Exploring the Interactions Between Writing Pedagogy and Technological Knowledge in Online Writing Consultation

Online writing consultation continues to advance from mere asynchronous email systems to more technologically rich synchronous venues. Technologies, such as chat rooms and video conferencing software, to even more immersive and interactive virtual environments, have created complex and rewarding spaces for writing consultations to take place. However, most professional conversation, training, and research for online writing consultation focuses on two aspects of online writing consultation—technological knowledge, often fixated on learning to use a technology to teach, and pedagogical knowledge, knowledge about writing and tutoring practices, which are often based in traditional face-to-face tutoring processes. This study looks at how writing tutors come to understand the interactions between pedagogy and technology by considering their talk both in reflection of their development as writing tutors in addition to their online consultation sessions. Following a small staff of 7 writing tutors from their training onto their tutoring session and in their reflection of their practices, this study utilized both multimodal discourse analysis and critical discourse analysis to learn more about how they shaped their practices when working online. By analyzing tutors’ ways of talking about their practices, how writing consultants come to recognize and understand their pedagogical approaches through the lens of a tutoring technology, and how they interact with and utilize a technology meaningfully based on their pedagogical methods, assists in developing more comprehensive training for online writing consultants

Flexible delivery: A model for analysis and implementation of flexible programme delivery

The approach to quality and standards in Scotland is enhancement-led and learner-centred. It was developed through a partnership of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Universities Scotland, the National Union of Students in Scotland (NUS Scotland) and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) Scotland. The Higher Education Academy has also joined that partnership. The Enhancement Themes are a key element of a five-part framework which has been designed to provide an integrated approach to quality assurance and enhancement, supporting learners and staff at all levels in enhancing higher education in Scotland drawing on developing, innovative practice within the UK and internationally. The five elements of the framework are: * a comprehensive programme of subject-level reviews undertaken by the higher education institutions themselves; guidance on internal reviews is published by SFC (www.sfc.ac.uk) * enhancement-led institutional review (ELIR) run by QAA Scotland (www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/ELIR) * improved forms of public information about quality; guidance on the information to be published by higher education institutions is provided by SFC (www.sfc.ac.uk) * a greater voice for students in institutional quality systems, supported by a national development service - student participation in quality scotland (sparqs) (www.sparqs.org.uk) * a national programme of Enhancement Themes aimed at developing and sharing good practice to enhance the student learning experience, which are facilitated by QAA Scotland (www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk). The topics for the Themes are identified through consultation with the sector and implemented by steering committees whose members are drawn from the sector and the student body. The steering committees have the task of developing a programme of development activities, which draw upon national and international good practice. Publications emerging from each Theme are intended to provide important reference points for higher education institutions in the ongoing strategic enhancement of their teaching and learning provision. Full details of each Theme, its steering committee, the range of research and development activities, and the outcomes are published on the Enhancement Themes website (www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk). To further support the implementation and embedding of a quality enhancement culture within the sector, including taking forward the outcomes of the various Enhancement Themes, a new overarching committee has been established, chaired by Professor Kenneth Miller (Vice-Principal, University of Strathclyde). It has the important dual role of supporting the overall approach of the enhancement themes, including the five-year rolling plan, and of supporting institutional enhancement strategies and management of quality. We very much hope that the new committee, working with the individual topic-based Themes' steering committees, will provide a powerful vehicle for the progression of the enhancement-led approach to quality and standards in Scottish higher education

Maximizing the Distance Education Learning Environment: Using Technology for Mind Expansion

Administrators may believe that distance education merely involves taking existing readings, exercises, handouts, and posting them to the Web. Such an approach, while cost-effective, is not effective. A new world of distance education also demands new thinking. How the process is designed, delivered, integrated, and supported are key components to a complete distance education system. The meaningful transition to a-education has just begun. To determine measures of effectiveness and efficiency requires innovations in social and political thought, even more than mere technology. The distance education process requires feedback from the professor, from the student, and from the wider community, especially businesses who hire the graduates. E-learning and higher education are reaching new heights and are changing the functions of the university. E-learning has changed the ground rules of everything including time, distance, and pedagogy. We now have new ways to reach and interact with students, present rich-content in courses, and deliver the technologies of the smart classroom to students wherever they are in the world

A good scare is worth more than good advice: Educational regulations in Italy and Turkey after CoVid-19

Interrupting educational services due to the CoVid-19 outbreak can have serious and long-term consequences. This paper addresses the comparisons of the Educational Regulations in Italy and Turkey after CoVid-19 on in-service teacher training. The purpose of this cross-cultural research is to examine the content and the quality of training that is provided to Turkish and Italian teachers in service. In this study, the document scanning method was used. In-service teacher training activities within the two education structures had been investigated through document scanning. In general, despite the differences in the general framework of teacher training in these two countries, they both pay more attention to teacher training right after the CoVid-19 outbreak. Based on the findings of the study, suggestions are made about in-service training activities in Turkey and Italy

