POD Network News: Newsletter August 1988

Publications Available And with regard to publications Where are they now? Where would they like to be now? Conferences of Interest Calls for Papers And now to brighten your da

Who Is Entitled to Do SoTL?

Excerpt: The title of this essay derives from an earlier essay by Lee Shulman (2011) in which he asks this very question along with many others about the future of SoTL. His question was prompted by a challenge that he received from someone in the area of science education research to the effect that SoTL was inviting non-experts to attempt what is a very complex and rigorous task after very little training. When I read that essay, my reaction was “Yes, that’s right! I’ve had that same question myself. How can we expect a discipline-based expert to develop expertise virtually overnight in order to ‘do’ SoTL?” So my essay is based on my own experience trying to do that very thing and my resulting attempt to answer that challenge

Guest Column: Applying Research on Learning: It\u27s Never That Simple - by Dr. Marilla Svinicki, University of Texas

https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/weeklyreader/1069/thumbnail.jp

Factors Associated with Faculty Use of Student Data for Instructional Improvement

Much is being said in education about the value of adopting data-based or analytics approaches to instructional improvement. One important group of stakeholders in this effort is the faculty. “In many cases, the key constituency group is faculty, whose powerful voice and genuine participation often determine the success or failure of educational innovations, especially those that involve pedagogical and academic change” (Furco & Moely, 2012, pg. 129). This paper reports the results of an exploration of factors that influence faculty to consider or reject using analysis of student data to improve instruction based on social cognitive theory. Self-efficacy, value of the outcome, and feasibility of using a student data-based reflection process were found to be related to the actual use of components of the reflection process by faculty

Psychological and demographic predictors of undergraduate non-attendance at university lectures and seminars

Absenteeism from university teaching sessions is increasingly becoming a common phenomenon and remains a major concern to universities. Poor attendance has significant and detrimental effects on students themselves, their peers and teaching staff. There is, however, a lack of previous research investigating demographic and psychological predictors of non-attendance alongside salient reasons students offer for their absence; it is this ‘gap’ that the present study attempts to fill. We approached 618 undergraduate university students from a single UK university studying various courses to complete a bespoke questionnaire assessing their estimated percentage attendance at lectures and seminars over the academic year. Students answered demographic questions, completed psychometric tests of perceived confidence (Perceived Confidence for Learning) and university belongingness (Psychological Sense of School Membership), and rated the degree to which possible reasons for non-attendance applied to themselves. Multiple regression analyses were carried out separately for estimated attendance at lectures and seminars. Results demonstrated that significant predictors of poorer attendance for both scenarios were experiencing a lower sense of belongingness to university; working more hours in paid employment; having more social life commitments; facing coursework deadlines; and experiencing mental health issues. Improving a sense of belonging to university and targeting interventions at students working in paid employment may be effective means of increasing attendance. Providing support for students with mental health issues, structuring courses around coursework deadlines and helping students to organise their attendance around social activities could also be advantageous

Gauging the Student Learning Experience of a Mobile Application Using iBeacon Technology

Innovative technology has been revolutionizing the educational experience in tertiary institutions over the past decades. Using novel iBeacon Technology, a mobile application called “iClassPolyU” was developed for collecting and disseminating information to and from students. The application was employed in four medium to large classrooms and the user experience was evaluated through a survey. Usage of the application was examined through quiz completion and usage rates. Results showed that each class had a quiz completion rate of over 80%. Moreover, students believed that their physical participation could be enhanced by the application and that it was effective, easy to use, and flexible. Students proposed the inclusion of mixed reality, virtual reality, and augmented reality in the future. This type of technology provides another pathway for student learning, an opportunity to give students more control over their learning, and educators with more information regarding their students

POD Network News: Newsletter November 1987

A Final Report from Kerrville Core Committee Business Grants Program To Improve the Academy Membership Renewal and Networking Information Core Members Election Things for you to do Program Description Project Sample Program Descriptions POD Grant Program Editor 1989 Volume Job Descriptio

POD Network News: Newsletter September 1987

The Conference Approach To Improve the Academy POD Grants Program Call for Program Descriptions Core Committee Activities Other Conferences and Materials of Interest Faculty Development Self-Instructional Modules and Workshop Materials Foundations for Research SAM, an authoring system for CAl Ninth Annual Sharing Conference A Regional Conference on the Freshman Year Experience Things for you to do To Improve the Academy, 1988 Call for Papers Program Description Project Sample Program Description

Just Tell Us What You Want

Mike Smith was assigned a history section of one of those writing across the curriculum courses, the kind where he was supposed to introduce students to the joy of writing as a learning experience. On top of that, it was a required state history course the contents of which most students had in high school. So he was pretty sure students would be coming into the course with bad attitudes right off the bat. But he loved his subject and knew how exciting it could be once you understood the mysteries and problem-solving aspects of history instead of just concentrating on learning facts. He was determined to introduce his students to that aspect of the discipline. Use of the Case entitled Just Tell U