bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Digital Learning Laboratory Model to Catalyze Change in University Teaching and Learning
Authors: Sandland Jessica , Wiltrout Mary Ellen
Published: May 2020

This paper outlines a unique model catalyzing change in teaching and learning known as the Digital Learning Laboratory (DLL) model that a large research university in the northeastern United States currently employs. We focus here on the MOOC work that the individuals in the DLL lead that have spread to improvements in teaching practices and learning experiences across departments beyond MOOCs. We discuss the MOOC development process and the ways in which this process can differ greatly from the development of an in-person course creating the initial and continued need for the DLL. Then, we describe the Digital Learning Laboratory, a community of practice of academics with advanced degrees in their field of specialization and housed in the relevant departments across our university. Finally, we discuss potential advantages of this model, including having a person with subject-matter expertise leading MOOC and hybrid projects and thereby not requiring a different tenure-track faculty member to learn MOOC development skills for each new course.
Transforming YouTube into a valid source of knowledge for Anatomy students
Authors: Alegre-Martínez Antoni , Martínez-Martínez Maria Isabel , Alfonso-Sánchez Jose Luis
Published: May 2020

YouTube is a free and easily accessible tool, with growing importance in the teaching field due to the content of the videos and their interaction options through comments, responses and insertion in social networks. However, some limitations can reduce the value of this tool in University teaching if institutional control is not carried out. Our project consists of the search for experiences based on learning Anatomy on YouTube to be able to incorporate this tool in our department. Almost all researchers found that most of students use YouTube as a source of anatomical knowledge, despite limitations and criticism based on ethical and privacy issues, the video experience itself, the YouTube search algorithm, lack of quality control, advertising purposes or excessive video offer. Researchers experienced that most of the available videos had a poor quality and many mistakes, so professors must be involved in the search and selection of the best appropriate videos. We conclude that YouTube can be used as a source of knowledge for anatomical learning. However it is necessary to inform students of the inconveniences and risks, and make a critical selection by the professors of the videos that best fit in the teaching program.
From Times Square to Eyre Square: Hackathons as Authentic Learning for Information Systems Students
Authors: Hogan Mairéad
Published: May 2020

In order to ensure students meet the learning outcomes for a module in user experience design, an authentic learning approach was used to design a User Experience (UX) Hackathon, called Empathy Jam. UX hackathons are short events where participants work in groups on a challenge, using user-centred design techniques. The learning from the hackathon comes through the process of taking part, as well as collaborative learning from their team members. An important feature of Empathy Jam is collaboration with industry partners who act as mentors to guide the participants through the process. Assessment of learning was done through the use of video and reflective journals. The groups created a video record of their day, demonstrating their engagement and participation as a group, as well as the group learnings. Individual learnings were assessed through the reflective journals. Feedback on the event was obtained through the journals, vox pops on the day, a feedback survey and feedback from the mentors.
Integrating STEMM in Higher Education: a proposed curriculum development framework
Authors: Conner Lindsey
Published: May 2020

Educational systems around the world are trying to grapple with the need forexperts in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM),who have expert knowledge and combined skills for working in collaborativeteams to find solutions to local and global issues. Employers seek disciplinaryexperts as well as people who can act as connectors for groups and ideas and whoshare and communicate them effectively. Integration of the STEMM disciplineswithin teaching programmes is in its infancy, but there is recognition for providingextraordinary experiences in learning that develop collaboration and synthesis ofdivergent ways of thinking. A framework is presented for designing integratedSTEMM course work in higher education. It includes authentic, student-centered,evidence-based, inquiry, problem-based learning through situated, immersive andexperiential approaches that can support the deliberate development of skills forintegrating thinking, problem-solving and for creating humanistic solutions forlocal and global issues.
Transnational Higher Education and International Branch Campuses in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: The Case of the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Bridi Robert Michael
Published: May 2020

The aim of the paper is to examine the emergence of transnational higher education (TNHE) and international branch campuses (IBCs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  The findings demonstrate that the emergence of TNHE and IBCs has been the result of interrelated political, economic, social, and academic factors.  First, the formation of the GCC was a key moment during which member states sought to stimulate scientific progress through the development of higher education as part of a strategy to meet labor demands and economic development.  Second, the commodification of education and the drive to increasing profits in educational institutions combined with decreases in government funding to Western universities during the neo-liberal era of capitalism have been an impetus for Western universities to seek ‘new markets’ beyond their borders.  Third, the liberating of regional trade policies in services, including education, combined with the internationalization of education has enabled the cross-border movement of students, educators, and institutions.  Fourth, the UAE’s unique demographic group mix, which consists of a majority of international expatriates, combined with significant government funding in the education sector and international partnerships has resulted in the rapid expansion of TNHE and IBCs.
An Approach to Building Learning Objects
Authors: Thaysen Peter
Published: May 2020

