ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Professional Staff Contributions to Positive Student Outcomes: A Case Study
Author: Graham, Carroll
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Professional Personnel,Foreign Countries,Semi Structured Interviews,Teacher Attitudes,Employee Attitudes,Case Studies,Outcomes of Education,College Students,Technology Uses in Education,Job Satisfaction,Motivation

Although professional staff comprise more than half the Australian higher education workforce, typically research has concentrated on the work of academic staff. Professional staff are increasingly researching the working lives of professional staff, adding to the understanding of the work of professional staff and the contributions they make towards the strategic goals of their institutions. This paper explores the work of professional staff in relation to student outcomes and is part of on-going doctoral research into the work of professional staff at an Australian university. Following a preliminary framing study, a case study was undertaken using semi-structured interviews with a range of professional staff. Emerging from these interviews is a conceptualisation of the work of professional staff in relation to student outcomes, from the perspectives of professional staff themselves. This paper concludes with proposals to improve the outcomes for students, and improve the working lives of both professional and academic staff.
Combining Academia and Activism: Common Obstacles and Useful Tools
Author: Flood, Michael
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Professional Associations,Peer Influence,Activism,Foreign Countries,Unions,Epistemology,Social Change,Action Research,Peer Evaluation

Academics can engage in and contribute to activism in various ways. Some are involved in action groups on issues such as climate change and treatment of asylum seekers. Some undertake research and speak to the media about indigenous, environmental, gender and other issues. Others campaign on matters of concern within universities, including through unions and professional associations. Other possibilities include undertaking research that informs or supports activism, and advising and supporting activist students. These and other forms of academic activism can be risky. Academics who seek to combine activism with work in the university can be subject to threats, abuse, silencing tactics, and peer pressure and scholarly expectations to shift away from activism. In this paper, the authors explore these obstacles with an emphasis on strategies for avoiding the pitfalls and maintaining commitment as an activist-oriented academic. Drawing on their diverse experiences of activism, academia and community-engaged research, the authors suggest possible responses to the many pressures on activist academic work, paying particular attention to the challenges faced by early career academics. (Contains 1 table.)
Australian Higher Education and the Course Experience Questionnaire: Insights, Implications and Recommendations
Author: Talukdar, Joy
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Stakeholders,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Teacher Effectiveness,Questionnaires,Satisfaction

In recent years, Australian universities have come under pressure from Government and other stakeholder groups to demonstrate the quality of their activities. The Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) provides a valuable source of data about student satisfaction regarding the courses that they study at Australian universities. It provides a body of data which is collected systematically at the national level, and has been shown to be a stable, reliable and meaningful measure of course satisfaction. The CEQ data have become increasingly important in institutional performance evaluation, however, not without controversies. The current review provides valuable insights into the CEQ methodology, comments on its significance and usage and highlights some of its major limitations. It also suggests possible means of improvement of the CEQ, imperative towards quality teaching, learning and evaluation in the Australian higher education system. (Contains 1 table.)
International Physics Research Internships in an Australian University
Author: Choi, Serene Hyun-Jin
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physics,Foreign Countries,Internship Programs,Interviews,Higher Education,Outcomes of Education,Global Approach,Case Studies,Questionnaires

Research student internships in physics is one way that students can gain a broad range of research experience in a variety of research environments, and develop international contacts. We explore international physics research internships, focusing on the academic learning experiences, by interviewing four international research interns in a research-driven Australian university. Based on the students' internship experiences, we provide practical information regarding internships. We discuss facilitating successful learning outcomes, support of students, the choice of an Australian internship, arranging internships, and life aspects to be considered for potential internship students. This would assist students who are interested in overseas internships, and host institutions, to maximise the success of such visits.
Australian Higher Education: Regional Universities under a Coalition Government
Author: O'Sullivan, Dominic
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Policy,Educational Change,Higher Education,Foreign Countries,Public Support,Universities,Enrollment,Partnerships in Education,Distance Education

