Learning In Tertiary Education Research Articles

Instructor Acceptance of Mobile Learning in Saudi Arabia: A Case Study of Hail University

Mobile technology has influenced almost every aspect of our modern lives. The enhancement of learning in Saudi Arabia, as well as significant development in education overall, may be possible through mobile learning. However, the successful implementation of mobile learning in tertiary education profoundly relies on the acceptance of mobile learning from both students and instructors. Most mobile learning acceptance studies target higher education students. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the factors that affect university instructors’ intentions to use mobile learning at Hail University. Eighty instructors completed the online survey, and the results indicated that performance experience, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions altogether predicted the instructors’ use of mobile learning, as 67% of the variation was found to be affected by these variables in the multiple regression analysis outcome. The results also suggested that effort expectancy is the best predictor of instructors’ behavioural intentions to use mobile learning.

Integration of Work Experience and Learning for International Students: From Harmony to Inequality

The integration of work experience and learning in tertiary education is a complex issue for different stakeholders, including students, institutions, and employers. The provision of course-related work experience for international students is far more challenging as it involves issues of visa status, different cultural expectations, recognition/misrecognition of skills and experiences across cultures, English language competency, and local employers’ attitudes toward international students. Even though there is a significant body of scholarly research on work-integrated learning in tertiary education, empirical research on this issue related to international students remains scarce. This article responds to a critical gap in the literature by examining the provision of course-related work experience for international students from both the teachers’ and students’ perspectives. It is derived from a 4-year research project funded by the Australian Research Council that includes 155 interviews with staff and international students and fieldwork from the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector. Drawing on Bourdieu’s notions of habitus and field as conceptual tools to interpret the empirical data, the research found work-integrated learning is unevenly distributed and inconsistently implemented across institutions. The article addresses the complex interplay between the student habitus and the habitus within the institutional field and the workplace field in shaping international students’ work-integrated learning access and experience. Practical implications for institutions on how to improve access and experience to course-related work experience for international students are discussed in light of the findings of this research.

Game-Based Learning in Tertiary Education: A New Learning Experience for the Generation Z

Game-Based Learning in Tertiary Education: A New Learning Experience for the Generation Z

DEVELOPMENT OF A TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATED INTERVENTION IN TERTIARY EDUCATION

It is expected of lecturers to integrate content knowledge with appropriate pedagogical approaches and select relevant technology to enhance student learning. However the selection of effective technology to support 21st-century learning in tertiary education could be time-consuming and complex since there is a plethora of technology available. The aim of this research was therefore to support lecturers by providing them with an evaluated technology-integrated intervention in fluid mechanics. Hence the objectives were to develop this technology-integrated intervention to support 21st-century learning for first-year physics students and to determine its effectiveness when presented by various lecturers. An exploratory case study research design guided the research. A design-thinking framework for technology-integrated lessons was used and included the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model. This research was done with two lecturers and 117 students from a University of Technology in South Africa. The data gathering tools comprised pre and post-tests, tutorials, observation schedules and questionnaires. Results indicated that student learning is affected by the way in which technology is used not only in schools, but also in tertiary education and that lecturer belief play a crucial role in the design process but also manifest when lecturers have to use a designed intervention. Key words: 21st-century learning, fluid mechanics, teacher beliefs, technology integrated lesson, tertiary education.

Reflection in Medical Education

This paper offers a medical-education perspective that I will hope complement other disciplinary perspectives in examining the value of reflection for learning in tertiary education. The paper outlines some of the theoretical strands of reflective practice facilitated in a unique course subject for professionalism and patient safety, within the new spiral curriculum at Leeds University School of Medicine. The material presented in this paper outlines some of what is delivered during the medical students’ interactive sessions; this material is continually modified based on feedback from both students and learning facilitators. The paper discusses why both students and clinicians need to reflect, some of the theoretical dimensions and models and examples from the Leeds context of how reflective competence can be progressively developed over the course of an undergraduate program. The focus of the final section suggests directions for reflective practice in the future, where reflexivity takes the form of more collective endeavours requiring some change in culture and perceptions of professional identity. The paper concludes with the proposition that collaborative forms of reflection need to include more involvement of patients, interprofessional communities of practice and the use of learning from other disciplines; all of these require different levels of thinking and different ways of working. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol13/iss2/6 Reflection in Medical Education Ken Hargreaves, University of Leeds, lkmhargreaves@btinternet.com Medical Education’s ultimate aim is to supply society with a knowledgeable, skilled and up-to-date cadre of professionals who put patient care above self interest, and undertake to maintain and develop their expertise over the course of a lifelong career. Swanwick and Buckley (2010, p.xv)