Designing for online education can be a complex endeavor and the way to approach this must be carefully considered. This article examines the case of Danish educational institution SmartLearning to map out and analyze the approach to online courses. The study find that SmartLearning approaches the online courses by setting up guidelines for educators on how to build learnings objects. The approach is to use three different elements, one focused on the content and learning goals for a course, one focused on the layout of the leaning management system, and one focusing on which didactic principles to apply. These three elements must work together in the learning object in order to assure learning and motivation of learners. The study also find some structure regarding this process and based on the analysis it is recommended to bind the development of learning objects and courses together through instructional design tools. This will aid the further development of combining the three elements into quality learning objects.
The Skills of University Students in Educational Settings Assessed by Company Tutors: A Longitudinal Study in Italy
Authors: De Santis Cristiana , Cecalupo Marta , Salerni Anna
Published: May 2020

The paper aims at investigating what the fundamental characteristics of a trainee of the Courses of Studies in Education and Training Sciences of the University of Rome La Sapienza are, as identified by the company tutors who evaluate them during the traineeship. The aim is to understand whether trainees are trained to act in educational settings. The analysis of a particular item of the questionnaire addressed to the company tutors, has shown that the trainees in the educational field are well integrated in the institution where they do the treaineeship, thanks to the possession of “key skills” that we have deduced from the open responses of the tutors. These skills are also among the most requested ones by the world of work. We conclude that the traineeship is an important formative moment for the professions in the educational field and that it is possible to grasp the necessary link between theory and practice.
Effects of course coordination and part-time precalculus instructor support on student academic performance
Authors: Golnabi Amir H. , Murray Eileen , Su Haiyan
Published: May 2020

This study aims to measure the impact of course coordination and part-time Precalculus instructor support on students academic performance. Our results show the Precalculus passing rate (71.53%) was slightly higher in the post-coordination cohorts. However, this difference was not statistically significant from the passing rate (70.70%) of the cohorts in pre-coordination. Also, there was no significant difference between the passing rates (66.90% vs 65.25%) of calculus in the pre- and post-coordination cohorts. However, when accounting for the two versions of calculus, we observed one passing rate was statistically significantly lower in post-coordination cohorts, while the other passing rate was statistically significantly higher after Precalculus coordination. This paper discusses how our results confirm that a careful curriculum design in addition to a dedicated course coordination can have a significant positive impact on students’ learning and their academic performance. We observed that the reflective teaching philosophy and opportunity to engage in critical conversations about teaching and learning promoted through course coordination influenced classroom practice and resulted in improved student outcomes. We recommend that departments should recognize the importance of course coordination and encourage faculty to work closely towards the common aim of delivering the best teaching practices.
Blended Support of Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research
Authors: Van Lambalgen Rianne
Published: May 2020

This paper discusses blended support for undergraduate students to perform interdisciplinary research in teams. Interdisciplinary research is a complex process that consists of multiple steps and requires collaboration with people from different backgrounds. This paper presents research done at Liberal Arts and Sciences, Utrecht University (LAS), where as part of the core curriculum, students learn to do interdisciplinary research. Considering the complex process of doing interdisciplinary research, it is important that students are guided in this process. Blended support that provides technology-mediated guidance while at the same time encouraging face-to-face meetings would be of use to help students become more independent interdisciplinary researchers. This paper explores preferences in blended support, based on a survey and interviews with second and third year students and with undergraduate research supervisors at LAS, UU. Results indicate that there are different activities during the interdisciplinary research process where technology-mediated support would be of value. However, students and supervisors especially value meeting face-to-face when doing interdisciplinary integration. This should be taken into account when designing a blended framework for support of undergraduate interdisciplinary research.
Transdisciplinary teaching and learning: an experiment
Authors: Giacosa Antonella
Published: May 2020

