“Dedicated Drop-ins” as a Way of Addressing Some Writing Centre Challenges

Author(s):  
Michael J. Kaler

Writing centres need to be integrated into the writing community of their host institutions, but this can be difficult: often students view them as peripheral (Bowles 2019), see them as “fix-it” shops and/or see them as places where one simply “learns to write” (Cheatle & Bullerjahn, 2015; Simpson 2010), or do not perceive a connection between their services and students’ actual, current course work (Missakian, Olson, Black & Matuchniak, 2016). In this article I discuss the practice of offering and running “dedicated drop-ins,” course- and assignment-specific drop-in sessions for writing support, as one means of addressing several of the challenges that writing centres face in terms of making themselves visible and visibly useful members of their institutional community. Our experience shows that while these “dedicated drop-ins” are not in themselves a perfect solution, they can be a useful addition to writing centres’ toolkits.

Author(s):  
I. G. Kupnovytska ◽  
V. I. Klymenko ◽  
I. P. Fitkovska ◽  
S. M. Kalugina ◽  
R. I. Belehay ◽  
...  

The development of a modern e-learning system promotes the active introduction of distance education. The organization of a mixed form of education at the department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy involves an education during the session and using the distance contact between faculty and students during the intersessional period. The information technology system of distance learning is provided by personal computers, video and audio equipment. The web-site of the department presents a set of teaching materials, including curriculas, work programs, lecture notes, test assignments, situational tasks, control and individual course work. Distance learning is supplemented with new teaching materials: web lectures, e-learning textbooks and manuals. Lectures are delivered by faculty members in the form of video conferences or webinars. Consultations are conducted in the on-line mode each week at a certain time by the teachers of the department according to the schedule. The website of the department presents methods for implementing practical skills, video stories of individual urgent states on the pathology of internal organs, demonstrates sets of medicines for seven types of first aid kits to improve the students' knowledge and skills, and to successfully pass the practical part of the state certification of graduates from the discipline "Clinical pharmacy".


2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Phillips

ABSTRACTThis paper describes an online system that facilitates peer assessment of students' course work and then uses data from individual case writing assignments in introductory financial accounting to empirically examine associations between peer assessment and case writing performance. Through this description and empirical analysis, the paper addresses the following questions: (1) Why use peer assessment? (2) How does online peer assessment work? (3) Is student peer assessment reliable? (4) What do students think of peer assessment? (5) Does student peer assessment contribute to academic performance? Three key findings from this study are that students at the sophomore level were able to generate reasonably reliable feedback for peers, they valued the experiences involved in providing peer feedback, and giving quality feedback had a more significant and enduring impact on students' accounting case analyses than did receiving quality feedback, after controlling for differences in accounting knowledge and case writing skills.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Biermann ◽  
Salim Kanoun ◽  
Trond Davidsen ◽  
Robert Gray

Abstract Aims Since 2017, medical students at the University of Bergen were taught PET/CT “hands-on” by viewing PET/CT cases in native format on diagnostic workstations in the hospital. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students were barred access. This prompted us to launch and evaluate a new freeware PET/CT viewing system hosted in the university network. Methods We asked our students to install the multiplatform Fiji viewer with Beth Israel PET/CT plugin (http://petctviewer.org) on their personal computers and connect to a central image database in the university network based on the public domain orthanc server (https://orthanc-server.com). At the end of course, we conducted an anonymous student survey. Results The new system was online within eight days, including regulatory approval. All 76 students (100 %) in the fifth year completed their course work, reading five anonymized PET/CT cases as planned. 41 (53 %) students answered the survey. Fiji was challenging to install with a mean score of 1.8 on a 5-point Likert scale (5 = easy, 1 = difficult). Fiji was more difficult to use (score 3.0) than the previously used diagnostic workstations in the hospital (score 4.1; p < 0.001, paired t-test). Despite the technical challenge, 47 % of students reported having learnt much (scores 4 and 5); only 11 % were negative (scores 1 and 2). 51 % found the PET/CT tasks engaging (scores 4 and 5) while 20 % and 5 % returned scores 2 and 1, respectively. Conclusion Despite the initial technical challenge, “hands-on” learning of PET/CT based on the freeware Fiji/orthanc PET/CT-viewer was associated with a high degree of student satisfaction. We plan to continue running the system to give students permanent access to PET/CT cases in native format regardless of time or location.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 394-402
Author(s):  
Joanne Callinan

Background: E-learning provides opportunities for flexible learning to those who cannot access palliative education in the traditional classroom setting, but it also presents learners with challenges. The study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to accessing e-learning courses in palliative care. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were developed, piloted and disseminated to healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in palliative care on the island of Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). Results: Important factors that motivated HCPs to participate in e-learning are: dedicated time; quick technical and administrative support; computer training before completing an e-learning course; and regular contact with the tutor in online course work. Some 50% indicated face-to-face assistance and hands-on training sessions as the type of support that they would like to receive. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals' prior experiences and attitudes towards e-learning will guide educators developing programmes. This study indicates the prerequisite for organisational supports and practical considerations to facilitate the uptake of e-learning.


