Should students participate in curriculum design? Discussion arising from a first year curriculum design project and a literature review

This paper outlines some of the findings from a QAA (Scotland) funded project exploring first year curriculum design (Bovill et al. 2008). Whilst many examples exist of curricula being designed in ways to engage first year students, there are fewer published examples of active student participation in curriculum design processes. In the current higher education context where student engagement in learning is emphasised (Carini et al, 2006), this paper asks more generally whether students should be actively participating in curriculum design. In order to answer this question, several elements of the project findings are explored: student views gathered in focus groups; staff views collected in workshops; and the case studies where students were actively involved in curriculum design. The data are examined for lessons that inform the debate about whether students should be participating in curriculum design, in first year and at other levels. Alongside these findings, relevant literature is critiqued in order to ascertain the desirability and feasibility of adopting curriculum design approaches that offer opportunities for active student participation

Quality Enhancement Themes: the First Year Experience. Curriculum Design for the First Year

This report outlines the work and outcomes of a practice-focused development project 'Curriculum design for the first year'. The project was one of nine funded by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) under the First-Year Experience Enhancement Theme of the Scottish quality enhancement agenda. The stages of this curriculum design project included: completing a literature review; running staff workshops to gather and disseminate information; holding student focus groups to gather students, views and experiences of the curriculum; collecting case studies of interest to the sector; and reporting findings to the sector. Key findings from the literature are presented in this report. They include the need to adopt student-centred active learning strategies (Harvey, Drew and Smith, 2006; Oliver-Hoyo and Allen, 2005; Barefoot, 2002) and the importance of providing early formative feedback to students (Davidson and Young, 2005; Barefoot, 2002). Many suggestions for improving learning and teaching strategies have been adopted at module level, but could be implemented strategically across the breadth of a programme curriculum. Kift and Nelson (2005) supported this view and argued that it is equally important to support these principles with systemic university-wide change, including administrative and support programmes that are also integrated with the curriculum and student needs

Flux through a hole from a shaken granular medium

We have measured the flux of grains from a hole in the bottom of a shaken container of grains. We find that the peak velocity of the vibration, vmax, controls the flux, i.e., the flux is nearly independent of the frequency and acceleration amplitude for a given value of vmax. The flux decreases with increasing peak velocity and then becomes almost constant for the largest values of vmax. The data at low peak velocity can be quantitatively described by a simple model, but the crossover to nearly constant flux at larger peak velocity suggests a regime in which the granular density near the container bottom is independent of the energy input to the system.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. to appear in Physical Review

Initial Findings from a Large-Scale, Longitudinal Study of First-Year Learners' Experience of ePortfolios

