Advancing Scholarship and Research in Higher Education
ASRHE publishes articles that advance scholarly practices and contribute theoretical, methodological and substantive knowledge, relevant to higher education teaching. The goal of ASRHE is to publish accounts of research studies that inform readers of contemporary and evidence-based scholarly approaches to higher education curriculum, student learning and teaching. The journal welcomes conceptual, qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies, written for an international audience. The journal welcomes innovative ways of presenting research and non-traditional forms of academic communication. ASRHE's ethos is grounded in a relational approach that values empowering researcher development. We seek to provide constructive feedback in a spirit of generosity and kindness.
Spaces for Difference: opening doorways for challenges to the hegemony
As ASRHE marks its fifth year of publication, this editorial reflects on the journal's evolution and announces significant changes to both our editorial team and publishing arrangements. We farewell Dr Geof Hill, whose expertise and energy have been instrumental in establishing ASRHE as a space for diverse scholarly voices in higher education research. This moment of transition invites deeper reflection on what it means to create genuinely inclusive research publication spaces. Through critical examination of our editorial practices, particularly encounters with Indigenous scholars whose epistemological approaches challenged traditional Western research writing conventions, we have recognised how journal practices can inadvertently create barriers to publication. This recognition has prompted us to reconsider what counts as research in an era of evolving paradigms, technologies, and ethical commitments. In response, ASRHE now welcomes a new submission format: poster-based research-in-progress papers that combine scholarly poster content with reflective commentary on the experience of developing and presenting research in this mode. This format acknowledges posters as legitimate scholarly communication while creating space for methodological innovation and diverse cultural approaches to knowledge sharing. Additionally, we announce ASRHE's move to the Open Access Publishing Association (OAPA), a transition that aligns with our commitment to diamond open access publishing and strengthens our position within an independent, society-owned publishing ecology. These changes reflect ASRHE's ongoing commitment to challenging hegemonic practices in research publication and creating authentic spaces for difference in higher education scholarship.
Copyright (c) 2025 Geof Hill, Eva Heinrich, Jo-Anne Kelder, Michelle Picard, Prue Laidlaw (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Confidence and performance in quantitative literacy: A study of second-year biochemistry and molecular biology students
Quantitative literacy (QL) is central to success in science and biomedical science degrees in higher education, yet students often report low confidence when applying quantitative skills in authentic contexts. Drawing on self‑efficacy theory, this study examined the relationship between self‑reported confidence and actual performance on a 30‑item QL assessment administered to second‑year undergraduate students (n = 137) enrolled in a laboratory-based biochemistry subject at The University of Melbourne. Each item captured student performance and a 5‑point confidence rating across eight QL domains (simple arithmetic, scientific notation, stoichiometry, unit conversion, dilutions, statistical measurements, pH, graphical interpretation). Analyses combined descriptive statistics, correlation, repeated‑measures comparisons by domain, and relationships with item difficulty. Overall, confidence and performance were moderately correlated (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). Sixteen items—concentrated in statistical measurements, pH interpretation and graphical interpretation—showed significant item‑level confidence–performance correlations (ρ up to 0.52). Notably, more difficult items were associated with stronger calibration (confidence–performance alignment), while easier items tended to elicit over-confidence. The study findings emphasise the importance of contextualised QL instruction, integrating confidence judgements as a metacognitive scaffold, and deliberately using moderately challenging tasks to develop accurate self‑assessment and applied quantitative competence.
Copyright (c) 2026 Victoria Wang, Jan van Driel, Amber J. Willems-Jones (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Higher education: a new bureaucratic era
Across a range of areas – student engagement and success, sexual misconduct and racism in university contexts, student complaints, staff payments, governance, and the allocation of student places – the Australian government is increasing higher education regulation. Often multiple rules and agencies cover the same issues. This article describes the reasons given for these interventions and outlines the changes. While in most cases the government had legitimate reasons for concern, cumulatively its policy responses represent a change in governing philosophy, away from university autonomy and towards bureaucratic control.
