Connected Histories of the BBC: Opening up the BBC Oral History Archive to the Digital Domain

This article describes the computational and data-related challenges of the “Connected Histories of the BBC” project, an interdisciplinary project aiming to bring into the public realm some of the hidden treasures of the BBC's own Oral History Archive through the creation of an openly accessible, fully searchable and interconnected digital catalogue of this archive. This project stands as an interesting case study on the tensions between “computational” and “archival”, by critically designing and employing computational approaches for an historical, complex Oral History collection of scattered analogue records of various forms with an archival pre-history. From data acquisition, modeling, structuring and enhancement, metadata, data analysis procedures, to web design and legal issues, this paper discusses the various computational challenges, processes and decisions made during this project, while showcasing the principles of (re)usability, accessibility, and collaboration throughout its course.

What Did We Learn?

Assessment is critical to effectively implementing interdisciplinary pedagogy in higher education. We developed an interdisciplinary project for an Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Criminal Justice learning community at an urban community college. The semester-long project involved completing a series of lessons and assignments in both courses. The study objective was to evaluate the extent to which the interdisciplinary project supported students’ learning, with attention to their academic skill development, progress on course learning outcomes, and academic progress in the psychology course. Data procedures included summative assessment of final paper submissions and collection of final paper grades and final grades in the psychology course across two cohorts of learning community students. Findings suggest the interdisciplinary project positively supported students’ academic skill development, progress on course learning outcomes, and overall success in the psychology course. These findings demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary teaching and assessment. We offer the interdisciplinary project and assessment procedures presented here as models for higher education faculty interested in interdisciplinary pedagogical approaches.

Research on Talent Training Mode of Interdisciplinary Integration in Colleges and Universities

Interdisciplinary and integrated talent training is not only the urgent need of economic, scientific, technological and social development, but also one of the inevitable trends of higher education and teaching reform. Firstly, this paper analyzes and summarizes three types of multidisciplinary talent training modes in American universities, namely, project-based interdisciplinary talent training mode, professional education based interdisciplinary talent training mode and curriculum based interdisciplinary talent training mode. Then, it compares and analyzes four modes of interdisciplinary talent training in Colleges and universities in China, namely interdisciplinary curriculum mode, interdisciplinary project mode, interdisciplinary specialty mode and interdisciplinary degree mode. Finally, it puts forward the design idea of curriculum system of interdisciplinary and integrated talent training mode in China.

Perspective Taking als Methode zur kommunikativen Kom­pe­tenz­entwicklung im Jurastudium

Although lawyers and judges often face communicative challenges in their everyday work, communicative skills are hardly trained in legal education. Based on the interdisciplinary project „Law and Rhetoric“ at the University of Tübingen, the paper highlights addressee-oriented communication and perspective-taking as central aspects of communicative competence. Through addressee orientation and the development of the ability to adopt perspectives, students are given the opportunity to think through communicative situations systematically and to anticipate communicative resistances. In contrast, the widespread focus on performance in the field of rhetorical key qualifications in legal educations only allows a restricted growth of communication skills and does not reach far enough.

El Juego como recurso fundamental para la resolución de conflitos

Este proyecto surge con la idea de dar una respuesta a los distintos conflictos que surgen en un aula de alumnos en edad infantil, problemas para los que pretendemos aportar una solución basada en el diálogo y la mediación pacífica entre los alumnos y su educador que, apoyándose en el juego como estrategia didáctica e indispensable de la educación infantil, podrá superar los distintos conflictos presentes en esta etapa escolar. Por lo tanto, la principal pregunta que pretendemos responder con este trabajo es la siguiente: ¿Cómo podemos resolver un conflicto a través del juego? Para responder esta cuestión, hemos diseñado un proyecto novedoso e interdisciplinar que incluye una serie de actividades que permitirán al docente evaluar y analizar la evolución de sus alumnos a lo largo del curso-etapa. This project arises with the idea of giving an answer to the different conflicts that arise in a classroom of children, problems for which we intend to provide a solution based on dialogue and peaceful mediation between students and their educator that, relying on the game as a didactic and indispensable strategy of early childhood education, can overcome the various conflicts present in this school stage. Therefore, the main question we intend to answer with this work is the following: How can we solve a conflict through play? To answer this question, we have designed a novel and interdisciplinary project that includes a series of activities that will allow the teacher to evaluate and analyze the evolution of their students throughout the course-stage.

The Apothecary of Poetry: The Healing Power of Verse

The Apothecary of Poetry is an interdisciplinary project by author Nikola Niksa Eteorvic that came to life in 2013. The first APOTHECARY OF POETRY that treats patients with verse. In this text, the reader will get acquainted with some possibilities and aspects of the Apothecary of Poetry and its working process. How to use poetry, both already existing poetry and poetry created with the users of AP, is an important aspect of this text. The philosophy of verse, substance—selfhood and action, are reflected in the work of the Apothecary of Poetry in various ways. Poetry is medicinal, poetry is a medicine that you come to get at the Apothecary of Poetry. Poetry is the closest reflection of our existence.

Learning opportunities and diversity of engineering students’ background in interdisciplinary group projects

PurposeIn line with business goals of customer satisfaction, higher education institutions of learning consider excellent student experience a priority. Teaching and learning are important aspects of satisfaction that are monitored annually by universities using tools such as the National Student Survey (NSS). The NSS results are useful for educational planning and informing consumer choices. This research measured undergraduate student experiences on an interdisciplinary project using the NSS framework. Hinged on diversity, the purpose was to investigate whether full-time (FT), part-time (PT) and degree apprenticeship students with varied work experience enhance their learning studying together on an interdisciplinary project.Design/methodology/approachThis research has measured, using the NSS criteria, student experiences on an interdisciplinary project on a civil engineering programme. It benchmarks the quality of learning and student understanding and perceptions of learning. The method is based upon a literature review and questionnaire survey of students.FindingsResults indicate good amounts of peer influence on learning in a simulated interdisciplinary team setting supported by a mix of diverse work experience in students’ background.Originality/valueSections of the NSS are extended with additional questions to capture the impact that FT, PT and degree apprenticeship study modes, closely associated with students’ background of job experience, have on teaching and learning.

University scholarship activities on module evaluation questionnaires at a British University

PurposeThe purpose of this study comprises the following three: (1) to ascertain the purpose of university module evaluation questionnaires (MEQs) and its reliability; (2) to evaluate University X's MEQ; and (3) to offer how Universities may be able to support their teaching staff with scholarship activities using the MEQ project.Design/methodology/approachUniversity MEQ purposes and its reliability were investigated using literature reviews. The University X's MEQ seven statements were evaluated by three university academic staff. The study was conducted at a British university in South East of England. The duration of this interdisciplinary project was for two months which was a university interdisciplinary project between 14/07/20 and 13/10/20.FindingsThe purpose for MEQs includes (1) students’ satisfaction; (2) accountability for university authority and (3) teaching feedback and academic promotions for teaching staff. The evaluation of University X's MEQ indicated that MEQ questions were unclear which do not serve reliable student evaluation results. This topic may be of interest to University MEQ designers, lecturers, University Student Experience team, University Executive Board, University administrators and University HR senior management teams.Originality/valueThe following three points are considered original to this study: (1) MEQ purposes are summarised by students, university authority and teaching staff; (2) the evaluation of a British University MEQ; (3) provides suggestions on how lecturers' scholarship activities can be supported by the university-wide initiative and umbrella network. These are practical knowledge for the faculty and administrators of higher education institutions which may be of use.