scholarly journals Supporting entrepreneurship students’ sense of belonging in online virtual spaces

2021 ◽  
pp. 095042222199926
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Brodie ◽  
Renata Osowska
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Attrition Rate ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Learning Space ◽  
Course Experience ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Universities globally are aspiring to grow through investing in the delivery of online learning programmes. However, the attrition rate for online learning is high. It has been noted that those students with a sense of belonging to their course experience increased enjoyment and reduced anxiety and are therefore less likely to withdraw. Yet too often programme design guidance to support a sense of belonging for student communities focuses on localised, full-time and young students rather than older, globally dispersed, time-starved students such as those in the online entrepreneurship programme that is the subject of this paper. The authors explore how a sense of belonging in entrepreneurship students can be supported effectively in a virtual learning space throughout their online degree studies. The research presented adopts an interpretivist perspective and includes interviews with eight students studying a 1-year top-up degree in a UK higher education institution. The teaching and support staff interviewed were based solely in the UK. The data collected were examined using thematic analysis. The paper contributes to the debate about what a sense of belonging means in a virtual space for entrepreneurship students and identifies how such students can feel connected and supported to finish their course.

scholarly journals Examining the UK higher education sector through the network of institutional accounts on Twitter

First Monday ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katy Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Network Metrics ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Gaining Insight

Web link mining has been previously used as a way of gaining insight into how the Internet may be replicating or reshaping connections between institutions within the higher education sector. Institutions are increasingly active on social media platforms, and these connections have not been studied. This paper presents an exploratory analysis of the network of UK higher education institutional accounts on Twitter. All U.K. institutions have a presence. Standing in recent university rankings is found to be a significant predictor of several network metrics. In examining the communities present within the network, a combination of ranking and geolocation play a role. Analysis of a sample of tweets which mention more than one U.K. higher education institution provides an indication of why the topics of tweets would reinforce prestige and location in the network structure.

scholarly journals Room 101: A Movement towards Social Learning Spaces? A Survey of SAC Managers in UK Higher Education

2015 ◽  
pp. 124-137
Author(s):  
Michael Allhouse
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Learning ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Learning Space ◽  
Physical Resources ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Valuable Role

As more and more self-access facilities face up to the challenge of shrinking budgets and responding to the ubiquity of mobile devices for learning, Michael Allhouse’s column examining the movement towards social learning that has taken place at the University of Bradford reminds us that such centres have a valuable role beyond providing access to physical resources. In this final instalment of his three-part series, Allhouse examines the provision of self-access in UK Higher Education, in order to determine to what extent Room 101’s journey towards becoming a social learning space is reflected in other centres around the country. By widening the scope of his research to examine not only the attitudes of learners at his own centre, but also wider trends across the UK, he reveals a diverse picture of self-access, and one in which social learning plays a vital and growing role.

scholarly journals From “clientilism” to transformational leadership? An autoethnographic journey from Soviet Georgia to the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-344
Author(s):  
Liana Beattie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Environments ◽  
Critical Autoethnography ◽  
Current Leadership ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the ethnographic tradition in the educational leadership literature through providing an autoethnographic critical analysis of the idiosyncrasies of leadership across two different socio-political environments: a Soviet educational establishment and a contemporary UK higher education institution. Design/methodology/approach In a previous issue, Doloriert and Sambrook (2012) argued that autoethnographic approach could help to uncover some experiences and voices that previously were silenced due to the discomfort they caused. In response to this claim and with consideration of three epistemological possibilities of autoethnography as suggested by Doloriert and Sambrook (2012), the author uses narrative accounts of personal experiences of leadership in Soviet Georgia and in the UK as the main source of data in the attempt to demonstrate how the three epistemological positions overlap and complement each other in the context of a critical autoethnography. Findings The paper argues that autoethnographic approach can provide a unique opportunity for a simultaneous analysis of the particularities of leadership practice across different socio-political environments, whereas the “three positions” approach could be used as an expedient template for further exploration of educational leadership. The paper also suggests there are some parallels between current leadership practice in the UK higher education and Soviet system of “clientilism”. Originality/value This paper is one of the first attempts to use autoethnography as an analytical tool for comparing leadership patterns in two contrasting socio-political structures.

