Culturally Responsive Pathway Pedagogues

Author(s):  
Donna M. Velliaris

The Eynesbury Institute of Business and Technology (EIBT) is a pre-university pathway institution to The University of Adelaide or the University of South Australia. This chapter contributes to improving the understanding of effective communication across culturally diverse classrooms. As evidenced in the qualitative data collected from a small number of EIBT educators, in order to become a culturally relevant pedagogue, one must be prepared to engage in a reflective process about what it means to teach students and communicate with those who come from a different cultural background. Pedagogical preferences must be (re)conceptualised in a manner that recognises and respects the intricacies of cultural difference. As a pathway institution, EIBT is a unique educational setting and this work presents ‘authentic' educator-practitioner narratives that contribute to a rather shallow body of knowledge pertaining to this increasingly important sector of Higher Education (HE).

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Darwin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges and obstacles encountered in the implementation of a mentoring program for Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the University of South Australia (UniSA) Business School. The paper starts with an exploration into the need for a mentoring program, the trial and subsequent four years of implementation. The paper also explores the network model of mentoring and the reasons why this, rather than a more traditional model, was chosen for the program’s implementation. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory case study uses data from over 600 students and their alumni mentors over a five-year period to evaluate and improve the program as well as cultivating a critical community of adult learners. Findings – Feedback from students indicates that the mentoring program is regarded by most as a value-added feature of their early learning as it offers support, if and when it is required, from those who have been there before. Research limitations/implications – Results are limited to one institution. However, as research into mentoring for higher education students is thin on the ground, this study contributes to our understanding of the positive impacts of mentoring on student success. Practical implications – This paper emphasizes the importance of business leaders giving back to their alma mater through mentoring current MBA students. It shows how mentoring can support learning and management development. Originality/value – This is an original study which explores ways to increase the learning of higher education students for positive social outcomes.


SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402110566
Author(s):  
Sophia Alim

Although the web accessibility of universities around the world is well documented, much remains unknown about this aspect of higher education institutions in the UK. Using three automated web accessibility tools (TAW, WAVE and EIII Page Checker), this study explores the accessibility of the homepages of 66 research-intensive universities with respect to the WCAG 2.0 checkpoints. The results show that the most common checkpoint violations involve the provision of text alternatives for non-text content, contrast errors and the need to increase the computability of webpages with future technologies and tools. The results show that there are variations between UK universities, and there is some evidence of consistent compliance amongst the university homepages. However, when evaluated against results from similar studies of web accessibility in other countries, these web pages perform well. Overall, this study adds to the body of knowledge on web accessibility in higher education in the UK.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Ferreira de Mello Silva ◽  
Eduardo Raupp de Vargas

Purpose This study aims to examine the extant literature to analyze the relationship between quality assurance (QA) and innovation in the higher education context. Design/methodology/approach This study selected 63 articles through a systematic literature review in Scopus and Web of Science databases and performed a descriptive and thematic synthesis-analysis on the sample. Findings The research identifies several perspectives discussed on QA systems covering experiences, criticisms and practice implications. The literature review shows there is no clear consensus on whether innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs) is fostered or hindered by QA processes. However, it seems that the likelihood of innovativeness and positive QA outcomes are directly linked to how these processes are managed in universities. Research limitations/implications This review highlights the university management concerns that emerge with QA issues as it is not yet clear to what extent innovation is actually promoted in scenarios where QA is applied. Hence, this literature review could be considered comprehensive but not exhaustive. Further studies are recommended to improve the understanding of how HEIs can both innovate and ensure quality at the same time. Originality/value The paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by advancing the opportunities and challenges that HEIs face due to QA system features.


2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 4.1-4.21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Crichton ◽  
Angela Scarino

The internationalisation of education has become a major focus of international, national and institutional attention, reflected in a substantial and expanding literature on how internationalisation is manifested, how it might be promoted, its implications for areas such as government policy, strategic planning and management, educational quality, student mobility, teaching and learning, and the place of language and culture in teaching and learning. There is also general agreement in the literature on the need for internationalisation to include an ‘intercultural dimension’. In this paper, we examine how we are to understand the ‘intercultural dimension’ in higher education. Our approach is based on an analysis of current constructions of this dimension, to argue that these constructions are neither individually nor in combination capable of meeting the challenge of internationalisation. Drawing on recent studies undertaken at the University of South Australia, we propose culture as ‘intercultural’ as an alternative construction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-256
Author(s):  
Parisa Badrkhani

There are large number of students from around the world who are planning to continue their education in the U.S. universities. They have different nationalities, cultural backgrounds, social beliefs, and so on. Moreover, the educators who are from different countries have the special cultures. This is their task to manage the culturally diverse classrooms to obtain the best results for the educational purposes. In this study, the focus was on three main issues: (a) teaching in multicultural higher education, (b) students’ attitudes toward the different cultures (especially their classmates), and (c) the strategies the educators apply in the multicultural classroom to establish peace. Five Iranian faculties who were teaching English language literature subject, in California State universities, were selected and interviewed via Skype. The results showed that they had a very positive attitude toward teaching in multicultural classrooms. The educators claimed that they apply the emotional empathy, empathy training, culturally proportional curriculum, and the structured rules for the multicultural classroom. One of them argued that holding conferences regarding the diversity is very useful, and the other one proposed that holding involuntary service, sport, and community programs for both the immigrant and the local students is considerable to make the students closer and establish the sense of peace among them.


