Introducing action research as a vehicle to bring about change to a psychiatric nursing curriculum in Taiwan

The focus of this study is on curriculum change within a School of Nursing in Taiwan where there is a growing demand for educational reform in order to meet the new accreditation standards and demands of the Taiwan Nursing Accreditation Council (TNAC). The aim of this study was to transform the Psychiatric Nursing curriculum in ways that are empowering, generative and sustainable. This study introduced Action Research as a vehicle to bring about curriculum transformation. I conceptualised a framework to guide the transformation process based on the notions of learner-centredness, conceptual change, pedagogical knowledge, reflection, collaboration, reculturing and empowerment. The Action Plan was developed in accordance with the conceptual framework, and was developed in five steps through which team members explored and became aware of our conceptions of teaching and learning, and then planned and implemented actions to change our curriculum, and examined and reflected on the curriculum transformation. The study demonstrated the value of working collaboratively to solve educational problems. This study also suggested that experiential knowledge, when shared and integrated with theoretical knowledge, can constructively contribute to all aspects of curriculum transformation. This study further supported the value of including clinical facilitators in the development and transformation of curricula. It confirmed that academics and clinical facilitators can work together to create new learning for students. This study is significant for both practical and political reasons. Its practical significance lies in its direct utility to the learners and teachers who were involved in the study. The political significance lies in the potential of the study to lead to further changes or improvements in other, similar contexts. The study is limited in that any interpretations cannot be generalised to other contexts. However, what emerged adds to the body of knowledge in such a way that it would constitute the basis for better informed educational practice.

Reframing the development of corporate learning

Due to increasing recognition by industry that partnerships with universities can lead to more effective knowledge and skills acquisition and deployment, corporate learning programmes are currently experiencing a resurgence of interest. Rethinking of corporations’ approaches to what has traditionally been classed as ‘training’ has resulted in a new focus on learning and the adoption of philosophies that underlie the academic paradigm. This paper reports on two studies of collaboration between major international engineering corporations and an Australian university, the aim of which was to up-skill the workforce in response to changing markets. The paper highlights the differences between the models of learning adopted in such collaboration and those in more conventional, university-based environments. The learning programmes combine the ADDIE (analysis, design, develop, implement and evaluate) development and workplace learning models. Adaptations that have added value for industry partners and recommendations as to how these can be evolved to cope with change are discussed. The learning is contextualised by industry- based subject matter experts working in close collaboration with university experts and learning designers to develop programmes that are reflective of current and future needs in the organisation. Results derived from user feedback indicate that the learning programmes are effectively aligned with the needs of the industry partners whilst simultaneously upholding academic ideals. In other words, it is possible to combine academic and more traditional approaches to develop corporate learning programmes that satisfy requirements in the workplace. Emerging from the study, a new conceptual framework for the development of corporate learning is presented.

Artful inquiry : an arts-based facilitation approach for individual and organisational learning and development

The research undertaken in these two major doctoral studies investigates the field of artsbased learning, a pedagogical approach to individual and organisational learning and development, my professional creative facilitation practice and development as a researcher. While the studies are stand-alone projects they are intended to build on each other in order to tell the evolving story of my research and professional practice. The first study combines The Role of Arts-based Learning in a Creative Economy; The Need for Artistry in Professional Education the art of knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do and Lines of Inquiry: Making Sense of Research and Professional Practice. The Role of Arts-based Learning in a Creative Economy provides an overview of the field of arts-based learning in business. The study focuses on the relevant literature and interviews with people working in the field. The paper argues that arts-based learning is a valuable addition to organisations for building a culture of creativity and innovation. The Need for Artistry in Professional Education continues that investigation. It explores the way artists approach their work and considers what skills and capabilities from artistic practice can be applied to other professions’ practices. From this research the Sphere of Professional Artistry model is developed and depicts the process of moving toward professional artistry. Lines of Inquiry: making sense of research and professional practice through artful inquiry is a self-reflective study. It explores my method of inquiry as a researcher and as a creative facilitation practitioner using arts-based learning processes to facilitate groups of people for learning, development and change. It discusses how my research and professional practice influence and inspire the other and draws on cased studies. The second major research study Artful Inquiry: Arts-based Learning for Inquiry, Reflection and Action in Professional Practice is a one year practice-led inquiry. It continues the research into arts-based and aesthetic learning experiences and my arts-based facilitation practice. The research is conducted with members of a Women’s Network in a large government service agency. It develops the concept of ‘Artful Inquiry’’ a creative, holistic, and embodied approach for facilitation, inquiry, learning, reflection, and action. Storytelling as Inquiry is used as a methodology for understanding participants’ experiences of being involved in arts-based learning experiences. The study reveals the complex and emergent nature of practice and research. It demonstrates what it can mean to do practice-led research with others, within an organisational context, and to what effect.

