Teaching Support Staff Research Articles

Supporting the Move to Post-Pandemic Blended Teaching: Reflections on a Professional Learning Short Course

Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic meant that universities had to reconsider ways of teaching. However, academics and students in South African higher education are still dealing with lingering challenges from the pandemic and are largely unfamiliar with good practices in blended learning and teaching. As learning and teaching support professionals working with academics in a specific faculty, our challenge was to consider how to best support academics to (re)design their courses, aligned to an institutional shift. The purpose of this case study is to critically reflect on the design and offering of a professional learning short course, within a specific faculty, to assist academics in adapting to blended teaching. The research objective is to determine how the professional learning course could support the needs of academics in moving to post-pandemic blended teaching. The paper makes use of a qualitative reflective approach, consisting of the reflections of two faculty learning and teaching support staff and evaluation data from academic staff participants. The paper argues that i) a contextualized and responsive approach to academic professional learning is required to better support academics in embedding different forms of learning and teaching; and ii) that academics require dedicated time and space for course (re)design.

Drivers and barriers to the utilisation of gamification and game‐based learning in universities: A systematic review of educators' perspectives

AbstractWhile gamification and game‐based learning have both been demonstrated to have a host of educational benefits for university students, many university educators do not routinely use these approaches in their teaching. Therefore, this systematic review, conducted using the PRISMA guidelines, sought to identify the primary drivers and barriers to the use of gamification and game‐based learning by university educators. A search of multiple databases (Web of Science, Scopus and EBSCO (Business Source Complete; ERIC; Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts)) identified 1330 articles, with 1096 retained after duplicates were removed. Seventeen articles (11 quantitative, two mixed‐methods and four qualitative) were included in the systematic review. The primary drivers described by the educators that positively influenced their gamification and game‐based learning usage were their beliefs that it encourages student interactions and collaborative learning; provides fun and improves engagement; and can easily be used by students. Alternatively, the university educators' major barriers included a lack of time to develop gamification approaches, lack of proven benefits and classroom setting issues. Many of these and other less commonly reported drivers and barriers can be categorised as attitudinal, design‐related or administrative in nature. Such categorisations may assist university educators, teaching support staff and administrators in better understanding the primary factors influencing the utilisation of gamification and game‐based learning and develop more effective strategies to overcome these barriers to its successful implementation. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Gamification and game‐based learning may have many benefits for university students. The majority of university educators do not routinely use gamification and game‐based learning in their teaching. What this paper adds University educators' major drivers that positively influence the use of gamification and game‐based learning include their perceptions that it encourages student interactions and collaborative learning, provides fun and improves engagement and can easily be used by students. University educators' major barriers that negatively influence the use of gamification and game‐based learning include their perceptions of a lack of time to develop gamification approaches, lack of proven benefits and classroom setting issues. These drivers and barriers may be classified as attitudinal, design‐related and administrative, with these categories providing a useful way for universities to develop strategies to better support educators who wish to use these approaches in their teaching. Implications for practice and policy Attitudinal factors such as university educators' intention to use gamification and game‐based learning are influenced by a host of their perceptions including attitude, perceived usefulness and ease of use. A range of design‐related and administrative barriers may need to be overcome to increase the use of gamification and game‐based learning in the university sector.

How Can Web Lessons Be Taught to Reduce Screen Fatigue, Motivational, and Concentration Problems in Different Disciplines?

When conducting web lessons after transitioning to online learning due to the coronavirus, lecturers can base their work on experiences gained during the emergency situation and instructions prepared by the teaching support staff. However, students' perception of engagement strategies, screen fatigue, difficulties motivating themselves and problems with concentrating on web lessons should be also taken into account. The goal of this research is to find out how students rate the importance of engagement strategies in web lessons and how the ratings differ between disciplines. Also, the study aims to investigate how concentration difficulties, students' motivational problems and screen fatigue are connected to student engagement strategies in web lessons. To achieve that goal, 430 students of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Tartu were surveyed and multivariate analyses of variance and correlational analyses were conducted. Regarding student engagement strategies, “Use of slides” was found to be the most important by students. This was followed by “Explaining what and why is being studied,” “Sharing the teacher's screen,” and “Recalling what has been learned before”. The least important engagement strategies are “Presentation of article-based tasks,” “Second teacher answers questions in a chat,” and “Use of breakout rooms”. Comparing the faculties there was a statistically significant difference in the ratings given to five engagement strategies. The results showed that concentration difficulties were not related to the ratings of student engagement strategies. However, some positive correlations were found between screen fatigue and motivational difficulties, and the ratings of student engagement strategies, indicating that proper engagement strategies for conducting web lessons can be a way of influencing more students and better course design can support different needs.

