Conceptualising technology use as social practice to research student experiences of technology in higher education

The purpose of this paper is to argue for the importance of sociological approaches to educational technology research which can make new advances in the field that complement the existing research base. Such research can address questions of how individuals use technology across different spheres of their lives, including education, and asks what role technology plays in educational institutions and how it interacts academic practices. Research of this kind can tells us much about how we might adopt and adapt technologies from outside education to support teaching and learning. By conceptualising technology use as social practice, rather than as attributes of a tool or inherent traits of individuals, we can begin to understand how the values and assumptions that underpin the ways technologies are used can enable or constrain their integration into education. The paper draws on two recent studies to illustrate how this approach can be used to frame research in educational technology and suggests avenues for future research

Threshold Learning Outcome 3: Inquiry and problem-solving

The Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLO) 3 Inquiry learning and problem-solving closely references TLO 3 for science (Jones et al. 2011). TLO 3.1, identifying contemporary issues and opportunities in agriculture is unique to agriculture TLO3. The Good Practice Guide for TLO 3 for science (Kirkup & Johnson 2013) provides a comprehensive review of the literature supporting inquiry learning and problem-solving, its development, successful delivery and implementation within higher education. This chapter highlights the main similarities and identifies the key differences between TLO 3 for science and TLO 3 for agriculture by: 1. providing background information on the role of inquiry learning and problem solving in professional agricultural practice. 2. a discussion of learning strategies and activities that could be used to develop TLO3 3. providing case studies that are working examples of the development and implementation of learning strategies and assessment across year levels of undergraduate programs in agriculture and agribusiness 4. highlighting the challenges and opportunities that exist for the implementation ofinquiry learning and problem-solving in an undergraduate program

Critical evaluation of the features on one student dashboard

This poster critically evaluates the implementation a particular undergraduate student dashboard. The evaluation uses Scheffel et al.’s (2014) five criteria for judging learning analytical quality (objectives, learning support, learning measures and output data aspects and organisational aspects). It presents the findings of the evaluation and identifies further questions for further research in the emergent area of learning analytics and dashboard design

Laying Down the Foundations for International Student Journey. Students as Academic Partners Project Report.

The aim of this project was to explore the lived experiences of being an international student studying at a University within the UK and to make recommendations for future provision. There are increasing numbers of international students studying at Universities within the UK. Positive learning environments and arrangements are the responsibility of the host University and international students’ needs should be taken into consideration. This project was led by international students in collaboration with academic staff. It involved a qualitative exploration of international student perspectives and their experiences of studying within the UK. Ten international students completed a questionnaire that was designed by international students. Respondents were asked questions in relation to three areas: coming to the UK, arriving in the UK and studying in the UK

Engaging with Bourdieu\u27s theory of practice: an empirical tool for exploring school students\u27 technology practice

This article presents Bourdieu\u27s theory of practice as a tool for exploring school students\u27 technology practice in empirical research. The authors provide educational technology researchers with an accessible introduction to the theory of practice. They then detail the conceptual, methodological and analytic application of the theory of practice in two educational technology studies. The application of the theory in the two studies highlights the potential of the sociological framing for informing a robust critical research agenda and understanding the circumstances that can contribute to digital inequalities. Practically, knowledge gained through theoretically informed research is critical for researchers, governments, schools and teachers in working to overcome digital inequalities

Persisting students' explanations of and emotional responses to academic failure

Academic failure is an important and personal event in the lives of university students, and the ways they make sense of experiences of failure matters for their persistence and future success. Academic failure contributes to attrition, yet the extent of this contribution and precipitating factors of failure are not well understood. To illuminate this world-wide problem, we analysed institutional data at a large, comprehensive Australian university and surveyed 186 undergraduate students who had failed at least one unit of study in 2016, but were still enrolled in 2017. Academic failure increased the likelihood of course attrition by 4.2 times. The students who failed and persisted attributed academic failure to a confluence of dispositional, situational, and institutional factors. There was a compounded effect of academic failure on already-vulnerable students resulting in strong negative emotions. Viewing persistence as an interaction between individuals and their sociocultural milieu opens up different avenues for research and considerations for support

It’s About Time: working towards more equitable understandings of the impact of time for students in higher education

Higher education experiences are increasingly intensified by competing imperatives of study, work, and personal commitments. However, despite significant change, the assumption persists that time is a neutral and linear framework in which all students are equally positioned. This report documents our research into how experiences of ‘time’, as well as dominant discourses about ‘time management’, impact on the attraction, retention, and performance of students in higher education. The study engaged 46 students from undergraduate programs at three regional universities, one in Australia and two a small regional town in the United Kingdom, where the student population includes significant cohorts of equity groups including students from regional and rural backgrounds

Persisting students\u27 explanations of and emotional responses to academic failure

Academic failure is an important and personal event in the lives of university students, and the ways they make sense of experiences of failure matters for their persistence and future success. Academic failure contributes to attrition, yet the extent of this contribution and precipitating factors of failure are not well understood. To illuminate this world-wide problem, we analysed institutional data at a large, comprehensive Australian university and surveyed 186 undergraduate students who had failed at least one unit of study in 2016, but were still enrolled in 2017. Academic failure increased the likelihood of course attrition by 4.2 times. The students who failed and persisted attributed academic failure to a confluence of dispositional, situational, and institutional factors. There was a compounded effect of academic failure on already-vulnerable students resulting in strong negative emotions. Viewing persistence as an interaction between individuals and their sociocultural milieu opens up different avenues for research and considerations for support