In our smart new world, characterized by continuous technological evolution, knowledge is subject to rapid obsolescence and change is the only constant. In this context, teachers are called upon to overcome the ingrained automatic habits of traditional knowledge transmission by developing a perspective that is less tied to individual disciplines and more open to the many facets of reality. Only with a questioning and curious attitude aimed at innovation and pedagogical experimentation can teachers make their message meaningful again and help new generations to develop the habit of flexible and complex thinking in order to orient themselves in a fluid, globally connected and hypertechnological society. Following a course on multidisciplinarity, a group of secondary school teachers embarked on a journey of reading and experimenting in the classroom, realizing that through the transdisciplinary approach theorized by the quantum physicist Nicolescu, one can educate for the future. Identifying and tackling conceptual issues to work on and overcoming the narrow limits of individual disciplines in order to understand complex events is the direction in which teachers and students of today's school should move, so that they will face tomorrow with greater awareness and effectiveness.
A decade of TeachMeet: an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of participants’ tales of impact
Authors: Amond Mags , Johnston Keith , Millwood Richard , McIntosh Ewan
Published: May 2020

TeachMeet is an emerging informal professional development event organised by teachers for teachers, commonly described as an unconference. It is a volunteer-led global phenomenon without any established hierarchy.   To celebrate the first ten years of TeachMeet, the  founders announced an open call for particpants to submit, online, their stories of impact. The resulting submissions were subjected to an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) capitalizing on the ‘double hermeneutic’ lens of the experience of researchers whose positionality is that of informed insiders. Findings reveal the categories in which the lived experience reported by participants shows the impact of TeachMeet: ranging from appreciative description of the event they attended to reflective confessions of life-enhancing transformation in their personal and professional lives, their classrooms and the wider teaching community. These finding are examined in the light of how they align with several models of evaluation of teacher learning (Guskey 1998, Kennedy 2005, Kirkpatrick 2006, Desimone 2011, Wenger, Trayner and deLatt 2011), and what they indicate about where evolving TeachMeet communities and networks may be situated in an informal learning landscape.
Internal branding at university: Do tenure and job security matter?
Authors: Retamosa Marta , Millán Ángel , García Juan Antonio , Millán María
Published: May 2020

Universities, as educational service providers, must pay attention to their employees who are pivotal in delivering and communicating brand promise and service quality to the stakeholders. While branding initiatives most frequently focus on external stakeholders, internal branding efforts establish systems/processes and consequent employees’ behaviour that are consistent with external branding efforts. With a sample of 753 faculty members and researchers from a Spanish public University, the study aims to establish if employee tenure and job security have a significant relationship with employees’ brand commitment and employees’ brand supporting behaviour. An analysis of variance was carried out for testing the hypothesis. Differences were found according to tenure in employees’ brand commitment while job security did not impact significantly on employees’ brand commitment. In addition, a positive and significant relationship were found between employees’ brand supporting behaviour and tenure, but not for job security. For business practitioners, this research state that it is essential for service companies, such as universities, to use differing approaches to employees according to their organisational tenure as an important managerial implication.
Classroom Learning Motivators:Breaking ESL Chinese university students' passivity in class discussion
Authors: Echiverri Leah Li
Published: May 2020

Chinese university students enrolled in overseas coursework and English as Medium of Instruction courses domestically have a reputation for classroom passivity as recognized internationally.  Thus, the case study was employed to explore Wenzhou Kean University (WKU) students’ ‘willingness to communicate’ based on motivation and attitude toward the classroom learning milieu. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used in the semi- structured interview of 75 informants during the focus group discussion. Thematic content analysis method was used to analyze qualitative data collected. Grounded theory was used for the generation of theories. Findings showed that ESL Chinese university students are motivated because of knowledge acquisition and English spoken ability improvement when they engage in class discussion. A relaxing classroom climate, teacher’s personality and professional competence in designing the learning experiences contribute in shaping favorable learning attitudes necessary for active student participation in class discussion. Most WKU students intend to pursue graduate studies abroad and considers English speaking ability important in their future and career goals. This belief persistently motivates them to engage in class discussion.  Besides, thinking skills development, English spoken language improvement, self-confidence build up, leadership skills, teamwork skills and adaptability to new environment development heighten the importance of class discussion.
A Systematic Assessment Framework for Higher-Education Institutions
Authors: Anilkumar Munikrishnappa , Singai Chetan , Ramaprasad Arkalgud
Published: May 2020

