scholarly journals Making the case for oracy skills in higher education: practices and opportunities

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Heron ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Opening Up

In this paper I make the case for embedding oracy practices in the HE curriculum through explicit teaching of oracy skills and a shared common language to describe these skills. Active learning and teaching approaches as well as growing expectations of graduate employability skills have resulted in greater demands on students in UK higher education in terms of their oracy (speaking and listening) skills. Whilst oracy skills have long been the focus of studies in compulsory educational contexts, there is little transfer of research findings to a higher education context. With the aim of opening up the discussion on oracy skills in HE, this paper reports on an exploratory study carried out to investigate how teachers on two undergraduate business modules incorporated oral communication skills in their content, pedagogy and assessment. Data were gathered from observations of lectures and seminars, course documents, and semi-structured interviews with tutors. With reference to an Oracy Skills Framework the paper concludes with suggestions for how oracy skills may be more explicitly embedded into the undergraduate curriculum.

Addressing employability challenges of business graduates in Bangladesh: Evidence from an emerging economy perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-94
Author(s):  
Mahi Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
System Quality ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Quality Teachers ◽  
Business Graduates ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Skill Gaps

This study aimed to explore and address the employability challenges of business graduates in the higher education sector in Bangladesh. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed applying thematic analysis (N = 35, 77% male, mean age = 34 years). Findings revealed that skill gaps, lack of quality education system, quality teachers, industry-university collaboration, backdated course curriculum, and corruption are important challenges for graduate employability in Bangladesh. The study suggests improving communication skills, updating course curriculum, curbing institutional corruption, limiting student-teacher politics, hiring and promoting quality teachers, and industry-university collaboration as strategies to improve graduate employability. The findings may help employers, managers, graduates, academics, and policymakers in the higher education sector to identify and address graduate employability challenges in an emerging economy such as Bangladesh.

Gender Transformations in Higher Education

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Amy Bell ◽  
Lucy Hawkins ◽  
Lorraine Kelleher ◽  
Cath Lambert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Transformative Potential ◽  
Academic Activism ◽  
Popular Appeal ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Uk Higher Education

This paper offers a critical perspective on issues around gender and sexual transformation within the context of UK Higher Education. Drawing on qualitative data carried out by undergraduate and postgraduate students, the analysis explores some of the diverse and often challenging ways in which young/er women and men are thinking and talking about gender, sexuality and feminism, as well as their strategies for turning ideas into political action. The research focuses on the activities and opinions of students belonging to an anti-sexist organisation within one UK university, who are engaged in campaigns to raise awareness about the damaging effects of gender and sexual inequalities, as well as promoting the popular appeal of contemporary feminisms. Locating the voices and research findings of the students themselves at the centre of the discussion, the paper is produced collaboratively between students and teachers who are involved in both the activist and research elements of this project. The paper also argues for (and provides evidence of) the transformative potential of alternative and critical forms of student engagement and student/ staff collaboration in relation to gender informed academic activism.

Concepts of quality in independent accreditation in Kyrgyzstan

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-463
Author(s):  
Chynarkul Ryskulova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accreditation Standards ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
New Policies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept, criteria and definitions of quality of higher education from the perspectives of the leadership of three new independent accreditation agencies in Kyrgyzstan. Design/methodology/approach The author employed interpretative qualitative research design. The data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with the leadership of three independent accreditation agencies and through review and the qualitative analyses of new policies on accreditation of higher education institutions, new accreditation standards and criteria. A priori codes by using categories were defined in advance and emergent codes based on data driven were used for data analyses. Findings The research findings support the author’s argument that the new independent accreditation processes will not assure quality because first, the agencies are not independent of the Ministry of Education and Science; second, the current standards do not provide evidence of quality; and third, the institutions do not have what in Europe is called a “quality culture” – ongoing, continuous efforts toward quality. Originality/value This is first scholarly work looking at independent accreditation process at its beginning stage. The results of an article can have influence on further development of accreditation system and improvement of accreditation standards.

Students as Co-Creators of a Mobile App to Enhance Learning and Teaching in HE

2019 ◽  
pp. 96-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Prescott ◽  
Pippa Iliff ◽  
Daniel J. T. Edmondson ◽  
Duncan Cross
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Innovative Project ◽  
Technological Intervention ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Recent Project

This chapter considers how technology can enhance teaching and learning through technology within the higher education setting. The chapter considers findings and draws conclusions from a recent project conducted by the authors involved in this technologically innovative project. In particular this chapter aims to consider how mobile apps can be beneficial for learning and education purposes, consider the pedagogic value of technology use within higher education (HE), look at how students can be co-creators in their own learning, and provide an overview of the mobile app and the research findings that it was developed from. The chapter will also take into consideration the challenges associated with developing and implementing a technological intervention in HE.

