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Vol. 20 No. 4 (2023)

Published: 2 December 2023

Articles

  • Skills, Attributes, Literacies, and Capabilities: Developing Our Students at Every Level

    Andrew Struan, Jennifer Boyle, Scott Ramsay

    This Special Issue engages with the concept of ‘graduateness’ across Higher Education by looking at the skills, attributes, literacies, capabilities, and capacities we seek to foster and develop amongst those whom we teach. This discussion ranges from papers on pre-entry, through transition-in and undergraduate student skill enhancement, to developing academic colleagues’ teaching proficiencies and innovation in curricula. The challenge faced by contributing authors was to conceptualise the development of their students’ capabilities and capacities in the broadest and most practical senses. In the context of the global response of Higher Education to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has dramatically impacted the rate of change in teaching practice within institutions, but often without time, distance, and space for critical reflection, we provide space though a process of considered analysis and evaluation of practices, to consider what has worked, what has not worked, and what would benefit us to take forward. In so doing, we highlight several key themes that emerge: graduateness and employability; literacies and skills; access for all; and curricula design for skills development.

    Read article: Skills, Attributes, Literacies, and Capabilities: Developing Our Students at Every Level 997 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Multimodal literacies and critical reflexivity: Digital storytelling as a 21st century tool for Learning Developers

    Julie Wuthnow

    Digital storytelling (DS) is a multimedia storytelling technique that has become an efficacious educational tool in tertiary environments. Individual students, supported by other students in a facilitated “Story Circle”, create short videos using digital devices, still images, and a cloud-based video editor in response to a targeted story prompt. The DS process aligns closely with an emerging trend in universities to instil in their students both critical reflection skills and strong digital, media, and visual literacies to enable them to thrive in their professional and personal lives. This paper proposes the adoption of DS as an additional and innovative pedagogical strategy by Learning Developers (LDs) within discipline-specific embedded teaching. Embedded teaching is a well-established method of developing student literacies, and LDs already employ this approach to support academics across disciplines. The integration of DS into this practice would further strengthen the capacity of LDs to enhance students’ capabilities as they move into post-Covid, 21st-century ‘graduateness’.

    Read article: Multimodal literacies and critical reflexivity: Digital storytelling as a 21st century tool for Learning Developers 921 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Redefining visual literacy in an era of visual overload: The use of reflective visual journals to expand students’ visual thinking

    Maria Victoria Guglietti

    In an era in which “all media are mixed media” (Mitchell, 2002), visual information is central in interpersonal and mass communication. Despite this daily consumption of visual information, “digital natives” (Prensky, 2001) are not prepared to critically engage with images (Brumberger, 2016). Scholars in the field of visual literacy identified a curricular bias towards written texts (Elkins, 2007), and the need for more training of visual literacy in higher education (Metros & Woolsey, 2006). However, the discussion of visual literacy in higher education is dominated by studies that measure teaching strategies (Bowen, 2017; Johnston et al. 2017) but rarely discuss the meaning of visual literacy from a student perspective. Visual reflection is a learning experience that involves reading, writing, thinking, and feeling with and through images. This study investigates undergraduate students’ experience with visual reflection in a visual studies class through a phenomenographic approach to 29 visual journals and a thematic analysis of 9 semi-structured interviews with students. The objective is discussing the potential contribution of visual reflection to students’ multimodal literacies. This study contends that the promotion of visual reflection needs to be systematically implemented in all fields engaged in knowledge production as visual reflection enhances academic learning, fosters multimodal literacies, and promotes the visualization of knowledge.

    Read article: Redefining visual literacy in an era of visual overload: The use of reflective visual journals to expand students’ visual thinking 1,317 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Learning to learn: Empowering students to articulate the value of their HASS degree

    Nira Rahman, Elizabeth Lakey

    In an uncertain labour market, the questions around the employability of graduate students take on a new urgency. Fears about the graduate market in the coming years are acute and are compounded by a sense that there is a large disconnect between a university education and what is expected in the workplace. Australian labour market trends clearly demonstrate that the skills most in demand by Australian graduate employers are precisely the transferrable skills which are honed by doing a HASS degree at the university. However, HASS academics do not usually talk about the skills and attributes students are gaining during their university studies and how this is useful in the workplace. Creating this awareness in both staff and students is immensely important for future graduates to survive and excel beyond university. Based on focus groups, interviews, and student-led projects over the last three years, this paper explores how to balance the need to engage with deep disciplinary knowledge with the understanding that this knowledge is only useful in the real world if accompanied by explicit skills. By using a case study, this paper showcases how to articulate skills and knowledge to HASS students to prepare for workforce. Furthermore, it focusses on how graduate attributes and learning outcomes can be connected from assessment tasks to classroom teaching.

