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1 – 10 of over 15000Anthony Cerqua, Clermont Gauthier and Martial Dembélé
Global governance has granted international organizations a political role of utmost importance. As the search for research-based best practices is the spearhead of these…
Abstract
Global governance has granted international organizations a political role of utmost importance. As the search for research-based best practices is the spearhead of these nongovernmental organizations, national decision-makers tend to accept their recommendations willingly. The way decision-makers use research-based evidence has been amply investigated, but few researchers have interrogated how the same international organizations, that claim to establish a bridge between research and policy, use such evidence. This prompted us to analyze the pedagogical discourse of UNESCO, an organization that recently reminded the international community that improving teacher quality is now a major issue for all those who are preoccupied with improving the quality of education (UNESCO, 2014). Teaching and learning: Achieving quality for all. EFA global monitoring report. Paris, France: UNESCO). How does UNESCO deal with the issue of teaching practices? What is the content of its pedagogical discourse? To answer these questions, we analyzed the Organization’s publications on teachers in the past 15 years (N = 45) and conducted interviews with a number of its strategic members (N = 5). The results of our analyses of this dataset indicate a tension between the content of the publications and what the interviewees had to say. While the publications timidly but recurrently promote learner-centered constructivist approaches, the interviewees argued that pedagogical orientations are a matter of national sovereignty; that UNESCO should not cross this line. As an intermediary between research and policy and a think tank, UNESCO seems caught in this contradiction. In matters of pedagogy, shouldn’t the Organization be more forceful in counseling its member States by referring to research-based evidence on teaching effectiveness?
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Elsie C. Ameen and Daryl M. Guffey
This chapter includes a citation analysis of the first 16 volumes of Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations (henceforth, Advances in Accounting…
Abstract
This chapter includes a citation analysis of the first 16 volumes of Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations (henceforth, Advances in Accounting Education). Using this analysis, we identified the top 20 articles of the 195 articles published. This analysis provides an understanding of the relative contribution and impact of the papers published in Advances in Accounting Education, and the information provides past authors with a measure of how their contributions compare with the contributions of other authors. Also, this analysis may be valuable for potential contributors who are developing a research topic in that it will enable them to identify the types of articles that have traditionally had the greatest impact.
We also identify the top 30 authors of the 383 who have published in the journal. This analysis not only gives feedback to the authors listed, but also helps accounting education researchers identify authors whose work may be relevant to their interests.
We report the research categories (issues) and methodologies used for all articles published from 1998 to 2015 in Advances in Accounting Education. We also compare the research issues and research methodologies used in Advances in Accounting Education to those in the Journal of Accounting Education and Issues in Accounting Education for the period 2006–2015. Authors considering submitting a manuscript to one of these journals can use this information to determine which journal might be the best fit for their work.
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The purpose of this research is to focus on how students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds encounter online learning environments, and to assess the extent to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to focus on how students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds encounter online learning environments, and to assess the extent to which cultural factors impact on learners' engagement with online learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The study explores how a culturally diverse cohort of students engage with the organisational, technological and pedagogical aspects of online learning depicted in Conole's (2004) “framework for e‐learning”. A total of 241 students in online learning programs in a large university in South Australia were surveyed, yielding a response rate of 65 percent.
Findings
Analysis indicated that cultural differences do have an impact on participant satisfaction with organisational and technological issues, with local respondents indicating significantly more positive perceptions than international respondents. Significant also was a reported lack of peer engagement and intercultural communication.
Research limitations/implications
First, the study was restricted to students in one large university in Australia, using one in‐house online learning system, and studying business courses. Future research could replicate the study across a range of universities and across different countries, which would enhance generalisability. In addition, researchers can expand the model used in this study, testing other variables which impact on online learning.
Practical implications
These differences in reported engagement with online learning reflect differences in students' experience of online courses as culturally inclusive, and have implications for the quality of online education. These reported experiences may be linked to the amount of communicative interaction among students.
Originality/value
The paper examined the cultural aspects of student engagement with the organisational, technological and pedagogical components of online learning. Its findings suggest a direction to improve the quality of learning for all students by constructing a culturally inclusive online learning environment.
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The purpose of this paper is to further clarify a conceptual understanding of pedagogic challenges in the learning organization and to propose a model for pedagogic interventions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to further clarify a conceptual understanding of pedagogic challenges in the learning organization and to propose a model for pedagogic interventions to facilitate organizational learning and managing tacit knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach
The “organization pedagogic” approach includes analysis of, and interventions in, learning processes in local school organizations' quality development. The empirical study focuses particularly on identified contradictions and challenges regarding organizational learning. Through a multi-case study design, 39 in-depth interviews with head teachers and teachers were carried out. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted.
