Education Commons^™

The Mooc: Rhetoric, Political Economy And The Value Of Technological Citizenship, Tanner Mirrlees, Shahid Alvi

Teaching and Learning in a Digital Context

This paper offers a critical political-economy of the promise and disappointment of the for- profit Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) in higher education. Our goal is to encourage awareness, dialogue, and reflexivity about the gap between the rhetoric and reality of the MOOC in higher education and to highlight and interrogate the persuasive and profit power interests served by “the rhetoric of the MOOC.” To this end, the first section outlines our critical approach and defines some key concepts: “the rhetoric of technology,” “the political- economy of edu-tech” and “the public sphere.” The second section highlights the MOOC’s rhetorical promises …

Addressing Inequities In The College Of The 21st Century, Linda Muzzin, Diane Meaghan

System and Institutional Design and Transformation

Based on a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funded study of college faculty and administrators in BC (part of a national study), we documented inequities that can be related to class, ethnoracial, and gender stratification. Participants in Early Childhood Education (ECE), practical nursing and literacy explained how government restructuring disadvantaged poorer women students, and placed heavy workloads on faculty and students. These feminized vocational fields are vulnerable to instability in the “new” college in which the “flexible” worker is the norm. Our interviews took place in former university colleges, and urban as well as rural colleges. We document …

How The Entrepreneurial University Should Overcome Barriers To Recruiting And Retaining Early Career Researchers, Eoin Dunne

System and Institutional Design and Transformation

This paper will identify barriers to recruiting and retaining early career research talent in higher education today, and consider how to overcome these barriers. The need for a pipeline of research staff is being driven by a requirement for higher education institutes (HEIs) to commercialise their knowledge and research findings in support of socio-economic objectives, and to compensate for the ongoing reduction in state funding. Using the concept of the entrepreneurial university as a lens, this paper describes how higher education must adopt to significant forces for change, which if left unchecked, will outrun their ability to respond. To further …

Creating A New University In A Time Of Political And Economic Conservatism, Alyson King Ph.D., Shirley Van Nuland Ph.D

System and Institutional Design and Transformation

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) was the first new university to be established in Ontario in forty years and was created in a time of fiscal austerity by a Conservative government led by a Premier with a reputation for anti-intellectualism. In many ways, UOIT represents a new way of thinking about the nature of higher education that was prevalent at the time; in other ways, it was unable to effect a significant redesign of curriculum, administration, or structure.

Comparing Quality: The Quality Assurance And Enhancement Report For England And Northern Ireland And The Ontario Quality Assurance Framework, Daniel Lang

System and Institutional Design and Transformation

This is a comparative study of two reports on the assurance of quality in higher education that appeared contemporaneously in 2008. One was the result of a joint working group of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the Higher Education Academy, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The other was the result of a task force of the Council of Ontario Universities and the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies. Both groups had the endorsement of government. Both groups began with extensive surveys of institutional opinion about existing quality assurance and enhancement regimes. Using NVivo software, documentary analysis, …

An Approach To Designing Services In A Technological University: Re-Engineering Or Seduction?, Eileen Quinn, Olivia Edge, Sharon Feeney

System and Institutional Design and Transformation

This paper is written in the context of three Irish higher education institutions negotiating a merger in order to become Ireland’s inaugural ‘Technological University’. To be designated as a technological university (TU), the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) and Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) are first required to merge and to then transform how they approach and deliver education and the services that support it. In this study, an experimental approach to entice into existence newly designed student- related services in the TU was trialled. The design of the study comprised a series of mini-projects. …

A Collaborative Approach To Designing A M.A. In Social Research In Response To The Changing Higher Education And Social Environment In Ireland, Fiona Mcsweeney, Margaret Fingleton

System and Institutional Design and Transformation

The aim of this paper is to share the experience of and the rationale behind the development of a new post-graduate programme in social research for the purpose of generating discussion with other higher education institutions. The context in which the programme is being developed is that where change in the landscape and aims of higher education in Ireland are being driven by aims to streamline resources through merging institutions, increase research output and the research skills of students as well as ensure that higher education meets its economic and social obligations through engagement with society. In addition the social …

But Is It Transformative? Quality Assurance As Co-Learning In Graduate Education, Lorayne Robertson, Wendy Barber

Outcomes in Higher Education

This research explores quality in two online graduate courses by examining data sets gathered separately from the same cohort of students. Data include an institutional survey and student work outputs such as assignments and learning logs. Quality in higher education is critically important, but the means to establish it has reportedly been somewhat illusive in academia (Anderson, G., 2006). There are tensions evident in processes such as program review because it encourages faculty to reflect on their practice but is generally not course-specific. Program reviews also rely on external experts to match the evidence to standards. Barrow (1999) employs the …

