Author: cdtlsd

Young Biomedical Science Programme: The Design and Impact of a Longitudinal Training on Medical Education for Postdoctoral Fellows

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SAMARASEKERA, D. D.1*, HOOI, S. C.2, TAN, C. H.3, BAN, K.4, KOH, D. R.2, LIAN, D.5, YAP, C.2, CHEN Z. X.2, Raja Indran, I.3, ANG, E. T.6, LIU, H. Y.7, and Lee, S. S.1

1Centre for Medical Education (CENMED), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSOM)
2Department of Physiology, YLLSOM
3Department of Pharmacology, YLLSOM
4Department of Biochemistry, YLLSOM
5Department of Pathology, YLLSOM
6Department of Anatomy, YLLSOM
7Department of Microbiology and Immunology, YLLSOM

*dujeepa@nus.edu.sg

 

Samarasekera, D. D., Hooi, S. C., Tan, C. H., Ban, K., Koh, D. R., Lian, D., Yap, C., Chen Z. X., Raja Indran, I., Ang, E. T., Liu, H. Y., and Lee, S. S. (2023). Young Biomedical Science Programme: The design and impact of a longitudinal training on medical education for postdoctoral fellows [Paper Presentation]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. (Insert URL)

SUB-THEME

Communities and Education

 

KEYWORDS

Biomedical science, educators, teaching career, course design, programme impact

 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentations 

 

INTRODUCTION

an academic role (Golde & Dore, 2001; Austin, 2002). Graduate students and early career scientists, including postdoctoral fellows, often face limited options for structured opportunities to enhance their understanding of who want to learn more about teaching and, more importantly, learning, have few role models to turn to. This can be more pronounced in medical and basic science departments where the emphasis is on generating and publishing research data to advance their scientific research. Even when scientists themselves are interested in teaching or participating in science outreach programmes, they may be discouraged because their contribution in teaching and learning may not be aligned to their research goals. Despite the obvious need for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to develop skills in education, few universities offer graduate students and postdoctoral fellows the opportunity to enrol in an education programme, and if they do, the course is usually short and may not equip the participants with the necessary essential skills with structured guidance. There is also the challenge of non-clinical faculty teaching in health professional programmes such as medicine, dentistry and nursing contextualising the content relevance to future practice. Therefore, the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSOM) designed the Young Biomedical Science Programme (YBMS) (Figure 1) for postdoctoral fellows to provide foundational skills in Medical and Health Professions Education to be effective future educators. This programme aims to provide opportunities to foster collaboration amongst novice educators across departments, link up with expert and experienced local and international biomedical science educators and clinician educators, and provide the YBMS participants with mentoring, in the early stages of their career.

The components in the YBMS programme
Figure 1. The components in the YBMS programme.

 

METHOD

The components in the one-year programme includes a compulsory module (attend seven workshops and complete an online module within the year), select one educational-related track out of three, practicum component (large group and small group micro-teaching) and complete a learning portfolio. Throughout the programme, the participants are supported by mentoring from experienced educators. The entire programme will be concluded with a capstone during the Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC). Using an action research design with Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Evaluation, we evaluated the programme up to the third level which is Behaviour for three cycles. For first level on Reaction, we sent a survey related to the programme and gain feedback to improvise (13 questions on a 5-point likert scale, with five open-ended questions). For second level on Learning, YBMS educators are required to do a practicum which involves small and large group teaching applying what they have learnt from the workshops. Lastly, for the third Level, we gathered data on subsequent products or outcomes achieved once they returned to their workplace after they have completed the course.

 

RESULTS

For the past three years, we have 18 participants graduated from the programme (10 for Cohort 2021, five for Cohort 2022, and three for Cohort 2023). From the survey, the participants found that the workshops attended helped them to understand the relevance of educational principles and apply in a real-world setting. They found that mentoring is particularly helpful in shaping their career journey. Two graduated from the programme and they developed a postgraduate course in health professions education with other academic staff and CenMED for doctoral students at NUS Medicine. This will be launched in 2023 as part of an elective module. In addition, two participants of the programme presented their research in HECC 2022 and APMEC 2023.

 

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the graduates are better prepared to understand student learning and applied what they have learned. It is hoped that the early development of knowledge and skills about teaching and learning will encourage graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to continue their growth as educators throughout their careers.

 

REFERENCES

Austin A. E. (2002). Preparing the next generation of faculty: graduate school as socialization to the academic career. Journal of Higher Education. 73, 94–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2002.11777132

Golde, C. M., & Dore, T. (2001). At cross-purposes: What the experiences of today’s graduate students reveal about doctoral education. Philadelphia: Pew Charitable Trusts

Markowitz, D. G., DuPré, M. J. (2007). Graduate experience in science education: The development of a science education course for biomedical science graduate students. CBE Life Science Education. 6(3), 233-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1187/cbe.07-01-0004

 

Implementation of Team-teaching in an Interdisciplinary Course

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FOO Maw Lin1 and MUN Lai Yoke2

1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science (FOS)
2Department of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)

1chmfml@nus.edu.sg; 2ecsmunl@nus.edu.sg

 

Foo, M. L., & Mun, L. Y. (2023). Implementation of team-teaching in an interdisciplinary course [Lightning talk]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/implementation-of-team-teaching-in-an-interdisciplinary-course/

SUB-THEME

Interdisciplinarity and Education

 

KEYWORDS

Interdisciplinary courses, pedagogy, co-teaching, team-teaching

 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentations 

 

INTRODUCTION

Interdisciplinary courses (IDC) are part of the core basket of courses that all students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) are required to read. Interdisciplinary courses are typically thematic-based and team-taught by staff from both Faculty of Science (FOS) and Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS) for diverse disciplinary perspectives. In this abstract, the authors from the Department of Chemistry and Department of Economics will describe why and how a particular mode of team teaching (multi-modal) was employed in their IDC: HS2904 “Driving towards the Future: Battery Electric Vehicles” in Semester 1, AY 2022/23 to maximise interdisciplinary learning in students. HS2904 is a course about battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from both technology (chemistry-focused) and social sciences (economics-focused) perspectives.

According to the framework by Cruz and Geist (2019), there are four modes of teaching and learning integration for team-teaching: (1) co-teaching, (2) alternative, (3) blended, and (4) true team teaching, with an implicit hierarchy. They defined these four modes as follows, with increasing degree of integration:

…co-teaching, in which instructors have responsibility for largely independent sections of the same course; alternative teaching, in which instructors take turns providing instruction, requiring further coordination; blended teaching; in which instructors share elements of the pedagogical design of the course; requiring collaboration; and finally, true team teaching in which all aspects of the course are shared; requiring full integration of all aspects of the course.

