University of Warwick Press: Journals
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Navigating the liminal space: Enhancing film teaching through anonymous feedback, digital collages, and advocacy
Get PDFThis reflective piece focuses on the strategies of designing seminars that foster inclusivity and belonging, mainly when teaching in a liminal space as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA). It requires a commitment to understanding diverse student needs, including A-level subjects, learning difficulties, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ identities, ethnicity, socio-economic backgrounds, and more. Alongside the module convenor’s guidance and departmental procedures, a GTA’s identity and expertise play a crucial role in shaping the classroom atmosphere. My interdisciplinary PhD research, which focuses on co-creating films with participants facing mental health challenges, informs my view of students as co-creators. As a Staff-Student Liaison Committee (SSLC) representative, I am dedicated to upholding students’ dignity, autonomy, and contributions to the university and society while aiming to provide them with the ethical understanding needed to navigate complex 21st-century challenges. After each seminar, I value anonymous student feedback to tailor my content, listening to their needs and questions, and incorporating audiovisual and interactive material to promote participation, especially among quieter students. With this piece, by sharing my lived experiences as a GTA, I intend to contribute to a collective knowledge base and foster dialogue and collaboration among my peers
Afterword: "Growing our own: enabling PGR teachers to flourish in authentic ecosystems"
No full textPostgraduate researchers who teach (PGR teachers), or Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) play a valuable role in global Higher Education, being a central part of the teaching workforce. PGR teachers are noted, amongst other things, for their ability to relate closely to students, bringing research-informed perspectives and providing effective and nuanced support to students in a massified HE sector. However, in spite of their longstanding presence, they are ubiquitously described as being in a ‘liminal space’ in the literature, and as early career colleagues, often have less professional experience and reduced agency to make pedagogical decisions, all whilst experiencing precarity and other challenges relating to occupying an impermanent role.
Professional development opportunities for PGR teachers are reasonably widespread but do they enable the best way for PGR teachers to grow and thrive in their teaching work? This Afterword, drawing on the contributions of authors in Issue 4 of the JPPP, considers how PGR teachers are deploying the outcomes of professional learning, and where the ‘best space’ might be for them to develop and evolve as practitioners. It reflects on the structure and rationale established in the Warwick Postgraduate Teaching Community and argues for the support and initiation of similar PGR communities of practice across the sector, as being optimal spaces for PGR teachers to thrive, learn and grow with peers.
Evaluation of a flipped classroom model base on students’ perceptions: An undergraduate engineering module case study
Get PDFFlipped classroom approach has become popular due to the potential for creating deep learning experiences using active learning and the use of technology that facilitates the implementation of the approach (Abeysekera and Dawson, 2014). The aim of this research is to assess whether the Flipped Classroom model designed and implemented by the authors is perceived as effective by engineering students on the mandatory second year management module.
The supplemental blended learning model (Twigg, 2003) was used to create a delivery model consisting of lectures, out-of-class activities and ending with flipped classroom seminars. The fortnightly lectures and online learning material underpinned the in-class activity-led seminars which in turn aligned to the assessment. Given the requirements for students to manage their engagement with learning outside of the classroom, self-regulated learning has been considered within the study.