Chesapeake, VA., USAePortfolios are one of the latest web 2.0 tools available to educators in tertiary education. Their application and popularity are growing rapidly in Europe and North America in all subject areas (Stefani, Mason and Pegler 2007; Strivens 2007). Early studies indicate that the learner response to this tool in the first year of study has been mixed, with a notable lack of student engagement and ownership (Oradini and Saunders 2007; Pond 2007; Cosh 2007; Peacock & Gordon 2007; Tosh et al. 2005). This response may reflect confusion regarding the different roles of an ePortfolio within the learning and teaching environment. However, there has been little indepth, longitudinal research into the learner experience of such systems to date that might substantiate this. This presentation outlines a new study, which sets out to explore first-year learners' experience of using ePortfolios with the aim of providing practical, grounded guidelines to support institutional implementation and assist effective student engagement.CAPBakker, G., Sloep, P. and Jochems, W. 2007. Students and instant messaging: a survey of current use and demands for higher education. ALT-J 15 (2) pp.143-153. Barrett, H. (2000). Electronic Teaching Portfolios: Multimedia Skills + Portfolio Development = Powerful and Professional Development. In: Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference. 8 - 12 February 2000. San Diego California. Barrett, H. and Carney, J. 2005. Conflicting paradigms and competing purposes in electronic portfolio development. Available from: <http://electronicportfolios.org/portfolios/LEAJournal-BarrettCarney.pdf> [Accessed November 26 2007]. Baume, D. 2003. Supporting Portfolio Development. LTSN Continuing Professional Development Series: No 3. Beetham, H. 2005. e-Portfolios in post-16 learning in the UK: developments, issues and opportunities. JISC e-learning and pedagogy strand of the JISC elearning programme. Available from: <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/eportfolio_ped.doc> [Accessed November 27 2007]. Beetham, H. and Strivens, J. 2005. Current e-Portfolio Developments in the 14-19, Adult and continuing learning sectors. Commissioned by the National Learning Network Transformation Board. Burgess report. 2007. Beyond the honours degree classification: the Burgess Group final report. Available from: <http://bookshop.universitiesuk.ac.uk/downloads/Burgess_final.pdf> [Accessed November 12 2007]. Cosh, J. 2007. PDP in the faculty of art, law and social sciences at Anglia Ruskin University. PDP-UK Newsletter, Issue 10, The Centre for Recording Achievement. Denzin, N. K., and Lincoln, Y. S. eds. 2005. The Sage handbook of qualitative research. 3rd ed. London: Sage. Department for Education and Skills. 2005. Harnessing Technology: Transforming learning and children's services.Available from: < http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/e-strategy/docs/e-strategy.pdf> [Accessed November 26 2007]. Dyson, M. 2005. Using computer mediated communication technologies in the development of digital portfolios. ICT in Educational Journal. Semester 2. Educause Centre for Applied Research (ECAR). 2007. The ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology, 2007. Available from: <http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/TheECARStudyofUnderg/45075> [Accessed December 6 2007]. Funk, K. 2004. Brief or new: student learning portfolios: balancing tradition with innovation. Occupational Therapy in Health Care 18 (1/2): pp.99-105. Higher Education Funding Council for England. 2005. HEFCE strategy for e-learning. Available from: <http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_12/05_12.pdf> [Accessed November 26 2007]. Ipsos MORI. 2007. Student expections study. Key findings from online research and discussion evenings held in June 2007 for the Joint Information Systems Committee. Available from: <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/studentexpectations.pdf?> [Accessed December 6 2007]. JISCinfonet. [no date] ePortfolio infoKit. Available from: <http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/eportfolios/ printable_version.pdf> [Accessed November 27 2007]. Monk, A., Wright, P., Haber, J., and Davenport, L. 1993. Improving your human-computer interface: a practical technique. Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall. NCIHE. 1997. Higher education in the learning society. Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education: The Dearing Report. London: HMSO. Available from: <http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe/> [Accessed November 26 2007]. Oradini, F., and Saunders, G. 2007. Introducing e-portfolios across a paper dominated university. Available from: <http://newsletter.alt.ac.uk/e_article000925026.cfm?x=bbrBpT6,b1Sq4BSv,w> [Accessed October 11 2007]. Peacock, S., and Gordon, L. 2007. Final report for ISLE Project, section 5.1: Identification of staff training needs and development of staff programme. Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University. Pond, J. 2007. ePortfolio introduction for the SABE students in levels 4 & 6 as part of the professional institutional requirement of CPD. Available from: <http://www.recordingachievement.org/downloads/20070316JPondWmin.pdf> [Accessed December 11 2007]. Siemens, G. 2004. ePortfolios. Available from: <http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/eportfolios.htm> [Accessed November 9 2007]. Stefani, L., Mason, R., and Pegler, C. 2007. The educational potential of e-portfolios: supporting personal development and reflective learning. Abingdon: Routledge. Strivens, J. 2007. A survey of ePdp and ePortfolio practice in UK higher education. HEA. Available from: <http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/id631_survey_of_epdp_and_eportfolio_practicef> [Accessed December 11 2007]. Tosh, D., Light, T., Fleming, K. and Haywood, J. 2005. Engagement with electronic portfolios: challenges from the student perspective, Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology 31 (3). Available from: <http://www.cjlt.ca/content/vol31.3/tosh.html> [Accessed December 11 2007]. Ward, R. and Grant, S. 2007. What is an ePortfolio? Centre for Recording Achievement. Available from: <http://www.recordingachievement.org/eportfolios/keydocs.asp> [Accessed December 2 2007].pub1106pu

Using feedback and ePortfolios to support professional competence in healthcare learners

