scholarly journals The Impact of Embedded iPad Use on Student Perceptions of Their Digital Capabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Elphick
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Key Skills ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Digital capabilities are recognized as key skills that students must possess to learn and work in our increasingly digital world and have been the subject of a growing focus over recent years. Similarly, smartphones and, to a lesser degree, tablets are now ubiquitous within the student body, and many academics are beginning to leverage these devices for the purposes of learning and teaching in higher education. To further explore the possibilities of mobile technology, the iPilot project was created to explore the effects that embedded iPad use had on undergraduate students’ creativity, ability to collaborate with their peers and their perception of their digital capabilities. Focusing on the digital capabilities aspect of the project, this paper explores the results gathered. While the results are mixed, when combined with data taken from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Digital Experience Tracker, it does appear that using iPads in the university classroom can have a positive impact on certain digital behaviors and students’ perceptions of their digital skills.

scholarly journals Engaging academic staff with reading lists

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Allie Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Online Reading ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Reading List ◽  
Library Use ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Following the implementation of online reading list software, Library Services at the University of Worcester (UW) encouraged academic staff to consider the reading list as a learning tool. Using an interactive teaching session timetabled as part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, lecturers are asked to consider how they can maximise the impact of their reading lists and increase library use. The pedagogy of reading lists and student engagement with reading are examined. Participants also discuss the type of content reading lists typically contain and question whether this accurately reflects what the students should be reading. It draws on best practice from academic colleagues at UW, examining (among other things) the effect of list length, structure and lecturer voice and presence.

scholarly journals Investigating impact: Exploring the effect of ‘open’ support on student success

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennie Rose Steres Blake ◽  
Nicola Grayson ◽  
Sami Karamalla-Gaiballa
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Degree Classification ◽  
The University ◽  
University Of Manchester ◽  
The Impact

Traditional investigations into the impact of skills support on student success tend to focus on embedded or curriculum linked modes of delivery. The subject of this investigation concerns a study of the impact of ‘open’ support delivered through the University of Manchester library’s My Learning Essentials skills programme (MLE). MLE is a blended service providing both face-to-face and online support through two dominant pathways: one which is embedded in the curriculum and one which is ‘open to all’ regardless of degree programme or level of study. The ‘open’ nature of this type of support and the variety amongst the student population who engage with it means that measuring the impact on areas such as attainment has always been difficult. This article will present the results of a small study that investigated a specific cohort of undergraduate students in order to assess whether connections could be drawn between attendance at MLE ‘open’ workshops and degree classification. Although the cohort investigated was quite small, there is evidence of significant positive impact on student attainment as a result of engagement with the MLE programme. The data was run through a regression analysis that controlled for factors that could influence attainment and compared attendees of MLE open workshops with those who did not attend. Beyond the results of the regression analysis the study reveals interesting data around student uptake of MLE as a service and presents the methodology used, the results gained, and the lessons learned throughout the process.

B(u)y the book: evaluation of a university initiative to provide students with funds to buy books

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-200
Author(s):  
Frances Porritt ◽  
Linda Murphy ◽  
Gemma Wells ◽  
Emma Burns
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reading List ◽  
Undergraduate Study ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In the era of high student fees and intense market competition, many universities now buy books for their new students, and recently have incorporated student choice into the offer, enabling students to choose how to spend funds. Teesside University has successfully piloted such an approach with one academic School, the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law. The pilot has now been extended to all academic Schools, with all students receiving £100 per academic year to spend on reading list books. The scheme covers new full-time undergraduate students at the University, and is operated in collaboration with an external company, John Smiths. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Teesside University Advance scheme against baseline data of book borrowing and reservation patterns of reading list titles. The paper explores the impact upon the student experience and student perceptions of the Library. Design/methodology/approach The project used a mixed methods approach. The quantitative strand analysed book borrowing and reservation patterns data from library systems and from book purchasing patterns data provided by the online store supporting the scheme. Students were also surveyed about the scheme. The qualitative strand, via one-to-one interviews conducted by the student researcher, gained an insight into why students select certain titles to purchase; and what their expectations of the university library are for the supply of reading list titles. Findings Analysis revealed an overall decline in book borrowing from the library of the titles selected for purchase by students via the scheme. Student perceptions of the library were positive and demonstrated a strategic use of library resources alongside book purchases and open web resources. At early stages of university undergraduate study, students need guidance on most appropriate resources to use and why, from either reading lists or book bundles. Originality/value Teesside University scheme is unique in the UK in covering all new full-time undergraduates and letting them choose which reading list titles to buy with the university funds provided.