    Read article: Learning to learn: Empowering students to articulate the value of their HASS degree 692 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • The Politics of Integration: The Opportunities, Challenges and Successes of Embedding Academic Skills and Literacies Development into an Interdisciplinary, ‘Integrated’ Foundation Year Programme

    Adrian Wallbank, Phillipa Le Hen

    Foundation Years (FY) have proliferated within UK Higher Education in recent years, and their benefits and successes have been well documented (e.g. the enhancement of opportunities for underrepresented students, second-chance education, skills and confidence enhancement, and a pipeline into STEM. However, when managed centrally, their implementation can be a contentious site of interdisciplinary unease and ‘mutual suspicion’ and as much as a fruitful avenue for innovative collaboration. One of the key issues is the question of how to embed academic skills / literacies development within a meaningful, ‘integrated’, interdisciplinary context effectively whilst utilising expertise from both academic departments and learning development / skills teams, and thus navigating disparate disciplinary agendas, communities of practice and strategic priorities. This paper reports on how this complex terrain was navigated at Royal Holloway, University of London, to successfully embed academic skills (using Universal Design for Learning pedagogy) into an academically authentic, inclusive, interdisciplinary ‘Global Perspectives and Academic Practice’ unit that facilitated student integration into academic departments. Whilst we report on how the programme led to higher than sector average attainment, retention and progression (the EE described it as a ‘TEF Gold offering’), we critically analyse the challenges of embedding and aligning such provision within the communities of practice of a research-intensive institution. Throughout, we suggest ways forward at both practical and strategic levels to ensure the immense potential of integrated academic literacies development within FYs can be realised.

    Read article: The Politics of Integration: The Opportunities, Challenges and Successes of Embedding Academic Skills and Literacies Development into an Interdisciplinary, ‘Integrated’ Foundation Year Programme 827 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Building a risky-safe-space: Using reflective pedagogies and values to support writing development in work based learning

    Vic Boyd, Colin Wilson, Christopher Smith

    The concepts of ‘graduateness’ and graduate attributes became contested terrain before COVID-19 destabilised even the most assured of shared learning constructions. Indeed, for those of us immersed in the delivery of work-based learning (WBL), this has long been the case. Promotion of reductive notions of ‘skills’ acquisition to comply neatly with an employability agenda holds little relevance for those students already engaged in full time careers, and with a wealth of professional experience. What can hold influence and interest, however, is the opportunity to engage in meaningful, agentic, professionally-aligned reflective practices as a scaffolded route to promoting self-awareness and developing confidence in mapping competences from the professional domain to the academic (and vice versa). This paper shares an account of taking an embedded approach to supporting the development of academic literacies amongst work-based learners in one UK HEI. In particular, it will consider the use of reflective pedagogical tools and values in supporting work-based learners to become confident and adaptable writers. Discussion considers how work-based pedagogies and approaches may have far-reaching relevance in a post-pandemic landscape, where reskilling and professional agility are likely to become more prolific aspects of education and work. Writing itself is framed as an integrated communication practice that encompasses literature retrieval, reading, evaluation, synthesis and articulation of argument. The paper will describe pre-pandemic academic support activities and share qualitative survey data in which students consider their confidence as both professional and academic writers. It concludes with consideration of how some of the approaches outlined may have relevance for the wider academic community.

    Read article: Building a risky-safe-space: Using reflective pedagogies and values to support writing development in work based learning 1,510 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • The five Ps of LD: Using formulation in Learning Development work for a student-centred approach to ‘study skills’

    Helen Webster

    Learning Development is a field of practice concerned with supporting students to develop their study skills, including academic and assessment literacies. It is strongly rooted in values that are student-centred, collaborative and emancipatory rather than remedial or deficit. However, in the wider dominant culture of UK HE institutions, Learning Developers are often placed in an implicitly hierarchical relationship with students, "giving advice and guidance", at odds with these values. Without a clear model for practice to help them enact their values in a student-centred and dialogic way, Learning Developers may risk pathologizing the student, depriving them of agency and expertise, in an overly prescriptive and instrumental approach to skills development. This paper explores formulation, a core skill in Clinical Psychology, and its applicability in Learning Development. Formulation is a method of integrating theory and practice, clinical expertise with the client’s own experience and insight, through its meaning to the client. With a focus on equality, person-centred practice and co-created meaning, it is well aligned to Learning Development values. This paper examines how formulation can be adapted for Learning Development one-to-one work and other forms of provision, and proposes a practical model, the Five Ps of LD, which integrates multiple perspectives with longitudinal, cross-sectional and socio-cultural factors into a holistic shared understanding of the Learning Development need.

