dialogue volume 1 issue 1
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Volume 1, Issue 1 of Southampton Solent University's Dialogue Journal.TRANSCRIPT
SOUTHAMPTON SOLENT UNIVERSITY
Solent Learning Community
Dialogue
Volume
1
Number 1 January 2011
SOLENT LEARNING COMMUNITY
Dialogue
SOLENT PEDAGOGIC RES EARCH NETWORK PROJECT TEAM
Sara Briscoe • FBSE Anne Hill • FMAS
Lesley MacDonald • FBSE Rob Mills • WMA
Sean Wellington • FTEC Lorry West • LIS
VOLUME 1 • JANUARY 2011
Contents
Foreword…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………i Editorial………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….ii How Technology Can Facilitate Students‘ Reflective Practice Dr Carolyn Mair………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1 Applying Managers‘ Views on Group Work in Organisations to Group Assignments in Universities Dr Caroline Kamau and Abigail Spong……………………………………………………………………………………5 Formalising Information Skills Training in the Curriculum Celia Forrester and Scott Burnet…………………………………………………………………………………………14 Perceptions of Female Southampton Solent University Students of Volunteering as a Method to Enhance Employability Skills Dr Stephen Jackson……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….26 Working with E-Champions to Enhance Flexible Learning Ruth McLellan, Susan Patrick, Christina Dinsmore, Andrea Faustino, Timos Almpanis, Whysnianti Basuki ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………33 Editorial Guidelines………………………………………………………………………………………………………………40
i
Foreword
I am delighted to introduce this first edition of Dialogue. Across the university there are excellent examples of
innovative teaching, learning and assessment practice. Much of this activity proceeds quietly, enhancing our students‘
learning and better preparing them for the world of work. Similarly, we have a growing number of colleagues who are
engaged in innovative pedagogic research. The research and enterprise audit has revealed the extent of their work and
acknowledged its important role in understanding how we can best engage and support our increasingly diverse
community of learners. This new journal goes a step further by encouraging the sharing of teaching, learning and
assessment practice and the wider dissemination of staff pedagogic research.
Dialogue is a new development for the university; it has arisen out of the cross-faculty TQEF project ‗Solent Community
of Pedagogic Practice, 2007-2009‘. None of us would underestimate the blood, sweat and occasional tears involved in
getting the first edition of a new journal into print.
My thanks to all concerned and I hope that the journal will enjoy continued success in the future.
Jane Longmore
Deputy Vice Chancellor
ii
Editorial
Welcome to the first edition of Dialogue, the journal of the Solent Learning Community at Southampton Solent
University. We hope Dialogue will become an important forum for the early dissemination of pedagogic research and
promote the exchange of best practice in teaching and learning.
In this first edition Carolyn Mair introduces a tool to promote and facilitate students reflective practice. A spreadsheet
has been devised to encourage students to record reflections and also promote meta-reflection, the process of reflecting
on reflections.
Caroline Kamau and Abigail Spong surveyed a group of employers to deduce implications for the design of group
assignments in universities. Some useful enhancements to group work activity are proposed that contribute to the
development of valuable employability skills.
Information literacy skills are examined by Celia Forrester and Scott Burnet. Their research evaluates a survey
instrument devised at James Madison University with the objective of developing an online tool for assessing the
information literacy skills of students at Southampton Solent University.
Steven Jackson examines the perceptions of female students of volunteering as a mechanism to improve employability
skills. The study found that students who elected to undertake volunteering through the university‘s Curriculum Plus unit
reported that this was beneficial and contributed to the development of employability skills.
Finally, Ruth McLellan and colleagues report on the outcomes of a project funded by the Higher Education Academy to
evaluate the role of e-champions to support the adoption of blended learning strategies.
Thank you to all of these authors for sharing their work. We hope you will consider submitting your research for inclusion
in a future edition.
Finally, we would like to thank Madeleine Jenness for helping to collate this first edition, creating the page layout and
design of the publication.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Sara Briscoe, Anne Hill, Lesley Macdonald,
Rob Mills, Sean Wellington, Lorry West
D I A L O G U E
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How Technology Can Facilitate
Students‘ Reflective Practice
Dr Carolyn Mair.
eflective practice, engaging with experience, reflecting-in and reflecting-on action
(Schön 1983) develops new understanding and leads to personal and professional
development (eg. Moon, 1999). Reflective practitioners are able to self-regulate and
monitor their progress. Reflecting on what was learned can help students become more aware
of their own thought processes (McCrindle and Christensen 1995), but reflecting on how it was
learned, metacognition (Flavell 1978) offers far greater benefits. There exists mounting
evidence for the benefits of metacognition in relation to enhanced performance and academic
success (eg. Coutinho 2007; Dunning et al. 2003). However, despite the costly time
investment incurred by recording reflections in journals, reflections are more often retrieved
from memory than from the written word. Thus the retrieved reflection is subject to the
fallibility of human memory (eg. Baddeley 1999, p.275): distortion, embellishment or
forgetting. Furthermore, despite evidence demonstrating that when learners know reflections
are to be read, graded or assessed by others, the incentive is to demonstrate knowledge and
hide ignorance or doubt (Boud and Walker 1998), students‘ reflections in HE are typically
assessed. Dewey‘s original purpose of reflection was to consider and strive to overcome
weaknesses. In fact, Boud (1999) highlights the dichotomies between the nature of reflection
and the nature of assessment, and questions the value and integrity of assessing reflective
practice at all.
To address these issues and in fulfilment of a Curriculum Fellowship (2008-2009), I developed
a resource using a simple spreadsheet. The resource, entitled Meta-Reflection: Reflecting on
Reflections (Meta-Reflection) was situated on the University‘s virtual learning environment
(VLE), myCourse. The overall aim was to help students develop reflective practice skills with
the focus on learning and by placing it on the VLE problems associated with human memory
are eliminated.
The Meta-Reflection resource was designed to guide students through the reflection process,
to make recording reflections simpler by means of prompts (column headings) on the
spreadsheet. Thus input for each reflection (horizontally on the spreadsheet) was prompted
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by ‗topic‘, ‗what do I already know?‘ through to ‗what have I learned?‘ and ‗how can I apply
this in future?‘. The expectation was that by guiding them through the reflective process,
students would be encouraged to reflect. Because of the nature of spreadsheets, students
were automatically exposed to previous reflections as reflections over time are visible,
vertically. Thus users could simultaneously monitor their progress on each reflection
horizontally and progress over time vertically, leading to a deeper understanding of the
learning process of reflecting on reflections (meta-reflection, Dewey 1939b) in a cyclical
fashion as described by Schön (1983). Furthermore, the software‘s sorting facility allows
reflections on a particular ‗topic‘ to be viewed alongside similar reflections allowing students
to monitor their progress easily and frequently. This provides an advantage not available in
traditional reflective practice media (journals and logs).
Ten undergraduate Psychology students (Year 1) from Southampton Solent University (SSU)
were recruited to investigate the effectiveness of the resource in achieving its aims. Each
student completed a semi-structured questionnaire prior to participating in a focus group
designed to elicit a common understanding of reflective practice. In order to reduce any
possible disadvantage to any participant, a cross-over design was adopted. Students were
randomly allocated to one of two groups (A and B) and instructed that reflections would not
be monitored or assessed. Group A used the resource for 6 weeks then stopped; Group B used
the system for the following 6 weeks. Although there are obvious issues with order effects,
each student was able to compare their reflective practice when they were using the system
with when they were not. Following this data collection period, individual interviews were
conducted and findings suggest a positive evaluation of the system. Notwithstanding the small
sample size, I concluded that using an online system to structure reflective practice empowers
and ultimately enhances undergraduate learning through the development of their
metacognition.
The Meta-Reflection resource can be used a stand-alone development tool, or as a basis for
structuring more free-flowing reflections. It is available, on myCourse PSY159, to anyone who
wishes to use it from SSU.
