Degree-level Programmes Research Articles

Leveling Up Learning: Game Based Learning Initiatives in Canadian Higher Education

Game based learning (GBL), the use of game design elements within non-game contexts such as education, became increasingly popular in the early 2000s, yet empirical evidence about the benefit of games on student learning remains inconclusive. The potential impact of GBL can be influenced, for example, by design elements, context, and discipline. In Canadian higher education, GBL may be housed within departments, the library, or centres for teaching and learning. At our institution, GBL initiatives have only recently begun to surface; for example, the Department of English and Drama has recently launched a games studies minor for undergraduate students, the library has an extensive collection of video games available to borrow, and the academic skills centre has a large collection of board games that are used primarily for social game cafés. While opportunities for curricular connections may exist, our academic skills centre currently lacks staff who have both capacity and expertise in GBL pedagogy. Exploring possibilities for expansion, we aimed to understand the landscape of GBL initiatives across Canadian post-secondary institutions. To achieve this aim, we conducted an environmental scan of over 100 Canadian post-secondary institutions, gathering data such as the existence of GBL programs, category and level of programming (curricular, co-curricular, or research), initiative types, research development, faculty involvement, and availability of additional resources. Findings indicate inconsistencies in definitions used to promote GBL and a concentration of GBL initiatives at the curricular and research levels. The majority of GBL in Canada is led by faculty through course and degree-level programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. This research gives us insight into GBL program development, challenges, and opportunities for higher education in Canada and globally.

Challenges, barriers and strategies for engaging in level 7 apprenticeship studies

ABSTRACT This study explores the lived experience of apprentices on a degree-level programme and their perceptions of how elements of apprenticeship study that aren’t components of traditional degree study – i.e. off-the-job training – impact their learner journey. This article undertakes a thematic analysis following qualitative interviews with eleven apprentices, who are early-career academic professionals nearing the end of their apprenticeships. Key findings offer a mixed picture, and suggest that the study habits and preferences of apprentices are personal to individuals and are impacted on by employment workload and access to off-the-job study time. Apprentices indicate that many factors encroach on their ability to utilise the allocated off-the-job study time, primarily the ability to be released from employed work and conflicting priorities around meeting study, business, and personal needs. Apprentices suggest that in reality it is almost impossible for them to spend 20% of their working time on their studies. Recommendations are offered to both institutions and individuals, regarding the need for sound dialogue and the removal of barriers to ensure that apprentices can meet the contractual requirements of apprenticeship study.

The experience of preparing for and transitioning to registered practice.

over the past 10 years higher education institutions (HEIs) have redeveloped their nursing courses so that students follow a degree-level programme. The curriculum requires 50% of the total learning hours to be clinically based. This includes placements within the final year to assess management skills. this study focuses on exploring retrospective experiences of learning and support within the final placements, as reflected upon by newly qualified nurses in one trust. phenomenological one-to-one interviews were used, and data were analysed using Colaizzi's method. the study found a positive experience of placements. The level of support final-placement students experienced was found to be dependent on staffing levels, commitment from staff and their passion for teaching. Placements were found to support preparation for practice. The impact of familiarity with a trust in improving transition was also recognised. this study recommends supporting transition through targeted placements based on employment, solid links between the HEI and trusts and increased support and teaching for students.

Quantitative analysis of a Māori and Pacific admission process on first-year health study.

BackgroundUniversities should provide flexible and inclusive selection and admission policies to increase equity in access and outcomes for indigenous and ethnic minority students. This study investigates an equity-targeted admissions process, involving a Multiple Mini Interview and objective testing, advising Māori and Pacific students on their best starting point for academic success towards a career in medicine, nursing, health sciences and pharmacy.MethodsAll Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) interviewees enrolled in bridging/foundation or degree-level programmes at the University of Auckland were identified (2009 to 2012). Generalised linear regression models estimated the predicted effects of admission variables (e.g. MAPAS Maths Test; National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) Rank Score; Any 2 Sciences; Followed MAPAS Advice) on first year academic outcomes (i.e. Grade Point Average (GPA) and Passes All Courses) adjusting for MAPAS interview year, gender, ancestry and school decile.Results368 First Year Tertiary (bridging/foundation or degree-level) and 242 First Year Bachelor (degree-level only) students were investigated. NCEA Rank Score (estimate 0.26, CI: 0.18-0.34, p< 0.0001); MAPAS Advice Followed (1.26, CI: 0.18-1.34, p = 0.0002); Exposure to Any 2 Sciences (0.651, CI: 0.15-1.15, p = 0.012); and MAPAS Mathematics Test (0.14, CI: 0.02-0.26, p = 0.0186) variables were strongly associated with an increase in First Year Tertiary GPA. The odds of passing all courses in First Year Tertiary study was 5.4 times higher for students who Followed MAPAS Advice (CI: 2.35-12.39; p< 0.0001) and 2.3 times higher with Exposure to Any Two Sciences (CI: 1.15-4.60; p = 0.0186). First Year Bachelor students who Followed MAPAS Advice had an average GPA that was 1.1 points higher for all eight (CI: 0.45-1.73; p = 0.0009) and Core 4 courses (CI: 0.60-2.04; p = 0.0004).ConclusionsThe MAPAS admissions process was strongly associated with positive academic outcomes in the first year of tertiary study. Universities should invest in a comprehensive admissions process that includes alternative entry pathways for indigenous and ethnic minority applicants.