    Read article: The five Ps of LD: Using formulation in Learning Development work for a student-centred approach to ‘study skills’ 1,892 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • STEPS, LEAPS and bounds: Is there a recipe for success?

    Karen Seary, Alice Smith, Gabriela Toth, Margaret Flanders

    The development of a student identity as it relates to the transition of commencing students to higher education has long been identified in the literature as essential to success. As importantly, the existence of a sense of belonging has been considered key to transition and success and the formation of a student identity. Less prominent in the literature, the newly articulated notion of mattering has evolved from and is currently challenging the concept of student belonging. Mattering offers a broader understanding of what it means to have students in transition believe they are important, that they matter to the institution of study. The notion of mattering resonates strongly with the authors as transition educators. This paper draws on the work of Lizzio (2006) and MacFarlane (2018) to consider the essential ingredients any preparatory course should include to successfully transition underrepresented groups of students to study at the award level. A comparison of the STEPS course in the Australian context to LEAPS in the Scottish context provided avenue to propose a five-tenet framework as a possible recipe for success to best support the transition of an increasingly diverse group of students aspiring to university study. The paper explores the ways in which the courses effectively assist preparatory students develop a foundational student identity which is crucial to successful study in higher education, particularly in the initial stages of engagement. In doing so, it positions the philosophical underpinnings and the pedagogical practices currently adopted by both the STEPS and LEAPS courses as successfully embracing the tenets proposed within the framework.

    Read article: STEPS, LEAPS and bounds: Is there a recipe for success? 1,230 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Global challenges: South African and Australian students’ experiences of emergency remote teaching

    Michelle Joubert, Ana Larsen, Bryce Magnuson, David Waldron, Ellen Sabo, Anna Fletcher

    The COVID-19 pandemic forced universities worldwide to move their teaching online within an unprecedentedly short timeframe. Whilst the move online learning has increased the reach of tertiary educational delivery it has also raised significant issues of equity, accessibility and student engagement. This includes concerns around access to technology and reliable internet connectivity, academic and digital literacy, and other factors such as mental health and work-life balance. This paper examines two studies of student engagement with online learning during 2020 when then pandemic began. One study was conducted in South Africa the other in a small regional university in South-Eastern Australia. A mixed method approach was used in both studies and then student responses were analysed using the student engagement framework presented by Kahu and Nelson (2018). A key focus in this analysis is the critical importance the educational interface and shared mutually formative experience of learning between students and universities. Findings show that despite the two different contexts, student concerns around digital literacy and engagement in an online learning environment share many similarities.

    Read article: Global challenges: South African and Australian students’ experiences of emergency remote teaching 995 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Same same but different: Learning with technology – are first-year college students prepared for this?

    Birgit Schmitz, Steffen Eisenmann

    March 2020 changed the world of learning. Ever since, students have been relying on remote lecturers, virtual fellow students, and electronic learning material. For many, this greatly differs from how they used to learn before and even though technology is incremental to students’ everyday life, many are not familiar with using technology for their learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate if first-year college students are prepared for learning with technology and to empirically document possible gaps. To assess this, two successive first year cohorts completed a 32-items questionnaire that was based on standardized scales to assess time management, collaboration, and self-directedness, as the three core competencies for higher education learners to successfully engage in learning with technology. The answers were related to students’ prior experiences and their motivation to learn online. First results indicated that time management is a major challenge for first-year students with and without work experience. Results also suggest that the motivation to learn has a positive relationship with the concept variables chosen to assess first-year students’ expectation and readiness for online learning. The findings may support the need for higher education institutions to understand students’ expectations and self-assessed readiness and to identify areas for improvement.

