International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
IJTLHE
International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
IJTLHE
International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
IJTLHE
International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
IJTLHE
2009: Volume 21 Number 3

2009 - Research Article
Bolton, E., Brennan, M., Terry, B.
Views: 1493       [583]
Abstract: This article highlights how undergraduate students implemented inquiry-based learning strategies to learn how nonprofit organizations utilize volunteers. In inquiry-based learning, students begin with a problem or question with some degree of focus or structure provided by the professor. The student inquiry showcased in this article was based on a questionnaire used in an interview with the chief executive officer of a local nonprofit organization. The data collected by students participating in the inquiry-based project contribute to a study that may be used to guide student learning outcomes as they prepare for careers in the nonprofit sector. Inquiry-based learning is a useful approach to focus student learning outcomes and engage students in authentic, active research.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


Abstract: Interactive response systems “clickers” can provide multiple benefits to the students and faculty who use them, including immediate performance feedback and greater student engagement in learning. My own exploration of this technology has yielded five pedagogically different types of polling questions, specifically measurement of student confidence levels, their comfort levels with various topics, assessment of attitude change due to class discussions, retention of course information, and basic mastery of course content. The present investigation revealed that students acknowledge the possible benefits to the instructor of using these polling questions, yet they were most appreciative of the opportunity to see sample quiz questions. More surprising, these students were unaware of the price of “clickers,” despite having purchased them at the start of the semester, suggesting that use of this technology does not constitute a financial hardship for many students.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


Abstract: Teaching is a multidimensional, complex activity. The use of the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) has the potential to be effective in improving teaching as it reveals successful behaviors by identifying key actions associated between excellent/poor performances. The present study sought to identify teaching behaviors that differentiate excellent and very poor performance of undergraduate college teachers in India using CIT, from the perspective of students. Two hundred thirty-seven critical incidents were collected from 60 female students from three different undergraduate humanities courses using questionnaires and personal interviews. Qualitative procedures emphasizing the verbatims students generated were used for data analysis. The data generated from the incidents was subjected to content analysis, and sorted into 6 categories. The six categories identified were: rapport with students, course preparation and delivery, encouragement, fairness, spending time with students outside of class, and control. The frequency with which students reported each behavior as either good or bad is presented. The study yields specific behaviors for faculty to follow to yield improvement in teaching evaluations by students. A list of critical behaviors may have implications in selection, training and performance evaluation of teachers. The present study also underlines the robustness of CIT in education research.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


Abstract: A lament of some academics wanting to use online learning is their inability to promote dynamic interactions. The basic practice of “read and discuss” does not get to the heart of active and engaged learning. Existing approaches recognize participation for successful online conversation, but do not make transparent the role of the academic instructor as mediator. This paper draws on the theory of mediated learning experience (MLE) to introduce humanness in the motivation to engage in tasks, and ultimately promote student empowerment. Guidelines to move discussion beyond “read and discuss” through meaningful, caring, rich, and challenging dialogue are provided. A design-based instructional methodology directed the study.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


2009 - Research Article
Ting, K., Wong, K., Thang, S.
Views: 1137       [610]
Abstract: Generally work-based learning opportunities are only offered to students in their penultimate year of undergraduate study. Little is known about the benefits and shortcomings of such experiential learning for students in the early stages of their undergraduate education. This is a mixed method study investigating first year undergraduate pharmacy students’ perceptions of work-based learning during their vacation. A structured questionnaire was designed to assess students’ views on their placement experiences and also to help identify suitable participants for the second part of the study that involved a focus group. Both quantitative and qualitative methods revealed that most students found work-based learning valuable to them. Subject related competences and personal/social skills were recorded where some of these skills could not be acquired within the academic setting. Understanding their professional role and responsibilities and the opportunity to work with other professionals in a working environment were highlighted as positive features of the placement experience. The findings from the study suggest that supplemental in-the-field work experiences in the early stages of students’ university education should be made part of a university curriculum, as it helps in their academic development and contributes towards preparing them for future work environments and the job market.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


2009 - Research Article
Raddon, M., Raby, R., Sharpe, E.
Views: 2098       [632]
Abstract: Challenged by some of the inherent difficulties in teaching qualitative data analysis, three instructors created an interactive digital learning object entitled “Sleuthing the Layered Text: Investigating Coding.” In this paper we assess the effectiveness of that learning object as a tool for teaching qualitative coding. On the face of it, learning objects—a form of instructional technology that has been criticized for tending to be objectivist and content-driven—would appear to be ill-suited for teaching qualitative analysis, an open-ended, interpretive and subjective process. However, based on student evaluations from two very different undergraduate courses, we found that the learning object did prove to be an effective medium for teaching coding. We attribute this success to its design, which incorporates best practices of classroom instructors, and also to the integration of the learning object into our courses. Nevertheless, student feedback cautions us that the learning object is not a technological fix. The degree to which students valued the learning object over other methods of instruction was moderate, and some were leery about this form of digital technology substituting for classroom teaching, even though this was not our intention.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


