Compulsory Module Research Articles

Peer review in the classroom: student perceptions, peer feedback quality and the role of assessment

Peer review in the classroom can enhance numerous employability skills such as critical appraisal, writing skills, reflection practices and collaborative experiences. This study takes place over two years and discusses the implementation of a repeating blind peer review cycle across a single semester for final year chemistry students enrolled on a compulsory employability module. The feedback cycle promotes personal reflection through the use of mini-reflective questionnaires. The process was assessed by academic tutors at the resubmission stage and/or the peer feedback stage where the quality of peer feedback was directly assessed. The research investigates the quality of peer feedback, the importance of assessment and student perceptions of what is most useful. Methods include directed content analysis of feedback produced, student opinions and a focus group. Students were capable of offering useable feedback across a range of assessment criteria but tend to focus on the important criteria best aligned to the particular assignment. A range of motivational factors and tactics were noticed but students tended to find reviewing the most beneficial.

Non-native isiZulu Pre-service Teachers’ Views and Experiences on Learning isiZulu as a Second Language at a South African KwaZulu-Natal University

This paper explores non-mother tongue isiZulu pre-service teachers’ views and experiences on learning isiZulu as a second language. The study uses qualitative study methods and it operates under the interpretivist paradigm. Semi-structured interviews are used with 20 students. Among findings are issues that relate to the usefulness of learning isiZulu as a compulsory module, good student attitude and academic performance. One of the recommendations is that there is a need to separate students studying isiZulu for the first time and those who are not studying it for the first time.

Ising Model and Its Application to Modeling Learning Environment

A modified Teaching-Learning in Classroom (TLC) theoretical model is presented in this paper. It describes the general learning process of undergraduates in NUS in the context of the GEQ1000 module offered by the Office of Provost. The results of the simulations are within the range of expectations, such that in general, the students’ knowledge level increases over the course of a 13 weeks module. GEQ1000 is a compulsory module taken by all NUS first year students ([Formula: see text]2800 per semester).

Synthetic 2018 data report of the French Language Peritoneal Dialysis and Home Hemodialysis Registry (RDPLF)

The RDPLF was created in 1986 and collects the main data of peritoneal dialysis of French patients and of various French-speaking countries. The database is structured in several modules: a compulsory core module including a follow-up of comorbidities, assistance, infections, survival, transplantation, and optional modules following more specific aspects: nursing, catheter, anemia, nutrition, heart failure. In addition, since 2012 patients treated at home in hemodialysis are also followed. This article presents a summary of the main characteristics of patients in the RDPLF in 2018. It highlights important differences in practices and patient profiles between francophone countries. Daily low dialysate flow rate hemodialysis is predominant in the new centers and sometimes begins to appear as a transitional mode that allows home maintenance for patients who cannot continue on peritoneal dialysis.

Practise What You Preach: The University as a Common Ground Between Research and its Application

Is the mainstream university system really the right place to nurture the architects of tomorrow? It was this question that prompted the foundation in 2015 of the London School of Architecture. Not only does the school link education to the profession through student engagement with London's urban stakeholders and decision‐makers; it also makes architectural education affordable by incorporating time in paid employment into the programme. Lara Kinneir, who leads its compulsory Urban Studies module, explains how it all works.

Die effek van 'n verpligte akademiesegeletterdheidsmodule op Afrikaansmoedertaal-eerstejaarverpleegstudente se akademiese skryfvaardighede

In hierdie artikel word die effek van 'n verpligte akademiesegeletterdheidsmodule op Afrikaansmoedertaal-eerstejaarverpleegstudente se akademiese skryfwerk deur middel van 'n evaluering, ondersoek. Alhoewel akademiese geletterdheid meer as net akademiese skryfwerk behels, is skryf steeds een van die hoofaktiwiteite waarmee universiteitstudente geassesseer word (Archer 2008:24). Die evaluering van die module het binne die konteks van toegepaste taalkunde plaasgevind aangesien een van die belangrikste funksies van toegepaste taalkunde is om oplossings vir taalprobleme te ontwerp en voor te stel. 'n Gevallestudienavorsingsontwerp is gebruik om die evaluering van die module uit te voer. Beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodes is gebruik om data in te samel en te analiseer. Eerstens is aanlyn vraelyste aan verpleegkundedosente gestuur om 'n behoeftebepaling aangaande verpleegstudente se skryfwerk te doen. Volgens die dosente sukkel verpleegstudente met skryfwerk en veral met argumentasievaardighede en het dié studente hulp nodig met hulle akademiese skryfwerk. Tweedens is die studente se akademiese skryfwerk deur middel van 'n merkskema geassesseer. Die studente het ook deur middel van fokusgroeponderhoude aangedui of die module wel 'n effek op hulle akademiese skryfwerk gehad het. Uit die empiriese resultate blyk dit dat die module wel 'n positiewe effek op die studente se skryfwerk gehad het. Dit is egter duidelik dat die studente se skryfwerk nie volmaak is na slegs een module nie. Verdere intervensies en navorsing is nodig om alle studente met hulle akademiese skryfwerk te ondersteun sodat hulle hul plek in die akademiese gemeenskap kan vind en hulle studies suksesvol kan voltooi.