It is generally recognised that shared learning increases involvement in learning, improves
thinking and deepens understanding (Chickering and Gamson 1987). Thus to incorporate a
shared learning element, and encourage a reflective learning community, I was awarded a
second Curriculum Fellowship (2009-2010). In fulfilment of this award, I added a database to
the existing spreadsheet to enable students to share some or all of their reflections from the
spreadsheet described above, with others. Thus the new development allows individual
students to learn from others‘ experiences as well as helping others learn from theirs. This
ongoing project is entitled Reflection and Learning: Sharing Experience (ReaLiSE) and is also
available on myCourse.
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A study was conducted to investigate this enhanced system. Thirty-one undergraduate
Psychology students from SSU (Year 1 and 2) volunteered to participate. Most attended an
introductory session when the rationale was explained and instruction on using the
spreadsheet and the database was provided. Following this session, students were at liberty to
reflect on the spreadsheet a minimum of once a week; there were no obligations or
constraints related to uploading to the database. In order to encourage openness and
consideration of weaknesses as well as strengths reflections were not monitored or assessed.
Participants were invited to attend individual interviews, but unfortunately, uptake was slow
and only two interviews have been conducted to dat. However, I intend to follow this up in
the Autumn term. Analysis of the reflections is underway and initial indications are that the
system was again well received.
References
BADDELEY, A.D., 1999. The Essentials of Human Memory. UK:Pyschology Press
BOUD, D., 1999. Understanding Learning at Work. UK:Routledge
BOUD, D. and D. WALKER, 1998. Promoting Reflection in Professional Courses: The Challenge
of Context. Studies in Higher Education, 23,191-206
CHICKERING, A.W. and Z.GAMSON, 1987. Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate
Education. AAHE Bulletin, 40(7),3-7
COUTINHO, S.A., 2007. The Relationship Between Goals, Metacognition and Academic Success,
Educate, 7(1),39-47
DEWEY,J.,1939b. Experience, Knowledge and Value: A Rejoinder. In P.Schilpp, ed. The
Philosophy of John Dewey. Evanston:Northwestern University, 517-608
DUNNING,D. et al.,2003. Why People Fail to Recognise Their Own Incompetence. Current
Directions in Psychological Science, 12,83-87
FLAVELL, J.H., 1979. Metacognition and Cognitive Monitoring: A New Area of Cognitive-
Developmental Inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906-911
MCCRINDLE, A.R. and C.A. CHRISTENSEN, 1995. The Impact of Learning Journals on
Metacognitive and Cognitive Processes and Learning Performance. Learning and Instruction,
5,167-185
MOON,J.,1983. Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice.
London:Kogan Page
SCHÖN, D. 1983 The Reflective Practitioner. New York: Basic Books
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Contact
Dr Carolyn Mair
Senior Lecturer in Pyschology
Faculty of Media Arts and Society
02380319069
D I A L O G U E
5
Applying Managers‘ Views on
Group Work in Organisations to
Group Assignments in Universities
Dr Caroline Kamau and Abigail Spong.
bstract: Universities face the challenge of adequately preparing graduates for group-
work in organisations. Structured interviews of managers were analysed to deduce
implications for the design of group assignments in universities. Participants were 10
managers from 10 organisations, 7 of which rank in the Times top 100 UK graduate
employers. Themes that emerged included the idea that tight deadlines necessitate group-
work, that communication within and between groups is essential, that group identity is
important, and that leadership has important implications. These themes could be applied by
giving university group assignments tighter deadlines than individual assignments, by
providing tools to encourage communication within student groups (e.g. online information-
sharing tools, and group logs to record details of meetings), encouraging student groups to
develop a collective identity, and by encouraging student groups to choose a leader. It was
concluded that group assignments in universities could be designed to better mirror
conditions in real organisations
There is a large body of psychological literature reporting experiments (eg. Latane. Williams
and Harkins, 1974), field/case studies (e.g. Janis & Mann, 1979) and meta-analyses (e.g.
Karau & Williams, 1993) on the causes, symptoms and remedies for group productivity deficits
(see Kamau & Harorimana, 2008, for a literature review). A group productivity deficit is the
difference between the actual performance of a group and their potential performance
(Steiner, 1972). There is a lot of empirical evidence that groups almost always suffer
productivity deficits (Brown, 2000). Despite all this knowledge about the pitfalls of assigning
tasks to groups, group-work remains a popular modus operandi in organisations. Universities
therefore do well in including group assignments, but these can be adapted in ways that
better mirror real conditions in employment settings. This paper reports thematic analysis of
transcripts obtained from interviewing managers from a variety of organisations. After
summarising the method, the results will report each theme identified and provide examples
of verbatim quotes from the interview transcripts. Alongside each theme will be a discussion
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of how each point can be applied in the designing of group assignments within university
settings.
Method
Participants: Participants were 10 managers in 10 different organisations in Southampton, UK.
Seven of the organisations were selected from the Times list of the top 100 graduate
employers: BBC, Boots, Deloitte, Oxfam, Tesco, and 2 organisations whose managers
requested anonymity. The remaining 3 organisations were selected because they are large
employers in the local area, Southampton: British Gas, Carnival UK and Graduate Jobs South.
Prospective participants were approached via a letter sent by post or e-mail; interviews were
scheduled with those who responded.
Materials/Procedure: Materials consisted of an information sheet, a sheet of 10 questions (for
use by the researcher), a debrief sheet and an mp3 audio recorder. After the manager signed
a consent form, the researcher switched on an mp3 recorder and asked 10 questions in
randomized order. These included questions such as: ‗What can be done to prepare
undergraduates for good team working skills in the workplace?‘ ‗What kind of team work, if
any, is required of new graduate employees?‘ and ‗What would you say are the things that
cause teams to underperform?‘ Where necessary, neutral prompts were used, such as ‗please
explain more about that‘, ‗do you have any examples‘, and so on. At the end of the study, the
manager was thanked and debriefed.
Results
Each mp3 audio recording was transcribed. Each manager‘s transcript was given a code name
(e.g. ―Manager X‖, ―Manager V‖) not corresponding alphabetically or otherwise to the name
of their organisation, to maintain both the managers‘ and the organisations‘ anonymity and
confidentiality. Thematic analysis of the transcripts was then conducted. Thematic analysis
(see Smith, 2003, for an overview) was chosen because it is an effective way of analysing
common occurring topics within qualitative data.
Theme 1: Urgency makes group-work a necessity in organisations.
A general consensus was that teamwork is a necessity and that it enables organisations to
meet tight deadlines posed by market or client needs, as Manager X explained:
“...Ultimately without teamwork we wouldn’t be able to get the output. We have a
whole team that sift the results...,‖ (Manager X, Line 38), “...If we were not to deliver
the results that day the stock exchange might think that there is something wrong..‖
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(Line 42) ―...It is important we deliver that day and to do that requires a huge amount of
organisation” (Line 46.)
This suggests that organisations needing to serve clients within a tight deadline have no choice
but to rely on teamwork. Manager V echoed the idea that time pressure makes it unfeasible to
give the task to individuals: ―Working in a team everybody pitches in when (a deadline is)
coming up we need lots of all hands on deck.” (Manager V, Line 38-39).
That every group member ‗pitches in‘ out of necessity when a deadline is looming is
something which can be applied to assignments to increase task importance (see Karau &
Williams, 1993). If students usually have, say, 3 weeks to complete a group assignment, this
may not be as high in external realism as giving them 5 working days. These sorts of deadlines
are the reality of many organisations. To simulate such tasks, groups of students could be
given small tasks to complete within a very restricted timeframe as part of ordinary learning.
For instance, students could be divided into groups and each group given a reading list and 20-
minutes to dash to the library and find/collect the books and articles on the reading list from
various floors within the library. By creating a sense of urgency, making the deadline for a
group assignment much tighter than for an individual assignment, group assignments in
universities can simulate real conditions in organisations.
