Vol. 11 No. 2 (2014)
Published:
1 September 2014
Articles
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Features of Engaging and Empowering Experiential Learning Programs for College Students
This study describes three collegiate programs that have a high interest in creating engaging learning environments outside of the classroom. The three settings in this study are a three-year degree granting college focusing on
This study describes three collegiate programs that have a high interest in creating engaging learning environments outside of the classroom. The three settings in this study are a three-year degree granting college focusing on internship-based learning, a nationally recognized service-learning program at a private university, and a small private college emphasizing work and service. Research was guided by two exploratory questions: (1) How can students, faculty, administrators, and community partners’ work together to create engaging learning experiences? (2) How can students feel empowered through experiential learning programs? Three themes emerged as important aspects of experiential programs that foster engagement and empowerment: learner autonomy, accountability, and peer support. These features are discussed and presented as important components to experiential learning programs.
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Exploring the Issue of Failure to Fail in Professional Education Programs: A Multidisciplinary Study
There is a universal demand for well-prepared professionals in all disciplines, and society has entrusted professional schools with the task of preparing such individuals (Ralph, Walker, and Wimmer, 2008). Within this context, field or
There is a universal demand for well-prepared professionals in all disciplines, and society has entrusted professional schools with the task of preparing such individuals (Ralph, Walker, and Wimmer, 2008). Within this context, field or clinical instructors and university faculty have an academic and professional responsibility to teach, supervise, and evaluate students’ field or clinical experience to ensure that each graduate of their program is competent. However, there is evidence that some instructors and university faculty experience difficulty in identifying and making decisions to fail students who display incompetent or unsatisfactory practice (Bogo, Regehr, Power, and Regehr, 2007; Brown, Neudorf, Poitras, and Rodgers, 2007; Hawe, 2003). A qualitative descriptive design was used to explore the issue of “failure to fail” in professional programs including Nursing, Education, and Social Work. Results indicate that: (a) failing a student is a difficult process; (b) both academic and emotional support are required for students and field instructors/preceptors/ faculty advisors; (c) there are consequences for programs, faculty, and students when a student has failed a placement; (d) at times, personal, professional, and structural reasons exist for failing to fail a student; and (e) the reputation of the professional program can be diminished as a result of failing to fail a student. Recommendations for improving the quality of field or clinical experiences and support for students and field instructors/preceptors and will thus improve the quality of our programs and graduates are presented.
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Introducing case-based peer-assisted learning in a professional course
This paper describes students’ experience of participating in a case-based peer-assisted learning (PAL) program in order to examine whether the approach is pedagogically effective and likely to contribute to students’ professional
This paper describes students’ experience of participating in a case-based peer-assisted learning (PAL) program in order to examine whether the approach is pedagogically effective and likely to contribute to students’ professional development. It presents the findings of a study which examined the integration of PAL and case-based learning (CBL) in a multidisciplinary radiologic biology unit as part of an undergraduate degree program in Radiography and Medical Imaging. The study indicated the value of students working together in small groups to prepare and offer a case-based tutorial for their peers, with the cases offering a focus for their research and teaching in the multidisciplinary context. Working in groups and peer teaching were the most beneficial aspects of the program for enhancing student learning. The program involved three episodes of peer assessment (assessing teaching, assessing learning and assessing contributions to group work), with the first of these contributing most to the program, though further development and exploration of the latter two aspects are needed. The integration of PAL with CBL provided a ‘real world’ context for teaching and learning. Students recognised that interacting with peers would be an important aspect of their professional lives and that the program offered them opportunities to prepare for this. Implementation and evaluation of this approach with other groups of students in vocational and non-vocational courses would determine its broader pedagogical effectiveness.
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Learning About the Quality of Work that Teachers Expect: Students’ Perceptions of Exemplar Marking Versus Teacher Explanation
Assessment is an important element of university curricula for both teachers and students. It provides evidence that students have learned what their teachers expected them to learn. There is good evidence that teachers’ use of exemplars
Assessment is an important element of university curricula for both teachers and students. It provides evidence that students have learned what their teachers expected them to learn. There is good evidence that teachers’ use of exemplars in a dedicated marking class held before an assessment task helps students understand what is expected of them in regards to standards of work; the level of students’ assessment task performance is consequently enhanced. However it is unclear whether students’ process of marking exemplars, or a teacher’s explanation of the quality of exemplars, contributes more to students’ understanding of expectations. In this small-scale mixed methods study involving exam answer exemplars, we found that undergraduate and postgraduate Nutrition students value both marking and the teacher’s explanation for different reasons, and overall perceive the teacher’s explanation as being most beneficial for their learning. An important factor to also consider is students’ emotional reactions to the marking class and the potential implications of this on learning and exam preparation. We recommend that teachers be supported in implementing an interactive exemplar-based approach to help students learn about what is expected of them in assessment tasks, including exams.
