Academic Rigor Research Articles

Une tour sur la montagne: L’architecture d’Ernest Cormier et sa vie avec Clorinthe Perron

Une tour sur la montagne: L’architecture d’Ernest Cormier et sa vie avec Clorinthe Perron

Wicked Problems in Architectural Research: The Role of Research by Design

PhD students working in the field of architectural design often miss the reference to a consistent theoretical framework and a proper system of inquiry while working with the research design of their projects. Simultaneously, some of the architectural research questions and hypotheses are formulated as addressing wicked problems which causes methodological challenges. The aim of the paper is to put research by design approaches in the broader context of systems of inquiry and to emphasize their possible role to examine and resolve wicked problems. The paper first reviews some of the underlying assumptions of architectural research versus the assumptions behind different research paradigms characteristic for other fields. Then, the approaches and the methods in architectural research relevant to the chosen ontological, epistemological, and axiological assumptions are discussed. The theory of wicked problems is recalled as a relevant one for the complex, uncertain, projective tasks of architectural research. Research by design is seen as a method suitable for the investigation of wicked problems. It can reduce the epistemic uncertainty. Approaches of research by design are becoming more acknowledged in third cycle education in architecture. Two examples of recent PhD theses are briefly discussed in the paper in relation to the wicked aspects of their research/design problems, the research paradigm adopted and the role of research by design methodology. More conscious delineations and elaborations of a proper system of inquiry and the conscious use of research by design methodology can help in developing academic rigor of research studies addressing complex societal challenges.

Toward a higher education playfulness pedagogy (HEPP) for pre-service early childhood Work Integrated Learning courses

ABSTRACT In this “Reflection on Practice” paper we reflect on an early childhood Work Integrated Learning course redesign that explored new ways of developing and applying playfulness theory to higher education instructional approaches. Our experience was that the higher education students required more support to deepen their understanding of course content. In response, we engaged with emerging playfulness pedagogy theory to develop a Higher Education Playfulness Pedagogy instructional model that reflects the principles of pleasurable, immersive intellectual engagement and risk-taking. The focus was on creating the conditions in which students can risk-take amid an environment of academic rigor and authentic engagement. First, we outline the Higher Education Pedagogy of Playfulness model that was developed for the course rewrite, then provide information about the course redesign with the view that others may replicate some of our practices or approaches. Last, we draw on anonymous student survey responses to discuss the potentials of HE playfulness pedagogy for early childhood Work Integrated Learning programs, and suggest areas for future study and exploration.

Using an ADAPT Approach to Integrate Google Translate into the Second Language Classroom

The increasing prevalence of students’ use of Google Translate has been the catalyst for re-developing the language classroom. Through progressive adaptations, Google Translate has been integrated to help support meaningful language learning, academic rigor and intellectual curiosity. Five key steps form the foundation of the ADAPT approach: amending assignments, discussing Google Translate, assessing with Google Translate in mind, practicing integrity, and training students to use Google Translate. Through this approach, students can be guided in a more mindful use of Google Translate that supports academic rigor and meaningful language learning. This paper outlines the ways in which Google Translate been integrated into beginning and intermediate online Spanish courses. The results of a small study that investigated students’ perceptions and uses of Google Translate in two fully online first-semester Spanish courses that used the ADAPT approach found a diverse mix of uses and perceptions. Students who used Google Translate had neither excessive advantages nor disadvantages. The author argues for a broader acceptance and integration of Google Translate so instructors can better manage their students’ Google Translate use, so students can be guided to more mindful practices and so more productive discussions can take place between language instructors and students.

Feminist Geography Unbound: Discomfort, Bodies, and Prefigured Futures ed. by Banu Gökarıksel, et al.

