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The topic of achieving and assuring quality in every higher education institution continues to be both relevant and urgent worldwide. This volume presents a considered discussion of a range of facets of the issue, drawing on the findings of a 3 year EU research programme involving seven countries: Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Latvia, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia and the Netherlands. Topics include access, student assessment, governance, stakeholders, academic faculty, information and the interface between the secondary and tertiary sectors. The authors, all of whom are drawn from the research teams, explore particular aspects of the research objectives. These aim to identify the drivers and overcome the barriers to establishing high quality in both European higher education, in relation to the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance and, by implication, in worldwide higher education.
In the twenty years since Ray Land and Erik Meyer published their first paper on Threshold Concepts, there has been a steady stream of papers mulling over their original suggestions that learning, far from proceeding in an orderly fashion, is instead a process of struggle – perhaps alienation and confusion – that puts students in a troublesome liminal ‘in-between’ state. As their understanding develops, liminality gives way to transformational insight whereby a whole field of study comes, often quite abruptly, into focus. There is a gain but often also a loss: in this new world, old certainties, assumptions and even aspects of our identity can be left by the wayside. Threshold Concep...
Since the first literature about the Threshold Concepts Framework was published in 2003, a considerable body of educational research into this topic has grown internationally across a wide range of disciplines and professional fields. Successful negotiation of a threshold concept can be seen as crossing boundaries into new conceptual space, or as a portal opening up new and previously inaccessible ways of thinking about something. In this unfamiliar conceptual terrain, fresh insights and perceptions come into view, and access is gained to new discourses. This frequently entails encounters with ‘troublesome knowledge’, knowledge which provokes a liminal phase of transition in which new un...
The Implicit Relation of Psychology and Law brings an innovative, feminist analysis to these affiliated fields. In addition to the explicit relationship between the two fields, they argue that there is an unrecognised implicit relation existing within the intersection of psychology and law which they find works to the disadvantage of women.
This is an important book on the value of art education and the nature of having the affective dimension at the core of the visual art learning environment. The case studies are powerful and varied providing an unapologetic view of the transformative impact such learning environments can have upon students and the epistemic value of engagement in the visual arts. Moreover, the case studies speak to an emotional level of the reader. The author provides a digestible theoretical support for understanding the journey these students have undergone which can empower educators to rethink their existing pedagogy.
Pedagogic Frailty and Resilience in the University presents a theoretical model and a practical tool to support the professional development of reflective university teachers. It can be used to highlight links to key issues in higher education. Pedagogic frailty exists where the quality of interaction between elements in the evolving teaching environment succumbs to cumulative pressures that eventually inhibit the capacity to develop teaching practice. Indicators of frailty can be observed at different resolutions, from the individual, to the departmental or the institutional. Chapters are written by experts in their respective fields who critique the frailty model from the perspectives of t...
The initial ‘idea’ for the book emerged during the seminar Sharing of Innovative Pedagogical Practices that occurred at the University of Coimbra (Portugal) in 2018. Like all ‘good ideas’, this one originated in a conversation between colleagues from the University of Coimbra and the University of West London in the United Kingdom. The ‘idea’ of this book was to move away from sharing experiences related to teaching and learning in higher education in just one or two countries, but instead to organise a more European view about the policy, research and teaching practices that are shaping the way our students learn, academics teach and do research. We have a total of 16 chapters from academics in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic. The book is organised in four interrelated themes: (1) policy and quality; (2) professionalisation of teaching and academic development; (3) research and teaching nexus; and (4) pedagogy and practice. Enjoy reading the book!
“Renowned as a leading practitioner and voice of wisdom and reason, Annie Grant now shares her insight with those who are still on their professional journey within the higher education student experiential services through her writing. I commend this book to everyone who works in, or wants to really understand, the world of higher education in the UK today.” —Jayne Aldridge, Chairperson of AMOSSHE, The Student Services Organisation 2017-2021, and Director for the Student Experience, University of Sussex, UK This book examines the aspirations, challenges and experiences of contemporary university students through the eyes and ears of those who provide professional advisory services. Pr...
"Gateway courses -- college credit-bearing and/or developmental education courses that enroll large numbers of students and have high rates of Ds, Fs, withdrawals, and incompletes -- are a ubiquitous part of the undergraduate experience in the United States. As long as there have been U.S. colleges and universities, there have been entry courses that pose difficulties for students -- courses that have served more as "weeding-out" rather than "gearing-up" experiences for undergraduates. This volume makes the case that the weed-out dynamic is no longer acceptable -- if it ever was. Contemporary postsecondary education is characterized by vastly expanded access for historically underserved populations of students, and this new level of access is coupled with increased scrutiny of retention and graduation outcomes. ... Chapters in this volume define and explore issues in gateway courses and provide various examples of how to improve teaching, learning and outcomes in these foundational components of the undergraduate experience"--Back cover.
Interest in the quality of higher education provision has been steadily increasing over the last twenty years. This has been driven largely by the international creation of explicit policies and reporting requirements to review, audit and evaluate provision. The interest is associated in many countries with the granting by governments of greater autonomy to higher education institutions. This, crucially, comes bound with increased requirements for accountability in the exercise of such power. Enhancing provision, promoting innovation, cultivating exploration and adopting information-led approaches to practice are at the very heart of higher education. As such quality enhancement comes in man...