An activity theory analysis of social epistemologies within tertiary-level eLearning environments

In recent years, eLearning or the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in tertiary-level educational environments has experienced phenomenal growth. There is an extensive body of research that has established the pedagogic value of eLearning. The literature has identified key factors that can afford or constrain participation in learning activities supported by ICT. However, amidst much discussion of the benefits of eLearning, concern has been voiced about the apparent failure of eLearning to transform teaching and learning environments. In response to these concerns, this study intends to examine one aspect of eLearning – the use of learning activities underpinned by social epistemologies and mediated by asynchronous web-based technologies in three blended papers (a combination of face-to-face and ICT-supported modes of delivery) in higher education in New Zealand. More specifically, due to the significant numbers of English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners enrolled in New Zealand tertiary institutions, the study seeks to gain a rich and in-depth understanding of the nature of teacher and EAL learner participation in three mainstream (not English language learning) papers within the disciplines of nursing, management, and applied linguistics. By positioning the study within an activity theory perspective and thereby highlighting mediated activity, this inquiry intends to use an expansive conception of participation that takes account of social, cultural, and historical factors in the local and broader context. To investigate the nature of participation within three eLearning contexts, the research design has been shaped by a qualitative orientation. The study has used a case study approach, an exploratory research question, and inductive procedures, and has drawn from ethnographic and phenomenological research methods to allow the nature of participation to emerge through the experiences of teachers and students. Data have been systematically gathered over a five month period by way of semi-structured interviews, accounts, and observations of face-to-face and online activity. Using activity theory as an interpretative tool and drawing from techniques of grounded theory, the collected data have been analysed, coded, and categorised, and the findings emerging from this process have been grounded in the data. The findings show the complexity of eLearning environments and emphasise the crucial role that social and historical factors play in shaping participation. The study has shed light on the ways in which students and teachers make sense of the learning activity by exploring the intersection of previous beliefs and understandings with emergent practice, indicating that sometimes the classroom community constructs meaning in differing and conflicting ways. In addition, this inquiry has brought a critical perspective to bear on the use of interactive learning activities, suggesting that the enactment of social epistemologies is both complex and problematic. This has been particularly evident in relation to the credibility of students to act as resources for each other and the pervasiveness of expedient and instrumentalist approaches to participation. Finally, this inquiry adds to the growing body of work that has used activity theory in educational research, finding activity theory well positioned to meet the need for more expansive conceptions of participation in eLearning

Logics of technology enhanced learning in the context of nurse education

This study offers a critical insight into technology enhanced learning within the context of nurse education in the UK. Despite an apparent lack of substantive evidence, the use of learning technology in higher education has become ubiquitous. This study uses a discourse analysis approach to examine technology enhanced learning as a social and political force constructed as being at the frontier of pedagogic transformation. Data was collected through interviews and observation of teaching practice. A total of 24 semi-structured interviews were carried out with 13 nursing lecturers and 11 pre-registration nursing students who were based within the same School at a UK university. Alongside the interviews, the lecturers were also observed teaching pre-registration nursing students across a range of environments. The study utilises a critical logics approach which relies upon three basic units that explain social change; social logics, political logics and ideological or fantasmatic logics. Social logics characterise the rules that social actors follow, with social logics of novelty, freedom and caveats identified. Political logics provide a means to explore the contestation and defence of instituted social practices. The identified political logics are logics of equivalence (logics of aligning with TECH, low-tech teaching and enslavement) and logics of difference (logics of liberation, hi-tech teaching and isolated resistance). Fantasmatic logics work to conceal the political dimensions of social practices concerned with technology enhanced learning, with the three identified logics being the logic of promise, performance and performativity. This study demonstrates that technology enhanced learning is not a fixed set of practices that have transformed educational practice, but is rather discursive in nature, a contingent project open to critical engagement and contestation. Several competing interests are identified which are working towards the dominance of technology enhanced learning and the resistance of in-depth critique

