Search

Background: The precise effect and the quality of different cases used in dermatology problem-based learning (PBL) curricula are yet unclear. Aim: To prospectively compare the impact of real patients, digital, paper PBL (PPBL) and traditional lecture-based learning (LBL) on academic results and student perceptions. Methods: A total of 120 students were randomly allocated into either real-patients PBL (RPBL) group studied via real-patient cases, digital PBL (DPBL) group studied via digital-form cases, PPBL group studied via paper-form cases, or conventional group who received didactic lectures. Academic results were assessed through review of written examination, objective structured clinical examination and student performance scores. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to evaluate student perceptions. Results: Compared to those receiving lectures only, all PBL participants had better results for written examination, clinical examination and overall performance. Students in RPBL group exhibited better overall performance than those in the other two PBL groups. Real-patient cases were more effective in helping develop students' self-directed learning skills, improving their confidence in future patient encounters and encouraging them to learn more about the discussed condition, compared to digital and paper cases. Conclusion: Both real patient and digital triggers are helpful in improving students' clinical problem-handling skills. However, real patients provide greater benefits to students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web-based technology has proven itself indispensable in education, especially in distance education and in developing countries. Technological advances and the COVID-19 pandemic have forced higher education institutions to be innovative in delivering education in their countries. This article seeks to demonstrate the role and value of e-portfolios as an alternative teaching and learning tool in distance education and the online environment, especially in developing countries. A systematic review of peer-reviewed academic studies of e-portfolios between 2010 and 2020 was conducted. A total of 18 papers were selected according to the inclusion criteria. The review shows that the use of e-portfolios is still a relatively new trend in developing countries. The study also revealed that e-portfolios can infuse important skills such as self-directed learning, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. These results have the potential to help institutions to creatively design appropriate support tools and strategies alongside the implementation of e-portfolios in their contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents narratives from black women who work at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Their stories unearth their impossible existence within the institution and deliberateness on their survival tactics through theorising Nguni concepts of Ukuzilanda, Ukufukuza, and Andizi. In a world that does not 'trust' black women to have a voice, have feelings, and have a story, the dialogue amongst these academics sheds light on how their everyday resistance is their survival. The paper takes a self-study approach to record the moment and define survival in anti-black, anti-women employment space. The paper also explores how the Covid-19 pandemic revealed distrust that the world usually shows towards black women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussions of involution – a culture of overwork in China – have grown especially rife on the Chinese Internet, reinforced by a dismal outlook on employment. Translated from an academic term 'involution,' 'neijuan' references a contemporary structure of alienation experienced primarily by college students: a sense of being entrapped in a society without opportunities, yet having to endure an endless series of stressful competitions to carve a respectable life. Drawing from fieldwork and interviews, this paper examines the culture of involution through self-study rooms, places where people pay to study. Rapidly expanding in number since 2019, self-study rooms have become a popular tool used by youths to cope with involution. Modulating attentional capacities through design, these rooms assure users that they could study better, and excel in competitive exams and certification processes to find progression in life trajectories. However, in doing so, self-study rooms also normalize an alienated learning and work culture in China, framing the attentional discomfort of forced learning as gain, and the privacy of self-study rooms as forms of individualistic therapy. Users learn not only to push their bodies within these rooms, they also use it to weep privately, expelling pressures to return to 'gainful' behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a teacher educator discusses her experience of professional learning through self-study. The author found the transition between being a classroom teacher and teacher educator challenging, as has been noted in recent literature. Thus, she decided to embark on a self-study, which was focused on the enhancement of her teaching so that she was not merely transmitting knowledge to her students about the teaching of literacy. Data was gathered using a range of qualitative methods including reflective journals, peer observations, and student focus groups. Themes emerged from the data relating to the importance of activating prior knowledge in learning, the necessity of creating dynamic lecturing spaces and the need to share learning while learning in a university lecture hall. As a self-study, this paper is highly contextual but is intended to provide valuable insights into teaching and learning in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper troubles the narrative around childhood as a 'timeless zone' (James and Prout 2015), which is particularly evident in the performative culture of education. Conversational-style interviews – and in some cases, re-interviews – were conducted with four UK Mums during their time of COVID-19 home-schooling. Subsequent interpretive analysis highlighted a paradoxical problem; in many ways, Mums' new responsibilities to their children's education conflicted with their caring responsibilities. I suggest that this illustrates ways in which Mums have unwittingly learned to prioritise hypothetical futures over subjective experiences. Their stories also demonstrate the importance of embracing human experience in an educational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reporting on the relationship between homework, foreign language learning and self-regulated learning, this paper examines how a teacher used homework to promote Japanese language learning in a Year 4 class at an Australian primary school. The study drew on naturally occurring data including classroom observations and student-produced video of themselves completing homework as well as interviews and a collection of documents and artefacts. Using a sociocultural analytical lens, the study found that homework can be a vehicle for the development and practice of self-regulation strategies as enablers of successful language learning, but only within certain conditions established by teachers, parents and the students themselves. The study found that in some instances teachers may not recognise or adopt opportunities for student self-regulated learning. The paper concludes with a pedagogical homework cycle to assist teachers to mobilise the potential of homework as a means of scaffolding foreign language learning beyond the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-directed learning and creativity are critical workplace competences that are important to foster in formal educational settings. Previous studies have identified a