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Vol. 20 No. 1 (2023)

Published: 1 January 2023

Articles

  • Editorial: The Need for Good Leaders in Higher Education

    Joseph Crawford

    Consistently, and without pause, have ethical, social, and moral crises plagued the higher educational domain. With rapidly changing student bases, staff profiles, and funding structures, university leaders and managers have been required to do, and be, more. In times of crisis, heightened complexity, and competition, leaders have struggled with greater frequency to be, and do, good. In parallel, students and learners have juggled more, had more diverse motivations for studying, and been less homogenous with the once-typical nineteen-year-old recent high school graduate. In recent years, there have been repeated stories of unethical practices of leadership. While catastrophising is not the aim, nor pursuit, of this editorial, these provide context for the Journal’s expansion into educational leadership, management, and educational psychology in higher education. With the rise of software to make cheating easier, opportunities to outsource dissertations, and a more turbulent sector, it will be the leaders who sustain teams, and build good educational outcomes.

    Read article: Editorial: The Need for Good Leaders in Higher Education 1,564 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • An enduring college classroom annoyance: The wandering student phenomenon

    John F Gaski

    Anyone teaching at the U.S. university level for two decades or more may recall when a dramatic change in student classroom behavior first became manifest. A tendency to regard attendance at a given class session as flexible, volitional, variable, and without concern for disruptive side-effects—with respect to each class segment—arose rather suddenly within the last 20 years, and continues. Specifically, for students to casually leave the room during class has become commonplace. Diagnosis of possible cause(s) and motivation for such arbitrary or rude wandering is attempted here, along with tentative prescriptive response. Investigative methods are primarily analytic and exploratory, including hundreds of interviews, augmented by formal survey. The basic finding is that faculty respondents do find the referenced behavior a serious problem. This work-product is apparently the first research to target the designated behavioral change.

    Read article: An enduring college classroom annoyance: The wandering student phenomenon 988 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • The 4 Cs Strategy for disseminating innovations in university teaching: Classroom, Corridors, Campus, Community

    Lynn Gribble, Elizabeth A Beckmann

    University educators are encouraged to be innovative in their teaching practice, and are often recognised and rewarded for these innovations. However, the effective dissemination and consequent adoption of such innovations is still relatively ineffective, despite the development of diverse dissemination frameworks and strategies. The literature suggests the uptake of innovations is constrained especially by ‘people factors’ related to change, transition and perceived risk, which limits the effectiveness of top-down dissemination. Through a reflective methodology guided by an appreciative inquiry stance and the Discover, Dream, Design, Destiny model, the authors explored dissemination of university teaching practices. Through the Discovery phase, the authors reviewed the literature on innovation and dissemination in the context of reflective inquiry into their own experiences as innovative educators. In the Dream and Design phases, the authors used this new understanding to develop an educator-centred approach strategy for sharing innovations in ways that capitalise on people factors and the principles of persuasive influence towards effective change. The 4Cs Dissemination Strategy systematically connects innovators to their students, colleagues, institutions, and broader networks. After building a scholarly evidence base of the impact of teaching innovations in the Classroom, the focus shifts to person-centred interaction with colleagues in Corridors, across the Campus and into the Community. The Destiny phase is in progress: as a structured professional learning framework supporting innovators to become the advocates for their own innovations in practical ways, the 4Cs Dissemination Strategy has the potential to facilitate the sharing of innovative practice and enhance innovation leadership.

