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2. How Are OECD Governments Navigating the Digital Higher Education Landscape? Evidence from a Comparative Policy Survey. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 303
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Directorate for Education and Skills, Nikolaj Broberg, and Gillian Golden
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Module A of the OECD Higher Education Policy Survey (HEPS) 2022 elicited information on policies to promote digitalisation of higher education in OECD member and accession countries. In total, 30 jurisdictions responded, providing comparative information on various areas of digitalisation policy, from regulation and governance to financial and human resources. The survey results provide insight into the role of public authorities in guiding, coordinating and resourcing the digital transformation of higher education institutions. The analysis and comparative tables in this working paper provide insights that can support the development of strategic digitalisation policies.
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- 2023
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3. Education Inequality. Discussion Paper No. 1849
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Blanden, Jo, Doepke, Matthias, and Stuhler, Jan
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This paper provides new evidence on educational inequality and reviews the literature on the causes and consequences of unequal education. We document large achievement gaps between children from different socio-economic backgrounds, show how patterns of educational inequality vary across countries, time, and generations, and establish a link between educational inequality and social mobility. We interpret this evidence from the perspective of economic models of skill acquisition and investment in human capital. The models account for different channels underlying unequal education and highlight how endogenous responses in parents' and children's educational investments generate a close link between economic inequality and educational inequality. Given concerns over the extended school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also summarize early evidence on the impact of the pandemic on children's education and on possible long-run repercussions for educational inequality.
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- 2022
4. Enhancing Online Teaching of Business Statistics: A Pedagogy before Technology Approach
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Bopelo Boitshwarelo and Maneka Jayasinghe
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Learning statistics can be challenging for many students, due to their inability to engage in statistical reasoning and application of techniques. This challenge becomes compounded in online learning contexts where students are spatially and temporally separated from the teacher. This paper describes and explains a case of theory-driven interventions designed to enhance the learning experiences of students enrolled in two similar business statistics units, one for undergraduate and the other for postgraduate programs. The paper based its claims primarily on the analysis of data from a student evaluation of teaching survey. This study affirmed the importance of a pedagogy-first approach. It argued that the interventions, which were effective in enhancing the student learning experience, were underpinned by a robust pedagogical analysis of the teaching and learning issues using both constructive alignment and transactional distance theory lenses.
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- 2024
5. Initial Findings on Student Progress and Satisfaction in a New Model of Hyperflexible Online Delivery for University Students
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Colin Beer, Kate Ames, Noal Atkinson, Damien Clark, and Peter Hosie
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University degrees are usually delivered in defined sessions--by term, semester, or in week-based blocks--whereby students are required to complete their studies by the due date. Term or session-based schedules that require students to complete the study within set timeframes are, however, potentially restrictive. Temporal challenges associated with work and life can impede progress and add to the specific problem of student attrition in online learning. As universities seek to deliver innovative options for their students, increased attention is being paid to alternate models of delivery. This paper reports on the development of a hyperflexible online Master of Business Administration (MBA) course by a regional university in Australia, which has grown to more than 1,000 students since its launch in 2017. Delivered entirely online, the degree was specifically designed to address an inequity; MBA programs are traditionally expensive, and in Australia, the requirement for students to travel to attend residential schools and examinations adds significant cost to already expensive tuition fees. This paper analyzed enrollment data, course analytics over a two-year period, and student surveys conducted at the end of the second year of delivery (n = 98) to evaluate the development and implementation of the course as a hyperflexible course whereby students have almost complete control over their study at the postgraduate tertiary level. Results highlight the potential for the model to enable student success through flexibility.
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- 2024
6. Research Messages 2023: Informing + Influencing the Australian VET Sector
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia) and National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia)
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Research messages is a summary of research produced by NCVER each year. This year's compilation includes a range of research activities undertaken during 2023, comprising of research reports, summaries, occasional papers, presentations, webinars, consultancies, submissions, the 32nd 'No Frills' national research conference, and various additions to VOCEDplus knowledge resources. "Research messages 2023" highlights the diverse range of research activities undertaken over the past year by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). This edition provides: (1) Key findings from NCVER's program of research; (2) Details of conferences, presentations, webinars, podcasts and other NCVER research communications; (3) Resources collated by NCVER designed to assist in informing the VET (vocational education and training) system and its related policies; and (4) A summary of NCVER discussion papers and submissions to government reviews.
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- 2024
7. Building Academic Integrity and Capacity in Digital Assessment in Higher Education
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Lorraine Bennett and Ali Abusalem
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The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020 disrupted and changed higher education across the world, and into the future. Campuses were shut down, almost overnight. International and State borders were closed and business models that relied heavily on high-paying international students collapsed. University leaders and academics were forced to find new ways of attracting, engaging with, and retaining students. This paper describes a project that was undertaken in Australia in 2021 which investigated the implications of, and scope for online assessment in this "new virtual world" of learning and teaching in higher education. After extensive research and consultation, the project developed a Digital Assessment Framework dubbed DASH C21, which stands for Digital Assessment Stretching Horizons for the 21st Century. The Framework is based on a set of underpinning principles and values; the Inputs. The Inputs feed into four Dimensions. These Dimensions are Practices and Pedagogies, Strategies, Emerging Technologies and Stretching Horizons. The Outputs are a series of authentic, innovative, experiential and forward looking, digital assessments, reinforced by academic integrity values. This paper will be of particular interest to higher education senior managers, academics, learning and teaching specialists, staff professional developers and curriculum designers.
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- 2024
8. Engaging and Retaining Students in Online Learning
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Ali Abusalem, Lorraine Bennett, and Dimitra Antonelou-Abusalem
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Before the COVID-19 outbreak, universities were already exploring the potential of online education. Colleges and universities throughout the world became more reliant on online learning management systems (LMSs) and videoconferencing tools like "Zoom" and "Microsoft Teams" during the 2020-2021 campus' lockdowns. The transition from traditional face-to-face teaching to online learning presented significant difficulties for universities, particularly those that depended heavily on international students. The project reported in this paper was undertaken in Australia in 2021 at the request of a private higher education institution. A new student-centric version of the Moodle learning management system (LMS) was created to maximise the platform's pedagogical, communicative, and informational capabilities. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how online learning platforms that are flexible, utilise embedded interactive features and resources, and are freely available can enhance and support the delivery of quality online education. The paper discusses how well-designed learning management systems have the capacity to motivate, engage and retain students in online learning. Academics, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as those working in curriculum development and information technology at institutions of higher learning, may find this article to be of interest and value.
