Alasdair Blair

Feedback-dialogues: exploring the student perspective

There have been many recommendations for dialogue to be part of the feedback process for students in higher education. In this paper, we report on the findings of feedback-dialogue practices among 17 history, politics and international relations undergraduate students. The study is based on findings obtained from semi-structured interviews and focus groups which sought to explore the extent to which students perceive feedback-dialogues to be part of their learning experience and subsequently the value they place upon them. The aim of the research is to develop strategies for encouraging dialogue between lecturer–student and student–student to enhance the students’ experiences of feedback. Analysis of the results indicates the existence of a ‘top-down’ approach to dialogue between lecturers and students and gaps in opportunities for these types of exchange. A range of strategies for creating models which address these two issues are proposed.

What Feedback Do Students Want

The feedback that students receive on their assignments has been subject to a great deal of debate in universities across the globe. Whereas academics regularly complain that students do not engage with feedback by citing uncollected coursework, students repeatedly protest about the timeliness and quality of feedback, citing illegible, overly critical and a lack of verbal feedback. In this article we report on the findings of feedback practices from a survey of 308 undergraduate students studying combined degree programmes of Politics, History and International Relations at two British universities. This article seeks to offer a clearer understanding of the feedback practices that students want and from the analysis of the research findings we offer a range of strategies for improving feedback practices.

Democratising the Learning Process: The Use of Twitter in the Teaching of Politics and International Relations

Twitter has become an established feature of the contemporary landscape. It has been used by, among others, politicians, political parties, governments, international organisations, charities, think-tanks and individuals from academics to celebrities. Twitter has also been subject to a great deal of debate and analysis. This includes its impact on the relationship between government and citizens, a point that came to the fore in the 2011 Arab Spring when Twitter provided an important communication vehicle for popular uprising. However, less has been written on the use and impact of Twitter as a method to support learning and teaching. This article examines the use of Twitter as a way of promoting student engagement, arguing that it offers the opportunity to democratise student learning.

Can dialogue help to improve feedback on examinations

Student dissatisfaction with feedback is widely acknowledged in Higher Education. This has resulted in investigations that have offered suggestions for improving student satisfaction levels. This article examines one area of student concern by focusing on the feedback that students receive on examinations. The article reports the findings of student surveys and focus groups with regard to attitudes towards and experience of examinations. In addition, the article reviews the findings of an exemplar exercise that is highlighted as a particular way of enhancing feedback practices on examinations. The research findings are the product of a three-year study into student experience of feedback that paid particular attention to the case of dialogue as a means of improving the student experience. Analysis of the findings emphasise the need to tackle the feedback deficit on examinations and in turn lead to a number of recommendations for creating a model of dialogic exam feedback.

Permanent Representations to the European Union

Despite the burgeoning literature devoted to the European Union, there has been little scholarly attention devoted to the role of EU permanent representations and the degree to which they act as a linkage between member states and EU institutions. This article attempts to address this gap by focusing upon the structures, tasks and activities of permanent representations.

Similar or Different?: A Comparative Analysis of Higher Education Research in Political Science and International Relations between the United States of America and the United Kingdom

This article focuses on the nature of the writing in 73 articles published in six U.S. and U.K. political science and international relations journals that focus on teaching and learning. A comparative analysis is made of the articles through a review of the characteristics of the authors, the themes researched, the analytical focus, the research method employed, and the degree of theoretical engagement. The evidence highlights the dominance of U.S. authors in the U.S. sample, the underlying focus attached to examining developments at a course level in the United States as opposed to a broader focus in the United Kingdom, the more advanced use of statistical analysis in the United States, and the lack of direct theoretical engagement in both the United States and United Kingdom. The article outlines factors that explain this state of affairs as well as identifying broader trends, including areas of research that were omitted.

An awkward partner? Britain's implementation of the Working Time Directive

The dominance of member states in the field of social policy has been traditionally depicted as one of the main hurdles facing the development of a European social policy. Resistance by national government to the transfer of influence and control over social policy to the European level has been particularly true for Britain. Opposition to various initiatives, such as the Social Charter and Social Chapter has demonstrated this. It is in this context that this article examines Britains implementation of the Working Time Directive, this being demonstrative of the distinction between member states and the EU in the social policy arena. In this sense, the Working Time Directive is significant not just because of the provisions it brings to British employees, but because it demonstrates the changing nature of the relationship between member states and the EU in the realm of social policy.

Britain and the Working Time Regulations

It is now over a year since the Working Time Regulations entered force in Britain on 1 October 1998, during a period when the government also introduced the minimum wage. But whereas that piece of legislation appears to have faded away into the background of British industrial relations, the Working Time Regulations continue to remain a central topic. Based on a survey of British companies and organisations, this article reviews the implementation of the legislation and examines the scope of coverage. It finds that the failure of the Labour government to consult the social partners – employer and employee representatives – resulted in business being unprepared for the Regulations. The article also notes that the manner in which this legislation was introduced has meant that many of the employees who were working excessive hours continue to do so.

UK Policy Co-Ordination During the 1990-91 Intergovernmental Conference

Despite the importance of European Union negotiations, the majority of scholarly attention has not been directed towards the means by which policy is co-ordinated in Member States. This article addresses one aspect of this gap by focusing upon the structures which existed for UK policy-making during the 1990-91 IGC negotiations. Particular emphasis is attached to the key role of officials, who often proved crucial to the extraction of compromises at the European level, and the manner by which policy was constrained by the inability of the Prime Minister to dominate Cabinet.

Understanding first-year students’ transition to university: A pilot study with implications for student engagement, assessment, and feedback

This article discusses the findings of a pilot study that examined the adjustment experience of first-year students to university study. Based on a sample of 51 first-year students at one UK university, the article finds that while the majority of students considered that workloads, nature of assessment, level of independent reading, and learning were broadly in line with their expectations, they were less satisfied with the support provided in terms of contact time with tutors and feedback on performance. These results thus provide a mixed picture, whereby academic workload and content are in line with students’ expectations, but students do not fully comprehend what tutors want in assignments, despite knowing where to go for support.