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Purpose This paper seeks to address an underdeveloped aspect of entrepreneurship education (EE), which is still criticised for not explicitly linking educational practice with established educational theory. As such, the purpose of this paper is to propose a novel educational framework – Authentic Alignment – that the authors evolved based on their own EE practice, as well as two major educational theories.Design/methodology/approach A review of a range of conceptual educational frameworks in EE revealed a gap in the current literature, referring to the fact that practice is not sufficiently linked to sound educational theory. The paper combines a range of educational theories – predominantly Constructive Alignment (CA) and Authenticity – to develop a novel conceptual framework, termed “Authentic Alignment”. The discussion of Authentic Alignment draws upon EE literature, as well as student feedback and the reflections and experiences of the practitioners and academics involved in delivering a higher education unit underpinned by Authentic Alignment.Findings It is argued that Authentic Alignment coherently and explicitly links educational practice to major established educational theories and as such presents a valuable approach to education through entrepreneurship as it aligns authentic approaches to instruction, learning and assessment that strike a balance between resembling and being relevant for real entrepreneurial activity.Practical implications The paper invites educators to draw upon Authentic Alignment for their own entrepreneurship units/programmes by customising the specific approaches to their own requirements, while retaining the underlying principle of constructively aligned authentic education.Originality/value By explicitly linking EE to CA and Authenticity, this paper introduces a novel educational framework that provides a valuable structure for education through entrepreneurship. The customisability of Authentic Alignment, however, suggests a wider applicability and is thus valuable also for education about and for entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to build on current discussions about the need for and role of guidance in learning and teaching, as well as to theoretically develop its specifics to further advance our scholarly understanding of how to structure and enhance entrepreneurship education. Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes a synthesizing conceptual approach, built on developmental psychology, instructional science, expertise research as well as the pedagogy–andragogy discussion and the role of guidance in contemporary entrepreneurship education research. In addition, a new term, odigogy, is developed. Findings: Odigogy, from the Greek word odigós (to guide), addresses how to navigate student entrepreneurs in higher education. The term seeks to correspond both to the specifics of entrepreneurship as a subject and the characteristics of students in the classroom who are in a transitional phase between adolescence and adulthood. Practical implications: The paper contributes to current entrepreneurship education discussions by offering a more balanced terminology positioned between how to teach (pedagogy) and how adults learn (andragogy). The paper provides insights for teachers when developing teaching methods and learning activities in higher education. Originality/value: By introducing the term odigogy the paper seeks to contribute an enhanced understanding of the entrepreneurial learning process in higher education, which does not match pedagogical assumptions on how to teach children or adolescents, nor andragogical assumptions on how adults learn, or how to engage students in self-directed learning as presented in heutagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Little is known about how experiential entrepreneurship education approaches contribute toward enhancing the engagement of students in the learning process. Using a purposive and convenience sample of individual student reflective journals, the purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate how the process of constructive misalignment enhances the level of student engagement through a team-based experiential entrepreneurship education assessment. Design/methodology/approach: Data were gathered from a purposive and convenience sample of reflective journals, an individual "performance assessment" element of three Masters-level courses (courses 1, 2 and 3) that included an "active" group business ideas generation presentation and a report. These texts were analyzed through content analysis that critically evaluates and summarizes the content of data and their messages. Findings: While expected learning outcomes included teamwork and communication, the higher levels of active learning and student engagement related to innovation and generating a business idea was much more modest. Rather, the study finds that significant learning opportunities were apparent when students experienced unexpected aspects of constructive misalignment, such as linguistic–cultural challenges, nonparticipation and freeriding. Originality/value: Building on Biggs' (2003) model of constructive alignment in course design and delivery/assessment, this paper elucidates various unexpected and surprising aspects. It suggests that constructive misalignment could provide major learning opportunities for students and is thus more likely in these team contexts where entrepreneurship students experience constructive misalignment. Educators should, therefore, continue to design experiential entrepreneurship courses and their performance assessments through team-based approaches that achieve higher levels of engagement as well as more active learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate 3D virtual reality (VR) situated activity, preschool reality and how the lecture teaching method affects technology university students' learning outcome. Design/methodology/approach: The quasi-experimental design is used. Participants are 144 students in three classes who all take Child Development Assessment course. Research instruments include 3D VR animation, preschool live video and child development as the case. One class attended 3D VR situated activities, another observed preschool live video and the other takes a traditional lecture class. Learning outcomes were measured by two paper-and-pencil tests in different times and with one performance assessment. In the writing test, mechanical and meaningful questions were included. Findings: Major findings of this study are, first, that the auxiliary learning of 3D VR is better than the real-life situation. Second, situational learning activities can enhance participant performance in context-based questions. In summary, this study found that well-organized 3D VR animation is more effective than live situation learning, especially for context-based course content. Research limitations/implications: The lack of random assignment into test groups leads to non-equivalent test groups which can limit the generalizability of the results to other student population. Practical implications: The findings of this study suggest that teachers can gradually arrange learning activities, from 3D VR to a real applied workplace; situated learning activities are more likely to support the transfer knowledge to real-life problem solving. Originality/value: The findings suggest that teachers in arranging the classroom context activities can be the first to use 3D VR before actual reality to avoid novices getting lost in the complicated real situations. If learning activities can be arranged gradually, from 3D VR to real applied workplace, situated learning activities can help students to deploy their newly acquired knowledge and skills in real-life problem solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to justify, elaborate and elucidate the concepts of action, experience and reflection, and how they are intertwined when discussing contemporary entrepreneurship education. These concepts have been given a meaning in entrepreneurship education, but have not been discussed in-depth, and by that have been abridged in meaning and purpose, and mostly been treated in isolation from each other. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is conceptual and takes its starting point in the historical development of the field and discusses the concepts, from philosophical roots and their application, in entrepreneurship education. Findings – Neither of the discussed concepts are enough to generate learning one by one, as they are intertwined within the learning process that aims to generate knowledge. From this perspective, an understanding of how these concepts work, both individually and in synergy, is of importance for entrepreneurship education. Research limitations/implications – The discussion presented in this paper may be a starting point for future empirical studies on entrepreneurial learning, by developing the meaning of action, reflections and experience, or by trying to conceptualize them. Practical implications – The study indicates that entrepreneurship education should not concentrate only on one dimension of the entrepreneurial learning process, as for example, on actions, but should try to combine all of its discussed elements. Originality/value – By exploring the origins and developments around the concepts, the paper brings a deepened understanding of what the field considers as important when learning entrepreneurship. By decomposing and mutually referring the concepts, the authors contribute to the call of strengthening the theoretical and philosophical understanding in entrepreneurship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This introduction to the special edition aims to focus on the issues that surround putting work-based learning into practice in the UK. Design/methodology/approach - The introduction is a brief survey and commentary on the issues surrounding work-based learning. A selection of papers is drawn from the timely 2006 University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) Annual Conference. UVAC, an international membership organisation has championed higher level vocational learning, particularly higher education (HE) engagement with employers and the workforce, and the selection of conference papers demonstrates the seriousness with which HE educators are taking this work forward. Findings - The introduction finds that a rebalancing of the priorities of HE institutions to make available relevant, flexible and responsive provision that meets the high skills needs of employers and their staff has arrived which requires us to reevaluate the university offer and as Waterhouse argues, "it is not that they can teach, nor even that they can sell research, but that they can assess: they accredit learning and are awarding bodies. It is this social certification of successful learning that individuals, employers and ultimately society pay for." The next reinvention for the sector is contemporary vocationalisation and responsiveness to economic imperatives rather than learning. Research limitations/implications - A wider survey of practice, particularly the use of employer standards, is now required to establish a common language between industry and HE. Practical implications - Implications are a progressive change to HE offering and an increased engagement with workforce development which requires changes to assessment and a greater use of accreditation and validation in the workplace. Originality/value - The introduction provides a succinct analysis of the work based learning and employer engagement in HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main problems in assessing reflective learning and to seek ways of tackling them. Lessons are sought from HE's long engagement with critical thinking that can be transferred to reflective learning. A solution to the problems is offered that is based on a questioning approach to reflective learning. In so doing, the paper explores the nature of reflective learning and advances the idea that the distinction between "surface" and "deep" learning can be generalised to the domain of reflective learning. It concludes with some implications for the development of reflective learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce an entrepreneurial learning approach to the study of sport education in order to inform future research directions.Design/methodology/approach Sport education needs to focus on how it can overcome existing barriers to bring a more interdisciplinary approach. This paper uses entrepreneurship education theory to explore the changes required in sport education provision to create a more relevant and conducive teaching environment.Findings The findings of this paper suggest that by bringing sport students into contact with entrepreneurship education, aids in the development of improved employability and social skills.Research limitations/implications Introducing entrepreneurship education into sport will help the students develop learning initiatives that advance the scholarship of sport education within the university sector.Practical implications The benefits of including entrepreneurship education in sport studies could be of interest to the directors of education wanting to increase student enrollments and interest in their courses.Originality/value The study suggests ways to offer more interdisciplinary courses and activities linking entrepreneurship education to sport. This needs to be taken into consideration as it will enable the development of sport entrepreneurship education that improves links between academic research with policy and business initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Collaboration between universities and industry is increasingly perceived as a vehicle to enhance innovation. Educational institutions are encouraged to build partnerships and multidisciplinary projects based around real-world open problems. Projects need to benefit student learning, not only the organisations looking for innovations. The context of this study is a multidisciplinary innovation project, as experienced by the students of an University of Applied Sciences in Finland. The purpose of this paper is to unfold students' conceptions of the learning experience, to help teachers and curriculum designers to organise optimal conditions and processes, and support competence development. The research question was: How do students in higher professional education experience their learning in a multidisciplinary innovation project? Design/methodology/approach: The study took a phenomenographic approach. The data were collected in the form of weekly diaries, maintained by the cultural management and social services students (n=74) in a mandatory multidisciplinary innovation project in professional higher education in Finland. The diary data were analysed using thematic inductive analysis. Findings: The results of the study revealed that students' understood the learning experience in relation to solvable conflicts and unusual situations they experienced during the project, while becoming aware of and claiming their collaborative agency and internalising phases of an innovation process. The competences as learning outcomes that students could name as developed related to content knowledge, different personal characteristics, social skills, emerging leadership skills, creativity, future orientation, social skills, technical, crafting and testing skills and innovation implementation-related skills, such as marketing, sales and entrepreneurship planning skills. However, future orientation and implementation planning skills showed more weakly than other variables in the data. Practical implications: The findings suggest that curriculum design should enable networked, student-led and teacher