Student success is one of the widely discussed topics in post-secondary institutions and is measured in terms of the graduation and retention rates of programs. The goal of an educational institution is to achieve maximum student success and, hence, high graduation and retention rates. There are multiple studies on factors affecting student success. One of the factors that contributes to student success is the "program curriculum." Unfortunately, the traditional program curricula at many higher education institutions were developed with a belief or assumption that all students possess equal expertise, skills, and follow a similar learning path. The traditional curricular development process neglects some specifics related to the characteristics of transfer and the First Time In College (FTIC) students and their time to graduation. The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between the traditional program curricula and student degree mobility patterns to measure student success of transfer and FTIC students enrolled in Computer Science, Information Technology, and Computer Engineering undergraduate academic programs as well as how those relationships assist in the development and reform processes of curricula. This study was designed to understand the various aspects of program curricula, such as impacts of a program-specific factor, prerequisite, and post-requisite course requirements on time to graduation. This study leads to the development of Adaptive Curriculum Refinement, a novel approach based on institutional data analytics to assist higher education curriculum designers in the data-driven development of new curricula and data-driven revision of existing ones. The results of this study suggest a direct relationship between the curricular stringency and student time to graduation, whereas stringency was inversely related to the credit accumulation. The program-specific factor in the curriculum directly affects students' time to graduation. This study is significant because the results and the development of Adaptive Curriculum Refinement could inform higher education policymakers and assist curriculum designers about the need to reform program curricula based on a data-driven and evidence-based approach to improve student success.

The purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to explore how international undergraduate students enrolled in a first-year seminar (FYS) course perceived and described their academic experiences in a large, public university in the southeastern region of the United States. Guided by Schlossberg's (1984) 4 S Transition Model, this qualitative investigation was conducted through in-depth interviews with 10 international undergraduate students representing different countries and academic majors. The participants' narratives revealed that the academic experiences of international first-year students enrolled in the FYS course can be described as challenging, especially in terms of a) understanding U.S. higher education, b) establishing relationships with American peers, c) navigating academic differences, and d) perceiving the lack of institutional understanding. At the same time, the stories of these 10 students demonstrated that participation in the FYS course had an overall positive impact on students' academic experiences during the first year, especially in terms of a) developing academic skills and competencies, b) developing transferable skills and competencies, c) increased use of campus resources, and d) overall adjustment within the first year. The findings are discussed in relation to the relevant literature and recommendations for practice and future research are provided.

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) often teach introductory lecture and laboratory sections in large, research intensive institutions. They are frequently left insufficiently supported inconsistent levels of professional development. Previous work using the TeachLivE mixed-reality teaching simulator showed that when GTAs rehearse teaching skills, they are able to transfer the practices to their own classes and continuously implement the new skills. International teaching assistants (ITAs), however, continued to report feeling under supported even with the simulator training. We then decided to interview ITAs about the skills that would be most impactful for them to practice, like asking and answering student questions and handling linguistic differences between themselves and their students. In this dissertation, I interview several ITAs to determine what teaching skills would be the most impactful for them to practice and then create mixed-reality simulator modules based on their requests. During individual interviews and use of newly created modules, a focus on anxiety emerged when ITAs reported anxiety when teaching. I adopted Anxiety-Uncertainty Management theory (AUM) to address anxiety related to communicating with students, and surveyed 191 GTAs. Statistically significant correlations between anxiety, uncertainty, and willingness to try various teaching techniques found in active learning were found. Using those correlations, I developed a five-week virtual community for teaching assistants who identify as having high teaching anxiety. During the community, we learned that discussing social and emotional needs allows for a more holistic approach to professional development. This work addresses needs of graduate students that are currently unsupported using traditional pedagogical trainings.

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no / This article introduces some ideas about using internet classrooms to enrich the experience of those learning and teaching politics. It draws and reflects upon my three-year experience of using internet classrooms to teach politics in optional and compulsory politics undergraduate modules, providing critical evaluation of the successes and problems involved. Much of what the article discusses can be applied to most, if not all, politics modules and will be useful to those wishing to use new technologies to support active learning strategies in their undergraduate teaching. The article is based on personal experience and student evaluations, rather than any rigorous research of learning outcomes. As such, I do not set out to prove that using internet classrooms has pedagogical advantages over using only traditional methods, and I am not arguing a case for or against using either.

