Support for International Students

International student experience video - this video is 20 minutes long and has been devised by Bill Brooks, Hazel Chauhan and Karin Frydenlund, with support from the University's Learning and Teaching Enhancement Fund. It includes contributions from a number of international students and from members of staff with particular expertise in this area.

University of Southampton Module Evaluation Form

This is the full Module Evaluation Form adopted by the University of Southampton. The latest editable file can be downloaded from the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit (LATEU) of the University. Included in this resource is the online version of the form for use in Blackboard, WebCT and other virtual learning environments. If you are using Blackboard, you are advised to use Internet Explorer version 6 or higher. Save the Blackboard zip archive to a local drive. Do not rename the file name. Go to the destination course area in Blackboard, open the "Control Panel" and then start the "Survey Manager" (in the "Assessment" group). Use the "Import" command to upload the zip archive. Once this is completed, rename the evaluation form which can then be added to any content area within the course using the dropdown "Add Survey" command.

Engendering a culture of quality enhancement in teaching and learning: lessons learned

Enhancing the quality of learning and teaching in higher education has been on the English national agenda for more than a decade. The Government and funding organisations have enabled universities to focus on creating a culture of excellence in learning and teaching and continuing academic and professional development. This paper describes some of the strategies that have promoted a culture of quality teaching in higher education in England and how one organisation, the University of Westminster has implemented those strategies to engender a culture of quality enhancement and continuing professional development.

Shifting the technology context : career-change entrants’ transition into teaching

Becoming a teacher in technology-rich classrooms is a complex and challenging transition for career-change entrants. Those with generic or specialist Information and Communication Technology (ICT) expertise bring a mindset about purposeful uses of ICT that enrich student learning and school communities. The transition process from a non-education environment is both enhanced and constrained by shifting the technology context of generic or specialist ICT expertise, developed through a former career as well as general life experience. In developing an understanding of the complexity of classrooms and creating a learner centred way of working, perceptions about learners and learning evolve and shift. Shifts in thinking about how ICT expertise supports learners and enhances learning preceded shifts in perceptions about being a teacher, working with colleagues, and functioning in schools that have varying degrees of intensity and impact on evolving professional identities. Current teacher education and school induction programs are seen to be falling short of meeting the needs of career-change entrants and, as a flow on, the students they nurture. Research (see, for example, Tigchelaar, Brouwer, & Korthagen, 2008; Williams & Forgasz, 2009) highlights the value of generic and specialist expertise career-change teachers bring to the profession and draws attention to the challenges such expertise begets (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). As such, the study described in this thesis investigated perceptions of career-change entrants, who have generic (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) or specialist expertise, that is, ICT qualifications and work experience in the use of ICT. The career-change entrants‘ perceptions were sought as they shifted the technology context and transitioned into teaching in technology-rich classrooms. The research involved an interpretive analysis of qualitative data and quantitative data. The study used the explanatory case study (Yin, 1994) methodology enriched through grounded theory processes (Strauss & Corbin, 1998), to develop a theory about professional identity transition from the perceptions of the participants in the study. The study provided insights into the expertise and experiences of career change entrants, particularly in relation to how professional identities that include generic and specialist ICT knowledge and expertise were reconfigured while transitioning into the teaching profession. This thesis presents the Professional Identity Transition Theory that encapsulates perceptions about teaching in technology-rich classrooms amongst a selection of the increasing number of career-change entrants. The theory, grounded in the data, (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) proposes that career-change entrants experience transition phases of varying intensity that impact on professional identity, retention and development as a teacher. These phases are linked to a shift in perceptions rather than time as a teacher. Generic and specialist expertise in the use of ICT is a weight of the past and an asset that makes the transition process more challenging for career-change entrants. The study showed that career-change entrants used their experiences and perceptions to develop a way of working in a school community. Their way of working initially had an adaptive orientation focussed on immediate needs as their teaching practice developed. Following a shift of thinking, more generative ways of working focussed on the future emerged to enable continual enhancement and development of practice. Sustaining such learning is a personal, school and systemic challenge for the teaching profession.