    Read article: Same same but different: Learning with technology – are first-year college students prepared for this? 866 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Attempts to Replicate the Skills, Attributes and Capabilities Associated with International Mobility in an Online World: A Case Study

    Nayiri Keshishi, Alexander Seal, Karl Jicha, Brittany Gaustad Shantz, Anne Dorothée Slovic

    In recent years, obstacles to physical mobility, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, have hastened the turn towards online platforms for educational and social activities. Many study abroad programs have had to adapt to such circumstances and embrace virtual environments in the face of limited physical mobility. In this case study, we look at how one multi-university program, the UGPN Academy, was able to expand international student learning efforts despite travel limitations due, in part, to adapting to online communication technologies and environments. Through comparison of surveys administered to participants pre- and post-participation, students reported that having an online community as a source of social support, as well as learning about different experiences during a global pandemic, were two strengths of the program. In addition, students reported becoming more familiar with different online technologies as well as feeling more open to people from diverse backgrounds and international careers. These findings contribute to a further understanding of Internationalisation at Home (IaH) as a useful model that can be extremely valuable in its own right. Although IaH is not a replacement for physical mobility, it may provide its own benefits, such as providing a collaborative, diverse online community as a source of social and professional support, networking and opportunities for international learning experiences for students who are unable to participate in traditional study abroad programs. Diversifying and further integrating such virtual platforms can then be seen as a part of best practices rather than a replacement for traditional modes of international cultural exchange.

    Read article: Attempts to Replicate the Skills, Attributes and Capabilities Associated with International Mobility in an Online World: A Case Study 610 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • Academic development: Leading by example with an authentic and practical approach to curriculum design

    Michael P McEwan, Amanda C Geary Pate, Kimberly Wilder-Davis

    Academic developers work with colleagues from every discipline to facilitate learning about teaching, learning and assessment. Boud and Brew (2013) called for academic development to be significantly ‘closer to everyday practice’ while also recognising development involves extending notions of what ‘practice’ is. Moreover, Loads and Campbell (2015) called for greater authenticity of academic development: questioning and challenging custom and practice within disciplines in higher education. So how do academic developers, tasked with redeveloping their mandatory Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP), create an authentic and practical programme? Especially one that extends the scope of teaching practice, transforms curricula and assessment and meets strategic objectives around developing student literacies, graduate attributes and strengthening engagement in continuing professional development (University of Glasgow, 2015, 2021). This good practice example showcases the curricula design process of redesigning a cross-institutional PGCAP programme at a UK university, to one that has a strong focus on everyday academic practice, while also adopting authentic learning activities and practical assessments to unlock the creative pedagogical potential of early career academics, and build their confidence. The aim of the redesigned curricula being to encourage collaboration across disciplines, reflection, and learning beyond ‘normal’ and customary practices within disciplines. This paper also discusses the results of a mixed methods survey of academic colleagues (as students) studying the PGCAP, exploring their perceptions of the programme’s authenticity, its practicality, as well as the value of learning activities and assessments and, importantly, the impact on their practice. In terms of implications for practice, this paper encourages readers to consider how they could develop their own curriculum, introduce greater authenticity, and move away from deficit models of academic development.

    Read article: Academic development: Leading by example with an authentic and practical approach to curriculum design 994 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

  • The Block: A catalyst for ongoing innovation

    Loretta Konjarski, John Weldon, Susan Ashley, Traci Freeman, Jai Shanata, Meghan Yamanishi, Erin Lotz, Christian Gilde, Alice Ganzel

    This paper will contribute to our understanding of the Block, its pedagogical rationale and value, and explain why, apart from pandemic conditions, these might constitute a compelling alternative to traditional academic calendars. Current research highlights the need for further research on the nature of the Block, driven by an increased global focus on student outcomes and retention in Higher Education. This paper offers five case studies from institutions that have adopted a version of the Block at some time over the last 50 years. The authors seek to define the features that comprise block courses whereas the nature and functionality distinguish blocks from other intensive formats. A survey of the limited literature on this topic was based on theoretical underpinnings offered by one-course-at-a-time delivery, scholarship of teaching and learning on compressed education, and experiential learning. Using the research question, “Other than scheduling alternatives, what does the block offer HE institutions?”, this project uses research that is qualitative in nature drawing on a controlled comparison of case studies which enables a cross-institutional evaluation. The case studies explain why each institution adopted the Block, how these schedules work, and discusses the challenges and affordances of teaching in this intensive format. First findings of this cross-institutional exploration suggest that blocks are unique in their delivery, often experiential in nature, and effective in their outcomes. The various versions of the Block described within, provide ongoing transformative models of teaching philosophy, curriculum, student success, and more.

    Read article: The Block: A catalyst for ongoing innovation 1,658 views. Recorded article-page views through the previous day; not unique readers or PDF downloads.

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