Exploring Strategies to Improve Oral Communication Engagement Online According to Higher Education Instructors

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Dawn DiPeri

This chapter addresses the following problem: the strategies higher education instructors need to strengthen the oral communication skills of online undergraduate students have not yet been identified. The exploratory design used semistructured interviews that queried the experiences of 10 undergraduate online higher education instructors tasked with teaching a course with an online public speaking assignment. The population in the study was geographically disbursed and worked remotely within the United States. The conceptual framework guided the study and focused on the general research problem and the ways in which management can improve practices related to teaching and learning. The theoretical construct that was most closely examined was andragogy. The research question asked: What are the strategies higher education instructors need to strengthen the oral communication skills of online undergraduate students? The results of the semistructured interviews uncovered five themes but this chapter examines the theme of student engagement.

Author(s):  
Enrique Planells-Artigot ◽  
Santiago Moll-Lopez

Abstract Global Virtual Teams (GVT) among higher education institutions stand as a powerful tool of extending internationalization techniques as well as improving collaborative learning and transversal competencies. This study stems from the belief that using these channels allows students to establish connections and strengthen their confidence in networking for professional purposes. Furthermore, it describes a collaborative project involving undergraduate students of 23 different nationalities in two different business schools located in Spain and South Korea (n = 109; 61 in Spain and 48 in South Korea). The courses in both universities had similar learning objectives focused on the development of written and oral communication skills in a business environment. Through a series of semi-monitored activities and questionnaires, the vast majority of students expressed a strong satisfaction with their own achievements during the course including teamwork, learning how to deal with cultural differences, improving communication skills and problem-solving strategies. This case study contributes to a broader understanding of virtual exchange activities in higher education in different cultural contexts in terms of the types of activities engaged, the perceived value and learning outcomes as well as shared challenges. This understanding will help define common strategies in the practice of virtual exchange and to achieve greater integration within university curricula. Virtual exchange activities contribute not only to the improvement of students’ language and digital skills but to other transversal competencies such as problem-solving and teamwork, which seem to be gaining importance in an increasingly complex and competitive world of global connections.


Author(s):  
Jane Kotzmann

This chapter explores the real-life operation of six higher education systems that align with the theoretical models identified in Chapter 2. Three states follow a largely market-based approach: Chile, England, and the United States. Three states follow a largely human rights-based approach: Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. The chapter describes each system in terms of how it aligns with the particular model before evaluating the system in relation to the signs and measures of successful higher education systems identified in Chapter 3. This chapter provides conclusions as to the relative likelihood of each approach facilitating the achievement of higher education teaching and learning purposes.


Author(s):  
Diarmaid Lane

This paper explores the complexity of ‘teaching excellence’ (Kreber, 2002) in contemporary higher education. It describes how a university academic, who has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards, questions if they really are an ‘excellent teacher’ and if their student-centered philosophy is sustainable.  An analysis of data related to teaching and learning effectiveness over a seven year period highlights a significant weakness in how the academic approached the teaching of undergraduate students.  This had a subsequent negative effect on several levels.  The paper concludes by describing the merits of academics ‘centering’ themselves between the corporate university and the needs of students in striving for ‘teaching excellence’.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 893-917
Author(s):  
David Lausch ◽  
Eric Teman ◽  
Cody Perry

International students’ identities are complex and so are their needs. Semistructured interviews with 13 of the lead researcher’s former students from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, who are multi-national, multi-lingual and pursuing degrees in law, business, economics, medicine, education, art and media, in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia elucidated this reality. Their experiences demonstrated scholastic and pabulum frustrations that were offset in part by constant communication with their clans in person and through various technologies. Though the current model of higher education often seeks to identify and categorize international students as a group, this study shows that international students are unique individuals. Recognizing their individuality, higher education institutions and policymakers can more appropriately respond to international students’ needs.


