The Nature of Complex Blends

2010 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roisin Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Academic Development ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Training Support ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Current Thinking

This chapter discusses the complexities of blending technologies and problem-based learning (PBL) group interaction within the context of academic development in higher education. For both designers and tutors, it is important to seek best practices for combining instructional strategies in face-to-face and computer-mediated environments that take advantage of the strengths of each and avoid inherent weaknesses. A qualitative case study of the lived experiences of 17 academic staff participants in a blended PBL module over a two year period was considered likely to provide a much-needed analysis of current thinking and practice on the potential of interaction in this form of higher education professional academic development. Specific aspects of interaction (technical, peer, content, and the learning experience) within blended PBL tutorials are analysed to provide research-based evidence on the realities of delivering a PBL programme using technology. The study reported in the chapter argues that the intersection of PBL and learning technologies can offer an innovative way of teaching and learning and is a reflection of pedagogy and technology as an integrated model that can work effectively together. The findings show that the synergy from the collaborative blended PBL approach in this module can result in the coherent and comprehensive provision of training, support, and research throughout higher education institutions.

scholarly journals Teaching Using Digital Technologies: Transmission or Participation?

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 226
Author(s):  
Maria Cutajar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Development ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Models Of Teaching ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Teaching Orientations

Digital technologies are becoming seamlessly incorporated in all we do, no less in teaching and learning. As technological developments and interdependent social change steer us deeper into a postdigital existence, higher education institutions are observed increasing the availability of learning technologies and related academic development initiatives. Alongside these developments, models of teaching as transmission are popularly criticized and set in contrast to models of teaching as participation, which are commended and avowed as more suited for the present day digital university. This paper presents the research findings of a qualitative study, which was specifically taken up in response to observed developments. The findings derive from phenomenographic analysis mapping variation in the accounts of 27 academics describing their experiences using digital technologies for teaching. These results represent a wide-ranging description confirming previous research findings and add new detail. They reaffirm teaching orientations of transmission and participation as important and significant facets of teaching moreover existing claims based on logical argumentation. These research results potentially serve professional development constructively supporting academics seeking to incorporate contemporary digital technologies in their teaching practices.

scholarly journals Student perceptions of quality in higher education: effect of year of study, gender and ethnicity.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Dicker ◽  
Mikey Garcia ◽  
Alison Kelly ◽  
Parisa Modabber ◽  
Alex O'Farrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
High Quality Education ◽  
Quality Perceptions ◽  
Quality In Higher Education

Student expectations with regard to what comprises quality in higher education can impact upon their learning, engagement and overall satisfaction. Perceptions of quality are not always clearly articulated and may vary by gender, ethnicity and year of study. In this study, undergraduate students completed a questionnaire indicating whether they agreed, disagreed or were unsure about 15 statements related to quality in higher education. A total of 340 students across four year groups participated (Levels 3-6), with more female than male participants and a range of ethnicities represented. There was broad unanimity in the recognition of the importance of both teaching and learning and relationships with academic staff in defining quality. Overall, there were low levels of satisfaction with the amount of contact with academic staff and uncertainty about whether students thought they were getting a high quality education. Some differences in relation to support services were seen in different ethnic groups, and more males than females were satisfied with support services although this varied by year group, and student numbers were small. These results suggest the importance of clearly articulating what is available in terms of support (academic, pastoral, study and health) to all students. The teaching and learning experience, and relationships with academic staff are clearly important and given the uncertainty about overall perceptions of quality, these aspects need to be highlighted to students so that they understand the value of what they are receiving.Keywords: quality, perceptions, relationships, feedback, teaching & learning

Recording Lectures, Streaming, Downloading, Podcasting, Vodcasting, and Webcasting

2008 ◽  
pp. 176-195
Author(s):  
Richard Caladine
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Student Interaction ◽  
Fundamental Part ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Efficient Learning

There can be a range of reasons to record lectures or presentations, from the creation of resources to meeting the needs of distant students. Of course recordings are one-way. The information in them flows from the recorded file to students and student interaction with recordings is generally limited to interacting with the controls of the player, that is, they can pause, stop, and replay the recording in part or in its entirety. It can be argued that this interaction adds another level of access to educational presentations. While this low level of interaction can have positive educational outcomes it cannot be equated with interactions between students and teachers. Clearly the person-to-person interactions have the potential for far greater educational outcomes ranging from the answering of questions to the exploration and extension of the subject area. In cases where students are distant from teachers and interact with recorded resources other technologies and techniques are need to provide viable two-way communications channels between them. All learning technologies impose on teaching and learning activities and recordings of presentations are no exception. It is argued that recordings by themselves seldom, if ever, are sufficient for effective and efficient learning in higher education. However, it is suggested that recordings when used in conjunction with other learning technologies and techniques can be a fundamental part of the learning experience.

scholarly journals THE USE OF MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS FOR INTENSIFICATION OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TEACHING AT TERTIARY LEVEL

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
Anatolii O. Klymenko ◽  
Nataliia I. Zakordonets ◽  
Inna V. Shymkiv
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Multimedia Teaching ◽  
Computer Mediated

