Abstract: Definitions and practical interpretations of the research-teaching nexus are various, but almost invariably the link between teaching and research lies in the direction of transferring research into teaching rather than vice versa. This transfer is achieved by using research to inform teaching and, less frequently, by engaging students in research. Usually these students are final year undergraduates and the research project is purpose-built to develop in students the desired course learning outcomes. This paper reports an alternative realisation of the teaching-research nexus. It presents a case study of teaching that was informed by research and engaged both first year and final year undergraduate students in research, using problem-based learning. Subsequently, the research undertaken by the students as part of their learning process directly informed development of a large, government-funded research project, thus completing an unusual two-way relationship in which research underpinned teaching and learning activity, and teaching and learning activity underpinned research.

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Abstract: There are many challenges facing those educators who strive to ensure that their pre-service teachers understand the issues surrounding equity and social justice. In response to these challenges, and in response to the interests, questions, and concerns of the faculty in a School of Education, two professors worked collaboratively with administrators, faculty, and staff to organize Professional Forums. These Professional Forums were designed to support and engage faculty in the re-visioning of their courses as well as their pedagogical practices for pre-service teachers, with the specific goal of enhancing students’ understanding of equity, social justice and global issues. In this article, we share our objectives, structures, expectations, and outcomes for the six different Professional Forums we designed and implemented over a two-year period.

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Abstract: This study sought to expand the extant literature regarding the effectiveness of a higher education service-learning project designed to increase students’ civic and socially responsive knowledge and intentions. A class with a semester long service-learning component was administered a pre- and post-test assessment using multi-item scales to determine if a student’s sense of civic responsibility would increase. Our hypothesis predicting overall mean or aggregate change in civic responsibility was not affirmed by the paired t-tests or analysis of covariance tests. However, using growth curve modeling, we investigated between-individual differences in within-individual change. The study’s results demonstrated that significant variation in individual differences between time one and time two did exist. Particularly noteworthy was the finding that previous service-learning experience, outside the classroom setting, predicted the level of civic attitudes and predicted the level and change of civic action.

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Abstract: In this research paper we consider formative assessment (FA) and discuss ways in which it has been implemented in four different university courses. We illustrate the different aspects of FA by deconstructing it and then demonstrating effectiveness in improving both teaching and student achievement. It appears that specifically “what is done” was less important since there were positive achievement gains in each study. While positive gains were realized with use of technology, gains were also realized with implementation of nontechnology dependent techniques. Further, gains were independent of class size or subject matter.

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Abstract: Technology in higher education has exploded within the last decade, as educators become more knowledgeable about its uses and students become more demanding of access and convenience to teaching and learning. This article shares results of an exploratory study that determined graduate students’ perceptions of podcasting access and utility in courses as related to adult learning theory. Reading materials and listening to podcasts produced favorable results in terms of students’ perceived understanding of the subject, with the majority of students surveyed recommending reading the course materials and listening to same-materials via a podcast. A higher percentage of students listened to the podcast in its entirety compared to students reading all of the material presented. Survey results indicated complementary components of adult learning in terms of reflective behavior. A total of 76 percent of students agreed the podcast enhanced or clarified their understanding. Whether the interaction was potent enough to foster action or transformation remains a personal experience based on prior learning. Twelve percent of students were neutral in their response; memorization or rote recall characterized their non-reflective learning experience. Students who perceived the podcast as of no value would not respond to the podcast or reject the podcast as non-important to their learning need as represented by 12 percent of the students in this study. The use of podcasting in graduate courses continues to evolve, and addressing adult learning theory in relationship to technology needs to be further explored.

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Abstract: Self-determination theory (SDT) underpins research on learner empowerment, but it is rarely discussed in empowerment-related literature. In addition, a motivational measure stemming from SDT has received little visibility in communication research. To address these concerns, this study focuses on motivational theory and measurement in an attempt to tease out the relationship between motivation and learner empowerment as well as how these constructs are related to students’ choicemaking opportunities in the classroom. In essence, this study aims to offer a strong synthesis of the literature related to these constructs, and also to make methodological and practical advancements in understanding student motivation, learner empowerment, and how freedom in the college classroom shapes students’ enthusiasm for learning.

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Abstract: In this article, we advance a model of project-based learning (PJBL) offering eight guiding principles to support a pragmatic and principled approach to teacher preparation at the undergraduate and graduate levels. We provide a template for structuring PJBL, and we include illustrative exemplars that demonstrate that the ideological mid-ground can offer a balance of content knowledge and facilitate the dispositions we value in the new generation of teacher practitioners.