supported pedagogical innovation processes that involve a whole path from future thinking and idea development through prototyping to implementation planning of the novel solution. Teachers promote deep comprehension of the innovation process, monitor and ease the pain of conflict if it threatens motivation, offer assessment tools and help in recognising gaps in individual competences and development needs, promote more future-oriented, concrete and implementable outcomes, and facilitate in bridging from innovation towards entrepreneurship planning. Originality/value: The multidisciplinary innovation project described in this study provides a pedagogical way to connect higher education to the practises of society. These results provide encouraging findings for organising multidisciplinary project activities between education and working life. The paper, therefore, has significant value for teachers and entrepreneurship educators in designing curriculum and facilitating projects. The study promotes the dissemination of innovation development programmes in between education and work organisations also in other than technical and commercial fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present the current state of student volunteering in English universities, and show how it contributes to some of the core activities of higher education, including teaching and learning, employability, and public engagement. The paper goes on to describe challenges currently faced by student volunteering, and opportunities for its future development. Design/methodology/approach - This viewpoint article utilises the experiences and observations of two former higher education community engagement practitioners who are now working at a national level to raise the profile of student volunteering, and reviews recent policy and practice related to this subject area. Findings - Although student volunteering has a long tradition in English universities and there has been investment in the provision over the last decade, student volunteering is currently at a critical point. Without stronger evidence of impact, continued funding and an integrated approach to its development, student volunteering will not meet its full potential for higher education. Practical implications - The paper has implications for higher education senior management, employers, community and employer engagement practitioners within higher education, and students. It advocates that integrated approaches are needed at national and institutional level to support the development of student volunteering. Originality/value - The paper utilises the unique experience of former practitioners who now work in national roles, exploring a wide range of contemporary sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Since 2007, it has been mandatory for all vocational schools in Denmark to assess the prior qualifications of all students when they begin at the school and to use this assessment to divide students into different ability-based courses (streaming) with the aim of increasing the retention of students. The purpose of this paper is to explore students’ experiences of being placed on a low-ability course by using case studies of two classes from separate vocational schools in Denmark with different practices regarding the streaming of students. Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on theories of student drop-out and engagement (Rumberger, 1993; Finn, 1989) and on the differentiation-polarization theory (Gamoran, 2010) concerning the effects of streaming students into ability-based classes. Two cases are described, representing on the one hand predominately positive experiences of streaming (better relations to teachers and peers) and on the other hand predominately negative experiences of streaming (low teacher expectations and negative peer-learning). Findings – The study shows that the two schools have organized streaming differently and that the students have very diverse experiences of being placed in a low-ability class depending on the way the schools organize streaming. Originality/value – The paper discusses the basic dilemma that schools face when they have to teach students with very diverse backgrounds and levels of engagement. The study shows that the division of students into separate streams involves a risk of reducing the level of engagement among students in the low-ability courses, but it also suggests how streaming can be organized to increase the engagement of students and possibly reduce their risk of dropping out of vocational education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The paper examines the proportion of higher education (HE) graduates in Norway who have undertaken different forms of entrepreneurship education and how comprehensive the entrepreneurship education has been. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible benefits and effects of entrepreneurship education in terms of learning outcome and the propensity to start their own business. Design/methodology/approach -- A representative survey among HE graduates (N = 2,827) is used to present reliable estimates on the prevalence of entrepreneurship education within HE. The study provides a comparison of entrepreneurship graduates with other graduates in terms of the propensity to establish their own business or planning to do so. The study also examines the learning outcomes of entrepreneurship education as the entrepreneurship graduates are asked several questions concerning this, e.g. whether it was useful for establishing own enterprise or whether it increased their creative and innovative abilities. Findings -- The proportion of entrepreneurship graduates who are self-employed is very low and is not higher than for other graduates. The results indicate that entrepreneurship graduates to a certain extent are more interested in setting up their own company in the future, but this tendency is much lower than what is found in other European studies. Further, the reported learning outcome of the entrepreneurship education is not large. But entrepreneurship education, especially if it is of a certain type and scope, contributes to an increase in "generic" entrepreneurial skills. Most entrepreneurship students participated in rather short entrepreneurship courses, with lesser benefit. Research limitations/implications -- The positive effect of entrepreneurship education on the graduates' future plans with respect to starting their own business may partly be subject to self-selection. Further, the quality of entrepreneurship education in terms of academic content and teaching and learning methods needs further attention. Practical implications -- The overall results indicate that it would make more sense for some students to take a more comprehensive entrepreneurship education rather than that many more students taking some entrepreneurship education. This should be of interest to academia and policy makers. Further, it is primarily participation in education through (not about) entrepreneurship that increases the outcome in terms of generic entrepreneurial or innovative skills. This can be important information for the future development of entrepreneurship education. Originality/value -- The effect of entrepreneurship education on graduates' entrepreneurial intentions is examined by use of a representative sample and when comparing entrepreneurship graduates with other graduates within the same fields and types of study. Thus, generalized conclusions can be drawn. The learning outcomes are measured when taking into account the length and type of entrepreneurship course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution of a blended learning strategy in a company law course for accounting students and to evaluate its impact on assessment and student self-reflection. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach is used to describe the development of blended learning technologies within an elevator pitch assessment item in four cohorts over a two-year period. This is complemented by teacher observations, an online survey and student interviews to evaluate the assessment item, the technology used and its impact as a self-reflection and assessment tool. Findings – The case study reveals the benefits of blended learning technologies but also a series of logistical, assessment-related, behavioural and technological issues and how these issues were addressed. The preliminary evidence from the online survey and student interviews suggests that the blended learning technologies have facilitated flexibility in assessment (both from a student and teacher perspective), student self-reflection and fairness in assessment practices. Originality/value – The study identifies the benefits of and likely issues facing educators when considering the deployment of blended learning technologies to teach and assess oral communication skills. The paper contributes to pedagogy by describing the innovative use of video cameras in assessing elevator pitches and extends the literature on video presentations in higher education, in particular, its positive influence on student self-reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Many organisations are reconsidering their investment in formal education and training, in favour of more informal approaches to learning such as mentoring, temporary assignments, stretch assignments, and job rotation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which managers have developed capabilities for their roles thus far and their preferred approaches for future development with particular consideration given to a comparison of formal and informal learning.Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on a case study conducted within an Australian nonprofit organisation focussing on the extent to which managers attribute their current level of management skills to formal or informal learning and the extent to which they would prefer formal or informal learning (or a combination) for future development.Findings Findings indicate a large part of the managers’ current management capabilities were acquired through informal means, and these are seen as desirable for ongoing development, however, there is also a desire for formal learning methods to complement informal methods.Originality/value Management development is a critical HRD activity however there is limited knowledge about how managers have built their current capabilities and their preferences in terms of the mix of formal and informal learning for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to be a response to the "Call for Papers" on challenges for the practice of, and new modes of questioning and delivery in, business education. The authors seek to do this through an investigation of the disadvantages and benefits associated with the move towards using online technologies in an on-campus undergraduate first year management subject. Design/methodology/approach - The authors conducted a survey of 362 first year students undertaking a blended learning course in management. Findings - Students prefer interactive tutorials over lectures or online material they can access themselves as needed. They also mainly access the online material they believe will be most useful in achieving higher grades, and prefer online material that is related to assessment outcomes, rather than that designed for greater understanding. Research limitations/implications - The findings suggest that the community of inquiry framework, although designed to evaluate online learning, can also be used to frame the comparative utility of online and other teaching strategies. The paper also explores issues related to the Technology Acceptance Model's prediction that ease of use of online learning resources is important, and finds that many students are restricted by the cost of downloading and printing online learning material in university libraries and laboratories. Originality/value - The research focuses upon first year management students, and transition implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Although the assessment of enterprise education activities has been widely highlighted as a key area of concern, it continues to be under represented in the literature. Questions remain as to how educators seeking to monitor student progression can capture quality data and measure relevant aspects of development, often leading enterprise education to be monitored rather than assessed. This article seeks to explore the challenges of assessing enterprise education in the secondary education sector. It aims to provide useful insights to help practitioners understand how to evidence the impact of enterprise learning by students. Design/methodology/approach – The paper first presents a critical review of the existing literature with insights from specialist practitioners sourced through an online survey and a seminar. This provides a broad review of the field from a practitioner standpoint focusing on current assessment techniques and standards. Using these data a conceptual pedagogy is proposed for the delivery of enterprise education and a methodology for its assessment, to be developed in future work. Findings – A critical review of the assessment of enterprise education is presented. This exposes challenges of a confused field, with pockets of good practice in schools often not shared or understood out of context. The development of a novel pedagogical model for teaching enterprise education is proposed, linked to a prototype assessment methodology which presents a new approach for enterprise teaching and learning. Research limitations/implications – The work is limited at this stage since participants in the research were drawn from one geographic area in the East of England, and examples of qualifications reviewed were not exhaustive, but these limitations can be addressed in future research. Practical implications – The paper provides a conceptual model for structuring enterprise education which may have relevance across the secondary sector and beyond. Originality/value – The article investigates the problems of assessing enterprise in secondary education, examining what does and does not work, and providing practitioners with useful guidance. In this important topic it is vital that new approaches are developed which can create a broader debate especially at a time of such great change in the educational landscape. This paper provides a platform for further development in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to chart developments in a community engagement scheme run by two Universities in the North East, offering students academic credit in return for work within the local community. The particular focus is on how learning has been assessed from this work experience, within the requirements of higher education courses, and the introduction of a new and innovative practice of assessing students by interview. Design/methodology/approach - This paper provides a critical reflection on the practice and the rationale behind changes and developments that have been made to this. It includes some of the theoretical background in relation to the benefits of undertaking work experience, and to assessment methods within higher education. Findings - Using an assessed interview for all students taking work experience modules has compared favourably with other assessment methods used in the past. Although there have been some adjustments to the process in the three years since its introduction, it has been successful in providing greater authenticity of experience for students, without significantly increasing investment of staff time in the assessment process. Originality/value - This paper will be of value to practitioners involved with, or wishing to set up, community engagement or work experience schemes offering students or pupils academic accreditation in exchange