Practice and Process: Investigating the Impact of Local Practice on the ISW Process

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:09:39 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Amira Abdelrasoul, Wenona Partridge, Susan Bens

Although studies about the transformative impact of the Instructional Skill Workshop (ISW) have been conducted by Dawson, D., Borin, P., Meadows, K., Britnell, J., Olsen, K., & McIntyre, G. (2014) and Russell Day et al., (2004) these have as yet not examined the specific influence of local practice (Hager et al., 2012) on the ISW process. The goal of our exploratory study is to investigate the influence of local practices of teaching and learning on the overall learning process of the ISW. Our reasons for conducting this study include examining the assumptions that have emerged as part of the educational development practice at our own teaching and learning centre. These assumptions inform our view that holding an ISW for a single department or disciplinary area, which we identify as a local practice following Hager et al. (2004), introduces conflict to the ISW process. By conflict, we refer to a tendency within local practitioners to be preoccupied with content rather than strategies used to teach that content. We have thus far addressed this conflict by facilitating the ISW across diverse local practices. In our exploration, we use small case studies of ISWs offered within different local practices. We contrast the process of local practice ISWs with that of multiple practice ISWs held at the University of Saskatchewan. We critically analyze our observations on process, leaving space open on our poster for observers to contribute their own beliefs, experiences, and assumptions they might hold about process of facilitation involving local vs multiple practice participants. We seek to contribute to a culture of learning by challenging assumptions about the influence of local practice on the development and change of learning cultures in higher education through interventions such as the ISW.

Inside the MNTF Special Interest Group – Crafting a Culture for Teaching Excellence

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:18:36 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Earle Abrahamson, Duncan Cross

At the heart of ISSoTL, there lies a unique space populated by special interest groups. One such group is the Multinational Teaching Fellows (MNTF). This group was established to support and engage award winning teachers with conversations and debates around defining and recognising teaching excellence. The group has evolved into an inclusive community of practice focussing on supporting aspiring academics by sharing experiences and journeys. Through the group, members have enjoyed contributing towards conference abstract submissions including panels that are tasked with discerning the structures for, and definitions of, teaching excellence. The group tackles questions relating to complex, and often alien landscapes that position teaching excellence within a learning framework:

1. What is excellence in teaching and learning? Can this be defined on an individual and national level?
2. What metrics are useful in measuring teaching excellence?
3. Is excellence a process (the journey) or simply a measure of the product?
4. What is the role and responsibility of the teaching fellow in following the journey of excellence?
5. When we reach the summit of excellence, does the landscape change and how best do we individually, and collectively stay there?
6. Should excellence be recognised, or is it part of the work we are expected to do? (Awards vs Rewards)
7. What role should teaching and learning organisations and interest groups play in moving the journey of excellence closer to the summit?
8. What support do academics need on their journey towards sustained excellence?

Following the last ISSoTL conference in 2017, it was important to develop and sustain a renewed interest in teaching excellence across multinational territories and institutions. To this end, the group co-ordinators convened a SoTLVision network to share ideas and engage wider communities of practice with current thoughts, debates and scholarly outputs in SoTL. This poster identifies the work of the MNTF group by signposting projects, sharing philosophies for practice, and illustrating the architecture for a sustained culture of excellence.

Peer Learning Abroad to Embed Intercultural Awareness in a Short-Term Mobility Program

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:17:11 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Tina Acuna, Alistair Gracie, Mojith Ariyaratne, Buddhi Marambe, Pradeepa Silva, Chalinda Beneragama

There is a significant body of scholarly literature on outward-bound mobility programs, which provide participating students with the opportunity to take part of their study abroad (Dall’Alba & Sidhu, 2015) and connects student learning with life outside the classroom. Potential benefits to students are self-awareness, adaptability and resilience, experiences in culture, study and travel. It is suggested that these benefits and the development of intercultural awareness of small groups of students who participate in short-term mobility programs is less than those on semester-long exchange (Dwyer, 2004). Approaches to embed intercultural awareness in short-term programs include pre-departure training, reflective practice in assessment, and debriefing sessions with students (Forsey, Broomhall, & Davis, 2011). There is scant scholarly literature on how peer learning abroad between visiting and host students contribute to their intercultural awareness. This paper examines this topic via a case study that evaluated the reflections of 12 Australian students who participated in a short-term mobility program on tropical biodiversity and sustainable agricultural systems in Sri Lanka using Barnett and Coates (2005) framework (HREC approval H16859). Small groups of three Australian students were paired with a Sri Lankan student throughout the 4-week residential program, who together worked on a project of their choice for presentation to faculty at its conclusion. The Sri Lankan students acted as translators and through conversation they provided the Australian students with a personal insight into the culture that they were immersed and vice-versa, whether through formal study, the associated activities or in their free time. The students described a range of personal insights and attributes that demonstrated enhanced knowing, acting and being, consistent with (Barnett & Coates, 2005). For example, ‘Inclusion of the Sri Lankan students in the program facilitated the formation of valuable friendships, which increased the learning experience beyond academia. The informal nature of information shared between friends provided a very personal insight into the culture and society as viewed by people of similar age, undergoing similar personal university experiences. We recommend that providing the opportunity for peer learning abroad that is linked with assessment is one approach to embed intercultural competency in the curriculum.

IKD: Cooperative and Dynamic Teaching and Learning Model in the Basque Country University

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:45:00 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Mirari Ayerbe, Elena Díaz, Idoia Fernandez, Mikel Garmendia, Urtza Garay, Iker Ros, Eneritz Ugarte

In April 2010 the University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, approved its own educative model: IKD, ikaskuntza kooperatibo eta dinamikoa, cooperative and dynamic learning. During the course 2010-11 the new degree studies started. It was the right moment to establish new politics. This model states over five pillars:

• Curriculum development
• Active learning
• Professional development
• Institutional politics and development
• Social and land development

This model is the natural evolution of the policies and strategies which drove the development of the studies after EHEA and Bologna process.

UPV/EHU offers 68 degrees based on the skills graduates should dominate. Prior to this, SAE-HELAZ offered formation for teachers who wanted to redesign their subjects based on the learning outcomes. More than 2400 teachers followed them.

Professionals were contacted to advise the design. 24 included external practices in institutions and companies in the Basque Country, so students are trained in close contact with the society. Indeed, 5 degrees offer the opportunity to combine studies and work during their formation.

The year before launching, ERAGIN (=trigger) began forming 75 teachers per year in active and cooperative teaching and learning methodologies: Problem based learning, Project based learning and Case methodology. In six editions, 334 teachers finished an 18-month program to design and implement the chosen methodology in their classes. Up to 350 materials are public in “ikd baliabideak”. The main goal of ERAGIN is that participants put into practice their designs and mentors follow up both design implementation phases. This is an effective manner to weave a net and create nodes connecting people from all categories and positions, to create a culture of innovation and cooperation. Teachers are mentors of other teachers, functioning as viral vectors spreading their experiences and convincing others to apply active methodologies themselves.

Coordination is fundamental. EHUNDU (=knit) is the plan for the curricular development of the Degree studies in accordance with the external quality assessment bureaus and the ikd model. Through this, training courses for degree and module coordinators were delivered to build up strong structures for proper development of degree studies. The Rectors have obtained extra funding from Basque Country Government for this.

Concurrently, connection with the society is growing through programs as ikdGAZtE (=young ikd) or Campus Bizia Lab (living lab): students cooperate with teachers, staff and institutions suggesting solutions to problems related to the territory and SDOs.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Towards Integrated Earth System Science Education in Norway

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:23:58 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Jostein Bakke

Earth science education is a cornerstone of Norwegian Society, underpinning Norway´s major energy and resource based industries, but is also key to societal resilience and environmental safety. Yet the Earth sciences are in change, posed by changing climate, shifting energy landscape and resource utilization acutely highlight the inter-dependence between human society and our planet. In this proposal, we build a national consortium with broad international networks, to transform the Earth Science education in Norway. We will connect excellence in research to excellence in student-active learning by: 1) creating a national competence centre for earth science education, 2) developing a generic approach to cross-disciplinary earth science education within critical fields of societal relevance (geohazards, resources, energy, environment, climate), 3) establishing a coherent system of evaluation to foster teaching excellence and identify best practices to disseminate worldwide.

Changing the Learning Environment by Developing a National Cross-Disciplinary Course in Geohazards

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:24:45 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Jostein Bakke, Åse Hestnes

Geological and environmental hazards (i.e. earthquakes, landslides, floods, etc.) are a threat to society, and bound to increase in a changing climate. Therefore, we need competent Earth scientists to help society tackle these challenges. Hence, it is a pertinent question how educational institutes can fulfil the obligation to create a learning environment that helps to equip students with the relevant knowledge and tools to understand geohazards and implement necessary mitigation measures (Boulton, 2009. University world news). Our vision is to help students build broader skills and competencies, integrating a strong theoretical basis with real-life work and research experiences (Kastens & Manduca 2012. Earth and Mind II). Therefore, iEarth is developing a cross-disciplinary national online course on geohazards, including a two-day hands-on excursion. A unique feature of the course will be that students will benefit from the expertise of all partnering institutes (UiB, UiO, UiT, UNIS, NVE), exposing students to the research environment beyond their home institution and outside of academia. A digital platform is being developed to provide the basis for activities, webinars and group work. The focus is on research-based active learning and the use of information and communication technology. All teaching will be tailored to reduce threshold terms (Meyer & Land, 2003. ETL Project report) and redundancy in the curriculum.

This course leaves a good opportunity to research the challenges and opportunities such a course poses, being multi-institutional, combining several techniques new to the teachers and distance learning with local teaching. Building the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) structure leaves some questions: 1) should the research be carried out by separate institutional teams or as one investigation? 2) Who investigates – bachelor/master students, iEarth or the course teachers? And 3) what is investigated – student learning outcomes, barriers to teachers implementing a new teaching form (or many new methods) with many colleagues, or challenges with the webinar form?

With this course at the core of iEarth we want to initiate a shift in Earth science education in Norway towards an inter-disciplinary Earth System approach. We aim introduce a more holistic perspective to change education from a teaching culture to a learning culture, creating a student-active research-based learning environment that is supportive of innovation and delivering graduates with a broad understanding of key issues in the Earth sciences, as well as future societal and industrial needs (Barr & Tagg, 1995. Change 27).

Exploring How Students Come to Understand the University

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:25:05 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Deb Bennett, Glen Ryland

While philosophers and educators have been hammering out the purpose of the university, students have rarely been asked what they see as the university’s purpose and place. We neglect to introduce students to the university as an object of study in its own right, except perhaps in a graduate level philosophy or education class. Petruzzelli and Romanazzi (2010) found that universities would have more success with student retention if they could show students how the university is a service toward an individual student’s objectives for attending in addition to stressing the social value of the university.

Scholarship of teaching and learning research has explored motivations for attending university and choices students make while at university. Many explore such diverse notions as the utility of the university and the student experience. Other studies on student perceptions focus on the way students engage and experience the university. What is missing is an understanding of the university itself, especially as its students perceive it and where they fit within it. Only a few SoTL studies venture into such areas. Absent are studies that explore how university students come to understand the university: its aims, its purposes, its history, and its challenges.

Our SoTL study began with the question: how do undergraduates perceive meaning, purpose and the social roles of the university and its graduates? Within our poster presentation we will be sharing the initial findings of our qualitative study which utilized an interpretive inquiry approach. This methodology was a critical approach for this study as student understandings can be explored through the interpretation of phenomena and the meanings made by study participants (Cohen, Kahn, & Steeves, 2000).

This SoTL study took place within in a variety of sections of our undergraduate studies courses: Effective Learning in the Undergraduate Context. This course is open to all students in our university, allowing a variety of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds to be explored. Through student interviews and class reflections we gleaned information on how students come to understand the university. We plan on continuing this work with additional sections and dialogue with other SoTL scholars will inform future research and curriculum development.

Researching Institutional Change: A Longitudinal Study on Faculty Teaching Practices

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:25:55 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Adriana Briseno-Garzon, Andrea Han, Gulnur Birol

Considerable institutional efforts have been implemented in Canadian post secondary institutions aiming at promoting and sustaining a culture for learning based on teaching excellence. The University of British Columbia (UBC), for instance, introduced the rank of Professor of Teaching into the Educational Leadership stream in July of 2011 with the goal of reinforcing the University’s “commitment to provide educational leadership, outstanding teaching, and curriculum development, and to recognize and reward it when it happens” (UBC, 2016). In 2013, the Flexible Learning Initiative aimed at promoting “evidence-based, technology-enabled teaching methods that improve the learning experience for a broader student community”. The new institutional Strategic Plan includes “transformative learning” as a core element to reach the goal of “enhancing the quality and impact of teaching for all students” (UBC, 2018).

Despite these big pushes to direct the institution towards a culture that promotes meaningful teaching and learning across departments and programs, it is difficult to discern the impact that such initiatives are having in faculty’s teaching and learning practices, attitudes about teaching or their perceptions of institutional value for teaching.

In this poster we will explore longitudinal change in a large research-intensive university’s teaching culture through a multi-year study on faculty teaching practices and perceptions. Faculty’s and others with teaching responsibilities’ responses to an online survey were collected in Fall of 2014 and Spring of 2018. The campus-wide survey explores teaching practices in large enrolment courses, attitudes toward specific teaching practices, faculty perceptions of the teaching climate at our institution. Faculty feedback has also been collected about the biggest challenges for teaching and the factors that have improved their teaching.

In this poster we will share our methodology and a summary of relevant findings in relation to institutional shift in teaching and learning culture in the 2014-2018 time period. We will also discuss with the audience connections to existing research (Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, & Norman, 2010; Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, & Whitt, 2005) and the bearing and implications of our findings for their institutional contexts

Transformative Learning through an Undergraduate Public Health Service-Learning Course

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:26:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kari Brossard Stoos

This project provides a model for developing social and cultural sensitivity and inclusivity through service-learning. The proposal directly addresses a conference aim by describing an approach connecting student learning to life and work experiences outside the physical classroom. Robert Sigmon established the framework for service-learning by providing three principles that premised work in a reciprocal process between communities and institutions of higher education (Sigmon, 1979). Sigmon’s framework was later operationalized as providing a course-based (credit-bearing) experience for students to engage in need-based community activities simultaneously leading to enhanced content learning and appreciation for civic duties (Bringle et al, 2006). These scaffolds were applied during the design phase of a public and community health course aiming to educate students about factors contributing to county health statistics in a rural, and resource limited community. The course also aims to guide students through the complexities of program development with community collaborators employing the PRECEED/ PROCEED model, thus meeting Sigmon’s first principle “those being served control the services provided” (Green, 1980; Sigmon, 1979). Students worked with community collaborators designing need-based health education activities for children attending youth center services. The youth center is located within the Seneca Nation of Indians Allegany Territory, and is governed by the City of Salamanca Youth Bureau. The course design addresses the issue of white normativity in service-learning activities while educating students on the history and culture of the community. Foundational lesson plans were based on the history of colonialism, forced assimilation, forced relocation, and the destruction of sacred lands, using resources written and edited by Seneca scholars. Qualitative assessment of student learning was analyzed through review of weekly written reflections and student interviews. Data collected through narrative inquiry and open ended oral interviews were coded and categorized into major and minor themes including rural health, intersectionality, self-actualization, self-awareness, metacognition, and metamorphosis. Narrative analyses applied Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory and O’Sullivan’s interpretation of such (Mezirow, 1975, 1991; O’Sullivan, 2003). Preliminary data demonstrates that this course design effectively initiated the process of perspective shifting resulting in a transmissional, transactional, and transformational learning experience. Additionally, each theme provided evidence of a synergistic impact on public health learning by combining discussion based classroom lesson plans with application through community engagement. The entire experience resulted in prepared, invested student community advocates for healthy behaviors. This sustainable service-learning course can serve as a model for other undergraduate public health programs.

Co-Discovery: A Collaborative Evaluation of Broadening

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:26:50 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Akeisha Brown, Caroline Campbell, Robert Irnazarow, Karen Llewellyn, Chandni Pandya

This poster shares the outcomes of an evaluative research project funded by the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE). Co-created by two staff and three undergraduates, the aim of the project was to explore the value of the concept of ‘Broadening’ within the University of Leeds’ undergraduate curriculum, from the perspectives of both students and employers.

With a focus on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attributes, and specifically in the context of developing (foreign) language skills, the project sought to map the learning experiences of students to the perceptions of employers in order to reveal the resonance and/or dissonance in their understanding of the value of broadening as a concept. It adopted a developmental evaluation approach (Patton 1996, 2008, Saunders 2000, 2012) and used inductive analysis (Corbin & Strauss 2015) as the research methodology. The data from 40 semi-structured interviews was analysed to reveal the emergent core categories or themes and where commonalties and differences surface between students and employers.

While small in its scale, the findings have relevance to ‘sustaining meaningful teaching and learning’ in Higher Education. They identify the need to encourage students to articulate the breadth of their experience – both curricular and co-curricular – and to develop their individual ‘brand’ to enhance their employability. They identify the graduate attributes which employers are looking for and highlight where universities can do more to support the development of skills and provide access to opportunities and to enable students to better articulate their learning.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Fostering a Culture for Learning: Embedding Active Learning in European Higher Education

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:28:32 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Therese Collins, Marian McCarthy, Catherine O’Mahony

There is an increased emphasis in European Higher Education on teaching approaches that foster active learning (High Level Group, 2013, EUA, 2018) and “encourage students to take an active role in creating the learning process” (ESG, 2015). Active learning can be supported through a multitude of pedagogical approaches which involve “students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing” (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).

This poster will review differing active learning approaches used in higher education institutions in 10 countries in Europe. The different approaches will be critiqued to uncover how they could better support a culture for learning. Key questions to be asked of the institutional examples will include:

1. to what extent is active learning included in institutional strategies and policies?
2. how are staff supported and incentivised to engage in active learning approaches?
3. are there disciplinary differences in how teachers enact active learning strategies?
4. what learning can be drawn from these case studies in terms of addressing common challenges in active learning?

This poster will conclude with a series of recommendations on how to promote and embed active learning in Higher Education.

A Culturally Competent Course-Based Research Experience (CRE) for Graduate Students

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:28:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Sehoya Cotner, Lorelei Patrick, Aud Helen Halbritter Reichsteiner, Brian Engquist, Vigdis Vandvik

For developing scientists, the myriad benefits of research experiences are well established. In response, many collegiate science departments have begun to reimagine the curriculum in ways that incorporate more meaningful (or “authentic”) scientific experiences. Course-based research experiences (CREs) make research more inclusive and can lead to positive outcomes similar to those realized from a more traditional, apprentice-style research experience. A growing body of literature documents novel course-based undergraduate research experiences (or CUREs), but less work has focused on opportunities in graduate-level training. Also, developers have struggled with ways to make curriculum-based research broadly relevant to a community beyond the classroom (and thus authentic). We present a course-based research experience for graduate students that is intensive, international, and collaborative. Specifically, graduate students from 12-plus nationalities participated in one of two Plant Functional Traits Courses (PFTC) offered in March (in the Peruvian Andes) and July (on Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway) 2018. Students contributed to ongoing, Principle Investigator-driven research projects while learning transferrable skills such as measurement techniques in plant functional ecology, collaborative research, data management and interpretation, and scientific communication. Further, students participated in a small outreach project, surveying area inhabitants (in Peru and Norway) about their knowledge and perceptions of climate-change ecology; these data then informed a discussion about culturally variable challenges in scientific communication. This course was thus doubly innovative: the student experience was evaluated to determine a relationship between specific course elements and desired outcomes (something rarely done for graduate level science courses); and cultural competence, alongside scientific communication, was integrated into the experience. Surveys, as well as pre- and post-course writing assignments, form the basis of assessment—both of the course in general, and the scientific communication piece specifically. Discussion will conclude with recommendations for other educators, who seek to make discipline-based education more collaborative, inclusive, and culturally competent.

Making SoTL Accessible to Academics: a Blended Course Offered as a SPOC

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:29:27 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Josephine Csete

How can we support academics who have an initial interest in SoTL? What may they already know and what knowledge and skills related to SoTL would they find useful, especially when they are starting out in SoTL? Do they have skills from their core discipline that are readily transferable? What questions and concerns may they have that, if addressed, can further motivate them to pursue SoTL? Can we support them in a way that is both effective as well as makes efficient use of their time investment?

Questions such as these were asked in the first stage of a two year project that led to developing, piloting and further refining an introduction to SoTL that is currently provided as a seven-hour short course offered in blended mode with two ninety minute face-to-face sessions and four hours of online effort in a small private online course (SPOC).

This interactive poster provides multimedia information to:

– describe the three stages of a multi-year project to develop the course

and

– provide access to elements of the current short course including

• intended learning outcomes
• content areas and modes of presentation
• interactive learning activities and assessments
• design decisions for face-to-face and online components

Please stop by to experience, provide feedback and engage in discussion. A take away QR code is provided so that the participants can refer to the poster at a later date and a version of the online portion of the short course will be available for access for a period of time after the conference is over.