Mining Least Association Rules of Degree Level Programs Selected by Students

One of the most popular and important studies in data mining is association rules mining. Generally, association rules can be divided into two categories called frequent and least. However, finding the least association rules is more complex and time consuming as compared to the frequent one. These rules are very useful in certain application domain such as determining the exceptional association between university’s programs being selected by students. Therefore in this paper, we apply our novel measure called Definite Factors (DF) to determine the significant least association rules from undergraduate’s program selection database. The dataset of computer science student for July 2008/2009 intake from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu was employed in the experiment. The result shows that our measurement can mine these rules and it is at par with the existing benchmarked Relative Support Apriori (RSA) measurement.

A Tale of Two Programmes: Developing Communities of Learning with Practice Partners in Social Work and Humanitarian Studies at Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, Australia

Online engagement is difficult when teaching complex clinical reasoning skills which are central to developing professionalism in the health and welfare workforce. This paper explores how our team has engaged students in online discussion by introducing research projects brought by our practice partners to the mix of activities completed by students. At Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory, Australia, the social work and humanitarian studies degree-level programmes are delivered in blended mode involving a combination of face-to-face and online learning. Within these modes of delivery students are presented with questions and activities drawn from our practice partners to bring ‘real world relevance’ to learning. Drawing from examples provided by the practice settings in which the students wish to work after they graduate, we have found that this relationship between the academy and practice agency effectively bridges the gap between the worlds of theory and practice for our students. In a community of learning model, students elect to work on local practice partners' projects throughout the semester. This mix of academia working in partnership with frontline social and humanitarian workers brings immediacy to the learning. Opportunities for ‘deep learning’ are facilitated by this partnership approach. The implications for using communities of learning models for engaging students from two professions in online activities are discussed.

SoTL and Students’ Experiences of their Degree-Level Programs: An Empirical Investigation

In the global higher education sector, government accountability initiatives are increasingly focused on degree-level competencies that may be expected from university graduates. The purpose of this paper was to examine the extent to which SoTL reflects this increased interest in student learning across the degree program. Articles (N=136) published in three international SoTL journals, over the past three years, were systematically reviewed using a framework that concentrated on the extent to which they reflected a focus of (a) teaching-emphasis versus learning-emphasis and (b) unit-level (subject, course) versus degree-/program-level. Our analysis indicated that the majority of SoTL publications (47%) were focused at the level of a single unit with an emphasis on teaching practice; in contrast, only a small minority of SoTL publications (9%) were focused at the level of the overall degree with an emphasis on learning processes. Drawing on our review, we highlight SoTL publications that exemplify the inquiry into student learning at the level of the degree program and offer questions to guide future SoTL inquiries.

SoTL and Students' Experiences of their Degree-Level Programs: An Empirical Investigation

SoTL and Students' Experiences of their Degree-Level Programs: An Empirical Investigation

Widening participation in psychology: Student perspectives through analysis of interviews on how an interest in psychology may be met for as many as possible

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with teaching staff and students associated with a longstanding Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology course. Participants were invited to give their views upon why a declining number of people from ‘wider participation’ or ‘socially disadvantaged’ backgrounds come forward to register and seek a qualification or simply satisfy their thirst for studying psychology at a good level. After transcription and analysis the themes that emerged are considered and their implications for widening participation in the undergraduate study of psychology discussed. The results provide preliminary data for comparison with more mainstream degree level programmes. An attempt to define and distinguish between widening participation and students of a socially disadvantaged background is made through students’ interpretation of these concepts. The seeming lack of support for open-access, first level qualifications in psychology that offer part-time study to support educational or personal development alongside employment and other personal commitments are discussed.

