scholarly journals Linking Teaching and Research Through Scholarship Projects: A Case Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-63
Author(s):  
Natalie Braber ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Teaching And Research ◽  
Student Community ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Active Research

Many lecturers find that teaching and research compete for their time. However, teaching and research can be linked closely together, and there are many ways of linking the two. This article will consider how research can be incorporated into teaching through a case study in Linguistics at Nottingham Trent University (in the United Kingdom), where undergraduate students are invited to participate on a research project. This project aims to foster and strengthen the links between teaching and research in the undergraduate curriculum to enhance the student learning experience (both for the students involved in the project and the wider student community). Allowing students to become involved in academic research before their final year can influence teaching and learning practice by encouraging students to look beyond lectures and seminars at the work which is carried out by their own lecturers. In order for learning to be most effective, it must be seen as relevant to the real world and by inviting students onto active research projects will show them how academic research is relevant to, and involved with, the wider world outside academia. By enthusing students with the actual potential of their studies, will increase learning and allow us to link research and teaching actively for all students.

scholarly journals Design for learning – a case study of blended learning in a science unit

F1000Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 898
Author(s):  
Roslyn Gleadow ◽  
Barbara Macfarlan
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Scientific Practice ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Management

Making material available through learning management systems is standard practice in most universities, but this is generally seen as an adjunct to the ‘real’ teaching, that takes place in face-to-face classes. Lecture attendance is poor, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to engage students, both in the material being taught and campus life. This paper describes the redevelopment of a large course in scientific practice and communication that is compulsory for all science students studying at our Melbourne and Malaysian campuses, or by distance education. Working with an educational designer, a blended learning methodology was developed, converting the environment provided by the learning management system into a teaching space, rather than a filing system. To ensure focus, topics are clustered into themes with a ‘question of the week’, a pre-class stimulus and follow up activities. The content of the course did not change, but by restructuring the delivery using educationally relevant design techniques, the content was contextualised resulting in an integrated learning experience. Students are more engaged intellectually, and lecture attendance has improved. The approach we describe here is a simple and effective approach to bringing this university’s teaching and learning into the 21st century.

Blended Learning Support for Undergraduate Students’ Research and Writing Skills Development

2014 ◽  
pp. 341-368
Author(s):  
Asako Yoshida
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Support ◽  
Learning Practices ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
Main Barrier ◽  
The University

In this exploratory study, a subject librarian and a writing instructor investigated the potential of designing blended learning around research paper assignments in the context of two foundational courses in the Faculty of Human Ecology at the University of Manitoba, Canada. The objective was to explore alternative, more embedded learning support for undergraduate students. The significance of blended learning support was situated in the broader literature of the teaching and learning practices in higher education. In this case study, descriptions of blended learning support for facilitating student learning, and of the main barrier to its implementation are provided. Based on what was learned in the exploratory study, the chapter provides working guidelines for designing and developing blended learning support, mainly drawing from Butler and Cartier’s (2004) research on academic engagement.

Interaction Design for Inclusive Learning

2010 ◽  
pp. 28-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deryn Graham ◽  
Ian Benest ◽  
Peter Nicholl
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Design ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
European Population ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Inclusive Learning ◽  
All Solutions ◽  
Funded Project ◽  
Visually Impaired Students

The findings for a case study on improving interaction design for teaching visually impaired students, in an inclusive learning environment, are presented. The crux of the problem is the ability to draw and understand diagrams. The cognitive issues are often underestimated with insufficient attention being given to the use of metaphors, etc. and “one size fits all solutions” are often the norm. The findings of the original seed funded project, which was conducted by three universities in the United Kingdom, have led to design criteria and to an application for a large scale project, to produce generic tools and to enable “multi-modal” teaching and learning, with connotations for the support of people with cognitive as well as physical impairments, especially relevant with respect to an increasingly ageing European population.