Analysis of the e-learning innovation process in higher education

E-Learning perhaps is the exciting topic related to higher education in the current decade. Large numbers of researchers devote their enthusiasm to this area. The early days of E-Learning were product-driven, and the dialogue about E-Learning took place primarily among vendors who were heavily funded by investment capital. Most of the E-Learning vendors promoted their technology, but less attention was paid to the issues surrounding implementation or to the usage of E-Learning by the end users. However, the behaviour of end users or of the organizations which had introduced E-Learning should be the main concern of an innovation in the management process. Included in an entire E-Learning development strategy should be a detailed analysis and action plan to obtain a comprehensive overview of three aspects of innovation processes: organizational, technological, and products/services. A successful E-Learning launch should also pay close consideration to all of the interactions during the triple innovation process, a proposal which will be addressed in this research. Given the multiple objectives of investigating the processes of E-Learning innovation, the interaction between different aspects of innovation and the issues which influence those processes, a qualitative case study approach is appropriate for establishing empirical evidence and describing the phenomenon of the E-Learning innovation process in higher education. The fieldwork started in March 2004 and finished in August 2008. It comprised one pilot study at National Chung Cheng University Taiwan, and the main research context at the University of Nottingham. The data collected were used to analyse and conceptualise the E-Learning innovation process with three sub-processes, outlined in detail in a following subsection: research methodology and design. This research contributes to the understanding of E-Learning innovation processes by providing triple aspects of organizational, technological and service innovation individually, and maps the E-Learning innovation processes in its different aspects. The relationships and interactions in the E-Learning innovation process within organizational, technological and service innovation are conceptualized in order to explain their complexity, and they also summarized the main interaction categories for different interactions. The series of detailed analyses indicates that organizational, technological and service innovations are inseparable and show a strong link with one another. Moreover, a framework of simplified triple E-Learning innovation with triple interactions is proposed

Strategies to Retain Tacit Knowledge From Baby Boomers

Baby boomer employees who leave the workplace without sharing tacit knowledge create a knowledge gap within the organization. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies local government leaders use to retain tacit knowledge of baby boomer employees. Six government leaders who worked in the Midwest United States participated in the study and shared their experiences and perceptions. Building upon systems theory, transformational leadership theory, and knowledge management theory, research was conducted to identify strategies to retain tacit knowledge from retiring baby boomers. Physical artifacts and participant interview data were collected and analyzed using traditional text analysis. Adjoining terms were highlighted and clusters of repeated and related words were coded into themes. Three themes emerged: (a) mentoring, (b) generational differences, and (c) lack of structured systems. Mentoring was the most critical strategy leaders used to retain tacit knowledge from baby boomer employees. Acquiring collaborative leaders who foster a knowledge-sharing environment, create a structured system for retaining knowledge, and encourage communication between multigenerational teams remained imperative to retain tacit knowledge. Implications for positive social change include taking advantage of the human capital and resources the baby boomer population characterized, and educating other government leaders to improve performance within government agencies. Other social change implications include the potential of leaders to train older workers to share tacit knowledge with new workers, and of managers to incorporate strategies to mentor new workers replacing the older workforce

Analysis of the e-learning innovation process in higher education

E-Learning perhaps is the exciting topic related to higher education in the current decade. Large numbers of researchers devote their enthusiasm to this area. The early days of E-Learning were product-driven, and the dialogue about E-Learning took place primarily among vendors who were heavily funded by investment capital. Most of the E-Learning vendors promoted their technology, but less attention was paid to the issues surrounding implementation or to the usage of E-Learning by the end users. However, the behaviour of end users or of the organizations which had introduced E-Learning should be the main concern of an innovation in the management process. Included in an entire E-Learning development strategy should be a detailed analysis and action plan to obtain a comprehensive overview of three aspects of innovation processes: organizational, technological, and products/services. A successful E-Learning launch should also pay close consideration to all of the interactions during the triple innovation process, a proposal which will be addressed in this research. Given the multiple objectives of investigating the processes of E-Learning innovation, the interaction between different aspects of innovation and the issues which influence those processes, a qualitative case study approach is appropriate for establishing empirical evidence and describing the phenomenon of the E-Learning innovation process in higher education. The fieldwork started in March 2004 and finished in August 2008. It comprised one pilot study at National Chung Cheng University Taiwan, and the main research context at the University of Nottingham. The data collected were used to analyse and conceptualise the E-Learning innovation process with three sub-processes, outlined in detail in a following subsection: research methodology and design. This research contributes to the understanding of E-Learning innovation processes by providing triple aspects of organizational, technological and service innovation individually, and maps the E-Learning innovation processes in its different aspects. The relationships and interactions in the E-Learning innovation process within organizational, technological and service innovation are conceptualized in order to explain their complexity, and they also summarized the main interaction categories for different interactions. The series of detailed analyses indicates that organizational, technological and service innovations are inseparable and show a strong link with one another. Moreover, a framework of simplified triple E-Learning innovation with triple interactions is proposed