scholarly journals The Impact of Quality Procedures on a Language Centre

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-34
Author(s):  
Veronika Kareva ◽  
Henshaw Heather
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Student Evaluation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
East European ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The Language Centre (LC) as an integral part of the South East European University (SEEU) implements a number of well-established, institution wide quality procedures which are intended to have a positive impact on the standards of learning and teaching. These include: Teaching Observation Procedure, an annual Student Evaluation Survey, a performance management process for staff linked to professional development and an LC cycle of strategic planning, linked both to internal and LC Specific external evaluation. In developing these procedures, the University and Centre has drawn on international quality assurance guidelines, trends and good practice in order to develop effective approaches to quality within a specific educational and national context. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate what changes these procedures have made, both at individual teacher and LC level, how far institutional -wide processes have been applicable and valuable to the LC and whether there has been an impact on LC staff in their awareness and/or commitment to quality enhancement. Our conclusions will be drawn from an evaluation of these procedures, a comparison of LC data over a period of time and an investigation into Centre staff perceptions. We hope that the results of these findings will contribute to a greater understanding of the value of quality assurance procedures for Language Centers as well as to identifying what makes such processes successful

An Introduction to the Impact Behaviour of Polymer Composites Using Simplified Beam Models

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. W. Mines
Keyword(s):  
Composite Materials ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Progressive Collapse ◽  
Structural Response ◽  
Sandwich Beams ◽  
Three Point Bending ◽  
The Past ◽  
Structural Case ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The paper describes a final-year undergraduate course that has been taught at the University of Liverpool for the past three years. The main aims of the course are to introduce the student to the design of structures using multi-component (composite) materials and to the performance of such structures under impact loading. Given the complexity of generalized composite behaviour and of structural crashworthiness, a simple structural case is considered, namely, a beam subject to three-point bending. A feature of the course is that not only is linear structural response considered but also non-linear (progressive) structural collapse is covered. The course is split into four parts, namely: (i) analysis of composite laminae, (ii) analysis of laminated beams, (iii) local and global effects in sandwich beams, and (iv) post-failure and progressive collapse of sandwich beams. Static and impact loadings are considered. Comments are made on how the theories are simplified and communicated to the undergraduate students.

scholarly journals Analysis and Assessment of New Permanent Teacher Training Activities under the Erasmus+ Program from the Perspective of the Participants of Spain in Times of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11222
Author(s):  
Daniel Salcedo-López ◽  
Mercedes Cuevas-López
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
The European Union ◽  
International Mobility ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Training Activities ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The Erasmus+ program (2014–2020) is one of the main initiatives developed by the European Commission in the field of education and is the final joint evolution of other minor and prior actions that provide schools and teachers with funding to carry out international mobility projects with a variety of formative activities. The benefits of carrying out international mobility activities to strengthen student learning and teacher training are well known and have been researched or reported even from the early stages of a program that was born back in the 1980s but has always been focused on the university level. When considering teachers at early levels (schools and high schools), the 2014–2020 Erasmus+ program was the main source of funding to grant Spanish teachers permanent training activities abroad with a direct positive impact on their careers. The year 2020 is the last year of the first evolution of the Erasmus+ program, which has been renewed, extended, and strengthened for a new six-year term (2021–2027). However, 2020 has also been a significant year. The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to affect the mobility of citizens within the different territories of the union and, thus, have a direct negative impact on international teacher and student mobility. Being 2020 the end of a cycle and a critical moment, it is the perfect time to conduct an analysis of the data associated with the participation of teachers and schools in Spain, their perceptions of the program, the different activities carried out, and the impact of the pandemic. This research study is based on an analysis of an opinion survey through a nationwide sample of teachers participating in KA101 Erasmus+ projects. This paper gathers and presents data and conclusions using information previously not available that most of the time is published in official reports globally without considering the particularities of the different states of the European Union.

scholarly journals Do LEGO® Models Aid Reflection in Learning and Teaching Practice?