scholarly journals Staff and student perspectives on the potential of honour codes in the UK

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadya Yakovchuk ◽  
Joe Badge ◽  
Jon Scott
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Academic Integrity ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Educational Benefits ◽  
American Universities ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Honour Code

Honour code systems have been long-established in some American universities, associated with cultures of academic integrity. This study considers the perceptions of students and staff, elicited through focus groups and electronic voting, in one UK higher education institution regarding the potential for implementation of these systems in the UK. Whilst the main principles of honour codes were broadly welcomed, implementation in the UK higher education context was perceived as problematic. Although both staff and students saw educational benefits in increased student involvement in the promotion of academic integrity and good academic practice, there was a tension between staff who would like to increase the responsibilities of students and the reality of the students' seeming lack of confidence in their ability to discharge those responsibilities. The introduction of students as participants in plagiarism hearing panels and processes was tentatively supported, potentially offering a route to break down the staff-student dichotomy.

scholarly journals Consuming UK Transnational Higher Education in China: A Bourdieusian Approach to Chinese Students’ Perceptions and Experiences

2020 ◽  
pp. 136078042095704
Author(s):  
Jingran Yu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Symbolic Power ◽  
Transnational Education ◽  
Transnational Higher Education ◽  
Patriotism Education ◽  
Higher Education In China ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Recently, the increased scale and complexity of ‘student-as-consumer’ discourse has become well-established within the intensifying neoliberal marketisation across higher education in the Global North. However, few insights have been generated within a transnational education context. This article is based on a case study of a UK transnational higher education institution in China, where market-based rationalities converge with a centralised statist agenda. It demonstrates that Chinese students’ perceptions and experiences of patriotism education and international education, as well as their own strategy of obtaining a transnational education as an investment, were shaped by the unequal power relations between China and the UK in the global classification of knowledge. They tend to highly value UK higher education in both material and immaterial forms, associating it with ‘humanitarianism’ and disinterestedness. This article concludes that the profit-making agenda of the UK is veiled by its symbolic power, while the nation-building effort of China has driven the students further away. As a result, Chinese students voluntarily participate in the reproduction of symbolic power of UK higher education in the hierarchically structured global field.

scholarly journals Supporting student innovation through an engagement, employability and employment ecosystem

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Walsh ◽  
Philip Powell
Keyword(s):  
Education Institution ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Extra Curricular Activities ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how students, full-time and part-time, may be supported in becoming ambidextrous – developing “intrapreneurial” skills and capabilities, as well as being introduced to more typical “entrepreneurial” activities. It is proposed that both perspectives will be necessary for future graduates. Design/methodology/approach The paper highlights the fast-changing nature of the economic and employment context and the future requirements for graduate skills. It analyses and evaluates a framework of curricular and extra-curricular activities which has been developed to address future skills needs. The paper uses a case study to illustrate the issue. Findings The paper concludes that with increasingly flexible career paths, there is a need for graduates to be prepared for portfolio careers in which they move between employment and self-employment. The development of an independent mindset which can identify and exploit innovation is therefore important. Practical implications The paper outlines an approach that has been implemented in a UK higher education institution to the development of innovation skills which is responsive to a wider range of students than the conventional cohort of young, full-time students. Originality/value The paper highlights the importance of designing educational experiences which directly address students’ situations and experiences. It also identifies the role of work-based research in the development of an innovative mindset.

