Learning outcomes’ role in higher education teaching

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 257-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Nasrallah
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Constructive Alignment ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Teaching Learning

Purpose – The purpose of this multiple-case study was to examine the ambiguity surrounding course learning outcomes and how they are perceived by faculty members in four private universities, while simultaneously investigating the dominant teaching perspectives, practices and assessment techniques. In parallel, theory of constructive alignment was shared with faculty members and students as a possible teaching-learning model. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a qualitative multiple-case study designed based on Yin’s (2009) case study protocol and Stake’s (2006) cross-case analysis report. In the process, 52 faculty members were interviewed, and 38 of the 52 were observed teaching, plus 15 of 52, faculty members participated in separate focus groups about constructive alignment. Further, 18 students were interviewed in separate focus groups to find out how they perceive effective teaching and constructive alignment. Findings – The findings showed why faculty members misunderstood the course learning outcomes. Both faculty members and students withheld similar perceptions when it came to efficient teaching; however, they disagreed regarding the utility of constructive alignment as a proposed teaching-learning model. The 52 faculty members were mainly knowledge transmitters and this contradicts with the notion of the learning outcomes, which is student-centered. In addition, they are not familiar with the teaching-learning theories or with the various pedagogical tools that may render learning constructive. Research limitations/implications – The fact that this study is a multiple-case study automatically implies that the results cannot be generalized within the larger higher education context. Nevertheless, the research findings can help to clarify the reasons hindering the proper implementation of the learning outcomes in other institutions, as it can serve as a guide to improve all the detected weaknesses, which may be applicable in other contexts. It can also aid administrative bodies at the different institutions in dealing with the obstacles that restrict the workability of the learning outcomes. Practical implications – Teaching in higher education must be nurtured through continuously investing time and effort in supporting faculty members to develop their teaching-learning skills to suit the changing profiles of students to render learning a durable experience. Originality/value – The study is unique in how it combined Yin’s protocol with Stake’s cross-case analysis report. Additionally, the classroom observation instrument was, to an extent, a precedent in terms of higher education research in the Lebanese context. Further, the results obtained added to the results of previous research, i.e. the reasons why the learning outcomes were not functional. Plus, a cyclical/retrograding motion learning model emerged in the process, and the practicality of the theory of constructive alignment in the Lebanese context was questioned.

Higher authority organizational stressors among higher education deans: a multiple case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred Huan Zhi Chan ◽  
Mohd Dahlan Malek ◽  
Ferlis Bahari
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Higher Education Management ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Stressors ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Education Deans

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify higher authority organizational stressors encountered by higher education deans. Design/methodology/approach This current research employed a qualitative approach utilizing a contextual paradigm with a multiple case study methodology. Findings Out of ten investigated deans in a public higher education institution in Malaysia, nine reported experiences of organizational stressor elements arising from higher authority. Three non-overlapping subthemes were systematically discovered. Practical implications Successful identification of these higher authority organizational stressors has implications for higher education management policies. Policies that reduce or eliminate these stressors may create a positive and progressive environment for deans and the higher education field. Originality/value This study will thus serve to promote a deeper understanding of higher authority organizational stressors encountered by higher education deans.

Online sustainability reporting at universities: the case of Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 887-901
Author(s):  
Yi An ◽  
Howard Davey ◽  
Harun Harun ◽  
Zebin Jin ◽  
Xin Qiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
University Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of online sustainability reporting in the Hong Kong higher education sector from a variety of perspectives. Design/methodology/approach The multiple case study was the research method for this research. Content analysis of the university website, as well as interview with university management, personnel in the sustainability office, academics and students, were adopted for data collection. An assessment framework for sustainability reporting was developed as an instrument for content analysis, based on G4 guidelines and prior literature. Findings The authors observe that most Hong Kong public universities have a specific webpage for sustainability reporting on the website, which consists of an amount of sustainability-related information in terms of general aspects, specific aspects and stakeholder participation. Moreover, they notice that Hong Kong public universities attach importance to sustainability and its reporting, and they would like to communicate their sustainability activities to various stakeholders and the community where they operate. Practical implications This paper indicates some practical implications for academics, university management, policymakers and sustainability education amongst universities in Hong Kong and beyond. Social implications This paper argues that universities, as a central place to foster talents and future leaders, should operate in a sustainable manner at the first place and then report their sustainability-related activities taking full advantage of the current information and communication technologies, so as to discharge accountability to various stakeholders and meet the expectations of the community where they operate. Originality/value This paper uses a multiple case study approach to explore the status of online sustainability reporting at Hong Kong universities, which contributes to limited research in the area, particularly for online sustainability reporting in the higher education institutions, and makes some contributions to the extant literature.

