Applied or Denied?

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Jillian Downing
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Success In Higher Education ◽  
Spectrum Condition ◽  
Students With Autism

As universities expand so too does the diversity of students. Widening participation requires higher education providers to be responsive to the needs of all students by ensuring an accessible and engaging learning environment. Today's cohort includes an increased number of students with autism, a spectrum condition that has the potential to be either beneficial or detrimental to their success in higher education. This article reports on a mature-age student with autism who publicly announced his struggle with the eLearning environment, somewhat ironically, in the asynchronous discussion board. While eLearning offers designers and teaching staff an opportunity to adopt an applied and collaborative approach to the learning environment, for this student it created a challenging landscape dominated by steep mountains and roadblocks. What the student revealed has implications for course designers, teaching staff, and university administrators as they undertake to provide an eLearning environment that is suitable for all students, including those with autism.

Applied or Denied?

2016 ◽  
pp. 2042-2058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Downing
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Success In Higher Education ◽  
Spectrum Condition ◽  
Students With Autism

As universities expand so too does the diversity of students. Widening participation requires higher education providers to be responsive to the needs of all students by ensuring an accessible and engaging learning environment. Today's cohort includes an increased number of students with autism, a spectrum condition that has the potential to be either beneficial or detrimental to their success in higher education. This article reports on a mature-age student with autism who publicly announced his struggle with the eLearning environment, somewhat ironically, in the asynchronous discussion board. While eLearning offers designers and teaching staff an opportunity to adopt an applied and collaborative approach to the learning environment, for this student it created a challenging landscape dominated by steep mountains and roadblocks. What the student revealed has implications for course designers, teaching staff, and university administrators as they undertake to provide an eLearning environment that is suitable for all students, including those with autism.

scholarly journals The Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing Attitude among Academic Staff at Higher Education Institutions in the Relationship between Organizational Learning Environment and Teacher Knowledge Sharing Int

2021 ◽  
Vol VI (I) ◽  
pp. 12-25
Author(s):  
Aneela Syed ◽  
Muhammad Danish ◽  
Nagina Gul
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude ◽  
The Impact

This study aims to explore the attitude of faculty members in the universities towards knowledge sharing (KS). The study also analyzed the impact of the organizational learning environment (OLE) on the knowledge-sharing attitude among the university is teaching staff. An empirical model is developed while an integrated theory of Planned Behavior (PB) to conceptualize the Knowledge Sharing Behavior among the employees of Higher Education Institutions (HEI). Moreover, the study recognizes the levels of Knowledge Sharing between the staff members within the organization. Out of 407 respondents, 300 responses were collected through self-administer a survey. The results provide empirical evidence that OLE and Intention to Sharing knowledge (ISK) are significantly related among academic Staff at HEI. The results of the study may help the institution level of intention in sharing knowledge and attitude toward perceived behavior subjective norms to retain core employees within the organization.

Creating employable graduates: the case of ethnic minority students in Greece

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-209
Author(s):  
Antonios Panagiotakopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Minority Students ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethnic Minority Students ◽  
Graduate Employability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the main barriers to employability skills development of ethnic minority students in the context of higher education (HE) in Greece and recommends strategies to help higher education institutions (HEIs) overcome those barriers. Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on a series of in-depth interviews conducted with 20 ethnic minority students and ten “traditional” students studying at three institutions of HE in Greece. Findings – The study shows that there are many barriers facing ethnic minority students in HE including: poor self-esteem; lack of good advice about HE courses; isolation once in HE; discrimination by staff in HE; and unresponsive curriculum to ethnic diversity in HE. In this context, it is argued that there is an immediate need for decision makers in HEIs to develop policies that target ethnic minority students in order to help them secure employment. It is suggested that HEIs should: provide opportunities for students to discuss concerns with teachers and counsellors; address issues of motivation, self-perception and self-efficacy; encourage teaching staff to adopt various teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles; decrease competitive, norm-referenced environments; use multicultural education and counselling techniques and strategies; and provide work placement opportunities. Practical implications – The paper suggests ways that can help HEIs embrace diversity and promote graduate employability among ethnic minority students in the context of widening participation agenda. Originality/value – The study fills a significant knowledge gap in the existing literature in relation to the measures that HEIs can take to enhance graduate employability among ethnic minority students particularly in less developed countries like Greece.

scholarly journals Psychological Difficulties during the Covid Lockdown: Video in Blended Digital Teaching Language, Literature, and Culture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svitlana Yukhymets ◽  
Smaglii Valeriia Mykhaylivna ◽  
Vasyl Lopushanskyy ◽  
Koliasa Olena Vasylivna* ◽  
Babelyuk Oksana Andriivna
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Technical Aspect ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Epidemic Period ◽  
Psychological Difficulties

