scholarly journals A new approach to the introductory teaching of Computing and IT at the Open University UK

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Bissell
Keyword(s):  
Communication Networks ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
First Year ◽  
Open University ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
On Line ◽  
The University

The Open University of the United Kingdom is a distance-teaching university with no entrance requirements; modules are available world wide. This paper presents a novel approach to the teaching of introductory Computing and IT at the University (level 1 / first-year bachelor’s degree). The new module covers: digitization; elementary programming; fixed and mobile communication networks; webpage design; the Internet of Things; and socio-technological aspects of ICT (such as the ‘information society’, gender issues, health care, and the ‘digital divide’). The rationale and structure of the course are presented, with an outline of the content and assessment strategy. Major aims of the new module are: to improve skills development; redress the current gender imbalance in the subject area at the Open University; and improve general completion and progression rates. The module also makes widespread use of on-line activities and forums in support of learning and the development of a sense of a ‘community at a distance’.

A Nested Analysis of Factors Affecting Bachelor's Degree Completion

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen L. DesJardins ◽  
Dong-Ok Kim ◽  
Chester S. Rzonca
Keyword(s):  
Degree Completion ◽  
College Major ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
First Year ◽  
University Of Iowa ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
The University ◽  
Nested Analysis ◽  
Sequential Nature

The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of selected factors on retention, graduation, and timely bachelor's degree completion at The University of Iowa. An additional purpose was to identify the stage-varying effects of selected variables. Reflecting the sequential nature of bachelor's degree completion, this study focused on three stages of students' progress to graduation: 1) dropout vs. persistence in the first year, 2) graduation vs. failure to graduate among first year persisters, and 3) graduation in four years or less vs. graduation in five years or more. We found that college academic performance, pre-matriculation academic achievement, and college major were the most important variables in explaining success at The University of Iowa. We also found fairly consistent results across the three models.

scholarly journals INCORPORATING A COMMUNITY-BASED RAPID MANUFACTURING FACILITY INTO A FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING DESIGN COURSE

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Wlodyka ◽  
Bruno Tomberli
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
First Year ◽  
Design Tools ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Laboratory Equipment ◽  
Manufacturing Facility ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Design Students ◽  
Manufacturing Technologies ◽  
The University

University engineering departments are often challenged to maintain state of the art manufacturing facilities due to the rapid technological changes that are occurring in industry. Older or obsolete engineering laboratory equipment, manufacturing machines, and design tools are difficult to replace due to limited department budgets, space, and staff resources.At Capilano University, where a hands-on project-based one semester first year engineering design class is offered, the Engineering department has taken a novel approach to meet the above challenge.The Engineering Design students are required to design, build, and test original prototype electrical circuits, and mechanical structures as part of their design projects. Construction of these student-designed units requires a rapid turnaround manufacturing facility to meet the peak demands of the students, capabilities that smaller universities are often limited in their ability to provide.To meet this specific requirement, a community-based private rapid prototyping design and manufacturing facility, Zen Maker Labs, was approached, and a partnership agreement has been developed. The agreement consisted of cooperation between the university and the Zen Maker Lab to support up to 60 engineering design students. The students were provided with tools, safety training, and support for manufacturing. The facility has provided CAD design stations, several 3D printers, laser cutters, and numerically controlled milling machines to support manufacturing of student designs. Access to the manufacturing facility was initially provided on subscription basis, where students used the library to “sign-out” membership cards, and access the facility on a controlled,  supervised basis. The controlling of student numbers through the  university library provided a method for managing student access to themanufacturing facility over a period of 8-10 weeks. This arrangement for laboratory access has recently been expanded through a revised collaboration arrangement, and has provided engineering design students with handson experience with several manufacturing technologies and CAD engineering modelling and design tools.

NetLab

2012 ◽  
pp. 42-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrina Dimitrova ◽  
Barry Wellman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
New Media ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
The United States ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Job Searches ◽  
The University

This chapter discusses NetLab -- an interdisciplinary scholarly network studying the intersection of social networks, communication networks, and computer networks. Although centered at the University of Toronto, NetLab members come from across Canada and the United States as well as from Chile, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. NetLab has developed since 2000 from an informal network of collaborators into a far-flung virtual laboratory. Its research focuses on the interplay between social and technological links, including the understanding of social capital in job searches and business settings, new media and community, Internet and personal relations, social media, households, networked organizations, and knowledge transfer in research networks.