Reflection in Medical Education

This paper offers a medical-education perspective that I will hope complement other disciplinary perspectives in examining the value of reflection for learning in tertiary education. The paper outlines some of the theoretical strands of reflective practice facilitated in a unique course subject for professionalism and patient safety, within the new spiral curriculum at Leeds University School of Medicine. The material presented in this paper outlines some of what is delivered during the medical students’ interactive sessions; this material is continually modified based on feedback from both students and learning facilitators. The paper discusses why both students and clinicians need to reflect, some of the theoretical dimensions and models and examples from the Leeds context of how reflective competence can be progressively developed over the course of an undergraduate program. The focus of the final section suggests directions for reflective practice in the future, where reflexivity takes the form of more collective endeavours requiring some change in culture and perceptions of professional identity. The paper concludes with the proposition that collaborative forms of reflection need to include more involvement of patients, interprofessional communities of practice and the use of learning from other disciplines; all of these require different levels of thinking and different ways of working.

The Use of Social Media for Blended Learning in Tertiary Education

The use of social media facilitates communication and collaboration among users to support the student-centered learning environment. In this study, Twitter was used to support blended learning activities in two university courses. A survey was conducted and the results showed that Twitter was easy to use and it could facilitate knowledge sharing among different learners. However, the text-based communication for a relatively simple exchange hindered the interaction among learners. Moreover, students preferred using social media such as Facebook with a higher degree of popularity.

Exploring a Simple Visualization Tool for Improving Conceptual Understanding of Classical Beam Theory

First year students struggle to understand the concepts in introductory engineering physics courses. Computer generated visualizations have proven their value for improving learning in tertiary education. However, it remains often unclear how visualization software can be effectively deployed in classrooms to best improve learning outcomes. In this paper we put a freshly developed educational software entitled “The virtual beam demonstrator” to a first test in a physics and mechanics lecture at Oslo University College. The intention of this work was to explore how to get the balance between technology, pedagogics, and content knowledge right to best support student learning. We evaluated student learning outcomes of our initial attempt to use the software in a classroom based on a student evaluation form. While initial results are promising, we cannot claim to have significantly improved student learning in our initial attempt at using the software. The evaluations showed only slight improvement in conceptual understanding by the students. This finding was not unexpected as we anticipated that finding the right approach for putting this softwareto usewould takeseveral attempts. To turn failure into success, we would need astrongeremphasison customized pedagogic methods. Relevant theory is explored and an approach based on “Interactive Lecture Demonstrations” is proposed.

Editorial 11.2

In this, my first editorial, of the Journal of University Teaching and Learning (JUTLP) I have to begin by extending thanks to Gerry LeFoe and her team for making this online journal what it is today. Without her vision and drive JULTP would not have experienced the success it has and so we have much to thank them for. I hope I can do such a good job. I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce the new editorial team • Dr Alisa Percy - Head of Learning Development, University of Wollongong; Executive Member, Association for Academic Language and Learning (AALL) • Dr Dominique Parish – Associate Dean Education (Science, Medicine and Health), University of Wollongong; Executive Member, Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ascilite) • Associate Professor Romy Lawson, Director Learning, Teaching & Curriculum, University of Wollongong; OLT National Teaching Fellow; Executive Member, Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. We are all looking forward to the challenges of editing this journal and excited by the opportunities to engage with authors from around the world who have a passion for university learning and teaching.

A Review of Augmented Reality and Mobile-Augmented Reality Technology: Learning in Tertiary Education

A Review of Augmented Reality and Mobile-Augmented Reality Technology: Learning in Tertiary Education