“Dit Get Smart!” – Tailor-Made Mobile Application For The Orientation Of First Year 'Third-Level' Students In The Technological University Dublin, Nevan Bermingham, Mary O'Rawe, Trevor Boland, Mark Prendergast

Books / Book chapters

There is evidence to show that higher education is changing to accommodate the higher ownership rates of mobile devices among students, and that this technology plays an increasingly important part in their lives (Kobus, Rietveld & Van Ommeren, 2013). These technology-savvy students depend on its usage to feel connected to the world around them (Oblinger, Oblinger, & Lippincott, 2005). Other research has suggested that mobile technologies can provide support to students when transitioning to t'hird-level' education by making it easy for them to engage on their own terms with the resources they need to help with the transition (Fotheringham & …

Strengths Hidden In Plain Sight, Edward L. Ayers

History Faculty Publications

I knew from teaching that the lifeblood of education travels through capillaries, small vessels that reach into small classrooms, quiet conversations, silent reading. But when I became dean, I saw that those capillaries flow only because of the arteries and veins of admissions, finance, student affairs, and advancement. People far removed from the classroom make it possible for other people to be teachers and students.

Higher Ed's Carbon Addiction, Mary Finley-Brook, Alex Krass

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Each year higher education produces millions of metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHG). As research and study abroad programs span the globe, faculty and staff travel regularly to professional meetings. Colleges compete for prospective students and offer state-of-the-art technology, entertainment, food services, and other high-impact facilities. Universities that market a comfortable, stimulating campus in order to attract and retain talent may resist carbon budgeting, as combustion of dirty fossil fuels currently remains vital to the operation of most campus buildings, sport fields, and labs.

Universities are integral to climate science knowledge production. Nevertheless, policymakers in many academic institutions appear unaware …

Developing A Global Health Assessment Collaboration: Ancillary Report, Daniel Edwards, Jacob Pearce, David Wilkinson

Higher education research

This document reports on a project designed to develop an assessment collaboration between medical schools in both Australia and the United Kingdom. The project was funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT), utilising surplus funding from a broader assessment collaboration project – the Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration (OLT ID12-2482). The Global Health Assessment Collaboration (GHAC) involved five universities in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK). It developed an assessment framework and item specifications, undertook assessment item drafting workshops, built in a process of review and resulted in the development of a focused suite of assessment items. This report …

National Research On The Postgraduate Student Experience : Case Presentation: Volume 1: First Year Postgraduate Student Experience, Gary Hamlin, Shelley Kinash, Linda Crane, Amy Bannatyne, Madelaine-Marie Judd, Ashley Stark, Bill Eckersley, Helen Partridge, Ken Udas

Higher education research

This is volume one of a set of case studies that explore the postgraduate student experience. The theme of this case study is first year postgraduate student experience and is based on experiences derived from student engagement breakfasts, interviews, and focus groups with 366 people across the stakeholder groups of postgraduate students, educators, and university executives from 26 institutions. The case studies constitute part of the output from the project, Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education to enhance the 21st century student experience.

National Research On The Postgraduate Student Experience : Case Presentation : Volume 2 : Postgraduate Student Diversity, Bill Eckersley, Linda Crane, Shelley Kinash, Amy Bannatyne, Gary Hamlin, Helen Partridge, Sarah Richardson, Harry Rolf, Ken Udas

Higher education research

This is volume two of a set of three case studies that explore the postgraduate student experience. The theme of this case study is postgraduate student diversity and is based on experiences derived from student engagement breakfasts, interviews, and focus groups with 366 people across the stakeholder groups of postgraduate students, educators, and university executives from 26 institutions. The case studies constitute part of the output from the project, Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education to enhance the 21st century student experience.

Collaboration Between The Library And Office Of Student Disability Services: Document Accessibility In Higher Education, Rebecca Arzola

Publications and Research

Purpose – The paper aims to discuss the relationship between interdepartmental stakeholders in higher education and the information identified as a result of collaborations. It proposes that collaborations can help clarify issues to then advocate for them.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for a naturalistic case study design, gathering direct and participant observation of interdepartmental collaborations including 1 Student Share, 12 one-hour collaborative sessions and 1 Accessibility Conference.

