Anesa Hosein

Learning and living technologies: a longitudinal study of first‐year students’ frequency and competence in the use of ICT

This article presents results from a longitudinal survey of first‐year students’ time spent on living and learning technologies at university, their frequency of using specific learning technologies and their competence with these tools. Data were analysed from two similar surveys at the start and at the end of the academic year for students studying 14 different courses in five different universities (four place‐based and one distance‐learning) in England. The younger students used information and communication technologies (ICT) for social and leisure purposes more frequently than older students. The older students were more likely to use it for study. The frequency of using ICT was related to students’ perceived competence in the tool. University mode of study also influenced how students appropriated their ICT time. These results might have an impact on the repurposing of living technologies for use as learning technologies.

Unpacking (in)formal learning in an academic development programme: a mixed-method social network perspective

How and with whom academics develop and maintain formal and informal networks for reflecting on their teaching practice has received limited attention even though academic development (AD) programmes have become an almost ubiquitous feature of higher education. The primary goal of this mixed-method study is to unpack how 114 academics in an AD programme developed internal (within their programme) and external (outside their programme) learning and teaching relations. A secondary goal is to highlight the affordances of social network analysis (SNA) methods in conjunction with qualitative approaches for academic developers to understand the (in)formal learning processes in their AD programme. The quantitative results indicate that participants maintained 4.84 relations within their AD programme and 3.17 external ties. The qualitative results indicate that most academics developed a range of emotional, academic, and professional support links, which were mostly outside the AD context. Participants needed an outlet to share their feelings, challenges, and frustrations about their teaching and their experiences on the AD programme. These feelings were shared with people they trusted, primarily close friends and colleagues. This study provides a social perspective on the formal and informal relations of AD, and argues that SNA techniques can help academic developers to make these relationships visible.

Students’ reflective essays as insights into student centred-pedagogies within the undergraduate research methods curriculum

ABSTRACT In higher education, despite the emphasis on student-centred pedagogical approaches, undergraduate research methods pedagogy remains surprisingly teacher-directed. Consequently, it may lead to research methods students assuming that becoming a researcher involves gathering information rather than it being a continuous developmental process. To combat this idea, a reflective student-centred pedagogical approach is evaluated for encouraging students’ development as researchers. In this study, undergraduate research methods students piloted a research method and produced a reflective essay of their research experience. Qualitative analysis of the students’ reflective essay demonstrated that students showed an awareness of both their research skills such as choosing an appropriate research instrument and their researcher identity such as the metacognition of their research competence. Pedagogical approaches that encourage ‘reflection on action’ in the research curriculum can, therefore, help students to articulate their researcher identity and build their research skills confidence and should be actively promoted.

Mapping the development of a new MA programme in higher education: comparing privately held perceptions of a public endeavour

Abstract After spending a year working on the development of a new online Master’s programme in higher education, members of the development team were interviewed to reveal their thoughts about the nature of the programme. The dialogue of each interview was summarised as a concept map. Analysis of the resulting maps included a modified Bernsteinian analysis of the focus of the concepts included in terms of their semantic gravity (i.e. closeness to context) and the degree of resonance with the underpinning regulative discourse of the programme. Data highlight a number of potential issues for programme delivery that centre around the use of appropriate language to manage student expectations in relation to the process of learning and the emotional responses this can stimulate, as well as the tensions that can be foregrounded between the demands of teaching and research within a university environment.

Pedagogic Frailty and the Research-Teaching Nexus

‘Publish or perish’ has been a phrase that has summed up the work of academics for at least the last half century. The need for research publications to move one’s academic career forward has become a source of tension between that and the other main focus of the academic, that of teaching. Teaching, by itself, is not often seen as a scholarly activity whilst research is, and thus research often represents the embodiment of an academic.

Pre-professional ideologies and career trajectories of the allied professional undergraduate student

Abstract Undergraduate students sometimes pursue degrees that are aimed at allied jobs. This research examines how students in one allied professional degree, education studies, conceptualise their pre-professional ideology and how these ideologies relate to their intended career trajectory. The research draws upon a year-long qualitative survey of over 70 undergraduate students. Students’ professional ideology and career path were initially linked to the corresponding professional degree – teacher education. Over the year, students’ conceptualisation of their pre-professional ideology changed but their career trajectory remained relatively constant. These findings imply students were conforming or socialising into the expectations of their allied professional discipline but did not have an expectation to follow that career path. The research findings have implications for helping students to be realistic about their career trajectory and ensuring that they are prepared for an appropriate job.

The limits of Higher Education Institutions' websites as sources of learning and teaching information for prospective students: a survey of professional staff

ABSTRACT The Green Paper Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice [BIS. 2015. Sheffield: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474227/BIS-15-623-fulfilling-our-potential-teaching-excellence-social-mobility-and-student-choice.pdf] suggests that the United Kingdom Higher Education (HE) landscape will be transformed, with greater emphasis on the quality of teaching and dissemination of high-quality learning and teaching (L&T) information to students. The latter is important for achieving the Government’s widening participation agenda. Previously, a survey of the websites of 38 HE institutions found that limited information was provided to prospective students on several aspects of L&T [Hosein, A., and N. Rao. 2015. An Impact Study of the Guidance Documents for Higher Education Providers Published by QAA in 2013. Gloucester: The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=3014#.VlKDp4SS1Bx]. This research study analyses interview data from quality assurance and marketing personnel in eight British universities to identify the reasons for this information gap on HE institutions websites. The findings indicate that both institutional and individual practices influence the quality of L&T website information. The recognition of these contributory factors may facilitate the provision of quality information and guidance on effective ways of addressing these.

Identification of Performance Indicators for Poultry Agribusiness Operations

Nowadays, the competitiveness of any organisations rests dominantly on how they can manage their performance. A host of performance variables such as quality, reliability, and efficiency are recognised as competitive priorities. This paper reviews the criteria and dimensions of performance measures, and discusses six core performance indicators in agribusiness operations with particular reference to the poultry/broiler farms. Besides, a holistic “Quality, Reliability and Efficiency” view of performance is proposed when developing measures for poultry agribusiness operations.