Professor Shelley Kinash

The paper aims to disseminate solutions to common problems in student evaluation processes. It proposes that student evaluation can be applied to quality assurance and improving learning and teaching. The paper presents solutions in the areas of: presenting outcomes as performance indicators, constructing appropriate surveys, improving response rates, reporting student feedback to students and student engagement as a feature of university quality assurance.

Assessment can be simply defined as the work that students produce to apply their learning and/or demonstrate their subject mastery. This paper provides five ways to improve assessment to enhance the student learning experience and graduate employability.

This paper describes Bond University solutions to the common student evaluation problems and issues of: low student response rates, minimal student comments, quality focussed survey content and closing the feedback loop.

This report aims to inform the improvement of higher education graduate employability through disseminating the perspectives of students, graduates (alumni), higher education personnel (including educators and career development professionals) and employers. The team of report authors propose that students must do more than study and complete their courses in order to be employable upon graduation. Students, graduates and employers all agreed that work experience, internships and placements are… Show more

This report aims to inform the improvement of higher education graduate employability through disseminating the perspectives of students, graduates (alumni), higher education personnel (including educators and career development professionals) and employers. The team of report authors propose that students must do more than study and complete their courses in order to be employable upon graduation. Students, graduates and employers all agreed that work experience, internships and placements are the most significant set of strategies to enhancing graduate employability. Furthermore, participation in a number and range of graduate employability strategies is particularly important for students who are not enrolled in generalist programs like humanities that teach graduate attributes such as critical thinking and communications. The research approach of the project presented in this report was survey methodology. Four survey versions were created and distributed online and via paper resulting in over seven hundred responses. Process and outcome data was rigorously collected, analysed, compared and contrasted. The report provides empirical evidence that higher education providers must support graduate employability using a variety of strategies. Research also revealed that employers are open to hiring graduates of professional programs and generalist programs such as humanities, life sciences, computer science and visual/performing arts. Because of the chosen survey approach, the results point to effective strategies for improving graduate employability, but does not enable detailed how-to information. Therefore, the next phase of the project research, forthcoming in a follow-up report, is to conduct interviews and focus groups with all four stakeholder groups to provide rich process details about employability. Show less

This article is written for all students who plan to go to university and then start a career. It is also written for the teachers, parents and friends who support these students. Students should begin thinking about their careers long before they graduate or even start university. Planning, preparations and strategies should begin shortly after primary school.

As new technologies grow in popularity, the associated cognitive and moral worries, concerns and questions intensify. The current devices of choice are smartphones, tablets and laptops. People primarily use them for texting, social media and massive multi-player online games. Parents and teachers are concerned, asking questions such as: are people losing the ability to [offline] socialise; is the current technology too addictive, in that children need to be forced to pick up a book or go play… Show more

As new technologies grow in popularity, the associated cognitive and moral worries, concerns and questions intensify. The current devices of choice are smartphones, tablets and laptops. People primarily use them for texting, social media and massive multi-player online games. Parents and teachers are concerned, asking questions such as: are people losing the ability to [offline] socialise; is the current technology too addictive, in that children need to be forced to pick up a book or go play outside; is abbreviated and phonetic messaging interfering with people’s spelling and grammatical skills. Show less

One of the heated debates in university education today is whether or not to provide lectures online. No doubt this conversation exists beyond the halls of academia, across the corridors of our schools. In the school context, the debate is often framed as a question of whether classrooms should be flipped, so that students watch content videos online and apply learning (the idea of homework) in class under the supervision of their teachers. Students at all levels are calling for online… Show more

One of the heated debates in university education today is whether or not to provide lectures online. No doubt this conversation exists beyond the halls of academia, across the corridors of our schools. In the school context, the debate is often framed as a question of whether classrooms should be flipped, so that students watch content videos online and apply learning (the idea of homework) in class under the supervision of their teachers. Students at all levels are calling for online delivery, whilst educators are concerned about its implications on attendance and learning. This mismatch of perception between students and academics has placed universities worldwide at a crossroads, as senior executives walk the tightrope of student demand and academic pedagogy Show less