    Read article: The 4 Cs Strategy for disseminating innovations in university teaching: Classroom, Corridors, Campus, Community 1,282 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Trends in emergency higher education digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Natalia Mospan

    The article reveals trends in emergency higher education digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the enormous amount of literature discussing global higher education responses to the Coronavirus, the preference is given to publications with a systematic literature review published in 2021. The period indicates the end of the 2-nd wave of the pandemic and the lessons learnt. However, case studies were also the focus of attention, primarily used for a convincing illustration of the trends in a particular country. Moreover, descriptive survey research allows empirical evidence of 468 students and 179 lecturers from four Ukrainian universities and highlights the theoretical insights. The analysis of cross-cultural investigations, systematic literature reviews, case studies, and empirical data from four Ukrainian HEIs makes it possible to receive experience from 30 countries about their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. This massive amount of evidence reveals universal consequences for higher education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and shapes trends in emergency higher education transition to digital format. The findings show that the emergency higher education transition to digitally-based education during 2020-2021 worldwide is characterised as diverse and unprepared. In the case of Ukraine, the empirical data collected from four national HEIs situated in different regions of the country gives grounds for the following insights: 1) in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the national HEIs show trends similar to global higher education; 2) university teachers have considerable responsibility in transitioning traditional teaching methods into a virtual educational environment and have successfully coped with this challenge; 3) universal trends in higher education are observed on the national level, while there is diversity on the institutional level among national HEIs; 4) there is an opposite attitude of lecturers and generation Z students to the preference for the educational mode in the future.

    Read article: Trends in emergency higher education digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic 890 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • An Interprofessional Peer Teacher Training program for health professional students: ‘face to face’ versus ‘online only’.

    Annette Burgess, Christie van Diggele, Carl Schneider, Inam Haq, Delyse Leadbeatter, Sascha Karunaratne, Susan McKenzie, Tyler Clark, Jaimie Henry, Jacqueline Bloomfield

    In 2020, following the disruption of COVID-19, we rapidly moved the interprofessional Peer Teacher Training (PTT) program, traditionally delivered via blended learning to ‘online only’ format. Consisting of seven modules, the PTT program is designed to provide health professional students with opportunities to develop skills in teaching, feedback, assessment, teamwork and communication, in preparation for peer teaching and future practice. This study sought to compare ‘blended learning’ with ‘online only’ delivery. ‘Blended learning’ format, included a one-day face-to-face session, requiring 9 facilitators. Students participated in small group learning activities, and were formatively assessed on their teaching and feedback skills. ‘Online only’ delivery occurred across three weeks, using asynchronous and synchronous activities, requiring 11 facilitators. Students completed a post-course questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Eighty-five students completed the program; 36 in ‘blended learning’ and 49 ‘online only’ format, from six disciplines (health sciences, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, oral health and public health). All (100%) ‘blended learning’ and 67% ‘online only’ participants completed the questionnaire. Both sets valued the online reading, discussion boards, videos, with opportunities to practice teaching skills, give and receive feedback. They reported an increased understanding of the roles of other disciplines. However, the ‘face-to-face’ component had some associated benefits, including a more positive attitude towards interprofessional learning and intention to teach. While ‘online only’ delivery of the program provided an effective alternative to the traditional ‘blended learning’ format, additional ‘real-time’ sessions may improve student engagement.

    Read article: An Interprofessional Peer Teacher Training program for health professional students: ‘face to face’ versus ‘online only’. 688 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Effects of resit exams on student progression: An Australian case study

    Nga Thanh Nguyen, Colin Clark, John Juriansz

    Resit exams allow students who have failed a subject a second chance to demonstrate achievement of the academic standards required for program progression. Contrary to previous studies in this field, this paper reports on the value of resit exams with a comprehensive discussion of the lessons learned from the implementation of resits in different conditions and is intended to assist educators to decide whether such exams are a useful and fair way to promote student progression. The data were obtained from student academic performance metrics, a survey with a total of 444 students, six student focus group interviews with a total of 29 students, and three individual staff interviews. The study suggests the benefits of resit exams as a tool to improve student learning outcomes and progression, especially with the close relationship between resit exams and threshold and high-stakes assessment requirements. While the psychological and progression benefits of resit exams were acknowledged by the participants, concerns were expressed about some aspects of the way the school offered the resits and the issue of inequality. Alternatives were proposed to avoid unnecessary failure and promote learning.

