Sarah S. List, Jane Warland and Colleen Smith
With less time spent on campus, students are increasingly forming peer friendship and study groups either face to face or online. Communities of practice (CoP) with academic…
Abstract
Purpose
With less time spent on campus, students are increasingly forming peer friendship and study groups either face to face or online. Communities of practice (CoP) with academic support in the wings could benefit students, but little is known in the about their use in the undergraduate space, or how best they may be structured and facilitated (Andrew et al., 2008). The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
An online CoP was created in partnership with undergraduate bachelor of midwifery students at the University of South Australia using an action research model. This provided an ongoing ability to continuously plan, act, observe and evaluate all aspects of the community created, so that adjustments could be made during the two cycles of the study.
Findings
The time paucity of the cohort impacted on their ability to participate fully as partners in the project, and in the community itself. The Facebook community received more visitation than the Weebly community. The student panel reported that despite the online CoP fitting better with their schedules, they would prefer more opportunities to interact face to face with their peers.
Research limitations/implications
Students who spend limited time on campus may prefer more real life social contact and support, despite the convenience of an online community. A larger cohort, drawing from a non-professional degree would have allowed greater membership and community participation for a prospective study such as this.
Practical implications
Remote study is a growing phenomenon, and students need to feel socially connected and supported to remain enroled and engaged.
Social implications
There has been much discussion around the amount of time individuals spend online, and whether support groups formed by students on social media support student learning, or encourage unprofessional behaviours without academic support present.
Originality/value
This study reports that online communities are not always a logical solution to time poor students, and they may prefer face to face interactions to build their social and professional relationship.
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Gabriela Galassi, Alejandra Bellatin and Vivian Chu
We construct a novel dataset of Canadian online job postings, classified by occupation. The data, provided by Indeed, an online job board, represents vacancies advertised by…
Abstract
We construct a novel dataset of Canadian online job postings, classified by occupation. The data, provided by Indeed, an online job board, represents vacancies advertised by employers across Canada. We have classified these job postings into standard occupations using text analytics. This dataset has been used to study changes in the demand for jobs linked to digitalization over the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, we leverage time-series and cross-sectional variations in COVID-19 containment policies, examining their impact on jobs broadly related to digitalization. Our findings reveal that vacancies in digital production jobs increased more substantially than in traditional jobs during the reopening phases. However, no substantial differences were observed when considering different types of vacancies according to the use of digital technologies (i.e., occupations at low risk of automation or those that allow remote work). Overall, our results do not support the popular idea that the COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant turning point in digitalization trends, but rather document a modest shift in this direction.
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Joseph C. Rumenapp, Colleen E. Whittingham and Emily Brown Hoffman
To explore the use of video-stimulated reflection during read aloud activities in early childhood to promote self-awareness, reading comprehension, and metacognitive literacy…
Abstract
Purpose
To explore the use of video-stimulated reflection during read aloud activities in early childhood to promote self-awareness, reading comprehension, and metacognitive literacy practices.
Methodology/approach
The increasing visibility and accessibility of video recording devices across learning environments is the cause for investigating their potential utility as effective instructional tools. This chapter outlines a pedagogical approach to the implementation of video reflection in early childhood education. Grounded theory is used to build an understanding of how video can support effective emergent literacy and metacognitive strategy instruction.
Findings
Video recordings facilitated students’ reflection. Common reflective themes include revisiting the recorded event in reflective discussion, elaboration on story elements toward increasing comprehension, and explaining students’ own thinking. These findings indicate students’ ability to engage in emergent practices fundamental to a disciplinary literacy perspective.
Practical implications
The use of tablets as a video device in early childhood can be utilized to promote reading instruction and metacognition. Video reflection can leverage practices that are necessary for disciplinary literacies.
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Judith Anne McKenzie, Toni Abrahams, Colleen Adnams and Sharon Kleintjes
The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the history, current status and possible future directions for intellectual disability (ID) policy and practice in South…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the history, current status and possible future directions for intellectual disability (ID) policy and practice in South Africa (SA).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper was developed by academics and practitioners in the field of ID in SA. A review of the literature, accompanied by a joint writing and discussion process was carried out to identify critical issues in the development of ID services, specifically facing the challenge of moving from racially based provision towards equitable services for all citizens with ID.
Findings
Progressive policy has replaced practices of scientific racism which were previously used to support the establishment of white supremacism. This positive move is still in process and has not resulted in the immediate establishment of human rights. A vibrant civil society is engaging with this task currently.
Research limitations/implications
The findings point to the need for a human rights approach that takes into account the postcolonial context of SA.
Practical implications
There is a need for continued advocacy that is inclusive of people with ID and their families.
Social implications
Continuing engagement between government and civil society is recommended to ensure the achievement of human rights for citizens with ID.
Originality/value
This paper is of value to ID researchers and practitioners from the global South as it describes a non-western context that might have resonance with other low and middle income countries.
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Reviews a case study of five Australian universities with over 30 percent of their senior management jobs filled by women. Highlights how such a culture can be achieved and…
Abstract
Purpose
Reviews a case study of five Australian universities with over 30 percent of their senior management jobs filled by women. Highlights how such a culture can be achieved and maintained, and the effect of increased women on management culture.
Design/methodology/approach
This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments.
Findings
Particularly in terms of corporate culture, it is beneficial to have women among the senior executives of an organization. At least 35 percent of the team should be made up of women, in order to have the effect of a critical mass. The ratio of men to women at the top in Australian universities is getting fairer, but there is still a way to go.
Practical implications
Though times are slowly changing, on average the number of women occupying senior positions in the workplace is still discouragingly low. Of the women who have managed to make it to the top, the vast majority are still to be found in the traditional “pink ghettos” such as Human Resources, and more often than not their job title is Assistant Director rather than Director. Yet business writers continue to argue the case for having more women in high places, and new legislation increasingly enforces hiring without regard for gender. But is this fight simply about striving for gender equality or is there more involved?
Originality/value
Analyses why women should be in senior roles, how to attract them, and what is involved in creating the right environment for them to flourish. Argues strongly about the power of numbers to start a snowball effect, which could be an interesting learning point for any type of large organization.
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This paper aims to involve both the development of a quantitative measure of outsourcing success that integrates recent research findings on expectations and applying the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to involve both the development of a quantitative measure of outsourcing success that integrates recent research findings on expectations and applying the hierarchy-of-effects (HOE) model to investigating the influence of success on client satisfaction and recommendation intention.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper conducted a global survey of information systems managers and Chief Information Officers from firms who have engaged in outsourcing and analyzed the data using partial least squares (PLS).
Findings
The study analysis demonstrates the impact of client expectations on perceived outsourcing success, client satisfaction and intention to recommend. This paper also discusses how findings of this study provide important implications for both researchers and practitioners.
Originality/value
To further investigate the theoretical trend toward examining the impact of expectations on outsourcing success, this study extends the foundational success research by quantitatively demonstrating the robustness of an outsourcing success construct that incorporates expectations. Moreover, this study extends the traditional models of success by incorporating factors from each of the stages of client behavior, including cognition, affect and conation.