Signature Pedagogy Research Articles

Outside the Box

Can creativity be taught? Multiple sources attest that the business community values creativity in potential new hires, but a signature pedagogy of teaching for creativity in business classes has not yet emerged. To contribute to a body of evidence-based practice, this study assessed the impact of several in-class activities that were deployed among undergraduate business students to see if these enhanced their creative problem-solving abilities, as assessed by pre- and post-intervention measures. The results were moderately encouraging and suggest domain-specific teaching and learning strategies. Further, the results offer encouragement to all instructors, irrespective of any prior experience with creativity-enhancing efforts.

Perceptions of Trainee Practice Teachers in Northern Ireland: Assessing Competence and Readiness to Practise during COVID 19

The supervision of undergraduate social work students on placement is fundamental to their development as 50% of the BSc (Hons) social work degree in the UK comprises practice learning, which is widely acknowledged as the signature pedagogy of the profession. In Northern Ireland practice learning opportunities are supervised by practice teachers. To ensure a consistent quality and supply of practice teachers a Master’s programme offering approximately 35 places per year is delivered at Ulster University. The trainee practice teachers had to navigate working on the front line through the COVID 19 pandemic, post graduate study and the professional supervision and assessment of undergraduate social work students on placement. This article presents evidence from a small scale qualitative study evaluating the practice teaching programme conducted with 22 trainee practice teachers. Respondents were asked to complete a semi structured online survey. The evaluation sought their perceptions regarding the duality of their unique experience as a gatekeeper to the profession and student managing the unprecedented challenges of assessing the competence of social work students on placement. Several themes emerged including assessing competence, the student experience and support from the practice assessor. A further outcome was the creation of a Peer Learning Bubble Model.

Entrepreneurial Pathways in Art

Art programs at the university level are often designed in a studio-based model where the curriculum objective is “high-levels of disciplinary expertise” (Hong, Essig, & Bridgstock, 2012). These programs graduate artists who, while highly proficient in creation and performance, must navigate a career market which is limited and highly competitive. This studio model is shifting. Many arts programs at the university level are now beginning to incorporate courses which help artists as they navigate the business of the art world, but these types of interventions still neglect opportunities to fully harness artistic skillsets of art students. 
 Arts Entrepreneurship is an emerging discipline in post-secondary education. This discipline aims address the needs of the artist while also recognizing the unique habits of mind the artist might bring into enterprise. The scope of this discipline extends beyond studio practices by considering and measuring the impact of an artists’ work. “The unique mission of arts programs and therefore a unique of arts entrepreneurship education and a defining aspect of its signature pedagogy is the practice of making art work in and for the real world” (Hong, Essig, & Bridgstock, 2012). In this discipline, artists extend the scope of their “work” beyond creation and towards practices which can future sustain an artistic venture. Arts Entrepreneurship therefore seeks to graduate artists who are able to consider and measure the scope of external impacts.
 The proposal here seeks to address the need of graduates in art education to pursue meaningful employment while also generating new potentials the artist’s role in wider society.

Collaborative Design of Professional Graduate Programs in Education

Faculties of Education in North America are experiencing an increase in demand for professional graduate programs that provide flexible and accessible research pathways for working professionals. Our School of Education offers high quality professional graduate programs that increase access and respond directly to complex needs and problems of practice in education. We describe the design and design thinking approach our faculty collectively undertook to redesign our professional graduate programs. The design was guided by a commitment to research informed and research active learning experiences that enable professionals to develop expertise, draw upon evidence, and act with integrity as they lead innovation and change in educational organizations. The program design provides professionals with opportunities to complete their graduate program in both blended and online formats. Degree programs are cohort based, discipline focused, and coherently structured. Many of our specialized topics are developed in partnership with the professions we serve, and each of our graduate programs is grounded in current research and engages students in active research-based learning. Participatory, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning experiences are characterized by signature pedagogies. Our professional graduate programs create scholars of the profession through strong connections with the disciplines, communities, and professions we serve. Results of the redesign include improved results in student satisfaction, time to completion, increased retention, and have yielded high completion rates. Design knowledge and insights gained after eight years of evaluation document the strength and quality of our graduates and an increased proportion of international students in all of our graduate program areas.

