Academics’ experiences of understanding of their subject matter and the relationship of this to their experiences of teaching and learning

In this paper we focus on the issue of how academic staff experience the understanding of their subject matter and the relationship of this understanding to their experience of teaching. In recent years there has been a substantial amount of research into how academic staff conceive of teaching and learning, how they approach their teaching, and how their approaches to teaching relate to how their students approach their learning. In our present project this research is being extended by looking at the way 31 academics from four broad fields of study experience their understanding of their subject matter and how this relates to the way they experience their teaching. Using a phenomenographic approach we show that academics who experience their subject matter in atomistic and less integrated ways experience their teaching in more information transmission and teacher-focused ways, while those with a more integrated and holistic experience of understanding their subject experience their teaching in more conceptual change and student-focused ways.in final form: 9 September 2004     

Higher education professionals' perspectives on international student experiences of life and learning in Ireland: a qualitative study

Although numerous studies have explored international students' experiences, there is a dearth of research exploring the perspectives of professionals who have contact with international students. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by providing an analysis of higher educational professionals' (n=11) perspectives of international students' experiences and analysing the challenges which arise when working with international students. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff from a large Irish Higher Education Institution. Participants described a range of difficulties experienced by international students, including sociocultural and psychological difficulties, and outlined a number of challenges which exist when dealing with international students, most of which relate to cultural differences and lack of interest in internationalisation. The findings have important policy and practical implications for higher education service provision and point to the need to consider internationalisation as a process which can be enriching for international students, host students and staff members alike.     

Outdoor learning: primary pupils' experiences and teachers' interaction in outdoor learning

This paper draws upon research undertaken for the Outdoor Pedagogies project and explores the processes of teaching and learning at one outdoor residential education centre with children and staff from ‘Oliver’ Primary School. Data were collected through ethnographic research and include participant observation, interviews with teachers and centre staff and group interviews with pupils. Whilst the interviewed children reflected positively on the experience, we highlight the importance of the teachers' interaction with the children in providing for democratic, shared positive learning through the presentation of an extreme or ‘critical’ incident. We raise the issue of professional development for school teachers working with primary school children in outdoor, residential situations.     

Facebook class groups of high school students: their role in establishing social dynamics and learning experiences

The study’s main aim was to explore the role of Facebook class groups, created and managed by high-school students, in facilitating social dynamics and learning experiences. Fourteen Facebook class groups were observed online and students were subsequently questioned through focus-group interviews. Our findings show that Facebook class groups can promote both bonding and learning. Bonding can be enhanced because Facebook class groups foster a sense of solidarity and unity among students. Also, Facebook can stimulate (social) learning because students gain more insights in the subject matter and are challenged to carry out an evaluation of their own study methods and progress. Therefore, drawing on the theories of seamless learning and affinity spaces, we conclude that Facebook class groups are important for social affiliation and effective learning.

     

The stifling silence around scholarly creativity in doctoral education: experiences of students and supervisors in four disciplines

The demand for developing creativity among doctoral students is found in a number of educational policies all over the world. Yet, earlier studies on Swedish doctoral education suggest that doctoral students’ creativity is not always encouraged. Based on a critical hermeneutic approach and cases in four different disciplines, the aim of this study was therefore (1) to explore different shapes of doctoral students’ creativity in Swedish doctoral education and (2) to reveal and find possible explanations to some of the conditions stifling doctoral students’ scholarly creativity. Interview data was collected from 28 participants, constituting 14 dyads of students and supervisors in four disciplines. Through hermeneutic interpretative analysis of the disciplinary cases, the results show that creativity kept on playing in musical performance, was an unexpected guest in pedagogical work, was captured in frames in philosophy and put on hold in psychiatry. Across the cases, students’ scholarly creativity was essentially encapsulated in silence. This silence seemed to emanate from controlling intellectual, political and economic agendas that enabled stifling conditions of the students’ scholarly creativity, where it was as follows: restricted by scholarly traditions, embodying supervisors’ power and unrequested in practice. Based on these findings, the article ends in suggestions for preventing such conditions, holding that it is important to establish a discourse on scholarly creativity in doctoral education, to view doctoral students as capable creative agents and to actually ask for their scholarly creativity.     

