Students' perceptions of a virtual team assessment item (VTAI): An Australian case study

In today's global business environment, business graduates are often required to work as members of virtual teams. This paper presents the findings of an electronic survey of distance education students' perceptions concerning a virtual team assessment item (VTAI) using asynchronous discussion. The VTAI was set for an undergraduate marketing course at an Australian university. The findings revealed that while the distance education students did not necessarily enjoy the VTAI and found the assessment task to be both frustrating and time-consuming, they agreed that the task was beneficial to their learning and should be included in future course offerings

Moving an Australian dual mode university to the online environment: a case study

This paper discusses an educational initiative, USQ Online which has enabled the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia, to deliver multiple courses via the Internet to students worldwide. The paper briefly outlines the underlying structure and philosophy of distance education at USQ and then describes how the online initiative has evolved from this existing distance education infrastructure. The paper reflects on the conceptualisation and initiation of the USQ Online project and the consequences of an apparent shift in the pattern of teaching and learning in a higher education institution following the introduction of online teaching. An interim evaluation conducted by the authors makes the following recommendations: open communication, consultation and collaboration should form the basis of such a major institutional initiative; roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders should be clearly defined; synergies and alliances with strong partners are essential; and there should be sound technological support at all levels

Online pedagogy as a challenge to the traditional distance education paradigm

This paper briefly discusses the educational context at The University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia where many courses are delivered solely online. It provides a comparison between online and traditional distance education and reflects on how online pedagogy challenges traditional distance education pedagogy. The pedagogy of print-based distance learning materials has tended to incorporate instructional design strategies aimed at providing an independent learning experience. Internet technology has created opportunities for interactive and collaborative learning which represent an alternative to traditional, autonomous approaches to the delivery of academic content

New models for learning flexibility: negotiated choices for both academics and students

‘Flexible learning’ represents a need associated with ‘lifelong learning’ and the equipping of graduates to actively engage in a ‘knowledge society’. While the precise meaning of each of these terms is not easy to discern, notions of flexible learning have progressed an evolutionary path that concentrates on students as though they are the only stakeholder group in the higher education environment that would benefit from choice. Academic discourse also presumes that all cultural groups making up the increasingly diverse student population aspire to engage in student-centred learning as a precursor to involvement in a knowledge economy. In this environment academics have been encouraged to embrace on-line teaching and promote a more student-centred learning approach when the natural inclination and talent of many academics may make this style of pedagogy so challenging that learning outcomes are compromised. We question this ‘one size fits all’ mentality and suggest a model that empowers both the students and academics by allowing them the ability to choose the approach that suits their educational philosophy and preferred learning/teaching approach. The model represents an innovation in flexibility that recognises initial embedded learning foundation abilities and reaches both teachers and learners by utilizing their own frames of reference

An exploratory study to determine students' perceptions of the value of interaction in an Australian classroom context and the perceived impact on learning outcomes

Interaction has long been a defining and critical component of the educational process, whatever the classroom context (Anderson 2003). This paper presents findings of a study to explore the attitudes of students at an Australian university towards various types interactivity in the classroom. The study also investigates students perceptions of how interactivity in the classroom impacts on cognitive, affective and behavioural learning outcomes. In a recent review of the literature Muirhead & Juwah (2003) argue that interactivity is critical in underpinning the learning process in face-to-face, campus based and distance and online education. They say that interactions serve a diverse range of functions in the educational process, which include learner to learner, learner to content, learner to tutor, learner to technology, tutor to content, tutor to technology, content to content. These functions promote and enhance the quality of active, participative learning in a learning environment. However, literature indicates that attitudes towards active learning involving greater interactivity varies across students and between students and lecturers (Billings, Connors, & Skiba 2001). Investigation into student attitudes of the value and effectiveness of interaction is of particular interest for educators who are adapting the learning of a diverse range of students, including oncampus, distance, international, under and postgradute students. Much of the existing research into classroom interaction was grounded in the behaviourist and cognitive sciences approach to learning and teaching, where traditional classroom interaction placed the teacher at the centre of all activities as transmitter of knowledge and co-coordinator of student interaction (McLoughlin 2002). Those studies predate the recent application of constructivism (Bonk and Cunningham 1998) and social learning theory (Bandura (1977), and the emphasis on building life long learning skills. This research will contribute to current discussion about the role of interaction in learning, based on a constructivist approach to developing life long learning skills. This paper will present the findings of an exploratory study of students’ attitudes to various types of interaction in a classroom context. The first step of this exploratory study will employ a focus group approach to gather data from on campus students to identify the key issues that emerge from this data. These findings will be used to design a survey instrument to implement a follow-up research project

