Innovation in PhD completion: the hardy shall succeed (and be happy!)

What is it that makes a PhD such a difficult process, and prevents candidates from completing on time? In this paper, we propose that self‐sabotaging behaviours, including overcommitting, procrastination and perfectionism, have a role to play. At Flinders University, we have developed a program in which we work with PhD students to help to reduce these behaviours and give them the strategies and attitudes they need to successfully (and happily!) complete their thesis. The program utilises cognitive–behavioural coaching, an evidence‐based strategy that we claim leads to significant and long‐term behavioural change. An evaluation of the program indicates that it is very successful, improving students’ ability to manage their time, set specific times for writing, and show work to their supervisor regularly, and that these behaviours were associated with lower levels of stress and improved ability to complete.     

Individual assignments and academic dishonesty — Exploring the learning Conundrum

A survey of university business professors¹ focused on their use of individual assignments in courses and their views on cheating and its impact on student learning. Based on responses from 456 professors (37% response rate) from Ontario, Canada. it was concluded that most facult² believe that individual assignments are effective learning tools and that cheating on these assignments is a serious offence. They believe that cheating occurs widely, but continue to use these assessments, with some alterations, to ensure that students obtain learning benefits. The survey findings varied across disciplines and tenure status. A framework is proposed to explain the faculty perspective and the outcomes that professors experience. The adjustments they make to individual assignments are influenced by multiple factors that are internal (university policies and regulations) and external (internet usage) to the university. The discussion centres on the three stakeholders — faculty, students and administration — the need for culture change, and the role of honor codes in controlling cheating and supporting a learning environment.     

Imprinting of ducklings to a second stimulus when a previously imprinted stimulus is occasionally presented

Newly hatched ducklings were imprinted to one stimulus and then given prolonged visual exposure to a second discriminable stimulus. Filial behavior toward the second stimulus developed more slowly when the original imprinting stimulus was occasionally presented during exposure to the second stimulus than when the original stimulus was withheld during such exposure. Results were interpreted in terms of a possible motivational aftereffect following presentations of the original imprinting stimulus.     

Understanding the causal path between action,learning, and solutions: maximizing the power of action learning to achieve great results

Clients and practitioners alike are often confused about the ultimate purpose of action learning (AL). Because of the title of the method, many believe the primary goal of AL is to generate learning. This article clarifies the relationship between action, learning, and solutions. It also provides historical evidence to support the conclusion that the first purpose of AL has been, and should be, achieving effective and creative solutions to complex, critical, and urgent problems. The power of AL to develop leadership skills is explained and a useful problem-solving mental model, the cycle of effective problem-solving, is presented. The cycle can be used by the coach to generate questions that encourage teams to reflect on its problem-solving process and thereby promote the learning that will improve the team's performance and lead to higher solution quality. Several examples are provided to illustrate how the cycle of effective problem-solving can be used.     

Active learning not associated with student learning in a random sample of college biology courses

Previous research has suggested that adding active learning to traditional college science lectures substantially improves student learning. However, this research predominantly studied courses taught by science education researchers, who are likely to have exceptional teaching expertise. The present study investigated introductory biology courses randomly selected from a list of prominent colleges and universities to include instructors representing a broader population. We examined the relationship between active learning and student learning in the subject area of natural selection. We found no association between student learning gains and the use of active-learning instruction. Although active learning has the potential to substantially improve student learning, this research suggests that active learning, as used by typical college biology instructors, is not associated with greater learning gains. We contend that most instructors lack the rich and nuanced understanding of teaching and learning that science education researchers have developed. Therefore, active learning as designed and implemented by typical college biology instructors may superficially resemble active learning used by education researchers, but lacks the constructivist elements necessary for improving learning.     

An online adaptive learning environment for critical‐thinking‐infused English literacy instruction

Critical thinking (CT) and English literacy are two essential 21st century competencies that are a priority for teaching and learning in an increasingly digital learning environment. Taking advantage of innovations in educational technology, this study empirically investigates the effectiveness of CT‐infused adaptive English literacy instruction using a Moodle system. A one‐group pretest–posttest design was employed to evaluate the effect of the treatment on students' acquisition of CT skills (CTS) and English literacy. A total of 83 students enrolled in two sections of a general studies course at a large university in Taiwan participated in the semester‐long experiment. Adaptive learning was achieved through the use of an online Moodle system for (1) online grouping (based on pretest English literacy scores), (2) delivery of specifically designed adaptive learning materials for each group and (3) provision of individualised feedback. CT‐infused language activities based on social constructivist principles were designed for each level of adaptive instruction, whereas direct instruction for fostering CTS was provided in class and practiced or reflected upon in groups. Empirical results demonstrate that CT‐enhanced adaptive English literacy instruction simultaneously improved students' CTS and English literacy and that students' online discussions developed towards higher levels of interaction. This paper illustrates an effective blended learning model for adaptive instruction and offers recommendations for designing CT‐infused language learning activities that can successfully foster both CT and English literacy outcomes.     

WHAT IS INTERIORITY AND WHY MIGHT IT BE IMPORTANT FOR HUMAN PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY?

Considerations of the inner world of workers and organizations might not fall within the provenance of human performance technology (HPT) practitioners. However, when it comes to being creative, workers need fertile imaginations driven from within. When it comes to productivity, mostly inner energies drive collaboration. When it comes to results, leaders must nurture workers toward wholeness for effective decisions and wisdom‐driven action. For these reasons, HPT practitioners need to know how to engage with the interiority factor.