Australian Tertiary Education Commission
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency
Copyright (c) 2025 Andrew Norton (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Teaching traditional building knowledge online at a contemporary university: learning from traditional knowledge holders
This research focuses on traditional knowledge holders who teach Vāstu vidya or the knowledge of architecture online at a contemporary university in India. Efforts towards decolonizing have led universities to add content on traditional knowledge into course curricula. Typically, content is added to existing courses which are taught by academics. However, there is deep rooted and systemic perception that traditional knowledge is not scientific. The courses at Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad are unique as the curriculum is devised and taught by traditional knowledge holders, who have adapted their teaching to the online format. This study asks what university educators who teach architectural design in contemporary academies can learn from traditional knowledge holders. The research involved visiting traditional knowledge holders to discuss the online curriculum, their teaching approaches, Vāstu design principles, application of traditional building knowledge and visiting buildings or case studies including residences and temples. This paper contributes towards increasing awareness of the traditional knowledge system, its relevance to contemporary university teaching and adds empirical research that helps validate its value and significance for a broader audience.
Copyright (c) 2025 Aparna Datey https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Fostering Reflective Educators: The Transformative Impact of TATAL Communities of Practice
Introduction: Talking About Teaching and Learning (TATAL) workshops serve as inclusive communities of practice (CoPs), offering educators a platform to explore their teaching philosophies and practices collaboratively. Despite anecdotal evidence of TATAL’s effectiveness, limited research explores its long-term impact on teaching practices and academic resilience. Research Aim: How do TATAL workshops influence educators' personal and professional growth, teaching philosophies, and resilience? Methodology: This study analyzes qualitative and quantitative data collected from 876 participants across 25 TATAL workshops between 2015 and 2021. Using thematic analysis and the interpretive lens of sense-making, the study identifies key themes and subthemes that characterize participants’ experiences. Results: Findings reveal three primary subthemes: (1) Partnered Learning Communities fostering collaboration and shared reflection, (2) Practical Tools and Techniques enhancing teaching practices, and (3) Transformational Learning experiences facilitating personal and professional growth. Participants reported increased clarity of teaching philosophies and increased resilience in educational contexts. Discussion: TATAL workshops disrupt traditional power dynamics in education, offering a space for equitable, reflective, and collaborative learning. This study emphasizes TATAL’s role in fostering reflective educators and building institutional capacity. Conclusion: TATAL represents a transformative professional development model. Its collaborative and reflective approach holds significant implications for higher education institutions seeking to enhance teaching quality and academic resilience.
Copyright (c) 2025 Stuart Schonell, Gesa Ruge, Giriraj Singh Shekhawat, Dieter J. Schonwetter https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
MEDHAX: A digital resource ‘by students, for students’ to enhance integrated learning in sociocultural health for a preclinical medical cohort
The disciplines of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) and Health Sociology (HS) are essential to the practice of person-centred medicine. However preclinical medical students often struggle to comprehend the relevance of these disciplines to their future practice, potentially leading to a neglect of obtaining essential knowledge to assist their future patients. To address this challenge, three supervised rural medical students co-designed and developed the online peer learning resource, MEDHAX. This ‘by students, for students’ interactive, dynamic, and graphically appealing digital platform engages learners through case-based integration and clinical application of EBM and HS concepts, tailored for a rural setting. Seven tutorials were created, encompassing video tutorials, interactive modules, revision notes and self-assessment quizzes. Evaluation surveys were used to guide resource improvement, with 39 responses to the pilot evaluation and 39 responses to the subsequent full evaluation. Survey analysis indicate that student users considered MEDHAX to be highly useful, engaging, and even ‘lifesaving’, with the overall rating change in content understanding pre- versus post- MEDHAX engagement showing a significant mean change of 2.4 points (95% CI 1.7 to 3.1; p<0.0001). Website analytics indicate that the resource was accessed not only by the geolocation of the intended cohort but was shared and accessed globally. A student co-design approach for creating online integrated and person-centred education resources significantly improves student satisfaction, understanding of EBM and HS concepts and increases access to relevant cutting-edge education for preclinical medical students.
