An ecojustice seminar, held in May 2016 at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, is described in this chapter. The ecojustice theoretical framework, the seminar class design, and our findings relative to student learning as gleaned from follow-up focus groups, reflection papers, and online discussion are reported. Seminars such as…

Understanding people's experiences and the context of use of a product at the earliest stages of the design process has in the last decade become an important aspect of both the design profession and design education. Generative design research helps designers understand user experiences, while also throwing light on their current needs,…

This article examines the lived experiences of women in Ethiopian higher education (HE) as a counterpoint to understandings of gender equity informed only by data on admission, progression and completions rates. Drawing on a critical qualitative inquiry approach, we analyse and interpret data drawn from focus group discussions with female students…

The introduction of Common Core State Standards has many middle grade school teachers concerned with implementing standards while retaining student reading engagement and motivation strategies. This study analyzes the effectiveness of providing social networking strategies in online book discussion groups on enhancing middle grade student reading…

Enhancing the student experience is now recognised by tertiary institutions as a valuable undertaking. Universities are committed to providing the broadest possible range of student services and activities, to continue to attract and retain a capable, diverse student cohort and to build on the University's commitment to equity, access and…

This paper reports on the third phase of a study of Australian Teaching and Learning Centres to identify factors that contribute to the effective strategic leadership of Centres. Focus groups at 10 Australian universities included 66 respondents, providing a diverse range of perspectives, from students to members of the university executive.…

This paper examines students' mixed perceptions of the use of active learning techniques in undergraduate science lectures. Written comments from over 250 students offered an in-depth view of why students perceive these techniques as helping or hindering their learning and experience. Fourth- and fifth-year students were more likely to view…

This paper investigates whether performance in progressive assessment necessarily influences the outcome in the end-of-semester final examination using the experience of an introductory postgraduate statistics course at a large Australian university. The average score on progressive assessments was higher than that of the final examination.…

This article explores the impact of an award scheme provided by one of the Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs). The award scheme provides financial and other support for lecturers teaching higher education in colleges of further education. Award schemes are common to most of the CETLs and have also been provided in some…

The current study examined students' perceptions of the effects of different forms of instructional feedback on their performance, motivation, and emotion. Forty-nine students attending an eastern US university participated in focus group discussions. The groups explored students' reactions to grades, praise, and computer versus instructor…

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot test a methodology to determine the relative importance and presence of constructivist elements in online learning classes. A case study method was used to assess the effectiveness of four key constructivist elements: knowledge construction, collaborative learning, authentic learning and…

There has been much concern in the higher education sector recently about the well-being and the safety of slightly more than 200,000 international students studying in higher education in Australia. In recognition of the economic and socio-cultural value of the international student cohort, as well as the significant challenge and risk of…

Reflective journals have become an increasingly popular tool used by numerous faculty across many disciplines in higher education. Previous research and narrative reports of journal writing have explored student perceptions of journal writing, but very little is understood about faculty perceptions. In this paper, we report on a study involving…

Focus group interviewing is a qualititative research technique in which a small number of respondents and a moderator have an unstructured discussion about selected subjects. As a market research technique, it could generate new insights and provide a deeper understanding of institutional image. (MSE)

Discussion of research traditions in education focuses on an analysis of the effectiveness of two research strategies, an individual debriefing interview and a group colloquium. Explores the results within two literatures: the literature of interviewing, including focus groups; and the literature of higher education on the relation between…