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Conceptualising Fan Persona
Full text linkThe entanglement of identity and performance within fandoms have been central components of fan studies, whether these fans are focused on sports, music, film, television, literature, celebrity, or something else. Their shared interest and investment in the fan object provide fans with common ground on which to build a collective identity, while the fan object can be a rich source of identity markers, from logos and colour schemes to moral values and philosophical positions. As argued by Busse and Gray in The Handbook of Media Audiences (2011, p. 426), being a member of a fandom facilitates “a particular identity that affects and shapes its members in ways beyond shared media consumption”.In this issue, we invited scholars to bring understandings of identity from fan studies into conversation with ideas of a strategic performance of self, extending existing work on fan personas from both within the Persona Studies journal and beyond. By doing so, we wished to explore how a ‘fan persona’ might be utilised by fans for specific purposes or in different interactions, or to frame individual perspectives, beliefs or interpretations within collective spaces
Using 'Me in a Minute' to promote skills in articulating employability strengths
Full text linkEvidence indicates that undergraduate students value the Me in a Minute video strategy as a mechanism for developing employability articulation skills. However, an in-depth analysis of students’ ability to create a Me in a Minute video that effectively articulates employability strengths has not been conducted. An assessed Me in a Minute module (assignment) was implemented in a third-year capstone subject within undergraduate non-specialist health science degrees to support students in developing their employability articulation skills. Module assessments included a preparatory mid-semester self-evaluation, a Me in a Minute video, and an end-semester reflection consisting of Likert-scale and open-ended responses. This study aimed to determine students’ ability to create an effective and professionally delivered Me in a Minute video, as well as student perceptions of their employability skills and the module activities. Student work (preparatory evaluation task, video and reflection) was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Mid-semester, students highly rated their discipline knowledge and skills, as well as their transferable skills and personal attributes. Analysis of videos showed that students had aptitude for drawing on relevant experiences but generally struggled to substantiate their claims with tangible evidence. Less than half of the videos were assessed to be professional artefacts. Despite these findings, students highly valued the module and felt the activities supported them in developing their ability to articulate employability strengths. In conclusion, the Me in a Minute video strategy is perceived positively by health science students, but further support is needed to help them develop skills in evidencing achievements and professional presentation
Understanding students’ perceptions of generative AI: Implications for pedagogy and graduate employability
Full text linkAs artificial intelligence (AI) transforms workplaces, understanding how future graduates engage with AI technologies is crucial for enhancing employability. This study investigates higher education students’ familiarity with and perceptions of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in their learning. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and incorporating personal innovativeness in information technology, we examined factors influencing students’ adoption of GenAI. An online survey was conducted between April 30 and May 11, 2024, with 233 students from a college in northern Israel completing the questionnaire. Results revealed significant positive correlations, supporting the study’s theoretical framework. Personal innovativeness was strongly related to TAM variables. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward use and behavioural intention to use the technology were each significant predictors of actual GenAI use. Gender and field of study influenced adoption, with both males and students studying information systems and economics showing higher usage rates. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to integrate TAM with personal innovativeness and demographic factors to assess student engagement with GenAI. The findings provide a theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding student responses to new technologies in higher education. The identified gender gap and field-based differences suggest that tailored approaches are necessary to enhance student engagement with GenAI tools. Overall, the findings imply that teaching practices should include scaffolded, inclusive strategies that foster GenAI literacy, adaptability and ethical awareness. Such approaches may strengthen students’ preparedness for AI-enhanced workplaces and support higher education’s role in assuring graduate employability
The role of gamification in fostering inclusivity for Vietnamese adult EFL learners in continued education
