Holistic Curriculum Research Articles

Leveraging the vantage point – exploring nurses’ perception of residents’ communication skills: a mixed-methods study

IntroductionEffective communication is key to a successful patient-doctor interaction and improved healthcare outcomes. However, communication skills training in residency is often subpar, leading to inadequate patient-physician communication. There is a dearth of studies exploring the observations of nurses – key members of healthcare teams with a special vantage point to observe the impact of residents’ communication with patients. Thus, we aimed to gauge the perceptions of nurses regarding residents’ communication skills expertise.MethodsThis study employed a sequential mixed-methods design, and was conducted at an academic medical center in South Asia. Quantitative data was collected via a REDCap survey using a structured validated questionnaire. Ordinal logistic regression was applied. For qualitative data, In-depth interviews were conducted with nurses using a semi-structured interview guide.ResultsA total of 193 survey responses were obtained from nurses hailing from various specialties including Family Medicine (n = 16), Surgery (n = 27), Internal Medicine (n = 22), Pediatrics (n = 27), and Obstetrics/Gynecology (n = 93). Nurses rated long working hours, infrastructural deficits, and human failings as the main barriers to effective patient-resident communication. Residents working in in-patient settings were more likely to have inadequate communication skills (P-value = 0.160). Qualitative data analysis of nine in-depth interviews revealed two major themes: existing status-quo of residents’ communication skills (including deficient verbal and non-verbal communication, bias in patient counselling and challenging patients) and recommendations for improving patient-resident communication.ConclusionThe findings from this study highlight significant gaps in patient-resident communication from the perception of nurses and identify the need for creating a holistic curriculum for residents to improve patient-physician interaction.

The ‘Hidden’ curriculum in higher education in Ghana: The perception of language students in the college of education

Abstract A holistic curriculum or education seeks to develop all three domains of learning: cognitive, psychomotor and affective. While the cognitive domain focuses on the mental and psychological fortitude of learners, the psychomotor focuses on the use and development of muscular or motor skills and the affective domain deals with the feelings, emotions and attitudes of students. Interestingly, not all these domains are sufficiently written or documented as guidelines or curricula for classroom practice. It is for such reasons that the ‘hidden’ curriculum becomes needful, as it not only complements the official curriculum but plays a significant role in shaping the values of learners. This qualitative study engages 52 language students in a college of education in Ghana to reveal their views on their experiences with the ‘hidden’ curriculum. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were the data collection instruments. The inductive content analysis technique is used to analyse the collected data. The outcome of the study reveals that gender and sexuality, religion, politics, hard work and confidence are values ‘taught’ through the hidden curriculum. The findings of the study create awareness, especially for teachers that, beyond ‘what’ they teach in the classroom, ‘how’ they teach also unconsciously transmits lessons. This means that teachers should be mindful of how they dress, walk, talk and behave in the classroom since all these virtues contribute to the overall teaching and learning process. Keywords: Curriculum, cognitive skills, psychomotor skills, affective skills, classroom practice;

The ‘Hidden’ curriculum in higher education in Ghana: The perception of language students in the college of education

Abstract A holistic curriculum or education seeks to develop all three domains of learning: cognitive, psychomotor and affective. While the cognitive domain focuses on the mental and psychological fortitude of learners, the psychomotor focuses on the use and development of muscular or motor skills and the affective domain deals with the feelings, emotions and attitudes of students. Interestingly, not all these domains are sufficiently written or documented as guidelines or curricula for classroom practice. It is for such reasons that the ‘hidden’ curriculum becomes needful, as it not only complements the official curriculum but plays a significant role in shaping the values of learners. This qualitative study engages 52 language students in a college of education in Ghana to reveal their views on their experiences with the ‘hidden’ curriculum. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were the data collection instruments. The inductive content analysis technique is used to analyse the collected data. The outcome of the study reveals that gender and sexuality, religion, politics, hard work and confidence are values ‘taught’ through the hidden curriculum. The findings of the study create awareness, especially for teachers that, beyond ‘what’ they teach in the classroom, ‘how’ they teach also unconsciously transmits lessons. This means that teachers should be mindful of how they dress, walk, talk and behave in the classroom since all these virtues contribute to the overall teaching and learning process. Keywords: Curriculum, cognitive skills, psychomotor skills, affective skills, classroom practice;

Targeted Primary and Secondary Preventive Strategies for Depression among Malaysian Pharmacy Students.