relationship between self-directed learning and creativity, but the specific nature of this relationship is unclear. The purpose of the present theoretical paper is to examine through a literature review the possibility that creative learning outcomes can be supported through a self-directed learning process. The importance of considering self-directed learning in the context of adult learning – as a pragmatic learning process – is outlined. A conclusion is drawn that (1) creative learning outcomes are potentially supported through self-directed learning, and (2) in the process, teachers can provide support to learners in three distinct different ways. A variety of pragmatic educational activities that may enable self-directed learning and creative learning outcomes are discussed, including experiential learning; workplace simulations; and problem-, case-, and (e-) portfolio-based learning. In these activities, teacher support seems advantageous for many learners. The three distinct dimensions of teacher support identified in the present paper are important to consider in further empirical studies on self-directed learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welding distortion will increase the shipbuilding cost. Therefore, it is important to accurately predict the welding distortion of a structure during the design stage. In this paper, a novel welding distortion prediction method for ship plate frame structures based on a self-learning database was proposed. Based on a typical plate frame structure in a shipyard, the applicability of the method was verified by comparing the prediction with on-site measurements. To solve the problem of choosing the welding sequences of structures with too many welds, the Latin hypercube sampling method was selected to arrange the weld samples in sequence. The results showed that the distortion of the structure was mainly concentrated on the upper shell. The numerical simulation coincided with the measurement results, and the accuracy was within 20%. Moreover, a reasonable welding sequence can decrease the distortion of a structure by 11.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on Journal of Gender Studies beginning with a collection of papers focusing on workplace issues. Topics include offering a better work environment, engaging in self-development, for example by taking courses or studying, and creating a better work-life balance; and building relations of respect with young men and creating safe spaces for healing trauma and engaging with issues of violence.

The analysis of exemplars of different quality is a potentially powerful tool in enabling students to understand assessment expectations and appreciate academic standards. Through a systematic review methodology, this paper synthesises exemplar-based research designs, exemplar implementation and the educational effects of exemplars. The review of 40 empirical exemplar-based studies indicated frequent use of post-intervention evaluation designs. The integrated use of exemplars and strategies such as rubrics, peer or self-assessment was a major pedagogic feature to enhance students' understanding of standards and aid their generation of internal feedback for self-monitoring. There was evidence suggesting that the combined use of exemplars with these strategies could advance students' academic performance and development of self-regulated learning. The review results set future directions for exemplar-based studies: quantitative research would benefit from controlled manipulation of variables to disentangle the effects of exemplars and those of other strategies; qualitative research could profitably use self-reflective diaries, think aloud protocols or classroom observations to develop deeper understandings of exemplar implementation. The key pedagogical implication recommends students' production of an assignment draft prior to exposure to exemplars so that they can compare their own work with exemplars and then make improvements independently of teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given calls to decolonise engagement with Indigenous communities, this article explores how allied researchers can participate in self-determined learning with Indigenous Peoples. Drawing on over a decade of experience within an action-research collective in a Mapuche context, the authors suggest that allied researchers can accompany Indigenous-led co-design in a manner that not only strengthens genuine Indigenous participation but also fosters mutual and collective learning from within the co-creative processes themselves. Lake Budi, a biocultural hotspot in the Pacific coast of Northern Patagonia, Chile, is a coastal wetland habitat for hundreds of endemic and migratory species and the ancestral homeland for the Mapuche-Lafkenche (∼15,000) who, through grassroots learning, are determining practical steps towards restoring their territory and its self-governance for kvmemongen. This Mapuche concept refers broadly to enacting forms of living well together, humans and non-humans. As allied participants in a Mapuche-led codesign collective since 2013, in this paper, we focus on exploring key “moments of mutual learning” within this longer-than-usual co-design process. Each of these moments involved collective learning that required interaction and feedback loops across diverse areas of expertise, made possible over longer and flexible rhythms and periods. Tools, protocols, and methods gradually take shape in such a process through mutual learning opportunities provided by relationship building, cultural immersion, community-led protocols, decision-making, and evaluation mechanisms. This work suggests a new understanding of the involvement of allied researchers in Indigenous-led co-design as an emerging and increasingly relevant form of grassroots mutual learning toward climate resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents two empirical studies. Study 1 validated a survey on L2 self-regulated strategies in writing in a multimedia environment. Study 2 examined the relationship of Chinese students' working memory to their L2 English proficiency and self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies in multimedia writing. A total of 400 Chinese university students participated in Study 1, and they responded to a survey on SRL strategy use in multimedia writing. A total of 406 Chinese university students attended Study 2. They completed the survey and an operation span task (a measure of working memory). All the participants' English proficiency was evaluated using the College English Test-4, a standardized test for undergraduate students in China. Results of Study 1 revealed a 5-factor SRL strategy structure consisting of goal setting, strategic planning, elaboration, self-evaluation, and help seeking. Results of Study 2 suggested the predicted effects of self-regulated strategies, working memory, and L2 proficiency on L2 writing performance. Findings also demonstrated the moderation effects of English proficiency on the effects of self-regulated writing strategies. Implications for enhancing writing in multimedia environments are provided. 本文汇报了两项实证研究。第一项研究验证了在多媒体环境中进行二语自主调控写作策略的调查问卷。第二项研究探讨了中国学生的工作记忆, 英语水平以及多媒体写作中的自主调控写作策略之间的关系。共有400名中国大学生参与了第一项研究, 并回答了关于多媒体写作中自主学习策略使用的调查问卷。第二项研究有406名中国大学生参与。他们完成了调查问卷和操作跨度任务(一种工作记忆测量方法)。所有参与者的英语水平都通过一项中国本科生的标准化考试, 即大学英语四级考试, 进行了评估。第一项研究的结果显示, 自主学习策略包括目标设定、战略规划、详细阐述、自我评估和求助, 共五个因素。第二项研究的结果表明, 自主调控策略、工作记忆和英语水平对二语写作表现具有预测效应。研究结果还显示, 英语水平对自主调控写作策略的效果具有调节作用。该研究对于提升多媒体环境下的写作具有重要借鉴意义。 PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: We reported the findings of two empirical studies. In Study 1, we tested a survey to see how well it measured learners' self-regulated strategies in a multimedia environment. In Study 2, we looked at learners' working memory, proficiency, and learners' self-regulated strategies in a multimedia environment. The results of Study 1 showed that there are five main strategies students use when writing. They include goal setting, strategic planning, elaboration, self-evaluation, and help-seeking. The results of Study 2 showed that learners' working memory, proficiency, and learners' self-regulated strategies are essential to their writing performance. The results also supported the idea that English proficiency plays a moderating role in the relationship between self-regulation and writing. When English proficiency was low, self-regulation had a greater impact on writing performance; conversely, when English proficiency was high, self-regulation had a smaller effect on writing performance. However, the present study did not identify a statistically significant interaction effect between working memory and self-regulation. Working memory may not affect self-regulation in students' writing outcomes. This study, thus, contributes to teachers', teacher educators', policy makers', and practitioners' knowledge in terms of self-regulation, working memory, and proficiency in a multimedia writing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to present methodology to personalise learning using learning analytics and to make further decisions on suitability, acceptance and use of personalised learning units. In the paper, first of all, related research review is presented. Further, an original methodology to personalise learning applying learning analytics in virtual learning environments and empirical research results are presented. Using this learning personalisation methodology, decision-making model and method are proposed to evaluate suitability, acceptance and use of personalised learning units. Personalised learning units evaluation methodology presented in the paper is based on (1) well-known principles of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis for identifying evaluation criteria; (2) Educational Technology Acceptance & Satisfaction Model (ETAS-M) based on well-known Unified Theory on Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, and (3) probabilistic suitability indexes to identify learning components' suitability to particular students' needs according to their learning styles. In the paper, there are also examples of implementing the methodology using different weights of evaluation criteria. This methodology is applicable in real life situations where teachers have to help students to create and apply learning units that are most suitable for their needs and thus to improve education quality and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare has been shifting toward individuals participating in decision-making and empowered to be active in their treatment, and health monitoring. The term "participatory health informatics" (PHI) started to appear in literature. A clear definition of PHI is missing, and facets of PHI still have to be shaped. The objective of this paper is to offer a definition of PHI considering themes and technologies that make healthcare participatory. We searched Pubmed, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, EMBASE, and conference proceedings for articles that reported about use of information technology or informatics in the context of PHI. We performed qualitative synthesis and reported summary statistics. 39 studies were eligible after screening 382 titles and abstracts and reviewing 82 full texts. The top 5 person-centered key themes related to PHI included empowerment, decision-making, informed patient, collaboration, and disease management. Finally, we propose to define PHI as multidisciplinary field that uses information technology as provided through the web, smartphones, or wearables to increase participation of individuals in their care process and to enable them in self-care and shared decision-making. Goals to be achieved through PHI include maintaining health and well-being; improving the healthcare system and health outcomes; sharing experiences; achieving life goals; and self-education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on evidence from a study carried out in England to explore how schools can support one another’s improvement within a policy context that emphasises competition. The findings offer some reasons to be optimistic, and are suggestive of the capacity and potential of the school system in England to “self-improve” through collaborative means. However, light is also thrown on a number of barriers that need to be overcome to make such an approach work. The paper argues that developing a greater understanding of the social complexities involved in school-to-school support requires research that takes account of the views of those involved. With this in mind, the paper reflects on the experiences of a group of school leaders in England, leading to lessons that are likely to be relevant to those in other national contexts where competition is seen as a driver for school improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to offer a new perspective on role modelling by examining adolescents' own efforts to lead a morally virtuous life. While traditional approaches to moral education emphasize the importance of teachers as role models, this study proposes a shift in focus towards adolescents' own role models. Drawing on the philosophical concept of moral self-cultivation and psychological insights on identity development and social cognitive learning, it is argued that adolescents have the ability to cultivate their moral character by emulating others. However, empirical evidence suggests that adolescents often do not perceive teachers as their role models. Consequently, moral educational theories are advised to demand less of teachers as role models. Teachers could invest more time in understanding students' personal role models and encourage them to compare these role models with their own behavior. By acknowledging and addressing students' role models, teachers can facilitate the moral self-cultivation of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While complexity thinking features increasingly in the education and physical education literature, there remains a paucity of research presenting evidence of the influence that complexity principles have on learning. We further advocate that more work with complexity thinking is required to investigate how teacher educators engage with key complexity principles in their work with students and teachers. Accordingly, in this paper we investigate how one group of teacher educators, the Developmental Physical Education Group (DPEG), have grappled to develop their own knowledge of complexity thinking while concurrently attempting to support students and teachers in their efforts to apply these principles within local schools. Employing methodology from self-study, the paper provides data from two focus group interviews carried out in 2012 and 2014 in which six members of the DPEG discuss how they wrestled to understand, share and support the application of complexity thinking in practical contexts. In particular, the paper explores how the group members worked with complexity principles such as self-organisation, emergence and ‘the edge of chaos’ to develop innovative pedagogical strategies with children, students and teachers. Findings from the study reveal how all members of the DPEG, in their initial engagement with complexity principles, raised questions about their personal approaches to the teaching and learning process but also struggled to use the principles to inform their practice. Two years later, however, as the group’s confidence with complexity thinking grew, the members had created a shared understanding and language around complexity thinking, were more comfortable debating issues