Spirituality in the Undergraduate Curricula of Nursing Schools in Portugal and São Paulo-Brazil

Spirituality is considered a dimension of nursing care, which is often recognized as being neglected, mainly due to a lack of education. Several studies have addressed nursing students’ perceptions and skills for providing spiritual care, but there is little evidence on how spirituality is addressed in undergraduate nursing curricula. This study comprised Portuguese and Brazilian nursing schools (from São Paulo) and describes how spirituality is addressed in undergraduate nursing curricula. It is descriptive and the survey research was performed in 2014–2015. The questionnaire was composed of closed and open-ended questions and was sent by e-mail. A total of 129 answers were obtained, mostly from Portugal. Results indicated that several curricular units include spirituality, although having different contents. The learning outcomes are consistent with improving nursing students’ integral education, developing the clinical reasoning regarding spirituality, and improving the assessment of the patient across the life span. Nevertheless, it seems that spirituality is poorly addressed in clinical practice. Few nursing schools have courses or curricular units specifically dealing with spirituality, but they do provide some form of teaching on the subject. No standard curriculum exists, but teachers believe that it is a very important subject that should be included in the courses taught.

Applying threshold learning theory to teach sustainable business practice in post-graduate engineering education

This paper presents the results of a qualitative action-research inquiry into how a highly diverse cohort of post-graduate students could develop significant capacity in sustainable development within a single unit (course), in this case a compulsory component of four built environment masters programs. The method comprised applying threshold learning theory within the technical discipline of sustainable development, to transform student understanding of sustainable business practice in the built environment. This involved identifying a number of key threshold concepts, which once learned would provide a pathway to having a transformational learning experience. Curriculum was then revised, to focus on stepping through these targeted concepts using a scaffolded, problem-based-learning approach. Challenges included a large class size of 120 students, a majority of international students, and a wide span of disciplinary backgrounds across the spectrum of built environment professionals. Five ‘key’ threshold learning concepts were identified and the renewed curriculum was piloted in Semester 2 of 2011. The paper presents details of the study and findings from a mixed-method evaluation approach through the semester. The outcomes of this study will be used to inform further review of the course in 2012, including further consideration of the threshold concepts. In future, it is anticipated that this case study will inform a framework for rapidly embedding sustainability within curriculum.

Blog and design education : facilitating reflective learning

This paper discusses about effectiveness of blogs for reflective learning in design education. Students in two animation units were asked to complete their online journal via blog in terms of reflective learning. Students were encouraged to respond their weekly outcomes and project development process to their blog and share it with other students. A survey was undertaken to evaluate their learning experience and one of the key outcomes indicates that interaction design for social network is significantly important to blog based learning design.

Distance Education and the Integration of E-learning in a Graduate Program

Historically, distance education consisted of a combination of face-to-face blocks of time and surface mailed packages. However, advances in information technology literacy and the abundance of personal computers has placed e-learning in increased demand. The authors describe the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the blending of e-learning with face-to-face education in the postgraduate nursing forum. Experiences of this particular student group are also discussed.

Skills for creative industries graduate success

Purpose: Although there is increasing evidence that the creative industries are essential to national economic growth as well as social and cultural well-being, creative graduates often find it difficult to become established professionally. This study investigates the value of career management competence and intrinsic career motivations (as elements of ‘protean career orientation’) in predicting positive graduate outcomes. ----- ----- Design/methodology: Self-report surveys were administered to 208 creative industries graduates from two Australian universities at two points in time: at course completion, and one year later. ----- ----- Findings: Individual career management competence and intrinsic work motivations, measured at course completion, were significant predictors of early career success, using both subjective and objective measures, measured one year later. ----- ----- Practical implications: This study suggests that an emphasis on student development beyond the traditional ‘key’ employability skills may well be worthwhile. The article also suggests a broad learning and teaching approach by which universities can encourage the development of student career identity, and thus engender student intrinsic career motivations and career self management skills and behaviours. ----- ----- Originality/value: This is one of the first studies to demonstrate empirically a link between a particular set of skills and graduate outcomes. In addition, it provides insights into the role of student career motivations in positive transitions to the world of work in the creative industries.

