Collecting and using student feedback Date: A guide to good practice

The purpose of this Guide is to help higher education institutions make the best use of their student feedback. This guide is based on a HEFCE funded project undertaken by the Centre for Higher Education Research and Information (CHERI). The purpose of this Guide is to help higher education institutions make the best use of their student feedback. All institutions collect feedback from their students and in many different forms. They use it to improve the quality of the education they provide. In recent years, there has been a shift in the balance between informal and formal types of student feedback with a greater emphasis on the latter. Now, new devolved forms of national quality assurance promise to give an important role to students and there is also an expectation that information from student feedback will be used to inform the choices of students when applying to higher education. Thus, as the importance attached to student feedback increases, ensuring that feedback is collected effectively and used wisely becomes an increasing priority for higher education institutions. This Guide draws on the experiences of the sector to highlight some of the good practices that exist as well as some of the problems that institutions are experiencing in using student feedback. Its focus is upon the use of student feedback for the purpose of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. Other purposes are acknowledged but are not the main emphasis of this publication

A reflective view of pedagogical teaching framework focused on experiential learning:achieving university teaching and learning enhancement strategy and graduate attributes

Within teacher education reflection has been shown to be of beneficial use for improving practice across all stages of education. This article is reflective of individual teaching practice within Higher Education at Abertay University, specifically to the field of Sport and Exercise Science. Efforts to reflect on current practice in comparison to experiential learning are made. These are then compared to the ‘Abertay Attributes’ in order to determine the validity of including experiential learning within this field at the University. There are also comparisons made between classes where experiential learning is encouraged and the ‘traditional’ academic style of delivery, the lecture. It is strongly suggested that experiential learning enhances the learning experience of the student. There are also direct links with the aims of the teaching and learning enhancement strategy as well as the ‘Abertay Attributes’, most significantly the ‘Intellectual’, ‘Professional’ and ‘Active Citizen’ attributes.Keywords: Experiential Learning, Teaching, University, Sport, Reflection. <br/

University of applied sciences students’ perceptions on engagement and spoken interaction in blended learning language studies