around complexity and also describing how key principles had impacted upon their pedagogical strategies in practical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-reflection has been demonstrated to have a positive effect on the academic growth of educators. Teachers that actively engage in self-reflection are more likely to exhibit an increased interest in the development of innovative teaching strategies, learning, and collaborative practices. This paper highlights the experiences and self-reflection of two teachers of diversity-centered courses, at very different points in their careers: one a veteran Professor of more than 20 years and one an Assistant Professor of less than 5 years. Utilizing both formal and informal feedback from students, both professors reflect on their experiences teaching diversity-centered courses. Recommendations and implications for new and established professionals and the broader community of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines through a systematic review, the reference services rendered in academic libraries using artificial intelligence (AI) and by collecting data through environmental scanning. The objective of this systematic literature review is to provide a synthesis of empirical studies exploring the application of artificial intelligence for reference services in academic libraries. Data were collected from Web of Science, Scopus, and LISA databases. Following the rigorous/established selection process, a total of thirty five articles were finally selected, reviewed and analyzed. Thirty five papers were identified, analyzed and summarized on the subject relating to the application of AI and the methods which are most often used. The findings demonstrate that university libraries in Canada and China are leading in the deployment of AI for reference services. The AI techniques used mostly in the scanned university libraries are self-directed learning and natural language processing techniques; while the challenges of using AI for reference services are the problem of quality intelligence, linguistic style, privacy, a threat to intellectual freedom, bias, and cost; inadequate experts, poor network, poor training and lack of innovation, and limited knowledge about the technology. The study indicates university libraries take into account implementing AI for reference services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I assess my academic growth and future challenges for my teaching and scholarship. The work is grounded in dialogicality within a Bakhtinian sociohistorical view of language allowing me to critically reflect on my growth as a literacy and special education instructor. I use student feedback and a reflective journal addressing four components: (a) situation; (b) personal influence; (c) interpretation; and (d) action plan to study my performance and plan for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical educators share the belief that fostering the development of lifelong learning skills is a fundamental task for teachers and learners in all stages of a physician's education: undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and continuing medical education. A significant challenge to developing and implementing best practices in lifelong learning is the varied interpretation and application of its related terminology, such as 'self-directed learning' in this context. This paper discusses the scholarly origins of key terms in lifelong learning ('self-directed learning' and 'self-regulated learning') and explores their commonalities and their common conflation. The authors propose a renewed attention to precision in use of lifelong learning terminology in medical education across the spectrum as a way to best design and deploy impactful educational experiences for learners at all levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the 30-year evolution of volunteer tourism as phenomenon, industry, and research area, charting changes in the size, breadth, definition, and the perceived positive and negative contributions of the volunteer tourism industry. Discussion then moves on to how research in volunteer tourism has reflected those changes. Studies have focused on the transition from decommodified to commodified volunteer tourism; participant motivation, including the altruism versus self-development discussion; and the paucity of a unified and cohesive theoretical foundation in volunteer tourism. Fresh debates are now emerging that center upon the potential interface of technology and volunteer tourism, including crowd-sourcing for funding, smart phone apps, and GIS; the importance of monitoring and maintaining quality volunteer tourism experiences through certification and/or other indicators; and the role of religion and spirituality in volunteer tourism. These issues, and others, including the role of transformative learning, are addressed in the papers chosen for this special issue on volunteer tourism which are reviewed here. The paper's conclusions include specific recommendations for greater cooperation between researchers and industry to create a more sustainable industry, minimizing its negative impacts while maximizing its potential influence for positive social change, and perhaps becoming the ultimate sustainable form of tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peter Jarvis is a towering figure in the study of adult and lifelong education and a leading and original theorist of learning. This paper sets out his intellectual and professional biography, maps the main contours of his work and introduces fourteen papers by leading scholars devoted to his work. Five broad phases in Jarvis’ life are identified: (a) youth, self-education, Methodist ministry and early teaching and research; (b) founding of theInternational Journal of Lifelong Education, authorship of important textbooks on adult and professional education and linking of academic communities in different countries; (c) early research on and theorisation of learning; (d) engagement from the early 1990s with debates on lifelong learning and the learning society; and (e) return to theorisation of learning, particularly from the perspective of globalisation, from around 2000. Recurring themes include ethics and responsibility, the essentially social nature of learning, democracy, and authenticity in human relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) allow learning to take place anytime and anywhere with little external monitoring by teachers. Characteristically, highly diverse groups of learners enrolled in MOOCs are required to make decisions related to their own learning activities to achieve academic success. Therefore, it is considered important to support self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies and adapt to relevant human factors (e.g., gender, cognitive abilities, prior knowledge). SRL supports have been widely investigated in traditional classroom settings, but little is known about how SRL can be supported in MOOCs. Very few experimental studies have been conducted in MOOCs at present. To fill this gap, this paper presents a systematic review of studies on approaches to support SRL in multiple types of online learning environments and how they address human factors. The 35 studies reviewed show that human factors play an important role in the efficacy of SRL supports. Future studies can use learning analytics to understand learners at a fine-grained level to provide support that best fits individual learners. The objective of the paper is twofold: (a) to inform researchers, designers and teachers about the state of the art of SRL support in online learning environments and MOOCs; (b) to provide suggestions for adaptive self-regulated learning support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is