Reviewed by: Feminist Geography Unbound: Discomfort, Bodies, and Prefigured Futures ed. by Banu Gökarıksel, et al. Reagan Yessler Feminist Geography Unbound: Discomfort, Bodies, and Prefigured Futures. Edited by Banu Gökarıksel Michael Hawkins, Christopher Neubert, and Sara Smith. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 2021. viii and 324 pp., index. $29.95 paperback (ISBN 978-1-949199-88-8). Editors Banu Gökariskel, Michael Hawkins, Christopher Neubert, and Sarah Smith weave together moving accounts of researchers' encounters with power dynamics to explore the differing strata of repression and empowerment in Feminist Geography Unbound: Discomfort, Bodies, and Prefigured Futures. The edited volume fulfills its selfproclaimed purpose as a call to action for researchers to view feminist geographical practices and traditional topics of study – such as indigenous and de-colonial feminism – as less niche and more necessary in mainstream geographical thought. The volume contains fourteen chapters, divided into three parts along the themes of discomforting encounters, gendered bodies in political struggles, and time in feminist futures. While the book is broken up into these themes based on the goals for each paper by their respective researchers, the greatest value of this volume comes from its ability to demonstrate ethical methodology. Rather than outlining theories and philosophies of how to perform field research in a respectful and ethical manner, Feminist Geography Unbound shows this by example. The volume emphasizes that, rather than aiming for a perfect experience conducting research with no biases or faults, it is better to aim for research that evolves with and includes those interviewed. Perhaps the most illuminating essay, in my opinion, which demonstrates methodology by example is "Brown Scholar, Black Studies." This paper follows the emotional spade work of Pavithra Vasudevan as she studies the effects of the Alcoa aluminum plant on the African American worker population of West Badin, North Carolina. Vasudevan documents her struggles with depression as she interviews this community and uncovers their history of community disruption and illness due to the geographical and economic positioning of the aluminum plant. Further, Vasudevan outlines how her academic rigor was questioned, as White men offered criticism for her emotional reaction to an emotionally volatile subject. Vasudevan shows an ethics in geography that should be practiced across the board: emotion is not weakness in research and empathizing with research subjects offers a more rich academic account when documented, as well as – and more importantly – a level of care and bonding with those researched that minimizes the possibility of viewing research populations as below the researcher. Carrie Chennault's following essay likewise offers lessons in feminist methodology, emphasizing the value of an imperfect interview and interviewer by outlining her own shock and complicity in racism as she documents her silence when a research collaborator used racial pejoratives to describe the local Hispanic population. Chennault's [End Page 82] account of her silence offers a model for researchers: perfection in the moment is an unrealistic expectation. More important is the capacity to recognize one's own faults and to record and learn from them, as well as to reach out to those who participate in research studies in a timely manner so as to accurately record the events in a study. Asking for multiple points of view allows for a multiplicity of voices that not only takes the pressure off of the researcher to be the sole documenter of a study, but allows research participants to have equal footing with the researcher. Both of these essays featuring instances of researcher discomfort were excellent resources on ethical methodology. They release the researcher from the pressure of sterility and perfection in the field, showing the necessity and value of imperfect research practices, which can lead to more in-depth analyses and greater bonding with the research population. The final section "Temporality and Feminist Futures" attacks the issue of how to create a feminist future within an ethics of care. Again, this chapter offers an ethical methodology wherein feminist researchers both care for their mentors and mentees, creating a comprehensive social care network that allows for women to escape the bonds of traditional family as the only network of care. Building on the emancipation of women from traditional nuclear familial bonds...

A Critical Reflection on Adaptation of Teaching Practices

The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of how critical reflection can be used to update and revise teaching practices in response to evolving student needs and challenges in higher education. The authors identify the types of challenges that faculty and graduate students face in the current educational environment. Generational differences between faculty and students, the impact of increased student stress levels, and advances in technology will continue to shape how we instruct graduate students. We identified a number of evidence-based practices which were reported to be useful in reducing stress and anxiety in students while still maintaining academic rigor. We found critical reflection to be beneficial in shifting instructional paradigms. Critical reflections are crucial at the individual level, but there is merit in performing them at the departmental and organizational level as well to promote systemic change.