Copyright (c) 2025 Adelle McArdle, Margaret Simmons, Julie Willems, Anoushka Lal, Kathryn Yu, Jessie Zhou https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Empowering Educators through SoTL: Insights and Innovations from Real-Time Audience Engagement
This is an invited article based on a HERDSA keynote address, which was presented at the 2024 conference held in Adelaide, 8-11 July. The data set underpinning this article has been published separately in this issue of the ASRHE journal (Schönwetter, 2025; https://doi.org/10.59197/asrhe.v6i1.13515). Abstract The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a conceptualisation of the teaching role in higher education that can transform academic understanding and practices by incorporating research as integral to teaching - an evidence-based and theoretically informed approach to teaching. Moreover, SoTL involves the systematic study of teaching and learning processes with a singular goal: improving educational practices and, most importantly, enhancing student outcomes. It is a form of research that holds transformative power, not only in how we teach but in how we elevate student learning to its fullest potential. This study explored the perceptions of academics related to SoTL and what supports would empower uptake and advocacy of SoTL. This was accomplished by engaging HERDSA keynote attendees through real-time audience polling. Guided by a participatory action research (PAR) approach, data were gathered in an online format (Mentimeter) from 263 participants during the keynote, responding to 10 questions related to SoTL, institutional challenges, and future action. This study highlights key areas where educators seek clarity and offers insights on how HERDSA can support its membership by addressing SoTL barriers, enhancing collaborative networks, and fostering continuous professional development. The implications of these findings extend to HERDSA’s potential role in shaping the future of SoTL practices and empowering its members to advocate for SoTL within their institutions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dieter J. Schönwetter https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Empowering Educators through SoTL: Insights and Innovations from Real-Time Audience Engagement (Dataset)
This is the dataset that accompanies an invited article based on a HERDSA keynote address, which was presented at the 2024 conference held in Adelaide, 8-11 July. The article which makes use of this data may also be found on the ASRHE journal site (Schönwetter, 2025; https://doi.org/10.59197/asrhe.v6i1.11735).
Copyright (c) 2025 Dieter Schonwetter https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A Three-Arm Delphi Process for Exploring Australian Radiography Stakeholder Prioritisation of Graduate Skill Development and their Perception of How Often These Skills are Demonstrated by Graduate Radiographers
Introduction: Clinical skills education requires commitment from academic staff, clinical supervisors, and the students themselves to ensure the attainment of specific learning goals. The aims of this study were to identify specific skill areas that radiography education stakeholders feel are important to develop in Australian radiography students, and to evaluate how frequently the stakeholders believe graduate radiographers demonstrate these skills. Methods: A three-arm Delphi process of consensus development was used to survey radiography academic educators, radiographers, and radiography students as three separate expert groups. Three to four rounds covered the nomination of professional skills important to participants, the rating and ranking of importance of these skills, and identification of how well the stakeholder groups feel graduate radiographers demonstrate these skills. Results: Twenty-four stakeholders participated in the study. Thirty-four professional capabilities were identified as being important by at least one stakeholder group. Six capabilities were rated as being very or extremely important by all groups with no large differences of ratings identified between groups for the remaining capabilities. The student group felt that graduate radiographers demonstrate identified clinical skills more frequently than was perceived by the other groups. Conclusion: The agreement between radiographer education stakeholder groups as to the importance of identified professional capabilities indicates that each group is likely to place similar emphases on the teaching and learning of these skills. Differences of opinion between students and educators around student/graduate performance levels can inform areas for improvement in student performance and educator feedback approaches.
Copyright (c) 2024 Brooke Osborne, Steven Milanese, Gisela Van Kessel, Sharron King, Kerry Thoirs https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Understanding art therapy graduate employability: a mixed methods study
Understanding employability for art therapy graduates is crucial for training programs because it allows for tailored teaching approaches and better preparation for students entering the job market. Employability includes student attributes such as professional and discipline-specific skills and competencies, as well as contextual or structural factors that influence work abilities. However, there is little evidence on what contributes to employability in art therapy. This study surveyed placement supervisors to identify the strengths and challenges they perceive in student competencies and report on contextual factors impacting employability at their organisations. Thirty placement supervisors from various community and clinical settings completed a 26-item mixed-methods online survey. The findings highlighted the strengths of art therapy students, such as their use of client-centred approaches and engagement in reflective practice. However, the results also pointed to a greater need for work-life balance and knowledge of culturally safe practices. Limited budgets were found to affect employability prospects for recent graduates as well as the need for more advocacy efforts was emphasised to demonstrate the benefits of art therapy in healthcare settings. This paper offers several recommendations for teaching programs and art therapy professional bodies to improve employability outcomes for graduates.