Harnessing the Power of Feedback: Creating a Culture of Learners in the Writing Classroom

Last modified on 2018-10-16 15:55:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Brad Curabba

According to Cohen (1985), feedback “… is one of the more instructionally powerful and least understood features in instructional design” (p. 33). Feedback in all courses is fundamental in building a learning community within the classroom that not only fosters an important connection between teacher and student and student to student, but aids in building the skills needed to succeed academically. This research project assesses faculty and student perceptions regarding the effectiveness of various feedback practices used in process-based writing classrooms at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). In addition, the research explores the challenges encountered by faculty and students during the provision of feedback practices. The quantitative research findings are based on two concurrent electronically distributed anonymous surveys, one aimed at students who have just completed a process-based writing course, and the other, at instructors who delivered these courses. The student sample is drawn from multiple sections of Academic Writing I and II, and the faculty survey was distributed to thirty-six instructors writing. Initial findings, however, strongly suggest that all methods of feedback are deemed as equally important by students and that they find process writing and its feedback practices to have greatly benefited their writing proficiency.

Preparing Students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution – A South African Perspective

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:30:21 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Danie de Klerk, Ashwini Jadhav

A recent World Economic Forum report (WEF, 2016) outlines the vast changes the fourth industrial revolution will bring and explores the impact these changes will have on the world of work as we know it. The advent of this revolution (also known as Industry 4.0) is here and higher education, like most other sectors of society, will not go unaffected. Yet the higher education landscape remains a complex space, in a continuous state of change (Andrews & Osman, 2015; Hornsby & Osman, 2014; Maree, 2015; McGhie & du Prees, 2015). The future of present-day universities is being questioned (Arvanitakis & Hornsby, 2016) and calls for responsible citizen scholars abound (Duncan, 2016; Nichols, 2016) and the South African higher education sector is not immune to these realities. The graduates leaving institutions of higher learning are expected to have acquired particular skills and abilities (graduate attributes). These are the disciplinary, ethical, critical, and life-long learning skills and abilities (Jones, 2002). In this paper, the authors explore graduate attributes for an unknown future by drawing on the projected skills necessities outlined in the aforementioned WEF report (2016). They review the graduate attribute policies of six South African higher education institutions to determine the extent to which they may or may not align with the needs identified by the WEF (2016). Preliminary findings indicate that although some attributes may already be encapsulated in students’ tertiary experiences, others may not be. A case is argued for South African higher education institutions to be responsive (Moll, 2004; Ogude, Nel, & Oosthuizen, 2005) to the realities of the fourth industrial revolution, and for the importance of preparing current and future graduates for the unknown future they will live and work in. Recommendations are made for the review of current university policies and the implementation of co-curricular transcripts to track attribute development.

Transition to the Profession: The Importance of Capstone Courses

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:31:01 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Tayler Delannoy, Jessica Barabas, Jessica Booke, Pat Kostouros

There has been extensive research that demonstrates the important role that capstone courses play as a bridge or rite of passage by allowing students to transition from their university experiences to professional practice (Collier, 2000; Daspit & D’Souza, 2012; Dunlap, 2005; Durel, 1993; Todd & Magleby, 2005). These experiences increase student understanding of their chosen field and better prepare them for career options. In addition, capstone courses assist with opportunities to network with professionals already in the field. Capstone courses might include practicum, research, and community projects which assist students in gaining useful skills and knowledge.

All the professional degree programs in the Faculty of Health, Community, and Education (FHCE) at Mount Royal University have a capstone course. Students in these programs take part in a variety of capstone opportunities from practicum and fieldwork to research and community projects. These opportunities act to expose students to their chosen field and provide the necessary learning with regards to putting skills to practice. The capstone course serves as the culminating and integrative educational experience and has been designated as one of the top ten high impact educational practices (Kuh, 2008). While these experiences offer students vital opportunities, in degree programs, it is important to build from this foundation. The purpose of this research study was to foster inspired learning, and community engagement through the development of a common vision, mission, and set of principles for our FHCE capstone courses. This presentation will highlight the qualitative research design (Cohen, Kahn, & Steeves) and common themes discovered, and conclude with suggestions of how to foster collaborative teaching and learning across a variety of disciplines.

Developing Learning Culture through Field Work – Effect of Group-Work Organization

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:31:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Pernille Eidesen, Tina Dahl

Studies have shown that field work is associated with improved learning outcomes of both discipline knowledge and practical skills (e. g.(Lonergan & Andresen, 1988; Lisowski & Disinger, 1991; Kent et al., 1997; Fuller et al., 2014; Eidesen et al., 2017; Fleischner et al., 2017). Another benefit associated with field work is promotion of group interactions, both among students and between teachers and students, creating a beneficial learning environment both during the time spent outside and for the remaining classroom part of a course (Harland et al., 2006). However, how we organise the learning activities in the field, promote different learning environments, and to some extent the learning culture.

In two different courses, students were divided into project groups of three to four students, and each of the groups had to develop an inquiry-based research project. Data collection was done during a one-week field cruise. In the first course, the different student groups collected data subsequently, so in each sampling location, only one group collected data at the time, and they were supposed to instruct the other students to help out collecting data to their project. In the other course, all groups worked in parallel. The latter reduced sampling intensity per site, but increased the number of sites/locations sampled.

Different group organization had pro and cons. By helping each other, all students got a better introduction to the other projects, and experience with e.g. the challenges of communication, delegation of responsibility, and the importance of good sampling sheets. These interactions created higher risk of conflicts, but introduced a wider range of skills and knowledge. In the other course, the different groups were much less involved in each other’s projects. This resulted in less conflict during sampling, and higher quality of the data collection. Less conflict is however not equivalent to good learning culture.

Contemplative Pedagogy – Toward a Learning Culture Supported by Mindfulness Practice?

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:31:40 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Tatiana Eldridge-Hinmers, Silvia Wehmeier

The concept of mindfulness, as a secular contemplative practice, has gained traction in many sectors of society: in higher education we are seeing it take the form of contemplative pedagogy. Mindfulness is still a relatively new concept in universities and often mainly found in medical schools.

Contemplation practices provide a powerful pedagogy towards a present mind, foundational academic competencies, and have been seen to benefit wellbeing, social and emotional growth, performance, character development, and insight. Mindfulness practice may support a learning culture, a liberating and empowering education, by intentionally creating a space in which to see learning in its full context — scientific, cultural, political and personal.

The project explored the influence of mindfulness practice on the wellbeing of chemistry students. Chemistry students participated in a 6 week ‘Introduction to Mindfulness’ course and engaged as co-researcher answering pre- and post-course questionnaires, and taking part in a semi-structured interview. Questioners from participant (n = 8) and control group (n = 9) were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U Test and Wilcoxon Sign-Rank Test. Interview transcripts were analysed by a coding process.

The data showed a significant difference in stress level ratings, and a shift in awareness. Themes developed from qualitative data analysis were helpful new skill, improved personal life, and improved studying and concentration.

“I learnt how to ground myself, which was helpful, outside of studying. This had a knock-on effect allowing me to have more time for uni work.’’

Contemplative pedagogy, in the form of mindfulness practice, point to a path toward a learning culture by widening the field of receptivity, developing student and teacher attributes of reflexivity, openness and creativity.

“Ok, I Need Help from Somewhere…”: Students’ Perceptions of their Social Networks

Last modified on 2018-08-31 11:05:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Annika Fjelkner

This study contributes to research on student social networks and attainment, as it accounts for how students describe their networks and how they perceive these influence their studies. The aim is to explore how one cohort of business students (N=116) develop internal and external networks, and how these contribute to academic attainment. Personal networks are important support for students (e.g Eggens, van der Werf & Bosker, 2007; Thomas, 2012; Tinto, 1997; Wilcox, Winn & Fyvie-Gauld, 2005). However, there is little understanding of the nature of friendship groups, and there is a lack of research of descriptive work portraying the student experience from a network perspective (Biancani & McFarland, 2013). In addition, much of the literature focuses US-based institutions where a majority of students live on campus and study in a more flexible course system. This study offers insight into the experiences of students in a HE institution where a majority of students commute, and courses and programs are less flexible, leading to that students follow the same cohort for three years.

This mixed-method study involved two steps; 93 students answered a quantitative survey mapping student internal (students they work with, learn from and are friends with) and external study related networks. Second, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 15 students with different backgrounds, specializations, networks and level of attainment.

In line with previous research, results indicate that students maintain emotional, social but also task oriented relations with students they work closely with. Contrary to Wilcox et al. (2005), students describe their professional network of students they work closely with as essential for success. Students you learn from are mainly important as role models and sources of inspiration. The larger group of friends makes it fun to come to school and external relations (parents, siblings and old friends) mainly offer emotional support (venting). The most important contribution of the study is to highlight how students describe their small professional, strong tie networks within their cohorts, and which student participants perceive as central for attainment. In addition, the larger weak ties group of friends are important for fun and for sharing information and ideas. However, there is a vast difference between levels of connections in different networks, leading to different experiences and possibilities. The question then is how to organize education to enable a learning culture which facilitates network formation for all students.

Reciprocal Review as Educational Development: Diversifying the SoTL Landscape

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:32:52 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Sue Fostaty Young, Meagan Troop

In our poster session, we plan to delve into the collaborative writing process currently undertaken to produce an edited volume on the ICE model (Fostaty Young & Wilson, 2000; Fostaty Young, 2005). With chapters from twelve contributors working at universities in Japan, Sweden, and Canada, who describe the diverse ways that each have adapted the ICE model of thinking, learning, and assessment into their teaching practices, this edition will foster a culture that learns through a reciprocal review process. Interestingly, while each author reported the transformative effects of the model on both their conceptions of learning and their approaches to course delivery and assessment, their uses of the model each differ from the others’. The reciprocal review process adopted for the collaboration evolved through the editor’s conceptual weaving of a variety of sources: Wilcox’s (2009) work on self-study as educational development; Wyatt and Gale’s (2014) exposition of collaborative writing as inquiry; Troop’s (2017) examination of keyword writing; Healey, Marquis and Vajoczki’s (2013) exploration of SoTL through collaborative writing groups; and the Bowen theory-informed use of Teaching Triangles. Building on these process pedagogies, the interdisciplinary and international lens of this latest edition will be highlighted through the multiple collaborative case studies that are shared.

In the summer term of 2018, each author was invited to contribute a chapter to illustrate: (a) their teaching context, (b) their use of the ICE model, (c) the impact of their application of the model on their students’ learning, and (d) their own development as post-secondary educators. As part of the inquiry process, it is expected that with the act of articulating their experiences, each author will gain greater insight into their own teaching practice, as well as into their students’ learning. Nevertheless, the greatest potential for professional growth for the contributors and editor alike is expected to be gained through the review process, whereby each author reviews chapters written by two other contributors – one from a discipline closely related to their own and one from a discipline they are less familiar with. In much the same way that Teaching Triangles invite participants to reflect on their own practice rather than to critique others’ teaching, our use of reciprocal review is designed as an invitation to broaden and deepen our conceptions of teaching and learning through the diverse exchange of perspectives and experiences within a developing SoTL community of practice.

Creating a Culture for Learning: Teaming Up! to Re-Imagine Multi-Course Teaching in Large Classes

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:33:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Michelle French, Franco Taverna, Melody Neumann

At universities, knowledge is typically compartmentalized into courses or subjects, and often students do not recognize the connections between them. As well, opportunities to reinforce learning are lost due to lack of cross-course/cross-departmental curriculum design. To address this, we are developing a cross-disciplinary, interactive teaching model that will be tested in three large courses with a combined yearly enrollment of 3500 students. Specifically, we have created video case studies with a storytelling arc that spans three disciplines in biology: cell and molecular biology, physiology and neuroscience. The case studies form the basis for interactive classes in each course with small group work and teaching assistants to facilitate discussion to foster learning. A feature is the in-class use of Team Up! (developed by Dr. Neumann). It allows students to use their devices to form groups and submit group answers, and provides immediate feedback: groups get full marks if they select the correct answer on the first try and partial marks thereafter. To pilot Team Up!, we examined two active learning approaches in two classes of a physiology course. Content was delivered via both on-line and in-class lectures with the final 30-40 min of class time devoted to group work: groups either used Team Up! or completed a worksheet. In a survey, the majority of students (62% vs 38%, n = 110) reported that active learning helped them learn the material better and that they enjoyed it more than traditional lectures. Of those who preferred active learning, the majority preferred Team Up! to worksheets for both learning (71%) and enjoyment (81%). To examine actual learning, we compared student performance on test questions related to active learning content (6 questions) to overall test scores (30 questions) and also compared performance of students who attended both active learning sessions to those who attended one or were absent. As expected students who attended both sessions had significantly higher test scores, but scores for group work questions were not significantly different to the overall test score within each group. Multiple measures of learning are likely a better way to assess new teaching methods. Our results, however, suggest that Team Up! engages students, and we look forward to examining its use in our cross-course initiative.

Does Nationality, Age, and Academic Discipline Mediate Gender Bias in Oral Participation?

Last modified on 2018-10-16 16:00:27 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Audrey Geffen, Cissy Ballen, Sehoya Cotner

Participation in oral discussions is often an important aspect of active learning, but one that students do not engage with equally. Understanding the class dynamics is important in creating an inclusive learning environment. Previous studies have indicated a gender bias to initial participation, with female student participation increasing slowly over time. We have used individually recorded participation in student-led discussions to evaluate the significance of other cultural factors that may also influence the willingness of students to join in group discussions. Students in BIO208 Environmental Effects of Aquaculture are responsible for organizing and leading discussion sessions. They provide reading or visual material covering different viewpoints pertaining to given topics from the course syllabus, and then steer their peers through a discussion of the relevant issues. Student participation in the discussion is observed and recorded, with notes about the content and quality of the participation. These observations are the basis for evaluating student participation which makes up 30% of their grade in this course. In general, language confidence appears more important than gender in determining the level of oral participation and quantity of oral contributions. However, a student’s perception of his/her own language competence is influenced by both gender and nationality. For example, in 2015, among Greek students, males participated much less than females. However, among Norwegian students, female participation was about 60% that of males.

Everybody Hates Discussion Boards: Engaging Students in Critical Thinking Online and In-Person

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:34:07 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Jennifer Gonyea

Students want to engage with material instead of listening to lectures or passively reading content (Roehl, Reddy, & Shannon, 2013); and consistently report that faculty use technology ineffectively (Burkley & Burkley, 2009; Price, 2009). Creative, integrative writing assignments that require technology meet student demands for interaction with faculty and with each other (Kotz, 2016) while assisting them in thinking critically about course content. This poster presents an assessment of both the degree of engagement between students and the level of critical thinking skills demonstrated by video log assignments that are designed to have students integrate course content, substantiate arguments, and broaden their perspectives. Video log assignments require students to select a perspective from which to make their argument and then select a peer’s video from the opposing viewpoint to engage the other student in a conversation about the topic. Student videos and responses from a summer online section and two fall in-person sections of the same course were evaluated according to Bloom’s taxonomy of learning (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2000) using Quick Flip Questions for the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (Barton, 2007) in order to assess the levels of critical thinking represened in student video logs and responses using two separate raters (Cohen’s κ = .92). The findings indicate students use more higher order thinking language in later video logs when compared to early video log submissions. Currently, the level of critical thinking in video logs in the online section is being compared to those in the in-person section, using Bloom’s taxonomy of levels of cognition. The log responses were also coded according for the degree of student engagement measures as whether or not the responder: used information from the original post (OP) to further the conversation; added new information in their response; and interacted with the OP and other responders (number of interactions). These data are currently being analyzed to compare the level of engagement in e-courses to that of in-person courses with regard to the degree of engagement between students in both the online and in-person sections.

The Understanding of Independence in Swedish Higher Education before and after Bologna

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:34:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Jan-Olof Gullö

Within the Bologna cooperation, an overall European framework has been developed with general learning outcomes and competences for different examination levels. In the Swedish interpretation of this framework, independence is a central concept. Student’s ten-week (15 ECTS credits) bachelor essays or degree projects are, for example, called independent projects in the Swedish system of higher education. Independence is however a concept that can be understood in different ways in different contexts. Ambiguities in how independence is understood and used in practice can lead to uncertainty and may even be a barrier to student exchange and hamper international comparability in accordance with the intentions of the Bologna Declaration. The aim of this study is therefore to explore how the concept of independence is understood in national and local steering documents in Sweden and how the understanding of independence has changed over time, before and after the Bologna Declaration in 1999. This study is a part of a research project where we gather data from Russia and Sweden from two different educational programs, journalist and teacher education. The collected data includes interviews with students and supervisors and analyses of supervision sessions. The analysed material in this study also includes national as well as local steering documents that form the legal basis for the practice of producing independent projects (bachelor essays). The steering documents consist of learning outcomes, assessment criteria, instructions and descriptions concerning the educational programs, including the independent project. Such documents may be important for how a culture for learning is developed within and across courses, programs, departments and institutions. The results show that the use of independence as central concept has changed over time in Swedish higher education. This is partly a result of the Bologna Declaration, but also and probably even more a result of changes in the surrounding society where independence over the years has gained importance in different ways. On the other hand, the results show fewer differences than expected between how teachers, as supervisors, relate to their students’ independence when comparing gathered data from Sweden and Russia, despite that the steering documents in these countries differ significantly. This clearly indicates that the teachers who participated in the study, irrespective of the steering documents being used, first and foremost, strive to create good conditions for their students’ learning and development.

Innovative Strategies for High Impact Practices: Access, Success, and the Student-Athlete

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:35:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Eric E Hall, Anthony Weaver, Caroline J Ketcham

High impact practices (HIPs), such as study abroad, internships, learning communities, and undergraduate research, have repeatedly been shown to positively affect academic success (Kuh, 2008), yet not all students have equal access to these experiences. One cohort who often have high time demands and resource constraints are student-athletes (SAs); limiting their opportunities to participate in HIPs and potentially negatively impacting their academic experiences and success. SAs face unique challenges, such as heavy time commitments to their sport including seasons that overlap multiple semesters and pressure to achieve athletic success, which can reduce access to and involvement in HIPs. The SA cohort has not been a focus in HIP research and thus participation rates and barriers are not well represented or understood. Extensive research within the breadth of HIPs across institutions is essential to elevate the SA experience and inform institutions about potential barriers and challenges for underrepresented populations. It is clear that in order for SAs to participate in many HIPs, innovative practices are required. This work is a portion of a funded two year collaboration with 9 participating Division I collegiate institutions from the same conference. The overall goal is to identify best practices and barriers to participation and strategies to improve the quality of their experience. This poster will highlight the 1st year data including participation rates of SA in HIPs across the nine institutions. Preliminary analysis shows that defining and tracking of these practices is inconsistent. More importantly, HIP offerings and SA participation rates vary across institutions. Further analysis will include best practices and quality of HIP experiences for SAs within and across institutions. Consideration and discussion of how the 8 elements of HIPs as defined by Kuh and colleagues can be applied to intercollegiate athletics would be beneficial for institutions to consider to increase access to HIPs. Recommendations related to how to intentionally supplement and elevate the athletic experience to incorporate qualities related to HIPs will be provided.

Waving a Magic Wand: An Innovative Journey for Early Career Researchers and SoTL Engagement

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:35:27 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Melanie J Hamilton, Andy M Benoit

A growing number of faculty at colleges in Canada are developing their scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) skills. However, little is known about the college faculty experience (Simmons & Poole, 2016) of conceptualizing and developing a research proposal and the needed supports. According to Bazeley (2003), there is no single path to developing an academic research career, and most academics have different discipline paths to research experience. There are many interpretations in the literature about early career researchers (ECR); however, the European Research Commission uses the term Early-Stage researcher and defines it as “researchers in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research activity, including the period of research training.” (De Montfort University, 2018).

Over the period of one semester, we partnered with mid-career faculty; early-career researchers and researched their journey to developing a SoTL Project. Throughout the four months, we assisted faculty to develop a SoTL research project using the SoTL Guide Book: “Engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: A guide to the process, and how to develop a project from start to finish” (Bishop-Clark & Dietz-Uhler, 2012). At the beginning of the study, participants were asked to conceptualize an idea for a SoTL project that was of interest to them. Over the semester, the participants were expected to complete the worksheets within the book, and at the same time using an LMS system for peer-support and feedback.

For this study, we used case-study methodology and convenience sampling, and we used three methods to triangulate our data. The dataset included interview and focus group data, a participant research diary and project documentation.

This poster session offers a summary of the research findings on what institutional supports are needed to assist mid-career faculty, ECR with developing a SoTL research focus.

The poster audience will be encouraged to engage in dialogue on what services and supports are offered at their home institutions and what barriers ECR face as the engage in the SoTL process and which has various supports that maximize their success. Mighty (2013) emphasizes that fostering SoTL is more achievable in scholarly communities when faculty share ideas about ideas, methodologies, and experiences.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Data Analysis in Geosciences: Fostering Computational Learning

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:36:16 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Bjarte Hannisdal, Einar Iversen

Data analysis and statistics play a key role in the geosciences, but have been nearly absent in traditional geology BSc curricula. At our department, geology students have historically been offered a one-week intensive lecture-based course at the MSc level. In 2017, the authors launched a major revision of both form and content of this course. Our goal is for students to adopt computational practices as a means of developing their expertise in solving authentic, ill-structured problems (Scherer et al., 2017, J. Geosci. Educ. 65).

