interés para el alumno, variedad en la instrucción)..

The teaching of reading English in a foreign language in Libyan universities: methods and models

This study focuses on the learning and teaching of Reading in English as a Foreign Language (REFL), in Libya. The study draws on an action research process in which I sought to look critically at students and teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Libya as they learned and taught REFL in four Libyan research sites. The Libyan EFL educational system is influenced by two main factors: the method of teaching the Holy-Quran and the long-time ban on teaching EFL by the former Libyan regime under Muammar Gaddafi. Both of these factors have affected the learning and teaching of REFL and I outline these contextual factors in the first chapter of the thesis. This investigation, and the exploration of the challenges that Libyan university students encounter in their REFL, is supported by attention to reading models. These models helped to provide an analytical framework and starting point for understanding the many processes involved in reading for meaning and in reading to satisfy teacher instructions. The theoretical framework I adopted was based, mainly and initially, on top-down, bottom-up, interactive and compensatory interactive models. I drew on these models with a view to understanding whether and how the processes of reading described in the models could be applied to the reading of EFL students and whether these models could help me to better understand what was going on in REFL. The diagnosis stage of the study provided initial data collected from four Libyan research sites with research tools including video-recorded classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers before and after lesson observation, and think-aloud protocols (TAPs) with 24 students (six from each university) in which I examined their REFL reading behaviours and strategies. This stage indicated that the majority of students shared behaviours such as reading aloud, reading each word in the text, articulating the phonemes and syllables of words, or skipping words if they could not pronounce them. Overall this first stage indicated that alternative methods of teaching REFL were needed in order to encourage ‘reading for meaning’ that might be based on strategies related to eventual interactive reading models adapted for REFL. The second phase of this research project was an Intervention Phase involving two team-teaching sessions in one of the four stage one universities. In each session, I worked with the teacher of one group to introduce an alternative method of REFL. This method was based on teaching different reading strategies to encourage the students to work towards an eventual interactive way of reading for meaning. A focus group discussion and TAPs followed the lessons with six students in order to discuss the 'new' method. Next were two video-recorded classroom observations which were followed by an audio-recorded discussion with the teacher about these methods. Finally, I conducted a Skype interview with the class teacher at the end of the semester to discuss any changes he had made in his teaching or had observed in his students' reading with respect to reading behaviour strategies, and reactions and performance of the students as he continued to use the 'new' method. The results of the intervention stage indicate that the teacher, perhaps not surprisingly, can play an important role in adding to students’ knowledge and confidence and in improving their REFL strategies. For example, after the intervention stage, students began to think about the title, and to use their own background knowledge to comprehend the text. The students employed, also, linguistic strategies such as decoding and, above all, the students abandoned the behaviour of reading for pronunciation in favour of reading for meaning. Despite the apparent efficacy of the alternative method, there are, inevitably, limitations related to the small-scale nature of the study and the time I had available to conduct the research. There are challenges, too, related to the students’ first language, the idiosyncrasies of the English language, the teacher training and continuing professional development of teachers, and the continuing political instability of Libya. The students’ lack of vocabulary and their difficulties with grammatical functions such as phrasal and prepositional verbs, forms which do not exist in Arabic, mean that REFL will always be challenging. Given such constraints, the ‘new’ methods I trialled and propose for adoption can only go so far in addressing students’ difficulties in REFL. Overall, the study indicates that the Libyan educational system is underdeveloped and under resourced with respect to REFL. My data indicates that the teacher participants have received little to no professional developmental that could help them improve their teaching in REFL and skills in teaching EFL. These circumstances, along with the perennial problem of large but varying class sizes; student, teacher and assessment expectations; and limited and often poor quality resources, affect the way EFL students learn to read in English. Against this background, the thesis concludes by offering tentative conclusions; reflections on the study, including a discussion of its limitations, and possible recommendations designed to improve REFL learning and teaching in Libyan universities.

Developing and evaluating the integration of Life and Social Sciences teaching to first-year Nursing and Midwifery students

Title: Evaluating the integrating of life and social sciences teaching to first-year nursing and midwifery students

Objectives: To evaluate an integrated teaching and learning approach to first-year nursing students, combining the life, social sciences and public health with a more integrated and clinical focused approach to teaching delivery

Background: Historically within the School of Nursing and Midwifery the life sciences and social sciences had been taught as separate modules with separate teaching teams. This had reflected in a somewhat dis-integrated approach to student learning and understanding without clear clinical focus on application. With focus upon student learning the teaching teams engaged with a stepped, incremental and progressive movement towards developing and delivering a more integrated structure of learning, combining the life sciences, social sciences and public health teaching and learning within the one extended first-year module. The focus was particularly on integrated understanding and clinical relevance. This paper discusses both the approach to developing the integrated model of teaching and the evaluation of that teaching.

Results: The module, combining life, social science and Public health teaching was positively evaluated by the students. Evaluations are compared and contrasted from to nursing student intakes.

The generation effect and word learning: a test of the effect of the language experience approach versus the text approach in the acquisition of new reading vocabulary

A class of twenty-two grade one children was tested to determine their reading levels using the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Achievement Test. Based on these results and teacher input the students were paired according to reading ability. The students ages ranged from six years four months to seven years four months at the commencement of the study. Eleven children were assigned to the language experience group and their partners became the text group. Each member of the language experience group generated a list of eight to be learned words. The treatment consisted of exposing the student to a given word three times per session for ten sessions, over a period of five days. The dependent variables consisted of word identification speed, word identification accuracy, and word recognition accuracy. Each member of the text group followed the same procedure using his/her partner's list of words. Upon completion of this training, the entire process was repeated with members of the text group from the first part becoming members of the language experience group and vice versa. The results suggest that generally speaking language experience words are identified faster than text words but that there is no difference in the rate at which these words are learned. Language experience words may be identified faster because the auditory-semantic information is more readily available in them than in text words. The rate of learning in both types of words, however, may be dictated by the orthography of the to be learned word.

Understanding expertise in teaching : case studies of second language teachers.

Se analiza desde el punto de vista crítico una amplia literatura sobre la cognición docente, para mostrar cómo las teorías de los profesores, sus conocimientos, su experiencia y sus objetivos determinan su práctica docente y su aptitud ante ella, tanto en el profesor principiante como en el experto. A partir de casos prácticos estudiados en las aulas se clarifica en qué consiste la pericia en la enseñanza de la lengua y cuales son los factores que determinan e influyen en su desarrollo y cómo los profesores de lengua la utilizan para la docencia.

The use of a language eliciting procedure as a tool in the establishment of teaching goals

This paper reviews a study to examine the feasibility of using elicited language samples as a basis for planning language instruction and as a measure of progress in language development.