scholarly journals Student Mentoring in the Master Programme “Pedagogy”: the case of University of Latvia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanita Baranova ◽  
Dita Nimante
Keyword(s):  
Peer Mentoring ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Master Program ◽  
Master Level ◽  
Student Centred Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

There is a developing interest in mentoring and tutoring in the higher education in Latvia. Mentoring is looked at as a retention strategy to support students to remain and continue studies and as a tool to prevent students’ drop out from the university. Since academic year 2016/2017 several programmes of tutoring and mentoring in basic studies (bachelor level studies)have been developed and financially supported at the University of Latvia, but so far mentoring has not been used for Master level students. The Master program “Pedagogy” includes a theoretical course “Methods of Mentoring at the Educational Institution”. Since academic year 2018/2019 new tasks were introduced for the second year Master students to become peer mentors for the first year students, thus, integrating their theoretical knowledge into the practice, making a closer connection to the 1st year students, by sharing their Master student experience. Data were collected (reflection, portfolios, focus group discussion) both from (14) the 1st year Master students and (14) 2nd year Master students at the end of the course and were analysed qualitatively to reveal the results of peer mentoring experience. The results suggest that both the mentors and the mentees benefited from their involvement in mentoring. The research presents some new benefits and challenges for the professional development of academic staff and student-centred learning in the Master level programme. Keywords: Peer mentoring, Student-centred learning, Reflection, Quality ensuring.

scholarly journals Dual Career Support Activities of High-Performance Students-Athletes in the Project “More than Gold”

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilvis Abelkalns ◽  
◽  
Laura Capranica ◽  
Mojca Doupona ◽  
Anda Paegle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Dual Career ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Career Support ◽  
Support Provision ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

One of the European Union’s (EU) priorities in sports is the holistic development of athletes through combining high-performance sports with higher education. Within the ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnership “More than Gold” (MTG, 603346-EPP-1-2018-1-LV-SPO-SCP), the aim of the empirical research was to clarify and analyse the opinions of high-performance athletes of five Member States on the opportunities for Dual Career (DC) implementation as well as support provision for high-performance athletes within their DC implementation. Survey as the research method was chosen applying questionnaire, interview and focus-group discussion as data collection methods. The research sample included in this work comprised 284 athletes. The data obtained revealed the challenges related to overlapping schedules, long distance from the university to the training venue, and the lack of understanding and flexibility from the academic staff, which was especially challenging in the first academic year. The respondents appreciated the support of DC tutors. Finally, the opinion of experts allowed to identify 9 aspects to be implemented within the DC perspective (e. g., access to educational facilities, tutorship, psychological support). Findings urge to implement DC programmes at higher education institutions (HEIs) comprising DC guidance, flexible study and training schedules, customized curricula, distance learning, proximity of training facilities and sports services, psychological and career support services tailored for elite-athletes. Therefore, the More Than Gold Guidelines for HEIs are crucial for the development of the European DC culture.

scholarly journals THE RELATIONSHIP between COURSE MANAGEMENT and EXAMINATION ATTRITION RATES among UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS at the UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harrison Daka ◽  
Sekelani S. Banda ◽  
Charles M. Namafe
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Course Management ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigated the relationship between course management and examination attrition rates among undergraduate medical students at the University of Zambia, School of Medicine between the years 2008 to 2016. An explanatory sequential research design was used for data collection. Data were captured using an evaluation survey instrument, students’ Focus Group Discussion schedule and an interview schedule for key informants. Quantitative data from the first set were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data from the second set were analysed using constant comparative method. The findings indicate that there was significant statistical difference in the course workloads in all programmes (p = 0.000, F = 4, 596, d f = 8.53). The course loads were heavy, had little time allocated to them. Course concepts were not taught in depth and led to students’ perceptions that the courses were difficult. As such, there is urgent need to revise or review course contents (i. e. curricular) of several programmes to be in accordance with the time allocated to them and that the Department of Medical Education and Development (DMED) should consider organizing specific pedagogical training programmes for existing and newly employed academic staff.

scholarly journals University Teachers’ Perception of Quality in Higher Education in Ethiopia: A Case Study of Dire Dawa University

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Melaku Masresha Woldeamanuel ◽  
Belay Sitotaw Goshu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Process Indicators ◽  
Perception Of Quality ◽  
Quality In Higher Education ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
Output Indicators