The International Case for Micro-Credentials for Life-Wide And Life-Long Learning: A Systematic Literature Review

Aim/Purpose: Systematic literature reviews seek to locate all studies that contain material of relevance to a research question and to synthesize the relevant outcomes of those studies. The primary aim of this paper was to synthesize both research and practice reports on micro-credentials (MCRs). Background: There has been an increase in reports and research on the plausibility of MCRs to support dynamic human skills development for an increasingly impatient and rapidly changing digital world. The integration of fast-paced emerging technologies and digitalization necessitate alternative learning paradigms. MCRs offer time, financial, and space flexibility and can be stacked into a larger qualification, thereby allowing for a broader range of transdisciplinary competencies within a qualification. However, MCRs often lack the academic rigor required for accreditation within existing disciplines. Methodology: The study followed the PRISMA framework (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses), which offers a rigorous method to enhance reporting quality. The study used both academic research and practice reports. Contribution: The paper makes a theoretical contribution to the discourse about the need for innovation within existing educational paradigms for continued relevance in a changing world. It also contributes to the debate on the role of MCRs in bridging the gap between practice and academia despite the growing difference between their interests, and the role that MCRs play in the social-economic plans of countries. Findings: The key findings are that investments in MCRs are mainly in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Education sectors, and have taken place mainly in high-income countries and regions – contexts that particularly value practice-accredited MCRs. Low-income countries, by contrast, remain traditional and insist on MCRs that are formally accredited by a recognized academic institution. This contributes to a widening skills gap between low- and high-income countries or regions, which results in greater global disparities. There is also a growing divide between academia and practice concerning their interest in MCRs (a reflection of the rigor versus relevance debate), which partially explains why many global and larger organizations have gone on to create their own learning institutions. Recommendations for Practitioners: We recommend that educational mechanisms consider the critical importance of MCRs as part of innovative efforts for life-wide (different sectors) and life-long (same sector) learning, especially in low-income countries. MCRs provide dynamic mechanisms to fill skills gaps in an increasing ruthless international battle for talent. Recommendation for Researchers: We recommend focused research into skills and career pathways using MCRs while at the same time remaining responsive to transdisciplinary efforts and sensitive to global and local changes within any sector. Impact on Society: Work and society have transformed over time, and more so in the new digital age, yet academia has been slow in adapting to the changes, forcing organizations to create their own learning institutions or to use MCRs to fill the skills gap. The purpose of education goes beyond preparing individuals for work, extending further to creating an environment where individuals and governments seek their own social and economic outcomes. MCRs provide a flexible means for co-creation between individuals, education, organizations, and government that could stem global rising unemployment, social exclusion, and redundancy. Future Research: Future research should focus on the co-creation of MCRs between practitioners and academia.

Is academic rigor in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) research in decline?

To determine how well definitions of SIDS in the literature are being cited and referenced. The "PubMed" database was searched for "sudden infant death syndrome" from 2020 to 2021. Of 421 original papers, 50 were randomly selected and checked to determine whether one of the three internationally accepted definitions of SIDS: Seattle, NICHD and San Diego definitions had been cited/quoted in the text and correctly referenced. Papers that incorrectly cited or did not cite one standard definitions were assigned into: (i) those that used mis-cited, idiosyncratic or other (alternative, non-standard) definitions and, (ii) those where there was no definition. Fifty-six per cent of papers correctly cited standard definitions, a 12% decrease from the 68% in a similar study in 2012. Of those only 22% both correctly cited/referenced one of the standard definitions. Major issues in 78% of papers involved citing one and referencing another standard definition (N=7, 14%), citing or referencing alternative, non-standard definitions (N=8, 16%) or not citing or referencing any definition (N=24, 48%). There is an increasing trend to not follow standard definitions of SIDS. This may hinder data interpretation where cases have not been appropriately defined and negatively impact upon the validity of SIDS research.

