Quality criteria and evaluation: a measuring instrument for the German language area

The University Network on Social Responsibility is a network of more than 40 universities in Germany and Austria established in 2009 that want to realise and expand their social responsibility by systematically promoting the civil society engagement of students, teachers, and other members of higher education, linking this with their educational mission and thus actively influencing society and contributing to the mutual transfer of knowledge. This can be done through the teaching-learning format of service learning (SL). In 2018, a workshop initiated a discussion between representatives of academia and civil society. The focus was the aspect of quality of SL. The group came up with ten different criteria which provide a frame of reference for the different manifestations of SL in the community. Based on these criteria, suitable procedures and instruments were developed to provide SL actors with orientation and suggestions for the implementation and evaluation of SL projects.

Implementing a Full Time Equivalent-Supported Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Core Faculty Program May Improve Faculty Engagement in Education, Mentorship, and Recruitment

Background: The American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires every U.S. residency and fellowship training program to designate Core Faculty (CF) who participate in teaching and mentoring trainees. With increasing recognition of competing faculty responsibilities in academic medicine, many groups have recently recommended providing CF with salary support in exchange for their educational efforts, yet few programs have implemented such initiatives. During the 2020-2021 academic year (AY), the Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program at Yale School of Medicine created a CF program with 10% full time equivalent (FTE) support to 18 CF selected for their dedication to teaching and mentoring fellows. These CF were given responsibilities in participation in fellow conferences, fellow mentorship, and fellowship recruitment. Mentorship Committees (MC) were also launched during the 2020-2021 AY, with each first-year fellow assigned to a group of CF members for career planning and guidance throughout the AY. Methods: We performed a mixed-methods study to explore the impact of our FTE-supported CF program utilizing a combination of faculty and fellow survey data, free-text written comments, and data on faculty participation in educational activities. At the end of the 2020-2021 AY, an online survey utilizing the Qualtrics platform was sent via email to all 18 CF members and all 24 Hematology/Oncology fellows. All CF members and fellows were asked questions about the CF program, while only the CF members and the eight first-year fellows were asked questions regarding the MC. The surveys consisted of multiple choice and open-ended questions with free-text responses and were distributed from June-July 2021. Quantitative data was obtained regarding faculty attendance at the fellowship program's weekly New Patient conference and availability of faculty for fellowship recruitment interviews for both the 2019-2020 AY and the 2020-2021 AY. Results: A total of 14 (77.8%) CF members and 13 (54.2%) fellows responded to the survey. Among CF respondents, 11 (78.5%) reported that both their overall job satisfaction and sense of involvement in the fellowship program and its educational mission increased by either "a little" or "a lot" as a result of becoming a CF member. In free-text comments, positive aspects of being a CF member included "satisfaction in being an integral part of fellowship education," a "sense of commitment" to the educational mission of the fellowship program and improved "communication with colleagues and house staff." As a result of being a CF member, seven (21.1%) reported increased attendance at fellow conferences, nine (27.3%) devoted more time to mentoring and advising fellows, and seven (21.1%) increased their participation in fellowship recruitment compared to prior years. Five (15.5%) CF members felt that they had not appreciably changed their activities, but rather that they received much appreciated recognition and support for activities they were already engaged in prior to becoming a CF member. Among fellow respondents, six (46.2%) noted that following implementation of the CF program, faculty attendance at fellow educational conferences increased. One fellow praised the CF program for "identifying teachers who are very committed to educating fellows" and another commented "fantastic faculty and education overall". Three (37.5%) first year fellows responded to questions about MC, with all three indicating that the MC assisted "a little" or "a lot" in identifying or elucidating their career path. Thirty-eight (36.5%) faculty participated in New Patient conference in 2019-2020 vs. 50 (46.7%) in 2020-2021. Of faculty who were designated CF in 2020, 12 (75%) attended New Patient conference a median of 9 times in 2019-2020 vs. 18 (100%) a median of 20.5 times in 2020-2021. In terms of recruitment, 14 (87.5%) CF reported availability to interview a median of 2 times during 2019-2020 vs. 17 (94.4%) a median of 8.5 times during 2020-2021. Conclusions: Our FTE-supported CF program was viewed enthusiastically by fellows and participating faculty, resulting in increased faculty conference attendance, mentorship of trainees, and involvement in recruitment. MCs may hold promise in guiding career decisions for first year Hematology/Oncology fellows. Disclosures Podoltsev: CTI BioPharma: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squib: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria; Blueprint Medicines: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; PharmaEssentia: Honoraria.

