Interdisciplinary Learning: Process and Outcomes

Interdisciplinary learning is characterized by the integration of multidisciplinary knowledge across a central program theme or focus. With repeated exposure to interdisciplinary thought, learners develop more advanced epistemological beliefs, enhanced critical thinking ability and metacognitive skills, and an understanding of the relations among perspectives derived from different disciplines. Our adaptation of Biggs and Collis' (1982) Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome illustrates the stages of interdisciplinary knowledge integration and explains corresponding patterns of learners' intellectual functioning, from acquisition of single-subject information to transfer of interdisciplinary knowledge to other topics, issues, or problems.     

Teaching introductory business statistics

This paper seeks to compare the traditional delivery of introductory courses in business statistics within a business and management faculty, with that of an approach that seeks to teach through information technology (IT). To achieve this objective this paper will examine how traditionally taught courses in business statistics are delivered and compare this with a teaching approach through the use of IT     

Characteristics of High-Rated and Low-Rated Master's Degree Candidates in Counseling and Guidance

The relationship between intellective and non-intellective variables and counseling competence was investigated by comparing student counselors rated as falling within the top 25 percent in overall competence at the end of an evaluation seminar with their counterparts rated in the bottom 25 percent. Competence was operationally defined as a composite of knowledge of counseling theories and techniques, knowledge of and ability to use test data in counseling, and counseling skill. Significant differences between the high-rated and low-rated student counselors were observed on the dimension of chronological age, five of six intellective variables, and five of 11 non-intellective variables.     

Do you have a broken link in your accessibility chain?

Key points

• Accessibility of publications in academia is a non‐negotiable legal requirement.
• The accessibility of your journal or other scholarly publication is the most important design consideration in your workflow.
• EPUB Accessibility 1.0 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 provide a clear publishing pathway.
• Consider the readability chain: Any link can result in accessibility failure but an unbroken chain will benefit all readers.

     

Starting almost from scratch: Developing special collections as a teaching tool in the small academic library

This article presents strategies on how small academic libraries—where instructional efforts are often limited to information literacy initiatives—can expand their pedagogical efforts by way of book history instruction by developing a small but capable rare books collection used solely as a teaching tool. Discussed are methods for locating hidden collections and the removal of materials from general stacks to rare book shelving, the advantages and limitations of the one-shot instructional session, methods of earning administrative buy-in that can lead to small rare book acquisitions budgets, and promotional and collaborative strategies to build university-wide support. The article concludes with strategies on how to develop a three-credit undergraduate course on book history taught by a librarian using a rare books teaching collection acquired by modest expenditure and careful selection.     

Enabling team learning in healthcare

This paper is based on a study of learning processes within 35 healthcare therapy teams that took action to improve their services. The published research on team learning is introduced, and the paper suggests it is an activity that has similarities with action research and with those forms of action learning where teams address collective problems to enhance organisational performance. The paper proposes factors within the teams and in the teams’ environments that enabled team learning, in particular, within the team, the behaviours of team leaders to encourage learning, communication, planning, action and review, and in the teams’ environments, the behaviour of senior managers and other stakeholders in positions of authority, access to effective information systems, and the availability of a modest amount of resource to enable team learning.     

My Last Shot: Make the Economy Ours

We have reified the concept of economy. I review some illustrations of the current use of economy and argue for making the economy our concept. It is too important to leave to economists.