Identifying, building and sustaining leadership capacity for communities of practice in higher education

Executive summary The Leadership project LE10-1734, ‘Identifying, building and sustaining leadership capacity for communities of practice in higher education’, used an iterative, reflective, action learning approach to identify and address the leadership needs and challenges for those facilitating learning and teaching communities of practice (CoPs). CoPs are increasingly established in higher education to provide opportunities for staff to form a peer learning community and to allocate dedicated time to build knowledge of learning and teaching and to share their practice, ultimately leading to improvement and innovation. An analysis of the academic literature identified confusion around the understanding of CoPs, a dearth of literature specifically on higher education, and a gap regarding the leadership role within CoPs. The leadership role within CoPs can be challenging as the CoP may have an uneasy fit within the context of higher education institutions. Often CoPs are not aligned with formal structures, and the leadership role/s within CoPs can differ significantly from those of the familiar ‘corporate’ roles of committee chair, department head or unit/course leader. Often CoP members will be from different disciplines and may include both professional and academic staff. The dynamics of collaboration within such diversity will require significant leadership skill to manage personalities and power dynamics, cultivate a supportive receptive context and provide outcomes useful for both members and institutions. Thus, for this project, the ‘leadership’ role in the CoP is designated the ‘facilitator.’ The project team’s action research methodology is detailed in Chapter 2 of this report. Data to inform a leadership needs analysis were obtained through a literature review, a broad quantitative survey of the higher education sector, as well as from in-depth qualitative investigation with key informants. The triangulation of these sources, plus input from the reference group and evaluator, provided a deep understanding of the leadership needs and challenges for those facilitating learning and teaching CoPs in higher education. Data identified most CoPs are situated within university faculties among practitioners and are, therefore, close to where student learning takes place. In evaluating how best to support and develop capability for facilitators of CoPs in the Australian context, the project team concluded that “[r]esearch … indicates that there is no one definitive set of ‘traits’ or ‘behaviours’ that characterises leaders” and there are many diverse types of successful leader with a range of qualities, skills and attributes (Jameson 2008, p. 9). Therefore, the project’s methodology highlighted a need to engage strongly with the target end users to identify their needs; this featured throughout the project. To facilitate this approach, early, continuous engagement with a stakeholder network of individuals in Australia and overseas known to facilitate or be interested in facilitating CoPs, ensured strong involvement in the project by stakeholders. Additionally, the project team developed linkages with a number of groups working in the same area overseas and with other OLT projects in Australia. Through the stakeholder network, and other interested groups, a targeted survey and in-depth interviews informed a needs analysis for CoP facilitators in the sector, which led into development of resources from the project. These resources were derived after a comprehensive literature review, survey and interviews, as depicted in Figure 2 below, as well as engagement with the stakeholder network. A rich set of Australian, higher education-specific resources designed explicitly for those who facilitate higher education communities of practice is the key outcome of the project. Based on feedback from the project survey, interviews and the stakeholder network, the resources were developed as a ’just in time, just for me‘ integrated online package aimed at disciplinary academics who were found to be the key facilitators of CoPs in the Australian setting. The resources are framed and constructed around the development phases through which CoPs typically move, as shown in Figure 3 below. Figure 2: Identifying CoP leadership needs for development and capacity building: A triangulated/iterative approach Figure 3: Phases of Communities of Practice The introductory explanations to the resources note that the need for particular skills may be more pronounced in some phases of the CoP than others and, also, that each facilitator has a separate development journey, and, thus, completes a self-audit to assess their development needs. For each phase of CoP development, there are key leadership skills, capabilities or competencies that are needed to contribute to successful leadership by the facilitator. The resources, therefore, cover a range of skills, capabilities and competencies, in each phase of CoP development. Each individual resource is constructed to be short and sharp and to stand alone, but sits within the overall framework outlined above. These resources have been tested and reviewed with target academics at Australian-based conferences and workshops and are available for free distribution via the project website . The independent evaluation of the project highlighted that the project team displayed significant strengths including a tight project design, joint leadership, a strong approach to working together that worked with the team’s strengths and the continuous engagement model through the stakeholder network. The evaluator concludes that these strengths ensured the project stayed on time and on budget to produce excellent outcomes. In particular, the project demonstrated clear value through the identification of and engagement with end users, its articulation of the strengths and use of the CoP approach in higher education, and ultimately, through its contribution to the development of CoP facilitators.