Voices of NGOs Supporting the First Master’s Degree Program in Ethology and Human-Animal Interactions in Romania: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis

Simple SummaryThe objective of this exploratory study was to investigate through a qualitative thematic analysis the reflections of six animal protection and wildlife conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Romania regarding the development of the first specialized master’s degree program in ethology and human-animal interaction in the country. The two research questions addressed in the study were (1) What are the needs of the participating NGOs that could be addressed by the first professional master’s program in ethology and human-animal interactions in Romania? (2) What are the expectations regarding the roles of the graduates of the program on the collaboration with the NGOs in addressing common problems in the area of human-animal interactions in Romania? The qualitative content analysis of the written reflections allowed the identification of two themes, which provided us valuable insights regarding the curriculum offerings and the pedagogical strategies that could respond to the expressed expectations. The first theme refers to the concerns expressed by the representatives of the NGOs over the animal welfare and human-animal interactions in Romania, which included seven categories of codes: concerns over stray animals, lack of education of general population on animal welfare and interactions with animals, maltreatment of animals, human-animal conflicts, lack of professional specializations in ethology and human-animal interactions, concerns over common global issues, and concerns over national nature conservation. The second identified theme refers to the expectations regarding the roles of the graduates of the master’s degree program, and it includes the following four categories: agents for change towards a responsible community, problem solvers, public policy-makers, and providers of competence-based expertise. This study aims to explore through a qualitative thematic analysis the reflections of six animal protection and wildlife conservation NGOs in Romania regarding the development of the first specialized master’s degree program in ethology and human-animal interaction (EHAI), in relation to the identified needs based on their experience in the field, as well as their expectations in terms of collaboration with the graduates of such a program in addressing the common problems in the areas of animal welfare and human-animal interactions (HAIs). The qualitative content analysis of the written reflections allowed the identification of two themes, which provided valuable insights regarding the curriculum offerings and the pedagogical strategies that could respond to the expressed needs and expectations. The first theme included seven categories of concerns expressed by the NGOs over the animal welfare and HAIs in Romania, i.e., concerns over stray animals, lack of education of general population on HAI and animal welfare, maltreatment of animals, human-animal conflicts, lack of professional specializations in HAI, concerns over common global issues, and concerns over national nature conservation. The second theme refers to the expectations regarding the roles of the graduates of the EHAI master’s program, and it includes four categories of codes: agents for change towards a responsible community, problem solvers, public policy-makers, and providers of competence-based expertise. The inclusion of Service-Learning as signature pedagogy in the EHAI program, in connection with the One Welfare approach, is discussed in relation to the needs expressed by the representatives of the NGOs.

Towards a signature pedagogy for design and technology education: a literature review

Drawing on the work of Lee Shulman, this article reviews literature exploring the concept of signature pedagogies, which are described as having have surface, deep and implicit structures. These structures are complex and changing; concerned with habits of head, hand and heart. Emerging from professional education and now being explored in STEM and Humanities education, they are characteristic forms of teaching and learning that are common across a sector. Common themes emerge from within a range of disciplines including art, built environment, design, music, religious, social work and teacher education. These include the roles of the curriculum, the teacher, the learning environment, as well as capability, uncertainty and the challenges associated with signature pedagogies. Focusing on literature from design education, the paper explores the nature of signature pedagogy in design and technology, as a tool for professional discourse. The conclusions propose a discursive framework for design and technology education in which the structures are tied together by the three fundamental activities of ideating, realising and critiquing; more commonly thought of as designing, making and evaluating. The deep structure being project-based learning, undergirded by the implicit values and attitudes associated with design thinking; including collaboration, creativity, empathy, iteration and problem solving. Design and technology education has something unique to offer the broad and balanced curriculum through its signature pedagogies and the way that knowledge is experienced by learners.

