Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Face-to-face practice'

The Australian performing arts collective, Remnant Dance, has a partnership with the charity organisation, MyKids Incorporated, which supports a community of orphaned and abandoned youth at the Andrew Youth Development Centre (AYDC) in Yangon, Myanmar. During 2013-2014, young people from the AYDC were invited to make a contemporary dance film together with Remnant Dance artists. The film, called Meeting Places, evolved as part of a developing body of visual and performance art works that sought to explore collaboration in a dance collective. The dance film was set at the AYDC and in the disused Nagar Glass Factory in Yangon, using glass as a metaphor for a surface that invites reflection as well as open transparency between participants. My initial research question, ‘where is my front?’ was situated in the dance of interconnectivity, and referred to the primary site of communication with others. I wanted to investigate how this ‘front’ shifts, and alters in response to others and in particular how the frontline separates performers from their audience. The contemporary dance film, Meeting Places, became the centrepiece in a body of interdisciplinary art work that was devised through cross-cultural collaborations. My research into dance as a dialogue of interconnectedness led me to expand the idea of frontlines, asking how examination of dance-making can be a site for social justice arts praxis. Driven by a reflexive practice-led research methodology, this research delves into dance-making as a mechanism for social engagement, whilst illuminating the problem of how to articulate dance research as an intuitive inquiry. The spaces between the bodies of the participants, both the children and professional dancers, allowed unique connectivity and exchanges of corporeal knowledge across cultural boundaries, inviting conversations that, I suggest, overcame linguistic differences. The language of dance ruptured dualistic notions of knowledge production, creating a hybrid space through tacit, non-linguistic experiences of movement. The research began with an exploration of connectivity through practice in the dance studio, as well as an analysis of collaboration and the effectiveness of the collective practice. The dance film, Meeting Places, emerged as an invitation to engage with dance as a form that argues for the body as a site of agency, unpacking Emmanuel Lévinas’ concepts of the ‘face’ as a critical encounter with being. The idea of the ‘front’ thus became invested with new meaning, and with this shift, the reflective capacity for examining what I refer to as moments of consensus and dissensus within the collective was enhanced. The process of making the contemporary dance film has been examined through a philosophical frame informed by the work of theorists such as Mikhail Bakhtin, Judith Butler, Gilles Deleuze, Michel Foucault, Elizabeth Grosz, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Slavoj Zizek and particularly, Emmanuel Lévinas, along with contemporary thinkers on social justice in the arts. The cultural exchange between Remnant Dance artists and youth at the AYDC in Myanmar revealed that the social justice imperative, rather than being merely a by-product of artistic engagement, was actually the heart of the dance-making. The significance of arts research in this context includes knowledge creation in the body, with others, and that a space of agency is created for ethical engagement, specifically through the language of dance. The creation of new dance through cross-cultural, multi-arts forms and interdisciplinary contexts enabled space for narratives of justice to emerge along the frontline of dance’s particular mode of communication.

This thesis reports on the results of a quantitative study of various barriers to knowledge sharing in a virtual community of practice within Sigma Kudos, a Swedish multinational organization. The study was undertaken to investigate the under-utilization of a virtual "teamroom". Members' views showed that the biggest barrier involved the way in which people chose to share their knowledge; the respondents preferred sharing knowledge in their existing face-to-face networks. Face-to-face sharing mainly seemed to occur between individuals who had a common ground and shared experiences, and between individuals who were in convenient proximity to each other. Time constraints in combination with perceived lack of intranet site structure implied a redundancy of the teamroom as yet another internal site. Another prominent set of barriers that emerged from the findings was related to aspects of uncertainty and unfamiliarity with the teamroom. Additionally, survey comments revealed the use of teamroom features to be a barrier. To enable co-evolved knowledge structures to occur via the community, it is necessary for management to understand face-to-face sharing behavior in terms of implicit and tacit knowledge. It is vital to change the perception of teamroom sharing as an extra task requiring more time. Moreover, the teamroom needs to be distinguished in context of the greater intranet structure, as well as when it comes to the different sections of the community itself. To foster knowledge sharing in the teamroom, it is also important to define and communicate the strategic meaning of it.