Experiential Education: A Pedagogical Alternative for Difficult Cases?

The purpose of this action research project is to study the possibilities of the concept of experiential Education (in German: Erlebnispädagogik) for compensatory support in schoolwork. The article describes the experiences at a German secondary school. The main aim was to use the idea of experiential education to develop the social abilities of pupils who showed deviant behaviour at school and in relationships with others. First a short theoretical reflection about the concept of experiential education and its possible educational potential is given. This is followed by a description of the action research project and a discussion of the preliminary results. Schools have been struggling with a variety of problems in their teaching and educational mission. In the search for suitable concepts to counter the increasingly frequent learning and behavioural problems, experiential education has gained in importance. This concept places the experience at the centre of learning. The experience-action-oriented provision of learning situations is an interventive attempt at compensatory support for pupils with behavioural, social and/or communication problems. The initial findings from observations, interviews and action research related reflections on children’s behaviour show that children with behavioural problems which are, in many respects, learning disabilities, can gain a different approach to themselves, to others and to the demands made in the subject lessons through special movement and socially related activity offers. The teachers involved report clear changes in children’s behaviour and corresponding positive consequences for the regular lessons.

A content analysis of change management strategies used in technological transitions in higher education institutions from the lens of a strategic alignment framework

Technology innovations have the potential to significantly strengthen the ability of higher education institutions to deliver on their core educational mission with greater quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. Not surprisingly, managing technological changes is among the chief concerns for institutional leaders, and yet there is a dearth of research that provides concrete frameworks for managing this type of change in a higher education context. Using Guerra-López and Hicks’s Learning and Development Strategic Alignment (LDSA) framework, this qualitative study used a directed content analysis approach to develop a contextualized framework for planning and managing technology change in higher education institutions. The findings suggest that there is a meaningful fit between specific change management strategies found in the learning management systems (LMS) transition research literature and the LDSA framework. The various strategies were synthesized and grouped around LDSA dimensions and core functions, resulting in a technological change management framework contextualized for higher education.

Demands and design principles of a “heterodox” didactics for promoting critical thinking in higher education

Following on from the already wide-ranging academic discussion about fostering critical thinking in students as an important component of a university’s educational mission, this paper takes a particular look at didactic principles for fostering this critical thinking. We begin with a reception of Abrami et al.’s (2015) comprehensive meta-study of higher education interventions that are successful in promoting critical thinking. It becomes apparent that an understanding of criticism, which we refer to as “conventional” has been used throughout. However, there are alternative designs of an understanding of critique and critical thinking. We therefore subsequently explain an understanding of critique that is oriented toward poststructuralist thought and is referred to as “deconstructive”. Didactic principles that can be called “heterodox” are presented, which are suitable to promote a critical thinking ability in the light of the poststructuralist-inspired concept of critique. These principles are not only theoretically negotiated, but also vividly explained by means of a concrete intervention in university teaching. The article concludes with reflections on the connection of “conventional” and “heterodox” didactic principles for the promotion of critical thinking and gives impulses for the further development of university teaching-learning arrangements.

Developing a shared syllabus template as a living document of inclusive practices in a teaching and learning community

Inclusive teaching and learning is central to our educational mission. In this project, we used a whole-institution approach to make our institution’s inclusive objectives concrete and specific. We aimed to develop ways to capture our own community’s goals and objectives in a ‘living document’, a syllabus template in which insights from educational literature on diversity and inclusion are presented alongside the voices and practices of members of our own community of practice (CoP). We created the syllabus template by using the literature to list elements of inclusive design, inclusive delivery, inclusive assessment, and learning-focused syllabi, then identifying examples of those elements in syllabi of local experienced practitioners, and deepening the good practices in interviews with the experienced practitioners. The final syllabus template presents authentic practices from local syllabi, with explanations of the relevance of those examples and reference to educational literature, links to teaching tools, and contact-information for individual colleagues. The shared syllabus template deliberately situates academic development within the practice of the local CoP. We found that even the most experienced practitioners find it challenging to work on inclusive practices, which is all the more reason to stimulate a collaborative approach.