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The Bologna Process has made a strong impact on the development of European higher education, although the greatest impact has not been from the process itself, but from the national reforms introduced along with it. With a relatively young higher education system, Norway was ahead of most European countries in implementing the Bologna Process and reforms indirectly linked to it. Due to path dependencies and the Higher Education Institutions being, to a certain extent, autonomous and carriers of their own culture, we cannot draw conclusions at the local level without empirical studies. Therefore, the case of Nord University shows us how this process directly and indirectly affected Higher Education Institutions in Norway. The Higher Education Institutions (HEI) integrated horizontally in an education system that was increasingly hierarchical and competitive. The need for standardisation in order to secure equality and efficiency, and the demand for greater autonomy in the HEIs was answered by strengthening some and weakening other forms of institutional autonomy along with the establishment of a new accreditation system. Three dimensions of autonomy are touched on in this study. Firstly, the question of who has decision-making power in the HEIs defines whether they are ruled by professional or administrative autonomy. Secondly, the question of the HEIs’ mission is decided either by the HEI itself, representing substantive autonomy, or by external demands on production and external funding, representing what I call beneficial autonomy. Finally, the question of how the HEIs fulfil their mission decides whether they have individual autonomy or procedural autonomy. In the last case, the HEIs are given external frameworks, which, to a great extent, define how they are to carry out their mission in order to succeed. The development of higher education in Norway shows how the introduction of the accreditation system hampered different types of institutional autonomy and strengthened others, a development that also brought dilemmas and tensions related to academic freedom. The Bologna Process played the role of both supplier of terms and a catalyst for these dilemmas. One of the consequences in Norway was a development where former colleges gained university status, among them Nord University (University of Nordland) in 2011.

Consider for a moment the rate of advancement in the scientific understanding of DNA. It is formidable; from Fredrich Miescher’s nuclein extraction in the 1860s to Rosalind Franklin’s double helix X-ray in the 1950s to revolutionary next-generation sequencing in the late 2000s. Now consider the scientific paper, the medium used to describe and publish these advances. How is the scientific paper advancing to meet the needs of those who generate and use scientific information? We review four essential qualities for the scientific paper of the future: ( i) a robust source of trustworthy information that remains peer reviewed and is ( ii) communicated to diverse users in diverse ways, ( iii) open access, and ( iv) has a measurable impact beyond Impact Factor. Since its inception, scientific literature has proliferated. We discuss the continuation and expansion of practices already in place including: freely accessible data and analytical code, living research and reviews, changes to peer review to improve representation of under-represented groups, plain language summaries, preprint servers, evidence-informed decision-making, and altmetrics.

Nowadays one of the main focuses of the Spanish University system is achieving the active learning paradigm in the context of its integration into the European Higher Education Area. This goal is being addressed by means of the application of novel teaching mechanisms. Among a wide variety of learning approaches, the present work focuses on peer review, understood as a collaborative learning technique where students assess other student’s work and provide their own feedback. In this way, peer review has the overarching goal of improving the student learning during this process. Peer review has been successfully applied and analyzed in the literature. Indeed, many authors also recommend improving the design and implementation of self and peer review, which has been our main goal. This paper presents an empirical study based on the application of peer review assessment in different higher education BSc and MSc courses. In this way, six courses from different studies at the University of Malaga in Spain are subject to the application of peer review strategies to promote student learning and develop cross-wise skills such as critical thinking, autonomy and responsibility. Based on these experiences, a deep analysis of the results is performed, showing that a proper application of the peer review methodology provides reliable reviews (with close scores to the ones from the teacher) as well as an improvement in the students’ performance.

Language and literacy skills are essential for education, school achievements, work and social conditions. Some studies indicate an elevated incidence of problems with language and literacy in the prison population, potentially contributing to increased risks of maladjustment and recidivism. In general, the bulk of research on language and literacy has been directed towards children and adolescents. This study aimed to map the extent of the literature on language and literacy disorders in the adult prison population over the past 20 years, and what it reveals about the prevalence and nature of these disorders in prisoners. In total, 18 studies were identified. Of these, the majority (15) investigated literacy. The three studies investigating language all reported an elevated prevalence in the population. The literacy studies were altogether less clear, due to differences in theoretical approach and methods. In terms of the nature of the disorders, many studies assessed the behavioral level only. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical approaches, as well as recommendations for research, assessment, and intervention.

