http://hdl.handle.net/10379/129 2017-10-29T22:59:29Z 2017-10-29T22:59:29Z Parke, Karl Marsden, Nicola Connolly, Cornelia http://hdl.handle.net/10379/6898 2017-10-10T01:02:37Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Lay theories regarding computer-mediated communication in remote collaboration Parke, Karl; Marsden, Nicola; Connolly, Cornelia Computer-mediated communication and remote collaboration has become an unexceptional norm as an educational modality for distance and open education, therefore the need to research and analyze students' online learning experience is necessary. This paper seeks to examine the assumptions and expectations held by students in regard to computer-mediated communication and how their lay theories developed and changed within the context of their practical experiences in conducting a remote collaborative project, through computer-mediated communication. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of students' final reports from an inter-institutional online course on computer-mediated communication and remote collaboration. The results show that students' assumptions were altered and indicate the strong benefits of teaching how to collaborate remotely, especially if a blended approach of theory and practical application are combined.

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z Holland, Charlotte Lorenzi, Francesca Hall, Tony http://hdl.handle.net/10379/6885 2017-10-07T01:02:12Z 2016-08-24T00:00:00Z

Performance anxiety in academia: Tensions within research assessment exercises in an age of austerity Holland, Charlotte; Lorenzi, Francesca; Hall, Tony The current recessionary economic climate in Ireland has (re-)awakened a neoliberal agenda that is changing the dynamic of what is being valued within research assessment exercises, specifically across Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) disciplines in higher education. Research assessment exercises in AHSS disciplines now place a greater emphasis on measuring performance in terms of quantitative research metrics (such as: bibliometrics, impact factors and/or citation indices), in an attempt to demonstrate greater accountability and value-for-money within this age of austerity. This practice has the potential to impact negatively on the quality and diversity of research, as well as on the independence and autonomy of those undertaking AHSS research in Ireland and elsewhere. This article critically reviews research assessment exercises, with particular reference to the assessment of educational research in Ireland. It examines issues in the assessment of research within the neoliberal agenda that is evident in Ireland, and elsewhere. For example, in other jurisdictions, the neoliberal drive for accountability has been accompanied by an increase in 'citation clubs', a malpractice involving a group of researchers consistently citing each other's work to increase their citation index. It also challenges the validity of utilising predominantly quantitative research metrics in light of the recent move towards the online publication of research, where the manipulation of meta-data (key words that describe the research) has the potential to unfairly increase the citation indices of those researchers with a better understanding of search optimisation techniques within online contexts. The discussion concludes by summarising some of the emerging and emergent anxieties in relation to assessing research performance within assessment exercises.

2016-08-24T00:00:00Z Thompson Long, Bonnie Hall, Tony http://hdl.handle.net/10379/6836 2017-09-28T01:00:46Z 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

R-NEST: Design-based research for technology-enhanced reflective practice in initial teacher education Thompson Long, Bonnie; Hall, Tony This paper reports research into developing digital storytelling (DST) to enhance reflection within a specific professional learning context - that of a programme of teacher education while concomitantly producing a transferrable design framework for adaption into other, similar post-secondary educational contexts. There has been limited substantive, evaluative design-based research investigating empirically the potential of digital storytelling for reflection in professional, post-secondary education. Consequently, there has also been a lack of robust and reusable models to guide and inform design-based research in this context. This paper illustrates the development of a repeated study, undertaken on a longitudinal basis, over 3 years, and on a large scale, involving 323 pre-service teachers. The design-based research developed at the three key stages along the triadic spectrum of maturity: from (1) analysis and exploration, through (2) design and construction, to (3) evaluation and reflection (Kopcha, Schmidt, & McKenney, 2015). The innovation reported here is now a mature intervention, constituting a core part of the professional educational formation of pre-service teachers within a two-year, graduate teacher education programme. Further, the R-NEST design framework, which emerged from this longitudinal design-based research, enumerates key criteria and principles for designing, implementing and evaluating DST to enhance reflective practice in post-secondary professional education.

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z Heinz, Manuela Keane, Elaine Davison, Kevin http://hdl.handle.net/10379/6779 2017-09-02T01:01:16Z 2017-11-08T00:00:00Z

Sexualities of initial teacher education applicants in the Republic of Ireland: Addressing the hidden dimension of diversity in teaching Heinz, Manuela; Keane, Elaine; Davison, Kevin While research and policy recommendations internationally have pointed to the need to diversify teaching populations with regard to ethnicity, social class background and, to a lesser extent, dis/ability, there is a paucity of research addressing sexualities as a diversity dimension in teaching. This article explores Initial Teacher Education (ITE) applicants and entrants (N=746) sexualities and the intersections of sexualities with other socio-demographic background variables and career motivations. Our analysis suggests that the topic of sexual orientation caused high levels of discomfort among respondents and that sexual minority student teachers are underrepresented in ITE cohorts in Ireland. The socio-demographic and motivational profiles of our non-heterosexual respondents generally mirrored those of their heterosexual counterparts. Non-heterosexual respondents reported a stronger motivation to affect social change and lower levels of participation in religious services. Findings are discussed within the context of persisting cultural and institutional barriers for sexual minority (student) teachers in Irish schools and in ITE.

2017-11-08T00:00:00Z