Digital Commons Network^™

Student Perceptions Of Humour In Teaching Politics And International Relations: A Focus Group Study, Alexander P. Martin

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Politics and International Relations (Pol & IR) lecturers can capitalise on the established relationship between comedy and political analysis by using humour techniques to enhance the student learning experience and to develop students’ critical analysis skills. Using collected data from focus groups with 21 British and International undergraduate students from four UK universities, this small-scale empirical study advances a methodology that enables participants to engage in collective meaning-making without being restricted by a closed-ended question survey. This research highlights student perceptions that humour attempts can make concepts memorable, improve student-lecturer rapport, and increase student engagement and motivation when lecturers consistently …

We Were All Learning And Doing Our Best: Investigating How Enabling Educators Promoted Student Belonging In A Time Of Significant Complexity And Unpredictability, Trixie James, Kerry Bond, Brijesh Kumar, Melissa Tomlins, Gabriela Toth

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted education provision worldwide. In Australia, the government took a proactive stance to reduce the impact of the pandemic, temporarily banning higher education students from attending university campuses. With a lockdown in place, educational institutions required a rapid shift in approaches to teaching and learning by both educators and students. Educators throughout Australia were asked to work from home and quickly transition their face-to-face (synchronous) classes into bichronous, fully online offerings. This paper reports on the experiences of 25 educators in an enabling course in a regional Australian university who were required to make this shift. These …

Improving Students’ Performance With Time Management Skills, Robert Wilson, Keith Joiner, Alireza Abbasi

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Research at the University of New South Wales with Defence Force Academy students found time-management skills significantly improve the academic results of male students but not female students when controlling for the usual effect of prior academic ability. While much previous research has revealed a positive link between time management and academic results within civilian environments, there is a lack of research on this link in dual-military or employment and academic settings. Our research also extends on many national and international studies’ by researching the efficacy of a direct training intervention in time-management skills. The study is unique in evaluating …

An Investigation Into Mentoring Relationships Of Higher Education Students In Community Settings, Ridwanah Gurjee

Journal of Peer Learning

This research explores one-to-one, formal mentoring relationships between students in higher education and their partnered mentees from community and secondary school environments. The purpose is to enhance understanding of mentoring praxis, bringing insight into structures and support of relationships. This paper addresses gaps in the literature by focusing more on the interaction that takes place rather than the benefits of mentoring alone.

The research adopts an interpretive methodological approach, incorporating qualitative methods of semi-structured interviews with mentors and mentees. Reflective portfolios, completed by students as an assessment for the university’s Mentoring in the Community module, are another adopted method.

Findings …

‘It Was Fun’: Exploring The Pedagogical Value Of Collaborative Educational Games, Adeline Cooney, Eamon Darcy

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

This qualitative descriptive study explored the value of games as pedagogical tools to teach team working and foster collaborative learning in a higher education classroom. Groups of three or four students (n = 181) were asked to participate in a simple low-tech serious game which required them to solve a puzzle. The puzzle simulated ‘good’ teamwork practices. Subsequently, participants were asked to complete an open-ended qualitative questionnaire about their experiences. The game was found to enhance learners’ understanding of the attributes of effective team working. It was concluded that team-based collaborative games have value in experientially ‘teaching’ team working skills. …

Ceo & Cfo Education And R&D Investment In Indonesia, Iman Harymawan, Mohammad Nasih, Dian Agustia, Melinda Cahyaning Ratri, John Nowland

Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal

This study examines how the research and development (R&D) investments of listed companies in Indonesia are influenced by the educational characteristics of their CEOs and CFOs. This study uses 368 observations from 150 listed companies on the Indonesian Stock Exchange for the period 2010 to 2015. We find that CEOs with higher educational levels invest more in research and development. This is consistent with more education instilling a longer-term perspective on corporate managers. We also find that CFOs with accounting certifications invest less in R&D, consistent with the risk-adverse nature of the accounting profession. For companies and shareholders, our findings …

Comparison Of Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Videos In The Online Classroom, Elizabeth Valenti, Tennille Feldbush, Jean Mandernach

