Study regarding the ICT knowledge evolution on the West region of Romania
Popescu Cosmin, Orboi Manuela - Dora, Popescu Gabriela, Stanciu Sorin, Bănet Adrian
Abstract
ICT has become an important driver of everyday life and economic activity, increases the efficiency of public administration, public services and give priority to a better quality of life in society. The present paper is analyzing some statistics relating to knowledge in the field of information technology and communication from year 2009 to 2012. The data presented are the result of processing more than 100 surveys annually, from a part of the 5 west region of Romania, Timis, Arad and Caras-Severin Counties. Questionnaires have tried to include a higher sphere on ICT knowledge of the persons interviewed, from what is known as a simple user of usual programs, passing over aspects regarding minimum hardware knowledge and ending with the e-commerce. The study revealed a basic knowledge that allow writing, technical, calculations, surf the Internet and ansmitting/receiving e-mails. In other areas (accounting, databases, CAD etc.), only those who work day by day in that domain, have knowledge about this software. The situation is the same at hardware chapter, where the vast majority of persons interviewed are not interested in this type of knowledge, even though in most cases would save time and money.
Key words: ICT, statistics, knowledge society, urban-rural differences
Challenges of an ESP course design for Romanian law enforcement students
Cristina Pielmuş
Abstract
This paper aims at showing what the challenges of an ESP course design developed for law enforcement students at the Police Academy in Romania have been. The law enforcement course book has been the result of a thorough process of identifying the students’ needs and its goal has been to cover as many police-related topics and also to integrate activities tailored to the students’ need to practice all English language skills.
Key words: ESP course design, law enforcement students, learners’ needs, English language skills, task-based learning
Learning science through drama activities and creative writing in primary and secondary school classes
Dana Crăciun
Abstract
Science and technology play an important role in our modern society. It is important to know the scientific concepts, their usefulness to society, but also the ethical and moral issues related to them. However, science is often perceived as elitist, accessible only to the elect. On the other hand, humanities and artistic activities offer a livelier, non-traditional way of learning and involve the majority of the children in the science class. Children are willing to draw, play or write stories. And so, science and games, drawing or creative writing, are braided to form the scientific thinking of children and to acquire specific concepts. In this study we present the reasons for which drama or creative writing can be applied while teaching science (physics, chemistry) courses at primary and secondary level in Romania, with the aim of changing the attitude of children towards such disciplines. The study also highlights various opinions of current and future science teachers.
Key words: science education, humanities, creativity, extended intelligence, pre-service teacher training
Theory and practice in the teaching of organic colorants to chemical engineering students
Simona Popa
Abstract
The paper covers some aspects regarding theory and practice in the teaching of organic colorants to chemical engineering students. There is little in the world of education that is more depressing than bad university teaching. Intellectual development is a product of both internal and external processes. In the paper are presented the importance of teaching and learning, the conditions of learning, and some methods of evaluation, all specific to teaching the subject in question.
Key words: knowledge, teaching, learning, evaluating, organic colorants
Functional Elementary Adult Education in the Republic of Serbia
- A new model for development of adult competencies -
Aleksandra Pejatović
Abstract
Model of Functional elementary adult education which became part of the formal educational system in Serbia in the school year 2013/2014 has been presented in the paper in the baseline considering the context it was created in and the needs it should satisfy. After all, it has been dominantly analysed as a programme focused on competence development in adult participants: key, subject specific and vocational competences. The findings of the conducted analysis show that with the model, a vast space for action on the competence development in the level of education has been opened. The results of conducted evaluation research from the experimental phase of the progamme have shown that the programme has contributed to the development of specially defined sets of competences in attendees.
