Undergraduate Students as Partners in a Writing Course: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Assif ◽  
◽  
Sonya Ho ◽  
Shalizeh Minaee ◽  
Farah Rahim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Writing Curriculum ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Higher Education Assessment ◽  
Research Students ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Engaging undergraduate students and faculty as partners in learning and teaching is arguably one of the most important and flourishing trends higher education in the 21st century, particularly in the UK, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Students as partners is a concept that intersects with other major teaching and learning topics, such as student engagement, equity, decolonization of higher education, assessment, and career preparation. In this context, the aim of this presentation is to report on a case study, where four undergraduate students (hired as undergraduate research students) and a faculty/program coordinator collaborated in the fall of 2020 to review and re-design the curriculum of English A02 (Critical Writing about Literature), a foundational course in the English program at the University of Toronto Scarborough. This presentation will serve as a platform for these students and faculty to share the logistics of this partnership, its successes, challenges, future prospects, and possible recommendations for faculty and students who may partake similar projects in the future. Keywords: Students as Partners (SaP), writing, curriculum, decolonization

scholarly journals Cross-cultural effects of COVID-19 on higher education learning and teaching practice: A case study from Greece

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 73-89
Author(s):  
Margarita Kefalaki ◽  
◽  
Michael Nevradakis ◽  
Qing Li ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Cultural Effects ◽  
Global Pandemic

COVID-19 has greatly impacted all aspects of our everyday lives. A global pandemic of this magnitude, even as we now emerge from strict measures such as lockdowns and await the potential for a ‘new tomorrow’ with the arrival of vaccines, will certainly have long-lasting consequences. We will have to adapt and learn to live in a different way. Accordingly, teaching and learning have also been greatly impacted. Changes to academic curricula have had tremendous cross-cultural effects on higher education students. This study will investigate, by way of focus groups comprised of students studying at Greek universities during the pandemic, the cross-cultural effects that this ‘global experience’ has had on higher education, and particularly on students in Greek universities. The data collection tools are interviews and observations gathered from focus groups.

Teaching and learning French – A tale of desire in the humanities

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-140
Author(s):  
Catriona Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Personal Perspective ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Close Textual Analysis ◽  
The Uk ◽  
French Language Learning

This article considers the way we talk about learning and teaching the humanities in higher education in the UK. By using the tools of the arts and humanities within the scholarship of learning and teaching, and examining a personal perspective, the author explores the transformational impact of French language learning and teaching. Close textual analysis of literary language learning memoirs highlight the sensual and physical effects of language learning that can remain muted in our everyday conversations. As a result, the author suggests that rather than lament the death of the humanities in 21st century higher education, learning and teaching a language offers a pedagogy of desire that embodies the transformation aspect of our disciplines, as we deal with the business of being human.

Sharing higher education learning and teaching resources in art, design and media

2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 35-39
Author(s):  
Stephen Mallinder ◽  
Debbie Flint
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Art Design ◽  
The Uk

Wider social, cultural and technological changes are precipitating transformations in higher education. There is increasing need for universities and specialist colleges to operate effectively in a global online environment. The development of accessible and re-usable online teaching and learning materials has provided challenges to staff and institutions. This article explores aspects of the UK Open Educational Resources Programme and, in particular, the Art Design and Media Open Educational Resources (ADM-OER) Project which has sought to examine the processes, challenges and opportunities open educational resources (OERs) present to these ‘creative’ disciplines. Part of the project has explored art, design and media tutors’ perceptions of the shift to ‘teaching in public’ and we share some preliminary findings.

scholarly journals Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice Editorial 8.3

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 2-4
Author(s):  
Geraldine E. Lefoe ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
New Directions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

Welcome to the third and final issue of Volume 8 of the Journal of University Teaching and Learning (JUTLP) in 2011. As the year draws to a close we are seeing some striking changes to the higher education sector internationally. In England budget cuts have seen the closure of the twenty-four Higher Education Academy subject centres at the same time as the establishment of student fees. In Australia the cap has been lifted across the board on the number of students that can be enrolled in universities with the resultant projected increased student numbers. The focus in Australia is on social inclusion yet in England the concern for the introduction of fees is just the opposite, these will be the very students who may now be excluded. The changes in both countries see new measures of accountability and more complex regulations put in place. Will this cause people to rethink the way we teach and the way students learn? For the Higher Education Academy in the UK, new directions see the hosting of a summit on learning and teaching with a focus on flexible learning, an indicator of new directions for many institutions. In Australia, we see a renewed opportunity to investigate such changes through the opening of the Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) and its role of recognising the importance of learning and teaching through grants and awards schemes. We hope in 2012 we’ll hear more from our authors about the impact of these transformations, as well as those changes occurring in other countries around the world, on teaching practice in our universities.