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused an urgent necessity for higher education institutions and their teaching staff to move the educational process online in the shortest possible time. It should be admitted that higher education worldwide is changing, and institutions face challenges when adapting to the new COVID-19 reality – blended digital teaching and learning. They are tackling several issues connected with the essence of virtual education, its technical aspect, and students’ learning environment. During COVID-19 lockdown, teachers have to prepare and deliver their classes from home, simultaneously coping with numerous professional and technical challenges, often without any appropriate support. In addition to that, they were lack of technology literacy, professional knowledge, and experience needed for successful E-teaching. Besides, a new mode of blended digital teaching and learning also made them consider technical and administrative aspects of the current educational process, namely to use new educational platforms and tools, organize active workflows, and work out critical educational principles to design and facilitate practical online experiences. Along with the challenges that the teachers face in such conditions, they should be able to cope with the stress and psychological disorders of pupils and students. The article emphasizes the abnormal psychology of youngsters (pupils and students) as the result of stress and anxiety that appeared during Covid lockdown – the application of psychological science to understanding and treating mental disorders – and the use of video as a productive means of avoiding psychological disabilities. The research objective is to prove that video is an effective educational tool for avoiding psychological difficulties in blended digital learning during COVID-19 lockdown while teaching foreign languages, literature, and culture. Special attention is paid to psychological strategies of overcoming stress during COVID-19 lockdown, as well as to effective ways to students’ adapt to a virtual learning environment, development and implementation of anti-stress methods, which heighten their motivation. The article also heads on and explores potential solutions to educational problems that one can encounter in the new educational process at the post-COVID-19 epidemic period, such as the quality of education offered, its cost and availability, internationalization, and employability.

scholarly journals Psychological Difficulties during the Covid Lockdown: Video in Blended Digital Teaching Language, Literature, and Culture

2021 ◽  
pp. 172-182
Author(s):  
Oksana Babelyuk ◽  
Olena Koliasa ◽  
Vasyl Lopushanskyy ◽  
Valeriia Smaglii ◽  
Svitlana Yukhymets
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Technical Aspect ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Epidemic Period ◽  
Psychological Difficulties

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused an urgent necessity for higher education institutions and their teaching staff to move the educational process online in the shortest possible time. It should be admitted that higher education worldwide is changing, and institutions face challenges when adapting to the new COVID-19 reality – blended digital teaching and learning. They are tackling several issues connected with the essence of virtual education, its technical aspect, and students’ learning environment. During COVID-19 lockdown, teachers have to prepare and deliver their classes from home, simultaneously coping with numerous professional and technical challenges, often without any appropriate support. In addition to that, they were lack of technology literacy, professional knowledge, and experience needed for successful E-teaching. Besides, a new mode of blended digital teaching and learning also made them consider technical and administrative aspects of the current educational process, namely to use new educational platforms and tools, organize active workflows, and work out critical educational principles to design and facilitate practical online experiences. Along with the challenges that the teachers face in such conditions, they should be able to cope with the stress and psychological disorders of pupils and students. The article emphasizes the abnormal psychology of youngsters (pupils and students) as the result of stress and anxiety that appeared during Covid lockdown – the application of psychological science to understanding and treating mental disorders – and the use of video as a productive means of avoiding psychological disabilities. The research objective is to prove that video is an effective educational tool for avoiding psychological difficulties in blended digital learning during COVID-19 lockdown while teaching foreign languages, literature, and culture. Special attention is paid to psychological strategies of overcoming stress during COVID-19 lockdown, as well as to effective ways to students’ adapt to a virtual learning environment, development and implementation of anti-stress methods, which heighten their motivation. The article also heads on and explores potential solutions to educational problems that one can encounter in the new educational process at the post-COVID-19 epidemic period, such as the quality of education offered, its cost and availability, internationalization, and employability.

Making a difference: insights into effective HE progression practices in further education colleges

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-101
Author(s):  
Neil Raven
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Making A Difference ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
To Come ◽  
Further Education Colleges

Further education colleges (FECs) are significant providers of level 3 (higher education (HE) entry) courses. Yet, their role in preparing students, including those from widening participation backgrounds, for HE is often overlooked. Indeed, recent reports from the Office for Students have focused on the low HE progression rates returned by colleges. However, this focus overlooks the reality that students educated in FECs do progress and that in many instances colleges are very successful in this endeavour, given that those studying with them are more likely to come from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This paper reports on the findings from a recent study that sought to identify the effective progression practices being pursued in two FECs. These include institution-wide activities as well as initiatives adopted at subject level. Whilst the latter have received less attention in the literature, the qualitative approach adopted in this study, which involved drawing on the insights of students as well as teaching staff, was able to detail the application of these subject-level practices. The article concludes by arguing for the wider adoption of subject-level as well as institution-wide practices, and for their potential to be recognised by those working in the HE sector more generally.