Key words: (il)literacy of adults, competencies, functional elementary adult education, general competences, subject specific competences
The Fight against Illiteracy and the Adult Literacy Assessment in France in 2014
Jean-Pierre Jeantheau
Abstract
For over thirty years France has been addressing the needs of young people and adults with limited basic skills competence and having the opportunity to start their initial schooling in France. The ‘fight against ”illettrisme”(the term “illettrisme” became part of French public debate during the early 1980s and has since been a concept used solely in this country) is a national priority since 1998, and had been declared by the Prime Minister as the "great national cause" for the year 2013. The scale of the phenomenon has often been central in the public debate. A number of major national studies have sought to more fully understand its complexity and extent. In France as in the other countries, direct assessments of adult basic skills competence have progressively been found necessary for national evaluation. Since the 1990s direct surveys have attempted to provide more precise and reliable data than the available previous self-reporting ones have offered. This paper provides a presentation of the two major French adult literacy surveys: the IVQ survey (Information and Everyday Life Survey) carried out by the INSEE (National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies) and the ANLCI (National Agency for fighting “illettrisme” since 2002, and the JCD survey (Military Registration Day) carried out by the ministries of Defence and Education since 1998. In addition it will show how INSEE and ANLCI took up the challenge of developing comparability between existing national indicators through specific statistical studies and to promote the IVQ (Information and Everyday Life Study) model for new tests. In the future, the ANLCI considers that it will be more efficient to build tests, which could be comparable with IVQ, even if adapted to a particular context.
Key words: adult literacy survey, Illiteracy, literacy assessment, adult literacy, young adult assessment, France
Professionalisation of adult basic skills teachers – issues and challenges across Europe
David Mallows, Maria Toia, Monika Tröster
Abstract
This paper starts from two premises. Firstly that that adult basic skills are highly important in modern societies, in both economic and social terms, and secondly that this area of education provision is among the most challenging and skilled areas of teaching. It will argue for the importance of subject specific initial and continuing professional development as a key element of the policy structure needed for an effective basic skills teacher training system.
In developing this argument we will draw on discussions within a recently completed EU Learning Partnership.
BASKET – Professional development of basic skills trainers was funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission, under the Grundtvig learning partnership action. The project was implemented within the period 2011-2013 by a consortium of 8 partners from Europe: Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Scotland, England, Romania and the Czech Republic, each at a different stage of development of systems to support improvements in the basic skills levels of their adult populations. The aim of the project was to explore national systems for the professional development of adult basic skills teachers. It also explored country specific challenges.
Key words: teachers, basic skills, professionalization, profession, continuous professional development
Work-related basic education - Human resources development for low-qualified people?
Rosemarie Klein, Gerhard Reutter, Dieter Zisenis
Abstract
This article focuses on the education-political strategy of reaching low-qualified workers in companies through work-related basic education. Starting from the question of why further education of low-qualified is currently so high on the agenda and of what the obstacles are we mainly present work-related basic education as an operational concept of education. Based on actual needs for competence development, this concept tries to overcome two barriers: to raise awareness for further education of low-skilled employees in the companies and to turn learning into a useful experience for both companies and employees. The following will become clear: after seven years of research and development we do not have any knowledge deficits about how work-related basic education can be designed anymore; the implementation still faces high hurdles.
Key words: work-related basic education – low skilled employees – demographical development – literacy –competence development
Teaching basic skills to marginalized groups: blended learning in prison settings
Vryonides Marios, Paolo Federighi, Dr Francesca Torlone, Toia Maria, Xylouri Qurania, Chalatsis Xenofon
Abstract
This paper presents the findings from a study on the education provisions in the prison systems of Italy, Romania, Greece and Cyprus. Specifically, it attempts to identify commonalities and differences in the regimes and structures of the education systems across these four diverse systems. After, presenting the rationale for introducing an innovative program utilizing blended learning to teach basic skills to inmates, namely numeracy, literacy, budgeting and ICT skills, the paper presents findings from an empirical investigation in prison institutions in the abovementioned four European countries. Three distinct methods of data collection were employed: Structured interviews with inmates, in-depth interviews and focus groups with inmates, teaching staff and administrative staff. The data, both qualitative and quantitative were analyzed in order to draw useful insights, recommendations and guidelines for drafting a basics skills curriculum.
Key words: basic skills, blended learning, prison systems
Challenges, trends, and priorities in national educational research specialists in the accounts of education sciences – Event presentation
Ana Simona Negomireanu
Challenging the”European Area of Lifelong Learning” A Critical Response - Book review
Denisa Mariana Lombrea
West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Sociology and Psychology, Department of EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
