University of Cumbria Open Access Journals
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Do podcasts and screencasts enable or hinder independent learning?
Get PDFBespoke podcasts and screencasts were introduced to initial teacher training students to offer flexible support for specific assignments and aspects of classroom practice. However, tutors were concerned that these resources offered prescriptive guidance rather than encouraging more critical engagement. Feedback on the resources, collected from students using a variety of data collection methods, is analysed and discussed with reference to the findings from relevant research to clarify whether student responses to the resources reflect tutor concerns. Some students valued the bespoke nature of the tutor-designed online resources; for some, engagement with the online resources led to further critical engagement with their learning. The need to collect more diverse student responses is discussed, with a practical suggestion for improving the reliability of the study’s findings. The study is relevant to course designers interested in exploring strategies, in particular the use of technology, to deepen student engagement. Keywords: Self management; podcasts; screencasts; assignment support; online resources; critical engagement
Does the seen examination promote or constrain student learning?
Get PDFComposite evaluation by one group of student nurses undertaking a pre-registration diploma nursing course within one university setting highlighted a general perception among respondents that they only participated in ‘rote’ learning to pass the examination. It appeared that little knowledge was retained or used in their nursing practice. Views of students and lecturers were sought on whether the prescribed assessment strategy of a ‘seen’ examination does in fact restrict student learning. A qualitative research methodology which adapted a phenomenological approach was used. Tape recorded semi-structured interviews were undertaken from a purposive sample of four university lecturers and six pre-registration nursing students. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The themes generated during analysis were: the advantages of the ‘seen’ examination, superficial learning, linking theory to practice, and the usefulness of other assessment strategies. There was an assumption made by lecturers that a number of students retained knowledge and information long enough to pass the ‘seen’ examination but not long enough to use it in their nursing practice.The overall impression from the majority of respondents interviewed in this study was that the assessment strategy of a ‘seen’ examination is valuable to enhance knowledge and skills. However, most lecturers who participated in the study felt sitting a ‘seen’ examination did not encourage ‘deep’ learning among students. They believed this form of assessment encouraged students to ‘rote’ learn and therefore learn in a ‘shallow’ way. Keywords: Student assessment; seen examinations
Containers, Creativity and Quilt-making: an exploration of teachers’ conceptualisations of creative spaces for teaching and learning
Get PDFThis paper explores the symbolisations and conceptualisations of creative spaces of eleven teachers who participated in an experiential Masters module, Creativity in Practice for Educators. These conceptualisations were developed through the participants’ engagement in arts-based activities on the course and the creative pieces which they produced for the course assessment. The module design synthesises ideas about creativity and creative spaces, in particular Boden’s notion of creativity as a process of transforming conceptual spaces and Jankowska and Atlay’s development of purposely-designed spaces to enhance creativity in learning. A matrix of creative spaces, incorporating physical, imaginal, digital and conceptual spaces, underpinned the course activities and participants’ explorations. The course assignments and interviews with participants revealed the impact of the course on teachers\u27 practice and conceptualisations of creative spaces. The paper engages with the issues involved in presenting the diverse range of data which emerged from this inquiry, suggesting a quilting metaphor to represent the complexity. While the study focused on in-service teachers, its findings are applied to developing awareness about creativity in participants in initial teacher education programmes. Key words: creativity; creative spaces: arts-based methods; experiential learning; initial teacher education; matrix of creative space
Developing blended learning in higher education – a case study of the University of the Highlands and Islands
Get PDFThis paper provides some editorial context for a suite of three papers, each of which focuses on pedagogical considerations at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). The paper first identifies the distinctive characteristics of the University, its history, context and purpose. It moves on to explore a major initiative in blended learning at the University, entitled Curriculum for the 21st Century (C21C). Then it introduces the essence of the three articles, each of which focuses on specific elements of blended learning. The term ‘blended learning’ has different meanings and interpretations in different places. In this article we adopt the definition supported by the UHI academic council: A considered approach that selects from a range of traditional face-to-face methods and e-learning technologies to facilitate student engagement, develop independent learners and enhance the learning experience
Creativity and Wellbeing in Education: Possibilities, Tensions and Personal Journeys
