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The purpose of this paper is to investigate evidence for the use of web discussion in the assessment of work‐based learning in practical nurse education. The paper seeks to investigate what kind of conclusions can be drawn from the students’ learning and learning processes, especially from their ability to reflect by analysing web discussions.

The data were gathered in an action research project in a vocational secondary level institution. The data consists of 26 web discussions among student groups and their teachers' qualitative, evaluative reports, 26 altogether. The data were coded inductively with the NVivo 1.3 qualitative data analysis software. The analysis followed the principles of hierarchical coding. The purpose was to study how the processes of vocational growth, learning and reflection can be detected in the web discussion.

The paper finds that web discussion provides valuable information about the learning processes of students. It is a valid measure for the ability to reflective thinking and a useful method to develop reflection skills. Web discussion is feasible, but not an adequate assessment form of work‐based learning all alone. It serves best the assessment needs of the final phases of studying.

The research was conducted in practical nurse education where communication and reflection are critical. More detailed research is needed from other vocational sectors.

The research findings suggest the use of web discussion as one valuable solution for the assessment of students’ competence gained through work‐based learning.

The paper is based on original data.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how online discussion can be used in work‐integrated learning as a vehicle for students to demonstrate their learning in the workplace and to facilitate collaborative learning where face‐to‐face classes are not feasible.

The paper evaluates the use of assessable online discussion in facilitating collaborative learning and scaffolding reflection in work placement subjects. It reviews the literature regarding the use of online discussion, particularly for work placement subjects, and evaluates the use of an online discussion forum in a case study subject in the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) undergraduate law course.

The paper suggests that assessable online discussion forums are appropriate to facilitate student collaboration and collaborative learning in work placement subjects.

The paper is original in its examination of the assessment of online discussion in a work‐integrated learning context.

The purpose of this paper is fivefold: to identify the various results of previous empirical studies on the effect of mastery learning and students achievement in Nigeria schools; determine the effect size for each of the studies examined; determine the mean effect size of the overall studies examined; find out the mean effect size of studies that examined the effect of gender on academic achievement in mastery learning strategy; and determine the mean effect size of studies that examined the effect of school locations on academic achievements using mastery learning strategy.

This study adopted survey research design using the ex post facto procedure. This study being meta-analytical used already existing data (research results). The sample of research reports included both published and unpublished research reports on the effects of mastery learning on students’ academic achievements in Nigeria between 1980 and 2016. The study adopted a purposive sampling technique in selecting the sample. This was to ensure that studies: were centered on mastery learning and students’ academic achievements; were carried out in Nigeria; appeared in published and unpublished literature between 1980 and 2016; have the statistical values of the research results of each independent variable to be considered (e.g. t-test values, χ² values and correlation values).

The study revealed that the mean effect size for all the studies was 0.536, indicating a positive mean effect size. The strategy, thus, has a significant effect on students’ achievements. School location, also, did not mediate in the use of the strategy.

Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made: teachers should use this teaching strategy to enhance students’ achievements in difficult concepts in different subject areas. Since the result of this study has shown that the strategy has positive and large effect size, government and school proprietors should, with the collaboration of higher institutions concerned with teacher education, endeavor to organize seminars and workshops to serving teachers to enable them embrace effectively the principles and processes of implementing the strategy in the classroom. Since the result of this study has established the size of the effect of mastery learning strategy on the academic achievements, subsequent researchers should no longer direct their efforts in determining its effects on academic achievements but on the ways of improving the use of the strategy in teaching at all levels of education.

Available literature has shown that though most previous research findings revealed that mastery learning approach has an effect on academic achievements of students, no efforts have been made toward resolving the inconsistencies of those results by integrating them and establishing the extent of the effect of the strategy on academic achievements. This study, therefore, was designed to fill these gaps created by the non-existence of integrated studies on effects of mastery learning and academic achievements of students in Nigerian schools.

Teaching and learning online during the Covid-19 pandemic has forced university instructors to consider online alternatives to the classroom. It is possible to facilitate students’ learning in the digital environment in similar ways to the traditional face-to-face classroom. The inclusion of e-guests in the digital learning space presents one such opportunity. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of e-guests in online learning.

This paper presents a case study, following a postgraduate class and the role of the e-guest in students’ synchronous online learning.

E-guests facilitated student learning. Their approaches to learning ranged from slides to discussions. Students responded well to this method of learning.

There is potential for enhancing student learning through the inclusion of e-guests, who bring their expertise to the classroom. E-guests from different regions offer students an opportunity to learn from specialists they would not necessarily have access to in the traditional classroom.