Integration of medical images to the teaching of systematic pathology : an evaluation of relevance

A sound knowledge of pathological disease processes is required for professional practice within health professions. The project described in this paper reviewed the resources currently available for the delivery of systematic pathology tutorials. Additional complementary resources were developed and the inclusion of these additional learning resources in practical tutorial sessions was evaluated for their impact on student learning. Student evaluation of the learning resources was undertaken across one semester with two different cohorts of health profession students using questionnaires and focus group discussion. Both cohorts reported an enhancement to their understanding of pathological disease processes through the use of the additional resources. Results indicate student perception of the value of the resources correlates with staff perception and is independent of prior experiences.

Performance enhancement: A whole of person approach to first year dance students’ transition into tertiary training

The transition into university presents very particular challenges for students. The First Year Experience (FYE) is a transitional liminal phase, fraught with uncertainty, ripe with potential. The complexity inherent in this initial phase of tertiary education is well documented and continues to be interrogated. Providing timely and effective support and interventions for potentially at-risk first year students as they transition into tertiary study is a key priority for universities across the globe (Gale et al., 2015). This article outlines the evolution of an established and highly successful Transitional Training Program (TTP) for first year tertiary dance students, with particular reference to the 2015 iteration of the program. TTP design embraces three dimensions: physical training in transition, learning in transition, and teaching for transition, with an emphasis on developing and encouraging a mindset that enables information to be transferred into alternative settings for practice and learning throughout life. The aim of the 2015 TTP was to drive substantial change in first year Dance students’ satisfaction, connectedness, and overall performance within the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Dance course, through the development and delivery of innovative curriculum and pedagogical practices that promote the successful transition of dance students into their first year of university. The program targeted first year BFA Dance students through the integration of specific career guidance; performance psychology; academic skills support; practical dance skills support; and specialized curricula and pedagogy.

Reflections on the development of a dynamic learning, teaching and assessment strategy.

Developing learning, teaching and assessment strategies that foster ongoing engagement and provide inspiration to academic staff is a particular challenge. This paper demonstrates how an institutional learning, teaching and assessment strategy was developed and a ‘dynamic’ strategy created in order to achieve the ongoing enhancement of the quality of the student learning experience. The authors use the discussion of the evolution, development and launch of the Strategy and underpinning Resource Bank to reflect on the hopes and intentions behind the approach; firstly the paper will discuss the collaborative and iterative approach taken to the development of an institutional learning, teaching and assessment strategy; and secondly, the development of open access educational resources to underpin the strategy. The paper then outlines staff engagement with the resource bank and positive outcomes which have been identified to date, identifies the next steps in achieving the ambition behind the strategy and outlines the action research and fuller evaluation which will be used to monitor progress and ensure responsive learning at institutional level.

The use of YouTube Analytics of Video Lecture Capture as a Teaching and Learning Performance Enhancer

Do patterns in the YouTube viewing analytics of Lecture Capture videos point to areas of potential teaching and learning performance enhancement? The goal of this action based research project was to capture and quantitatively analyse the viewing behaviours and patterns of a series of video lecture captures across several computing modules in Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The research sought to establish if a quantitative analysis of viewing behaviours coupled with a qualitative evaluation of the material provided from the students could be correlated to provide generalised patterns that could then be used to understand the learning experience of students during face to face lectures and, thereby, present opportunities to reflectively enhance lecturer performance and the students’ overall learning experience and, ultimately, their level of academic attainment.