An increasing number of lecturers are experimenting with innovative computer-mediated approaches to foreign languages teaching (FLT), dramatically altering the ways students interact with learning content. This comparatively common acceptance of digital learning technologies has enlarged the integration of multimedia teaching and learning tools into the traditional, face-to-face classroom setting, thus blended approach to content supply in FLT has experienced extensive progress in higher education. The article deals with the practice of usage of the most popular multimedia technological tools, such as Prezi, Google Slides, PowerPoint, in foreign languages teaching at higher educational institutions. In the course of research surveys were made to determine the types of collaboration and evaluation preferred by the students, their expectations from foreign language learning process, which, in their turn, gave grounds to point out the factors promoting intensification of the teaching process in the context of blended learning.

scholarly journals Enhancing the practice of feedback through arts: an integrated open strategy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Casiraghi ◽  
Bianca Santolini
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Feedback Model ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Open Strategy

This paper presents the experience conducted in the framework of the Erasmus+ FeedBack Project, which aims at developing the practice of feedback through arts. The article introduces the practice of feedback as essential tool to enhance teaching and learning activities in the different level of education, with a specific focus on higher education. The FeedBack project has developed an Art-Based Feedback Model, which has been firstly defined in terms of actors, who give and receive feedback through different channels. Furthermore, the model has been integrated with the concept of Art-Based Initiatives, directly related to processes of Sustainability, Inspiration and Transformation implemented in teaching and learning contexts. Through an open and integrated virtual and face-to face strategy, that includes a digital toolkit, webinars, Massive Open Online Courses, events and workshops, the Arts-based FeedBack Model has been disseminated in several countries, stimulating the discussion and innovating the teaching and learning practices. This strategy lead to positive outcomes in terms of raising awareness of the topic, supporting the design and personalisation of the feedback process itself and, thus, enhancing the teaching and learning experience, especially in higher education contexts. 

scholarly journals The construction of a postgraduate student and supervisor support framework: Using stakeholder voices to promote effective postgraduate teaching and learning practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-88
Author(s):  
Malcolm Anderson ◽  
◽  
Brett Mitchell ◽  
Maria Northcote ◽  
Anthony Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Evaluation Methodology ◽  
Advisory Panel ◽  
Training Support ◽  
Professional Development Needs ◽  
International Experts

This article outlines the design and development of a bespoke Research Training Support Framework, targeting the professional development needs of higher degree research (HDR) supervisors and their students, which was achieved by implementing Patton's (2011; 2012) utilisation-focused evaluation methodology (UFE). The primary research question was: What are the most suitable structures, components and content of an institutional framework to support Higher Degree Research (HDR) supervisors and their students at Avondale College of Higher Education? A mixed method design was used to gather data from students, academic staff and administrative staff using questionnaires, focus groups and interviews. Analyses of these data informed the Framework’s development along with previous research and advice from an advisory panel which comprised of national and international experts. Accordingly, the Framework was constructed around three core principles that served to guide the development of the Framework’s activities, processes and resources: 1) Welcoming research community, 2) The pedagogy of supervision and 3) Research development. The current version of the Framework has been designed to support postgraduate supervisors and students through the three key stages of students' most academically-focused stages of their postgraduate journeys namely; Getting started, Confirmation and Research and writing. The research-informed approach used to develop this contextually-relevant resource is particularly relevant to small higher education institutions, especially those wishing to focus on capacity development. Further research is currently being conducted to evaluate how the Framework is being used.

scholarly journals Transformative Potential of Constructivist Blended Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education

2009 ◽  
pp. 182-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roisin Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Difference

This chapter critically explores the design and implementation of a blended problem-based learning (PBL) module for academic professional development in higher education. A core aspect of the chapter is the overview of the design framework used for the application and specific use of learning technologies in the PBL module. As it would appear that E-Learning courses are often lauded on the basis of their constructivist approach to learning, but in reality sustained inter-student contact and discussion can be difficult, an underlying purpose of the chapter is to show how interactional analysis helps in understanding the potential of transformative pedagogy within blended PBL. This chapter aims to highlight how emerging constructivist theories of learning may be applied to the blend of PBL and E-Learning. It addresses the need for an analysis of the interactions taking place in blended PBL with a specific focus on academic staff who are engaged in professional development in higher education in Ireland. It applies the relevant constructivist theories to the face-to-face PBL tutorials, online discussions, focus group interview texts and reflective papers generated over two years in a professional development module involving 17 academic staff. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the difference that the blended delivery made to both tutors and participants and discusses the design implications of a blended PBL model for the practice of academic development.

scholarly journals Doing staff development: Practices, dilemmas and technologies

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Hannon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Development ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Learning Technology