2009 - Instruction Article
Schell, K., Ferguson, A., Hamoline, R., Shea, J., Thomas-MacLean, R.
Views: 2190       [639]
Abstract: There has been a lack of research done on in-class teaching and learning using visual methods. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate an enriched teaching and learning experience, facilitated by a Photovoice project, in an Advanced Methodology class where sociology graduate students were exposed to various social research methods and methodologies. Students were asked to take photographs that would represent a research interest or a lived experience based in their own social world. The article weaves four students and the professor’s experiences to document the impact the Photovoice project had on each of them. Through this process, it was found that Photovoice is a successful tool for conducting research, teaching students to think critically, and introducing students to a new medium to create knowledge. Students experienced what it is like to be a researcher and a participant in a qualitative research project and discovered the overwhelming potential visual methods have to inform society about lived experiences.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


2009 - Research Article
Rundle-Thiele, S., Kuhn, K.
Views: 2252       [636]
Abstract: The importance of constructively aligned curriculum is well understood in higher education. Based on the principles of constructive alignment, this research considers whether student perception of learning achievement measures can be used to gain insights into how course activities and pedagogy are assisting or hindering students in accomplishing course learning goals. Students in a Marketing Principles course were asked to complete a voluntary survey rating their own progress on the intended learning goals for the course. Student perceptions of learning achievement were correlated with actual student learning, as measured by grade, suggesting that student perceptions of learning achievement measures are suitable for higher educators. Student perception of learning achievement measures provide an alternate means to understand whether students are learning what was intended, which is particularly useful for educators faced with large classes and associated restrictions on assessment. Further, these measures enable educators to simultaneously gather evidence to document the impact of teaching innovations on student learning. Further implications for faculty and future research are offered.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


2009 - Review Article
Shahabuddin, S.
Views: 3706       [641]
Abstract: Plagiarism sometimes creates legal and ethical problems for students and faculty. It can have serious consequences. Fortunately, there are ways to stop plagiarism. There are many tools available to detect plagiarism, e.g. using software for detecting submitted articles. Also, there are many ways to punish a plagiarist, e.g. banning plagiarists from submitting future articles for publication. In addition, scholarly journals should clearly state their policies regarding plagiarism and require authors to sign a statement indicating that their articles meet the requirements of original work. The reviewers should be supported by the journal’s board and editors when they report any occurrences of plagiarism.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


2009 - Research Article
Allan, J., Clarke, K., Jopling, M.
Views: 2266       [642]
Abstract: This article reports on a piece of research designed to explore students’ perceptions of what constitutes effective teaching in a modern UK university. Definitions of effectiveness, based on work in both the schools and university sectors, are explored and summarized into four domains: providing a supportive learning environment; having high expectations; scaffolding learning; and providing clear explanations. The research was undertaken with first year undergraduates studying education-related non-teacher training programs. Data gathered from three focus group interviews were developed into a 32 item Likert scale questionnaire completed by a sample of 80 students, 65 of whom participated in further focus group discussions. Consensus regarding ten factors that describe effective university teachers is posited. The article concludes by suggesting that notions of effectiveness are predicated less on university teachers having high academic expectations and more on the provision of a supportive environment in which teachers scaffold learning effectively and promote effective interaction with their students.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


2009 - Instruction Article
Meyers, S.
Views: 1722       [631]
Abstract: Service-learning can be used as a teaching tool to promote social justice, and its implementation can encourage both students’ personal development and social engagement. In this article, I illustrate how service-learning can help students become more self-aware, appreciative of diversity, and agents of social change. This process involves students reaching out to marginalized populations through community placements, reaching in through detailed reflection and introspection about their attitudes and experiences, and reaching around their communities through advocacy and activism to address social problems that are evident at field sites. I include supporting qualitative data that document how these experiences impacted students’ personal growth and civic participation.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.


2009 - Instruction Article
Korsmo, J., Baker-Sennett, J., Nicholas, T.
Views: 3110       [633]
Abstract: One challenge experienced by many educators working in pre-professional programs involves designing courses to support students as they learn how to apply subject area knowledge to professional practice. This article describes a successful collaborative community-based project that contextualizes the often abstract and predominately linear theories of human development through the creation of life books for children in the foster care system. The learning activity includes upper division undergraduate Human Services students reviewing case files, contacting, interviewing, and meeting with members of the adoptive child’s families, researching the child’s medical background, and documenting the child’s life story to date. This method supports students’ understanding of human development within the context of the systems in which they will be working.

Send article to:

As an open-source journal, IJTLHE makes articles freely available. This utility allows you to email the current article to anyone you wish. Simply enter their email address and click on Submit.

The International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All images courtesy of unsplash.com.