Theme 2: Effective communication within groups in organisations is vital
The idea that employees are expected to possess good communication skills is not surprising
but what is notable is how the managers applied this to group-work. Information sharing is an
important way of maximising group productivity (e.g. Stasser & Titus, 1985). Listening skills
were seen as essential for employees to find out what the group task is:
“They need to listen to clients. We often find people are very good at talking and not
very good at listening, and listening is the most important part of communication”
(Manager X, Line 92-94).
“Knowing what your role is and what the team does and what it’s trying to achieve and
what the objectives are and being aware of the bigger picture.” (Manager V, Line 189)
These ideas could be applied in university settings by formatively assessing students‘
understanding of a group assignment brief, and then giving them feedback on how well they
understand what tasks are involved in the group assignment. It was also implied that the
listening aspect of communication enables groups (or departments) in organisations to gain an
understanding of each other:
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“..Understanding the other departments around you.. everyone works as a team and
understand whatever they do has an impact on others... We have 3 main departments on
board that is the hotel, the deck side and the technical engine room and you have to work
quite hard to get those 3 units working together. They all have to come together, because
the technical side will support the hotel side when the light bulbs go or when plugs don’t
work, that gets reported a service issue and the technical staff have to understand that if
the light bulbs don’t work then that leads to a dissatisfied customer. So those sorts of
things come together” (Manager R, Lines 144-155).
This idea of communication at a macro level could be applied to university group assignments
by encouraging communication with external groups providing information, goods or services
needed, such as by scheduling meetings with library personnel, IT personnel and technical
personnel.
Additionally, good communication was defined by one manager as something essential to meet
deadlines.
―I think communication’s key. Being able to both talk ...and being able to listen ... often
people who you wouldn’t get on with socially ...especially in a quite high-pressured
environment in which we work.... Because ultimately everything is a deadline here...
you’ll never meet those deadlines if you can’t communicate properly. If people can’t
communicate they will struggle in this business...” (Manager W, Lines 39-51).
Undergraduates doing group-could be randomly assigned to groups, thus exposing them to
group members that they might not like. Low cohesion within a group can actually benefit
group productivity (Hogg & Hains, 1998). The interactions themselves can be encouraged by
emphasising the importance of meetings, supplemented by e-mail, telephone and web
conversations. Some managers tied social skills with communication skills:
“To be able to have the social skills” (Appendix B, Line 36), “Just requires communication
skills” (Manager Z, Line 12).
―We like to see people who are good communicators..... We are quite interested in how
they interact, how they communicate, what they say and actually what they don’t say”
(Manager X, Line 220-223)
It may therefore be useful for tutors to give student groups the opportunity to conduct one of
their meetings during class time, and for the tutors to then observe how members of each
group interact with each other. The tutor can then provide informal feedback, noting both
positive communication behaviours (e.g. turn-taking, politeness) and negative communication
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behaviours (e.g. rudeness, abrasiveness). The tutor can mention how each behaviour observed
helped or hindered the completion of the group task. Universities can also help student group
members learn how to communicate with each other by providing web tools (such as blogs,
wikis and discussion forums) with password-restricted access for each student group.
The other element of communication within groups is that which involves sharing information
on what the task is, what is needed to complete the task, what has been done about the task,
and so on. One manager suggested that graduate employees tend to share and gather
information more effectively, because their degrees gave them that sort of experience:
“(graduates are)…more open in sharing their knowledge...” (Manager Z, Line 91).
Nevertheless, this should not be taken for granted. The skills can be further enhanced by
giving students web platforms that enable them to share their work online. Additionally, the
background information that contributes to this work could be collated in a manner accessible
to all group members, such as showing students how to make their searches on bibliographic
databases viewable by their fellow members‘ when they log-in.
Theme 3: Social identity as essential in organisations
Many managers spoke about group identity. One manager referred to the organisation as ―our
world” (Manager R, Line 23 and 43), and other managers referred to ―togetherness‖ in ways
such as this: ―We need to come up with a collective ...‖ (Manager E, Lines 215-216) and “...
no matter what grade you’re on and what piece of work you’re working on, there’s a
togetherness of what you are trying to achieve” (Manager V, Lines 192-195). Another manager
implied that employees were expected to safeguard their organisations‘ identity:
―We don’t want people who don’t do the right thing, more than anything else; our
reputation matters to us. If we lost our reputation we would lose our business. It would
be a disaster. So we want people who do the right thing.” (Manager X, Lines 68-71).
Another manager summed up the notion of team identity in a temporal sense, implying that
employees ought to view themselves as contributing to the future of their organisation:
“If you have got a really good team that understands where they need to be, where they
have come from and how they have got from where they were, then often that’s a great
way to build and to keep up the momentum” (Manager T, Lines 163-171)
In a university setting, group identity could be harnessed by encouraging each student group
given an assignment to formulate their own collective identity by choosing a group name,
create a group logo and thinking of themselves as a ‗brand‘ or having a collective reputation
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to preserve (see Self-Categorization theory, Turner et al, 1997). Where possible, ‗tangible‘
space could also be given to each student group online or in a physical location:
“They all have their own little areas downstairs and they own their own area so they have
their own little worlds...they take pride in it... They all own this store” (Manager E, Lines
243-247, 228, 229-230).
Team identity is also something that contributes to the well-being of group members: ―For
successful team working I would say looking out for everyone else in your team‖ (Manager Y,
Line 25) and ―People who work for us should be happy and if people are happy they will do
better work‖ (Manager X, Lines 85-86). This may mean that, in university settings, students‘
enjoyment of group-work should be given more importance, and their group identity can be
used to harness their satisfaction with the group.
Theme 4: The leader as pivotal to the group‘s performance
Many managers recognised the impact that leadership can have on group performance,
something also emphasised in previous research (see e.g. Peterson, 1997):
“A successful team is about the leader of that team, it comes from how they are led”
(Manager W, Line 238) and “Teams don’t underperform if the leadership of that team is
spot on. There may be elements/individuals within those teams that under perform but a
team will not under perform if the leadership is right”. (Lines 203-205).
“...Successful team-working is about having a strong leader who is sharing knowledge ...”
(Manager Z, Line 140-143)
“Lack of direction from the manager, or the line manager. That’s probably one of the
causes (of group productivity deficits) ...” (Manager V, Lines 252-254).
A group leader can also increase a group‘s performance by providing feedback, as one
manager implied:
“If they ...do it exceptionally well, tell them. If they don’t do it then you tell them so
whichever way round it is recognising a really good piece of work is equally important as
recognising poor work...” (Manager, Lines 116-119)
Other characteristics of good leadership mentioned included a characteristic such as being
trustworthy: “(a good leader needs)..some back bone, they need to have lots of moral
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courage‖ (Manager T, Line 179). A leader was also said to be someone inspiring:
“(A good leader)..inspires the rest of the team to meet that objective... the leader
inspires people to get to that objective and cultivates an environment in which they lead
from the front and they are clearly seen to be living the dream; they make it very clear
what they want. A leader is also someone who will stand up and be counted and put their
hands up when something goes wrong and not blame others around them” (Manager W,
Lines 185-211).
In the case of university group-work, a tutor has the capacity to model good leadership
behaviour, such as by being willing to mediate amongst group. Alternatively (or concurrently),
student groups can be encouraged to choose a leader, and so students would develop
leadership skills.
Conclusion
In summary, universities could enhance the realism of group assignments by making the
deadlines as tight as possible. Group communication skills can be encouraged in university
settings by asking students to keep a log of their meetings, by having tutors provide informal
feedback after unobtrusively sitting-in on a meeting, and by encouraging information sharing
through online tools (e.g. blogs, wikis, forums). The notion of group identity can simulated in
universities by encouraging students doing a group assignment to develop a unique identity,
such as by choosing a name and logo, and by being allocated physical or online space. To
experience the impact of leadership on group performance, each student group could be
encouraged to choose a leader and this way students would develop their leadership skills. In
summary, this report analysed managers‘ views on group-work in organisations, and the report
then discussed practical ways in which group-work skills can be harnessed through university
degrees.