The aim of this doctoral dissertation is to gain a deeper understanding on the aspects that contribute to higher education students’ social and academic engagement when language studies are implemented with the blended learning approach. Another aim is to discover the elements to enhance spoken interaction in the foreign language in blended learning language courses. Based on the results of sub-studies I-III, I argue that students’ academic and social engagement are intertwined, alternating, and nurturing one another during the learning process. Similarly, teacher engagement and student engagement are reciprocal phenomena nourishing one another and depending on each other. In addition, I argue that university of applied sciences students’ foreign language spoken interaction can be activated and enhanced in blended learning courses given the learning material, learning activities and digital tools are meaningful, relevant, timely and aligned with the learning objectives. This dissertation comprises three original studies; they focus on one language course each in the context of universities of applied sciences. Each sub-study experiments various opportunities that digital technology provides for language learning: social networking sites, gamification, telecollaboration and multimodality. Regardless of the course design all courses are based on the ecological language learning approach and the notion of engagement. In addition, authentic learning and students’ collaboration are in the focus; the target is that the students are producers rather than consumers of digital media and they act as active learners within authentic learning activities. All three courses were implemented with the blended learning approach. Sub-study I investigated first-year health care students’ (n=23) perspectives on a gamified professional English course regarding particularly engagement, enjoyability and language learning. The course was a three-credit, field-specific English course which duration was 10 weeks, including five face-to-face sessions. The course aimed to prepare students for communicating in multi-professional and intercultural situations within the health care sector. The course implementation was based on gamification with a background storyline. The students' reflective learning diaries and a post-course questionnaire formed the data which were analysed via content analysis method. The results indicate that gamification and appropriate digital applications augmented student engagement, enhanced language learning, and provided enjoyable learning experiences for the students. Further, students’ collaboration and a tolerant stress-free course atmosphere had a positive impact on learning and engagement according to the students’ self-reflections. Sub-study II explored the opportunities a telecollaboration project provided for online collaboration, language learning and student engagement. The participants were 26 higher education German language students, 12 in Finland and 14 in New Zealand. The students used a closed Facebook group for posting on given topics. The required five posts combined videos, photos, audio, and text. The duration of the project was six weeks, and it formed a part of the German course in both countries. The course design was informed by social networking sites in language learning and telecollaboration. A mixed method approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The qualitative data were analysed by content analysis method, and they included pre- and post-project questionnaires, interviews, and Facebook-logs. The results suggest that the students regarded Facebook as an appropriate tool for community building. In addition, collaboration, the use of communication tools, authenticity, enjoyment, and teachers’ support fostered student engagement and had a positive impact on students’ language learning and intercultural competence. Sub-study III discovered the impact multimodality and regular in-pairs conducted video calls had to spoken interaction in the target language and to student engagement. The research was conducted, and the data were collected in a 5-credit Business English course for 1st-year business administration students (n= 22) in a university of applied sciences. The course was divided into 16 weeks and 8 topics; during the course there were 5 face-to-face sessions. The students deployed various digital tools and particular attention was given to spoken interaction; hence the students were instructed to complete spoken discussions using an online video call system once a week according to the week’s topic using English in authentic, business-related situations. The data included students’ learning diaries and a post-course online questionnaire mapping students' perception. The