Identifying the habitual needs of novice strength and conditioning coaches

Strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches are physical performance professionals who require years of education, training and experience to become recognised specialists. Specific actions, behaviours and industry tools have been established to help S&C coaches become more effective, however these are targeted at those who already have some experience. Less is known about how neophyte S&C coaches are educated, and what technical skills and psychosocial behaviours are prioitised in the profession. The aim of this study was to critique the literature on how S&C coaches are educated and identify specific components that are influential to novice S&C coach education. A systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, was conducted using EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus databases. Guided by Shulman’s (2005) signature pedagogy framework, the review identified the habits of mind, hand and heart implemented within the profession. The habits of mind identified themes relating to the importance of reflective practice, communities of practice and observation. Habits of hand identified the benefits of hands-on experience in industry settings and simulated practice. Habits of heart are the personal values and philosophies that underpin S&C practice and are used to develop good coach-athlete relationships. Hands-on practical experience combined with structured reflective practice provides the best opportunity for novice S&C coaches to develop the required technical skills and psychosocial behaviours of the profession.

Interprofessional teamwork: the role of professional identity and signature pedagogy – a mixed methods study

PurposeOne overlooked determinant of interprofessional teamwork is the mobilisation of professional identity. Taking a health or social care practitioner out of their professional silo and placing them in an interprofessional team setting will challenge their professional identity. The theory of signature pedagogy was used to investigate the challenges and what is needed to support practitioners to mobilise their professional identity to maximise teamwork.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional mixed methods study was undertaken in the form of three focus groups, with members of health and social care teams in Wales, UK. Using nominal group technique, participants explored and ranked the challenges and benefits of mobilising their professional identity within an interprofessional setting.FindingsFindings on mobilising professional identity were found to be aligned closely with the three signature pedagogy apprenticeships of learning to think and to perform like others in their profession and to act with moral integrity. The biggest challenge facing practitioners was thinking like others in their profession while in an interprofessional team.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus of this study is health and social care teams within Wales, UK, which may limit the results to teams that have a similar representation of professionals.Practical implicationsHealthcare leaders should be aware of the opportunities to promote mobilisation of professional identity to maximise teamwork. For example, at induction, by introducing the different roles and shared responsibilities. Such practical implications do have consequences for policy as regards interprofessional team development and organisational commitments to adult learning and evaluation.Originality/valueThis is the first study of professional identity of interprofessional healthcare and social professionals using signature pedagogy to gain a better understanding of teamwork.

The Scholarship of Critique and Power

Critique can be defined as disciplinary feedback, analysis, or assessment provided to an individual or within a group, be it a classroom or a team. At a fundamental level, it is an exchange of ideas, impressions, evaluations, opinions, reflections, judgments, speculations, or suggestions to oneself or between two or more participants in a defined context. Scholars describe critique as a signature pedagogy in many disciplines, a cornerstone of the educational experience. There has been scant critical analysis of how critique also represents a performance of power with roots in positions of authority, expertise, or assigned roles. Such power dynamics have been explored in some areas within SoTL, for example in scholarship on assessment, epistemic disobedience, social justice, feminist pedagogies, and critical race theory. However, this has generally not been the case within the scholarship on critique. To better understand the dimensions of power in the context of critique we developed a conceptual framework that can be applied at the individual level (teacher to student, student to student) as well as the systemic level (critique as a construct of cultural hegemony in a specific episteme). Drawing from theoretical and pedagogical literature in areas such as cultural studies, whiteness studies, design education, and assessment, the conceptual framework defines power in three main expressions: power as inequity, power as authority, and power as cultural hegemony. The framework can be used to identify and define power within the critique context and to also inform reflection and shift perspectives at various academic levels.

How do signature pedagogies get their signatures? The role of assessment and professional artefacts in preparing students for their professions

ABSTRACT Signature pedagogies are widely used in professional education to prepare students for the complex and unpredictable nature of professional work. We argue that assessment moments involving professional artefacts contribute to the evaluation and formation of professional knowledge, skills and moral understandings – and thus to the signature of the pedagogy. The ‘authenticity’ these professional artefacts add to assessment is of particular relevance for understanding the pedagogic signature. Drawing on interviews from a professional study programme in dental hygiene, we employ sociocultural theories to analyse how different assessment moments are used to evaluate and develop students’ competences of working with professional artefacts: dental radiographs. The findings show how the use of professional artefacts in three different assessment moments requires students to engage deeply with the epistemic, practical and moral dimensions of their profession. Our study contributes both empirical and conceptual insights to the field’s understanding of the inner workings of signature pedagogies.