The multiple criteria of ranking, rating and accrediting the higher education institutions in India and across globe have become de facto lens for viewing the institutions. There is an increasing number of assessment systems carried down by multiple agencies, with the public policy emphasis on higher education institutions getting assessed, it is necessary to use a systematic and systemic framework that is comprehensive for assessment. For this purpose, the paper proposes an ontological framework for assessment of higher education institutions.  The ontology’s dimensions, sub-dimensions, and their constituent elements are derived from higher-education assessment systems that are well known globally and in India. The framework can help higher-education institutions: (a) assess themselves systemically and systematically; (b) highlight the bright, light, blind, and blank spots in their performance; and (c) correct their trajectory to fulfil their vision. Such framework would assist in identifying the gaps and pathways to improve their position in assessments.
An Investigation of the Role Programming Support Services Have for Mature Students.
Authors: Nolan Keith , Mooney Aidan , Thompson Amy , Noone Mark
Published: May 2020

Programming support services for introductory programmers have seen a rise in popularity in recent years with third level institutions around the world providing “safe spaces” for students to practice their programming skills and get supports without the risk of being judged by anyone. These services appear in many different structures including Support Centres, Software Studios and help desks. The common trend however is that all the users of these services, in general, report that the service has helped them in their studies and garnered them with more confidence in their ability. This paper examines the role which our Computer Science Centre played for students who attended the support service during an intensive higher diploma course. The intensive course is a 3-week course tailored to students who have previously completed a degree in a field not related to CS, and covers CS1 and CS2 material. The structure and design of the support service is outlined in this paper along with the supports offered. A high-level survey was conducted to investigate the effect of the service on students programming self-efficacy. Study design and methodology are described in detail. Early findings suggest that the support services offered to these students improved their belief in their own programming ability which in turn improved their exam grade outcome. The findings provide valuable evidence to justify future research into the functions of support services with the computer science domain.
Class Discussion and Class Participation: Determination of Their Relationship
Authors: Xu Keer , Echiverri Leah Li , Shang Haoyu
Published: May 2020

Generally regarded as important ways for students to engage in class, class discussion and class participation are placed at the heart of the class. This paper aimed to determine the correlation between the class discussion and class participation in universities. Convenience and purposive sampling of 105 undergraduates have completed the survey of this correlational study. As for the study design, the cross-sectional design was chosen because this research only has one contact with study population. Descriptive and inferential statistics have be used in this study to provide in-depth data analysis. According to this study, most of the students responded “agree” to class discussion and participation, interpreted as “good”. Findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between class discussion and class participation, in which it demonstrated that students who engaged in class discussion are more likely to promote their participation in class. Finally, this paper gave related recommendations to the faculties.
The Value of an Enterprise Postgraduate Research Programme for creating business start-ups in the UK
Authors: Papadopoulou Kassandra A. , Phillips Robert A.
Published: May 2020

The Masters of Enterprise Programme is a postgraduate programme whereby a student attempts to start a business during the course of their studies. Established in 2001, we have analysed the success of the 59 companies created from the course and found that as expected the start-up rate is higher than the general population. We also found that ratio of male to female founders (70-30) was similar to start-ups from the general population; however, the survival rate of ventures created from the programme was significantly higher. Also, a higher rate of the businesses were employing more than just the founder, implying they are what could be considered “Entrepreneurial” businesses rather than simply someone self- employed as might be normal in some careers. Despite many overseas students completing the course, only 3 of the businesses were founded outside the UK, suggesting the UK economy is benefitting from the ventures created. We also discuss other outcomes from the course such as these entrepreneurial students are often recruited by top corporates. We further discuss what we believe are the contributing pedagogic factors to its success.   Keywords: Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Education, Employability, Start-ups, UK economy.
Relationships Between External Factors and University Students' Attitudes towards Academic Research
Authors: Yang Jiying , Echiverri Leah Li , Tang Feng
Published: May 2020