This article presents a learner-centric approach to feedback for healthcare students based upon current research literature and the authors' own research into student experiences of feedback using ePortfolios. Feedback is essential for all learners but for healthcare learners failure to engage with feedback may impact on patient care with potentially life-threatening consequences. Therefore, the aim of this practical approach is to support learners in the development of their professional competency and identity through deeper and broader engagement with feedback facilitated through learner-generated internal reflective and external dialogues. Such an approach requires learners to broaden their conceptual understandings of feedback, embracing its different forms and types regardless of when it is provided and by whom. Learners are also required to become active agents in the feedback process seeking out feedback opportunities in all their learning environments within and outwith academia. Fundamental to the approach is the ePortfolio providing a highly flexible, integrative environment for learners to create, record, collect and collate feedback over a period of study which can be used for reflective dialogue, appraisal of current progress and to plan for future learning activities. Practical tutor guidance is provided and the suitability of this approach for other disciplines is also discussed.CAPAllin, Linda, and Lesley Fishwick. 2009. Learning and teaching guides: Engaging sports students in assessment and formative feedback. Higher Education Academy Network for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism. http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hlst/documents/resources/ssg_allin_assessment_f eedback.pdf (accessed July 1, 2011). Bailey, Richard. 2009. Undergraduate students' perceptions of the role and utility of written assessment feedback. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education (no. 1, February), http://www.aldinhe.ac.uk/ojs/ (accessed November 28, 2010). Benner, P. E. 2001. From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Bevan, Ruth, Joanne Badge, Alan Cann, Chris Wilmott, and Jon Scott. 2008. Seeing eye-toeye? Staff and student views on feedback. Bioscience Education 12, no. 1. http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/journal/vol12/beej-12-1.pdf (accessed December 16, 2010). Bing-You, R. G., T. Bertsch, and J. A. Thompson. 1998. Coaching medical students in receiving effective feedback. Teaching and Learning in Medicine 10, no. 4: 228-31. Bloxham, S., and P. Boyd. 2007. Developing effective assessment in higher education: A practical guide. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Brown, E., and C. Glover. 2006. Evaluating written feedback on students' assignments. In Bryan and Clegg 2006, 81-91. Burke, D. 2009. Strategies for using feedback students bring to higher education. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 34, no. 1: 41-50. Carless, D. 2006. Differing perceptions in the feedback process. Studies in Higher Education 31, no 2: 219-33. Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning in Assessment for Learning. 2010. http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/central/ar/academy/cetl_afl/ (accessed July 1, 2011). Chanock, Kate. 2000. Comments on essays: do students understand what tutors write? Teaching in Higher Education 5, no. 1: 95-105. Crisp, Beth R. 2007. Is it worth the effort? How feedback influences students' subsequent submission of assessable work. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 32, no. 5: 571-81. Epstein R.M., and E. M. Hundert. 2002. Defining and assessing professional competence. Journal of the American Medical Association 287, no. 2: 226-35. Eraut, M. 2006. Feedback. Learning in Health and Social Care 5, no. 3: 111-18. General Medical Council. 2010. The Medical Register. http://www.gmc-uk.org/ doctors/medical_register.asp (accessed December 16, 2010). Gibbon, C., and C. Dearnely. 2010. Increasing student engagement with feedback. In Contemporary issues in assessment in health sciences and practice education, eds. M.Hammick. and C. Reid, 72-92, London: Higher Education Academy Health Sciences & Practice Network. Glover, Chris, and Evelyn Brown. 2006. Written feedback for students: Too much, too detailed or too incomprehensible to be effective? Bioscience Education 7, no. 3. http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/journal/vol7/beej-7-3.pdf (accessed July 1, 2011). Health Professions Council. 2010. Registered Health Professionals. http://www.hpc-uk.org/ (accessed December 16, 2010). Higgins, R., P. Hartley, and A. Skelton. 2002. The Conscientious Consumer: Reconsidering the role of assessment feedback in students learning. Studies in Higher Education 27, no 1: 53-64. Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 2010. 2009/10 students by subject. http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/1897/239/ (accessed July 1, 2011). Hounsell, D. 2008. The trouble with feedback: New challenges, emerging strategies. Interchange, no. 2: 1-9. http://www.tla.ed.ac.uk/interchange/spring2008.pdf (accessed January 22, 2009). Hounsell, D., V. McCune, J. Hounsell, and J. Litjens. 