The use of a wiki to facilitate collaborative learning in a South African physiotherapy department

The dominant form of teaching in higher education remains the lecture, even though evidence suggests that it alone is inadequate to facilitate the development of the higher order thinking skills required in clinical practice. The use of wikis may have a role to play in facilitating collaborative learning practices that are important for professional development. This descriptive survey evaluated the use of a wiki for a collaborative learning activity within small groups of undergraduate physiotherapy students in a South African university. Students participated in a wiki-based assignment and were then surveyed using open- and closed-ended questions to determine their perceptions and experiences of the process. The results indicate that although a wiki can be used to develop relevant content, there were significant challenges in its implementation. These included a poor understanding by students of how to work effectively in groups, a lack of physical and epistemological access to the internet, and the need for adequate preparation and support. Some features of the wiki were found to have an impact on the quality of the work produced, including the use of Discussion pages, peer review, and the public nature of the wiki. The conclusion is that wikis may have a role to play in collaborative groupwork, but that that students need to be adequately prepared and supported throughout the process.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Scaffolding in the development of learning and innovative skills (4Cs): An action research study in a Chilean teacher education program

Situated in an action research study, this investigation describes the impact of scaffolding on the perceptions of preservice teachers of English. An action plan was developed for this group of preservice teachers as they showed concern for some of their communication, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration skills known as learning and innovative skills or 4Cs. The action plan comprised the use of scaffolding as the main means of instruction, which was executed by the design of various evidenced-based scaffolds including group discussions, note-taking, summarizing, comparing, hypothesizing and problem-solving. The group of preservice teachers included 11 students, 4 male and 7 female, aged 20 and 38 of an English education program in a private university in Ñuble, Chile. Data was collected in three main stages using an open-ended questionnaire before, during and after the implementation of the action plan. Findings showed that the use of scaffolding increased participants’ perceptions of their overall 4Cs skills, being critical thinking the most salient area of change. It is hoped that English teacher education programs can incorporate scaffolding as a potential instructional method in the development of academic and crucial skills for future teacher generations

Online scaffolding in a fully online educational leadership course

Online scaffolding encompasses a range of effective teaching strategies that help students to achieve their learning goals while at the same time exercising their autonomy. Although online scaffolding is crucial for student learning, not much is known about scaffolding in an online post-graduate course. In order to address this research gap, this study explored the intricacies of online scaffolding in a fully online educational leadership course. Through a mixed-method research design, a case study was developed weaving the perspectives and actions of lecturers and students in a fully online post-graduate educational leadership course. Two interviews with lecturers, two student online surveys and two online forum discussion logs, each one from the start and the end of the course, were analysed using content and statistical analyses. The theory of transactional distance provided a theoretical framework and the literature on scaffolding in distance education guided the analysis process. A third online space, the Question & Answer section, was archived and analysed in order to enrich insights that were emerging from the other data sources. Research outcomes revealed that lecturers’ understanding of online scaffolding focused on the design and use of resources, modelling, and the use of questioning in forum discussions in order to facilitate learner engagement with content. At the beginning of the course, lecturers provided a high level of procedural and social scaffolding followed by an on-going learner support (strategic scaffolding), which peaked before assignment deadlines. Students thought of online scaffolding as a coaching process in which lecturers monitor learners’ online engagement to provide encouragement, identify misconceptions, and provide direction and feedback when necessary. Furthermore, procedural and strategic scaffolding were reported by students as essential forms of learner support. In particular, students felt that formative and timely feedback was paramount to their online scaffolding and expected lecturers to offer procedural, social, and strategic scaffolding. Sharing of professional experiences and visual resources, a more informal tone of communication, and the use of students’ and lecturers’ names in online postings were evident throughout the course. In addition, peer scaffolding in online discussions was encouraged by the lecturer and practised by students through a range of strategies, including agreement with others’ ideas, acknowledgment of peers’ postings, and answering questions raised by peers. Some suggestions for enhancing online scaffolding in this course, and online teaching in general, include creating a course road map, describing the pace of the course, creating online participation and peer facilitation guidelines, and others

Blended learning in physiotherapy education: designing and evaluating a technology-integrated approach