The Open University, United Kingdom

2011 ◽  
pp. 1430-1432
Author(s):  
Gary A. Berg
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Open University ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
Nontraditional Higher Education ◽  
Private Correspondence ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
The University ◽  
Stated Purpose

The British Open University has been a leader in nontraditional higher education for years and has influenced the development of distance learning programs in many countries including America. The origins of the open university movement generally and the British Open University specifically can be traced to the University of London. The University of London began conducting examinations and the offering of degrees to external students in 1836. This paved the way for the growth of private correspondence colleges that prepared students for the University of London’s examinations and enabled them to study independently for a degree without enrolling in the university. Described in an internal history document as the “world’s first successful distance teaching university” (British Open University, 2004, p. 1), its origin can be traced to a university of the air proposal that gained support in the early 1960s. By the 1970s the university was up and running, planning on 25,000 students per year. At the end of the 1970s, the British Open University had over 70,000 students, and currently has more than 180,000 students. The stated purpose of the university was to break the so-called link between excellence and exclusivity.

scholarly journals Problem-based learning and other active methodologies as support for distance teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 277-287
Author(s):  
Asier Arcos Alonso ◽  
Ander Arcos - Alonso
Keyword(s):  
Learning Process ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
Teaching Innovation ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The University

This manuscript presents an innovative experience in the teaching–learning process with three objectives. The first is to incorporate the principles and values of social justice, reciprocity and solidarity in the subject ‘Statistics Applied to Business’ in the bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management at the University of the Basque Country. The second objective addresses how to apply active methodologies in the teaching of economics and business from a competency-based approach in order to investigate its impact. The third one, on the other hand, tries to explore how to provide students with active distance learning tools to improve and guarantee the quality of the teaching–learning process. The results of the experience demonstrate the potential of technical subjects for the development of transversal competencies and the capacity of students to design and solve complex problems with creativity and knowledge of social and labour realities. Likewise, greater motivation, better knowledge acquisition and appropriation of the work by the students are also detected. Finally, this article shows the potential of methodologies that involve the combined responsibility of students and teachers in the generation of knowledge that favours a professional development that is permeable and sensitive to the changes occurring in the social and labour world.   Keywords: Problem-based learning, distance teaching, pandemic, teaching innovation

Tutoring Experiences in PBL of Industrial Engineering and Management Program: Teachers vs Students

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabela C. Alves ◽  
Francisco Moreira ◽  
Celina P. Leão ◽  
Senhorinha Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Normal Development ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Industrial Engineering ◽  
First Year ◽  
On Line ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The University

Teamwork tutors are one of the characteristic elements of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology. PBL is considered to be an active learning methodology that involves the students in their own learning, by promoting the development of a large interdisciplinary project. The project runs typically over one full semester, or longer, and it is supported by a number of Project Supporting Courses (PSC) that teach and also applies its own contents aligned with project objectives. A set of activities, tasks and milestones are planned for each team so that the project objectives are accrued, with the aid of a tutor that follows the normal development and reports on its progress. This paper discusses the role of the tutor from both sides: students’ and teachers’ tutors, and students in their first year of the Integrated Master in Industrial Engineering and Management program at the University of Minho. A total of thirteen tutors (four teachers and nine third year students) tutored six teams of students. Two on-line questionnaires were used to collect: 1) the perspectives of the tutored students with a total of 38 questions; 2) the perspectives of the tutors with a total of 22 questions. It was interesting to note that almost all students that answered to the questionnaire enjoyed having an older student tutoring them. The students’ tutors also enjoyed and they all had a good tutorship experience, being a special opportunity to help the first year colleagues.