The article describes the application of the teaching strategy based on the peer-review process in the course of Computer Science with a high number of students in the Degree Course of Medicine at the University of Florence. Learners were asked to produce a paper by choosing from a list of topics about Biomedical Informatics. Subsequently, each learner reviewed and analyzed the papers produced by three peers and, applying the same criteria, assessed their own. At the end, an anonymous satisfaction questionnaire about peer-review was administered. In addition to the learning results related to the course, the responses to the questionnaire were analyzed. The peer-review was appreciated by the students so much that they hoped for its replication in other courses of the same Degree Course. The most valuable papers were selected by the teachers to be collected in a volume which was used as reference book in the following academic years. Applicazione del peer-review in un insegnamento universitario ad elevata numerosità. L’articolo descrive l’applicazione della metodologia didattica basata sul processo di peer-review nell’insegnamento di Informatica ad elevata numerosità di studenti del Corso di Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia presso l’Università di Firenze. Ai discenti è stato richiesto di produrre un elaborato scegliendo tra un elenco di argomenti di Informatica Biomedica. Successivamente ciascun discente ha revisionato e analizzato gli elaborati prodotti da tre pari e, applicando gli stessi criteri, valutato il proprio. Al termine delle attività è stato somministrato un questionario anonimo di gradimento relativo all’attività di peer-review. Oltre ai risultati di apprendimento relativi al corso sono state analizzate le risposte ai questionari di gradimento, da cui è emerso come la metodologia didattica peer-review sia stata apprezzata dagli studenti tanto da auspicarne la replicazione in altri insegnamenti del medesimo Corso di Laurea. Gli elaborati di maggiore pregio sono stati selezionati dagli Autori per essere raccolti in un volume che è stato utilizzato come testo di riferimento negli anni accademici successivi., Form@re - Open Journal per la formazione in rete, Vol. 20 No. 3 (2020): Artificial Intelligence and education: new research perspectives

The quality improvement of the university teaching is crucial for the students’ learning outcomes. However, although the interconnections between the professional development of faculty and the enhancement of student learning is evident, academic professional development has received discontinuous and unsystematic attention. This paper discusses a particular training methodology for teachers, the peer review, analysing assumptions and characteristics of this active method of professional development for university teachers. Based on the possibility of receiving feedbacks from dialogue and interaction between colleagues, it is considered a privileged tool for professional enhancement of faculty and for improving the quality of their teaching practices. Sviluppo delle competenze professionali e qualità della didattica universitaria: la peer review come formazione partecipata Il miglioramento della qualità dell’insegnamento universitario è determinante ai fini dei risultati di apprendimento degli studenti. Tuttavia, per quanto sia evidente il nesso tra sviluppo professionale dei docenti e potenziamento dell’apprendimento degli studenti, la formazione e l’aggiornamento dei docenti universitari hanno ricevuto un’attenzione discontinua e non sistematica da parte del mondo accademico. Il presente lavoro intende illustrare una particolare metodologia di formazione per i docenti, la peer review, di cui analizza i presupposti, le caratteristiche e le possibilità di utilizzo quale metodologia attiva di crescita professionale per i docenti universitari. Essa, fondata sulla possibilità di ricevere feedback basati sul dialogo e sull’interazione fra colleghi, è considerata uno strumento privilegiato per lo sviluppo professionale dei docenti universitari e per il miglioramento della qualità della loro azione didattica., Form@re - Open Journal per la formazione in rete, Vol. 20 No. 1 (2020): Learning assessment in higher education

School peer reviews are increasingly part of the evaluation and school improvement landscape for school leaders and teachers in a number of countries. This article describes the growth of peer review, particularly in England, and its emergence elsewhere (for example, Australia, across Europe and in Chile). While these approaches provide a useful form of professional and moral accountability, this article identifies ways in which they could go further to empower practitioners through the use of an enquiry approach, combining formal academic knowledge with practitioner knowledge and school-based data. The term collaborative peer enquiry (CPE) is suggested as a way to explore this potential. The article sets out a typology of action research as a form of professional learning (type 1), practical philosophy (type 2) or as a form of critical social science (type 3). Four examples are given of different peer review models, two of them CPE approaches, and these are analysed using the above typology. A distinction is made between some peer review models that mimic external inspections and err towards self-policing, and others that encourage open enquiry and learning. In particular, the CPE models show the potential as forms of type 2 and type 3 action research. The role of peer review and CPE in the accountability system, in leadership development, and challenges for these models are explored in the discussion.

