Centre For Excellence In Teaching Research Articles

Outreach: Impact on Skills and Future Careers of Postgraduate Practitioners Working with the Bristol ChemLabS Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Outreach: Impact on Skills and Future Careers of Postgraduate Practitioners Working with the Bristol ChemLabS Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Role of the Learning Management System in Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study offers an analytical portrayal of the resilience that learning management systems (LMSs) provide to higher education institutions. It analyzes the previous literature on various educational settings during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify the LMS adoption process, followed by a focus on Qatar University’s adoption of Blackboard and how this offered a smooth transition to online and blended learning during the pandemic. The main purpose of this research is to provide an overview of how the effective adoption of a LMS by higher education institutions can enhance the resilience of the teaching-learning process in a changing educational landscape. A qualitative case study is conducted to present the process Qatar University went through to adopt Blackboard in its educational system, followed by an examination of the impact of this adoption on resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case study is conducted through a qualitative content analysis of the resources available on the official Qatar University website, including information from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and Student Learning Support Center (SLSC), other sources on the website such as newsletters and announcements, and datasets provided by CETL. The research employs the theory of diffusion of innovation to evaluate the effectiveness of the adoption of Blackboard. The value of this paper lies in establishing a link between the LMS adoption process and its role in overcoming academic disturbances. The limitations and recommendations are considered.

Usability and value of a digital learning resource in nursing education across European countries: a cross-sectional exploration

BackgroundHigher education is responsible for providing education that meets international benchmarks relevant to the needs of the international community. Due to the increase of digital tools in higher education, the possibility of sharing learning resources across nations has expanded. In the current project, a Norwegian university invited universities in Spain and the United Kingdom to adapt and translate e-learning resources originally developed for Norwegian nursing students for use within their respective Bachelor in Nursing programmes.AimThe aim of the current study was to gain insights into the usability and value for learning of e-compendiums shared and implemented across three European universities.MethodsThe study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design and included nursing students from the University of Nottingham, Valencia Catholic University, and the University of Stavanger. Data were collected in Autumn 2017 through a questionnaire adapted from the validated “Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Reusable Learning Object evaluation questionnaire” The questionnaire consisted of 19 items that included two aspects: e-compendiums’ value for learning and e-compendiums’ usability. The different study sites were compared using a binary logistic regression analysis. Subgroups of students were compared based on their gender and age.ResultsA total of 480 nursing students participated in the study. The e -compendiums were overall positively rated, especially for reinforcing and retaining knowledge. Compared to the students from the University of Stavanger, students from Valencia Catholic University rated the e-compendiums more positively in most aspects of learning. Students from University of Nottingham found the e-compendiums to be more important for learning engagement compared to students at the Norwegian study site, and no differences were found in any other aspects of learning. Younger students rated the interactivity and visual components as more important compared to older students.ConclusionsStudents from the University of Nottingham and Valencia Catholic University seem to accept the e-compendiums despite the fact that they were originally developed for use in another country. We argue that, when sharing e-learning resources across countries, an adaptation and translation process that includes a multicultural and multidisciplinary perspective should be carried out.

Howard University College of Medicine.

Howard University College of Medicine.

A restructured freshman history course: The evolution of a librarian’s role

In 2012 the history department at the University of Oklahoma (OU) received a mandate from the university’s president to overhaul its U.S. history survey courses. Part of the mandate was that only tenured or tenure-track faculty would teach the survey, and though the classes would be large (around 200 students), there would also be required discussion sessions led by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Writing and critical thinking were also to be incorporated. The department decided to fulfill this mandate by reconstructing the survey classes around primary source-based research and looked to other departments on campus, such as the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Expository Writing Program, and the University Libraries, for support. This article describes how the librarian for history has worked with numerous stakeholders to support this ambitious and constantly evolving project, which attempts to bring historical inquiry to the freshman level.

Unrolling the text: Using scrolls to facilitate academic reading

This case study shows how we have used textscrolls to address academic reading in our Facilitating Student Learning postgraduate module. We outline how we explored with staff the potential of the textscroll to offer a more welcoming, accessible, collaborative and dialogic encounter with reading than the codex (bound book or article). Drawing briefly on a literature review commissioned when part of the LearnHigher Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, we consider reading not just as a semantic or linguistic activity but as a socio-political one, especially for those, like our students, who are typically placed as educational outsiders. We harness the work of Dave Middlebrook (one of our co-authors) and his discussion of the power relations of the bound text and the liberatory potential of the unrolled textscroll. We conclude with an example of what happened when one of our staff participants took scrolls back to her third year Design students, and we argue that utilising emancipatory teaching practices can make higher education more inclusive.