Imagine if it was possible for students to carry all of their textbooks with them at all times because the books weighed less than 700g in total and they fitted easily into a small bag. Then imagine that within those books, the content appears to come to life. Touch a word and it provides a definition or a translation into another language. Touch a picture and it transforms into an animation or a video. An invisible tutor is present checking the reader’s knowledge of the content and providing… Show more

Imagine if it was possible for students to carry all of their textbooks with them at all times because the books weighed less than 700g in total and they fitted easily into a small bag. Then imagine that within those books, the content appears to come to life. Touch a word and it provides a definition or a translation into another language. Touch a picture and it transforms into an animation or a video. An invisible tutor is present checking the reader’s knowledge of the content and providing not just immediate feedback, but also indicating which content should be studied. Do you need a new book as soon as possible? No problem, with little more than the touch of a button you can own it and be reading it. What if you do not want the whole book? That is okay too; just buy the chapter you want. This might all sound fanciful or futuristic. However, for some learners it is their contemporary reality. Electronic textbooks make all of these scenarios a reality.

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At some stage, career teachers experience the feeling of a growing distance between them and their students. Probably their students sense it too. This is inevitable and natural. After all, as educators age and their student cohorts remain within a narrow range of ages, the relative age gap widens. The gap sensation can also be caused by a seismic generational shift and by a change in life circumstances (like having one’s own children). Technology may produce growing distance between teachers… Show more

At some stage, career teachers experience the feeling of a growing distance between them and their students. Probably their students sense it too. This is inevitable and natural. After all, as educators age and their student cohorts remain within a narrow range of ages, the relative age gap widens. The gap sensation can also be caused by a seismic generational shift and by a change in life circumstances (like having one’s own children). Technology may produce growing distance between teachers and learners too and being dynamic, it may seem the most profound. Naturally, many educators want to resist but sense the need to embrace at least some innovations. Resistance to adopting the latest media fad, computer game or digital platform is not just about technology avoidance. For many educators, resistance is about survival, fending off exhaustion, avoiding distraction and a myriad of other ‘taxes’ on physical and mental resources. Dedicated educators well know demands like retooling for the National Curriculum, and compliance with ever more standards leaves little room for teaching innovation Show less

In the contemporary teaching environment, technology plays an essential role. It has catalysed fundamental changes to the student-teacher relationship. By definition, we expect our teachers to be more experienced than their pupils, and to have greater expertise in what they teach than those they teach it to. But with iPad apps for children designed almost from the day they exit the womb, this generation of students has a head start when it comes to technology and, thereby, access to information

Each profession and trade comes with its specialised set of technologies. Engineers are taught to use survey equipment. Chemists learn how to use microscopes. Photographers study apertures and f-stops. Accreditation requirements associated with most careers assure that universities and TAFEs upgrade their programs so as to align them with new technological advances

For mobile learning, the future is now. The
capacity of mobile devices has unleashed
the creativity of educators and untethered
learning from the traditional use of lecture
theatres and classrooms. Many teachers
are excited about the idea of mobile
learning, but do not know what it means, or
what teachers and students do when they
are engaged in mobile learning. This article
paints true-life pictures of mobile learning as
a muse to further inspiration and… Show more

For mobile learning, the future is now. The
capacity of mobile devices has unleashed
the creativity of educators and untethered
learning from the traditional use of lecture
theatres and classrooms. Many teachers
are excited about the idea of mobile
learning, but do not know what it means, or
what teachers and students do when they
are engaged in mobile learning. This article
paints true-life pictures of mobile learning as
a muse to further inspiration and aspiration. Show less

A collaborative research project conducted by five Australian universities inquired into the philosophy and motivation for Assurance of Learning (AoL) as a process of education evaluation. Associate Deans Teaching and Learning representing Business schools from twenty-five universities across Australia participated in telephone interviews. Data was analysed using NVIVO9. Results indicated that articulated rationale for AoL was both ensuring that students had acquired the attributes and skills… Show more

A collaborative research project conducted by five Australian universities inquired into the philosophy and motivation for Assurance of Learning (AoL) as a process of education evaluation. Associate Deans Teaching and Learning representing Business schools from twenty-five universities across Australia participated in telephone interviews. Data was analysed using NVIVO9. Results indicated that articulated rationale for AoL was both ensuring that students had acquired the attributes and skills the universities claimed they had, and the philosophy of continuous improvement. AoL was motivated both by ritualistic objectives to satisfy accreditation requirements and virtuous agendas for quality improvement. Closing-the-loop was emphasised, but was mostly wishful thinking for next steps beyond data collection and reporting. AoL was conceptualised as one element within the larger context of quality review, but there was no evidence of comprehensive frameworks or strategic plans.