2008. The quality of guidance and feedback to students. Higher Education Research & Development 27, no 1: 55-67. JISCinfoNet. 2008. E-portfolios. Learner perspectives. http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/e-portfolios/learner (accessed March 12, 2009). Johnston, Carol, Ciannon Cazaly, and Nilss Olekalns. 2008. The first year experience: perceptions of feedback. Paper presented at the Universitas 21 Conference on Teaching and Learning, Does Teaching and Learning Translate? Learning Across the U21 Network, 21-22 February 2008, University of Glasgow. http://www.universitas21.com/TandL/Papers/Fri1.pdf (accessed December 16, 2010). Juwah, Charles, Debra Macfarlane-Dick, Bob Matthew, David Nicol, David Ross, and Brenda Smith. 2004. Enhancing student learning through effective formative feedback. York: The Higher Education Academy (Generic Centre). http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/resourcedatabase/id35 3_senlef_guide.pdf (accessed July 1, 2011). Lizzio, A., and K. Wilson. 2008. Feedback on assessment: Students' perceptions of quality and effectiveness. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 33, no 3: 263-75. McCune, V., and D. Hounsell. 2005. The development of students' ways of thinking and practising in three final-year biology courses. Higher Education 49: 255-99. Moon, J. 1999. Reflection in learning and professional development: Theory and practice. London: Kogan Page. Morrison, Sarah. 2010. Medical emergency. The Guardian, October 19. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/oct/19/medical-students-training (accessed July 1, 2011). Nicol, D. 2010. From monologue to dialogue: Improving written feedback processes in mass higher education. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 35, no 5: 501-18. Nicol, D. 2011. Good design for written feedback to students. In McKeachie's teaching tips: strategies, research and theory for college and university teachers, eds. M. Svinicki, and W. McKeachie, 108-124, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Nicol, D., and D. Macfarlane-Dick. 2006. Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education 31, no. 2: 199-218. Nicol, D., and C. Milligan. 2006. Re-thinking technology supported assessment practices in relation to the seven principles of good feedback practice. In Bryan and Clegg 2006, 64-78. Nursing and Midwifery Council. 2010. Search the register. http://www.nmc-uk.org/Searchthe- register/ (accessed December 16, 2010). Orsmond, P., S. Merry, and K. Reiling. 2005. Biology students' utilization of tutors' formative feedback: A qualitative interview study. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 30, no 4: 369-86. Peacock, S., and L. Gordon. 2007. Final report for ISLE Project, section 5.1: Identification of staff training needs and development of staff programme. Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University. Peacock, S., K. Morss, A. Scott, J. Hislop, L. Irvine, S. Murray, and S. T. Girdler. 2009. Using ePortfolios in higher education to encourage learner reflection and support personalised learning. In Technology-supported environments for personalized learning: Methods and case studies, ed. J. O'Donoghue, 185-211. New York: Information Science Reference. Peacock, S., S. Murray, J. Kelly, and A. Scott. (2011). Exploring healthcare learners' experiences of feedback and eportfolios. International Journal of ePortfolio, 1, no 1: 33-48. Poulos, A., and M. J. Mahony. 2008. Effectiveness of feedback: The students' perspective. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 33, no 2: 143-54. Price, R., N. Hopwood, and V. Pearce. 2000. Auditing the clinical placement experience. Radiography 6: 151-59. Rowe, A. D., and L. N. Wood. 2008. Student perceptions and preferences for feedback. Asian Social Science 4, no 3: 78-88. Sadler, D. R. 2010. Beyond feedback: Developing student capability in complex appraisal. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 35, no 5: 535-50. Scott, J., J. Badge, and A. Cann. 2009. Perceptions of feedback one year on: A comparative study of the views of first and second year biological sciences students. Bioscience Education 13-2. http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/journal/vol13/beej-13-2.pdf (accessed July1, 2011). Scott, A. 2010. Management of clinical education. Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University. Sutherland and Powell. 2007. CETIS SIG mailing list discussions. https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A1=ind0707&L=CETISPORTFOLIO# 3 (accessed July 2, 2011). Weaver, M. R. 2006. Do students value feedback? Student perceptions of tutors' written responses. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 31, no 3: 379-94. Wojtas, O. 1998. Feedback? No, just give us the answers. Times Higher Education Supplement, September 25. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=109162&sectioncode=2 6 (accessed July 1, 2011). Wood, B. P. 2000. Feedback: A key feature of medical training. Radiology 215: 17-19. Young, P. 2000. I might as well give-up: Self-esteem and mature students' feelings about feedback on assignments. Journal of Further and Higher Education 24, no 3: 409-18.16pub2746pu

