AISHE-J - The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Not a member yet
388 research outputs found
Sort by
Students as Partners: A model to promote student engagement in post-COVID-19 teaching and learning
No full textAbstract.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a seismic shift to the ways and means in which higher education institutions (HEIs) approached teaching, learning and assessment provision. The medium and longer-term effects of COVID-19 are likely to have an impact on the approaches of education, to which students and staff could work collaboratively as ‘partners’ in ensuring a student-centred approach. Development of a culture of Student Partnership has been identified as a means of working within resource constraint environments and optimising educational experiences for students and staff alike. This paper makes a series of recommendations aimed and supporting and enhancing the quality of higher education in the post-COVID 19 future
Geography graduates’ professional socialisation and identity development through service learning.
No full text This paper explores, at university level, the value of a service learning approach to teaching and learning rural geography to develop students’ awareness of a professional identity. Drawing on theories of service learning as experiential learning, and the construction of professional identities in practice-based contexts, it explores how the service learning (practice-and inquiry-based) process can enhance students’ capacities to identify themselves as rural geography professionals. In particular, the paper explores how service learning contributes to raising students’ awareness via reflective exercises about the contribution of their geographical knowledge and skills to local development problem-solving. The paper uses a case study example of a service learning module run as part of a Master’s in Rural Sustainability programme. The evidence accrues from ten of these Master’s students working with two locally-based development organisations situated in a rural market town and their efforts to devise and assess a project’s feasibility to contribute to the town’s development needs. Overall, the paper adds to the knowledge of how professional identity is formed through practice and, how this can be facilitated via certain practice-based strategies via the service learning experience. It concludes by reflecting on the effectiveness of this project-based approach, and on the implications of enhancing this aspect of graduates’ development vis-à-vis their future employability as rural geography professionals
Rewriting the (exam) script? Assessing student learning in an unusual end-of-year context
No full textThis rapid response documents an institutional development project focused on enabling a transition to open-book assessment practices at the authors' institution. The case study outlines curricular and institutional context, before engaging in an in-depth review of development methods focused on supporting the transition to open-book examinations mandated by the emergence of COVID-19 in Ireland. Its main output is a reference resource outlining potential methods for repurposing exam questions already pre-ratified by external examiners for closed-book purposes, for novel use in open-book contexts. It also outlines potential implications for future practice in assessment
The TEAM project: Insights from investigating and enhancing assessment in science and health practical sessions with digital technologies.
No full textIn Higher Education, science and health degree programmes involve significant practical elements. In many cases, students spend as much time in practical or clinical skill sessions each week as they do in classroom based lectures. These hands-on sessions engage students, develop both soft and technical skills, while allowing theory to be put into practice. However, in many cases, the design, assessment and feedback aspects of practical sessions has not received the attention warranted, with traditional approaches often persisting. This paper discusses a nationally funded, multi-institution enhancement project focused on implementing and evaluating digital technologies to enhance assessment in science and health practical sessions. Via an initial baseline analysis, four thematic areas were identified for pilot development: [1] Pre-practical videos combined with online/app quizzes, [2] Electronic lab notebooks, [3] Digital Feedback and [4] Rubrics. In collaboration with student partner groups, employers and academic staff, the TEAM (Technology Enhanced Assessment Methods) project designed and implemented 42 pilots in practical sessions across the four partner colleges, engaging almost 1,600 students. In this paper, the key lessons identified during the baseline analysis which informed the project, as well as those from the subsequent survey and focus group evaluation of participants’ pilot experiences, will be presented. Overall, the implementation of TEAM has represented a major success across the partner colleges, providing a strong foundation for continuous, iterative improvements in this field.
Student perspectives of the impact of COVID-19 on learning.
No full textCOVID-19 caused major adjustments to teaching environments, educational strategies and class delivery, with a signifcant impact on the students’ learning experience. This reflective piece outlines the impact of COVID-19 on two students’ experiences of learning, on a 1-year blended postgraduate diploma in nursing education.
The Analysis of a Novel Computational Thinking Test in First Year Undergraduate Computer Science Course
No full text In Ireland, Computer Science is not yet a state examination subject. In recent years, steps to include it have been taken - it was introduced as a Leaving Certificate subject in the academic year of 2018-19 on a pilot basis and will be examined for the first time in 2020 (O’Brien, 2017). Prior to this, the only Computer Science course offered at second level was a Junior Certificate Coding short course (NCCA, 2017). Research shows that an early introduction to computing is an advantage for students. It can build confidence in dealing with complexity and with open-ended problems (Yevseyeva &Towhidnejad, 2012). Problem-solving skills can be extended and transferred as reported by Koh et al. (2013) and students’ analytical skills can be improved according to Lishinski et al. (2016) and Van Dyne and Braun (2014). It has been shown by Webb and Rosson (2013) that students’ self-efficacy for computational problem solving, abstraction, debugging and terminology can be increased. It has also been found that teaching Computational Thinking can provide a better understanding of how programming is about solving a problem (not just coding) and that it can improve female students’ attitudes and confidence towards programming (Davies, 2008). One especially interesting finding is that exposure to Computational Thinking can be used as an early indicator and predictor of academic success since Computational Thinking scores have been found to correlate strongly with general academic achievement by Haddad and Kalaani (2015). This paper examines first year undergraduate Computer Science students who took a novel test to assess their Computational Thinking skills and in addition a survey gathering their views on Computer Science and Computational Thinking. This survey was administered twice within the academic year and comparisons are drawn on the changes between these survey results
Gasta Goes Global as a rapid community response to COVID-19
No full textDuring the COVID-19 lockdown, a live online event was organised based on a face-to-face presentation format known as ‘Gasta’; developed and popularised by one of the authors. With speakers limited to short strictly enforced five-minute presentation; the approach emphasises audience participation, engagement and spontaneity. The organising team embraced the challenge of transitioning this to an online format for what became a high-profile event focusing on the future of education in the context of COVID-19 called ‘GastaGoesGlobal’. The event was effectively organised in less than four weeks and was, by any measure, an unalloyed success, demonstrating what can be achieved by a small self-organising group of experienced individuals. This article offers an insight into the technical and operational supports behind an event of this nature, reflecting on what worked well and abstracting a number of key lessons or precepts for similar events.
A semester like no other: A student and lecturer perspective on the impact of Covid-19 on 3rd level academic life
No full textThe Covid-19 pandemic has drastically altered the nature of pedagogical life at all levels of academia, with 3rd level education being no exception. The sudden pivot to emergency online teaching at the onset of the pandemic has transformed the day-day activities of both lecturing staff and students alike, with both groups intertwined in an increasingly complex learning curve littered with obstacles and challenges. In this reflective paper, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on academic life is summarized by a 3rd year undergraduate student and a newly appointed lecturer in the Department of Life & Health Science at Dundalk Institute of Technology. They reflect on the initial response to the pandemic on their academic activities, how their approach to emergency online teaching evolved over the course of the spring semester and how issues of motivation, engagement and technological access might inform their practice in the future
The Student Perspective: The Reality of Being the "Lucky Student"
No full textThis reflective piece looks at the impact of the COVID-19 emergency on the learning, academic engagement, and student experience of an undergraduate student in Ireland. The piece highlights the practical difficulties that an undergraduate student faces while conducting their academic studies from home, the worries facing students as a result of the pandemic, and the question of whether problems are arising as a result of working from home or from the COVID-19 emergency itself and how it has changed people's lives. Furthermore, the author illustrates how they are privileged in terms of their living conditions and current student experience, and that the struggles of other students may be exacerbated by their financial, housing, and social context