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Like logs in a metaphoric lumber mill, educational technologies are streaming in faster than they can be gathered and processed. There are wikis, blogs, podcasts, social networks and a host of applications to complement the already robust world of mobile learning. Where things tend to get jammed-up is at the point of training. Someone needs to show teachers how and when to use these new e-learning tools. More and more schools and universities are hiring dedicated educators to provide… Show more

Like logs in a metaphoric lumber mill, educational technologies are streaming in faster than they can be gathered and processed. There are wikis, blogs, podcasts, social networks and a host of applications to complement the already robust world of mobile learning. Where things tend to get jammed-up is at the point of training. Someone needs to show teachers how and when to use these new e-learning tools. More and more schools and universities are hiring dedicated educators to provide professional development in the pedagogical use of educational technologies.

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Many university academics disagree with the rationale that we should pursue mobile learning because 21st century students are apparently demanding it. We argue that the only defensible rationale for making mobile learning part of pedagogy is because it enhances student learning. This presentation shares results from research with 135 students engaged in mobile learning over two semesters. It addresses the question of whether Blackboard Mobile Learn made a perceived difference to their learning.… Show more

Many university academics disagree with the rationale that we should pursue mobile learning because 21st century students are apparently demanding it. We argue that the only defensible rationale for making mobile learning part of pedagogy is because it enhances student learning. This presentation shares results from research with 135 students engaged in mobile learning over two semesters. It addresses the question of whether Blackboard Mobile Learn made a perceived difference to their learning. Results revealed that in-class, students used their mobile devices for Blackboard Mobile Learn to the same extent as they used them for searching the web for study, accessing university web pages, email and making Facebook posts, but less than they used them for browsing the web for pleasure and Facebook reading. The majority of students were neutral when asked if they prefer Mobile Learn over PC access to Blackboard. Students were likewise neutral when asked whether they perceived iPads to improve their learning. There was higher frequency agreement that using iPads motivated them to learn. Qualitative feedback from focus groups was mixed, but largely positive. The overall interpretation was that it is a matter of course that students would access their subject site via mobile devices. Show less

Evidence is amassing to prove that teaching with technology can improve learning. According to research, education technology designed and optimised in keeping with learning principles leads to student advancement in knowledge, skills and attributes. Students who graduate from technology-infused classrooms have increased application, satisfaction and retention.

The December 2011 issue of Rolling Stone magazine included an article about a child prodigy. The thirteen-year-old featured is a full-time university engineering student. In his spare time he designs apps which he sells to Apple. He has developed his creativity over years of sketching and annotating his ideas and inventions.

Annotating inventions is not only an activity for the gifted. It is an activity that many children will happily undertake and that enables children to develop… Show more

The December 2011 issue of Rolling Stone magazine included an article about a child prodigy. The thirteen-year-old featured is a full-time university engineering student. In his spare time he designs apps which he sells to Apple. He has developed his creativity over years of sketching and annotating his ideas and inventions.

Annotating inventions is not only an activity for the gifted. It is an activity that many children will happily undertake and that enables children to develop graduate attributes. All universities have some variation of graduate attributes. These are the skills and capacities that employers expect of university graduates, no matter which discipline the learner has studied.

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This paper explores academic developer identity by applying self-concept theory and appreciative inquiry to the personal journeys of two academic developers. Self-attribution, social comparison and reflected appraisals are presented and applied to explain how academic developers form their identities. Sociological principles are incorporated to describe the recursive informing of academic development and developer identities. The presentation of implications positions academic developers as… Show more

This paper explores academic developer identity by applying self-concept theory and appreciative inquiry to the personal journeys of two academic developers. Self-attribution, social comparison and reflected appraisals are presented and applied to explain how academic developers form their identities. Sociological principles are incorporated to describe the recursive informing of academic development and developer identities. The presentation of implications positions academic developers as higher education leaders. Show less