This article empirically assesses perception of quality in higher education in Ethiopia.  The data was collected from one higher educational institution where the staffs are graduates of 31 different universities in Ethiopia. The information used in this study was obtained through administration of questionnaires. The main participants are the academic staff of the University. The total number of staff that participated in the research was 365. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select 365 teachers (302 male and 63 female) and seventeen classrooms were observed and twelve group discussions carried out with participants of Ethiopian educational roadmap. Data were analyzed by both descriptive statistics of percentages and inferential statistics of, t-test, correlation and one way ANOVA. Results indicated that teacher’ valued input indicators of quality of education more than process and output indicators. Output indicators received the lowest rating. Teachers’ practice also indicated that they apply process indicators in a reasonable manner. The results of relationship between practices of teaching learning processes revealed that, as teachers’ perception toward quality teaching learning process increases their practice of elements of constructivism also increases.

scholarly journals Proposing an Electronic System for Following-up and Managing the Field Training: Palestine Ahliya University as a Case: نظام إلكتروني مقترح لمتابعة وإدارة التدريب الميداني في جامعة فلسطين الأهلية: دراسة حالة

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameh Taqatqa, Ahmad Hasasneh, Jamil Itmazi
Keyword(s):  
Academic Staff ◽  
Electronic System ◽  
Training System ◽  
Field Training ◽  
Core Courses ◽  
Training Unit ◽  
Training Institutions ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

Obviously, digital technology offers simplified solutions to solve or mitigate problems in general. In the academic sector in particular, the field training is one of the core courses that students must enroll during the third and fourth academic year, where the students have manually to select a relevant organization or institution based on their specialization. The academic staff and hosting institutions do not supervise the trainees as required due to lack of communication between them, wrong selection of the hosting institutions by students in some cases, limited following-up the trainees, thus leading to uncertainty in the number of training hours and reports required by students. These problems can be addressed or mitigated by proposing an electronic training system improving the communication between supervisors of field training, host institutions, and trainees and thus solving most of the mentioned problems. Based on this e-training system, the training unit at the university could therefore follow-up the trainees and thus improve the communication and cooperation with the training institutions. It will also definitely contribute in improving the training task itself for the students. In this proposed paper, the importance of the proposed system was presented. Other related systems were mentioned and used as references in the analysis stage. In the analytical stage, data was collected using 3 different questionnaires developed for students, supervising staff, and for the training institutions. Consequently, obstacles and problems faced these entities were extracted and mentioned. Finally, a preliminary design was proposed in this paper to develop and implement an electronic training system at Palestine Ahliya University.

scholarly journals Canadian University Social Software Guidelines and Academic Freedom: An Alarming Labour Trend

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 45-56
Author(s):  
Taryn Lough ◽  
Toni Samek
Keyword(s):  
Academic Freedom ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Social Software ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
Administrative Capacity ◽  
Personal Use ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University ◽  
And Control ◽  
Academic Year

An analysis of first-stage social software guidelines of nine Canadian universities conducted in the 2012-13 academic year with the aim to reveal limits to academic freedom. Carleton University’s guidelines serve as the anchor case, while those of eight other institutions are included to signify a national trend. Implications for this work are central to academic labour. In as much as academic staff have custody and control of all records they create, except records created in and for administrative capacity, these guidelines are interpreted to be alarming. Across the guidelines, framing of social media use by academic staff (even for personal use) as representative of the university assumes academic staff should have an undying loyalty to their institution. The guidelines are read as obvious attempts to control rather than merely guide, and speak to the nature of institutional overreach in the related names of reputation (brand), responsibility (authoritarianism), safety (paternalistically understood and enforced), and the free marketplace of [the right] ideas.

scholarly journals Teaching competences in Italian universities: an attempt of classification to inform professional development processes

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Serbati ◽  
Ettore Felisatti ◽  
Debora Aquario ◽  
Renata Clerici ◽  
Lorenza Da Re ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Target Population ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
University Professors ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Master Level ◽  
Didactic Skills ◽  
University Degree ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

How we can improve the quality of teaching in the university degree courses? What are the professors’ practices and the beliefs about their role in the students’ learning process? A group of spokespersons of seven Italian Universities has carried out an integrate sources study to answer those questions and to define a programme of activities for developing didactic skills of the teachers. This paper aims to illustrate the design and the results of a research project which involved 4,289 university professors (59% of the target population), who were teaching courses at bachelor and master level during the academic year 2014/15. The data were directly gathered by a CAWI questionnaire which was distributed to the whole teaching staff; the survey results were linked to administrative data related to the educational offer and students’ evaluation of teaching in the same academic year. The results were summarized using some indicators, which showed the diffusion of good practices of teaching, support needs, beliefs, interest and availability of the respondents. We verified the reliability of these indicators and, by means of them, we identified sub-groups of areas of expertise and needs to involve teachers in appropriate different and integrated activities, directed to develop teachers’ professional competences.