Author(s):  
Marta Retamosa ◽  
Ángel Millán ◽  
Juan Antonio García

Choosing a university is a crucial decision in a person's life because, most of the time, the acquisition of a university degree allows him access to better working conditions. Universities are interested in knowing the factors that students cite as impacting their choice of university. This study aims to classify future university students according to different evaluation criteria that could help university administrators to improve their recruitment and positioning strategies. Building on the growing body of knowledge related to the marketing of Higher Education Institutions, the current study seeks to further explore the existence of segments featuring different selection patterns. The main goal of this study was tested by applying Latent Class Analysis as a segmentation method, also referred to as Latent Class Cluster Analysis. This study found that students have different sets of motivations for their choice of Higher Education Institutions, and also found significant differences in the motivations of males and females with regard to university selection. All of these findings are of great importance to the managers of university brands, particularly at the university under study.


2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 4.1-4.21
Author(s):  
Jonathan Crichton ◽  
Angela Scarino

The internationalisation of education has become a major focus of international, national and institutional attention, reflected in a substantial and expanding literature on how internationalisation is manifested, how it might be promoted, its implications for areas such as government policy, strategic planning and management, educational quality, student mobility, teaching and learning, and the place of language and culture in teaching and learning. There is also general agreement in the literature on the need for internationalisation to include an ‘intercultural dimension’.In this paper, we examine how we are to understand the ‘intercultural dimension’ in higher education. Our approach is based on an analysis of current constructions of this dimension, to argue that these constructions are neither individually nor in combination capable of meeting the challenge of internationalisation. Drawing on recent studies undertaken at the University of South Australia, we propose culture as ‘intercultural’ as an alternative construction.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leticia-Concepción Velasco-Martínez ◽  
Juan-Carlos Tójar-Hurtado

Competency-based learning requires making changes in the higher education model in response to current socio-educational demands. Rubrics are an innovative educational tool for competence evaluation, for both students and educators. Ever since arriving at the university systems, the application of rubrics in evaluation programs has grown progressively. However, there is yet to be a solid body of knowledge regarding the use of rubrics as an evaluation tool. This study analyzes the use of rubrics by 150 teachers at 5 Spanish universities. The comparative analysis allows us to determine how these rubrics are being used to assess (or not) competencies. This study examines the educators’ intentions and the pedagogical aspects that are considered in the design and application of rubrics. The results and conclusions may lead to suggestions for improvements and strategies that may be implemented by university professors when creating appropriate competency-based scoring rubrics.


Author(s):  
Ted Nunan ◽  
Ian Reid ◽  
Holly McCausland

This case study describes current developments in the change processes that are underway at the University of South Australia (UniSA) as it develops from a dual mode institution to one that embraces flexibility in delivery of all of its courses and programs. Forces operating in the context of higher education are causing traditional institutions to become dual mode. Institutions that were already operating as dual mode are developing a proliferation of program delivery arrangements that move beyond hybridisation. A number of Australian institutions claim to provide flexibly delivered courses where student centred learning processes are facilitated through the use of information and communication technologies. Hybridisation and the move to flexible delivery in Australia has partly been driven by changes in the socio-economic context of higher education that have forced universities to compete for income to sustain their operating costs. Offshore teaching and the provision of onshore fee paying courses for international students have required changes to delivery processes for resource-based teaching and online technologies and these changes have washed through institutions. However, for some institutions the development of flexible delivery has been to achieve a wider range of educational purposes for all students. Such purposes are often described in terms of the shift in focus: for example, from teaching to learning; from elite to inclusive; from "producer" to "consumer;" from local perspective to international; from credentialing (four year degree) to life-long learning (40 year degree). This case study looks at the ways in which UniSA course, student, regulatory, logistical and technological systems or subsystems are changing, both in response to extra-institutional influences and in relation to institution-wide development of greater flexibility in teaching, learning and program delivery. This analysis highlights the ways in which these subsystems interact with each other and the critical importance of shared vision to coordinate changes on multiple fronts within the institution and to facilitate internalisation and ownership of such change by its staff. The case study highlights how the logistical assumptions and arrangements of online education are significantly different in kind from those of traditional face-to-face or distance education and argues that moves to online education therefore require pervasive change. At the same time, online education can provide an integrating framework for different forms of delivery, thereby achieving synergies and economies of scale.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michael Verderaime

Insufficient resources undermine postsecondary educational experiences and delay credit attainment for many college students (Goldrick-Rab, Baker-Smith, Coca, Looker, and Williams, 2019). To examine the efficacy of existing interventions, such as a campus food pantry, the researcher conducted a series of interviews with a cross section of volunteers, staffed leaders, and food pantry clients. The study produced 5 significant themes. 1) UCM students are balancing multiple responsibilities with a variety of stresses; 2) The Campus Cupboard clients shared an array of successful strategies for making ends meet while in college; 3) The reasons people use the Campus Cupboard vary from individual to individual; 4) Clients care about the food and services the Campus Cupboard offers as well as their experience while they are in there; 5) The volunteers and staff are the Campus Cupboard's greatest asset. They represent a variety of skills, abilities, knowledge, perspectives and resources for the cupboard and their clients. The recommendations focused on three core capacities that are critical for the Campus Cupboard. Specifically, to address the dietary struggles students face in higher education, as well as the living costs associated with schooling, this study constructs its recommendations focusing on 1) Building a culturally responsive food pantry; 2) Tailoring its outreach; and 3) Creating sustainable change.


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