“Working Women Unite”: Exploring a Socialist Feminist, Nonhierarchical Teachers Union

In this paper, we present and explore the case of the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU), an independent, directly democratic, and feminist labor union at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. Operating continuously since the 1970s, we argue that TSSU is an important example of the ways in which gender and class have intersected within the history of the Canadian labor movement, and a fascinating case of a longstanding socialist feminist union. We also argue that alongside the historical relevance, exploring the constraints and possibilities of a feminist nonhierarchical organizational structure can offer important lessons for organizing in the twenty-first century. Adopting a socialist feminist framework, we speak from our experiences serving as TSSU executives, as graduate students, and as teachers within the larger academic machine. Marking its fortieth year in 2018, this active, young, and angry labor union can provide the labor movement and academics with a case study to reflect on how we can conceptualize social movement unionism; organize around and toward equity, diversity, and justice; and maintain a deep commitment to both feminist and class struggle.

The relationship between the school as a learning organisation and staff outcomes: A case study of Wales

AbstractDoes the school as a learning organisation affect staff outcomes? This article examines the relationship between the school as a learning organisation and staff job satisfaction and the school's responsiveness to staff needs using a purposefully designed “Schools as Learning Organisations Survey” completed as part of an OECD study in Wales. A positive and significant relationship is found between the school as a learning organisation and both job satisfaction of staff—that is school leaders, teachers and teaching support staff—and the school's responsiveness to staff needs. The article proposes ways of realising these outcomes and identifies areas for further research. Policy makers, school staff and other stakeholders in education and other public sectors internationally can use these findings as supporting evidence in recommending people to develop their organisations into learning organisations, given the potential benefits for employees and the organisation at large.

On-campus, distance or online? Influences on student decision-making about study modes at university

This article examines the choices students make when deciding the mode of study they will enrol in for university. It expands on previous work in the field by surveying 744 Faculty of Arts students at an Australian university who had the choice of enrolling in one of three study modes: on-campus, distance or purely online. Influences on enrolment mode were categorised into six factors: personal, logistics, teaching and learning, learning support, environment, and advice and marketing. Significant differences in influence were found between the three cohorts of students, while the teaching and learning and logistics factors were found to be the most influential for all cohorts. The findings of this research offer administrators, learning and teaching support staff, and academics important information that can be used to tailor the delivery of teaching and services to the varying needs of different cohorts.

Perceived Skills and Training Needs Among Singaporean School Personnel in Using Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavioral Interventions

The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the level of skills and training needs reported by special educators and teaching associates in functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavioral interventions within special education (SPED) schools in Singapore. The Skills and Needs Inventories in Functional Behavior Assessments and Interventions (SNI-FBAI), a self-report inventory, was administered to 378 special educators and 38 teaching support staff across seven SPED schools in Singapore. Perceived ratings across both groups were obtained across 13 items for skills and six items for training needs in FBA and behavioral interventions. The results suggested that special educators and teaching associates indicated relatively lower ratings on their perceived skill in more items related to conducting an FBA when compared with items related to behavioral interventions. In terms of training needs, both groups rated developing skills in FBA and behavioral interventions for managing severe challenging behaviors as a priority area for training.

The struggle to satisfy need: exploring the institutional cues for teaching support staff

ABSTRACTThe decision-making around resource allocation in universities is complex. It plays out through the structures of governance and bureaucracy, through interactions with colleagues, workplace cultures and through day-to-day individual work practices. To survive and succeed within this complex environment, teaching support staff need to be sensitive to the cues provided by their institution. This paper focuses on the cues available to teaching support staff within university strategic plans and considers the effects these cues may have on their day-to-day decision-making. The results provide a sample of the competing cues that have an impact on teaching support staff and provide a foundation for a reconsidered approach to university strategic planning.

USE OF NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES OF OPEN SYSTEMS IN TRAING BACHELORS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE: GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

The article highlights the main results of the study using networking technologies of open systems in training bachelors of computer science. The process of informatization of educational policy in Ukraine as a basis for the introduction of network technologies of open systems in the educational process is considered; the historical background of their formation and development is analyzed; the basic concept for their use in educational theory and practice is uderlined. The possibility of using networking technologies of open systems in the learning process of the first (bachelor) level of higher education in the field of knowledge 0403 "System sciences and cybernetics" training direction 6.040302 "Information *" is defined; the principles fundamentalization and modernization in training bachelors of computer science with the use of these technologies are analyzed. Pedagogical conditions for the learning process of bachelors of computer science in higher education are substantiated; procedural model using networking technologies of open systems in training bachelors of computer science is given; the criteria, indexes and levels of competence of bachelor of computer science in the use of networking technologies of open systems in future professional activity are given; the model of competence of bachelor of computer science in the use of networking technologies of open systems is developed and proved. The basic components of the method of using networking technologies of open systems in teaching bachelors of computer science based on improving the content of discipline "Organizational Informatics" using open networking systems are proved.Recommendations of implementation of networking technologies of open systems for students,teaching staff, university administration and teaching support staff are given.

