Misconceptions and misapplications of student-centered approaches
- Authors: McKenna, Sioux , Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/453507 , vital:75259 , ISBN 9780429259371 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429259371-8/misconceptions-misapplications-student-centered-approaches-sioux-mckenna-lynn-quinn
- Description: A 1967 cartoon strip by Bud Blake shows a young boy, Tiger, telling his friend that he has taught his dog, Stripe, to whistle. “I don’t hear him whistling,” says the friend. Tiger explains “I said I taught him. I didn’t say he learned it.” Understanding education in terms of what it is that teachers do at the expense of a focus on how students learn has long been criticized. In 1916, Dewey was calling for more democratic approaches to education which took the student’s context into account. In 1968, Freire called for a major shift away from the “banking model” of education to one that recognized the student’s role in co-constructing knowledge. Despite the long history of such calls, transmission modes of teaching endure. It is thus unsurprising that calls for student-centered learning (SCL) are widespread.
- Full Text:
- Authors: McKenna, Sioux , Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/453507 , vital:75259 , ISBN 9780429259371 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429259371-8/misconceptions-misapplications-student-centered-approaches-sioux-mckenna-lynn-quinn
- Description: A 1967 cartoon strip by Bud Blake shows a young boy, Tiger, telling his friend that he has taught his dog, Stripe, to whistle. “I don’t hear him whistling,” says the friend. Tiger explains “I said I taught him. I didn’t say he learned it.” Understanding education in terms of what it is that teachers do at the expense of a focus on how students learn has long been criticized. In 1916, Dewey was calling for more democratic approaches to education which took the student’s context into account. In 1968, Freire called for a major shift away from the “banking model” of education to one that recognized the student’s role in co-constructing knowledge. Despite the long history of such calls, transmission modes of teaching endure. It is thus unsurprising that calls for student-centered learning (SCL) are widespread.
- Full Text:
The role of assessment in preparing academic developers for professional practice
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445865 , vital:74438 , ISBN 9781003028215 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003028215-15/role-assessment-preparing-academic-developers-professional-practice-lynn-quinn
- Description: Academic developers are tasked with supporting institutions in times of change. Essential for preparing academic developers for professional practice is enabling them to engage with and integrate existing knowledge with new knowledge, and apply their understandings to new contexts. Focusing on the summative assessment processes and products of a course specifically for academic developers, this chapter shows how cumulative knowledge-building can be achieved in both course design and pedagogy. Drawing on LCT concepts of ‘semantic gravity’ and ‘semantic density’, two high-achieving portfolios were analysed. The analysis indicates that movements between knowledge that is relatively abstract, decontextualized and complex to knowledge that is relatively concrete, context-dependent and simpler, represents a key characteristic of cumulative learning for professional practice courses. The chapter demonstrates how LCT can reveal the tacit ‘rules’ for success in the course, as well as how pedagogic strategies can be designed to achieve the desired outcome.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445865 , vital:74438 , ISBN 9781003028215 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003028215-15/role-assessment-preparing-academic-developers-professional-practice-lynn-quinn
- Description: Academic developers are tasked with supporting institutions in times of change. Essential for preparing academic developers for professional practice is enabling them to engage with and integrate existing knowledge with new knowledge, and apply their understandings to new contexts. Focusing on the summative assessment processes and products of a course specifically for academic developers, this chapter shows how cumulative knowledge-building can be achieved in both course design and pedagogy. Drawing on LCT concepts of ‘semantic gravity’ and ‘semantic density’, two high-achieving portfolios were analysed. The analysis indicates that movements between knowledge that is relatively abstract, decontextualized and complex to knowledge that is relatively concrete, context-dependent and simpler, represents a key characteristic of cumulative learning for professional practice courses. The chapter demonstrates how LCT can reveal the tacit ‘rules’ for success in the course, as well as how pedagogic strategies can be designed to achieve the desired outcome.
- Full Text:
Mapping the field of Higher Education Research using PhD examination reports
- McKenna, Sioux, Quinn, Lynn, Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Authors: McKenna, Sioux , Quinn, Lynn , Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66669 , vital:28979 , ISSN 1469-8366 , https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1428178
- Description: Pre-print , The PhD is the highest formal qualification and signifies a scholar’s rite of passage as a legitimate contributor of new knowledge in a field. Examiner reports make claims about what is legitimate in a thesis and what is not and thus articulate the organising principles through which participation in a field is measured. The authors analysed 39 examiners’ reports on 13 PhDs produced over a five-year period by scholars from the Higher Education Research doctoral studies programme at Rhodes University in South Africa. Drawing on aspects of Karl Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory (LCT), this study uses the dimensions of LCT:Specialisation and LCT:Semantics to explore what kinds of knowledge, skills and procedures and what kinds of knowers are validated in the field of Higher Education Research through the examination process. The study found that despite concerns in the literature about the a-theoretical nature of the Higher Education Studies field, examiners valued high-level theoretical and meta-theoretical engagement as well as methodological rigour. In addition, examiners prized the ability to demonstrate a strong ideological position, to use a clear doctoral voice, and to recognise the axiological drive of the field. The analysis showed that examiners were interested in strong contextualisation of the problem-spaces in higher education in South Africa but also commented positively on candidates’ ability to move from troubling an issue within its context to being able to abstract findings so as to contribute to the field as a whole.