Feedback practices as part of signature pedagogy for clinical placements

ABSTRACT Signature pedagogies have been identified for medicine and nursing, however are not yet resolved for allied health. This paper explores feedback as part of the signature pedagogy for health professions clinical placements. It adopts a Theory of Practice Architectures perspective to understand feedback practices, within the context of placements which involved student mentoring. Two dominant practices were found to characterise feedback: creating a comfortable learning environment through feedback, and achieving feedback for learning. Analysis of the arrangements revealed the impact of educators’ caseloads in enabling, and more often, constraining feedback practices. Student mentors ensured that feedback occurred, suggesting that students can recognise and contribute to feedback as part of a signature pedagogy. Further, similarity across the two professions in this study supports the contention that there is a common signature pedagogy for clinical placements. This has implications for educator development and the role of students within workplace learning.

A puzzle based open ended approach in an architectural design studio: A critique

Wang (2010) posited that with respect to design pedagogy in general, there is a need for radical changes to occur in design studios. Focusing on architectural design education, studies reveal that subjective knowledge and irrational creativity are dominating in architectural design studios. This is observed to be one amongst the various other outcomes as teaching methodologies without a holistic knowledge are adopted (Salama, 2016). Critical, creative and pragmatic thinking are the primary criteria in architectural design studios (Ibrahim and Utaberta, 2011). Crowther (2013) reported that design studios must facilitate learning about design, learning to design and learning to become an architect. In addition to traditional one to one studio, introduction of different models with alternate instructors through single, double and collaborative critiques at the desk, outside of studio paves new directions to pedagogy (Gamble, Dagenhar & Jarrett, 2002). Amongst the various directives like transformative design pedagogy (Hadjiyanni, 2008; Fay and Kim, 2017); signature pedagogy (Schulman, 2005; Crowther, 2013); constructivist approach (Kurt, 2011); puzzle based learning (Akin, 2008; Vijayalxmi, 2009; Ramaraj and Nagammal, 2016) which revolve around architectural education, this paper investigates an ‘open ended puzzle based approach’ adopted in an architectural design studio.

Competing Values Framework as Decoding Tool: Signature Pedagogy in Teaching Business Communication

This article explicates the operationalization of a theoretically robust framework in the teaching of business communication at an institute of higher learning. This article reimagines the design of a business communication course that focuses on the coalescence of both decoding and encoding processes of messages as a unified pedagogical approach in teaching business communication. This approach is in contrast with more conventional approaches in designing communication courses, which tend to prioritize one process over the other. Participants in the study acknowledged the instrumentality in the course design in promoting communicative values with real-world impact.

Cultivating learners who ‘think like vocational professionals’: signature pedagogies, technology and vocational learning

ABSTRACT The author is Teaching and Learning Manager at the college with rsponsibility for observation of all teaching staff and their professional development. This research looks at differing concepts of pedagogy through an investigation of observation data and an analysis of ‘blended learning sessions’ at a college that is at the forefront of using technology as a tool for learning. Located in South Central England this is a relatively small vocational college with two sites in Hampshire. The observation data collected was analysed using the concepts of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK), Signature Pedagogies and expansive vocational education to see how these concepts applied to practice. The conclusion shows that whilst there were differences in the pedagogical content approach, the concept of signature pedagogies was strong across all the curriculum areas looked at. It also highlights the possibility of further international research into post compulsory online learning using this college as an example of good practice. Finally, it observes that the college has the capacity in terms of a dedicated team of technologists to really improve the TPCK of the teachers further, together with a comprehensive digital strategy that encompasses a coherent and planned curriculum using ‘joined up’ schemes of work. In this way the PCK and the TPCK of teachers will be strengthened.

Transforming Our Classrooms and Ourselves

I argue that Philosophy as a Way of Life (PWOL) represents a distinct pedagogy that differs from philosophy’s signature pedagogy because of PWOL’s differing views of what philosophy is and how it is successfully practiced. I further argue that this pedagogy is radical in two senses. First, PWOL is technically radical because it naturally incorporates cutting-edge pedagogical techniques that promote student success. Second, I argue that PWOL is transformatively radical because it seeks to transform students’ understanding of themselves and the world around them. Following this argument, I discuss my own experiences implementing a PWOL-based course as a case study of PWOL’s radical nature.