    Read article: Effects of resit exams on student progression: An Australian case study 864 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Teachers' pedagogical competences in higher education: A systematic literature review

    Maria Alfredo Moreira, Begoña Rumbo Arcas, Tania Gómez Sánchez, Rosarío Bermejo García, María José Ruiz Melero, Neide Brito Cunha, Maria Aparecida Viana, Maria Elizabeth Almeida

    The current university model in a market-driven and knowledge-based society entails a change in the teachers' roles. The prevailing narrative sustains a competence-based approach in higher education, considering that quality education implies that teachers in this context must have personal, research and pedagogical skills that enable them to perform their teaching function effectively. A systematic review of empirical articles published between 2009 and 2019 provides a comprehensive and updated analysis of the higher education teachers' pedagogical competences. A total of 51 texts that describe the teaching competence components (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) were reviewed and retrieved from seven international databases in three languages. Personal skills and qualities stand out as the features most valued by students, whereas teachers highlight curriculum and instructional competence as the most important. Cultural competence and specific competences to respond to diversity and promote inclusion in higher education classrooms are almost nonexistent. The study has implications for defining quality teaching practice transnationally and designing professional development programs focused on the competences and indicators most valued. The resulting framework is also helpful for individual teachers as a tool for reflecting on their teaching characteristics and for improving their practice. It also problematises the current dominant performance-based model of teaching competence in a context that does not recognise the importance of situational profiles that cater for diversity in academic settings.

    Read article: Teachers' pedagogical competences in higher education: A systematic literature review 4,421 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • A validation of the short-form classroom community scale for undergraduate mathematics and statistics students

    Maria Tackett, Shira Viel, Kim Manturuk

    This study examines Cho & Demmans Epp’s short-form adaptation of Rovai’s well-known Classroom Community Scale (CCS-SF) as a measure of classroom community among introductory undergraduate math and statistics students. A series of statistical analyses were conducted to investigate the validity of the CCS-SF for this new population. Data were collected from 351 students enrolled in 21 online classes, offered for credit in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 at a private university in the United States. Further confirmatory analysis was conducted with data from 128 undergraduates enrolled in 13 in-person and hybrid classes, offered for credit in Fall 2021 at the same institution. Following Rovai’s original 20-item CCS, the 8-item CCS-SF yields two interpretable factors, connectedness and learning. This study confirms the two-factor structure of the CCS-SF, and concludes that it is a valid measure of classroom community among undergraduate students enrolled in remote, hybrid, and in-person introductory mathematics and statistics courses.

    Read article: A validation of the short-form classroom community scale for undergraduate mathematics and statistics students 996 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • The out-of-field phenomenon: Perceptive consequences and Support Needs Through the Lens of graduating second career preservice teachers

    Anna Elizabeth Du Plessis, Elizabeth Wheeley, Helen Klieve, Dmitri K Gramotnev, Galina Gramotnev, Eunjae Park

    Second career preservice teachers’ perceptions about the out-of-field teaching phenomenon might influence career decisions, such as retention and attrition. A target group of 133 second career graduating Master of Teaching students voluntarily participated in this mixed method study which offered findings through analysed open and Likert-scale questions and semi-structured interview data. The pilot offers new information about second career preservice teachers’ perceptions about their possible involvement in out-of-field teaching practices and the phenomenon’s implications for capabilities, skills knowledge, self-efficacy, support needs and professional identity. A critical reflection on quality teaching and teacher training programs, and preparation for the teaching profession form the foundation for further research in this field. The analyses further stimulate a deeper understanding of the future second career teaching workforce and perceptions of support resources.

