Active Learning in Higher Education current issue

Editorial

Baldwin, L. P. — 2009-06-15

Threshold concepts: A point of focus for practitioner research

Irvine, N., Carmichael, P. — 2009-06-15

Participants with teaching and research experience across eight disciplinary areas were introduced to the idea of `threshold concepts' and were then invited to identify potential threshold concepts in their own disciplines through small-scale research activities. Participants conceptualized their involvement in different ways: for some it provided a means of initiating changes in practice at faculty, department or course level, while others couched their involvement in terms of professional development or intellectual curiosity. This article describes how three selected disciplines — Sports Science, English Literature and Engineering — carried out enquiries into threshold concepts, and the ways in which they reflected on their participation in interdisciplinary seminars and disciplinary enquiry. These accounts highlight the importance of promoting a culture in which enquiry and reflection are central, while at the same time recognizing the value of appropriate `points of focus' for these activities and the importance of context-specific ideas of `quality' in practitioner research.

Mapping the maze of assessment: An investigation into practice

Gillett, A., Hammond, A. — 2009-06-15

This article presents the results of a preliminary survey of assessment tasks undertaken by students in higher education at a particular university. A key premise of the study was that the ability to handle assessment is central to the development of academic and professional literacy. Much of the current literature on assessment demonstrates a concern that it is not currently achieving this end. A grid of various features of assessment has been developed, onto which are mapped tasks used at all levels and within all disciplines in the institution. Considerable differences in the type and range of assessment tasks used across schools and disciplines are identified, and also a gap between the variation in tasks and the relatively narrow range of activities and techniques covered in most study skills manuals. It is argued that generic materials should broaden their base and that subject-specific material needs to be developed to accommodate the realities of lifelong learning.

Learning to teach with problem-based learning

Spronken-Smith, R., Harland, T. — 2009-06-15

This research explores the experiences of a group of academics learning to teach with problem-based learning (PBL) and how a community of practice (COP) supported this transition. An action-research project evaluated both PBL experiences and group processes. Teachers were enthusiastic about PBL but experienced a variety of problems during the transition. Those new to teaching had particular difficulty taking on the PBL role of `facilitator'. All teachers struggled to work within the `rules' of PBL. Of specific concern was the varied input teachers provided for their tutor groups and possible inequalities for student learning. The COP enabled professional learning about teaching PBL, but the dynamics of the group were perceived as too hierarchical. The group could have functioned better if it had adopted the principles underpinning a COP so that teachers could take a more critical stance towards how they operated within the group and how they taught PBL.

Effects of learning style profile of team on quality of materials developed in collaborative learning processes

Erdem, M. — 2009-06-15

The study described looks at the effects of learning style profile of teams on the quality of materials developed in a collaborative learning process. The study was carried out on collaborative teams of four or five university students, formed through learner preferences. Learning styles of the teams were determined using Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory. The learning style profiles of each team were found to vary, and each team had at least two students with different learning styles. At the end of the process, each team produced a printed material-developing manual. Evaluation was carried out by experts via analysis of the materials from the viewpoint of content adequacy, scientific accuracy, organization and originality, the specifications of which are also provided in the study. Statistical analyses indicated some significant differences between the teams regarding the product quality. Implications for practice in terms of team formation and possible effects on performance are given.

Different students, same difference?: A comparison of UK and international students' understandings of `effective teaching'

Bartram, B., Bailey, C. — 2009-06-15

Recent years have seen a considerable growth in the numbers of international students coming to study in the UK. In an attempt to identify the extent to which differences in understandings and expectations of `effective teaching practice' might impede their successful integration into academic life, the following article offers a comparative analysis of the ways in which UK and overseas students define good teaching. Focusing on survey results at one university, the study identifies and explores four key areas that underpin student understandings of effective teaching: teaching skills, teacher attributes, staff—student relationships and teacher knowledge. Results indicate that UK and international students appear to share broadly similar views and, despite some differences in emphasis, particular teaching skills emerge as most important, while teacher knowledge appears to be afforded a much lower priority. Potential explanations for the degree of commonality in student thinking and prioritization are investigated, and a number of conclusions considered.