data were analysed according to the content analysis method. The findings indicate that students’ academic and social engagement were fostered by course design with authentic assignments and study material as well as students’ activity and collaboration with peers. Further, collaboration, students’ own activities and digital technology contributed the most to spoken interaction. To conclude, the three sub-studies reflect universities of applied sciences students’ perception on the aspects that enhance engagement in digital learning environments and the methods to activate their spoken interaction in the foreign language. On the bases of the sub-studies, it became apparent that teacher role is paramount prior, during and after the course. Besides timely knowledge on digital tools, teachers need to master the traditional teacher competences such as subject content, pedagogy, guidance, facilitating and interaction. In addition, students’ own activities contribute immensely on their engagement and learning. Regarding spoken interaction, the data indicate that with relevant peer and teacher support and regular interaction students’ self-compassion and error-tolerance in terms of their own competences grow which leads to enjoying the regular spoken activities in the target language, and finally contributes positively to spoken interaction. Similarly, students’ self-reflection ability increases which enables targeted rehearsal of the language skill which in turn activates and enhances spoken interaction. Digitalisation offers myriad opportunities for individual and flexible learning paths regardless of time and place but does not decrease students’ nor teachers’ role. On contrary, students need to be active learners and teachers need wider range of competences in creating optimal learning experiences for their students. ________________________________________ Keywords: student engagement, blended learning, multimodality, social networking sites in learning, telecollaboration, spoken interaction, English for specific purposes, German as a foreign language, higher educationVäitöstutkimukseni tavoitteena oli selvittää, mitkä seikat ammattikorkeakouluopiskelijoiden mielestä tehostavat heidän akateemista ja sosiaalista kiinnittymistään kieliopintoihin, sekä edistävät suullisen vuorovaikutuksen harjoittelemista monimuoto-opinnoissa. Väitöskirjani osatutkimusten tuloksiin perustuen väitän, että akateeminen ja sosiaalinen kiinnittyminen kietoutuvat toisiinsa, vuorottelevat ja kasvattavat toisiaan oppimisprosessin aikana. Samoin opettajien ja oppilaiden kiinnittyminen on vastavuoroista, jolloin ne ovat riippuvaisia toisistaan ja ruokkivat molemminpuolisesti toisiaan. Lisäksi väitän, että ammattikorkeakouluopiskelijoiden vieraan kielen suullinen vuorovaikutus aktivoituu ja vahvistuu monimuoto-opinnoissa edellyttäen, että oppimisaktiviteetit ja –materiaalit ovat kiinnostavia, alakohtaisia ja linjassa oppimistavoitteiden kanssa. Lisäksi digitaalisten sovellusten täytyy olla relevantteja, ajanmukaisia ja sopivia kyseisiin tehtäviin. Tämä väitöstutkimus koostuu kolmesta osatutkimuksesta; jokainen niistä kohdistuu yhteen kieli- ja viestintäopintojaksoon ammattikorkeakoulussa. Osatutkimukset tutkivat digitaalisen teknologian tarjoamia mahdollisuuksia kieltenopetukselle kuten pelillistäminen, sosiaalinen media opetuksessa, etäyhteistyö ja monikanavaisuus. Tutkimuksen teoreettisena viitekehyksenä on ekologinen kieltenoppiminen ja opiskelijoiden kiinnittyminen. Opintojaksojen suunnittelussa kiinnitettiin erityistä huomiota opiskelijoiden yhteisölliseen ja autenttiseen oppimiseen. Tavoitteena oli, että opiskelijat eivät pelkästään ole digitaalisten välineiden käyttäjiä, vaan pikemminkin he itse tuottavat materiaalia toimien aktiivisina oppijoina. Kyseessä olevat opintojaksot toteutettiin monimuoto-opintoina. Osatutkimuksessa I tutkittiin ensimmäisen vuoden terveysalan opiskelijoiden (n=23) kokemuksia pelillistetystä ammatillisen englannin opintojaksosta etenkin kiinnittymisen, viihdyttävyyden ja kielenoppimisen kannalta. Kyseessä oli kolmen opintopisteen alakohtainen ammatillinen englannin opintojakso, jonka kokonaiskesto oli kymmenen viikkoa sisältäen viisi lähiopetusjaksoa. Osaamistavoitteena oli terveysalan viestintäosaaminen moniammatillisissa ja monikulttuurisissa tilanteissa. Opintojakson toteutus perustui pelillistämiseen ja kehyskertomukseen, jossa suomalainen vaihto-opiskeija toteuttaa opintoihin kuuluvan työssäoppimisjakson Espanjassa. Tutkimusaineisto koostui opiskelijoiden oppimispäiväkirjoista ja opintojakson jälkeen täytetystä kyselystä. Laadullinen aineisto analysoitiin sisällönanalyysin avulla. Tulokset osittavat, että pellistäminen ja sopivat digitaaliset sovellukset tehostivat opiskelijoiden sitoutumista ja kielenoppimista sekä