Prelims

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ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: TEACHING FOR LEADERSHIP, INNOVATION, AND CREATIVITY

Title Page

ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: TEACHING FOR LEADERSHIP, INNOVATION, AND CREATIVITY

EDITED BY

ANASTASIA MISSEYANNI

Deree – The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece

MILTIADIS D. LYTRAS

Deree – The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece

PARASKEVI PAPADOPOULOU

Deree – The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece

CHRISTINA MAROULI

Deree – The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

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Emerald Publishing Limited

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First edition 2018

Copyright © 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78714-488-0 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-78714-487-3 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-78714-944-1 (Epub)

About the Authors

Cristina Alcaide-Muñoz is a PhD Student in the Business Administration Department at the Public University of Navarre, Spain. She holds a research grant in the Department of Business Administration (Public University of Navarre) to develop the line of research based on operations management, focusing on high-performance manufacturing organizations. Her research encompasses operations management, particularly, quality management and strategic planning. Moreover, she teaches operations management and human resources management at the Public University of Navarre.

César Augusto R. Bastos is a PhD Student in Information Systems at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Brazil. He has experience in education, focusing on educational technology, and more specifically on the following subjects: Teaching-Using computers, Robotics, and Physics. He attained his Bachelor in Licenciatura em Física from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1988) and Master in Computer Science from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (2005), Brazil.

Azril Bacal Roij has a long higher educational career in Perú, México, Sweden, and Spain. He was Humanities Endowment Scholar at Otterbein College (1995), and Visiting Lecturer at UCLA (1996). He is currently affiliated with the Sociology Department, taught a course on Dorothy Lee at the Anthropology Department, Uppsala University. He teaches peace education/culture of peace at “Centro Internacional de Prospectiva y Altos Estudios” (CIPAE), Puebla, México. He held academic administrative posts in Perú and México. His work covers various fields, and he has authored books, chapters, and journal articles on: ethnicity, citizenship, national identity, higher education, peace education, rural development, and intercultural dialogue.

María Graciela Badilla-Quintana is Assistant Professor and Associate Researcher at CIEDE-UCSC, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile. She is a Journalist, Licentiate in Social Communication, Teacher of Primary Education, Master in Education, and PhD in Pedagogical Investigation. Currently, she is Director of the Doctoral in Education program, and Editor-in-Chief of the REXE Journal. Her research focuses on ICT integration on Educational Innovation and includes immersive virtual worlds and gamification. Between 2016 and 2018 she is Visiting Researcher (postdoc) in the Laboratory for Embodied Cognition and Embodied Games at Arizona State University, USA thanks to Becas Chile scholarship.

Wendy Barber holds a BPHE, BEd, Med, and a PhD from the University of Toronto. She is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Canada and has also been a program director in that faculty. Her research interests are: Health and Physical Education, wearable technologies for fitness and well-being, as well as working in the Education Informatics Lab (EILab.ca) developing leading edge frameworks for Fully Online Learning Communities. She is a passionate advocate for teacher education, and she currently teaches in both graduate and undergraduate programs.

Marcelo Careaga Butter is Associate Professor and Associate Researcher at CIEDE-UCSC, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile. He is Professor of History and Geography, Master in Education (in curriculum specialty) and has a PhD in Philosophy and Educational Sciences. Currently, he is Head of the Educational Computer and Knowledge Management Unit. His research focuses on Cybernetic Curriculum, Knowledge Management and Virtual Epistemology, and Integration of ICT in educational and intercultural contexts. Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow in the final phase related to ICT and Knowledge Management in intercultural contexts at the University of Bristol, UK.

Zbyněk Filipi has a Master’s Degree in Pedagogy, specialized in Computer Science, and a Doctorate in Pedagogy. He works at the Department of Computer Science and Educational Technology at the Faculty of Education at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Czech Republic, which provides training for pre-service teachers, focused on computer science. He lectures on didactics and digital literacy. He is the author and co-author of articles focused on ICT in education. He has gained a wide range of experience in implementing projects for the professional development of teachers.

Inés González-González is a Professor in the Business Administration Department of the Public University of Navarre, Spain. She has a PhD in Business Administration – Accounting and Finances – from the University of Valladolid, and Executive MBA for the European School Business of Madrid, both in Spain. She has worked as a Manager at several companies linked to Public Administration, and has worked as a Strategy Consultant. She has written more than 40 papers in prestigious international journals, having presented communications in national and international Congresses, and is directing doctoral research theses. She was Senior Researcher at i2TIC. Award in Education and Emerging Technology, 2017 awarded by The Financial Studies Center (CFS).