There is a considerable amount of focus on the grading systems applied in higher education, as it is an important tool for ranking undergraduate students’ in terms of their academic success. Several studies have suggested that different grading practices exist among various colleges. This is also the case in Norway, even though the intention is to ensure that the same score is awarded independent of the individual institution. This study will explore the grading practices within a business school in Norway. Since the students can choose different pathways in their third year of undergraduate study, the academic composition of students can vary. Students with good grades mostly prefer Accounting or Finance, whilst those performing below average tend to select Marketing or Management. This composition variance causes differences in the grading pattern, as it is relative easier to achieve a good grade where the peer students are less qualified. This also has a gender effect, since females generally opt to study Marketing or Management, hence the average female student may benefit from a less rigorous grade assessment within these fields. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Purpose: The growing public interest in vocational education and training (VET), most recently since the economic crisis of 2007/2008, has led to an exponential increase in articles with a vocational focus, underscoring the need for review studies for the purposes of systematic knowledge aggregation, clarification and interpretation. We assume that review studies follow the same minimum standards as other research methods: the review must be at least reproducible and thus the results verifiable or falsifiable. So far, however, the review methods used in VET research have not been investigated. Our purpose is to review the review procedures and methods used in published reviews of VET research to identify their current methodological quality. Approach: To classify the review studies, we initially developed a conceptual framework to distinguish different types of reviews. We then developed a methodological framework to assess the review methods used. Overall, to accelerate the review process, our review of reviews (or umbrella review) followed the rapid review approach: we limited our search to reviews in English published between 2014 and 2019 in peer-reviewed journals with a substantial VET focus and indexed in Scopus and/or Web of Science. Therefore, we did not examine all existing reviews in the field of VET research. Rather, our specific focus was on a core sector of scientific research: peer-reviewed articles in curated databases. Furthermore, we concentrated on the review procedures and methods used, not on the content of the reviews. Findings: We identified nine journals with a substantial VET focus, yielding a total of 1,283 published articles between 2014 and 2019, of which only 19 articles (1.48%) were literature reviews. Of these 19 reviews, six were excluded from our umbrella review because of unclear methodological procedures. Based on the review typology we developed, five of the remaining 13 reviews were conceptual in nature, four were scoping reviews, three were evidence-oriented, and one was critical in nature. None of the reviews examined focused on meta-syntheses, research methods or meta-analyses. In total, this resulted in current review gaps with respect to theory generation (meta-synthesis), practice of theory elaboration and testing (methodological review) and the determination of overall effects across single studies (meta-analysis). Finally, our examination of the reviews showed that their scope was mostly clearly presented. However, with regard to the process steps ‘data selection’ and ‘data processing’, only a few reviews fully met the requirements of the methodological framework.Conclusion: Our review leads to four conclusions. 1) More systematic syntheses are needed because there is a substantial quantitative gap in review research. 2) In particular, there is a need for review studies with a focus on meta-synthesis, research methods and meta-analysis, as there is a current gap in these areas. 3) Reviews should be based on a review methodology with transparent and reproducible methods and verifiable or falsifiable results. The high number of subjective syntheses with unclear review procedures indicates that this mindset is not yet fully established in the field of VET research. 4) In the studies examined, there is a high degree of heterogeneity regarding to the accuracy and completeness of the methodological steps and data. The conceptual and methodological frameworks developed for the analysis can serve as guidelines for the conduct of reviews, and thus, the frameworks could contribute to the further development of the methodological basis of reviews.

Modern zoos and aquariums aspire to contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation and research. For example, conservation research is a key accreditation criterion of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). However, no studies to date have quantified this contribution. We assessed the research productivity of 228 AZA members using scientific publications indexed in the ISI Web of Science (WoS) database between 1993 and 2013 (inclusive). AZA members published 5175 peer-reviewed manuscripts over this period, with publication output increasing over time. Most publications were in the zoology and veterinary science subject areas, and articles classified as “biodiversity conservation” by WoS averaged 7% of total publications annually. From regression analyses, AZA organizations with larger financial assets generally published more, but research-affiliated mission statements were also associated with increased publication output. A strong publication record indicates expertise and expands scientific knowledge, enhancing organizational credibility. Institutions aspiring for higher research productivity likely require a dedicated research focus and adequate institutional support through research funding and staffing. We recommend future work build on our results by exploring links between zoo and aquarium research productivity and conservation outcomes or uptake.

