Low-stake Quizzes and Live Application Classes Increase Student Engagement with Online Pre-recorded Lectures: : Lessons from an Online Flipped Undergraduate Classroom during COVID-19

​When choosing to deliver a program or module online, whether to deliver synchronously or asynchronously is pertinent. While both approaches have intrinsic limitations, a common challenge is maintaining online student engagement. With increased post-pandemic implementation of online / blended delivery across higher education, means of increasing online student engagement must be prioritized, furthermore whether to rely solely on synchronous or asynchronous delivery for such courses must be addressed. In our study, we describe student feedback on how such engagement might be enhanced for online delivery. We outline the implementation of an online, flipped classroom for a 3rd year Pharmaceutical Biotechnology module (34 students) at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), during COVID-19. Classes consisted of 2 hours delivered asynchronously (via recorded lectures) and a 3rd hour for synchronous active learning over MS Teams. We found that engagement with online recorded lectures (number of video views/student each week) was positively correlated with increased performance in weekly low-stake assessments (10 x online MCQs, 1% of total grade) and final exam scores. Four students relayed their experiences at the end of the semester in an anonymous focus group and reported; 1. Asynchronous delivery enabled flexible learning and self-pacing, with ability to replay lectures a noted benefit. 2. Synchronous learning allowed class interaction, instructor feedback and knowledge application. 3. Combination of asynchronous and synchronous approaches was preferred over a single delivery mode. 4. Synchronous sessions and low-stake weekly assessments incentivized engagement with asynchronous class materials. While our findings are preliminary, due to the low number of students (4/34) that contributed to our focus group, our data does suggest that combining asynchronous and synchronous resources and low-stake assessments might enhance student engagement with online asynchronous resources. These findings have pedagogical implications for educators designing future modules or programmes for online delivery.​

Conceptualising Student Engagement as a Theoretical Framework for Innovative Higher Education Practices : A Literature Review

Funded by the Irish Government (2020-2025), Designing Futures (DF) is a flagship university programme which provides a range of campus-based initiatives with the aim of supporting students to design their own personalised learning journey, equipping them for both their future lives and careers.  It is being implemented and evaluated using an iterative process according to the principles of Educational Design Research (McKenney and Reeves, 2018) and Developmental Evaluation (Patton, 2011).  This paper reports on a systematic review undertaken to scope out relevant theoretical frameworks for the project, in particular those that promote student engagement for all and enhance their belonging on campus.  Informed by a realist approach, the research team worked from an initial set of 2031 articles and to a final set of 53 texts.   The review outcomes are described according to three research questions, the goodness of fit of “student engagement” as a theoretical framework in this context; practices that foster effective student engagement; and research methodologies commonly deployed to promote student engagement.  Finally, a working theoretical model for the Designing Futures project is proposed based on the literature reviewed.  This utility of this model will be tested and refined as data is collected over the life cycle of the project

Student and Facilitator Experiences of Transition to Online Enquiry/Problem Based Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Transition to Online E/PBL

Purpose: This paper explores the experience of students and facilitators of Enquiry/Problem-Based Learning (E/PBL) as it transitioned online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This two-phased mixed-methods sequential explanatory design study targeted academic staff and students engaged in online E/PBL during COVID-19 restrictions. The experience of enforced transition to online provision of E/PBL was examined in terms of the impact of digital tools on curriculum delivery and student perception of online E/PBL. In Phase 1, academic staff (n=21) and students (n= 67) responded to a survey that explored use of digital tools and experiences of online E/PBL. In Phase 2, academic staff (n=6) and students (n=2) participated in focus groups which were designed to elicit current and retrospective perspectives of the transition to online E/PBL.  Results: Findings revealed that a number of digital tools were beneficial in assisting the delivery of online E/PBL. However, challenges were experienced by both facilitators and students with respect to technological competence and variance in IT access. Student responses suggested that communication barriers, inherent to the online environment, impacted on interactivity, which resulted in more active input being required from facilitators to promote student engagement. Most respondents revealed that they became increasingly comfortable in the online environment despite initial reservations, and that some changes in practice can help overcome limitations of digital tools. Conclusion: Engaging in online E/PBL presented diverse views amongst both facilitators and students on how best to support transition to student-centred learning and teaching methodology online. Recommendations from this study highlight the need for digital and technological training to enhance facilitator competence and the importance of building rapport, structure activities, and promote social cohesion amongst learners.

