Technology advances : transforming university teaching through professional development

Increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in universities is a global trend. However, many teaching academics are unfamiliar with the possibilities of ICTs and have limited understanding of how to integrate them into their teaching in pedagogically appropriate ways. Th is highlights a need for universities to provide professional development opportunities to assist staff to better understand their teaching practices, and the theoretical perspectives underpinning them, in order to exploit current educational technologies for the benefi t of student learning. This paper introduces the broad trends infl uencing the advancement of technology in higher education before considering the opportunities that the new context off ers for pushing the boundaries of theory and practice relating to learning and teaching in higher education. It then describes an online professional development initiative which responds to these opportunities. Th is is an exemplars website entitled Designing Electronic Learning and Teaching Approaches (DELTA) which has been introduced at Monash University to support pedagogically appropriate teaching with technology.<br /

Teaching with wikis: addressing the digital divide

This paper addresses some aspects of the digital divide affecting teachers and learners in higher education. These relate to divisions arising from variable rates of technology adoption by teachers, which may be especially problematic when students’ uptake of technology is much more rapid than those who teach them, and also to divisions within the student body which teachers need to accommodate when they plan the design of learning. To address these divisions, we designed a pilot online workshop to prepare a small group of teaching staff at two Australian universities for using wikis in teaching and assessment. Participants were immersed in the experience of collaborating on a project in a wiki as learners, and then asked to reflect on this experience as teachers. We used a participatory action research approach with a view to developing a community of enquiry to investigate this experience for improving future offerings, and informing the participants’ teaching practice. This paper reports on the professional development effort, reflecting on the successes and limitations of the work, and lessons learned in relation to bridging the above aspects of the digital divide. We then comment on the potential for further development in the context of the evolution of learning technology as a research discipline

Teaching with wikis : addressing the digital divide

This paper addresses some aspects of the digital divide affecting teachers and learners in higher education. These relate to divisions arising from variable rates of technology adoption by teachers, which may be especially problematic when students&rsquo; uptake of technology is much more rapid than those who teach them, and also to divisions within the student body which teachers need to accommodate when they plan the design of learning. To address these divisions, we designed a pilot online workshop to prepare a small group of teaching staff at two Australian universities for using wikis in teaching and assessment. Participants were immersed in the experience of collaborating on a project in a wiki as learners, and then asked to reflect on this experience as teachers. We used a participatory action research approach with a view to developing a community of enquiry to investigate this experience for improving future offerings, and informing the participants&rsquo; teaching practice. This paper reports on the professional development effort, reflecting on the successes and limitations of the work, and lessons learned in relation to bridging the above aspects of the digital divide. We then comment on the potential for further development in the context of the evolution of learning technology as a research discipline.<br /

Bridging the Gap Between Skidmore Students and Local Businesses

Skidmore students are an underutilized customer base for small businesses in Saratoga Springs. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the purchasing behaviors of Skidmore students in order to determine how local small businesses can better attract them as customers. Current Skidmore students were surveyed and interviewed to ascertain overarching patterns in their purchasing habits. Results show that word of mouth and social media are influential at Skidmore, but are underutilized by local businesses. Findings also suggest that purchasing habits are largely formed during students’ first year at Skidmore. Finally, interview and survey results indicate that Skidmore students most value convenience when making purchasing decisions, and that local businesses must be made more accessible to students on campus in order for them to compete with online commerce sites and on campus options, which students find more convenient. Results were analyzed in order to generate communications, marketing, and business strategies that small businesses can adapt in order to effectively leverage survey and interview insights

Different spaces : staff development for Web 2.0

This paper reports on a collaborative staff development activity run across two Australian universities, for academic staff integrating Web 2.0 technologies into their teaching. It describes a three-week long virtual workshop on teaching with wikis, where participants in two groups developed a group project as students and then assessed the work as teachers. Participants were guided through a central Wikis in Higher Education wiki which provided the resources and communication supports. The experience suggested that teaching in a Web 2.0 space requires new thinking about pedagogy and that peer learning and the development of an online community are helpful for effective professional development. In closing, the paper reflects on the successes and limitations of this virtual workshop model.<br /