References
BROWN, R.,2000. Group Processes. Blackwell
HOGG, M.A. and S.C. HAINS.,1998. Friendship and Group Identification: A New Look at the
Role Cohesiveness in Groupthink. European Journal of Social Psychology, 28(3), 323-341
JANIS, I.L. and L. MANN., 1979. Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict, Choice
and Commitment. Free Press: Collin MacMillan, London
KAMAU, C. and D. HARORIMANA.,2008. Does Knowledge Sharing and Withholding of
Information in Organisational Committees Affect Quality of Group Decision Making?
Proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Knowledge Management. Academic
Publishing: Reading, 341-348
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KARAU, S.J. and K.D.WILLIAMS.,1993. Social Loafing: A Meta-Analytic Review and Theoretical
Integration. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65(4), 681-706
LATANÉ, B. and S.HARKINS.,1979. Many Hands Make Light The Work: The Causes and
Consequences of Social Loafing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37(6), 822-832.
PETERSON, R.S.,1997. A Directive Leadership Style in Group Decision Making Can Be Both
Virtue and Vice: Evidence from Elite and Experimental Groups. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 72(5), 1107—1121
SMITH, J.,2003 Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. London: Sage
STRASSER, G. and W.Titus.,1985. Pooling of Unshared Information in Group Decision Making:
Biased Information Sampling During Discussion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
48(6), 1467 - 1478
STEINER, I.D.,1972. Group Processes and Productivity. New York: Academic Press
TURNER, J.C. et al.,1987. Rediscovering The Social Group: A Self-Categorization Theory. Basil
Blackwell:Oxford.
Acknowledgements
This research was made possible by a Curriculum Fellowship grant of £5000 awarded to Dr
Caroline Kamau from the University‘s Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund (TQEF). The
authors are also grateful to all the managers for their participation in this research.
About the Authors
Dr Caroline Kamau supervised this research as part of a wider project, funded by a TQEF
Curriculum Fellowship, on optimising student task group performance in university settings.
Caroline is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology in the School of Human Sciences. Abigail Spong
completed her BSc (Hons) Psychology at Southampton Solent University and worked as
research assistant on the project.
Key Words
Group Productivity, Group Assignments, Employability, Organisations, Teamwork.
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Contact
Dr Caroline Kamau
Senior Lecturer in Pyschology
Faculty of Media Arts and Society
02380319053
Abigail Spong
Research Assistant
Faculty of Media Arts and Society
02380319053
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Formalising Information Skills
Training within the Curriculum
Celia Forrester and Scott Burnet
bstract: In an increasingly competitive graduate market, information literacy (IL) has
gained importance as students’ progress through university and prepare for
employment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the Information Literacy Test
(ILT) developed by James Madison University (JMU). Eighty-nine, level four students from
the Faculty of Business, Sport and Enterprise completed the ILT. Student impressions of the
test were obtained upon completion. The mean test score was ( x ± SD) 56 ± 15 %. Analysis
suggested that standards 2 and 5 were areas of particular concern. Student feedback
suggested question format and layout were popular, although subject specific questions were
preferred. In addition the number of test questions should be reduced. Whilst the ILT was
comprehensive, the format of the test and language used was possibly not conducive with UK
HE institutions. Therefore the research team plan to formulate a Solent ILT based on the
SCONUL seven pillars.
Introduction: Information Literacy Background
In an increasingly competitive graduate market there has been a greater focus on how to
prepare students for life after university. Whilst subject specific skills are important, there
has been a drive to make students more information literate and facilitate independent
learning in preparation for employment (Andretta, 2005). Bent and Stockdale (2009) argue
that a university education should encourage students to view learning holistically as part of
everyday life and not simply confined to the lecture theatre.
The formalised development of information literacy within UK universities has been
comparatively slow when compared with countries such as Australia or the USA (Johnston and
Webber, 2003). This became apparent in 1999 when a Task Force convened by the Standing
Conference of National and University Libraries (SCONUL) Executive Board prepared a
statement on the topic of information skills for higher education students‘. What became
apparent through SCONUL was that the United Kingdom has less clearly developed thinking in
this area than many other countries which had been addressing the implications of the
‗Information Society‘ more fundamentally (SCONUL , 1999). In response SCONUL developed a
framework and summarised information literacy in seven headline skills or pillars which
A
D I A L O G U E
15
ranged from ‗an ability to recognise the need for information‘ to an ‗ability to synthesize and
build upon existing information, contributing to the creation of new knowledge.‘
Since 2000 Southampton Solent University (SSU) has looked to address the concerns
highlighted within the Task Force report on information skills. To meet the challenge,
librarians have provided information skills handouts, online tutorials such as ‗On Track‘,
‗INFORM-e‘ and more recently within the virtual learning environment of myCourse, the
succeed@solent areas; providing guidance on all aspects of research. Group and one-to-one
training sessions on how to search for, locate and retrieve information and correctly create
bibliographies/reference lists have also been developed. However as Bent (2009, p.52),
points out ―students make poor use of the wide range of subscription and other higher-
education funded electronic information sources and gateways. The preliminary evaluation of
these students also indicates that they are very difficult to wean off a Google habit.‖ In
addition Walsh (2009) and Radcliffe et al. (2007) suggest that subject librarians are granted
too little time to work with students on a very complex field. Attempts have been made to
overcome this problem with greater collaboration between academic and library staff and the
development of an integrative IL curriculum (Brent, 2009).
Assessing Information Literacy
Considering the importance of student IL, both DaCosta (2010) and Dunn (2002) detail that
assessment of such skills is essential to enhance student performance and confidence in
working with information from multiple sources. Whilst there are numerous methods available
to assess student competence in IL, the most common methods appear to be online multiple
choice question (MCQ) tests, analysis of bibliographies, assorted MCQ and short answer tests
and self assessment forms (Walsh, 2009). Whilst MCQ tests generally measure knowledge and
skills, rather than understanding and practical application, pressures of teaching time and
limited funding make the MCQ test an attractive option (Johnston and Webber, 2007). An
example of such a test was developed by James Madison University (JMU), Virginia, USA, and
based on five standards proposed by the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries
(ACRL). These five standards are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: The five IL standards proposed by the ACRL
Standard Description
1 Determines the nature and extent of the information needed
2 Accesses needed information effectively and efficiently
D I A L O G U E
16
3 Evaluates information and its sources critically, and incorporates
selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system
4 Uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
5 Understands many of the ethical, legal, and socio-economic issues
surrounding information and information technology
During the mid-1990‘s JMU developed a web-based information seeking skills test (ISST)
written in collaboration with the Centre for Assessment and Research Studies (CARS) and
involved both librarian subject knowledge and assessment specialists to provide psychometric
expertise. In 1999 the ISST became a high-stakes test that all first-year and transfer students
had to pass to continue studying at JMU. The IL skills tested were deemed to be crucial for
empowering success in student study skills and in life-long learning (Cameron, 2007). The
results were used to measure the effectiveness of IL skills training and to identify where
strengthening was required. In 2002, JMU Libraries and CARS began to develop the
information Literacy Test (ILT) that could be used by other institutions (Cameron, 2007).
Glass and Griffiths (2009) have since reported that the ILT has become one of the most widely
trialled Information Literacy Tests commercially available.
Funding for a collaborative IL skills project between members of the Faculty of Business, Sport
and Enterprise and Learning Services Team was secured. The aim of the project was to
evaluate the JMU ILT and identify whether it would be feasible to use the test as a tool to
assess the information literacy skills of SSU‘s students and facilitate a greater awareness of
skills desired by future employers.
Methodology Participants Eighty Level 4 students from the Faculty of Business, Sport and Enterprise volunteered to take
part in the study. The exposure to formally taught information literacy skills was mixed with
62 students having completed a level 4 academic skills unit, with the remaining 18 having had
limited information literacy training. Informed consent was obtained prior to testing.