Supporting Students for Flexible Learning

The changing roles for academics relates to a new emphasis on: •developing life-long learners, in addition to teaching 'content'; •ensuring long-term graduate outcomes not just short-term subject objectives are achieved by all students; and •collaborative course and subject design.

Developing and enhancing independent learning skills : using video tutorials as a means of helping students help themselves

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of short video tutorials in a post-graduate accounting subject, as a means of helping students develop and enhance independent learning skills. Design/methodology/approach – In total, five short (approximately five to 10 minutes) video tutorials were introduced in an effort to shift the reliance for learning from the lecturer to the student. Data on students’ usage of online video tutorials, and comments by students in university questionnaires were collated over three semesters from 2008 to 2009. Interviews with students were then conducted in late 2009 to more comprehensively evaluate the use and perceived benefits of video tutorials. Findings – Findings reveal preliminary but positive outcomes in terms of both more efficient and effective teaching and learning. Research limitations/implications – The shift towards more independent learning through the use of video tutorials has positive implications for educators, employers, and professional accounting bodies; each of whom has identified the need for this skill in accounting graduates. Practical implications – The use of video tutorials has the potential for more rewarding teaching and more effective learning. Originality/value – This study is one of the first to examine the use and benefits of video tutorials as a means of developing independent learning skills in accountancy students – addressing a key concern within the profession.

Getting stuck in together : improving work integrated learning from an Australian institution and faculty perspective

According to a recent report Australian higher education is not in crisis. However, we could be doing it better. The report Mapping Australian Higher Education (Norton, 2012) highlights comparative weaknesses such as levels f student engagement; interactions between students and academic staff; and academic staff preferences for research over teaching. The report points out that despite these concerns most graduates continue to get good, well-paid jobs, student satisfaction is improving, and levels of public confidence in Australian higher education are high. It also stresses that ‘the promise of higher education is that it provides adaptable cognitive skills, not that it always provides the job specific skills graduates will need in their future employment’ (Norton, 2012, p.58). This is worth keeping in mind as we contribute to the significant growth in curriculum initiatives aimed at preparing graduates for the world of work. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is not a new concept but there is increased pressure on higher education globally to address graduate employability skills. The sector is under pressure in an increasingly competitive environment to demonstrate the relevance of courses, accountability and effective use of public funds (Peach & Gamble, 2011). In the Australian context this also means responding to the skills shortage in areas such as engineering, health, construction and business (DEEWR, 2010). This paper provides a brief overview of collaborative efforts over several years to improve the activity of WIL at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). These efforts have resulted in changes to curriculum, pedagogy, systems and processes, and the initiation of local, regional, national, and international networks. The willingness of students, staff, and industry partners to ‘get stuck in’ and try new approaches in these different contexts can be understood as a form of boundary spanning. That is, the development of the capability to mediate between different forms of expertise and the demands of different contexts in order to nurture student learning and improve the outcomes of higher education through WIL (Peach, Cates, Ilg, Jones, Lechleiter, 2011).

Preparing to teach : perceptions of graduate entry teacher education students

International reviews of teaching and teacher education have highlighted the importance of quality teachers in improving the outcomes of students. Teachers may enter the teaching profession through a variety of pathways. Currently in Australia, one pathway is through graduate entry teacher education programs in which people who already hold university degrees outside of education can undertake one-year formal teacher preparation programs. It may be argued that graduate entry teachers value add to the teaching profession as they bring with them a range of careers and wealth of experiences often beyond those of teachers who enter the profession through traditional four-year Bachelor of Education programs. This paper reports on a study that investigated the preparedness to teach of a group of graduate entry teacher education students as they prepared to exit from university and enter the teaching profession. The study concluded that this group of graduating teachers perceived that the field experience components in their formal teacher education programs contributed most to their beginning professional learning. The study revealed also that this group of graduating teachers sought further professional learning opportunities in the canonical skills of teaching. These findings may be used to inform the design of future teacher education programs.

