Innovation as socially shared practice: the contribution of the Teaching and Learning Center

The contribution describes a study on the organizational devices and the professional development programs carried out at the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) of the University of Siena and at the Teaching and Learning Lab (TLL) of the University of Macerata. The focus is on systemic actions capable to elicit innovation at an organizational level, starting from the work of the institutional centers for research, professional training, and digital enhanced learning embedded in the university. In the final paragraph, future developmental trajectories for constituting an inter-universities network of TLCs are discussed

Conflicting values in reflection on professional practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of reflection as a tool of enquiry within the context of higher education work based learning. The aim of the study is to investigate how reflection on professional practice brings about a review of the values underpinning that practice. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from a group of undergraduate students undertaking their studies by work based learning in the area of management in a Scottish University. An open-ended questionnaire was designed to learn about the participants’ views on their perceived freedom to reflect on their workplace practice in the university, their ability to challenge the organizational values and established practices in the workplace, and on their relationship with the workplace mentor. Findings – Students on work based learning programmes are subjected to demands from at least three directions: first, their own expectations, in terms of both what they want to achieve by way of their own development, second, the needs of their organization; and third, expectations of the university in ensuring that the work produced meets the standard for an academic award. These interests can sometimes coincide, but they can also conflict, and such a conflict can reveal tensions that run deeper into the culture of the organization. Research limitations/implications – This study is based on a relatively small sample of learners in one university, hence the findings are of preliminary nature. Despite the small sample size, the conclusions are indicative of a potential problem in the design of work based learning, and a larger cross-institutional study would allow the validity of these results to be verified. Practical implications – The findings emerging from this study have implications for the facilitators of work based learning in higher education. Although university work based learning programmes differ significantly from corporate learning and development efforts, this paper suggests that work based learning providers should co-operate more closely with the learners’ employing organizations towards creating an environment for learning at work. More co-operation between the university and the employer might be more beneficial for all stakeholders. Originality/value – The literature on work based learning focuses in the main on the use of reflection as a tool of enquiry into workplace practice. Drawing on the study of contemporary work organizations, this paper explores the tensions arising from reflection on the learners’ practice, and possible conflict of values that reflection exposes. Keywords Professional practice, Reflection, Work based learning, Organizational practices, Corporate learning, HE management programmes, Employees, Personal and professional development

Looking at Extension as a Learning Organization

This article shares an understanding of how Extension at a major university serves as a Learning Organization and its capacity to address change. The study examined how to assess the capacity of staff members to promote organizational learning. The researcher administered a 43-item survey instrument, the Dimension of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ), designed by Watkins and Marsick (1997) to Extension employees. As a strategic planning tool, the survey identifies organizational learning strengths and challenges at the individual, team, and organizational levels

Informal learning about teaching among novice University professors

In this article, we present results of a study on informal learning about teaching among novice university professors at one university in Spain. The study identified teaching competencies developed through informal learning, strategies of informal learning used, and organizational factors that might foster or hinder the acquisition of teaching competencies. We gathered data through 18 individual interviews with novice university faculty, two focus groups with university professors, a document analysis and a focus group of experts. We conducted content analysis of the transcripts of the interviews and focus groups, as well as the documents obtained. The results showed that the competencies most often acquired from informal learning are interpersonal skills, methodologies, planning and content mastery. They are primarily acquired through strategies such as peer interaction and experimentation in practice. The main support for informal learning is the organizational climate, while the main barriers are organizational culture and training policy. The research contributes to understand the phenomenon of informal learning about teaching by novice professors, which is a topic not covered widely at the level of Higher Educatio

A New Student Learning Focus for the Academic Library: From Geographical Proximity of the Learning Commons to Organizational Proximity within the Library

Peer ReviewedIn 2015 student learning programs at the University of Saskatchewan moved organizationally to the university library. While these services resided physically in the library as part of the Learning Commons partnership, this recent change presents the library with a new focus and responsibility for broader student learning support and academic skill development. Highlighting examples of organizational integration of student learning support, this article uses a proximity perspective, suggesting that geographical proximity of services in the learning commons does not go far enough to achieve the deeper collaboration and integration necessary for holistic and integrated learning, and that organizational proximity is needed

Implementing a learning technology strategy: top-down strategy meets bottom-up culture