scholarly journals Uma investigação sobre a inserção da Educação Financeira em um Curso de Serviço de Matemática Financeira para graduandos de um curso de Administração A research about the insertion of Financial Education in a Course of Service of Financial Mathematics for undergraduate students of an Administration course

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Aurélio Kistemann ◽  
Wesley Carminati Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Financial Education ◽  
Mathematical Finance ◽  
Financial Mathematics ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Educational Product ◽  
Qualitative Nature

A pesquisa descrita neste artigo, de caráter qualitativo, tem como temática central a Educação Financeira. O objetivo nele proposto é o de investigar se a aplicação de um Curso de Serviço de Matemática Financeira, para estudantes do Ensino Superior, de um curso de Administração, que inclua em seu bojo temas da Educação Financeira, pode despertar um espírito crítico, nas tomadas de decisões e posturas, destes futuros administradores inseridos numa sociedade de consumo. Nos inspiramos teoricamente nas ideias da Educação Matemática Crítica, nas pesquisas em Educação Financeira de Kistemann Jr. (2011), sobre a produção de significados e as tomada de decisão de indivíduos-consumidores. Foi utilizado o Estudo de Caso como metodologia de pesquisa qualitativa, embasado nos trabalhos de Ponte e de Yin, que validaram as análises dos perfis dos sujeitos de pesquisa e das respostas encontradas nas atividades desenvolvidas. The research described in this article, of a qualitative nature, has as its central theme the Financial Education. The goal of this study was to investigate whether the application for a course of service of Financial Mathematics, with themes of financial education for students in higher education from a course of the Administration, could awaken a critical spirit, in decision making, these future administrators. Our theoretical inspirations are the ideas of Mathematics Education criticism, in research on Financial Education of Kistemann Jr. (2011), Costa (2012), Hermínio (2008), Campos (2013), Barroso (2013), Resende (2013) and Teixeira (2015). We used the Case Study as a qualitative research methodology, based on the work of Ponte and Yin, which validated the analyses of the profiles of the study subjects and the responses found in the activities undertaken. As the main result of this research highlights the educational product "the insertion of financial education in a course of service of Financial Mathematics, for students of a course in Administration" which had as main objective to propose an alternative to the teaching and learning of mathematical finance in higher education, with the presentation of scenarios for research, with themes concerning the consumption and use of financial instruments

scholarly journals DIFICULDADES NO ENSINO E NA APRENDIZAGEM DE QUÍMICA ORGÂNICA DO ENSINO SUPERIOR - ESTUDO DE CASO EM DUAS UNIVERSIDADES FEDERAIS

Química Nova ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natália Alves ◽  
Fábio Sangiogo ◽  
Bruno Pastoriza
Keyword(s):  
Organic Chemistry ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Reaction Mechanisms ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Spatial Visualization ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Study Case ◽  
Complex Scenario ◽  
Students Success

DIFFICULTIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN HIGHER EDUCATION - A CASE STUDY IN TWO FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES. This research investigates difficulties associated to the curricular component Organic Chemistry I based on a study case of Chemistry undergraduate courses (Bachelor and Teachers education) in two Federal Universities in the Brazilian South region. The analytical process integrated official documents of the courses (pedagogic projects, students’ grades), questionnaires, interviews, and researcher’s logbook of classes. Results show that the students’ success in Organic Chemistry I is lower than the sum of failure, unattendance, and temporary cancellation rates altogether in the curricular component offered by the different teachers and institutions studied. A complex scenario is highlighted in relation to factors that affect learning and teaching processes in undergraduate Organic Chemistry courses. The subjects’ responses highlight difficulties related to specific contents, such as conformation and spatial visualization of molecules, stereochemistry, and reaction mechanisms; lack of concepts from High School; and individual habits and characteristics of teachers, students, or both, such as didactics, concentration, and engagement. The results report on the importance of rethinking strategies and methodologies in the context of Organic Chemistry I in Higher Education

scholarly journals A peer-observation initiative to enhance student engagement in the synchronous virtual classroom: A case study of a COVID-19 mandated move to online learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 184-205
Author(s):  
Lesley Andrew ◽  
◽  
Ruth Wallace ◽  
Ros Sambell ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Peer Observation ◽  
Learning And Teaching

The global COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid shift to online delivery in higher education. This learning and teaching environment is associated with reduced student engagement, a crucial prerequisite of student satisfaction, retention and success. This paper presents a case study that explored student engagement in the synchronous virtual learning environment, during the mandatory move to exclusive online learning in Australian higher education in April to June 2020. Three university instructors used the Teaching and Learning Circles Model to observe a series of their peers' synchronous virtual classrooms, from which they reflected on ways to enhance their own practice. The findings demonstrate how student engagement in these classrooms can be strengthened across the four constructs of Kahu and Nelson’s (2018) engagement conceptual framework: belonging; emotional response; wellbeing and self-efficacy. The case study also reveals limitations of the synchronous virtual environment as a means of supporting student engagement in the online learning and teaching environment, and proposes ways to address them. Against emerging reports of increased mental health issues among isolated university students during the current pandemic, the case study's recommendations to improve student wellbeing and belonging are particularly salient. This article also highlights the usefulness of the Teaching and Learning Circles Model of peer observation as a way to guide its participants' reflections on their own practice, support their collegiality with academic peers and build their confidence and competence in the synchronous virtual learning environment.