tarjosivat miellyttäviä oppimiskokemuksia. Yhteisöllinen oppiminen sekä opiskelijoita arvostava ja rento oppimisilmapiiri vaikuttivat positiivisesti oppimiseen ja opiskelijoiden kiinnittymiseen. Osatutkimuksessa II tarkasteltiin, miten etäyhteistyöprojekti (telecollaboration project) vahvisti opiskelijoiden yhteisöllistä kielenoppimista ja kiinnittymistä opintoihin. Tutkimuksen osallistujat olivat korkeakouluopiskelijoita Uudessa Seelannissa (n=14) ja Suomessa (n=12) ja he opiskelivat saksaa vapaasti valittavina kieliopintona. Opiskelijoille luotiin suljettu Facebook-ryhmä, jonne he lähettivät viestejä annetuista viidestä aiheesta monikanavaisesti käyttäen valokuvia, videoita, äänitteitä ja kirjoitettua tekstiä. Projektin kesto oli kuusi viikkoa ja se muodosti osan opiskelijoiden saksan opintojaksosta kummassakin maassa. Opintojakson suunnitelma perustui sosiaalisen median käyttöön kieltenopetuksessa ja etäyhteistyön viitekehykseen. Monimenetelmäinen aineisto koostui kyselylomakkeiden vastauksista, Facebook-käyttölogista sekä opiskelijahaastatteluista. Tulokset osoittavat, että opiskelijoiden mielestä Facebook soveltuu hyvin oppimisyhteisönrakentamiseen. Lisäksi yhteistyö, autenttinen oppiminen, opintojen viihdyttävyys sekä opettajien tuki vahvistivat opiskelijoiden sitoutumista ja ne vaikuttivat positiivisesti kielenoppimiseen ja kansainvälisyystaitojen kehittymiseen. Osatutkimuksessa III selvitettiin monikanavaisuuden ja säännöllisten parin kanssa tehtyjen videopuheluiden vaikutusta vieraan kielen suulliseen vuorovaikutukseen ja opiskelijoiden kiinnittymiseen. Tutkimus toteutettiin ja aineisto kerättiin ensimmäisen vuoden liiketalouden opiskelijoiden (n=22) ammatillisen englannin opintojaksolla. Opintojakson pituus oli 16 viikkoa, ja siinä oli viisi kasvokkain tapahtuvaa opetuskertaa; opintojakso oli jaettu kahdeksaan teemaan. Opiskelijat käyttivät erilaisia digitaalisia sovelluksia ja erityistä huomiota kiinnitettiin suullisen vuorovaikutuksen aktivoimiseen. Koko opintojakson ajan opiskelijat keskustelivat parin kanssa kerran viikossa videopuhelun välityksellä liiketalouteen ja työelämään liittyvistä autenttisista aiheista ja tehtävistä. Tutkimusaineisto koostui opiskelijoiden oppimispäiväkirjoista sekä opintojakson jälkeen kerätystä kyselylomakevastauksista. Laadullinen aineisto analysoitiin sisällönanalyysin keinoin. Opiskelijat kokivat, että autenttiset tehtävät ja opintomateriaali, opiskelijoiden oma aktiivisuus ja yhteistyö vertaisten kanssa sekä opettajan panostus paransivat akateemista ja sosiaalista kiinnittymistä. Samoin opiskelijoiden välinen yhteistyö, digitaalinen teknologia sekä opiskelijoiden oma panostus edistivät suullisen vuorovaikutuksen harjoittelemista. Yhteenvetona voin todeta, että osatutkimuksien tulokset kuvaavat seikkoja, jotka ammattikorkeakouluopiskelijat kokivat vahvistavan heidän kiinnittymistään kieliopintoihin monimuoto-opinnoissa, sekä metodeja, jotka opiskelijat kokivat edistävän vieraan kielen suullisen vuorovaikutuksen harjoittamista. Osatutkimukset osoittivat, että opettajan rooli on tärkeä niin ennen ja jälkeen kuin opintojakson aikanakin. Sen lisäksi, että opettajalla on hallussaan traditionaaliset opettajan taidot, kuten aineenhallinta, pedagogia, ohjaaminen, fasilitointi ja vuorovaikutustaidot, hänellä täytyy olla kattava osaaminen digitaalisuuden oikeanlaisesta pedagogisesta käytöstä, sekä ajankohtainen tieto digitaalisista sovelluksista. Lisäksi opiskelijan oma rooli on merkittävä kiinnittymisen kannalta. Suullisen vuorovaikutuksen osalta tulokset osoittavat, että säännöllisellä vertaistuella ja vuorovaikutuksella opiskelijoiden itsemyötätunto ja virheidensietokyky kasvaa, mikä puolestaan lisää innokkuutta tehdä suullisia harjoituksia vieraalla kielellä. Lisääntynyt kielen käyttö puolestaan luo varmuutta suulliseen vuorovaikutukseen. Samoin opiskelijoiden itsereflektiotaito kasvaa, minkä perusteella opiskelijat osaavat harjoitella tiettyä suullisen kielitaidon osa-aluetta, esimerkiksi ääntämistä. Digitalisaatio tarjoaa runsaasti mahdollisuuksia yksilöllisille ja joustaville, ajasta ja paikasta riippumattomille oppimispoluille. Kuitenkaan digitaalisuuden valjastaminen opetuskäyttöön ei vähennä opettajan ja opiskelijan roolia – pikemminkin päinvastoin. On tärkeää tukea opiskelijoiden aktiivisen oppijan roolin rakentumista ja vastuun ottamista omasta oppimisprosessista. Opettajien pedagogiseen osaamiseen sisältyy useita osa-alueita, joita he tarvitsevat luodessaan opiskelijoilleen optimaalisia oppimiskokemuksia. ________________________________________ Asiasanat: opiskelijoiden kiinnittyminen, monimuoto-opetus, monikanavaisuus, sosiaalinen media opetuksessa, etäyhteistyö, suullinen vuorovaikutus, erikoisalojen englannin opetus, saksa vieraana kielenä, ammattikorkeakouluopetu