Research is an important part of an academic career, yet it is not always frequently practiced by most students. This descriptive-correlational research aimed to find out the external factors that influence students’ attitudes toward research. We sampled 201 undergraduates at Wenzhou-Kean University and analyzed their responses to the questionnaire in order to determine the relationship between possible factors and their attitudes. The results revealed that the external factor of the training environment has a moderate positive influence on research attitude, while support from the university has a strong positive influence on research attitude. Specifically, factors of faculty support, curriculum design, on-campus academic activities, library service, and financial support all moderately influence students’ attitudes towards research in a positive way. The most salient influential factor of all is faculty support. The results suggested that to improve students’ attitudes towards research, sufficient support is vital, especially academic and financial support. Therefore, to externally encourage students to conduct academic research, faculty and university could give more consideration to support provision.
Combined Use of Problem Based Learning and Flipped Learning in Turbomachinery
Authors: Corcoles Juan Ignacio , Martínez-Romero Ángel
Published: May 2020

Several methodologies are available to promote active learning processes. This is especially important under the creation of the European Higher Education Area, which has contributed to enhance university teaching through the use of new teaching tools. The aim of this paper is to present results about the use of Problem-Based Learning combined with Flipped Learning methodology for teaching turbomachinery, with a group of 50 undergraduate students. This experience was implemented in the Industrial Engineering School at the University of Castilla- La Mancha (Albacete, Spain). The aim of this study was to implement innovative tools to avoid conventional classes at the university. Moreover, it can be useful to increase motivation, because students participate in class, interacting with other students. Both methodologies resulted in a very positive learning experience, with most of the students (89%) participating in the task, which is not commonly achieved in a conventional class. The majority of students considered this type of activity to be useful for the subject although they thought it necessary to devote more time to it for the methodology to function properly.
Sustainable Practices in research-integrated Education in HE: towards an accepted Development Pedagogy
Authors: Corradini Erika
Published: May 2020

It is a truth universally acknowledged that in UK Higher Education Institutions excellent is the new good. With HEIs striving to achieve ‘excellence in teaching’ in order to attract the best students, questions are being asked about how to measure excellence and about whether or not lecturers are supported in doing so. How can lecturers devise reliable measures for evaluating the quality of their teaching? The following piece conceptualises the relationship between education research and practice in HE through discussing the sustainable integration of education research into teaching practice. The overarching aim is to discuss the potential for a pedagogy centred on the development of action research in educator development programmes and thus gauge how sustainable such practices can be in HE.
Did the Bologna Process contribute to improving international students’ success rates in Germany’s HEIs? Twenty years of success rates in Germany: how the Bologna Process impacts on the success rates of International and German students.
Authors: McGrory Marita Margarita
Published: May 2020

Low success rates are a thorn in the side of any Higher Education Institute (HEI). With increasing aspirations of attracting international students to Germany (HRK 2020), the international students’ success rates are worthy of a review. For it reflects on how internationalisation processes, such as the Bologna Process, impact on success rates and whether the changing structures attract international students. We used the German administrative data, covering twenty years, to create this cross-cohort analysis of student success rates. By creating a common finishing point-in-time, the combined success rates of diplom and bachelor students in mechanical engineering show that the synchronised success rates for the increasing number of international students are not just comparable, but better than those of the German students.
Entrepreneurship and University Spin-offs for (Academic) Employment?
Authors: Cocorullo Augusto , Boffo Stefano , Gagliardi Francesco
Published: May 2020

In the new Millennium Italian universities have lived many changes deeply reshaping academic institutions. A relevant aspect was the more and more significant need to answer  the demand of society and respond the social pressure to accountability through the transfer of knowledge, innovation and technology to economy. It led to an extension of the so-called university Fourth Mission, an instrument dedicated to create spin-offs to share scientific research results with society. The paper investigates the present reality of university spin-offs in Italy by considering their growing number also in the light of their role ofinstrument for academic job substitution. In particular, a tool to respond to the current condition of young Italian academic researchers increasingly affected by job offer reduction due to budget constraints, consequent university policies and new management issues.
Service-learning by PhD students to aid socially neglected people
Authors: Torrecilla José S. , Buitrón Ruiz Santiaga , Sánchez Manuel , Cancilla John C , Pradana Sandra , Perez Calabuig Ana Maria
Published: May 2020