Preprints were originally destined to put forward a first version of a version of a paper that was prepared, as best and complete as possible, by the authors, but for which they wanted intellectual input from the community prior to submission to a regular peer reviewed journal. Although arXiv has led the way with physics and mathematics, bioRxiv became popular for the biological sciences. Since the beginning of 2016, after a preprint promotional campaign by ASAPbio, the popularity of preprints has been increasing, as has the number of preprint servers. Three fairly recent (March and May of 2017) preprints published in bioRxiv test the limits and uses of preprints, and bring with them a whole set of ethical questions. The three reprints were published primarily by members of the publishing elite, leaders of ethical bodies and think tanks aiming to establish new rules or guidelines, to address several issues in research integrity and ethics. However, in at least two cases, the texts are in a fairly crude state of intellectual development, and the authors are explicitly using bioRxiv to “fish” for ideas from peers and the public. It is unclear how any individual / group who contributes intellectually to such preprints will be acknowledged, if at all, and the risks of ghost authorship exist with this new exploratory model of preprints. In addition, the use of preprints to accommodate the intellectual ideas of others, while taking all the credit, may be a new form of academic scam in publishing, “intellectual phishing.” Risks to the integrity of publishing are already high, and if preprints are seen as being abused in any way, then this may reduce trust in this new academic model. The risk is compounded by the discovery of multiple hidden conflicts of interest in these and one other preprint.

This article reports on the findings from a literature review of research on data use in education published in English, German and Scandinavian languages. The review is inspired by methods for systematic mapping. The analysis illustrates how the characteristics of the total corpus of 129 articles on data use in education vary across different contexts, countries and regions. In all contexts, the studies primarily investigate structures and systems around data use. While the Anglophone studies are mainly empirical and often concerned with implementation and effectiveness in terms of data use, the studies published in German and Scandinavian languages focus more heavily on discussions and analytical reflections upon the developments of data use in education. Six investigative modes of studies on data use that can contribute to creating a more nuanced understanding of research on data use in education are identified, presented and discussed.

This article approaches written argumentation as a concept of promoting geographical literacy. It is argued that student-centered peer feedback is an effective method with which to improve individual students&rsquo, argumentative texts. This research uses a case-study design, which analyzed how high school students in different pairs improve their argumentation text under subject-specific criteria. For the feedback process, a subject-specific feedback sheet for students has been designed for them to review their partner&rsquo, s argumentative text. The findings mainly suggest two outcomes: Different kinds of feedback in terms of interaction, content and argumentative integration of text material lead to text improvement, and that there are varying complexities of feedback acceptance in terms of subject-specific criteria. The results provide a deeper insight into how students can be prepared and rewarded for producing qualitatively high and effective feedback on argumentative texts in socio-scientific contexts with a strong focus on the (linguistic) skills they need for these procedures.

Universal Design for Learning is not widely used in postsecondary STEM education. The purpose of this literature review is to synthesize the empirical literature using Universal Design for Learning in postsecondary STEM education for all learners. The criteria for this review are (a) empirical literature in (b) peer reviewed journals (c) published after 2006. Keywords used were STEM, UDL/UDI/Universal Design, and postsecondary/university/college/higher education. This review identified four studies and three literature reviews that met the search criteria; the analysis of the identified literature provides a model for how Universal Design for Learning can impact postsecondary STEM instruction, including an increase in inclusive teaching methods and self-advocacy from students with disabilities, and leads to recommendations for additional research.

This study is a scoping review of the literature on organizational adaptation in school settings during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dramatic and unexpected environmental changes raise questions about the capacity of schooling organizations to adapt to in response to the pandemic. Different management practices have implications for the selection of organizational behaviors, electively in school settings. The research literature on school responses is analyzed from a selectionist perspective. The aim of this study is to identify and describe three constituting elements of this perspective: variation, interaction, and selection. An additional element is considered in this analysis and comprises the mechanisms of exploration and exploitation in the context of organizational adaptation. Sixteen studies met the selection criteria of describing emergent processes in schools. The findings highlight the emergence of exploration, as teachers actively experimented with a range of strategies and methods in order to maintain educational activities in the complex and uncertain context of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, several questions are raised regarding the effects and maintenance of new practices in the post-pandemic scenario. Management practices that facilitate variation and open communication about learning processes can contribute to the process of organizational adaptation.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have received a great deal of interest from educational institutions and private enterprises. Hence, several empirical studies and reviews have been produced. They will be at the heart of the synthesis presented in this article, which reviews the research objects, the analytical frameworks mobilized and the methodologies adopted in the research produced specifically between January 2012 and January 2018. The trends were identified by a review of 36 selected peer reviewed journals. 100 studies were retained after quality assessment. The results show that research questions focused primarily on learning processes followed by design of MOOCs, learning experience and predictors of retention. A variety of frameworks have been adopted in empirical studies. Questionnaires were used as primary collection method and descriptive statistics were the preferred treatment processes.