Using Concept Maps in Law Schools to Foster Meaningful Learning: Evidence from a Pilot Study

Despite its many applications in various higher education settings, concept mapping is not used for teaching predominantly theoretical subjects like Law. Given the peculiarities of learning legal subjects, this article discusses the benefits of using concept maps as a core component of an undergraduate curriculum in Law. Specifically, it presents evidence from a pilot study aimed at assessing the impact of concept mapping as a tool for enhancing deep learning on students enrolled on the compulsory Constitutional and Administrative Law module. An argument is made that utilising concept maps as an integral part of small group teaching activities may be effective in helping students shift the balance from predominantly rote learning to predominantly meaningful learning.

Does Sketching promote student learning? A review on undergraduate geology students

Sketching is an important way in science and other disciplines for illustrating complex concepts with more digestible formats and has therefore long been engrained in the field of Geology either for research or teaching purposes. The following report outlines an assessment of a compulsory second year undergraduate geology module where illustrations are implemented and form a key part of the student’s learning process. The intended learning outcomes are assessed through the submission of a practical folder and an exam including a practical component. The module receives critical but highly positive reviews from the student cohort who achieve overall good marks. However, a key difference in student performance between the practical components of the exam compared to that of the coursework is apparent. Practical components are problem-based and intended to offer the students an opportunity to engage with the complexity of a given task and sketching is intended to increase the student-learning process through exploration. The benefits of sketching are unequivocally clear but it remains open whether students use illustrations to enhance the learning process to their full potential. Introduction of a learning-cycle approach appeared to have improved student performance and is recommended to promote student learning.

An examination of developmental assets and academic performance in higher education sport students

The purpose of this research was to explore the magnitude and direction of the relationship between developmental assets (subcategories and domain levels) and academic achievement in British students. Based on the existing theory I hypothesized that total asset score, individual asset groups (i.e., internal and external assets), and the eight asset subcategories would have a moderate to a large positive relationship with academic achievement. 232 participants were recruited from a second-year compulsory research methods module for undergraduate sport and exercise science students at a UK based university. The participants completed the Developmental Assets Profile (DAP) at the beginning of the course, and their final module grade was recorded after the course had finished. Pearson's correlation between assets and grade score revealed several significant relationships. The strongest subcategory correlation was between commitment to learning and grade score. The strongest domain level correlation was between internal assets and grade score. The current study provides evidence that developmental assets are positively associated with grade score in university students; however, the size of the relationship is smaller than previously suggested.

Engaging African engineering students with problem-based learning by using the disassembly–assembly technique

Problem-based learning identifies problems in ways that are conducive to student learning and emphasizes problem-solving, critical thinking and collaborative skills. These three aspects are core to disassembly–assembly techniques used in higher education where students are required to engage with visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning within a laboratory environment. The purpose of this article is to describe a disassembly–assembly technique used in a compulsory engineering module and identify how many African engineering students can successfully create a problem (disassemble a two-stroke motor) and then correctly solve the problem (assemble the two-stroke motor back to a working condition). A longitudinal study involving quantitative data is used with descriptive statistics. Results indicate, that on average, 85.5% of African engineering students can successfully engage with the disassembly–assembly technique. A possible recommendation is to encourage more academics to make use of the disassembly-assembly technique with regard to engineering systems, equipment or machinery.

The case of isiZulu for non-mother tongue speakers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – Is the compulsory language module promoting social cohesion?

ABSTRACTThe Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande's, call on the 5th of April 2011 for South African universities to implement a policy which saw all university graduates exiting with a credit in an African language was the catalyst for the University of KwaZulu-Natal's decision to implement a compulsory isiZulu module for all non-mother tongue speakers of the language. One of the goals motivating the University of KwaZulu-Natal decision was the promotion of the buzzword ‘social cohesion’. This article reports on the findings of a survey conducted with a sample of 350 learners who completed the Basic IsiZulu Language Studies (ZULN101) module in 2015 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The survey sought to assess the extent to which the goal of promoting social cohesion is being achieved. The findings confirm the existence of a complex and ambivalent linguistic landscape in South Africa; one in which learners acknowledge the benefits of an ability to communicate in an African language but also show limited inclination towards acquiring competence in the language; thereby, decelerating the promotion of social cohesion, per se.