英语专业硕士研究生学习动机调查与分析

本文对目前广西已有英语专业研究生培养任务的5所高校的英语专业研究生进行了调查。主要调查了当前英语专业研究生的学习动机,在分析其原因的基础上提出了相应的建议。     

Learner contribution to English language learning: Chinese research students' agency and their transitional experiences in Australia

This article examines the role of agency for the English language development of three Chinese research students with high English proficiency sojourning in Australia. The focus is on the various approaches the learners employed to strengthen their sense of confidence in their language use in Australia. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews and organized into case-study reports. The findings demonstrate that in transitioning into the Australian linguistic and cultural community, all the learners actively sought different English-mediated activities and experiences in order to build the confidence necessary for a successful transition. The differences in their choices of activities were intimately linked with what they historically saw and established as significant achievement goals in and through English. In maintaining that the students' agency was an extension of their fundamental desires and goals for learning, this article provides insights into how second-language (L2) learners gain participation in the target community and the salience of their historical learning goals for L2 use and overall L2 development.     

Changes and challenges in the transition to adulthood: views and experiences of young people with learning disabilities and their families

The transition to adulthood poses one of the most complex challenges for young people with intellectual disabilities. In order to conduct a wide-reaching and in-depth study of this process, we need to know the views of these young people themselves and their families. This article presents research designed to collect the experiences and perceptions of young people with disabilities and their families regarding perceived problems and support in their transition to adulthood in Spain. A qualitative case study method was used to achieve this. Data were collected in three stages on the following topics: educational pathway (primary and secondary school), social support networks and free time, and construction of a personal plan for the future (labour market inclusion and independent living). Various different instruments were used, including interviews, focus groups and visual methods. As for the results, the young people who participated in the study experienced difficulties with both successfully completing secondary education and continuing their education. The families in our study were not very satisfied with the guidance received from professionals upon finishing secondary school. They also complained about the lack of training options available to young people with disabilities. The participants expressed certain fears regarding social inclusion and labour market integration. They are aware that they will need help, and have doubts about whether they will receive the necessary support to progress with their plans for labour market integration and independent living. As a result of the study, we propose several recommendations to improve opportunities for the social inclusion of young people with disabilities in their transition to adulthood.     

Now and then,in and out of the classroom: Teachers learning to teach through the experiences of their living curricula

How, when, and where do teachers learn to teach? Guided by this question, this article examines the relationships between teachers' living and teaching experiences. Through narrative inquiry, it stories “curricular currents” of three teachers from different teaching contexts, noting the continuity, interaction, and place of the experiences that comprise these currents. It argues that these teachers have learned to teach through their “living curricula,” across all times and places of their lives, not just classroom moments. It concludes by charging teacher education to attend closely to teachers' exploration and analysis of their lives' experiences, in and out of classrooms.     

Motivating midwifery students to digitalise their enquiry-based learning experiences: An evaluative case study

Within midwifery education, enquiry-based learning is a well-established means of optimising students’ autonomous discovery, knowledge acquisition and problem-to-creative-solution design. Similarly, as undergraduates they have an innate relationship with technology, which also serves to enhance their cognitive processing skills and overall learning gain. Yet in spite of the benefits of technology-infused learning, the healthcare sector reportedly struggles with integrating technology into enquiry-based learning experiences. This paper reports on one rapid application cycle of a motivational design model that aimed to motivationally influence midwifery students’ willingness to engage with technology; as a means of optimising their enquiry-based learning experiences. Phase one observes how midwifery students from Northern Ireland, spontaneously used technology during the enquiry-based cycle. Phase two describes how technology was introduced to enhance group learning. Phase three reports on the students’ evaluation of the integrated technology. The findings demonstrate that students perceive technology to be a valuable means for discipline-orientated learning.     