    Read article: The out-of-field phenomenon: Perceptive consequences and Support Needs Through the Lens of graduating second career preservice teachers 1,360 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • A rubric approach to assessing information literacy competency in tertiary curricula

    Adrienne Burns, Lisa Lobry de Bruyn, Susan C Wilson

    Systematic analysis of undergraduate curriculum design and assessment is required to ensure real world experiences are embedded in a degree structure for a high level of information literacy (IL) attainment. IL competencies and skills are critical for successful graduate outcomes. We developed a framework using a constructive alignment approach to develop the Student Attributes for Information Literacy (SAIL) and accompanying rubric with outcomes that categorize depth of application over degree progression. The rubric was used to audit IL in core units of a multidisciplinary Bachelor of Environmental Science degree before and after a cycle of curriculum design. SAIL’s rubric provides educators with a practical and repeatable approach to identifying IL development in units of learning. The SAIL rubric found that IL, for most core units, was taught, practiced, and assessed at the foundational level. At the advanced level, however, students had limited opportunities for literacy training, practice, and assessment in a digital context until the end of the degree. The framework and rubric identified gaps and opportunities in IL attainment, and thus warrants further application. Making sure these gaps are addressed, with opportunities identified for learning throughout a progressive program, will ensure resilient and adaptable graduates in a digital dominant workforce.

    Read article: A rubric approach to assessing information literacy competency in tertiary curricula 1,129 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Developmental evaluation of teaching quality: Evidencing practice

    Fiona Boyle, Elizabeth J Cook

    The evaluation of teaching quality and practice is increasingly important in higher education and usually done via student surveys (quantitative data) alone. Much less attention is given to teachers’ self-evaluations of teaching practice (qualitative data). This emphasis on quantitative over qualitative data can result in incomplete and biased measures of teaching quality, and inappropriate changes to educational practice, which may, in turn, negatively impact outcomes, experiences and university micro-cultures. In this paper, we present a case study of an international residential masters module, in rapid transition to online delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, to demonstrate: 1) how developmental evaluation (DEval) can be used for rigorous critique of teaching practice in conjunction with student satisfaction data; and 2) how qualitative reflections on teaching practice can be transformed into justifiable evaluative evidence, using DEval theory and techniques. Our DEval approach, theorised and enacted using the community of inquiry framework, increased the teachers’ skills and confidence to plan and continually evaluate teaching-learning enhancements. We discuss the implications and benefits of DEval for teachers and universities when used to assess teaching quality. In addition, we expand on existing knowledge to provide clarification on the purposes and appearances of all levels of evaluation in higher education.

    Read article: Developmental evaluation of teaching quality: Evidencing practice 789 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Job satisfaction of university teachers: A systematic literature review (2010-2021)

    Qi Yang, Kazi Enamul Hoque

    In this study, the authors searched, read, collated and reflected on the past research on the factors affecting university teachers' job satisfaction for the period of 2010-2021. In this systematic literature review, we can understand that the factors that influence the job satisfaction of university teachers are broadly divided into three areas, including the university, the teachers themselves, and the students. The authors have therefore systematically summarized and analyzed a total of ten areas of influence on schools, six variables under teachers' own factors, and two factors under students. Through this literature review, we found that there is still a lack of research on various aspects, and because of this, we hope that through this systematic analysis, we can extend and break through the factors of teachers' job satisfaction in the future, and provide constructive guidelines for the subsequent development of school policies, teacher support work and student evaluation, in order to better and comprehensively improve teachers' job satisfaction, so as to better achieve teaching goals and improve teaching quality.

    Read article: Job satisfaction of university teachers: A systematic literature review (2010-2021) 1,587 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Does social connectedness and learning community predict self-determined needs and course satisfaction?

    Erin Geary, Kelly-Ann Allen, Nicholas Gamble, Saeed Pahlevansharif

    The present study investigated whether online students’ sense of community and self-determined need satisfaction predicted online course satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 136 Australian university students who were studying online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students completed online surveys for sense of community (i.e., social connectedness and learning community), self-determined need satisfaction (i.e., relatedness, competence, and autonomy), and online course satisfaction. The study results indicated that learning community and social connectedness significantly predicted the self-determined needs and online course satisfaction, with learning community having a large effect size. Autonomy partially mediated the relationship between social connectedness and online course satisfaction; autonomy was the only self-determined need to predict online course satisfaction. It was concluded that online university students require learning communities and social connectedness to meet their needs and have a satisfying learning experience. The self-determined need of autonomy was the most important for student’s satisfaction with their course. These findings have implications for universities to build a sense of community in their courses to support students' needs and improve online course satisfaction.