Peer journeys : building graduate capabilities for life long learning

Students experience university as peers. Peer-to-peer interaction offers unique opportunities for fostering the academic, social and emotional wellbeing of students (Kuh, 2008). Peer programs provide a formalisation of this relationship enabling students to partake both as peer leaders and program participants. The success of such programs is reliant on the university having a reserve of motivated and trained peer leaders. From their initial experience of peer programs as participants in first year and their ongoing involvement as peer leaders, students grow their graduate capabilities and employability skills through scaffolded peer leadership and training opportunities. Universities aspire to produce graduates who are inspirational leaders, effective collaborators and competent professionals ready to participate in the global community (DEEWR, 2012; Shook & Keup, 2012). This poster describes a model which scaffolds the development of peer leaders’ graduate capabilities using a university-wide supporting framework to grow a range of peer-to-peer initiatives across a variety of coordinated peer programs underpinned by a social justice framework (Gidley, Hampson, Wheller & Bereded-Samuel, 2010; Nelson & Creagh, 2012).

Creative entrepreneurship education for graduate employability in the creative arts

The higher education sector in Australia is under increasing pressure to prove quality and efficacy of education provision, including graduate outcomes. One of the central tasks of higher education has become to prepare nascent professionals as far as possible for initial employment and future working lives beyond this (Boden & Nedeva, 2010). Tertiary educators in the creative arts face significant and distinctive challenges in demonstrating graduate employability, and creative graduates consistently have the poorest outcomes of any subject grouping. In part, this is because the national graduate destinations survey (Graduate Careers Council of Australia, 2012) does not cater to the distinctive ‘portfolio’ nature of creative careers, or take account of the fact that creative careers can take concerted effort over several years to establish (e.g., McCowan & Wyganowska, 2010). However, it is worth asking whether we as tertiary arts educators are doing enough to prepare creative arts students for the world of work, particularly given that the majority of them will be self-employed to some degree (Bureau of Labour Statistics, 2011, Throsby & Zednik, 2010), and will be challenged to build their own careers without recourse to the support of HR departments or intra-firm promotion schemes. It has been demonstrated empirically that career management and creative enterprise skills are among the most important graduate capabilities in determining early creative career success (Bridgstock, 2011), although these skills do not appear in the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards for the Creative and Performing Arts (2010). This paper explores the nature and development of enterprise capabilities for creative arts students (as distinct from students of the business school), examines best practice in the field internationally, and proposes a theoretically-driven creative arts-specific enterprise curriculum model which commences in first year, for demonstrable impact on student enterprise behaviours (such as grant seeking, professional networking and intention to start an enterprise) and employability.

The practice of quality assuring learning in higher education

There remains a lack of published empirical data on the substantive outcomes of higher learning and the establishment of quality processes for determining them. Studies that do exist are nationally focused with available rankings of institutions reflecting neither the quality of teaching and learning nor the diversity of institutions. This paper describes two studies in which Associate Deans from Australian higher education institutions and focus groups of management and academics identify current issues and practices in the design, development and implementation of processes for assuring the quality of learning and teaching. Results indicate that developing a perspective on graduate attributes and mapping assessments to measure outcomes across an entire program necessitates knowledge creation and new inclusive processes. Common elements supporting consistently superior outcomes included: inclusivity; embedded graduate attributes; consistent and appropriate assessment; digital collection mechanisms; and systematic analysis of outcomes used in program review. Quality measures for assuring learning are proliferating nationally and changing the processes, systems and culture of higher education as a result.

Graduate careers in journalism, media and communications within and outside the sector : early career outcomes, trajectories and capabilities

This chapter addresses the radical paucity of empirical data about the career destinations of journalism, media and communications graduates from degree programs. We report findings from a study of ten years of graduates from Queensland University of Technology’s courses in journalism, media, and communication studies, using a ‘Creative Trident’ lens to analyse micro individual survey data. The study findings engage with creative labour precarity discussions, and also assertions of creative graduate oversupply suggested by national graduate outcome statistics. We describe the graduates’ employment outcomes, characterise their early career movements into and out of embedded and specialist employment, and compare the capability requirements and degree of course relevance reported by graduates employed in the different Trident segments. Given that in general the graduates in this study enjoyed very positive employment outcomes, but that there were systematic differences in reported course relevance by segment of employment and role, we also consider how university programs can best engage with the task of educating students for a surprisingly diverse range of media and communication-related occupational outcomes within and outside the creative industries.