Findings
Observed obstacles regarding collective learning processes in the local school organizations mirrored underlying contradictions. These contradictions manifest as dilemmas concerning inconsistent and implicit quality analyses and assessments, as conflicting views regarding collaboration and interpretations of teacher’s role and as paradoxical views on managing processes regarding quality work.
Originality/value
A conclusion is that dilemmas and paradoxes, more than conflicting views, are difficult to conceptualize and make explicit to create shared knowledge. This means that contradictions remain as underlying tensions in the organization and decrease the potential of both team learning and organizational learning. Therefore, a pedagogic intervention loop model is suggested, aiming at facilitating ongoing collective learning processes and managing tacit knowledge.
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Niclas Sandström and Anne Nevgi
This paper aims to study a change process on a university campus from a pedagogical perspective. The aim of the process, as expressed by facilities management and faculty…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study a change process on a university campus from a pedagogical perspective. The aim of the process, as expressed by facilities management and faculty leadership, was to create campus learning landscapes that promote social encounters and learning between students and researchers, as well as other embedded groups. The paper addresses how pedagogical needs are or should be integrated in the design process.
Design/methodology/approach
The data of this case study regarding change on campus consist of semi-structured interviews of information-rich key stakeholders identified using snowball sampling method. The interviews were analysed to find common themes and reference to pedagogical needs and expectations.
Findings
Campus usability and reliability are improved when pedagogy informs the design, and needs such as sense of belonging (human) and connectivity (digital) are fulfilled. User-centred design should be followed through during the whole campus change process, and there should be sufficient communications between user groups.
Research limitations/implications
The discussion is based on one case. However, the recommendations are solid and also reflected in other related research literature regarding campus change initiatives.
Practical implications
The paper states recommendations for including pedagogical needs in campus learning landscape change and underlines the role of real user-centred processes in reaching this goal.
Originality/value
The study introduces the concept of campus reliability and highlights a missing link from many campus change cases – pedagogy – which is suggested to be essential in informing campus designs that produce usable and reliable future-ready outcomes.
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Jorge Brantes Ferreira, Amarolinda Zanela Klein, Angilberto Freitas and Eliane Schlemmer
New mobile platforms, connected seamlessly to the Internet via wireless access, become increasingly more powerful as each day passes. Smartphones and tablet computers, as well as…
Abstract
New mobile platforms, connected seamlessly to the Internet via wireless access, become increasingly more powerful as each day passes. Smartphones and tablet computers, as well as other ultraportable devices, have already gained enough critical mass to be considered mainstream devices, being present in the daily lives of millions of higher education students. Whole firms, devoted solely to developing high-quality and high engagement content to these devices, have emerged, populating an application market of thousands of teaching applications (apps) focused on diverse higher education topics, from physics and calculus to anatomy and law. Many universities throughout the world have already adopted or are planning to adopt mobile technologies in many of their courses as a better way to connect students with the subjects they are studying. These new mobile platforms allow students to access content anywhere/anytime to immerse himself/herself into that content (alone or interacting with teachers or colleagues via web communication forms) and to interact with that content in ways that were not previously possible (via touch and voice recognition technologies, for instance). The study of such technologies and their possible uses for higher education, as well as the impacts they can have on stimulating more active participation and engagement with the course subjects and research in higher education, while at the same time fostering collaboration among students and even different institutions, is the goal of the proposed chapter. Through the evaluation of the teacher/student acceptance and adoption of such mobile technologies, this chapter plans to provide a thorough overview of the possibilities and consequences of mobile learning in higher education environments as a gateway to ubiquitous learning – perhaps the ultimate form of learner engagement, since it allows the student to learn, access and interact with important content in any way or at any time or place she/he might want.
Pablo Aránguiz Mesías, Guillermo Palau Salvador and Jordi Peris-Blanes
This paper aims to explore how young students experience the contribution of a pedagogical assemblage based on design thinking (DT) while contributing to the transition to a more…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how young students experience the contribution of a pedagogical assemblage based on design thinking (DT) while contributing to the transition to a more just and sustainable university.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative research considers the case of two pedagogical experiences developed at Universitat Politècnica de Valencià, Spain. In both experiences, a methodological proposal that includes practices of care, just transitions and DT was implemented. The data obtained through in-depth interviews, surveys and digital whiteboard labels was analyzed under the lens of three relational categories in the context of sustainability.
