Digital Commons Network^™

Sessional Academic Success: A Distributed Framework For Academic Support And Development, Jillian Hamilton, Michelle Fox, Mitchell Mcewan

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

With approximately half of Australian university teaching now performed by Sessional Academics, there has been growing recognition of the contribution they make to student learning. At the same time, sector-wide research and institutional audits continue to raise concerns about academic development, quality assurance, recognition and belonging (Red Report, 2008; May, 2013). In response, universities have increasingly begun to offer academic development programs for Sessional Academics. However, such programs tend to be centrally delivered, generic in nature, and contained within the moment of delivery, while the Faculty contexts and cultures that Sessional Academics work within are diverse, and the need for …

A Class Act: The Teaching Team Approach To Subject Coordination, Geraldine E. Lefoe, Dominique Rene Parrish, Lynne Maree Keevers, Yoni Ryan, Jo Mckenzie, Janne Malfroy

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Advancing the development of good practice around the teaching team has been the focus of a recently completed, nationally funded Australian grant entitled Coordinators Leading Advancement of Sessional Staff (CLASS). The project focused on developing leadership capacity of subject coordinators to provide supportive contexts for sessional staff to enhance their knowledge of teaching practice and contribute to subject improvement through a team approach. An action learning approach and notions of distributed leadership underpinned the activities of the teaching teams in the program.

This paper provides an overview of a practical approach, led by the subject coordinator, to engaging sessional staff …

Academic Aspirations Amongst Sessional Tutors In A New Zealand University, Kathryn A. Sutherland, Amanda Gilbert

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

In New Zealand, as in many other western societies, the higher education system has become an increasingly less secure place in which to work, and over 40 per cent of those teaching in New Zealand higher education are sessional staff of some kind. Our university in New Zealand has long relied on part-time paid tutors, many of whom are students themselves, to deliver part of the teaching in large courses. These tutors work with groups of students facilitating their learning in workshops, seminars, laboratories and a variety of other teaching environments. We have tracked the experiences of tutors over a …

A Message From The Chalk Face – What Casual Teaching Staff Tell Us They Want To Know, Access And Experience., Natalie R. Brown, Jo-Anne Kelder, Brigid Freeman, Andrea R. Carr

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

The University of Tasmania established a project in 2009 to investigate the particular needs of casual teaching staff, identify strategies to improve access to information, and facilitate a consistent approach to employment, induction, development and recognition. The project was managed by the university learning and teaching centre, and co-ordinated by a Reference Group. A preliminary survey in 2010 explored casual teaching staff information and resource needs and a mapping exercise was undertaken to establish institutional practices. The findings of the preliminary 2010 survey and mapping exercise prompted the development of an institution-wide Casual Teaching Staff Policy. The preliminary 2010 …

Benchmarking With The Blasst Sessional Staff Standards Framework, Karina Luzia, Marina Harvey, Nicola Parker, Coralie Mccormack, Natalie R. Brown, Jo Mckenzie

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Benchmarking as a type of knowledge-sharing around good practice within and between institutions is increasingly common in the higher education sector. More recently, benchmarking as a process that can contribute to quality enhancement has been deployed across numerous institutions with a view to systematising frameworks to assure and enhance the quality of higher education. However, to date, sessional staff who are the majority of teachers in higher education, have been mostly excluded from or invisible in this process, both within individual institutions and across the sector. To ameliorate the effects of this exclusion and to acknowledge the contribution made to …

Setting The Standards For Sessional Staff: Quality Learning And Teaching, Marina Harvey

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Across the Australian Higher Education sector a focus on quality is driving a new paradigm for learning and teaching: quality standards. One challenge is to engage all academics with this progress towards systematic quality enhancement and assurance. Sessional staff, who provide most of the face-to-face teaching in Australian universities, remain at the periphery of learning and teaching. Any development of standards must therefore proactively address the role of sessional staff in attaining and achieving quality learning and teaching.

Building on seminal research on sessional staff, this paper argues the need for standards as a potential strategy for quality learning and …

Workforce Development And Renewal In Australian Universities And The Management Of Casual Academic Staff, Robyn May, Glenda Strachan, David Peetz

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Most undergraduate teaching in Australia’s universities is now performed by hourly paid staff, and these casual academics form the majority of the academic teaching workforce in our universities. This recent development has significant implications for the careers and working lives of those staff, for other academic staff, and for students, implications which are yet to be closely examined. Investigation of the working conditions of casual academic teaching staff is important, as the ageing of the continuing academic workforce suggests the universities will need to consider workforce development and renewal, and the casual academic workforce may represent an important source of …

Supporting Sessional Teaching Staff In The Uk – To What Extent Is There Real Progress?, Colin Bryson

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

A major proportion of teaching in UK universities is undertaken by a diverse and large group of sessional staff, in common with many HE systems around the world. This articles reviews efforts over the last decade to support and develop such staff and to improve their situation. Improvement in this area is very slow. The article concludes by considering what progress is likely in the future and the factors and conditions which facilitate or hinder progress.