Full text linkAs adult learners may encounter various challenges and constraints in continued education, it is important to maintain their engagement and resilience in their academic pursuit. This article explores the role of gamification in fostering inclusivity for Vietnamese adult learners undertaking a second degree program in English linguistics. Drawing on a narrative frame and semi-structured interviews with nine professionals aged 22-47, the present study examined the impacts of incorporating gamified elements into an English grammar course. The findings highlighted that gamification effectively catered to the diverse learning needs and styles of adult learners, enhancing their confidence, engagement, and motivation while reducing anxiety. The collaborative nature of gamified activities promoted social connections and a community of practice. However, some learners experienced certain challenges in gamified environments concerning technical issues and their unfamiliarity with platform functionality. This study presents important implications for teachers and curriculum developers in employing gamification to provide a more inclusive and engaging environment for adult learners
Editorial: EAL/D and Initial Teacher Education
No full textA number of issues and pressures are currently converging in the area of teacher education for EAL/D specialists. These include a time of increased challenges in recruiting teachers to schools across Australian schools and systems; and concurrently, increased government and public attention to the nature of teacher education programs in Australian universities. With the suggestion of a 'multilingual turn' in applied linguistics being raised a decade ago, it is valuable to consider how this is reflected in contemporary teacher education, in relation to developing a multilingual stance and preparing pre-service teachers for multilingual pedagogies in EAL/D teaching. This multilingual turn, which recognises the pedagogical value of students’ full linguistic repertoires, provides a crucial lens through which to examine the papers in this collection, each of which grapples with how teacher education can move beyond monolingual assumptions.
This special issue brings together papers that examine EAL/D education in Australia, from a wide-angle view at the provision of courses across Australian universities, to discussion of the content of pre-service teacher learning and the approaches used to deliver it, and diverse considerations for pre-service teachers and teacher educators in developing a multilingual stance in classroom practice
Using student conferences as a form of authentic assessment to develop and enhance transferable communication skills in quantitative and data-driven disciplines: Evidence from a postgraduate public health program
Full text linkGlobally, the volume and availability of data has grown exponentially over the last few decades. In turn, workforces are looking for graduates to be well versed in working effectively with data, with the skills needed to work both efficiently and creatively within data-driven environments. This has been reflected within the context of higher education through the increased demand for specialist training and development in quantitative and data-driven (QDD) disciplines – particularly within postgraduate study. Graduates are expected not only to possess technical skills, but also ‘softer skills’, including multifaceted communication skills to communicate complex concepts with non-expert audiences. This paper considers how the environment of a student conference might amplify the authenticity and meaningfulness of oral presentations as an assessment format, while helping QDD students to develop and enhance their transferable communication skills. Following the introduction of an additional assessment to a postgraduate public health program, surveys were carried out with staff (n=11) and students (n=31). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results showed that the student conference environment assessment was meaningful for students and supported their communication skills development through the authentic delivery of oral presentations. The conference environment helped students build confidence, with 88% (n=22) finding it useful to practice presenting to peers, and 100% (n=26) feeling more confident about their work. This study, thus, illustrates a transferable and implementable approach for educators wishing to integrate a student conference assessment to develop students’ communication skills, particularly in QDD disciplines
“Physically present, but emotionally present, too”: Graduates of Colour developing emotional intelligence as student employees
Full text linkDespite a robust body of literature related to how institutions of higher education help prepare students for the workforce after graduation, little research has explored the lived experiences of Students of Colour as they reflect on their undergraduate employment as it relates to their development of marketable skills. Moreover, no studies have engaged with Graduates of Colour to understand whether they developed emotional intelligence as undergraduate student employees. To fill a considerable gap in the literature, this qualitative study, framed by Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) model of emotional intelligence, explored the undergraduate student affairs (student support) employment experiences of 12 Graduates of Colour (now professionals) to understand how they developed emotional intelligence to be more successful employees and leaders in their respective workplaces. The findings suggest Graduates of Colour developed all four tenets of emotional intelligence during their undergraduate employment experience, with direct impacts on their work in their careers. Implications for research and practice in universities are discussed