Findings
Learnings are acquired through five categories: place-based learning, prior learning, embodied learning, collaborative teamwork and intersectionality. The research shows how the subjective knowledge of young students positions them as co-designers and leaders of a University that drives a more just and sustainable transition.
Originality/value
The originality of the paper lies in the shift of DT from a human-based approach to a justice-oriented relational approach.
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Lars Norqvist and Helene Ärlestig
The purpose of this paper is to understand how leaders within a school district system understand their own and others' leadership positions from the perspectives of systems…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand how leaders within a school district system understand their own and others' leadership positions from the perspectives of systems thinking and systems thinking skills.
Design/methodology/approach
The findings are based on interviews with superintendents, area managers (deputy superintendents), principals and first teachers in Sweden. Sets of systems thinking skills guide the analysis, specifically how various leadership positions are related (their structure and relationships), how leaders understand themselves in relation to the whole and the parts (mindset), what they think about how the organization is organized (content) and how they relate to the organization's history and future (behavior).
Findings
Leaders at all levels in the school organization have regular communications, but a wider systems thinking perspective is underdeveloped. The systems are hierarchical, with each level taking responsibility for its subsystem to such a high extent that it does not use or learn from other levels. We also found that change in the investigated schools is subtle, and in the schools, it did not seem important to understand change over time or the nature of important leverage points; the organizations' histories and futures were emphasized less than current issues and relations.
Practical implications
Increased knowledge on systems thinking skills can provide insights as to whether mindsets, content, structure and behavior are supporting each other or not. These perspectives can help actors on all levels to learn together.
Originality/value
In addition to the study outcomes, this paper offers a unique approach for studying the leadership positions of the governance chain and their impact on an organization's work and results. It obtains a broader picture of school districts' systems when various members of the governing chain express how they understand their organizations, in relation to systems thinking.
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Chandan Maheshkar and Jayant Sonwalkar
This paper aims to explore the key factors through which an optimum pedagogy mix can be determined towards effective teaching practice and enhanced student learning outcomes in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the key factors through which an optimum pedagogy mix can be determined towards effective teaching practice and enhanced student learning outcomes in business/management education.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory research design has been used. A sample of 310 was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. A structured questionnaire was developed to collect data. It was pre-tested, and essential modifications were made before its final implementation.
Findings
The study has presented the idea of pedagogy mix, which refers to a set of most obvious teaching methods/tools suitable to deliver marketing education in a context-bound manner. Eight factors have been identified that help to decide and/or maintain an optimum mix of pedagogies for effective teaching. An adequate “pedagogy mix” would help achieve educational objectives and equip students with the essential competencies.
Practical implications
The study is particularly significant to educators who are in the initial years of their careers. The identified factors help educators decide and/or maintain an optimum mix of pedagogies by offering an understanding of different pedagogies, their strategic relevance and student needs.
Originality/value
An institution's academic philosophy and commitment to the learning outcomes make it excellent or poor. Present institutions have and retain a main focus on preparation for professional careers, and without a perfect blend of pedagogies, it cannot be achieved. An optimum pedagogy mix would facilitate the key learning process and proffer the intricacies of the concerned profession. In this sense, this paper is a significant attempt, particularly in management education and higher education in general, that enables the educators of higher academics to decide and utilize an idyllic blend of pedagogies towards the successful execution of an educational process of higher order and ensuring the holistic student development.
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Panagiotis Zaharias and Panayiotis Koutsabasis
The purpose of this paper is to discuss heuristic evaluation as a method for evaluating e‐learning courses and applications and more specifically to investigate the applicability…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss heuristic evaluation as a method for evaluating e‐learning courses and applications and more specifically to investigate the applicability and empirical use of two customized e‐learning heuristic protocols.
Design/methodology/approach
Two representative e‐learning heuristic protocols were chosen for the comparative analysis. These protocols augment the “traditional” heuristic sets so as to cover technology‐enhanced learning properties. Two reviewers that have considerable experience in usability evaluation as well as in e‐learning were involved in this comparative analysis. Coverage, distribution and redundancy were employed as three basic criteria for conducting the evaluation
Findings
The main results of the study indicate that both heuristic protocols exhibit wide coverage of potential usability problems. The distribution of usability problems is uneven to a large number of heuristics for both heuristic sets, which reveals that some heuristics are more general than others.
Originality/value
This study shows the empirical application of two heuristic protocols in a usability evaluation of e‐learning applications. Furthermore, it provides a comparison of the two heuristic sets according to a set of criteria and provides a first set of suggestions regarding further development and validation of these heuristic sets.
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