Get PDFThis paper examines the relationship between creativity and wellbeing as educational aims, with a particular focus on whether these are mutually supportive, or exist in a state of tension. It starts with some observations on the importance attached to the two concepts in current policy discourse and the expectation that teachers and teacher educators should seek to promote them. It is argued that both should be regarded as contested terms which need to be subjected to critical interrogation. The extent to which schools as institutions are really open to creativity is questioned, and the limitations of a ‘soft’ psychological approach to wellbeing are highlighted. As part of this argument, some reservations about the extent to which learning should be regarded as a social rather than an individual experience are expressed. The paper concludes with brief reflections on the implications for teacher educators. KeywordsDiscourse; creativity; wellbeing; curriculum; conformit
My \u27Best\u27 Teacher
No full textAbstract This article reports the analysis of 59 articles entitled \u27my best teacher\u27 printed in the UK Times Educational Supplement January 2000 - August 2003. The research identifies the common qualities/characteristics of ‘best’ teachers, compares the field of endeavour of the interviewee with the discipline of their \u27best teacher\u27 and examines \u27light-bulb\u27 moments; times when teachers especially inspired their students. A qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews in the articles has been utilised. The most frequently identified personal qualities contributing to a ‘best teacher’ are also reported. Finally, a model to illustrate dimensions of a \u27best\u27 teacher is presented. KeywordsBest teacher; good teacher
The use of Transactional Analysis in Secondary Education: A Case Study
Get PDFAbstractThis paper presents the findings of a case study on the use of Transactional Analysis (TA) in schools in England. The paper gives a brief overview of TA and its relevance to secondary education – for pupils, teachers and school improvement. TA is a field of psychology that looks at the ‘transactions’ that go on between people when they communicate. Self-awareness and understanding of others enables individuals and groups to develop effective and powerful communication and a better climate in the workplace. This paper goes on to present the findings of the case study on teaching TA to children and young people from 11 – 25 and their teachers. We have found that children, young people and teachers with TA skills have better self-awareness, increased understanding of others and as a consequence better relationships and can demonstrate impact on attendance, attainment, personal and professional lives and school climate overall. We conclude with recommendations for practice. KeywordsSelf-awareness; communication; emotional; attendance; attainment
Creativity and Enquiry in Action: a case study of cross-curricular approaches in teacher education
Get PDFThe current Key Stage 3 National Curriculum for England orders that our education foster determination, adaptability, confidence, risk-taking, enterprise, creativity and enjoyment in a cross-curricular context in pupils. To appreciate these dimensions student teachers need to have multiple opportunities to experience such a curriculum for themselves. However, initial teacher education is an intense and demanding experience; student teachers veer between phases of basic survival and personal innovation as they develop their individual pedagogy and personal philosophy. For new secondary teachers their own subject specialism forms a core feature of their emerging professional identity and can act as a barrier to collaborative practice beyond that specialism. This paper discusses one example of a cross-curricular approach in which Art and Geography PGCE students reflect on their experiences of a collaborative event designed to break down subject barriers while exploiting the potential of subject specialism. Data collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with a sample of students during the two-day event is discussed. Data revealed that critical outcomes of the event included the practice and development of genuine collaboration, negotiation, teamwork, and leadership. Key words: role-based enquiry; creativity; cross-curricular; subject specialism
Shakespeare and racial diversity for Primary children: exploring ways to develop student teacher confidence
Get PDFThis research paper examines student teachers’ development, of pedagogy and understanding, in the areas of creativity and racial and ethnic diversity and identity. This dual focus emerges from critical reflection on the teaching of a new module to white students within their Initial Teacher Education (ITE) course. The students were required to take forward their university learning into school, where they taught aspects of the Shakespeare play ‘The Tempest’ in either Key Stage One or Two. The module presented the challenges of: teaching Shakespeare, a demanding topic to this young age group; employing creative approaches to do this; and using the play to teach children about racial and ethnic diversity and identity. The paper argues that while these challenges exposed a desire to develop creative approaches, the students displayed an uncertainty and lack of confidence in using these approaches to teach about issues of ethnicity. The paper also asserts that an awareness of and desire by teacher educators, to support and educate students about these issues, is crucial. Keywords: cultural disawareness; racial and ethnic diversity; identity; creativity; active teaching approaches
Professional development as a cornerstone of a new university: the contribution of the MA in Professional Development to the UHI story
Get PDFThis paper gives a brief outline of the development of the first Masters programme at the University of the Highlands and Islands, the Masters in Professional Development (MAPD) and the new addition to the portfolio, the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PGCert THE). It briefly examines the evolution of the MAPD award since its inception in 1999 and the political backdrop that, to some degree, facilitated it and the ideology underpinning it. It then looks at the requirement of lecturers to engage in continued professional development (CPD) and suggests conditions that may facilitate this. Keywords: Professional development; pedagogy; Masters; communities of practice; situated learning; online learning; collaboration