Eros, women and technology

Eros, Women, and Technology seeks to address the potential of a vibrant position for the body and a vital role for women in technoculture. The important job of imagining and re-imagining the potential of technologies to bring benefits, costs, and concomitant effects requires a plurality of approaches. Using a highly interdisciplinary methodology, I focus on an original project of research-creation undertaken between 1998 and 2011, featuring video interviews with thirteen contemporary artists and designers. Participants' personal stories were gathered using my radical method of nude narrative enquiry, and analysed using affinity mapping to identify important questions regarding erotic experience, expression and imagination, body image, pregnancy and mothering, and relationships between mothers and daughters. Themes of the erotic body and technology in education, family life, creative practices, and intellectual and professional pursuits, uncover a range of technological contents and discontents. Through an examination of the history of women's education, a positive chronology of their historical achievements is reported. Theoretical grounding is established through the Chora as conceptual locus for the female body in creative and technological practices. Related thinking of second- and third-wave feminists Balsamo, Battersby, Braidotti, Butler, Grosz, Irigaray, and Young addresses issues of female bodies, maternity, relationships, and the place of women in technoculture. The role of the camera as a favoured technological tool is examined through the work of photographic pioneers Julia Margaret Cameron, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, and Francesca Woodman, and parallels are drawn through my videographic artworks. Arendt, Blixen, Cavarero, and Kristeva provide theoretical framing for narrative in contemporary art and design projects using mobile technologies to locate and disseminate compelling personal and community stories. Insights are offered into the lives of creative women research participants who reinvigorate ways of thinking, making, and Being in technoculture. Concluding concepts, ideas, recommendations, and strategies are offered to inspire wider consideration. Original research expands from the narratives and professional practices of intellectuals, artists, and designers to build a better understanding of women's individual efforts, and collective work, on the frontlines of eroticism, creative making, and technological change

Perspectives of teamwork:Looking at teamwork leadership through the lens of student Emergency Medical Technicians in the State of Qatar

Paramedics play a crucial role in the medical community and society as a whole. To become a paramedic, learners must acquire knowledge of emergency medicine, but also procedures and skills in time management, communication skills and teamwork. Learning these goals can be daunting. Part of the challenge is becoming proficient in successfully managing medical emergencies in a high-fidelity simulated learning environment which leads to one’s shortcomings being exposed. These simulation-based learning environments are designed for students to hone the technical and also communication skills taught in the classroom. Other challenges relate to their interactions with the high-fidelity simulated patient. This study explores the interactions between team members in treating a heavily pregnant female Muslim high-fidelity simulated patient with multi-trauma injuries and the interactions between the patient and the team members. This investigation took place at an emergency medical technician diploma program at a Canadian technical college in the State of Qatar. Participants are second year students in the simulation lab course who were tasked with treating, stabilising and transporting a multi-trauma patient. Interpretative phenomenological analysis and activity theory are used to bring depth to the analysis of the data from semi-structure interviews and observations. The results of this work revealed a number of findings. All student participants had received the same information on how a paramedic team should function in a medical emergency. However, their personal views of how a well-functioning team should work were different from that of their colleagues and of the program. Thus, conflict in critical care management transpired. Another finding revealed that the student participants actions and language showed their view of the mannequin fluctuated between seeing it as an artefact to an actual patient. Also revealed was how religion influences the decision-making process, ultimately, leading to hesitation in treatment. These findings raise important questions on how to further maximise learning opportunities in simulation-based medical training environments