Adopting a Strategy for Enhancing Generic Skills in Engineering Education

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelia Krassadaki ◽  
Kleanthi Lakiotaki ◽  
Nikolaos F. Matsatsinis
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Generic Skills ◽  
Team Working ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

It is remarkable how often academic staff discover students' weaknesses in expressing their thoughts in written and oral contexts, and in team working. To examine these weaknesses, a study was conducted in 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 of students taking an engineering course. Students self-reported an initial high level of weakness in both communication skills (writing and speaking), while expressing higher levels of confidence in their team working skills. This suggested that there was significant potential for improvement in both forms of communication skills and a lower potential for the improvement of team-working skills. On that basis the Technical University of Crete organized short training workshops based on experiential learning methods, during the academic year 2012–13. Other factors taken into account were the lack of awareness of such skills in traditionally-organized Greek universities; the inability to redesign all courses, currently dependent on a content-based curriculum, on a competency basis; and findings in the international literature, which highlight specific generic skills of engineering students as essential to their studies and future career prospects. The aim was to enhance the three skills of writing, speaking and team working. Participation was voluntary and open to students from all schools in the university. This paper assesses this initiative and analyses the contribution of the workshops to skills development.

scholarly journals «THE STATION OF DESTINATION IS SIMFEROPOL»: THE FIRST POST-WAR ACADEMIC YEAR AT THE M. V. FRUNZE CRIMEAN TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (73) (2) ◽  
pp. 94-111
Author(s):  
D. A. Lomakin
Keyword(s):  
Educational Institution ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
State Pedagogical ◽  
Pedagogical Institute ◽  
The Crimea ◽  
State Pedagogical Institute ◽  
Post War ◽  
State Archives ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

On the basis of extensive archival material from the fund of People’s Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR (file A-2306 «People’s Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR: 1917–1945, Ministry of Education of the RSFSR: 1946–1988») of the State Archives of the Russian Federation (SARF, Moscow), the history of M. V. Frunze Crimean State Pedagogical Institute after its return to Simferopol in 1944 has been restored. Various groups of documents have been widely used: correspondence of the director of the institute V. M. Borovsky with numerous authorities on the functioning of the university; directives, decisions of state institutions, reflected in the activities of the CSPI; reporting and planning documentation of the Institute; materials of inspections of the educational institution by the supervising bodies for its readiness to conduct training sessions during the period under review. The stage of restoration of the activity of the university after its re-evacuation to Simferopol has been examined in detail; the measures for preparing for the beginning of the first academic year in the Crimea have been examined. The unrealized project on restoration of the university on the peninsula on the basis of M. V. Frunze Crimean State Pedagogical Institute is analyzed.

scholarly journals Diagnosis of the Skills of the Master’s Degree: Case Study at the University Pablo of Olavide

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-164
Author(s):  
Eva Ordóñez Olmedo ◽  
Miguel Baldomero Ramírez Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Master's Degree ◽  
Theoretical Description ◽  
Work Team ◽  
Master's Degrees ◽  
Postgraduate Studies ◽  
Master Level ◽  
Master’S Degree ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

The work team of the Postgraduate Studies Centre (henceforth CEDEP) of Pablo de Olavide University (henceforth UPO) has submitted a questionnaire in order to identify the training needs of the directors of the master’s degrees which are implemented in The UPO during the academic year 2016/2017. This article aims to analyze how the lessons are planned and how the acquisition of the competencies defined in each master’s degree are achieved, in order to assess the current situation and propose solutions for university quality improvement. This research presents a mixed design: quantitative and qualitative non-experimental descriptive through a questionnaire. Further to the study analysis conducted, the need to create a manual of recommended practice to arrange curricula by competencies at the master level is presented, as 62.16% of the participants reflect a great lack of knowledge about the theoretical description of the competencies classification and 73% support a complementary material need for the design of the curriculum.

scholarly journals Peer Leading Small Group Discussion During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-67
Author(s):  
A.E Dreyfuss ◽  
◽  
Ana Fraiman ◽  
Milka Montes ◽  
Reagan Hudson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Discussion ◽  
Online Training ◽  
Small Group Discussion ◽  
Peer Leaders ◽  
Permian Basin ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Online Seminar

Peer-led workshops in General Chemistry at the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) were affected by COVID-19 restrictions during the 2020-2021 academic year. Most Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) workshops were conducted in person, but with the difference that protocols of distancing had to be observed, and a few were conducted online, so adjustments were necessary to prepare Peer Leaders to conduct their workshops in both types of settings. The facets of the modified PLTL program were supported by the online preparation for facilitation and chemistry content The results of an examination of critical incidents (Brookfield, 1995) are shared here. This qualitative examination of Peer Leaders’ experiences was undertaken because of its exploration of formative events. Through the responses to several rounds of questions about their experiences, Peer Leaders acknowledged the reality of dealing with Covid-19 restrictions as well as their preparation via a weekly online seminar. This paper, co-authored with Peer Leaders, examines the process of online training and facilitating workshops during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters at UTPB.

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