Editorial 10.3, Marina Harvey, Karina Luzia

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

This marks my final issue as Senior Editor of JUTLP and I would like to congratulate the new senior editorial team: Romy Lawson, Alisa Percy and Dominique Parrish. I know I leave the journal in very good hands and the leadership team will ensure that JUTLP will continue to champion teaching and learning in higher education. I would like to also thank all the people who have contributed to the success of this journal: the authors, the reviewers, the members of the editorial board, and those who have contributed to the editing and desktop publishing processes. I would also like …

Extra-Curricular Undergraduate Research Training: Notes On The Pedagogical Practices Behind The Sydney Undergraduate Journal Of Musicology, Christopher Coady, Kathleen Nelson

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Although there is a clear body of evidence supporting the idea that undergraduate students benefit from participation in original research projects, many units of study – particularly in the creative arts and humanities – have been slow to embrace curriculum renewal along these lines. In this paper, we detail a pragmatic approach to meeting this curriculum challenge in a music faculty through an extra-curricular initiative that embraces, rather than challenges organisational structures already in place. The writing workshop associated with the Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology provides a pathway for students looking to develop papers they have written for class …

Developing The Parameters Of Scholarship In Postgraduate Coursework Studies, Allan F. Mclay

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Scholarship parameters, in relation to postgraduate coursework studies, are developed against the expectations of the Boyer classifications of scholarship (Boyer, 1990) with particular emphasis on the role of minor thesis development. An example is presented in which postgraduate coursework students are required to undertake a three semester minor thesis sequence in which students engage in self directed, individual analysis and thesis preparation based on the findings of an investigative project, under the guidance of an academic supervisor. It is argued that the approach is a viable example of combined pedagogical and research oriented scholarship that addresses Boyer’s tetradic framework of …

A Longitudinal Study Of Student Outcomes From Participation In An International Study Tour: Some Preliminary Findings, Mark Tucker, Debbi Weaver

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Students returning from an international business study tour program were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of the professional and personal impact of the program. When interviews were conducted within 3-4 months of the students’ return, mixed responses were received, with some students highly positive about their experiences, but other students highly distressed about the level of independence required of them. When students were consulted two to six years after the completion of the program, including re-interviewing the initial study participants, students appeared more able to appreciate the benefits of the program. This was evident in their responses that highlighted …

Passwrite: Recalibrating Student Academic Literacies Development, Frances Williamson, Rosalie Goldsmith

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Concern about student retention and success remains paramount in universities both in Australia and overseas, especially in the light of the ongoing massification of higher education, yet current strategies are not necessarily dealing successfully with the changing demographics of student populations. This is particularly so in the realm of developing student academic literacies. This paper argues strongly for a shift in approaches to the development of academic literacies, adopting current trends in peer learning rather than relying on the deficit model of study skills which is frequently employed at Australian universities. We present an overview of the innovative PASSwrite model, …

Efficacy Of Accent Modification Training For International Medical Professionals, Poonam Khurana, Edgar Huang

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

International medical graduates (IMGs) comprise 26% of the U.S. physician work force. While IMGs bring all their knowledge and expertise, their pronunciation and intonation patterns often become a barrier in their ability to be understood. This breakdown in communication can affect physician-patient or physician-staff understanding and hence patient care. This study assessed the efficacy of an accent reduction program provided to IMGs and international medical researchers (IMRs) to address these communications problems. A pre and post course self-evaluation by the 82 participants, a pre and post audio-tape assessment by the course instructor, and a pre and post videotape assessment by …

Practical Implications Of A Constructivist Approach To Efl Teaching In A Higher Education Context, Montserrat Iglesias Xamaní

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Traditional pedagogical approaches may not be the best way to cater for the specific needs of learners in higher education settings, particularly those of university students with special expectations and professional prospects. The question of enhancing language learning awareness as a means of fostering the acquisition of a foreign language certainly is a key issue for future professionals within the tourism industry. This article analyses the introduction of portfolios in the English class through an action-research experience which was carried out among students of a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management in Spain. The participants were asked to express …

Does Time Spent Online Have An Influence On Student Performance? Evidence For A Large Business Studies Class, Con Korkofingas, Joseph Macri

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

This paper examines, using regression modelling, whether a statistically significant relationship exists between the time spent by a student using the course website and the student’s assessment performance for a large third year university business forecasting course. We utilise the online tracking system in Blackboard, a web-based software system, to extract and calculate the time spent by each student on a range of specific online assessment activities across the entire semester. The evidence suggests that time spent online on the course website is associated with higher assessment performance.