Findings – The paper provides observed insight about student needs to have documents that are accessible for assistive technologies to recognize and read how change is brought about during internal brand building. …

Identifying, Developing And Grading ‘Soft Skills’ In Higher Education: A Technological Approach, Adrian O'Connor, Jeffrey Buckley, Naill Seery, Martha Cleveland-Innes

Outcomes in Higher Education

Identifying, developing and grading soft skills, i.e., transversal cross-curricular competencies, in higher education requires the recognition of key qualities, the capacity to discriminate between these qualities and a mechanism to validly and reliability grade soft skill acquisition. This research proposes a technological infrastructure that acknowledges the importance of self-assessment, peer observation and teacher evaluation when adjudicating on subjective and often personal data. The proposal has the capacity to balance, weight and triangulate the objective and subjective evidence of soft skill acquisition ensuring the validity and reliability of the resultant accreditation. Accreditation of soft skills was in the form of digital …

Valuing The Leadership Role Of University Unit Coordinators, Coral Pepper, Susan Roberts

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this paper we describe the experiences of 64 unit coordinators across 15 Australian universities, gathered during 2011/2012 as part of an Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) project. Our intention was to gain insight into how unit coordinators (academics who coordinate a discrete unit of study) perceive their role as leaders of learning in higher education and whether the support provided to them by their institutions meets their needs. The study is of international significance given the rapidly changing higher education landscape with larger class sizes, reduced funding and the increasing use of technology occurring globally. Following a brief …

First Year Experience: How We Can Better Assist First-Year International Students In Higher Education?, Zi Yan, Patricia Sendall

Organization Studies and Analytics Faculty Publications

While many American colleges and universities are providing a First Year Experience (FYE) course or program for their first year students, those programs are not often customized to take into account international students’ (IS) unique challenges. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this study evaluated a FYE course that was customized for IS in a college setting. Nineteen IS and eight domestic students (DS) who attended FYE classes completed a survey; 18 of the 19 IS were interviewed. Overall, the FYE class was successful in terms of helping IS to familiarize themselves with academic resources and expectations, understanding American culture, making …

Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2015 - 2016, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

As we enter the third year of our journey towards SMU Vision 2025, we need to build on the momentum that has been generated by the dedication and spirit of collaboration that has developed in the SMU community. SMU continues to transform the future of education with ground-breaking innovations in our undergraduate curriculum. At the same time, our postgraduate, professional and executive development offerings continue to expand in number and receive greater global recognition and prestigious accolades.

Designing An Evaluation Of Instructional Consultation In A Higher Education Context, Karen Elizabeth Brinkley Etzkorn, David Schumann, Beth White, Tiffany Smith

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Individual instructor consultation is a common service provided by centers focused on educational development in higher education. The importance of this service has been reflected in its history, increasing demand, and strong anecdotal evidence to its effectiveness. However, the extant literature reveals that comprehensive assessment of consultation effectiveness has proved challenging. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to (a) provide an overview of consultation and summarize the relevant work evaluating this service, and (b) propose a comprehensive process for evaluating consultation services that was piloted at one large research intense university. The goal is to provide a systematic method …

Community College For All: How Two-Year Criminal Justice Transfer Students Perceive Their Educational Experience, Elizabeth Monk-Turner, John Allen, John Casten, Cathy Cowling, Charles Gray, David Guhr, Kara Hoofnagle, Jessica Huffman, Moises Mina, Brian Moore

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

[Introduction] President Obama and others have called for free community college-- "America's College Promise." Yet controversy surrounds the community college system, with proponents emphasizing the educational opportunities provided while critics bemoan the high dropout rate and lack of equality of educational outcomes. Little research explores how students perceive their educational experiences at two-year colleges. This article explores community college strengths and weaknesses as perceived by a sample of successful criminal justice transfer students. During qualitative interviewing, students reported that they had a positive experience at community college and that it allowed them to prepare to be successful at university. Expense, …

Color Me Calm: Adult Coloring And The University Library, Heidi Blackburn, Claire E. Chamley

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

An activity often reserved for children, coloring books for adults rose from hipster trend to global phenomenon beginning in 2013. Adults flocked to the activity for a variety of reasons, including stress relief, socialization, a way to unplug from technology or even as a way to gain social status by appearing trendy. Participants reported enjoying the tactile, interactive nature of the books as a respite from constant screen time. Coloring books became big business for craft suppliers and bookstores by 2015. Coloring books shot to the top of the Best Sellers list on Amazon and were prominently displayed in book …

Rick's Taxonomy, Mary Crossley

Articles

This Essay uses the influential educational work Bloom’s Taxonomy as a jumping-off point for exploring how Rick Matasar’s scholarship relating to leadership in and the goals of legal education provides a guide for identifying, prioritizing and pursuing the core values and objectives of the legal education enterprise in a time of profound change. This Essay briefly describes Bloom’s Taxonomy and its status in the educational literature. Then it highlights two ways that Matasar’s leadership scholarship displays kinship to Bloom’s Taxonomy. His approach to describing a problem, analyzing its nature, and synthesizing and evaluating possible responses to the problem is …