E-guests offer one important potential means of enriching online teaching.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the use of WebCT in support of online and blended learning in the Faculty of Architecture of a Hong Kong university.

Paper questionnaires are used to collect students' experiences, perceptions and attitudes towards the online course they have undertaken. Focus group interviews are conducted with two groups of students at the end of the semester. In addition, both formal and informal interviews are conducted with the instructor to understand his perceptions and perspectives.

In general, students prefer to have course management systems (CMS) as a supplement to face‐to‐face lectures rather than as its replacement. They perceive WebCT as mainly a platform for downloading materials and submitting assignments rather than a platform for teaching and learning. Learning fully online is perceived as self‐learning. The traditional lecture is considered more effective and efficient by many students to grasp concepts and principles.

This is an exploratory study at a Hong Kong university. However, it provides initial evidence to shed light on issues concerning the use of CMS in support of online and blended learning.

In order to ensure a more engaging and rewarding online learning experience, teacher's online presence should be strengthened. Other than teacher presence, the cognitive presence could be fostered through engineering the student‐to‐student interaction in co‐located settings.

The paper usefully demonstrates how the blended mode of learning that combines face‐to‐face and online learning has become increasingly popular, while the courses conducted entirely online are comparatively rare at universities in Hong Kong.

This study draws on the experiences of a consortium of UK universities seeking to enhance the quality of undergraduate building education. Their initiative called, student‐centred learning in construction education (SLICE) was funded by the UK government to improve student learning by inspiring and equipping lecturers to develop effective student‐centred learning activities. The benefits of student‐centred and flexible learning are explored and the projects' outputs are described in general. One of the outputs, the “Building Pathology Lecturers' Toolkit” is examined in depth. A review of its content reveals that to be a valuable and practical resource for lecturers, providing them with guidance and ready‐to‐use yet adaptable exemplar learning materials for students. The potential impact of this toolkit and the toolkit programme generally is scrutinised using feedback data from lecturers and students, concluding that the flexible format and content offers considerable opportunities to enhance learning in the building pathology field.

One of the defining characteristics of higher education is the expectation that undergraduates will exercise some responsibility for the management of their learning. In the UK and elsewhere student self‐managed learning has become more salient due to resource constraints and the increasing emphasis on equipping students with what they need to become lifelong learners. At the same time, as a result of widening access policies, developments in compulsory education systems and changing lifestyles, undergraduates appear less well prepared to cope with the demands of self‐managed learning than might have been the case in the past. The problem is further compounded by the diversity of view amongst academic staff concerning the extent and nature of the support, which they should provide in this respect. Although the need for support will vary between institutions, all are faced, to a greater or lesser extent, with the challenge of ensuring that their learning and teaching strategies take account of the contingencies of self‐managed learning

This paper aims to discuss the evolution of a digital learning environment in higher education as a result of ongoing data collection and evaluation.

The manuscript is based on a digital learning environment intervention at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and is informed by evaluation data collected from student and faculty surveys annually between 2002 and 2016. Survey themes changed annually based on student/faculty concerns and interests, and program management used this feedback to make modifications to program scope and offerings.

The digital learning environment at the University of Wisconsin-Stout has been effective in providing faculty and students with the tools they need to be successful. This success is largely due to the ongoing commitment to data collection and evaluation at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and has ensured that the digital learning environment stays modern and adaptive.

This manuscript is the culmination of 15 years of ongoing evaluation practice and thus provides valuable best practices and lessons learned for educators/educational institutions hoping to improve or create their own digital learning environment.

Higher education has recently experienced an advancement in teaching and learning methods. Academics are experimenting with innovative techniques in using e-learning due to the global pandemic which has given a new dimension to classroom teaching. Hybrid teaching is becoming the new norm for classroom teaching which includes both face-to-face and online modes. Smart gadgets and technology are being used to design classroom delivery, assessment, and evaluation of students. The use of innovative teaching and learning methods becomes crucial to motivate and teach a spirit of learning. The development in the information and communication technologies (ICTs) sector has led to knowledge-intensive, interdependent and internationalized societies exploring and experimenting with opportunities for the design and delivery of education. ICTs are opening up new horizons to facilitate the exchange of creativity and intercultural dialogue. This book volume highlights case studies and innovative teaching methods used by academics across the globe. It talks about how teaching staff should stimulate students’ active engagement in their own learning processes leading to transformative student learning. It discusses the in-class approach of implementing high-quality project-based learning activities that integrate learning in an authentic real-world manner. Chapters are dedicated to experiential learning which encourages critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills in students which is the essence of innovative teaching-learning methods. Academics are applying these methods to ensure that the student learning process is free flowing and stimulates students toward role-playing and mastering problem-based learning.