scholarly journals Collaborative approach and lessons learnt from transitioning to remotely invigilated online examinations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinh Tran ◽  
Justin Chu ◽  
Jasmine Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Academic Integrity ◽  
Course Delivery ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Rapid Transition ◽  
Intended Learning Outcomes ◽  
Different Parts

The global pandemic in 2020 has spurred the rapid transition to remote learning for higher education providers in terms of course delivery and assessments. Final examinations which play an important role in summarily assessing students’ attainments of course intended learning outcomes are traditionally conducted in a physical invigilated environment. This paper discussed the transition from paper-based physically invigilated final examinations into remotely invigilated online examinations. It highlights the collaborative approach across different parts of the organisation to bring together a smooth experience for students to undertake their final examinations while the academic integrity of the examinations is still maintained. It also sheds lights on some measures of the success of the transition including feedback from teaching staff and students who participated in the process from which lessons are learnt as feedforward for future undertakings.

scholarly journals Enhancing the e-learning environment using wikis and blogs

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Wikinson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Approaches To Learning ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Short Account ◽  
Educational Benefits ◽  
E Learning

This paper provides a short account of the educational benefits of using wikis and blogs in teaching and learning in higher education.  It draws on constructivist principles to explain and support the use of collaborative learning tools in higher education, and explores the factors necessary to create a successful e-learning environment.  Support for use of such e-learning tools is placed in the context of recent shifts in pedagogical approaches to learning, the increase in demand for higher education, the widening participation agenda, and the technical revolution.  It intends to convey the importance of developing collaborative learning communities within higher education, whilst keeping focus on the pedagogical, rather than technological, reasons for change.

scholarly journals Requirements for Using e-learning in the physical learning environment at Higher Education from the Point of View of Educational Specialists

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rehab Bashir Hassan Al-Awad ,  Hatem Abdel Maged El-Sadek
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching Assistant ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Physical Learning Environment ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Descriptive Method

The study aimed to identify the necessary requirements needed for employing eLearning in the physical learning environment from the point of view of the teaching staff. In this study the researcher employed the analytical descriptive method and the size of the sample in which the study was applied was (127) individuals from the teaching staff with a degree of a teaching assistant and above, The researcher has employed questionnaire technique as a study tool, and the most important findings of the study are: The study has come to the fact that the majority of the researchers managed to answer the study areas which are summarized in the requirements needed for employing e. learning by the educational environment which was specified by this study، these requirements are vitally important from the point of view of the teaching staff. And the most important recommendations of the study are: Providing all the requirements needed to put e. learning into practice in the physical educational environment which was determine by the study to employ eLearning in the institutions of the higher education in Sudan.

scholarly journals An investigation into barriers to student engagement in Higher Education: Evidence supporting 'the psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-165
Author(s):  
Caroline Sarah Jones ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Symbolic Interaction ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Staff Turnover ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Constructivist Epistemology

The purpose of this research was to examine the new concept of, ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’; the potential influence of self-concept, self-esteem and trust as barriers to student engagement. The study was conducted in a Higher Education University campus located within a 16-19 year old Further Education Institution.A constructivist epistemology, underpinned by symbolic interaction theory utilising a mixed methods approach formed the research design. The sample population were students enrolled at the participating institution and employed teaching staff. Quantitative surveys were completed by 39 students, supported by two qualitative staff focus groups and one qualitative student case study to examine an outlier result. Findings suggest 87% of the student participant sample aligned with the ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’. Barriers to student engagement were; specific classroom and assessment activities, relationships with teaching staff and peers, staff absences and staff turnover, all having a significant impact on students’ psychosocial and academic trust. The contribution of this research to the field of Higher Education is three-fold; firstly, findings support the ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’, secondly it provides insights into the psychological barriers to engagement for the Widening Participation student demographic, thirdly it proposes practical strategies for supporting Widening Participation students in Higher Education. Recommendations for practice include i) counselling, coaching and mentoring support from teaching staff, ii) initiatives to reduce staff turnover and sickness, iii) social pedagogical teaching approaches, iv) teacher training, and, v) peer based learning opportunities to cultivate communities of practice. These strategies could strengthen Widening Participation student’s psychosocial and academic trust, thus reducing barriers to student engagement in Higher Education, contributing to increased social mobility success rates in the United Kingdom and beyond.

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