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Abstract: This preliminary study describes the transformation of students' racial attitudes and multicultural skills. A grounded theory approach was conducted to identify common themes from reflections of 19 students enrolled in a semester-long diversity service-learning course. The results indicate that students reformulate attitudes about racism and institutional discrimination through their own racial identity development from the beginning to the end of the semester. In addition, pre-test and posttest surveys were used to refine and expand the major themes about student attitudes and skills. The survey results indicate that students develop a greater interest in working with culturally diverse service recipients; acquire a deeper understanding of economic and educational conditions that impact the community; and gain multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills by the end of the term. The combination of data from the quantitative and qualitative measures indicates that academic-based service learning (ABSL) is a useful pedagogy for teaching students multicultural skills.

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Abstract: A recent UK survey found many graduates unprepared for employment while employers placed greater value on transferable, employability skills rather than on specific ones. Increased student entry into professional-oriented programs, and subsequent pressures on work placements, have educators looking to alternative ways of providing safe, reproducible, authentic work experience, (Eland et al. 2010).Scenario-based learning (SBL), founded on the valuing of contextual knowledge, may provide one strategy for getting students closer to the realities of their intended profession through guided reflection on learning experiences designed to supplement rather than replace work placements. This paper has three main aims: The first is to clarify scenario-based learning as a learning strategy. The second is to note why and how some university teachers use it to prepare students for the professions. The final aim is to illuminate some ways by which teachers might optimize the learning potential to foster and sustain professional development.

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Abstract: In her book, Learner-Centered Teaching, Maryellen Weimer contrasts the practices of teachercentered college teaching and student-centered college teaching in terms of (1) the balance of power in the classroom, (2) the function of the course content, (3) the role of the teacher versus the role of the student, (4) the responsibility of learning, (5) the purpose and processes of evaluation. She then gives some suggestions on how to implement the learner-centered approach. Using Weimer’s five specifications, it has been possible to identify from the pedagogical literature several examples where college teachers are seeking to move toward more student-centered classrooms. This essay reports on innovations used by teachers across the academic and professional spectrum, as well as on their evaluations of their successes.

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Abstract: This instructional paper is intended to provide an alternative approach to developing lecture materials, including handouts and PowerPoint slides, successfully developed over several years. The principal objective is to aid in the bridging of traditional “chalk and talk” lecture approaches with more active learning techniques, especially in more technically-oriented disciplines that employ data or require carefully structured graphs or mathematical manipulation. Using several examples, the paper shows how scarce lecture time can be used more efficiently, thus freeing up students to focus on higher order cognitive issues. Such an approach lends itself to more active-centered techniques. It also improves the incentives for students to attend lectures. The approach is time consuming in its initial development, but arguably pays for itself over the long run.

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Abstract: Applied Research Consultants (ARC) is a graduate student run consulting firm that provides experience to students in evaluation and consultation. An overview of this program has been compiled in order to serve as a model of a graduate training practicum that could be applied to similar programs or aid in the development of such programs. Key performance aspects are described in detail to assist in implementation by departments in various higher education programs.

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Abstract: Peer review has been advocated for as an intentional strategy to support the knowledge and skill attainment of adult learners preparing for professional practice, including those students preparing for instructional design and technology practice. The purposes of this article are to discuss the practical application of peer review as an instructional strategy by articulating its use in both face-toface and online Instructional Design courses and to formulate directions for future research on the use of peer review in instructional practice. Findings from a literature review of student-to-student peer review and the authors’ experiences with the use of peer review in Instructional Design courses are used to foster a discussion that interweaves both important scholarly and practical elements.

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Abstract: Blending activity theory and community-based research educational applications describes the praxis achieved through the initial design, development, implementation, and assessment of one research methods course as a pedagogy to enhance and improve the outcomes of civic and community engagement for the university, its students, and the community. The results from this approach were validated by using the DEAL model of reflection. The findings indicate significant heightened awareness in students’ attitudes, knowledge, and engagement in their community through the use of this combination of activity theory and CBR. Through this pedagogical approach, undergraduate researchers were able to access and apply tested qualitative theory, conduct activities, and use reflective assessment tools.

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Abstract: Critical thinking and academic freedom are enduring tenets of the liberal ethos of higher education. However, whereas the former is normally considered as a learning process for students, the latter tends to be understood as a licence for the professoriate. If understood as rights and responsibilities pertaining to teachers and learners alike, the terms of inquiry and expression may be conflated within a single conceptual framework, serving not only the needs of the higher education community, but the progress of wider society. Referring to academic climates on both sides of the Atlantic, this paper argues that universities are failing to cultivate debate on contemporary issues, as the learning environment is stifled by ideological rectitude. The author appeals for a reinvigoration of critical thinking and academic freedom in higher education.

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