Traditionally, young people in out-of-home care have been marginalised from the most important decision-making processes that affect their lives. A compelling, contemporary evidence base confirms that this dilemma persists despite the ratification of young people’s participation rights in legislation and policy, which has grave implications for young people’s wellbeing, the quality of decisions and subsequent interventions. This place-based, participatory action research drew on the perspectives of case and program managers at the frontline of out-of-home care service delivery in Inner Gippsland to provide unique insights into the barriers and opportunities to increased inclusion of young people in the decisions being made about them. The study was supported through a university–industry research collaboration within the Inner Gippsland Children and Youth Area Partnership. This thesis contends that a confluence of factors in response to unprecedented demand on the Inner Gippsland child welfare service system has significantly eroded the time and opportunity for face-to-face practice between workers and young people, which is fundamental to the facilitation of young people’s engagement in decision-making. The research process was underpinned by a blend of critical theory and the capability approach. New insights were developed to advocate for diverse, context-specific interventions and broader system reforms to expand the capacity for workers to engage in face-to-face practice with young people. An authorising environment that legitimises participatory practice is required to support connections between workers and young people. This thesis argues that the alignment of rights-based participation principles with critical components of the system—policy, performance management regimes, compliance and administrative practices and professionalisation strategies—could transform decision-making processes for young people. This is especially vital for a growing cohort of young people who live in out-of-home care. Keywords: participation, decision-making processes, face-to-face practice, children, young people, critical theory, capability approach, action research, out-of-home care research
Doctor of Philosophy

The creation of a community of practice of tutors--a shared practice among a group of people who share the same domain--enables second-language learners to facilitate their acquisition of English by embracing new learning strategies while they learn the target language. The community of tutors’ perspective allows for the incorporation of the individual’s particular second-language-acquisition needs and goals. This presentation presents a proposed study that took place at the Yasuda Center at California State University, San Bernardino in the summer of 2015. Students in the English Language Program housed in the College of Extended Learning were asked to participate in tutoring sessions offered by tutors who participated in a community of tutors. Tutors embraced new teaching strategies that they acquired through participating within a community of practice, sharing their background knowledge and teaching experience, and demonstrating new teaching techniques to each other by using collaborative and hybrid strategies during activities embedded in a rich learning context. The provision of community of practice for tutors in the English Language Program enabled learners to develop meaning-making and communication skills as well as language and literacy skills to address the informational and problem-solving needs of their tasks and assignments.

Peer review is a complex collaborative activity, which may engage English language learners in reading, writing, listening, and speaking and carry many potential benefits for their language learning (Hu, 2005). While many research studies focused on peer review practices of adult language learners in academic settings in the USA or abroad in language classes (Grami, 2010; Zhao, 2010), little attention was paid to adolescent L2 writers participating in peer review in face-to-face K-12 and online contexts. This multiple case study aimed at describing and explaining peer review practices of four adolescent ELLs in face-to-face and online contexts from the ecological perspective. In particular, I aimed at exploring (a) four adolescent ELLs' perceptions of peer review in face-to-face and online contexts, (b) affordances they chose to employ during peer review in face-to-face and online contexts, and (c) revisions the participants chose to make due to peer review in face-to-face and online contexts. The multiple observations, semi-structured interviews, researcher's and participants' e-journals, and written artifacts yielded data for within-case and cross-case analysis. The findings of the study afforded situating adolescent ELLs' peer review practices in the face-to-face and online contexts as a part of L2 literacy, redefining L2 literacy and peer review in L2, and discussing the important role of peer review in adolescent ELLs' literacy development. The implications of the study provided teachers with suggestions on how to enhance adolescent ELLs' peer review practices. Further, I elaborated on the lessons learned about technology use for peer review in K-12 contexts. Finally, I addressed possible future research directions based on the findings of the study.