Ana Isabel Jimenez-Zarco is Associate Professor in the Business and Economic Studies of the Open University of Catalonia, Spain. She was Senior Researcher at i2TIC. She has PhD in Economics and Business from the University of Castilla La Mancha and Postgraduate in Building Models in Ecology and Natural Resource Management from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Both universities are in Spain. She was Evaluator at the European Union Program “Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Networks.” She is an author of over 70 national and international publications. Award in Education and Emerging Technology, 2017 awarded by The Financial Studies Center (CFS).

Gretchen Kreahling McKay received a BA in Art at Colby College, USA, and her MA and PhD in the History of Art from the University of Virginia, USA. Currently, she is Professor of Art History and Chair of the Department of Art and Art History at McDaniel College, USA, and a speaker and consultant on active learning in the higher education classroom. She was the recipient of the 2015 Ira G. Zepp Distinguished Teaching Award at McDaniel College. She is also the Faculty Mentor to the McDaniel College Green Terror football team.

Miltiadis D. Lytras is Research Professor of Information Systems at Deree – The American College of Greece, with a research focus on semantic web, knowledge management, and e-learning, with more than 100 publications. He has authored/(co-)edited more than 45 special issues in international journals and 42 books. He has served as the (Co) Editor-in-Chief of 8 international journals (e.g., International Journal on Semantic Web and Information Systems, International Journal of Knowledge Society Research, International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning).

Christina Marouli is Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Deree – The American College of Greece. She has a long career as Educator in diverse contexts and as Consultant on environmental issues, while she has worked for years in non-governmental organizations for women and children. She has founded and directed the Center of Excellence for Sustainability at the American College of Greece. She has been a recipient of a Fulbright scholarship for research on multicultural environmental education and has significant experience in experiential and active learning as well as in collaborative teaching and learning practices.

Anastasia Misseyanni is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Deree – The American College of Greece. She has research experience in the fields of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her present research interests focus on innovative teaching and learning strategies in higher education and science pedagogy, with emphasis on active learning; also on Mediterranean biodiversity, green roofs, and sustainability in higher education. She has developed and taught many undergraduate natural science and environmental studies courses. She is coordinator of the Deree Environmental Studies program and serves as Head of the Department of Science and Mathematics at Deree – The American College of Greece.

Ronney Moreira de Castro graduated in Systems Analysis from the Higher Education Center of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. He is a Specialist in Computer Science as well as an MSc, both from the Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil, and a PhD Student in Information Systems at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Brazil. He is currently Professor and Coordinator of the Bachelor of Information Systems at Granbery Methodist College, Brazil. He has experience in Computer Science, with emphasis on Software Engineering and Web projects. His research is currently focused on the area of computer education, more specifically on Active Learning.

Daniel Moscovici is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies & Sustainability at Stockton University, USA. He has completed a PhD in Environmental Planning & MS in Environmental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, and an MBA at Villanova University, USA. His main areas of interest include natural resource management, environmental pedagogy, regional planning, and land conservation.

William (Bill) Muirhead is the founding Associate Provost at UOIT. He completed a PhD at the University of Alberta, Canada, in the area of online and distance education. An active researcher, he has attracted and participated in more than $8m of funding. He is the recipient of numerous awards including those from the Government of Alberta, Canadian Association for Distance Education, Association for Media in Education, Industry Canada, and from UOIT for Excellence in Leading Teams. He has conducted research on aspects of online education, learning technology infrastructure development, and digital literacy in health-related fields.

Paraskevi Papadopoulou is Professor of Biology at Deree – The American College of Greece. Her research interests are focused in the fields of Structural Biology/Molecular Biophysics and Bioinformatics. She contributed to the development of genetic testing protocols for rare genetic diseases. Her current research engagement is on Mediterranean biodiversity and green roofs, in addition to higher education research and innovative ways of teaching and learning in STEM disciplines and big data analytics in Bioinformatics and Healthcare. She has served as Head of the Department of Science, Technology and Mathematics at Deree – The American College of Greece for 6 years.

Maria Cristina Pfeiffer Fernandes graduated in Engenharia Elétrica from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (1977), Brazil is Master in Production Engineering from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1984), and has a PhD in Production Engineering from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1989), Brazil. She has experience in education, with a focus on the following subjects: distance learning, collaborative learning, web-based learning environment, web, and education.