The authors collected the data using two online pre-validated questionnaires (Shih, Liang and Tsai, 2019) via Qualtrics and applied descriptive statistical analysis tools and the Pearson correlation analysis, using SPSS software. Results indicated that students perceived the activity led learning part of the flipped classroom (seminars) as a positive experience and are satisfied with how the experience enhanced their learning. Survey analysis revealed students reported a lack of critical engagement with the online material, inconsistently allocating time to learning nor systematically preparing for the face-to-face activity led learning seminars. There was general agreement the flipped classroom approach required more self-regulated learning skills
The importance of self-efficacy in transition to higher education: a case study on an online Induction resource for Master’s students
Get PDFThe state of a student’s self-efficacy, or belief in oneself to achieve a particular result (Bandura, 1997), influences their academic performance (Schunk and Pajares, 2002). Hence supporting students to enhance their self-efficacy from the start of their learning journey is significant to achievement of their degree. One of the ways to improve student’s self-efficacy in their transition to university is through training since the provision of information and active learning enables students to make informed decisions about their education, professional development, and personal circumstances during their studies. This is significant for students who may not have studied previously in the UK since negotiating a foreign culture and education system can influence their confidence to thrive in a higher education environment. Therefore, the paper seeks to answer the question, “How does the self-efficacy of students who previously studied in the UK compare with students who did not previously study in the UK following completion of an online Induction resource?” by evaluating a virtual Moodle course designed and implemented in the 2022-2023 academic year to support students to transition into learning at an engineering and business department. Analysing responses collected from 61 full-time master\u27s students to an online survey post-completion of the Induction resource, this initial study finds that the Moodle course is helpful in supporting student’s transition to study. Reflections and recommendations for improving this resource to benefit student self-efficacy are provided to support the work of engineering educators dedicated to enhancing the student experience
Students\u27 readiness for blended learning in UK higher education : A service ecosystem approach
Get PDFBlended learning has become a standard approach in higher education post-Covid, but its effectiveness and learning outcomes are significantly impacted by student readiness. Existing research focuses only on students\u27 attitudes towards blended learning or teachers\u27 readiness. This study employs a service ecosystem perspective, examining students\u27 broader cognitive, emotional, interactional, and motivational readiness within the learning ecosystem.
Using qualitative methods, semi-structured interviews with ten Chinese-origin students at the University of Warwick were conducted to explore their blended learning experiences. The research draws insights from both organizational and individual levels, unveiling factors influencing students\u27 blended learning readiness. Moreover, it delves into the implications of cognitive, emotional, interactional, and motivational readiness within the UK higher education ecosystem.
The study enriches the theoretical understanding of students\u27 blended learning readiness within the learning ecosystem. Managerially, it highlights the need for a refined two-way feedback system to align with students\u27 expectations. Collecting detailed online learning records, such as video engagement and comments, enables tailored content creation. Leveraging technology enhances interactivity; teachers can share relevant short videos to quickly introduce course concepts. Technological advancements can also optimize platform connectivity, resolving issues promptly and enhancing communication among stakeholders. At the institutional level, universities should offer IT training for teachers and management, coupled with teaching and learning guideline development. This multifaceted approach ensures preparedness for blended learning, fostering an effective and engaging educational environment.
 
Electro-Mechanical Engineer Degree Level Apprenticeships: An initial reflection on improving distance-learner engagement and motivation
Get PDFThis concept paper discusses the proposed implementation of learning supports via motivational scaffolding as method for improving engagement and motivation of Electro-Mechanical Engineering degree-level apprentices at the University of Nottingham. The paper focuses on a block-release programme where a large proportion of learning occurs online asynchronously. These apprentices have generally entered degree-level study from background vastly different from typical undergraduate students. Combined with the management of their normal job with their university study, there is a step-change in mind set required to be successful on the programme. Anecdotal feedback has previously suggested that around half of the apprentices on the programme found it challenging to settle into a successful work pattern within the first 6 weeks of the programme.