Philosophiae Doctor - PhDBackground: Practice knowledge exists as a complex relationship between questions and answers in a context of meaning that is often intuitive and hidden from the novice practitioner. Physiotherapy education, which aims to develop patterns of thinking, reflection and reasoning as part of practice knowledge, is often based on didactic teaching methods that emphasise the learning of facts without highlighting the relationships between them. In order to improve health outcomes for patients, clinical educators must consider redesigning the curriculum to take into account the changing and complex nature of physiotherapy education. There is some evidence that a blended approach to teaching and learning may facilitate the development of graduates who are more capable of reflection, reasoning and critical thinking, and who can adapt and respond to the complex clinical environment. The purpose of this study was to develop principles that could be used to guide the design of blended learning environments that aim to develop capability in undergraduate physiotherapy students. Method: The study took place in a university physiotherapy department in the Western Cape in South Africa, among undergraduate students. Design research was used as a framework to guide the study, and included a range of research methods as part of that process. The problem was identified using a systematic review of the literature and a survey of students. The design of the blended intervention that aimed to address the problem was informed by a narrative review of theoretical frameworks, two pilot studies that evaluated different aspects of blended learning, and a Delphi study. This process led to the development of a set of design principles which were used to inform the blended intervention, which was implemented and evaluated during 2012. Results: The final results showed that students had undergone a transformation in how they thought about the process and practice of learning as part of physiotherapy education, demonstrating critical approaches towards knowledge, the profession and authority. These changes were brought about by changing teaching and learning practices that were informed by the design principles in the preliminary phases of the project. These principles emphasised the use of technology to interact, articulate understanding, build relationships, embrace complexity, encourage creativity, stimulate reflection, acknowledge emotion, enhance flexibility and immerse students in the learning space. Discussion: While clinical education is a complex undertaking with many challenges, evidence presented in this study demonstrates that the development of clinical reasoning, critical thinking and reflection can be enhanced through the intentional use of technology as part of a blended approach to teaching and learning. The design principles offer clinical educators a framework upon which to construct learning environments where the affordances of technology can be mapped to the principles, which are based on a sound pedagogical foundation. In this way, the use of technology in the learning environment is constructed around principles that are informed by theory. However, clinical educators who are considering the integration of innovative strategies in the curriculum should be aware that students may initially be reluctant to engage in self-directed learning activities, and that resistance from colleagues may obstruct the process. Conclusion: The development of clinical reasoning, critical thinking and reflection in undergraduate physiotherapy students may be enhanced through the intentional use of appropriate technology that aims to fundamentally change teaching and learning practices. Design research offers a practical approach to conducting research in clinical education, leading to the development of principles of learning that are based on theory.South Afric

Something to talk about:Content and Language Integrated Learning in Modern Languages in British Higher Education. A case study of German at Aston University

This thesis investigates Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in German undergraduate programmes in the UK. At its core is a study of how one German department integrates the teaching of language and content in its undergraduate programmes and how instructors and students experience this approach. This micro-context is embedded in the wider macro-context of UK Higher Education and subject to outside forces - be they political, economic, socio-cultural - whose effects will manifest in more or less obvious ways. Data was collected via an online survey of Heads of German at British universities to determine the status quo of CLIL in UK Higher Education and to investigate how certain institutional parameters determine the introduction of CLIL in Higher Education. This project employs a mixed-method case study approach and is based on student questionnaires and semi-structured interview with German teaching staff. The study brings to light a number of significant aspects. For example, contrary to popular belief, content provision in the L2 is rather common at British universities, which is currently not reflected in the research. Student data indicates that German students perceive clear advantages in the university’s approach to CLIL. They consider German-taught content classes challenging yet beneficial for their language development. Staff interviews have yielded intriguing information about perceived advantages and disadvantages of CLIL, about its implications for classroom practice, and about instructors’ attitude towards teacher training, which echo findings from similar investigations in European contexts. Finally, the results of the macro-analysis and the case study are compared and contrasted with findings from European research on ICLHE/CLIL to determine differences and similarities with the British context, a set of recommendations is made regarding CLIL practice at the case study institution, and some implications these indings may have for the future of CLIL in British higher education are discussed