Human Capital Investment: Building an App for That

This paper outlines the development of a prototype application to estimate the human capital investment of education-career selections. We explain the need to deliver the right information, to the right person, at the right time using a customizable, individualized, just-in-time format. We illustrate how a collaboration between academia and FinTech might leverage the power of distributed expertise to support human capital investment planning via robo-advising. With 112 research-based default parameters, the application can provide detailed financial estimates in seconds. The prototype includes an interface to customize 12 key parameters allowing for extensive exploration of career and education pathways. We illustrate technical elements, the complexity of comprehensive personal financial projections, psychological obstacles, the potential for agency conflict, and balancing academic rigor with user experience. We also offer some insight into challenges and opportunities of this pre-seed venture.

Race-Discordant School Attendance and Cognitive Function in Later Life

Early schooling plays an important role in shaping cognitive development, both due to the level of academic rigor and the social environment of primary and secondary schools. This is reflected in current racial disparities in cognitive function in later life. Older minorities who attended predominantly White schools with more resources experienced significant cognitive benefits. This study explores whether there are benefits to cognitive functioning in later life from having attended socially diverse schools in early life. We examine the effects of having attended schools composed primarily of different race peers—race discordant schools (RDS)—among Black, Hispanic, and White older adults. Using retrospective and prospective data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examine the association between RDS exposure and four measures of cognitive function (working memory, episodic memory, mental status, overall cognitive function). We assess function at age 55 and 70, and examine change in functioning between age 55 and 70. We find that RDS exposed Blacks and Hispanics experience significant benefits in cognitive function at age 55, but only Blacks experience benefits at age 70. RDS exposed Whites reported higher overall working memory at age 70 relative to Whites in non-RDS schools, suggesting a cognitive benefit from diversity. Results suggest that exposure to more racially diverse school environments have potentially beneficial effects on cognitive function over the life course. Our findings suggest that the cultivation of diversity in schools could be an important long-term public health investment.

Perceived Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Outcomes Among Students of Early Entrance College Programs.

IntroductionMental health disorders affect adolescents and children and have resulted in many academic institutions now recognizing and taking steps to reduce the pressure they place on students. Early Entrance to College Programs (EECP) is a small subset of academic institutions focused on providing an accelerated higher education path, and these students are held to high academic standards. It is important to research the effects of these programs on the students’ mental health, as younger children are extremely susceptible to mental disorders that may last into adulthood. MethodsThis study analyzed a three-part survey given to alumni of various EECPs. The survey is a combination of Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and yes/no questions regarding the participants’ demographics. A longitudinal study was also conducted on current students in EECPs. These students were given a survey consisting of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaire, which was completed two times throughout the academic year, three months later.ResultsThe results displayed that there was a significant impact of academic rigor on the mental health of these students. In both the one-time and longitudinal studies, a majority of participants recorded having higher levels of anxiety and depression than before they were in the program.ConclusionsThe association between mental health and academic rigor is similar to what is seen among both high school and college cohort students with a greater emphasis on the social environment as a modulating factor.