for this experience, as well as those interested in novel practice within higher education assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of student learning from community engagement by critically assessing the implementation of this pedagogical approach in the context of teaching and learning chemistry and also evaluating the role of personal development in student-community engagement. Design/methodology/approach - A case study on the implementation since 2007 of community-based learning (also called service-learning) projects in an academic department in Ireland is presented. Analysis of assessment grades, student reflective accounts and evaluation questionnaires informs this work, as does a recently completed self-assessment of our activities using Shumer's Self-Assessment for Service-Learning. Findings - A marked improvement in student engagement and confidence, and their appreciation of how their subject is applied in real-world situations, is reported. Some difficulties arise however, in relation to the level of critical thinking and self-awareness evident in reflective writing assignments, as the students were generally not experienced in reflection on personal experiences. The extent to which it has been demonstrated that genuine community needs are being met is also an issue in some instances. Originality/value - The paper describes some innovative practices, as CBL is not well established in the discipline concerned, chemistry, and it has also not often been applied to the benefit of small local businesses. A critical analysis of the process followed when CBL activities were implemented in an institution without an existing, well-established culture of applying this pedagogical approach is provided, as this is a perspective not often explored in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of benefit to learning through developing strong links between universities and industry, and to suggest a methodology for building bridges between university and industry that provides a full learning experience for students. Design/methodology/approach - A case study approach which included the development of interactive projects that join students with industry, and follow-up questionnaire surveys of the outcomes, carried out among students and businesses. Findings - It was found that both parties feel that they benefit from building bridges between universities and industry, and data from this research are reported on in greater detail in the latter part of this article Research limitations/implications - Research is limited to students following the Manufacturing Management and Quality Systems courses within the Industrial Engineering Department of the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico, over a one year period. Practical implications - Provides evidence for a positive factor that linking university students and industry in joint projects increases the potential for a fuller learning experience for the students. Originality/value - The paper is based on actual experience of students, teachers and companies who participated in this experimental learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to share practice on how two approaches to work-based learning (WBL) are used to develop the knowledge and skills of health care staff with different levels of experience and educational attainment within the Department of Nursing and the Department of Allied Health Professions at a post-1992 university (UCLAN) and to enable two models of WBL to be differentiated, for the purposes of curriculum development. Design/methodology/approach - The two models are mapped and compared using a curriculum framework, in order to illustrate differences in ethos, teaching, learning and assessment strategies between the two approaches. Findings - Implementing two different approaches to WBL can meet health and social care employers' workforce development needs and can support the learning of diverse groups of staff, both those entering the health and social care services and those who are experienced and professionally qualified. Research limitations/implications - WBL can be implemented in many different ways to serve a variety of needs, but curriculum developers need to explore, with employers and potential students, their rationale behind engaging in WBL and ensure that ethos, teaching and learning methods and assessment are aligned as discussed by Biggs. Originality/value - This paper provides information on two approaches to WBL adopted by one university and offers insights to others beginning curriculum development in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The School of Nursing and Midwifery at De Montfort University has been consistently successful in producing student midwives who are, by the end of their chosen programme, fit for practice, purpose and award according to the DMU. This paper aims to investigate this claim. Design/methodology/approach - The paper looks at De Montfort University where an innovative tripartite assessment process has been developed to support midwifery students in practice. This involves the student, his/her personal tutor and his/her clinical midwife mentor. All three are involved in the planning of appropriate learning experiences to facilitate the student in meeting the clinical learning outcomes, utilising a personal professional portfolio. Findings - The paper finds that the close working relationships between the placement providers and the university have improved the assessment of practice and enhanced the student experience. Clinical midwife mentors have commented on how well the tripartite approach works and they appreciate the clear lines of communication that this relationship provides. The personal tutor role is well established in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the midwifery team have developed this role to include the assessment of students within the tripartite structure. This is beneficial from a quality perspective; while clinical midwife mentors will obviously change due to differing student placements, the personal tutor is the variable that is the constant through the student's progression on the programme. Originality/value - The tripartite approach to the practice assessment of pre-registration midwifery education investigated in this paper has proved to be a robust approach to ensuring students are fit for practice, purpose and award at the point of qualification and eligible to register as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose ? This paper seeks to demonstrate that a truly learner-centred enterprise education programme can be developed within a traditional business school environment. Design/methodology/approach ? This paper unites the broad teaching philosophy of Alfred Whitehead with that of Allan Gibbs's enterprise specific teaching philosophies to consider the fitness of the recently developed hic et nunc enterprise framework. This is largely achieved by testing the framework for constructive alignment. Findings ? It is argued that the hic et nunc framework is consistent with the philosophies of both Whitehead and Gibb. Further, the framework illustrates a process through which enterprise education programmes can be developed independently of any pressures to conform to more traditional pedagogy. Practical implications ? Through careful consideration of the process of constructive alignment, an analytical approach to developing and/or refining an enterprise education program exists. Importantly, it represents an approach that is explicitly learner-centred, and therefore free from the constraints of the environment within which the programme is delivered. Originality/value ? This paper brings to life the wonderful ideas of the great philosopher, Alfred Whitehead, combining them with the contemporary ideas of Allan Gibb. In doing so, the complementary nature of their thoughts helps to illustrate the minimal requirements of a