Vol. 13 No. 5 (2016)
Published:
2 January 2016
Articles
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Taking the Long Road: a Faculty Model for Incremental Change Towards Standards-based Support for Sessional Teachers in Higher Education
Despite decades of dependence on sessional teaching staff, universities in Australia and internationally still find it difficult to support the teaching work of this large, casual workforce. A significant consequence of casually-employed
Despite decades of dependence on sessional teaching staff, universities in Australia and internationally still find it difficult to support the teaching work of this large, casual workforce. A significant consequence of casually-employed teaching staff is risk; sessional academics’ professional identity is compromised, quality assurance of students’ learning experiences is uncertain, and this in turn, jeopardises universities’ teaching and learning programs. These risks have existed in universities for decades, yet policies and practices that support the work of sessional staff remain inconsistent or absent. The implementation model for supporting sessional staff described in this paper, the Four Phase Model, (the 4P Model) is informed by the Sessional Staff Standards Framework (BLASST 2013), and, the Collective Impact Model, known as the CI Model (Kania & Kraner 2011). The 4P Model could help faculties systematise actions towards standards-based support for sessional staff that are inclusive professionally and contribute to the development of quality teaching and learning practice. The authors explain the thinking behind the new 4P Model, and, discuss its usefulness as a vehicle for managing incremental progress within this ‘difficult to change’ context. An evaluation of a completed trial of Phase One of the 4P Model has been included to assist faculty with implementation of all four phases of this model.
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Communication Idol: Using popular culture to catalyse active learning by engaging students in the development of entertaining teaching and learning resources
Bringing popular culture to tertiary education can potentially increase student engagement with learning tasks and content, especially when the learning task has students producing the content. Using a single-group intervention plus
Bringing popular culture to tertiary education can potentially increase student engagement with learning tasks and content, especially when the learning task has students producing the content. Using a single-group intervention plus post-test design, this study implemented and evaluated a purposely developed learning and teaching innovation capitalising on popular and consumer culture to promote active over passive learning in a large, interprofessional health science unit. Students were invited to develop educational video presentations in a friendly competition based on high-rating television musical and vocal talent quests, with cash prizes based on peer ratings, this being the intervention. From a cohort of 569 students in 12 undergraduate allied health programs, 14 students in seven teams of 1 to 3 students produced seven, high-quality videos about communication in professional health practice, and recorded their experiences of doing so. Ratings showed the majority found the process fun (85%) and instructive (64%), with 29% finding the task harder than expected. The prospect of prizes along with intrinsic motivators were reasons for producing a video. A further 285 students viewed the productions and for extra marks completed evaluation of the videos’ educational value. Videos were perceived as an educationally valuable yet entertaining way to engage unit content. Producers of videos rated the teaching and learning experience significantly more positively than students not involved in production. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses supported relevant numerical findings. Barriers to producing videos were identified as time, resources, confidence and lack of a team. Results should encourage educators contemplating similar initiatives. The project highlights benefits of harnessing popular genres with which students identify, to encourage involvement in producing educationally justifiable content that rewards both performer and audience. The project shows how learning content and tasks created and presented in familiar and entertaining formats can catalyse students’ agentic engagement in tertiary curricula.
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Wikistudents. Teaching consumption through production hands on with Wikipedia
This paper describes and reflects on a teaching experience developed as a complimentary workshops to MA class on history, theory and politics of consumption. We used Wikipedia as a tool to consider the circuit of knowledge production in
This paper describes and reflects on a teaching experience developed as a complimentary workshops to MA class on history, theory and politics of consumption. We used Wikipedia as a tool to consider the circuit of knowledge production in the Web 2.0 era, where consumers are no longer passive audiences but producers and consumers at the same time. We developed a collaborative team-work workshop aimed at the production of Wikipedia entries on topics related to the class content. In this note we describe the structure of such “Wikiworshops”, our teaching strategy on sources management, teamwork and group teaching, and elaborate on students' reception of the workshop. Wikiworkhops proved to be an effective exercise in a collaborative economy of knowledge, and an opportunity for young sociologists to be part of it, expressing their creativity as well as becoming aware of the boundaries and limits inherent in the mechanism.
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Evaluation of a “Flipped Classroom” Approach in Management Education
In this paper, a “flipped classroom” approach is evaluated using three different datasets. We use student evaluations of the “flipped classroom” in particular, in addition to regular course evaluations and exam results for the past three
In this paper, a “flipped classroom” approach is evaluated using three different datasets. We use student evaluations of the “flipped classroom” in particular, in addition to regular course evaluations and exam results for the past three years in order to allow for statistical comparisons. Overall, the results are quite positive. Among the interesting effects, students report that they prepare better for lectures, are more satisfied with the course overall, and achieve slightly better grades. In particular, fewer students receive very low grades. On the one hand, we argue that our results support more experiments with technology to improve education. On the other hand, we also hope that our analysis could be useful as a reference for evaluating such experiments and new approaches.
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Simulations for the Discipline Specific and Professional Education of Foreign Policy Graduates
Increasingly universities aim to provide students with opportunities to graduate with skills ready to perform in the workplace. However, workplace-based opportunities for students enrolled in foreign policy subjects are more limited due to
Increasingly universities aim to provide students with opportunities to graduate with skills ready to perform in the workplace. However, workplace-based opportunities for students enrolled in foreign policy subjects are more limited due to the diplomatic and sensitive political nature of the professional work. Thus there exists a need for higher education institutions teaching foreign policy courses in generalist degrees to create innovative solutions to enable student experience of professional foreign policy practice. In this article we analyse our Australian foreign policy dual strategy teaching initiative where we deploy in-person simulations enabling students to develop both their discipline specific foreign policy knowledge and gain insights in, and experience with, professional competencies and non-technical skills. Student, industry, and staff participant feedback demonstrates the benefits of the simulations for both discipline specific learning and professional skills development.