In recent years, there have been calls for change in higher education to meet the needs of today's society. A higher education that enables our students to offer solutions to struggling areas of our society. Innovative and differentiating solutions from what we have been used to until now. In view of these needs, it is necessary to unite the society, which reveals its main needs, and the university community, which offers solutions on the knowledge acquired. One of the ways to carry out this integration is based on developing a methodology called "Service-Learning" (SL). This learning method is based on a strategy of collaboration between educational centers and society itself. At present, this methodology is spreading within higher education institutions worldwide. This learning strategy emerged as a learning methodology in America, to be later extended to Europe, from the United Kingdom to the rest of the continent, and from there, reaching a global impact. Throughout this long road, this methodology has been improving, encouraging the creation of increasingly strong links between educational institutions and universities, and society, by promoting the improvement of student training as well as the development of certain areas of society. This paper presents a SL project where two apparently disparate areas are related, such as doctoral students in the area of chemical engineering and sectors of society at risk of exclusion. Specifically, the objective is for the students to present some of the technological developments they have achieved to a neglected sector of society, which should participate not only in the developments, but also learning about the technical base of such technologies.
Alternative Strategies for Higher Education Provision at TAFE Queensland
Authors: Wilson Paul
Published: May 2020

Australia’s tertiary education and training sector consists of Higher Education, predominantly funded and controlled by the Federal Government, and Vocational Education and Training (VET) where both the Federal and State Governments have policy and funding responsibilities.  While there has been increasing funding and stable policy in Higher Education over the past decade there has been significant change in the Australian VET sector in policy and reduced funding at the Federal and State levels.  TAFE Queensland, the public VET provider in the state of Queensland, has undergone a huge transformation of its own over this period of extensive policy change. As a result of policy and organisational changes TAFE Queensland has had to seek alternatives to ensure that students who choose to study at this public provider are able to access higher education courses. This paper outlines various policy change impacts over the past decade and TAFE Queensland’s innovative approach to ensuring that quality applied degrees are available to interested students who prefer to study with this major public vocational education provider.
A score methodology to assess concept maps in medical education in the context of pathophysiology teaching
Authors: Neuparth Nuno , Fonseca Marta , Oliveira Beatriz , Carreiro-Martins Pedro , Rendas António
Published: May 2020

The main objective of pathophysiology teaching is to facilitate the learning of mechanisms of diseases and the understanding of their expressions in patients (symptoms, signs and tests). This objective requires the application of basic biomedical science to explain the abnormalities expressed by the patients. The capacity to integrate this new organization of knowledge is essential to the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms, which explain expressions of specific diseases. Our group has a longstanding experience in the teaching of pathophysiology to medical students using problem-based learning (PBL) and concept mapping (CM). This semestral discipline has a yearly intake of 190 students, divided into 18 tutorial groups and supported by 14 tutors. The students’ learning progress is evaluated by their performance during the tutorial sessions and the CM methodology has been introduced as an additional tool to visualize the integration of knowledge and how it is displayed in the different pathophysiological mechanisms. Until now, the evaluation of CM has been qualitative and used as an additional assessment tool by the tutors. This study reports how we are changing this approach by training the tutors and developing a scoring methodology, which will be described in detail, together with a preliminary application in selected maps
Coercive isomorphism in higher education: Direct pressures from the state to the Turkish universities
Authors: Ozturk Inci
Published: May 2020

The universities maintain their continuity with the pressure of complying with the policies of the state and global policies. This study addresses the coercive pressure of the higher education policies of the state on the Turkish universities. The elective classes of Occupational Knowledge and Area Training to be taught at the universities may be opened when they are approved by the Higher Education Council (Yuksekogretim Kurulu, YOK) which is an institution having a public legal entity. On the other hand, the ability of the universities to determine the elective class of Liberal Education indicates a rare situation where the universities exercise their autonomy.Keywords: Isomorphism; coercive isomorphism; higher education policy, higher education, university
The world of fractals
Authors: Tasnádi Peter , Nagy Peter
Published: May 2020

Fractals are fascinating geometric structures of nature which appear in more and more field of science, ranging from heartbeat characterization through, cancer research, stock exchange trends, meteorology, and computer graphics, up to digital image processing. Fractals can be created by simple algorithms that can be manifested with also simple computer programs. The necessary programs are available in the literature and they are easy to understand and manage for first-year undergraduate students too. Therefore fractals are suitable to attract student interest and improve their attitudes toward learning physics. Our main goal was that students work independently and gain experience on fractals with applying simple algorithm and making pictures of the weird formations of fractals. In this paper, a teaching material that is freely available on the internet is described. The material was originally intended for college students, but is suitable for anyone to become familiar with fractals.
Employability Through Experiential Delivery of Intercultural Communication Skills Online
Authors: Crawford Isabella Christine , Swartz Stephanie , Barbosa Belem , Luck Susan
Published: May 2020