Information Literacy Test (ILT)
Licences to complete the ILT were purchased from JMU, whereby an ‗access window‘ became
active and login details released. The JMU ILT was composed of 65 MCQ‘s, which constituted
four of the five ACRL competency standards (ACRL, 2000). Standard 4 was excluded due to its
D I A L O G U E
17
applied nature and inappropriate for the present situation. All questions were required to be
completed.
Procedures
Under examination conditions in one of the University‘s IT suites, students logged onto the ILT
through the JMU website. Standardised instructions were provided before the test, which
included a clear statement on the formative nature of the assessment. Upon completion of
the test, the results were automatically submitted to the JMU server. Test data was then
relayed to the research team in the form of an Excel spreadsheet once the agreed ‗test
window‘ had closed. Student perceptions of the ILT were obtained using an open-ended
questionnaire.
Data Analysis
Test data for each IL standard was summarised in the form of the mean and standard
deviation ( ± SD) to identify strengths and weaknesses. Post test questionnaires were
analysed using basic content analysis to gather student perceptions of the ILT.
Results
Quantitative Data
Results from the ILT were analysed for normal distribution using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (p
= .06). The mean test score for the ILT was 56 ± 15% (see figure 1). Students achieved
noticeably higher scores in standards 1 (determines the nature and extent of the information
needed), 3 (evaluates information and its sources critically, and incorporates selected
information into his or her knowledge base and value system) and 5 (understands many of the
ethical, legal, and socio-economic issues surrounding information and information technology)
(see figure 2) with mean standard scores of 59 ± 14%, 57 ± 12% and 53 ± 18%, respectively.
Lower scores were recorded for standard 2 (accesses needed information effectively and
efficiently) with a mean score of 40 ± 27% indicating a considerable degree of variation in
student achievement for this standard.
x
D I A L O G U E
18
Figure 1: Results from the JMU ILT
Figure 2: Percentage success rate for each ILT standard
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 - 9% 10 -19%
20 -29%
30 -39%
40 -49%
50 -59%
60 -69%
70 -79%
80 -89%
90 -99%
Nu
mb
er
of
Stu
de
nts
Mark (%)
Results from ILT
D I A L O G U E
19
Qualitative Feedback
Evaluation of Student Feedback
Feedback from the questionnaire suggested that nearly all students who completed the ILT
acknowledged its relevance for undergraduate study. The most frequently occurring comment
concerned the excessive length of the test and as such students found it difficult to maintain
focus. Other issues that arose from the feedback can be viewed in Figure 3. Once theme
mentioned in the questionnaire was perhaps not detailed extensively , but was expressed
informally in conversation was the ‗American phrases/terms‘ used.
Figure 3: Student perceptions on the ILT that needed to be changed
In contrast, positive student perceptions of the test included the MCQ format, the layout and
questions related to referencing. Feedback suggested that the students preferred the MCQ
format because it was ―easy‖, ―quick‖ and ―did not have to think too much.‖ In addition
students remarked that the format of the ILT did have a logical format and the variation in
the sequence of questions (e.g. text, graphical or data interpretation) was preferred. The
comments propose that referencing is a key area of interest and most beneficial to study.
D I A L O G U E
20
Figure 4: Student perceptions of the ILT that were viewed positively
Figure 5: Student perceptions of how the ILT could have been improved
D I A L O G U E
21
In terms of improvement, the most frequently occurring requests included subject specific
questions, varying the question format, more questions concerning referencing and the
inclusion of more diagrams.
Discussion
General Evaluation of Test Results
The issue of IL was officially addressed in the UK back as 1999 (SCONUL, 1999). Since then,
the importance of IL has accelerated with the information environment evolving to increasing
levels of complexity (Andretta, 2005). The current project set out to evaluate the JMU ILT
and ascertain whether it would be feasible to implement the test for undergraduate and
postgraduate students studying at SSU.
Originally the project brief had been to formalise information skills training within the
curriculum: assessing the impact of current skills provision. In essence it had been hoped that
the project would be used to evaluate the provision of current IL based units at SSU in a test-
re-test fashion (i.e. pre and post test). Unfortunately due to delays in the assignment of TQEF
funding, data from the ILT could only be collected after the period one IL units had concluded
and not prior to commencement as planned.
The mean test score indicated that the pass mark was not attained. Cameron et al. (2007)
stated that a proficiency pass mark of 65% was required. To differentiate the advanced and
proficient students a mark of 90% was required which was surprising to the research team
since the highest mark attained by LIS members was only 90% (Wise et al., 2009). It should be
stressed however that the marking criteria from each of the competency standards was not
equal but weighted in terms of complexity. Standards 2 and 3 had the greatest weighing
within the test (i.e. one third of the marks respectively). The mean score for standard 2 was
only 40 ± 27% and could in part explain why the mean test score fell below the pass mark of
65%. Therefore students‘ achieving higher pass marks in standards 1 and 5 and lower marks in
2 and 3 would be at risk of failing the test.
A breakdown of the four standards illustrated that the mean score for standard 2 was
considerably lower than that of standards 1, 3 and 5 (see figure 2). The standard deviation
was comparatively wider than the other three standards tested by the ILT, suggesting
considerable diversity in student understanding of issues related to ‗Accesses needed
information effectively and efficiently‘. This would support the findings of Bent (2009) and
Brabazon (2007) who highlighted the reluctance of students to use academic subscription
material, in favour of generic search engines such as Google. The danger is that students use
generic search engines for convenience at the expense of peer reviewed material from official
D I A L O G U E
22
academic sources. As a result students lack the ability to access information efficiently and
effectively.
By far the most frequently occurring comment from the feedback questionnaire was the
length of the ILT. Students complained of difficulties in maintaining focus and suggested a
reduction in the number of questions and a test duration of between 30 – 45 min. This was
highlighted by Walsh (2009) who stated that the lengthy and detailed ILT was a reflection of
the IL standards stipulated by the ACRL. Walsh (2009) continued by stating that despite the
length of tests such as the ILT, MCQ style assessments are still an attractive option for
academic and library staff due to the limitations on time and money.
A possible explanation for the lower score for standard 5 could be attributed to differences in
the Anglo-American legal issues (e.g. issues concerning copyright). This was supported by the
research team‘s concerns regarding the applicability of the question content. This could
potentially have broader implications across other standards (e.g. demonstrate an
understanding of the Wall Street Journal or referencing uses the APA and not the Harvard
system.)
Although Cameron et al. (2007) reported acceptable reliability and validity for the ILT. The
present study would question the length of the test, but more specifically the use of US
orientated terminology. It would perhaps be more beneficial to tailor a similar IL test for
students studying in UK HE institutions. Whilst the ILT was based on the standards developed
through the ACRL, a similar test based on the framework of the ‗Seven Pillars of Information
Literacy model‘ (SCONUL, 1999) would perhaps be more aligned with UK universities. The
seven pillars framework is broken down into the following areas (see table 2). The framework
provides progression from basic skills such as the ‗Ability to recognise a need for information‘,
to more sophisticated skill sets like the ‗Ability to synthesise and build upon existing
information, contributing to the creation of new knowledge.‘
Table 2: SCONUL Seven Pillars Framework (Johnston and Webber 2003)
Categories Description
1 The ability to recognise a need for information
2 The ability to distinguish ways in which the information ‗gap‘ may be addressed
3 The ability to construct strategies for locating information
4 The ability to locate and access information
5 The ability to compare and evaluate information obtained from different sources
6 The ability to organise, apply and communicate information to others in ways
D I A L O G U E
23
appropriate
7 The ability to synthesise and build upon existing information, contributing to the
creation of new knowledge
Future developments
To develop the work of the ILT evaluation, the team intend to formulate an online, MCQ IL
skills test based on the Seven Pillars of Information Literacy model (SCONUL, 1999). This will
enable the test to align itself with the framework adopted by other HE institutions in the UK.