Digital Media to ‘Engage the Disengaged’: Reaching out to Humanities Students at the University of Southampton

In 2014, Dr Eleanor Quince and a team of student partners created the ‘Mission Employable’ initiative in the University of Southampton’s Faculty of Humanities. The initiative aimed to put students back at the centre of their own employability and careers development activity, via five main areas: Peer Mentoring, a compulsory Employability Module, Student Working Group, Alumni Network and External Advisory Board. Two years on, Mission Employable provides employability and careers advice and guidance to over 3,000 students across seven disciplines. Not all of these students can have direct impact upon activity by creating content and working in close partnership, so how do we give every student a sense of ownership? This paper will explore the ways in which Mission Employable has harnessed and implemented digital media – in particular, social networks – to reach out to Humanities students who might not otherwise directly engage with us. From Facebook for off-campus Peer Mentoring support, to e-portfolios for extra-curricular development, to hashtag campaigns, Instagram selfies and animated module ‘trailers’, Mission Employable has embraced the digital as a space for all of its student partners to engage, network, advise and create.

Student Responses to an ICT-Based E-Assessment Application for the Teaching Practicum/ Teaching Practice MODULE

Situated within the context of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in South Africa, this study introduces the notion of an interactive Teaching Practicum E- Assessment application: e-assessment application for the teaching practicum/Teaching Practice module to replace the current model of assessment. At present students enrolled for an Initial Teacher Education qualification have to complete a compulsory Teaching Practice module. The successful completion of the module arguably provides evidence of students' readiness for professional practice. The assessment of the teaching practicum is often riddled with anxiety on the part of the students and conflict between students and their supervisor. Two interrelated research questions guided this study: What are students' experiences of the current teaching practicum assessment? and What were students' responses to the ICT-based assessment proposal? Data were collected from a sample of Teaching Practice students (N = 40) and a focus group discussion conducted with eight (8) students. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) and critical connectivity theory provided the study with analytical and conceptual lenses. Findings are discussed in response to the research questions posed in preparation of the software development stage of the project.

Towards a Sound Pedagogy in Law: A Constitutionally Informed Dissertation as Capstone Course in the LLB Degree Programme

The LLB degree programme (Bachelor of Laws) should adequately prepare graduates for the demands set by both legal practice and the greater South African society. Law schools are not tasked with producing future legal practitioners, but rather critical thinkers who can engage with the relationship between law and society in a meaningful way, and who recognise their duty to uphold the values of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 when performing their professional duties. Resultantly law teachers should construct learning environments that engage students in ways that help them develop creativity; embedded subject knowledge; and autonomous learning, critical thinking, and lifelong learning skills. A well-structured LLB degree programme should focus on this broader conception of legal education and a dissertation module as capstone course should be closely aligned with this objective. A greater academic influence could result in an academically rigorous degree programme that produces more mature graduates who possess competencies and attributes that exceed that which is demanded of them by legal practice. One way to establish a greater academic influence in a degree programme would be to include a final year dissertation module which demands that students illustrate the ability to think critically. The final year of a degree programme should provide the student with several opportunities aimed at culminating the learning experience and consolidating the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the preceding years of study. Capstone courses facilitate in-depth learning and should be employed to teach crucial skills related to the purpose of the degree. A compulsory dissertation module as capstone course, which embodies the pedagogical approach of transformative legal education, should be included in the revised curriculum of all law schools in South Africa. This dissertation module should demand that students engage critically with the principles of transformative constitutionalism in order to facilitate thinking that goes beyond traditional and conservative constructions of the South African legal system and its purpose. Such a dissertation could develop a student’s metacognitive ability and result in the development of new legal skills, and the sharpening of existing skills. When producing a dissertation a student is learning to write as well as writing to learn. Crucially, the process of disserting also requires legal research skills and the ability to formulate effective research strategies. A law student who is capable of utilising various sources of law, synthesising the information found therein and presenting it effectively is illustrating elements of authentic learning. But this form of authentic learning in will be near impossible to achieve without the active guidance of a willing supervisor. Law teachers perpetuate legal culture and the supervisor-student relationship creates the opportunity to sculpt the culture instilled so that it may have the desired impact on the student. The supervisor could advance this process by empowering the student to construct critical and transformative views of South African law. A dissertation module presented in this manner could produce students who are able to engage with law constructively and who will graduate as responsible citizens and aspiring legal professionals who are excited about inspiring social justice and transformation in their communities. 
 