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- 2024
9. Investigating Fintech Education and Training in Australian Universities
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Pak-Lok Poon, Santoso Wibowo, Srimannarayana Grandhi, and Sau-Fun Tang
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For more than a decade, the Financial Technology (FinTech) industry has been growing, and it has reshaped how payments were made and brought new financial service products to the market. FinTech has created innovative disruptions to traditional, long-established financial institutions (e.g., banks and investment firms) in financial services markets. The worldwide blooming of FinTech has caused universities around the globe to teach their students (particularly those in the IT and finance disciplines) about practical and contemporary knowledge on FinTech. This paper discusses our recent survey study to investigate the status quo of offering FinTech education and training by Australian universities. Our study involved two rounds of online data collection (one in November 2021 and the other one in June 2022) from 41 sample universities in Australia. Among our various findings, we observed that, although Australian universities are increasingly aware of the importance of and the demand for FinTech studies, FinTech has still not yet become a mainstream study discipline. This observation indicates that, in Australia, FinTech studies have generally gone through the inception stage and entered the growth stage.
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- 2024
10. Well-Being Literacy in the Academic Landscape: Trioethnographic Inquiry into Scholarly Writing
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Narelle Lemon, Jacqui Francis, and Lisa M. Baker
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Writing well and being well as academic writers is rarely spoken about, often hidden, and at times evaded. We believe that developing, maintaining, and growing well-being literacy not only engages the act but also allows awareness, reflection, and metacognitive thinking that enable mindful writing for well-being. Well-being literacy, the capacity to understand and employ wellbeing language for personal, collective, and global well-being, intrigues us. It encompasses nurturing, sustaining, and safeguarding well-being for individuals, groups, and systems to thrive. As scholars delving into well-being literacy, we, a diverse collective from across higher education career trajectories, investigate its role in scholarly writing and our academic realities. Our focus lies in unraveling the paradoxes inherent in higher education, particularly as researchers and writers. In this paper, we examine our own stories as a trioethnography and the impact of our writing practices on our own professional and personal lives. By doing so, we reveal the place of vulnerability, relationships, and meaning in who we are and are becoming as academic scholars. Guiding principles are shared with peers and colleagues in how they might cultivate writing practices while valuing and embodying well-being in the higher education space.
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- 2024
11. Immersive Learning in a Block Teaching Model: A Case Study of Academic Reform through Principles, Policies and Practice
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Thomas Roche, Erica Wilson, and Elizabeth Goode
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Universities across the globe are considering how to effect meaningful change in their higher education (HE) delivery in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting student learning preferences. This paper reports on a descriptive case- study of whole-of-institution curriculum reform at one regional Australian university, where more traditional 13-week semesters have been replaced with a 6-week immersive block model known as the Southern Cross Model. Based on a synthesis of literature in best practice HE pedagogy and principles, the case study draws on both a review of policy and staff interviews (N = 5) to outline the key changes necessary for successful HE transformation. Analysis revealed themes related to the vital roles of leadership, capacity building, monitoring the transition, staff adoption, and adequate technical systems in implementing a radical, multifaceted institutional transformation. Implications for practice at institutions considering reforming their curriculum model are also discussed. The findings from this case study indicate that an institutional transformation to an immersive block model requires both a considered change in institutional policy and process, as well as the appropriate resourcing of roles, governance committees, technical solutions, and, importantly, communities of practice.
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- 2024
12. What Happened to Casual Academic Staff in Australian Public Universities in 2020? Occasional Paper
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University of Melbourne (Australia), Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE), Baré, Elizabeth, Beard, Janet, and Tjia, Teresa
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With the widespread onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Australian universities anticipated a significant loss of students and revenue and hence forecast the need for significant job reductions. Using Higher Education Statistics (HES) data on student numbers and full-time equivalent (FTE) staff by field of study, we explored changes which occurred between 2019 and 2020, this data only becoming publicly available in 2022. Against expectations, and with the exception of the field of study of Management and Commerce, nationally student numbers did not decline, but increased marginally. Our interest lay in the impact of this on casual academic staff employment in Australia's public universities, noting institutional strategies of having a flexible pool of casual staff to manage fluctuations in student demand. While the HES data does not allow firm conclusions, trends may become clearer with the release of the 2021 data. Nonetheless, it appears that many universities reduced casual academic staff numbers and marginally increased full and part time appointments. Overall, there were fewer academic staff to teach a static or increased number of students. What this exercise suggests is that irrespective of student enrolments, some universities may have used the pandemic as an opportunity for restructures and academic renewal. It also highlights the difficulties that universities may experience in managing their academic workforce.
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- 2023
13. Post-School Dilemmas in Diminished Society: Working-Class Mothers' Perspectives of Choices and Realities in Their Communities
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Rodd, Piper and Sanders, Kellie
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This paper provides insight into working-class parents' views of the structural and systemic injustices shaping post-school options and opportunities in contemporary Australia, drawing on interview data with a group of mothers living in growth corridor suburbs in the outer west of Melbourne. Illustrating aspects of Berlant's (2011) notion of "cruel optimism", the paper examines the concepts of diminished society and collective community afforded by success through education, an aspiration and achievement unequal among young Australians. As Reay (2017) argues, an ideological narrative that positions individuals as being responsible for their own achievement through education sets many up to fail. This paper gives voice to the lived experiences of this individual responsibilitisation. We draw on elements of Marxist analysis, a subset of critical theory, whereby economic circumstances are the basis upon which political and ideological realities are built, critiquing the ways in which neoliberal social and economic policy and ideology are normalised (Tyson, 2015).
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- 2023
14. Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Teacher Resilience
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Nurtaç Üstündag-Kocakusak and Ruken Akar-Vural
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This study aimed to reveal general landscape of research on teacher resilience, employing descriptive and bibliometric analyses. Descriptive analyses were performed utilizing Web of Science's internal system, while bibliometric analyses were executed through the VOSviewer program. Web of Science Core Collection was used as a data source. Citation analyses of publications, authors, and journals, as well as co-authorship, co-citation, and common word analyses were conducted. The research reveals a timeline of publications, indicating a notable surge in 2006, and a substantial increase in 2021. The countries with the highest number of publications on teacher resilience, in descending order, are the United States of America (USA), Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the People's Republic of China (PRC), according to the research findings. Authors such as Gu, C. Day, S. Beltman, C. Mansfield, and A. Price emerged from the citation analysis. Based on the results from the co-citation analysis, C. Day and Q. Gu were identified as the most frequently co-cited authors. The co-occurrence analysis of keywords highlighted key terms like resilience, teacher education, early career teachers, teacher candidates, professional learning, school leadership, and COVID-19. The findings were contextualized within the existing literature, leading to recommendations for future research. [This paper was published in: "EJER Congress 2023 International Eurasian Educational Research Congress Conference Proceedings," Ani Publishing, 2023, pp. 591-611.]