Wiring the Writing Center

As computers have brought important developments to composition studies, writing centers have found themselves creating and improvising applications for their own work and often for the writing programs and institutions in which they live. Online tutorials, websites with an array of downloadable resources for students, scheduling and email possibilities--all of these are becoming common-place among writing centers across the country. However, in spite of impressive work by individual centers, exchange on these topics between and among writing centers has been sporadic. As more writing centers approach getting wired and others continue to upgrade, the need for communication and collaboration becomes ever more obvious, and so does the need to understand theoretical implications of choices made.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/usupress_pubs/1122/thumbnail.jp

Canonical explorations of 'Tel' environments for computer programming

This paper applies a novel technique of canonical gradient analysis, pioneered in ecological sciences, with the aim of exploring student performance and behaviours (such as communication and collaboration) while undertaking formative and summative tasks in technology enhanced learning (TEL) environments for computer programming. The research emphasis is, therefore, on revealing complex patterns, trends, tacit communications and technology interactions associated with a particular type of learning environment, rather than the testing of discrete hypotheses. The study is based on observations of first year programming modules in BSc Computing and closely related joint-honours with software engineering, web and game development courses. This research extends earlier work, and evaluates the suitability of canonical approaches for exploring complex dimensional gradients represented by multivariate and technology-enhanced learning environments. The advancements represented here are: (1) an extended context, beyond the use of the ‘Ceebot’ learning platform, to include learning-achievement following advanced instruction using an industrystandard integrated development environment, or IDE, for engineering software; and (2) longitudinal comparison of consistency of findings across cohort years. Direct findings (from analyses based on code tests, module assessment and questionnaire surveys) reveal overall engagement with and high acceptance of collaborative working and of the TEL environments used, but an inconsistent relationship between deeply learned programming skills and module performance. The paper also discusses research findings in the contexts of established and emerging teaching practices for computer programming, as well as government policies and commercial requirements for improved capacity in computer-science related industries

Experts on e-learning: insights gained from listening to the student voice!

The Student Experience of e-Learning Laboratory (SEEL) project at the University of Greenwich was designed to explore and then implement a number of approaches to investigate learners’ experiences of using technology to support their learning. In this paper members of the SEEL team present initial findings from a University-wide survey of nearly a 1000 students. A selection of 90 ‘cameos’, drawn from the survey data, offer further insights into personal perceptions of e-learning and illustrate the diversity of students experiences. The cameos provide a more coherent picture of individual student experience based on the totality of each person’s responses to the questionnaire. Finally, extracts from follow-up case studies, based on interviews with a small number of students, allow us to ‘hear’ the student voice more clearly. Issues arising from an analysis of the data include student preferences for communication and social networking tools, views on the ‘smartness’ of their tutors’ uses of technology and perceptions of the value of e-learning. A primary finding and the focus of this paper, is that students effectively arrive at their own individualised selection, configuration and use of technologies and software that meets their perceived needs. This ‘personalisation’ does not imply that such configurations are the most efficient, nor does it automatically suggest that effective learning is occurring. SEEL reminds us that learners are individuals, who approach learning both with and without technology in their own distinctive ways. Hearing, understanding and responding to the student voice is fundamental in maximising learning effectiveness. Institutions should consider actively developing the capacity of academic staff to advise students on the usefulness of particular online tools and resources in support of learning and consider the potential benefits of building on what students already use in their everyday lives. Given the widespread perception that students tend to be ‘digital natives’ and academic staff ‘digital immigrants’ (Prensky, 2001), this could represent a considerable cultural challenge

2010 A Digital Odyssey: Exploring Document Camera Technology and Computer Self-Efficacy in a Digital Era

Within the sphere of education, navigating throughout a digital world has become a matter of necessity for the developing professional, as with the advent of Document Camera Technology (DCT). This study explores the pedagogical implications of implementing DCT; to see if there is a relationship between teachers’ comfort with DCT and to the self-efficacy beliefs of teachers. The literature describes our educational system “at risk,” comprised of digital “natives” and “immigrants” each challenged by a culture of “disconnected” digital-kids (DOE, 1999; Prensky, 2001; Levin, 2002). Narrative inquiry thematically analyzes the experience of teachers on the cusp of Technology Integration (TI). Research results indicate positive experiential evidence of DCT integration irrespective of CSE. The battery of teacher experience discloses variance in DCT integration. The “singularity” of DCT integration and the mediation of big-screen-instructional practices were found shifting the paradigm for teacher pedagogy in a digital era (Prensky, 2001)