learner-centred approach to enterprise education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose ? This paper seeks to explore undergraduate placement experiences in tourism and hospitality SMEs, focusing on the notions of surprise and sense making. It aims to argue that surprises and sense making are important elements not only of the adjustment process when entering new work environments, but also of the learning experience that placements provide. Design/methodology/approach ? In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 students who had recently completed a 48 week placement. Findings ? The paper finds that the surprises students encountered were not as dramatic as the literature on organisational entry suggests. This is partially explained by students already having gained substantial amounts of work experience prior to the placement. A number of SME-characteristic employment experiences were confirmed while others were questioned. Research limitations/implications ? Further detailed research is required that takes a more holistic account of the placement experience in order to understand more fully the impact of placement on learning and career choices. Practical implications ? The paper raises important questions about the value of undergraduate placements in an age of mass higher education where many students work part-time. Originality/value ? An apparent lack of reflection hindered the sense making process, which raises questions as to whether placements are achieving their potential for experiential learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose ? The purpose of this study is to identify the types of questions that students ask during the learning of chemistry; discuss the role of students'' questions in the process of constructing knowledge, and investigate the relationship between students'' questions, approaches to learning, and learning styles. Design/methodology/approach ? The questions raised by 100 first-year chemistry students in Science and Engineering courses at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, were collected. These students were invited to complete Kolb''s Learning Styles Inventory (LSI) and were observed during diverse class activities. Ten of these students were then selected for interview. Findings ? The paper finds that the data enable the placement of students at different stages of learning development, at an ?acquisition?, ?specialisation? or ?integration? phase. The ten interviews confirm the results of the LSI survey, and indicate that these students show either ?deep? or ?surface? approaches to learning, with evidence of a meso approach (intermediate between the two, with characteristics of both). The paper concludes that it is possible to relate students'' questions to their learning styles and approaches to learning. Students, who show a surface approach and stay within the acquisition stage, tend to formulate low-level questions. Students at the other end of this continuum seem disposed to ask higher-level questions. Research limitations/implications ? The generalisability of the overall study is limited because of the few students involved in the interviews. However, there are some clear pointers here for the relationship between the level of students'' question asking and increasing sophistication in learning. Practical implications ? Appreciating the diversity of learners, and their approaches to learning, enhances the possibilities of improving the quality of teaching at this level. Originality/value ? This paper expands on two congruent models that are frequently considered separate and distinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose ? The purpose of this paper is to explain and develop a classification of cognitive structures (or typologies of thought), previously designated as spoke, chain and network thinking by Kinchin et al.Design/methodology/approach ? The paper shows how concept mapping can be used to reveal these conceptual typologies and endeavours to place the concept-mapping method in the broader context of learning styles and learning theory. Findings ? The findings suggest that spoke structures are indicative of a na´ve epistemology, or of ?learning-readiness?; chain structures are indicators of ?goal-orientation? and networks are indicators of expertise. Furthermore, change that comprises simple elaboration of existing spokes or chains is likely to be the result of surface learning styles and the emergence of networks indicative of deep learning. The utility of these different cognitive approaches is discussed. Research limitations/implications ? The work is limited by the general lack of empirical testing, but the approach is presented as an important source of hypotheses for future research. Practical implications ? The practical implications of the research are considerable. First, concept mapping provides a framework for documenting and assessing understanding at ?novice? and ?expert? levels. Second, where definitive criteria can be developed from the learning styles literature, cognitive change in the course of learning can be evaluated to distinguish between deep versus surface or holist versus serialist approaches, for example. Originality/value ? The papers original and comprises a synthetic approach to the study of learning style and learning theory through the use of the concept-mapping method. It has both practical and theoretical value because it suggests a new approach and is an important source of testable hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of e-learning by government through policy, funding allocations, research-based collaborative projects and alliances has increased recently in both developed and under-developed nations. The paper notes that government, industry and corporate users are increasingly focusing on standardisation issues and the scalability of technology platforms to meet demand. This paper assesses the challenges for further development that e-learning faces in the coming years, including: access to appropriate technology, scalability, measurement, and changed governance structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores issues raised during the development and implementation of a new multimedia learning experience, outlining the context to the research and focussing on the changing roles for teachers and learners in the light of evolving new technologies. A backdrop of successive government policies to widening participation is provided to show the current rationale for higher education institutions encouraging staff to move towards on-line learning. At institution level, this paper discusses the potential issues in the classroom that arise by asking both staff and students to change from more traditional ways of learning. Then the second part of the paper details the teaching problem behind the "INCOTERMS challenge" and covers the development of the multimedia tool. The final section of the paper reviews the evaluation of the tool by the students and discusses the findings in relation to the issues raised in the literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to revise an undergraduate human resource management (HRM) curriculum and improve the relevance of the students' learning, a collaborative effort between human resource management practitioners and HRM faculty was launched. The result was the design of a project-based, action learning curriculum blending the knowledge acquisition that has historically been the outcome of university classroom training with the application that is so critical to effective functioning in the HRM work world. The paper provides guidance for others planning to improve the relevance of their curricula. The template presented in this paper emphasizes practitioner input, a willingness to adopt creative approaches to student learning, development of specific measurable outcomes, observable demonstrations of the learning of those outcomes