The Undiscovered Truths of Collaborative Value Creation in UK Grocery Retail Category Management Relationships

Extended Abstract Category management is a collaborative approach to product selection and management between manufacturers and retailers, to enable the effective management of product categories rather than individual brands (Gooner et al., 2011; Hubner, 2011, Neilsen et al., 2006). This paper reports the emerging findings from qualitative research that explores the undiscovered truths of collaborative value creation in UK grocery retail category management relationships. Previous research in this field is mainly quantitative and does not always reflect the true nature of UK grocery retail practice. These past studies focus on the consumer alone being the creator of value. However, category management literature highlights the ‘triple win’ (value for retailers, manufacturers and consumers) in the collaborative ideal. The UK grocery market has gone through unprecedented change over recent years due to economic recession, environmental impacts and a shift in consumer habits and demands (IGD, 2019; Kantar, 2019; Shopper Intelligence, 2019). The research seeks to explore ways to assist the UK food industry practitioners to address these issues. After reviewing the literature gaps emerged, including the reality of value creation within category management relationships from an industry perspective. To gain a deeper understanding of the practitioner’s perspective a qualitative research study was undertaken in the form of semi-structured interviews. This method was chosen to bridge the gap between academia and practice and facilitate a basis for future category management strategies. Senior managers from UK food manufacturers and retailers were interviewed in response to the recommendations made by Lindbolm and Olkkonen (2008) to provide privileged data. The interviews generated written transcripts which were analysed and coded using a thematic analysis, to determine common themes. The themes that emerged were firstly, the changing role of the category captain to create more value in a disruptive UK grocery market. Secondly, the reality of value creation is that despite the notion it being a harmonious relationship it does not always result in value co-creation. Indeed, it emerged that there is value no-creation, and even value co-destruction within the category management relationship. Finally, it became apparent that due to the nature of the market and the rise in private label penetration within the UK grocery retail market that smaller niche and private label only suppliers can acquire the category partner/leader role within the category management relationship. The findings from the supplier and retailer interviews included a variety of questions surrounding their roles related to category management, but also commercial and marketing. The common view from the food industry practitioners was that the future of the category captain function is uncertain. Suppliers claim that it is moving away from a category management perspective to category leadership, whereas the retailers believe that it is still an effective management model due to the exponential growth of the food discounters. This demonstrates that the true beliefs of the supplier and the retailer are in fact different, and co-destruction as well as co-creation exists. Retailer strategies are predominantly focused on driving private label whereas the bigger branded suppliers want to expand their own ranges. Co-destruction occurs due to the mis-alignment of the strategies between the supplier and retailer. Private label creates an open and trusted relationship between the supplier and the retailer. This allows an opportunity for overall category growth and inclusion of all category suppliers regardless of size and resource contribution, and in line with competition legislation. This study has contributed to category management literature and practice which has implications for both academia and food industry practice. From an academic standpoint the key contribution was the fact that the category captain role is either currently non-existent or being phased out by the practitioners. The literature however still believes it exists in the traditional function. Practitioners however agree the role has changed and it should now be a leadership function rather than a traditional management task. It is therefore important that the gap between knowledge and practice is reduced to ensure the literature reflects what really happens. In conclusion, the study has aimed to bridge the gap between academia and practice by focusing on the three themes. The research has found that category management literature and practice are quite different, and this study is the first of its type to link the two together. Further research within category management should include more practitioner insight through qualitative studies to focus on the often-unclear belief of the suppliers and retailers. This establishes the benchmark for wider quantitative research and attract a broader range of suppliers including private label and smaller niche brands. This should also include a wider range of categories than those of this study and include categories such as chilled convenience

The role of irradiation in the management of the axilla in early breast cancer patients

The need for axillary radiotherapy in patients with invasive breast cancer (IBC) has been a topic of great debate in the last decade. Management of the axilla has evolved significantly over the past four decades with a trend towards de-escalation of surgical interventions and the aim of reducing morbidity and enhancing QOL without compromising long-term oncology outcomes. This review article will address the role of axillary irradiation with a focus on the omission of completion axillary lymph node dissection in selected patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN) positive early breast cancer (EBC) with reference to current guidelines based on evidence to date