Time to say Farewell

<p>The Journal of Learning Design is about to close. Our last issue was Volume 10 (2) released in March 2017.</p><p>In closing and saying farewell, we would like to sincerely thank those who have written, reviewed, read and referenced the articles we have published in our 27 issues (10 volumes). Thanks must also go to the Queensland University of Technology for encouraging and supporting the journal, particularly since our move to an OJS platform.</p><p>The Journal has built a reputation for quality and diversity of approach – we have covered a wide range of disciplines and learning technologies in accessible ways. We have supported the cause of Open Access publishing and shown how being ‘open’ and ‘free’ need not compromise rigour. We have supported the cause of online publishing and shown it to be a viable alternative that does not take advantage of anyone or treat creative output as a commercial commodity.</p><p>Above all, we have collectively supported the promotion of the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education. We believe we have also filled an important role to support early career academics and emerging researchers. We have learnt a great deal as editors and are grateful for the opportunities the journal has presented to us both personally and professionally.</p><p>There is no sadness in closing the journal. It is simply time to say Goodbye with good grace and in the knowledge of a job well done. Thank you to all.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Margaret Lloyd</strong>, Queensland University of Technology, Australia<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Nan Bahr, </strong>Griffith University, Australia</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p class="JLDReferences"> </p>

Development of design expertise by architecture students

<p><em>What constitutes design ability and design expertise in architecture? Which categories of</em><em> design expertise can be identified amongst architecture students? And, which factors predict the levels of expertise? These questions are answered in a survey of architecture students in Nigeria. Based on the results, students were classified into novices, advanced beginners, competent and proficient design students. Also identified are five areas of design ability or competency, which include innovation, and knowledge adaptation. The level of expertise of the students predicted their abilities to produce innovative designs and adapt design knowledge. The levels of expertise were determined by students’ use of academic resources, motivation and family support, among others. These areas can be leveraged by educations to enhance development of expertise.</em> <em></em></p>

Re-visiting the flipped classroom in a design context

<p class="JLDAbstract">After explaining our experience with a flipped classroom model of learning, we argue that the approach brings to light the dramaturgical and mediatized aspects of learning experiences that favour a closer connection between recorded content and “live” presentation by the lecturer. We adopted the flipped classroom approach to learning and teaching in a class of over 100 postgraduate level university students, some learning at a distance, and run over two successive years. This article describes the format of the lecture recordings, class activities and assessment method. We also describe the outcome of course evaluation, and present what we learned from the process. </p>

An in-depth analysis of learning goals in higher education: Evidence from the programming education

<p class="JLDAbstract">Previous research has shown that, despite the importance of programming education, there is limited research done on programming education experiences from the students’ point of view and the need to do so is strong. By understanding the student behaviour, their learning styles, their expectation and motivation to learn, the quality of teaching can be improved. The goal of this paper is to examine the connection between educational theories and student-centred pedagogy via an empirical study. While research results have confirmed student difficulties in learning programming in terms of the retention and completion rates of the programming courses, we will propose some of the solutions to overcome these challenges. We will also classify the various definitions of learning goals both theoretically and empirically in order to further our understanding in the subject field. New research opportunities are opened in the applied work of a personalised learning environment.</p>

Content analysis of research trends in instructional design models: 1999-2014

<p class="JLDAbstract">This study examines studies on instructional design models by applying content analysis. It covers 113 papers published in 44 international Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) and Science Citation Index (SCI) journals. Studies on instructional design models are explored in terms of journal of publication, preferred model, country where the study was conducted, research method, data collection tool, data analysis method, sampling interval, and field in which the model was applied. Studies are also examined in terms of variables, focusing on connections with model used, relevant results, and orientation of the model (e.g., system-oriented, class-oriented, or product-oriented). Results identified the most preferred models as ADDIE, ARCS, Gagne and Briggs, 4C-ID, and Dick and Carey. System-based instructional design models were most common. These results show recent trends in instructional design models and will contribute to both researchers and instructional designers.</p>

Participation ahead: Perceptions of master degree students on reciprocal peer learning activities

<p class="JLDAbstract">Peer Learning is broadly described as the development of knowledge or skills by individuals from similar statutory conditions who are learning from and with each other in both formal and informal ways. There is a considerable amount of published work on peer learning in the context of schools and undergraduate courses but little work has been developed around postgraduate levels, specifically with Masters courses. The goal of the research presented in this paper was to understand how Masters degree students perceive and engage with a peer learning activity set in a taught module. One specialist subject topic from the curriculum was assigned to each student who, during two sessions in regular teaching times, had to perform both as peer tutor and tutee in a reciprocal peer learning approach. Two questionnaires were applied - one for each role the students had to perform. Results reveal that the majority of students considered the peer tutor role undeniably positive; however, while performing as tutees, students expressed skepticism regarding the effectiveness of the approach. As the credibility of peers was evidenced as an issue (when set against these students’ high expectations), this paper contends that reciprocal peer learning may not be the most suitable peer learning method for master levels. </p>

