Exploring qualitative analytics for e-mentoring relationships building in an online social learning environment

The language of mentoring has become established within the workplace and has gained ground within education. As work based education moves online so we see an increased use of what is termed e-mentoring. In this paper we explore some of the challenges of forming and supporting mentoring relationships virtually, and we explore the solutions afforded by online social learning and Web 2.0. Based on a conceptualization of learning network theory derived from the literature and the qualitative learning analytics, we propose that an e-mentoring relationships is mediated by a connection with or through a person or learning objects. We provide an example to illustrate how this might work

Considering Teaching Excellence in Higher Education: 2007-2013: A Literature Review Since the CHERI Report 2007

No abstract available

Impact in networks and ecosystems: building case studies that make a difference

open accessThis toolkit aims to support the building up of case studies that show the impact of project activities aiming to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. The case studies respond to the challenge of understanding what kinds of interventions work in the Southern African region, where, and why. The toolkit has a specific focus on entrepreneurial ecosystems and proposes a method of mapping out the actors and their relationships over time. The aim is to understand the changes that take place in the ecosystems. These changes are seen to be indicators of impact as increased connectivity and activity in ecosystems are key enablers of innovation. Innovations usually happen together with matching social and institutional adjustments, facilitating the translation of inventions into new or improved products and services. Similarly, the processes supporting entrepreneurship are guided by policies implemented in the common framework provided by innovation systems. Overall, policies related to systems of innovation are by nature networking policies applied throughout the socioeconomic framework of society to pool scarce resources and make various sectors work in coordination with each other. Most participating SAIS countries already have some kinds of identifiable systems of innovation in place both on national and regional levels, but the lack of appropriate institutions, policies, financial instruments, human resources, and support systems, together with underdeveloped markets, create inefficiencies and gaps in systemic cooperation and collaboration. In other words, we do not always know what works and what does not. On another level, engaging users and intermediaries at the local level and driving the development of local innovation ecosystems within which local culture, especially in urban settings, has evident impact on how collaboration and competition is both seen and done. In this complex environment, organisations supporting entrepreneurship and innovation often find it difficult to create or apply relevant knowledge and appropriate networking tools, approaches, and methods needed to put their processes to work for broader developmental goals. To further enable these organisations’ work, it is necessary to understand what works and why in a given environment. Enhanced local and regional cooperation promoted by SAIS Innovation Fund projects can generate new data on this little-explored area in Southern Africa. Data-driven knowledge on entrepreneurship and innovation support best practices as well as effective and efficient management of entrepreneurial ecosystems can support replication and inform policymaking, leading thus to a wider impact than just that of the immediate reported projects and initiatives

Google Glass App for Displaying ASL Videos for Deaf Children – The Preliminary Race

Glass Vision 3D is a grant-funded project focused on the goal of developing and researching the feasibility & usability of a Google Glass app that will allow young Deaf children to look at an object in the classroom and see an augmented reality projection that displays an American Sign Language (ASL) related video. Session will show the system (Glass app) that was developed and summarize feedback gathered during focus-group testing of the prototype

Guide to using Evidence in Higher Education

This Guide to Using Evidence has been designed to, to support and encourage students and students’ association and union staff to actively engage with data and evidence. It offers an accessible introduction to a range of key ideas and concepts and a range of activities which allow readers to develop their own thinking and confidence in key areas. The ambition of its authors, QAA Scotland and the students who reviewed early drafts, is that students and students’ association and union staff will reach for this resource as they prepare for committees, devise new campaigns, deliver services, and do all of the other things they do to enhance students’ experiences and outcomes. Underpinning all of this is a belief that students themselves, the institutions they are working with, and the sector as a whole, are better served when students are, and are seen to be, agents in the ‘data landscape’, not just subjects of it. Engaging with this Guide will help students and students’ association and union staff to develop that sense of agency in themselves and foster it in others. This Guide is a product of a student-led project coordinated by QAA Scotland as part of the Evidence for Enhancement Theme (2017-20)

Google Glass App for Displaying ASL Videos for Deaf Children – The Preliminary Race

Glass Vision 3D is a grant-funded project focused on the goal of developing and researching the feasibility & usability of a Google Glass app that will allow young Deaf children to look at an object in the classroom and see an augmented reality projection that displays an American Sign Language (ASL) related video. Session will show the system (Glass app) that was developed and summarize feedback gathered during focus-group testing of the prototype

2017 Teaching and Learning Conference “Building an Academic community: engaging our students”

The 2017 Teaching and Learning Conference “Building an Academic community: engaging our students” at the University of Huddersfield brought together over 200 delegates from across the seven schools and services, to consider approaches that would support the development of an inclusive, high achieving academic community. The morning started with an overview of the University’s achievements and successes in Teaching and Learning since the 2016 conference “Bridging the Gaps: redefining excellence in Teaching and Learning”. The reflective summary noted the prestigious Gold Award in the recent Teaching Excellence Framework, our unbroken succession of National Teaching Fellowships, which spans ten years; the strong relationships between research and teaching and the University’s excellent employability record, which demonstrates the relevance of our teaching to industry, commerce, the public sector and the community. Colleagues, students and the wider network of partners and collaborators were thanked for their contribution, enthusiasm, and commitment to excellence and innovation in Learning and Teaching. The most recent acknowledgement from the sector in testimony to Huddersfield’s Excellence in Teaching and Learning (T&L) was received the week prior to the conference, when the University won the Higher Education Academy’s inaugural Global Teaching Excellence Award, beating 26 finalists from across the world

College Students with Disabilities Explain Challenges Encountered in Professional Preparation Programs

Throughout the United States, students with disabilities (SWD) are entering higher education in greater numbers than in the past; they also encounter barriers that negatively impact their college experience. This qualitative study explores the challenges of SWD at a public comprehensive college in the northeastern United States. Our research questions include the following: What are the internal and external challenges of college SWD in professional preparation programs? What might this mean for practice in higher education? In total, 541 participants completed an open-ended survey. Of this group, 45 participants disclosed having a disability, and 12 participated in follow-up interviews. Primary themes that emerged from this study include under- developed self-determination skills, lack of understanding (by SWD and faculty), the stigma associated with disabilities, and ineffective accommodations and support services. What follows is a review of relevant literature, discussion of findings, and presentation of implications for college SWD and professionals in higher education