Reliability and Validity of Skills and Needs Inventories in Functional Behavior Assessments and Interventions for School Personnel

The Skills and Needs Inventories in Functional Behavior Assessments and Intervention (SNI-FBAI) was developed and administered to 338 special educators and 28 teaching support staff across seven special education schools in Singapore. The SNI-FBAI was evaluated in terms of its content, face, and construct validity. Internal consistency was also established. Results of the study indicate that the SNI-FBAI is a reliable and valid measure. With the psychometric properties of the SNI-FBAI established, schools are encouraged to use this scale to assist with meeting professional development needs of their special educators and teaching support staff in functional behavior assessments and interventions.

Defining a self-evaluation digital literacy framework for secondary educators: the DigiLit Leicester project

Despite the growing interest in digital literacy within educational policy, guidance for secondary educators in terms of how digital literacy translates into the classroom is lacking. As a result, many teachers feel ill-prepared to support their learners in using technology effectively. The DigiLit Leicester project created an infrastructure for holistic, integrated change, by supporting staff development in the area of digital literacy for secondary school teachers and teaching support staff. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the critique of existing digital literacy frameworks enabled a self-evaluation framework for practitioners to be developed. Crucially, this framework enables a co-operative, partnership approach to be taken to pedagogic innovation. Moreover, it enables social and ethical issues to underpin a focus on teacher-agency and radical collegiality inside the domain of digital literacy. Thus, the authors argue that the shared development framework constitutes a new model for implementing digital literacy aimed at transforming the provision of secondary education across a city.Keywords: digital literacy framework; professionalism; radical collegiality; secondary education; transformation(Published: 10 April 2014)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2014, 22: 21440 -http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.21440

Working with super-diversity in Strasbourg pre-schools: Strengthening the role of teaching support staff

AbstractIn 2009 Strasbourg Council issued a call for tenders for an in-service training course aimed at nursery school assistants working in the city to enable them to better “communicate with non-French speaking children”. A small team of teachers and researchers from the University of Strasbourg responded to this call, firmly believing in the pivotal role played by nursery assistants in children’s language development given their close daily contact with children and their families. In this article we firstly situate Strasbourg pre-schools within the local and national context, referring to French ministerial policy documents and statistics which reflect the extent and nature of super-diversity in the region. Secondly, we describe, analyse and evaluate the content, approach and impact of this innovative course referring to qualitative data collected from course participants. Findings suggest that nursery school assistants, when empowered with knowledge about language and guided in their exploration of approaches which support language development, can help early learners to bridge the gap between home and school. A deeper appreciation of the complexities of plurilingual repertoire and multiple identity construction appear to reinforce confidence to meet the challenges of super-diversity at pre-school and strengthen nursery assistants in their role as caring professionals.

Developing the assessment literacy of university proficiency test users

The rapidly increasing use of English language proficiency test scores by universities around the world to select international students has resulted in a range of admissions, marketing, academic and teaching support staff interacting with the tests in different ways. To date, there has been little research investigating the assessment literacy needs of these test score users. This article focuses on a study into the nature of these needs, how well they are currently being met and how they might be best addressed in the future. Data about these questions in relation to the most widely accepted test in Australian universities, IELTS (International English Language Testing System), were collected from an online survey completed by 50 members of staff who used the test in their work and from follow-up interviews with 15 of these survey respondents. The results indicated that the participants mostly needed information about IELTS for advising prospective students about English language entry requirements and making admissions decisions. They mainly focused on the minimum test scores required for entry and believed their informational needs were reasonably well met by their institution’s entry regulations and the IELTS official website. The most popular methods for learning about the IELTS test were information sessions and online tutorials. The results and their implications are discussed in detail.

Sociocultural Theories and their Application in Information Literacy Research and Education

Drawing on the example of a recent study (Wang, 2010), this paper discusses the application of a sociocultural approach to information literacy research and curriculat design. First, it describes the foundation of this research approach in sociocultural theories, in particular Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. Then it presents key theoretical principles arising from the research and describes how the sociocultural approach enabled the establishment of collaborative partnerships between information professionals and academic and teaching support staff in a community of practice for information literacy integration.

In my view - The axe in the classroom

Teaching support staff are now bearing the brunt of the 30 million in cuts to funding at the Training and Development Agency (TDA).

Conceptions of e-learning and professional development for e-learning held by tertiary educators in New Zealand

The conceptions an individual holds about a phenomenon can influence and determine associated behaviours and perspectives. Consequently, they have a bearing upon how learning about a phenomenon is undertaken and how that phenomenon is experienced and applied in context. A phenomenographic research approach was used to gather the expressed experiences of e-learning and professional development for e-learning held by teachers and support staff from institutions across New Zealand. Five conceptions of e-learning (as tool and equipment; as a facilitator of interaction; as learning; as a reduction in distance; and as a collaborative enterprise) and four conceptions of professional development for e-learning (as training; as opening up possibilities; as collaboration; and as relevant and purposeful) were discovered. In this report, we discuss the conceptions, and show how they are interrelated through outcome space. Implications for the professional development of tertiary teachers and teaching support staff are outlined. The study provides some insights for individuals, institutions and those responsible for planning and implementing professional development programmes to help them to support the development and progress of e-learning in appropriate and rewarding directions.