As a first step we reoriented the form of instruction towards real-time problem-solving using the programming language R and the RStudio desktop interface. Both instructors were present during the organized instruction, one demonstrating computational practices and the other demonstrating problems on the blackboard. This paired instruction enabled continuous peer review and feedback on the form and content of the course. Students performed all computations on their own laptops, and also engaged in group activities (such as rolling toy dice in the corridors to experience the central limit theorem). Assessment was based mainly on an inquiry-based term project designed to let students define and test statistical hypotheses in R using their own data or other published data relevant to their research topic. In a course evaluation group interview, students noted that they would have preferred to work with real data from the start.

We intend to further develop and test new learning activities in a revised course offered in 2019. Our primary hypothesis is that data practices and computational practices (Weintrop et al. 2016, J. Sci. Educ. Technol. 25) significantly improve student learning in the context of authentic, ill-structured problem-solving (Holder et al., 2017, J. Geosci. Educ. 65). To test this hypothesis, we will assign students to an experimental group that uses computational practices, and a control group that reads the same instructional material, and use pre- and post-instruction interviews to assess their progress from novice towards expert-like thinking.

We solicit input from ISSoTL18 participants on our proposed experiment, specifically on setting up integrated assessment and evaluation of computational practices. A challenging “threshold” concept in elementary statistics is the central limit theorem (CLT). With a computer, however, students can discover the CLT themselves without any prior theoretical knowledge. In our presentation, we invite ISSoTL18 participants to also make this discovery by playing with virtual dice using simple computer code.

Non-Biology Majors’ Preferences for Student-Led Inquiry vs. Broadly Relevant Research Experiences

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:36:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Sadie Hebert, Jessamina Blum, Deena Wassenberg, Sehoya Cotner

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are laboratory experiences that involve students in five dimensions – use of scientific practices, discovery, broadly relevant work, collaboration, and iteration. Based on several learning theories including social activism, social cognitive, and situated learning, we know that participating in real-world, relevant, collaborative experiences that connect to the world outside of the classroom can lead to meaningful learning. In the CURE framework, real-world, relevant experiences come from the dimension of broadly relevant work. However, implementing the “broadly relevant work” dimension is logistically challenging in a large-enrollment, non-majors course and it is unclear if this dimension is necessary for positive student outcomes. To understand how broadly relevant research experiences impact student outcomes, we surveyed non-biology majors following participation in a student-led inquiry or broadly relevant research experience. Students in the student-led inquiry research experience asked their own research question but did not contribute new information to the scientific community, whereas students in the broadly relevant research experience (a CURE) were assigned a research question and did contribute new information to the scientific community. In the survey, students were asked whether they preferred choosing their own research question for which the results are already known; they would not contribute new information with broad relevance to the scientific community (hereafter “choice”) or being assigned a research question for which the results are not known; they would contribute new information with broad relevance to the scientific community (hereafter “relevance”). For students that participated in the student-led inquiry research experience, 46% preferred “choice” and 54% preferred “relevance”. In contrast, students that participated in the broadly relevant research experience overwhelmingly preferred “relevance” (90%) over “choice” (10%). There was a significant association between research experience and preference (x2 (1) = 22.53, p < 0.001). The most common reasons students chose “choice” were personal interest or enjoyment (58%) and confirmation of known results (36%). The most common reasons students chose “relevance” were interest or enjoyment (45%), broad relevance (44%), or discovery (32%). The results from project ownership questions showed that students that participated in the broadly relevant research experience reported a greater sense of project ownership compared to students that participated in the student-led inquiry research experience. Future analysis will investigate these students’ science attitudes, confidence, and identity to determine whether broad relevance is necessary for positive student outcomes in this population.

Librarian and Teaching Faculty Collaboration: Early Intervention to Improve Information Literacy

Last modified on 2018-08-31 11:00:24 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Peggy Hedges, Justine Wheeler, Norm Althouse, Zahra Premji

Librarians and teaching faculty at the Haskayne School of Business developed an early intervention to enhance information literacy skills of business students. First-year undergraduate students in a mandatory introduction to business skills course are becoming acculturated to the university environment and to business as a professional and academic discipline. We have found early introduction and continued expectation of a higher level of information literacy skills has resulted in students who, in later years of study, are better able to access and assess the quality of the information they need to complete research papers. While Raish & Rimland (2016) discuss the importance of academic librarians in assisting students in acquiring critical information literacy and research skills, there is little research on how best to deliver the message to the new age learner. Over a number of years, librarians have been heavily involved in the creation and delivery of a one-shot session for the course. Early versions of the session were typically lecture-based. In some aspects, this approach was successful, however there were still a number of roadblocks to student learning and comprehension. It was not unusual for students to struggle with finding or accessing the information they needed for the significant research project in this course. This poster chronicles the implementation and evolution of a lesson study project by the instructors and librarians involved in the course. Cerbin & Kopp (2006, p.250-251) describe lesson study research as a small team that works together to “design, teach, study, and refine a single class lesson”. In order to investigate how students learn, the emphasis is placed on making learning visible. For this project, investigators used a flipped classroom approach to encourage active learning (see Arnold-Garza, 2014). To flip the lesson, key concepts from the lecture content were presented online prior to class time; this allowed the class time to be used to integrate learning into practical application activities. During the class, a librarian acted as a guide, leading students through the learning process. Data collection points were set-up throughout the process to make learning visible. In the first delivery of this lesson, the investigators learned that students struggled with a visualization aid. In response, the investigators altered the lesson, providing a more direct approach. Students in the second iteration recorded a higher level of satisfaction with the lesson. This poster will take attendees on a journey through our lesson study project.

Divide and Conquer: Can a Short Animation Support Student Learning of Meiosis?

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:37:33 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Melissa Hills, Kathy Davies, Carolyn Ives

Meiosis is the foundation of heredity, and a core concept in genetics. It is also one that is challenging to learn, and ingrained misconceptions are common amongst students. As meiosis is a dynamic process, traditional lecture formats alone are not effective in maximizing student learning of the concept. Meiosis, therefore, provides a useful test case to evaluate approaches to generate and sustain meaningful learning in biology. Video is frequently used as a learning tool in and out of the classroom. Students often rely on online videos on platforms such as YouTube; however, these videos can lack key detail, and some may reinforce existing misconceptions. Therefore, we developed a short, engaging, animated video about meiosis (4:38). The objective of this research was to determine whether this video, when used as a supplement to usual classroom instruction, enhanced understanding and student engagement. A validated Meiosis Concept Inventory (Kalas et al. 2013) was used to assess understanding of meiosis prior to instruction. Students then received the usual classroom instruction on meiosis, and half of the students received access to the meiosis animation. The Meiosis Concept Inventory was then administered as a post-test. Data collected included pre- and post-test results, video usage data, demographic data, course grade, and student perceptions of the utility of the video using a validated survey. Data collection took place in the winter, spring and fall terms in 2017 through to 2018. This research will enable us to explore the dynamic relationship between academic performance, understanding of meiosis, and learner behaviour, including animated video usage, and learner perceptions of the value of the animation as a learning tool.

Mentorship as a Model for Academic Staff Competence and Culture Development

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:37:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Rune Hjelsvold, Terje Stafseng

Academic competence and dedication are key components in cultivating an effective learning culture. However, non-orchestrated teaching, research, and administrative obligations limit the capabilities of faculty members to keep up with technological progressions and latest developments in their fields. Moreover, only a few studies have shown how teaching faculty, collectively and supported by higher management support, successfully contribute to the development of a learning culture.

This article studies the long-term effect of a three-year old project involving teaching faculty of five different bachelor programs in computer science. Faculty management initiated the process by inviting an expert from the software industry to work with faculty members to identify skills and knowledge, which were important in computer science practice, but were not properly addressed in the curricula. Higher management and faculty jointly decided to address these discrepancies by launching a development process within the department where selected faculty worked together as a development team – under the mentorship of two senior software architects/developers from the industry. The faculty team used the tools and methodologies of the industry and thereby itself acquired knowledge and skills that were missing from the studies at that time. Concepts relevant to two-way knowledge communication between academia and industry is elaborated upon in this poster.

Empirically, in-depth interviews with six participating teaching staff over a period of three years after the project were conducted. The study also took into consideration curricula changes, which were implemented during this three-year period. The aim of the study was to identify the long-term effects on the staff culture, on the curricula, and on the relationship between university and industry. Major effects on the culture were that the teaching staff got to know each other better and during the project developed a common platform for further collaboration and development. Major effects on the curricula were improved methodological alignments with current practices in the industry as well as changes that solidified the red thread that goes through the curricula. Major effects on the university-industry relationship was improved awareness of how academia and industry may complement each other and of what is needed to keep academia well-aligned with state-of-the-art in the industry.

Faculty members considered management support and mentorship from industry as important for the success of the project. Major challenges were to find time for everyone to participate and to deal with large differences in prior experience concerning the use of tools and methods.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In-Class and After-Class Interactive Learning with Smart Phone App in Engineering Higher Education

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:38:37 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Yao Hu, Qun Hao, Ya Zhou, Yifan Huang

Classroom is the basic and critical environment for higher education in common cases. However, this traditional face-to-face teaching and learning environment can hardly draw the attention of the students if the lecturer is not talkative. Some theoretical courses are complained to be boring and some other practical courses are not easy to understand if no demonstration experiments are involved. On the other hand, students in/from East Asia are often too shy to address their opinions and questions. Due to the low lecturer/student ratio, typically less than 1:100 in some engineering courses in Universities and Colleges, most of the students gave up the chance of one-to-one communication with the lecturers even when they were confused. An effective and better convenient tool is expected to enhance the in-class and after-class communications between teachers and learners, and help creating a pleasant learning environment.

Smart phones and multi-functional Apps have changed peoples’ lives worldwide for more than ten years. Instant message Apps make social interactions easier and faster. An online learning environment could be an effective supplementary to traditional classroom environment. Smart phone App Rain Classroom associated with messaging App Wechat is developed to be offered freely for better education environment in the New Media Era. It enables the lecturers to receive instant feedback from students through bullet screen, push preview and review materials and post in-class quiz. Two years of introduction of Rain Classroom to an engineering compulsory course for senior students have been done. Investigation showed that 76% of the students enjoyed the new interactive tool, acknowledging its help in understanding the topic better, improving in-class interaction, and after class communications. Meanwhile, higher requirements for the preparation of the class are suggested. In this proposal, we will share the experiences and bring forward the problems related to higher education in the New Media Era.

Contributing to Intercultural Learning: A Chinese and Danish Collaboration

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:39:03 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Donna Hurford, Yan Ding

We are two academic developers, one at a Chinese university and the other at a Danish university. Through the ‘International Network Project’ (Danish Ministry of Education and Research) we are intent on developing a new intercultural research partnership by exploring shared professional and academic interests. We are interested in exploring how our collaboration on these authentic, international projects (Leask, 2009) contributes to our intercultural learning and to review the potential of such international partnerships for academic developers.

Whilst academic development and its associated learning culture or cultures has a longer history in Danish than Chinese universities, identifying opportunities to better understand and develop our respective learning cultures is applicable in both contexts. Fudan University in China aims to support peer universities to promote the growth of their academic developers through co-construction, sharing and dissemination of online teacher training resources supplemented by the establishment of the academic developer appraisal system. Academic developers in Denmark have access to a national network (Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Netværk) which provides support and dissemination opportunities through events and Special Interest Groups.

Our poster will focus on findings from surveys of Chinese and Danish academic developers’ perceptions of their roles and whether they map on to Land’s (2004) and Neame’s (2011) ‘orientations’ of roles or whether alternatives emerge; academic developers’ self-identified professional development needs and their current or potential contributions to their academic developers’ learning culture or cultures. In addition, we will share our considerations on the findings and offer questions for reflection and discussion on the international role of academic developers and how they could contribute to and benefit from international learning cultures.

Findings from such surveys at institutional or national level would of themselves yield valuable information, however including an additional international level invites critical discussion and intercultural perspectives. The increased diversity of teachers’ and students’ nationalities and cultures is a common outcome from universities’ internationalisation strategies (Spencer-Oatey and Dauber, 2015), which means academic developers are increasingly turned to for intercultural pedagogic guidance (Killick, 2015). Therefore, our international collaboration is well-placed to provide unique comparative insights into Chinese and Danish academic developers’ perceptions of their roles, their learning needs and to inform discussions on academic developers’ contributions to universities’ intercultural learning cultures.

Learning to Argue Like a Scientist: A Systematic Literature Review on Socio-Scientific Argumentation

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:39:35 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Olga Ioannidou, Andeas Hetmanek, Frank Fischer, Tina Seidel

As the world is faced with critical issues such as climate change, or the use of vaccines, the call for teaching scientific literacy to pre-service and in-service teachers and students is more prominent than ever. Socio-scientific argumentation (SSA) has been introduced to science education as an attempt to promote civic and scientific literacy (Sadler, 2007). Although teachers embraced the concept as beneficial for students’ learning, they report difficulties in teaching in SSA contexts, because they often do not feel confident and well-prepared to address the complexity of these issues (Juntunen & Aksela, 2014). This problem is amplified by the fact that teachers are expected to teach SSA without having a clear definition and a way to reliably measure it. In order to address this issue, this study investigates the way that researchers define and measure socio-scientific argumentation. A systematic literature review was conducted and a mixed-methods approach was followed. Data was gathered from two electronic databases (Web of Science and EBSCO); from 572 articles retrieved, 75 articles were included in the full-text analysis phase. In the qualitative analysis, a coding scheme was constructed based on content analysis and the articles were analyzed with MAXQDA software. Among other findings, our quantitative analysis revealed that 77% of the articles conceptually connected SSA with scientific literacy, while 59% linked it with civic competencies. Furthermore, most of the studies between 2014 and 2017 presented SSA as issue-specific, while Toulmin Argumentation Pattern (TAP) was the measurement mostly used. As a next step, a pilot study will be conducted in which pre-service teachers will validate the emerged definition and measurement.

Faculty Perceptions of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in US Colleges/Schools of Pharmacy

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:40:01 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Mohammed Islam, Reza Taheri, Sarah McBane, Rahmat Talukder

The 1990 publication of “Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate” by Ernest Boyer paved the way for the eventual birth of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Reflective of the ISSOTL 2018 conference threads, but most specifically to “An inclusive learning culture“ and ”A culture that learns”, this poster will focus on the faculty perceptions of SoTL, their engagement in SoTL, and recognition of SoTL in US colleges/schools of pharmacy. SoTL is gaining momentum within academic pharmacy, as pharmacy curricula evolve along with the profession, creating multiple opportunities for faculty to pursue scholarship (McLaughlin et al., 2013; Peeters, 2013; Mehvar 2017). The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standards 2016 expects that colleges/schools engage in research in the design and delivery of the curriculum. A survey instrument was developed to collect quantitative and qualitative information on the faculty attitude towards SoTL and its roles in faculty reward structure. An electronic hyperlink to the survey instrument was emailed to 6454 faculty members of 139 PharmD programs in the United States and its territories. SurveyMonkey (SurveyMonkey, Inc., Portland, OR) was used to collect responses. Survey data were analyzed using Chi-square test of independence, z-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. A total of 643 faculty representing 100% of US colleges/schools of pharmacy participated in the study. From a list of 11 scholarly activities, correct SoTL activities were identified by 78 ̶ 98% of participants with statistically significant differences between faculty disciplines. Over 94% of participants indicated that institutional policies should encourage SoTL. More than 70% of respondents strongly/agreed that SoTL should be incorporated into criteria for promotion and tenure. Majority of the respondents (83.5%) reported that their institutions accept SoTL as criteria for promotion and tenure. Only 40% of respondents reported that their colleges/schools considered SoTL for merit-based salary increase which was more prevalent in public versus private universities (p<.01). SoTL engagement was indicated by 74% of respondents. Competing faculty time commitments and lack of funding, faculty interest, institutional recognition and awareness of SoTL were identified as challenges to SoTL. In conclusion, our results show that US colleges/schools of pharmacy recognize and value SoTL. Majority of the respondents believe that institutional/school policies should encourage SoTL and incorporate into criteria for promotion and tenure. Findings from this study may serve as an impetus for inclusion of SoTL in institutional reward structure across pharmacy academy.

University Teachers’ Approaches to Teaching in the Context of a Pedagogical Course

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:40:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Mari Karm, Anu Sarv, Airi Niilo, Ene Voolaid, Merje Miliste, James Groccia

Learning-centered approach to teaching and active student engagement becomes more and more valued in universities. Therefore, the goal of pedagogical courses should be supporting the development of learning-centered teaching. Åkerlind (2007) supports the position that the focus of teaching improvement is influenced by the teacher’s conception of teaching. If the teacher holds a content-centered approach, particular strategies are used to build up better content knowledge. On the contrary, in the learning-centered approach the purpose of teaching is to improve student learning and an emphasis is also placed on continuous improvement of one’s own teaching (Postareff & Lindblom-Ylänne, 2008, Eley, 2006).

Studies show that teaching conceptions are not stable and change during the teaching experience (Kugel 1993). When examining the impact of pedagogical training of university teachers, it has been found that teaching conception of teachers who participated in longer teacher training courses changed towards a more student-centered approach (Postareff et al. 2007, Gibbs & Coffey 2004).

Acting as academic developers, we aim to support the development of learning-centered approach to teaching in our training courses. However, we lack the evidence how efficient our teaching in such training courses is to achieve these purposes and whether the activities and tasks in the courses support the change towards learning-centered approach to teaching.

This was a reason to carry out a qualitative study among three groups of university teachers participating in a long-term pedagogical training (6 ECTS) course during 2016-2018. Data was collected from the participants at the beginning and at end of the course. The participants were asked to write answers to open questions about their planning of teaching, their teaching methods or activities, the assessment strategies and methods in their teaching practice, and how they understand teaching and learning before and after the course. The texts were analyzed with qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis.

Preliminary results show that the conceptions of teaching that concern the teaching and the teaching methods used are richer in details at the end of the course rather than at the beginning of the course. The teachers evaluated most highly the practical tasks that gave them experience about different teaching methods. The teachers reported that reading articles about teaching influenced their thinking as teachers. Peer observations of teaching as a part of their pedagogical training were described as most influential in their everyday practice as teachers.

Providing the Big Picture Makes a Curriculum Jigsaw Puzzle Easier to Negotiate

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:40:49 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

John Keating, Laura Sahm, William Joynes, Sima Purohit

Background

It can be a daunting task for an undergraduate student to comprehend the structure of their curriculum and how it relates to the profession they wish to practise post-graduation. It is akin to arriving in a new city but without a map, or trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle without access to the puzzle image. Without signposting to students the reasons underpinning the design of their curriculum, their engagement can falter and learning suffer.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) Core Competency Framework (CCF) is the cornerstone of the PSI’s programme to reform/inform training and education of undergraduate and practising Irish pharmacists. The design, content and pedagogical approaches within the University College Cork (UCC) MPharm programme have been heavily influenced and mapped to the CCF framework. Testimonies from UCC MPharm students and faculty have uncovered challenges recognising where pharmacy themes such as patient safety and diabetes are located and taught across the curriculum and how they link to CCF behaviours. Such challenges have been documented with pharmacy students in other jurisdictions.

To help fill this knowledge gap, visually appealing, informative and systematically designed posters were developed which map UCC MPharm curriculum themes in a hierarchical manner to academic years, modules, modular activities and, ultimately, the CCF. These posters were evaluated for their usefulness and ease of navigation by the key end-user stakeholders – pharmacy faculty and undergraduate pharmacy students.

Methodology

Data on curriculum components relevant to three MPharm themes – patient safety, antimicrobials and diabetes – were collected by interviewing module coordinators and analysing Blackboard® Virtual Learning Environment modular content and Book of Modules entries. Following data collection, landscape-orientated A0 posters (one poster per theme), were designed to illustrate how each theme maps to the CCF via associated activities performed within modules. Posters were critiqued on their design, content and usefulness through five focus groups composed of MPharm student year groups and pharmacy faculty. Thematic analysis of focus group data was subsequently performed.

Results

Pharmacy students and faculty found the theme-mapped posters intuitively straightforward to navigate, user-friendly and enhanced their understanding of the relevance and application of the PSI CCF in informing the design of their MPharm curriculum. Analysis of focus group data has further indicated that the chosen spider diagram-like mapping design is readily adaptable to map not only a competency framework to a curriculum but also other curricular features such as pedagogical approaches and experiential placements.