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- 2023
15. Student Perceptions of Online Engagement
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Redmond, Petrea, Alexsen, Megan, Maloney, Suzanne, Turner, Joanna, Brown, Alice, Basson, Marita, Galligan, Linda, Lawrence, Jill, and Henderson, Robyn
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This paper reports on research that extends knowledge about higher education students' perceptions of online engagement. In particular, the study aimed to identify what students thought engagement was and how they experienced it. Understanding students' views about online engagement will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the topic and should assist instructional designers to support academic staff to develop online courses that are more likely to engage their students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study found that students felt most engaged with learning when doing practical, hands-on activities. Additional findings from the qualitative and quantitative data are highlighted, with some differences between the students' perceptions in the different types of data, particularly concerning social engagement. This suggests that further research is warranted. The paper offers several practical implications for student learning.
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- 2023
16. Vietnamese Doctoral Students' Imaginative Geographies of Their Destination Countries
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Anh Ngoc Quynh Phan
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This paper focuses on Vietnamese PhD students' imaginative geographies of their destination countries. Using the data collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 Vietnamese PhD students, the study examines the participants' preparation for their sojourn before their departure, as well as their first multi-sensory experiences of the study countries on the first days of arrival, which then revealed how their imaginative geographies had been constructed and how they perceived the contrast between their imaginative geographies and reality. The findings of the study suggest that when the students chose to study overseas, they had diverse imaginations of the destinations that had been constructed over long periods of time thanks to the influences of movies, newspapers, media, and experiences of those in their social networks. Furthermore, the paper also highlights the collective imagination about countries in the West and the imagination of the collective West among Vietnamese students.
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- 2024
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17. Bringing Clarity to the Leadership of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review
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Päivi Kinnunen, Leena Ripatti-Torniainen, Åsa Mickwitz, and Anne Haarala-Muhonen
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Purpose: The study aims to investigate the state of higher education (HE) leadership research after the intensified focus on teaching and learning (TL) in academia. Design/methodology/approach: The authors clarify the use of key concepts in English-medium empirical journal articles published between 2017 and 2021 by analysing 64 publications through qualitative content analysis. Findings: The analysed papers on leadership of TL in HE activate a number of concepts, the commonest concepts being academic leadership, distributed leadership, educational leadership, transformational leadership, leadership and transformative leadership. Even if the papers highlight partly overlapping aspects of leadership, the study finds a rationale for the use of several concepts in the HE context. Contrary to the expectation raised in earlier scholarship, no holistic framework evolves from within the recent research to reveal the contribution that leadership of TL makes to leadership in HE generally. Research limitations/implications: Limitations: Nearly 40 per cent of the analysed articles are from the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Australia and Canada, which leaves large areas of the world aside. Implications: The found geographical incoherence might be remediated and the research of leadership of TL in HE generally led forward by widening the cultural and situational diversity in the field. Originality/value: This research contributes to an enhanced understanding of the field of leadership in TL in HE in that it frames the concepts used in recent research and makes the differences, similarities and rationale between concepts visible.
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- 2024
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18. Issues in Cross-National Comparisons of Institutions That Provide Vocational Education and Training
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Michael L. Skolnik
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Colleges are important providers of vocational education and training and in some countries they are the major provider. Although the international literature on colleges has grown considerably in the past two decades, it still consists primarily of qualitative descriptions of college sectors in different countries. Quantitative studies of differences in the activity mix of colleges in different countries could improve knowledge of international variation in the roles of colleges and provide a stronger foundation for study of the sources and consequences of variation in college roles. After reviewing different methodological frameworks for comparative analysis of college activity, the research reported here employs one of these frameworks to analyse differences in the activity mix of colleges in five countries. In addition to finding some noteworthy differences among the five countries, the paper also identified several problems of comparability of college data from different countries. The paper concludes that the development of internationally comparable data on colleges would require leadership by international organisations and agencies and is an undertaking well worth pursuing both for the benefits that it could bring to those whom colleges serve and for its contribution to the advancement of comparative study of vocational education and training.
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- 2024
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19. Australian Doctoral Employability: A Systematic Review of Challenges and Opportunities
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Li'An Chen, Inger Mewburn, and Hanna Suominen
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Research educators, scholars, and employers often debate the nature and purpose of doctoral training. Should doctoral degrees exist only to make new knowledge and replenish the academic workforce or are they part of broader societal-enhancement and employment agendas? Or both? This study aimed to identify and analyse tensions in Australian employability discourse in the doctoral degree. We systematically reviewed 41 articles published in journals and conferences on Australian doctoral employability training from 2000 to 2022 and put them in context with the broader debate about doctoral employability in the so-called 'grey literature' of government reports and policy papers. Our findings indicated that stakeholders are all grappling with the difficulty of meeting diverse learning needs and there are contested understandings of the value of the doctoral degree beyond academia. At the same time, we found a relatively poor evidence base for many claims that outcomes of doctoral education are poor for both students and employers. This paper will be of interest to research educators seeking to implement new training programs and policy makers trying to craft new initiatives to connect doctoral education with industry.
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- 2024
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20. 'Everything Was Going to Be Really Easy for Me': Elite Schooling, Old Boys, and Transitions to University
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Cameron Meiklejohn, Stewart Riddle, and Andrew Hickey
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This paper reflects on the recounts of a group of 'old boys' about their transition from elite schools to university. Analysis of semi-structured interview data reveals that this transition was not always straightforward. Although educational background has traditionally determined access to, and progress through, university, this paper details the challenges that confronted a group of old boys as they negotiated a landscape that did not align with the positionality they had assumed in their schooling. Defining this as a 'bubble bursting' moment, the participants relay how negotiations of their positionality provoked a reflexive accounting of what to keep and what to reject in the formation of undergraduate identities. The discourses that surround the educational choices made by elite school students indicate how tightly bound notions of achievement and academic excellence define expectations and concomitant senses of Self. Exposure to a larger, and more diverse student population, as well as changed social strata, resulted in the questioning of the elite school environment and the preparation that it provided. This paper explores a currently under-theorised aspect of the literature to detail how the emotions and feelings that elite school alumni experience frames the transition to university.