New degree-level programmes will be backed by preceptorship.

New standards for degree-level nursing courses will be published in draft form in January, according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Growth of an NGO: The Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy from 1974 to 2006

Abstract The Indian Institute for Cerebral Palsy (IICP) has been providing education and other services in Kolkata, Eastern India, for children and young adults with cerebral palsy and related disabilities for over 30 years. IICP started by providing education for just two children, and was highly dependent on western expertise. Described is the history of the IICP and the strategy this organization used to develop itself into a primary service provider in Eastern India. Developments in recent years have demonstrated that IICP has moved from a small regional service, focusing on education of children with multiple disabilities to a large and complex organization. This has been possible because of the long‐standing commitment of its founding members, a close working relationship with partner organizations, mobilization of governmental support, and accessing financial aid from Indian and international donors. Throughout, the organization has set its own goals based on careful needs assessments and has used culturally appropriate methods in attaining them. It has established model projects and placed particular emphasis on education and provision, from parent education to degree level programs. It has fostered research and international dissemination, been in the forefront in informing and influencing government policy, and has supported self‐advocacy for people with disabilities to represent themselves. This case study approach is reflective of the manner that nongovernmental organizations—with local or regional responsibility to develop model services—can organize services and provides a “lesson's learned” model for organizations to undertake similar development.

Increasing child and adolescent mental health content in undergraduate occupational therapy, social work and nursing programs: Lessons learnt

This paper investigates the perceived usefulness of a CD-Rom based child and adolescent mental health teaching resource distributed to educators from undergraduate nursing, occupational therapy and social work programs, and identifies the barriers to incorporating specialist mental health content into comprehensive degree level courses. Specially selected educators from throughout New Zealand responded to a questionnaire about the resource. Results from their feedback indicate that the resource was generally well received and that it was perceived to be useful for teaching at an undergraduate level. However, three main issues appear to be hindering the up-take of the resource in the relevant undergraduate programs: the resource content did not readily integrate into the various existing courses; several practical and additional barriers impeded the up-take and use of the resource; and incorporating a self-directed multi-media based teaching resource into a range of existing degree level programs that used a face-to-face group-based teaching model was perceived to be problematic. Recommendations are offered to assist in overcoming these difficulties in order to increase the extent of child and adolescent mental health teaching delivered at an undergraduate level.

Cruise Operations Management

Philip Gibson's monograph provides a comprehensive overview of the hotel, restaurant and corporate office sides of managing a cruise line and cruise ship and its associated systems. Taken as a whole, this book provides a much welcome addition to the area of management of hospitality and tourism enterprises, and in particular in the cruise sector. With its focus on the service economy, this book meets a long overdue need for a text on hospitality management processes and issues facing the cruise services sector. It is designed for newcomers and veterans alike, interested in developing or shaping their perspectives on cruise tourism and managerial work in tourism studies. It is relevant both as a textbook for degree-level programmes on tourism and as an important reference for human resource practitioners who are keen to be informed of the discussion of impacts and issues in modern cruise tourism management.

Inland Water Quality Assessment - A Joint European Masters Programme

At present, there is a European shortage of personnel qualified to adequately address the comprehensive scientific and regulatory requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The joint Masters programme described in this paper will provide students with the requisite expert knowledge and skills to progress the implementation of the WFD. Its development was financially supported by the European Commission because of its specific goal of producing qualified personnel in relation to the implementation of the WFD. Since its proposed structure acknowledges the educational intent of the Bologna Accord, it thereby provides a useful template for structuring a Masters degree-level programme in accordance with Bologna principles.

Engaging with peer assessment in post-registration nurse education

The use of student Peer Assessment within the sphere of Higher Education is both innovative and intriguing. The accolades associated with this mechanism of assessment are clearly articulated as promoting a deep approach to learning and the development of astute self-appraisal skills. Within the context of both nurse education and professional nursing practice, these attributes are firmly endorsed as essential transferable skills. The platform for this discussion on Peer Assessment within Post-Registration Education is contextualised within the Community Nursing Specialist Practitioner Qualification, whose framework is predetermined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council [Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2001. Post Registration Standards for Specialist Education and Practice. NMC, London]. This degree level programme aims to prepare first level nurses to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes commensurate with Specialist Practice, defined as the capacity to exercise higher levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical practice. Whilst engaging with Peer Assessment within this context was unquestionably challenging, the experience proved to be a viable approach to supporting and developing student learning.