The purposes of this research project were to identify the extent to which online courses are available to high school students in Tennessee, to describe the characteristics of current online programs, to identify barriers to the implementation of online courses in school systems that are not currently offering such programs, and to offer recommendations that could facilitate implementation of these programs. The research went in two directions. A study of past and current online educational programs was completed in order to learn the nature of successful programs across the country. Then, a survey was constructed and sent to appropriate technology personnel in Tennessee schools to evaluate both their current online programs and to determine those needed in the state. There are only two school systems in Tennessee that allow students to earn online credits to be used towards high school graduation. One is a larger school system and the other is a medium sized school system; both are in the eastern region of the state. One survey respondent summed it up by saying: I really think the State Department of Education should step up and provide some direction. Florida has a vanguard program; I’d like to see the same type of program implemented in Tennessee. If individual school districts are left to design their own programs, then there is going to be a lot of duplicated effort, a wide range of implementation strategies, and varying degrees of quality. That’s likely to breed confusion and disillusionment.

Syftet med studien är att presentera ett designkoncept för publika diskussioner på nätet med målet att uppnå djupare diskussioner och minska mängden information overload. Arbetet använder metoden Concept Driven Interaction Design (CDID) som går ut på att skapa ett designkoncept utifrån flera olika teorier som appliceras genom interaktionsdesign. Ett designkoncept innehåller tre delar: ett namn, ett syfte och huvudprinciper. CDID innehåller sju steg som arbetet är utformat efter: 1.      Concept Generation – Summeras i en tabell som jämför diskussioner i forum (med flera antagande) och diskussioner med hjälp av metoden Philosophy for Children (P4C), samt annan teori. 2.      Concept Exploration – Åtta olika designaspekter identifieras utifrån jämförelsetabellen. 3.      Internal Concept Critique – Designaspekterna jämförs med två snarlika diskussionsformat. 4.      Design of Artifacts – Designkoncept version 1 skapas. 5.      External Design Critique – Intervjuer utförs för att undersöka intervjupersonerna generella erfarenheter av online diskussioner, testar antagandena från jämförelsetabellen och ge direkt feedback på första versionen av designkonceptet. 6.      Concept Revisited – Ändringar görs baserat på intervjumaterial och direkt feedback. 7.      Concept Contextualization – Designkonceptet kopplas tillbaka till litteraturen. Studien resulterar i ett designkoncept kallat CoFramer och stödjer dessa huvudprinciper som ställs i kontrast till material som identifierats genom intervjuerna: Tabell 1: CoFramers huvudprinciper och faktorer från intervjuer om diskussioner på forum. CoFramers huvudprinciper | Från intervjuer om diskussioner på forum Strukturerad början och slut | Diskussion utan tydligt slut Begränsat antal deltagare | Stor mängd deltagare Minimum antal deltagare | Många inaktiva åskådare Explicita deltagare | Lite information om deltagare Gemensamma förutsättningar | Otydlighet kring deltagares förutsättningar Begränsad informationstäthet per inlägg | Långa inlägg och/eller snabba inlägg Den röda tråden och parallella trådar | Oftast parallella trådar Aktiv samtalsledare | Outredda missförstånd Studien indikerar på att CoFramer bör resultera i mer strukturerade diskussioner och som utsätter användaren för en lägre mängd information overload och mindre grounding cost jämfört med vad som vanligtvis uppstår i publika diskussioner online.
The focus of this essay is to develop a design concept for online public discussions with deep discussions and low information overload. The method used is Concept Driven Interaction Design (CDID) which involves constructing a design concept by applying a variety of theories in tangible interaction design. A design concept has three basic parts: a name, high-level goals and outlines generic principles. CDID includes seven steps which is used in this work: 1.      Concept Generation – Formatted into a table that compare forum discussion (with several hypothesis) compared to discussions with the method Philosophy for Children (P4C) and other theories. 2.      Concept Exploration – Eight distinct design aspects are identified from the comparison table. 3.      Internal Concept Critique – The design aspects are compared to three similar discussion formats. 4.      Design of Artifacts – Design concept version 1 is created. 5.      External Design Critique – Interviews are conducted to explore their general experience of online discussions, investigate the hypothesis from the comparison table and to seek direct feedback on the first draft of the design concept. 6.      Concept Revisited – Changes are made to the design concept based on the interview material and the direct feedback. 7.      Concept Contextualization – The design concept is related to the original literature. The result of the study is a design concept named CoFramer. CoFramer’s generic principles are summarized and contrasted against factors identified from the interview material in this table: Tabell 2: CoFramer’s generic principles and interviews about online discussions. CoFramer’s generic principles | From interview material on forum discussion Organized start and ending | Discussions without clear ending Limited number of participants | Large number of participants Minimum number of participants | Large number of inactive spectators Explicit participants | Low information about participants Common conditions | Vagueness in participants conditions Limited information density per post | Long posts and/or fast posts The red thread and parallel threads | Often parallel threads Active facilitator | Unresolved misunderstandings The study indicates that CoFramer would create more structured discussions with a lower amount of information overload and less grounding cost compared what normally arise in public online discussions.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil
The main aim of this study is to analyse how traditional African practices relating to child marriages violate the South African legal framework in the face of HIV/AIDS, as well as assessing it's response to child marriage in compliance with international and regional human rights standards. The specific objectives are: 1) To analyse traditional African practices in relation to child marriages in South Africa. 2) To discuss international and regional standards on the protection of child marriages linked to harmful cultural practices. 3) To show how different traditional African practices relating to child marriages violate the South African legal framework in light of international human rights standards.