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- 2024
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21. 'I'd Rather Not Bring Any Attention to Myself': Shyness and Belonging(s) during the First-Year University Experience
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Garth Stahl and Sarah McDonald
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The first year of university can be a vulnerable time, especially for students who describe themselves as shy and who may be reluctant to engage socially. Shyness, which can be closely aligned with social anxiety, often reduces opportunities for students to belong. This paper presents the experiences of two students negotiating experiences of shyness and belonging during their first year at university. Scholars have focused on how young people "negotiate" belonging(s) in multiple spaces. These negotiations provide insights into complex, varied and multi-faceted relationships which contribute to the lives of young people and which are integral to their identity development. The paper foregrounds four common trends in scholarship on belonging (space/place, memory/nostalgia, temporality and relationships) to structure the analysis of positionality, shyness and intersubjectivity during a transitional time. How both these students "come to belong" in reference to everyday social practices complicates a psychological or disability-studies approach to the study of shyness and provides insight into the realities of student experience, personal hardship and familial responsibility.
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- 2024
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22. Graduate Capitals and Employability: Insights from an Australian University Co-Curricular Scholarship Program
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Joanne Gleeson, Rosalyn Black, Amanda Keddie, and Claire Charles
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This paper explores how students participating in a co-curricular scholarship programme in a large Australian university develop their employability. It seeks to add to recent literature regarding different approaches to graduate employability through examining how participating students' capital acquisition is shaped by and internalised within the structure and culture of the scholarship. The paper also offers an example of how comprehensive and integrated co-curricular scholarship programmes can facilitate graduate employability. It suggests that despite curricular intentions to promote comprehensive and processual approaches to employability, students' employability internalisations are influenced by possessive and positional messages and cultural cues within the scholarship programme. These insights serve as important considerations for higher education institutions seeking to instigate or improve their employability curricula.
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- 2024
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23. Cultural Stories: Curriculum Design Learnings from an Arts-Based Australian University Project in Timor-Leste
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Rachel A. Mathews, Kym Stevens, and George Meijer
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This paper investigates the preparation of Australian undergraduate university arts students for a life challenging arts-teaching and creative experience in Timor-Leste. It explores university teaching practice and how we may achieve better student experiences in preparation for their futures as teaching artists. This narrative inquiry research hears the voices of the students through their individual, personal stories. The emerging teaching artists articulate challenges, identify shifts in beliefs and values, and confirm skills that are transferable to cultural arts teaching contexts in the future. In all, the research has resulted in 46 recommendations, some minor, and some requiring more significant structural changes that affect course delivery. For the purposes of this paper, we reflect on and discuss three of the major findings and recommendations in the pedagogical, cultural, and artistic areas of the project implementation. As such, this paper represents a reflective analysis of some of the findings regarding curriculum design within this project.
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- 2024
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24. Applying Mixed Methods Research in Large-Scale Programs -- Tracing the Long-Term Outcomes of Development Scholarship Alumni
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Johanna Doyle, Daniel Edwards, and Amanda Haddow
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Over the past 30 years, mixed methods research has become an increasingly popular tool in the social sciences. Mixed methods research can capture a diverse range of perspectives and levels of complexities not always possible with the use of a single methodological approach. It has been effectively implemented in a range of contexts to explore program outcomes and investigate research questions. This paper explores the application of a mixed methods approach in the evaluation of large-scale, long running international development scholarship programs. The particular focus is on a project implemented to consolidate evidence relating to the long-term outcomes of alumni who completed higher education in Australia as part of an Australian development scholarship. In reflecting on five years of implementation, the paper describes the benefits, complexities and challenges of this approach, with the aim of informing others embarking on large-scale, long-term program evaluations.
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- 2024
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25. Microteaching Networks in Higher Education
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Sonia Santoveña-Casal, Javier Gil-Quintana, and José Javier Hueso-Romero
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Purpose: Microteaching is a teacher training method based on microclasses (groups of four or five students) and microlessons lasting no more than 5-20 min. Since it was first explored in the late 20th century in experiments at Stanford University, microteaching has evolved at the interdisciplinary level. The purpose of this paper is to examine the networks found via an analytical bibliometric study of the scientific output related with microteaching in teacher training, through a study and examination of the Web of Science database. Design/methodology/approach: This research was conducted with the VOSviewer tool for content analysis through data mining and scientific network structure mapping by means of the normalisation technique. This technique is based on the association strength indicator, which is interpreted as a measurement of the similarity of the units of analysis. Findings: Two hundred and nine articles were thus obtained from the Web of Science database. The networks generated and the connections among the various items, co-authorship and co-citation are presented in the results, which clearly indicates that there are significant authors and institutions in the field of microteaching. The largest cluster is made up of institutions such as Australian Catholic University. The most often-cited document is by Rich and Hannafin. Allen (1968), who defines microteaching as a technique based on microclasses and microlessons, is the author most often cited and has the largest number of connections. Research limitations/implications: This research's limitations concern either aspects that lie beyond the study's possibilities or goals that have proved unattainable. The second perspective, which focuses on skill transfer, contains a lower percentage of documents and therefore has a weaker central documentary structure. Lastly, the authors have also had to bear in mind the fact that the scientific output hinges upon a highly specific realm, the appearance and/or liberalisation of digital technologies and access to those technologies in the late 20th century. Originality/value: This research shows that microteaching is a promising area of research that opens up vast possibilities in higher education teacher training for application in the realm of technologies. This paper could lead to several lines of future research, such as access to and the universal design of learning from the standpoint of different communication and pedagogical models based on microteaching.
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- 2024
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26. The Ramsay Centre and 'Western Civilisation': An attempt at Historical Perspective. A Reaction to Martin Davies' Paper
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Bonnell, Andrew G.
