Higher education has undergone a massive transformation in teaching and learning in a very short period of time since the onset of Covid-19. Students, teachers and universities have had to adopt online and blended learning, often with little or no experience or models of good practice to draw upon. It is clear that blended and online learning are here to stay. This book draws on research from universities that have adopted online and blended learning to facilitate the expansion and diversi...

This book is based upon three interrelated open naturalistic studies conducted to better characterise the motivational orientation of students in higher education. Open semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with undergraduates, students at community colleges and students in taught postgraduate courses in Hong Kong. The analysis used an exploratory grounded theory approach and resulted in a motivational orientation framework with six continua with positive and negative poles....

The book is a collective investigation of the structuring of theses in education, the social sciences and other disciplines that commonly do not follow the standard procedures of the scientific method. To help research students design a structure for their own thesis and liberate their investigations from the constraints associated with the use of the conventional structure, it explains how the structures adopted were designed to suit the topic, methodology and paradigm. It also provides a...

This volume sets out to provide experience-based tools for those needing to assess and improve teaching and learning quality. It presents a detailed framework explaining what action learning and research is with information on how to carry out an action learning project.

Written by experts in the field, this book aims to provide an alternative approach to quality teaching in higher education by deriving a model of good university teaching from the academics which universities have chosen as their best teachers. Award-winning teachers outline their beliefs and practices as a teacher, covering key topics including:assessmentmotivating studentsplanning courses and lessonsteaching large classesreflection an...

Distance learning is now more prevalent in the developing world than ever before. This book reconsiders the suitability and success of established modes of distance learning for current contexts in the developing world. It examines what adaptations are necessary to suit shifting needs including:the move from elite to mass higher educationincreased emphasis on knowledge base economiesgreater demand for lifelong learning and professional development

Every semester, colleges and universities ask students to complete innumerable course and teaching evaluation questionnaires to evaluate the learning and teaching in courses they have taken. For many universities it is a requirement that all courses be evaluated every semester. The laudable rationale is that the feedback provided will enable instructors to improve their teaching and the curriculum, thus enhancing the quality of student learning.In spite of this there is little evid...

Online Distance Education provides a systematic overview of the major issues, trends, and areas of priority in online distance education research. In each chapter an international expert or team of experts provides an overview of one relevant issue in online distance education, discussing theoretical insights that guide the research, summarizing major research on the topic, posing questions and directions for future research, and discussing the implications for distance education ...

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the means by which the professions across the world ensure that their knowledge and skills remain up to date and relevant to changing needs and environments. CPD significantly contributes to the quality and reputation of the professions and therefore to the quality of national and international social life and economic well being.Starting with a discussion on what CPD is, the author analyzes how professional bodies govern CPD, what suppo...

This book provides essential knowledge and skills to address all the new social work education requirements for placements and practice learning. It will help you successfully pass your compulsory social work placement whilst meeting the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) for Social Workers and developing their professional practice.Giving examples of the PCF plus clear exercises, strategies and tips, the book:-Introduces your students to social work in the context o...

This book is an important practical resource for all professionals engaged with planning, implementing and evaluating multi-professional teamwork and practice in children's services.

The book expounds the macro-level relationship between strategy, HRM, and performance, addressing important challenges that have constrained research and practice to date. Adopting a critical perspective, the first challenge is a narrow definition of 'performance' that has been largely driven by a managerialist, profit motive, with little regard for the human element. This book proposes adopting a more balanced approach towards measuring performance, encompassing both organizational financ...