Flexible coursework delivery to Australian postgraduates: How effective is the teaching and learning?

The educational implications of non-traditional delivery methods atpostgraduate level are not yet well understood. A major question is whetheradvantages of access and flexibility are accompanied by trade-offs inlearning experiences and outcomes. In this paper we address the effectivenessof delivery methods currently used in postgraduate coursework programs inAustralia. We draw heavily on a national study of flexible delivery methodsin postgraduate education, conducted in 1995.Following a nation-wide survey, we investigated the effects of deliverytechnologies on learning and teaching in seven postgraduate courses.Information was collected, mostly by taped interview, from staff andstudents, and also from course documentation. We present here a typology,based on teaching and learning characteristics, by which we found it usefulto group delivery methods. We identify and discuss four major issuesconcerning the effects of these delivery methods on learning and on teaching,under the headi ngs learner control of learning, interaction and socialexchange, teachers as supporters of student learning and feedback inteaching. As well, we report, according to the typology, the effects ofspecific technologies on teaching and learning.We conclude that on the score of encouraging intellectual independencemany non-traditional delivery methods are fairly robust – on managingcomplexity or uncertainty and encouraging a lively critical inquiry, theyfare less well. From what we have seen, the most effective strategies atpostgraduate level use integrated delivery approaches to create flexiblelearning environments with premiums on individual time management andpractical application of learning. Considerably more detailed evaluation ofthe resulting learning outcomes is needed.     

Embodying life-long learning: Transition and capstone experiences

This paper discusses the principle of Transition as it has been conceptualised by the Curriculum Renewal in Legal Education project. The project sought to develop a principled framework for renewing the final year of tertiary legal education in Australia. Capstone experiences were chosen as the most appropriate mechanism for assisting final year students to manage the transition process. Thoughtfully designed capstones assist students to integrate and synthesise their learning over their entire degree programme, facilitate closure on the undergraduate experience, and assist students to transition from student to emerging professional. We discuss the importance of addressing final year students’ transitional needs and explain how the principle facilitates this process. Although the framework has been developed specifically for legal education in Australia its approach enables transferability across disciplines and institutions. The framework addresses criticisms that universities and law schools are not meeting the needs of final year students by preparing them for the transition to graduate life in a complex and uncertain world.     

Negotiating differences: cosmopolitan experiences of international doctoral students

Drawing on the literature on international student experiences and identities, this study discusses theories of identity from a social constructionist perspective. ‘Identification’ is the preferred term to describe a dynamic process through which students negotiate the meaning of their identities in different societies and communities. Based on interviews with 35 international doctoral students from two graduate schools in Germany, the article illustrates the significance of international mobility for education when external ‘differences’ are appreciated and contribute to cosmopolitan imaginations and when internal differences are created in relation to ‘Others’ in the host society. The article contributes to the literature on international student mobility by providing a fine-grained analysis of student identification, showing how the discourse of difference is used as a double strategy.     

Peer learning in international higher education: the experience of international students in an Irish university

Some of the main concerns in international higher education are the feeling of isolation among international students and their inability to adapt to the host environment, which may result in sub-optimal academic performance. Theoretically, peer learning can be an effective method to reduce these problems since it has the capacity to address isolation and adaptability issues among international students in a way that improves their learning experience and outcomes. Given the above, our study was designed to investigate this topic, focusing on the experience of international students. In this exploratory case study of a leading Irish university, we adopted a survey method via questionnaire to quantify and compare the experiences of a sample of international students at the said university. Five aspects of peer learning were explored, namely usage rate, current practices, outcomes, challenges, and coping strategies. We also included an open-ended section in the survey instrument for respondents to offer qualitative suggestions to the host institution. Through methodological triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data, we discovered diverse practices, challenges, and outcomes of peer learning across different groups of international students in this university. The paper concludes with a discussion of research implications and suggestions for future studies.     