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Martin Davies' paper seeks to vindicate the efforts of the Ramsay Centre to fund courses in 'Western Civilisation' at selected Australian universities. He begins by lamenting the rejection of vast amounts of philanthropic money for the humanities, and all too quickly dismisses the stated grounds for the Australian National University's decision to decline a deal with the Ramsay Centre: 'The issue of academic autonomy has been raised as a reason, but this is, at best, ostensible', Davies writes. He then goes on to defend the concept of courses in Western civilisation more generally. This article will briefly address a number of relevant points in reaction to Martin Davie's paper: (1) the concept 'Western Civilisation' has its own, comparatively recent, history, and needs to be viewed in its own historical context; (2) the term 'civilisation' has relatively little utility as a unit of scholarly analysis; (3) proponents of an academic program on (or for) 'Western Civilisation' are operating with a reified and artificially unified concept that breaks up under closer examination; and (4) that some of the advocacy for a 'Western Civilisation' program betrays an animus against the modern, secular, public university. [For "Three Cheers for the Ramsay Centre," by Martin Davies, see EJ1228236.]
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- 2019
27. From Private to Public Benefit: The Shifting Rationales for Setting Student Contributions. Occasional Paper
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University of Melbourne (Australia), Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) and Norton, Andrew
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This paper summarises the evolution of student contributions in Australia since 1989, exploring system redesigns that commenced in 1997, 2005 and 2021. Public and private benefits are recurring themes in setting student contributions, both as high-level justifications for government policy and in pricing specific disciplines. Professor Andrew Norton evaluates five different rationales used by successive Australian governments to satisfy competing policy and political considerations: course costs, private benefits, public benefits, increasing resources per student place, and incentivising course choices. Professor Norton argues that despite using student contributions to guide course choices being central to current funding policy it is never likely to be effective. Student contributions do, however, have practical consequences that seem to be given little consideration by the government. These include how long it takes to repay student debt, how much of that debt the government will eventually write off, and university incentives to enrol students. As the new government reviews the Job-ready Graduates policy, the paper provides a useful basis for discussion, offering lessons from history in what works and what does not, and guiding policymakers towards student contribution systems that minimise problems for students, government and universities.
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- 2022
28. Proceedings of International Conference on Social and Education Sciences (Chicago, Illinois, October 15-18, 2020)
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International Society for Technology, Education and Science (ISTES) Organization, Akerson, Valari, and Sahin, Ismail
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"International Conference on Social and Education Sciences" includes full papers presented at the International Conference on Social and Education Sciences (IConSES) which took place on October 15-18, 2020 in Chicago, IL, USA. The aim of the conference is to offer opportunities to share your ideas, to discuss theoretical and practical issues and to connect with the leaders in the fields of education and social sciences. The conference is organized annually by the International Society for Technology, Education, and Science (ISTES). The IConSES invites submissions which address the theory, research or applications in all disciplines of education and social sciences. The IConSES is organized for: faculty members in all disciplines of education and social sciences, graduate students, K-12 administrators, teachers, principals and all interested in education and social sciences. After peer-reviewing process, all full papers are published in the Conference Proceedings. [For the 2019 proceedings, see ED602587.]
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- 2020
29. The Block: A Catalyst for Ongoing Innovation
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Konjarski, Loretta, Weldon, John, Ashley, Susan, Freeman, Traci, Shanata, Jai, Yamanishi, Meghan, Lotz, Erin, Gilde, Christian, and Ganzel, Alice
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This paper will contribute to our understanding of the Block, its pedagogical rationale and value, and explain why, apart from pandemic conditions, these might constitute a compelling alternative to traditional academic calendars. Current research highlights the need for further research on the nature of the Block, driven by an increased global focus on student outcomes and retention in Higher Education. This paper offers five case studies from institutions that have adopted a version of the Block at some time over the last 50 years. The authors seek to define the features that comprise block courses whereas the nature and functionality distinguish blocks from other intensive formats. A survey of the limited literature on this topic was based on theoretical underpinnings offered by one-course-at-a-time delivery, scholarship of teaching and learning on compressed education, and experiential learning. Using the research question, "Other than scheduling alternatives, what does the block offer HE institutions?", this project uses research that is qualitative in nature drawing on a controlled comparison of case studies which enables a cross-institutional evaluation. The case studies explain why each institution adopted the Block, how these schedules work, and discusses the challenges and affordances of teaching in this intensive format. First findings of this cross-institutional exploration suggest that blocks are unique in their delivery, often experiential in nature, and effective in their outcomes. The various versions of the Block described within, provide ongoing transformative models of teaching philosophy, curriculum, student success, and more.
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- 2023
30. STEPS, LEAPS and Bounds: Is There a Recipe for Success?
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Seary, Karen, Smith, Alice, Toth, Gabriela, and Flanders, Margaret
- Abstract
The development of a student identity as it relates to the transition of commencing students to higher education has long been identified in the literature as essential to success. As importantly, the existence of a sense of belonging has been considered key to transition and success and the formation of a student identity. Less prominent in the literature, the newly articulated notion of mattering has evolved from and is currently challenging the concept of student belonging. Mattering offers a broader understanding of what it means to have students in transition believe they are important, that they matter to the institution of study. The notion of mattering resonates strongly with the authors as transition educators. This paper draws on the work of Lizzio (2006) and MacFarlane (2018) to consider the essential ingredients any preparatory course should include to successfully transition underrepresented groups of students to study at the award level. A comparison of the STEPS course in the Australian context to LEAPS in the Scottish context provided avenue to propose a five-tenet framework as a possible recipe for success to best support the transition of an increasingly diverse group of students aspiring to university study. The paper explores the ways in which the courses effectively assist preparatory students develop a foundational student identity which is crucial to successful study in higher education, particularly in the initial stages of engagement. In doing so, it positions the philosophical underpinnings and the pedagogical practices currently adopted by both the STEPS and LEAPS courses as successfully embracing the tenets proposed within the framework.
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- 2023
31. Learning to Learn: Empowering Students to Articulate the Value of Their HASS Degree
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Rahman, Nira and Lakey, Elizabeth
- Abstract
In an uncertain labour market, the questions around the employability of graduate students take on a new urgency. Fears about the graduate market in the coming years are acute and are compounded by a sense that there is a large disconnect between a university education and what is expected in the workplace. Australian labour market trends clearly demonstrate that the skills most in demand by Australian graduate employers are precisely the transferrable skills which are honed by doing a HASS degree at the university. However, HASS academics do not usually talk about the skills and attributes students are gaining during their university studies and how this is useful in the workplace. Creating this awareness in both staff and students is immensely important for future graduates to survive and excel beyond university. Based on focus groups, interviews, and student-led projects over the last three years, this paper explores how to balance the need to engage with deep disciplinary knowledge with the understanding that this knowledge is only useful in the real world if accompanied by explicit skills. By using a case study, this paper showcases how to articulate skills and knowledge to HASS students to prepare for workforce. Furthermore, it focusses on how graduate attributes and learning outcomes can be connected from assessment tasks to classroom teaching.