This article highlights roles and responsibilities in design-based research (DBR) by analysing the micro-communication processes between two science teachers and one researcher. Despite DBR being a practice-oriented methodology, we know little about micro-communication processes with regard to how roles and responsibilities are fulfilled and perceived. We draw upon certain concepts from frame analysis when exploring three areas of concern: (1) the participants’ framing of their own and each other roles and responsibilities, (2) the flexible researcher role in micro-communication processes, and (3) the teachers’ different framing of education and research. Our analyses reveals that the researcher’s role is framed as an observer while the teachers are the ones who implement the artefact being tested. Additionally, the flexible researcher appears more equipped to handle micro-communication processes and the teachers’ different framing can be useful for development of the study. Finally, we present some final reflections based on our findings.

Peer review is central to academic publishing. Yet for many it is a mysterious and contentious practice, which can cause distress for both reviewers, and those whose work is reviewed. This paper, produced by the Editors’ Collective, examines the past and future of peer review in academic publishing. The first sections consider how peer review has been defined and practised in changing academic contexts, and its educational significance in the development of scholarship. The paper then explores major historical and contemporary issues around identity, diversity, anonymity, and the review process, and the related power of editors versus reviewers in academic publishing. Finally, the paper discusses the case of new scholars as reviewers engaging in neoliberal labour, before concluding with some brief recommendations based on our analysis.

In this article, an online student journal is described, and the ways in which student participants value the journal are discussed. Press Start is a peer-reviewed international journal of game studies, which aims to publish the best student work related to the academic study of video games. Content analysis of qualitative survey data ( n = 29) provides insights into what students value about the journal, revealing six broad themes: community and support, inclusiveness and accessibility, the published research, feedback from peer review, experience of conducting peer review and the opportunity to publish. The article concludes by suggesting that engagement with online student journals should not be limited in terms of geography or the level of study, unless there are robust pedagogical reasons for doing so. Published: 7 December 2017 Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2017, 25 : 1982 - http://dx.doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v25.1982

Source at https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2017.1372008 . It is well known from the research literature that parents are important when it comes to determining individual school experiences, achievements and careers. However, in what way parental background influences education outcomes is less clear. In this article, the focus is on academic socialization as a specific aspect of parents’ influence on children’s school achievements. The main aims are to discuss the relationship between academic socialization and school performance and to discuss some implications of this relationship for the educational system’s role as a producer and reproducer of social inequalities. Firstly, an understanding of the concept of academic socialization is presented. Secondly, implications of research findings pointing to the importance of academic socialization are critically assessed in terms of social inequalities in education. Thirdly, the educational system’s presupposition for academic socialization is discussed in terms of inequity in education and symbolic violence.

Parents’ experiences and satisfaction with their child’s compulsory school are affected by several factors. Some, such as parents’ education and marital status, are social factors, while others are school factors that local leaders and school personnel can address. Findings build on data from an online questionnaire to parents in 20 compulsory schools in Iceland (n = 2129). Factor analysis generated two factors: communication and teaching. These, together with a question on parents’ overall satisfaction with the school, were used as outcome variables in a regression analysis exploring what influences parents’ satisfaction with the school. The majority of parents were satisfied, which may make it is easy to overlook those who are dissatisfied. Parents who felt that their children had special needs that were not acknowledged in school were more likely to be dissatisfied than other parents. Educational background was also influential. Single mothers were overrepresented in the group of unsatisfied parents; they experienced more difficulties in communicating with school personnel, believed less in the possibility for parents to influence the school, and more frequently experienced that their child’s need for special support was not met in school. The findings imply that equity in Icelandic schools is disputable.

