Engineering education and the pedagogy of awareness Introduction 9; Background 10; A relational view of learning and teaching 11; Teaching threshold concepts 13; Finding out what is learned 16; Fostering meaningful approaches to learning 17;

Purpose – Economics is catering to a diverse student cohort. This cohort needs to be equipped with transformative concepts that students can integrate beyond university. When a curriculum is content-driven, threshold concepts are a useful tool in guiding curriculum re-design. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The evidence for this pedagogic need can be seen in the UK’s higher education economics curriculum framework which is formulated around the threshold concepts of economics. Through a literature review of the application of threshold concepts in economics, the researcher has systematically re-designed an entry-level economics course. This research has been applied to the course structure, the learning and teaching activities, as well as the assessments. At the end of the semester, students students were surveyed on the student experience of the curriculum design and the course activities. The course grades noted the achievement of the students’ learning outcomes. Findings – When comparing the survey responses and the student course results to the previous semesters, there is a significant improvement in student experience as well as student learning outcomes of the course curriculum. Practical implications – This research provides curriculum developers with a benchmark and the tools required to transform economics curricula. Social implications – An engaging, transformative and integrative entry-level economics course is often the only exposure most business graduates have to the economics way of thinking and practice. Originality/value – This is the first comprehensive study that applies a curriculum re-design based on threshold concepts across an entry-level economics course.

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Threshold concepts and pedagogic representation

Education + Training ◽

10.1108/et-04-2016-0066 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 58 (5) ◽

pp. 463-475 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jan H.F. Meyer

Keyword(s):

Critical Flow ◽

Threshold Concepts ◽

Research Activity ◽

Content Type ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Threshold Concept ◽

Individual Contributions ◽

Final Consideration ◽

Metacognitive Activity ◽

The Individual

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a brief exposure to the development of the threshold concepts framework (TCF), the intention being to illuminate for interested readers a broader landscape of research activity than that perhaps conveyed by the individual contributions to this special edition. Design/methodology/approach – There is first an account of how the notion of a “threshold concept” was presented by Meyer and Land in their seminal 2003 paper, and a clarification of some terminology used by them at that time to describe the (confusing for some) “characteristics” of such a concept. A discursive account, with examples, follows on how analyses for, and of, threshold concepts might proceed, and how findings might provoke a reappraisal of associated learning and teaching practices. Towards this end a contemporary pedagogical perspective is introduced based on the construct of integrated threshold concept knowledge (ITCK) as proposed by Meyer and Timmermans (2016). Reference to a detailed case study illustrates the practical dynamics of generating ITCK; specifically in the context of a third-year engineering course embedding the threshold of “critical flow”. Activities and processes, transferable to other discipline contexts, are described that yield particular elements of ITCK (different constituent “types of knowledge”) in relation, in this case, to “critical flow”. A final consideration is the “representation” of “critical flow” for pedagogical purposes in the form of a metacognitive activity for learning and formative assessment purposes that is, again, adaptable to other discipline contexts. Findings – There are no specific findings in this paper as its purpose is to provide a condensed review of the development of the TCF. Originality/value – This value of this paper is that it provides a contemporary expert exposure to the development of the TCF by the originator of the notion of a threshold concept.

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Evaluating the introduction of team-based learning in a pharmacy consultation skills module

Pharmacy Education ◽

10.46542/pe.2020.201.151157 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 151-157

Author(s):

Simon Tweddell

Keyword(s):

Thematic Analysis ◽

Teaching Strategy ◽

Approaches To Learning ◽

Pharmacy Education ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Written Comments ◽

Team Based Learning ◽

Course Material ◽

Consultation Skills ◽

Evaluation Survey

The learning and teaching strategy for a pharmacy consultation skills module was changed to Team-Based Learning (TBL) with the aim of motivating students to engage with course material pre-class and take deeper approaches to learning during class. Results from administering a validated TBL instrument suggests that students are more accountable and are satisfied with and have preference for TBL over traditional methods. Exam results show a 13% improvement in mean end-of- year examinations compared with pre-TBL results. Thematic analysis of written comments on the module evaluation survey suggest that they enjoyed learning using TBL and found it more engaging, stimulating and more effective for their learning; however, it could be improved through better management of workshop timings and more effective facilitation of discussion. TBL appears to have potential as a pedagogic approach in pharmacy education.

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Language Problems of First Year Science Students

Sustainable Language Support Practices in Science Education ◽

10.4018/978-1-61350-062-0.ch001 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Felicia Zhang

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

International Student ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Approaches To Learning ◽

First Year ◽

Student Body ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

University Of Technology ◽

Language Needs ◽

The University

The chapter discusses the background of a project which aimed at addressing the language needs of a diverse student body (both domestic and international student body) by embedding strategic approaches to learning and teaching in first year sciences in tertiary education. These strategies consisted of active learning skills which are widely used in language learning. The disciplines covered by the project were Biology, Chemistry and Physics and involved the University of Canberra, University of Sydney, University of Tasmania, University of Technology, Sydney, and University of Newcastle in Australia. This project was funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC).

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