Once the test has been assessed for validity and reliability the intention is to integrate it into
the existing IL skills provisions and teaching curriculums in a bespoke format for courses at
SSU. All incoming level 4 students will complete the test prior to the commencement of
period 1 and then again periodically (e.g. annually) throughout the course of the degree
programme. By committing to such a programme of IL screening, under-performing students
will be identified earlier, thus prompting tailored support programmes. It is hoped that with
the combined expertise of library and academic staff this mode of formative assessment will
promote academic standards.
Conclusion
As the information network accelerates and develops in complexity, the role of IL skills will
only increase in importance. Even though the opportunity to gather pre and post data from
the ILT was not possible, the project provided a valuable insight into the theory and
application of IL based tests. The next stage is to develop an IL test site(s) that is bespoke to
SSU degree programmes.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Mary Hudson and Alison Williams, Information Librarians, Southampton Solent
University and Christina Dinsmore and Mark Byrne, Academic Tutors, Southampton Solent
University, who worked with the authors on the project.
References
ANDRETTA, S. 2005. Information Literacy: Empowering the Learner “Against All Odds”. In:
LILAC (Librarians‘ Information Literacy Annual Conference), Information literacy and E-
learning. London: UK 4 - 6 April 2005. LILAC: London.
D I A L O G U E
24
ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES (ACRL). 2000. Information Literacy
Competancy Standards for Higher Education. [online]. Available:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/standards.pdf [accessed 2 April 2010]
BRABAZON, T., 2007. The University of Google: Education in the (Post) Information Age.
Aldershot: Ashgate.
CAMERON, L., S.L. WISE and S. LOTTRIDGE, 2007. The Development and Validation of the
Information Literacy Test. College & Research Libraries. 6(3), pp.229-237
DaCOSTA, J.W., 2010. Is There an Information Literacy Skills Gap to be Bridged? An
Examination of Faculty Perceptions and Activities Relating to Information Literacy in United
States and England. College & Research Libraries. 7(3), pp.203-222
GRIFFITHS, J. AND B. GLASS, 2010. Understanding the Information Literacy Levels of
Students: Results of a Three Year Online Information Literacy Audit at Manchester
Metropolitan University. [online]. Available:
http://www.lilacconference.com/dw/programme/parallel_sessions_detail_3.html [accessed
21 April 2010]
JOHNSTON, B., and S WEBBER, 2003. Information Literacy in Higher Education: a Review and
Case Study. Studies in Higher Education. 28(3) pp.335-352
SCONUL, 1999. Information Literacy. [online]. Available:
http://www.sconul.ac.uk/groups/information_literacy/seven_pillars.html [accessed: 2 April
2010]
SOUTHAMPTON SOLENT UNIVERSITY, 2009. Academic Handbook. 2S:University Ethics Policy.
[online]. Available: http://blade25.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=PPG/ASQS/AH/1234569791
[accessed: 3 February 2010]
RADCLIFF, C.J., M.L. JENSEN, J.A. SALEM Jr, K.J. BURHANNA and J.A. GEDEON, 2007. A
Practical Guide to Information Literacy Assessment for Academic Librarians. London: Libraries
Unlimited.
WALSH, A., 2009. Information Literacy Assessment: Where Do We Start? Journal of
Librarianship and Information Science. 41(1) pp.19-28
WISE, S.L., L. CAMERON, S.T.-YANG. And S.L. DAVIS, 2009. The Information Literacy test
(ILT): The Manual. [online]. Available: http://www.madisonassessment.com/uploads
/ILT%20Test%20Manual%202010.pdf [accessed 5 January 2010]
D I A L O G U E
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Contact
Celia Forrester
Information Librarian
Learning and Information Service
02380319684
Scott Burnet
Senior Lecturer in Sports Science (Research Methods and Physiology)
Faculty of Business Sports and Enterprise
02380319692
D I A L O G U E
26
Perceptions of Female
Southampton Solent University
Students of Volunteering as a
Method to Enhance Employability
Skills
Dr Steven Jackson
ntroduction: In the current economic situation, employability is vital for graduate
students. A recent CBI report1 has highlighted the need for graduates to have a range of
skills when entering the workplace. These include: Self Management, Teamworking,
Business and Customer Awareness, Problem Solving, Communication and Literacy, Application
of Information Technology and Application of Numeracy. This is particularly important for
tourism graduates where opportunities for graduate level appointments are few. Although
degree level work may develop some of the above skills, there are alternative methods by
which they may be attained and valued by employers2. One such way is through volunteering3.
Volunteering has recently come to prominence through organisations such as Volunteering
England4 and the Institute of Volunteering Research5. A limited amount of work has been done
on enhancing the employability of tourism graduates6 but this has paid little attention to the
role of volunteering; and some studies have been completed that are tangential to tourism
graduates such as gap year provision7 and ‗volunteering in the natural outdoors‘8.
Nevertheless, some studies have examinted how volunteering may be integrated into the
curriculum9 but again with little reference to tourism.
This lack of attention to volunteering and tourism as a mechanism for skills development is
somewhat surprising since volunteer tourism has been developing a significant profile through
international, peer-reviewed publications and conferences, and is a popular topic for
undergraduate dissertations. Indeed, two recent graduates have used their undergraduate
dissertation as a springboard into voluntary, environmental grant-giving charity and a
volunteer tourism provider. The academic study of volunteer tourism has frequently centred
on values, motivations, behaviours and benefits to volunteers10. As such, the strong
I
D I A L O G U E
27
behavioural emphasis of this work is frequently related to the characteristics of graduates
sought by employers.
It should be clear that the relationships between tourism, volunteering and employability have
yet to be fully explored, both from the perspective of enhancing the potential of students
(practice) and from the perspective of developing the underpinning theoretical behavioural
aspects (theory). The present study set out principally to explore the perceptions of
volunteering as a way of improving skills acquisition of students at Southampton Solent
University and of a range of tourism employers.
Method
An online survey was sent to all students on all tourism courses as well as to students on
related courses such as events management, outdoor activity courses and geographical and
environmental courses; in addition, the survey was sent to over 130 tourism and tourism
related employers. The response was low with only 67 responses in total. The majority of
responses were from female students and the results relate to this group only. The number of
usable responses from employers was particularly disappointing.
Data was collected on:
1. Age, course and faculty;
2. Whether volunteering had been undertaken in the past two years and of what type
(broadly categorized into ‗environmental‘ and ‗social groups);)
3. Whether the student held materialist, mixed or post-materialist views11 and the level
of pro-environmental attitudes;12
4. The perception of the usefulness of volunteering as a way to improve employability
skills; and
5. Whether the student would be happy for volunteering to be part of their core studies
and the preferred pattern of volunteering.
In view of the small sample size, the data was analysed using non-parametric methods (Mann-
Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square ests and Spearman‘s Rho for correlation.)
Results
The only factor appeared to significantly influence whether students had volunteered in the
past two years was the course they were following (Table 1)13 while age was the only factor
D I A L O G U E
28
that was significantly related to the type of volunteering undertaken. ‗Environmental‘
volunteers had a median age of 22 while for ‗social‘ volunteers it was 2014.
Table 1: Volunteered in the Past Two Years in Relation to University Course
Course
Total
Events
Geography/
Tourism Tourism Other
Volunteered
in past
two years
Yes 7 4 2 3 16
No 6 4 17 2 29
Total 13 8 19 5 5 45
The overall perception of female students as volunteering as a mechanism to improve
employability skills is shown in Figure 1. Perhaps not surprisingly, soft skills such as Teamwork
and Self-Management are rated most highly, while hard skills such as IT and Numeracy came
towards the bottom. The only factor that appeared to significantly influence the perception
was the type of of volunteering undertaken where ‗environmental‘ volunteers had a median
score of 4.5 and ‗social‘ volunteers a score of 3 for business awareness15. The course being
followed also had a marginally significant effect on the value of volunteering to improve
business awareness with the highest median score for Events students (5), followed by
Tourism students (4) and then Geography/Environmental students (3.5).