Improving STEM Undergraduate Education with Efficient Learning Design

The project investigates the potential of Learning Design for efficiently improving STEM undergraduate education with technology. In order to investigate this potential, the project consists of two main studies at Aarhus University: a study of the perspectives of the main stakeholders on Learning Design based on mixed methods, and a study of how to deliver Learning Design efficiently in four undergraduate STEM modules based on an action research methodology. The project revealed that all stakeholders at AU had a direct interest in the business, teaching, and/or learning affordances potentially provided by technology-enhanced learning based on Learning Design, and in particular students’ learning was of a high common interest. However, only the educators were directly interested in Learning Design and its support for design, reuse in their practice and to inform pedagogy. A holistic concept of Efficient Learning Design and its related assessment methodology is proposed in which efficiency is expressed as a vector sum of the weighted ratios of effort for and impact on the three main stakeholders: the institution, the educators, and the students, and assessed according to their stakes by means of four outcome scenarios: outperforming, underperforming, progressive, and regressive. The assessment of the four modules identified both outperforming and progressive interventions, a series of direct and indirect factors for Efficient Learning Design as well as an important temporal aspect of Learning Design uptake. The project concludes that it is possible to improve STEM undergraduate education with Learning Design for technology-enhanced learning efficiently and that Efficient Learning Design provides a useful concept for qualifying educational decisions

The Transition To Blended Learning: Students’ Perceptions Of Online Interaction

This thesis investigates the problem of low student interest and interaction in online synchronous and asynchronous activity during a transitional phase to blended learning. The key research question investigated how students’ experience of blended learning might inform practice, in order to improve students’ participation in online interaction. The participants were a self-selected sample of 581 students aged 19 to 73 years and predominately woman students. This sample was obtained from 13 regions of The Open University across the UK from students who had studied two undergraduate psychology modules at The Open University during the transition in 2012 to a blended learning tuition strategy. A mixed-methods case study design was employed, composed of an adapted version the Course Experience Questionnaire originally designed by Ramsden (1991). This instrument consisted of 37 questions exploring students’ perceptions of the introduction of blended learning into their respective modules, further modified with the addition of a ‘tick-box’ media survey and an expandable window for students to offer open comments on their experience. Factor analysis was applied to the two sets of quantitative data and thematic analysis to the qualitative data set, employing a convergent design. The findings from the three data sets complemented each other to represent the students’ perspectives on blended learning which served to reveal areas of students’ learning and interaction that did not comfortably align with theoretical ideas and expectations regarding blended learning provision, suggesting a social constructivist theoretical explanation to account for this disjuncture. The findings draw attention to the pedagogy and design of blended learning that remain relevant in practice today. Enhancing the performance of curriculum design and delivery is suggested in order to further develop the blended learning experience of students. It is recommended that some reconceptualisation of the tutors’ role should be considered. Further qualitative research to coalesce feedback from module designers, tutors and students on blended learning modules is also recommended

Virtual Reality Training Application for the Condition-Based Maintenance of Induction Motors