 

While this framework helps to clarify the different modes of team-teaching, what is the best mode for HS2904? We find that a multi-modal approach is best suited since there are no disciplinary prerequisites for enrolment. Furthermore, being an interdisciplinary course1, linkages between the disciplines can be made salient by applying a multimodal approach. This approach entailed using different modes of the team-teaching framework at different times during the semester to adapt to the progression of the students’ interdisciplinary understanding of the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) ecosystem. The multi-modal approach corroborates with Nikitina’s (2006) three strategies for interdisciplinary learning: contextualising, conceptualising and problem-centring.

 

Table 1 shows the various modes of team-teaching (Cruz & Geist, 2019) used for the main chapters of HS2904 along with accompanying strategy (Nikitina, 2006) and rationale. The reason(s) for choosing a particular mode will be elaborated in our talk.

 

Table 1
The various modes of team-teaching employed in HS2904

Item Content  Mode of team-teaching Strategy: Rationale
Chapter 1
(Introduction)		 Electrification of urban transport Alternative Problem-centring & Contextualising: overarching theme of module
Chapter 2,3 Economics, Chemistry Co-teaching Conceptualising: bringing students up to required disciplinary background
Chapter 4 Supply chain in EVs Blended Conceptualising:
highlighting the interlinks between technology and economy
Chapter 10
(Conclusion)		 Closing remarks Alternative and Blended Contextualising & Problem-centring:
exploring possibilities for further development beyond current context
Group Project Integration True team teaching Problem-centring:
solving a problem or raising new questions with an interdisciplinary perspective

 

Akin to the working world where multidisciplinary teams collaborate and solve problems, good team teaching is important for an interdisciplinary course to succeed. Subsequent iterations of this course will build off this work as we work towards a more seamlessly integrated IDC.

 

ENDNOTE

  1. Jacobs (2010) defines an interdisciplinary approach as “a knowledge view and curriculum approach that consciously applies methodology and language from more than one discipline to examine a central theme, issue, problem, topic, or experience. In contrast to a discipline-field based view of knowledge, inter-disciplinarity does not stress delineations but linkages.”

 

REFERENCES

Cruz, L., & Geist, M. J. (2019). A team-teaching matrix: Asking new questions about how we teach together. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching & Learning Journal, 12(1). https://kpu.ca/sites/default/files/Transformative%20Dialogues/TD.12.1_Cruz&Geist_Team_Teaching_Matrix.pdf

Jacobs, H. H. (2010). Curriculum 21: Essential education for a changing world. ASCD.

Nikitina, S. (2006). Three strategies for interdisciplinary teaching: contextualizing, conceptualizing, and problem‐centring. Journal of curriculum studies, 38(3), 251-71. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220270500422632

 

Interdisciplinary Learning in Music

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HO Chee Kong, CHAN Tze Law, MIAO Kaiwen, Frances LEE, Rachel HO, Xavier TAN, and Benedict NG*

Career Orientation and Community Engagement
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM)

*ngwjben@nus.edu.sg

 

Ho, C. K., Chan, T. L., Miao, K., Lee, F., Ho, R., Tan, X., & Ng, B. (2023). Interdisciplinary learning in music [Lightning talk]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/interdisciplinary-learning-in-music/

SUB-THEME

Communities and Education

 

KEYWORDS

Community engagement, music education, interdisciplinary learning, inquiry-based pedagogy

 

CATEGORY

Lightning Talks 

 

CONTEXT

The traditional role of a music conservatory is to produce professional musicians and emphasises artistic excellence. However, in the rapidly evolving musical landscape, it is no longer sufficient for professional musicians to focus solely on musical excellence to remain relevant. Moreover, the portfolio career that most musicians work in necessitates “entrepreneurial and transferable skills that often go beyond the domain of music” (Smilde et al., 2016). Furthermore, the National Arts Council (NAC) identifies the collaboration between the arts and different sectors, and audiences’ expectation for greater connection between the arts and social causes as macro trends in the industry (National Arts Council, n. d.). As such, musicians must also critically evaluate the impact of their musical practices vis-à-vis their relevance to the communities that they live in (Gaunt et al., 2021). Nurturing these values necessitates a shift from the traditional artist-apprenticeship model of education, which focuses on developing discrete musical skills (Jorgensen, 2011), to a model that develops students who learn independently and are cognisant of how their musical practices impact society.

 

CURRICULAR CHANGES

One of our initiatives was to create space within the Music & Society, Music Collaboration & Production (MS/MCP) curriculum to include problem-based, investigative projects with inquiry dimensions that critically evaluate how their musical practices can have a meaningful impact on wider society. These self-directed projects aim to develop “critical thinking skills and an awareness of the interconnectedness of various domains” (MS/MCP Roadmap, 2023). The inquiry process also aims to instil intellectual curiosity and nurture research-thinking mindsets. These are vital for musicians to be able to seek new knowledge and advance their own professional practices (Aditomo et al., 2011) amidst the turbulent nature of the music industry, especially where there are few developmental career structures (Smilde, 2016).

 

Pedagogy in the MS/MCP context also shifts from one-to-one learning to a team-taught process. Students are assigned an overseeing mentor who, in regular consultation with a team of tutors, can tap on a wider pool of expertise. Moreover, collaborative teaching has the potential to raise the quality of teaching as students would be exposed to a wider variety of perspectives and ideas (Knieter, 1963) as the faculty team comprises active practitioners from different sectors of the music profession that stay abreast of current developments in the industry. From the pedagogical perspective, team-teaching also helps instructors to sharpen ideas, role model collaboration, and expand existing networks with industry stakeholders.

 

The mode of assessment also evolves to give greater weight to assessing the student’s learning process. This includes continuous assessment dimensions, where the student is evaluated on their artistic growth and demonstration of critical thinking. Written and presentation assessments are also included to evaluate the student’s ability to communicate their artistic processes. The assignment weightage is also scaffolded where in the first two years, students would be assessed largely through continuous assessment and the focus would gradually shift to the quality of student projects in the later years.

