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.

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 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 Cross-cultural impacts of COVID-19 on higher education learning and teaching practices in Spain, Oman, Nigeria and Cambodia: A cross-cultural study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 135-151
Author(s):  
Javier Cifuentes-Faura ◽  
◽  
Deborah Odu Obor ◽  
Loeurt To ◽  
Ishaq Al-Naabi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Cultural Impacts

Adapting new learning and teaching practices during COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students’ learning in higher education. Using a cross-sectional research methodology, the study attempted to understand the cross-cultural impacts of COVID-19 on higher education students in Cambodia, Nigeria, Oman and Spain to determine the changes that COVID-19 has brought about in higher education students; examine how students' learning behaviour and attitudes have changed during COVID-19; identify the challenges they have experienced; and identify the changes that have taken place in learning and teaching in the selected countries. A total sample of 242 students was randomly selected from four higher education institutions in each of the selected countries. The study provided a cross-cultural understanding of how COVID-19 has affected students’ well-being, behaviors and learning. The results show that COVID-19 had adverse effects on the well-being of students in the four countries. Students received inadequate social support and security protection from others and instructors when they needed it. Omani students received less social support compared with the other three countries. COVID-19 had the worse effect on students’ employment in the four countries. The effect pressed much concern on Nigerian students who experience a great job loss. Students from the four countries were required to put a lot of effort and energy to fulfil the requirements in the program.

scholarly journals ¿Qué valoran los estudiantes de un profesor memorable? Un estudio de caso sobre la enseñanza y el aprendizaje en la educación superior / What Makes a Teacher Memorable for Students? A Case Study on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariela Alejandra Coudannes Aguirre
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educación Superior ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Educacion Superior ◽  
Best Teachers ◽  
Entre Rios

ABSTRACTThe work is part of a research project on educational practices in the training of Teachers of History and Geography of three Argentine universities. In this case the results of the Autonomous University of Entre Rios are analyzed. Focus groups were conducted and history students could talk about their “best” teachers. They were asked what aspects make them memorable and what learning achieved in their classes. While one would expect that the most valued were those who stand out for their intellectual passion, commitment to education, the trend to build critical thinking and good treatment of students, this is not always so. The contradictions between some of the highlighted aspects lead to question and rethink how knowledge is constructed, and what notions of teaching and learning are present in the institutions of higher education in Argentina.RESUMENEl trabajo se enmarca en un proyecto de investigación sobre prácticas educativas en la formación de los profesorados de Historia y Geografía de tres universidades argentinas. En este caso se analizan los resultados obtenidos en la Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Se realizaron grupos de discusión y los estudiantes de Historia pudieron hablar sobre sus “mejores” profesores. Se les preguntó qué aspectos los hacen memorables y qué aprendizajes lograron en sus clases. Si bien cabría esperar que los más valorados fueran aquellos que se destacan por su pasión intelectual, el compromiso con la educación, la tendencia a la construcción de un pensamiento crítico o el buen trato con los alumnos, ello no siempre resulta así. Las contradicciones entre algunos de los aspectos resaltados llevan a cuestionar y repensar cómo se construye el conocimiento, y qué nociones de enseñanza y aprendizaje están presentes en las instituciones de educación superior en Argentina. Contacto principal: [email protected]

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.

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

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 Editorial: The cross-cultural effects of COVID-19 on higher education learning and teaching practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Crawford ◽  
◽  
Martin Andrew ◽  
Jurgen Rudolph ◽  
Karima Lalani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Cultural Effects ◽  
Local Case ◽  
The Future ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The University

The novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) that began in the late part of 2019 in Wuhan, China has created significant challenges for higher education. Since the inception of COVID-19 research and practice in the higher education discipline, there has continued to be a focus on exploring its effects in localised contexts. The place-based context, while useful in enhancing individual practice, limits the potential to examine the pandemic from a broader lens. There are for many of us, shared examples of good practice that can serve to collectively improve the higher education sector during and beyond the pandemic. This Special Issue came about as an effort to reinvigorate collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries in a discipline environment characterised by exponential growth in local case studies. This Editorial explores the role that we can play in supporting collaboration among researchers as both a process and end-product to support innovation in the university learning and teaching domain. We believe this Special Issue provides a curated cornerstone for the future of COVID-19 in higher education research. This work, contributed from each corner of the globe seeks to understand not just what is occurring now, but what might occur in the future. We find inspiration in the manuscripts within this Special Issue as they provide innovative responses to the pandemic and opportunities for us to collectively grow to better support academics, students, employers, and communities. We hope you find benefit in progressing through this knowledge dissemination project.

scholarly journals Teaching excellence and how it is awarded: A Canadian case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-52
Author(s):  
Janice Miller-Young ◽  
Melina Sinclair ◽  
Sarah Forgie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Excellence ◽  
Canadian Higher Education ◽  
Teaching Awards ◽  
Insight Into

Quality teaching and how to assess and award it, continue to be an area of scholarship and debate in higher education. While the literature demonstrates that assessment should be multifaceted, operationalizing this is no easy task. To gain insight into how teaching excellence is defined in Canadian higher education, this empirical study collected and analysed the criteria, evidence, and standards for institutional teaching awards from 89 institutions and 204 award programs across Canada. The majority of awards included criteria such as specific characteristics of teaching performance and student-centredness; while activities that had impact outside an individual’s teaching practice were also prevalent, including campus leadership, scholarship of teaching and learning, and contributions to curriculum. Lists of potential sources of evidence were heavily weighted towards student perceptions and artefacts from instructors’ teaching. Recommendations for individuals and institutions wanting to foster excellence in teaching are offered along with suggestions for future research.

scholarly journals Montage, DaDa and the Dalek: The Game of Meaning in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-239
Author(s):  
Sandra Abegglen ◽  
Tom Burns ◽  
Sandra Sinfield
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Visual Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Learning Module ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education ◽  
Development Practice

This paper argues for visual playfulness in Higher Education learning and teaching practice. We offer a case study example of how we, the authors of this paper, have incorporated creativity into our teaching - the Facilitating Student Learning module, the first module in the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. We outline how we used ‘visualising to learn’ and what learning resulted from our visualisation practices. With our staff learners, we found that visual play gave them the freedom to experiment, to question and to progress; important in these supercomplex, uncertain times. Our desire was not to ‘fix’ or train academic staff, but to give them the space and tools to become liberatory professionals on their own terms and in their own ways so they can support their students to also become academic without losing themselves in the process. We propose that what is needed are methods and methodologies that enable learners - staff and students - to evolve and transform as they co-construct their knowledge in ludic ways. We incorporate images of the representations that our participants have made of themselves, of their students and of Higher Education systems to illustrate the challenges and possibilities of visual learning - and of creative staff development practice in general - and invite the reader to engage dialogically with them also to see what meanings they might make of them.

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