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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Teaching Thesis Writing, Policy And Practice At An Australian University, Janice Skillen, Emily Purser Jul 2013

Teaching Thesis Writing, Policy And Practice At An Australian University, Janice Skillen, Emily Purser

Emily R Purser

As an indicator of serious engagement in an academic discourse, thesis writing enjoys universal recognition. While its importance in higher education is unquestioned, the need to teach students how to write a thesis (let alone what method to use) has been less generally accepted. In Australia, explicit instruction in thesis writing was rare until quite recently, but is now widespread and becoming almost mandatory. This paper briefly explains the shift and describes how the teaching of thesis writing is approached at the University of Wollongong. UoW’s major provider of academic skills instruction – Learning Development – supports student learning across …


Digital Integrity And The Teaching/Learning Nexus: Taking The Pedagogical Pulse Of The Multi-Location University., Jeannette Stirling, Kerryn Hopkins, Brendan Riddick Jul 2013

Digital Integrity And The Teaching/Learning Nexus: Taking The Pedagogical Pulse Of The Multi-Location University., Jeannette Stirling, Kerryn Hopkins, Brendan Riddick

Jeannette Stirling

This case study considers questions of pedagogical and educational integrity in relation to multi-location or distributed learning environments that deploy blended learning models. Specifically, we engage with the implications of these models in light of recommendations that Australian universities continue to improve access for students from low socio-economic backgrounds and other identified equity groups. We provide an overview of the critical success factors germane to the implementation of these models at the University of Wollongong in 2000 and examine some of the pressure points that have emerged as the project expands into 2010.


Equally Unprepared: Assessing The Hurricane Vulnerability Of Undergraduate Students, Jason Simms, Margarethe Kusenbach, Graham Tobin Jun 2013

Equally Unprepared: Assessing The Hurricane Vulnerability Of Undergraduate Students, Jason Simms, Margarethe Kusenbach, Graham Tobin

Jason L Simms

Students have been described as being both particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and highly resilient in recovery. In addition, they often have been treated as a distinct, homogeneous group sharing similar characteristics. This research tests these ideas through an examination of hurricane-related perceptions and preparations of students in a hurricane-prone area. A survey of over 500 undergraduate students (15% on-campus residents, 85% off campus) was conducted at the University of South Florida, a large, metropolitan- based university located in Tampa Bay, Florida, near the Gulf Coast. Following Mann–Whitney and Kruskal– Wallis tests, results showed that students were ill prepared for …