scholarly journals International students’ transitions to UK Higher Education – revisiting the concept and practice of academic hospitality

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Ploner
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
First Year ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Student Transition ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Uk Higher Education

With the increasing mobility of international students to UK universities, the appropriate facilitation of their transition remains a critical issue in terms of higher education practice and research. Much existing research and practice is characterised by assimilationist approaches to transition where international students are seen to ‘adapt to’ and ‘fit in’ seemingly uniform host environments. This study however draws on the concept of ‘academic hospitality’ (Bennett, 2000; Phipps & Barnett, 2007) to develop a more nuanced stance which emphasises reciprocity between academic ‘hosts’ and ‘guests’. The findings presented here emerge from semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of international students who spent their first year abroad at a well-established UK university. Elaborating on different experiences and forms of academic hospitality (material, virtual, epistemological, linguistic and touristic), the paper contributes to a refined theorisation of international student transition. It also offers valuable insights for academic practitioners and policy makers who seek sensible approaches to internationalisation.

The provision of ENT teaching in the undergraduate medical curriculum: a review and recommendations

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
B Patel ◽  
S R Saeed ◽  
S Smith
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Clinical Environment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
E Learning

Abstract Objective The existing provision of ENT teaching in the undergraduate curriculum is deemed inadequate by medical students, general practitioners and ENT surgeons alike. This study aims to explore the perceptions of a variety of stakeholders on how undergraduate ENT provision can be optimised. Methods This study involved semi-structured interviews with seven participants (two medical students, two general practitioners, two ENT surgeons and a curriculum developer). Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify key themes that emerged from the interviews. Results The four emergent themes were evaluation of current ENT provision, barriers to learning and teaching, alternate means of delivery of ENT education, and professional identity development. A number of barriers to learning and teaching in the clinical environment were identified including student-related, teacher-related and environmental factors. Conclusion The existing ENT provision should be re-considered to help students achieve a basic level of competence in managing common ENT conditions. This can be achieved by ENT teaching in additional contexts including general practice, e-learning and simulation workshops.

scholarly journals Investigating the Use of Instagram as a MALL Tool: The Case of Al-Imam University EFL Students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athar Yousef Abdullah Al-Garawi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
First Semester ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Learning English

This study aimed to investigate the benefits and barriers of using Instagram in English language learning. The sample of this study consisted of 151 randomly-selected female students enrolled in the department of English at the College of Languages and Translation at Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in the academic year 1436/1437– 2015/2016 in the first semester. The researcher used both a five-point Likert scale questionnaire as a quantitative instrument and semi-structured interviews withstudents as a qualitative instrument to collect the data of the study. Those instruments were validated by ten university professors. Similarly, the reliability of the questionnaire was achieved by calculating Cronbach Alpha formula. The findings of the study revealed that the most important benefits of using Instagram in learning English were as follows: improving the reading, writing, and listening skills, providing enjoyable learning experiences, enriching vocabulary, improving oral communication skills, and enjoying a sense of freedom of time and place. Furthermore, the results of the study unveiled the following challenges of using Instagram in English learning: distracting attention, lack of direction from the syllabuses, lack of encouragement from instructors, embarrassment, lack of immediate feedback, the cost of Internet access, and the difficulty of writing long passages. Finally, the findings of the study presented the following solutions to Instagram barriers in English language learning: creating learning accounts and posting important things in the lecture, following only specialized accounts for learning English.

scholarly journals Lessons for Staff Development: Lecturers’ Transition from Face-to-Face to Online Teaching for Masters Courses in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Alison Clapp
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Teaching Community ◽  
Online Distance Learning

 AbstractDuring the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an almost universal pivot to emergency online teaching in higher education, requiring staff development as online teaching differs from teaching face-to-face. The transition has been at short notice, with rapidly created training and little time to engage. Past research into the transition to teach online is scarce. The study described here, carried out in the year before COVID-19, aimed to investigate the how previous experiences of learning and training affected transition, and how staff made sense of the experience, adding to knowledge on successful transition to teaching online distance learning courses. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was carried out after interviewing five experienced online teaching staff in a Graduate School, using semi-structured interviews and open-ended questioning. The overarching themes found were connections to online learning and teaching communities, and developing membership of, and activities in, these communities themselves. Staff with good connections to the online teaching community via other experienced staff, training, and prior experience as online students were able to make the transition to teach online with comparative ease, compared to those who did not. With little connection to the online teaching community, transition was slow and staff retained a greater connection to face-to-face teaching and its community. Post-pandemic, the study suggests that designs for staff development, relational agency (working for short periods with online teaching experts) and situated learning within an online environment are beneficial if elements of online learning and teaching are to be retained for the future.

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