and the creation of relevant, appropriate projects. Follow-up comments after one year of experience with the newly revised curriculum are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the process that underpinned and informed the development and delivery of a “creativity-led” credit-bearing teacher training provision and to illuminate key factors of influence for the approaches to teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the assumption that sustaining enterprise education involves developing educator capacity, networks of collaborating educators from different institutions and subject disciplines developed transdisciplinary pedagogical strategies. These were delivered to two pilot programmes, with a cohort of 18 in each. Findings – Feedback from the pilots suggest that creativity-based pedagogies are effective triggers. They motivate educators and enable specialists to develop subject-related content. Practical implications – The paper highlights the need for a more developed understanding of creativity, innovation and opportunity recognition, so that enterprise education starts with ideas generation, not merely ideas evaluation. Originality/value – Understanding creativity and innovation is emergent and there is a dearth of understanding, especially in teaching and learning for enterprise. The paper illuminates a developmental process that has responded to this shortfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore unintentional learning through an examination of the practical implications of it as experienced in the field of occupational health and safety, and the role of government in addressing those implications by way of learning at the level of culture change. The paper examines various learning models and assumptions and challenges the application of these assumptions in the workplace as evidenced in the field of occupational health and safety. The paper posits that a large body of "unintentional" learning exists within the workplace which is not the result of conscious decisions and lacks critical reflection on the possible outcomes. These learnings may have negative consequences that are at odds with stated or intended policy. It suggests actions which can be taken to identify and mitigate unintentional learnings and their outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: According to expectation–confirmation model (ECM) and task-technology fit (TTF) model, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of TTF in students' cloud-based e-learning continuance and evaluate whether TTF affects students' perceived impact on learning of the cloud-based e-learning system within the educational institution. Design/methodology/approach: Sample data for this study were collected from students enrolled in a comprehensive university in Taiwan. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed in the campus, and 391 (78.2 percent) usable questionnaires were analyzed using structural equation modeling in this study. Findings: This study's results verified that both task characteristics and technology characteristics affected students' perceived TTF, which significantly contributed to their perceived usefulness, confirmation and satisfaction with the cloud-based e-learning system, and these in turn directly or indirectly led to their continuance intention of the system and perceived impact on learning; essentially, the results strongly supported the research model integrating ECM and TTF model via positioning key constructs as the drivers with all hypothesized links being significant. Originality/value: This study contributes to an understanding of the TTF in explaining students' cloud-based e-learning continuance that is difficult to explain with only their utilitarian perception of the cloud-based e-learning system, and further places considerably more emphasis upon students' perceived impact on learning greatly driven by their TTF in the system. Thus, this study's empirical evidence on incorporating ECM and TTF model can shed light on the outcome for cloud-based e-learning continuance and enhance better understanding of a richer post-adoption model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on research findings from a teaching and learning intervention that explored whether undergraduate university students can be taught to articulate their employability skills effectively to prospective employers and to retain this ability post-course. Design/methodology/approach: The study included 3,400 students in 44 courses at a large Canadian university. Stage 1 involved a course-level teaching and learning intervention with the experimental student group, which received employability skills articulation instruction. Stage 2 involved an online survey administered six months post-course to the experimental group and the control group. Both groups responded to two randomly generated questions using the Situation/Task, Actions, Result (STAR) format, a format that employers commonly rely on to assess job candidates' employability skills. The researchers compared the survey responses from the experimental and control groups. Findings: Survey results demonstrate that previous exposure to the STAR format was the only significant factor affecting students' skills articulation ability. Year of study and program (co-operative or non-co-operative) did not influence articulation. Practical implications: The findings suggest that universities should integrate institution-wide, course-level employability skills articulation assignments for students in all years of study and programs (co-op and non-co-op). Originality/value: This research is novel because its study design combines practical, instructional design with empirical research of significant scope (institution-wide) and participant size (3,400 students), contributing quantitative evidence to the employability skills articulation discussion. By surveying students six months post-course, the study captures whether articulation instruction can be recalled, an ability of particular relevance for career preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the hardiness of university business students. Overall hardiness, and its individual components of commitment, control and challenge, were all explored in relation to students' quality of university life, quality of life and learning performance.Design/methodology/approach A sample of 722 Vietnamese business students was surveyed to collect the data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine whether hardiness and/or its components enhanced students' quality of university life, quality of life and learning performance. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) was then employed to explore the levels of hardiness and its components necessary for each of the key areas.Findings SEM results revealed that overall hardiness had a positive effect on all three key areas. In terms of individual components, commitment, control and challenge were found to have positive impacts on learning performance; however, control did not affect quality of university life, and challenge had no effect on quality of life. NCA results show that these components of hardiness had varying degrees necessary for students to experience success in these areas.Practical implications Findings suggest that university administers should consider the role which student hardiness, and its individual components, can play in relation to student success at university. Specifically, universities should practice hardiness training and assessment programs to equip their students with hardy attitudes and skills.Originality/value This study is one of the first to examine of the levels of the components of hardiness (i.e. commitment, control and challenge) necessary for students to achieve success in the quality of university life, quality of life and learning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how university fieldtrips progressively