<span>Online learning technologies now pervade higher education institutions, and the convergence of teaching and learning onto technological systems has created new work practices and a demand for staff development. Educational developers are located at a nexus between the institutional and pragmatic imperatives, from which tensions and incongruencies emerge and need to be resolved in daily practice. In this paper, this nexus is explored by analysing accounts of educational development practice from one institution, based on interviews with educational developers. This paper considers staff development practices in higher education in response to the processes of change associated with learning technology, and the strategies used to resolve incongruencies and conflicts that emerged from these practices were analysed. The discourse analytic method of "interpretative repertoires" (Potter &amp; Wetherell, 1987) is used to explore the resolution of dilemmas in practice. In this case study, two contrasting repertoires are used to account for staff development: one that 'enables' academic staff in their use of learning technologies, and another which 'guides' staff in their online teaching towards specified technologies. The intersection of the two repertoires in the institution presented dilemmas for educational developers. The responses to these contexts and the implications for educational development are explored.</span>

scholarly journals Usabilità ed efficacia di ambienti di apprendimento digitale in ambito linguistico

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-160
Author(s):  
Alice Gasparini
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Sono State ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Sono Stati ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
Software Monitoring

La pandemia scoppiata nel 2020 ha determinato il trasferimento della didattica in presenza a una mediata da uno schermo. Il cambiamento ha posto l’attenzione su tale modalità sollevando domande sulla sua organizzazione. Il contributo esplora tali temi e si focalizza sugli spazi formativi digitali, analizzati dal punto di vista dell’usabilità: tale concetto racchiude l’efficacia, la piacevolezza, la facilità d’uso di un sistema (Nielsen, 1994). In questo studio, sono stati presi in considerazione due sistemi: Moodle e WordPress. Entrambi hanno come obiettivo finale la gestione di contenuti digitali, ma con finalità diverse. Nelle due piattaforme, opportunamente allestite, sono state implementate alcune risorse aperte di italiano come L2. Per la raccolta di dati sono stati impiegati un software di monitoraggio del comportamento degli utenti, interviste e questionari. L’analisi dei dati ha fatto emergere indicazioni sull’esperienza di apprendimento degli utenti e sul loro comportamento, nonché sull’efficacia degli ambienti e dei materiali Parole chiave: AMBIENTI DI APPRENDIMENTO DIGITALI, ITALIANO L2, USABILITÀ, ANALISI DELL’APPRENDIMENTO Since the explosion of the pandemic in 2020, teaching and learning practices have been forced to switch from a face-to-face model to one mediated by a screen. This change has placed intense attention on the character of computer-mediated instruction. This paper explores these themes and focuses on formative digital spaces, analyzed from the point of view of usability: this concept includes efficacy and the ease and pleasantness of use of a system (Nielsen, 1994). In this study, two systems were considered: Moodle and WordPress. They share the goal of managing digital content, albeit with different objectives. In both platforms, accessible, open-source L2 Italian materials were made available. For the data collection, interviews, questionnaires, and software monitoring users’ behavior were employed. The analysis of the data sheds light on the learning experience of the users and their behavior, as well as on the efficacy of the environments and materials. Key words: DIGITAL LEARNING SETTINGS, ITALIAN L2, LEARNING ANALYTICS Desde la explosión de la pandemia en 2020, las prácticas de enseñanza y aprendizaje se han visto obligadas a pasar de un modelo presencial a uno mediado por una pantalla. Este cambio ha focalizado la atención en el carácter de la enseñanza mediada por computadora. Este artículo explora estos temas y se centra en los espacios formativos digitales, analizados desde el punto de vista de la usabilidad. Este concepto incluye la eficacia, la facilidad y el agrado del uso de un sistema (Nielsen, 1994). En este estudio, se consideraron dos sistemas: Moodle y WordPress. Ambos comparten la finalidad de gestionar los contenidos digitales, aunque con objetivos diferentes. En las dos plataformas se ofrecieron materiales accesibles y de código abierto de italiano como segunda lengua. Para la recogida de datos se emplearon entrevistas, cuestionarios y programas informáticos de monitorización del comportamiento de usuarios y usuarias. El análisis de los datos arroja luz sobre la experiencia de aprendizaje de las personas usuarias y su comportamiento, así como sobre la eficacia de los entornos y de los materiales. Palabras clave: ENTORNOS DE APRENDIZAJE DIGITAL, ITALIANO COMO SEGUNDA LENGUA, ANÁLISIS DE APRENDIZAJE

Active Learning Online

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Viktor Wang ◽  
Leslie Hitch ◽  
Geraldine Torrisi-Steele
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Strategic Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Current Century ◽  
Teaching Goal ◽  
Current Article

Preparing graduates for the present and future workforce is an important strategic learning and teaching goal of higher education. Towards realizing this goal, institutions are expending significant effort promoting active learning as an institution-wide teaching approach. Active learning defined as learners deeply participating in the learning process are being increasingly used in face-to-face contexts, but can it be used just as effectively in the online environments now common in higher education? In their 2017 paper, the authors established that active learning online is certainly possible. In this current article the authors assert that not only is active learning online possible, but that it is a necessity to bolster workforce and higher order thinking skills needed in this current century. Importantly, the faculties have a crucial role to play in implementing active learning online, and active learning online permeate the whole of the online learning experience within courses.

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