in response to Chak’s paper Reflecting on the self: an experience in the preschool . In this paper, issues central to the nature of reflection (e.g., problem and time of reflection) are reconsidered as ways that help to question the manner in which Chak has conducted her reflective study. In so doing, the central issue is to find new ways of moving beyond reflection and so, the methodology of self-study is briefly explained and offered as a vehicle for creating ways of extending reflection in more rigorous and meaningful ways. The purpose of the methodology of self-study is in helping practitioners to better articulate the knowledge of practice at the heart of their work. Self-study then is important in creating ways of making knowledge development move beyond the individual to the professional community more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Principes de Politique (1815), Benjamin Constant offers a blueprint for later liberal attempts to retain a commitment to popular sovereignty, while moderating its absolutist tendencies and associations with arbitrary political power. This paper examines some notable tensions, still relevant today, in Constant's domesticated liberal concept of popular sovereignty. These tensions, I contend, all point to the conclusion that Constant's project of limiting popular sovereignty by appeal to a sacrosanct domain of rights rests on a liberal interpretation of the general will, which is in fact constitutive for the enjoyment of individual liberties. Section 2 argues that Constant's location of popular sovereignty in the legislative general will, as determined by elected representatives, does not overcome the problem of the potential arrogation of the popular will by a partisan minority. Section 3 then examines Constant's views on rights and the implications of his acknowledgement that the enjoyment of liberties depends upon the institutional guarantee provided by constitutional enactment. Finally, in section 4, I demonstrate that Constant's valorization of individual self-development is inseparable from an idea of political liberty which reflects the priorities of a liberal elite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a collaborative self-study approach, a critical discussion of visioning is presented that focuses on the perspectives of two international students from southeastern Europe and North Africa. The authors explore their visions as doctoral students in light of recent changes to immigration policies in the United States. Discussion centers on their evolving visions as emerging scholars, teachers, and doctoral students considering the complexities of the current cultural and racial conditions in the United States. The paper has implications for the preparation of future professors and scholars of education broadly and reminds educators to open more inclusive and equitable spaces in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collaborative reading annotation system (CRAS) has been proved its success in promoting reading performance in comparison with traditional paper-based reading. However, there is still lack of an effective formative assessment and feedback mechanisms in the CRAS, which can assist learners to promote their self-regulated learning and reflection. Therefore, this study uses C4.5 decision tree to develop a CRAS with formative assessment and feedback mechanisms (CRAS-FAFM) based on four considered social network indicators, which could forecast the learners with low reading comprehension and suggest them to interact with the learners who are predicted with high reading comprehension performance and infrequently interact in the digital reading activity in order to enhance their reading comprehension through interactive discussion. Accordingly, this study intends to discuss the effects of learners who use the CRAS-FAFM and CRAS without formative assessment and feedback mechanisms (CRAS-NFAFM) on reading comprehension performance and interactive discussion. A total of 55 students from two classes of a Taiwan's primary school participated in the experiment. One class of students was randomly assigned as the experimental group using the CRAS-FAFM to support digital reading while the remaining class was randomly assigned as the control group using the CRAS-NFAFM. Analytical results show that the average prediction accuracy rate of the developed CRAS-FAFM in identifying the learners with low reading comprehension performance is as high as 68.33%. Moreover, compared to CRAS-NFAFM, the CRAS-FAFM provides remarkable benefits in promoting the reading comprehension performance and interactive discussion on the discussion level of comparison, discussion, and analysis, particularly for the learners with low prior knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work builds upon and extends critical youth studies scholarship concerned with strategies for engaging with young people as active change agents with arts-based research to advance theory and practice for democratic and emancipatory research with young people. In this paper, we share a collaborative self-study where we critically reflected upon our distinct experiences doing arts-based participatory youth research. We applied a critical analysis to our pedagogical and research practices in a systematic manner to garner insights, strategies, and tools that can enhance and improve them. We conceive of 'places of possibility' as literal and metaphorical spaces where young people are afforded the tools and resources necessary to imagine alternative realities, identities, and systems than what currently exists, primarily through art and creative practices (Goessling, K. P. 2017. "Youth Learning to be Activists: Constructing 'Places of Possibility' Together." Critical Questions in Education 8 (4): 418–437. doi:17/10/goesslingfinal.pdf). We examined our art and creative practices for generating pedagogical places of possibility at three intersections: (1) creative practices as pedagogy, (2) moments of encounter, and (3) thick participation. Our findings provide strategies and tools for designing transformative research spaces with young people that are humanizing and liberatory places of learning and knowledge production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning happens not only in schools, but also in every context that affords new experiences and opportunities for metacognition. We aim to maximize the different activity-milieux in which learners are engaged in developing their life-long learning dispositions to learn within and across contexts. This paper is a follow up of an earlier published paper in which a framework on interpreting learning as how the self interacts with phenomena and reifications was proposed. Grounded in this learning framework, our research seeks to expand the “within context” learning to “across contexts” learning with evidence from a case study examining a 10-year-old boy's learning process. Through the case study, we will describe the interplay between bowling and schooling and how strategies learned from one context is situated into another drawing upon Ito et al.'s (2010) developmental trajectory of “hanging out-messing around-geeking out” perspectives. The findings show that for learning to be meaningful and authentic for the twenty-first century, it is essential for the learner(s) to be in constant dialectical interactions and relationship with oneself, others, and with the social-cultural artifacts that afford the learning. We conclude with practical implications derived from the study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are now few hundred thousand healthcare apps, yet there is a gap in our understanding of the theoretical mechanisms for which, and how, technological features translate into improved healthcare outcomes. In