Work-Based Learning in the United Kingdom

2019 ◽  
pp. 268-292
Author(s):  
Jon Talbot
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Full Time ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Workplace Experience ◽  
Integrative Studies ◽  
Education Statistics ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education

The term work-based learning has been widely used in higher education in the UK since the 1990s, and there is evidence of a spread in practice. However, it is not recognized as a subject by the UK Higher Education Statistics Authority so that the extent of practice is unknown. A small unpublished survey sheds some light on the varieties and extent of practice in England and Wales, identifying five different approaches. Different pedagogical practices can exist within single universities, and most of the chapter outlines how the University of Chester incorporates two practices. Its work-based learning (WBL) module is available for all full-time second-year undergraduates regardless of discipline. Its purpose is to enable all students of the university the opportunity to gain real-world workplace experience and sensitize them to the requirements of experiential and lifelong learning. By contrast the work-based and integrative studies (WBIS) is an example of a fully negotiated whole program designed to facilitate the development of practice for those already working.

Computer Mediated Communication

2011 ◽  
pp. 253-268
Author(s):  
Dianne Willis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Email has been with us now for a long time and is being increasingly adopted as a major communication tool in UK Higher Education establishments (colleges of higher and further education and universities). As the use of email grows, the effect on communication patterns needs to be established. This paper looks at current communication and working practices within a higher education institution in the UK (the author’s own). A survey has been conducted to elicit people’s feelings about the use of email and how they see future patterns of communication developing within the establishment.

scholarly journals Term-time Employment and Student Attainment in Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cath Dennis ◽  
Vasilis Louca ◽  
John Lemon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Lower Grade ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Potential

The number of UK full-time university students engaging in term-time employment (TTE) is rising. Students engaging in TTE have previously been found to achieve less well academically than those who do not. This study aimed to explore patterns of TTE and academic achievement of undergraduates at a large UK higher education institution. Self-reported TTE hours were matched to attainment data for 1304 undergraduate students in levels 1-4 of study (SQCF levels 7-10). The majority of students in TTE (71%, n=621) reported undertaking TTE to cover essential living expenses. Compared to students not undertaking TTE, attainment was significantly better at low levels of TTE (1-10 hours), and only significantly worse when TTE was >30 hours/week. This pattern was magnified when job type was taken into account – students employed in skilled roles for ≤10 hours/week on average attained grades 7% higher than those not in TTE; students working >10 hours/week in unskilled positions showed a mean 1.6% lower grade. The impact of ‘academic potential’ (measured via incoming UCAS tariff) was accounted for in the model. The finding that students engaging in some categories of TTE achieve better academic outcomes than their non-employed peers is worthy of further investigation. This study is unable to provide direct evidence of possible causation, but would tentatively suggest that students may benefit from taking on 10 or fewer hours of TTE per week.

scholarly journals Educators’ Perceptions on Refugee Students’ Identity Challenges Following Higher Education Through Virtual Learning

2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Cassandra Sturgeon Delia
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Psychosocial Development ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Refugee Students ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Refugees experience specific challenges when transitioning into higher education influenced by socio-cultural issues (Kong et al., 2016). Moreover, online learning may impact identity formation leading to duelling identities (Brunton et al., 2019). As virtual learning prevails in higher education due to the globalisation of new technologies, academic needs and competition with international institutions (Olaniran & Agnello, 2008), marginalisation of socially excluded groups such as refugees may surface (Crea & Sparnon, 2017).The purpose of this study is to explore educators perspectives of challenges and opportunities refugee students’ face when following higher education via a virtual space that impedes these specific students identity and sense of belonging. This paper provides the concept based on Erickson’s psychosocial development theory to extend this area of investigation by assessing the impact of learning via online spaces on identity.Five educators working within higher education were interviewed using a qualitative phenomenological methodology to generate an in-depth, unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities observed by teaching refugee students’ and focusing on identity formation. The data generated were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a computer-assisted data analysis software (CAQDAS), NVivo 12 Plus, to classify group-specific codebooks emerging from the data collection.The finding suggests that refugee students’ studying via a virtual space face specific challenges linked to their lived reality; however, pedagogy and educators need to be more culturally responsive to support students from diverse backgrounds and aid in the identity transition. Moreover, opportunities gained through online learning allow a sense of belonging to a global education and skills fostered will prove fruitful academically and beyond. This study concludes with implications for professional practice within the higher academic setting.

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