Vol. 21 No. 07 (2024): Quarterly Issue 2

Academic advising can support students’ academic development and intrapersonal skills whilst fostering a sense of belonging at university. Despite recent advancements in knowledge and practices, it is not clear how best to support

Academic advising can support students’ academic development and intrapersonal skills whilst fostering a sense of belonging at university. Despite recent advancements in knowledge and practices, it is not clear how best to support minoritised students, who experience outcome differentials and life circumstances that differ from the majority. Following a reciprocal mentoring programme pairing academic staff and minoritised students at a UK university, we explored students’ academic advising experiences. Qualitative data were collected and analysed via framework analysis. The mentoring led to both groups improving relational understanding. Ten themes categorised into three domains (Personal Factors, Institutional Factors and Interplay Between Personal and Institutional Factors) highlighted complex issues that affect students’ day-to-day lives, their ability to engage with academic advising, and factors that affect academic advising practices. Recommendations such as strategies to improve relationships, structured and developmental advising models, and guidance to improve role-specific clarity are provided.

University teacher education aims at developing sustained knowledge and positive attitudes towards evidence-based instructional concepts. This experimental study examined (a) if two e-learning formats help develop sustained knowledge and

University teacher education aims at developing sustained knowledge and positive attitudes towards evidence-based instructional concepts. This experimental study examined (a) if two e-learning formats help develop sustained knowledge and positive attitudes towards evidence-based reading instruction, (b) if self-regulative principles can boost these effects, and (c) if effects are moderated by learner characteristics (namely prior knowledge, self-efficacy, learning preferences). N = 100 student teachers participated in one of two different e-learning formats on evidence-based reading instruction. While one group attended an e-learning course with self-regulative elements (adaptivity and feedback), the other group watched an e-lecture without these self-regulative elements. In both groups, participants showed positive attitudes and mastery of declarative knowledge, as the majority reached a minimum of 80% in criterion-oriented tests. However, participants’ procedural knowledge was less pronounced. A MANOVA showed no significant group differences between the e-learning course with self-regulative elements and the e-lecture without self-regulative elements with regard to knowledge and attitude acquisition. Path analyses displayed that individual learner characteristics (prior knowledge, self-efficacy, learning preferences) had an impact on attitudes, but not on knowledge acquisition. Implications for university education are discussed in the context of combining e-learning formats with face-to-face courses to also achieve mastery of procedural knowledge and to strengthen the effect of self-regulative elements.

Universities across Australasia regularly evaluate their Learning Management Systems (LMS) to meet the increasing digital teaching and learning demands. LMS reviews conducted approximately every five years or so are driven by factors such

Universities across Australasia regularly evaluate their Learning Management Systems (LMS) to meet the increasing digital teaching and learning demands. LMS reviews conducted approximately every five years or so are driven by factors such as pandemics, contract renewals, fiscal considerations, and the pursuit of optimal student online learning experiences. Recent trends show that Australian universities are conducting LMS reviews more frequently and transitioning to new LMSs at an accelerated pace (Phil, 2022; Sankey, 2023a). This is to ensure the LMS of choice meets the Next Generation Digital Learning Environment (NGDLE) functionality (Educause, 2018), is affordable, reliable and is still fit for purpose. While ongoing LMS reviews are common, there is a lack of published information on how higher education institutions undertake them. There was little available to unpack how best to engage in open, transparent, and aspirational conversation with staff and students about their experience with the LMS. As part of the review, even less was published about the dialogue on the future teaching and learning needs and the future of the LMS. To help address this gap in the literature, this practice-based paper reports on our approach and the steps taken to propose a unique two-phase / multi-stage model for reviewing an LMS and offers a useful checklist for those who may want some help getting started.