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrissi Nerantzi ◽  
Craig Scott Despard
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Academic Practice ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Good Assessment ◽  
The University ◽  
Assessment Strategies ◽  
The Impact

In this paper we describe the use of LEGO® models within assessment of the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) offered at the University of Salford. Within the context of the PGCAP, we model innovative and contextualised assessment strategies for and of learning. We challenge our students, who are teachers in higher education (HE), to think and rethink the assessment they are using with their own students. We help them develop a deeper understanding and experience of good assessment and feedback practice in a wider context while they are assessed as students on the PGCAP. We report on an evaluation of how the LEGO® model activity was used with a cohort of students in the context of the professional discussion assessment. We share the impact it had on reflection and the assessment experience and make recommendations for good practice.

scholarly journals Enhancing Teaching and Learning at the University of Venda Utilising Digital Mobile Devices

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Ratchel Chikurunhe ◽  
Armstrong Kadyamatimba
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Academic Experience ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Tablet Pcs ◽  
Level Of Use ◽  
The University ◽  
Quality Learning ◽  
Rural Student

The University of Venda(Univen) distributed tablets to students for facilitating and enhancing their studies. However, the provision of tablet PCs to students may not be a panacea for quality learning, especially to technological disadvantaged rural student  population. The aim of study was to investigate the use of digital mobile devices for enhancing teaching and learning at the Univen. The research questions focused on determining the current level of use of mobile devices, how they can be used effectively for teaching and learning. Mixed methods approach was applied with data being solicited from a convenient sample of students, lecturers and an IT technician. The results of the study indicated that many students and lecturers are active and have higher perceptions of mobile devices usage. The results of the study are to be used to explicate and advance the integration of the mobile devices for promoting learning and teaching accomplishments. The findings clearly showed that mobile devices have a positive impact on the academic experience. The results also indicate that there is a gradual acceptance of the Learners Management Systems (Blackboard) by both academics and students. The digital mobile devices are eventually enhancing teaching and learning at Univen.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Online Education during COVID-19 Pandemic: Sri Lankan Students’ Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. K. Sriyalatha ◽  
P. J. Kumarasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Management Students ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

This study examines the factors influencing online education for selected Sri Lankan universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also analyses the moderate effect of gender and type of the university on online education. Primary data were collected using a questionnaire via google form from Management students in Sri Lankan selected universities. Data analysis was done through structural equations using analysis of moment structures (AMOS) version 22.0. Attitude, internet and related facilities, curriculum, and self-motivation were found to have a significant positive impact on online education, while workload & time have no significant effect on online education. Among four factors, the strongest influence was derived from self-motivation followed by the curriculum. We have not found significant differences among male and female students’ views on online education, while the impact from the type of university is different among the two categories. This study effectively guides policy makers and university administrators across the educational institutes to decide on continuing online education. It reveals some insights to the teachers, students, and parents to understand the significance of the modern online learning environment and its positive impact on the new learning mode. There is no study related to the factors associated with the impact of online education during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Sri Lankan context.

scholarly journals The university campus and a sense of belonging: what do students think?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilda Mary Mulrooney ◽  
Alison Faith Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
University Campus ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The physical configuration of the university campus impacts upon student learning and experience, and can be used to signal institutional priorities. The extent to which campus, particularly in post 92 institutions, is designed as opposed to evolving as older buildings are repurposed or replaced is variable. Student experiences and perceptions of the campus physical space are also unclear. This study aimed to explore student perceptions using qualitative methods. Data were collected during 8 focus groups from 37 participants. The majority were young and female, with considerable ethnic diversity. Six major themes were identified, many of which did not directly relate to the physical space itself. Rather the impact upon students’ emotional experience and engagement with the institution was emphasised. ‘Belonging’ was the most common theme; indicating that the nature of the physical space on campus is not neutral, but can affect the extent to which students can form attachments with each other and academic staff. ‘Nature’ was the second most commonly mentioned theme. Green space has therapeutic potential in stress management, important given mental health concerns in young people including students. The ideal campus as described by participants would include green non-smoking spaces with an emphasis on health promotion. Opportunities to include nature on campus should be taken, and future proposals to design the campus should canvas student views.

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