Students were on the whole happy for volunteering to be a core part of their course. Not
surprisingly, both faculty and course affected the degree to which volunteering should be part
of the core curriculum with Geography/Environmental students in FTEC recording a median of
5, while Tourism and Events students in FBSE recorded a median of 416. The level of post-
materialism also marginally influenced the extent to which incorporating postmaterialist
values recorded medians of 4 while those with materialist values recorded a media of 317. The
level of pro-environmental attitudes was also significantly related to the acceptance of
volunteering in the core curriculum with those with strong attitudes being happier for it to be
incorporated18.
D I A L O G U E
29
Figure 1: Overall perception of volunteering as a way to improve employability skills
Figure 2: The extent to which students would be happy for volunteering being a core part of their course
Finally, students were asked to rank their preference for difference patterns of volunteering
(Figure 3). A clear preference is shown for regular volunteering on a one day per week basis
followed by (the presumable attraction) of a longer oversees placement where as an extended
block of several months is not seen as desirable.
D I A L O G U E
30
Figure 3: Preference for different patterns of volunteering (lower median rank indicate s a greater
preference)
Conclusions
Caution must be exercised when drawing conclusions from a small study such as this where
the respondents are self-selecting. Nevertheless, the overall impression given by the results
suggest that female students‘ perceptions of volunteering as a skills-enhancing mechanism are
favourable and that they would be quite happy for volunteering to be part of their core
studies. There are indications that those following a more environmentally based couse are
more likely to volunteer and the value of volunteering should be stressed more strongly to
tourism students. As expected, those students have stronger pro-environmental attitudes and
those who are more concerned with the quality of life rather than the material aspects look
upon volunteering more favourably.
Although the opportunity to undertake volunteering is offered through a Curriculum Plus unit
to everyone, few Tourism students have taken up this opportunity. Where they have, it has
proved very beneficial and led directly to employment. Further work should be undertaken to
make the curriculum more flexible to enable Tourism students to develop their employability
skills through volunteering while at the same time developing their understanding of the
Tourism Industry.
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31
Endnotes
1 CBI, 2008. Taking stock: CBI education and skills survey 2008. London: CBI.
2 Hirst, A., nd. Links between volunteering and employability. Department for Education and
Skills, Research Report RR309.
3 Cook, P. & Jackson, N. 2006. Valuing volunteering. London: Chartered Management
Institute.
4 http://www.volunteering.org.uk/
5 http://www.ivr.org.uk/
6 Major, B., nd. Enhancing travel, tourism and hospitality management graduates’
employability. HEA, Business Management and Accountancy.
7 Jones, A. 2004. Review of gap year provision. Department for Education and Skills,
Research Report RR555.
8 Ockenden, N., 2007. Volunteering in the natural outdoors in the UK and Ireland: a
literature review. Institute for Volunteering Research.
9 Cormack, I. & Konidari, S., 2007. Integrating volunteering with the curriculum: present
initiatives and future possibilities. Investigations in University Teaching and Learning 4(2),
89-97.
10 See, for example, Jackson, S 2010. The National Trust working holiday volunteer leaders:
Who are they and why do they do it? LSA Newsletter 86, July 2010; and Jackson, S
forthcoming chapter ‗Profiling volunteer holiday leaders: a case study of National Trust
working holiday leaders – socio-demographics, basic human values and functional volunteer
motivations‘ in edited book by Angela Benson.
11 Inglehart, R. & Abramson, P. R. 1999. Measuring postmaterialism. American Political
Science Review 93(3), 665-677.
12 Based on a method developed using New Environmental Paradigm terms by Milbraith (1984)
in Spash, C. L. 1997. Ethics and environmental attitudes with implications for economic
valuation. Journal of Environmental Management 50, 403-416.
D I A L O G U E
32
13 Chi-square = 9.125, df = 3, p = 0.028
14 M-W U = 8, Z = -1.982, p = 0.047, n = 16
15 M-W U 4.5, Z = -2.405, p = 0.016, n = 16
16 For the faculty comparison M-W U = 50, Z = -2.627, p = 0.009, n = 36
17 K-W test, Chi-square = 5.771, df = 2, p = 0.056, n = 38
18 rho = 0.322, p = 0.048, n = 38
Contact
Dr Steve Jackson
Principal Lecturer (School Development)
Faculty of Business, Sports and Enterprise
02380319172
D I A L O G U E
33
Working with E-Champions to
Enhance Flexible Learning
Ruth McLellan, Susan Patrick, Christina
Dinsmore, Andrëa Faustino, Timos Almpanis,
Whysnianti Basuki
ummary: In September 2009 the Facutly of Business, Sport and Enterprise (FBSE) were
successful in gaining funding from the Higher Education Academy (HEA), Business
Management Accountancy and Finance (BMAF), Discipline focused Learning Technology
Enhance Academy (DfLTEA) on a proposal to design a framework for blended learning delivery
and pedagogic guidance for academics embarking on blended learning. A gap was identified as
lecturers take traditional delivery methods and attempt to make them fit the blended
learning model of delivery. The project aims to provide a better teaching and learning
experience for the non-traditional adult learner by appointing e-champions on two blended
delivery courses, to enhance our provision of blended learning courses and units. This case
study describes the development of the blended learning framework.
Institutional, Course and Team Context
By definition of Southampton Solent University (SSU) mission statement; ―SSU is committed to
inclusive and flexible forms of Higher Education that meets the needs of employers and
prepares students to succeed in a fast changing competitive world‖ One of the cornerstones of
this commitment to flexible learning relies on the use of e-learning and the virtual campus.
This is underpinned by the University‘s Strategic Development Plan (SDP) which is committed
to the development of flexible modes of delivery and offering new forms of e-learning.
The project is centred around two FBSE based courses: Foundation in Business (FdA) and
Masters in Business (MABS), which were originally validated in 2006 and have been running
since 2007. Both of the courses are aimed at the non-traditional adult learner and both
courses recruit strongly from the Army, where the Business School has developed strong links.
Students on these courses attend weekend on-campus session, four times per year. The gap
between campus sessions requires directed self study supported by a combination of E-
learning, E-tutor support, E-discussion and E-exercises via the University‘s Virtual Learning
Environment (VLE); myCourse. Two units from both FdA and MABS were chosen in order to
S
D I A L O G U E
34
develop blended learning case studies. The table below outlines the project team, their role,
background and application.
Table 1: Project Team Context
Name Role Background and Application
Susan Patrick Team Leader and
E Champion
Susan has experience of blended learning research
from a previous TQEF project titled “Transition
into or back into HE by Blending Learning:
Students’ Perceptions and Expectations within
FBSE.” Susan is MABS Course Leader and produced
a one unit for the blending learning case study.
Christina Dinsmore Team Leader and
E – Champion
Christina is FdA course leader and produced one
unit for the blended learning case study. Christina
is undertaking a MProf, which includes a unit on
blended learning.
Timos Almpanis Team Member and
Learning
Technologist
Timos is undertaking a PhD in this area. Timos
gives support, advice and training on technology to
enhance and enable learning.
Ruth McLellan Team Member and
E-Champion
Ruth produced two units for the blended learning
case study (one for MABS and 1 FdA.) Ruth is
undertaking a PGC in Blended Learning.
Andrëa Faustino Team Member Andrëa provides a student’s perspective. Andrëa is
enrolled on MABS and is in her second year.
Andrea is also employed part-time in FBSE as
Faculty Academic Quality Officer.
Dr Whysnianti
Basuki
Research Assistant Whysnianti is undertaking a PGC in Blended
Learning.
Project Outcomes
The following list details the intended project outcomes:
1. Design a framework of blended learning delivery and pedagogic guidance for academics
embarking on blended learning.
D I A L O G U E
35
2. Improve blended learning units by developing four case study units within FBSE.
3. Hold a showcase event on this project and invite other DfLTEA recipients to present.
4. Provide a 1 day IT training workshop for blended learning tutors teaching on MABS and
FdA courses.
5. Provide information and guidance for the new lecturers‘ induction.
6. Disseminate project outcomes both internally within SSU and externally via
conferences, networking, journal articles, etc.