Proposition d’un cadre analytique pour les exercices de revue deprotocoles et de politiques humanitaires: L'exemple des protocolesSystem-Wide Scale-Up de l’IASC
Full text linkThis paper presents the main lines of an analytical framework to approach humanitarian policy review exercises, based on the example of the IASC System-Wide Scale-Up Protocols. Anchored in sociological paradigms, this framework could be understood as a socio-phenomenological-functionalist one. It revolves around two central steps: i) starting from practice in order to grasp the reality of a protocol or policy, and ii) considering a protocol or policy (as revealed through its practice) as a sui-generis social object whose patterns of realisation are to be identified. The idea is to make this framework available so that it can be used (when and where relevant) for other similar review exercises. Although it doesn’t aim to evaluate the quality and relevancy of a protocol or policy in light of a broader environment, this approach appears pertinent to reconstruct a protocol or policy as it manifests in practice, which enables actors to maximise its use and deploy it more efficiently. Cet article présente les grandes lignes d'un cadre analytique permettant d'aborder les exercices de revue de politiques humanitaires, en s’appuyant sur l’exemple de la revue des protocoles System-Wide Scale-Up de l’IASC (Inter Agency Standing Committee, ou Comité Permanent Inter Organisations). Ce cadre s’ancre dans une approche pouvant être qualifiée de socio-phénoméno- fonctionnaliste. Il s'articule autour de deux éléments centraux : i) partir de la pratique pour saisir la réalité d'un protocole ou d'une politique, et ii) considérer un protocole ou une politique (tel que révélé.e par sa pratique) comme un objet social sui-generis dont les schémas de réalisation doivent être identifiés. L'idée est de rendre ce cadre disponible afin qu'il puisse être utilisé (le cas échéant) pour d'autres exercices similaires. Bien qu'elle ne vise pas à évaluer la qualité et la pertinence d'un protocole ou d'une politique à la lumière d'un environnement plus large, cette approche apparait pertinente pour reconstruire un protocole ou une politique tel qu'il.elle se manifeste dans la pratique, ce qui permet aux acteurs de maximiser son utilisation et de le.la déployer plus efficacement
Pragmatic strategies in Vietnamese and Japanese complaints and complaint responses: A World Englishes perspective on learner agency
Full text linkThis study investigates how Vietnamese and Japanese undergraduate learners of English performed complaints and responses to complaints in a simulated international business exchange project. Drawing on multiple pragmatic research frameworks (three for compliments, three for responses to compliments, and modality markers), the study analyzed 158 emails exchanged by students from universities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Tokyo, Japan. The Vietnamese students performed these speech acts more clearly and directly, flexibly using various strategies. In contrast, the Japanese students showed a strong preference for indirect and face-saving strategies, resulted in their intentions being obscured due to a lack of negative evaluations in their complaints as well as both linguistic and sociocultural L1 transfer. Finally, the paper reviews the latest ELF research, providing implications for pragmatic instruction in class particularly how teachers can consider L2 learners’ agency from a World Englishes perspective. In conclusion, teachers should encourage L2 learners to become effective ELF users who can make informed pragmatic choices (Ishihara & Cohen, 2022) based on knowledge of English culture norms and how they wish to present themselves in English. By doing so, educators can empower learners to navigate global communication with strategic competence and an authentic voice
Investment in English language learning by adult Iranians
Full text linkThis paper investigates how Iranian learners invest in English language education amid various cultural and societal influences. Recently, Iranian authorities have expressed concern about the impact of English on society and culture. The first author interviewed eight adult learners in Iran to explore their perceptions of learners’ investment in English language learning, drawing on Darvin and Norton’s (2016) model. The findings reveal a complex interplay between local and global factors affecting language learning and identity formation. Despite government policies aimed at preserving traditional values, learners express personal and societal benefits from acquiring English. The research highlights that learners’ motivations stem more from this interplay of benefits, rather than just globalisation, which Iranian authorities often view as a threat. This underscores the resilience of Iranian learners as they navigate their linguistic and cultural identities, demonstrating that they see English not only as a foreign language but as a tool for personal and societal advancement. This study contributes to the understanding of how Iranian learners navigate and invest in English language education, shedding light on the cultural and societal factors that shape their perceptions and motivations