Adopting a blended approach to learning: experiences from radiography at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

The perspective of the radiography teaching team at Queen Margaret University (QMU) was that a transmission mode of programme delivery was sub-optimal in helping students to learn and make links between theory and practice. Programme redesign adopted a blended learning approach with both face-to-face and online learning aimed at enhancing the students’ control over their own learning. Online tasks within Web Classroom Tools (WebCT) were used as an integral part of careful programme design, which resulted in a programme enabling synthesis of the skills, knowledge and competencies acquired in the academic and clinical environments. With the move towards a more learner-centred, blended educational experience for the students the lecturers’ role shifted to that of facilitator with WebCT providing the tutor with a more transparent view of student learning. Lecturers plan learning activities that build upon the skills students have developed through learning in groups, online and in class. The explicit connections that now exist between the academic programme and the opportunities for applying knowledge in practice allow students to engage more deeply in their learning

EXAFS studies of lanthanide coordination in crystalline phosphates and amorphous phytates

As part of the DOE Efficient Separations and Processing Integrated Program, techniques are being developed to stabilize radioactive and hazardous contaminants to prevent their migration from buried wastes. This report is part of a study to immobilize actinide ions in the near-surface environment by reacting them with organophosphorus complexants that decompose to phosphates. Nd and Gd ions were used as models for Pu, Am, and Cm ions; phytic acid was used as the complexant. Solid Nd and Gd phytates were prepared and the coordination characterized by EXAFS

In Deadly Time: The Lasting On of Waste in Mayhew’s London

This paper examines the temporal dimension of waste in Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor as an instance of how modernity has produced a largely hidden domain of the non-identical and indeterminate. Through a consideration of the phenomena of uselessness, decay and poverty I argue that the temporal dimension of waste is constituted as a corrosive or malign ‘Deadly Time.’ In placing such emphasis on time directed towards death, I aim to show that Mayhew’s undisciplined researches can be seen as a valuable source for understanding why modern thinking struggles to come to terms with waste

Learning in the Palaver Hut: The ‘Africa Study Visit’ as teaching tool.

noThe aim of this article is to assess the experiential learning environment of the African Study Visit (ASV). It presents a theoretically grounded analysis of the ASV. Although field visits are not a new phenomenon within Higher Education, they seem, but with few exceptions, to be considered as an add-on teaching method. By drawing from the experiential learning literature, we demonstrate that there are sound pedagogical reasons for incorporating field visits like the ASV into the curriculum as stand-alone components. Thus, the original contribution of this article is to place the ASV within the experiential learning literature such that the theoretical, practical and conceptual benefits for students are understood. Its significance is that this article offers a set of practices from an experiential learning perspective that can be used for deepening the levels of comprehension of political issues in Africa for international studies students

Checking the list: Can a model of Down syndrome help us explore the intellectual accessibility of Heritage sites?

There is currently a lack of provision for, and research into, the intellectual accessibility of heritage sites. This paper explores some possible ways forward. It examines recent research with people described as having Down syndrome and uses the syndrome's identified characteristics to create good practice guidelines. It assesses these guidelines against an audio tour written for people with learning difficulties. In conclusion, the paper suggests that drawing upon a generalised model of Down syndrome and these good practice guidelines will allow sites to identify some potential barriers and enablers to intellectual accessibility, but that fully to appreciate the effectiveness of their provision they must still institute site?specific research by people with learning difficulties