7. MABS is being used as a case study example for a university wide online staff resource
through the Flexible Delivery Support Team.
8. MABS is migrating to the new myCourse Pro platform as a pilot case.
9. Produce a final case study in January 2011, to be included in the BMAF website.
Support for Change
As part of the HEA, BMAF, DfLTEA commitment to this project, 3 days were spent at a ‗Change
Academy‘ residential in Leeds in January 2010, providing the team members with the time,
space and personal development skills in order to clearly define and plan the project. A
project action plan and evaluation plan was submitted and approved by the HEA in February
2010.
Development of the Blended Learning Framework
Initially a literature review was conducted on blended learning definitions to enhance our own
pedagogic understanding of blended learning. The final agreed definition which was
developed by the team was presented at the showcase event on the 10th June:
Characterised by the balanced application of learning technology building on sound pedagogic
practice with the purpose of enhancing the learning experience of the student.
Characteristics of blended learning include the selective use of learning technologies used in
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appropriate measure to complement traditional face to face teaching and learning methods.
Three key pieces of primary research were conducted with different stakeholders in order to
develop the blended learning framework. The initial framework was presented in May 2010 at
the FBSE Research and Enterprise conference. Attendees were asked for their feedback on
the framework during an interactive workshop. This feedback from future E-champions was
subsequently fed into the framework. Current FdA and MABS students were involved in an on-
campus focus group in order to discuss their experiences of the blended learning approach to
the course and good practice that they had experienced. This invaluable feedback helped to
define support both on and off-campus required by the students which the framework would
address. The FdA and MABS course teams were also involved in a course focus group to
identify their understanding, challenges and blended learning practice. Based on the feedback
and outcomes of the primary research a work in progress blended learning framework was
presented at the project dissemination showcase event on the 10th June 2010. This event also
included presentations from the University of Plymouth and Hull. Feedback from attendees on
the framework was also obtained.
The diagram below presents the framework outcome of the research undertaken. The
framework provides academics with four different approaches to blended learning and we are
not advocating that teaching staff have to reach ‗Approach 4‘. The choice of approach will be
fundamentally based on pedagogic understand of the group being taught, plus the tutors own
knowledge of using myCourse to support technology enhanced learning. See ‗Useful Links‘
below for further information on this framework.
Diagram 1: Blended Learning Framework
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Reflections
In order to support and assist other academics in becoming E-champions in their own right, we
offer the following advice:
Use support of the E-Development Team via Timos Almpanis/Roger Emery and the
Flexible Delivery Support Team via Andrew Doig.
Use E-assessment tools e.g Turnitin, Grademark and Peermark. Please contact Lorry
West for more details.
Use on-campus technology and book IT suites and use Learning Information Service
(LIS) resources available, i.e. subject Librarian to deliver a session on research
databases and how to access off-campus.
Use on-campus session for recall and plenary activities, not solely information giving.
This requires a complete rethink of how we spend our time in front of the students.
Think about how you assess your students. Break it down into contained parts and
provide plenty of formative feedback opportunities.
Enrol on the PGC in Blended Learning – this will allow you to become a ‗the student‘
and obtain a firsthand view of the difficulties involved in being a student on blended
learning course. In addition, this course provides you with a much needed
‗Community of Inquiry‘ which allows you to talk to others about your and their
experiences. Please contact the course leader, David Moxon.
The library stocks a number of excellent books from lead academics which are
accessible and practical. Please refer to links in ‗Useful Resources‘ below.
Limitations
There are important limitations to acknowledge. The ability to become an effective E-
champion depends upon your willingness to understand and utilise the pedagogy behind
teaching in a blended learning format. As outlined in the initial summary, it is not just a case
of taking a traditional unit and putting it on the VLE. There are a number of ways that you can
develop your understanding, and these have been outlined in the ‗Reflections‘ above.
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Whilst the framework has been developed, it is still yet to be fully tested on a complete
cohort of students for an entire academic year. We would welcome any feedback on the
framework that would help with our ongoing evaluations.
Future Developments
The four case study units will be available to view via myCourse from October onwards. Please
refer to ‗Useful links‘ below for more details. It is hoped that new lecturer‘s induction will
include the blended learning framework and guidelines from this project.
Useful Links HEA BMAF Link: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/business/projects/detail/discipline-
focused_learning_technology_enhancement
MyCourse Link to Case Study Sites
Unit Code Unit Title Course Developed by
BUS108 Business and Academic Skills –
Blended Learning
FdA Christina
Dinsmore
MKT310 Marketing Principles-Blended
Learning
FdA Ruth McLellan
BUS104BL Personal Development Planning MABS Susan Patrick
MKT408BL Principles of Marketing Principles
(BL)
MABS Ruth McLellan
Textbooks
GARRISON R., and N.VAUGHAN., 2008. Blended Learning in Higher Education: Framework,
Principles and Guidelines. San Francisco: Wiley.
MACDONALD, J., 2006. Blended Learning and Online Tutoring: a Good Practice Guide.
Aldershot: Ashgate
SALMON, G., 2000. E-moderating. The Key to Teaching and Learning Online. London: Kogan
Page
SALMON, G. 2002. E-tivities. The Key to Online Learning. London: Kogan Page.
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Contact
Susan Patrick
Principal Lecturer (Portfolio Responsibility) Professional Development
Faculty of Business, Sport and Enterprise
02380319516
Christina Dinsmore
Senior Lecturer in Business Strategy
Faculty of Business, Sport and Enterprise
02380319545
Timos Almpanis
Learning Technologist
Learning and Information Service
02380319728
timoleon.almpanis @solent.ac.uk
Ruth Mclellan
Senior Lecturer in Marketing
Faculty of Business, Sport and Enterprise
02380319516
Andrëa Faustino
Faculty Academic Quality Officer
Faculty of Business, Sport and Enterprise
02380319949
Dr Whysnianti Basuki
Associate Lecturer in Business
Faculty of Business, Sport and Enterprise
02380319837
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Editorial Guidelines
Background
Dialogue is the internal Solent Learning Community Journal. The Solent Learning Community
(SLC) was formed as a result of a TQEF project 2007-2009 which identified how a Community
of Practice approach could be used to support pedagogic research and share good pedagogic
practice across SSU.
Dialogue is an academic journal aimed at both practitioners and policy makers. It is intended
that it will be published internally twice a year.
Submission
Articles need to be submitted electronically to Olga Costa-Munoz .
Solent Pedagogic Research Network project team have jointly edited this first edition: Sara
Briscoe (FBSE), Anne Hill (FMAS), Lesley MacDonald (FBSE), Rob Mills (WMA), Sean Wellington
(FTECH), Lorry West (LIS).
Instructions for Authors
Contributions to Dialogue will normally fall into one of the following categories. However,
contributions of different lengths will be considered by the Editorial Board:
· Articles: 2000 - 3000 words (accompanied by an abstract.)
· Brief reports (up to 1000 words) on, for example, innovative practice, conference events,
etc
· Book Reviews
Format
Articles should be typed, single spaced and have only one title.
The title will appear in bold.
We encourage the use of subheadings (which will also appear in bold) to divide the
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article.
All artwork (material that is not textual) such as tables, figures, diagrams, charts,
graphs, illustrations should be in black and white or shades of grey. Once your
article has been accepted we will ask you to provide a hard copy of text with
diagrams or other visuals to help with accurate setting at the design stage.
Use Trebuchet 11 MS Font
Footnotes should be avoided.
Please contact a member of the editorial group for a word document template.
Writing Style
Papers should be written in an easily accessible style, suitable for an audience of academics,
policy makers and practitioners.
All papers should use UK English spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Referencing
Use the Harvard Referencing System. Further guidance can be obtained via http://portal-
live.solent.ac.uk/library/leaflets/resources/US06.pdf
About you
Underneath your title we need your name and designation. At the end of your piece we will
use:
Your name
Faculty and role
Contact details