“Think Like a Lawyer” Using a Legal Reasoning Grid and Criterion-Referenced Assessment Rubric on IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion)

<p class="JLDAbstract">The Australian Learning and Teaching Council’s Bachelor of Laws Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement identified “thinking skills” as one of the six threshold learning outcomes for a Bachelor of Laws Program, which reinforced the significance of learning, teaching and assessing “thinking skills” in law schools (Kift, Israel &amp; Field, 2010). The fundamental conceptions underpinning “thinking skills” in a legal education context are “legal reasoning,” “critical analysis” and “creative thinking.” These conceptions shed light on what it means to “think like a lawyer” and help shape a professional legal identity. This paper identifies a number of acronyms used to teach traditional “legal reasoning,” drawing particular attention to IRAC, which is commonly understood within the legal academy as Issue, Rule, Application and Conclusion. An incremental development approach to learning, teaching and assessing IRAC is recommended whereby first year law students use a legal reasoning grid to a simple problem-based question before applying IRAC to a more complicated problem-based question in the form of barrister’s advice. An example of a criterion-referenced assessment rubric that breaks IRAC down into five performance standards is shared with the community of practice. </p>

How learning designs, teaching methods and activities differ by discipline in Australian universities

<p class="JLDAbstract">This paper reports on the learning designs, teaching methods and activities most commonly employed within the disciplines in six universities in Australia. The study sought to establish if there were significant differences between the disciplines in learning designs, teaching methods and teaching activities in the current Australian context, as was reported in Scott’s Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) analysis (2006). Although it found a broad range of teaching approaches are used in all disciplines, it emerged that there was still some bias toward the traditional discipline stereotypes, which in some cases has been found to negatively affect student engagement.</p><p class="JLDAbstract">Additionally, while there was a general awareness amongst study participants about the importance of responding to student evaluations of teaching, improvements to teaching and learning practice were most commonly adopted without reference to current research or professional advice, and rarely was advice sought outside their discipline. Although a small-scale study such as this could not be said to be wholly representative of the higher education sector in Australia, these initial findings might indicate a need for administrators to acknowledge the role of quality teaching in maximising student engagement and its relationship to student retention by encouraging the study of learning and teaching as a routine part of lecturers’ practice.</p>

The influence of theory and student feedback on learning design

<p>The papers in this issue put paid to the simplistic objective binary that teachers teach and students learn. The complex reality is that teachers design and scaffold student learning experiences based on theoretical constructs and discipline standards. Xia (<em>this </em>issue) concisely explains that “goals are set in order to reach a specific performance outcome” and that “learning outcomes can be defined in general as acting as a benchmark for ensuring teaching quality” (p. 25). These experiences are then customised to meet particular student needs and contexts and, in turn, modified for logistical reasons such as timing or access to human and physical resources.</p><p> <span style="font-size: 10px;">The main reason for modification, however, is clearly from student feedback. This feedback, in turn, is substantively drawn from affective responses and inherent goals and capacities which can include: prior experience, background, personality, academic background, interests, cognitive ability, quality of teaching and student expectation (Xia, </span><em style="font-size: 10px;">this issue</em><span style="font-size: 10px;">).</span></p>

The Challenges of Online Learning: Supporting and Engaging the Isolated Learner

<p class="JLDAbstract">Higher education providers are becoming increasingly aware of the diversity of their current and potential learners and are moving to provide a range of options for their engagement. The increasingly flexible delivery modes available for university students provide multiple pathways and opportunities for those seeking further education. In changing between and across modes, a one-size-fits-all approach is often used. That is, internal content is converted into a form deemed suitable for an external delivery. However, there is a significant problem with the one-size-fits-all approach for external students who feel or experience isolation. When compared to their internal counterparts, these students often face a number of barriers to their full participation in coursework units. These barriers may not be experienced by those engaging in these same units via face-to-face or blended enrolment modes and therefore present another type of learner to consider in the planning and implementation of learning activities online. The barriers to participation appear particularly evident in groupwork activities. The online environment also presents challenges for many academic staff who increasingly require higher levels of technological competency and proficiency on top of their regular academic workload. Drawing on reflections of several years of facilitating student learning online, this paper provides one lecturer’s perspective and critical commentary on some of the challenges faced by external students and the implications of an increasingly online delivery framework for practice.</p>