The Changing Landscape of Capstone Experiences: Diverse Needs of Students and Institution Types

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:41:02 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Caroline Ketcham, Anthony Weaver, Jillian Kinzie

Capstone experiences are a high impact practice that many institutions identify as ‘transformational’ experiences for their students. There is currently very little research on what constitutes a high-quality capstone experience. Particularly, what the various types of capstones experiences are and whether students from a variety of diverse backgrounds receive the transformational outcomes. This poster will highlight the 1st year outcomes of a multi-year, multi-institutional model of research on capstone experiences. Leaders guide participants through 3 years of team-oriented deep dive questions related to capstone experiences. Of primary interest is addressing how the landscape of capstone experiences is changing as our student and institutional needs continue to increase. Both the diversity of students entering as well as the diversity of educational goals call on institutional leaders to better define access and success. This process includes 4-5 team projects with 5-6 faculty members from diverse disciplines, institutions, and geographic locations. Participants meet for a week each summer for 3 consecutive summers to plan research questions, analyze data and disseminate results. While each team works on more targeted questions, the seminar leaders are focused on the big picture, larger landscape questions and outcomes. The questions of our teams are around contemporary capstones; faculty development for high qualities capstone experiences; understanding how to address a diverse group of students and student needs; and identifying differences in curricular and co-curricular goals and outcomes. The combination of these deep dive questions allow seminar leaders to address the broader question of how to both develop and assess high quality capstone experiences with transformative learning goals and outcomes.

Promoting a Culture of Learning through a Learning Philosophy Assignment: First-Year Biology

Last modified on 2018-08-30 10:13:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kelly Keus, Neil Haave

Many students inhabit a learning culture in which the dominant study strategy is to memorize-regurgitate-purge which leads to superficial learning (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014). In order to promote deep learning that connects to students’ life goals, we developed a learning philosophy (LP) assignment which promotes students’ metacognition of their learning. Metacognition is known to promote student learning outcomes (Coutinho, 2007; Girash, 2014; Tanner, 2012). Our study was designed to determine whether our LP assignment promoted students’ specific learning outcomes (i.e., exam performance) and whether student construction of their LP promoted their general learning outcomes (i.e., intellectual development) as indicated by their cognitive complexity. Specific learning outcomes were determined by comparing the difference between students’ performance on their final and midterm exams using a one-tailed t-test between student cohorts (+/- LP). General learning outcomes were assessed using the Learning Environment Preferences (LEP) Survey (Moore, 1989) which returns a cognitive complexity index indicating their level of intellectual development on the Perry Scheme. Between the two exams and the two LEP surveys students were given feedback on their developing learning philosophy which addressed how, what, and why they learn. Feedback pushed students to consider how their learning was helping them to become who they wanted to be (e.g., a professional) and to consider the evidence that their current learning strategies were useful for attaining their goals and if, based on their evidence (e.g., exam performance), alternative study strategies should be considered. Our study was approved by our research ethics board and permitted us to use course and survey data with students’ consent. We found that our LP assignment could positively impact students’ general and specific learning outcomes, but this influence was dependent upon instructor and student year level. Qualitative analysis of students’ written LPs indicated that all students were engaged in metacognition of their learning but that senior students were better equipped to regulate their learning strategies.

Strategies for Preventing Burnout and Promoting Well-Being in the Workplace

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:42:25 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Klodiana Kolomitro, Natasha Kenny, Suzanne Le-May Sheffield

The roles of educational developers have been redefined, reimagined, and repurposed. Beach et al. (2016) have witnessed, “mounting evidence that faculty development has become a more essential support for institutional strategic initiatives”(p. 1). Pressures are high on teaching and learning centres to do more with less as educational developers are being called upon to address institutional priorities and metrics of success and are increasingly functioning as organizational change agents. This paradigm shift has positioned developers with a unique role of becoming predictive in their work by anticipating and effecting institutional changes and new directions. At the same time, if educational developers are to support, lead, manage and participate in change initiates, then they need to start paying more attention to how they take care of themselves and prevent burnout. Maslach and Leiter (2000) describe burnout as “the index of dislocation between what people are and what they have to do” and further add that “individual employees become the ‘shock absorbers’ for organizational strains”. In The Slow Professor (2016), Maggie Berg and Barbara Seeber concerned about the frantic pace of contemporary life call for academics to adopt principles of the “slow food” movement in order to alleviate stress and prevent burnout. At the same time, Stacy Grooters delivered a session at the Professional Organization Network Conference in October 2017 on Exploring the Possibilities of “Slow” Educational Development.

We developed and administered a survey to better understand the concept of burnout and workplace well-being (Hyett and Parker, 2015) amongst educational developers, in order to suggest strategies for creating flourishing workplace environments. At this conference, we aim to engage our community through a poster session and use a collaborative process to capture participants’ feedback on the research results and strategies for supporting workplace well-being amongst educational developers. This research connects to the ISSOTL18 conference theme–A culture of learners. To cultivate and support a culture of learners, we must nurture not only our intellectual being but also emotional, spiritual and mental being. Only by encouraging wellness, buoyancy, and optimism can we develop a resilient, strong, and healthy community of scholars. Our hope is that the results of this project will benefit not only educational developers but also the wider community in adapting strategies that encourage a flourishing work environment and support educator well-being.

Results of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) for Assessment of Clinical Competence

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:42:37 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Nancy Krusen, Debra Rollins

The presentation reports outcomes of a first-trial objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) used to assess clinical competence. OSCEs are brief, multiple stations assessing a variety of clinical practice skills. The presentation analyzes the educational value of OSCE as a performance-based tool. The presentation supports a culture of learning, assuring skill prior to clinical practice placement. We describe task-specific checklist and global scores, descriptive statistics for seventeen OSCE stations, descriptive statistics for learner performance, phenomenological analysis of learner and rater feedback, and plans for additional research. Through formal presentation, small group discussion, and large group sharing, learners will be able to differentiate skill-specific and overall rating scales, deliberate reliability and validity of OSCE use, and seek additional resources for OSCE implementation.

Harden and Gleeson (1975) first outlined OSCEs for use in medical school assessment to support traditional didactic and clinical examinations. OSCEs are used frequently across health professions to demonstrate competence, conduct program evaluation, and indicate compliance with educational Standards. We founded the OSCE in transformative learning (Mezirow, 1981), through which students transform old knowledge by reflecting on new experiences, and in situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), through which faculty design the just-right challenge at the just-right time.

Faculty from a School of Occupational Therapy unanimously identified the need for a performance-based measure of clinical competence (other than traditional didactic or clinical examination) prior to clinical placement. Faculty members identified a preference for the measure to be formative for student learning and summative for program evaluation. (Development of the OSCE is reported elsewhere.) A cohort of students (n=40) each completed a rotation of seventeen OSCE stations in competence areas matching those of the national Fieldwork Performance Evaluation. The OSCE presentation supports a culture of learning across a curriculum with long-term impact assuring quality for the public.

Authors will present quantitative analysis of learner performance comparing item-specific task checklist with global scores for each OSCE station, analysis of a self-completed student survey data, and analysis of station-specific difficulty level data. Authors will also present qualitative textual analysis of learner and rater feedback. To inform educational practice, authors recommend and plan further research on the psychometric properties of the OSCE as a measure of competence including rater reliability; correlation with other measures of clinical competence; correlation of performance with curricular courses; the predictive value for clinical performance; and the relationship between OSCE performance, classroom performance, and clinical training performance.

Professional Development in Teaching and Learning: Interpreting Experiences and Responding to Needs

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:43:42 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Laura Lee, Catherine O’ Mahony

This research critically evaluates survey data gathered from staff who support student learning in Higher Education, on the topic of professional development (PD) in Teaching and Learning (T&L). As coordinators of PD activities for staff and postgraduate students, we are interested in exploring the following research questions:

• To what extent do staff who support student learning engage in PD opportunities, including activities related to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)?
• What are the interests and needs of staff in relation to PD in T&L?
• Do factors such as employment status, position, and discipline influence the types of PD activities in T&L that staff engage in and have interest in, including activities specifically related to SoTL?
• Are there barriers to participation in PD opportunities?

Underpinning this research is the recognition that the demands of teaching in higher education (HE) are numerous, and research has indicated that many teachers are unprepared for same (European Science Foundation, 2011). Teaching staff play a central role in the learning experience of students, and it is vital that they are equipped to perform in a complex learning culture. The European University Association’s recent position paper acknowledges that ‘enhancing L&T requires promoting staff development ‘, while the European Principles for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (2018) speak to the significance of recognising teaching as ‘a professional and skilled activity’. We see teaching, then, as a profession in need of specialised support which is both dynamic and continuous.

Recent research (e.g. Slowey, Kozina, & Tan, 2014; Teichler & Cummings, 2015) has highlighted the keen interest of academic staff in a wide range of academic development topics and in SoTL. The current study aims to build on this work by exploring the current T&L landscape of our staff, as per the research questions outlined above. Qualitative data, derived from open-ended comments, will provide rich insight into the voiced opinions of staff regarding the methods and actions which would best support their teaching. Our ultimate aim is for these data to guide the professional development activities in T&L offered to our staff. More broadly, these results will allow us to situate this review within a broader international conversation about how to enhance the quality of teaching in Higher Education.

Lecturers’ Curational Skills in Higher Education Curriculum Development: A Research Design

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:46:16 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Rose Leighton, Didi Griffioen

In today’s era of content abundance, education has to deal with changed practices for the dissemination of knowledge. Many digital resources are available, and they have the potential to take the place of textbooks. ‘The role of the classic textbook as the key, immutable reference point for any class subject, is rapidly fading’, says Good (2016). Educational publishers like Pearson see a decline in textbook use (Sweney, 2017), and a study at a Dutch university of applied sciences (Leighton, 2015) indicates that lecturers in higher education move away from textbooks towards a variety of materials, including powerpoint slides, websites, and videos. Baron & Zablot (2015) complement this, saying ‘teachers now have the possibility to create and modify resources’.

This development carries the risk that the structure, continuity and coherence textbooks are supposed to provide (Littlejohn, 2011) disappear. One could argue that when structure and coherence disappear from learning materials, the quality of education is at risk. To make the most of (digital) materials that teachers select, they must be organized well (Deschaine & Sharma, 2015).

In order to do that, lecturers will have to act as skilled curators when selecting and structuring learning materials. Central in the concept of curation is that it goes beyond selection: providing coherence and context is what sets out curation from mere selection (Bhaskar, 2016). Considered from the perspective of teaching, curating means selecting and structuring learning content for students, while also providing them with context and coherence.

The notion of lecturers as curators has been discussed by Siemens (2008), who describes the changing roles of lecturers and identifies ‘curational educators’ as those who ‘acknowledge the autonomy of learners, yet understand the frustration of exploring unknown territories without a map’. So far, the literature mainly focusses on providing students with curational skills, since these are important 21st century and media literacy skills (e.g. Jenkins et al., 2009; Potter, 2012). Little empirical research has been done when it comes to curational roles of lecturers.

This proposed poster provides a mixed-methods research design for a PhD study. A survey study (expected N=500) identifies lecturers’ current practices. This is followed by interviews with 25 lecturers, exploring their viewpoints on curation in education. In a third study, guidelines for curation in a context of higher professional education are designed. With this proposed poster, the authors aim to invite questions, feedback and discussion on the research design.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

How Can Use of a Shared Collaborative Whiteboard Support Discussions in Lectures?

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:46:49 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kristine Ludvigsen

This poster presents an intervention study of how we used Flinga, a shared online whiteboard (http://www.nordtouch.fi/) to support peer discussions in lectures. The overarching purpose of the study was to explore affordances of using Flinga to open dialogical spaces (Wegerif, 2013) in the context of lectures. When describing dialogical spaces, terms such as opening – how the dialogical space is enabled, widening – how many possible different voices and perspectives it allows for, and deepening – the extent of critical reflections on the perspectives it provides for, are crucial dimensions.

The research question that guides across two cases was: “What kind of affordances are there in collaborative whiteboard to support the dimensions of the opening, widening, and deepening dialogical spaces in lectures? We used a design-based research approach that included audio-recordings of peer-discussions, material produced in lectures, focus group interviews with students and course evaluation from teachers. We argue that opening dialogical spaces in lecture provides students with rich possibilities to reflect on concepts and to develop their arguments, and thus to get feedback on their understanding of course content. For the lecturers, the critical point was to deepen the space and to orchestrate a dialogue with students. We found the idea of a dialogical space to be fruitful for planning and assessing discussion-based activities in the context of the lecture. In the poster session, the participants will be invited to discuss opportunities and constrain of using such tools to support discussions.

A Culture of Learners: Integrating Information Literacy Into Coursework

Last modified on 2018-10-16 15:56:51 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Hasitha Mahabaduge, Jeffery Dowdy

The ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand is defined as information literacy according to the National Forum on Information Literacy. In the information age available electronic resources often demonstrate undesirable behaviors in students including the inability to identify information needs. As a remedy for this issue a faculty and a librarian collaborated to teach key information literacy skills to the students to prepare them to seek out current and reliable information on the respective upper level undergraduate courses. Students learned the iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information, while seeking multiple perspectives during the information gathering phase. Intentionally integrating library resources and an academic librarian into the course helped students develop critical thinking skills that are crucial to the evaluation, synthesis, and creation of their own insights. A research project was assigned to each student at the beginning of the course. At the end of the course, students presented their findings, taking the information compiled and synthesizing it into an oral presentation. The respective presentations were targeted at two different audiences, namely, elementary school students and general scientific audience with some science background. A special session was also conducted on authorship, publishing and reference management. Pre and post tests on information literacy show significant improvements in students compared to similar upper level undergraduate course without a library partner. This presentation will provide insight into the process of integrating information literacy and library resources into undergraduate courses. The challenges, possible remedies, and the student perspective on the educational benefits gained will also be discussed.

A Culture Change: Using the Five-Stage Model of Change to Transition the Campus LMS

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:48:42 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Sara Marcketti, Ann Marie VanDerZanden

In fall 2016, it was decided that our University’s 10 year contract with the Learning Management System (LMS) would come to an end and a new LMS would be adopted. The University decided upon a fast track adoption of the new LMS: Canvas, with the product on campus July 2017, a group of 300 early adopter instructors utilizing it in fall 2017, and the entirety of campus adopting the system in Spring 2018.

Our midwestern university’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) was placed in charge of the implementation. The poster will provide detailed methods of how we smoothly transitioned the campus. The framework guiding many of our decisions was that of the five-stage model of change (Prochaska & Norcross, 2001).

While most of the university was not considering adopting a new LMS (pre-contemplation), CELT worked with the Associate Deans of each of the seven colleges to appoint a College Coordinator. The coordinators worked on sub-committees including vendor finalist evaluation committee and the technical migration committee, as well as serving as an important outlet for communicating to CELT as well as their college.

Once Canvas was selected as the LMS (contemplation), the decision was made to allow for as many early adopters as possible to teach in the LMS during fall semester 2017. While the Canvas community typically suggests 10 to 15 individuals as early adopters, we allowed 300 instructors to teach 17,000 students. These early adopters provided knowledge and positive word of mouth regarding the new LMS. Each was recognized at the end of fall semester with a “Certificate of Merit” and informally became a mentor within their programs and departments.

To prepare campus for the transition (preparation), CELT offered 30 personalized departmental workshops; taught 65 university-wide workshops; and provided over 400 hours of “open labs” and individual consultations. We developed and delivered an exhaustive communication plan. To further excite campus about the change, we posted a Countdown Clock to the existing LMS interface.

In spring semester 2018, CELT continued to offer open labs, individual consultations, and training workshops (action). Informed by a campus wide survey, CELT designed an intensive summer workshop focused on course design/redesign. To celebrate the innovative work around the new LMS (maintenance), CELT coordinated an on-campus Canvas conference for fall semester 2018 and designed more complex workshop sessions.

SoTL Engagement as Compared to Total Outputs for Promotion and Tenure

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:48:58 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Sara Marcketti, Ann Marie VanDerZanden, Joshua Mitchell

Much of the research published on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has focused on one of the primary purposes of strengthening faculty teaching practices and improving student learning (Condone, Iverson, Manduca, Rutz, & Willett, 2016). While our Midwestern University values SoTL as indicated in its inclusion in the Faculty Handbook which governs faculty life, anecdotally, one often hears that those who conduct SoTL must do more to have their work “counted” towards promotion and tenure decisions. We sought to understand the association between engagement in SoTL activities and number of total outputs as counted in the promotion and tenure process.

Working with the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, a team evaluated the CVs of each faculty member who was successfully promoted to associate professor or professor between 2010 to 2017. Initially, data retrieved from each CV were entered into Excel and included the total number of peer-reviewed publications, academic presentations, external and internal grants awarded, and all other publications (e.g., extension pamphlets, technical documents), regardless of its classification as SoTL or non-SoTL. Then, the team documented and counted every occurrence of SoTL within these same categories. Data were then de-identified and analyzed for this study using SPSS (Version 24).

The sample consisted of data collected between 2010 and 2017 from the promotion and tenure curriculum vitas (CV) of 431 faculty members seeking promotion and tenure to the ranks of associate professor (57%, n = 247) and professor (43%, n = 184). Forty-seven percent of the faculty members included in the study were engaged in SoTL as part of their P&T activities. We used a one-way ANOVA to compare statistical differences based on SoTL engagement. The results indicated that faculty who do not engage in SoTL activities published more journal articles, while faculty who engaged in SoTL activities received more grants. However, no statistical or substantive differences were found in the total number of other publications or presentations. One possible explanation for the overall lower number publications despite the higher number of grants among faculty members who engage in SoTL may be the greater opportunities to engage in internal grants related to teaching and learning. Centers for Teaching and Learning could consider the importance of working with individuals who receive SoTL related grants to assist them with their data collection and analysis in order to effectively publish and disseminate their findings.

Impact of Interdisciplinary Communities of Teachers on Enhancing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:49:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Irma Meijerman

An important aspect of making SoTL an integral part of a learning culture within universities is a sustainable change owned by the teachers. Engaging teachers in SoTL, making SoTL an integral part of their approach to teaching, often means that they have to move beyond disciplinary research boundaries and get familiar with more social science research methods. SoTL- communities, where teachers collaborate with colleagues, and peer review each other’s projects, can be a driving force to support teachers in getting familiar with the approaches and methods of SoTL. Within Utrecht University, until now, very few teachers are involved in SoTL, and no institutional support or teacher development programs involving SoTL are offered. To engage teachers in SoTL in this exploratory pilot, two interdisciplinary communities of practitioners were formed. In the first community teachers from the whole university could get involved on a voluntary basis. The second community consisted of teachers from different disciplines of the Faculty of Science and was part of a wider project on teaching innovations. Teachers met on a monthly basis to get instruction about methods of SoTL, and the opportunity to exchange experiences with their peers. The participants received a questionnaire at the beginning and the end of their SoTL-project (about 1.5 years) with questions about their views, behaviour and attitude towards SoTL. In addition, several participants were interviewed at the end of their SoTL-projects. Based on the first explorative results conclusions can be drawn for future SoTL-communities and teacher development activities that are related to many of the current SoTL-discussions. The participants enjoyed being part of the community. Most of them managed to make scholarly changes in their teaching, and showed changes in their views on teaching and learning. However, only few of them managed to share or publish their results. Participants expressed a general feeling that they had to do it ‘all alone’ in their own time, making them feel extra workload. In addition, they felt that the time spend on the project was not rewarded, and appreciated, within their own department. Especially in the voluntary group this lead to a drop out of more than half of the participants. The first experiences of this pilot emphasise the importance of support structures, especially the support of the institute and the appreciation of teachers engaged in SoTL. Giving dedicated time for SoTL and valuing their contribution to teaching and learning seems the most important.

ComPAIR: an Online Adaptive Comparative Judgement Tool for Peer Feedback and Assessment

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:49:41 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Firas Moosvi, Hendrik Blok, Tiffany Potter, James Charbonneau, Letitia Englund, Andrew Gardener, Pan Luo, Ido Roll

Giving and receiving feedback has been identified as a key focus in redesigning assessments for long term learning (Boud, 2006) as peer feedback has been shown to improve motivation (White, 1998) and provide learning benefits (Jhangiani, 2016). However, challenges in implementation have prevented its widespread use. Leveraging the process of comparative judgement has the potential to facilitate peer feedback and assessment at scale. Performing an active comparative process facilitates students’ future learning by enabling them to go beyond identifying superficial features of a phenomenon (Bransford,1999; Schwartz,1998). Developing the capacity in students to be an effective ‘assessor of learning’ prepares students for lifelong learning by preparing them to make complex judgements about their own work, as well as that of their peers (Boud, 2006).

ComPAIR is an adaptive comparative judgement (ACJ)-based online learning tool that facilitates peer feedback at scale (Potter, 2017) and has recently been proposed as reliable in assessing complex items (Pollitt, 2012). Learners evaluate, comment upon, and rank pairs of submissions in many classroom contexts across disciplines (English, Mathematics, Integrated Sciences, and Physics courses for this study). In previous work, particularly in the English and Physics cohorts, students found the tool intuitive to use and reported very strong perceptions of improved ability and confidence in their ability to complete a similar task in future or to begin a more complex related task. Students perceive ComPAIR as an effective tool for teaching and learning (Potter, 2017). Others have shown that feedback from multiple peers led to more significant improvements in revised papers than feedback provided by experts (Cho, 2007).