Electronic Portfolio: Reflective Project in a Community of Language Learners

In this article, I present my stance as an English as a second language (ESL) practitioner resulting from empirical observations of the development of eportfolio reflective projects by five groups of approximately 10-20 intermediate-level language learners in an online learning community during five iterations of the same course (February 2018-June 2020). I provide an insight into the experiences of ESL students with their first eportfolios as a capstone project based on ongoing observations grounded on theoretical concepts of the affective domain and a more ecological aspect of constructivism. The first four groups of 10-20 students completed their program of studies in a blended format – three days onsite and two online. The fifth group with 20 students, however, due to COVID-19, was thrust into learning entirely at a distance prior to the completion of their second module. In each cohort, students were aware of the remaining modules in their program of studies and waited in anticipation – and some form of trepidation – for their reflective project. The capstone eportfolio project was the fifth and final module in a five-month program of studies where students chose a platform for their projects (technology) and populated the pages with learning episodes (pedagogy) experienced in the previous four modules. These eportfolio projects, developed by the students individually and in collaboration with their peers, fostered engagement and feedback interaction at various stages. While developing their reflective projects, students learned to leverage eportfolio technology to enhance the achievement of their goals as well as eportfolio pedagogy to articulate the attainment of competencies. Since evidence of core competencies in each language skill ability is a program requirement, modules preceding the creation of eportfolios necessitate tasks that foster learner awareness related to language skills, abilities, and attitudes. Although students eventually understand what the competencies are, they often grapple with how they are attained, and why they are required. As reflective projects grounded on academic rigour and underpinned by theoretical principles, these eportfolios espouse self-awareness and deeper learning. As such, they foster student agency and empower creators to articulate their experiences as they reflect on the learning to date. My observations of five groups of language learners developing their first eporfolio as a capstone project may help inform the field of online pedagogy and also contribute toward a better understanding of eportfolios as reflective projects in blended and online learning communities.

Tweet, like, subscribe! Understanding leadership through social media use

The proliferation of digital data has opened the door for a 21st-century social science that explores human relationships on an unprecedented scale. A particular area of interest is that of leader social media (SM) usage. As studies on leader SM usage have grown dramatically in the past several years, we take stock of the extant literature across various research disciplines. Within this manuscript, we contextualize leader SM usage and demonstrate how it compares to analogous concepts. We subsequently abridge relevant findings and reflect on methodological and theoretical components of the research studies identified in this review. Further, we outline the nature of SM data and provide practical recommendations for leadership scholars to capitalize on this rich data source in their investigations. We also offer a theoretical framework and summary of how scholars have studied leader SM usage. Specifically, this review article synthesizes the current literature while also elevating the academic rigor of leader SM research.

Aims and criteria for advancing technology management research at the Journal of Operations Management

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The First Paragraph Is As Good As It Gets: STEM Articles in Wikipedia and Opportunistic Learning

Despite questions about academic rigor, undergraduates use Wikipedia for opportunistic learning: self-regulated study to learn, relearn, or be introduced to concepts. STEM topics are potentially immune from some of Wikipedia’s criticism, as many are based on well-established facts. This article evaluates 28 articles from seven STEM disciplines on four criteria important for undergraduate opportunistic learners. Some articles contained inaccuracies, while common criticisms included poor conceptual development, poor procedural explanations, poor diagrams and failing to utilize internet technologies. Often, the best advice is to read the first paragraph: the rest of the article generally did not enhance opportunistic learning.

De-picturing John A. Macdonald: Opportunities and Challenges of Representing Canada’s Past with Graphic History

This article explores the historiographical and methodological opportunities and challenges of graphic history to represent, interpret, and interrogate Canada’s past. Graphic history is a research-creation approach that combines word and picture to produce illustrated texts and comic book-style narratives. While I address important critiques about academic rigour, pedagogical value, and practical viability, I argue that graphic history has much potential to offer historians. By broadening our understanding of scholarly work, graphic histories can be accessible sources for wider audiences, critical resources for teaching and learning, and/or imaginative methods for engaging with historiographical issues. After examining the theories and practices of graphic history, I illustrate a graphic-text essay on the contested images of John A. Macdonald. Pictures of the first prime minister are well known to most Canadians in photograph, caricature, and statue, but his legacy has come under greater academic and public scrutiny, particularly regarding policies towards Indigenous peoples. I focus on Macdonald because debates over his commemoration are relevant to the ways in which historians represent and confront complicated pasts. I use related debates over statue removal and anxieties about erasure of history to explore deeper historiographic questions about representation, truth, presentism, and perspective. I argue that a graphic history approach is a medium for deconstructing, or, as I call it, de-picturing, a one-dimensional, dominant image of Macdonald on a pedestal, exhibited in bronze.