Der Beitrag zeigt anhand des 2009 als Projekt gegründeten Center for Teaching and Learning / CTL, wie fakultäre Akteurinnen und Akteure einer Großuniversität bei der kontinuierlichen Weiterentwicklung der Bachelorstudien strukturiert unterstützt werden können. Dabei setzt das CTL mit seinen Maßnahmen sowohl auf der Ebene des Studienprogramms (Makrodidaktik) als auch auf der Ebene der Lehrveranstaltung (Mikrodidaktik) an. Auf der Grundlage des Entwicklungsplans der Universität Wien ist es das Ziel des CTL, die Handlungsfähigkeit der Akteurinnen und Akteure (insbesondere Studienprogrammleiter/innen und Lehrende) zu stärken, dabei disziplinäre Spezifika zu berücksichtigen und faculty involvement zu fördern. Mit diesem Zugang sollen die seit dem Studienjahr 2006/07 eingeführten Bachelorstudien auf Basis eines gemeinsamen Qualitätsverständnisses der Akteurinnen und Akteure schrittweise optimiert werden.

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Information Technologyin the Department of Information Technology in the Faculty of Informatics and Design Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Learning computer programming can be fun, challenging and improve problem solving which is a useful ability in general. A teaching-learning environment with a strong emphasis on problem solving promotes social behaviour and discloses the personal benefits that individuals working in almost any Information Technology position can get from programming knowledge. This research project is looking at the challenges experienced by novice programmers and the negative effect it has on the student and the university. This study will address the knowledge and skills needs of programming students and the challenges for students and educators to evolve from traditional to technology-supported teaching and learning. Computer programming is a cognitively challenging subject and good instructional strategies are important in providing the student with optimal learner support. Novice programmers often struggle to understand how a computer executes a program, which impacts negatively on the delivery of the subject and throughput rates. The majority of first year Information Technology students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology are novice programmers and lack strong logic and reasoning as well as other Information Technology skills that can facilitate their interpretation and application of key concepts in programming. These challenges and negative impact on the academic development of programming students have therefore forced the researcher to investigate innovative teaching strategies and/or instructional technologies that can facilitate novice programmers in learning the basic programming concepts. The purpose of this on-going study is to enhance the traditional method of teaching and the understanding of the problems experienced by novice programmers. This study attempts to respond to the question of what the tentative design principles of instructional technology are that can be used to facilitate novice programmers’ understanding of programming concepts. A mix methodology was considered but at the end a qualitative approach was employed. Multiple sources of data gathering, which include participant observations, video recording, a questionnaire, and document analysis, were used as research instruments. The findings, relative to providing a basis for finding a mechanism to help our first year students to cope with the abstract concepts of programming, reflected the literature review. Other key findings included:  Students have little or no prior computer or programming experience  Student population is diverse in terms of computer skills and programming knowledge  Visualization will help reduce the difficulties in writing programs The overall outcomes of this study suggest that:  Good programming examples that include games should be used  Students must be given the opportunity to be more active in their learning.  Computerized assistants should be provided for novice programmers  A visualization tool similar to Scratch should be considered  A basic background in Mathematics is recommended