Online Learning and Lifelong Learning

2011 ◽  
pp. 51-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn Finger
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Technological Improvements

This chapter explores ways in which new and emerging information and communication technologies (ICT) might transform the learning experience through online delivery. After presenting a conceptualisation of ICT use by educators in terms of inaction, investigation, application, integration, and transformation, two diverse learning settings are examined to develop insights into the implications of online learning for lifelong learning—namely, the delivery of educational services to preschool children (aged 4 years old) through to Year 10 students (aged 15 years old) in rural and remote communities in Australia, and the dimensions required for designing online learning for adult learners in higher education. Through the presentation of a case study of a School of Distance Education in Australia, which reflects technological improvements using telephone teaching, and the affordances of improved connectivity, the case study demonstrates that this has enabled the use of more constructivist approaches to teaching and learning to transform the delivery of education to rural and remote students. Subsequently, this chapter provides a synthesis of the literature relating to the critical factors influencing learner satisfaction in online learning.

scholarly journals Enriching classroom learning through a microblogging-supported activity

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-107
Author(s):  
Kun Li ◽  
Kent Darr ◽  
Fei Gao
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Classroom Learning ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Instructional Activity ◽  
Exploratory Case Study ◽  
Real Work

Researchers have recognized the role that microblogging tools play in enhancing the effectiveness of communication and interaction in the classroom. However, few studies have specifically examined how to use microblogging tools to bring educational resources into the classroom to enrich the student learning experience. The exploratory case study examined an instructional activity designed to expand and deepen student learning experience by having undergraduate students subscribe to, read, and share tweets from high-quality Twitter accounts in the field. The findings suggested that students believed that the activity broadened their knowledge on the topics to be learned, helped them see the connections between coursework and real work, and empowered them with a new tool for learning and inquiry.

scholarly journals Gutter Design and Business Development for Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Systems: A Case Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-78
Author(s):  
Jillian Zankowski ◽  
Yixin Sun ◽  
Abdalla Nassar ◽  
Khanjan Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Rectangular Cross Section ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
And Performance

Rainwater harvesting is a simple and effective tool to collect and store water for domestic and institutional use. In developing countries, captured rainwater can be used to replace or supplement government-supplied or manually-transported water. A rainwater harvesting system consists of a catchment area, gutter, and storage tank. Gutters typically have a V-shaped, trapezoidal or rectangular cross-section. This work presents a case study on the design and performance analysis of three conventional and one novel, “wrapped” gutter cross-section along with the implementation of a novel gutter design in the developing world. A Team of undergraduate students performed the design and analysis and, though a service-learning experience in May 2013, investigated barriers to implementing rainwater harvesting in central Kenya. It was found that while gutters can be easily fabrication and installed using locally-available materials and skill-sets, for consumer, the potential return on investment was low and the cost of implementation was high. For producers and installers, non-uniform roof designs and conditions was a major obstacle.

Examining the mediating role of learning engagement, learning process and learning experience on the learning outcomes through localized real case studies

2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathews Nkhoma ◽  
Narumon Sriratanaviriyakul ◽  
Hiep Pham Cong ◽  
Tri Khai Lam
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of real, localized case studies on students’ learning engagement, the learning process and learning experience and the role of such case studies in influencing students’ learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 400 undergraduate students through an online questionnaire immediately after discussion of the case in Business Information Systems classes. Student learning from the case study was measured by two components consisting of case knowledge and case perceptions. The student course engagement questionnaire was used to examine engagement in skills, emotions, participation and performance while the study process questionnaire was administered to assess students’ learning approaches. Additionally, the seven predominant roles of the feedback were used to analyse students’ learning experience. Finally, students’ learning outcomes were assessed both in group performance and individual performance. Structure equation modelling was applied to test the causal model. Findings – The results revealed that the case study had a positive influence on students’ engagement in skills and emotions. Moreover, case perceptions led students to surface approach in their learning. Furthermore, case knowledge had a positive impact on the learning experience. Research limitations/implications – The study suggests that localized case studies should be designed cautiously. Furthermore the method of instruction regarding the method must be clearly explained for undergraduate students. Future research should consider a way of evaluating academic achievement as a result of using localized cases. Originality/value – The findings reported in the paper contributed to an area of educational research by emphasizing on the mediating role of learning engagement, the learning process and the learning experience.