particular, the technological convergence, within mobile health (mHealth) apps, of the processes of mass and interpersonal communication, and human-computer interaction requires greater parsing in the literature. This paper analyzed 85 empirical studies on mHealth apps using the Input-Mechanism-Output model. We found in the literature that, firstly, there is a greater emphasis on technological inputs (87%) of accessibility, usability, usage, and data quality, than health outputs (52%) such as system process efficiencies and individual level behavioral or health outcomes. Secondly, there is little evidence of explanatory mechanisms (19%) of how the effects of mHealth apps are achieved. While we believe that successful apps would require research that incorporates technological inputs, theoretical mechanisms and health outputs, such studies are a rarity (n = 3). There is a minor increase in rigor with randomized control trials (n = 5), and a preponderance of discussion around social influence (n = 8) and gamification (n = 7), albeit in a scattered manner. We discuss the implications of the trend towards socialization and gamification findings in terms of future research, particularly in terms of study design guided by theoretical mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts a narrative approach to how I employ self-study as a way to examine and reexamine my own learning experiences and develop a critical consciousness of education as an emerging educational researcher in the United States. The narrative self-study unravels my struggle as an international doctoral student and my awakening to educational inequity by constantly challenging my previous understanding through critical reflection. The paper discusses the importance of using self-study to understand education in a broader context, step out of isolation, and connect with other educational researchers for a change to occur. The conclusion highlights the need for international doctoral students to understand their own agency and become educational researchers and full human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgery is a highly competitive specialty that offers a wide range of subspecialties. The presence of surgical education and rotations in the medical school curriculum is often lacking, and for this reason many medical students have little experience of surgery during their time in medical school. This paper presents twelve tips for medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in surgery, offering different ways of exposure into activities related to surgical care. Understanding the practice of surgery and self-reflecting on one's personality and suitability for a career in surgery are key. Moreover, surgical care is not only limited to the surgeon's table–other opportunities to learn more about surgery exist outside of the operating room. Extra-curricular activities in research and leadership are also vital in developing an interest in surgery and competitive edge in medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portfolio assessment (PA) has been extensively adopted for writing development in the past three decades. Much research on PA primarily investigates students’ and teachers’ perceptions of its benefits, and how it influences students’ motivation and general writing abilities. Despite its purported effectiveness, not much has been done to understand the relationship between PA and self-regulated learning (SRL) especially in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) writing research. This paper contends that PA can productively foster SRL in EFL writing classrooms, and, more specifically, it develops a conceptual model of SRL within the context of writing portfolios and iterative feedback processes. Supporting evidence emphasising how PA can facilitate SRL is discussed and evaluated. The paper ends with six recommendations and implications proposing how SRL can be promulgated in EFL portfolio-based contexts. Finally, possible future research is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on a study of the practices of a cohort of traditionally appointed teacher educators with the responsibility for facilitating teacher learning and learning teaching. The approach used in this investigation involved a practice-to-theory field experience (PTE), a reflective paper analyzing the PTE, and a shared set of readings on pedagogy for facilitating teacher learning and learning teaching with the PTE as context. The participants in this study were 21 students enrolled in an education doctorate program at a Research I university in the Western United States. The findings from the study revealed that the number of years of experience as a teacher educator was not related to competence or effectiveness. Further, it was found that the combined processes of documenting practice, writing a reflective paper, and engaging in focused dialog with peers based on a shared set of readings, and incorporating the PTE as context enabled participants to think critically and co-construct deep knowledge and understanding of the role of the teacher educator and practices for facilitating teacher learning and learning teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the outcomes of a self-study that we undertook as instructors of a capstone undergraduate leadership course. Using the framework of action inquiry and a variety of pedagogical approaches, we sought to create a course and classroom environment that was student-centered, empowering, and transformative. Three questions are addressed: how can we improve the balance of our authority with our roles as instructors; how can we use the balance of role and authority to empower our students; and how can we be critically reflective of our teaching process to improve our learning? Data for these questions were collected from four years of individual and joint reflection and journaling. Additionally, students’ reflection papers in the course served as an additional source of data and triangulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article questions some of the premises undergirding the discourse of self-study, particularly focusing on its treatment of 'self'. We examine the ontology, authority and ethics of self as they emerge from Oren's reading of self-study literature in light of his scholarship of and experience in contemplative education. Having focused on studying and teaching mindfulness in teacher education, Oren had been an insider to 'the study of self' yet an outsider to 'self-study' when he stumbled upon the S-STEP SIG during AERA 2018. His hopes of finally finding a SIG focused on the self were high; however, during the presentations he attended, he became perplexed and disappointed as 'self' emerged as somewhat peripheral to the matter he had assumed to be at stake. Written as an autoethnography, this paper describes his search for the sources of his discontents aided by Jason, a self-study insider who shares some of his ideas. Responding to calls for self-study that advocate educational change in a broad sense, we point to some ontological, epistemological and ethical commitments centering around self that may have been limiting self-study. We suggest that some of them can be rethought and point to ways in which this can lead to new possibilities for self-study and its expanded impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research on metacognition, self-regulation and self-regulated learning is quite mature, these studies have been carried out with varying methodologies and with mixed results. This paper explores the ontological and epistemological assumptions of theories, models and methods used to investigate these three constructs to examine the underlying assumptions of all three. Using oft-cited theories and models of the three constructs