The Open University, United Kingdom

2011 ◽  
pp. 1554-1556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary A. Berg
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Open University ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
Nontraditional Higher Education ◽  
Private Correspondence ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
The University ◽  
Stated Purpose

The British Open University has been a leader in nontraditional higher education for years and has influenced the development of distance learning programs in many countries including America. The origins of the open university movement generally and the British Open University specifically can be traced to the University of London. The University of London began conducting examinations and the offering of degrees to external students in 1836. This paved the way for the growth of private correspondence colleges that prepared students for the University of London’s examinations and enabled them to study independently for a degree without enrolling in the university. Described in an internal history document as the “world’s first successful distance teaching university” (British Open University, 2004, p. 1), its origin can be traced to a university of the air proposal that gained support in the early 1960s. By the 1970s the university was up and running, planning on 25,000 students per year. At the end of the 1970s, the British Open University had over 70,000 students, and currently has more than 180,000 students. The stated purpose of the university was to break the so-called link between excellence and exclusivity.

scholarly journals Interactivity in digital teaching of a foreign language (on the example of Don State Technical University)

2020 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 18036
Author(s):  
Galina Radchenko ◽  
Svetlana Pervukhina
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
State Technical ◽  
Digital Medium ◽  
Digital Education ◽  
On Line ◽  
Technical University ◽  
The University

The article discusses the issues of methods of teaching a foreign language using digital technologies, taking into account their development in the Rostov region on the basis of the Don State Technical University. Attention is focused on the creation of information and educational environment at the university and the features of such an important didactic property of digital learning as interactivity. The types of interactivity, their differentiation, functioning, and interaction in the educational process are considered in detail. The authors observe such directions of digital education as blended learning, distance learning, and mass public on-line courses. To create a digital medium, the university organized a digital portal SKIF. The authors describe this portal and its opportunities for distance teaching. The advantages of digital education in comparison with traditional ones are noted, and the problems of transition from reproductive to creative-problematic type of teaching a foreign language are considered. The authors also note usage of gamification and augmented reality in the digital educational process.

scholarly journals Trends of Students' Enrollment in Dhankuta Multiple Campus

2021 ◽  
pp. 33-46
Author(s):  
Tika Ram Linkha
Keyword(s):  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
First Year ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Enrolment Rate ◽  
Student Enrolment ◽  
Subject Specialization ◽  
Faculties Of Education ◽  
The University ◽  
Official Records

This paper attempts to explore the students' enrolment trends in Dhankuta Multiple Campus. The discipline of geography has offered in Bachelor's degree level at the Faculties of Education (FoE), and Humanities, and Social Sciences (FoHSS) since 1970. This paper is based on the review of relevant materials collected from the official records of the Dhankuta Multiple Campus. The data covers 25 years (1996-2020) of student enrolment in the Bachelor's first year of both faculties. Students' enrolment data reveals that the student enrolment rate in the FoHSS seems to be the same while fluctuations observed in the FoE. The enrolment rate in the FoE reached its climax in 2005, and it has gradually declined after 2010. The FoE offered a single-subject specialization policy in the Bachelors of Degree Program, phasing out the proficiency certificate level from the university; the declining number of feeder schools offering geography and the state economic policies are responsible factors to deterioration the student enrolment. Therefore, the concerned authorities need to take appropriate steps to increase student enrolment.

scholarly journals Model-based academic dismissal policies; a case-study from the Netherlands

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casper J Albers ◽  
Carlien Vermue ◽  
Taco de Wolff ◽  
Hans Beldhuis
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Optimal Level ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
First Year ◽  
Minor Effect ◽  
Academic Dismissal ◽  
A Minor ◽  
The University ◽  
Dismissal Policy

Many higher education institutions use a policy for academic dismissal. In the Netherlands, the academic dismissal policy is such that students with fewer credits than a certain threshold after their first year, are expelled. This article employs the beta-binomial model to assess whether this method succeeds in filtering those who have potential from those who do not and what the optimal level of the threshold is. The model considers 13,234 students in three consecutive cohorts from around fifty different bachelor's degree programmes at the University of Groningen. We found that demanding 45 out of 60 credits constitutes a fair threshold for this institution. Although a strict dismissal policy has only a minor effect on cohorts, it can have a major effect on specific groups of students. The software employed here is made available.

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