Digital reflections on learning : a monograph by students of Digital Pedagogies, Semester 2, 2011

Learning a digital tool is often a hidden process. We tend to learn new tools in a bewildering range of ways. Formal, informal, structured, random, conscious, unconscious, individual, group strategies, may all play a part, but are often lost to us in the complex and demanding processes of learning. But when we reflect carefully on the experience, some patterns and surprising techniques emerge. This monograph presents the thinking of four students in MDN642, Digital Pedagogies, where they have deliberately reflected on the mental processes at work as they learnt a digital technology of their choice.

Scaffolding for integrated reflection

This paper presents some theoretical perspectives that might inform the design and development of information and communications technology (ICT) tools to support integrated (in-session) reflection and deep learning during e-learning. The role of why questioning provides the focus of discussion and is informed by the literature on critical thinking, sense-making, and reflective practice, as well as recent developments in knowledge management, computational linguistics and automated question generation. It is argued that there exists enormous scope for the development of ICT scaffolding targeted at supporting reflective practice during e-learning. The first generations of e-Portfolio tools provide some evidence for the significance of the benefits of integrating reflection into the design of ICT systems; however, following the review of a number of such systems, as well as a range of ICT applications and services designed to support e-learning, it is argued that the scope of implementation is limited.

Managing distraction and attention in diverse cohorts : 21st century challenges to law student engagement

It is imperative that we consider the use of current and emerging technologies in terms of the nature of our learners, the physical environment of the lecture theatre, and how technology may help to support appropriate pedagogies that facilitate the capturing of student attention in active engaging learning experiences. It is argued that a re-evaluation of pedagogy is required to address the tech-savy traits of the 21st century learner and the extent to which their mobile devices are capable of not only distracting them from learning but also enhancing face-to-face learning experiences.

Libraries as co-working spaces : understanding user motivations and perceived barriers to social learning

This paper aims to inform design strategies for smart space technology to enhance libraries as environments for co-working and informal social learning. The focus is on understanding user motivations, behaviour, and activities in the library when there is no programmed agenda. The study analyses gathered data over five months of ethnographic research at ‘The Edge’ – a bookless library space at the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, that is explicitly dedicated to co-working, social learning, peer collaboration, and creativity around digital culture and technology. The results present five personas that embody people’s main usage patterns as well as motivations, attitudes, and perceived barriers to social learning. It appears that most users work individually or within pre-organised groups, but usually do not make new connections with co-present, unacquainted users. Based on the personas, four hybrid design dimensions are suggested to improve the library as a social interface for shared learning encounters across physical and digital spaces. The findings in this paper offer actionable knowledge for managers, decision makers, and designers of technology-enhanced library spaces and similar collaboration and co-working spaces.