along with highly cited studies identified in a previous review of these constructs, this paper examined facets of two popular frameworks: Cartesian-split-mechanistic tradition (CSMT) and the relational tradition specifically looking at the role of intra-individual development, the inclusiveness of categories and notions of causality in these theories, models and methods. While the theories and methods contained elements of both traditions, methods to investigate these constructs relied almost exclusively on assumptions from CSMT. Future directions for research include incorporating more studies examining intra-individual change and multiple notions of causality. Future directions for practice include better contextualisation of research results to strengthen the link between theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to uncover a diversity of economic practices and engagement by home renovators, predominantly homeowners. In particular, we explore how different forms of media consumption and production intertwine to shape home renovation projects. While the Australian renovation market is a multi-billion-dollar industry, it is cut through with small-scale, informal modes of knowledge production and economic exchange. How people use media to learn, share and document their renovations reflects the diversity of this economic landscape. From how-to videos on YouTube and the curated homewear pages of Pinterest to the mainstream impact ofThe Block, media platforms occupy a significant place in the ways in which people renovate. Yet, few studies actually examine the specificity of media use. In response, this paper traces the renovators’ media practices involved in the everyday labour of home renovation; projects which require substantial social and emotional resources, diverse literacies and enterprise. Our conceptual framework draws from the logic of ‘double articulation’, an enduring insight offered by Silverstone, Livingstone, Hirsch and others to examine the pivotal discursive and instrumental role played by media in home renovation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper discusses children’s independence as a conceptual framework for exploring how independence in children’s everyday life relates to learning in the Finnish context. The framework is articulated using the conduct of everyday life as a theoretical base and focuses on the sociocultural aspects of informal daily life such as periods when children are at home without direct adult supervision as potentially important learning environments. Independence is also linked to discourses on educational success, self-regulated learning and children’s independent mobility. Discussion is supported by results from a survey conducted in Finland exploring parental perceptions of their children’s level of independence and children’s spatial movement and routines. The conceptual arguments made and preliminary findings summarized point to children’s independence in the conduct of everyday life as an additional factor to consider when exploring the impact of sociocultural factors on the development of self-regulated learners. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I am a doctoral student enrolled in an educational research program. While completing an action research course, I conducted research to improve my academic writing and to develop skills for formulating arguments about educational issues. From this research I developed an appreciation for and an understanding of good writing habits and elements of strong arguments. Writing allowed me to explore how my experience shaped my perception of educational issues. I used writing as a tool for advocating for individuals to own their development and advancement and for addressing complexities inherent in education. The results illustrate that academic writing can be perceived as a form of action research, in that writing allows for exploration of possibilities of individual and institutional growth, generates knowledge of self and social and political worlds, and creates relevant knowledge that can contribute to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2007 to 2008, CILT (Centre for Information for Language Teachers) developed a set of National Occupational Standards for Intercultural Working in the UK. This paper reports on three questions arising from the development project: how these standards are distinctive from others, how they realise intercultural competence and how they meet workplace expectations. Drawing on the directly relevant published evidence-base, the paper argues that these standards are distinctive in their relationship with other suites, the range of their application, and the ways in which personal attributes are exemplified and embedded within performance outcomes. The standards also reflect a multi-dimensional approach to competencies which include personal qualities such as reflection, self-development, critical thinking and ethics; and the standards are described in a way which is credible and achievable in the workplace. For example, one pivotal unit of the standards focuses on self-exploration and performance improvement around the areas of inclusive working practices, effective communication and challenging stereotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores an aspect of the knowledge of teaching required by teacher educators and how that knowledge might be developed if teaching (about teaching) is to be conceptualised as a distinct and important field in its own right - with its own forms of knowledge, ways of working and perspectives on the world. The paper focuses on self-understanding as a component of teacher educators' knowledge of practice and examines how the development of self-understanding can be conceived as a form of teacher educator expertise. Few studies have explicitly considered teacher educators' self-understanding as a form of professional knowledge; hence, this article makes a contribution to explicating and documenting this aspect of teacher educators' practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a librarian supporting online programs, it can often be difficult to develop effective instruction for learners who you may never see, at the request of faculty you may never meet. When the author enrolled as a student in the online master's instructional design program at her institution, she learned five key lessons from the classes and ongoing interactions with students and faculty. This paper will describe how the librarian used these lessons to improve instruction and outreach to both her liaison areas, as well as the wider library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent significant changes in technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data analysis have a wide impact in many areas of human societies, not least in education. Advances in efficiency of new technologies, with impacts in renewable energy and transport affected by environmental concerns and climate change mitigation, demand a reassessment and adjustment of the industrial structure of the economy. Technological advances enhancing creativity and analytical skills mean people must learn and adapt to a fast-changing economic environment. This paper present some key changes in Australian educational areas in recent years that are important and relevant to the subject of education innovation and philosophy to achieve outcomes in training and sustainable economic development, as anticipated by the community and government. Education courses and curricula in many countries have been transformed by technological advance. It is the swift incorporation of new technologies that best prepares students for the dynamics of economic and social change. Even though technological responsiveness is not a new phenomenon, it is established