 

EXAMPLES

The changes in curriculum and pedagogy have given rise for expanded possibilities with interdisciplinary dimensions. For instance, the team-teaching concept was expanded to include collaborations across faculties including the NUS Museum. During the seminars, MS/MCP students were introduced to themes surrounding the museum’s artefacts and created informed musical responses to them. This was later expanded in the subsequent semester, where students collaborated with the NUS Baba House to produce a full-length performance. These experiences developed the students’ curatorial and production skills as well as critical thinking in connecting their music to wider issues.

 

The intermodal nature of students’ projects also reflects these new creative possibilities. One of the capstone projects, emergent, combined violin performance with lighting and sound design, composition, and dance, to create an interdisciplinary performance. Rather than producing a presentational style performance that focuses primarily on the music, the student here sought to use interdisciplinary performance as means to explore perspectives on issues of identity. With a critical lens, the student was able to articulate her artistic choices and demonstrate how the arts can be a powerful means to unpack these issues in an impactful manner.

 

The nature of student projects have also developed to encompass non-performative contexts that seek ways to use music to have a wider impact on society. The third-year project ‘Gesture as Connection: A Study of Soundpainting’s Effects on Composer and Performer Communication’, explored intermodal communication between musicians and audiences. The visualisation of music through gestures also has the potential to represent music to hearing-disabled communities, empowering them to appreciate music. Another capstone project, the ‘No Pain More Gain’ symposium, on performing arts health was also instrumental in spreading awareness about wellness for performing artists. The impact is clearly seen when the student was also invited by the Singapore Armed Forces Military Band to facilitate a workshop on wellbeing for their musicians.

 

As the nature of the musical landscape is ever-changing, it is thus pertinent that the academic faculty and curriculum at the conservatory is dynamic and constantly evolving to anticipate the needs of the industry. While the effects of the revised curriculum and pedagogy is still nascent, the preliminary results of these efforts have been positive and we intend for the team teaching concept to be expanded to include collaborations with new faculties, opening up new possibilities for music major students as well as non-music major students. We have also embarked on the Teaching Enhancement Grant (TEG) to explore greater ways to assess the effectiveness of team teaching, establish best practices, and seek ways to expand collaborative instruction to include other disciplines.

 

REFERENCES

Aditomo, A., Goodyear, P., Bliuc, A.-M., & Ellis, R. A. (2013). Inquiry-based learning in higher education: Principal forms, educational objectives, and disciplinary variations. Studies in Higher Education, 38(9), 1239-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.616584

Gaunt, H., Duffy, C., Coric, A., González Delgado, I. R., Messas, L., Pryimenko, O., & Sveidahl, H. (2021). Musicians as “makers in society”: A conceptual foundation for contemporary professional higher music education. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 713648. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713648

Jorgensen, E.R. (2011). Pictures of Music Education. Indiana University Press, 53-57.

Knieter, G. L. (1963). The creative arts symposium. A four-year experiment team-teaching music and the fine arts. Music Educators Journal, 49(5), 62–66. https://doi.org/10.2307/3389950

National Arts Council Singapore (n.d.). Our SG Arts Plan (2023-2027). Retrieved from https://www.nac.gov.sg/docs/default-source/the-arts-plan/our-sg-arts-plan_2023—2027_phase-4_updated.pdf?sfvrsn=bf188896_2.

Small, C. (1998). Musicking: The meanings of performing and listening. University Press of New England, 2-4.

Smilde, R., Tómasdóttir, B. M., Hall, Þ. D., Pedersen, G., Gaunt, H., Lopez-Real, C., Bork, M., Jonker, R. (2016). Research in NAIP. Musicmaster.eu, 7.

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. (2023). MSMCP Roadmap (AY2022/2023). National University of Singapore, 1

 

Spoken Cantonese Assessments in “Design Your Own Course”

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Jyh Wee SEW
Centre for Language Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)

clssjw@nus.edu.sg

 

Sew, J. W. (2023). Spoken Cantonese assessments in “Design Your Own Course” [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/spoken-cantonese-assessments-in-design-your-own-course/

SUB-THEME

Communities and Education 

 

KEYWORDS

Assessment, Cantonese interview, heritage language education, remix, spoken Cantonese

 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

 

ABSTRACT

Cantonese has 85.5 million speakers worldwide (Wordspath, 2022), of which 133,000 are in Singapore (Leong, 2022). Many local elderly folks rely on Cantonese for entertainment as well as healthcare advice. Spoken Cantonese is thus a repertoire for healthcare and social workers to engage with their clients. In August 2020, the course DMA1401L01 “Spoken Cantonese” became a learning option at the National University of Singapore (NUS) through the “Design Your Own Course” initiative. Despite its pass-or-fail status, proper assessment components were expected for a four-unit course. This discussion highlights three types of assessment completed by the first batch of 39 students who learned spoken Cantonese through the course that ran for 12 weeks (Sew, 2021a).

 

In Week Six, the learners submitted a Cantonese remix video (Sew, 2021b). The remix assignment stipulated that the learners rewrite the lyrics of a familiar Cantonese song with any ideas derivable from their daily experiences. The foundation for this task was based on a 25-minute enrichment segment, in which learners pronounced the Romanised Cantonese lyrics and contextualised the Cantonese metaphors in the songs. With an enhanced rhythmic intelligence following the enrichment, the Cantonese learners would be well-informed to select 風雨同路 by Paula Tsui (Table 1) to galvanise the audience in a donation drive, not least because Tsui’s song renders a powerful metaphor of care and support, namely accompaniment amid the swooshing wind and beating rain.

 

Table 1
Samples of Cantonese songs in DMA1401L01 “Spoken Cantonese”

Francis Yip:
上海灘		 Andy Lau:
謝謝你的愛		 Paula Tsui:
風雨同路		 Jacky Cheung:
等你回來		 Danny Chan:
一生何求

 

The learners were directed to exploit CantoDict, an online trilingual dictionary, for tracking the Cantonese equivalents of English words in remixing. An example of a remix entitled COVID-19 and I that capitalised on上海灘 for describing the rampant behaviours occurring in public transport during the first year of COVID-19 is in Table 2 (shared with permission).

 

Table 2
Snippets of remix in DMA1401L01 “Spoken Cantonese”

Original lyrics of 上海灘 Remix COVID-19与我 Imagery
Long ban long lau 搭巴士 坐地鐵
Maan lei tou tou gong seoi
wing bat jau		 我的口罩實在不夠

 

In Week 12, the learners had to complete a video interview with a Cantonese speaker on a topic of common interest. Some of the interviewees were either parents, grandparents, relatives, or friends from an exchange programme (Table 3). Displaying genuine camaraderie in limited fluency, the learners communicated warmly about adapting themselves to a new environment, retirement, and studying a particular subject, among others.

