scholarly journals On bricolage and the creation of sustainable postgraduate learning environments

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sechaba MG Mahlomaholo
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Disciplinary Boundaries ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Multiple Voices ◽  
The University ◽  
Diverse Groups ◽  
Masters Students

In this paper I show how bricolage as a theoretical framework is used to understand and enhance the learning of the postgraduate students and academics working as a team. Bricolage is described as a metaphor for a research approach which creates something out of nothing and uses that which is available to achieve new goals. It is about finding many and new ways to resolve real life problems using that which is present in the context. It is not linear research, but research that acknowledges and works with the contradictions and incongruences in order to weave a complex text of solutions to the problems. It uses multiple voices, different textual forms and different resources, blurring neat disciplinary boundaries. In short, it splinters the dogmatism of a single approach. This theoretical positioning provides the vocabulary to describe and understand processes and interactions among the research team of 28 PhD and 22 Masters’ students being supervised by 15 academics, across the two campuses of the University of the Free State. For example, while all the actors in this team come from diverse and sometimes contradictory theoretical origins and fields of specialisation they tend to coalesce around the theme of creating sustainable learning environments in their respective research sites. To this theme they ask different questions, hence diverse aims and objectives. They also read different literature informed by the diverse groups of participants in their respective studies. Rather than being the sole determinants of their respective research agendas, they treat the participants as co-researchers who direct and inform the direction of these studies. Their methodologies acknowledge the multiple voices of those who directly experience the problem under investigation and thus can assist in the resolution thereof. They listen to all, irrespective of their station in life and, like bricoleurs, they weave meaningful solutions out of fragments of data and materials from very diverse sources of participants with different ways of doing things.

scholarly journals Academics Perceptions of Electronic Resources at the University of Venda, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 424-428
Author(s):  
Alugumi Samuel Ndou ◽  
Wanyenda Leonard Chilimo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Plagiarism Detection ◽  
Electronic Resources ◽  
Federated Search ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
The University ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

This study examined the perceptions of academic researchers regarding electronic resources (e-resources) provided by the library at the University of Venda (UNIVEN), South Africa. The quantitative research approach and survey research design were adopted to conduct the investigation. Data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire randomly distributed to 45 UNIVEN academics. The findings of this study revealed that although academics at UNIVEN find e-resources easy to use, believe the resources improve academic performance, and frequently encouraged postgraduate students to use them, the majority of them had plagiarism concerns and were only moderately satisfied with available e-resources at UNIVEN. This study recommends that the university library should train academics on plagiarism detection. In addition, the library should adopt innovative ways of improving e-resource services, such as providing an Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) with advanced and federated search capabilities.

Engineer-in-Residence: Strategy for Increasing Relevance in Transportation Education

2003 ◽  
Vol 1848 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Pritchard ◽  
Edward A. Beimborn
Keyword(s):  
Education Program ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Applied Science ◽  
University Of Wisconsin ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
College Of Engineering ◽  
The University ◽  
Education Process

Results are reported of the implementation of an engineer-in-residence concept in the Department of Civil Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee College of Engineering and Applied Science. This concept brings an experienced practitioner to campus specifically to mentor students and faculty in the application of engineering and management principles to real-life problems and to provide additional relevancy to the education process. Success of the concept is measured by evaluations completed by students and faculty. On the basis of the findings of these evaluations, the concept is a promising way to provide expanded relevancy to a transportation education program.

Sustained Engagement Experiences in Kinesiology: An Engaged Department Initiative

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-367
Author(s):  
Brian D. Clocksin ◽  
Margo B. Greicar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Real Life ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Active Engagement ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
The University ◽  
High Impact Practice

Community engagement is commonly imbedded in the ethos of institutions of higher education and has been identified as a High Impact Practice for student learning and retention. The Sustained Engagement Experiences in Kinesiology (SEEK) program at the University of La Verne is a curriculum-wide approach that moves students through four stages of community engagement: Respect, Participating with Effort, Self-Directions, and Leadership. The stages are developmentally sequenced across the curriculum and provide opportunities for learners to move from passive participants to active engagement scholars. The engagement experiences serve to enhance students’ abilities to transfer what they learn in the classroom to real-life problems, foster an asset-based approach to community engagement, and facilitate a transition from surface-to deep-learning.

scholarly journals Faculty’s and Postgraduate Students’ Awareness of and Attitudes to Using the Institutional Repository

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nokuphila Saulus ◽  
Stephen Mutula
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The University