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- 2023
32. The Intercultural Values and Social Connectedness of International Female Doctoral Students in Australia
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Syed, Sabrina
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This paper explored the multiple layers of social and intercultural adjustment challenges experienced by international female doctoral students in Australia. The paper investigates multiple dimensions of sociocultural differences between the students' native and host countries, including sociocultural context, community engagement, personal and social lives, and the intersection of more commonly researched sociocultural identities. This investigation is undertaken within the epistemological positioning of feminist standpoint theory and intersectionality. In addition, a narrative inquiry approach and a thematic analysis are used to understand the students' social lives and issues of adjustment to a new culture. Themes like intercultural understanding, social connectedness and adjustment issues are used to encapsulate the students' views about their social positionality and understanding of their lives during PhD in Australia.
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- 2023
33. Investigating Pre-Service Teachers' Skills in Designing Numeracy Activities across Curriculum Areas Involving Statistics
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Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) and Getenet, Seyum
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Informed by teaching statistics across curriculum areas strategies, this study investigated the skills of 36 pre-service teachers (PSTs) who designed numeracy activities that focused on the statistics strand of the Australian curriculum. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the PSTs designed numeracy activities focused on the science curriculum area. The results further showed that PSTs emphasised a few year levels and focused on collecting and recording data. The first stage of teaching statistics (designing effective questions) is often ignored in their activities. The approach adopted in this study can be used to identify PSTs' knowledge gaps and their professional learning requirements.
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- 2023
34. Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs about Challenging Mathematical Tasks
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Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA), Tran, Tammy, and Bobis, Janette
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We explored primary pre-service teachers' beliefs about challenging mathematical tasks and the role they perceived their initial teacher education played in influencing those aspects. Fifty-seven pre-service teachers completed an online questionnaire, and four participants were individually interviewed. Results showed that most participants recognised the importance of teaching with challenging mathematical tasks even prior to exposure to such content in their teacher education program. The teacher education program was perceived to have positively impacted final year pre-service teachers' perspectives about challenging tasks. Implications for teacher education regarding challenging tasks are discussed.
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- 2023
35. Design Thinking-Learning and Lifelong Learning for Employability in the 21st Century
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Vijayakumari Seevaratnam, Deanne Gannaway, and Jason Lodge
- Abstract
Surviving and thriving in this 21st century volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world caused by rapid digitalisation and changing work landscape, requires agile organisations with agile employees who are adaptable, resilient, and actively engaged in lifelong learning. A blended workforce encompassing full-time and 'gig' employees, working in tandem with smart machines, calls for an innovative and collaborative workforce capable of critical thinking and creative problem solving. This paper aims to highlight the potential of design thinking approaches to foster lifelong learning and graduate employability in a VUCA environment. The paper outlines an empirical study investigating the multiple benefits of incorporating design thinking process attributes in higher education. It argues that such processes can result in the development of 21st century skills and mindset and graduate capability themes that promote lifelong learning skills. Incorporating such strategies offers the potential to narrow the competency gap between workforce and work and enhance the employability and career development of graduates. The paper offers a Framework for Lifelong Learning in a VUCA environment that outlines the powerful traits that arise as payoffs from engaging in and practising design thinking. This framework can serve as a preliminary guide for higher education educators, learning organisations and individuals to inculcate and enhance lifelong learning.
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- 2023
36. Development of a Teaching Performance Assessment in Australia: What Did We Learn?
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Spooner-Lane, Rebecca, Broadley, Tania, Curtis, Elizabeth, and Grainger, Peter
- Abstract
Following increasing criticism of the variability in graduate teachers' readiness to enter the profession, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) introduced a program accreditation requirement that all initial teacher education (ITE) providers must implement a Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) in the final year of their teacher education programs. AITSL were not prescriptive in how ITE providers must meet the program standard which has resulted in 12 TPAs being implemented across 42 ITE providers. This paper outlines the development and implementation of one endorsed TPA designed to measure the readiness of graduating teachers, whilst taking into consideration the learnings from well-known TPAs and our own experiences. With this being one of the earlier unfunded TPAs in Australia to have been approved through the accreditation endorsement process, the paper offers some insights into meeting the additional accreditation program requirements and raises some longer-term considerations associated with implementing TPAs.
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- 2023
37. Understanding Diversity in Undergraduate Learning of Cost-Benefit Analysis
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Sarah Yu
- Abstract
This paper presents a case study that reflects on teaching an economic unit, Cost-benefit analysis (CBA), to a diverse undergraduate student body at the researcher's institution. CBA is an applied economic technique that attempts to assess the economic efficiency of proposed public policies through the systematic prediction of social costs and social benefits. Students in this CBA unit are required to complete an online test, CBA report and a final examination. In the CBA Report, the students perform analytical work to explain the relationships among events, identify options, evaluate choices, and predict the effects of actions. This paper investigates the performance of four different student cohorts from 2019 to 2022. This paper aims to understand the differences in undergraduate students' learning of CBA based on the diversity among students, and in particular whether any specific student demographic (defined by gender, age, course progress level, study load and domestic vs international students) experienced a disproportional impact. The findings are then used to contribute improvement in the teaching and learning of the unit in higher education.
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- 2023
38. Students with Disabilities as Ideal Graduates: Universities' Obligations to Support Extracurricular Involvement
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Brooke Szucs and Paul Harpur
- Abstract
Extracurricular activities (ECAs) and their impact on student employability has become a focus of the higher education sector, with a recent emphasis on experiences such as global exchange and skill acquisition that prepares graduates for the workforce. Despite the initiatives and effort put into supporting the general student population, students with disabilities are underrepresented in these opportunities. This causes such students to have less access to employability opportunities that set them apart from their peers and leads to a distinct disadvantage when seeking to enter the workforce. The literature suggests that there are various benefits of participating in extracurricular activities for university students, including some literature about students with disabilities. However, there is a distinct lack of focus on how the scarcity of support for participation in these programs fails to address equality and discrimination legal obligations, as well as the failure of disability specific initiatives to include these activities as essential to their core mission. This paper aims to examine how Australian University strategic plans addressing disability inclusion and supports for students with disabilities extend to the extracurricular space, and what more can be done to include these students in all aspects of campus life. Through a search and policy analysis of University Strategic Plans, Disability Action Plans, and scholarships for students with disabilities to participate in extracurricular activities, it was revealed that this issue is not being sufficiently addressed through university strategic responses to disability inclusion. This paper provides practitioners and universities with recommendations to improve their compliance with antidiscrimination measures and address this deficit to improve student outcomes.
