University of Cumbria Open Access Journals
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Is Mental Illness Socially Constructed?
Get PDFThis paper will critically analyse, how the use of a bio-medical model, philosophically rooted in positivism and a diagnostic language that confuses “truth” with diagnostic perspectives has led to an obsession with “compliance” on a global scale and a failure to recognize how medical discourses have negatively influenced how peoples’ illnesses are experienced, depicted and viewed within society, with specific reference to schizophrenia (Walker, 2006). There have been endeavours by psychologists to homogenize language classification and diagnostic systems across cultures, making the diagnostic criteria universal (Marsella & Yamada, 2010). However, this ethnocentric bias has led to frequent misdiagnosis and ethical harms as it is often taken for granted how certain illnesses are culturally taboo and have particular social and cultural stigmas (Conrad & Barker, 2010; Hassim & Wagner, 2013; Li, Hatzidimitriadou & Psoninos, 2014). This paper concludes that current diagnostic systems are too positivist and clinicians need to aware of the social constructionist element in the diagnosis of mental illness
Setting out the role of feedback in the assessment process through both the student and tutor perspective
Get PDFDespite assessment and feedback being important elements of the student experience, it is not clear how students connect these two elements together to improve their learning. What are students doing with the assignment feedback that they receive from tutors, and how do they make use of this feedback in their future assessments? A research study was undertaken to deconstruct feedback from the perspective of the tutor giving the feedback and the student receiving the feedback in order to explore the connections that students are able to make between the feedback received and future assessments. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with tutor and student participants, during which they were invited to articulate their practices and interactions with feedback at each stage of the assessment process. This paper reports on both student and tutor actions at each stage of the assessment process and discusses the implications of these behaviours for enhancing student engagement with feedback
Written Assessment and Feedback Practices in Postgraduate Taught Courses in the UK: staff and international students’ perspectives
Get PDFIn recent years UK universities have attracted an increasing number of international students. Their socialisation into different academic practices greatly depends on their ability to write in English since writing is the main way in which students demonstrate their learning at university. This paper looks into the widely-shared view that tutor feedback can help students develop their academic literacy and argues that academic writing and feedback-giving are social practices influenced by cultural, institutional and departmental contexts. The research combined quantitative and qualitative methods to explore academic expectations, experiences of feedback and perceptions of its impact on international students’ academic literacy. The study found that non-UK students on full-time postgraduate taught courses seem to be at a considerable disadvantage because of factors like limited English language skills, or lack of familiarity with cultural, academic, disciplinary or professional conventions. The research found no evidence of a systematic approach for tutors or institutions to measure the impact of feedback on student learning. In this study, feedback seemed to make a limited contribution to students’ understanding of literacy practices due to a number of both individual and institutional factors.
Assessment timing: student preferences and its impact on performance
Get PDFStudents on a first year undergraduate economics module were given the choice of when to sit their first assessment in the subject in order to determine both preferences over assessment timing, and the impact of timing on performance. Clear preferences of having this option were shown (only 2% of students stated to be indifferent) with those more comfortable and engaged in the module electing to take an earlier sitting of the assessment. Those who took the early test performed better on average compared to those who took it later, however, after controlling for attendance, there was no statistical link. There was, however, evidence that a later first assessment caused lower attendance and moreover, evidence of a legacy effect of this timing where the out-performance of the early cohort grew over later tests, which all students took at the same time
An exploratory study investigating the impact of a university module that aims to challenge students\u27 perspectives on ageing and older adults
Get PDFThis study aimed to assess if a module on an undergraduate degree programme had challenged students’ perspectives on ageing and older adults. Courses on gerontology are on the increase within the UK to support increasingly ageing populations, with agendas to promote ethical care and to challenge the incidence of elderly abuse. Research consistently reports society’s often negative attitudes towards older people, with this in mind a module on a gerontology programme at a North West of England University focused on developing a range of activities whereby students enrolled on the programme would be able to challenge their existing attitudes towards older adults. Interviews were undertaken with 3 students to explore if attitude change had occurred within a framework of social psychological definitions of attitudes and transformative learning. 3 main themes emerged from the interviews, these were: 1. The relationship between beliefs on the development of attitudes, 2. Attitude change challenging morality and 3. Transformation and motivation to act. One of the student’s sharing also led to the creation of an attitude time-line which plotted the students changing attitudes over time. The findings of the study have informed future teaching practice and may support methods that support critical reflection and transformative attitude change in other disciplines within higher education
‘The self-improving primary school’: understanding and approaching teacher inquiry: a pilot study