The professional identity of child care practitioners : self-authorship as a theoretical framework

This research contributes new understandings about the development of the professional identity of child care practitioners and how professional identity changes during the transition from student to practitioner. Self-authorship theory was used as the framework to investigate the development of professional identity through exploration of beliefs about practice, sense of self, and capabilities for collaborative engagement. Students recruited for this research were completing their qualifications to work with young children in child care settings. Data from initial and follow-up interviews were analysed to understand change over time in professional identity. Findings indicated a need for training institutions and workplaces to move beyond competency-based training approaches to include more critically reflective learning opportunities. Such a focus on critical reflection has implications for improving the skills, status, and recognition of child care practitioners as educators.

Designing hubs for connected learning: social, spatial and technological insights from Coworking, Hackerspaces and Meetup groups

Connected learning, as a design approach, does not restrict learning to a dedicated learning space (school, university, etc.), but considers it to be an aggregation of individual experiences made through intrinsically motivated, active participation in and across various socio-cultural, every-day life environments. Urban places for meeting, interacting and connected learning with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and areas of expertise are highly significant in the knowledge economy of our 21st century. However, little is yet known about best practices to design and curate such hubs that attract and support interest-driven and socially embedded learning experiences. The research study presented in this paper investigates design aspects that contribute to successful place-based spaces for connected learning. The paper reports findings from observations as well as interviews with users and managers of three different types of local, community-led learning environments, i.e., coworking spaces, hackerspaces, and meetup groups across Australia. The findings reveal social, spatial and technological interventions that these spaces apply to nourish a culture of connected learning, sharing and peer interaction. The discussion suggests a set of design implications for designers, managers and decision makers that have an interest in nourishing a connected learning culture among their user community.

An exploratory study of the current assessment practices for improving the learning of English as a foreign language (EFL) in two Vietnamese universities

This case study investigated EFL assessment practices at one public and one private university to explore the support of assessment for English language learning (ELL) within the Vietnamese sociocultural context. Findings demonstrated the potential of assessment to engage students in learning; enhance their understanding of the learning objectives; and facilitate their learning reflection. Findings also identified strong influences of contextual factors such as teachers' language assessment literacy, high-stakes testing and institutional administrative policies on the practices of assessment for ELL. This study contributes to research on Assessment for Learning and EFL education at tertiary level in Vietnam and other similar sociocultural contexts.

Cortical Learning of Recognition Categories: A Resolution of the Exemplar Vs. Prototype Debate

Do humans and animals learn exemplars or prototypes when they categorize objects and events in the world? How are different degrees of abstraction realized through learning by neurons in inferotemporal and prefrontal cortex? How do top-down expectations influence the course of learning? Thirty related human cognitive experiments (the 5-4 category structure) have been used to test competing views in the prototype-exemplar debate. In these experiments, during the test phase, subjects unlearn in a characteristic way items that they had learned to categorize perfectly in the training phase. Many cognitive models do not describe how an individual learns or forgets such categories through time. Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) neural models provide such a description, and also clarify both psychological and neurobiological data. Matching of bottom-up signals with learned top-down expectations plays a key role in ART model learning. Here, an ART model is used to learn incrementally in response to 5-4 category structure stimuli. Simulation results agree with experimental data, achieving perfect categorization in training and a good match to the pattern of errors exhibited by human subjects in the testing phase. These results show how the model learns both prototypes and certain exemplars in the training phase. ART prototypes are, however, unlike the ones posited in the traditional prototype-exemplar debate. Rather, they are critical patterns of features to which a subject learns to pay attention based on past predictive success and the order in which exemplars are experienced. Perturbations of old memories by newly arriving test items generate a performance curve that closely matches the performance pattern of human subjects. The model also clarifies exemplar-based accounts of data concerning amnesia.