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

While instructors and students generally value the integration of videos in the online classroom, there are a number of practical considerations that may mediate the utility of videos as a teaching and learning tool. The current survey examines faculty and student perceptions of videos in the online classroom with an emphasis on the practical factors that influence video integration. Results indicate differences in faculty and student acceptance and endorsements of videos for content presentation compared to assignment feedback. Faculty desire more opportunities to interact with their students (i.e., video-based discussions, video-conferencing, and student-generated videos) and highlighted efficiency as a key …

The Structure Of Discussions In An Online Communication Course: What Do Students Find Most Effective?, Laura Jacobi

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of students regarding what was effective about the way in which the asynchronous discussions were structured in an upper level online organizational communication course. Surveys from 27 student participants were used, with questions focused upon the structure of discussions in the online course as compared to other online courses and to traditional classrooms. Results indicate structured and relevant discussion prompts, small group placement, visible postings, and required weekly postings as significant factors to student success. The majority of students also found online discussions more effective than live discussions in traditional …

Spirituality And Wellbeing: Primary Teacher And School Counsellor Perspectives, Suzanne Schwebel

Journal of Student Engagement: Education Matters

Addressing the spiritual wellbeing of students in New South Wales (NSW) schools is not only important for their overall wellbeing but is now part of the NSW Department of Education and Communities’ (NSW DEC, 2015) Wellbeing Framework for Schools, However, research indicates there may be challenges due to difficulties and confusion regarding how to address student spiritual wellbeing in a secular education setting. Using a qualitative design, the current study aimed to explore teacher and counsellor perceptions of spiritual wellbeing, and how these may impact their ability to address spiritual wellbeing in practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teachers …

Burnout In Nsw School Counsellors: How Do Years Of Experience, Career-Sustaining Behaviours And Mindfulness Affect Burnout Levels?, Amanda Rodd

Journal of Student Engagement: Education Matters

The purpose of the current study was to determine correlations between years of service and burnout experienced by members of the New South Wales Department of Education school counselling service in Australia. The benefits of participation in mindfulness and career-sustaining behaviours on levels of burnout in the sample were also explored. The 138 participants each completed a burnout inventory, mindfulness questionnaire and career-sustaining behaviours questionnaire. The participants were allocated to one of three groups: highly experienced, experienced or inexperienced. Results indicated that, as years of experience increased, levels of burnout decreased. Participation in some, but not all, facets of mindfulness …

Approaches And Study Skills Inventory For Students (Assist) In An Introductory Course In Chemistry., Stephen Brown, Sue White, Lara Wakeling, Mani Naiker

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Approaches to study and learning may enhance or undermine educational outcomes, and thus it is important for educators to be knowledgeable about their students’ approaches to study and learning. TheApproaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students(ASSIST) – a 52 item inventory which identifies three learning styles (Deep, Strategic, and Surface), was given to first year undergraduate students undertaking an introductory chemistry course. Completed inventories (n=103, 85% response), included 30 BSc Biomedicine, 15 BSc Food and Nutrition, 22 BSc Geology, 18 BSc Science students, and a further 18 students on unnamed BSc pathways. The dominant learning style adopted was the Surface …

Using A Brief Form Of Problem-Based Learning In A Research Methods Class: Perspectives Of Instructor And Students, Anastasia D. Elder

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Problem based learning (PBL) is an instructional method aimed at engaging students in collaboratively solving an ill-structured problem. PBL has been presented and researched as an overhaul of existing curriculum design, yet a modified version may be attractive to college instructors who desire active learning on the part of their students, but who cannot completely reorganize their current course design. A brief case using principles of PBL was constructed for use in an undergraduate research methods class. Instructor planning and student reflections highlight roles and skills demanded in the PBL classroom. Planned conceptual issues were successfully covered during the brief …

Exploring The Experiences Of Linguistically Diverse College Of Education Student Writers, Katya A. Karathanos, Dolores D. Mena

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Many linguistically diverse students at the post-secondary level have difficulty with academic language skills that are important to their success in content-area university courses. Although programs have been established to help English language learners (ELLs) transition from high school to college, little attention has been given to how students are supported in their college or university academic classes. In this paper, we present research results based on a survey administered to students enrolled in education-based programs exploring their perspectives on instructional feedback provided by university faculty on their academic writing. We present quantitative and qualitative findings from this survey with …