Get PDFThis paper examines how one primary school in the East Midlands region has worked to establish a culture of teacher-led, evidence-based teacher inquiry. It reports on a pilot year of research when the senior leadership team (SLT) decided to implement a strategic focus on evidence-based teaching, which would generate their own school knowledge, equip teachers to take more responsibility for their own teaching and professional development and to broaden their local and national networks. The SLT led the inquiry process using various initiatives as suggested vehicles for inquiry with the aim of galvanising teaching staff into making changes to their pedagogical approaches. Working with a local HEI academic as supporter of this process and advisor to the Head teacher, appropriate practice-based methodologies were deployed, trialled, role-modelled and evaluated by the SLT. A local HEI academic advised the SLT on the implementation of this approach, which was followed up by a small scale piece of research and evaluation to further inform the evidence base
A Comparative Paper Assessing the Appropriateness of Embedding Deep Personalisation and Educational Essentialism within the UK Further and Higher Education Sectors
Get PDFThe motivation behind writing the paper is to compare two opposite theoretical viewpoints, which are deep personalisation and education essentialism and to analyse their appropriateness for implementation in the UK further and higher education sectors. Thus providing a varying framework from the personalisation framework recommended in the Department for Education and Skills ‘White Paper’ (DfES, 2005). The approach included analysis of previous literature, but also primary research aimed towards educational professionals with a perspective of providing an appropriate structure. The results were mixed, with neither theories holding suitable ground for implementation, however a combination of deep personalisation and educational essentialism provides a feasible option for teaching in further and higher education institutions. This paper proposes that at the beginning of a course or subject core skills should be learnt in an essentialist form. Moving onwards a personalised approach should be used for learners to specialise in a specific area, thus embedding creativity and responsibility for learners to generate motivation. It cannot be considered as deep personalisation due to assessments not being wholly student centred. Although the argument provides a strong basis to combine both theoretical perspectives, in certain aspects this is not possible. The marketisation of education is one of them; this framework will assume the deep personalisation approach of education as being a competitive market as it provides development and improvement within the market. However, assessments using this structure will embrace educational essentialism with shallow personalisation, as the current education structure does not allow for deep personalisation
The Role of Self-Affirmation in an Online Physical Activity Intervention.
Get PDFObesity is a rising issue worldwide which is linked with the development of Non-Communicable Diseases (Scully, 2014). There is a wide evidence base for the use of physical activity to improve health (Warbuton, Nicole & Bredin, 2006). This research is utilising the Internet to deliver a physical activity intervention using self-affirmation to increase message acceptance. The self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988) states that reflection of a person’s positive traits may reduce defensiveness about a threatening message. Epton and Harris (2008), and Fielden (2012) have shown self-affirming to lead to reduced defensiveness about health messages and also behaviour change. This research is a progression and is aiming to show similar findings with physical activity. Participants completed a series of questionnaires to determine their physical activity levels before being randomly allocated to either an affirmation or control group. Participants completed a manipulation check before completing a log of physical activity (n=34). The same questionnaires were then asked at 7 days (n=26) and 14 days (n=23). Results demonstrated no significant increase in physical activity. Self-affirmation has shown to work best on those who are most ‘at-risk’ and participants already showed to be participating in physical activity. Limitations and suggestions for further research, such as the use of an ‘at risk’ population are discussed
Using Pecha Kucha as formative assessment in two undergraduate modules. (Re) conceptualising ‘the right lines’
Get PDFThe discourses around feedback and assessment within higher education are often proliferated as critical to student learning, and attention to student (dis) satisfaction is often high on the agenda. As academics spend extensive time and effort on the production of summative feedback, this paper draws on the initial findings from a small -scale study of the use of Pecha Kucha as a methodology for formative assessment within two undergraduate modules. The dominant themes suggest some disparity between staff and students regarding the purpose of formative assessment and the paper argues that Pecha Kucha can be used as a platform to develop assessment dialogues, with the subsequent development of a pedagogic literacy around feedback practices. Furthermore, the value of listening to different narratives from research studies, students and tutors supports the reframing of assessment as a supportive mechanism beyond the elicitation of proof of learning.
Measuring the impact of high quality instant feedback on learning
Get PDFThis paper examines the impact of a novel assessment technique that has been used to improve the feedback given to second year Computer Science students at the University of Nottingham. Criteria for effective, high quality feedback are discussed. An automated marking system (The Marker’s Apprentice - TMA) produces instant feedback in synergy with the highlighted best practises. This paper investigates improvements in the work submitted by students after receiving this type of feedback. It draws upon surveys, as well as comparisons to previous cohorts for validating the positive impact of these techniques. It was found that the cohort (141 students) made 35% fewer common mistakes on a subsequent exercise than the previous cohort. 100% of students surveyed (35) claimed to have read the feedback, and 91% agreed it clearly identified areas for improvement. 68% agreed the feedback is useful for their learning, which is backed up by the improvements seen on the last exercise. Supported by these results, this paper concludes that following feedback best practises can have a substantial impact on learning, and that automated assessment can play a key role in providing this instant, high quality feedback. The results and similar techniques can be applied to other disciplines.