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Strengthening the Intersections Between Secondary and Tertiary Education in Australia: Building Cultural Capital
This paper begins by outlining the ‘education revolution’ policy direction of the Australian federal government, and the ways in which it envisages meeting its goal of having a 40% of the population between 25 and 34 with a Bachelor’s
This paper begins by outlining the ‘education revolution’ policy direction of the Australian federal government, and the ways in which it envisages meeting its goal of having a 40% of the population between 25 and 34 with a Bachelor’s degree by 2025, and ensuring that 20% of tertiary students come form LSES backgrounds. This is contrasted with the achievements of the UK government’s ‘Widening Participation’ strategy. It then discusses the institutional and policy challenges which broad social inclusion goals generate for secondary and tertiary sectors – challenges which are likely to fundamentally reshape both sectors whilst also forcing them to become partners in a national educational mission. The article then examines a framework from the OECD designed to strengthen schools in disadvantaged areas, with disadvantaged students in order that they complete secondary schooling and proceed to tertiary education. In response to the OECD’s recommendations, the paper then focuses on one example of a program in which both sectors are collaborating – for mutual benefit – to increase the numbers of LSES students aspiring to and accessing tertiary education and achieving success in tertiary studies, and makes predictions about its future success. This US initiative (AVID) has had significant success for over thirty years and is currently being trialed in a number of Australian schools and universities. It concludes by advocating that schools and universities partner more closely, and that AVID may well be a useful means of achieving this, whilst also enriching schools’ cultures and facilitating greater academic success at both university and school, for disadvantaged students.
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The Challenges of Blended Learning Using a Media Annotation Tool
Blended learning has been evolving as an important approach to learning and teaching in tertiary education. This approach incorporates learning in both online and face-to-face modes and promotes deep learning by incorporating the best of
Blended learning has been evolving as an important approach to learning and teaching in tertiary education. This approach incorporates learning in both online and face-to-face modes and promotes deep learning by incorporating the best of both approaches. An innovation in blended learning is the use of an online media annotation tool (MAT) in combination with face-to-face classes. This tool allows students to annotate their own or teacher-uploaded video adding to their understanding of professional skills in various disciplines in tertiary education. Examination of MAT occurred in 2011 and included nine cohorts of students using the tool. This article canvasses selected data relating to MAT including insights into the use of blended learning focussing on the challenges of combining face-to-face and online learning using a relatively new online tool.
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Challenges in a Physics Course: Introducing Student-Centred Activities for Increased Learning
This article identifies and analyses some of the challenges that arose in a development process of changing from a content-based teaching environment to a student-centred environment in an undergraduate physics course for medicine and
This article identifies and analyses some of the challenges that arose in a development process of changing from a content-based teaching environment to a student-centred environment in an undergraduate physics course for medicine and biology students at Universidad de los Andes. Through the use of the Critical Research model proposed by Skovsmose and Borba, the development process was formed as a close co-operation between academics and researchers in both the construction of pedagogical changes and the responses to particular educational problems during the process. The analyses of the development process highlight a number of difficulties in relation to the introduction of specific student-centred approaches in relation to both the structure of the course and the conception of the content of the course.
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Teaching Business Law to Non-Law Students, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (‘CaLD’) Students, and Large Classes
This paper is largely based on the experience of teaching law to students with non-legal background in business schools, with a focus on internationalisation and the large class lecture format. Business schools often consist of large
This paper is largely based on the experience of teaching law to students with non-legal background in business schools, with a focus on internationalisation and the large class lecture format. Business schools often consist of large classes which include a significant proportion of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) students. Teaching a difficult and demanding subject to a large cohort of students from increasingly diverse backgrounds can be an onerous task. The existence of these conditions present different teaching challenges and requires a re-examination of teachers’ approaches to student learning. In this article, the experience of teaching law in business schools is approached through an examination of the challenges and problems arising from (a) teaching law to non-law students (b) teaching CaLD students (c) teaching large classes. At each stage, the writers explore effective solutions and strategies to deal with these issues.