Author(s):  
Ismail Hasanein Ahmed Mohammad

ملخص البحث: يعتبر الاتصال الشفوي (الكلام) الوسيلة الفاعلة في بلورة الفكرة الكامنة لدى الفرد، وإخراجها بصورة صوتية تمثل تلك الفكرة تمثيلاً واضحاً، وإيصالها إلى الطرف الآخر –المستمع-دون لبس أو غموض، ويرى الباحث أن الطلبة غير العرب عند التّحدث باللغة العربية يتعثرون على الرغم من تخصصهم في تعلُّمِها بوصفها لغة ثانية. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى معرفة أسباب إحجام الطلبة عن التحدث باللغة العربية، ومن ثَمَّ إبراز بعض الاستراتيجيات التي استخدمها الباحث في تعليم مهارة الاتصال الشفوي لطلبة بكالوريوس التربية، تخصص تعليم لغة عربية بوصفها لغة ثانية على مدى الخمس السنوات الماضية بالجامعة الإسلامية العالمية بماليزيا. توصلت الدراسة إلى أن تعليم وتعلم اللغة العربية خارج موطنها يعتريه كثير من العقبات تتمثل في البيئة المحيطة بالدارس، والمناهج والمقررات، والوسائل المعينة اللازمة، وينبغي أن يخصص وقت لممارسة الكلام باللغة العربية داخل الصفوف الدراسية، وإتاحة الفرصة لكل طالب أو طالبة في التعبير الشفوي، مع التشجيع الكامل من المعلم، ويتم تصحيح الخطأ بطريقة محفزة، وترصد لهم مكافآت ولو رمزية، تعزيزاً لدفعهم للكلام، وكسر حاجز الخوف والخجل، وإكسابهم الجسارة والجرأة والثقة. على أن يكون الوقت المخصص للكلام إلزاميا لجميع الطلبة دارسي اللغة العربية، ولكل المقررات المتعلقة باللغة. الكلمات المفتاحية: إحجام الطلبة - التخصص – اللغة الثانية- الاتصال الشفوي - الاستراتيجيات. Abstract: The oral communication (speech) is the effective method in developing the idea of the individual and to present it in clear representation and delivery to the other party — the listener-unambiguously. Since the oral communication is one of major concern of the target language, the teaching and learning requires using a variety of strategies to achieve the goal of language learning. The focus of this paper is the oral communication difficulties faced by non-Arab speaking students despite their specialization in learning Arabic as a second language. Therefore this paper aims to find out reasons why students con not communicate well in Arabic Language, and highlight some of the strategies used by the researcher in the teaching of oral communication skills for the Bachelor of education students, specializing in teaching Arabic as a second Language over the past five years in the International Islamic University-Malaysia, where the strategies used  had great impact in breaking the barrier of shyness of speaking in Arabic, and improved their performance in oral expression in multiple areas. From these strategies; the use of multimedia presentation, questions and answers, the excitement by viewing the strange or fantastic scenes that evoke the students to express them orally, and movements, representation, simulation and other strategies that draw the attention of students and encourages them to speak. As well as the cooperation and interaction between teacher and students and among the students themselves. The descriptive methodology will be applied in this paper to explore the teaching strategies implemented by the researcher in teaching oral communication skill, which shown great impact on students achievements.    Key Words: Motivating student – Major – Second language – Oral communication – strategies.   Abstrak: Pertuturan lisan ialah satu cara berkesan dalam mengembang idea seseorang itu untuk menjelaskan maksud kepada pihak kedua tanpa kesamaran. Memandangkan pertuturan lisan adalah satu aspek fokus bahasa yang dipelajari, pembeljaran dan pengajarannya memerlukan beberapa strategi untuk mencapai tujuan pembelajaran bahasa. Tumpuan kertas ini ialah terhadap permasalahan komunikasi yang dialami oleh pelajar bukan Arab walaupun mereka adalah pelajar pengkhususan Bahasa Arab sebagai bahasa kedua. Perbincangan tertumpuuntuk mencari sebab kelemahan pertuturan komunikasi lisan para pelajar dalam bahasa Arab dan beberapa strategi yang digunakan oleh penulis dalam mengajar kemahiran pertuturan lisan bahasa Arab untuk pelajar Sarjana Muda Bahasa Arab Pendidikan daripada lebih lima tahun pengalaman beliau di Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia. Startegi tersebut dilihat dapat memberi kesan dalam memecah kebuntuan sikap malu para pelajar bertutur dalam bahasa Arab dan meningkatkan penguasaan mereka dalam pelbagai bidang. Di antara strategi ini ialah: penggunaan multi-media, soal jawab, rasa kagum apabila diperlihatkan gambar yang pelik dan menarik menjadikanpelajar ingin menyatakan pendapat mereka secara lisan. Strategi lain juga termasuk: pergerakan, penampilan, simulasi dan pelbagai strategi yang menggalakkan pelajar bertutur serta sikap saling membantu dan interaksi di antara pensyarah dan pelajar. Kertas ini menggunakan metod deskriptif.   Kata kunci: Menggalakkan pelajar – pengkhususan – bahasa kedua – petuturan lisan – strategi.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Betts ◽  
Brian Delaney ◽  
Tamara Galoyan ◽  
William Lynch

