Tutoring deaf students in higher education: a comparison of baccalaureate and sub-baccalaureate student perceptions

Seventy-three deaf college students completed a survey examining perceptions about tutoring outcomes and emphases, characteristics of tutors, and responsibilities associated with learning through tutoring. The comparisons revealed that while baccalaureate and sub-baccalaureate students have many similar perceptions about tutoring, there are also some striking differences. In particular, as compared to the sub-baccalaureate students, baccalaureate students have a stronger preference for focusing on course content and for working with tutors who actively involve them during the tutoring sessions. In addition, baccalaureate students prefer to decide the focus of the tutoring themselves while sub-baccalaureate students tend to leave the decision to the tutor. The results of the analyses with three scales measuring perceptions of tutoring dimensions are summarized and recommendations for the selection and preparation of tutors, as well as for future research, are provided.     

Educational use of social networking technology in higher education

This study explored how social networking technology can be used to supplement face-to-face courses as a means of enhancing students' sense of community and, thus, to promote classroom communities of practice in the context of higher education. Data were collected from 67 students who enrolled in four face-to-face courses at two public universities in Taiwan. Findings indicated that the majority of participants developed strong feelings of social connectedness and expressed favorable feelings regarding their learning experiences in the classes where social networking sites were used as a supplementary tool. Learner difficulties and concerns of instructors about the educational use of social media are addressed with recommendations for future research and practice.     

Teacher and student perceptions of intermediate assessment in higher education

Universities introduce intermediate assessment because it is understood to have positive effects on student behaviour and achievement. Yet, how intermediate assessment is perceived might be conditional for its success. The current study investigates both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of intermediate assessment. Teachers and students were interviewed and Student Evaluations of Teaching were examined. Results indicate that both teachers and students had generally positive perceptions of intermediate assessment. However, the two groups provided different reasons for their positive perceptions. Teachers and students agreed that intermediate assessment helps students to keep up with their study work. Moreover, teachers mentioned that they could assess various knowledge and skills with intermediate assessment, whereas students preferred intermediate assessments to test the same knowledge and skills as the final exam. This finding suggests that teachers and students in our study had different goals for intermediate assessment.     

Video lecture capture (VLC) system: A comparison of student versus faculty perceptions

A Video Lecture Capture (VLC) system was implemented to address issues relating to retention, and to reverse the trend of high drop, failure, and withdrawal (DFW) rates. The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of how using VLC impacted their academic performance. Areas of interest surrounded students’ perceived benefits, value, and helpfulness of using the system. In addition, the study probed the concern of many about the impact using VLC would have upon class attendance. Finally the study compared students’ perceptions about their performance as a result of using VLC with faculty perceptions about their students’ performance as a result of using VLC. It was hypothesized that there is a significant difference between student and faculty perceptions.     

A cross-cultural comparison of student learning patterns in higher education

Previous studies of “the Chinese learner” have confounded the effects of culture and context or have used heterogeneous samples of students. In this study, 134 British students and 207 students from mainland China following 1-year postgraduate programmes at six British business schools completed the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI). The two groups yielded the same factor structure on both instruments. There were no significant differences in their scores on the CEQ. On the RASI, the British students produced higher scores on deep approach and strategic approach. These differences could not be attributed to differences in response style. In short, when British and mainland Chinese students were compared within the same educational context, their perceptions and approaches to studying showed the same underlying constructs, but in the present context Chinese students were less likely to exhibit deep or strategic approaches to studying.     

A social realist perspective on student learning in higher education: the morphogenesis of agency

Contemporary critiques of student learning research call for new theoretical and methodological approaches. This article proposes a social realist approach to this research, using the morphogenetic theory of sociologist Margaret Archer. The applicability of this approach is demonstrated by reference to an empirical study of engineering students at a South African university, using narrative analysis. In the article itself, two narratives are given in some detail, illustrating the key outlines of the analysis. Students’ emerging personal identities are shown to be highly dependent on their social backgrounds, yet when in the university the possibilities for the morphogenesis of student agency are very constrained. A critical interrogation of these findings proposes that a true higher education should facilitate the development of an enlarged sense of agency for students.     

Mini skirts and headscarves: undergraduate student perceptions of secularism in Turkish higher education

This article is based on a qualitative study that examines the perceptions of advanced undergraduate students in five Turkish state universities regarding their understanding of the concept of secularism and its manifestation within the higher education sector. The study further illuminates these students’ perspectives of how the university may change in relation to their understanding of secularism. This inquiry was guided by four central questions posed to the students: (1) what is your understanding of the concept of secularism?; (2) how does secularism manifest within universities in Turkey and your institution in particular?; (3) are there aspects of your university you would like to see change as a result of secularism?; and (4) in what ways has your identity influenced your academic decisions?     

Engaging fans and the community in social media: interaction with institutions of higher education on Facebook

Although many universities use social media to interact with stakeholders, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Drawing on theories of self-presentation and community engagement, we develop a theoretical model to explain these crucial outcome factors. We then test the model based on secondary data from 159 universities. Our findings reveal the double-edged nature of community size: universities with a strong reputation tend to have more Facebook fans, but having many Facebook fans has detrimental effects on individual fan engagement. Furthermore, the frequency of updates is a crucial factor, as too frequent and too infrequent updates lead to lower levels of fan engagement. We discuss theoretical implications for online communities and derive implications for social media managers.     

Social media in higher education: A literature review of Facebook

The rapid adoption of social media technologies has resulted in a fundamental shift in the way communication and collaboration take place. As staff and students use social media technologies in their personal lives, it is important to explore how social media technologies are being used as an educational tool. The aim of this paper is to analyse the role of social media, in particular, Facebook, as an educational tool in higher education. Through a review of the literature, this paper explores the myriad ways in which Facebook is being used as an educational instrument for learning and teaching. Multiple benefits of Facebook usage for learning and teaching have been identified such as increased teacher-student and student-student interaction, improved performance, the convenience of learning and higher engagement. The paper also highlights the potential problems and limitations of Facebook usage ranging from educators’ dominance to privacy concerns. Finally, Facebook usage guidelines that can be adopted by educators to encourage social media adoption are proposed. As social media usage continues to grow in higher education, future empirical research is warranted.     

Chinese parental involvement and class-based inequality in education: the role of social networking sites

ABSTRACT

Based on an ethnographic study, this article presents the class-based disparities of Chinese parents’ usage of WeChat, the dominating social networking mobile application in China, in their educational involvement. We find that middle-class parents are the privileged ones who have exploited the use of WeChat not only as a medium for communication, but more as a mode of influence. Through WeChat, their various forms of capital are channelled to catalyse changes in their children's education. In contrast, working-class parents tend to act as absent participants in using WeChat for their educational involvement. We argue that WeChat has brought forth the consequence of widening the arena for winning or losing at the educational game for parents from different social classes. We call for corrective policies and guidelines on the usage of WeChat and other SNSs technologies in home–school dynamics.     

高职院校开设社会体育专业的思考

全民健身、体育产业的开发和高职院校办学特点,决定了高职院校开设社会体育专业既有必要性也有可行性。开设社会体育专业不仅是高职院校扩大办学规模、突出办学特色的需要,也是提高办学水平和办学效益的重要体现。     

Selected student and tutor perceptions of ICTs in further and higher education in England

By 2008 a total of 87, 339 students were studying on foundation degrees in the UK (Foundation Degree Forward 2009 Foundation Degree Forward. 2009. “Forward 10.” http://www.fdf.ac.uk/uploads/journal10.pdf. [Google Scholar]). This article reports on the views of selected students and academic tutors regarding ICTs (Information Communication Technologies) associated with the Early Years Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree (EYSEFD) in England. The students study part time at five further education (FE) colleges working in partnership with a UK higher education institution (HEI). The research project has gathered data on the views of students and programme tutors about ICTs since October 2009. Data has been gathered through questionnaires with students and focus group discussions with selected students and tutors about the perception of ICTs. A main finding is that the students in this study associate ICTs with computers and software whereas their academic tutors focus on the wider pedagogical learning associated with technology. The article discusses some of the debates that surround pedagogical practice and ICTs in further and higher education. The students’ association of computers and pedagogical best practice appears to reiterate current neoliberal educational values as opposed to reflecting the learning goals of their academic programme. This article presents the findings of this study and the conclusions that are drawn will be of relevance to those involved in the delivery and development of higher education in further education contexts.     

Attitudes of higher education faculty toward distance education: A national survey

Abstract

Although distance education is growing in importance in the United States, little research has focused on the attitudes of American college and university teachers toward college‐level distance education and toward the use of specific media in distance education provision. The attitudes of both participating and nonparticipating faculty toward distance education need further examination, since teaching innovations cannot succeed without their support. This study examines the receptivity to college‐credit distance education of faculty members in two‐ and four‐year higher education institutions. The research questions focused on general receptivity to distance education, the relationship between professional characteristics and attitude toward distance education, the connection between previous distance education experiences/ familiarity and receptivity, and on attitudes toward different distance education media and methods.     

Feedback modes matter: Comparing student perceptions of digital and non-digital feedback modes in higher education

Assessment feedback is increasingly being provided in digital modes, from electronic annotations to digital recordings. Digitally recorded feedback is generally considered to be more detailed than text-based feedback. However, few studies have compared digital recordings with other common feedback modes, including non-digital forms such as face-to-face conversations. It is also unclear whether providing multiple feedback modes is better than a single mode. To explore these possibilities, an online survey asked 4514 Australian university students to rate the level of detail, personalisation and usability of the feedback comments they had most recently received. Of the students who received a single feedback mode only, electronic annotations and digital recordings were rated most highly on the three quality indicators. Students who received multiple modes were more likely to agree with all three indicators than those who received a single mode. Finally, students who received multiple modes were more likely to agree that the comments were detailed and usable when one of those modes was a digital recording. These findings enhance our understanding of feedback design, indicating that it is important to consider the strengths and weaknesses of particular modes, and the value of offering multiple modes.     

Integration of technology in higher education: A review of faculty self-perceptions

The purpose of this study was to examine how faculty technology literacy and technology training impact their pedagogy. This required an examination of how faculty technology literacy skills related to pedagogical practice (integrating technology into their pedagogy), while controlling for training. Respondents surveyed in this study consisted of faculty members in the US colleges of education among the fifteen peer institutions of the University of North Dakota. The results of the study showed significant correlations between technology literacy and pedagogical practice integration. The results also revealed that faculty technology training may be maximized for the integration of pedagogy by using the training strategy of small group faculty forums with a trainer.     

Faculty and student perceptions on college cheating: evidence from Turkey

Investigation of academic dishonesty has increased markedly in the past two decades; however, the body of research offers inconclusive evidence for many variables. This study examines faculty and student perceptions of in‐class and out‐of‐class cheating behaviours and provides contextual evidence for the prevalence of assessment practices used. Faculty and students differed only slightly in their attitudes toward collegiate cheating and their views on possible reasons for it. We found that the prevalence of teaching and assessment types used in student grading is significantly correlated with perceptions of out‐of‐class cheating, but not with out‐of‐class cheating behaviours. Students with less experience in out‐of‐class assessment display a less ethical attitude toward out‐of‐class cheating.     

Higher education faculty perceptions on technology integration and training

The purpose of this study was to examine how faculty technology literacy and technology training impact the integration of technology into their pedagogy. This required a quantitative examination of how faculty technology literacy skills relate to pedagogical practice (integrating technology into their pedagogy), while controlling for training. Respondents surveyed in this study consisted of faculty members from the fifteen peer institutions of the University of North Dakota. In this second article, three of the original research questions are addressed. The inferential results of the study showed significant correlations between technology literacy and pedagogical practice integration.     

The severity of academic dishonesty: A comparison of faculty and student views

This study considers the severity of academic dishonesty as an important factor in dealing with academic integrity. The results indicate that although faculty generally consider specific dishonest behaviors as more severe than do students, the differences appear to lessen as students progress toward graduation.