This article discusses the complexities surrounding the teaching of a critical thinking and academic writing module on a vocational postgraduate programme. Students enrolled on this programme are strongly industry focused and often fail to see the relevance of such a module, despite the fact that most are international students with English as…

Development of skills in bioscience undergraduates is seen as desirable by academic staff, students and employers, and this is reflected across most degree programmes. However, providing the opportunity for students to practise skills may alone be insufficient for their development. With an evident discrepancy between the skills expected of…

The purpose of this study was to design an online section of a university level general education dance course, and to determine if the effectiveness of the online delivery was at least equal to that of the face-to-face delivery as measured by student achievement on examinations. To accomplish this, the goals were: (1) to present evidence that the…

The objective of this study was to analyze first-year UFRJ medical students' perceptions about the implementation of a blended learning (BL) experience in their Biochemistry I course. During the first semester of 2009, three Biochemistry professors used the Constructore course management system to develop virtual learning environments (VLEs) for…

Patient care is complex and demands that health professionals work together effectively. Interprofessional education (IPE) encourages collaboration by educating students from different professions together. This study examined the effectiveness of IPE in terms of changing students' perceptions of teamwork, professional identity, role, competency…

This paper presents findings of a study that evaluated the instructional effectiveness of a problem-based learning module constructed around a computer simulation, "Making Change Happen"[TM]. The "Leading Organizational Change" (LOC) course sought to enable students in a graduate management program in Thailand to learn to lead…

This article focuses on student leadership and transformation because of the belief that a) students have a tremendous influence on the academic leadership of an institution, and b) students themselves form part of this academic leadership--whether they are formally recognized for it or not--and can transform it in significant ways. The article…

The attitudes, expectations, and reactions of students taking a new multimedia Irish language course offered in 1982 by Ireland's Radio Telefis Eireann were surveyed. The course "Anois is Aris," is intended for adults who have never spoken Irish and is suitable for beginners as well as those who have studied Irish at school. The 20-week…

Describes a project at the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom) that developed and evaluated modules for computer assisted instruction to teach cell biology to undergraduate nursing students. Topics include instructional effectiveness, feedback, and student attitudes. (LRW)

A study was conducted to determine the relationship of students' attitudes toward evaluation of a modular program in Foundations of Education sponsored by the College of Education of the University of Maine at Orono. A 71-item questionnaire eliciting attitudes toward the modular program, faculty members, and method of instruction was administered.…

Six papers examine innovations and trends in distance learning, frequently drawing upon empirical research or informal observations on distance learning students at Charles Sturt University (Australia). "On-Line Study Packages for Distance Education: Some Considerations of Conceptual Parameters" (Dirk M. R. Spennemann) discusses issues…

Good teaching should be inclusive of all students. There are very strong arguments for making courses/units/modules as inclusive as possible, based on issues of equity and access. Inclusive teaching has been a catch cry in recent times and most universities have policies related to this issue. However, research into the effectiveness of measures…

Describes a social work course incorporating ethnographic research methods, including seven course modules that cover sampling, data collection, data analysis, theory development, presentation of findings, and practical application within a clinical setting. Also presents student evaluations of course relevance and usefulness, and educational and…

Evaluation of a Domestic Violence Module taught in the University of California, Los Angeles medical school found it to be innovative, well planned, and well received by both students and faculty. Areas identified for improvement included opportunities for students to practice skills and receive feedback, consistency in content across classes, and…