Editorial 10.2, Geraldine E. Lefoe

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Welcome to the second edition of the Journal of University Learning and Teaching Practice for 2013. It is also the final edition involving my co-editor Dr Meg O’Reilly from Southern Cross University, Australia. It is always hard to say goodbye to a colleague who has made a substantial contribution to the ongoing success of our journal and this is no exception. Meg has taken a significant workload with allocating papers for review and coaxing reviewers to submit on time. She has an amazing ability to provide insightful comments to authors, and her contributions to keeping the journal on track and …

Design Students Perspectives On Assessment Rubric In Studio-Based Learning, Eric F. Eshun, Patrick Osei-Poku

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

This study examined students’ perspectives on the use of assessment criteria and rubrics in graphic design studio at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. This assessment strategy was introduced with the desire to improve students’ participation and involvement in studio-based learning programme. At the end of the semester, a questionnaire was used to gather responses from a sample of 108 students about their opinions on the use of assessment rubric. Analyses of the data collected demonstrate that students were generally positive about the use of rubric in the peer assessment process. Descriptive statistics showed that 86% of the …

Encouraging And Evaluating Class Participation, Kathleen E. Czekanski, Zane Robinson Wolf

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Many faculty interpret student responses to faculty questions as evidence of an actively engaged classroom. Because of this conviction, class participation, whether graded or ungraded, appears in many course syllabi in colleges and universities and is often promoted as the responsibility of students to contribute to the learning environment. Class participation provides faculty with some confidence that learning is taking place during a course and that students are reading assignments. While faculty may debate that attendance should not be used as a stand-in for class participation, this may not be a universally held belief or practice. Some faculty create rubrics …

Face To Facebook: Social Media And The Learning And Teaching Potential Of Symmetrical, Sychronous Communication, George Vandoorn, Antoinette A. Eklund

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Social networking offers teachers and learners exciting opportunities to communicate. Web 2.0 and its synchronous communications platforms provide new avenues for teachers to deliver curriculum and facilitate learning. Further, they provide new avenues for students to engage and intensify their own learning. Being able to chat in real-time with a teacher, usually via face-to-face discussions, is something that many students studying in on-campus (or day) mode take for granted, and is something that distance or off-campus students are generally unable to experience. In the evolving, flexible-learning tertiary environment, viable and effective computer mediated communication (CMC) alternatives to face-to-face teaching need …

Conceptions Of Good Teaching By Good Teachers: Case Studies From An Australian University, Fernanda P. Duarte

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

This paper contributes to the debate on what constitutes good teaching in early 21st Century higher education, through an examination of the experience of five outstanding lecturers from a business school in an Australian university. It is based on a qualitative study that explored their perceptions on what constitutes ‘good teaching’. Resonating with existing research on good teaching practice, the findings suggest that good teachers tend to embrace constructivist principles, and are committed to facilitating learning that is deep, engaged, experientially-based, empowering, reflective, and life-long. The real-life examples of good teaching practice provided by the participants are a valuable resource …

Academic Writing At The Graduate Level: Improving The Curriculum Through Faculty Collaboration, Mary A. Bair, Cynthia E. Mader

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

This article describes a collaborative self-study undertaken to identify the source of academic writing difficulties among graduate students and find ways to address them. Ten faculty members in a college of education came together to define the problem and to analyze data gleaned from faculty and student surveys, course documents, course assignments, and course assessments. We found discrepancies between faculty and student perceptions about graduate preparation for academic writing and between the espoused and enacted curriculum. Both faculty and students identified problems associated with synthesizing theory and research. We discuss the need for teacher-scholars in today's educational environment, the challenges …

Indigenous Studies And The Politics Of Language, Colleen Mcgloin, Bronwyn L. Carlson

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Language use changes over time. In Indigenous contexts, language alters to suit the shifting nature of cultural expression as this might fit with Indigenous peoples’ preference or as a consequence of changes to outdated and colonial modes of expression. For students studying in the discipline of Indigenous Studies, learning to use appropriate terminology in written and oral expression can be a source of anxiety. In this paper, we consider how providing insight into the political nature of language can help students to be mindful and to understand that systems of naming have a political impact on those being named and …

Widening Participation In University Learning, Barbara Rissman, Suzanne Carrington, Derek Bland

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

This paper reports how one Australian university and the Queensland Department of Education and Training (DET) are working together to increase the number of school students from low socio-economic backgrounds enrolling in undergraduate university degrees. This innovative program involves university lecturers and school teachers working together in the delivery and assessment of four Bachelor of Education units (or subjects) to a cohort of Year eleven and twelve students at a secondary school. Focus group interviews collected data from 26 students, 7 parents, 4 school and 3 university staff to assess the effectiveness of the program. All stakeholders viewed the program …

Editorial 10.1, Geraldine E. Lefoe

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Welcome to the first issue of Volume 10 of Journal of University Teaching and Learning (JUTLP) in 2013. This year also marks the tenth year of the journal and we have seen it grow incredibly in that time. As an open access journal we struggled initially for acceptance. However last year there were 32000 downloads from the site, an indication of improved access as well as more interest in improving teaching practice. This increased recognition for research related to higher education teaching practice is also reflected in opportunities for grants. In Australia this year the federal government has recently announced …