Projected student enrolment growth places the Australian higher education system on the precipice of significant change, leading to philosophical debates about how the system should respond. One suggested policy change is that resources be redirected from non-research intensive regional universities to other providers. The Liberal Party is the senior partner in any future Coalition Government, and its education spokesperson has outlined a vision for Australian higher education which contemplates the closure of some regional universities and the diminution in status of others to teaching-only institutions. However, the Liberal Party's policy proposals are likely to be countered by political and economic considerations that make them unlikely to succeed. The confidence in regional universities' continuance as both teaching and research institutions expressed in this article is presented not as an apology for their public support, but as a pragmatic demonstration that there are sufficient market and political rationales to protect and justify their presence and form.
Crossing the Line: Collusion or Collaboration in University Group Work?
Author: Sutherland-Smith, Wendy
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cooperation,Negative Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Discipline Policy,Integrity,Higher Education,Plagiarism,Models

&quot;Almost everyone has difficulty identifying where collaboration stops and collusion begins.&quot; (Carroll &amp; Appleton, 2001, p.15) In both policy and practice, collusion is a perplexing area of academic integrity. Students are expected to learn to work collaboratively in university courses, yet are often required to submit assessment tasks as individuals whilst in group-work situations. This paper discusses the tension between &quot;collaboration&quot; and &quot;collusion&quot; in group-work and the consequences for crossing the line. Adopting a theoretical framework from Bourdieu's work (Bourdieu &amp; Passeron, 1971; Bourdieu, 1991) on symbolic power, the notion of legitimate voice and intertextuality, this paper outlines the effects on the academic identities of 17 students found &quot;guilty&quot; of collusion in one Australian university. In addition, 34 staff involved in formal disciplinary procedures were interviewed. The findings indicate that collusion is a fraught notion and not approached systematically across the university, nor with any degree of confidence by staff or students. The delineation between &quot;acceptable collaboration&quot; and &quot;collusion&quot; appears to be founded in shifting sands, with negative attitudes towards collaborative tasks being the main lesson learned by students.
Strategic Avoidance: Can Universities Learn from Other Sectors?
Author: Kerr, Greg
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Knowledge Management,Risk Management,Evaluation Methods,Foreign Countries,Best Practices,Strategic Planning,Universities,Higher Education,Public Policy,Benchmarking

Universities live in interesting times. For instance, government policies in Australia are allowing for more deregulation of the student market while overseas universities are entering the Australian domestic market. In an environment of increasing uncertainty, sound strategic planning is important. Processes including benchmarking, environmental scanning, knowledge management and risk management can identify best practice and guide &quot;strategic pursuit&quot;. Two approaches are suggested to assist universities. The first is to expand planning frameworks from within-sector to include cross-sector comparisons. The second is to use these processes not only towards strategic pursuit but also to learn from mistakes made in other sectors, that is, &quot;strategic avoidance&quot;. To defend this approach, potential lessons which could be learnt by universities from other sectors are provided. The concept of strategic avoidance has relevance for universities in other countries, and in addition, may be used by organisations in other sectors. (Contains 1 figure.)
Supporting Academic Honesty in Online Courses
Author: McGee, Patricia
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cheating,Online Courses,Ethics,Integrity,Delivery Systems,Plagiarism,Change Strategies,Institutional Characteristics,Attribution Theory,Student Characteristics,Technology Uses in Education,Discipline Problems

Ensuring academic honesty is a challenge for traditional classrooms, but more so for online course where technology use is axiomatic to learning and instruction. With the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) requirement that online course providers reduce opportunities to cheat and verify student identity, all involved with course delivery must be informed about and involved in issues related to academic dishonesty. This article examines why students cheat and plagiarize, types of dishonesty in online courses, strategies to minimize violations and institutional strategies that have proven to be successful. (Contains 3 tables.)
Using Social Media Technologies to Enhance Online Learning
Author: Friedman, Linda Weiser
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Active Learning,Electronic Learning,Distance Education,Online Courses,College Students,Web 2.0 Technologies,Literature Reviews,Learning Activities,Social Networks,Educational Strategies,Instructional Innovation