Linda Pospisilova is a University Teacher of Specific and Academic English in Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral programs of the Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Czech Republic, with years of experience in eLearning and ePortfolio areas. She researches ePortfolio, student autonomy, and goal setting in language learning and deals with LMS Moodle course management, methodology, and administration. She is also a part of the Czech Padagogy Wheel translation team, an author of several online courses which have been awarded EUNIS prizes, and a Mahara system administrator.

Eva Rimbau-Gilabert is a Human Resources Lecturer at the Economics and Business Faculty of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC, Spain) and a member of the Digital Business Research Group (DigiBiz). Since 2004, she has taught at the UOC in the areas of human resource management, change management, and corporate social responsibility. She is also a member of the UOC’s Academic Committee for the Doctoral Programme in Information and Knowledge Society. She has served as Academic Director of several programs: the Bachelor’s Degree in Labour Sciences, the Master’s Degree in Work Safety, and the Graduate Studies of Business and Economics.

Lorayne Robertson is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Ontario, Canada. She specializes in online course design, program design, and quality assurance. Other research interests include investigations of the student experience and instructor role in polysynchronous online environments, with a particular focus on digital technologies and assistive technologies at the point of instruction in applied settings such as schools, colleges, and higher education. She is a former school principal, district superintendent, and education officer in Ontario, earning her doctorate at the University of Toronto, Canada.

Lucie Rohlíková has focused on higher education, distance education, and the use of technologies in education since 1998, and has been publishing her work on higher education continuously since then. She has gathered extensive practical experience in the use of blended learning for the training of academic staff, and has implemented several projects with a specific focus on training pre-service teachers and new faculty members. Since 2010, she has popularized mobile technologies enhanced learning, and she leads the Czech Pedagogy Wheel Team.

Sean W. M. Siqueira is Associate Professor at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Brazil. He is Editor-in-Chief of the RBIE: Brazilian Journal on Computers in Education. He is the founder and coordinator of the Semantics and Learning research group and is a member of the special committees on Computers and Education (CEIE) and on Information Systems (CESI), both from the Brazilian Computer Society (SBC). His research interests are knowledge representation, web science (including social and semantic web), and advanced technologies for teaching and learning.

Eileen Sepúlveda-Valenzuela is an English Teacher from Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile. She has a Master in Technology and Knowledge Management in Education. She is a second year PhD Student at the University of Bristol, UK, thanks to Becas Chile scholarship. She has researched on the use of digital technology in education and has worked as research assistant for Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción. Currently, she is researching about intercultural dialogue in Chilean higher education.

Peter J. Shaw is Associate Professor at the University of Southampton, UK, specializing in interdisciplinary environmental science. He has a diverse background, holding degrees in Physics, Environmental and Ecological Sciences, and Biology. His interests in education encompass pollution, freshwater and marine science, resource and waste management, and contemporary environmental issues. He is a long-standing executive member of the UK’s Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences through which he has been involved with developing Professional Body accreditation of Environmental Science degrees.

Susan Stetson-Tiligadas has a PhD in Education with a specialization in Instructional Design for Online Learning. She has been teaching at Deree – The American College of Greece since 2006 in the English for Academic Purposes program and more recently in the MA TESOL program. She also helped develop the Online Faculty Training program and co-facilitates this program at the college. As an instructional designer, she has worked with subject-matter experts in Psychology, TESOL, Music, and Writing. Her research interests include motivational instructional strategies, instructional design theories, learner-centered instruction, and online professional development.

Emma Witt is Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Stockton University, a position she has held since September 2014. She completed a PhD in soil science at the University of Kentucky and an MS at the University of Minnesota. Her main areas of interest include implementing a range of active learning techniques in the classroom and field, as well as researching hydrologic responses to disturbance.

Preface

Undoubtedly, higher education is in an era of transition. The quest for fast integration of knowledge into innovative services and products, capable of promoting a socially inclusive sustainability vision for our societies, challenges the design of academic programs as well as the priorities of higher education top administrators and policy officers.

At the same time, the young generation is more and more attached to the use of technology in their daily lives; they have transformed into technology advocates, with various side effects – mainly their motivation not to use the monolithic, static learning content that is promoted in the traditional learning paradigm for decades.