This case depiction addresses the contentious issue of providing culturally and globally accessible teaching and learning to international students in universities in the Commonwealth nations of Australia and Canada. The chapter describes the university systems and cultures, the barriers to authentic higher education internationalization, and the problems frequently experienced by international students. Two university cases are presented and analysed to depict and detail blended learning… Show more

This case depiction addresses the contentious issue of providing culturally and globally accessible teaching and learning to international students in universities in the Commonwealth nations of Australia and Canada. The chapter describes the university systems and cultures, the barriers to authentic higher education internationalization, and the problems frequently experienced by international students. Two university cases are presented and analysed to depict and detail blended learning approaches (face-to-face combined with e-learning) as exemplars of culturally and globally accessible higher education and thereby ideologically grounded internationalization. Lessons learned are presented at the systems level and as teaching and learning solutions designed to address pedagogical problems frequently experienced by international students in the areas of communication, academic skills, teaching and learning conceptualization, and moving from rote learning to critical thinking. The blended learning solutions are analysed through the lens of critical theory. Show less

Mobile learning is defined as a portable process of teaching and study using internet-connected devices such as laptops, tablets and smart phones. The two defining features of mobile learning are represented in the words of the term. Mobile learning unleashes educational technology from the computer and the LCD projector on the teacher’s desk and allows students of all levels to have their resources available at all times whether at home or school. The second feature is that the devices are put… Show more

Mobile learning is defined as a portable process of teaching and study using internet-connected devices such as laptops, tablets and smart phones. The two defining features of mobile learning are represented in the words of the term. Mobile learning unleashes educational technology from the computer and the LCD projector on the teacher’s desk and allows students of all levels to have their resources available at all times whether at home or school. The second feature is that the devices are put to use for educational purposes.

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At a recent faculty meeting, debate raged over two topics: student use of laptops and video recording of lectures. On one side of the debate, lecturers tell students to shut their laptops and put them away because, in their experience, students using mobile devices are on social networking sites, emailing or playing games rather than attending to the lecture. Opposing academics actively encourage students to bring them to class so they can undertake internet searches, have online debates… Show more

At a recent faculty meeting, debate raged over two topics: student use of laptops and video recording of lectures. On one side of the debate, lecturers tell students to shut their laptops and put them away because, in their experience, students using mobile devices are on social networking sites, emailing or playing games rather than attending to the lecture. Opposing academics actively encourage students to bring them to class so they can undertake internet searches, have online debates, access experts on lecture themes and use electronic rather than printed textbooks. These academics argued that as most high schools now have laptop or tablet programs, students would be going pedagogically backward rather than forward in coming to a university where mobile devices are banned Show less

This is the first article in a regular column called The Next Step. This column is intended to inform primary and secondary school educators about what educational technology to expect when their students graduate and enrol in university. As a professional development tool, the content of these articles will help teachers ease their students’ transition to university. The key focus will be to emphasise continuity of learning to ensure that students continue to receive the best possible… Show more

This is the first article in a regular column called The Next Step. This column is intended to inform primary and secondary school educators about what educational technology to expect when their students graduate and enrol in university. As a professional development tool, the content of these articles will help teachers ease their students’ transition to university. The key focus will be to emphasise continuity of learning to ensure that students continue to receive the best possible education assisted by the use of technology. In order to achieve this goal, our aim is to ensure that all educators, at each stage of the education process, from primary to secondary to higher education, have a clear picture of how students have been using technology and how they can build upon what has been taught by the previous group of educators Show less

Research indicates that administering university student evaluation of teaching electronically rather than via paper-based surveys increases the quality and timeliness of the feedback thereby making a stronger contribution to teaching and learning enhancement. The documented drawback of electronic student evaluation is the response rate, which is significantly lower than paper-based surveys. This study documents a pilot project whereby electronic student evaluation of teaching was administered… Show more

Research indicates that administering university student evaluation of teaching electronically rather than via paper-based surveys increases the quality and timeliness of the feedback thereby making a stronger contribution to teaching and learning enhancement. The documented drawback of electronic student evaluation is the response rate, which is significantly lower than paper-based surveys. This study documents a pilot project whereby electronic student evaluation of teaching was administered for one semester in units of study in three of four of the University’s faculties. Show less