 

Table 3
Snapshots of Spoken Cantonese interview in DMA1401L01 “Spoken Cantonese”

 

The final assignment was a reflection blog post submitted in Week 13, for which the learners blogged their Cantonese experience, highlighting the highs and lows in their learning journey. Table 4 contains the Cantonese content preference hand-picked by some of the learners.

 

Table 4
Topics highlighted in “Spoken Cantonese” blog reflections

Positive Response Topics
3 Cantonese Idioms
2 Cantonese Taboos
2 Cantonese Romantic Terms
2 Glocalisation with
Local Place Names		 Cantonese place names for Bright Hill, Bukit Ho Swee, Chinatown, Clementi, Red Hill, Harbourfront, Yew Tee, and Sentosa.

 

In hindsight, forbidding face-to-face contact at Kent Ridge in 2020 was a blessing in disguise, as the learn-from-home practice became an opportunity to orchestrate heritage language education in a series of virtual classroom via Zoom, resulting in targeted interactions that led to a series of stimulating spoken Cantonese learning. The heritage language education experience presented a new cultural vista to the learners, that may rectify any misconception regarding a less commonly taught language.

 

REFERENCES

CantoDict. http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/scripts/wordsearch.php?level=0

Leong, C. (Aug 24, 2022). Do Singaporeans speak Cantonese? Best in Singapore. https://www.bestinsingapore.co/how-many-singaporeans-speak-cantonese/

Sew J. W. (2021a). What do students want? Invited Talk at DYOM Learning Circle, CDTL, NUS.

Sew J. W. (2021b). Assessing a Spoken Cantonese module based on student feedback. 3rd International Conference on Language Studies, UNIMAS, Kuching, Sarawak, 8-9 Sept. 2021.

Wordspath, T. (Dec 29, 2022). Where is Cantonese spoken? Wordspath. https://www.wordspath.com/where-is-cantonese-spoken/

 

Conversations with the Industry—How Professional Communication Training in IHLs Can Better Meet Changing Workplace Demands

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*Norhayati Bte Mohd Ismail, Susan LEE, and SIM Swee Choo, Sylvia
Centre for Language and Communication (CELC)

*elcnmi@nus.edu.sg

 

Norhayati, I., Lee, S., & Sim, S. S. C. (2023). Conversations with the industry—How professional communication training in IHLs can better meet changing workplace demands [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/conversations-with-the-industry-how-professional-communication-training-in-ihls-can-better-meet-changing-workplace-demands/

SUB-THEME

Communities and Education 

 

KEYWORDS

Workplace, communication, professional, adaptability, self-awareness

 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentations 

 

INTRODUCTION

In today’s rapidly evolving world, identifying critical/essential workplace communication skills is of paramount importance to empower graduates entering the workforce with the necessary skills to thrive, contribute meaningfully, and adapt to the ever-changing demands of the modern workplace.

 

Employers seek professionals who are competent in articulating ideas clearly, collaborating efficiently, and engaging with diverse stakeholders (Clokie & Fourie, 2016). However, graduates face challenges transferring or applying acquired communication skills across genres, contexts, and in workplace situations, and this is made more complex with the use of technology (Du-Babcock, 2006). Other observations highlighted the importance of interpersonal communication in speaking (DeKay, 2012), and dispositions such as adaptability, agility, and resilience in the workplace (Prieto & Talukder, 2023). Graduates’ ability to socialise in the workplace with ‘acceptable’ attitudes and behaviours impact co-workers’ perceptions of their qualities as relatable and self-aware (Coffelt & Smith, 2020) team players. Additionally, the focus on emotional intelligence in the workplace informed that self-regulation and relationship management are critical in shaping executives and leaders’ communication styles (Nguyen et al., 2019; Drigas & Papoutsi, 2019).

 

The study seeks to (1) understand industry’s perceptions of fresh graduates’ communication competencies, emotional quotient (EQ) skills, intergenerational and intercultural communication skills, adaptability and self-awareness, and gathers industry’s inputs on skills to future-ready undergraduates, and (2) evaluates the extent to which customised professional communication courses offered by the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC) in NUS are aligned with the communication demands of the current workplace and considers future directions for improvement.

 

METHODOLOGY

To gain insights from industry’s perceptions and expectations, semi-structured individual interviews based on 10 key questions were conducted with 20 executives from varied sectors, with informed consent for sharing obtained. Their professional roles range from technology consultancy, marketing and communications, advertising, medical technology, product application and web services, data protection and analysis, as well as risk and compliance analysis in sectors like higher education, pharmaceutical, airline, public healthcare, and non-profit organisations.

 

FINDINGS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Recurrent insights from interviewees revealed a consistent lack among newly hired graduates in the following aspects: to speak up to build rapport, check in with co-workers and ask timely questions; to speak and present concisely and simply with contextual clarity; to heighten their sense of self-awareness and respond appropriately in the organisational setting; and to leverage generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). It was also found that certain skills and dispositions are especially useful in helping fresh graduates transition from school to work. These include cultivating adaptability and reflexivity; developing self-awareness; having authentic practical experiences; and strategically communicating personal values, skills, and achievements.

 

The findings offer insights on evolving workplace demands and set future directions to inform curriculum design for professional communication curriculum in institutes of higher learning (IHLs). By examining emerging trends and evolving workplace communication demands, areas where the existing curriculum may benefit from enhancements are identified. This includes exploring potential opportunities to integrate GenAI tools like ChatGPT (Sousa & Wilks, 2018), address intercultural and intergenerational communication challenges, and encourage a growth mindset that promotes lifelong learning. Such conversations with industry ensure that course designers in CELC align with the CELC’s experiential learning approach, a feature that undergirds the Centre’s professional communication curriculum. These enhance the quality of authentic learning (Herrington & Oliver, 2000) in the curriculum so that graduates are better prepared for real-world challenges. By incorporating these forward-looking perspectives, the goal is to ensure that CELC’s professional communication training remains relevant and equips undergraduate students with the multifaceted skills required to excel in a dynamic professional landscape.

 

Figure 1 captures the summary of our findings, evaluation of the selected courses and future directions, based on our preliminary investigation.