In recent years, governing regimes in education that emphasize ‘data’ and ‘evidence’ as a basis for decision making, performance management and accountability have been introduced in several countries, including the Nordic countries. Data use has often been referred to as the centrepiece of so-called evidence-based governing regimes, where student performance data are considered to form an ideal basis for coordinating decisions and activities on different levels in the school system (Ozga, 2009 Ozga, J. (2009). Governing education through data in England: From regulation to self‐evaluation. Journal of Education Policy, 24(2), 149–162. doi:10.1080/02680930902733121[Taylor & Francis Online], [Google Scholar]). Various types of assessment tools that produce data on student performance provide a basis for generating the information used for policy making and initiating and legitimating change in education. [...]

Source at https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858419870489. We searched and meta-analyzed studies comparing flipped classroom teaching with traditional, lecture-based teaching to evaluate the evidence for the flipped classroom’s influence on continuous-learning measures, pass/fail rates, and student evaluations of teaching. Eight electronic reference databases were searched to retrieve relevant studies. Our results indicate a small effect in favor of the flipped classroom on learning (Hedges’ g = 0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.31, 0.40], k = 272). However, analyses restricted to studies with sufficient power resulted in an estimate of 0.24 (95% CI [0.18, 0.31], k = 90). Effects on pass rates (odds ratio = 1.55, 95% CI [1.34, 1.78], k = 45) and student satisfaction (Hedges’ g = 0.16, 95% CI [0.06, 0.26], k = 69) were small and also likely influenced by publication bias. There is some support for the notion that the positive impact on learning may increase slightly if testing student preparation is part of the implementation.

International audience; Hybrid teaching practices combining face-to-face teaching and on-line teaching are diversifying since the last ten years. We present a case study built on an experimental investigation in a situation where originally face-to-face teaching was predominant and to which an online activity has been added to provide a tutorial class using Internet as a teaching infrastructure based on a pedagogy of inquiry and a peer review course design. Within a didactical theoretical frame, the aim is to highlight how a hybrid course design enables a joint action between students and teacher, supporting the achievement of the student’s autonomy even in large groups. Our research methodology is twofold : an analysis of student’s activities recorded by the learning platform, supplemented by a survey (n = 87). It shows a high interest of students for this type of online activity, whereas their actual commitment is still to be improved and confirms the need of the teacher’s involvement online.; Les pratiques d'hybridation de l'enseignement entre cours en présence et cours à distance se diversifient depuis une dizaine d'années. Nous présentons une recherche-action dont l'objectif est d'expérimenter une reconfiguration pédagogique d'un enseignement universitaire basé sur le couple cours magistral et travaux dirigés, par le recours à une plateforme pédagogique classique et son ouverture sur les ressources en libre accès sur Internet comme infrastructure didactique. Nous avons mis en oeuvre des travaux dirigés entièrement à distance. Nous nous sommes appuyée pour cela sur une pédagogie de l'enquête et une évaluation par les pairs. Pour comprendre le fonctionnement de ce type de dispositif et afin d'en mesurer l'impact sur les apprentissages, notre recherche s'inscrit dans une approche didactique. L'objectif est de mettre en lumière de quelle manière cette réorganisation de la relation pédagogique dans un contexte de communication instrumentée contribue à rendre possible une action conjointe entre étudiants et enseignant, dans laquelle les processus de dévolution aux étudiants et d'autonomisation des étudiants seraient réalisés même en grands groupes. Notre méthodologie de recherche est double : une analyse des traces de l'activité enregistrées par la plateforme pédagogique, complétée par un questionnaire (n = 87). Elle fait apparaître un intérêt élevé des étudiants pour le travail réalisé, un engagement qui reste à développer et confirme la demande d'une présence de l'enseignant.

The debate on whether and how to structure collaboration in online learning environments is quite active. In this paper the authors identify Task, Team and Time as the main components of an online collaborative activity, through which the overall structure of the activity can be determined to scaffold learners’ interactions. Based on five examples of real-life online learning activities featuring different degrees of structure as to Task, Team and Time, the authors reflect on the extent to which the way these three dimensions are structured may affect the overall learning process. Method of the study is interaction analysis of the students messages, exchanged in asynchronous mode during the activity. The analysis was carried out according to a quantitative and qualitative model that distinguishes among the participative, social, cognitive and teaching dimensions. The results of the study seem to support the hypothesis that the three Ts well represent the structure of CSCL activities and that, in many cases, it is the lack of structure in one or more of them that is associated to a higher frequency of some indicators, as if the missing guidance causes an enhanced effort on the side of the learners to compensate the deficit