Copyright (c) 2024 Caryn Griffin, Laila Hugrass, Theresa Van Lith https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Developing an Analytical Framework to Compare Students’ Experiences of Online Learning with Indicators of Good Online Learning Site Design
Improving the student educational experience is the purpose of many scholarly studies of learning and teaching. While these studies have great value, there is still a need to further explore, beyond the conceptual, the relationship between what is pedagogically considered as ‘good’ elements of online learning design and what is experienced as ‘good’ learning. This paper presents a study that contributes to this gap by combining an inductive evaluation of online course design with a deductive analysis of students’ level of satisfaction with their learning experiences. This comparison aimed to determine whether students’ experiences align with educators’ and learning designers’ definitions of 'good’ online learning. The paper provides a discussion of the study’s design, which compared findings from students’ feedback on their online subject units and the quality of the sites hosting these units determined using a validated design checklist. It provides an example of the framework’s application and the results in the context of an Australian metropolitan university business school.
Copyright (c) 2024 Celina McEwen, Elaine Huber https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Building the status of teaching-focused positions as prestigious roles to improve teaching quality
Teaching-focused roles provide an ideal opportunity to improve the quality of teaching in higher education. However, such roles are commonly presented as pragmatic solutions for academics not fulfilling research expectations rather than quality improvement interventions. Workload allocations can be shifted to ensure that unproductive researchers are not counted as research-active in university ranking assessments and, at the same time, help balance salary budgets. These measures to address underperforming researchers have shifted focus from the potential to improve teaching quality that teaching-focused roles promised. We argue that a successful implementation of a supported approach for teaching-focused academics can help to foster a culture of excellence in teaching that should deliver career development and associated benefits for those in teaching-focused roles. This paper discusses a considered approach to improving teaching in higher education by supporting teaching-focused roles in an Australian university. Strategies to raise the profile of teaching-focused academics included a high-level champion, a merit-based application process, and a development program. These strategies aimed to address mis-focused perceptions and stigma related to teaching-focused positions and contribute to a culture of excellence in teaching. We put this approach forward as a model for institutions wanting to improve teaching quality, implement or enhance teaching-focused career paths or review existing models.
Copyright (c) 2024 Birgit Loch, Dell Horey, Brianna Julien, Christopher Bridge, Belinda Thompson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Escaping the Assessment Maze: Navigating Policies through an Interactive Fictitious Experience
Misinterpretation or ignorance of institutional policies in higher education can lead to inconsistencies and legal risks, particularly concerning assessments. In response, we introduced an innovative approach to engage faculty and administrative staff in understanding the institution's policies related to assessments. We implemented a Ludic pedagogical strategy by transforming assessment-related policies into an interactive escape-room challenge. This themed workshop applied adult-learning theory, was developed based on recommended escape-room guidelines, and immersed staff in multiple policy documents, encouraging cognitive, behavioural, affective, and sociocultural engagement. Assessment policies were integrated into a fictitious narrative with puzzles to promote self-directed (heutagogy) and cooperative learning. The escape-room challenge was conceptualised as a single intrinsic case study that used postcards written by participants as data after successfully 'escaping' the room. These postcards served as reflective tools containing participants’ insights regarding the experience. Thematic analysis was conducted on the postcards, supported by visual data. The workshop yielded a central theme of 'A Whole-Body Human Experience,' reflecting cognitive, affective, and behavioural engagement. The escape room harnessed the interactive nature of games to ensure teamwork, motivation, communication, and problem-solving skills. The workshop, rooted in adult learning principles and designed according to accepted guidelines, effectively engaged participants in learning about assessment policies through an immersive escape-room experience. The diverse expressions of newfound knowledge, emotional engagement, and intentions to alter practices and processes confirm escape rooms as a suitable strategy for faculty development.
Copyright (c) 2024 JC Lubbe, Jacqueline Elizabeth Wolvaardt, Astrid Turner, Mari van Wyk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
How universities can support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to achieve self-determination and improved wellbeing.