Screencasting and its effect on the traditional lecture

The use of screencasting at James Cook University (jcu) has increased heavily over the last five years, and we have extended our resources to include complete sets of live lecture recordings captured via annotations and commentary on a tablet computer. At JCU, screencasting is now used extensively in mathematics subjects at all year levels both as lecture support and lecture replacement for entire subjects. The aim of these screencasts was to create greater flexibility for our students, engage them through a familiar medium and to encourage them to work outside of the usual lecture and tutorial times. However, many lecturers have expressed concern that increased flexibility will result in a reduction in lecture and tutorial attendance. In order to address this concern, a study was carried out on the second semester first year engineering mathematics class at JCU. A survey was used to determine the students' perspective of the impact of screencasting on their own study methods, as well as their attitudes to attendance at traditional lectures and tutorials. The results of this survey should provide some reassurance that total flexibility is not ideal and the traditional lecture still remains a valuable resource for our current body of students. References P. Galbraith. Students, Mathematics and Technology: assessing the Present. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology 37 no. 3, 2006, 277--290. doi:10.1080/00207390500321936 R. Sturdivant, P. Durham and R. Jardine. Preparing Mathematics Teachers for Technology-Rich Environments. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology 19 no. 2, 2009, 161--173. doi:10.1080/10511970802409180 C. McDougall. and Z. Karadag, Using Technology to support cognitive activities and to extend cognitive abilities:A study of online mathematical learning. In S. Swars, D. Stinson and S. Lemons-Smith, editors, Proceedings of the Thirty First Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Atlanta, Georgia, 2009. http://www.pmena.org/2009/proceedings/TECHNOLOGY/techBRR369984.pdf E. Peterson, Incorporating Screencasts in Online Teaching. Review of research in open and distance learning , 8 , no. 3, 2007. http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/viewArticle/495 . M. Loomes, A. Shafarenko and M. Loomes. Teaching Mathematical Explanation Through Audiographic Technology. Computers and Education , 38 , 2002, 137--149. http://www.mendeley.com/research/teaching-mathematical-explanation-through-audiographic-technology/ B. Flanagan and B. Calandra. Podcasting in the Classroom. Learning and Leading with Technology , 33 , 2005, 20--23. http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ728915.pdf H. Harris and S. Park,. Educational uses of Podcasting. British Journal of Educational Technology , 39 , no. 3, 2008, 548-551. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00788.x B. Tynan and S. Colbran. Podcasting, student learning and expectations. The 23rd Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education: Who's Learning? Whose Technology?, 2006, Sydney, Australia http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney06/proceeding/pdf_papers/p132.pdf C. Yoon and J. Sneddon. Student perceptions of effective use of Tablet PC recorded lectures in undergraduate mathematics courses. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology , 42 no. 4, 2011, 425--445. doi:10.1080/0020739X.2010.543165 D. Mullamphy, P. Higgins, S. Belward and L. Ward. To Screencast or not to Screencast. Proceedings Engineering, Mathematics and Applications Conference, Adelaide, 2009 http://journal.austms.org.au/ojs/index.php/ANZIAMJ/article/view/2657

The challenges and opportunities for professional societies in higher education in Australasia: A PEST analysis

<span>Professional societies, established to support academic and professional staff in higher education, need to be vigilant of regional and international trends that affect their core business. In this paper, we provide an analysis of political, economic, social and technological factors that are impacting upon the Australasian higher education environment through considering the case of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ascilite). Drawing on two ascilite membership surveys along with the relevant literature we identify significant challenges for professional societies and offer some strategic insights for similar regional societies and their executive teams.</span>

Mathematical tales of technology and collaboration

Mathematical tales of technology and collaboration

Blended language learning in tertiary education

This paper examines the supporting and enhancing role of technology in language learning and teaching in a higher education institution in Slovenia. Despite the fact that the vast majority of foreign language teaching is still carried out in face-to-face environments, a growing extent of foreign language teaching in a number of tertiary education institutions has moved, at least partly, online. In this paper, the development of e-learning practices in Slovenia is described first, together with the evolution of computer technologies – from multimedia to the internet – and their potential for language learning and teaching purposes. Against this background, the practical application of the Blended Language Learning (BLL) experience at the Faculty of Management Koper is discussed. The paper also addresses the changing role of teachers in blended language teaching/learning environments and analyses the opinions of students who participated in a combination of Face-to-Face (F2F) and Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) courses and expressed their opinions on the BLL experience in a questionnaire.