Taiwanese College Graduates' Employability in the Global Context

College graduates’ employability has been one of the focal objectives in higher education globally since the 1970s (Brown & Lauder, 2011; Hillage & Pollard, 1998; Brown et al., 2003). Under the massive impacts of globalization, technology revolution, and knowledge-based economy, the essence of graduate employability is shaping the curriculum design, as well as the career paths of Taiwanese college graduates. While current Taiwanese college graduates’ employability research focuses on the demographic description of graduates', educators' and employers' perception regarding employability, in-depth qualitative research that examines Taiwanese college graduates' experiences and perceptions regarding their employability readiness is scarce in the literature. Moreover, employability research in Taiwan needs to be addressed using a more holistic and cultural relevant approach where graduates' social, emotional, and professional development needs are taken into consideration. This study aims to investigate Taiwanese college graduates’ employability building, in terms of whether and how Taiwanese college graduates are well prepared for the knowledge, skills, and competency for the fast-changing world of work in Taiwan's particular social and economic context. To address the gap in the literature, this study focuses on the graduates’ narratives and digs into their perception of how college experiences, including college curriculum, work-related experiences, engagement with extracurricular activities, and career coaching resources contribute to graduates’ formation of competitive employability. In addition, this study also attempts to re-envision higher education to extensively accommodate graduates' professional and developmental needs in a more holistic manner. The study uses criterion-based sampling to reflect certain demographic characteristics of the graduate population. Eleven recent graduates from various geographic locations, disciplines, professions, and types of universities were invited to participate in the study. All participants received undergraduate degrees from departments of a Taiwanese higher education institution within two years; and had worked for more than one year. For male participants who needed to fulfill compulsory military service, the time served in the military is excluded from the two years limit. For recruitment of the participants, the research also put in effort to achieve balance in terms of gender, profession, discipline, and geography. The researcher conducted eleven individual interviews and two focus groups, and collected participants’ written reflections for analysis. In the study, graduates reflected upon how effectively the college curriculum, involvement in extracurricular activities, work-related engagement, career services, and other relevant college experiences contributed to employability building. Findings indicate that Taiwanese graduates perceive the existence of a gap between the preparation in university and the real world of work. The study also points to the context-bounded career transition struggle facing Taiwanese graduates. The researcher carefully examines graduates' experiences and proposes constructive solutions to enhance college students’ and graduates’ learning outcomes in all aspects of their college experiences. Based on the finding, the researcher proposes to redefine employability in a culturally relevant way, acknowledging unique Asian work ethics, and identify the critically needed employable skillset demanded in the participants’' professional fields. Besides mending the current campus-workplace gap, the study further discusses how higher education should prepare students and graduates for challenges brought upon by the fast-advancing technologies, and contemplate on the core values of the 21st century higher education

The evolving role of managers and non-manager professionals in a dispersed change management context: issues and implications

This study carries forward earlier research by the author into the management of change and the evolving role of managers and professionals who now find themselves involved or implicated in the process of organisational change. The conceptual focus for the study is the dynamic interplay between the structures that are generating the distribution of change management responsibility and the freedom of social actors to make intentional choices and decisions about how they will or will not assimilate that responsibility into their role, and the consequential effects this produces for them and the change process. The case study method was employed to investigate the roles of managers and professionals in two contrasting organisations: one a large Primary Care Trust, the other, a small Research and Technology company. A total of forty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of managers and professionals in both organisations. The data were supplemented by observation and an in-depth analysis of documentary data sources which were used to define and describe the substance and context of the change processes under investigation. Analysis of qualitative data was based on a modified grounded theory approach. The findings suggest there are challenges to the sustainability of rational, centred, top-down, hierarchical models of change management when they are confronted by the discontinuities and instabilities of contemporary change scenarios where hierarchy and status are arguably less meaningful and important and where control and certainty become more problematical. Arguments are made that senior managers, as change strategists, may have to learn to modify or even discard existing models of directive control. Instead, they will look to make second-order interventions that generate the receptive contexts for successful change