2020 ◽  
pp. 135050762097971
Author(s):  
Timon Beyes ◽  
Chris Steyaert

In this article, we connect with recent attempts to rethink management learning as an embodied and affective process and we propose walking as a significant learning practice of a pedagogy of affect. Walking enables a postdualist view on learning and education. Based on course work focused on urban ethnography, we discuss walking as affect-pedagogical practice through the intertwined activities of straying, drifting and witnessing, and we reflect upon the implications for a pedagogy of affect. In conclusion, we speculate about the potential of a pedagogy of affect for future understandings and practices of management learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luara Carvalho ◽  
Elisa Maria Barbosa de Amorim-Ribeiro ◽  
Marcelo do Vale Cunha ◽  
Luciana Mourão

AbstractWork experiences during undergraduate studies can be remarkable in the journey of undergraduate students. The objective of this study was to assess, by analyzing semantic networks, the role of work experiences in the meanings those individuals attribute to professional identity. The sample consisted of 2291 students (60% women) divided into three groups: do not work, work in a field related to their course, work in a field not related to their course. The semantic networks of these groups were composed of words uttered from the professional identity prime. We chose to work with the critical network, obtained from the analysis of the incidence-fidelity indexes of the word pairs. The results evidence that work experiences are related to how undergraduate students attribute meaning to professional identity, in such a way that three different networks were formed for these groups. The network of those who work outside their field was the only one that integrated words with negative content, while the semantic networks of those who do not work and those who work in their field, despite containing words that do not always coincide, present a similar macrostructure. We conclude that work experiences play an important role in the meanings that undergraduate students attribute to professional identity. The study innovates by revealing elements of professional-identity construction, besides allowing for reflections on the effects of work experiences during the college period.


2021 ◽  
pp. 55-59
Author(s):  
O.G. Vasyukov ◽  

Examines the positive and negative sides of distance education in aspects of quality of education and economic efficiency of the distance learning software that are used in the training for the selected training areas/specialties. In the course of the research conducted by the method of questioning students, it was revealed that at the current time, 69.7% of students have none of the programs they need for further direct training of their profession on their home computers. Considering the provision of students with the software they need to study basic subjects, it was found that 24.5% of students have Microsoft Office 2007 or earlier installed on their personal computers (PCs) or laptops, that is, SOFTWARE that is already considered obsolete. Thus, almost every fourth student, when performing practical, laboratory, course work using a software package for working in the office, experiences difficulties. In the course of the research conducted by the method of questioning students, it was revealed that at the current time, 69.7% of students have none of the programs they need for further direct training of their profession on their home computers. Considering the provision of students with the software they need to study basic subjects, it was found that 24.5% of students have Microsoft Office 2007 or earlier installed on their personal computers (PCs) or laptops, that is, SOFTWARE that is already considered obsolete. Thus, almost every fourth student, when performing practical, laboratory, course work using a software package for working in the office, experiences difficulties. Why the computer works even slower and with various failures and failures. Moreover, the specified percentage may also be even higher, since 8.6% of students could not answer what OS they have installed. Studying in the traditional form of training, this lack of hardware and SOFTWARE is eliminated, since in the University’s computer classes, there are PCs that support reliable operation with Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 2010 and are protected from viruses and attacks by installed and constantly updated antivirus programs. The article reveals the problems that affect the quality of students’ education when switching to distance learning. Namely, the absence or non-compliance of Hardware and SOFTWARE for students’ computers and laptops with modern requirements for Hardware and SOFTWARE for performing teachers’ tasks. The author concludes that when switching to full distance education in technical specialties, the state will lose, according to the most optimistic forecasts, from 19.8 to 69.7% of well-prepared students only because their education does not meet modern requirements.


1966 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 305-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth R. Blessing

The author depicts one cooperative state-university approach to implementing the federal directives -for preparing supervisors and directors of special education programs for exceptional children in state and local school systems. Internship experiences which are provided graduate students in the state's special education section, in the field, and in intermediate, county, and city school systems are outlined. The underlying theme is the need for sound theoretical and course work background in the administration and supervision of special education services, coupled with broad practical internship experiences in supervision and administration. Additional needs for the extensive consideration of issues and problems involved in special education programing are indicated.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Belete Mebratu

This study is an analysis of the reported observations of teacher candidates about the challenges and encouraging practices at schools following their field experiences visits required to meet course work and licensure for teaching.  The findings of the study indicate that the participants of the study observed that classroom teachers face the challenges of too much workload, meeting the needs of too many students who need support, lack of resources, classroom management, changes of curriculum and policies, and meeting the needs of diverse students. The candidates, however, are encouraged by their observations of the use and applications of a wide variety of instructional approaches, the prevalence of a culture of a community of learners and co-operations, discipline systems, applications of technology and inspiring teachers’ professionalism and commitment to make differences in the lives of their students. Ways of addressing the observed challenges include measures of providing support staff and assistants to the classroom teacher, supplying classrooms with adequate resources, efforts to involve parents and guardians in the education of their children and in the affairs of schools, refocusing teacher education programs on those reported areas of challenges classroom teachers face, and ongoing in-service trainings and professional development programs for teachers.  


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