Crafting safer spaces for teaching about race and intersectionality in Australian Indigenous Studies

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Leticia Anderson ◽  
Lynette Riley
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Approaches To Learning ◽  
Indigenous Studies ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education

Abstract The shift to massified higher education has resulted in surges in the recruitment of staff and students from more diverse backgrounds, without ensuring the necessary concomitant changes in institutional and pedagogical cultures. Providing a genuinely inclusive and ‘safer’ higher education experience in this context requires a paradigm shift in our approaches to learning and teaching in higher education. Creating safer spaces in classrooms is a necessary building block in the transformation and decolonisation of higher education cultures and the development of cultural competency for all staff and graduates. This paper outlines an approach to crafting safer spaces within the classroom, focusing on a case study of strategies for teaching and learning about race, racism and intersectionality employed by the authors in an undergraduate Indigenous Studies unit at an urban Australian university.

scholarly journals On the Key Factors in Higher Education Classroom Design: Physical Aspects of the Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Experience in Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura De Pretto ◽  
Ching Lik Hii ◽  
Choon Lai Chiang ◽  
Sze Pheng Ong ◽  
Darlene Elizabeth Sin Yi Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Undergraduate Teaching ◽  
Classroom Design ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
And Shifts

The design, facilities and conditions inside a classroom play a significant role in the teaching and learning experience for both students and lecturers. Prior studies of primary schoolchildren indicate three design principles affecting student learning, namely: naturalness, individualisation and stimulation. The current study extends these investigations to Higher Education through a survey of undergraduate students and university lecturers aimed at determining the most critical factors in undergraduate classroom design. One-to-one interviews were conducted with students and lecturers (n. 31) at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus. Interviewees were encouraged to express their opinions, comments, concerns and suggestions through open-ended questions. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed and coded using NVivo10. Results show a strong desire among lecturers and students for improved classroom equipment, greater flexibility in classroom arrangement, more attractive decoration and for the addition of natural elements to the classroom environment. Of the three design principles, individualisation and naturalness emerged most strongly from the interviews and appear to be more important factors for undergraduates than stimulation. These findings could make a novel and significant contribution to the physical aspects of classroom design in Higher Education settings. Educational institutions are increasingly employing non-traditional classroom designs, which are expected to provide for more flexible, collaborative, and active learning and teaching experiences. Taking into consideration the environmental psychology of teaching and learning, several of the reported design attributes can serve as benchmarks for upgrading current classroom design and facilities in the future, as institutions look to upgrade their physical infrastructures to meet the changing demands of teachers and learners arising from technological innovations and shifts in our understanding of the methods and purposes of Higher Education.

scholarly journals Communities of practice in life sciences and the need for brokering

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Tierney
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
National Level ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Uk

Etienne Wenger’s work on communities of practice is influential in teaching and learning in higher education. A core work of many postgraduate certificate in teaching and learning (PGCert) courses for new lecturers, it is studied, in the main, as a means to understand how to support and encourage students to achieve more effective learning. Communities of practice can also be applied to academics. In the context of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and its predecessors, the gulf between research-focused and teaching-Focused academics in life sciences has widened, so that in many institutions, these two groups have evolved into two distinct communities of practice; one whose priority is disciplinary research, the other’s learning and teaching. However, in 2015, the UK government announced that a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) would be introduced into higher education in England, as early as 2017. While the exact details of TEF remain unclear, it is certain that “excellence” and “student satisfaction” will be high on the agenda. It is vital, therefore, that the two communities of practice, research-focused and teaching-focused, find ways to come together in order to ensure high quality teaching and learning. Wenger proposes that this can be done through the process of “brokering”, which allows expertise from both communities of practice to cross from one to the other, strengthening both. This should be encouraged at departmental and institutional level, but another vital origin of brokering can be forged at a(n) (inter)national level at meetings such as the SEB Annual Conference, where teaching-focused academics have the opportunity to mix with research-active colleagues. While this paper is informed by recent and current events in the UK Higher Education sector, it is of interest to academics who work in an environment where research and teaching have become separate to any extent.

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