Institutional repositories (IRs) play an essential role in preserving universities’ intellectual output, enhancing access to research, and increasing the visibility of scholars and their institutions. IRs are therefore expected to be accepted and optimally utilised by scholars. However, the literature reveals that IRs are growing at a slower pace than anticipated, and that it has not been easy to convince faculty members to contribute their work to IRs. Therefore, this study examined the awareness of the faculty and postgraduate students at the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) of their IR, and also assessed their attitudes to using their IR. The study was underpinned by the post-positivist paradigm, and the quantitative research approach was used. The study adopted a survey design with questionnaires administered to the faculty and postgraduate students. The results of the study revealed that most of UNISWA’s faculty knew about the existence of the IR, whereas the majority of the postgraduate students were not aware of it. It was established that the most popular sources of hearing about the IR were colleagues, institutional emails, and seminars and/or workshops. The results further revealed that even though the majority of the faculty was aware of the IR, very few contributed their research. The reasons cited for the poor uptake of the university’s IR included lack of awareness, few or no publications to contribute, and no time to access the IR due to heavy workloads. The faculty and postgraduate students also preferred to be assisted by librarians in archiving content in the IR. The issues discussed in this article have implications for the enhancement of research, practice, and policy in the context of developing countries.

scholarly journals Towards Implementing Transdisciplinarity in Post-Soviet Academic Systems: An Investigation of the Societal Role of Universities in Armenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8721
Author(s):  
Tigran Keryan ◽  
Andreas Muhar ◽  
Tamara Mitrofanenko ◽  
Ashot Khoetsyan ◽  
Verena Radinger-Peer
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Societal Actors ◽  
To Come ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
Unity Of Knowledge ◽  
Societal Role

The concept of transdisciplinarity (TD) has been introduced to find solutions for complex sustainability challenges via knowledge co-production by scientists and societal actors. The understanding of the societal role of universities is a critical factor when implementing transdisciplinarity in the academic systems of Post-Soviet countries, given their historic development. Using Armenia as a case, we adopted a qualitative research approach by analyzing legal documents, conducting semi-structured expert interviews and focus group discussions with a range of stakeholders. We identified discrepancies of expectations between stakeholders as challenges for a joint understanding of the societal role of universities, as well as differently perceived competences and motivations, which can lead to trust deficits. The results are discussed according to four main features of transdisciplinarity: focusing on real-life problems, transcending and integrating disciplinary paradigms, ensuring participatory research and teaching, and searching for unity of knowledge beyond disciplines. Findings show that no formal obstacles exist for implementing transdisciplinarity in two Armenian universities and that the societal understanding of the role of universities could be expanded. Yet, while society is in principle ready for collaboration, the initiative is expected to come from academia. A particular responsibility will lie with teachers from the younger generation to become key-agents for change.

Innovation in the library: Adoption of smartphones in accessing electronic resources in a Ghanaian university

2020 ◽  
pp. 096100062094964 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Adzobu ◽  
Stephen Okyere ◽  
George Tesilimi Banji
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Electronic Resources ◽  
Cape Coast ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovation Theory ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Perceived Characteristics Of Innovation ◽  
The University

This paper examines the influence of innovation on the adoption of smartphones for accessing electronic resources in the library by postgraduate students at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. The theoretical model that underpinned this study was the diffusion of innovation theory. Based on a quantitative research approach, a survey research design was used. Questionnaire was employed in the collection of data from 278 postgraduate students. The responses were coded, captured and analysed using IBM’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 22. The findings of the study show that postgraduate students’ gender and faculty influenced their adoption of smartphones for accessing e-resources at the University of Cape Coast. However, the age of the students did not have any significant influence on the adoption of smartphones. The findings further show that only two of the perceived characteristics of innovation, complexity and compatibility, had a significant influence on the adoption of smartphones among the postgraduate students.

The Role of BIM in the Architectural Design Process

2010 ◽  
pp. 587-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Moum
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
The Many ◽  
Holistic Research

The objective of this chapter is to identify the role of BIMs in the architectural design process from the practitioners’ point of view. The chapter investigates the main factors affecting the practitioners’ use of BIM, and how BIM impacts their work and interactions. The chapter presents a holistic research approach as well as the findings from its application in four real-life projects. In these projects, much of the practitioners’ focus was on upgrading skills and improving technology. Nevertheless, a number of their challenges were linked to the nature of the architectural design process, particularly to its “hardto- grasp” iterative and intuitive features. A conclusion of this research indicates that the role of BIM is affected by the many interdependencies, relations and interfaces embedded in the highly complex and partly unpredictable real world practice. A future challenge would be to understand, master and balance these relationships - upstream and downstream across multiple levels, processes and activities. The presented holistic research approach and the related findings contributed to research which aimed to embrace the complexity of real-life problems and gain a more comprehensive understanding of what is happening in practice.