The global depression burden has remained a challenge throughout the pre- and post-pandemic era. The pandemic effect has led to the spiraling of mental disorders among young people who will be the next generation of leaders. This study aims to identify university students’ sociodemographic, psychosocial and academic backgrounds and performance associated with depression symptoms for the development of primary and secondary preventive strategies for mental health. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to 19 institutions in Malaysia offering a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree program. The self-rated Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-42) was used to assess depression symptoms. Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to assess the investigated variables with depression symptoms. Independent T-test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare means of depression score across variables. Binary logistic regression was employed to examine the relationship between the investigated variables and depression symptoms. A total of 610 pharmacy students participated, of which 47% (n = 289/610) were having depression symptoms. Students who smoke nicotine and those who have separated parents, family history of mental illness, and poor academic performance were associated with depression symptoms (p < 0.05). Differences in geographical areas, race and religion also showed significant associations with depression symptoms. Parental marital status, poor academic performance, history of mental illness and comorbidities were statistically predicting depression symptoms (p < 0.05). Primary preventive strategies allowing students to harness healthy coping skills for stress, nicotine-free campaigns and a holistic curriculum are warranted. Secondary measures on mindfulness and compassion skills activities to benefit students who experienced early life crises are highly recommended. Enforcing these targeted strategies in collaboration with health and social sectors should be the primary agenda of universities to ensure their uptake.

TOWARD HOLISTIC DATA SCIENCE EDUCATION

Holistic data science education places data science in the context of real world applications, emphasizing the purpose for which data were collected, the pedigree of the data, the meaning inherent in the daa, the deploying of sustainable solutions, and the communication of key findings for addressing the original problem. As such it spends less emphasis on coding, computing, and high-end black-box algorithms. We argue that data science education must move toward a holistic curriculum, and we provide examples and reasons for this emphasis.

Happiness and its determinants among nursing students.

Being happy in life is very essential to be healthy, which is important for nursing students to grow and adapt well in their professional life. The aim of this study is to assess the level of happiness and identify the determinants of happiness among nursing students. Three hundred and forty-two undergraduate nursing students College of Nursing, All India Institutes of Medicals Sciences, New Delhi, India, enrolled in the study by convenience sampling. Data were collected through demographic information sheets and oxford happiness questionnaires. Frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. The mean happiness score of nursing students was 3.96 ± 0.59 on a scale of 6. The percentage distribution showed that 43.2% of the students responded "not particularly happy," and 42.1% were "rather happy." The current year of study, the number of close friends, stress experienced in the past 6 months, and engagement in physical activities contributed 53% of the variance in the happiness score of nursing students (P < 0.001). Further, monthly family income (P = 0.018) and choice of course (P = 0.003) had a significant association with their happiness score. Nursing students had a moderate level of happiness. The study suggests that there is a need to develop strategies to enhance happiness among nursing students in alignment with the identified factors. Educators need to develop a holistic curriculum giving equal importance to academic competencies and personal flourishment.

