Gloria Dall'Alba

Displacement, velocity, and frames of reference: Phenomenographic studies of students’ understanding and some implications for teaching and assessment

Student understanding of fundamental concepts in kinematics has been explored using the phenomenographic research method. University and high school physics students were interviewed and their understandings of displacement, velocity, and frames of reference have been analyzed in particular problem contexts. Descriptions of the different ways students understand the concepts have been developed and relations between the different levels of understanding have been identified. The data highlight the contextual nature of learning and the need for teachers to focus on the nature of student understanding in specific contexts using questions that require qualitative explanation by students. In particular, it is demonstrated that success in mechanical, quantitative problem solving can mask inadequate understanding of basic concepts that hinders learning in later years of study of the subject. Implications for teaching and assessment are discussed.

The role of teaching in higher education: Enabling students to enter a field of study and practice

Abstract Teachers in higher education commonly aim to develop their students ways of thinking, acting and approaching a field of study and practice. Hence, this should also be the focus of our teaching practice. This view of teaching involves providing students with experiences that enable them to enter the field as practitioners. Those experiences must be directed to developing students understanding of the perspective that is relevant to the field and what the content of a course means within that perspective. In exploring how teaching can enable students to enter a field of study and practice, some alternative ways in which teachers see the content of their courses are described. These ways of seeing course content were drawn from a study of experiences of teaching in higher education in a range of fields. Some limitations of focusing on skills, knowledge, procedures, concepts, and principles are outlined, particularly in relation to teaching aims. It is argued that a focus on enriching students experience of the field of study and practice is more closely and directly related to the aims of teaching in higher education.

The re-design of a Management Accounting course based upon principles for improving the quality of teaching and learning

On the basis of an evaluation of an introductory Management Accounting subject and in the context of the changing business environment, staff teaching Management Accounting saw a need to reconsider the course programme. The focus of this paper is on the re-development of the undergraduate Management Accounting curriculum. The papers broader aim is to provide a framework for those concerned with developing accounting curricula by clearly documenting processes involved, making explicit underlying principles, and identifying some difficulties which impact on the successful completion of such a project.

Development of a scale of cognitive demand for analysis of printed secondary science materials

ConclusionThe Scale of Cognitive Demand, although of potentially daunting size, proved to be usable by teachers and useful to them. Validation of the Scale confirmed that the cognitive demand construct was meaningful and appropriate for distinguishing between the types of tasks encountered in printed Secondary Science materials. In the light of the data obtained from the trials by teachers, and the validation and reliability procedures, a modified form of the instrument has been prepared. Further research will be undertaken to establish the extent to which the modifications represent real improvements.

Learning strategies and the learner's approach to a problem solving task

SummaryIn this paper data were presented about the differences in performance of several learners on a problem solving task. The nature of these differences was explored in terms of the learners strategies and approach to the task. It was argued that the pattern of strategy application should be interpreted in relation to the way in which the learner engaged in the task. Furthermore, the pattern of strategy application was found to be most meaningful when interpreted within the framework of the learners approach to the task. Success on the task appeared to be more strongly linked to the learners approach than to the strategiesper se.This paper has provided further insight into what is meant by a deep and surface approach to a task. Evidence has been presented which shows that the learners approach may be implemented in practice in different ways. It is hoped that the paper will stimulate many questions relating to learning on other tasks and in different contexts. For example, do learners have a characteristic learning approach? Does their approach vary according to the task or context? What factors influence the learning approach which is adopted? What implications does the notion of approach to learning have for classroom teaching?

Comparative evaluation of a teaching innovation in accounting education: intensive learning in a seminar format

This paper reports a teaching innovation involving intensive learning and the evaluation of that innovation. A review of the literature reveals a lack of research about how effective intensive programmes are in enhancing student learning. In this study the performance of students studying accounting during an intensive summer-school in seminar format was compared with those studying during the regular semester in a lecture and tutorial format. Performance was compared by reference to students grades and the understanding and retention of a key concept in the subject. Student study habits and the experiences of staff and students who participated in the summer-school were also evaluated. This study concluded that summer-school students performance was better than regular semester students in the accounting subject studied. Their performance was equivalent or better than the regular semester students in the three other subjects studied in first semester. Summer-school students demonstrated a more complete...

Learning strategies of one student on a range of classroom tasks

INTRODUCTION Much early research on differences in the outcome of learning has focussed on a quantitat ive description, that is, on how much is learned. Marton (1975) crit icises this preoccupation with the quantitative outcome of learning at the expense of the quality of learning that has taken place. He stresses the need to examine what is learned~ rather than how much is learned. Studies that have examined the question of the quality of learning (Goldman, 1972; Marton, 1975; Martin & Saljo, i976a; Pask, I976a, I976b; Svensson, 1977; Brumby, 1979; Baird~ 1980) provide evidence of quali tat ive differences in the learning outcomes. They give rise to an important question for research into learning: How can quali tat ive differences in tearninq be ascertained?

Cognitive learning strategies and outcomes in a heat transfer experiment

ConclusionThe relation between the strategy application and the learning outcomes from the experiment displayed a similar pattern to that of other tasks performed by the same group of learners (DallAlba, 1987). The quality of strategy application was found to be a significant factor in determining the degree of success in the experiment. The most successful learners were consistent in maintaining a high quality of strategy application. In contrast, the less successful learners failed to apply the necessary strategies or their stragegy application was of low quality.