Models of distance education have evolved over decades, just in time to collide with modern pedagogies in which communication, interaction, student engagement, and active learning are of critical importance. The number of college students taking online classes continues to grow. Today, nearly 30% of college students are taking at least one online class. The social media technologies encompass a wide variety of Web-based technologies such as blogs, wikis, online social networking, and virtual worlds. This paper examines the relevant published literature, looking at online learning activities through the prism of the defining characteristics of today's new communication technologies.
Changes in Strength Abilities of Adolescent Girls: The Effect of a 3-Year Physical Education Curriculum
Author: Czarniecka, Renata
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Females,Physical Education,Teaching Methods,Physical Fitness,Muscular Strength,Adolescents,Program Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Curriculum

Study aim: To evaluate changes in strength abilities of adolescent girls that underwent a 3-year physical education curriculum. Material and methods: The research participants comprised 141 girls aged 13.3 plus or minus 0.35 years who participated in a 3-year physical education curriculum (PEC). Evaluation was based on the following EUROFIT Testing Battery tests: standing broad jump, handgrip strength, sit-ups, and bent arm hang. After the completion of the curriculum, changes in strength abilities of the participants were evaluated. Test results were compared to reference values for the population of Polish girls. Results: After the 3-year PEC, research participants obtained significantly better results in all analyzed tests. At the beginning of the PEC, participants performed significantly worse in comparison to the reference values for the standing broad jump and bent arm hang tests, and better in the handgrip strength test. After the completion of the PEC, the participants performed significantly better in the sit-up and handgrip strength tests compared to reference values; for the standing broad jump and bent arm hang tests, they performed closer to the reference values. Conclusions: While the development of student physical fitness is achievable through physical education lessons at school, innovative teaching methods and professional and creative approaches on the part of teachers are necessary. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Generation Changes over the Period of 1986-2006 in the Physical Fitness of Boys Aged 7-19 from Eastern Poland at Particular Stages of Education
Author: Saczuk, Jerzy
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Physical Fitness,Males,Children,Adolescents,Generational Differences,Psychomotor Skills,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students

Study aim: To assess the size of secular trends in the physical fitness of boys from eastern Poland taking into consideration stages of education. Material and methods: The physical fitness results of boys aged 7-19 years living in eastern regions of Poland were analyzed: 3188 students were examined in 1986 while in 2006 the research included 10 810 boys. In both examinations (1986 and 2006), the level of motor abilities was measured according to the guidelines of the International Physical Fitness Test. The individual results of children and youth examined in 2006, which took into account calendar age, were converted into points on a T scale, with means and standard deviations from 1986 accepted as norms. On the basis of the obtained point values and taking into account stages of education (7-9--integrated teaching, 10-12--primary school, 13-15--lower-secondary school, 16-18--upper-secondary school), arithmetic means and dispersion values concerning motor abilities in the groups were calculated. Individual results in motor abilities of every subject were used to define quantitative generation changes. Differences between the means obtained in 1986 and 2006, as well as between the fractions of boys qualified for respective fitness category in both examinations, were assessed. Results: Over the 2-decade period the boys from eastern Poland slightly improved their results only as far as sit-ups are concerned (1.47 points), while the level of bent arm hang, handgrip, 50 m run, and shuttle run 4x10 m remained the same. In contrast, negative changes were observed in the long run (4.44 points), the sit-and-reach test (4.47 points), and the standing broad jump (3.74 points). The greatest decline in motor abilities was noted amongst schoolchildren from integrated education classes (2.69 points); whereas the smallest decline was noted in adolescents from lower secondary schools (0.60 points). Conclusions: The changes noted in physical fitness indicate that in the of health the revision of the Act on Physical Culture from 2002, which reduced the number of school's physical education classes, is a debatable issue. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Qualitative Insights into Faculty Use of Student Support Services with Online Students at Risk: Implications for Student Retention
Author: Russo-Gleicher, Rosalie J.
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: At Risk Students,School Holding Power,Community Colleges,Online Courses,Grounded Theory,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Academic Support Services,Referral,Student Behavior,Teacher Attitudes,Aptitude Treatment Interaction