In another context, the archetypal vision and mission of the academic learning process, especially as it relates to the cultivation of active citizens, personalities with critical thinking and creativity, aiming to contribute to better societies, is also being reconsidered.

What should be the vision for the learning strategies in higher education of our century? Which are the determinants of a learning philosophy promoting knowledge dissemination, the development of skills and competencies, and the ethos and social responsibility of students? Which is a viable and sustainable model for the integration of the numerous learning technologies that appear every few years and are promoted as panacea for any learning insufficiency? How can we facilitate a collaborative, distributed culture of mutual understanding, respect, and cross-fertilization between peers, disciplines, institutions all over the world? Is there a way in our turbulent times to cultivate peace-making processes and long-term sustainable – i.e., simultaneously environmentally friendly, socially just, and economically viable – interactions between nations, religions, and cultures based on shared values incorporated in modern educational systems? Which is, at the end of the day, the best contribution of education to the well-being and happiness of all the stakeholders involved?

With such big questions, our book is a rather humble effort to reposition the focus of our scientific teaching and learning community to the basics. In our opinion, active learning is not a simple didactic approach in a complex world. We define active learning as a holistic philosophy for a humanistic vision in higher education, where individuals, groups, institutions, and nations contribute to a global transformation in balance with nature and with respect toward nature as well. Active learning is a transformative process that brings together knowledge artifacts, learning contexts, humans, and social problems as well as challenges for the present and future of our societies. The ultimate contribution of active learning is an innovative way of thinking, where reality and truth are not a case of black and white, where teaching and learning are an exploratory journey to the wealth of knowledge and different realities, and, finally, where nothing is taken for granted but the provision of a fruitful learning context, full of interactions, that can reveal to everyone his or her own path to inner achievement and fulfillment.

Active learning in our approach is a new way of understanding the dialogue between the accumulated knowledge, the inner inquiry of each person for personal development, and the social exploration for securing a better world for all. Active learning is about balancing personal motivation for self-fulfillment with group capacities for high impact contributions in business, culture, education, and every domain of human activity.

Active learning is a holistic approach. It is transparent in any aspect of higher education and has direct implications and prerequisites for administration, faculty, government, and various stakeholders. The resources required for active learning implementation should be investments with great return in terms of social value, sustainability, and development.

Active learning, furthermore, is about linking human minds and souls in a creative spiral of knowledge transformation and skills development at individual, group, and institutional level. It is hard to accept this in the context of a technocratic society where the specialization and the focus on core disciplines is something like an axiom.

Active learning is about interdisciplinary integration and intersection. This is an additional challenge for higher education. Without a systematic process of launching interdisciplinary programs and curricula, there will always be a critical lack of creativity and impact. It is time to link innovation with active learning strategies that interact with many disciplines at the same time. This will bring back the focus of education to the object of the matter. The learner is not an abstract concept. It is a complex entity with a personality, a psychological background, and cognitive capacities, developing within a certain social context. It is a real challenge for our times to reconsider the motivation we should prompt in the young generation. If the motivation is strictly related to narrow economic models of return on investment or employability terms, our society will always be in lack of responsive actions to address the big social challenges of our times.

Our Active Learning Strategies in Higher Education is in fact a journey. At the end of its reading, researchers, academics, policy makers, and students will realize that this is just the beginning. This is because active learning requires a personal vision: the vision of an out-of-the-box education – to consider your learning process as a constructive process that brings you together with other people from all over the world. Active learning is about modifying your context, from the micro-world of your personal beliefs and understandings to a whole universe of magnificent human contributions.

We do believe that our times are the most suitable for such a humanistic shift in the design and delivery of programs in higher education. Global collaboration for the big challenges of our times, such as the preservation of our planet, poverty, socially inclusive and just development, smart and sustainable cities, mutual respect, and generation of new knowledge for providing sustainable solutions to social problems, is the vision for the active learning philosophy we propose. At the end of the day, it is about bringing more light into our souls. We do believe that we all deserve it. Let us imagine and work for a better world for all, for us – now and the next generations – and for all living beings. Learning can always make the difference, as it decreases ignorance which feeds our problems, can mobilize emotions, and can motivate our action.

Our next planned edition goes a step further. It provides practical guidelines for active learning that can lead to social transformation.

People can always make it! Margaret Mead – a renowned anthropologist – said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” We do believe in the capacity of the global community of creative minds and caring individuals to use active learning for the development of a new culture that will lead to more sustainable societies.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the great scholars and academics who contributed to this edition.