scholarly journals The Design of Work-Related Teaching & Learning Methods: Case Studies and Methodological Recommendations

2018 ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
Daniela Frison
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Teaching Learning

What kind of Work-Related activities/programmes do Italian teachers propose to their students? What are common elements considered in the designing of Work-Related activities by those proposing them? A multiple case study research programme was chosen as a method to explore the current Italian situation regarding Work-Related teaching and learning methods in Higher Education (Coll et al. 2008; Dirkx 2011) and to define some possible methodological recommendations to encourage the design of Work-Related Learning activities/programmes

scholarly journals Learning outcomes of a work-based training programme

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Ellström ◽  
Per-Erik Ellström
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Transfer Of Training ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Positive Transfer ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Multiple Case

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which first-line managers' (FLMs') support of employee learning activities influence the learning outcomes and the transfer of training from a work-based vocational education and training (VET) programme. Design/methodology/approach – The study was designed as a multiple-case study including six service units in elder care. Data were collected through interviews with managers and care workers in the six units. Findings – The study demonstrated that the role of FLMs was a significant condition for the learning outcomes attained and for positive transfer of training. For care workers to attain benefits from training that went beyond the individual level, that is, benefits at the level of the work team or the organisation, a supportive FLM role appeared to be necessary. Research limitations/implications – The statistical generalisability of the study is limited by its character of a multiple-case study of six work units. At the same time, a strength of the study lies in its potential for analytic generalisations, that is, for identifying and verifying theoretically meaningful patterns across a number of cases. Practical implications – The findings suggest a need for management development that promotes a broader understanding of the task as FLM, and, specifically, improved knowledge and skills regarding how to lead and organise learning and development processes in a workplace. Originality/value – Using a qualitative approach, this study adds to the limited knowledge of FLMs' influences on the learning outcomes and the positive transfer from work-based training.

The wheel of fortune as a novel support for constructive alignment and transformative sustainability learning in higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Noy ◽  
Teresa Capetola ◽  
Rebecca Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Constructive Alignment ◽  
Common Framework ◽  
Changing Times

Purpose Education for Sustainability in Higher Education (ESHE) sits within and across disciplinary settings that share the need for a framework that provides a basis for pedagogy, assessment and learning outcomes (Kalsoom, 2019). ESHE strives to create transformative learning spaces that help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to understand and contribute to shaping a world based on communities living within the limits of earth’s resources. This paper aims to offer a novel solution to the challenge of teaching students from different disciplines struggling with the complexity of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores the development of an interdisciplinary subject designed for undergraduate students from four faculties. It presents a case study of pedagogy that moves away from three pillars/concentric circles approaches towards practices based in systems thinking and interactive transformative learning. It describes the iterative process of developing and implementing an infographic: the “Sustainability Wheel of Fortune” (Wheel), to support constructive alignment of content, assessment tasks and learning outcomes. Findings The Wheel provides a holistic, interconnected and dynamic focus for framing content and teaching. The pedagogy aligns with sustainability competencies, builds in flexibility in response to changing times and student experiences and provides teachers and students with a common framework for interrogating the possibilities for sustainable futures. Originality/value The Wheel is a novel learning tool for contemporary sustainability education. It captures key elements of approaches to and concepts about sustainability, visually reinforces the idea of a holistic interconnected approach and provides a framework that supports the constructive pedagogy of an interdisciplinary sustainability subject.

scholarly journals Self-protective strategies of parents with ADHD and their children as mediated by sensitivity – a multiple-case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 278-291
Author(s):  
Milla Syrjänen ◽  
Airi Hautamäki ◽  
Natalia Pleshkova ◽  
Sinikka Maliniemi
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
The Self ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Parental Sensitivity ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Protective Strategies ◽  
Attachment Strategies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the parental sensitivity and self-protective strategies of parents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and those of their children. Design/methodology/approach Six parents with ADHD and their under 3-years-old children participated. One parent took part with her both children. The data included seven parent-child dyads. The parents were interviewed with the modified Adult Attachment Interview. Parental sensitivity was assessed using the CARE-Index. The self-protective strategies of the children were assessed with The Strange Situation Procedure or the Preschool Assessment of Attachment. Findings The study showed a variety of the self-protective strategies of parents with ADHD as well as those of their children. Three subgroups were formed on the basis of risk as indicated by Crittenden’s gradient of transformation of information. Parents displayed complex self-protective strategies as well as unresolved traumas, which impaired their sensitivity and ability to engage in mutual regulation of arousal and emotion. The parents’ needs of self-protection compromised their ability to protect and comfort their child that is their sensitivity. The children’s protective strategies matched those of their parents in regard to complexity as mediated by parental sensitivity. Originality/value This multiple-case study demonstrates new ideas to be tested with quantitative methods in larger samples. There are no previous studies which have examined both the attachment strategies and sensitivity of parents with ADHD connecting these with the evolving attachment strategies of their children.