The study explores a long-standing assumption that students learn from peers, and that this learning can be enhanced through carefully designed instruction. Nevertheless, empirical evidence about in-class peer learning designed by the

The study explores a long-standing assumption that students learn from peers, and that this learning can be enhanced through carefully designed instruction. Nevertheless, empirical evidence about in-class peer learning designed by the teacher is lacking: how it is enacted and how students respond. We analysed class recordings, and perceptions of teachers and students in 15 Bachelor and Masters’ class sessions in humanities, social sciences and medicine at one European Union university. We found great variation in how teachers designed peer-learning activities. We saw, for instance, how the same strategy can vary in its effectiveness depending on the degree of teacher’s tactical thinking; also why some designs were more effective than others. By documenting the commonalities and differences across the classes, our study offers an empirical foundation on which to build a more robust understanding of how to recognise and compare manifestations of peer-learning in the classroom.

The aim of this study was to investigate the guiding principles, practises, and challenges of assessment in online and blended flipped classroom (FC) approaches in higher education. Based on that, we proposed a generic model of teaching

The aim of this study was to investigate the guiding principles, practises, and challenges of assessment in online and blended flipped classroom (FC) approaches in higher education. Based on that, we proposed a generic model of teaching, learning and assessment in online and blended FC, including examples of teaching and learning activities, with corresponding levels of learning outcomes, and assessment tasks and methods. We synthesised the findings and suggested further research on the following aspects: peer-assessment and self-assessment; benefits and challenges of educational technology; ethical aspects of assessment and plagiarism; balance between flexibility and structure. We recommended that further research should put more focus on the utility, including validity and reliability of assessment and test the proposed generic model in different study fields and educational contexts. Our study was based on a systematic literature review, including 90 articles identified in the Web of Science database, with 23 studied in detail.

This paper develops the conversation focused on what professional competencies and skills learning design professionals (LDs) have or need to develop to meet contemporary learning design professional demands in organisations and learning

This paper develops the conversation focused on what professional competencies and skills learning design professionals (LDs) have or need to develop to meet contemporary learning design professional demands in organisations and learning institutions. In this paper, we used the lens of lifelong learning theory and skill analytics approach to develop a professional framework for learning design professionals. As people transition into thirdspace professional spaces like educational or learning design, a professional development framework can act as a reflective tool to support workplace learning and identity framing to look backward and forward to achieve personal and professional goals. A framework like this can potentially guide and support learning design teams and individuals to reflect on what skills they possess and identify gaps to plan how to address skill gaps through professional development, workplace learning and networking opportunities

University tutoring is a complex area of study involving various factors and agents whose actions are context-dependent. This qualitative study aims to analyse and interpret the experiences of tutors in the course of their work. The

University tutoring is a complex area of study involving various factors and agents whose actions are context-dependent. This qualitative study aims to analyse and interpret the experiences of tutors in the course of their work. The participants were 68 tutors, each from one of the seven centres belonging to the University of Alicante (Spain). We carried out conventional and summative content analyses using AQUAD 7 software. The results show that tutors’ feelings are generally positive, though they become disillusioned if students decide to drop tutoring. Nevertheless, the few students that persevere are enough to encourage tutors to reflect on possible improvements to the tutoring programme. Their suggestions reveal their own tutoring style and the need to promote whichever tutoring model best suits the context and the students that construct the tutorial relationship.

Interest in research on mathematical argumentation is increasing, leading to growth in the field. However, empirical research on mathematical argumentation in higher education presents challenges in organising a comprehensive overview due

Interest in research on mathematical argumentation is increasing, leading to growth in the field. However, empirical research on mathematical argumentation in higher education presents challenges in organising a comprehensive overview due to its diversity and variety of underlying themes and tasks. Therefore, the aim of this study is to provide a systematic review of studies that focus on mathematical argumentation in higher education. We conducted a systematic literature review with the guiding questions: "What are the characteristics of tasks used for mathematical argumentation?" and "What themes are being explored in studies on mathematical argumentation in higher education?" The results of this review indicate a strong correlation among mathematical argumentation in higher education, mathematical proof tasks, and instructional design. Additionally, empirical studies conducted between 1995 and 2023 have identified four primary research themes encompassing student abilities, collaboration, designing and teaching, and assessment. Our analysis offers a detailed examination and appraisal of each of these themes and associated tasks, in conjunction with current trends, facilitating a more organized understanding of this multifaceted research discipline.