Editorial

Editorial Ilham Nasser and Nuraan Davids Human development is about people, their interactions and dreams, as well as their beliefs, worldviews, and identities. It is also about the emotions and insights of being human, our sense of hope and fear, and our collective vulnerability as we continually strive to look for a better future. For some this means the right to be who they are, to live where they were born. For others, it means breaking from cycles of poverty and despair. Our privileges as the coeditors of this journal extend beyond access to an array of textual submissions from around the globe to a state of enrichment and hope in education. With each submission comes profound research endeavors toward new considerations and reimagined possibilities for those who are visible and invisible. Each submission confirms our belief in people's potential to transform their lives as individuals and groups. And to do so, we emphasize the intersection between human development and education as critical for improving lives, nourishing well-rounded individuals, and creating caring societies and communities. This issue takes a broad human development view on life, from the early years all the way to adulthood and death. More specifically we emphasize the legacy people leave behind when they dedicate their lives to improving the human development trajectory, especially in Muslim societies, as in the case of the late professor Dr. Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman, who left us toward the end of last year. In this issue we celebrate his life and accomplishments. This issue also is the first that includes articles prepared through a mentoring program that the editorial team initiated to support junior scholars whose English is not their academic language and to raise their voices through sharing their work in mainstream academic journals such as JEMS. We consider our mentoring program as a necessary enactment of our responsibility to human development. Too many voices are left silent, too many lives are unknown because of barriers, which are easily removable if we are prepared to step into the unknown. The editors determine the quality of the manuscripts submitted and select those that align with the journal's mission and areas of focus and share innovative and unique perspectives. This mentoring model empowers rising scholars to contribute their work and share it widely. Along with this, we have provided some guidelines including a detailed manual and a videorecording, prepared by [End Page 1] Anastasia Khawaja, to help scholars prepare their manuscripts for submission (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSuhiCczArM). This is part of our commitment to the human development theme, in general, and the scholarly exchanges needed to reform education and improve scientific inquiries in Muslim academic circles and research circles. We do continue our exploration of topics such as policy, pedagogy, and the best learning processes specific to Muslim youth and education. These as well as a discussion of educational approaches, such as a holistic curriculum and its manifestation in Islamic education, are critical for reform of education and for strengthening a sense of identity and belonging among Muslim educators and students in secondary and higher education. Questions such as how do we teach youth about coping mechanisms in conflict situations, and what are the impacts of learning modalities on young students, are of interest in this issue. We also keep searching for ways to advance high-quality studies and share them with our readership. This issue commemorates the late Dr. Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman, one of the founders of IIIT, by sharing a review of Dr. AbuSulayman's major scholarly contributions as a researcher and educator and by conducting an interview with Dr. Hisham Altalib, the President of IIIT and a close colleague of the late professor. In the special article, Professor Abdelaziz Berghout, the Dean of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), names AbuSulayman's books and major accomplishments, especially his work during the many years he spent at IIUM on enhancing the integration of Islamic revealed knowledge and human sciences and the Islamization of disciplines. In the interview, conducted by our book reviews editor, Alyaa Ebbiary, Dr. Altalib provides meaningful insights and a lot of history...

THE NEED FOR AN INTEGRATED PRESCHOOL EFL CURRICULUM IN LEBANON

An Integrated Curriculum for Preschool enriches the children’s linguistic environment that leads to better, more natural learning of the target language and concepts of different fields. This paper starts by reviewing available literature about child development, foreign language learning, EFL in this context, and the integrated curriculum. The development of a holistic curriculum for preschoolers in Lebanon is given taking into consideration the healthy cognitive, emotional, and psychomotor development of preschoolers.

The Implementation of Tokkatsu as a New Co-inquiry Approach in Egypt-Japan Schools

Egypt-Japan Education Partnership (EJEP) is a partnership for a professional development training program that was established between Egypt and Japan in 2016 towards actualizing the new education system “Education 2.0”. This program is based on Japan’s holistic educational curriculum model, known as “Tokkatsu” or special activities. The purpose of this research is to investigate how the program is contributing to developing new teaching methodologies and strategies through tokkatsu, and to examine the outcomes in teachers’ practices following the program as well as identifying the challenges they face. In this qualitative approach, a convenience sampling was used consisting of two trainees of batches one and two from different schools and different specialization. An inductive analysis of the reports submitted by the trainees prior to, during, and following the program; and an exchange of emails were conducted. This method was utilized as an alternative to the follow-up visit that follows the program; given the current circumstances. The results show positive outcomes and implementation of new learning methodologies in teachers’ practices acquired from EJEP. These new methodologies contributed to developing student’s agency and enhancing a self-learning atmosphere. Students became more engaged in school life through tokkatsu, and this was reflected in their academic behavior as well.

The importance of people and place

This ecofeminist-inspired research study, influenced by an ethic of care, engaged the participants in photo-elicitation and interviews. Ecofeminism originated as a theory and movement related to women and the environment (Estévez-Saá &amp; Lorenzo-Modia, 2018), while an ethic of care stems from relational ethics that assumes human connectedness in context (Clement, 1996; Noddings, 2013). Thematic and visual narrative analysis of collected data supported the establishment of findings. The study aimed to contribute to the idea that a place-based approach can be taken to developing a holistic, meaningful and balanced local curriculum – one that privileges a ‘sense of place’ and the relationship between humans and their environments as co-habitors.