Developing undergraduate teaching materials in collaboration with pre-university students

ABSTRACTIn this project we have involved four high-achieving pre-university summer placement students in the development of undergraduate teaching materials, namely tutorial videos for first year undergraduate Electrical and Electronic Engineering lab, and computer simulations of didactic semiconductor structures for an Electrical Science first year compulsory taught module. Here we describe our approach and preliminary results.

Computer programming in the UK undergraduate mathematics curriculum

abstractThis paper reports a study which investigated the extent to which undergraduate mathematics students in the United Kingdom are currently taught to programme a computer as a core part of their mathematics degree programme. We undertook an online survey, with significant follow-up correspondence, to gather data on current curricula and received replies from 46 (63%) of the departments who teach a BSc mathematics degree. We found that 78% of BSc degree courses in mathematics included computer programming in a compulsory module but 11% of mathematics degree programmes do not teach programming to all their undergraduate mathematics students. In 2016, programming is most commonly taught to undergraduate mathematics students through imperative languages, notably MATLAB, using numerical analysis as the underlying (or parallel) mathematical subject matter. Statistics is a very popular choice in optional courses, using the package R. Computer algebra systems appear to be significantly less popular for compulsory first-year courses than a decade ago, and there was no mention of logic programming, functional programming or automatic theorem proving software. The modal form of assessment of computing modules is entirely by coursework (i.e. no examination).

A case study for the design and development of pedagogical awareness in the Teacher Training Master’s Degree: didactic strategies and methodology

Roughly speaking, the European Higher Education Area introduced substantial changes in the structure and development of new curricula. Particularly, when assuming the teaching-learning processes in the Master’s Degree, special attention needs to be carried out to the students’ achievements. Since 2010, the Faculty of Education in the University of Zaragoza implemented the Master in Teacher Training for High School Teachers. One of the main aims is to provide students with the necessary pedagogical knowledge, strategies and procedures to be able to develop professionally. We want to accompany in students’ development, the acquisition of teaching techniques and methodologies, including methodology specific for age of youth, the teachers will be working with. This issue was showed in presented text. The authors pictured, among others, the methods, activities and objectives designed to help students achieve the learning outcomes in the Master’s compulsory Module entitled “Context of the Teaching Task”.

Assessing Students’ Perceptions of Conversational IsiZulu as a Compulsory Module in a South African University

This study was conducted to gauge students’ perceptions of conversational IsiZulu in a South African university. Driven by the bilingual policy initiatives of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)...

Exploring writing apprehension amongst Afrikaans-speaking first-year students

Writing apprehension relates to a reluctance to write or even fear of writing and little research has been done on this phenomenon in the South African context, especially in terms of compulsory academic literacy and academic linguistic modules. This article aimed at determining the nature of writing apprehension in these two modules in terms of the Daly and Miller’s Writing Apprehension Test (DM-WAT), essay marks and gender at a South African university. The DM-WAT was conducted with two groups of first-year students. An exploratory factor analysis was administered and this led to the identification of four distinct factors which are also associated with related aspects in the literature: positivity towards writing, negativity towards writing, evaluation apprehension and selfefficacy and writing. It is evident that in the context of this study, the chosen instrument could not be used to measure writing apprehension, rather the four identified factors. No linear relationships between essay marks and the identified constructs were clear. Also a practical significant difference between genders was found in terms of the identified constructs. Significantly, students in the compulsory academic literacy module showed a greater tendency towards apprehension in terms of the four identified factors than students from the linguistics module. The chosen instrument could be used to gauge the identified factors. Writing in compulsory academic literacy modules should be taught through individualised student-centred methods, affective support and reflective instruction, positive personal feedback, with additional support through counselling as well as effective modelled writing behaviour from lecturers.

Work integrated learning for engineering qualifications: a spanner in the works?

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has been identified as a way of equipping graduates with attributes that make them work-ready. Many higher education institutions (HEIs) require their students to go through a compulsory work place learning form (WPL) of WIL. The complications of WPL can affect HEIs’ student throughput. To address this challenge, a university of technology (UoT) in South Africa is curriculating engineering diplomas and degrees which do not make WPL a compulsory module. This is in line with the new Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework and Engineering Council of South Africa requirements. We employed in-depth interviews to gain an insight into the new programmes without WPL. Our findings indicate that WPL, in its current form, does not make graduates work-ready. Employers use it either to get extra cheap labour or as a recruitment process. It is envisaged that the new programme will increase the UoT’s throughput without adverse effects on the graduates’ attributes. These findings have important implications for HEIs, students and employers. It implies that HEIs will greatly improve throughput, which is desirable for both the HEIs and the students. For employers, this means they will have qualified people who might need higher wages, in comparison with students on WPL and they will need to plan for more in-house induction.