RESEARCH-BASED LEARNING IN AN ONLINE COURSE-BASED MASTER OF EDUCATION PROGRAM

In this case study research, we examined graduate student experiences with research-based learning in an online course-based master's degree in education at a Canadian university. Data were gathered during two sequential phases, starting with exit surveys and then interviews with graduates from the master of education program. Findings indicated the way students were grouped and progressed through their courses in cohorts and using a signature pedagogy called collaboratories of practice, where students were provided with opportunities to engage in field-focused inquiry online alongside their peers and with guided support from their instructor, which served to support students with continuity throughout their program and with support for developing and applying research-based learning skills. Participants described the cohort structure and signature pedagogy as key elements that contributed to their research-based learning experiences. These findings are consistent with earlier results from studying two previous cohorts of postgraduate students. Study results serve to inform scholarship and program designs for research-based learning in course-based, online master's degree programs. More broadly, the results will also benefit faculties and institutions developing structural supports and pedagogies for new online courses and program offerings.

Signature pedagogy for entrepreneurship education: An emerging perspective

Signature pedagogy for entrepreneurship education: An emerging perspective

Level I FW in a Simulated Environment: A Blueprint on How to Use Simucase™

Simulation education is a sought-out teaching modality in allied healthcare education to bridge the classroom and the clinic. In addition to developing healthcare student professionals’ skills, attitudes and key competencies, simulation can also be used to address the national fieldwork shortage, as well as site capacity issues related to the current pandemic. Although the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) has recently indicated that simulation is an acceptable method to deliver Level I fieldwork, there are limited resources available. This paper will provide a pedagogical blueprint for incorporating computer-based simulation and case-based learning principles using the Simucase™ platform for a one-week, Level I fieldwork experience. A model of best practice for a Level I fieldwork experience will be shared, to include a framework with learning objectives, example syllabus, student assessment, and debriefing rubric. This model aligns with the Occupational Therapy Education Research Agenda, which challenges the profession to expand faculty development, provide resources on instructional methods and identify signature pedagogies in occupational therapy fieldwork education.

Developing pre-service teachers’ fieldwork pedagogical and content knowledge through designing enquiry-based fieldwork

ABSTRACT Fieldwork is a signature pedagogy in geography with widely understood and diverse benefits. Yet relatively little research exists on how to prepare pre-service geography teachers to become effective fieldwork practitioners and educators. This study developed and examined the pedagogical benefits of a fieldwork education module aimed at promoting student teachers’ fieldwork pedagogical and content knowledge (FPACK) by equipping them to design their own enquiry-based geographical fieldwork tasks. Twenty-one South Korean student teachers participated in this research, in which they completed the module, a pre- and post-test FPACK test developed for the study, and a reflective journal. Participants’ scores on the FPACK test instrument showed a statistically significant increase, and thematic content analysis of the reflective journals confirmed these findings. The results indicate that the FPACK development module helped to cultivate pre-service teachers’ expertise in understanding and designing enquiry-based fieldwork. This article represents an initial attempt to define FPACK and demonstrate the pedagogical effects of the fieldwork education module in pre-service teacher education.

IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON GEOMORPHOLOGICAL FIELDWORK: EXPLORATION OF NEW INITIATIVES AND DIMENSIONS

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has already changed the world in many respects, and its impact cuts across many fields of human endeavours. An area of temporary setbacks in geomorphological research posed by the pandemic is in the restriction placed on fieldwork exercise. Apart from bringing a lot of constraints to fieldwork, the need to meet the learning outcomes ensured that the already in-use technologies were easily adapted to simulate the necessary fieldwork in evaluating dynamics in geomorphological environment and the natural world. Despite the success, however, the fieldwork remains ‘signature pedagogy’ for geography, geomorphology and any other Earth Science disciplines. The dynamic nature of landforms, the serendipity of on-site field training and exercises, the ability to have a first-hand experience of field phenomenon, etc. are some of the expected rewards that could not be simulated remotely. Hence, when COVID-19 pandemic is over, the aspects of fieldwork should not be jettisoned for the simulated alternatives embraced in the pandemic. The two should work hand-in-hand for the diverse fields of geomorphological research.