Exploring the development of context appreciation in coursework that targets problem-solving for sustainable development

PurposeThis study aims to explore the role of planned, sudden shifts in lived experiences, in influencing learner capabilities towards improved problem-solving for sustainable development outcomes. The authors responded to employers of engineering and built environment graduates observing limited “real-life” problem-solving skills, beyond using established formulae and methods, in spite of attempts over more than two decades, to train engineers and other built environment disciplines in areas such as whole system design and sustainable design.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory approach was used to guide the analysis of data collected through ethnographic methods. The process involved reflecting on authors’ efforts to develop context appreciation within a course called “International Engineering Practice”, using two years of collected data (archived course information, including course profile; completed assessment; lecture and field visit evaluations; and focus groups). The study is built on the authors’ working knowledge of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Threshold Learning Theory, and the well-established role of “context appreciation” in complex problem-solving. After the first iteration of the course, the authors looked for additional theoretical support to help explain findings. The Cynefin framework was subsequently used to augment the authors’ appreciation of “context” – beyond physical context to include relational context, and to evaluate students’ competency development across the four domains of “clear”, “complicated”, “complex” and “chaotic”.FindingsThis study helped the authors to understand that there was increased capacity of the students to distinguish between three important contexts for problem-solving, including an increased awareness about the importance of factual and relevant information, increased acknowledgement of the varying roles of professional practitioners in problem-solving depending on the type of problem and increased appreciation of the importance of interdisciplinary teams in tackling complex and complicated problems. There were several opportunities for such courses to be more effective in preparing students for dealing with “chaotic” situations that are prevalent in addressing the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals (UNSDGs). Drawing on the course-based learnings, the authors present a “context integration model” for developing problem-solving knowledge and skills.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings are important because context appreciation – including both physical context and relational context – is critical to problem-solving for the UNSDGs, including its 169 targets and 232 indicators. The research findings highlight the opportunity for the Cynefin framework to inform holistic curriculum renewal processes, enhancing an educator’s ability to design, implement and evaluate coursework that develops physical and relational context appreciation.Practical implicationsThe study’s findings and context integration model can help educators develop the full range of necessary problem-solving graduate competencies, including for chaotic situations involving high degrees of uncertainty. Looking ahead, acknowledging the significant carbon footprint of global travel, the authors are interested in applying the model to a domestic and/or online format of the same course, to attempt similar learning outcomes.Originality/valueConnecting Bloom’s taxonomy deep learning and threshold learning theory critical path learning insights with the Cynefin framework context domains, provides a novel model to evaluate competency development for problem-solving towards improved holistic physical and relational “context appreciation” outcomes.

Research on the Path and Effect Evaluation of Students’ Quality Improvement in Private Colleges

Entering the 21st century, the development momentum of holistic education in China’s higher education can be described as rapid progress. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the National Education Conference that efforts should be made to enhance comprehensive quality and educate and guide students to cultivate comprehensive ability and cultivate innovative thinking. The Outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan clearly states that the training system of academic and applied talents classification, holistic education, and professional education combination shall be implemented. Holistic education is becoming more and more prominent in the cultivation of high-quality interdisciplinary talents in colleges and universities, and its importance in educational reform has been recognized. However, there are still some problems in holistic education, such as unbalanced development among core modules, separation of theory and practice in the actual teaching process, single classroom mode and low interest of students, and lack of relevant teacher resources. This paper introduces the experience of holistic education curriculum exploration in Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University. In the construction of the core modules of the curriculum, the content of the modules is clear, and the cross-module is emphasized; in the curriculum design, a multidimensional combination of theory and practice is required; the construction of the teaching staff is based on the long-term perspective, and the classroom assessment is scientific and objective. The research aims to provide a certain reference for the construction of holistic education courses.

A comprehensive assessment of secondary school students’ computational thinking skills

AbstractPerformance in and perceptions of computational thinking (CT) are considered vital dimensions for comprehensively assessing CT skills of students. In this study, secondary school students’ CT performance and their perceptions were examined in terms of certain variables including gender, grade level, achievement and self‐efficacy. Casual‐comparative and correlational methods were used. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 328 fifth‐ and sixth‐grade (10–12 years old) secondary school students taking visual programming lessons. CT performance and perception tests were employed as data collection tools. The results show that CT performance of boys was higher than that of girls. A significant difference was found in both CT performance and perception depending on grades. The results show that achievement in math positively affected CT performance and perception. However, achievement in IT affected CT performance less than achievement in math. Implications are discussed in terms of theoretical insights, practices for improving CT skills in secondary schools and directions for further research. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Due to the complex structure of computational thinking (CT) in association with computers, cognition, learning and psychology, CT skills should be evaluated from a variety of perspectives. CT performance and perception are considered vital dimensions for comprehensively assessing students’ CT skills. What this paper adds This paper proposes a CT performance test and a CT perception scale for secondary school students to explore their skills in terms of certain variables including gender, grade level and achievements in math and information technology (IT) courses. This paper provides some evidence that CT performance of boys is better than that of girls. A significant difference was found in both CT performance and perception depending on grades. The results of the study show that math course achievement positively affected CT performance and perception. However, IT course achievement affected CT performance less than math course achievement. Implications for practice and/or policy CT performance is affected by different variables. Therefore, it may be beneficial to include specific topics in the curriculum that involve the use of more CT skills. Girls’ interest and participation in practices such as programming can be encouraged. Teachers should provide students with cognitive scaffolding to help them and to have them collaborate with each other during CT activities, especially at higher grades. IT course content should include systematic and comprehensive CT activities to improve students’ CT skills. We suggest developing and implementing a holistic curriculum combined with IT and math lessons to improve students’ CT performance.