The right to self-determination is enshrined in international law, affirming Aboriginal people have the right to make decisions about matters that affect their lives, including meeting their social, political, cultural and economic needs. This paper explores the role of universities in supporting Aboriginal self-determination, including an examination of the importance of the social and cultural determinants of wellbeing and the impacts of assimilation on Aboriginal people’s ability to live in accord with cultural traditions. Insights into how universities can create more culturally appropriate learning environments are also reviewed with a particular focus on the fundamental differences between Western and Aboriginal culture, pedagogy, epistemology, ontology, and axiology. The paper suggests that by undertaking a process of truth telling, universities will be able to create improved learning and research environments for Aboriginal students and staff that better support self-determination. By doing this, universities will leverage their unique position of influence to create improved wellbeing for Aboriginal people and the nation as a whole. This is an invited article based on a HERDSA keynote address, which was presented at the 2024 conference held in Adelaide, 8-11 July. Dr Callaghan was also invited to provide a video introduction to the article. The video link may be found on the ASRHE journal site next to the link to the PDF.
Copyright (c) 2024 Paul Callaghan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Bridging epistemologies: Indigenous Methodologies and Western Journal Practices
This editorial reflects on the role of academic journals in supporting and disseminating Indigenous research. It is inspired by Dr Paul Callaghan’s invited article published in this issue of Advancing Scholarship and Research in Higher Education (ASRHE) which extends on his keynote presentation at the 2024 HERDSA Conference. Callaghan outlines the fundamental differences between Western and Aboriginal culture, pedagogy, epistemology, ontology, and axiology, and suggests how universities can leverage their positions of influence to create improved wellbeing for Aboriginal people and the nation as a whole. The editorial explores prior literature, including the 2021 HERD Special Issue on Indigenous voices, and identifies challenges in reviewing Indigenous research using Western frameworks. It advocates for more flexible journal formats that allow Indigenous researchers to present their work authentically, without conforming to Western ways of researching and publishing. An ‘open’ article category, supported by an exegesis, is proposed, to facilitate a more inclusive and multifaceted understanding of research. The editorial calls for feedback and collaboration to shape a future where journal publishing truly embraces diverse research traditions.
Copyright (c) 2024 Eva Heinrich, Geof Hill, Jo-Anne Kelder, Michelle Picard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Insights into postgraduate student behaviour, underpinned by motivational orientation, within an emergency remote teaching environment
Much of the world switched to emergency remote teaching (ERT) as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded and deciding which learnings to integrate into the return to normative practice, if any at all, is worthy of investigation. Opportunistic observation and inquiry into student behaviour in response to ERT can provide depth to our current understanding of pedagogical practice and theory. Here, we consider our students’ perception of workload, which dropped consistently between 2019-2022, alongside our students experiences and their self-regulation styles as defined by self-determination theory (SDT). Using SDT to consider how different self-regulation styles interacted with factors internal and external to the course allowed us to reflect on the impact of changes made to the teaching environment, and effects of the global pandemic. We found students preference asynchronous engagement with content that was designed to be synchronous, but issues with time management and pressure to work contributed to an imbalance that resulted in an increased perception of workload. Interestingly, how students reacted to and adapted to this imbalance differed depending on their self-regulation style. Understanding the changing needs of students is imperative to designing education effectively in our changing social climate. Evaluating course design to ensure delivery methods offer value to students and communicating the purpose of these design decisions is critical in an environment where education is competing with paid work. Ensuring students and teachers are aligned through the education process will be key to navigating the changing external pressures students are facing, helping to improve the student experience overall.
Copyright (c) 2023 Nicola Rivers, Kiri Beilby https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Structured online vivas for evaluating professional competency in a capstone allied health course: A pilot study
The aim of this pilot study was to develop structured online vivas as authentic assessments for capstone students enrolled in the medical sonography program in an Australian university. The objective was to evaluate the professional competency of trainee students who were transitioning to graduate as accredited sonographers. Prior to 2020, capstone students, located all over Australia, travelled to South Australia to undertake an on-campus, objective structured clinical examination for practical skills assessment. The interstate travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the need for this examination to be conducted in an online mode. The emergency adaptation model employed in 2020 did not assess conceptual understanding and communication skills. To address this gap, structured online vivas were created and implemented through action research with 71 students in November 2021. A response rate of 51% from student feedback and 100% from external examiner feedback helped to enhance future iterations. Structuring of online vivas enabled assessment of professional competency skills, reduced both examiner bias and student anxiety, and promoted academic integrity. Our study discusses the action research process of developing and implementing structured online vivas, student performance, and evaluating student and examiner experiences with online vivas.