An estimated 15 million individuals in the United States have been formally diagnosed with dysphagia, defined as swallowing dysfunction -- the fifth leading cause of death in Americans over the age of 65. Statistical findings indicate that at least 50% of these individuals have limited access to treatment. However, despite the rapid expansion of telepractice (defined as the use of telecommunications technology to provide services at a distance) as a statistically valid online method for the provision of medical and clinical intervention to those without access, telepractice has yet to consistently incorporate online dysphagia service delivery (referred to as tele-dysphagia) into its clinical scope. This investigation compared the outcomes of traditional face-to-face intervention to online tele-dysphagia intervention by measuring the correct and incorrect responses to visual and auditory cues presented by a clinician during dysphagia intervention sessions. Data analysis conducted via t-test indicated that there was no significant difference in the mean scores from tele-dysphagia method (M = 9.67, SD = 3.74) as compared to face-to-face method (M = 9.00, SD = 2.70), t (28) = - 0.56, p = 0.580. Additionally, inter-rater reliability scores were obtained by determining a Cohen’s kappa coefficient in order to measure the degree of agreement between the two raters. Findings indicated a kappa statistic of k=1 for all items, given a 100% agreement for all trials. Additionally, results of a mixed-design analysis of variance suggested a significant within-subject effect with the use of cues, but there were no significant main effects of between-subject factors (gender, delivery type, etiology, or age) on the patients’ responses. Given that there was no significant statistical difference between the two delivery methods and inter-rater reliability scores demonstrated perfect agreement, we can suggest that the online tele-dysphagia method can potentially yield clinical outcomes similar to a traditional face-to-face method. Results from a mixed-design analysis of variance additionally suggested that there is a significant within-subject effect given the use of cues (F (1, 29)=14.99, p = .001) on patients’ responses. However, there were no significant main effects of between-subject factors (gender, delivery type, etiology, or age) on the patients’ responses. It is hoped that the results of this study will lend validity and direction to future attempts to provide much-needed dysphagia intervention via online service methods. Such attempts, in turn, would have the potential to promote increased longevity and quality of life in those populations currently unable to access such services.