In addition to the cognitive benefits of assessing peer assignments and providing feedback, ComPAIR may reduce marking load and increase consistency (Pollitt, 2012). English (ENGL110; 150 students) and Integrated Sciences (ISCI360; 44 students) were used to evaluate ComPAIR for grading. Each student in ENGL110 judged three pairs of submissions on one criterion and ISCI360 students assessed six pairs on three criteria. Expert judgements on the same submissions were also made in ComPAIR to evaluate the reliability of the tool. The assignments were also manually graded by two teaching assistants. Simulation data suggest that the effect of ‘misjudgements’ has a large impact tool reliability, especially with a limited amount of judgements. In this presentation we will share results of our study using ComPAIR as a tool for assessment, and provide evidence-based practices for using ComPAIR in the classroom.

Meaningful Academic Integrity Conversations: Frameworks for Teaching and Learning

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:50:07 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Leanne Morrow, Roxanne Ross, Asher Ghaffar

Finding effective teaching practices for engaging students in meaningful dialogue on academic integrity (AI) is a continual challenge for academic institutions. This poster presentation highlights a recent SoTL collaboration between the Student Success Centre, the Library and the Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary looking to explore optimal ways to create meaningful learning for students engaging with the topic of AI. Using a traditional, writing skills-based instruction framework from Babcock and Thonus, (2012) and contrasting that with a framework focusing on scenario based, moral decision-making from Bandura (2002) the goal in this SoTL project was to explore the ways in which these two distinct frameworks helped students gain a deeper understanding of AI. We also explored whether certain aspects of each framework could positively contribute to students’ behavioural, affective and cognitive engagement (Chapman, 2003). This project used a mixed methods approach that included pre and post- surveys, classroom observations and student focus groups. Drawing upon practice and a review of AI literature, the team collaboratively designed two modules, one for each framework, using course creation software Articulate 360 for students to review and test. The team also developed corresponding discussion activities for working with students in the classroom. The skills module highlighted writing as a social practice, presenting Bruffee’s (1984) notion of the “academic conversation”. In-class facilitation activities integrated course readings and were designed to extend understanding of common knowledge, critical reading and paraphrasing. The second module framed AI with an ethical lens, as standards of practice that can at times challenge decision-making. This module highlighted common scenarios that pose potential AI conflicts developed from in-house current practice and the literature on student perceptions of AI. In addition to Bandura’s theory of moral disengagement (1990), a decision-making framework adapted from Morey and Dansereau (2010) introduced students to a 3-step process for ethical decision-making. In-class activities were developed to facilitate the discussion and analysis of similar scenarios, decision-making and moral disengagement processes. We will present some of our preliminary findings and we will share some of our most valuable outcomes to date which includes our increased understanding of the complexities involved in the teaching and learning of AI. This poster will also showcase effective collaborations with faculty to teach AI issues like plagiarism and collusion outside the classroom and though relationships with the Library and Student Services.

Pivot Points: Maximizing the Learning Potential of a Professional Graduate Program

Last modified on 2018-08-31 07:48:55 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Phillip M Motley, Derek Lackaff

This research poster will share how we have attempted to develop an inclusive learning culture in a diverse professional graduate program in interactive media. We will draw on student interviews and programmatic evaluation data to explore (1) the role of the advising process; (2) the design of curricular and co-curricular opportunities; and (3) the messaging provided to students prior to and following admission. We reflect on facilitating meaningful learning experiences that allow students to pivot between academic and professional learning objectives, and demonstrate how best practices are not ad hoc, but programmatically designed and implemented by all faculty.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Visualizing the History of a Learning Culture

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:51:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Victoria Myhand

This project is a comprehensive history of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning within the United States. I have been working with documents and visiting with noteworthy scholars who were involved in the foundation of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. We have been discussing memorable and pivotal moments during the foundation and establishment of SOTL over time, as well as specific instances which exemplify the learning culture SOTL strives to generate. I believe my project is quite serendipitous with this year’s conference theme. In discussing Toward a Learning Culture, it seems necessary to examine how the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning sprouted, and how the culture of learning and learners blossomed.

My research process involves conducting interviews with academics who were heavily involved in the SOTL implementation process. ISSOTL in History has been a fruitful resource in assisting me with contacting historians. During the 2018-2019 academic year I will be attending the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. I plan to interview important SOTL authors during my time abroad. A number of questions to engage my interviewees during our visits will reveal what key Scholarship pioneers believe led to this need for reform in how teachers teach and students learn. For this project focuses not only on what happened and when, but why.

This project is a perfect example of what the inclusive learning culture of connecting student learning to life and work experiences beyond the classroom looks like. I am an undergraduate student who relinquished instruction of a syllabus to take on a research project. However, this project is something I never could have achieved without previous experience in the classroom. My work here reflects my classroom experiences teaching me well enough so that I could take what I have learned throughout my university experience and master a project independently. In other words, this project is proof that an inclusive learning culture works.

This project focuses on the Scholarship’s beginnings in the United States, which may be very informative for Society members both foreign and domestic. My position as an undergraduate student of history makes me uniquely qualified to study and speak on this subject. Who better to discuss the present culture of learning than a pupil who is currently experiencing it? Where better to discuss how our learning culture has developed and can improve in the future than the environment of this conference?

Computational Practices in Student Learning of Earth Systems

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:51:31 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Tor Einar Møller, Laura De Luca Peña, Kristian A. Haaga, Henriette Linge, Bjarte Hannisdal

Student learning of dynamical interactions in complex Earth systems is a major challenge in geoscience education (Assaraf & Orion, 2005, J. Res. Sci. Teach. 42; Scherer et al., 2017, J. Geosci. Educ. 65). Students exposed to traditional teaching have been found to maintain their default perception of causal relationships as linear chains of events and to struggle with dynamical systems thinking (Raia, 2008, J. Geosci. Educ. 56).

The development of systems thinking goes hand-in-hand with computational thinking and practices (Weintrop et al. 2016, J. Sci. Educ. Technol. 25). In 2017, in a course offered to 3rd semester students in geology with no prior computational experience, we introduced a computational activity involving Daisyworld – a virtual planet with a simple interacting climate and biosphere (Watson & Lovelock, 1983, Tellus B 35). This simple analogue invites students to carefully define the components and processes in a system, and then couple them together to discover and explore nonlinear behavior, feedbacks, and thresholds, which are key properties of natural systems.

Students worked in groups using R in a three-stage activity, where each stage had overlapping learning outcomes intended to build a coherent learning progression. Each student group presented their findings and performed a written, critical self-reflection and evaluation. We found that the lack of a common language for systems and computational thinking reduced student engagement in the learning process. Faced with well-structured “textbook” problems, students were still uncomfortable doing repeated rounds of trial and error. Moreover, students did not perceive any real-world implications of the imaginary Daisyworld scenario, suggesting that greater authenticity would enhance their learning motivation.

Learning from this experience, we will test new learning activities for a revamped course in 2019. We replace Daisyworld with the global carbon cycle, a real-world system of vital importance. Leaning on the ‘problem-solving in practice’ framework for ill-structured problems (Holder et al., 2017, J. Geosci. Educ. 65), we hypothesise that computational practices improve student learning of complex dynamical systems in geoscience. To test our hypothesis, we will assign students to an experimental group that uses computational practices, and a control group that reads the same instructional material, and use pre- and post-instruction quizzes to assess their progress from novice towards expert-like thinking.

We solicit input from ISSoTL18 participants on our proposed experiment, specifically on (1) setting up scaffolding to foster and sustain student motivation, and (2) integrated assessment and evaluation of computational practices.

Understanding and Fostering SoTL Cultures across a Nation

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:52:31 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Genevieve Newton, Chris Ostrowski, Monica Sanago, Janice Miller-Young

SoTL Canada is a constituency of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and we are part of the SoTL Canada executive team, elected by its membership. Formed in 2012, SoTL Canada strives to provide “a targeted opportunity for SoTL scholars to form a community to share findings and challenges, engage in opportunities for broader dissemination of SoTL work, and consider ways to catalyze SoTL initiatives at the institutional, regional, national, and international levels.” Past projects include pre-conference workshops, a special issue of New Directions in Teaching and Learning about the history and impact of SoTL across Canada, and collaborative writing groups which resulted in a special issue of the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. In a 2014 membership survey, SoTL Canada members expressed interest in writing support, peer mentoring, and methods workshops.

Before initiating a peer mentoring program, we wanted to discover who is engaged in SoTL and what SoTL activities are taking place across Canada. An online survey was distributed to SoTL Canada members and liaisons at Canadian institutions, who invited colleagues engaged in SoTL (i.e., snowball sampling). In addition to demographic and institutional characteristics, participants were asked about the type of SoTL work they are involved in; if they have collaborated with students; the integration of SoTL into job descriptions at their institutions; the level and type of funding they received for SoTL; and their dissemination methods of SoTL.

Across Canada, 257 faculty and staff from higher education institutions participated in this study. Interestingly, nearly half of the participants indicated SoTL was part of their job description or expectations, suggesting wider recognition of SoTL as a valuable use of institutional time and resources. At the same time, almost 40% of participants did not receive any funding to do SoTL, suggesting misalignment between available funding infrastructure and positive institutional sentiment for SoTL (Felten, Gardner, Schroeder, Lambert, & Barefoot, 2016). In addition to these, we will discuss insights and details from the survey responses to map the terrain of how SoTL is being taken up in Canada.

Together with the audience, we will discuss how similar surveys might be conducted elsewhere, and how such knowledge could be used to yield positive outcomes such as advocating for support, facilitating collaborations, and leveraging expertise.

Paddles and Pedagogy: Journeying Towards a Learning Culture

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:52:47 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kevin Nolan, Catharine White

Come hear about Coast Mountain College’s efforts to move towards a learning culture with a unique experiential professional development endeavor. Called ‘Paddles and Pedagogy’, 10 instructors and 1 faculty developer embarked on a six day sea kayak trip during which a course in experiential place-based learning was offered covering such topics as defining experiential place-based learning, why it matters, and how to design, deliver and evaluate in accordance to experiential principles. The journey was a transformative learning adventure for all involved. That this experience influenced change in teaching and connection to one another (the time travelling in the wilderness together created tight bonds with one another – we alternatively called ‘paddles and pedagogy’ ‘pooping with peers’ – come hear what happens when distance between colleagues is removed).

Members of the expedition will share narratives around their growth. This poster will also explore key principles that contributed to the success of this learning adventure, including immersion, adventure, and strange lands experience, all implementable in other forms of teaching and learning as well as professional development. The outcomes of this professional development include inspiration, connections and appreciation. Come hear about all aspects of the planning, funding and the lived experience of experiential professional development and consider how it might be manifested in your own context.

Learning Outcome Transformation in Course Redesigns

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:53:06 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Ludmila Nunes, Erica Lott

How does a course redesign program impact development of a learning culture? And how can this impact be measured? We suggest that changes in learning outcomes (LO) proposed by faculty who went through an institution-wide course redesign program are: 1) an indicator of the program success; and 2) a measure of learning culture.

As Barr and Tagg (1995) conceptualized, the “shift from teaching to learning” implies that the measure of success in a learning institution shifts from a measure of quantity and quality of resources to a measure of quality of LOs. Thus, the way faculty conceptualize the LOs for their courses should reflect this change of focus towards a learning culture. Bloom’s taxonomy (Bloom et al., 1956) can be used to categorize LOs into six categories that vary in terms of cognitive processes and go from concrete and simple to abstract and complex knowledge. Despite the need for the simplest categories (e.g., remember and understand) to achieve the most complex ones (e.g., create and evaluate), in a culture focused on learning, students should be expected to achieve the complex categories that require critical thinking instead of simple root memorization.

Here we compare how faculty change LOs as they go through a semester-long faculty development program focused on autonomy-supportive course transformations (see SDT, Ryan & Deci, 2000). This program has reached over 250 instructors since 2011 and thus its effects might indicate changes in the general learning culture of the university. Initial LOs (before the program) and revised LOs (after the program) were quantified and categorized in terms of their Bloom’s dimension. The average number of LOs per course decreased from 5.37 to 3.75 and the level of Bloom’s dimension significantly increased (d= 0.91, [0.66, 1.16]). These results suggest that the program was successful in increasing the quality of LOs. We will discuss the implications for learning culture in the university. We will also present a case study, where student performance on the different LOs was measured. This case study explores student learning as LOs are refined and become more complex and can hint at an increased academic rigor.

Technology and Teaching Methods in Geoscience Education – Results from a Worldwide Survey

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:54:00 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Bjørn Nyberg, Henk Keers

Two important topics in university education are the use of technology and the use of teaching methods (specifically active learning methodologies versus more traditional teaching methods). These topics have received considerable attention from both educators and policy makers. However, relatively little is known about these topics, and how they are related. In particular, it is useful to know which technologies are considered important, whether there is a preferred way to teach about and with certain technologies, whether there is any correlation with other factors (such as class size, age of teacher, geographic location, topic, etc.). Moreover, these issues are likely to be dependent on the field/topic. In order to find out about these and related issues, we conducted a worldwide survey on technology and teaching methods among university geoscience educators. The survey consisted of 22 questions and contained three different categories exploring the type and demographics of the course, the use of technology in teaching and the type of teaching used in the course.

Responses were received from 71 people from 65 universities in 23 countries most of whom were relatively experienced (38 with >10 years of teaching experience). The topics (e.g. geophysics, sedimentology, geochemistry), class sizes (from less than 5 to over 70), teaching location (e.g. classroom, field, laboratory) and teaching method (e.g. lecturers, practicals, active learning) varied considerably. The main results suggest that traditional lecturing methods are still important (60%) in a traditional classroom setting (75%), also among the younger generation of geoscience teachers. Most teachers (65%) consider the use of technology to be an essential teaching component but typically rely on traditional presentation aids (44%). However, among the youngest teachers (less than 30 years old) both the use of active learning methods as well as the use of social media technology, to enhance student learning, is higher than among the other teachers. In the next five years, a majority of teachers foresee an increase in the use of technology as an aid in teaching the course (77%) and foresee an increase in teaching the use of technology in the course curriculum (60%). The results highlight that teachers in the geosciences, which is typically viewed as a qualitative, and subjective discipline, see technology as an increasingly important part of the course curriculum, and that there is a correlation with active learning methods, especially in the younger generation.

Advancing Culture of Learners: Forcefully Engaging into Creativity Learning

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:54:31 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Tõnu Oja

This research is about how to better facilitate student learning in subjects assuming creative attitude (modelling, programming, photogrammetry).

Questions and Rationale

Courses aim to help students to combine knowledge about programming and skills in different GIS software use, logical thinking and model design, and to encourage them towards ability to create individualized GIS solutions. For better learning in the subjects students need support to work on their own; this can be developed by better engagement of students into specification and realization of learning process. Jang et al. (2016) found that students tend towards a semester-long trajectory of rising engagement when they perceive teachers to be autonomy supportive. Chang et al. (2017) showed positive influence of collaborative problem solving. Students have brought out paying attention, effort and active participation as rational indicators of engagement but also emotional indicators as interest, fun and excitement are valuated high (Fredericks et al 2016). Gulland et al. (2011) showed that combined e-study and face-to-face learning in classroom have positive impact on results.

Methods and Framework

Goals of the experiment were to raise study motivation and satisfaction with the obtained skills by improvement of communication with students, combining individual work, e-learning in Moodle and classroom face-to-face exercises still supporting their autonomy (creativity). Using flipped classroom helps students to focus attention on questions discussed.

The research focused on how modifications in the way of teaching (facilitating learning) influence advancement of students and their satisfaction with the results.

As research method logging of the process in Moodle and written feedbacks from students was used. Also, practical solutions offered by students were analysed. During the course mind maps were made by teacher to record reactions, decisions and impression about the process. Questionnaires were used to get feedback from students.

Outcome

Students were happy. They appreciated the results (they had learned something new, even if they had to learn it by themselves but the course provided an additional stimulator to “find time”. The use of different forms of study (e-learning combined with classroom seminars and individual work) was appreciated. Students found it worked well for them. Also, learning from fellow students was appreciated. More frequent step-by-step feedback, division of tasks into clear smaller subtasks improved the results.

Reflective critique.

The clear guides and frequent feedback support students learning, however, the suppressive impact of too predefined learning process on creativity remains a concern.

Use of a Mobile Application to Support Learning of Evidence-Based Practice in Higher Education

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:55:04 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Nina R Olsen, Susanne G Johnson, Grete O Hole, Kristine B Titlestad, Ilona Heldal, Lillebeth Larun

Background: In this proposal, we address the challenges associated with the use of a mobile application to support learning of evidence-based practice (EBP) among students in health and social care education. Research show that students typically struggle to apply EBP in clinical settings. In partnership with students, we developed a mobile application (app), the EBPsteps, to better equip students to meet the expectations of practicing evidence-based. The app guides students through the five EBP steps (ask, search, appraise, integrate and evaluate), enables documentation of the process, and provides links to internet-based learning resource. Our aim was to explore user experience of the EBPsteps among bachelor students who have used the app during clinical education.

Methods: We conducted four focus group interviews in 2017 with students from social education (n=10), occupation therapy (n=3) and physiotherapy (n=2). Interviewing different participant-categories ensured comparative analysis and enabled us to exploit differences in perspectives and interactions. Interpretive description guided the data collection and analysis (Thorne, 2008).

Results: We found evidence of three integrative themes associated with use of the mobile application: “Triggers for EBP”, “EBP competence – a prerequisite”, and “design matters”. Students experienced that they used the “EBPsteps” app when exposed to triggers for EBP, such as information need during clinical placement, supervisor wanting them to find research, and demands from teachers. Several students felt that EBP competence was a prerequisite for using the app. In particularly, lack of searching skills for research evidence was identified a barrier. Links to learning resources in the app were helpful when competence was lacking. Students preferred links in the app to books about EBP. When lacking EBP competence, the design of the app was helpful as the design structured the process of the EBP steps and supported the students to work evidence based. Students experienced the interface as intuitive, as the app gave a good overview of the EBP process, facilitated the EBP steps and enabled them to store information in one place. Not all students realised the potential of the app, for example, opportunities to use the app on phone and computer; or functions as email or glossary for research terms. Our findings indicate a need for studying user experiences of the app further, and there is a need for developing an instruction video.

Conclusions: The EBPsteps is a promising tool for supporting the learning of EBP within health- and social care programs.

An Academic Developer’s Insights on Designing Fully Online Professional Development Experiences

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:55:37 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Charina Ong

The Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning (CDTL), the professional development arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), exists to “advance cutting-edge, evidence-based, impactful teaching and learning practices in ways that support the educational vision of NUS”. Consistent with CDTL’s mission, this study investigates the potential of fully online professional development workshops to support engaging, meaningful professional development for academics, while accommodating their needs for convenience and flexibility – given the advances in learning technologies and platforms and latest research on effective online pedagogies.

This study will: (1) examine academics’ ratings and qualitative feedback of the existing “Developing e-Learning Resources Using Camtasia Studio” workshop; (2) redesign the workshop to a fully online version based on academics’ feedback of the existing face-to-face session and current research on fully online professional development; (3) examine academics’ ratings and feedback of the fully online “Developing e-Learning Resources Using Camtasia Studio” workshop; and (4) discuss implications for use in future online professional development offerings.

Academics’ feedback will be collected via a pre and post-survey using the COI survey instrument and an adapted COI survey instrument respectively. Results will discuss pre and post COI survey results, academics’ suggestions to further refine the online workshop, and fully online workshop feedback results compared to previous face-to-face workshop results.

The findings of this study may encourage other academic developers to explore alternative models and formats for conducting faculty professional development workshops and courses, as well as provide an opportunity to contribute to research on emerging best practices for fully online courses.

The research questions of this study are:

1. What key factor/s are important to academics in a fully online professional development workshop?
2. How can the online workshop (prototype) be further refined based on the academics’ feedback?
3. How can we apply insights from this study to future online professional development offerings?

Learning Code Using Tangible Aids: Making Code Engaging for All Learners

Last modified on 2018-08-29 10:10:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

George Paravantes, Adam Thomas

Learning how to code can be challenging (Gomes & Mendes, 2007). Teaching code to students who are not interested in learning code can be even more challenging. Having students who are not engaged in a course topic or are only enrolled in a course as it is a requirement is something all post secondary instructors experience. I have been teaching code at a college in Toronto, Canada for over ten years and I have observed several consistent barriers to success that students face: a) they often believe that learning to code is out of their reach; b) they intend to put in “just enough” effort to pass; and/or c) they are only enrolled because the course is a requirement.

Millennials are often disengaged with current pedagogies in postsecondary education, and consequently, overcoming barriers such as those described above is even more challenging (DiLullo, McGee, & Kriebel, 2011). Although educators may be hesitant to change their practices, adapting pedagogy to accommodate all learners does not have to mean lowering the quality of the learning experience; it can make the classroom more engaging, improve learning, and even make it more enjoyable for instructors.

With this poster, I will describe a SoTL research project that I have conducted on a series of innovative pedagogical approaches, aimed at addressing these barriers. Based on the idea that millennials prefer authentic problem-solving and projects based on real-life experiences (Oblinger, 2003), I have been integrating a series of tangible aids – board games, other STEM educational tools, Raspberry Pis, and Lego Mindstorms EV3 – to help ease students into the idea of learning code.

