Abstract: A collaborative teaching approach (CTA) between two instructors was implemented to develop more curricular coherence with the intents of reducing fragmentation and of stimulating learning across mathematics methods and instructional technology courses. The CTA was prompted by the need to streamline the learning outcomes, including an e-portfolio exit requirement for their program of study. Utilizing a case study approach to determine preservice teachers’ levels of satisfaction, the actual learning effects, and the significant factors in the CTA, we found them to express overall satisfaction with the learning outcomes of the collaboration, and they suggested extended implementation.

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Abstract: This study investigates how a variety of resources mediated collaborative problem solving for a group of preservice teachers. The participants in this study completed mathematical, combinatorial tasks and then watched a video of a sixth grader as he exhibited sophisticated reasoning to recognize the isomorphic structure of these problems. The preservice teachers used a variety of material tools to solve the same problem, construct explanations of the learning processes that the sixth grader engaged in, and pose further questions about the problem to clarify their solutions. The results of this study suggest that simple material tools helped to motivate and mediate the participants’ collaborative problem-solving discourse.

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Abstract: The observation of teaching remains an integral process for the enhancement of practice as part of academic continuing professional development in higher education in the UK. This paper argues that failure to recognise the potential for peer-orientated development to reinforce restrictive norms of practice will be detrimental to the project of continuing professional development for learning and teaching. It is suggested that teaching observation schemes grounded in a peer model of observation within a reflective practitioner paradigm are potentially reinforcing parochial and performative constructions of teacher professionalism that ultimately enable resistance to changes to practice. It argues that for teaching observation to contribute to legitimate enhancement of teaching practice, such processes must be underpinned by pluralistic models of professional development that tolerate, and indeed require, critical differences of perspective that challenge rather than affirm the existing professional “self-concept” of experienced practitioners as it is enacted within current peer models of development in higher education.

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Abstract: Student response systems (SRSs) are increasingly being used in the classroom. However, there have been few well-controlled experimental evaluations to determine whether students benefit academically from these instructional tools. Additionally, comparisons of SRS with other interactive methods have not often been conducted. We compared SRS, Constructed Overt Response (COR), passive, and control conditions to determine their effects on learning and affect. We found that students performed better in the interactive conditions—SRS and COR—than the other conditions. Participants’ gain and retention of gain scores in the SRS condition were lower than those in the COR condition. Participants in the SRS condition perceived their condition as more enjoyable than those in the passive condition and more useful than those in the control condition. Additional research questions are raised about how these interactive methods may best improve student learning.

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Abstract: Literature on the role of higher education distance instructors mostly focuses on their teaching role, involving tasks such as curriculum design, instruction, and facilitating student learning. What is missing is the role of the “person” of the instructor, defined as his or her personality, identity, integrity, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and values. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether distance students want a personal presence from their instructors, and if so, how an instructor’s personal presence might impact on teaching and learning in the higher education sector. Qualitative analyses of 68 surveys and a focus group interview found that, while a minority of students report not wanting instructors to have a personal presence, most highlight the need for engaging, passionate, and understanding instructors who show these attributes through self disclosure, relationship building, humor, and individualized feedback. At the same time, instructors’ personal qualities need to be mediated through learning. Various modes were identified that might encourage a personal mode of distance teaching, though the teaching medium did not appear to matter as much as having an instructor who, in the words of one participant, was “human.”

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Abstract: This action research combined qualitative and quantitative techniques to investigate two different types of writing assignments in an introductory undergraduate statistics course. The assignments were written in response to the same set of prompts but in two different ways: homework journal assignments or initial posts to a computer discussion board. A survey at the end of the semester elicited student reactions to writing in a statistics course, as well as to the two different types of writing they were asked to do. A majority of the students felt that the addition of writing to the course was beneficial to their learning. Student writing was analyzed to identify the types of writing found. Both forms of writing investigated allow students to engage in reflective thinking about statistics and to communicate their questions to their instructor. Both forms of writing helped students to improve their understanding of mathematics and their ability to communicate mathematically. The discussion board, however, engaged students in a dialogue, which allowed them to build on one another’s thinking. The identification and classification of types of writing found in different kinds of student responses will allow future instructional decisions and point to further research.

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Abstract: Attempts by universities to provide an improved learning environment to students have led to an increase in team-teaching approaches in higher education. While the definitions of team-teaching differ slightly, the benefits of team-teaching have been cited widely in the higher education literature. By tapping the specialist knowledge of a variety of staff members, students are exposed to current and emerging knowledge in different fields and topic areas; students are also able to understand concepts from a variety of viewpoints. However, while there is some evidence of the usefulness of team-teaching, there is patchy empirical support to underpin how well students appreciate and adapt to team-teaching approaches. This paper reports on the team-teaching approaches adopted in the delivery of an introductory journalism and communication course at the University of Queensland. The success of the approaches is examined against the background of quantitative and qualitative data. The study found that team-teaching is generally very well received by undergraduate students because they value the diverse expertise and teaching styles they are exposed to. Despite the positive feedback, students also complained about problems of continuity and cohesiveness.

