Teaching and Assessing Soft Skills

[excerpt from article] It is our job as legal educators to put our law graduates in the best position to succeed as new lawyers.1 And to succeed, law graduates must possess certain qualities or character traits that will enable them to thrive within legal organizations.2 Despite many calls for reform in legal education to include more practice-related skills, including professionalism, many law professors teaching doctrinal courses are reluctant to incorporate teaching professional competencies and behaviors.3 They are unwilling to do so even though they have long decried students’ lack of professional skills.4 Professors complain that students show up late for classes and are unwilling to work hard. They criticize students for failing to persevere when faced with challenges or critiques, respond to professors’ emails, engage in teaching exercises, listen to their classmates, closely read assignments, or follow directions. Professors note that students’ attention spans are too short and they are addicted to their phones. It follows that the same student behaviors we see in the classroom transfer to practice. If these behaviors impair our students’ performance as attorneys, we should take steps to remedy the problem by teaching and assessing the qualities and character traits necessary to succeed throughout the law school curriculum, including in the first-year and other doctrinal classes

Learning and work: Efficacy of university internships for Syrian and Ugandan education students

Internships and related strategies within the diverse family of Work-Related learning pedagogies are widely credited for bridging the gap between the world of academia and world of work. Situated in a qualitative paradigm, this evidenced-based paper shows opportunities and challenges that define the efficacy dimensions of Syrian and Ugandan university internship models for students of Education

Learning and work: Efficacy of university internships for Syrian and Ugandan education students

Internships and related strategies within the diverse family of Work-Related learning pedagogies are widely credited for bridging the gap between the world of academia and world of work. Situated in a qualitative paradigm, this evidenced-based paper shows opportunities and challenges that define the efficacy dimensions of Syrian and Ugandan university internship models for students of Education

On-line assessment for e-learning: options and opportunities

The desire to produce educational multi-media packages of ever greater sophistication is such that other, more problematic, elements of e- or on- line learning receive less attention by academics and courseware developers alike. One such problematic area is that of assessment, which is surprising, as e-learning assessment procedures are more critical in defining the learning that takes place. However, because e-learning can create a much richer, more varied active learning experience than would normally occur via the passive didactic teaching mode currently utilised in most universities and centred on the use of the lecture, it also has the potential to provide new and innovative assessments modes and systems. The extent to which the potential of innovatory assessment is realised via e-learning depends on two factors. First, the level of computer component and interactivity utilised in elearning. Second, the attitude of academic staff towards their teaching role, and, more specifically, how they operate within an elearning environment. The speed of the development in online technologies and techniques is such that the information given here will not provide all the answers, it should, nevertheless, enable some of the correct questions to be pose

Implications of AI Chatbots in Education: Challenges and Solution

AI Chatbots are commonly used nowadays in different sectors such as real estate, marketing, healthcare, as well as education, in which both students and educators use these intelligent systems to gain personalized support and guidance to perform their tasks. Usage varies from solving assignments or setting the assignment questions, similarly, matters arising on whether these uses are acceptable, salutary, or ethical. In this research, a review of AI chatbots, and their ethical implications are presented, and a framework for better use of AI Chatbots in Educational Institutions is proposed in order to control the unethical use of it

Reflections of a novice sports science lecturer: perceptions of the challenges and sources of support

Original article can be found at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/johlsteA lecturer is typically required to perform the roles of administrator, teacher, personal tutor, researcher and consultant. This article aims to highlight the main perceived demands and challenges a novice sports science university lecturer is likely to face within each of these roles and possible ways to overcome these challenges. A number of sources of support are identified which can ensure a novice lecturer maintains the focus of their work during the early stages of their career and continues their professional development.Peer reviewe

Understanding Faculty Use of Learning Management Systems in U.S. Higher Education

The purpose of this dissertation is to understand why and how faculty use a learning management system (LMS) and what demographic factors and barriers influence faculty LMS use in U.S. higher education. Nearly 98.1% of higher education institutions in the United States have invested in at least one LMS to facilitate student learning and faculty teaching (LMS Data, 2023). However, there have been a limited number of studies exploring factors that influence U.S. faculty use of LMS. Faculty (n=191) across the United States responded to an online survey answering open-ended, and Likert-scale questions about LMS use, as well as questions about demographics. Fifteen participants were selected for in-depth follow-up interviews. The results show two consistent reasons why and how faculty use LMS: hosting course materials and communicating with students. Interestingly, facilitating learning activities was rarely mentioned. These results imply that LMSs are more commonly seen by faculty members as administrative and logistical tools than as instruments for facilitating student learning. Viewed through the lens of the PICRAT model, a recently developed technology integration model that not only focuses on the technology and the instructor but also includes student interaction with the technology, LMS utilization is mainly at the lower-left corner of the matrix, Passive-Replacement (PR). Faculty members should be encouraged to investigate and use LMS features beyond administrative responsibilities, allowing students to engage in interactive and collaborative learning experiences. The other major components of the dissertation looked at barriers that hindered and demographic factors that affected LMS integration. First-order barriers included lack of features in LMS, lack of time and navigation issues. Second-order barriers included comfort level with figuring out how to use an LMS, beliefs about how learning happens, and pedagogical beliefs. The impediments that have been found, particularly those that concern usability, feature limits, and faculty comfort, emphasize areas that could use improvement and support to increase faculty integration of LMS platforms and involvement. Lastly, while gender did not influence LMS utilization, age and experience were found to be factors affecting LMS use. The results highlight the need for extensive training and professional development support programs