Using interview-based 'insider case study' research, this paper outlines why the University of Salford has adopted a Learning Technologies Strategy and examines the factors which are likely to lead to its successful implementation. External reasons for the adoption focused on the need to: respond to 'increased Higher Education (HE) competition', meet student expectations of learning technology use, provide more flexibility and access to the curriculum, address the possible determining effect of technology and establish a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) presence in this 'particular area of the HE landscape'. Internal drivers centred on the need to: continue a 'bottom-up' e-learning pilot project initiative, particularly given that a VLE is a 'complex tool' which requires effective strategic implementation, and promote the idea that learning technology will play an important role in determining the type of HE institution that the University of Salford wishes to become. Likely success factors highlighted the need to: create 'time and space' for innovation, maintain effective communication and consultation at all levels of the organization, emphasize the operational aspects of the strategy, establish a variety of staff development processes and recognize the negotiatory processes involved in understanding the term 'web presence' in local teaching cultures. Fundamentally, the paper argues that policy makers should acknowledge the correct 'cultural configuration' of HE institutions when seeking to manage and achieve organizational change. Thus, it is not just a question of establishing 'success factors' per se but also whether they are contextualized appropriately within a 'correct' characterization of the organizational culture

THE EFFECT OF LEARNING ORGANIZATIONS, ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION THROUGH WORK ENVIRONMENT AS A MODERATING VARIABLE ON THE JOB SATISFACTION OF TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES’ (NON MEDICAL) IN THE ADMINISTRATION SERVICE OF NORTH SUMATRA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MEDAN, INDONESIA

This study examines the job satisfaction of temporary (non-medical) employees in the administration services at the North Sumatra University Hospital, Medan. This study aims to determine and analyze the influence of organizational learning, achievement motivation on job satisfaction, and whether the work environment can moderate the relationship between organizational learning and achievement motivation towards work satisfaction of temporary (non-medical) employees in the administration services at the North Sumatra University Hospital Medan. Quantitative descriptive was employed as data analysis method. The population of this study was 82 temporary (non-medical) employees in the administrative division of North Sumatra University Hospital who have worked for at least one year and have participated in several trainings at the North Sumatra University Hospital. The technique of determining the sample used is the census method. Methods of collecting data with questionnaires The results of this study show partially (t test) shows that organizational learning and achievement motivation have a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction, simultaneously (F-test) learning organization and achievement motivation have a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction. Moderation testing with a residual test approach, the work environment is not able to moderate (strengthen) the relationship between learning organizations to job satisfaction.  Article visualizations

The Game as an Instrument of Honors Students’ Personal Development in the SibFU Honors College

Honors colleges often serve as laboratories for pedagogical innovation, where new learning strategies and technologies are created both in the sphere of honors education and in the broader context of universities. This study describes a method of “organizational activity games” (OAG) introduced in the honors college of Siberian Federal University (SibFU) in Russia. The author explores the advantages of the game method for reaching the goal of honors students’ personal development. The theory and history of the game, invented in the Russian school of methodology by G. P. Shchedrovitskii, is explored in its relation to the theoretical principles of honors education. This research shows that the philosophy of games designed to create an intellectual elite of independently thinking citizens can be effectively employed in honors education. The study reveals how the objectives of the game—to develop and study new methods of teaching and learning in universities—contribute to the inventive pedagogies of honors colleges. The author provides insight into the various stages of the inaugural organizational activity game conducted at the SibFU Honors College. Results prove that the game may be regarded as a new method of honors teaching and learning applicable to honors programs in institutions worldwide

Upaya Meningkatkan Kinerja Organisasi Melalui Intelektual Kapital dan Budaya Belajar (Studi Empirik di Universitas Yarsi)

ABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh  intelektual kapital terhadap  budaya belajar dan  kinerja organisasi serta  budaya belajar terhadap kinerja organisasi. Selain itu  penelitian ini juga untuk mengetahui apakah budaya belajar memediasi pengaruh intelektual kapital terhadap kinerja organisasi. Populasi penelitian ini adalah dosen tetap Universitas YARSI. Penelitian dilakukan dengan metode survey dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada 60 dosen di lingkungan Universitas YARSI. Alat analisis yang dipergunakan adalah  path analysis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa intelektual kapital berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap budaya belajar dan  kinerja organisasi, budaya belajar berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja organisasi. Hasil penelitian juga menunjukkan bahwa budaya belajar memediasi pengaruh inteletual kapital terhadap kinerja organisasi di Universtas YARSI. Kata kunci :  Intelektual Kapital, Budaya Belajar, Kinerja Organisasi, Universitas YARSI ABSTRACTThis study aims to determine the intellectual influence of capital on learning culture and organizational performance and learning culture on organizational performance. Besides this research is also to find out whether learning culture mediates the intellectual influence of capital on organizational performance. The population of this research is YARSI University permanent lecturer. The study was conducted by survey method by distributing questionnaires to 60 lecturers at YARSI University. The analytical tool used is path analysis. The results showed that intellectual capital had a positive and significant effect on learning culture and organizational performance, learning culture had a positive and significant effect on organizational performance. The results also showed that the culture of learning mediated the intellectual influence of capital on organizational performance at YARSI University.Keywords: Intellectual Capital, Culture of learning, Organizational Performance, YARSI Universit