Predictors of the groupwork experience: generic skill development, peer appraisals, and country of residence

Humphrey et al. (1997) argued that a range of generic skills are important in enhancing the experience of groupwork for students. These skills include problem solving skills, leadership skills, research skills, study skills, and communication skills. However, little is known about the extent to which the development of such skills impact on the students' experience of groupwork, Students are also rarely given opportunities to develop their performance management skills in group assignments, despite often being expected to evaluate the performance of their peers. Those doing the appraisal may not learn how to provide feedback and justify their evaluations. It also means that those being appraised do not receive feedback regarding their strengths and whereimprovements are needed. As a consequence, students tend to report negative experiences of groupwork when they have to assess and be assessed by their peers. The current study aims to examine the effects of generic skill development and peerevaluation on the students' evaluation of their group experience, following their participation on a group assignment

Why history? Why now? Multiple accounts of the emergence of academic development

More than 40 years after its beginnings, academic development stands uncertainly on the threshold of becoming a profession or discipline in its own right. While it remains marginal to the dominant stories of the university, it has become central to the institution's contemporary business. This Research Note describes an enquiry that uses a multiple histories approach to explore the emergence of academic development in three national sites. Our intention is to provoke a more critical engagement with academic development's current forms and future possibilities

Discipline-Specific Compared to Generic Training of Teachers in Higher Education

A recurrent theme arising in the higher education sector is the suitability and effectiveness of generic versus discipline-specific training of university teachers, who are often recruited based on their disciplinary specialties to become teachers in higher education. We compared two groups of participants who had undergone training using a generic post-graduate certificate in higher education (PGCertGeneric) versus a discipline-specific course in veterinary education (PGCertVetEd). The study was conducted using a survey that allowed comparison of participants who completed PGCertGeneric (n=21) with PGCertVetEd (n=22). Results indicated that participants from both PGCertGeneric and PGCertVetEd considered teaching to be satisfying and important to their careers, valued the teaching observation component of the course, and identified similar training needs. However, the participants of the PGCertVetEd felt that the course made them better teachers, valued the relevance of the components taught, understood course design better, were encouraged to do further courses/reading in teaching and learning, changed their teaching as a result of the course, and were less stressed about teaching as compared to the PGCertGeneric participants (p<.05). It is likely that the PGCertVetEd, which was designed and developed by veterinarians with a wider understanding of the veterinary sector, helped the participants perceive the training course as suited to their needs