ReaderBench: Automated evaluation of collaboration based on cohesion and dialogism

Dascalu, M., Trausan-Matu, S., McNamara, D.S., & Dessus, P. (2015). ReaderBench – Automated Evaluation of Collaboration based on Cohesion and Dialogism. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 10(4), 395–423. doi: 10.1007/s11412-015-9226-y

O(s) saber(es) e o(s) fazer(es) do professor formador :reflexões sobre a prática docente

This study, developed in conjunction to the Pedagogical Practice research line and the Curriculum of Post-graduation in Education Program of UFRN is about investigations on formation of professors and teaching knowledge. Its objective is to analyze fundamental concepts for lecturing and the relationship that establishes between those concepts and the practice of forming professors. We adopted as referential the principles of social-historical approach, in the context of concepts making and development (Vygotsky, Luria and Rubinstein), and of collaborative theoric-methodological approach (Jacullo-Noto, Kemmis and Ibiapina). Collaboration with professors was mediated by diary writing, collaborative observation and conceptual network creation, essential to perceiving the given meanings to concepts that sustain the practice of 06 (six) forming professors from the UFPI Pedagogy Course. Teresina Campus. This way, reflections with collaborator professors allowed to build conceptual networks, in which prominence was given to the meanings of concepts that gave sustaining to their lecturing practices in the referred course, showing a fragmentation and disarticulation between theory and forming practice. They also indicate a need to give new concepts to the meanings of teaching concepts, learning and lecturing of these professors, in a meaning of a greater understanding about those concepts for their effective practice. On the context of collaborative reflection about conceptual networks, it was evident the conflict generated between the meanings attributed by professors and the practice developed in class, pointing to the need of rethinking the articulation between theory and practice not only on the formative process developed, but also on the continual formation of forming professors and on the construction of discussing spaces and materialization of the curricular principles of the Pedagogy Course

Saberes docentes na organização do ensinio-aprendizagem: uma construção reflexiva com professoras do ensino fundamental

The present study has the objective to analyze with teachers from Elementary School the knowledge mobilized in the organization of the teaching-learning process, and its implications in the exploitation of that process. The investigation was developed with two teachers from the first years of the Elementary School, from a public school in Pau dos Ferros-RN. It adopts as basis the notion of knowledge as a set of individual and social relations that the individuals maintain with the world and with themselves, in the teaching and learning relation. (CHARLOT, 2000). It considers yet that the knowledges are immediate processes, reconstructed and mobilized by the practice of reflection, in dialogical and interactional contexts in contact with others. (BAKHTIN, 2002, 2003; VYGOTSKY, 1991, 2004, 2005). The collaborative approach was the theoretical and methodological background that oriented the investigative-educative process. By choosing a collaborative research as basis of the investigative pathway, it starts from the knowledge that the critical and collaborative reflection developed with the teachers from the first years of the Elementary School contribute to explicitate and resignify the meanings assigned to the knowledges that these teachers mobilize in the organization of the teaching-learning and its implications in this process. The results of the reflexive and investigative process developed with the teachers demonstrate that the familiar, scholastic, academic, professional, and the work knowledges lived, constitute the consciousness of being a teacher, and that these knowledges implicate in the dynamics of the process of teaching-learning, but not always the teachers take consciousness about these knowledges. The critical and collaborative reflection, mediated by the actions of describing, announcing, facing and reconstructing allowed to the participants of the research to realize the knowledges of themselves and of the other, the difficulties and possibilities in the organization of the teaching-learning process

Timeline generation with social attention

Timeline generation is an important research task which can help users to have a quick understanding of the overall evolution of any given topic. It thus attracts much attention from research communities in recent years. Nevertheless, existing work on timeline generation often ignores an important factor, the attention attracted to topics of interest (hereafter termed "social attention"). Without taking into consideration social attention, the generated timelines may not reflect users' collective interests. In this paper, we study how to incorporate social attention in the generation of timeline summaries. In particular, for a given topic, we capture social attention by learning users' collective interests in the form of word distributions from Twitter, which are subsequently incorporated into a unified framework for timeline summary generation. We construct four evaluation sets over six diverse topics. We demonstrate that our proposed approach is able to generate both informative and interesting timelines. Our work sheds light on the feasibility of incorporating social attention into traditional text mining tasks. Copyright © 2013 ACM.