While university is challenging for every student, some learners find the difficulties nearly insurmountable. International students from non-English speaking backgrounds have difficulty understanding what their teachers are saying. Matureaged students struggle to maintain energy levels while balancing study, family, and work. Students with learning disabilities are confused by lengthy and complex readings. Students with sensory impairments such as blindness and deafness find many online… Show more

While university is challenging for every student, some learners find the difficulties nearly insurmountable. International students from non-English speaking backgrounds have difficulty understanding what their teachers are saying. Matureaged students struggle to maintain energy levels while balancing study, family, and work. Students with learning disabilities are confused by lengthy and complex readings. Students with sensory impairments such as blindness and deafness find many online resources inaccessible. There are as many more examples as there are students
of diversity Show less

Mobile learning was an embedded component of the pedagogical design of an undergraduate course, Digital media and society. In the final semester of 2010 and the first semester of 2011, 135 students participated in an empirical study inquiring into their perceptual experience of mobile learning. To control for access to technology, an optional iPad student loan scheme was used. The iPads were loaded with an electronic textbook and a mobile application of the learning moderation system. Eighty… Show more

Mobile learning was an embedded component of the pedagogical design of an undergraduate course, Digital media and society. In the final semester of 2010 and the first semester of 2011, 135 students participated in an empirical study inquiring into their perceptual experience of mobile learning. To control for access to technology, an optional iPad student loan scheme was used. The iPads were loaded with an electronic textbook and a mobile application of the learning moderation system. Eighty students participated in ten-person focus groups. Feedback on mobility and the electronic text was positive and optimistic. However, the majority of students were not convinced that the trial made a difference to their learning. This result was interpreted to indicate that the presence or absence of mobile devices does not guarantee or preclude student learning Show less

Current research yields numerous compelling accounts of how educational technology enhances teaching and learning. Yet if educators truly believe that technology can help learners, they should also be asking whether it can enhance their own work. Two academic developers and two IT(information technology) teaching academics recently embarked on a collaborative research paper that ended up highlighting this – the irony being that they had been ignoring the very digital methodologies that they had… Show more

Current research yields numerous compelling accounts of how educational technology enhances teaching and learning. Yet if educators truly believe that technology can help learners, they should also be asking whether it can enhance their own work. Two academic developers and two IT(information technology) teaching academics recently embarked on a collaborative research paper that ended up highlighting this – the irony being that they had been ignoring the very digital methodologies that they had been exhorting their students to use Show less

The dominant school discourse is urban, American, anthored by academics in a linear format. This chapter troubles the spatial, agency and modal terrains. A critical read of educational research necessitates three questions: Where is the school experience situated? Whose voice is shared? And how is it represented? As academics in faculties of teacher preparation, a primary concern is how best to help children learn. Ironically, most educational research is about rather than with children, and is… Show more

The dominant school discourse is urban, American, anthored by academics in a linear format. This chapter troubles the spatial, agency and modal terrains. A critical read of educational research necessitates three questions: Where is the school experience situated? Whose voice is shared? And how is it represented? As academics in faculties of teacher preparation, a primary concern is how best to help children learn. Ironically, most educational research is about rather than with children, and is truncated from their phenomenological experience. Adult researchers frame the questions and choose the population, sample, and methodology. The adults disseminate the results and interpretations in academic journals inaccessible to the children and most of their teachers. This chapter is situated in a rural Queensland primary school.

The authors of this chapter are a nine year-old Canadian schoolgirl and her much older Canadian tertiary-educator mother. The text is composed in an interrupted format with two dominant voices. Show less

One of the most important ways of evaluating teachers and education is by asking the students. Near the end of each semester, university students (and an increasing number of primary and secondary students) are handed forms to evaluate their teachers and classes. Learners indicate extent of agreement with statements such as – my educator helps me understand difficult concepts. There is a comment box for students who wish to elaborate. Student evaluation of teaching is important because it… Show more

One of the most important ways of evaluating teachers and education is by asking the students. Near the end of each semester, university students (and an increasing number of primary and secondary students) are handed forms to evaluate their teachers and classes. Learners indicate extent of agreement with statements such as – my educator helps me understand difficult concepts. There is a comment box for students who wish to elaborate. Student evaluation of teaching is important because it provides an indication of whether teacher intentions are meeting the mark with students. Many constructive ideas for positive changes come from the learners themselves Show less