Teacher learning about online learning: experiences of a situated approach

This study explores how teachers experience an online course designed to provide a situated approach to developing understanding of online learning. It describes how the course designer aimed to exploit the potentials of online tasks and interactions in relation to a rationale for situated teacher development, and then explores evidence of how teachers engaged with these processes. A picture of teacher engagement with the course mechanisms emerges from the teachers' own reflections on their experience. Findings suggest that online learning provided for situated opportunities for reflection in and on action. However, the ways in which teachers engaged with and experienced the course were varied, these being accounted for by individual characteristics such as cultural background, by teacher understandings of themselves as learners and online participants, and by individual responses to specific course attributes. The research contributes to understandings of teacher learning in online courses.

Cette étude a exploré comment les enseignants expérimentent sur un cours en ligne conçu pour fournir une approche de situ, destinée à développer leur connaissance d'apprentissage en ligne. Elle décrit comment le concepteur du cours a visé à exploiter les potentiels de l'apprentissage en ligne et des interactions médiatisées par ordinateur par rapport à un raisonnement pour le développement de situ de l'enseignant. Puis elle explore l'évidence de la façon dont les enseignants sont engagés dans ces processus. Une image de l'engagement de l'enseignant avec les mécanismes du cours émerge des propres réflexions des participants sur leur expérience. Les résultats suggèrent que l'apprentissage en ligne a fourni des occasions de situ pour la réflexion dans et sur l'action. Cependant, les manières avec lesquelles les participants se sont engagés avec l'expérience étaient variées, celles‐ci expliquées par différentes caractéristiques telles que le fond culturel, les vues des enseignants eux‐mêmes en tant qu'étudiants et participants en ligne et par leurs réactions différentes aux attributs spécifiques du cours. Cette recherche contribue à notre compréhension de l'apprentissage des enseignants dans des cours en ligne.

Este estudio examina las experiencias de los profesores que tomaron un curso en‐línea diseñado para proporcionar un enfoque situado en el desarrollo de la comprensión del aprendizaje en‐línea. Este estudio describe cómo el diseñador del curso buscaba explotar el potencial de las tareas e interacción en‐línea de acuerdo con los principios del enfoque situado para el desarrollo de profesores. También se examina cómo los profesores hicieron parte de estos procesos. Se puede vislumbrar la vinculación de los profesores con los mecanismos del curso a través de reflexiones de su experiencia. Los resultados sugieren que el aprendizaje en‐línea brindó oportunidades situadas para la reflexión durante y sobre la acción. Sin embargo, la forma como los profesores experimentaron e hicieron parte del curso fue variada, debido a características individuales tales como el entorno cultural, interpretaciones personales de los profesores en el rol de estudiantes y participantes en‐línea, y por las respuestas individuales a características específicas del curso. Este estudio contribuye al entendimiento del desarrollo de profesores a través de los cursos en‐línea.

In dieser Studie wurde untersucht, wie Lehrer einen Onlinekurs wahrnehmen, dessen Ziel es ist durch einen learning‐by‐doing Ansatz ein Verständnis für Onlinelernen zu entwickeln. Es wird einerseits beschrieben, wie der Entwickler versuchte die Möglichkeiten von Onlineaufgaben und ‐interaktion im Hinblick auf eine Grundlage für situierte Lehrerfortbildung auszunutzen, und andererseits wie Lehrer mit diesen Prozessen umgingen. Ein Überblick über das Lehrerengagement für die Mechanismen des Kurses erwächst aus den Überlegungen und Erfahrungen der Lehrer selbst. Die Ergebnisse lassen den Schluss zu, dass Onlinelernen situative Möglichkeiten der Reflexion während und nach den Handlungen ermöglicht. Jedoch waren die Art und Weise, in der die Lehrer mit dem Kurs umgingen und ihn erfuhren, unterschiedlich; dies ist auf individuelle Merkmale, wie kultureller Hintergrund, Selbstverständnis der Lehrer als Lernende und Onlineteilnehmer, sowie auf individuelle Reaktionen auf spezifische Kursattribute zurück zu führen. Diese Untersuchung trägt zum Verständnis des Lernens von Lehrern in Onlinekursen bei.     