International trade, enabled by rapid technological advances, has had a profound effect on the way employees work and communicate in a borderless, virtual environment. Within this context, classroom collaboration through online virtual teams can be an effective strategy to enhance intercultural and employability skills. Research in this area advocates that using digital media to connect students with international classrooms is an easy and efficient way to develop intercultural competence. In this paper we describe and present the results of one such initiative. The authors have designed and implemented virtual and experiential intercultural communications assignments across four countries: Germany, Portugal, Scotland, and the United States. By creating virtual teams and then simulating a real-world team project, we have been able to study how students work with, and react to, teammates from other cultures. We explored students’ views and opinions on the expected outcomes of their international experience in virtual teams and the potential impact of online intercultural learning experiences on their future employability. The findings suggest that collaborative online international learning (COIL) can help to develop the kind of soft skills that employers value and need in the globalized workplace.
The Lecture-Performance: Implementing Performative Pedagogy in Literature Class
Authors: Gimenez Calpe Ana
Published: May 2020

In recent years the performative has gained importance within the pedagogical field and has opened new perspectives in educational research. Experience has shown that the integration of performative elements in the learning process allow teachers to involve learners emotionally and cognitively. The present paper deals with a learning experience performed with students in the course “German Literature (2nd language)” at the University of Valencia. From the perspective of Performative Pedagogy, students are asked to carry out a research project and then transfer the acquired knowledge to the theatrical format that must be didactic: a Lecture-Performance. This activity highlights the benefits of students’ autonomous and cooperative learning, as well as the development of students’ performative competence, with which they achieved deeper levels of understanding and improved their retention of what was studied. The teacher evaluation and a questionnaire carried out by the students at the end of the activity confirm the achievement of the initial objectives.
Experiential and Integrated Learning Environments – Teaching Urban Design Studio at Curtin University
Authors: Mancini Francesco Maria , Glusac Tanja
Published: May 2020

Experiential Learning and Integrated Learning Environments in Architecture is a pedagogic project based on action learning (Revans, 1980) that challenges the traditional design studio teaching approach to Architectural/Urban Design and builds on Dewey (1939) and Kolb (1984) theories of experiential learning. An innovative model of teaching Urban Design to Master of Architecture students has been trailed for the first time in 2018, when the studio was set in the City of Bayswater, and has been refined over the course of 2019 in two separate study periods – Study Period 1 (Rome/Milan Study Tour) and Semester 2. This model provides students with an opportunity to collaboratively learn from and re-design the existing urban environments by immersing themselves in the very context they are studying. The proximity of the classroom to the urban setting presented an opportunity for students to draw comparisons and analysis between national and international examples and that of the surrounding urban milieu. Additionally, advanced technology supportive of distributed learning environment and intense collaboration with industry such as Hassell, Element and The Office of the Government Architect (OGA), coupled with opportunities to visit various practices, provided deeper insights and an all rounded approach to learning and engaging with architecture. Keywords: experiential learning; collaborative learning environments; architecture, urban design
Veterinary students´ perceptions of participation in a service-learning activity
Authors: Alonso Marta Elena , Gonzalez Montaña Jose Ramiro , Dominguez Juan Carlos , Lomillos Juan Manuel
Published: May 2020

Citizens worldwide are increasingly concerned about the animal welfare of farm animals but lack knowledge about animal production systems, as fewer and fewer people have a direct connection to rural environment. Veterinary students these days present low motivation for teaching subjects related to agricultural species because they are more focused on companion animals. The aim of this work was to evaluate the perception of veterinary students about the degree of utility for learing achieve, satisfaction and acceptability of participation on an service-learning activity integrated in a teaching innovation project. We choose the service-learning activity because learner-centered methodologies could be appealing to students to stimulate external motivation and, simultaneously, provide benefits for society. The participants reported increases in the awareness of lack of knowledge about food animal production aspects and the importance of university involvement in activities that provide social benefits. Together with a 94 % of high or very high self-reported learning increase about the specific topics of the curricula of the subject and an 80% of high or very high self-reported global satisfaction with the participation in the SL activity, despite some technical difficulties, led us to conclude that service-learning methodologies could be successfully integrated in the veterinary curricula.
Do text discussions improve the academic skills of students of HE? Andorra University case.
Authors: Prieto Sanz Helena
Published: May 2020