Summary of industry’s inputs gathered through our conversations with employers and professionals from diverse sectors, evaluation of selected CELC courses and possible future directions (based on our preliminary investigation).
Figure 1. Summary of industry’s inputs gathered through our conversations with employers and professionals from diverse sectors, evaluation of selected CELC courses and possible future directions (based on our preliminary investigation).

 

REFERENCES

Clokie, T. L., & Fourie, E. (2016). Graduate employability and communication competence: Are undergraduates taught relevant skills? Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 79(4), 442–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490616657635

Coffelt, T. A., & Smith, F. L. M. (2020). Exemplary and unacceptable communication skills. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 83(4), 365–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490620946425

DeKay, S. H. (2012). Interpersonal communication in the workplace: A largely unexplored region. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 449-52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569912458966

Drigas, A. & Papoutsi, C. (2019). Emotional intelligence as an important asset for hr in organisations: Leaders and employees. International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning. Apr. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijac.v12i1.9637

Du-Babcock, B. (2006). Teaching business communication: Past, present, future. Journal of Business Communication, 45(3), 253-64. https://doi.org/10.1177/002194360628877.

Herrington, J. & Oliver, R. 2000. An instructional design framework for authentic learning environment. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. https://www.jstor.org/stable/30220266.

Kleckner, M. J. & Blutz, N. (2021). Addressing undergraduate skill gaps in higher education: Revisiting communication in the major course outcomes. Journal of Education for Business, 96(7), 411-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2020.1844119.

Nguyen, T., White, S., Hall, K., Bell, R. L. & Ballentine, W. (2019). Emotional intelligence and managerial communication. American Journal of Management. 19(2), 54-63.

Omilion-Hodges, L. M. & Sugg, C. E. (2019). Millennials’ view and expectations regarding communicative and relational behaviors of leaders: Exploring young adults’ talk about work. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 82(1). 74-100. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490618808043

Prieto, L., & Talukder, M. F. (2023). Resilient agility: A necessary condition for employee and organizational sustainability. Sustainability 2023, 15, 1552. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021552

SkillsFuture Singapore. (2022). Skills demand for the future economy. Prepared by Workforce Development Agency, Singapore. https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/skillsreport

Sousa, M. J., & Wilks, D. (2018). Sustainable skills for the world of work in the digital age. Syst. Res, 35, 399–405. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2540.

Udemy Business. (2023). 2023 Workplace Learning Trends Report. https://business.udemy.com/2023-workplace-learning-trends-report/

World Economic Forum. (2020). The Future of Jobs Report. 2023 World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/

 

Law Clinics: Microcosms of the Inter-disciplinarity Inherent in Law Practice

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , , ,

WONG Siew Yin, Eleanor, Sonita JEYAPATHY, and CHEONG Jun Ming, Mervyn*
Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Legal Education, Faculty of Law

*mervyn@nus.edu.sg

 

Wong, E. S. Y., Jeyapathy, S., & Cheong, M. J. M. (2023). Law clinics: Microcosms of the inter-disciplinarity inherent in law practice [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/law-clinics-microcosms-of-the-inter-disciplinarity-inherent-in-law-practice/

SUB-THEME

Interdisciplinarity and Education

 

KEYWORDS

Clinical legal education, law clinics, experiential learning, legal skills programme

 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

 

ABSTRACT

In practice, a lawyer gets parachuted into the client’s world in all its complexity and chaos, and must help the client come up with a legal solution for the unique challenge at hand. A legal problem is rarely ever just a legal problem. The law transcends every aspect of society, community, and enterprise.

 

The lawyer must be able to understand their client’s specific needs to target a solution to them. Apart from being confident and competent in legal principles and theories, the modern lawyer must be able to appreciate and comfortably operate in landscapes where the law intersects with other disciplines such as technology, finance, psychiatry, and forensics.

 

So really a lawyer cannot just be a lawyer. A lawyer must also be able to operate in the world of a detective, profiler, psychologist, a techie, and much more.

 

How then do we prepare law students for this? The key must revolve around providing students with opportunities to hone their ability to be agile learners and to expose them to legal challenges that present themselves in evolving legal landscapes in a closely supervised way, so that they can develop crucial practical competencies.

 

Our solution is to develop and curate law clinics for our students which are microcosms of the interdisciplinarity inherent in the practice of law, and utilise resources and networks to actively support these students as they participate in the law clinics.

 

Through the Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Legal Education, the NUS Faculty of Law is the first law school in Singapore to establish law clinics as part of the faculty’s regular course listing of elective subjects. The NUS law clinics expose the participating students to legal matters that could have cross-disciplinary aspects in actual live legal matters.

 

Like most experiential learning modalities, the pedagogical approach adopted is: first, for the clinic supervisors to expressly articulate their thought process through discussions on the live legal matters, including the reasoning behind decisions to take certain action or not, and the students are guided through reflection to pick up the learning points; and second, a mastery learning approach by providing students with constant feedback and opportunities to revise and improve their work before giving a final assessment grade for the task assigned.

 

Under the sub-theme of “Interdisciplinarity and Education”, the proposed paper presentation will focus on three of the faculty’s law clinics: the first two relate to the legal-tech and environmental, and social and governance (ESG) space, respectively, and the third deals with criminal law litigation involving serious crimes where forensics and psychiatry issues arise. The paper will elaborate on how these law clinics are curated and carried out and highlight key findings, from past students’ feedback on how the students’ learning journey in the law clinics have impacted their outlook about legal practice. The paper will then conclude that the NUS Law clinics course, new as it may be amongst Singapore’s law schools, provides an appropriate platform for law students to actively appreciate and acquire an ability to confidently think, both critically and creatively, from a wider and more comprehensive perspective, where interdisciplinary aspects are involved in their legal practice, upon their graduation.

 

REFERENCES

Giddings, J. (2014). Contemplating the future of clinical legal education. Griffith Law Review, 17(1), 1-26. http://dx.DOI.org/10.1080/10383441.2008.10854600

Rice, S., Evans, A., Noone, M., Giddings, J., Cody, A., & Copeland, A. (2012). Best practices: Australian clinical legal education. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/296449685_Best_practices_Australian_clinical_legal_education.

Mlyniec, W. J. (2012). Where to begin? Training new teachers in the art of clinical pedagogy. Clinical L. Rev., 18(2), 505-91. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2008973

Wilson, Richard (2018). Legal aid and clinical legal education in Europe and the USA: Are they compatible? In Outsourcing Legal Aid in the Nordic Welfare States. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322009213_Legal_Aid_and_Clinical_Legal_Education_in_Europe_and_the_USA_Are_They_Compatible.