deepen student engagement, and explain that stage-by-stage using the organismic integration theory.Design/methodology/approach Using reflective logs, follow-up focus groups after two years and facilitator observations, this Malaysian qualitative study followed 12 business students across two three-day rainforest fieldtrips.Findings Students progressed toward greater – and enduring – engagement, and transferable socio-cognitive skills, via three thematic stages. Voice and self-reflection – motivated by protecting group harmony – were key, enabled by facilitator and peer encouragement.Research limitations/implications This exploratory study invites research in specified education cultures. Further, a longitudinal, quantitative study could be designed to examine the conceptual framework developed in Figure 1.Practical implications University curricula, especially in collectivist high power distance cultures, should include fieldtrips as a particularly powerful form of experiential learning. Benefits of deeper engagement extend beyond present to future courses and the workplace. Higher student attraction/retention and employability may follow. Intrinsic motivation grows through the student–instructor interaction, watching theoretical principles in action, and having eureka moments through reflection, expression and exchange of ideas.Originality/value The research fills a gap by mapping student engagement progressively from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation along with socio-cognitive competencies. The authors reveal the centrality of voice and reflection to promote group harmony, explain the roles of facilitators and peers and show long-lasting transferable benefits to learning. Novelly, the authors provide empirical support for existing conceptual frameworks but also extend these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The authors contribute to the literature by contrasting the cognitive with a contextual view on learning and development to address preconceptions about aging in order to broaden employers’ views on learning and performance across the working life and careers of their employees. The authors furthermore identify a number of opportunities that exist to support and sustain learning capability and performance in older workers. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a selective literature search to identify literature that best exemplifies both the cognitive and contextual view. Findings – Age-related declines in performance are observed on very specific and limited tasks, unlikely to be encountered in the workplace. Due to its focus on assessing limits and age differences, such studies will not normally take experience, job and personal resources into account – these are more likely to be present in the workplace. The authors find that much of the more applied evidence suggests older workers can perform at a similar level to their younger colleagues – when the workplace or training context does not restrain them from using their own strategies and resources to complete tasks. Research limitations/implications – The current overview of research that is more representative of the more cognitive view outlines a number of issues regarding the transferability as well as generalisability of these well publicised findings. Many of the laboratory-based cognitive ageing research focuses on “testing the limits” of cognitive processing and efficiency. This paradigm is not compatible with the specific tasks and learning that takes place in the workplace, which led us to a more contextual view. Practical implications – The authors provide several starting points for broader and more inclusive training and development, particularly the role of supervisory practices, climate, self-efficacy and learning competency, resources and strategies. Originality/value – Taking a more contextual view may foster a re-evaluation of how inclusive current managerial practice, policies and current development initiatives are. Distinguishing job and personal resources can help in identifying the aspects that can be influenced by workers themselves and those aspects that are the primary responsibility of organisations and their managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the development of students' skills in the context of team-based learning. Academics have heeded the call to incorporate team learning activities into the curricula, yet little is known of student perception of teamwork and whether they view it as beneficial to them and their future professional career. Further, this study presents an instructional framework to guide best practice in higher education practitioners with regard to the design of teamwork assessment. Design/methodology/approach - The paper adopts a qualitative approach utilising 190 students' reflections to examine their perception of the benefits of teamwork and whether it will contribute to their future professional work. Findings - Results indicate students perceive team-based assessment tasks require them to adopt a deep approach to learning together with a deep approach to study, as well as improving their skills in the areas of collaboration, team unity and cultural diversity. Further, the study identified a best practice approach that higher education practitioners should adopt in teamwork assessment design giving this study both national and international significance and aids fellow educators in their practices. Research limitations/implications - Because of the chosen research approach, the results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications - The paper presents important implications for those involved in the development of assessment items where objectives include the development of team skills and quality learning outcomes. The findings are vital for unit and course planning and design generally, and assessment planning, design and processes, specifically, both nationally and internationally. Originality/value - This paper fulfils an identified need to study students' perceptions of teamwork, whether they view it as beneficial to them and their future professional career, and presents a best practice approach for teamwork assessment design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to showcase that the integration of academic assessment with workplace performance appraisal practices can help to address the gap between graduate employability skills and employers' requirements. Employability refers to learning of transferable skills. Design/methodology/approach -- The integrated assessment criteria grid by which the quality of the assignments may be judged was developed and discussed with the students. Grades achieved by each assessment criterion are analysed and inferred as to whether students have learned the desired transferable skills. Findings -- Such integration strengthens the theoretical argument on the importance of formative assessment as a way to nurture students' learning. The transferable skills that students appeared to have learnt include "use of relevant data, meticulous, attention to details, structure & systems thinking, critical thinking and writing skill". Research limitations/implications -- Only one cohort of students is involved and their participation in the discussion is on a voluntary basis. The paper was not able to address students who did not appear to have learnt the transferable skills. Practical implications -- Employers are more cognisant of the quality of the management students graduating from this university. The learning of transferable skills reflects creativity development, and this contributes to the theory of knowledge which emphasises the importance of developing creativity through education. Originality/value -- This paper introduces a new form of formative assessment as a way to nurture students' learning of transferable skills within a coursework assignment setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]