    Read article: Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Does social connectedness and learning community predict self-determined needs and course satisfaction? 1,070 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Personalising the student first year experience – an evaluation of a Staff Student Buddy System

    Nick Fewster-Young, Paul A Corcoran

    A student’s transition into higher education or a new learning environment can set the foundation for the remainder of their study, both in perception and academic ability. Mentoring is a transition intervention strategy and most types of these interventions are student peer to peer. However, there is a growing interest in academic involvement in mentoring and consequently this paper is an investigation into the effective implementation of assigning students with an academic staff buddy or mentor in the transition period of their first year of higher education i.e. the Staff Student Buddy System (SSBS). The analysis focusses on using two measures to inform the results by qualitatively analysing the feedback from the students, and quantitatively measuring the difference in academic performance of both student participants and non-participants. The sample of the students come from the University of South Australia, and the qualitative analysis indicated that students enjoyed SSBS, particularly with the ability to ask questions to those that would be teaching them. The quantitative statistical evidence indicated that SSBS could be a positive factor on a student’s Grade Point Average. Overall, the conclusion was that that the combination of the SSBS and these students produced improved academic performance while providing a positive student experience.

    Read article: Personalising the student first year experience – an evaluation of a Staff Student Buddy System 1,123 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Participatory learning as a student-centered teaching technique during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Tafirenyika Mafugu

    The study aimed to determine if there is a significant difference between peer and lecturer assessment scores and to explore the relationship between peer assessment scores and the study year of preservice teachers. Furthermore, the study explored the effect of Blackboard Collaborate online group presentations on the development of pedagogical skills of undergraduate pre-service teachers. Two hundred and sixty-two peer and lecturer assessment scores were compared, while 53 students completed the Google form survey. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed a statistically significant difference between peer scores and lecturer-moderated scores in different courses. However, the test did not show a statistically significant difference in the course N2. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the study year and the difference in scores. The data revealed that the group presentations and assessment improved the pedagogical and assessment skills of the pre-service teachers. The findings are expected to inform practitioners about group presentation and peer assessment practices and their potential to improve pedagogical and assessment skills for preservice teachers during a period of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Read article: Participatory learning as a student-centered teaching technique during the COVID-19 pandemic 928 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Collaborative creativity among undergraduate students as game creators during gamification in a university-wide elective course

    Julia Lee, Ruxin Lim, Fitri S. Mohamad, Kim Geok Chan, Faizah Mas’ud

    Collaborative creativity is an essential skill for unleashing university students’ skills in team building during complex problem-solving. The aim of this descriptive quantitative research was to examine undergraduate students’ perspectives regarding their collaborative creativity experience as game creators for a gamification group assignment within a university-wide elective course on learning disabilities. The Assessment Scale of Creative Collaboration (ASCC) questionnaire was completed by 14 students. The results provide insightful perspectives by undergraduate students regarding their experience in collaborative creativity during game creation. The findings from the closed-ended questions of the ASCC demonstrate that most of the students valued the diversity of knowledge and skills of their team members, shared different ideas, adapted their ideas and practices according to the project difficulties, trusted their team members, co-constructed the game together, overcame conflicts in positive ways, developed multiple versions of their game, and coordinated well for their team project. Data from the open-ended questions of the ASCC, which provided detailed but nuanced perspectives of the students, were analysed thematically. Three main themes were identified: the positive aspects of gamification, the constraints related to the gamification project, and teamwork and collaborative problem-solving approaches. This study provides evidence on the feasibility of game creation that is embedded within gamification group projects for fostering collaborative creativity among undergraduate students. Gamification has the potential in supporting the acquisition of 21st century learning and innovation skills in higher education. Implications of the application of gamification in higher education are discussed.