Information security policy compliance: a higher education case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled A. Alshare ◽  
Peggy L. Lane ◽  
Michael R. Lane
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Security ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this case study is to examine the factors that impact higher education employees’ violations of information security policy by developing a research model based on grounded theories such as deterrence theory, neutralization theory and justice theory. Design/methodology/approach The research model was tested using 195 usable responses. After conducting model validation, the hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regression. Findings The results of the study revealed that procedural justice, distributive justice, severity and celerity of sanction, privacy, responsibility and organizational security culture were significant predictors of violations of information security measures. Only interactional justice was not significant. Research limitations/implications As with any exploratory case study, this research has limitations such as the self-reported information and the method of measuring the violation of information security measures. The method of measuring information security violations has been a challenge for researchers. Of course, the best method is to capture the actual behavior. Another limitation to this case study which might have affected the results is the significant number of faculty members in the respondent pool. The shared governance culture of faculty members on a US university campus might bias the results more than in a company environment. Caution should be applied when generalizing the results of this case study. Practical implications The findings validate past research and should encourage managers to ensure employees are involved with developing and implementing information security measures. Additionally, the information security measures should be applied consistently and in a timely manner. Past research has focused more on the certainty and severity of sanctions and not as much on the celerity or swiftness of applying sanctions. The results of this research indicate there is a need to be timely (swift) in applying sanctions. The importance of information security should be grounded in company culture. Employees should have a strong sense of treating company data as they would want their own data to be treated. Social implications Engaging employees in developing and implementing information security measures will reduce employees’ violations. Additionally, giving employees the assurance that all are given the same treatment when it comes to applying sanctions will reduce the violations. Originality/value Setting and enforcing in a timely manner a solid sanction system will help in preventing information security violations. Moreover, creating a culture that fosters information security will help in positively affecting the employees’ perceptions toward privacy and responsibility, which in turn, impacts information security violations. This case study applies some existing theories in the context of the US higher education environment. The results of this case study contributed to the extension of existing theories by including new factors, on one hand, and confirming previous findings, on the other hand.

Adoption strategies of social media in B2B firms: a multiple case study approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 730-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Lashgari ◽  
Catherine Sutton-Brady ◽  
Klaus Solberg Søilen ◽  
Pernilla Ulfvengren
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Multiple Case

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to clarify business-to-business (B2B) firms’ strategies of social media marketing communication. The study aims to explore the factors contributing to the formation and adoption of integration strategies and identify who the B2B firms target.Design/methodology/approachA multiple case study approach is used to compare four multinational corporations and their practices. Face-to-face interviews with key managers, and extensive readings and observations of the firms’ websites and social media platforms have been conducted.FindingsThe study results in a model, illustrating different processes of selection, adoption and integration involved in the development of social media communication strategy for B2B firms. Major factors involved in determining the platform type, and strategies used within different phases and processes are identified.Research limitations/implicationsAs the chosen methodology may limit generalizability, further research is encouraged to test the model within a B2B context especially within small and medium enterprises as only large multinational corporations were investigated in this study.Practical implicationsThe paper provides insight into how B2B marketers can align social media with their firms’ goals through the strategic selection of platforms to reach the targeted audience and communicate their message.Originality/valueThe study uncovers the benefits gained by B2B firms’ through interaction with individuals on social media. This is a significant contribution as the value of such interaction was previously undefined and acted as a barrier for adopting social media in some B2B firms.

The CyberSecurity Audit Model (CSAM)

2021 ◽  
pp. 149-232
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Nation State ◽  
Canadian Higher Education ◽  
Multiple Case

This chapter presents the outcome of two empirical research studies that assess the implementation and validation of the cybersecurity audit model (CSAM), designed as a multiple-case study in two different Canadian higher education institution. CSAM can be applied for undertaking cybersecurity audits in any organization or nation state in order to evaluate and measure the cybersecurity assurance, maturity, and cyber readiness. The architecture of CSAM is explained in central sections. CSAM has been examined, implemented, and established under three research scenarios: (1) cybersecurity audit of all model domains, (2) cybersecurity audit of numerous domains, and (3) a single cybersecurity domain audit. The chapter concludes by showing how the implementation of the model permits one to report relevant information for future decision making in order to correct cybersecurity weaknesses or to improve cybersecurity domains and controls; thus, the model can be implemented and sufficiently tested at any organization.

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