Copyright (c) 2023 Sandhya Maranna, Brooke Osborne, Shashi Nallaya https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Theory and practice of why to evaluate WIL: A context-sensitive approach
Higher Education (HE) institutions recognise that Work Integrated Learning (WIL) activities make important contributions to student employability. Despite the growing appetite for understanding the extent and nature of WIL’s impact, there are limited reviews of WIL evaluation (WE) theory and a there is a paucity of clear guidance on the practical steps involved in sector-wide, or even institution-specific, evaluations of WIL. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of how a Faculty at an Australian University embarked upon an action-research project to design a fit-for-purpose Faculty-wide WIL Evaluation Framework (WEF). An outline of the set of six guiding questions, referred to as the 6W’s of WE – the ‘Why’, ‘Who’, ‘Where’, ‘What’, ‘When’ and ‘hoW’ – is provided. A detailed examination of the first of the 6W’s – the why evaluate WIL question – enlivens our theory-to-practice approach of WE. This research proposes that unpacking the ‘why’ of WIL evaluation (enabled by an action-research approach) is a fundamental first step for probing what is valued and what then should be evaluated. The paper concludes with recommendations for those contemplating designing an institutional-specific WIL evaluation, particularly so that context-specific whys of WIL and WIL evaluation can be galvanised, thus enriching our collective understandings of sector-wide impact.
Copyright (c) 2023 Karen Young, Anne-Louise Semple, Michelle Harvey, Sophie McKenzie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The paradigm wars rage: the need for an integrated approach for the future of higher education
Are higher education researchers at war – with each other? In this invited article, I introduce a keynote manuscript, which I presented at the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia’s (HERDSA) 2023 conference. Through it, I argue that despite over 30 years of a wealth of qualitative and mixed methods data arising in the field of higher education, quantitative data continues to play an outsized role in university decision-making. This speaks to a hierarchy of epistemologies in our sector, which, ultimately, may limit the sector’s ability to prepare for change or navigate in troubled times. Alternatively, I present an ‘integrated approach’ which would encourage researchers and university decision-makers to equally respect and value the various epistemologies that exist in the study of higher education. Critically, this includes those epistemologies and methodologies that harness the nuanced, complicated data that draws on students’ voices and their lived experiences. I conclude by reflecting on Associate Professor Barbara’s Grant’s concept of “a thousand tiny universities” to consider how each of us, researchers, practitioners, senior leaders, has a role to play in addressing, and correcting, the existing epistemic biases that continue to thwart progress in higher education.
Copyright (c) 2023 Mollie Dollinger https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Reflections on the first three years of ASRHE
This editorial looks back at the first three years of ASRHE, the journal for Advancing Scholarship and Research in Higher Education. It describes the ethos of ASRHE that is grounded in generous scholarship, based on social praxis, generous mindedness, reciprocity, generous heartedness, and sense of agency. Details on submissions and acceptance rates, evaluation of the review processes and development opportunities are provided. The statistics on readership demonstrate the world-wide attention ASRHE enjoys. Plans for the coming year are outlined and include further development opportunities for the ASRHE reviewer community, research on the effectiveness of the review feedback, as well as plans for working towards a group-review process extension for the OJS journal management system.