Examining students’ preferences for academic writing support in a third level institute in Ireland.

Academic writing support has become an integral part of the learning process at third level. At Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands (TUS: Midlands), the Academic Writing Centre (AWC) offers individual and group support to all 5,000 learners attending the institute. Historically, all support was provided face-to-face, but due to Covid-19 it moved online in March 2020 and since then the service has been available through a combination of remote and face-to-face delivery. Learners attending the AWC during three academic years were asked to outline their preferences on the provision of support: face-to-face, online or a combination of both. The findings highlight that in the 2019 – 2020 academic year the majority of students expressed a preference for face-to-face contact with writing tutors, while in the 2020 –2021 academic year there was increased preference for working remotely or a combination of face-to-face and remote delivery. Then, in the 2021 – 2022 academic year, there was a shift back to a preference for face-to-face delivery. Learners were also asked to identify specific areas where they needed academic writing support. The results show that in each academic year the area where students required most support was writing structure. Grammar and punctuation, referencing and paraphrasing, language and writing literature reviews were also among the main areas where academic writing support was requested by learners

Micro-learning, Digital Badges and Micro-credentials: Definitions, Affordances and Design Considerations for application in Higher Education Institutions.

While Higher Education Institutes have traditionally viewed awards as a result of ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credit accumulation, in recent years the recognition of smaller parcels of learning has become popular. Micro-credentials and digital badges are a relatively new concept and lend themselves to a wide variety of educational knowledge, skills and competence achievement, furthermore, they could help certify the outcomes of small, tailored learning experiences. While they are usually regarded as distinct from ECTS credits, some universities have also formalized a connection between the two. They can be used in a variety of settings and offer a flexible and reliable means of capturing continuous professional development. This article considers the development of micro-credentials examining their potential and scope while proposing a distinction between the former and digital badges. The article presents several design models for micro-credentials and digital badges including examples of use in practice toward measurable and achievable learning outcomes. Examining the scope and path to realizing micro-credentials, taking into consideration the European Commission’s recommendations on micro-credentials, this article aims to inform best practice for micro-credential design and digital badge design

A Critical Approach to Overcoming Resistance to Academic Writing and Building Confidence in Third Level Students

Abstract. This paper proposes an integrative writing strategy for incoming students in higher education and will take a tripartite approach encompassing the key aspects of resistance, confidence, and critical consciousness in higher education. Writing is central to the development and use of critical thinking in higher education, the challenge for us as educators is to overcome resistance from students to academic writing and build student confidence in their ability to engage in writing as a vehicle for reflection and interpretation. This can lead students to perceive a need for change in their world, their relationship, and attitudes, and to seek to change the attitudes of others, thus fostering the critical consciousness central to the pathway for progression from inequity to democracy in the classroom.

How Do Doctoral Students Experience Writing and Thesis production? : Qualitative Analysis of the Irish National Survey of Postgraduate Students.

Higher education (HE) policy emphasises the importance of high-quality doctoral education that prepares graduates for the knowledge economy. To support this, HE policy fora and higher education institutions (HEIs) have focused on institutional training programmes for doctoral supervisors. Writing and thesis production are central to the experience and success of doctoral students yet, in an Irish context, this topic has received little research attention. We applied the research question ‘how do doctoral students in Irish HEIs experience writing and thesis production’ to the free-text responses in the 2019 PGR StudentSurvey.ie dataset. Qualitative thematic analysis identified three main themes in doctoral students’ comments: a zone of uncertainty, writing and the role of the supervisor and institutional responsibilities. The paper highlights that doctoral students have unmet writing support needs. It also identifies the importance of institutional supports, such as physical writing space, and calls for a reimagination of current doctoral supervision and academic writing practice to enable discursive spaces of collaboration for students, their supervisors and discipline specific writing specialists