Book Review of Creating Significant Learning Experiences by L. DeeFink

<scp>Book Review of</scp> Creating Significant Learning Experiences by L. DeeFink

Faculty development needs assessment for online teaching

Background: Academic staff members, who are responsible for teaching and training, should be aware of the principle of online course design, development, and implementation. The aim of this study is to evaluate instructors’ skills and needs for conducting distance learning healthcare courses, including the level of assistance they need to implement and use online and software tools in online courses.Methods: The current study applied online faculty survey used by the Center for Teaching Excellence, University of South Carolina to assess the faculty’s instructional technology needs for training and support. The survey asked faculty staff about a broad number of classroom and online technologies, with a helpful response scale that reveals not only what the faculty is already using, but also what the instructors want to use and what they need help with.Results: The results of this study revealed a significant need of faculty staff members for the training and development of their skills in almost all tools used for conducting online courses. The female responder was higher than males. Regarding the use of software, although the majority of participating staff members in this study use almost all software tools required for conducting online healthcare courses, they expressed a need for help in developing new ideas to use the software effectively.Conclusions: From this study, it could be concluded that it is essential to organize comprehensive faculty development training courses for staff members to help them in conducting their online courses or converting their face-to-face courses to blended courses effectively.

Curriculum Redesign in Veterinary Medicine: Part II.

Curricular review is considered a necessary component for growth and enhancement of academic programs and requires time, energy, creativity, and persistence from both faculty and administration. On a larger scale, a comprehensive redesign effort involves forming a dedicated faculty redesign team, developing program learning outcomes, mapping the existing curriculum, and reviewing the curriculum in light of collected stakeholder data. The faculty of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (TAMU) recently embarked on a comprehensive curriculum redesign effort through partnership with the university's Center for Teaching Excellence. Using a previously developed evidence-based model of program redesign, TAMU created a process for use in veterinary medical education, which is described in detail in the first part of this article series. An additional component of the redesign process that is understated, yet vital for success, is faculty buy-in and support. Without faculty engagement, implementation of data-driven curricular changes stemming from program evaluation may be challenging. This second part of the article series describes the methodology for encouraging faculty engagement through the final steps of the redesign initiative and the lessons learned by TAMU through the redesign process.

Lessons Learned on the Other Side of Campus

Sometimes, incredible and unexpected blessings occur in our careers. Nearly a year ago an opportunity was presented to me that advanced my career in a direction I had never expected. I accepted a position as associate director at the University of Connecticut’s Center for Excellence in Teaching

Redesigning Natural Resources Curricula: A Redesign Process Model at Texas A&amp;M University

To remain current, departments and programs offering curricula in natural resource science aim to ensure that students develop the knowledge and skills identified as being crucial by experts in the field. Texas A&M University’s Ecosystem Science and Management (ESSM) Department recently completed a large-scale curricular update assisted by academic developers at the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) within the university. Using the comprehensive Program (Re)Design (PRD) model created by the CTE academic developers, the ESSM Department began by forming a PRD team identified from the department’s faculty. This article details the process that the ESSM department utilized during their curriculum update, and provides a general overview of the PRD model. Examples of lessons learned (issues, solutions, and so forth) are also examined.

Building a Path to College Success: Advocacy, Discovery and OER Adoption in Emerging Educational Models

ABSTRACTIn this case study we will examine the role of the library in Open Educational Resources through the lens of library value described in Megan Oakleaf's 2010 ACRL report. While librarians in our organization have traditionally not played a role in textbook adoptions, the campus academic goal to increase online, blended and competency-based models is a strategic direction that intersects with the library's strategic vision to increase its contribution to online learning. Further, we will describe the process of building a partnership around OER with the campus Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and articulate the impact of our combined services on faculty adoption of OER and student success.

Promoting a collective conscience: designing a resilient staff–student partnership model for educational development

This paper discusses experiences of a student-ambassador network within one UK-based Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, problematising key issues in relation to transience in staff–student partnerships in high education, and highlighting the importance of the educational developer in facilitating institution-wide partnership models. Theoretical explorations are supported by data gathered throughout the Network’s operation, including student evaluations following the first year of operation, and a final ‘impact study’ conducted with staff and students. The article develops the notion of a ‘collective conscience’ model of student engagement, which supports all students via a variety of activities, incorporating short, mid-range, and long-term goals, and enabling a range of collaborative and individual opportunities for success.

