Mick Healey

Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and Its Application in Geography in Higher Education

Abstract Kolbs experiential learning theory is one of the best known educational theories in higher education. The theory presents a way of structuring a session or a whole course using a learning cycle. The different stages of the cycle are associated with distinct learning styles. Individuals differ in their preferred learning styles, and recognizing this is the first stage in raising students awareness of the alternative approaches possible. This article presents some case studies of ways in which the theory can be applied in university geography.

Learning in small groups in university geography courses: designing a core module around group projects

Abstract As class sizes have increased and staff‐student ratios have worsened, group work has been seen as one way in which the quality of the learning experience for students may be maintained or improved. This paper focuses on the use of learning in small groups to undertake geography projects. We explore how the advantages for students and staff of learning through group project work may be achieved, and how the potential disadvantages can be reduced or overcome. This is done in the context of a case study of a course for final‐year undergraduate geography students which the authors taught for two years at Coventry University, UK, which was designed around a field course and two eight‐week group projects.

From Cheltenham to Honolulu: The Purposes and Projects of the International Network for Learning and Teaching (INLT) in Geography in Higher Education.

A variety of challenges and opportunities associated with educational change, technological shifts and resource limitations make appropriate an international network for geography education. Such a network was established formally in Hawaii during April 1999 under the name International Network for Learning and Teaching (INLT) Geography in Higher Education. INLT has the goal of improving the quality of learning and teaching of geography in higher education internationally. A number of INLT projects are outlined. These include: establishing a communication network; developing a database and clearinghouse; establishing links with other organisations; linking student projects internationally; and establishing a pilot project to explore learning and teaching strategies.

Collaborative discipline-based curriculum change: applying Change Academy processes at department level

Bringing about change in teaching and learning in higher education is a core aspect of the work of academic developers. This paper is novel in analysing the experience of a year-long initiative to support curriculum changes in departments in related disciplines in different universities. It applies some of the processes developed by Change Academy – an initiative sponsored by the UK Higher Education Academy and the Leadership Foundation – to the design of a three-day programme. Underpinned by consideration of models of institutional and curriculum change, the research draws on interviews to identify the features of the programme that appear to have been effective at supporting departmental teams to clarify, design and plan significant curriculum-related initiatives. Emphasis is placed on designing and supporting collaborative curriculum change. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for academic developers wanting to support department-based curriculum changes in their countries.

JGHE Symposium: International Perspectives on Learning and Teaching Geography in Higher Education - Editorial Introduction

The Editorial Board of JGHE is perennially considering ways of internationalising the journal and this issue has been the topic of three recent editorials (Garcia-Ramon & Monk, 1997; Healey, 1998a; Shepherd, 1999). Hence the Editorial Board was delighted to support this initiative to promote discussion between geographers in different countries about ways of sharing experience and collaborating internationally. This symposium is one of the outcomes of that initiative, which also led in March 1999 to the founding of the International Network for Learning and Teaching (INLT) Geography in Higher Education. The idea for the symposium developed out of a conversation that two of the editors (Ken Foote and Mick Healey) had in Texas in April 1998 about a paper one of them had prepared on developing and disseminating good educational practices through geography networks (Healey, 1998b). The discussion revolved around ways in which collaboration

Mapping the Journey Toward Self-Authorship in Geography

Learning is a developmental journey, and geography curriculum plays a key role in supporting student progression. In this article, we argue that the concept of ‘self-authorship’ is a useful guiding principle in supporting curriculum revision and reform. A series of international case studies illustrate how self-authorship can be enacted in different ways within geography curricula in a range of contexts. The role of a range of collaborators and the co-curriculum in supporting the student journey are highlighted. The article concludes by suggesting that the key strength of the concept is its non-prescriptive nature.

Responding to the challenges of student-staff partnership: the reflections of participants at an international summer institute

ABSTRACT This article contributes to the growing scholarly literature about students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education by describing an initiative designed to support partnership and a study investigating international staff and student perspectives. The initiative – an international summer institute – is a four-day, professional development experience that brought together students and staff from seven countries to learn about partnership and develop specific partnership projects. Participants in the institute were invited to contribute to a qualitative study exploring their experiences of students as partners work and their perceptions of the institute’s capacity to support it. Given that much existing research on this topic tends to be celebratory, we focus here on the challenges participants ascribed to student-staff partnership, and on the features of the summer institute they thought particularly useful in helping them to navigate these difficulties. Looking beyond the summer institute, we consider the implications of these findings for those looking to support partnership more broadly.

Teaching the history and philosophy of geography in British undergraduate courses

Abstract This paper examines the teaching of the history and philosophy of geography in British undergraduate courses. It suggests that this teaching may be undergoing change related to: (1) changes in the nature of the history and philosophy of geography; (2) changes in teaching methods; (3) changes in school education; (4) changes in the organisation of undergraduate education; and (5) student reactions to and learning of the history and philosophy of geography. The paper examines the significance of these factors using the results of a questionnaire survey.

The thick sandwich: still on the menu

Abstract The conception, inception, progress and future of a unique year‐long sandwich element in a geography degree course at Coventry University is reviewed against the backdrop of appropriate statistical information. The placement, which originated as a result of academic politics and took its format from an existing scheme, has been in operation for 20 years. Early on, paid placements in financial, professional and business services were of considerable importance. Later years have seen the growth of a wider range of employment related to geographical issues, and increased use of statutory grant‐aid. Graduates with professional training have had more success than those without it in obtaining employment. Recent innovations include a Certificate of Professional Training, linked to which is a learning contract and a profile‐based assessment.

Guides to Key Skills in Geography in Higher Education

The Geography Discipline Network (GDN) has recently published a series of eight guides to ‘Key Skills in Geography in Higher Education’ (Table I). The series is one of the outputs from the UK Department for Education and Employment’s ‘Key Skills in Higher Education’ Development Fund. Seven of the guides are aimed at staff teaching geography in higher education, whilst the guide ‘Geography@University: making the most of your geography degree and courses’ is aimed at students who have applied for a geography degree, or who have already started one. Further details about the project and the GDN team can be found on the GDN Worldwide Web (WWW) pages (http://www.chelt.ac.uk/gdn/). The guides vary between £3.95 and £6.50, with discounts for full-set orders and bulk orders of the student guide. Full details and an order form can be found on the GDN WWW pages and can be obtained from the address below.