This study engages with the domains of second language teaching and learning (L2TL), drama-based teaching and learning (DBTL) and embodied cognition in order to establish how the effective implementation of DBTL may contribute to the efficacy of L2TL practices. There are shortfalls in second language (L2) classrooms and there is a need for a L2 teaching approach, which promotes social interaction in varied sociocultural contexts wherein learners are encouraged to make meaning in order to convey their message. The L2 learning processes created by this approach could overcome the shortfalls of L2TL and offer what is required by Second Language Acquisition (SLA) to acquire a L2. This study proposes that the use of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR) could overcome these shortfalls. However, CEFR can only be effective if the approach that is utilised in its implementation aligns with CEFR’s principles. This study argues that a drama-based teaching approach could adhere to CEFR and address the shortfalls of L2TL. This study explores drama as a facilitation tool and uses elements of process drama to create an approach to DBTL that could create learning experiences which may enhance the efficacy of L2TL and adhere to CEFR. This study argues that for a DBTL approach to be effective in L2TL, it has to foreground embodied cognition. Embodied cognition theories state that in order to create optimal learning opportunities, social, affective learning experiences should be created wherein learners interact with other humans and their environment in order to make and convey meaning. By critically engaging with embodied cognition theories, this study establishes which components of embodied cognition should be considered for DBTL to be effectively implemented in L2 classrooms. Subsequently, this knowledge ensures that the proposed approach to drama-based second language teaching and learning (DBL2TL) could allow for effective implementation. This study argues that a hypothetical DBL2TL programme based on this DBL2TL approach, which is steered by embodied cognition and adheres to CEFR, could overcome the shortfalls of L2TL. Furthermore, the programme could offer insight into how DBTL could effectively be implemented in L2TL, which in turn could enhance the effectual implementation of DBTL in L2 classrooms. Therefore, the hypothetical DBL2TL programme could enhance the efficacy of L2TL. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria 2020. / Drama / MA / Unrestricted

Published Article / Higher education institutions have a responsibility to produce successful graduates; therefore, teaching, of which assessment is an integral part, must promote quality learning. This paper reports on an evaluation of the quality of summative assessments. A qualitative research design was used and a document analysis strategy was followed. Examination papers, memoranda and applicable learner guides were the primary data sources. Results showed that the assessment instruments studied mostly complied with the principles for assessment and the NQF level descriptors. However, it was found that only 10% of the marks allocated in the papers were allotted for items requiring higher order cognitive activity, and only 50% were aligned with outcomes and criteria found in the learner guides. It is therefore concluded that an improvement in the quality of summative assessment instruments is required.

This thesis is primarily concerned with the effects of education for future teachers in the context of the Swedish teacher training (Government Bill 1999/2000:135 2000). It belongs to a theoretical tradition in which the education system is viewed as a key factor in cultural production and reproduction in educational practices through symbolic control (Apple 2009; Ball 2006; Bernstein 2000, 2003). Symbolic control defines how forms of social interaction affect what is possible to think, say and do in different situations. The thesis is focused specifically on student mathematics teachers learning to become teachers of mathematics. It has a particular focus on the materials used in this, the meanings given to these materials and the identities produced through the possible embodiment of these meanings. The use of different educational technologies, including in particular ICT, has been of special interest. It aims therefore to understand both how mathematical discourses are produced and reproduced in teacher education and how this colours student teachers’ views on mathematics and their professional identity (Bernstein 2000, 2003; Valero 2007). The main outcomes of my thesis are that through the way that mathematics is taught and learned, mathematics teacher education in practice reproduces traditional ways of teaching and learning. This in that mathematics instruction is built around a ritualized practice based on the ability to solve exercises related to an examined-textbook-based content. ICT use in this context is not transformative. Rather it seems as if teaching and learning with digital technology operate as a relay in the reproduction of traditional forms of education practice. This is contrary to the intentions to renew and revitalise mathematics education and the thesis thus suggests that there is a need to scrutinize the way new technology is formulated in official discourses and appropriated in educational work. Two other things are also noteworthy in the thesis findings. The first is an increased emphasis on formal subject content through recent policy developments. This re-emphasis reaffirms the value of authoritative subject studies content as the central and most important component in the professional knowledge base. On the basis of the finding from the thesis the logic of the reform may be questioned. Also important is the ICT discourse that is constituted in wider society by selected agents. In this discourse digital technology often in many ways defines (post)modern society and the position it and education have as a driving force toward economic competitiveness. An alternative, more reflexive and critical approach where questions about technology uses in education are emphasized is suggested as necessary. / Disputationen äger rum fredagen den 4 maj 2012, kl. 13.15, Sal Gamma, Hus Svea, IT Fakulteten, Forskningsgången 4, Lindholmen