    Read article: Collaborative creativity among undergraduate students as game creators during gamification in a university-wide elective course 1,107 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Self-agency and Academically High-performing Students’ Success: Towards a Praxis for Academic Support in one South African University

    Victor Nnadozie, Samukelisiwe Khumalo

    Globally, student support mechanisms focus almost exclusively on academically 'under-performing' students, especially as insofar as academic development practices are concerned. This article makes a case for a shift in approach. Using the context of one country, South Africa, we sought to better understand the strengths that academically high-performing students (AHSs) employ in order to succeed. We drew on a conceptual lens based on Bandura’s theory of the self. Data was collected by means of document analysis, individual interviews and focus group interviews with ten (n = 10) purposively selected academically high-performing fourth-year undergraduate students in a school of education at one university. The findings show that beyond typical family and institutional factors, the students’ capability of effecting change through intentional and cognitive agentic influences is critical to their success. Importantly though, in finding their self-agentic capabilities, some found mutual support with and for peers who shared in their passion for success. This asserts the relevance of Ubuntu as a concept that underpins the understanding of ‘self’ in this context. The findings are important for theory in problematising Bandura’s self-agentic theory and expounding its application to peer learning support. It is also important for practice because understanding the AHSs’ negotiation of self-agency brings refreshing insight to the student success conundrum.

    Read article: Self-agency and Academically High-performing Students’ Success: Towards a Praxis for Academic Support in one South African University 1,043 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Book Review: Contemplative practices in higher education: Powerful methods to transform teaching and learning (by D. Barbezat and M. Bush)

    Erin A. Hopkins

    This book review on Daniel Barbezat and Mirabai Bush’s book titled Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning aims to provide exposure to the possibility of enhanced student experience through contemplative practices across various fields of study and across universities globally. This book review summarizes and evaluates the book with the hope that it will help readership decide if this is a book they would like to purchase as part of their strategy for student learning. This book review, based on a contemplative approach to teaching and learning at the university, is important because it can inspire faculty to implement these strategies for deeper learning within university students. Also, varied contemplative practices are introduced that cultivate the common outcome of greater focus that can serve as a foundation for an internal ethical compass of a university student. Barbezat and Bush’s book is significant to university learning and teaching practice as it challenges the notion of narrowly focused technical training and instead encourages faculty and students to examine how their thoughts and actions affect themselves and others. This book proves a worthy contribution to university learning and teaching practices across fields of study by offering an introduction and guidance on how to implement a fresh yet at the same time age-old practice to pedagogy that can cultivate deeper student learning by helping bring abstract concepts into embodied understanding.

    Read article: Book Review: Contemplative practices in higher education: Powerful methods to transform teaching and learning (by D. Barbezat and M. Bush) 558 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Curriculum and learning designers’ epistemological views of learning and how they inform design work in universities

    Jason M Lodge

    Universities globally have been increasingly looking to bring in professionals with expertise in learning and curriculum design to help with educational innovation. The aim of this study was to explore the epistemological views of learning that people in curriculum and learning design roles use to inform their practice. In this study, ten learning and curriculum designers were interviewed in depth. The participants demonstrated wide and deep knowledge of learning and teaching, drawing on both established notions of constructivism but also on emerging theories and evidence. Combined with extensive experience, the interviews revealed that these learning designers demonstrate high levels of epistemic fluency, adapting and using processes and practices in a dynamic way as task requirements demand. The findings make a contribution to the limited understanding of the knowledge base that curriculum learning designers draw on to carry out their work. The implications of these findings for universities are also discussed.

    Read article: Curriculum and learning designers’ epistemological views of learning and how they inform design work in universities 843 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

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