Reflecting on institutional support for SoTL engagement: developing a conceptual framework

This paper considers the support required to develop Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) capability across institutions. Rather than developing a checklist or a standardised audit approach, this paper describes the reflective journey taken by a group of academic developers who used strategies and structures previously identified in the literature to develop a conceptual framework for academic professional development. The framework was refined through an iterative process, including reflection on its use within diverse institutional contexts, combined with evaluative feedback from recognised experts in the field. The resulting framework is designed to facilitate and guide conversations to support institutional decision-making related to SoTL capacity building

Leading institutional change through learning and teaching communities

The potential for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) initiatives to influence practice has been an important issue explored throughout the literature since Boyer’s early discussions on scholarship. While it is now generally accepted that individual inquiry and reflection into teaching and learning issues can positively impact one’s practice, the interest in SoTL has shifted from individual scholarship to wider contexts. In recent years, academic developers and leaders have expressed a desire to better understand how SoTL initiatives can be successfully implemented and embedded at the institutional level as a strategy to not only influence individuals’ practice, but contribute to a broader shift in cultural perspectives on teaching and learning. This paper will discuss recent research on an institutional initiative utilising SoTL as a strategy to simultaneously address staff professional development needs and quality enhancement of learning and teaching. The Learning and Teaching Community Grant Initiative was developed to promote/support learning and teaching initiatives, while investigating and resolving specific educational issues of particular importance to the institution. Key aims of the initiative include: • the formation of academic communities focused on enhanced Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Cox, 2004; Wenger, 2014); • improved educational practice; • the identification and support of emerging scholars at the institution; and • broad impact on institutional value of SoTL activities. In early 2015, three Learning and Teaching Communities were established to enable the University’s academic and professional staff to collaborate on learning and teaching issues. The research focus is on the ‘lived experience’ (VanManen,1990) of participants, using observation, interviews and focus group methodology. The project will conclude with a Most Significant Change (MSC) analysis in which participants will be asked to identify significant change the project made in their lives. They will then share those reflections, and decide as a group on what they count as most significant (Davies & Dart, 2005). This articulation of the process and outcomes to participants provides feedback and builds transformative knowledge, in line with the philosophy of Learning Communities that underpins the initiative (Cox, 2004; Wenger 2014). Data collected is being analysed to provide formative and summative evaluation of the project to determine the implications for future Learning and Teaching Communities as institutional SoTL initiatives. Preliminary findings of the investigation into the impact of this initiative will be shared. Evidence will be reported regarding: • effective practices identified for using a SoTL community model as a professional development strategy; and • indicators of change in the attitudes and behaviors of participants collectively and individually. These findings will build upon previous work about the potential for learning communities. It is expected that the findings will have practical significance for those striving to enhance practice and promote an institutional culture that recognizes and values SoTL (Furco & Moely, 2012; Schwartz & Haynie, 2013). To promote audience engagement, participants will have time to: • reflect on their perspectives in small groups; • share previous experiences with institutional SoTL initiatives (whole group); and • participate in a Q&A session with presenters and other participants

Identifying and building the leadership capacity of community of practice facilitators

The authors report on an Australian project that conducted a sector-wide needs analysis and qualitative interviews to identify community of practice (CoP) leadership roles, challenges, and development needs. Survey and interview data identified that most communities of practice are situated within university faculties among practitioners and are, therefore, close to where student learning takes place. The project findings informed the creation of resources to develop CoP leadership capacity to foster shared social learning and thereby improve learning and teaching across the Australian higher education sector. This article outlines the distributed leadership approach that profiled the strengths of each member of the project team and enabled the group to become a CoP in action and to work collaboratively over three years

Designing and implementing online discussion forums: an Australian case study

Effective online learning requires both teachers and students to move beyond traditional face-to-face and correspondence modes and adopt strategies that take advantage of the flexibility and connectivity in the virtual or online classroom. In higher education, a common approach to connectivity is the use of online discussion forums, so the design and implementation of these forums significantly impacts on students' learning experience and outcomes. The case study used a grounded theory approach to generate insights into the critical success factors that promote student learning outcomes in online discussion forums in an Australian post-graduate online course. The paper outlines the findings and presents recommendations for the effective design of online forums