 

Navigating on a Kayak: Transcending Disciplinary Boundaries in Sustainability Education

cdtlsd Lighting Talks , , , , ,

Eunice S. Q. NG* and YONG Jia Yu
Ridge View Residential College (RVRC)

*e.ng@nus.edu.sg

 

Ng, E. S. Q., & Yong, J. Y. (2023). Navigating on a kayak: Transcending disciplinary boundaries in sustainability education. [Lightning talk]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/navigating-on-a-kayak-transcending-disciplinary-boundaries-in-sustainability-education/

SUB-THEME

Interdisciplinarity and Education

 

KEYWORDS

Interdisciplinary education, sustainability education, environmental stewardship, experiential learning, outdoor learning

 

CATEGORY

Lightning Talks 

 

ABSTRACT

The pressing sustainability crisis has resulted in an increasing number of educational institutions integrating sustainability into their formal curriculum as a way to develop sustainability-oriented attitudes among the youth of today (Leal Filho et. al., 2019). Yet, sustainability education is focused on providing students with a cognitive understanding of issues and challenges in sustainability from a specific discipline’s perspective (Kim & Coonan, 2023). As a result, sustainability education often overlooks leveraging the power of affective reactivity towards sustainability to promote deeper appreciation of sustainability and motivate sustainable behaviour (Brosch & Steg, 2021). Transcending disciplinary boundaries to foster students’ fundamental connectedness to nature – defined as “individuals’ sense of oneness with, and belonging to, their natural environment” (Coughlan et al., 2022, p. 1)—is vital to holistically developing their sustainability-oriented attitudes (Maller, 2018; Nisbet & Zelenski, 2013).

 

As a way to develop students’ connectedness to nature, Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) organised RV Kayak and Clean (RVKC), which provides marine trash clean-up experiences to undergraduate students. Offered beyond the formal academic curriculum, RVKC enables students from multidisciplinary backgrounds to have a common yet personal experience of being in direct contact with nature. Specifically, RVKC aims to achieve three student learning outcomes:

  1. Learn about the biodiversity within Singapore’s mangroves,
  2. Appreciate the extent of marine pollution in Singapore, and
  3. Relate the importance of sustainable living to individuals’ personal lifestyles.

 

First, students develop a deeper appreciation of Singapore’s biodiversity by kayaking through mangroves with explanations of wildlife sighting. Experienced kayak guides facilitate student learning by explaining the importance of mangrove ecosystems, allowing students to discover flora and fauna native to mangrove biomes. For example, students saw a Great Blue Heron and its nestling, a Strangler Fig Tree, and mud lobsters on a trip in February 2023, leading a student to reflect on “how important it is for us to preserve and protect nature for wildlife for future generations to be able to still kayak this route”.

Sea lettuce almost mistaken by participants as green plastic trash bag floating on water.
Figure 1. Sea lettuce almost mistaken by participants as green plastic trash bag floating on water.

 

Second, RVKC provides students with a first-hand experience in witnessing the extent of marine trash pollution, especially in hard-to-access areas around Singapore’s waterways and nearby islands. With students’ direct involvement in collecting marine debris, they obtain a visual representation of the impact of marine pollution. A recent trip in January 2023 saw 77kg of marine trash collected by 20 participants within half an hour (Figure 2). Trash collected is weighed and reported to Ocean Conservancy, which encourages students that their clean-up has made a difference, and reminds them that marine pollution is a far-reaching and ongoing problem.

Trash collected from a trip to Seletar Island weighed 77kg.
Figure 2. Trash collected from a trip to Seletar Island weighed 77kg.

 

Figure 3. Participants pulling out a fishing net entangled on Pulau Ubin’s shore.
Figure 3. Participants pulling out a fishing net entangled on Pulau Ubin’s shore.

 

RVKC also aims to facilitate personal appreciation and connection to the need for sustainable living. For example, students witnessed the rural, disconnected lifestyle by remaining residents on Pulau Ubin on one of the kayak trails. This facilitated site observation led students to rethink their assumptions: both that their current urban way of life and consumption levels are ideal, and how they can apply sustainable practices to their lives even without modern amenities.

Participants interacted with Ah Ma at her residence in Pulau Ubin.
Figure 4. Participants interacted with Ah Ma at her residence in Pulau Ubin.

 

RVKC allowed students to experience nature while being confronted with difficult issues of marine trash and personal lifestyle changes to be made for sustainability. Being in direct contact with nature has been effective in activating students’ affective response towards Singapore’s biodiversity and sustainability, transcending disciplinary backgrounds to foster their human- nature relationship instead.

 

REFERENCES

Brosch, T., & Steg, L. (2021). Leveraging emotion for sustainable action. One Earth, 4(12), 1693–1703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.11.006

Coughlan, A., Ross, E., Nikles, D., De Cesare, E., Tran, C., & Pensini, P. (2022). Nature guided imagery: An intervention to increase connectedness to nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 80, 101759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101759

Kim, E., & Coonan, T. (2023). Advancing sustainability education through a cross-disciplinary online course: Sustainability and human rights in the business world. Sustainability, 15(6), 4759. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064759

Leal Filho, W., Shiel, C., Paço, A., Mifsud, M., Ávila, L. V., Brandli, L. L., Molthan-Hill, P., Pace, P., Azeiteiro, U. M., Vargas, V. R., & Caeiro, S. (2019). Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability teaching at universities: Falling behind or getting ahead of the pack? Journal of Cleaner Production, 232, 285–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.309

Maller, C. (2018, August 1). Embracing the chaos: By transcending disciplinary boundaries researchers can reconceptualise human-nature relations. London School of Economics. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2018/08/01/embracing-the-chaos-by-transcending- disciplinary-boundaries-researchers-can-reconceptualise-human-nature-relations/

Nisbet, E. K., & Zelenski, J. M. (2013). The NR-6: A new brief measure of nature relatedness. Frontiers in Psychology, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00813

 

Unveiling the Influence of Emotions on Students’ Feedback Uptake

cdtlsd Paper Presentations

Sreeja NARAYANANKUTTY1*, Yang Yann FOO1, Fong Yee CHIU1, and Joo Seng GAN2

1Department of Technology Enhanced Learning & Innovation, Office of Education,
Duke-NUS Medical School
2Centre for Development of Teaching & Learning, NUS

*sree_81@nus.edu.sg

 

Narayanankutty, S., Foo, Y. Y., Chiu, F. Y., & Gan, M. J. S. (2023). Unveiling the influence of emotions on students' feedback uptake [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/unveiling-the-influence-of-emotions-on-students-feedback-uptake/

SUB-THEME

Others 

 

KEYWORDS

Feedback uptake, emotions, emotion regulation, peer support, control and value appraisals

 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

 

BACKGROUND

The ongoing challenge to improve students’ variable feedback uptake (Jonsson & Panadero, 2018) has prompted calls to understand how emotions (Goetz et al., 2018) affect the way students process and use feedback (Lipnevich & Smith, 2022). Our study was underpinned by Pekrun’s (2006) control-value theory of achievement emotions, and was guided by this question: How do emotions influence graduate medical students’ feedback uptake?

