Active Learning in Higher Education current issue

Editorial

Baldwin, L. P. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:02 PST

From traditional essay to 'Ready Steady Cook' presentation: Reasons for innovative changes in assignments

Leedham, M. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:02 PST

The prose essay, case study and laboratory report, composed by individual students in isolation from their peers, used to be the mainstay of undergraduate writing. However, in recent years an array of alternative assignment types such as blogs, letters and e-posters have widened the repertoire of texts expected. This article attempts to describe the reasoning behind changes in assignment types at undergraduate and master’s level at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Data from 58 semi-structured interviews with lecturers in three UK universities is used together with course handbooks and some clarifications with lecturers via email. Suggested reasons for new assignment types are grouped into three categories: external, lecturer-driven and student-driven. The article surmises that, because of these pressures, students are now expected to produce a wide variety of text types, and greater attention should be paid to guidance in new assignments for both native and non-native speaker students.

Simulations and games: Overcoming the barriers to their use in higher education

Moizer, J., Lean, J., Towler, M., Abbey, C. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:02 PST

Based on a categorization of simulation and gaming barriers developed in a previous study, this work seeks to explore in greater depth the composition and nature of these obstacles. It examines the interrelationships between the barriers and the impact of other contextual factors in the pedagogic environment. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 staff involved in teaching with simulations and games within a UK higher education institution. The findings underline the significant linkages apparent between three broad barriers to teaching with simulations, games and role-play: suitability, resource and risk. Further analysis of the interview transcripts facilitated the identification of a range of mechanisms which may be employed to overcome the aforementioned barriers: freeing up academics’ time, providing training and development, enabling informal learning, providing resource support, facilitating access to networks and providing access to secondary information sources. These mechanisms are discussed and evaluated in relation to the broader educational context.

The power of in-class debates

Kennedy, R. R. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:02 PST

The students in three sections of a class rated their knowledge and identified their view before and after each of five in-class debates. The degree of self-reported knowledge was significantly different after four of the five debates. Between 31% and 58% of participants changed their views after participating in or observing each debate. Some changed their opinion even when they defended the side consistent with their original view. Despite their fears of participating in a debate, prior to the first debate, approximately 75% of the participants stated that they would consider using debate as an instructional strategy, and after the debates, this increased to about 85%. In both instances, males were more likely to respond positively than were females.

Recognizing the enhancement of graduate attributes and employability through part-time work while at university

Muldoon, R. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:02 PST

The encouragement of the development of a set of graduate attributes to enhance employability in universities is not new. Mostly, however, it takes place within the formal curriculum. This article presents a case study of the outcomes of an institutional award for student development through extra-curricular activity. There are three categories of extra-curricular activity which qualify for the award: non-accredited learning and training; professional development; and community/voluntary work. The professional development category includes part-time work. This article focuses on just one component of the institutional award: part-time work. It looks at the range of paid and voluntary work undertaken by students during their studies, what they gain from it in terms of graduate attributes and the impact of institutional recognition of it. It seems that part-time work is a useful avenue for the development of graduate attributes and other desirable personal qualities, and enhances students’ employability. Additionally, students appear to benefit from institutional recognition of extra-curricular achievement while at university. Because of the small sample size, the results of this study may not be generalizable but the underlying notion of recognizing and rewarding student development through part-time work is transferable.

Gendered perceptions of learning and fairness when choice between exam types is offered

Mauldin, R. K. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:02 PST

This study examined the differences in male and female students’ perceptions of how much they had learned and how fairly their performance had been measured when choice between constructed response, selective response, or mixed testing formats was introduced into different classrooms. Results revealed that introducing assessment choice into a classroom has significant but small effects on perceptions of learning and fairness. While results of gender differences were not found to be significant, the introduction of choice into classroom settings was found to have opposite effects on males and females. Specifically, male students became more convinced over the course of the term that they were being evaluated fairly when they were only permitted to take selective response tests, and less satisfied with the fairness of the evaluation if they were offered a choice. Female students were found to believe the opposite. Implications and recommendations for future research are then discussed.

Performance of cooperative learning groups in a postgraduate education research methodology course: The role of social interdependence

Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Collins, K. M.T., Jiao, Q. G. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:02 PST

This study investigated the degree that social interdependence predicted the achievement of 26 cooperative learning groups. Social interdependence was assessed in terms of postgraduate students’ individual orientation (that is, cooperative, competitive, and individualistic). Participants were 84 postgraduate students enrolled in an introductory-level education research methodology course. An all possible subsets multiple regression was used to identify a combination of social interdependence variables that predict achievement. Results indicate that postgraduate students’ levels of individualism predict achievement in a research methodology course. Specifically, groups consisting of students with the greatest individualistic orientation tend to produce the article critiques receiving a high evaluation, regardless of how heterogeneous the group is with respect to levels of individualism. This finding adds validity to the theories of active and cooperative learning and to the incremental support towards using cooperative learning groups to promote postgraduate students’ active learning in research methodology courses.