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Building Staff Capacity through Reflecting on Collaborative Development of Embedded Academic Literacies Curricula
Most Australian universities articulate some policies around the integration of graduate learning outcomes in courses. This paper draws on a Federal Government funded project that adopted a developmental approach to students’ acquisition
Most Australian universities articulate some policies around the integration of graduate learning outcomes in courses. This paper draws on a Federal Government funded project that adopted a developmental approach to students’ acquisition of course learning outcomes, through the embedding of academic literacies in course curricula. The project was part of a Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program (HEPPP), which focused on courses with a high proportion of students from a low socio-economic status (SES) background. However, the project took an inclusive approach to curriculum development by focusing on the needs of all students. In describing this project, the paper aims to explore the challenges and advantages of collaborative curriculum development. The findings, which are based on individual interviews with the project partners suggest that increased collaboration between course team members and professional staff, and the opportunity to reflect built the capacity of all staff, specifically their understanding of academic literacies. Evaluation of the project helped to confirm that a curriculum renewal process needs to ensure that members of course teams have time to fully engage in collaborative reflection. The evaluation supported a move to a more cooperative approach to curriculum development.
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Teaching and Assessing Problem Solving: An Example of an Incremental Approach to Using IRAC in Legal Education
Legal reasoning is a type of problem solving, and is situated within thinking skills, one of the six threshold learning outcomes established under the auspices of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council’s Bachelor of Laws Learning and
Legal reasoning is a type of problem solving, and is situated within thinking skills, one of the six threshold learning outcomes established under the auspices of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council’s Bachelor of Laws Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement. The threshold learning outcomes define what law graduates are ‘expected to know, understand and be able to do as a result of learning’ (Kift et al., 2010, p. 9). The assessment of legal reasoning, and thus problem solving, should receive greater attention in legal education discourse (James, 2011, p. 15, James, 2012, p. 88). The dominant approach for problem-based questions in the discipline of law over the last 40 years is IRAC (issue, rule, application and conclusion). The acronym IRAC is not offensive and potentially instils a positive professional legal identity and is a student-centred approach to problem solving. This journal article documents an incremental approach to IRAC in law where first year students answer a problem-based law question using a grid format before preparing a barrister’s advice.
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Developing a Conceptual Framework for Student Learning during International Community Engagement
University-community engagement often involves students engaging with people who experience multiple forms of disadvantage or marginalization. This is particularly true when universities work with communities in developing nations
University-community engagement often involves students engaging with people who experience multiple forms of disadvantage or marginalization. This is particularly true when universities work with communities in developing nations. Participation in these projects can be challenging for students. Assumptions about themselves, their professional practice, and broader society are tested while dealing with the challenges of life in a developing nation. In light of this, students’ learning and their personal well-being need to be supported before, during, and after participating in international community engagement . This paper reports on the development of a conceptual framework for the support and enhancement of student learning during international community engagement. The paper then reports on the development of a resource that aims to support student learning. Early pilot data suggested that the resource is effective in supporting student learning and well-being and that the resource shows potential for wider use in the higher education sector.
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The Learning Thermometer: Closing the loop between teaching, learning, wellbeing and support in universities
The increasing awareness and impact of mental health problems in university students in addition to a need for objective measures of teaching quality provide the impetus for a new approach to supporting students. There is a need for more
The increasing awareness and impact of mental health problems in university students in addition to a need for objective measures of teaching quality provide the impetus for a new approach to supporting students. There is a need for more effective tools that integrate the institutional silos of teaching, learning, support, and wellbeing to help students maximise their educational outcomes. This paper provides an overview of an innovative student-centred tool, The Learning Thermometer, as an efficient and effective way to integrate the institutional silos and embedding student support within the mainstream curriculum. The Learning Thermometer comprises four web-based surveys that are completed by students during the semester. After each survey students are provided with relevant feedback, and if necessary, suggestions of strategies, resources and people who can help them with their learning and/or wellbeing. The Learning Thermometer has the potential to ensure every student has access to support, if and when they need it during their studies. Recommendations are made on how the tool can be used to enhance teaching, learning and student health and wellbeing.
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A view through the long lens: Pre-service teachers' perceptions of multi-campus course delivery
This paper explores the results of a survey that was conducted with 277 pre-service teachers studying at two regional university campuses in Victoria, Australia in 2014. Data showed that participants expressed high level of satisfaction
This paper explores the results of a survey that was conducted with 277 pre-service teachers studying at two regional university campuses in Victoria, Australia in 2014. Data showed that participants expressed high level of satisfaction with the quality of their undergraduate courses in education including the flexible teaching and learning experiences. However, many reported experiencing frustration with accessing cloud-based learning materials and support services, including communication with lecturers. Challenges in accessing learning materials were mainly attributed to slow internet speed which increased the time taken to download resources. Access to support services and lecturers was made difficult because many key staff were located at the larger, urban campuses, thus sometimes causing delay in communication with them. This study recommends that university faculties review the accessibility of services, facilities and resources for rural and remote students. Recommendations include greater attention to the presentation of online learning materials to ensure accessibility for all students, regardless of internet speed and location. Moreover, findings showed that by closer examination of the accessibility of services to reflect the reality and complexity of students’ lives, universities could increase equity for rural and remote students.