Copyright (c) 2023 Eva Heinrich, Geof Hill, Jo-Anne Kelder, Michelle Picard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A Case Study in the Implementation of Convergent Education: Diversifying frames of knowledge
Convergent education calls for the dismantling of long held academic borders, and for the blurring of traditional academic divisions. It emphasizes the development of professionals who are comfortable thinking across traditional boundaries and who are equipped to best meet the needs of today’s society through critical thinking and problem solving. In doing so, it focuses on issues central to and concurrent with a student’s present experience. As we explore, we find that despite a variety of implementations of multidisciplinary approaches, an implementable framework for convergent education that is transferable across university settings seems lacking. We offer a framework for defining, identifying, and evaluating convergent education and apply this to a 2020 undergraduate course at the University of Portland. In addition to the development of a framework and analysis of convergent learning within the case study, we find that despite the ready need for and applicability of convergent-based education, more traditional academic structures predispose both students and educators towards educational outcomes that remain largely siloed, particularly in the divide between STEMM and non-STEMM majors. We demonstrate how the existing mismatch between intended convergent education outcomes and traditional academic structures may limit convergent education possibilities and we propose areas in which higher education can improve in developing professionals who are equipped to address the most pressing global issues.
Copyright (c) 2022 Kali Abel, Tara Prestholdt, Ruth Dittrich, Louisa C. Egan Brad, Vail Fletcher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
How can critical thinking be recognised and developed in students that are still developing tertiary-level English language proficiency?
As many international students attending Western universities do not have English as their first language, they can experience difficulty sharing their wealth of ideas. As critical thinking and academic writing are often mutually dependent, this study sought to explore how international students express their ideas and how this can be further supported in the classroom. Using educational design research, 20 tertiary foundation students received 12 weeks instruction in critical thinking and academic writing and their output assessed pre and post course. The study established that students could demonstrate critical thinking on entry to the program and, with focused instruction, were able to further enhance their skills. However, findings also illustrate that the students did not possess the same ability to construct advanced written representation of their ideas. This study suggests that consideration be given to alternate methods of assessment and instruction that recognise international students’ existing critical thinking skills base.
Copyright (c) 2022 Lorna Clark https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Beyond technology use: a people-centred approach to reconceptualising the adoption of learning technologies
Research into the adoption of learning technologies has identified predictive factors of individual adoption. However, this research largely assumes technology adoption-as-use, which, I argue, is technology-centric and disregards the role of teachers and their teaching practice. Following a people-centred approach, I sought to focus on teachers’ experiences during technology adoption and in doing so contribute to the notion of adoption-as-process. I undertook interpretive phenomenology research, conducting semi-structured interviews with a group of seven academic teachers in a New Zealand university where a new learning management system (LMS) was implemented following an institutional-wide LMS review. I analysed the interview data using a reflexive thematic analysis method. The findings indicate that technology adoption is more than technology use; it is laden with emotional experiences, learning experiences, experiences of inability to perform and experiences of incongruence in the teaching space. To facilitate appropriate individual adoption, the study calls for future research to focus on adoption-as-process and institutional practice to address emotional responses, enable learning in safe and authentic environments, scaffold performance, and align existing policies and practices with new technologies.
Copyright (c) 2022 Qian Liu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Foregrounding the importance of communication, collaboration, and an open mind
This editorial introduces the articles published in the 2022 edition of the journal Advancing Scholarship and Research in Higher Education. The journal’s editors reflect on the journal operations and on publishing in higher education in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Copyright (c) 2022 Eva Heinrich, Geof Hill, Jo-Anne Kelder, Michelle Picard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Book review: How to use storytelling in your academic writing: Techniques for engaging readers and successfully navigating the writing and publishing processes
This book review illuminates Pollock’s (2021) text ‘How to use storytelling in your academic writing’. In the longstanding discipline of literary criticism/study, a book review is often the work of a single author and written to expose the reader/audience to the contents of the book under investigation (Campbell & Jamieson, 1978). The review we have offered here adopts a writing style of a conversation about the book between two academics, and thus posits a new mode of book-review writing. The intent of the article is to challenge expectations of what counts as a book review. The review itself recommends the book as a valuable contribution to the collection of academic books on academic writing.
Copyright (c) 2021 Geof Hill, Jo-Anne Kelder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
What we do in the shadows: Cultivating faculty teaching and learning relationships in online tutorials
Many academic faculties found themselves unexpectedly thrown into the online teaching context during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our context, online tutorial attendances ranged from 20 to 150 students per session, necessitating the creation of a virtual teaching team. This article offers a perspective on developing collaborative team-teaching from the lived experiences of three academics who suddenly found themselves team-teaching online. We reflected on our experiences of collaborative online teaching over the year and shared our stories with each other. Our analysis drew from elements of Appreciative Inquiry and collaborative autoethnography. Based on the five principles of Appreciative Inquiry, we constructed positive and supportive conceptions of our experiences and opened positive possibilities for course delivery and our ongoing relationships. Important outcomes from this study included the development of our online teaching skills and strategies necessary for effective collaboration in online team-teaching. Our findings will be of interest to educational staff transitioning to online team-teaching.