that the teaching methods found to be most successful include complementary and supplemental courses producing multi-skilled and creative graduates. These courses are delivered with significant emphasis upon self-development skills and are less focused upon traditional content. A move toward horizontal focus and a student-centric balance is the current trend, displacing vertical over-specialisation of learning. Yet, the central role of educator is seen as still appropriate and necessary where the aim is to equip graduates with creative and adaptive skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding students' capacity to direct their learning in school and beyond has been a sustained area of interest for practising science teachers, policy-makers, and educational researchers. This paper presents results from a longitudinal quasi-experimental study carried out to examine changes in students' self-reported levels of self-regulatory processes and related motivations in science through taking part in an inquiry-based learning programme, the CREST programme. The study included a total of 178 students (aged 12-13) and was conducted in an individual school in Scotland. Previously published and validated measures of self-regulatory processes and related motivations were included as dependent variables and student classroom allocation was used as the independent variable in order to investigate the presence of any differences between the nine CREST classes in terms of changes on the measured variables. Results showed that overall, students experienced significant increases in levels of self-regulated learning, self-determination, self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and overall science motivation through participation in CREST. By contrast, a reference control class of students not taking part in the programme showed no significant changes on any measured outcomes. The findings also revealed no significant differences among the nine classes that participated in CREST in terms of changes on the outcome variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-directed learning or self-determined learning can be used in guided self-study (GSS) as an educational method with the goal to promote changes in the knowledge and skills of undergraduate physiotherapy students in higher education. Until now, there has been a lack of empirical evidence for the usage of GSS in physiotherapy higher education. At the Division of Physiotherapy in the Department of Health Professions (Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), Switzerland) the module 'basic examination' – in the form of an objective structured examination (OSCE) and written exam – is scheduled in the first semester of the educational program. Objective: The primary aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of establishing GSS in an undergraduate physiotherapy degree program at the BFH. Secondary aim is to assess the effectiveness of GSS on the examination skills of first-semester undergraduate physiotherapy students will. Method: This paper describes the protocol of a randomized group-controlled educational feasibility study. 51 physiotherapy students from the first semester will be allocated into a guided self-study group (GSSG) or control group. The GSS takes place during the first semester, and consists of an eight-day cycle, with a presentation on the last day. Duration of this presentation is 90 min with supervision from a university lecturer. One week in advance of the presentation, the case and the learning goals are provided to the students electronically. The students prepare the cases in groups of five to six. The students are guided by the tutor during this preparation time. During a moderated plenum session, students present the results of group work and reflect upon the preparation phase and learning steps. Feasibility outcomes include the fidelity of implementation through exposure dosage, students' responsiveness, program differentiation, and the degree of acceptability. Success criteria of feasibility are (1) exposure dosage as the number of 90-minute presentations that are conducted, and the content of cases and competences, (2) students' responsiveness, with the aim of 100% willingness to participate, and (3) program differentiation, which will illustrate the alignment between GSS case content and the curriculum. Acceptability of intervention from the students' perspective will be evaluated by a semi-structured interview. Secondary outcomes will be the achieved grades in the OSCE exams and written exams that demonstrate learning success. Conclusion: This feasibility study assesses the fidelity of implementation, the degree of acceptability and the effectiveness of GSS sessions on examination skills in undergraduate physiotherapy students at the BFH. Furthermore, this study will demonstrate whether guided self-study is feasible and can be implemented with fidelity in the BFH physiotherapy higher education curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an evaluation of a pilot programme of workplace music mentoring for generalist classroom teachers in eleven early childhood education settings in Australia. Mentoring in the arts in general and in music specifically is still under-researched despite a body of literature on approaches to mentoring, and descriptions of mentoring practices and outcomes. The pilot programme was created to increase access to music education for Australian children through establishing mentoring relationships between experienced specialist music teachers and generalist classroom teachers. The programme aimed to address a lack of music training during undergraduate teacher preparation and a perceived lack of confidence in music teaching and singing amongst generalist classroom teachers. The evaluation included semi-structured interviews with ten principals, seven mentors and nineteen mentees regarding their experiences. Three researchers conducted the thematic analysis of transcripts independently and refined the emerging themes through iterative discussions. Findings demonstrate that the workplace music mentoring delivered positive outcomes, enriching schools' music curricula, structuring locally relevant programmes, building resources, teacher music skills and confidence, and impacting positively on student learning and behaviour. This in-situ longitudinal mentoring model expands on traditional approaches to professional development for in-service teachers of music through a collaborative self-development approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubrics can guide teachers to provide effective feedback and students' peer- and self-assessment. This paper examines the effect of rubric use in flipped learning activities on students' learning achievement, metacognitive awareness, and cognitive load through a quasi-experiment. A total of 83 university students were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The students in the experimental group were given rubrics in performing pre-class learning activities on the cloud platform, while those in the control group used rubrics in post-class assessment and modification of their finished works. The results show that rubric use can assist flipped learning by improving students' learning achievement and metacognitive awareness, while reducing their cognitive load. Using rubrics before in-class work can yield stronger benefits in raising metacognitive awareness and lessening cognitive load. Moreover, the study reveals that students tend to hold a generally favorable attitude toward rubric use. These findings imply that appropriate use of rubrics in flipped learning has the potential to create a more efficient and learner-friendly condition to enhance self-regulated learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]