The incorporation of new technologies as training methods, such as virtual reality (VR), facilitates instruction when compared to traditional approaches, which have shown strong limitations in their ability to engage young students who have grown up in the smartphone culture of continuous entertainment. Moreover, not all educational centers or organizations are able to incorporate specialized labs or equipment for training and instruction. Using VR applications, it is possible to reproduce training programs with a high rate of similarity to real programs, filling the gap in traditional training. In addition, it reduces unnecessary investment and prevents economic losses, avoiding unnecessary damage to laboratory equipment. The contribution of this work focuses on the development of a VR-based teaching and training application for the condition-based maintenance of induction motors. The novelty of this research relies mainly on the use of natural interactions with the VR environment and the design’s optimization of the VR application in terms of the proposed teaching topics. The application is comprised of two training modules. The first module is focused on the main components of induction motors, the assembly of workbenches and familiarization with induction motor components. The second module employs motor current signature analysis (MCSA) to detect induction motor failures, such as broken rotor bars, misalignments, unbalances, and gradual wear on gear case teeth. Finally, the usability of this VR tool has been validated with both graduate and undergraduate students, assuring the suitability of this tool for: (1) learning basic knowledge and (2) training in practical skills related to the condition-based maintenance of induction motors.This research has been partially supported by Banco Santander under the scholarship program Santander Iberoamérica Research 2019/20. This investigation was partially supported by the ACIS project (Reference Number INVESTUN/21/BU/0002) of the Consejeria de Empleo of the Junta de Castilla y León (Spain)

Government to citizens E-Service Co-Design

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University Londone-Government services are typically developed by internal service providers, often neglecting the service end user. Subsequent delivery of services can be jeopardised without due consideration of the service user, lacking in consideration of their needs and expectations in the design process. However, the service provider when designing e-services for varied users, find it is hard to meet the prospective users’ expectations and needs and involve them in an iterative design processes. To address this issue; a Co-design approach has been applied and focuses on Jordanian Government to Citizens (G2C) e-services. Co-design tools/methods maximize opportunities and provide new possibilities for communicating and collaborating with varied and diverse users. The main aim of this research is to improve the quality and efficiency of G2C e-services by adopting the Co-design approach including its tools/methods to support user participation throughout design process, and how these tools/methods pretend the features of user participation. A novel G2C e-Service Co-Design Framework (G2C-SCOF) is constructed with mechanisms for understanding the stakeholders’ requirements, and granting them an active role throughout design process of G2C e-service design. A wiki-based Co-design prototype (WCP) is developed and introduced as a response to and evaluation of the developed G2C-SCOF. This research also presents results from the case study in Jordan and used to evaluate WCP effectiveness regarding users’ participation role(s) throughout the Co-design process based on standard service design phases. Interestingly, involvement throughout design process as such can be an enriching experience for the users. Offering a channel to uncover their own creativity and provide enjoyment for them as they see their contributions evolve into a viable service. A robust method for uncovering domain concepts is derived that bridges the requirements’ gap between service provider and service user within a G2C e-service design context. A first iteration evaluates the adoption and acceptance of Jordan Government Portal (JGP) based on a model titled Methodology for e-Government Service Adoption and Acceptance Measurement (MEGA-M). MEGA-M is then used to design a survey and subsequently investigate how citizens perceive the quality of the JGP. RepGrid methodology with semi-structured interviews are deployed in the second iteration – with 24 participants from diverse backgrounds contributing to a synthesised cognitive model titled Stakeholder’s requirements map for G2C Service Design’ (SRM-G2C). Finally, a prototype WCP is developed as the third iteration for evaluation purposes. WCP is a platform for facilitating the sharing and expression of ideas and/or assumptions used to improve the effectiveness of G2C e-service design. The conclusions and contributions drawn from this research are expected to benefit researchers, providing insights for future research in the field of e-Government service design, and practitioners, providing a systematic framework for supporting the collaboration among stakeholders in designing G2C e-services