Developing Teamwork Skills in Undergraduate Science Students: The Academic Perspective and Practice

Learning to function as an effective team member is an important skill for science graduates. A science curriculum that supports the development of teamwork skills ensures graduates are equipped with workplace skills that are required in research and other professional careers. This study used a survey to investigate the academic perspective and practice of teaching teamwork within the undergraduate science curriculum in Australian universities. The findings suggest the majority of science academics are positive about the importance of developing teamwork skills in graduates. Fewer academics are confident that teamwork skills are being sufficiently developed through the curriculum. Respondents primarily assigned teamwork activities because it develops interpersonal skills, encourages peer sharing and mimics a real-world environment. Those respondents, who didn’t assign teamwork, thought it wasn’t suitable to the course, or believed the challenges associated with group dynamics outweighed the benefits of assigning teamwork activities. Current approaches for the development of teamwork skills are varied, with the majority of respondents favouring curriculum-integrated approaches. With a greater understanding of the academic perspective of teaching teamwork, those involved with leading curriculum change can better develop approaches to ensure these valuable skills are fostered in science graduates

Design model for integrating learning management systems and massive open online courses on a digital e-Learning platform: implications for Zimbabwean universities.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Available affordances for learning provide opportunities for advanced technology-enhanced teaching and learning. Digital learning environments can make relevant learning content available to students using existing infrastructure. This creates an environment which requires different learning management systems (LMS) to interact with, and exchange information. Increasing use of mobile devices, digital learning platforms, LMS, and massive open online courses (MOOCs), has necessitated integration design approaches. However, ignorance of resources offered and discouragement and frustrations arising from the economic situation in Zimbabwe regarding regulated access to electronic services make automation of teaching processes a great challenge. In this thesis, a design model for integrating LMS and MOOCs on a digital learning platform is proposed. From an e-learning point of view, the study contributes to the working of e-learning management systems through automation process of uploading content to LMS. From a computer science point of view, the study contributes to software engineering principles where it puts together three different platforms; LMS, MOOCs and digital learning platforms under one design. Methodologically, the study uses design science research (DSR) framework with software modelling language to address challenges in teaching and learning. This study describes how the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) and Task-Technology Fit (TTF) model can be used together with DSR in relation to design model evaluation. A software modeling language was used to create the logical designs, which were evaluated using experimental design approach. Software engineering experts and lecturers were invited to validate proposed logical designs. The key deliverables of the study include requirements specifications for the design model for integrated learning management systems, as well as the logical designs for the design model. The design model, as per requirements specification and the evaluation thereof, are based on TAM and TTF. The hybrid model proposed was further validated using structural equation modeling via the partial least squares and path modeling. In our views, the interventions of integration work would support decision making, which influences choices made by policy makers when taking decisions about higher education technological infrastructure