Patterns of student collaborative learning in blended course designs based on their learning orientations: a student approaches to learning perspective

This study combines research methods from student approaches to learning research and social network analysis (SNA) to examine patterns of students’ collaborative learning based on their learning orientations amongst 193 postgraduates enrolled in a blended course. The study identified two distinct learning orientations, namely ‘understanding’ and ‘reproducing’, which differed in approaches to learning through inquiry, approaches to using online learning technologies, perceptions of the online workload, and academic outcomes. On the basis of students’ learning orientations and their choice of whether to collaborate and with whom to collaborate, five networks representing five patterns of collaborative learning were found. From these, two did not reveal any collaboration (Understanding Alone and Reproducing Alone networks); and three revealed collaborations (Understanding Collaboration, Mixed Collaboration, Reproducing Collaboration networks). A range of SNA measures were calculated and revealed different features of the three collaboration networks. Viewed together, the combined methodologies suggest that the Understanding Collaboration network has more desirable features of collaboration, such as the intensity of collaboration, having closely knitted groups who tended to seek out and welcome peers and who tended to engage more often in both face-to-face and online modes. The study suggests that helping students adjust their learning orientations, designing some compulsory collaborative assessment tasks, and configuring the composition of collaborative groups are productive strategies likely to improve students’ experiences of collaborative learning.

Combining self-reported and observational measures to assess university student academic performance in blended course designs

This study combined the methods from student approaches to learning and learning analytics research by using both self-reported and observational measures to examine the student learning experience. It investigated the extent to which reported approaches and perceptions and observed online interactions are related to each other and how they contribute to variation in academic performance in a blended course design. Correlation analyses showed significant pairwise associations between approaches and frequency of the online interaction. A cluster analysis identified two groupings of students with different reported learning orientations. Based on the reported learning orientations, one-way ANOVAs showed that students with understanding orientation reported deep approaches to and positive perceptions of learning. The students with understanding orientation also interacted more frequently with the online learning tasks and had higher marks than those with reproducing orientation, who reported surface approaches and negative perceptions. Regression analyses found that adding the observational measures increased 36% of the variance in the academic performance in comparison with using self-reported measures alone (6%). The findings suggest using the combined methods to explain students’ academic performance in blended course designs not only triangulates the results but also strengthens the acuity of the analysis. Implications for practice or policy: Using combined methods of measuring learning experience offers a relatively more comprehensive understanding of learning. Combining self-reported and observational measures to explain students’ academic performance not only enables the results to be triangulated but also strengthens the acuity of the analysis. To improve student learning in blended course design, teachers should use some strategies to move students from a reproducing learning orientation towards an understanding orientation and encourage active online participation by highlighting the importance of learning online.

Active entrepreneurship education and the impact on approaches to learning: Mixed methods evidence from a six-year study into one entrepreneurship educator’s classroom

Taking an active and experiential approach to teaching is often assumed to be the best way to promote learning. However, the empirical evidence to support this assertion in entrepreneurship education is inconclusive, and current practice suggests that delivery in higher education is still quite passive and traditional. This 6-year, mixed method study sets out to demonstrate that, in a final-year International Entrepreneurship module at a UK university mapped through the lens of ‘about’, ‘for’ and ‘through’ entrepreneurship, a more innovative, active, experiential and constructively aligned approach to teaching, learning and assessment impacts positively on students’ deep and surface approaches to learning. Students viewed the module as significantly more active than passive and the level of deep learning was significantly greater than the level of surface learning. Additionally, the more active approach was significantly correlated to increased deep learning and reduced surface learning. Students highlighted the active teaching approach and the creation of videos for a local company as part of the authentic assessment as catalysts for deeper learning approaches. The study provides empirical evidence that active entrepreneurship education has a positive impact on student approaches to learning.

Challenges in assessing the nature of effective collaboration in blended university courses

The ability to collaborate effectively face-to-face and online represents a critical skill for university graduates. However, there are still challenges regarding how to accurately assess this skill through traditional student learning measures. To better understand the nature of effective collaboration of university students in blended courses, the current study drew on the student approaches to learning framework and social network analysis techniques. We examined how student approaches to inquiry, approaches to online learning technologies, perceptions of the blended learning environment, different learning outcomes and configurations of collaboration are related. The methodologies commonly used in student approaches to learning research identified deep and surface approaches to inquiry and technologies, positive and negative perceptions of the integration of the learning environment, and of online workload, which also showed logical alignment with relatively better and poorer academic achievement in the course. Based on approaches, perceptions, and learning outcomes, students were divided into groups orientated towards understanding versus reproducing learning. The social network analysis techniques revealed features of different configurations of collaborations by different groups of students and their choices as to whether and with whom to collaborate during the learning process. Nuanced differences were found amongst different configurations of collaborations. Implications for practice or policy: When assessing student experience of collaboration, social network analysis techniques may be able to describe nuanced differences amongst different collaborative configurations. To encourage students’ collaboration, assessment tasks involving a large proportion of mandatory collaborative activities should be considered. To help student improve experience of collaboration, teachers may consider pairing students with a reproducing learning orientation with those having a deep disciplinary understanding.

Abordagens ao ensino: implicações no processo de aprendizagem dos alunos

Na perspetiva da investigação SAL (Student Approaches to Learning) a abordagem ao ensino dos professores (transmissiva e compreensiva) influencia a abordagem à aprendizagem dos alunos. O objetivo deste texto é estimular os professores a refletirem sobre as suas práticas docentes e sobre a maneira como fomentam o sucesso educativo dos seus alunos no nível exigido. A partir da reflexão metacognitiva, os docentes poderão constatar a existência de diversos fatores que poderão ser reforçados e outros esquecidos, de modo a melhorar a qualidade da aprendizagem dos alunos. É, também, referida a importância de conhecer as conceções dos alunos acerca da forma como aprendem, com o objetivo de desenvolver contextos de ensino e aprendizagem que os alunos vivenciem como motores de abordagens à aprendizagem profundas. Isto implica necessariamente a opção por uma abordagem ao ensino centrada no aluno. Espera-se que este texto reflexivo possa contribuir para uma melhor compreensão das abordagens ao ensino, a fim de promover nos alunos comportamentos mais ajustados para a mestria escolar. São referidas algumas implicações educativas, assim como possíveis investigações futuras.

Measures of Success: Exploring Student Approaches to Learning Public Health

The goal of public health education consists of equipping competent future public health professionals with the skills necessary to effectively convert knowledge to meet current and future public health challenges. Although great focus has been placed on topics and skills that are relevant to undergraduate degree curricula in public health, little effort has been directed at identifying student perceptions about metacognitive strategies that best help them learn and recall public health skills or ideas. There is also little investigation of factors that contribute to students’ success in the field of public health. The purpose of this article is threefold: first, to describe common themes and gaps pertaining to public health undergraduates’ awareness of potent learning strategies; second, to characterize students’ definition of success in the field of public health; and third, to provide instructors with valuable information that may be used to enhance the design of classroom learning environments, course content, content delivery methods, and course assessments.