- Full Text:
- Authors: McKenna, Sioux , Quinn, Lynn , Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66669 , vital:28979 , ISSN 1469-8366 , https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1428178
- Description: Pre-print , The PhD is the highest formal qualification and signifies a scholar’s rite of passage as a legitimate contributor of new knowledge in a field. Examiner reports make claims about what is legitimate in a thesis and what is not and thus articulate the organising principles through which participation in a field is measured. The authors analysed 39 examiners’ reports on 13 PhDs produced over a five-year period by scholars from the Higher Education Research doctoral studies programme at Rhodes University in South Africa. Drawing on aspects of Karl Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory (LCT), this study uses the dimensions of LCT:Specialisation and LCT:Semantics to explore what kinds of knowledge, skills and procedures and what kinds of knowers are validated in the field of Higher Education Research through the examination process. The study found that despite concerns in the literature about the a-theoretical nature of the Higher Education Studies field, examiners valued high-level theoretical and meta-theoretical engagement as well as methodological rigour. In addition, examiners prized the ability to demonstrate a strong ideological position, to use a clear doctoral voice, and to recognise the axiological drive of the field. The analysis showed that examiners were interested in strong contextualisation of the problem-spaces in higher education in South Africa but also commented positively on candidates’ ability to move from troubling an issue within its context to being able to abstract findings so as to contribute to the field as a whole.
- Full Text:
Pedagogy for fostering criticality, reflectivity and praxis in a course on teaching for lecturers
- Quinn, Lynn, Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn , Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66590 , vital:28967 , https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2015.1066756
- Description: publisher version , Using the concepts of criticality, reflectivity and praxis, the paper presents an analysis of our reflections on participants’ responses to the assessment requirements for a course for lecturers on teaching. The context in which the course is being taught has changed considerably in the last few years in terms of the mode of delivery, as well as the number and diversity of participants. Our analysis has generated insights into ways in which the course is not meeting all the learning needs of the participants, nor preparing them adequately to demonstrate, in writing, their learning. Using insights gained, we suggest pedagogic processes and strategies for ensuring that the course focuses on both writing to learn and learning to write; and for assisting participants to acquire the practices to demonstrate their learning in written assessment tasks, using the requisite literacy including criticality, reflectivity and praxis.
- Full Text: false
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn , Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66590 , vital:28967 , https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2015.1066756
- Description: publisher version , Using the concepts of criticality, reflectivity and praxis, the paper presents an analysis of our reflections on participants’ responses to the assessment requirements for a course for lecturers on teaching. The context in which the course is being taught has changed considerably in the last few years in terms of the mode of delivery, as well as the number and diversity of participants. Our analysis has generated insights into ways in which the course is not meeting all the learning needs of the participants, nor preparing them adequately to demonstrate, in writing, their learning. Using insights gained, we suggest pedagogic processes and strategies for ensuring that the course focuses on both writing to learn and learning to write; and for assisting participants to acquire the practices to demonstrate their learning in written assessment tasks, using the requisite literacy including criticality, reflectivity and praxis.
- Full Text: false
Towards shaping the field: theorising the knowledge in a formal course for academic developers
- Vorster, Jo-Anne E, Quinn, Lynn
- Authors: Vorster, Jo-Anne E , Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66578 , vital:28966 , https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.1070126
- Description: publisher version , In recent years there have been calls both for building the knowledge base of academic development (AD) and for systematic induction of newcomers to the field if AD is to advance as a professional and an academic field. Despite the importance and complexity of AD, induction of novice academic developers remains mostly informal and predominantly focuses on the practices of the field. We argue that more-experienced academic developers have an obligation to provide formal and systematic routes into the field and its knowledge base than is currently the case. One way of doing this is through offering a formal course for growing the next generation of academic developers. Such a course could equip newcomers with a more solid and shared knowledge base, thus contributing to shaping the epistemic spine of AD. In this paper, using Maton's Legitimation Code Theory, we offer an analysis of an existing course aimed at equipping novices with the theoretical and practical knowledge to enable them to solve some of the problems in higher education. From this analysis have emerged general principles that could inform the selection, sequencing and pacing of knowledge in a formal course for academic developers.
- Full Text: false
- Authors: Vorster, Jo-Anne E , Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66578 , vital:28966 , https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.1070126
- Description: publisher version , In recent years there have been calls both for building the knowledge base of academic development (AD) and for systematic induction of newcomers to the field if AD is to advance as a professional and an academic field. Despite the importance and complexity of AD, induction of novice academic developers remains mostly informal and predominantly focuses on the practices of the field. We argue that more-experienced academic developers have an obligation to provide formal and systematic routes into the field and its knowledge base than is currently the case. One way of doing this is through offering a formal course for growing the next generation of academic developers. Such a course could equip newcomers with a more solid and shared knowledge base, thus contributing to shaping the epistemic spine of AD. In this paper, using Maton's Legitimation Code Theory, we offer an analysis of an existing course aimed at equipping novices with the theoretical and practical knowledge to enable them to solve some of the problems in higher education. From this analysis have emerged general principles that could inform the selection, sequencing and pacing of knowledge in a formal course for academic developers.