Reading is a core competency in learning processes of higher education as a tool for accessing discipline-specific knowledge. The aim of this case study is to analyse the impact of text group discussions on the academic skills of students at the Universitat d’Andorra (UdA). Qualitative techniques -non-participant observation, interviews and discussion groups- were applied to UdA students and faculty. Five student groups belonging to the Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (BTL), Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) were studied. After processing the data with Atlas.ti, the first results were obtained. Evidences of a positive impact on the academic skills are identified. Firstly, both students and faculty indicated an improvement of the text comprehension mainly because of the peer interactions. Improvement of the critical and analitycal attitude, the own speech as well as the metacognitive learning are also highlighted as areas on which dialogic reading has positive impact.
Applying Test-driven Development in Evaluating Student Projects
Authors: Tran Cuong Huy , Truscan Dragos , Ahmad Tanwir
Published: May 2020

Grading software projects submitted by students can become a heavy and time-consuming task, which for many students, can result in delayed feedback provided to them. Additionally, one would like to allow students to evaluate themselves early their projects before submitting the final version for grading. This paper presents a solution that improves the grading process of student projects not only for lecturers, but also for students. In our approach, we adopt a test-driven development methodology to provide a clear benchmark of the course project implementation. Our approach allows students to self-evaluate their progress at any moment, while lecturers can use it to automate the grading process. GitHub Classroom is used as a supporting tool to allow students to retrieve and implement their projects from the same initial skeleton project including the tests, and lecturers to retrieve the student projects and evaluate them automatically. The results show that test-driven development is a viable solution to be applied in an academic environment to improve the grading process. This study also shows that courses in Information Technology area could use our approach to increase learning and teaching efficiency.
Advancing understandings on Students’ Mobility as a Tool to reach 2030 Agenda
Authors: Costa Rosalina Pisco
Published: May 2020

This paper interrogates the role of students’ mobility within the framework of 2030 Agenda, specifically, the prospects of reaching Sustainable Development Goal 4, a quality education for all by 2030. Empirical data draw upon a report that analyzes mobility’s figures over the last five academic years at the University of Évora, Portugal. Important insight can be gained from 2030 Agenda when looking at the strong imbalance observed between IN and OUT mobility, countries of origin and destination, gender and age distribution of the students’ missions. The paper claims for a call for action in order to use academic mobility as a tool to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While academic mobility can and should be understood as part of a broader strategy aiming the dissemination and internationalization of knowledge and skills, acquisition and transfer of good practices, it should not neglect a commitment that through SDGs unites us all: to reduce inequalities and to improve the quality of life among individuals around the world.
Faculty management after higher education reforms – exploring the organizational structure of faculties considering their context factors
Authors: Hagerer Ilse
Published: May 2020

With the implementation of the new steering model (NSM), universities should align themselves more closely with management principles. Especially, the heads of faculties must cope with higher demands of management tasks. As a result, more management positions are established and organizational structures are changed. To shed light on how structures change, we investigate the faculties of one comprehensive and one technical university within Germany – which are similar in many factors – using the contingency approach. Information about context factors and the number and type of established positions is gained from a systematic analysis of their homepages. Dimensions of the organizational structure are used to interpret the results. Our comparison shows that the technical university, which has established itself as an entrepreneurial university, orients its organizational structure more towards the NSM than the comprehensive university, which is reflected by more support positions in faculty management. Thus, the profile and type of the university seem to be crucial context factors, while our study revealed that the number of students of the faculties and the number or type of degree programs are less crucial context factors.
The faculty development model of University of Milan-Bicocca: towards an integration of general and disciplinary didactics
Authors: Passalacqua Franco , Nigris Elisabetta
Published: May 2020

The contribution presents the faculty development program of the University of Milano-Bicocca, called “Teaching large classes”. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the training structure of this project (launched in 2016 with a series of pilot actions that became fully operational the following year) and its recent developments. The paper intends to provide a detailed description of the three main principle that shape the structure of the training program: the continuum of immersion and distancing in training methodologies; the isomorphism between learning contents and teaching methodologies; the focus on the didactic transposition and education reconstruction process. The analysis of these principles shows that the inter- and trans-disciplinary approach of the training program is a crucial condition to the interconnectedness of the three principles in a consistent training structure. Furthermore, the multi- inter- and transdisciplinary approach allows for the development of the project with a broader scope.