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- 2023
39. Building Capacity for Inclusive Teaching: Policies and Practices to Prepare All Teachers for Diversity and Inclusion. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 256
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France) and Brussino, Ottavia
- Abstract
Classrooms have become increasingly diverse places where students from various backgrounds share their learning experiences. To promote inclusive school settings for all, building teacher capacity for inclusive teaching represents a key policy area. Education systems need to ensure that teachers are adequately prepared for inclusive teaching and supported throughout their career. Mechanisms to attract and retain a more diverse teaching body as well as to monitor and evaluate teacher preparation and work with respect to diversity and inclusion should also be developed. While teacher policies have increasingly addressed some of these areas, most education systems lack comprehensive capacity-building frameworks for inclusive teaching. This paper maps policies and practices to build teacher capacity for inclusive teaching across OECD countries. It then presents core elements and competences to design and implement inclusive teaching strategies. Finally, the paper reviews some of the evidence available on teacher diversity and interventions for inclusive teaching.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
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40. Shifting the Focus for International Higher Education in Australia. Discussion Paper
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University of Melbourne (Australia), Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE), Uzhegova, Dina, Croucher, Gwilym, Marangell, Samantha, Arkoudis, Sophie, Baik, Chi, Law, Siew Fang, and Locke, William
- Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption to Australian international higher education. By some estimates the number of international students commencing at Australian universities dropped by 23.3 per cent in 2020 due to the closure of borders. The impact on universities has been dramatic, with many making significant cuts to staffing numbers and changes to course offerings. In recent decades international education has provided significant fee revenue to Australia, totalling over $40 billion in 2019. It is unlikely that the international student market will return to pre-2019 numbers soon. Australian borders are expected to be closed until 2022 and perhaps beyond. There is now an opportunity to reimagine and reconceptualise internationalisation in terms beyond its narrow economic value. This discussion paper is an attempt to shift the discussion about the future of Australian international higher education by focusing not on the narrow economic motivations or challenges but on the public good in terms of its social values and rationales. It is also an invitation to question how Australian universities can cultivate global competencies and offer a genuine international learning experience to all students with or without the additional value brought by physical mobility.
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- 2021
41. Data Linkage in VET Research: Opportunities, Challenges and Principles. Discussion Paper
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia), Osborne, Kristen, Fowler, Craig, and Circelli, Michelle
- Abstract
This discussion paper explores the possibilities and risks that data linkage presents for the vocational education and training (VET) sector. Along with a broad overview of the nature of data linkage, it highlights possible applications for data linkage in the VET sector and examines the key challenges associated with its use. A number of case studies are reviewed to illustrate the advantages data linkage can offer, as well as the challenges that may arise. In order to better understand the options for data linkage from an education and employment perspective, a 'map' of relevant Australian datasets is presented, along with a list of data sources that may be of use to VET research. As well as selected Australian datasets, the paper reviews some international datasets of potential interest for VET research in Australia. Using the insights gained from past data-linkage projects and taking into account the privacy and ethics concerns, the paper presents a set of six principles for data linkage. These principles provide researchers with basic steps for guidance when embarking upon a data-linkage project. Finally, future directions for data linkage in VET research are explored.
- Published
- 2018
42. Developing Mathematics and Science Teachers' Ability to Design for Active Learning: A Design-Based Research Study
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Kickbusch, Steven, Dawes, Les, Kelly, Nick, and Nickels, Katherine
- Abstract
This paper describes an approach to working with secondary preservice mathematics and science (M&S) teachers to develop their ability to design for active learning. It presents the design of a studio-style intervention that augments existing teacher education. It describes the way that these studios can be organised, with specific suggestions that a specialised learning designer, a subject matter expert, and administrative support be included to aid in the design for learning--on the justification that this can both improve the learning design as well as advance teacher learning. It describes a study in which 10 secondary M&S preservice teachers experienced this style of studio, through iterations of learning design sessions and teaching practice. The studio differs from existing models (such as the 'clinical model') through its focus on learning design, the structure of the learning network, and the way that it augments (rather than replaces) existing teacher education. The paper presents results from the study in terms of teacher self-efficacy and self-reported perceptions. It discusses a set of design principles that emerged through the process of developing and testing this model and proposes considerations for researchers or teacher educators looking to use a similar approach in future by focusing on the roles, tasks, and activities for members within the network.
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- 2022
43. Developing Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding of Numeracy
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Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) and Bennison, Anne
- Abstract
In Australia, all teachers are expected to explicitly attend to numeracy in the subjects they teach. Pre-service teachers, therefore, need to begin to develop effective numeracy teaching strategies but there is a limited research base to inform the design of courses that address this need. This paper reports on findings from a study investigating the impact of one such course. The paper draws on data from two pre-service teachers: two course tasks completed at the beginning of the course and interviews conducted at the end of the course. Data were analysed using the 21st Century Numeracy Model. Findings suggest there were changes to the pre-service teachers' understanding of numeracy and their capacity to embed numeracy in the subjects they will teach.
- Published
- 2022
44. Affective and Emotional Experiences in Arts-Based Service-Learning Environments
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Jacobs, Rachael
- Abstract
Dewey (1938) once wrote that the most effective forms of learning connect intellectual processes with emotion, which is able to inspire curiosity and excite the learner. This paper adds to the body of research that attests to the transformative role of affect in teacher education, which is able to be cultivated through arts-based service-learning experiences. Pre-service teachers at two universities in Sydney, Australia were placed in service-learning settings that were based around participatory experiences in drama and storytelling, music, dance or visual art. The pre-service teachers' reflections on the placement revealed a transformative experience which combined emotional learning with critical analysis of social justice issues as they relate to education. As part of their placement, they experienced arts engagement that utilised affect and emotion as a transformative pedagogy. They broadened their understanding of the role of teachers, both in an institution and in society. These emerging understandings led them to find voice as advocates, investigate arts education and community projects as alternative career paths and re-evaluate their own perceptions of quality teaching. Some participants continued engaging with the community arts projects after the placement had concluded, and others became advocates for the arts in education and society. Finally, they adopted a critical stance on social justice issues, and shed light on the ways that arts learning service-learning placements can become deeper engagements, leading to sustainable benefits for all parties.