This article provides qualitative insights into the ways that faculty can impact retention rates of online students. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted at random with 16 faculty who teach online courses at a community college in the Northeast. Faculty were asked to describe behaviors of online students that made them feel concerned, conversations with these students, and whether or not they referred these students to the college's student support services. Qualitative analysis using grounded theory methodology revealed that few faculty referred online students that they were concerned about to any of the student support services available at the college. Faculty who did not refer online students to student support services discussed a lack of knowledge about student support services, or did not believe in using these services. College administrators need to educate and encourage online faculty about using the wide variety of student support services that are available to community college students. Under-utilization of student support services can contribute to a low retention rate found in online courses. (Contains 1 table.)
Teaching via Mobile Phone: A Case Study on Malaysian Teachers' Technology Acceptance and Readiness
Author: Ismail, Issham
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Motivation,Foreign Countries,Readiness,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Technology Uses in Education,Questionnaires,Familiarity,Handheld Devices,Elementary School Teachers,Educational Technology,Performance Factors,Correlation,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Methods

The purpose of this study is to identify the level of technology acceptance among school teachers from the components of awareness and motivation, training and courses, training design, and supports and facilities. This study also aims to investigate whether teachers' acceptance of technology could influence their readiness for the pedagogical use of mobile phone technology if it is to be implemented in school. A quantitative questionnaire was administered to thirty eight teachers who teach Information and Technology (IT) subject from different primary schools in Penang, Malaysia during a program on Teachers' Development. Data revealed that the level of technology acceptance among respondents in terms of awareness and motivation, training and courses, training design and supports and facilities was generally high. Despite this positive acceptance of technology, teachers' readiness for the use of mobile phone in teaching and learning was found to be at a considerably low level. However, the study identified a significant correlation between respondents' awareness and motivation towards technology with their readiness for the pedagogical usage of mobile phone. It was also found that gender is a possible factor influencing the respondents' readiness. As implication, this paper probes the influence of technology acceptance on teachers' readiness for the pedagogical usage of mobile phone and the possible implications this influence affords. (Contains 10 tables and 3 figures.)
Characteristics of Israeli School Teachers in Computer-Based Learning Environments
Author: Magen-Nagar, Noga
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Literacy,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Teachers,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Characteristics,Computer Attitudes,Computer Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Expertise,Cohort Analysis,Thinking Skills

The purpose of this research is to investigate whether there are differences in the level of computer literacy, the amount of implementation of ICT in teaching and learning-assessment processes and the attitudes of teachers from computerized schools in comparison to teachers in non-computerized schools. In addition, the research investigates the characteristics of Israeli school teachers in a 21st century computer-based learning environment. A quantitative research methodology was used. The research sample included 811 elementary school teachers from the Jewish sector of whom 402 teachers were from the computerized school sample and 409 were teachers from the non-computerized school sample. The research findings show that teachers from the computerized school sample are more familiar with ICT, tend to use ICT more and have a more positive attitude towards ICT than teachers in the non-computerized school sample. The main conclusion which can be drawn from this research is that positive attitudes of teachers towards ICT are not sufficient for the integration of technology to occur. Future emphasis on new teaching skills of collective Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge is necessary to promote the implementation of optimal pedagogy in innovative environments. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
An Open, Online Class to Prepare Faculty to Teach Online
Author: Lane, Lisa M.
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Participant Satisfaction,Alternative Teacher Certification,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Open Education,Capacity Building,Professional Development,Action Research,Course Descriptions,Teaching Skills,Skill Development,Faculty Development

Professional development opportunities are too limited for faculty who are learning to teach online. Preparation is typically provided in the form of technology training, with little focus on the pedagogy of teaching over the web. In addition, most professional development programs offer their workshops on campus instead of providing an opportunity for faculty to be learners online. The Program for Online Teaching Certificate Class created a possible model for better preparation with a free, open, year-long online class focused on pedagogy and tool choice, with participants engaged in active reflection as part of a community. Participants in the 2011-12 class were surveyed regarding several objectives, including whether their learning goals were achieved within the framework of the class. Participants, including 16 who earned a certificate through full participation, overwhelmingly indicated the achievement of their personal learning goals, satisfaction with the community developed within the class, and increased confidence in their ability to build online classes around their pedagogy rather than being led by the technology tools. The results of the study indicate that an open, online class may be an effective model for faculty development in online teaching.