Chemistry Provision for Primary Pupils: The Experiences of 10 Years of Bristol ChemLabS Outreach

Bristol ChemLabS, the UK's Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in practical chemistry, delivers numerous outreach activity days per year for thousands of primary school pupils annually. These mainly comprise demonstration assemblies and hands on workshops for pupils in the main. The activities support the UK's Key Stage 2 science curriculum, to raise scientific understanding among the teachers and to raise pupils' science skills and aspirations and are used by overseas universities to with the same advantage objective. The Bristol ChemLabS Outreach programme is self-financing. This paper highlights the advantages of the programme to the pupils, their teachers, the postgraduates that help deliver the workshops and to higher education institutes. The paper also provides a blueprint for anyone wishing to do such work.

Jersey Schools Week: An outreach case study

During a single week the combined Bristol Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) outreach team of 8 scientists worked in the island’s primary and secondary schools, delivering lectures and running workshops, thus forming the first ‘Jersey Science Week’. They also gave demonstrations and the opportunity for handson investigation using their Mobile Teaching Unit. The number of students engaged during the week is impressive on its own: they had contact with 22 schools and approximately 4,500 students. This case study gives the background to the ambitious event and the lessons learnt for future events of this scale.

Mathematics Support – past, present and, most importantly, future

This article briefly reviews the development of mathematics support in higher education over the last 25 years, highlighting in particular the work of sigma, centre for excellence in university-wide mathematics and statistics support as a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and subsequently as part of the National HE STEM Programme. A description of sigma’s current HEFCE-funded programme of activities is included, giving particular attention to the development of the sigma network. The article closes by focusing on the legacy of sigma’s current work and the future sustainability of the sigma network.

Learning In Landscapes of Practice: Boundaries, Identity and Knowledgeability in Practice-Based Learning

This short book is the latest output from Etienne Wenger-Trayner and collaborators, an engaging conversation on professional learning firmly grounded in the work and voices of practitioners and those teaching or researching with practitioners across diverse fields, disciplines, professions and contexts – education, health, social care, environment, public relations and management. Over thirty contributors contribute stories of learning in their own practice, those in the first part of the book derive from interactive workshops facilitated by the Practice Based Learning Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PBCETL) 2005- 2010, at the Open University.

Teaching and Learning Projects as 'Heterotopias'

Using the lens of Foucault's ideas about heterotopias, this paper discusses the Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) which were teaching and learning projects funded between 2005 and 2010 by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The paper explores the 'location' of the CETLs in different kinds of real, social and imagined space. This enables an examination of the ways in which CETLs were both 'within' and 'without' their institution, both reflecting the institutional culture which created them and yet were also necessarily 'other'. The paper concludes with some speculation on some characteristics of funded teaching and learning projects in general which are illuminated by the issues the CETLs faced about their location, their place, and their identity.

Responding to contestation in teaching and learning projects in the Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in the United Kingdom

Government-funded teaching and learning projects have emerged as a favoured tool of policymakers to motivate change in teaching and learning. This strategy pays limited heed to the complexity of higher education and the contradictions, tensions and conflicts that need to be negotiated to change practice. This process of negotiation creates sites of contestation, which can lead to not only conflict but also creativity. Drawing on the Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) initiative, we examine the sources of contestation project teams encountered, and consider how this influenced their work. The findings are based on a longitudinal study of 15 institutions, with data collected from key figures responsible for implementing CETLs. Contestation was identified in most projects, although its significance depended on factors such as alignment with institutional agendas, support from senior managers and institutions' receptiveness to change. Based on these findings we identify key policy implications.

Student collaboration in developing an on-line self assessment tool, to enhance development for student and newly qualified professionals

A “Competence in Practice” (CiPA) self assessment tool was developed initially as a research instrument as part of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Assessment and Learning in Practice Settings. The tool asks a series of questions against which participants self-rate their preparedness for practice. A working group then created software from this that is used as a formative exercise to rate confidence and perceived competence in practice. This freely available package (http://cipa.hud.ac.uk ) responds with feedback to individual users on their self evaluation, facilitating reflection and guided supervision. The development involved an innovative, collaborative partnership with academics and students, who undertook the work as a paid project as well as actively participating in workshops and conferences. Working collaboratively was a powerful experience for all involved. This case study presents the development of the tool, focusing on the collaborative aspects of the work. Working collaboratively with students in this manner enabled many positive outcomes and lessons for the future.