The tangible aids were integrated into six “Introduction to Coding” classes. Students completed pre- and post-semester surveys and participated in a series of focus groups. I will share the research findings that show that after integrating these tangible aids, students had an easier time recognizing the relationship between their code and its outcome, identifying errors, and developing solutions. I will also show evidence that students were less intimidated by the idea of coding, and showed greater levels of confidence when they were introduced to coding with playful, tangible aids (c.f. Kurebayashi et al., 2006).

Does Service Learning Increase Empathy in Introductory Psychology Students?

Last modified on 2018-08-23 11:56:12 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Jocelyn Paul, Elizabeth Bowering

Service Learning (SL) is a high impact educational practice in which students work on “real world” activities with a community partner (i.e., the service component) and then reflect on that experience (i.e., the learning component). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the influence of a SL experience on the development of empathy in university students. Here, students registered in an Introductory Psychology course at a Canadian university engaged with international students new to Canada and reflected on how culture mediates human behavior. Specifically, we randomly assigned students to experiential or non-experiential (control) learning formats, with the groups otherwise treated equivalently. We hypothesized that participants (n = 16 females) who took part in five hours of structured, small group interaction with international students would demonstrate increased empathy on questionnaire measures, relative to similarly aged controls (n = total of 55 females).

When asked to reflect specifically on their SL experience, experiential participants reported significantly greater understanding of racial and cultural differences as well as greater support for the statement that “humans are more alike than different regardless of their culture”. Additionally, SL participants reported increased ability to imagine another’s situation and perceive their thoughts and feelings, as well as an increased desire to be kind and helpful to others (all p’s < .002) compared to the control respondents. As expected, SL participants did not report superior organizational, problem-solving, and/or communication skills compared to the control respondents (because the SL experience was not designed to facilitate development of these skills). Finally, as measured by standardized questionnaires, participants in the experiential condition did not express significantly higher levels of empathy compared to control participants.

Our findings indicate that even a brief SL intervention implemented in a first year course can significantly increase perspective-taking and empathy in women, at least in the short term, as assessed by a measure contextualized to the SL experience. In contrast, standardized empathy questionnaires may lack sufficient specificity for use in a SL context such as described in the current study. Our future research is intended to clarify the process by which SL encourages the development of empathetic thoughts and feelings in university students.

A Culture of Writing Excellence for Learning, of Learners, and that Learns

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:07:11 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Tim Peeples, Paula Rosinski

Five years ago, our university embarked on a wide-reaching Writing Excellence Initiative in an effort to transform the culture of writing across our entire campus. This endeavor is innovative in its scope and its goals, which are to alter student, faculty, and staff attitudes and behaviors toward and practices of writing broadly conceived, valuing equally writing-to-learn, writing in a discipline/profession, and writing as a citizen. The major goals aim to build and sustain a writing culture that recognizes that learning to teach writing and gaining writing expertise is an iterative, reflective, practice; that there is potential to transfer writing strategies and practices across contexts and disciplines; and that transforming a campus culture of writing is long-term and requires the dedicated work of all faculty, staff and students. Valuing a culture of writing means valuing the labor of teaching, doing, struggling with and talking about writing by all constituents, even as much of this important works seems invisible.

Planning, study, and assessments have been focused on not only traditional kinds of efforts, such as improving faculty development around writing pedagogy and enhancing student supports, but also more innovative efforts, such as increasing conversations about writing on our campus between students, faculty and staff; making the writing and struggles around writing already happening in so many places more visible; and encouraging meta-thinking about writing to improve the chance that students, faculty, and staff come to view writing more as a complicated, messy, rhetorical kind of activity by which we transform our lives.

Our initiative is firmly grounded in the scholarship of best practices in writing pedagogy, in particular, research on transfer (Anson and Moore, 2016; Robertson, Taczak, Yancey 2012), writing across the curriculum (Carter, 2007; Maimon, 2006; McArdle, 2009), faculty development (Condon, Iverson, Rutz, and Willet, 2016), and assessment (Anson, 2006; Yancey, 1999).

This poster will focus on theorizing and evidence an iterative organizational learning process that has been employed across our entire campus over the past five years, leading to emerging transformations in the culture of writing “for” learning (e.g., pedagogies and curricula), “of” learners (e.g., changing student, faculty, and staff attitudes toward learning to write and teaching writing), and “that” learns (e.g., sponsored research around writing). The poster will also generalize from our institutional experience some ways similar processes might be employed to transform learning cultures more broadly and across institutional types.

Fostering Scholarship amongst Academic Developers: An Autoethnographc Account

Last modified on 2018-10-16 15:57:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Teboho Pitso

Drawing from writing retreats conducted with eight academic developers from one South African university using the hybrid of autoethnography and SoTL, this poster presents the following:

1. the institutional context and national priorities that informed the writing retreats;
2. the rationale that guided the writing retreats;
3. a writing retreat model based on autoethnography and SoTL;
4. key issues that emerged from the writing retreats.

Context

Our university has a strong skills training focus and was, as other universities in South Africa, exposed to sustained students protests under the banner of “fees-must-fall”. These protests, amongst other things, concerned a curriculum that was perceived as driven by a Western epistemology in exclusion of Africanist ways of knowing and the call to decolonise it. At a more fundamental level, it was a call for a curricular relevance to the African condition as captured by Ali Mazrui and other African scholars. My sense was that students were generally dissatisfied with the quality of learning they received especially at undergraduate level and thus needed more than just “graduate attributes” as curricular outcomes.

Rationale for writing retreats

I organised writing retreats with eight academic developers in order for them to reflect critically on these curricular issues and their academic support mechanisms. The main purpose of the writing retreats was to drive learning for academic developers in the context of SoTL with the hope that it could lead academic developers into creating conditions in which they, as academic developers, could learn and be able to transfer that learning to creating conditions for relevant students and staff learning.

The model

The writing retreats model combined elements of autoethnography and SoTL with the following steps: reflective critique on practice, evaluating the salience of practice, redesign and test aspects or entire practice, develop a narrative that captures new efficiencies then publicly share the story. Autoethnography is described in more detail in the poster including its use in this model.

Issues that emerged from the writing retreats

1. That academic developers need to become internal constituency that leads the transformation agenda of curriculum as well as teaching and learning so universities are not caught off-guard in the future;
2. that the core function of academic developers, that of creating conditions for students and staff learning, should benefit from debates on higher education;
3. that an integrated academic support be systematically investigated, subjected to peer review and be made public.

Painting a Picture of the Learning Process and Culture in Electronic vs Hand Notetaking Environments

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:09:07 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Nichole Powell

Our collaborative laboratory environment is designed using a social constructivism model, and students work in groups to decide on the best ways to achieve the goals for each laboratory session. This often involves discussion to decide on the best method for collecting the necessary data as well as division of labor. We piloted the use of electronic laboratory notebooks as a cost saving and sustainability measure. Our observations that students working in these pilot lab sections behave differently (and develop a different learning culture) from those in paper-notebook course sections, have led us to question what is happening when students use an electronic laboratory notebook in a collaborative learning laboratory environment. We will present observations of student behaviors as well as student perspectives gained from interviews.

Positive Impact of Midterm Course Evaluation on Students

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:09:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Yihong Qiu, Lijuan Wang

Student rating of teaching is popular in colleges and universities. From the administrative perspective, the aim of student rating is to help instructors improve teaching. However, due to the fact that rating is a kind of summative evaluation and usually has time lag, instructors often believe that ratings do not help to improve teaching, and they are indifferent or even disgusted with student rating. Although instructors do not recognize the value of student rating, they acknowledge that students’ feedback based on learning experience can contribute to improving teaching. Researchers have found that instructors acting upon midterm course evaluation, especially with the help of professional consultants, can actually improve the quality of teaching, because midterm course evaluation is a formative evaluation, which is essentially with “diagnosis” characteristics and a good timeliness.

Our center has provided midterm course evaluation, which is originated from small group instructional diagnostic, to instructors for 6 years. Survey from the instructors who received this service showed that 98.7% of them recognized the value of the service. But whether this service has any impact on students is unknown. Thus, in study, we have two research questions: 1. what are the students’ perception of the service? 2. whether the service impacts the students’ learning? We designed a questionnaire which consisted of 16 items on a five point Likert scale and one open question, and delivered to students of 15 courses at the end of the spring and fall semesters in 2017. In total, 391 anonymous responses were collected. 93.1 % of students regarded that the process of midterm course evaluation was efficient. 91.6 % of students perceived some changes in teaching made by their instructors. 89.7% students thought the midterm course evaluation had positive influence on learning environment, and 88.2% students believed that it increased their motivation in learning, but only 51.7 % students reported that they had more engagement with the course. In conclusion, midterm course evaluation has positive impact on students.

Supporting Systematic Interpretation of and Engagement with Student Evaluations of Teaching

Last modified on 2018-08-29 10:09:21 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kiruthika Ragupathi, Johan Geertsema, Adrian Lee

Student feedback for instructors (or student evaluation of teaching, SET) is widely used to make personnel decisions, yet its strength lies in the instructors’ systematic interpretation of data. The National University of Singapore (NUS) introduced SET in 1992, and a new system with richer data analysis and reporting capabilities was implemented in 2016.

Though the purpose of SET is primarily to improve teaching by informing and stimulating instructor’s reflection about the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching practice (Alhija, 2017), it has been challenging for instructors and academic leaders to systematically engage in and use SET data to inform teaching development, and thereby student learning. And yet, they receive little or no guidance from the university on this process. Additionally, there are concerns around the potential impact of instructor perceptions on the institutional use of SET data for quality improvement, appraisals and promotion considerations. NUS recently set up a task force on evidence-informed evaluation of teaching to focus academic leaders’ attention on the quality of teaching and learning and the underlying systems and processes that support evaluation of teaching.

These initial concerns, strategic institutional initiatives and the recent introduction of a new online system with richer data analysis and reporting capabilities warrants for a rethink of the purpose and use of SETs at NUS. Chalmers and Hunt (2016) argue that SET is most effective when it is used by teachers for reflection and improvement of themselves and the courses they teach, and by course coordinators for improving programmes. This paper is part of a larger study that investigates the barriers involved in using SET as a reflective tool that is informed by evidence to provide improved opportunities for teacher development and students’ learning. In this paper, I set out to answer: How can academic development units support academics and academic leaders in systematically engage in and use SET data for reflection and improvement of teaching and learning on campus? The study hopes to address a key issue that the appropriate use of SET data is a key ingredient to ‘building a high-quality teaching ecosystem’ (Linse, 2017), and aims to provide guidelines and strategies to promote the appropriate, responsible and accurate use of SET data for improving teaching quality on campus.

Evaluating the Effects of Open Learning Resources in First Year Biology

Last modified on 2018-10-16 15:58:01 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Anna Rissanen, Marshall Rodrigues, Jane Costello, Sally Goddard, Margaret Caldwell, Piotr Trela

Online resources can be helpful for students, and widen the available learning environments by providing additional resources, and the freedom of choice in delivery of content. A team consisting of four biologists, a graduate student, instructional designer and media developers collaborated on the design, development and evaluation of first year Biology open, online tutorials in 2016-2017. The tutorials sought to address knowledge gaps resulting in low success rates and attrition of first year students. The delivery mode of large introductory courses is based on lecturing which may create knowledge gaps contributing to the reported decrease of students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The decrease in the number of students in STEM has alarmed educators (National Research Council, 2003; 2013), prompting a call for efforts to increase STEM majors in universities. Large class sizes, such as first year Biology with ~900 registrants annually, with detail-oriented, content-heavy loads can result in low success rates and attrition. Active learning methods which encourage student engagement in course material can be effective in large classes (Rissanen, 2018) and in introductory science classes (Freeman et al., 2007 & 2014; Wieman, 2007). Tutorial topics were identified by analyzing previous years’ tests, student feedback, and pedagogical research in biology. The top five topics identified as common misconceptions or troublesome concepts within the course were selected. Standard ISD processes were used. Tutorials included learning materials, quizzes, reflective questions and badges to facilitate deep learning of the topics. Effectiveness was evaluated using a mixed-method, quasi-experimental design to compare the classroom research results. A conceptual understanding pre- and post-test approach was used to assess gains in student learning. Additionally, student engagement was measured using the Classroom Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE). Results of the study will be presented which aimed to determine if the tutorials were an effective means of providing supplementary assistance to students as well as gains in students’ levels of engagement. Preliminary analysis of the data indicate that there was a significant gain in learning over the previous year (p<0.05). This approach’s suitability for other STEM disciplines will be discussed, as well as next steps.

Integrating Writing Resources: An Instructor’s Influence on the Student Experience

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:10:45 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Amy Rogers

In this poster session, the influence instructor communication has on student success is reinforced. Practical instructional strategies are shared from a recent study in which instructors connect graduate students in the online classroom with institutional supports, in this case, the writing center’s tutoring service known as Paper Review.

Preliminary results are shared, revealing effective communication strategies that foster a culture for learning and an inclusive learning culture that participants may find applicable to their own instructional practice. Connections may be made between the writing support featured in this study with participants’ own resources, emphasizing the value of generating learning across departments.

Final Degree Projects Based on a Multidisciplinary Problem-Based Learning Methodology

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:20:35 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Edorta Santos-Vizcaino, Rosa Berraondo Juaristi, María Yolanda Fernández de Aránguiz Guridi, Águeda Fernández de Aránguiz Guridi, José Ángel Ruiz Ortega, Mirari Ayerbe Díaz, Begoña Lecea Arana, Edorta Martínez de Marigorta Izaga, Rosa María Hernández Martín, Manoli Igartua Olaechea, Aiala Salvador Martínez, Karmele Colom Aristondo

Final Degree Project (FDP) is an activity that students carry out at the end of their training process, being the opportune moment for them to demonstrate their professional qualification. However, during the last years, some important aspects to be improved have been detected in the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). By means of a statistical analysis (multivariate logistic regression) of the most important characteristics in FDPs, we found that most of FDPs contained knowledge of a single module of the curriculum, usually barely connected to any of the professional possibilities of the degree. Therefore, the present paper proposes an intervention to solve observed deficiencies and improve the execution dynamics of the FDP. The proposal includes a working methodology of a teaching group that is involved and participates in the proposal, elaboration, direction and evaluation of the FDP. Our teaching group is multidisciplinary, formed by specialists in different subjects of all the courses of the degree. The methodology used, by both the teaching group and the students, was Problem-Based Learning (PBL). We applied this methodology to different professional possibilities, such as the Community Pharmacy, the development of vaccines or the R&D. The proposed methodology for the carrying out of FDPs allows the integration of specific competencies from very different areas, which provides an enriching and unusual global perspective in the FDP. In addition, we designed methodologies and evaluation tools to work and quantify the achievement of some of the most relevant cross-curricular competencies (oral communication, written communication, and information search). This proposal, which is largely implementable in any Degree, strengthens the coordination of teaching groups, the originality and creativity of the FDP, the active role of students and teachers, and a direct relationship with professional opportunities. On the other hand, it favors the application of a PBL methodology among different areas of knowledge, unlike most published works on active methodologies, which are applied to individual subjects or groups of subjects of similar areas. This idea can be extrapolated not only to other degrees, but also to the creation of larger teams in a wider scenario such as the Campus and/or the University. To this end, our teaching innovation group conducts training courses at the University and shares video tutorials on-line accessible to those interested in learning the suggested methodology.

The Writers’ Banquet: Creating Space for Teaching-Focused Academics to Write

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:20:59 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Claire Saunders, Tansy Jessop

This poster addresses the conference theme of building a culture for learning. We argue that developing a stronger writing culture amongst academic staff can have far-reaching impact on the wider learning culture of the university through the integration of teaching, research and writing in the academic role. Two writing interventions were implemented in our institution. Each was underpinned by a view of writing as a process rather than simply a final product, and each recognised the daily realities and pressures of academic life. Both were designed to carve out a space where there was time to think, write and share.

Using visual methods and reflective data, we examined the gradual changes in teachers’ academic writing identities through two parallel interventions. The first was a rapid-fire six-part series of workshops on the craft of academic writing; the second was a slow burn series of monthly writing groups. This poster tells the story of how these interventions helped teachers shift their view of writing as an unremitting drive for output, beginning to see its potential as a creative and rewarding process that generates thinking, enlivens teaching and opens research and ideas to a wider audience.

We suggest that there are both some ‘quick wins’ that can revitalise teachers’ attitudes to writing, and a ‘long game’ in which sustained effort begins to shift both individual and institutional perceptions of the value of writing. We hope that the poster triggers reflection on the place of writing as a powerful, creative agent for thinking, learning and teaching in higher education.

Problem Design in Chinese ESL and American Writing Outcomes

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:21:24 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Petger Schaberg

While the field of Rhetoric & Composition has demonstrated a robust scholarly commitment to the implementation of pedagogies that harness a learner’s motivations and insights (Elbow and Belanoff, 1999), Writing & Rhetoric instructors can benefit from curricular insight generated in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL). SOTL researchers have made significant strides in understanding the paradox of the teacher/learner relationship, as evident in areas of inquiry as varied as Reading Compliance (Burchfield & Sappington 2000); Integrated Scholarship (Hubball and Clarke 2010); Design-Based Learning (Nelson 1984; Nelson & Sundt 1994; Ablin 2015); and Writing-to-Learn (Rivard 1994, Archer-Kuhn 2017). The present study set out to test Ablin’s contention that improved writing could result from organizing classrooms, “as places of problem design rather than the more traditional notion of problem solving” (Ablin, 2015). Two separate hypotheses were tested: 1) Would a pedagogical focus on “problem creation” throughout the semester improve student writing by “moving students from thinking about science as a collection of facts … toward a deeper understanding of concepts and scientific ways of thinking.” (Reynolds et. al. 2012) And, 2) Would these two distinct student populations: Chinese ESL learners at Jiaotong University in Xi’an China, and American first-language speakers at the University of Colorado show different or similar results? To test these questions, student writing data was collected in the summer and fall of 2016 from both Chinese ESL and American student populations. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis of these materials revealed that casting course assignments as Design Problems which students needed to construct, rather than merely respond to, did increase the likelihood that students in both Chinese and American populations learned to move beyond “conceiving science as a collection of facts, toward a deeper understanding of concepts and scientific ways of thinking.” This finding is important for the field of Rhetoric & Composition because it demonstrates how methodologies applied from different disciplines, SOTL in particular, can offer pedagogical support for instructors in both ESL classrooms and those focusing on Scientific Writing, Popular Science Communication, and the Rhetoric of Science. The results can also engage SOTL scholars though the comparative analysis of two very different writing cultures in China and the US, as well as the particular methodological focus on writing outcomes.

Grand Challenges for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Phase I

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:21:40 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Lauren Scharff, John Draeger, Arshad Ahmad, Jennifer Friberg

SoTL research has grown over the past three decades with a majority of the work motivated by questions focused within specific course or institutional contexts. This type of work is at the heart of SoTL. The Culture for Learning theme asks, How do we generate and sustain meaningful teaching and learning that have a lasting impact, within and across courses, programs, departments and institutions? Inspired by the success of the globally-relevant Grand Challenges of Engineering (NAE, 2008), members of the ISSoTL Advocacy and Outreach Committee believe that the time has come to establish the Grand Challenges for SoTL. Grand challenges address wicked problems related to a discipline, although solving them will require multidisciplinary efforts, as well as culture changes across a variety of levels within and across institutions (Roxå & Mårtensson, 2015).

Identification of Grand Challenges can promote greater concentration of research efforts and far-reaching collaborations. Additionally we believe that a clear articulation of SoTL Grand Challenges might resonate broadly and facilitate conversations beyond SoTL researchers, increasing the likelihood of impact on policies and creation of new funding opportunities.

Previous SoTL leaders have proposed some big ideas that projected the future of SoTL (Shulman, 2000) and offered direction for leaders to support SoTL engagement and growth (Hutchings, Huber & Ciccone, 2011). These might provide a start in the development of SoTL Grand Challenges. We also would like to capture challenges faced by SoTL practitioners and educators as they work to enhance teaching and learning. For example, what challenges are faced by those who strive to develop student competencies such as those identified by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as being vital to prepare students for 21st century challenges (e.g. quantitative literacy, ethical reasoning)? As was determined in the Engineering Grand Challenges, we think it’s likely that challenges might cluster within a smaller number of themes. For example, some themes might relate to resources for SoTL research, while others might relate to promoting lifelong learning or the effective use of technology to support learning.

We propose following an identification process similar to the Grand Challenges of Engineering: first gather inputs from a large and varied group of stakeholders, and then have recognized experts within the field to help cull the inputs into the final list of Grand Challenges. This ISSoTL poster will provide a start at gathering inputs from SoTL stakeholders from around the world.