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- 2023
45. Organisational Narratives vs the Lived Neoliberal Reality: Tales from a Regional University
- Author
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Rogers, Marg, Sims, Margaret, Bird, Jo, and Elliott, Sue
- Abstract
Organisational narratives are foundational to inform the actions and directions of an organisation. Modern organisations often place great weight and invest significant time crafting their narratives that are communicated through mission statements, strategic plans, policies, directives and self-promotion. Sometimes these narratives align with the lived reality of the workers and those who deal with the organisation, but at other times there is a significant gap, or even chasm, between the portrayed ideal and the reality. This paper situates such narratives, and the lived experiences within critical organisational theory and a neoliberal framework. Utilising autoethnographic accounts of four academics within a higher education context, it highlights this gap and the need to voice concerns about this misalignment. The paper raises awareness of both organisations and workers to the importance of being true to narratives and ensuring they are an accurate representation of what happens. It offers ideas for resisting the disjunction between narrative and reality and a way of challenging neoliberalism within higher education.
- Published
- 2020
46. Working toward a Place-Based Online Pedagogy
- Author
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Jacinta Maxwell, Katie Burke, and Yvonne Salton
- Abstract
Online learner engagement research has risen internationally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in relation to experiential learning. However, this research has focused on the use of technology to access learning about a particular place rather than consider the pedagogical potential of the places in which the learner is located. This study therefore considers the question: What is the pedagogical potential of place for online learners? The aim of the study is to scrutinise pedagogical practices that facilitate applied understanding of course concepts in a way that enables learners to contextualise learning in their unique locations. This paper analyzes recounts of experiences with place-based inquiry with online students in an initial teacher education course offered in regional Australia. The evidence presented suggests that place-based pedagogy enables students to see learning concepts at work in context, beyond the abstract. Further, contrary to expectations that the experience of place-based learning is diminished in an online environment, there might be advantages for the preparation of pre-service teachers in experiencing place-based inquiry in their own locales.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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47. The Policy-Reality Gap of Bullying in Higher Education: Implications for HR and Managers - A Comparative Study of Australian and Croatian Universities
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Llandis Gareth Barratt Barratt-Pugh and Dragana Krestelica
- Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between higher educational institution bullying policies and the subsequent cultural impact to determine the effectiveness of policy in ameliorating bullying within the university culture. Design/methodology/approach: This study consisted of two separate but related case studies at two universities in different countries, focussing on university staff. The field work gathered data about existing anti-bullying policy, the extent to which it was part of the organisational culture for staff, and the levels of staff bullying experienced or seen within the organisation. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Findings: The study found that despite one university having significant policy and the other having very little policy, the knowledge of policy in both universities was and subsequent experience of bullying for staff were very similar. Research limitations/implications: The findings indicate that anti-bullying policy alone appears to have a limited impact on organisational behaviour. This suggests that the entrenched and historical master/servant relations of academia enable such practices to continue. Policy implementation is insufficient and training and development to generate more inclusive, people-focussed management cultures is necessary to ameliorate bullying behaviour. Practical implications: The paper draws on the experiences, critique and suggestions of the study participants to prepare a possible agenda for cultural change that human resource (HR) managers could develop in association with academic and professional managers within their institution. Social implications: The findings suggest that in any social setting or organisational structure where strong historical patterns of master/servant endure, the opportunity for bullying behaviours to grow and flourish is fertile and that policy statements alone may have little impact on curtailing such behaviour. Originality/value: This study makes two contributions to existing knowledge. First, it provides evidence that anti-bullying policy is alone unlikely to have an effective impact on instances of bullying within the culture. Second, the case study contrast displays that unacceptable levels of bullying exist in two very different institutions in two very different cultures. Whilst one country has a war-torn history and the other exists in splendid isolation, the same patterns persist, indicating that universities have structured cultural issues that are difficult to change.
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- 2024
- Full Text
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48. 'I Want to Contribute, But…': Exploring the Perceived Valuing of Doctoral Qualifications Held by Teachers in Schools
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Ellen Larsen, Melissa Fanshawe, and Yvonne Salton
- Abstract
This paper explores the experiences of educators in Australia with doctoral qualifications and how they perceive their knowledge and research skills to be valued and leveraged as legitimate funds of knowledge in school environments. Findings from an online survey and four semi-structured interviews provoke further consideration of how teachers' cultural capital is contemporaneously defined in school settings, with educators with doctorates perceiving their knowledge and skills to be largely underutilised or ignored in their workplace.
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- 2024
- Full Text
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49. Awarding Digital Badges: Research from a First-Year University Course
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J. Goulding, H. Sharp, and P. Twining
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This paper reports on a study that replaced marks with digital badges in an undergraduate Initial Teacher Education course. The aim was to examine the impact of badging on students, and on the quality of university provision. Data collection consisted of surveys and focus groups. The study found that while digital badges had considerable potential to improve the student experience in terms of engagement with feedback, motivation and reducing 'grade anxiety', delaying the awarding of marks caused significant student anxiety. The effect on university provision was more positive, and digital badges promoted constructive alignment between university-based assessment tasks and external professional standards frameworks. The student findings pointed to an underlying tension associated with implementing student-centred, outcomes-based assessment methods in contexts designed to accommodate traditional high-stakes assessment. Five recommendations for future practice were made: (1) Remove marks altogether where digital badges are used; (2) Do not substitute written feedback with digital badges; (3) Developing a badge framework is important for both students and staff; (4) Inform students about what to expect; (5) Develop a 'Badge Tree'.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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50. Precarious Academic Citizens: Early Career Teachers' Experiences and Implications for the Academy
- Author
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Jody Crutchley, Zaki Nahaboo, and Namrata Rao
- Abstract
The fragmentation of academic work and its uneven distribution among academic staff have produced particular challenges for new entrants to teaching in Higher Education, Early Career Teachers [ECTs]. In this paper, documentary analysis of the narratives of fourteen ECTs, who worked across six different continents, was undertaken. The findings highlight the diverse forms of precarity that ECTs face, which cut across migratory, identitarian, economic, and ideological dimensions. It discusses ECTs' reflections on their expectations of teaching and their adaptation to the demands of neoliberal Higher Education. Drawing from their narratives and Sevil Sümer's theories of differentiated academic citizenship, ECTs are recognised as 'precarious academic citizens'. This has important implications for revealing the unique circumstances of this group, thereby opening further questions as regards their mentoring and support to enable them to be situated more equally as citizens of the academy.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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