Generic Skills and Collaborative Learning in Tertiary Education: An Empirical Examination of Student Perceptions

Cooperative and collaborative learning – learning in small groups – is generally considered an effective learning approach with benefits including learning gains and personal enhancement. Successful group activities, however, assume competence in a number of skills. Identification of the particular skills that students need to successfully negotiate collaborative learning is imperative in preparing students for these activities. However, the contemporary student body in many developed countries is becoming increasingly diverse. This empirical article seeks to identify whether undergraduate students from different countries and language backgrounds have different perceptions of the relative importance of Ehrman & Dornyei's generic sub-skills. A cohort of students who completed a first-year undergraduate management subject were surveyed. Analysis of 266 responses identified the skills that students consider most important and demonstrated that the different student groups held the same perceptions of the importance of the 25 skills considered. The implications and benefits for preparing students for group work are considered.

Academic Adjustment among Second Year Students in Malaysian Universities

Successful adjustment to college during the first year is an area of increasing concern for most institutions of higher education (Tinto, 1993). The transition from high school to university is a major life change for many adolescents. Entering university may mean getting new learning experiences and opportunities for psychosocial development. At the same time students may find university life stressful because of the increasing academic demands and the establishment of new social relations. Academic adjustment or how well students deal with educational demands, includes motivation to complete academic work, success in meeting academic requirements, academic effort and satisfaction with the academic environment (Baker & Siryk, 2004). Previous studies have shown the relationship between several psychological factors with student adjustment in university which includes self-esteem (Friedlander, et.al., 2007) and emotional Intelligence (Summerfeldt, 2005). A study was conducted on 647 second year students in two public and two private universities in Malaysia to examine their level of adjustment in relation to several psychological variables namely self-esteem and emotional intelligence. Findings showed that the majority of respondents (70.2%) have moderate level of adjustment indicating that students are not adjusting very well in university. Correlation analysis showed that there are positive and significant correlations between students’ overall adjustment with self-esteem (r= .52, p<.05) and emotional intelligence (r=.39, p<.05). Regression analysis revealed that self-esteem and emotional intelligence together contribute 27.5% of the variance in students’ overall adjustment. The findings of the study will help to determine the relationship between the psychosocial variables mentioned with university students’ level of adjustment. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of learning in tertiary education.

Problem‐based learning in tertiary education: teaching old “dogs” new tricks?

PurposeThe paper sets out to explore the challenges of problem‐based learning (PBL) in tertiary education and to propose a framework with implications for practice and learning.Design/methodology/approachA total of 18 tertiary students divided into three groups participated in the focus group discussions. A quantitative instrument was used as triangulation to gather data on 15 statements through Likert scale ratings. In addition, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight tertiary PBL facilitators.FindingsQuotes from the participants are used to support the key themes and issues that have emerged from the data. Quantitative data in the form of numerical figures and bar charts are used to support certain important issues.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation is that this study was carried out within a single context – the Temasek Engineering School. The data collected might be restricted to PBL experiences in the engineering field. However, this study provides implications for further research, including comparative studies.Practical implicationsThe successful development of PBL will depend on re‐establishing the strategic direction of PBL within a certain context, evaluating the social and learning structures associated with power distribution, and providing non‐routine rigorous educational systems to enhance learning.Originality/valueThe value is the balanced approach adopted in this study with outcomes that are of concern to a variety of people, including students, teachers and administrators. The PBL framework is constructed based on both educational and organisational learning theories.

Effects of problem-based learning: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis has two aims: (a) to address the main effects of problem based learning on two categories of outcomes: knowledge and skills; and (b) to address potential moderators of the effect of problem based learning. We selected 43 articles that met the criteria for inclusion: empirical studies on problem based learning in tertiary education conducted in real-life classrooms. The review reveals that there is a robust positive effect from PBL on the skills of students. This is shown by the vote count, as well as by the combined effect size. Also no single study reported negative effects. A tendency to negative results is discerned when considering the effect of PBL on the knowledge of students. The combined effect size is significantly negative. However, this result is strongly influenced by two studies and the vote count does not reach a significant level. It is concluded that the combined effect size for the effect on knowledge is non-robust. As possible moderators of PBL effects, methodological factors, expertise-level of students, retention period and type of assessment method were investigated. This moderator analysis shows that both for knowledge- and skills-related outcomes the expertise-level of the student is associated with the variation in effect sizes. Nevertheless, the results for skills give a consistent positive picture. For knowledge-related outcomes the results suggest that the differences encountered in the first and the second year disappear later on. A last remarkable finding related to the retention period is that students in PBL gained slightly less knowledge, but remember more of the acquired knowledge.

What Does Globalization Mean for Educational Change? A Comparative Approach

What Does Globalization Mean for Educational Change? A Comparative Approach