In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted education worldwide. In the United States, the pandemic forced colleges and universities across the nation to adopt quickly emergency remote teaching and learning. The ability to pivot instruction seamlessly and effectively across learning formats (e.g., face-to-face, hybrid, online) while supporting student engagement, learning, and completion in an authentic and high-quality manner challenged higher education leaders. This historical review of the literature examines distance and online education from the 1700s to 2021 to identify how external and internal pressures and opportunities have impacted and influenced the evolution of educational formats pre-COVID-19, and how they will continue to evolve post pandemic. This historical review also explores how instructional design and pedagogy have been and continue to be influenced by technological advancements, emerging research from the Learning Sciences and Mind (psychology), Brain (neuroscience), and Education (pedagogy) science.


2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Selmer ◽  
Melissa J. Luna ◽  
James A. Rye

Background/Context This study seeks insights into teachers’ experiences implementing Garden-Based Learning (GBL) in an elementary school. The breadth of studies supporting the use of GBL in K–8 schools in the United States alongside the paucity of studies specific to teachers’ experiences implementing GBL highlights the importance of this work. Purpose Our study uses Remillard's framework for characterizing and studying teachers’ interactions with curriculum materials specifically in the context of GBL. We believe that exploring the dynamic relationship between teachers and a GBL curriculum may help those involved in supporting teachers in implementing GBL to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of the teacher/GBL curriculum relationship. This research examined teachers’ GBL implementation experiences in order to answer the following research question: How do we describe and characterize teachers’ interactions with GBL curriculum materials? Research Design Twenty teachers employed from one elementary school were interviewed using a semistructured task-based protocol resulting in a teacher-created diagram of supports and challenges he/she encountered while implementing GBL over the past year. The diagram was used as a tool to stimulate and access teachers’ thinking about these supports and challenges in order to provide insight into the teacher and curricular resources at play when implementing GBL. Findings/Results Using a grounded theory analysis of each participant's diagram, we characterized each teacher's participatory relationship with GBL. We found 13% of supports and challenges elicited from all teachers had a teaching and learning focus. On an individual level, supports and challenges had a substantial teaching and learning focus for only two teachers. Thirteen teachers were characterized as having a pragmatic focus. Of the seven teachers characterized to have an experiential focus: supports and challenges focused more so on what students were doing for four teachers and more so on what teachers were doing for three teachers. Conclusions/Recommendations We used Remillard's framework to investigate and characterize the participatory relationship between teachers and the GBL curriculum. The resulting characterizations provide insight for supporting GBL teacher learning contexts and will help guide future research. Based on this study, it is critical that individuals involved in educational change continue trying to understand and develop spaces for teacher learning. These spaces should move beyond traditional professional development focused on teacher participation toward experiences focused on teacher learning within and across their teaching contexts.


Author(s):  
Shah S. Ardalan

For over a century, American community colleges have delivered on their mission of open access and now educate about half of all undergraduate students in the United States. Recognized as primary providers of higher education and workforce training, especially to non-traditional and socioeconomically disadvantaged students, community colleges serve as transformative engines of prosperity and democratization of education. Contemporary community colleges face many challenges. Mainly, while community colleges are persistently underfunded, their leaders are under ever-increasing demand to improve student completion.


2022 ◽  
pp. 76-94
Author(s):  
Nicoleta Duță

This chapter approaches the problematic of communication in teaching-learning activities in higher education during the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors have proposed to present a theoretical and practical approach to the effective communication in teaching, with the objective of knowing which are the opinions of students on communication skills and motivation of them in the classroom. The study included a total of 261 students from different faculties at the University of Bucharest, who were a Likert-scale survey in the period May -July 2020. Results of the analysis of research data shows that students have seen their ability to concentrate and motivation to perform tasks affected, but they did not leave university. In this respect, most difficulties were in carrying out teamwork than individual. The adaptations made by the university during confinement have been positively appreciated. The research findings coming according to recent studies confirm that without communication the teaching and learning process will not take place.


Author(s):  
Diane A. Matthews

Technology-based distance education is emerging as an increasingly visible feature of post-secondary education in the United States (U.S. Department of Education, 1999). Educators have the opportunity to define, design, and manage effective and robust teaching and learning systems, programs, and courses. As distance learning becomes a serious alternative to the standard classroom environment, enormous opportunities and dilemmas present themselves for the players. This chapter examines the technology used in distance education; the type of student utilizing distance education; advantages and disadvantages for the student, the instructor, and the institution in the use of distance education; and the players involved—including higher education institutions, virtual universities, states, and consortia.


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