 

SUMMARY OF WORK

We conducted six focus group discussions (FGD) and twelve interviews with 27 graduate medical students in Singapore (age: 18 to 35, with and without working experience). We asked them to describe the emotions they experienced when given positive and negative feedback, and how these emotions influenced their feedback uptake. Voluntary recruitment was made via email, posters, and presentations at student meetings. The FGD and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic (Terry et al., 2017). We wrote familiarisation notes, coded the data inductively (at both latent and semantic levels), and deductively (sensitised by CVT constructs of perceived control, perceived value and activating achievement emotions). Candidate themes were then constructed, revised, and finalised.

 

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

We constructed three themes: 1) control and value appraisals may supersede valence in influencing feedback uptake; 2) emotion regulation facilitated productive feedback processing; and 3) peers helped students to process their emotions. Feedback valence seemed less important than whether the feedback offered students opportunities to improve. Positive feedback deemed disingenuous or incongruous undermined the credibility of the feedback provider and tended to be ignored, while negative feedback that enhanced participants’ perceived self-efficacy to successfully tackle some future tasks (control appraisals) that supported their learning goals (value appraisals) were accepted. Even though negative feedback would upset the participants, they regulated their emotions by practicing mindfulness to calm themselves down to process the feedback in a more calibrated fashion. Participants also reported that they turned to peers to process the negative emotions they experienced. Below are some of the selected quotes for illustrating each theme and more will be shared later.

Theme 1

“I’ve been told, very straightforward that, hey, this will not work, and this is why it will not work. Regardless of whether I attach my identity to what I was doing, feedback (that helps me improve) is very easy to accept, because we all have to achieve the same goal.” (Year 1_P8)

Theme 2

“Emotion is something we cannot control many times. But we can actually control our behavior. I practice mindfulness to calm myself down.” (Year 3_P1)

Theme 3

“If it’s pertaining to stress or whatever, I have my external support network, my friends and classmates help a great deal.” (Year 2_P2)

 

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that negative feedback could be accepted, which contrasts with prior research indicating that negative feedback aroused negative emotions leading to poor uptake (Sargeant et al., 2005; Goetz et al., 2018). However, for negative feedback to be accepted it needs to have high perceived control and value. To accept such feedback, participants had to process their emotions on their own and also with peer support. Hence it may be useful for university teachers to consider adopting feedback models such as R2C2 (Sargent et al., 2015, 2016, 2017), an evidence-based and theoretically-informed approach that promotes feedback dialogue by building relationship, exploring reactions, exploring content, and coaching for performance change. Pertaining to feedback uptake, the exploring content component could provide opportunities for teachers to guide students to self-assess goals the latter deem important using stated rubrics. By so doing, it may help the students be aware of the changes they need to make, and the desire for improvement might motivate them to exercise emotion regulation strategies to accept and use the teachers’ feedback.

 

REFERENCES

Goetz, T., Lipnevich, A. A., Krannich, M., & Gogol, K. (2018). Performance feedback and emotions. In A. A. Lipnevich & J. K. Smith (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Instructional Feedback (1st ed., pp. 554–574). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316832134.027

Jonsson, A., & Panadero, E. (2018). Facilitating students’ active engagement with feedback. In A. A. Lipnevich & J. K. Smith (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Instructional Feedback (1st ed., pp. 531–553). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316832134.026

Lipnevich, A. A., & Smith, J. K. (2022). Student–feedback interaction model: Revised. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 75, 101208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2022.101208

Pekrun, R. (2006). The control-value theory of achievement emotions: Assumptions, corollaries, and implications for educational research and practice. Educational Psychology Review, 18(4), 315–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-006-9029-9

Sargeant, J., Mann, K., & Ferrier, S. (2005). Exploring family physicians’ reactions to multisource feedback: Perceptions of credibility and usefulness: original article. Medical Education, 39(5), 497–504. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2005.02124.x

Sargeant, J., Lockyer, J. M., Mann, K., Armson, H., Warren, A., Zetkulic, M., Soklaridis, S., Könings, K. D., Ross, K., Silver, I., Holmboe, E., Shearer, C., & Boudreau, M. (2018). The R2C2 model in residency education: How does it foster coaching and promote feedback use? Academic Medicine, 93(7), 1055–63. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002131

Sargeant, J., Lockyer, J., Mann, K., Holmboe, E., Silver, I., Armson, H., Driessen, E., MacLeod, T., Yen, W., Ross, K., & Power, M. (2015). Facilitated reflective performance feedback: Developing an evidence- and theory-based model that builds relationship, explores reactions and content, and coaches for performance change (R2C2). Academic Medicine, 90(12), 1698–1706. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000000809

Sargeant, J., Mann, K., Manos, S., Epstein, I., Warren, A., Shearer, C., & Boudreau, M. (2017). R2C2 in action: Testing an evidence-based model to facilitate feedback and coaching in residency. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 9(2), 165–170. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-16-00398.1

Terry, G., Hayfield, N., Clarke, V., & Braun V. (2017). Thematic analysis. In C. Willig, W. Stainton Rogers (Eds), The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in Psychology, 17-37. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5251-4_103 .

 

FUNDING

This research is supported by Ministry of Education, Singapore under its Tertiary Education Research Fund (MOE2021-TRF-032). Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of the Ministry of Education, Singapore.