The proposed intervention aims to provide learners with the environment to learn and excel rather than spending time finding the study materials, or working out what is required of them. The intervention was developed in conjunction with a focus group of apprentices and a scoping survey released to all cohorts on the programme. The success of the intervention will be evaluated over the next academic year through further feedback surveys, focus group discussions and comparison of grades and engagement of online content
Translating Ramayana: Plurilingual to pluricultural
No full textEmbedded contexts and improvisations in bhasha Ramayanas with its nuances of plurality attribute to its influences of respective linguistic and culture of multinational and multicultural countries: Ram-story of Ramayana, considered primarily a work of smriti , has travelled a long journey in the land of multilingual and heterogeneous cultural spheres. Indian bhashas – Assamese, Thamizh, Malayalam, Oriya, Bengali, and so on – have rendered Rama-katha within the very Indian society under different paradigms which have overshadowed the original, i.e. Valmiki’s Ramayana in Sanskrit. In lieu of assimilation of original text in another language that relevant translation promotes, bhasha Ramayanas presents different renderings or retellings , instead of variants or versions of Valmiki, colored with heterogeneous cultural ethos. Discussing three bhasha Ramayana(s) – 12th century Kampar’s Ramavataram in Thamizh , 15th century Krttivasi Ramayana or Sriram Pacali in Bengali, and 16th century Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi – this essay explores social and literary function of translation strategies in its poly-lingual and multinational world. Questioning the idea of original and relevant Ramayana, it also reflects on how bhasha Ramayanas co-exist in multilingual and multicultural society with its distinguished autonomy and differences. The tripartite comparative project of this article critically investigates their structures, sequential arrangements, bhasha cultural color, and story overlaps. It also calls attention to coalescence of Rama-story through plurilingual renderings with respect to its pluricultural valences in South Asia. Focusing on the polyvalences, it also argues that such retellings problematize the relevance of a genuine translation by questioning translational canonical principles for bhasha texts
Enhancing Research Culture at Warwick Medical School (WMS): A community-driven, values-based vision towards enhancing WMS’s research culture
No full textUnderstanding ‘what’ research culture means to members of Warwick Medical School’s (WMS) diverse community and how it can be enhanced is important to ensuring that all can flourish and deliver the best quality, world-leading research. Through active consultation and engagement with staff and students, we coproduced an action-focused WMS Enhancing Research Culture (ERC) Roadmap.
We hosted three (three-hour) semi-structured café-style conversations open to students and staff (both researchers and research enablers – that is, non-academic colleagues involved in the development and delivery of research). In Café 1, participants explored what ‘research culture’ meant to them. Cafés 2 and 3 built on these findings, exploring what could change, how, and when. A thematic analysis of findings was undertaken after each event, with findings shared and built on at each café. A five-year plan was crafted. The roadmap represents a community-driven, co-produced and values-driven understanding of the importance of a positive and inclusive research culture, which builds on existing initiatives and describes associated actions for change.
Funding Acknowledgement
The Rresearch Culture Cafés were funded by a University of Warwick Enhancing Research Culture Grant awarded 2022/2023
Time Poverty and its Impact on Research Culture
No full textThis article, based on our experience carrying out research culture surveys at our respective universities, discusses how ‘time poverty’ represents a significant challenge to the creation of positive research cultures. Time poverty is a term used to capture the fact that people persistently report having too many things to do and not enough time to do them, and is linked to poorer mental and physical health, as well as low productivity.
We argue that frameworks for defining and discussing research culture tend to be structured around tangible and easily categorised attributes. This can fragment and compartmentalise discussion and action toward discrete issues relating to research, and risks missing deeper structural and systemic issues that underlie them. To tackle time poverty, we will need a more systemic approach, requiring a broad range of solutions relating to the delivery of both research and education, and spanning from sector-wide level responses to individual behaviours. Without tackling time poverty, there is a risk that efforts to improve research culture will be stifled, because underlying issues still pervade and erode the culture, or simply because people don’t have time to engage with or contribute to change. We discuss these issues in relation to some of the findings from our institutional research culture surveys and work we’ve already started in our institutions and suggest some further actions to take.
Funding AcknowledgmentThe work at Newcastle University was supported by Research England funding
Nostalgia Ain’t What it Used to Be: Editorial, Volume 11, Part 4
No full textIn this introductory editorial, the Chief Editor reflects back on the historical parallels of publication and monastic orders, alongside considering the impact the Modern Records Centre (MRC) has made on their own career. It notably includes an overview of all the articles and authors appearing in this celebratory volume, along with news about future issues and author contribution opportunities too. Finally, it closes with a guide to the various ways readers and contributors can interact with Exchanges and its editorial team, along with acknowledging thanks to all the people who helped bring about this special issue