From the Editors Huseyin Uzunboylu, Cigdem Hursen Dear Colleagues It is a great honour for us to welcome you as Editors of Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences which has accepted publications indexed in qualified databases since 2006. Our main aim is to increase the quality of the journal day by day. We are ready to publish the new issue of Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences which has 4 articles written by authors from Cyprus. The aim of this issue is to give the researchers an opportunity to share their academic studies. First of all, I would like to thank all authors who have contributed to this issue. There are different focuses in the articles. For example, Gul Kahveci and Nerguz Bulut Serin discusses 4th year pre-service school counsellors’ specific knowledge related to self-confidence and skills to execute the prevention and support processes on the topic of sexual abuse in children with learning disabilities. Qualitative research data from the questionnaire answers received from 80 pre-service school counsellors were analysed using thematic analysis with an action research format. The results demonstrated that their preparation program was inadequate and needed more content relating to child sexual abuse. On the other hand, Ahmet Dogan and Ayse Bengisoy were conducted with the purpose of finding out the opinions of teachers working at special education centers about inclusive education. According to research findings, teachers working at the special education center stated that there was no special education and inclusion law in Northern Cyprus, that the law should be passed at once, that inclusive education should be regulated with this law and arbitrary practices should be ended and that uncertainties should be eliminated. They emphasized that school managers and teachers were inadequate and ignorant about inclusive education, that especially teachers were unable to prepare and implement BEP programs, and that both teachers and managers should be subjected to compulsory on-the-job training on inclusive education. Another study conducted by Gulsum Asıksoy and Fezile Ozdamli. They aim of this research is to determine the trends of education technology researches on Constructivist Learning Approach, which were published on database of ScienceDirect between 2010 and 2016. It also aims to guide researchers who will do studies in this field. According to the research results, computer-supported education was the most addressed subject in the articles. It was found out that the most frequently used tool was the computer and the most frequently used software was learning management systems in the studies. Finally, Emine Kosucu and Cigdem Hursen aimed to specify the effect of creative drama activities on candidate teachers’ self-directed skills. The results obtained from the research showed that creative drama activities are effective on candidate teachers’ self-directed skills. In this respect, it can be assumed that creative drama activities improved candidate teachers’ self-directed learning skills. It has also been noted that the participant candidate teachers were satisfied with the applications in which creative drama activities were carried out. I would like to express my thanks to all authors preferring Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences to publish their articles, and also all reviewers working seriously in this process. Best regards, Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Huseyin Uzunboylu Executive Editor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cigdem Hursen

Peer review technique used in educational context could be beneficial for students from several points of view. Besides of developing students’ writing skills, critical thinking, practising articulation of own knowledge to the others and giving them feedback, it can encourage collaborative learning and boost the students’ interest in the course. In our web design course we successfully introduced peer review activities more than 2 years ago. In this paper we discuss the students’ acceptance of peer review applied on evaluation of other students’ projects.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the notion of scholarship and develop research and scholarship strategies among Private Higher Institutions delivering Tourism and Hospitality degree programs in Australia. In doing so, this paper confronts the traditional view of research publications as the only form of scholarship by traditional universities. This paper argues that the purpose of scholarship should be focused towards improving a teacher’s teaching and learning process. These new knowledge need not be limited through peer reviewed journals only, but can be achieved through less formal means of communication such as fieldtrips to industry and attending conferences. This paper utilizes the six Scholarship key points as defined on P. 19 of the National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes in Australia by MCEETYA to investigate methods to capture scholarship beyond traditional research publications. SIN FINANCIACIÓN No data 2013

The move toward more public accountability of institutions of higher education has focused primarily on undergraduate education. Yet, many institutions view research as an important component of their mission. Much of the literature on assessing research quality has relied on quantitative measures such as level of outside funding and number of publications generated. Focus groups consisting of research faculty were conducted at a landgrant university. Faculty were asked to evaluate current indicators of research quality as well as to suggest additional measures. While faculty recognized the need for the traditional measures, they cautioned against over-reliance on these indicators. Additional indicators focusing on graduate education as well as external peer reviews were recommended. Developing indicators that provide evidence of long-term impact on social and scientific advancement was suggested.