Authentic learning experiences: complementary organizational strategy for academic professional development

There are numerous websites and considerable literature which describe approaches to learning and teaching using a range of technologies in higher education contexts for academic staff. Further, that as academic staff development is increasingly recognized as having an essential role to play in the recasting of ways in which teachers work with students and how students best learn, that this is an area ripe for new consideration. It is the author's contention here, that embracing the role of student, as a lived experience, can assist academic developers in reconsidering and renewing their conceptions of learning and teaching. This could go in some part in informing the practice and processes of academic staff developers in understanding, promoting and supporting flexible learning modes

Veterinarians with Disabilities: An International Issue

[Excerpt] The issue of people with disabilities entering and working in the veterinary profession is necessarily an international one rather than a localized concern restricted to a few of the so-called developed countries. The reasons for this will be explored later in this article; at this stage, it is appropriate to give an outline of the work currently taking place in the United Kingdom—one of the previously mentioned “developed countries.” Despite such a level of development, the idea that disabled people might have a role in veterinary work has come like a bolt out of the blue for many both within and outside the profession. As we age, we tend to think that “there is nothing new under the sun”—until, one day, we discover that there are other undreamt-of metaphorical suns

1955 survey of consumer finances: the financial position of consumers

Consumer surveys ; Consumer behavior

“It’s About Whose Voices Matter”: Reflections on Insider/Outsider Status in Prison Classrooms

Based on the author’s experience of teaching on a higher education project in two English prisons - one for men aged 18-30 and one for women aged over 21 - the article considers how critical reflection on prison norms encourages authenticity and respect in the classroom. These elements provide a foundation for students to negotiate conflicting subject positions and meanings and build critical thinking skills. Both prisons and universities are risk averse and bound by structured approaches to risk and authority that may impact the development of such relationships. The author reflects on how conflicts and collaboration in both classrooms were mediated through the her status as a former prisoner, and how that offered opportunities to disrupt notions of expertise, authority and authenticity in productive - if sometimes uncomfortable - ways

Why the student voice? The case for investigating the distance learners' experience of ICT in distance education

In recent years the student experience of higher education in general and distance education in particular has been strongly influenced by wide scale uptake of internet based learning approaches, internationalisation and an expanding distance education market, amongst many other trends. As competition within the sector increases because of access to the WWW and other in-country socio-political influences, the push to attract and retain students is becoming a key issue for institutions. Understanding the distance student’s voice in relation to these trends and developing appropriate responses to ensure a satisfactory learning experience is becoming of critical importance. This paper reports on a work in progress. It discusses some of the trends influencing students’ learning in our increasingly borderless world and outlines a rationale for investigating the student voice to meet the unique needs of the distance learner. It describes approaches that will be adopted by a consortium of Australian and New Zealand distance education providers to undertake this work

The adventures of Miranda in the brave new world: learning in a Web 2.0 millennium

This paper looks at the implications of Web 2.0 technologies for university teaching and learning. The latest generation of undergraduates already live in a Web 2.0 world. They have new service expectations and are increasingly dissatisfied with teacher‐centred pedagogies. To attract and retain these students, universities will need to rethink their operations. New social technologies mean that universities have the chance to create a new generation of student‐centred learning environments, to realize the idea of a University 2.0. The following discussion draws upon a fictional character in order to capture the possible futures of such a brave new world