scholarly journals Interrogating patient-centredness in undergraduate medical education using an integrated behaviour model

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Elize Archer ◽  
E M Bitzer ◽  
B B Van Heerden
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Background Characteristics ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Curriculum ◽  
Assessment Of Learning ◽  
Attitudinal Factors ◽  
Patient Centredness

Background: Patient-centredness, an approach that puts the patient at the centre of the consultation, thus focusing on patients instead of on his/her diseases, has been identified by most medical schools as a desired core competence of their graduates. Despite some curriculum initiatives, medical students often display a lack of patient-centredness upon graduation. This bears reason for concern and it was thus deemed important to explore possible factors that influence the teaching and learning of patient-centredness in an undergraduate medical curriculum. The article suggests a framework that can assist programme developers to conceptualise the teaching and learning of patient-centredness across an undergraduate curriculum. Methods: A qualitative exploratory case study design was used for the study with final-year medical students. Themes of meaning were deduced from the data by employing components of an Integrated Behavior Model (IBM) of Fishbein. Results: The findings of the study revealed that seven factors play a role: background characteristics of students, attitudinal factors, subjective norms (the hidden curriculum), student self-efficacy, acquired skills and knowledge, the environment or context within which patient-centredness is taught and learnt, as well as assessment of learning. Conclusions: Patient-centredness is a complex construct and authors often write about only one of its components. This paper attempts to consider the total undergraduate medical curriculum students are exposed to when they learn about being patient-centred. The teaching and learning of such a multidimensional construct require a comprehensive approach in order to be effective and the IBM seems to be a useful and applicable theoretical model to apply. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2017; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2017.1386869

scholarly journals Online language teaching and learning: Anglistics students' perspectives on the new educational environment imposed by the COVID 19 outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-248
Author(s):  
Marijana Prodanović ◽  
Valentina Gavranović
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Online Delivery ◽  
Education Environment

This paper focuses on students' perspectives on the quality of online teaching and learning environment, created, and organized as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which unexpectedly interrupted the traditional face-to-face education context and changed the delivery and mode of classes overnight. The aim of this research is to gather information pertaining to students' learning experience in an online education environment, and to gain a deeper insight into the nature of online delivery of classes as perceived by students who had not had any similar learning experience prior to this newly created educational context. The theoretical framework of the paper states the latest EU education policies passed as an immediate and urgent response to the pandemic and its aftermath. This pilot study relies on a qualitative research which includes the analysis of a corpus of questionnaires taken by a group of 52 undergraduate students majoring in English. The main part of the questionnaire is composed of open-ended questions, and the respondents were asked to write their own answers, thus providing a valuable resource for the analysis; the other part relies on one Likert-scale question measuring the overall attitude of the respondents to the online learning. The students' answers are analyzed and classified into several categories according to their common denominator. Not only do the results show the students' opinions related to the benefits and drawbacks of online delivery of classes, the comparison of online and traditional form of teaching and learning, types of courses which are more suitable to be delivered in one of these modes, and the students' suggestions how to improve the quality of online classes, but they also shed light on different aspects of online teaching and its complexities enhanced by social and psychological factors involved.

scholarly journals Alternative strategies for closing the award gap between white and minority ethnic students

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Cramer
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
University College London ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Ethnic Students ◽  
Minority Ethnic

In the United Kingdom, undergraduate students from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds receive lower classes of degrees than white students, and similar gaps have been reported in other countries. Such award gaps limit ethnic diversity in academic research, and in the broader job market. Whilst there has been some success in reducing the award gap in the UK, a significant gap still persists. Here, based on an analysis of students studying cell biology at University College London, I show that differences in performance at exams contribute significantly more to the award gap than differences in performance in coursework. From these data, plus scrutiny of the literature, alternative policies are identified to speed up the closure of the award gap and to remove the barriers that prevent students from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds from progressing to PhD and postdoctoral positions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document