Comparison of the Conceptual Map and Traditional Lecture Methods on Students’ Learning Based on the VARK Learning Style Model: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Developing skills and knowledge in nursing education remains a considerable challenge. Nurse instructors need to be aware of students' learning styles so as to meet students' individual learning preferences and optimize knowledge and understanding. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of the conceptual map and the traditional lecture methods on students' learning based on the VARK learning styles model. In this randomized controlled trial, 160 students from nursing, nurse anesthetics, and midwifery disciplines with four different learning styles of visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic were selected using the convenience sampling method. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (conceptual map method) or control (traditional lecture method) groups. A medical-surgical nursing course was taught to the students in both groups over 6 weeks. Data collection tools consisted of the VARK questionnaire and pre-and postassessments. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via the SPSS software. Teaching using the conceptual map method had different effects on the students' learning outcomes based on their learning styles. The conceptual map method had a statistically significant impact on the students' learning in the intervention group compared with the control group in the students with a visual learning style (p ¼ .036). No statistically significant differences were reported between the groups in other three learning styles. Nurse instructors should assess students' learning styles based on the VARK model before the application of a particular teaching method to improve the quality of nursing education and facilitate deeper learning

Students’ Perceptions of Learning Processes as Co-Authors of Digital Tabletop Activities

We conducted a small-scale study in order to explore students’ perceptions of the learning processes when engaged as co-authors of content for collaborative higher order thinking skills learning tasks. We specifically designed the process to allow for self-critique – where authors can observe their creations being solved and therefore understand where they may improve their design. We collected data over a three-day period from a sample of twelve thirteen year olds, working in teams, authoring content for Digital Mysteries (a higher order thinking skills collaborative learning application based on the digital tabletop). The study was structured to follow Bloom’s taxonomy, a continuum of cognitive skills that develop during a learning process. We found that 1) rather than follow this continuum, skills developed in a non-linear manner due to the abstract nature of the authoring activity, and 2) the students’ demonstrated good metacognitive insights into the authoring task, technology and collaborative learning as a whole

A Generic Framework for Criterion-Referenced Assessment of Undergraduate Essays

This paper presents a brief review of the relative merits of norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment of undergraduate students' written work. Acknowledging that there are both positive and negative aspects of criterion referencing, a generic framework for such assessment of undergraduate essays is presented. It comprises criteria and standards (organised by `dimensions of achievement', i.e. content, process, affect and skills), proficiency standards for English language and communication competence, and cartographic and graphic skills. Problems of implementation include the size and complexity of the framework and the need to interpret and clarify the criteria and standards for students

“It was amazing to see our projects come to life!” Developing affective learning during geography fieldwork through tropophilia

peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=cjgh2

How to Develop Strategic Management Competency: Reconsidering the Learning Goals and Knowledge Requirements of the Core Strategy Course

The dominance of theory-based approaches to strategy teaching has not displaced the need for core courses in strategic management to cultivate broader management skills. Yet, limited attention has been given to explicating, first, why we need to teach these skills, second, which skills we need to teach, and third how they can to be developed in the classroom. To help answer these three questions we need to understand the linkages between theory-based and skills-based approaches to strategy teaching. We begin with the proposition that the purpose of the core strategic management is to develop the strategic management competency of our students. We then adopt a systematic approach to identifying the why, what, and how components of strategic management competency. We show why analytical tools need to be complemented by judgment, insight, intuition, creativity, and social and communicative skills. We outline what these skills are and where they come from. Finally, we derive implications for how we should design and deliver of the core strategic management course

Inferring learning from big data:The importance of a transdisciplinary and multidimensional approach

The use of big data in higher education has evolved rapidly with a focus on the practical application of new tools and methods for supporting learning. In this paper, we depart from the core emphasis on application and delve into a mostly neglected aspect of the big data conversation in higher education. Drawing on developments in cognate disciplines, we analyse the inherent difficulties in inferring the complex phenomenon that is learning from big datasets. This forms the basis of a discussion about the possibilities for systematic collaboration across different paradigms and disciplinary backgrounds in interpreting big data for enhancing learning. The aim of this paper is to provide the foundation for a research agenda, where differing conceptualisations of learning become a strength in interpreting patterns in big datasets, rather than a point of contention

Innovation in curriculum: An overview

Innovation in curriculum is gaining its thrust from a new set of value priorities—humanism, concern for racial and socioeconomic minorities, support of pluralism and diversity, increased interest in affective development, education for the very young, and legitimization of the search for value. These priorities are coupled with new understandings of how learning takes place, which cast the learner in an active, responsible, self-actualizing role and, at the same time, support the development of precise, highly organized sets of learning materials designed to achieve clearly defined objectives as efficiently as possible. Implications of these factors are examined in relation to curriculum design, instructional materials, professional roles, and the need for in-service education. L'innovation des programmes d'étude est activée par une nouvelle échelle de priorités des valeurs: esprit d'humanisme, intérêt manifesté à l'égard des minorités raciales et socio-économiques, appui accordé au pluralisme et à la diversité, intérêt accru envers le développement affectif, éducation des très jeunes, et légitimisation de la recherche des valeurs. Ces priorités vont de pair avec de nouvelles connaissances sur le processus d'acquisition du savoir, connaissances qui lancent l'élève dans un rôle actif et responsable dans son épanouissement personnel et qui, en même temps, contribuent à la mise au point d'une série de textes éducatifs précis et hautement organisés conçus en vue de la poursuite, d'une manière aussi efficace que possible, de certains objectifs clairement définis. L'auteur étudie les répercussions provoquées par ces facteurs sur la conception des programmes, les textes d'étude, les rôles professionnels et la nécessité d'une éducation en cours d'exercice.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42937/1/10780_2005_Article_BF02137640.pd