Flipping Classroom Observations: Professional Development for the Observer Instead of the Observed

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:22:06 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Meadow Schroeder, Robin Mueller

Post-secondary institutions in Canada are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of quality instruction for student learning (Fraser & Ling, 2014). What was traditionally considered secondary to research, instruction has found increased prominence within academia. Universities have started to provide professional development for faculty in the areas of teaching and assessment (Fraser & Ling, 2014). To create a culture of learning, our University created a teaching academy made up of faculty recognized for their teaching excellence. The academy was asked to generate ways to encourage other faculty members to participate in teaching development opportunities. In response, the Academy proposed that instructors across campus be invited to open their classrooms to peer observers. The academy believed that by observing how other faculty created a culture for learning through the use of different pedagogies and technological tools, peer observers would be motivated to change the culture of learning in their own classrooms. During one week, volunteer faculty from multiple disciplines opened their classrooms to peer observers. Unlike typical classroom observations, the observations were non-evaluative, meaning the observers did not provide feedback to the instructors (Hendry, Bell, & Thomson, 2014). Instead, the observations were an opportunity for observers to reflect upon their own teaching practices. There is a paucity of research on nonevaluative peer observations. At the end of the week, observer participants were surveyed about their experience. Results found that after observing their colleagues, faculty were motivated to change or revise their teaching practice. They reported an increased appreciation for the student experience and how different teaching practices affected classroom learning. Detailed findings and implications for teaching practice will be discussed.

Scholarly Digital Storytelling: Fostering a Culture of Learning within and beyond the Classroom

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:24:13 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kelly Schrum

“There’s a life after this class,” wrote a scholarly digital storytelling student. “We are creating content that is useable, valuable, shareable.”

Digital storytelling can be many things: narrative . . . interactive . . . linear . . . nonlinear . . . ethnographic. . . artistic. It can also be scholarly. In higher education, it can provide a compelling approach to reimagining academic research, intended audiences, and scholarly communication and to teaching practical digital skills. It can create authentic, meaningful learning with a lasting impact beyond the classroom.

This poster presents research on scholarly digital storytelling addressing the following questions: 1) Does participation in scholarly digital storytelling influence students’ academic research? 2) Does participation in scholarly digital storytelling facilitate communication of scholarly work beyond the classroom? 3) Do students apply skills learned through scholarly digital storytelling in other academic and non-academic environments?

Digital storytelling is commonly used for crafting personal narratives. Faculty have begun to incorporate it into higher education teaching and learning. This research emphasizes scholarly digital storytelling in graduate and undergraduate classrooms with a focus on meaningful learning in the classroom and long-term outcomes. It builds on several decades of SoTL work and addresses noted SoTL gaps by focusing on graduate education and longitudinal work beyond individual learning experiences.

This qualitative, collective case study includes a review of syllabi, assignments, and student work as well as semi-structured interviews with students who have taken the author’s course and with faculty and their students internationally. The poster, including sample student stories, will focus on creating a meaningful culture of learning with scholarly digital storytelling and exploring its lasting impact.

Can Digital Field Notebooks Improve Geoscientific Field Learning in Extreme Environments?

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:24:46 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kim Senger, Ivar Nordmo

Geology is a study of spatial and temporal evolution of a wide range of processes through studying the geological record. By definition, geological studies thus inherently involve the use of sub-optimal and incomplete data sets, and thus geologically meaningful intra- and extrapolation is required between the exposed outcrops within a 3D spatial framework. In this experiment, we hypothesize that digital field notebooks can improve students’ learning in the context of field education onshore the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. The digital notebooks comprise a ruggedized iPad with relevant applications, notably the FieldMove app, and were handed out to each student group prior to the fieldwork. We conducted a study of three geological field campaigns organized by UNIS to gain qualitative and quantitative data on students’ experiences of using the digital notebooks. Our primary objective was to test whether the iPad/FieldMove solution facilitates the student’s spatial thinking.

The BSc-level AG-209 course was taken by 24 students, and the 6-day long snow-scooter based excursion focused on observing geological features along a regional 400 km long transect across Spitsbergen in March 2017. The majority of the students indicate that battery life and frozen fingers made using the tool impractical, likely linked to the relatively cold temperatures (-20°C) during the excursion. In contrast, the majority of students also considered the overall usability and the rapid recording of geological measurements as very useful.

The MSc/PhD-level AG-336 course was taken by 18 students, with the 8-day field campaign in September 2017 divided into a 3 days as a whole group excursion and the rest fieldwork in smaller groups of 3 students. Transport was mostly by foot with some small boat transport, and centered around a relatively compact geological feature, the Billefjorden Trough. The majority of students found the iPads very useful and no major practical issues were encountered.

In addition to the questionnaires we also analyzed the FieldMove projects from the students to gain an insight into what the students used it for. Electronic and geo-referenced note- and photo-taking was by far dominant. In addition, some groups collected significant structural data using the built-in sensors. The ability to store student observations in the correct spatial location, and the detailed observations from each locality, can assist to develop a more comprehensive spatial understanding. Furthermore, we are currently working on implementing virtual field trips to assist both in fieldwork preparation and further post-fieldwork analyses.

Perspectives on Connecting SoTL across the (Co-)Curriculum at a Small Liberal Arts College

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:25:03 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Celeste Sharpe, Sarah Calhoun, Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Iris Jastram, Kristin Partlo, Janet Russell

Learning often blurs curricular and co-curricular lines, and scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) needs to encompass learning in all the ways that it happens and in all places that it happens. At the same time, what constitutes teaching practice has increasingly expanded beyond the sole instructor model (Iannuzzi, 2007; Bernstein and Greenhoot, 2014). In our small liberal arts college context, groups like the learning and teaching center (LTC), academic technology (AT), and reference and instruction librarians (R&I) do reflective practice and assessment during, around, and in-between courses.

This poster will present three examples of the overlapping SoTL initiatives conducted, and the ways in which these projects are surfacing gaps and providing critical foundation for a more concerted, campus-wide effort. Drawing on the literature on connected learning and high-impact practices (Watson et al, 2016), we argue for an expanded understanding of SoTL that recognizes how teaching practices occur throughout the formal and informal curriculum. The LTC has focused on the question of supporting reflective teaching, with a range of programming spanning the curriculum. Together, the LTC and AT have explored high-impact practices, particularly digital portfolios as primary instruments, for increasing both reflective faculty teaching and student learning. The second example is the development of internship positions supervised by AT and R&I that draw on student learning in the formal curriculum and apply it in the areas of digital scholarship and librarianship. The third example is the long-term study of information literacy. For ten years, R&I have developed and used a rubric to measure evidence of information literacy in sophomore student writing (Hoseth, 2009; Jastram, Leebaw, and Tompkins, 2014; Leebaw, Partlo, and Tompkins, 2013) and have used both the data and the norming and reading experiences to reflect on R&I teaching (in classrooms, consultations, and online research guides) and inform understandings of where students succeed and struggle.

Together, our experiences and data suggest a growing need to shift toward a more integrated model of SoTL that accounts for our students’ connected learning experiences. Our institutional context as a small liberal arts college has allowed us to map many of the frameworks and practices that connect and expand beyond individual courses (reflective teaching and learning, high-impact practices in the co-curriculum, information literacy), and to begin work toward a sustainable and shared understanding of curricular and co-curricular teaching and learning.

Towards a More Inclusive Learning Culture: Exploring the Engagement of BAME Commuting Students

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:26:16 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Susan Smith

The reasons for the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students’ poorer learning experience, the degree attainment gap and their reduced employability are complex and multifactorial (Richardson, 2008 a & b; Allen, 2016; Newbold et al, 2011). This inequality may be compounded in the case of those disproportionately high numbers of BAME students who also commute to the LBU campus (Thomas & Jones, 2017).

This poster outlines findings from a qualitative project at Leeds Beckett University (LBU) focusing on the commuting experience of BAME undergraduates and explores how their articulated needs have been addressed through a range of cultural, infrastructural and curricular interventions generated from ideas from the students themselves.

An interpretive approach was adopted for this mixed methods project focussing on qualitative enquiry (Cresswell, 2007) and action research (Healey et al, 2010) to explore commuter students’ experiences.

The findings from 2 focus groups with 20 self-selecting BAME students are identified in the poster. Many difficulties faced by BAME commuting students are identical to those faced by all commuting students: e.g. stress, impractical timetabling and assessment deadlines.

The impetus to solve these issues must be situated within a broader framework of inclusive academic practice, drawing on a “holistic engagement vision” (Pickford, 2016) of infrastructural support and partnership working between students and staff to build a more inclusive learning culture. Thomas and Jones (2017) showed that commuting BAME students prioritise academic engagement but may be unaware of the wider social and cultural capital that enhances social mobility gained from participating in extra-curricular activities.

Students were invited to offer solutions to issues raised and a series of actions were agreed with the aim of building an inclusive learning culture for all but which aimed to solve the problems the BAME commuting students had raised. This poster lists the actions as discussion points and asks readers whether they are transferable to other universities and specifically if their BAME students’ commuting experiences are similar.

i) The maximising on-campus time; ii) the building of activities which could be undertaken in the working day which develop students’ wider social and cultural capital; iii) a focus on induction and transition and post graduate aspiration at every level; iv) facilitating access to online resources; v) estate measures (more dwell space) which facilitated an all day, on-campus stay; vi) targeted academic advising; and vii) building of an online student support framework accessible off-campus

The Educational Development Landscape in Singapore: What Can We Learn?

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:26:47 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Nachamma Sockalingam

Educational development differs across nations – often steered by national policies. This paper presents a snapshot of the educational development landscape in Singapore by studying Educational Development Centres (EDCs) from five Singaporean universities.

Universities in Singapore top various global rankings. The question is if this emphasis on research and rankings is paralleled in educational development efforts reflecting a culture that learns. Also, there is a lack of documentation on educational development work in Asia and in particular, Singapore. This paper is the first to scan and document the educational development landscape, as far as the Singapore context is concerned.

The research questions in this study are: (1) What does educational development look like in Singapore, (2) What is the profile of educational developers in Singapore, and (3) What inferences can we draw from the existing educational development work in Singapore and what are the lessons learnt?

To this end, the author profiled Singapore EDCs in terms of organizational structures, EDC programmes and services, and the demography of educational developers. Data for this study was obtained from official websites that is available to public. Mixed method was used to analyze the data.

The snapshot of EDCs in Singapore are that typically these centres are centrally deployed, under the purview of Provost. The centres tend to take a holistic focus on faculty development, instructional development, organizational development and community development, although faculty development tends to be the most emphasized. Not surprisingly, the mission of the universities tend to shape the focus of the EDCs.

The size of EDCs range from 2 to 18 and this encompasses educational developers and administrative staff, with educational developers making the majority (50- 89%) of the total 46. In terms of gender, there was a slight bias towards male educational developers (60%) and strong bias towards female administrative staff (81.25%). A good percentage (33 to 100%) of educational developers across the five centres hold a Doctorate degree although typically not in education (60%).

The presentation compares the data with other studies, discusses the age and maturity of the EDCs in terms of their programme and services, the rationale behind these and the inferences drawn.
The outcomes of the study represent the tip of an iceberg and indicates a good level of university support for educational development work in Singapore but suggests areas for improvement. More details are shared at the presentation.

Role Play Discussions as an Approach to Teach Interdisciplinary Challenges in Meteorology

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:27:17 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Harald Sodemann

Interdisciplinary problems in natural sciences can be challenging to teach. A series of innovative teaching exercises was conducted in a Master’s level course in the field of Meteorology at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Bergen, Norway. Embracing the concept of student-active learning, students were assigned expert roles in a mockup board meeting. The students performed a role play in which they were asked to solve a challenging professional situation that touched upon different aspects they had learned about before in the lectures and from the syllabus. The role play was repeated again at the end of the course, but this time the characters in the role play were also assigned personalities which gave rise to dilemmas in terms of finding the optimal solution. The discussions were lead by one of the students and the outcome entirely open.

In oral and written evaluations, students reported substantially higher levels of engagement with the material than for more common teaching activities. Furthermore, the role play exercises allowed students to train for the final oral exam in an arena that was both challenging and fun. The effect is an improved constructive alignment in the course.

Ways to improve the role play activity concern the definition of boundary conditions that lead to realistic constraints during the discussions. This can be accomplished by delivering quantitative information for the discussion preparation beforehand.

In general, it is concluded that even in the context of a subject that has strong theoretical and mathematical components, role plays can be an enriching and motivating teaching activity, and be highly effective teaching tools if they contribute to the constructive alignment of the overall lecture course.

Academic Microcultures within a Department in a Research-Intensive University: An Exploratory Study

Last modified on 2018-10-16 15:58:41 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Alan Soong, Kamala M Devi

This presentation provides an insight of how a study was conducted to examine microcultures within the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing (ALCNS), a department at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS). Preliminary findings of the study will be shared.

Microcultures were defined as local work-context where members over time develop traditions and habits in different collegial context (Mårtensson & Roxå, 2016). Overtime, a microculture will become visible in the organisation and possible to identify with the phrase, ‘That’s how they do things over there.’ (Roxå and Mårtensson, 2015). For this study, we adopted Roxå & Mårtensson’s argument (2015) that ‘socially constructed and institutionalised traditions, recurrent practices and tacit assumptions in various microcultures influence academic teachers towards certain behaviour.’ Research question for the study is “What is the profile of academic teachers at ALCNS in terms of microcultures?” According to Roxå and Mårtensson (2015), such findings on microcultures would ‘assist academic developers to fine-tune their strategies while engaging with colleagues’. In the context of NUS, an improved understanding about the various types of microcultures within a department, such as ALCNS, would provide a better insight to academic developers on how to refine their strategies in engaging academic teachers through a more holistic evidence-based approach, instead of merely relying on findings from formal programmes evaluations. This study adopts the categorisation of four basic types of microcultures, as suggested by Roxå (2014) to help examine the types of microcultures that exist within ALCNS. An ethnographic approach would be adopted for the study where participatory observation and interviews would be conducted.

bioST@TS, a Learning Platform for Statistical Analysis and Management of Biological Data

Last modified on 2018-08-30 10:52:14 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Jonathan Soulé, Øystein Varpe, Sigrunn Eliassen

Biology is a discipline that makes extensive use of mathematical models, numerical tools, data management, and statistical analysis. In the course of their curriculum, biology students must acquire numerical skills and quantitative competence to better comprehend biological theories, systems and problems (‘Vision and Change’; AAAS 2011). However, many students do not appear to successfully translate these skills into their subject context. In the classroom, educators face the challenge to keep their audience engaged and confident when trying to apply quantitative reasoning. Even if courses in mathematics and statistical analysis are compulsory in the curriculum, they either seem maladapted to biological problems, or fail to put numerical knowledge into the biological context (Touchon et al., 2016). Most higher-education institutions also lack a concrete plan for giving students and teachers the tools to make numeracy a transferable skill in courses and study programs (Speth et al. 2010).

The Centre for Excellence in Biology Education, bioCEED has created bioST@TS, a web-based learning platform (http://biostats.uib.no/) dedicated to helping biology students understand the basics of data management and statistical analysis. Directed towards both bachelor- and master students, bioST@TS provides tutorials and instructive videos that are relevant primarily, but not exclusively, for biology courses at University of Bergen (Norway) and at the University Centre in Svalbard (Norway). The platform makes broad use of videos since this media has been found to increase student achievement, competence, learner satisfaction and engagement (Dupuis et al., 2013; Oruset al., 2016; Sherer & Shea, 2011). A pilot study suggests that bioST@TS video resources constitute an effective tool as a supplement to regular teaching.

bioST@TS learning modules for undergraduate students focus on the basics of data management and visualization through tables and charts in MS Excel 2016. Modules for master students include statistical analysis and apply the open source programme R, with instructions to the coding needed in this program. bioST@TS also offers videos that explain key-concepts in statistics using simple, concrete examples in biology. bioST@TS is also a repository for resources created in collaboration with both teachers and students.

This poster will provide an overview of the modules and resources available on the website, as well as some reflections on the scholarly motivation behind the initiative and experiences with how it so far has helped promote learning and understanding of biological phenomenon. Tablets will be available for participants to practically explore the platform.

International Extended Flipped Classroom: Collaborative Online Learning and Study Abroad

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:28:43 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kristi Straus, Wei Zuo

The “international extended flipped classroom” was conceived as part of the University of Washington (UW) Teaching & Learning Initiative. The goal was to increase global engagement for UW students through a two part process: 1) collaborative online international learning between UW and Tsinghua University in China (THU) followed by 2) a short-term study abroad program to THU. This program was designed to be accessible to students unable to participate in a longer study abroad program, promoting access and equity at UW.

In first steps, Dr. Kristi Straus modified her ENVIR 239 (Sustainability: Personal Choices, Broad Impacts) course together with faculty members teaching sustainability at THU to create shared material for our students to complete online. These courses were taught in parallel. Students from THU and UW collaborated online during autumn quarter, interviewing one another about sustainability in their lives, on their campuses, and in their cities. These online connections increased global engagement as students learned course material not only through reading, lecture, and discussion with students at their own university but also through dialogue with students in a very different part of the world.

15 UW students chosen for the program took ENVIR 239 as a prerequisite, then met weekly to learn about sustainability in China, build community, and establish expectations. During the ten-day study abroad program, with the help of Dr. Wei Zuo and Dr. Kristi, students from the two universities who met and collaborated online now met face to face, learning with and from each other. Students worked together, attending lectures and field trips, learning how sustainability is defined in Beijing and how the city meets its energy needs and manages pollution. Student feedback indicated that the study abroad program enhanced the relationships built in the online component of the course and broadened the global perspective of students at both campuses.

SoTL and the Career Path: Academic Culture Issues within and across Institutions

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:29:22 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Amanda Sturgill

Understanding teaching and learning is mission-critical for academics. While we have the ability to extend our skills in inquiry to our work with and for students, academics sometimes lack the incentives to do so. This poster will present the impacts on the career path for choosing SoTL work from the perspective of disciplines in the liberal arts and professional schools, with a focus on the impacts on the short-term and longer-term implications for faculty, looking at SoTL conducted in a multi-institutional context.

“We Shape Our Buildings and Afterwards the Buildings Shape Us”: Space as a Catalyst for SoTL

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:29:38 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Briony Supple, Laura Lee

Teaching and learning spaces have been identified as integral to innovative pedagogies and to creative, student-centred curriculum design. Space is neither neutral nor innocent (McCarthy, 2015). As Winston Churchill once said during a presentation to the House of Lords: “We shape our buildings and afterwards the buildings shape us” (Churchill, 1943).

In the traditional, hierarchical construct of space, “teaching rooms and media are deliberately designed for one-way delivery” (Biggs, 2003, p. 21). However, conceptualisations of space need to consider its centrality as an overall part of the student learning experience.

While new learning spaces become proving grounds for innovative approaches to research, teaching and learning, opening up a critique of ‘older’ and more traditional spaces also provide a baseline from which critical questions can be asked about teaching approaches. While new learning spaces like active learning classrooms create exciting new teaching and learning opportunities for instructors and students, they also create unique challenges that require investigation. Teaching and learning in these new spaces necessitates that instructors rethink their approach to teaching and that students rethink their approach to learning, hence the need for teaching resources to support such transformation.

This poster will showcase the findings from an international project with partners from Ireland and the UK, which prioritises the transformation of concepts of space, rather than physical spaces themselves. We have captured many images which illustrate our learnings about space from various contexts. Our poster will illustrate how we are thinking about various conceptualisations of both physical and virtual spaces as a catalyst for dynamic and innovative teaching approaches. As part of these research and knowledge exchanges, our overarching points of inquiry are:

How do staff stay connected to the discussion/progress around teaching spaces at other institutions?

What are some examples of flexible learning spaces at other universities in the UK?

How can space help staff and students transcend disciplinary boundaries?

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Faculty Development and Reward Structures to Promote SoTL in US 4-Year Colleges and Universities

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:43:23 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Rahmat Talukder, Yumi So, Mohammed Islam

SoTL is a systematic research grounded in the literature, peer-reviewed, and disseminated through publication or presentation (Secret et al., 2011; McKinney, 2004). Today, the scope of SoTL has expanded beyond classroom practices and includes instructional design, curriculum development, and assessment of student learning at curriculum and programmatic level (Hubbal et al., 2013). Literature identified a gap in the understanding of what is considered as SoTL between faculty with varying experience and disciplines (Secret et al., 2011; Gurung et al., 2008). While SoTL possesses the recognized attributes of research, it is not universally accepted and faculty may not be rewarded for SoTL activities in higher education. The establishment of organizational bodies such as SoTL institute or SoTL forum may help foster SoTL activity among faculty. The objective of this study is to explore the existing organizational structures in US higher education institutions that foster the practice of scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and create campus cultures where SoTL is recognized as an important scholarly work. A thorough Google search was conducted to identify institutions with teaching and learning centers using the keywords: “scholarship of teaching and learning”, “SoTL”, “teaching and learning” combined with “center”. Each institution’s website was visited to search pages with information on SoTL. All the identified pages on SoTL, faculty development, SoTL award, or SoTL grant were retrieved. Data extraction from website was performed utilizing a systematic content analysis method. Two-hundred thirty-seven US 4-year colleges and universities were identified with existing teaching and learning centers. Eighty-three percent (n=196) of these institutions have structured programs that foster SoTL practices and faculty development. Common structures include SoTL forums, SoTL Community, SoTL Commons, faculty development center, educational research development unit, etc. They provide workshops, mini-conferences, forums, seminars, summer SoTL, and teaching and learning fairs. Fifty-one institutions (22%) were identified that provide faculty awards and grants on SoTL accomplishments. In conclusion, our results document the existing structures that promote SoTL at institutional level in US higher education institutions. A community of SoTL researchers plays a critical role to enhance and sustain on-going SoTL research. Specific examples of case studies related to faculty development opportunities in SoTL, resources, and reward structures will be presented in the poster. Schools or programs that do not have any supporting structures to foster faculty SoTL activities can consider developing similar structures identified in the present study.