Career choices in health care: Is nursing a special case? A content analysis of survey data

Background As demand for nurses and other health professionals continues to outstrip supply it is important to understand what motivates individuals to join a non-medical health profession. Objectives The objectives of this study were to investigate students’ reasons for choosing a particular nursing specialism, midwifery or other non-medical health profession, and to compare motivation factors across professions, gender, age, level of award, prior qualifications, prior experience and over time. Design A prospective follow-up study collected survey responses at the beginning and end of pre-qualifying professional programmes. Setting The study took place in one large United Kingdom faculty. Participants The study participants were 775 first-year students undertaking non-medical health professional programmes and 393 qualifying students. Methods An open-ended question was included in a self-completed questionnaire administered at entry and at qualification. Content analysis identified themes. Results Altruism was the most frequently cited reason for wishing to join a non-medical health profession, followed by personal interest/abilities, professional values/rewards, and prior experience of the area. Students entering nursing were less likely to cite an altruistic motivation than those entering other non-medical health professions ( χ 2 = 21.61 , df=1, p < 0.001 ). On entry, adult nursing, children's nursing and radiotherapy students were least likely to cite professional values/rewards ( χ 2 = 20.38 , df=8, p = 0.009 ). Students on degree level programmes were more likely to report altruism than those on diploma level courses ( χ 2 = 17.37 , df=1, p < 0.001 ). Differences were also identified between the two data collection points. The number of students identifying altruism ( χ 2 = 3.97 , p = 0.046 ) and professional values/rewards ( χ 2 = 6.67 , p = 0.010 ) decreased over time. Conclusion Findings suggest that although a service orientation remains a key factor in choosing nursing, students also look for a career which matches their interests and attributes, as well as offering professional values and rewards. Nursing may be in danger of losing service orientated recruits to other non-medical health professions.

Curriculum-level goals in emergency-management education: Developing a common framework in an evolving field

Emergency management (EM) is a rapidly growing and evolving discipline. While only two degreelevel programs existed prior to 1995, they were joined by an additional 40 programs by 2005. These new programs contributed to a broad expansion of courses and instructional materials. However, none of this growth has been guided by a commonly agreed upon curricular framework. As a result, degree-level programs have varied widely in terms of what they consider an appropriate EM curriculum. The past several years have seen repeated efforts by a small group of academics and professionals to develop a standard curricular framework based on mutually agreed upon competencies, functions, and skills. This research project refines and builds upon these earlier efforts to create a unified list of broad curriculum-level goals. These goals were then qualitatively and quantitatively measured to identify specific themes that could be used to build an appropriate curriculum for EM bachelor’s and master’s degree-level programs.

Partnership and workplace learning at BT

Explores BT’s partnership with the Communication Workers’ Union and London University’s Queen Mary and Westfield College and examines its significance for the development of a degree level programme of workplace learning. Describes the programme’s philosophy, aims, funding and effectiveness. Incorporates interviews with BT managers, trade union representatives and academics responsible for designing and delivering the course. Includes a round‐table discussion with BT employees currently taking the course.

Publication productivity of criminal justice faculty in criminal justice journals

An important dimension of university faculty life is publication expectation. Often the level of publication productivity is used to assess general program prestige or to evaluate individual faculty performance. The publication rates of faculty in PhD and master-level programs have been unclear. This study examined the publication rates using a general list of criminal justice journals, and a select list of the leading journals, over a five-year period. The faculty members were located in criminal justice programs that granted PhD and master degrees. Publication productivity rates were established for the two different degree level programs, and the institutions with the strongest publication rates were identified. Publication rates are only one factor used in the assessment of program quality and the relationship of publication rates to other program features is discussed.

Partnership and workplace learning in the UK: pioneering work at British Telecommunications plc

Explores British Telecommunication plc’s (BT) partnership with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and examines its significance for the development of a degree level programme of workplace learning. The BSc in Computer Science is now being delivered part‐time to 500 BT employees, none of whom have previous experience of post‐secondary education. In particular, the role of the union in establishing the course is examined, along with the programme’s philosophy and aims, its content, funding and efficacy. The case study incorporates semi‐structured interviews with BT managers, CWU representatives, academics responsible for designing and delivering the course and a round‐table discussion with BT employees currently taking the degree course. By pulling these views and experiences together the paper is able to assess this programme of formal workplace learning and identify issues, strengths and weaknesses that should be of interest to those politicians, managers, HR professionals and union representatives currently interested in the future of workplace learning.