 

Interdisciplinarity in Science Communication: Promoting Student Engagement and Learning Through the Digital Collaborative Platform Miro

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , , , ,

Amelyn THOMPSON* and Brenda YUEN
Centre for English Language Communication (CELC)

*amelyn.t@nus.edu.sg

 

Thompson, A. A., & Yuen, B. (2023). Interdisciplinarity in science communication: Promoting student engagement and learning through the digital collaborative platform Miro [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/interdisciplinarity-in-science-communication-promoting-student-engagement-and-learning-through-the-digital-collaborative-platform-miro/

SUB-THEME

Interdisciplinarity and Education

 

KEYWORDS

Digital collaborative platform, student engagement, science communication, news article writing, interdisciplinary collaboration

 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentations 

 

ABSTRACT

Higher education research suggests the use of learning technology promotes student engagement (e.g. Bond et al., 2020; Chen et al., 2010; Fan & Di, 2020; Fonseca et al., 2014). This paper discusses the impact of technology-enhanced inquiry-based learning tasks using the digital whiteboard Miro in SP1451 “Exploring Science Communication through Popular Science”, part of the College of Humanities and Science (CHS) Common Curriculum. This interdisciplinary core course for NUS science undergraduates has the key learning outcome of communicating scientific concepts effectively to educated non-specialised audiences. Miro was chosen because of its vast array of features and tools for real-time collaboration, commenting, and presenting in teams.

 

Technology-enhanced learning supports interdisciplinary learning by integrating different perspectives or facilitating mutual understanding in pursuit of goals or learning tasks (Littlejohn & Nicol, 2008); meanwhile, valuable data otherwise lost in traditional contexts is preserved (Henrie et al., 2015). Research suggests well-designed inquiry-based learning tasks promote positive learning outcomes including deep thinking, knowledge application, and logical reasoning (Harada & Yoshina, 2004; Kuhlthau et al., 2015). Technology-enhanced inquiry-based learning tasks have been implemented in SP1541 to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance students’ engagement and performance.

 

According to Bond et al. (2020), engagement is defined as “energy and effort” expended by students in their learning community, observable through “a range of indicators” (p. 3). In search of these indicators, we adopted Redmond et al.’s (2018) online engagement framework for higher education. This framework extends the traditional definition of engagement (Fredricks et al., 2004), which considers behavioural, cognitive, and emotional dimensions by adding collaborative and social dimensions.

 

The objectives of this study are to:

  1. investigate the extent to which the use of Miro enhances students’ engagement in the discussion of science news articles during synchronous tutorials in online and face-to-face modes; and
  2. examine the correlation between students’ perceived engagement level and perceived science news writing competence.

 

This study employs an embedded mixed-methods design, where qualitative data supplement quantitative data, encapsulated in an online questionnaire administered at the end of the semester. The questionnaire comprises 23 statements measuring the five dimensions of engagement (Redmond et al., 2018) on a five-point Likert scale, and four items for students to self-rate their writing competence based on the criteria established in the criterion-referenced assessment rubric (i.e. criterion-based writing competence). It also includes three open-ended questions regarding students’ perception of their use of Miro and its impact on their learning.

 

The findings indicate Miro is effective in fostering collaborative and cognitive engagement, while comparatively lacking in social engagement, across both online and face-to-face modes. Quantitative results showed a moderate, positive correlation between online engagement and writing performance in the online mode; however, this was not reflected in the face-to-face mode. Qualitative responses corroborated the quantitative results and confirmed the importance of Miro as a useful tool for review in both contexts.

 

This study is particularly relevant to interdisciplinary core courses as technology-enhanced learning is potentially more impactful when integrated in the early years of university (Martin & Bolliger, 2018). The findings provide several pedagogical implications in higher education. First, Miro’s value lies in its ability to foster collaborative and cognitive engagement, especially as collaboration may prove challenging in interdisciplinary environments, although teamwork remains a vital part of the experience (Corbacho et al., 2021). Second, it may be worth extending the use of Miro asynchronously to boost social engagement. Third, Miro is helpful in promoting behavioural engagement, including supporting peers (Redmond et al., 2018). This is crucial for collaborative tasks like peer feedback, where feedback is a sense-making process with students using comments from various sources to improve performance (Carless & Boud, 2018).

 

REFERENCES

Bond, M., Buntins, K., Bedenlier, S., Zawacki-Richter, O., & Kerres, M. (2020). Mapping research in student engagement and educational technology in higher education: a systematic evidence map. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(2). https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0176-8

Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(8), 1315-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354

Chen, P., Lambert, A., & Guidry, K. (2010). Engaging online learners: The impact of web-based learning technology on college student engagement. Computers & Education, 54, 1222–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.11.008

Corbacho, A.M., Minini, L., Pereyra, M., Gonzalez-Fernandez, A.E., Echaniz, R., Repetto, L., Cruz, P., Fernandez-Damonte, V., Lorieto, A. & Basile, M. (2021). Interdisciplinary higher education with a focus on academic motivation and teamwork diversity. International Journal of Educational Research, 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2021.100062

Fan, S., & Di, Z. (2020). Technology-enhanced collaborative language learning: theoretical foundations, technologies, and implications. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(8), 1754-88. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1831545

Fonseca, D., Marti, N., Redondo, E., Navarro, I., & Sanchez, A. (2014). Relationship between student profile, tool use, participation, and academic performance with the use of Augmented Reality technology for visualized architecture models. Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 434-45. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.03.006

Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School Engagement: Potential of the Concept, State of the Evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. https://dx.doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059

Harada, V. H., & Yoshina, J. M. (2004). Inquiry learning through librarian-teacher partnerships. Linworth Publishing.

Henrie, C. R., Halverson, L. R., & Graham, C. R. (2015). Measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning: A review. Computers & Education, 90, 36-53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.09.005

Kuhlthau, C., Maniotes, L., & Caspari, A. (2015). Guided inquiry: Learning in the twenty-first century (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

Littlejohn, A., & Nicol, D. (2009). Supporting interdisciplinary studies using learning technologies. In B. Chandramohan and S. Fallows (Eds.), Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Theory and Practice (pp. 30-43). Routledge.

Martin, F. & Bolliger, D.U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online Learning 22(1), 205-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v22i1.1092

Redmond, P., Heffernan, A., Abawi, L., Brown, A., & Henderson, R. (2018). An online engagement framework for higher education. Online Learning, 22(1), 183-204. http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v22i1.1175

Thompson, A., & Yuen, B. (2022). Using Miro to enhance students’ online engagement and learning in a science communication module. Teaching Connections. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/teachingconnections/2022/08/26/using-miro-to-enhance-students- online-engagement-and-learning-in-a-science-communication-module/

 

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