Residential and non-residential learning experiences: Perceptions and performance

This study examines the perceptions and performance of vocational teachers exposed to a residential or non-residential tertiary learning situation. The perceptions of both groups of teachers, relevant to the outcomes of the learning situation or attendance mode to which they had been exposed, were obtained by questionnaire. Lecturers who had experience of both learning situations were also surveyed on similar issues. Information was sought primarily about attitudes to social, communication and learning outcomes relevant to the mode of attendance undertaken. In addition, final academic results concerning a major project for both residential and non-residential teachers were compared. Both groups of respondents perceived some major differences in outcome for teachers exposed to a particular learning situation. The residential mode was generally seen to be most effective by teachers and lecturers in terms of the perceived greater opportunities it gave for the development of peer group and lecturer communication and support with effects on learning and improved choices of academic success. There was, however, in terms of final academic success measured, no significance between group differences. Overall it was found that a residential program may significantly improve group cohesion and communication compared to a similar nonresidential program but that those outcomes may not necessarily lead to improved learning performance.     

Can we engage postgraduates in active research methodology learning? Challenges,strategies and evaluation of learning

ABSTRACT

Due to the complex nature of research methodology courses, the current study focused on implementing the active teaching and learning approach to a postgraduate research method course in a Malaysian university over an academic semester. A qualitative analysis of observations, instructor-learner interactional exchanges, students’ drafts of tasks and pre-course and focus group discussion was performed. The findings revealed three types of challenges: student-oriented challenges, subject-matter-related challenges and instructor-oriented challenges. Three main pedagogical strategies: instructional scaffolding, peer scaffolding and engaging the postgraduates in drafting their tasks were employed as a response to these challenges. Although the active teaching and learning practices resulted into students’ enhancement of the assigned research methodology tasks and positive research learning experience, such practices were time and effort-consuming. Therefore, future research will need to examine the applicability of our active teaching and learning approach to research methodology courses in different contexts.     

Group work experiences: Domestic MBA student experiences and outcomes when working with international students

This article forms part of an exploration into the results of a single-case, embedded study that was conducted to explore how domestic part-time graduate business students in the United States experience group work for summative assessment. Multiple information collection methods were utilised, including open-ended and semi-structured interviews, case study documents and student journals. The aim of this larger study was to understand the unique experiential factors that contribute to a student's perceptions of positive group work outcomes within a graduate-level context. However, this article will detail only one of the more unexpected findings of this study, which involves how international students affect the perception of positive group work for domestic part-time students. Since key informants of this study included only domestic part-time MBA students, the limitations and ethical implications surrounding this finding will also be addressed. This article suggests noteworthy implications in the area of professional and organisational development for faculty and administrators in higher education with regard to the use of group work in the graduate classroom. This includes the importance of utilising existing institutional resources and structures to prepare and develop administrators, faculty and staff to make more informed decisions regarding group work within a graduate context.     

Digital Learning Playground: supporting authentic learning experiences in the classroom

This study proposes a platform to provide a near-authentic environment, context, and situation for task-based learning. The platform includes two projection screens (a vertical and a horizontal screen) combined for situated or authentic learning. The horizontal screen extends the vertical screen scene to form a space for learning activities and performance. The platform creates learning situations using robots as surrogates of students to accomplish real-life tasks. Kolb's four-stage experiential learning cyclical model was adopted in the learning design. A simple practice was developed to examine the effect on teaching children English as a foreign language. The results reveal that children could engage deeply and feel more enjoyment using the system. Moreover, as surrogates for students to imagine that they are accomplishing real-life missions, robots could be a vital element of authentic learning in future classrooms.