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Vol. 10 No. 2 (2013)

Published: 1 September 2013

Articles

  • Editorial 10.2

    Geraldine E. Lefoe

    Welcome to the second edition of the Journal of University Learning and Teaching Practice for 2013. It is also the final edition involving my co-editor Dr Meg O’Reilly from Southern Cross University, Australia. It is always hard to say goodbye to a colleague who has made a substantial contribution to the ongoing success of our journal and this is no exception. Meg has taken a significant workload with allocating papers for review and coaxing reviewers to submit on time. She has an amazing ability to provide insightful comments to authors, and her contributions to keeping the journal on track and on time have involved sheer hard work. She has moved to take a leadership role in the Research in Learning Technology journal where I know she will again improve processes and communication for all involved. We wish her well and really appreciate the contributions she has made to JUTLP.

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  • Does Time Spent Online have an Influence on Student Performance? Evidence for a Large Business Studies Class

    Con Korkofingas, Joseph Macri

    This paper examines, using regression modelling, whether a statistically significant relationship exists between the time spent by a student using the course website and the student’s assessment performance for a large third year university business forecasting course. We utilise the online tracking system in Blackboard, a web-based software system, to extract and calculate the time spent by each student on a range of specific online assessment activities across the entire semester. The evidence suggests that time spent online on the course website is associated with higher assessment performance.

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  • Practical Implications of a Constructivist Approach to EFL Teaching in a Higher Education Context

    Montserrat Iglesias Xamaní

    Traditional pedagogical approaches may not be the best way to cater for the specific needs of learners in higher education settings, particularly those of university students with special expectations and professional prospects. The question of enhancing language learning awareness as a means of fostering the acquisition of a foreign language certainly is a key issue for future professionals within the tourism industry. This article analyses the introduction of portfolios in the English class through an action-research experience which was carried out among students of a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management in Spain. The participants were asked to express their opinions on their progress in terms of key competences, the ability to reflect critically about their strengths/weaknesses, and the importance of taking an active part in their learning process through peer/self assessment.

    Read article: Practical Implications of a Constructivist Approach to EFL Teaching in a Higher Education Context

  • Efficacy of Accent Modification Training for International Medical Professionals

    Poonam Khurana, Edgar Huang

    International medical graduates (IMGs) comprise 26% of the U.S. physician work force. While IMGs bring all their knowledge and expertise, their pronunciation and intonation patterns often become a barrier in their ability to be understood. This breakdown in communication can affect physician-patient or physician-staff understanding and hence patient care. This study assessed the efficacy of an accent reduction program provided to IMGs and international medical researchers (IMRs) to address these communications problems. A pre and post course self-evaluation by the 82 participants, a pre and post audio-tape assessment by the course instructor, and a pre and post videotape assessment by two independent observers all pointed to significant improvement in their abilities to pronounce words distinctly, stress words or syllables more accurately and use body language/facial expressions appropriately. The results suggest that appropriate and focused training directed at improving the communication skills of non-native English speakers is highly effective.

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  • PASSwrite: Recalibrating student academic literacies development

    Frances Williamson, Rosalie Goldsmith

    Concern about student retention and success remains paramount in universities both in Australia and overseas, especially in the light of the ongoing massification of higher education, yet current strategies are not necessarily dealing successfully with the changing demographics of student populations. This is particularly so in the realm of developing student academic literacies. This paper argues strongly for a shift in approaches to the development of academic literacies, adopting current trends in peer learning rather than relying on the deficit model of study skills which is frequently employed at Australian universities. We present an overview of the innovative PASSwrite model, utilising the principles of peer-assisted study sessions (PASS) to create a peer-led informal environment in which students can develop their academic writing abilities in a collaborative, discipline-specific context. We posit that such an environment can better address students’ learning needs across a wide spectrum, from understanding the specific discourse of their discipline and receiving timely feedback on their writing, to developing confidence in their ability to navigate successfully a path through the maze of academia. We provide an outline of a PASSwrite session to demonstrate how this can be achieved, along with the anticipated outcomes. As the project is at an early stage at the time of writing, no firm conclusions can be made, but it is envisaged that these will be presented as the project matures.

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  • A Longitudinal Study of Student Outcomes from Participation in an International Study Tour: Some Preliminary Findings

    Mark Tucker, Debbi Weaver

    Students returning from an international business study tour program were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of the professional and personal impact of the program. When interviews were conducted within 3-4 months of the students’ return, mixed responses were received, with some students highly positive about their experiences, but other students highly distressed about the level of independence required of them. When students were consulted two to six years after the completion of the program, including re-interviewing the initial study participants, students appeared more able to appreciate the benefits of the program. This was evident in their responses that highlighted an improvement in discipline-based knowledge, a better understanding of personal and intercultural issues, and the further development of their generic academic skills. Negative emotions had all but disappeared from students’ responses. While these findings are from small sample sizes and are not conclusive, the results raise important questions about the timing of critical program evaluations.

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  • Developing the Parameters of Scholarship in Postgraduate Coursework Studies

    Allan F McLay

    Scholarship parameters, in relation to postgraduate coursework studies, are developed against the expectations of the Boyer classifications of scholarship (Boyer, 1990) with particular emphasis on the role of minor thesis development. An example is presented in which postgraduate coursework students are required to undertake a three semester minor thesis sequence in which students engage in self directed, individual analysis and thesis preparation based on the findings of an investigative project, under the guidance of an academic supervisor. It is argued that the approach is a viable example of combined pedagogical and research oriented scholarship that addresses Boyer’s tetradic framework of scholarship and provides an effective environment for developing both discipline focussed scholarship and practical experience in research activity.

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  • Extra-curricular Undergraduate Research Training: Notes on the Pedagogical Practices Behind the Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology

    Christopher Coady, Kathleen Nelson

    Although there is a clear body of evidence supporting the idea that undergraduate students benefit from participation in original research projects, many units of study – particularly in the creative arts and humanities – have been slow to embrace curriculum renewal along these lines. In this paper, we detail a pragmatic approach to meeting this curriculum challenge in a music faculty through an extra-curricular initiative that embraces, rather than challenges organisational structures already in place. The writing workshop associated with the Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology provides a pathway for students looking to develop papers they have written for class assignments into original research projects. The design of the workshop uses the Madeline Hunter Direct Instruction Model as a vehicle for introducing students to the central tenets of the Willison and O’Regan Research Skills Development Framework – an increasingly popular tool for the development of original research skills. The effect of the workshop on students’ engagement with the requirements of original research and their eagerness to engage in original research projects is then explored through the presentation of data derived from a focus group comprised of workshop participants that took place one year later.

    Read article: Extra-curricular Undergraduate Research Training: Notes on the Pedagogical Practices Behind the Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology