A national scheme to develop and accredit university teachers

Abstract

In 1991 the UK Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) developed and launched a national scheme for the training and qualification of teachers in higher education. Teachers are accredited if they demonstrate eight specified objectives underpinned by seven specified values. Programmes of staff development which assess teachers’ attainment of these objectives and values are recognized by SEDA. By the start of November 1996, SEDA had recognized 30 programmes and a similar number of programmes were at various stages of preparation for recognition. More than seven hundred teachers are undertaking recognized programmes or are already accredited. The paper describes the development and operation of the scheme; starts to locate the scheme in a wider framework of competence, preparation and accreditation of all staff who teach in higher education; and explores some of the operational, educational and philosophical issues faced by the scheme.     

“房地产开发与经营”课程创新改革与实践研究

在新常态背景下,为顺应我国房地产市场的快速发展,“房地产开发与经营”课程作为房地产开发与管理专业的专业必修核心课程,课程内容与教学手段需要不断更新和与时俱进。“房地产开发与经营”课程以课程思政为引领,利用案例法、讨论法和PBL翻转课堂等混合式教学法提升教学质量,为高等院校本科“房地产开发与经营”课程教学改革提供方向性指导。     

The ACSET Advice – A Perspective From Higher Education

Professional development is undergoing a period of radical change as funds are progressively transferred from local education authorities to schools. In the future schools will be increasingly responsible for the planning, organisation, implementation and evaluation of their own professional development. To help schools meet these challenges, we describe a new initiative in the management of professional development: a part‐time, 1 year course leading to an Advanced Certificate in Education in Professional Development Co‐ordination. Through questionnaires, interviews and analyses of the course members’ assignments, we explore the previous practice of professional development in the course members’ own schools; their expectations of and reactions to the course; and the effects the course has already had on developing practice in the schools. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for the future support of professional development in practice.     

网上课程蓝本制定的模式和应用

网上课程蓝本制定是网上课程开发的首要步骤,直接影响着网上课程能否有效开发和顺利开展.然而,目前关于如何制定网上课程蓝本的研究和实践还非常有限,本文的目的旨在建立一个网上课程蓝本制定的综合性框架模式,以及用实例阐述这一模式的具体应用.文章分为四个部分:第一部分介绍网上课程蓝本制定的含义及重要性;第二部分描述网上课程开发的团队人员组成及各自仟务;第三部分探讨网上课程蓝本制定的模式,提出了网上课程蓝本应该包括的十六项内容;第四部分以"远程教育研究方法"网络课程为为例.阐述了网上课程蓝本制定模式的具体应用.作者希望,这一模式能为网上教育工作者制定网上课程蓝本提供一个基准.作者同时指出,网上教育工作者存制定网上课程监木时,还需要根据课程内容和学习者特征,灵活和创造性地使用这一模式,方能取得成效.     

University Interaction with National Development Plans: a case study from Iraq

This case study of the development of the University of Technology in Baghdad, Iraq, illustrates how from its foundation in 1975, this new technological university has adjusted its work to national needs as expressed in National Development Plans. The basic engineering course has a two-plus-two structure with the possibility of students becoming technicians after the first two years, thus meeting a particular national shortage. The course lays particular emphasis upon practical applications and upon close involvement with industry. As industry in Iraq has broadened its scope the curriculum in the university has widened. The non-technical subjects within the course have become more significant in response to a perceived national need. The authors offer this case-study for consideration by those who are concerned with the interaction of universities with society.     

Collaborative note-taking affects cognitive load: the interplay of completeness and interaction

Studies showing improved learning performances for students who take notes collaboratively have speculated that sharing this task among group members may reduce the extraneous cognitive burden placed on each member. Therefore, a study (n?=?171) was conducted in the context of a flipped scientific writing course to examine the effects of collaborative note-taking on student’s levels of cognitive load. Students in the course were divided into two groups, with members of the treatment group being directed to take collaborative notes in a shared online document and members of the control group receiving no such instructions. The study also measured the level of collaboration the collaborative note-takers engaged in, as well as the level of completeness of the notes that they produced. The results showed that, firstly, the treatment group reported higher levels of both germane and extraneous cognitive load compared to those of the control group, meaning that collaborative note-takers experienced higher levels of understanding of course content as well as increased confusion. Secondly, the level of collaboration was positively and significantly correlated with levels of germane load (understanding), but not with extraneous load (confusion). Thirdly, no correlation was found between completeness of notes and cognitive load. Accordingly, the authors suggest that collaborative note-taking is worthwhile, as the gains to students’ understanding of course content outweigh the disadvantages of increased confusion.

     

An example of evaluation in the development of a tertiary physics programme

Conclusion As stated in the introduction, an integral part of the philosophy of school or institutional based curriculum development is that staff involvement in ongoing evaluation will lead to programme improvement. In this case, the results outlined above were used by the staff as a basis for discussing the future structure of first year Physics courses at MSC. The outcome was that the rationale, design and implementation of the new course was adopted for the entire first year course. Development of the course continues.     

Very Long-Term Memory for Information Taught in School

Students who completed a Child Development course (N = 1168) from 3 to 16 years prior to retention testing were tested for recognition and recall of facts and application of mental skills. Students who subsequently served as course tutors were also tested for retention. Fact retention was superior to application retention and retention for both question types declined rapidly from year 3 to year 7 after which it stabilized. Recognition items were superior to recall items for high achieving students only. Tutors retained more than non-tutors for eight years after which there were no differences.     

U3A Online: a virtual university of the third age for isolated older people

U3A Online is a virtual university of the third age (U3A) that provides intellectually challenging courses for isolated older people as well as for conventional U3A members. Volunteers run the programme and all courses are written and led by retired people, principally for third-agers who are isolated by distance or circumstance from taking part in conventional face-to-face U3A activities. This paper reports on two studies that were designed to reveal some of the characteristics and aspirations of participants in the U3A Online programme. During the proof-of-concept pilot study, run in 1999, telephone interviews and pre- and post-course written questionnaires were used. A sample of ‘experienced’ course members provided written data by questionnaire for the 2001 survey. The studies show that many participants who are unable to take part in mainstream adult education activities attribute a new sense of purpose and excitement in their lives to the virtual communities they begin to develop through their online courses.     

The “Hand-off” as a Flawed Approach to Disseminating Innovation: Lessons from Chemistry

Drawing on studies of active learning methods in an undergraduate chemistry course at a research institution, we first present two case studies exploring the change processes and outcomes of the faculty member who designed the course and the one who adapted it. We then explore the nature of the problems experienced during the adaptation process. We conclude with recommendations for successfully diffusing innovations: adapting faculty members should choose innovations that genuinely interest them and are aligned with their goals, should experiment with innovations in a gradual way, and should receive support throughout the process.     

Reply to Wilfred Carr on ‘Philosophy,Fantasies and Common‐Sense’

Abstract

A competence based approach to the Advanced Diploma in Education (FE) teacher training course was introduced at beginning of the 1989/90 academic year in the University of Ulster. The following year an evaluation of the course began which was completed in 1994. This included a survey of the attitudes of the staff involved with managing the implementation of the course. Included in this were members of the University Course Team, the college staff who carry out work based assessments and the Education and Library Boards who monitor such assessments. The results showed that all parties positively regarded the competence based approach both in relation to it as an initial teacher training course and as a tool in the professional development of vocational teachers. The study, however, highlighted the difficulties inherent in the maintenance of standards in collaborative teacher education and there are recommendations for the further development of future programmes.     

TEACHING COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBERS ON THE INTERNET

This article details the experiences of a university professor and former community college president in teaching World Wide Web based graduate courses to faculty members from Florida's community colleges. These courses have provided faculty members from various parts of the state access to advanced educational opportunities. Courses have been particularly relevant to the day-to-day activities of full-time and adjunct teaching faculty members. For those who might be interested in converting traditional courses for Web-based delivery, tips are included on designing course materials and using technical experts. Emphasis is placed on the needs of the learner to maximize the benefits of this type of distance education. The 12 canons for distance learners, which served as guideposts, as community college faculty member-students progressed through the courses are included. Discussion of various course material components provides insight into the need for thoroughness in overall course design. Course evaluation results, which highlight the appreciation of community college faculty member-students for the way in which the courses were conducted, are included. For example, convenience and exibility were ranked highly as positive reasons for taking Web-based courses. Problem areas are also identified. Teaching graduate courses on the Internet to community college personnel has become an important endeavor in Florida. The University of Central Florida has made a commitment to expand the number and types of courses offered in this manner to address the needs of all students. These courses are particularly important to community college faculty members and administrators who may be precluded from taking relevant graduate courses because of geographical or time limitations. Hence, through the magic of the Internet, courses are available at their fingertips.     

Validating teaching competencies for faculty members in higher education: A national study using the Delphi method

In this study the Delphi Method was used to validate teaching competencies of faculty members in higher education. Through the use of expert opinion, a panel of national leaders in college-level teaching validated twenty seven competencies as important or very important for faculty members who teach. Seven other competencies were rated slightly below a mean score of 4.0 suggesting, based on additional feedback by the panel, that the importance of some competencies may depend on specific variables found within a given context.Kathleen S. Smith is Coordinator of Teaching Assistant Support at The University of Georgia, Office of Instructional Development. She holds graduate degrees from The University of Georgia and has served as Administrative Coordinator and Acting Head of The University of Georgia's intensive English program. Her research and teaching focus on the development and administrative support of teaching assistants with emphasis on International Teaching Assistants. Ronald D. Simpson is Director of the Office of Instructional Development at The University of Georgia, where he also is professor of Higher Education and Science Education. He holds degrees from The University of Tennessee and The University of Georgia.     

Integrating Evaluation and Needs Assessment: A Case Study of an Ergonomics Program

This case study focuses on the relationship between evaluation and needs assessment and how both processes were integrated in one project. The project involved evaluating a 10‐year‐old ergonomics course. The course was one component of a broader organizational change initiative, aimed to reduce or eliminate on‐the‐job injuries. The success of the change initiative depended on applying knowledge from the course as well as other workplace variables, such as management commitment, plant communications, and the relationship between management and union labor. Robert Stake's (1967) countenance framework was modified to consider both instructional and performance issues in the research design. Data collection included observing the course, conducting focus groups with past course attendees who were ergonomic committee members, interviewing ergonomic teams in manufacturing plants, and reviewing course materials and other related documents. The findings illustrate the overlap between the needs assessment and evaluation processes. The discussion addresses how these labels can limit perception of the system of interest, the importance of adapting the research design to take advantage of naturally occurring organizational events, the value of integrating both needs assessment and evaluation perspectives, and the importance of differentiating evaluation and needs assessment recommendations.     

Professional development for leaders of a large teaching team: A dual role

Abstract

Academics who lead large teaching teams of often inexperienced sessional staff have a dual role in professional development. They are both provider and participant. Academic leaders need to develop skills to fulfill their role effectively as the primary professional development provider for their team through opportunities to enhance skills in a range of areas; these areas include team leadership, team management and teaching for learning. In this scenario, there is a multilayered structure of provision of development opportunities. One level is that provided by the team leader and directly related to the needs of the team members and the requirements of the subject. The second level caters for the needs of the team leader in developing skills to effectively perform all the responsibilities of their role. Provision of professional development opportunities that cater for these may be the responsibility of the School, Faculty, Department or Staff Development Unit, depending upon the Institutional context. This paper will present a case study of the professional development programme offered to a large teaching team by an academic team leader. Some implications and issues arising from the case study that need to be addressed by professional developers and academic team leaders to enable and support the improvement of student, staff and organizational learning through professional development programmes will be discussed.     

Controlling the didactic relation: a case in process engineering education

A case study was conducted during 1994–2013 on several groups of process engineering students to see what was needed to transform a single course from a teacher-centred to a student-centred learning environment (SCLE). Development work was done incrementally, using Herbart's didactic triangle as a theoretical framework. The effects of the changes in learning environment were analysed using quantitative (student attendance, pass rate, attrition, grades) and qualitative data (student feedback). Guiding the didactic relation, i.e. the studying done by students, by continuous assessment was found to be very useful. Using SCLEs that emphasise student responsibility and activity in learning has been found in this case to enhance student learning considerably.     

A case study of faculty perceptions of teaching support and teaching efficacy in China: characteristics and relationships

This study investigated the characteristics of faculty perceptions of teaching support and teaching efficacy and the relationships between them in Shandong, a province in East China. The results from a sample of 2758 faculty members from 25 public institutions of higher education showed high levels of reported teaching support and teaching efficacy. Faculty members from key institutions scored higher on teaching resources and efficacy for course design but lower on administrative and peer support. Male faculty members scored higher on efficacy for course design, technology usage and classroom management. Teaching assistants scored higher on administrative and peer support but lower on efficacy for course design, instructional strategy, technology usage and classroom management. In addition to the positive relationship between teaching resources, peer support and all teaching efficacy factors, administrative support was negatively related to course design, technology usage, classroom management and learning assessment among faculty of provincial institutions but positively related to course design and technology usage among faculty of vocational institutions. No significant relationship was found between administrative support and teaching efficacy factors among faculty members from key institutions.     

高职院校职业发展教育课程的师资队伍现状研究

《高职院校职业发展教育课程"双师型"教师队伍建设研究》课题组成员对当前高职院校职业发展教育课程师资队伍建设进行了调研,包括学生的评价与期望、师资队伍结构、教师的工作经验与态度、标准建设等方面。本文在问卷调查和访谈的基础上,对高职院校职业发展教育课程师资队伍现状及其存在问题作了认真分析。     

Regional networks in education: a case study of an Austrian project

This case study presents the development of networks in education, using the Austrian IMST (Innovations Make Schools Top) project as illustration. The regional networks are coordinated in every Austrian federal province by groups made up of teachers, representatives of the educational authorities, and members of academia. In the framework of the IMST project, all networks are monitored by a team of the Institute of Instructional and School Development at the University of Klagenfurt. This article presents theoretical concepts, network structures and network activities, as well as evaluation data. The overall challenge in trying to enable sustainable development of learning of those involved might be described as keeping momentum between network structures and network processes or, in other words, between stability and flow.