scholarly journals Improving graduate outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ugochukwu Chinonso Okolie ◽  
Elisha Nwonu Elom ◽  
Paul Agu Igwe ◽  
Michael Olayinka Binuomote ◽  
Chinyere Augusta Nwajiuba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Starting Point

PurposeThis study explores how the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) in technical and vocational education training (TVET) systems of Nigerian higher education (HE) can enhance quality graduate outcomes. The study also explores the issues and challenges of PBL implementation in the TVET system of Nigerian HE.Design/methodology/approachThis study follows the assumptions of qualitative research. The authors interviewed 55 participants and had a focus group with 7 TVET postgraduate students. The 55 interviewees were drawn from TVET teachers (n = 33; 24 males and 9 females), Directors at National Board for Technical Education (n = 4; 3 males and 1 female), Directors of National Directorate of Employment (n = 5; 3 males and 2 females), Directors at the Federal Ministry of Education (n = 3 males), and industry executives (n = 10; 7 males and 3 females). Data were collected through a semistructured interview approach, transcribed and coded using NVivo 12 plus and analyzed through thematic analysis.FindingsThe results show that PBL in the Nigerian TVET system has positive implications for quality TVET graduate outcomes in that it can enable integrating theory and practice, motivate learning, improve students' self-efficacy, allow students to construct learning on their own, enhance graduate competencies and graduate employability. It also revealed six perceived possible major challenges to effective implementation of PBL in the Nigerian TVET system, which includes inadequacy of teaching and learning facilities; corruption in Nigerian education sector; recruitment of unqualified incompetent TVET teachers; difficulties in identifying real-life problems, among others. Participants offered benchmarks and actions and standards for improving the identified challenges, which formed a framework for coping with issues, challenges, and barriers to effective implementation of PBL in the TVET system of Nigerian HE (Table 1).Originality/valueThe results of this study are original and serve as an advocacy for Nigerian HE authorities to explore how PBL can be implemented in the TVET system to improve graduate outcomes. The study serves as a starting point for more research in the domain of improving the quality of TVET programs in Nigerian HE. Industry leaders and policymakers in Nigeria and other developing countries could use the findings from this study to increase HE and industry participation and partnership for quality of TVET program.

scholarly journals The Children’s Congress: A Benefit to All Levels of Schooling by Strengthening Computational Thinking

2020 ◽  
pp. 241-246
Author(s):  
Sara Hinterplattner ◽  
◽  
Jakob S. Skogø ◽  
Corinna Kröhn ◽  
Barbara Sabitzer
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Computational Thinking ◽  
Honors Students ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Johannes Kepler ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
The University

The Children’s Congress is an event, developed to meet a demand for strengthening computational thinking and to increase the interest in STEAM subjects. This congress brings teachers, university students and pupils together to work interdisciplinary on real-life problems. During these proceedings, the pupils slip into the role of researchers and scientists, supported by their teachers, university staff and university students. In every project team, at least one student from the Honors program of the Johannes Kepler University in Linz takes part. This support helps the pupils both in their projects and in their personal development, through mentoring by the talent students of the university. To find out more about these benefits and to improve the congress for the next years the Honors students were asked to give feedback after the congress. In these interviews, the Honors students described the Children’s Congress as a very inspiring and motivating project for all the participants. The results show that the students experienced a lot of appreciation through the work with the pupils, and that they faced many new challenges. They see many benefits for the pupils, starting from the increasing academical knowledge to skills like team- and time management. Furthermore, the benefit of getting used to computational thinking was described. Besides the advantages for the pupils, benefits for teachers were mentioned. Overall, the results show that the Children’s Congress successfully combines computational thinking, real-life problems, interdisciplinarity, project work and mentoring, benefitting all participants involved.

scholarly journals The ‘perfect’ mixing machine

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-37
Author(s):  
Péter Majoros ◽  
Ferenc János Szabó
Keyword(s):  
Product Design ◽  
Real Life ◽  
International Project ◽  
Design Institute ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
The Past ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Perfect Mixing ◽  
The University ◽  
Student Team

In the past few years the Machine and Product Design Institute of the University of Miskolc took part in an international project, called HeiBus (http://www.heibus.eu/). As a part of this project student groups had to work on different real-life problems that were given by companies like Valeo, Robert Bosch, Festool etc. The real-life problem this paper is about was given by the Festool. The task was to design a machine that helps to make the ‘perfect’ mix. This paper is about the idea and about the developing process. In the task inscription, there was only one statement: ‘Develop the perfect mixing machine’. There were no restrictions about size, price and application, everything was up to the student team, but it was obvious that it had to be marketable.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document