Integrated approach to teaching English in primary and preschool

O presente trabalho de investigação apresenta um estudo que procurou observar comportamentos de literacia emergente numa língua estrangeira (Inglês) em contexto da educação pré-escolar. Procedeu-se à conceção e implementação de uma abordagem integrada ao ensino da língua inglesa, através numa abordagem metodológica inspirada no paradigma investigação-ação, percecionada como oportunidade de inovação pedagógica e de formação de professores. O estudo foi desenvolvido em simultâneo no 1ºCEB, tendo como principal objetivo comparar os comportamentos e atitudes dos alunos de outra faixa etária relativamente aos comportamentos de literacia em língua estrangeira. Os dados foram recolhidos através da observação, gravação de aulas, posteriormente transcritas, diários do investigador, questionários, portfolios dos alunos e entrevistas semi-estruturadas a especialistas na área da pedagogia de línguas estrangeiras, analisados através da aplicação de técnicas de análise de conteúdo como procedimento de análise do corpus. Os resultados demonstram a relevância de abordagens integradas de cariz lúdico na promoção de comportamentos de leitura e escrita emergente, estimulando assim motivação intrínseca nas crianças pela aprendizagem da língua e cultura-alvo. Por conseguinte, os comportamentos observados de literacia emergente em língua estrangeira permitem estabelecer uma analogia com as crianças bilingues, na medida em que ao aprenderem uma outra língua desenvolvem em sincronia a sua flexibilidade mental e estratégias de auto-regulação em diversas áreas de conhecimento. Os resultados permitem ainda concluir que estratégias promotoras de motivação intrínseca como o lúdico e o storytelling são vitais na sensibilização à diversidade linguística e cultural, por oposição aos resultados evidenciados pela estratégia nacional para o ensino de línguas estrangeiras no 1.ºCEB. As principais implicações deste estudo sugerem a possibilidade de generalização da língua estrangeira na educação pré-escolar, sendo esta etapa compreendida como um período privilegiado na prevenção de insucesso na leitura e escrita na aprendizagem de uma língua estrangeira. Deste modo, a educação pré-escolar pode ser considerada como um tempo fundador do futuro linguístico das crianças, numa perspetiva de educação linguística ao longo da vida.

An exploration of women elementary school teachers' perceptions of how their decision to return to teaching part-time from a maternity leave influences their professional and personal lives /

The purpose of this research was to explore women elementary teachers' perceptions of how their decision to return to teaching part-time from a maternity leave influences their professional and personal lives. The investigation focused on the decisions surrounding a mother's choice to reenter the teaching profession parttime in a field where each mother had previously been employed full-time. A collective case study was undertaken based on an in-depth interview with five mothers who had made the choice to return to the classroom part-time. The data collected in this study were analyzed and interpreted using qualitative methods. The following four major themes emerged from the interviews: decisionmaking process, challenges faced by mothers who teach part-time, the importance of support, and the enhancement of instructional practice from parenthood. Using these four themes, an analysis was conducted to examine the similarities and differences among the experiences of the participants. The mothers' reflections, my analysis, and the related literature were used at the conclusion of this report to compile implications for teaching practice, theory, and further research.

Media Education and Brazilian Educational Policies for the Enhancement of Learning

As media education concepts and practices have been disseminated and strengthened in European countries and Americas, the policies responsible for that expansion remain little known, particularly in countries where the achievements have been recently noted. That is the case for Brazil, where there have been new opportunities for media education, considered as a valuable resource to help accomplish goals of the educational system. This paper looks into the contribution of media education to the enhancement of teaching and learning in the context of innovations brought by recent policies of the Brazilian Ministry of Education. After educational reform programmes which brought the opportunity for emerging fields such as media education, we produced teaching material and conducted a series of workshops with students and teachers from state secondary schools. By reading and producing multimedia information about local public services available to young people, pupils learned about democracy, citizenship, civic engagement, media language, and identity. Lessons from our experiment are discussed against the backdrop of education policies being implemented to ameliorate harsh conditions resulting from the recent economic crisis. We suggest that media education can help by creating a learning environment in which the students become aware of the value of educational attainments.

En Vivo: If We Call Them Will They Come? A Telephone-based Brief Motivational Enhancement Intervention Targeting TV Time

Introduction: The prevalence of overweight among children has doubled in the last twenty years, and Texas children rank near the top as the nation’s heaviest. Time spent television viewing may not only expose children to advertising for unhealthy foods, but may also take the place of physical activity.