Science Teacher Education as an Asset and an Opportunity for Educational Development

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:44:46 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Cathrine Tellefsen, Kristin Glørstad Tsigaridas, Andreas Görgen

Science teacher education can be a key to change toward a learning culture in higher education disciplinary departments. We show how science teacher students working as facilitators for teaching assistants can contribute to creating a culture for learning in introductory courses in mathematics, physics and biology. We use the student evaluations along with feedback from teaching assistants to show how the work has developed since 2015. We also show how the master theses of student teachers, when focused on teaching and learning in undergraduate courses, can foster development and growth in higher education.

Targeted Professional Development to Promote Inclusive Teaching by Teaching Assistants in Biology

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:45:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Seth Thompson, Meaghan Stein

Research over the last decade has indicated that a diverse student population can positively contribute to better learning outcomes in undergraduate biology courses. Transforming the instructional methods at the undergraduate level to incorporate diversity and inclusion is vital for promoting an inclusive culture of student learning (Handelsman, J., Miller, S., & Pfund, C., 2007). This is particularly true in science laboratory courses, where there is often an emphasis on collaborative work. In North America, the primary instructor of laboratory classes is often a graduate or undergraduate student teaching assistant (Adams, D. J., 2009). These novice instructors often lack the pedagogical knowledge and experience to effectively implement inclusive instructional practices and require targeted support to develop the knowledge and skills needed to promote an inclusive classroom (Gormally, C., Sullivan, C. S., & Szeinbaum, N., 2016).

Here, we describe three iterations of a theoretically and contextually grounded professional development program aimed at providing inclusivity training for biology teaching assistants. We start by describing the theory that informed the design of the program and how the program changed over time in response to participant feedback. Next, we explore survey data gathered from participants related to their attitudes and confidence with implementing inclusive teaching. Based on data collected in Fall 2017, teaching assistants reported an increase in their knowledge of strategies for creating an inclusive classroom, minimizing the impact of implicit bias, minimizing stereotype threat in the classroom, and issues associated with bias in the sciences. Teaching assistants also reported increased confidence in implementing strategies to achieve more inclusive classrooms. Teaching assistant survey responses also indicated the development of a multicultural, rather than colorblind, ideology with regard to incorporating inclusive teaching into their classrooms. Overall, preliminary data demonstrates that professional development focused on diversity and inclusion for teaching assistants results in increased knowledge and confidence related to inclusive teaching practice.

We conclude with the following recommendations for others who would like to offer similar programming at their own institutions: 1) incorporate in-person meetings into the programming, to the extent it is possible, to provide opportunities for discussion and peer-to-peer learning; 2) provide opportunities for participants to self-select some of the inclusive teaching topics they are interested in, as this leads to stronger engagement in the program; and 3) incorporate formative assessment strategies to provide feedback to participants and promote discussion within the participant cohort.

The Impact of Space on Teaching – Towards Spatial Literacy as a Pedagogical Concept

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:45:35 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Rie Troelsen

Churchill once said: “We shape the buildings, and then the buildings shape us”, indicating the interplay between space and its occupants. Until now, researching this interplay has concentrated on the design of spaces for a new generation of students according to “new” views on learning (Bennett, 2006; Grummon, 2009; Jamieson, 2003; Laing & Sörö, 2016; Villano, 2010). In this exploratory, small-scale project we set out to explore how teachers are in dialogue with the learning space they are going to use for teaching – that is, how teachers shape the room and how the room then shapes their teaching.

One way to analyse the complex relationship between space and its occupation is proposed by Lefebvre (1991) in his “spatial triad”. The triad consists of the perceived, the conceived and the lived space as space is not only decided on by architects, but also produced by the way people use it and by the meaning they ascribe to it. In our context Lefebvre’s spatial triad is transformed into the following methodological framework:
– conceived space – teachers’ sketching their perception of the learning space and analyses of these sketches as to which elements are drawn and in which order;
– perceived space – interviews of teachers describing actions and activities that will take place in the learning space;
– lived space – observational studies of how teaching proceeds focusing on how teachers and students use the learning space in a teaching situation.

Ten teachers at a university in Denmark are selected for interview and observation of their teaching sessions. All teachers teach in smaller learning spaces with room for up to 80-90 persons with a variation in furniture (for example group tables, no tables, horse shoe, fixed rows of tables…). Each teacher is interviewed about his/her conception and perception of the space and observed while teaching in the space.

The interview and observations have not yet been fully analysed, but preliminary findings suggest that the teachers’ pedagogical considerations on space can be described as spatial literacy, meaning that understanding of how to effectively use learning spaces can be defined by a specific taxonomy.

Writing a Master’s Thesis – Why is it So Difficult?

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:45:52 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Ere Uibu

The University of Tartu is the only institution of higher education in Estonia which offers a postgraduate level curriculum in Nursing Science. The study form is open university part-time studies, because the student of nursing science is often a working nurse/midwife, a nurse manager or a teacher of a Health Care College, often married, with children or about to start a family. This background makes the students more likely to be at risk of poor commitment to studying, and even though the compulsory subjects will be passed, writing a master’s thesis may turn out to be “a mission impossible”. Also, earlier research has shown that writing a research-based thesis and academic texts represent a real challenge for undergraduate and graduate students. Based on this prior knowledge, the main focus of this action research was to map students’ advancements in their studies and in master’s thesis writing and to identify the support and the main obstacles they have been experienced during this process. On the basis of gained information, it is possible to continue and plan the most suitable interventions for helping them to be more successful. An e-environment-based anonymous questionnaire was used for data collection and the targeted population were all students (N=51). The final sample comprised of 29 students. 14 students confirmed advancing as planned while 15 of the students had been advancing slower. 10 students reported their participating in master’s thesis writing camps and 8 in joint supervising seminars. Students reported that, during their studies, they received a large amount of help from teachers and tutors, from the curriculum and from their families. Nearly of equal importance were their internal motivation, willpower and persistence and time planning abilities. Students claimed that for thesis writing they mainly received help from their supervisors, from relevant courses, from teachers and from peers. The main obstacles to advancing properly were high working loads, weak (time)planning skills, family problems and problems with conducting research. Students still need more supervising, including extra motivation from supervisors, extra assistance and feedback in specific topics (for example in philosophy, methodology, data collection, academic writing), some concrete additional materials (for example materials about research methods) and a time planning guidance. The results indicate that extra assistance is needed mainly in specific topics, including critical thinking and writing skills development. The results may also refer to uneven prior training and to insufficient self-supporting learning skills.

A Sociocultural Analysis of Fostering Intercultural Understanding through Language Studies Abroad

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:47:09 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, Enrico Cecconi

Educators have increasingly recognized the need to provide opportunities that foster students’ intercultural understanding and prepare them for work in a complex, interconnected world (Hovland, 2014). Study abroad is one of the high-impact practices associated with powerful educational benefits such as cultural awareness, intercultural competence, and appreciation for diversity (Engberg, 2013; Kuh, 2008; Stebleton, Soria & Cherney, 2013). Studying abroad fosters exploration of linguistic and cultural traditions through academics and community engagement.

Sociocultural theories emphasize the importance of social interactions in culturally relevant activities for learning and development (e.g., Rogoff, 1990; Vygotsky, 1978). When students interact with others in community-embedded programs, they learn to apply knowledge and utilize developing language skills in real-world contexts (Kinginger, 2008).

We employed a sociocultural analytical framework to investigate the language experiences of 44 U.S. students (76% female) who participated in a semester study abroad program in Florence, Italy between 2009 and 2014. Participants completed a 50-question survey, developed specifically for this study but based on prior research (e.g., Shadowen, Chieffo & Guerra, 2015). Overwhelmingly, students rated their experiences in the city (e.g., talking to local vendors, going to markets) with language instructors, peers, and on their own as highly significant for their language learning. Additional results related to language practices and relevant activities will be presented.

The results will be considered in terms of the conference themes of creating and sustaining a culture of learning that engages students in meaningful experiences beyond the traditional classroom. Our results support the sociocultural theoretical perspective that participation in “situated activities” in everyday life fosters development and learning and enhances preparation for the future (Lave & Wenger, 1991). We will also highlight the benefits of conducting SoTL research in the context of study abroad and discuss the importance of multi-disciplinary collaborations for faculty development.

Creating an Inclusive Learning Culture by Making Online Courses Accessible to All Learners

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:47:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Ann Marie VanDerZanden, Laura Bestler, Sara Marcketti

How do the course format and course content support, or limit, accessibility? This is a critical framing question to consider when designing or redesigning a course. Accessible courses and course content anticipate the potential needs of diverse learners, and remove barriers or provide alternatives so all learners can be successful. Embedding accessibility in courses is becoming increasingly more important as the population of college students becomes more diverse and these students are arriving at the university with more diverse backgrounds and abilities. A report from the U.S. Department of Education (2016) shows that in 2007-2008 and again in 2011-2012, eleven percent of college age individuals reported a disability. Further, among those enrolled in public 4-year institutions, 33% of students with disabilities completed a bachelor’s degree, compared with 48% of students without disabilities (3Play Media, 2018). This discrepancy in graduation rates may be linked in part to accessibility issues around courses and other digital content related to their degree program. In an effort to address accessibility issues on an institutional scale, many institutions of higher education in the United States have implemented digital access initiatives to create an institutional framework for digital content development and compliance with the United States federal digital accessibility requirements. Digital technologies have led to a number of new teaching modalities (e.g. blended, flipped, fully online), and use of these technologies requires thoughtful consideration to ensure course content is accessible to all learners. This poster will highlight ten basic strategies for creating accessible online course content. Participants will learn about the Quality Matters framework and specific approaches to address accessibility and usability. The poster will be graphically rich and be organized in a funnel approach starting with broad framing topics and sequentially guiding a viewer through the ten strategies to increase accessibility in online courses. The final takeaway product for participants will be a model action plan that they can use to build a personalized timeline for implementing course changes to improve accessibility. The poster will provide both context for increasing accessibility as well as actionable items an individual can complete to enhance accessibility in their course and course content.

Promoting Reflection about Assessment to Improve the Learning-Teaching Process

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:48:08 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Mikel Villamañe, Ainhoa Alvarez, Mikel Larrañaga

This poster is related to the thread “A culture of learners”, more specifically, on supporting teachers and students on their assessment processes. Assessment is often the key element used to decide whether implemented actions and techniques are being effective or not, as it allows measuring the teaching and learning outcomes (Dunn et al., 2011) and to analyze how to adequately improve it. However, to be able to use the assessment as a reliable measure, a fair marking that truly reflects the student performance must be guaranteed. The first step to obtain this fairness is the standardization of the criteria (Chan, 2001) what can be obtained, for example, through the use of rubrics. Defining good rubrics is a complex task which can be supported by e-assessment tools (Villamañe et al., 2016). Even when assessment criteria have been established, objectivity is not always assured. Systematic patterns in evaluation behaviors can significantly influence the final grade (Engelhard Jr George & Wang, Jue, 2015). These behaviors, called rater effects, can be produced in an unconscious way, due to the different personal perceptions and tendencies of the raters or on purpose to affect some student’s score in a positive or negative sense. Often, the data gathered during an evaluation process may include different students, with several works where each work is scored by different raters, so its analysis to detect rater effects is not trivial. Therefore, it is important to provide software that automates some of the rater monitoring aspects (Wolfe, 2014); for example, by analyzing statistics related to particular raters and automatically detecting scoring patterns.. This software can also support the process of gathering and analyzing information (Ras et al., 2015), helping to make adequate decisions and to improve the assessment process itself as well as the quality of the teaching-learning process (Rodríguez-Conde et al., 2016).

This poster presents the satisfying experiences in the use of AdESMuS (Villamañe et al., 2015) and its visualization capabilities to analyze assessment processes in order to identify different rater effects and controversial evaluations. The audience will be encouraged to reflect on their own assessment processes and on the usefulness of visualization techniques to identify rater effects and biased evaluations.

This work is supported by the UPV/EHU (EHUA 16/22) and the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Innovation, Social Engagement and Cultural action of the UPV/EHU through the SAE-HELAZ (HBT-Adituak 2018-19/6).

Integrate Disparities

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:48:51 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Franziska Widmer

Bachelor students in social work at a university of applied sciences have diverse educational backgrounds. As a consequence, during a lecture, one group may feel overwhelmed whereas the other group is bored and not challenged enough.

The hypothesis of the SoTL project is thus the following: What can be done in the process of lesson preparation and during the actual lecture to address the heterogeneity of the students in order to best serve their needs and interests so that as many students as possible feel challenged, neither bored nor overwhelmed?

The goal of the project is to take material from an already existing course and rework the course based on theory. Feedback from students is used to determine whether their level of theoretical and practical knowledge has been addressed. The results serve to critically examine the usefulness of the measures applied and to develop considerations for further adaptation for diversity-sensitive teaching.

Theory-based proposals dealing with such disparities are incorporated in presentations and lectures, mostly based on last year’s material.

The research bases on three qualitative group interviews and by an anonymous evaluation. The material is evaluated with content analysis based on Mayring.

Results: The general level of adaption to previous knowledge is satisfying. The need of repetition of knowledge from previous courses has been discussed controversial. A need students acknowledge is to have theory more merged with practical issues. Students know what workload they can expect, but they wish to have tasks given as early as possible, to have a better chance to join lectures well prepared. This might be a possibility to enhance accessibility.

Instruction for composition for group work is important to establish a trustful learning atmosphere.

Last not least, hardly any conclusions can be drawn about motivation, interest and satisfaction from the behavior of students in class.

Last modified on GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Enhancing Student Engagement with Physics Textbooks to Frame More Meaningful Learning Experiences

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:50:24 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Shawn M Willis, Randall E Carlson, Jessica H Dwyer

The United States Air Force Academy Department of Physics incorporates a supplemental journal to complement the calculus-based physics textbook used in each of its introductory physics courses. The journals are designed to promote deeper student examination of the material and to identify areas of student difficulty. Integrating worked examples and explanatory question sets into the journal is a teaching strategy the department implemented to encourage students to think more critically about physics concepts and establish or strengthen scaffolding. The feedback gleaned from student answers informs an instructor’s process for selecting appropriate lesson activities aimed at helping resolve student misconceptions. Instructors also use Just-in-Time Teaching assignments to garner awareness of the cognitive status of the class, which allows them to tailor learning experiences accordingly. The faculty recently administered surveys to the introductory physics students to gain insight about the following three key areas: a) the overall value students placed on the journal exercises, b) which elements of the journal students viewed as most useful, and c) how the journals might have influenced student use of the textbook. The results indicate that the journals may have a detrimental effect on textbook usage and that the journals may not promote the desired deeper student examination of introductory physics concepts. This calls to question whether learning from a textbook is a skill that should be cultivated as well as how the Air Force Academy Department of Physics can more effectively stimulate students to carry out a rich examination of physics concepts prior to in-class exposure to the material. Such concerns could be a function of the journal content itself, the students’ approach to completing the journal exercises, or both.

Building a Culture of Reflective Practice in Athletic Therapy Students

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:50:39 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Michelle Yeo, Mark Lafave, Jeffery Owen

Based upon an evolving culture and recent changes to professional standards in Athletic Therapy (AT) in Canada, calling for implementation of competency-based curriculum by the year 2020 (Lafave et al., 2016), the AT faculty at our institution agreed to implement a clinical presentation (CP) approach to facilitate competency-based curriculum requirements (Dornan, Boshuizen, King, & Scherpbier, 2007). This innovation to pedagogy required a re-imagination of how teaching, learning and assessment is approached (Yeo et al., 2017). Our team is currently in the midst of a longitudinal study, focusing both on student learning as well as faculty development within this curriculum transformation.

We are in the third year of our mixed method study to understand the student experiences using CP logbooks and how it may impact their learning in AT. A second aspect of the study is faculty development and understanding within the curriculum transformation. Early results have already led to pedagogical and assessment changes. Since this is a longitudinal study, multiple cohorts are being studied.

Part of the new approach involves students tracking their own competence through a CP logbook and portfolio. Students record their interactions with specific clinical presentations over the entire program and reflect weekly on their learning. In the early phases of this implementation, instructors noticed students struggling with this reflective activity. We are in the process of inquiring into this resistance more deeply. We wonder about potential causes of the source of this resistance, such as cognitive overload, difficulty in understanding the value and process of reflective practice, affective aspects (Middendorf et al., 2015), and cultural factors within the profession of Athletic Therapy. Instructors have begun to address these issues through different approaches to assessment and obtaining feedback.

In our interviews, we have asked students about their reflective process and have begun to learn about their challenges. For example, participants felt unsure about what was expected from the reflective process, sometimes had difficulty identifying appropriate experiences to reflect about, and were challenged to dedicate time to reflection while engaged in practical learning experiences. Participants also commented on the feedback they receive from instructors. Additionally, we intend to interview instructors who are encountering “reflective resistance” in their students. Our poster will present results of this inquiry, using a qualitative approach with thematic analysis of the interviews with students and instructors, as we work towards creating a culture of learners.

What Else Can Be Learnt in a Project-Based Course Beyond Knowledge?

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:51:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Ya Zhou, Yao Hu, Yuejin Zhao, Liquan Dong, Ming Liu, Lingqin Kong

Unlike traditional, teacher-led classroom activities, students often must organize their own work and manage their own time in a project-based class. Project-based instruction differs from traditional inquiry by its emphasis on students’ collaborative or individual artifact construction to represent what is being learned. It also gives students the opportunity to explore problems and challenges that have real-world applications, increasing the possibility of long-term retention of skills and concepts. Unlike traditional course in which gaining the professional knowledge is the highest priority, there are a lot of personal and interpersonal skills involved in a project-base course. In this paper, we would like to discuss one issue: What else can be learnt in a project-based course beyond knowledge?

The analysis and discussion are based on a 12-week-long project-based experimental course Optoelectronic Instrument Experiments (OIE), which is a lecture-lab course which aims to familiarize students with the principal ideas of optoelectronic apparatus design and train students to apply the knowledge to identifying, analyzing and solving problems in optoelectronic system construction. According to our experience and efforts on this course for nearly 10 years, we find that at least two attributes can be involved in a project-based course.

Self-awareness of their aptitude: Students from China are always intelligent but lack creativity. This is partially because of the reserved or implicit culture. In the traditional single assessment criterion education circumstance, students chase for the high marks even without knowing their interests or aptitudes. In OIE, we try to encourage the students to dig their aptitudes and help them prepare themselves for engineering-related jobs in the further, by which we called “Aptitude Digging Education”.

Teamwork in real engineering environment: Collaboration is one of the most treasured attributes for a qualified contemporary engineer. In order to work in modern team-based environments, students must develop the interpersonal skills of teamwork. However, teamwork in real engineering environment is not always like it is in a band. You will not always work with people who share the same interests and are at a similar competence level. There must be task assignment and benefit distribution. In OIE, we designed several strategies to expose the student to a real engineering environment and let them deal with it. Our purpose is to find a way to make student learn the interpersonal skill of working in team.

Living Diversity – Internationalisation through the Course Open Networked Learning

Last modified on 2018-08-23 12:51:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Lotta Åbjörnsson, Lars Uhlin, Alastair Creelman, Maria Kvarnström

The Open Networked Learning course is organised collaboratively by educational developers at Lund University, Karolinska Institutet and Linnaeus University, Sweden, with several collaborating institutions in Sweden and abroad, including The Independent Institute of Education/Varsity College, South Africa. Inviting anyone with an interest in the area, the course mixes participants from the collaborating institutions with non-affiliated learners in small groups, working online assisted by facilitators from either of the institutions and co-facilitators who are previous course participants. This structure means each group contains a mixture of people from different cultures and contexts, providing “internationalisation at home” – a great opportunity for all.

The course uses open, free digital tools and social media and covers four topics over eleven weeks: Online participation and digital literacies, Open learning – sharing and openness, Learning in communities – networked and collaborative learning, and Design for online and blended learning. More than 600 people from all continents have participated so far.

The ideas behind the course are manifold: most universities need courses for teachers about using digital tools for teaching and learning, the student body is changing towards greater diversity, and most universities’ strategic documents include a section about the value of internationalisation. Collaborating beyond institutional and geographical borders, this course creates an arena for learning, not only about the use of digital tools for teaching and learning, but also about collaborating and learning in a cross-cultural and -contextual community of peers, thus constituting an example of a truly inclusive learning culture. Course evaluations show the mix of participants to be considered valuable for learning – some examples: “This, if anything, highlighted the value of online engagement as it allows people from all over the world to come together and talk! It was a valuable learning experience.” “Increased the element of curiosity, moved our comfort zone and was interesting to learn different perspectives from across the globe.” “Learning about and appreciating differences in experience and outlook was to a large extent very valuable for my learning.”