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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2020

Samira ElAtia, Donald Ipperciel, Osmar Zaiane, Behdad Bakhshinategh and Patrick Thibaudeau

In this paper, the challenging and thorny issue of assessing graduate attributes (GAs) is addressed. An interdisciplinary team at The University of Alberta ----developed a…

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Abstract

Purpose

In this paper, the challenging and thorny issue of assessing graduate attributes (GAs) is addressed. An interdisciplinary team at The University of Alberta ----developed a formative model of assessment centered on students and instructor interaction with course content.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper starts by laying the theoretical groundwork on which this novel GA assessment tool is based, that is, competency-based education, assessment theory and GA assessment. It follows with a description of the online assessment tool for GAs that was developed in the course of this project.

Findings

The online assessment tool for GAs targets three types of stakeholders: (1) students, who self-assess in terms of GAs, (2) instructors, who use the tool to define the extent to which each GA should be inculcated in their course and (3) administrators, who receive aggregate reports based on the data gathered by the system for high-level analysis and decision-making. Collected data by students and professors advance formative assessment of these transversal skills and assist administration in ensuring the GAs are addressed in academic programs. Graduate attributes assessment program (GAAP) is also a space for students to build a personal portfolio that would be beneficial to highlight their skills for potential employers.

Research limitations/implications

This research has strong implications for the universities, since it can help institutions, academics and students achieve better results in their practices. This is done by demonstrating strong links between theory and practice. Although this tool has only been used within the university setting by students, instructors and administrators (for self-, course and teaching and program improvement), it could increase its social and practical impact by involving potential employers and increase our understanding of student employability. Moreover, because the tool collects data on a continuous basis, it lends itself to many possible applications in educational data mining,

Practical implications

The GAAP can be used and adapted to various educational contexts. The plugin can be added to any Learning Management System (LMS), and students can have access to their data and results throughout their education.

Social implications

The GAAP allows institutions to provide a longitudinal formative assessment of students’ graduate attributes acquisition. It provides solid and valid evidence of students’ progress in a way that would advance society and citizenship.

Originality/value

To date, the GAAP is the first online interactive platform that has been developed to longitudinally assess the acquisition of GAs during a complete academic cycle/cohort. It provides a unique space where students and instructors interact with assessment scales and with concrete data for a complete university experience profile.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 38 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 3 November 2023

Anna Mooney, Naomi Crafti and Jillian Broadbear

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a debilitating illness characterised by a pervasive pattern of emotional instability, interpersonal difficulties and impulsive behaviour…

445

Abstract

Purpose

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a debilitating illness characterised by a pervasive pattern of emotional instability, interpersonal difficulties and impulsive behaviour in association with repeated self-injury and chronic suicidal ideation. People diagnosed with BPD also have high rates of co-occurring psychopathology, including disorders associated with disturbed impulse control, such as substance use disorder (SUD) and disordered eating behaviours. The co-occurrence of BPD and impulse control disorders contributes to the severity and complexity of clinical presentations and negatively impacts the course of treatment and recovery. This study qualitatively documents aspects of the lived experience and recovery journeys of people diagnosed with BPD and co-occurring SUD and/or disordered eating. This study aims to identify similarities with respect to themes reported at different stages of the recovery process, as well as highlight important factors that may hinder and/or foster recovery.

Design/methodology/approach

In-person, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 specialist service consumers within a clinical setting. Ten women and two men (22–58 years; mean: 35.5 years) were recruited. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis principles.

Findings

As expected, participants with co-occurring disorders experienced severe forms of psychopathology. The lived experience descriptions aligned with the proposition that people with BPD engage in impulsive behaviours as a response to extreme emotional states. Key emergent themes and sub-themes relating to recovery comprised three domains: factors hindering adaptive change; factors assisting adaptive change and factors that constitute change. An inability to regulate negative affect appears to be an important underlying mechanism that links the three disorders.

Practical implications

This study highlights the potential shortcomings in the traditional approach of treating co-occurring disorders of BPD, SUD and eating disorders as separate diagnoses. The current findings strongly support the adoption of an integrative approach to treating complex mental health issues while concurrently emphasising social connection, support and general health and lifestyle changes.

Originality/value

The findings of this study contribute to the burgeoning BPD recovery literature. A feature of the current study was its use of in-depth face-to-face interviews, which provided rich, many layered, detailed and nuanced data, which is a major goal of qualitative research (Fusch and Ness, 2015). Furthermore, the interviews were conducted within a safe clinical setting with engagement facilitated by a clinically trained professional. There was also a genuine willingness among participants to share their stories in the belief that doing so would inform effective future clinical practice. Their willingness and engagement as participants may reflect their progress along the path to recovery in comparison to others with similar diagnoses. Finally, most of the interviewees were engaging in dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT)-style therapies; two were receiving mentalisation-based therapy treatment, and most had previously engaged in cognitive behavioural therapy or acceptance and commitment therapy-based approaches. The predominance of DBT-style therapy may have influenced the ways that themes were articulated. Future studies could supplement this area of research by interviewing participants receiving therapeutic interventions other than DBT for the treatment of BPD and heightened impulsivity.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 18 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

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