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Article
Publication date: 7 January 2014

Jayde Cahir, Margot McNeill, Agnes Bosanquet and Christa Jacenyik-Trawöger

Many universities are in the process of changing their learning management systems to Moodle yet there is limited empirical research available on the impact of this change. The…

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Abstract

Purpose

Many universities are in the process of changing their learning management systems to Moodle yet there is limited empirical research available on the impact of this change. The purpose of this paper is to explore the results of an initial pilot, which was conducted as the first stage of implementing Moodle at an Australian university.

Design/methodology/approach

The pilot study involved an online survey and a focus group with unit convenors teaching Open University Australia (OUA) units in Moodle.

Findings

The aim was to essentially test Moodle and eliminate any technological issues prior to the university-wide roll-out the following year. It was envisaged that this pilot would contribute to building capability and knowledge amongst staff members; however, it was unanticipated that this would be jeopardised by a wider and ongoing issue in higher education; namely, the casualisation of the academic workforce. The paper maps the accumulated knowledge of these unit convenors and how this knowledge is “walking out the door”.

Originality/value

The paper argues that an environment of insecure employment is a barrier to change management.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

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Article
Publication date: 19 April 2011

Margot McNeill, Ming Ming Diao and Maree Gosper

In their 2007 article, “Miranda in the brave new world: learning in a Web 2.0 millennium”, Barnes and Tynan tell the story of an imaginary British student who uses technology…

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Abstract

Purpose

In their 2007 article, “Miranda in the brave new world: learning in a Web 2.0 millennium”, Barnes and Tynan tell the story of an imaginary British student who uses technology seamlessly to stay connected almost 24×7 with friends, peers and teachers in a global learning environment. Whether she is representative of the majority of university students is a topic of debate in the literature. This paper aims to explore how students use technologies in their everyday lives, whether on‐ or off‐campus, to support their learning.

Design/methodology/approach

There were two phases of the study; a photo ethnography to enable a detailed exploration of ten students' technology uses and then a university‐wide survey in which 1,104 student responses were gathered.

Findings

The findings of both phases of the study suggest that students' use of technologies for their learning and in other facets of their lives is largely conservative, with a predominance of familiar and easy‐to‐use tools such as e‐mail, text and mobile phone. For their learning, their preference is for tools to provide access, efficiency and connectedness.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the development of a better understanding of student issues in the context of their overall IT experience at the university, suggesting a more holistic approach to designing technology infrastructure. There are also insights into the power of mixed methodologies in research, with significant parallels between the qualitative and quantitative results.

Details

Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-5659

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Article
Publication date: 17 May 2011

Yvette Blount and Margot McNeill

As educational technologies are more widely adopted in higher education teaching and learning, publishers often include online resources to accompany their textbook offerings. The…

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Abstract

Purpose

As educational technologies are more widely adopted in higher education teaching and learning, publishers often include online resources to accompany their textbook offerings. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study forming part of a larger ongoing evaluation of the third party software product WileyPLUS.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the integration of the publisher's tools into a specific curriculum context and takes a critical look at the pedagogical effectiveness of the software in this context. A mixed‐methods approach is taken in the study, using a small postgraduate accounting unit as a case study.

Findings

While many students reported positive experiences with the third party resources, technical issues were a barrier to their effectiveness and many students did not engage with the optional resources. The unit convenor's experience was largely positive.

Practical implications

Although it may be tempting for unit convenors to adopt these tools and resources as readily available and easy to use, it is important that they are integrated into the curriculum and that students are supported in their use.

Originality/value

Outcomes include a list of critical success factors and an evaluation framework that could be of use to other academics seeking to embed third party resources into their teaching.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 17 May 2011

Paul Taylor

The paper aims to introduce this special issue on LEAD, the research management system under which the papers collected in this issue were produced. The paper explains the…

548

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to introduce this special issue on LEAD, the research management system under which the papers collected in this issue were produced. The paper explains the background that led to the establishment of the system, presents a short history of LEAD, describes how it is managed, and details the various stages of a typical LEAD “cycle”. It concludes with a brief description of the papers to follow.

Design/methodology/approach

Reflective description.

Findings

LEAD is a successful collaborative system for organising “action research” in learning and teaching within a business faculty. The papers in this issue serve to demonstrate the system's outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is essentially descriptive. The described system illustrates one way of organising collaborative research in a university faculty, in this instance focused on research into learning and teaching in a business faculty.

Practical implications

LEAD provides a model for managing collaborative university research, one that could be applied in any university faculty and across different research areas. Apart from illustrating the potential of the system, each of the papers collected in this issue is of interest in its own right, as a study of learning and teaching in a particular disciplinary context.

Originality/value

The LEAD system is a novel way of organising learning and teaching research in a university context.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Available. Content available
Article
Publication date: 17 May 2011

Brian Roberts

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Abstract

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

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Article
Publication date: 15 May 2021

Megan Humburg, Verily Tan, Adam V. Maltese, Amber Simpson and Joshua A. Danish

This study aims to understand how graduate students in a maker education course discuss beliefs about making and implement these beliefs as pedagogy in their curricular designs.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand how graduate students in a maker education course discuss beliefs about making and implement these beliefs as pedagogy in their curricular designs.

Design/methodology/approach

Interview transcripts from seven students were analyzed thematically for conceptions of making and learning. Lesson plans were also coded for elements of making, and the authors compared students’ articulated ideas about making with the practical implementation of making in their designs.

Findings

Students reflected on the nature of making and the possible benefits and tensions surrounding the use of making for learning. Multiple students discussed benefits for their future learning and careers. Comparisons between interview and lesson plans highlight both successful alignments and key gaps in the application of making principles, including struggles that students encountered when translating their beliefs about making into real-world pedagogy.

Research limitations/implications

Given the limited sample size, future research should explore the extent to which educators in other contexts encounter similar or different obstacles in their development of maker-focused pedagogies.

Practical implications

Findings can be used to inform future maker education courses to better support students in successfully translating core principles of making from general beliefs into effective and practical pedagogical strategies.

Originality/value

Despite widespread interest in combining making with educational spaces, much remains to be understood about the strategies that educators use to integrate elements of making into their pedagogy. This study contributes discussions of the benefits and tensions that maker educators may encounter when blending tenets of making with the needs of formal education.

Details

Information and Learning Sciences, vol. 122 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5348

Keywords

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