Copyright (c) 2021 Kay Hammond, Gwen Erlam, Carmel Cedro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Discipline learning outcomes: Design resource and quality assurance mechanism
The use of learning outcome statements underpins contemporary university course design, yet their impact in practice is unclear. Threshold learning outcomes (TLOs) for Australian bachelor degrees in science were published in the Science Standards Statement in 2011. This paper reports how and where the Science TLOs have been adopted by science faculties across Australian universities as a case study in the broad-scale application of discipline learning outcomes in generalist degrees. The analysis draws on four data sources: a desktop survey of published course learning outcomes for science degrees; an online survey of learning and teaching leaders; semi-structured interviews with a sub-set of those leaders; and a citation analysis. The results show that the majority of Australian science faculties have embraced the Science TLOs both as a reference point for quality assurance and as the basis of curriculum design or redevelopment. The TLOs are perceived as a trusted external reference point, endorsed by the Australian Council of Deans of Science, and aligned to national legislative requirements. Some challenges remain, including staff resistance to change and a perception of curriculum reform as a ‘top-down’ process. Positional leaders clearly have a pivotal role as active brokers to lead positive change. However, in terms of national standards and quality assurance, we conclude that disciplinary learning outcome statements such as the Science TLOs build a bridge between intent and practice in curriculum reform.
Copyright (c) 2021 Susan M. Jones, Elizabeth Johnson, Jo-Anne Kelder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Exploring course evaluations based on self-determination theory
This ‘Research in Progress’ article explores how to build on self-determination theory (SDT) in the context of first year university course evaluations. It suggests the use of an established SDT scale, Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs (BMPN), plus two course specific scales on course design features and perceived knowledge gains. The scales form a conceptual design linking course design, needs fulfilment and knowledge gains. Two information technology courses have been examined and findings indicate the usefulness of the conceptual design for course evaluation. Per course, data from the three scales combine to coherent pictures; across courses differences show up that might be explained via course maturity. While approaches for a combined statistical analysis for the three scales are indicated, participant numbers were too small for testing of models. Several areas for follow up research are suggested and include refinement of the scales, application to other courses for comparison regarding course maturity or subject specifics, examination of SDT for application in modern technology-supported and blended course environments, as well as combination with qualitative data for a deeper understanding.
Copyright (c) 2021 Eva Heinrich https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The ‘Research in Progress’ article category
ASRHE has introduced a novel article category named ‘Research in Progress’. While the journal’s website provides a succinct definition of this category, initial submissions indicate that further guidance is required to highlight requirements and opportunities. The editors have decided to approach this challenge by constructing an audio editorial, recorded in a conversational format, allowing for multiple voices and nuances to come across. Important aspects of Research in Progress lie in facilitating publication of tentative results, sharing of research approaches and discussion of research designs. The editors emphasize the need for a strong research foundation, as in literature grounding or careful research question design, and open and honest discussion of successes and failures. Research in Progress is strongly placed to invite collaborations and authors are reminded to be explicit in specifying how they want to work with others to take research forward. The editorial also addresses the situation of research students and how a Research in Progress article might sit alongside thesis writing. Research in Progress is a developing article category. The editors invite assistance from the higher education research community in shaping this category.
Copyright (c) 2021 Eva Heinrich, Geof Hill, Jo-Anne Kelder, Michelle Picard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Welcome to Advancing Scholarship and Research in Higher Education
Advancing Scholarship and Research in Higher Education (ASRHE) is a new journal focused on progressing learning and teaching in higher education by advancing scholarship and research. ASRHE is published by HERDSA as an open source journal under a Creative Commons licence. ASRHE features a group-based peer review process and introduces submission categories for research in progress and creative contributions.
Copyright (c) 2020 Eva Heinrich, Geof Hill, Jo-Anne Kelder, Michelle Picard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0