Interpersonal Relations and Achievement among University Upgrading (Grade V) Teacher Students

Interpersonal relations refer to an intelligence and competence that enable the establishment and maintenance of mutually satisfying relationships with a variety of people across diverse situations. Academic achievement refers to satisfactory learner performance as shown by grades attained in course-work, tests, continuous assessment and end-of-semester examinations. The study interrogated the relationship between interpersonal relations (IR) and academic achievement (AA) among university upgrading (Grade V) teacher students in Ugandan universities. Using a quantitative sample of 473 and a qualitative sample of 75 upgrading Grade V teacher-students from Makerere University and Uganda Christian University (UCU), a cross-sectional survey and interview were carried out. The results showed that IR was positively and significantly related to subjective AA (r = .23, p &lt; .001). However, it was not significantly related to objective AA – CGPA (r = .04, p &gt; .05) thus, supporting the hypothesis: There is a positive relationship between IR and AA among university upgrading teacher-students. Qualitative findings showed that team spirit, group work and collegial relations were important aspects of IR. In conclusion, the study stressed collaborative approaches to IR as useful in the 21st century. As a contribution to policy and practice, the study recommends that: for better AA, teacher-students need to have a holistic curriculum to train on IR. Knowledge of negative and positive perceptions of IR are critical for the furtherance of both individual and collaborative functions in teaching, learning, training, and research.

Evaluation of the Integrative Holistic-Based Al-Islam Kemuhammadiyahan and Arabic Language (ISMUBA) Curriculum at SMA Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo

Muhammadiyah High Schools in Sidoarjo Regency has become as a pilot project education researchers in the scheme organized by PP Muhammadiyah’s Diktilitbang Assembly. This research aims to study and analyze the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the Holistic-Integrative-based ISMUBA curriculum in Muhammadiyah High Schools in Sidoarjo Regency with the context, input, process and product (CIPP) evaluation model. The data collection techniques used by researchers are observation, interview and documentation techniques. Then the researchers analyzed the data using the Miles &amp; Hiberman design, namely data reduction, presentation, conclusion and verification. ISMUBA curriculum implementation process in accordance with the guidance of the Dikdasmen assembly based on a comprehensive and integrated holistic curriculum base through curriculum content standarts, centered on the potential, development, needs of students, combining knowledge and Islam, and forming and instilling habits of Islamic values in school, and a small note related to Arabic learning of Muhammadiyah 3 Tulangan high school and Muhammadiyah 4 Porong high school are still classified as using the classical system.

Co-design of Adaptable Learning Outcomes for Sustainable Food Systems Undergraduate Education

Higher education institutions are increasingly offering Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) degree programs in response to societal demand for training a professional food systems workforce. As a relatively young field, there is a need for clearly articulated learning outcomes (LOs) for SFS education to define student learning through degree programs, design new programs, and evaluate and modify existing programs. New and established SFS programs are often fragmented over multiple academic departments which impedes the development of a coherent and holistic curriculum for approaching the complexity of food topics. Here, we address these needs through the co-creation of adaptable LOs for Baccalaureate degree-level SFS programs which are aligned to a SFS Signature Pedagogy and based on outcomes-based education towards contributing to a solid conceptual basis for SFS education. The SFS Signature Pedagogy is a framework that can be applied to develop students’ systemic capacities, including holistic and pluralistic ways of understanding sustainability challenges, multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinarity, experiential learning, and collective action projects. Our co-design of LOs was based on qualitative content analysis of existing LOs of established SFS programs, a cross-sectional survey with SFS educators and, refinement of LOs from feedback in an expert panel. This process resulted in the eight adaptable LOs: (1) systems thinking, (2) critical reflection, (3) diverse ways of knowing, (4) practical application, (5) multi-context communication, (6) teamwork, (7) collective action, and, (8) advocacy for SFS. We anticipate the adaptable LOs proposed here to be applicable for diverse student communities and geographic and cultural contexts as well as to provide insight for sustainability-related academic programs towards developing professionals equipped with skills and capacities to address complex challenges.