- Full Text: false
Isn’t it time to start thinking about ‘developing’ academic developers in a more systematic way?
- Quinn, Lynn, Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn , Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66546 , vital:28961 , https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2013.879719
- Description: publisher version , There is no defined route to becoming an academic developer. The research on pathways into the field (e.g. Kensington-Miller, Brailsford, and Gossman, 2012; McDonald, 2010; McDonald and Stockley, 2008) shows that in most cases ‘serendipity and chance played a role’ (McDonald, 2010, p. 40). Moreover, induction into academic development (AD) is often ad hoc, haphazard, and informal. Due to the changing higher education (HE) context, the field has grown exponentially and in many countries now plays a central role in institutions. This has generated increased demand for knowledgeable and competent developers that are able to contribute towards solving some vexing problems in contemporary HE. Current recruitment and induction processes of new developers do not necessarily meet this demand. In light of the above, we pose the question: given the changing context of HE and the field of AD, is it not time for us to induct newcomers into the field more systematically? As Kensington-Miller et al. (2012) suggest, we should not leave the induction of the next generation of developers to chance. We suggest that one way of ensuring appropriate induction is through a formal course for developers. Difficulties for newcomers to the field are illustrated by Kensington-Miller et al. (2012) when they report seeking ‘top tips’ at a HERDSA conference. We do not dismiss informal learning at conferences or the role of mentoring, coaching, apprenticeship, and so on, in inducting developers, nor do we minimise the benefits of relatively structured processes such as fellowship programmes, workshops, and postgraduate qualifications in related fields. However, these ways of induction may not offer novices the structured and systematic developmental opportunities needed to become developers able to fulfil varied, complex, and sometimes contradictory roles.
- Full Text: false
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn , Vorster, Jo-Anne E
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66546 , vital:28961 , https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2013.879719
- Description: publisher version , There is no defined route to becoming an academic developer. The research on pathways into the field (e.g. Kensington-Miller, Brailsford, and Gossman, 2012; McDonald, 2010; McDonald and Stockley, 2008) shows that in most cases ‘serendipity and chance played a role’ (McDonald, 2010, p. 40). Moreover, induction into academic development (AD) is often ad hoc, haphazard, and informal. Due to the changing higher education (HE) context, the field has grown exponentially and in many countries now plays a central role in institutions. This has generated increased demand for knowledgeable and competent developers that are able to contribute towards solving some vexing problems in contemporary HE. Current recruitment and induction processes of new developers do not necessarily meet this demand. In light of the above, we pose the question: given the changing context of HE and the field of AD, is it not time for us to induct newcomers into the field more systematically? As Kensington-Miller et al. (2012) suggest, we should not leave the induction of the next generation of developers to chance. We suggest that one way of ensuring appropriate induction is through a formal course for developers. Difficulties for newcomers to the field are illustrated by Kensington-Miller et al. (2012) when they report seeking ‘top tips’ at a HERDSA conference. We do not dismiss informal learning at conferences or the role of mentoring, coaching, apprenticeship, and so on, in inducting developers, nor do we minimise the benefits of relatively structured processes such as fellowship programmes, workshops, and postgraduate qualifications in related fields. However, these ways of induction may not offer novices the structured and systematic developmental opportunities needed to become developers able to fulfil varied, complex, and sometimes contradictory roles.
- Full Text: false
Teaching in higher education
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , review
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66557 , vital:28963 , https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2014.908094
- Description: publisher version , As Becker and Denicolo point out in their introduction, traditionally most lecturers in higher education begin teaching with little or no formal training: ‘It is assumed if you were expert in your field you would be able, by some ill-defined means, to teach others’ (p. 1). This book aims to remedy that situation and does exactly what it sets out to do: it provides a useful, step-by-step training guide for teachers in higher education. It provides much needed advice for new academics for ways in which they can successfully combine their teaching and their research roles. It is written in an accessible style, draws on the experiences of people who have taught in higher education for some time, and provides practical advice for teaching in a range of contexts and for dealing with different challenges that may arise.
- Full Text: false
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , review
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66557 , vital:28963 , https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2014.908094
- Description: publisher version , As Becker and Denicolo point out in their introduction, traditionally most lecturers in higher education begin teaching with little or no formal training: ‘It is assumed if you were expert in your field you would be able, by some ill-defined means, to teach others’ (p. 1). This book aims to remedy that situation and does exactly what it sets out to do: it provides a useful, step-by-step training guide for teachers in higher education. It provides much needed advice for new academics for ways in which they can successfully combine their teaching and their research roles. It is written in an accessible style, draws on the experiences of people who have taught in higher education for some time, and provides practical advice for teaching in a range of contexts and for dealing with different challenges that may arise.
- Full Text: false
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