On Integrating Student Empirical Software Engineering Studies with Research and Teaching Goals

Background: Many empirical software engineering studies use students as subjects and are conducted as part of university courses. Aim: We aim at reporting our experiences with using guidelines for integrating empirical studies with our research and teaching goals. Method: We document our experience from conducting three studies with graduate students in two software architecture courses. Results: Our results show some problems that we faced when following the guidelines and deviations we made from the original guidelines. Conclusions: Based on our results we propose recommendations for empirical software engineering studies that are integrated in university courses.

Unlocking Doors and Expanding Opportunity: Moving Beyond the Limiting Reality of College and Career Readiness in California High Schools

Examines how many low-income students and students of color complete neither the courses required to apply to a four-year public university nor career technical education courses. Calls for integrated, equitable approaches to college and career readiness

Reframing e-assessment: building professional nursing and academic attributes in a first year nursing course

This paper documents the relationships between pedagogy and e-assessment in two nursing courses offered at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. The courses are designed to build the academic, numeracy and technological attributes student nurses need if they are to succeed at university and in the nursing profession. The paper first outlines the management systems supporting the two courses and how they intersect with the e-learning and e-assessment components of course design. These pedagogical choices are then reviewed. While there are lessons to be learnt and improvements to be made, preliminary results suggest students and staff are extremely supportive of the courses. The e-assessment is very positively received with students reporting increased confidence and competency in numeracy, as well as IT, academic, research and communication skills

Using learning technology in university courses: do styles matter?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of three different types of styles measure for students' learning in a large introductory university course in psychology, using information technology to enhance teaching. The paper examines the relationship between styles, the usage of learning technology, and academic performance in this course. Design/methodology/approach – Styles are measured using approaches to learning, thinking styles, and cognitive styles. The usage of the online material is measured by considering both time spent on the resources and the amount of material viewed (pages and hits) as well as tools used. Findings – The findings are that the academic performance of students who used the online resources is significantly higher than those who either choose to not use the online materials at all or choose to use to the materials to a lesser extent. It is determined that the measure of approaches to learning (approaches and study skills inventory for students) is the stronger predictor for successful use of the material. Research limitations/implications – Using a reasonably sized sample in an ecologically valid context offered the opportunity to put styles into context and to consider the practical use of styles. This research is limited by the context and the particular sample. It is also difficult to completely exclude the fact that students using the extra material are generally more motivated and would have obtained better grades even without the resources. Originality/value – This paper offers further evidence for the relations between different measures of styles and evaluates the effects that styles might have on usage of online material and academic performance

The distributed development of quality courses for a virtual university

Although virtual universities are widely touted as a way of competing globally in a post‐compulsory educational market, systems for implementing them are currently underdeveloped The central thesis in this paper is that in order to ensure the quality of the development and delivery of course materials for a virtual university, a collaborative and iterative approach to authoring is required. In this paper, the development of such a process will be discussed The paper is based on experience with a project whose aims included the provision of Masters‐level courses in supply chain management for learners in full‐time employment in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). The materials developed through the project were required to be academically rigorous, vocationally relevant, and situated in the context of the learners. The project relied on distributed development, with authors based at institutions across the UK and in Europe. This paper focuses on the creation and evolution of the development processes adopted by the project, illustrating these with examples of good and bad practice. Based on these, tensions between quality and resourcing are identified, and implications will be drawn for other teams working on the development of online courses

Teacher training incentives in Wales PGCE (FE) 2010/11: Post Graduate Certificate of Education (Further Education) Teacher Training Incentive Grant in Wales 2010/11 - guidance notes

"Guidance for PGCE (FE) initial teacher training providers offering full-time pre-service courses of PGCE (FE) initial teacher training leading to a qualification to teach further education in the academic year 2010/11 (i.e. Cardiff University, Glyndwr University and University of Wales, Newport) in administering, assessing eligibility and the methodology for calculating grant payments." - Overview

Comparison of course completion and student performance through online and traditional courses

Abstract: Enrollment in online courses has outpaced overall university enrollment for the past several years. The growth of online courses does not appear to be slowing. The purpose of this study was to compare course completion and student academic performance between online and traditional courses. Archival data from the host university student records system was collected using the Structured Query Language. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze student characteristics. Chi-square analysis was used to determine if statistically significant differences existed between students enrolled in online and traditional courses when comparing course completion and academic performance. Analysis found statistically significant differences existed in both course completion and academic performance for students enrolled in online versus traditional courses. Additional analysis indicated statistically significant differences existed in course completion by course discipline

A mathematica‐based CAL matrix‐theory tutor for scientists and engineers

Under the TLTP initiative, the Mathematics Departments at Imperial College and Leeds University are jointly developing a CAL method directed at supplementing the level of mathematics of students entering science and engineering courses from diverse A‐level (or equivalent) backgrounds. The aim of the joint project is to maintain — even increase ‐ the number of students enrolling on such first‐year courses without lowering the courses’ existing mathematical standards