An Innovative Trauma-Informed Curriculum for Sexual Assault Care.

Sexual violence is a pervasive public health concern. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing recommends that nursing education comprehensively address this topic, yet nursing schools are inconsistent in doing so. An innovative, holistic curriculum that includes didactic and simulation exercises was developed to educate nurses on a trauma-informed approach to providing care for individuals who have experienced sexual violence. The 2-day course trained both advanced practice nurses and advanced practice nursing students. The course increased participants' knowledge of how to provide trauma-informed sexual assault care and increased interest in the field of sexual assault forensic nursing. A comprehensive sexual assault care curriculum and the use of standardized patients to develop trauma-informed communication skills are effective and acceptable to learners. This novel curriculum can serve as a model to incorporate sexual assault care training in nursing education. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(6):336-340.].

Digitally proficient but disconnected from the outdoor world? A reflection on pedagogies used in an Early Years degree in higher education

PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to reflect on the blended pedagogies applied with a second year cohort of Early Years (EY) undergraduate students. It focusses on the experiences of both learner and educator as they explore the use of blending technology and outdoor learning to support a holistic curriculum in 21st century early years practice.Design/methodology/approachA reflective case study approach was applied to practice in situ as part of an outdoor learning project within a Level 5 module. One Higher Education (HE) tutor and 24 EY students participated in the study. Three research questions informed the reflective study: an exploration around the tensions of how digital technology might be blended with the more traditional, sensory and experiential pedagogies of outdoor learning, using an app. It considers the effects of this approach on student learning and what lessons can be learnt by the tutor in attempting to model these pedagogies.FindingsThis case study reveals the advantages and discomfort of role modelling a practice as HE tutor that has not been applied before in this context and as such is considered an innovative pedagogy (Koros-Mikis, 2009). EY students engaged in the blended provision, applying digital technology for educational purposes and this resulted in enhanced collaborative learning between students and tutor, affecting attendance and motivation to try new approaches in their practice. Reflecting on this practice has revealed that pedagogical thinking can be transformed when ideas are shared in a way that appears non-judgemental and new approaches can be applied where the right environment affords such opportunities.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations are around sample size, and a longer period of time for students to engage with a Personal Learning Environment (PLE), evidencing sustained engagement. The focus is one that is pertinent to the issues currently being considered as part of curriculum reform in Wales and as such may not hold the same weight in other parts of the world. As a case study, it is recognised that this is not generalizable and thus not easily replicable (Gilbert, 2008).Practical implicationsIssues around modelling pedagogies that depict 21st century learning are highlighted for “digital immigrant” HE teaching staff members. Understanding how to apply digital technology in a digital world within our own, often traditional practices, particularly in the field of early years outdoor learning needs further exploration in light of the new curriculum for Wales so that future practitioners are able to consider the holistic approach of blending pedagogies across areas of learning and not working in subject-specific silos.Social implicationsThe implications of this case study raise questions around the appropriateness of training and development for “digital immigrant” staff members, understanding student digital competency, blending pedagogical approaches, as well as the debate around digital technologies being part of young children's learning within a reformed curriculum in Wales. These challenges present questions that require social consideration as well as arguments as to why they cannot be overlooked.Originality/valueThis case study identifies a need to explore the ways in which blended pedagogies are applied and modelled in HE practice and to observe how it influences students learning and beliefs in their own pedagogical practices. The curriculum reform in Wales suggests that teaching and learning will need to be far more holistic in nature and these two areas currently collide as pedagogies. Thus being able to demonstrate the value of them in synergy will be most helpful to practitioners who will need to make a paradigm shift in their approaches to embrace the new curriculum.

Implementation of a 1–2–1 Curriculum and Its Effect on Organic Chemistry I

Educators are constantly looking to improve their pedagogical strategies. This can range from teaching strategies for a specific topic to holistic curriculum changes. Recently, the approach that ch...

In praise of nursing associates

In praise of nursing associates