Challenging the notion of conflict of interest in transplantation: Barriers at the intersection between innovation and clinical advancement

Collaboration between the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and academic physicians-scientists has historically been viewed with unease within the prism of conflict of interest (COI). Traditional (and antiquated) dogma portrays pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms as anthetical to academic physicians and scientists, employing different philosophies regarding scientific inquiry. The source of this COI most commonly originates from a perceived erosion of academic rigor over the assumed financial gain that may follow a scientific advancement. Strategic partnerships between industry and academia stimulate innovation and accelerate productivity, which ultimately delivers therapeutics to the bedside faster.

Replication studies in international business

In international business, as well as in many other social sciences, replication studies have long been treated as a poor relative, discounted and discouraged as “not original”. We argue that by teasing out confounding factors, validating causal mechanisms, and testing spatial and temporal boundaries, replication studies can stimulate debate, add to our body of knowledge, and fine-tune theory. Our goal in writing this editorial is to promote replication studies. We build a case for them by recognizing their value and showcasing their different types. We also offer a methodological template for carrying them out with academic rigor. Finally, we make concrete recommendations on how to go about increasing the number of them published.

Pivoting to a Remote-Learning Summer Student Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Research experience garnered through summer student programs (SSPs) is critical for high school and college student retention in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. However, the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic prevented in-person SSPs in 2020, eliminating these essential experiences that students need to advance their STEM training. In response, we created a remote-learning model that can be broadly adapted for other SSPs. We aimed to uphold our traditional SSP’s academic rigor by cultivating critical thinking skills, providing mentorship, and equipping students with tools to serve as public health ambassadors in their communities. We designed the remote SSP around an anchor topic to integrate didactic lectures with research-based independent projects. Program success was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively via content assessments and written feedback. By comparing preassessments to postassessments, we show that students gained general scientific literacy and improved critical thinking skills. Based on qualitative measures, students were satisfied with their mentorship, reported that they would use what they learned through the SSP in the future, indicated that they had the tools to understand and communicate public health information, and, overall, rated the quality of the SSP positively. As the pandemic continues to necessitate remote learning, traditional in-person experiences will need to be adapted to best support students. We have developed a modular and adaptable SSP that upholds the same standards as the traditional SSP by continuing to provide essential experiences necessary to advance students’ training in STEM.

Project Earthrise: Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Conference of inVIVO Planetary Health.

The “Earthrise” photograph, taken on the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, became one of the most significant images of the 20th Century. It triggered a profound shift in environmental awareness and the potential for human unity—inspiring the first Earth Day in 1970. Taking inspiration from these events 50 years later, we initiated Project Earthrise at our 2020 annual conference of inVIVO Planetary Health. This builds on the emergent concept of planetary health, which provides a shared narrative to integrate rich and diverse approaches from all aspects of society towards shared solutions to global challenges. The acute catastrophe of the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn greater attention to many other interconnected global health, environmental, social, spiritual, and economic problems that have been underappreciated or neglected for decades. This is accelerating opportunities for greater collaborative action, as many groups now focus on the necessity of a “Great Transition”. While ambitious integrative efforts have never been more important, it is imperative to apply these with mutualistic value systems as a compass, as we seek to make wiser choices. Project Earthrise is our contribution to this important process. This underscores the imperative for creative ecological solutions to challenges in all systems, on all scales with advancing global urbanization in the digital age—for personal, environmental, economic and societal health alike. At the same time, our agenda seeks to equally consider our social and spiritual ecology as it does natural ecology. Revisiting the inspiration of “Earthrise”, we welcome diverse perspectives from across all dimensions of the arts and the sciences, to explore novel solutions and new normative values. Building on academic rigor, we seek to place greater value on imagination, kindness and mutualism as we address our greatest challenges, for the health of people, places and planet.