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Abstract: Academics are now expected to manage increasingly demanding research, administrative, and teaching obligations. These demands in practice mean that the pressures to balance teaching and research duties render cultivating links between the two activities a less-than-intuitive process. The author describes the difficulties faced by academics in the United Kingdom, students’ learning experiences and perceptions of quality higher education, and the ways these issues relate to modern society’s expectations of what University education should achieve. The author also considers how these issues are currently received and managed by Universities. To provide good quality higher education to the next generation, government and Universities should work together to address disparities and fill gaps in the research-teaching nexus. The evidence points to an urgent need to confront issues in a way that will benefit students, academics, Universities, and society. A non-exhaustive list of proposals described here aims to reverse the current trends that pull research and teaching apart. Such policies should be implemented, either on a national basis, or by individual Universities and should reflect the educational philosophy and cultural outlook of each institution. Ultimately a positive “nexus” may have potential benefits for both science research and teaching in the United Kingdom.

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Abstract: As a result of legal protections and the effects of inclusive reforms (e.g., improved academic skills, heightened expectations), more students with disabilities are entering higher education than ever before. The priorities and understanding of university faculty members directly shape the educational experiences and success of the rapidly growing group of college students with disabilities. Previous research in this area has focused primarily on faculty members’ knowledge of legal issues, general attitudes toward students with disabilities attending college, and willingness to make accommodations. This study expands the extant knowledge base by examining the priorities and understanding of 307 faculty members at an 8-campus university system regarding university students with disabilities in the following areas: Legal, Accommodations-Willingness, Accommodations-Policy, Universal Design for Instruction, Disability Characteristics, and Disability Etiquette. Participants’ ratings indicated that (a) accommodation policies and disability etiquette were viewed as highly important and were being addressed satisfactorily; (b) issues related to law, Universal Design for Instruction, and disability characteristics were important but were not being addressed satisfactorily; and (c) issues related to willingness to provide accommodations were neither highly important nor being addressed satisfactorily. Implications for faculty training are discussed.

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Abstract: The central place of the learning environment and the personal characteristics of the learner in influencing whether students adopt deep or surface approaches to learning is well evidenced in the literature (for example, Marton & Saljo, 1976; Biggs, 1987; Entwhistle, 2001; Ramsden, 2003). For this reason, tertiary educators are constantly seeking opportunities to provide best practice in their university classrooms. Yet simply motivating students to participate in class does not necessarily alter overall learning styles (Herington & Weaven, 2008). Although the term “learning style” is somewhat problematic (Richardson, 2000), previous research has shown that students’ tendency towards a particular learning strategy affects their learning-related performance (Heikkila & Lonka, 2006). This suggests that the process of “unlearning” previous learning styles may pose a significant problem for academics if they hope to change their students’ learning processes from surface to deep learning. As a profession, teaching at the tertiary level obviously draws upon a formal knowledge base. An important step in the translation of the formal knowledge base to enlightened practice is to draw upon tertiary students' experiential and informal knowledge. What learning-related concepts, and misconceptions do they hold? What is going on in the students' minds? Specifically, this paper will provide information on how three pre-service students currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts (Primary) course at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE), Univeristi of Brunei Daurssalam, Brunei Darussalam, approach study and how this approach can affect their concepts of learning.

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Abstract: The faculty of an undergraduate research course with a diverse student body recognized that many students struggled with the concept of how to critique a research article. The traditional assignment method used to teach the critique process did not maximize student learning outcomes. The active learning strategy of peer review was used to enhance student understanding and engagement in the critique process. This active learning strategy involved small groups of students who worked together as a team to evaluate the work of other student groups using a critique-rubric. This article describes the development and incorporation of a peer review activity into an undergraduate research course.

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Abstract: Previous research has highlighted the effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in multiple disciplinary settings, including medicine, teacher education, business, allied health, and the social sciences. Yet interdisciplinary educators have very little information about how to implement PBL in classrooms where multiple disciplines are represented. This paper offers practical strategies for the successful implementation of PBL in an interdisciplinary context in which learners have a limited knowledge base. In this paper we will a) highlight challenges to interdisciplinary teaching, b) demonstrate how PBL and traditional teaching techniques can be used in an interdisciplinary context, and c) discuss strategies to engage students in making scientific discoveries of their own.

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Abstract: The assignment of pre-class reading is a common practice in higher education. Typically, the purpose of this reading assignment is to expose students to background knowledge that will be useful in an upcoming class discussion or to introduce a topic that will be presented more directly by the instructor. However, numbers of undergraduates actually completing these assignments are very low (Ruscio, 2001). The purpose of this article is to describe a variety of reading/writing prompts that can be used to promote critical out-of-class reading by undergraduate students. Critical reading involves the art and science of analyzing and evaluating text while maintaining a view towards improving the nature of thought and one’s subsequent actions (Paul & Elder, 2008). The prompts are organized into six categories: (1) identification of problem or issue, (2) making connections, (3) interpretation of evidence, (4) challenging assumptions, (5) making applications, and (6) taking a different point-of-view. The specific context of how to use and assign these reading/writing prompts and the subsequent benefits from their use will also be discussed.

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Abstract: This article describes how a diverse, interdisciplinary team of faculty formed a topic-based faculty learning community. Following an introduction to faculty learning communities and a brief discussion of their benefit to faculty engaged in the process of adopting new technology, we explain how our team, through a competitive mini-grant application process and intensive training workshop, complemented by a series of follow-up training sessions, formed a faculty learning community that collectively adopted a web-based rubric model for performance evaluation, began implementing it, and, in doing so, developed a culture of assessment. We describe the web-based rubric software we adopted and provide short reports authored by seven members of the faculty learning community to exemplify how the implementation of web-based rubrics can enhance student performance, augment instructor evaluation of student performance, and facilitate outcomes assessment. The article includes a “lessons learned” section which synthesizes what we learned from the endeavor and emphasizes what we considered critical to the group’s success.

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