Early childhood classroom mentor teachers are often left with little support and guidance as they assume the role of teacher educators. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore how a community of practice comprised of pre-K mentors and a university program coordinator supported the development of shared and individual understandings about how to effectively supervise preservice teachers. Utilizing key tenets of sociocultural theory, four pre-K mentor teachers from two public schools in the Southeast participated in an online and face-to-face community of practice facilitated by a university program coordinator. The pre-K preservice teachers (n=6) were secondary participants in this study. Across twelve weeks, the evolution of collective and individual knowledge was chronicled through interviews, online discussions, face-to-face exchanges, and classroom observations. Audio-tapes from meetings and interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data analyses involved iterative cycles of coding, moving from open coding to process and pattern coding. Through this process, data displays and conceptual memos were created and informed the analyses. Findings from this qualitative study illustrate how the mentors’ processes of coming to know were developed within a complex web of relationships from which they re-envisioned their roles as pre-K teachers. As the mentors negotiated the meaning of mentoring, they engaged in recursive cycles of reshaping their identities through questioning, hypothesizing, and sharing lived experiences. New identities as educators of both children and adults emerged as they considered the role of mentoring as a tangible object to be closely studied, negotiated, and operationalized. The mentors left this study acknowledging that while mentoring was difficult, complex work, it was worthy work.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION THE UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND July, 2014
This study seeks to establish key differences in pedagogical practices associated with and facilitated by different modalities of course delivery. These are: face-to-face instruction in a traditional university lecture-based environment; print-based course delivery, whereby off- campus distance learning students attend face-to-face lectures and tutorials on campus from time-to-time, and Moodle-based online course delivery integrated into the lecture and tutorial-based environments. The key aspect of the study concerns changing pedagogy as a consequence of the introduction of online learning tools within the traditional delivery modalities. I investigate the nature of and extent to which a Moodle platform has been introduced into the traditional face-to-face teaching and learning situation. This is done to ascertain exactly how the pedagogies established and practiced within the traditional delivery modalities are recontextualised in the digital delivery modality. Recontextualisation in this context refers to how the curriculum and pedagogic practice are transformed when interpreted and delivered by instructors to both full-time and distance education students through the three teaching and learning delivery modalities used at UNISWA. The extent of the recontextualisation is accounted for through an experiential case study of four different instances in which the same course is taught by the same instructor to the two student groups. The content and aim of each course is identical, but the pedagogy is not intended by each instructor to be the same in each case. This scenario provided a distinctive, perhaps even unique, opportunity to study the recontextualisation of pedagogic content, pedagogic practices, and assessment practices in a controlled manner across the three modalities. The research goal was realised by employing a multiple-case study design where four faculty staff members completed a 36 item Likert scales type questionnaire. On the basis of a content analysis of this limited quantitative data, each instructor was interviewed in-depth on their pedagogical practices to establish what lay beneath their beliefs in teaching and learning and espoused practices. Key themes were identified and continuous comparison was executed to analyse the transcribed questionnaire data against the interview data. I strengthened the qualitative aspect of this study by means of documentary analysis of course texts ranging from printed course learning materials, such as; course outlines, handouts, modules and Moodle web pages. I also conducted, 3 recorded and transcribed face-to-face as well as content and learning pathway (Moodle) observations, to once more contrast enacted pedagogic practice against espoused pedagogic beliefs. I use Bernstein’s (1990, 2000) theory of pedagogic discourse extensively,particularly his notions of classification and framing principles. Weak classification (-C), specifically in the case of this study, means the more there is reference to online lessons, materials, assignments, feedback and so on or use of e-learning in face-to-face instruction,the more e-learning is integrated into the traditional modalities of teaching. In the same way, strong classification (+C) denotes that the more face-to-face and e-learning are kept apart, the less integration of e-learning into traditional modalities of teaching is taking place. Likewise, the framing principle relates to the transmission of knowledge through pedagogic practices. Strong framing (+F) is used to indicate a visible pedagogic practice that is traditional and therefore opposed to a constructivists approach expected when teaching distance education students and when using e-learning. Weak framing (-F) is applied to indicate an invisible pedagogic practice that is closely related to the mandated constructivist approach. The research findings answered the research question of whether an instructor’s pedagogic practice remains unchanged whichever delivery modality is used. Bernstein’s classification and framing principles are employed to check and establish the instructor’s pedagogical practice and provide the framework for presenting the main findings of this study. With the exception of one out of four case study instructors, the practice is strong classification and framing (+C/F) throughout. This reflects that the traditional approach is predominantly applied in the classroom. This study thus recommends that multiple pedagogical approaches should be acknowledged and applied in all teaching and learning.

This dissertation examines the life stories of Marsha Ethridge (all names are pseudonyms), a teacher who has taught for 46 years in one urban elementary school. The stories Marsha tells about her life are used as lenses to consider the following: (1) What influences most shaped Marsha’s practices and stories to live by as a teacher? (2) What has it been like for Marsha teaching reading in an urban elementary school for 46 years? and (3) What is the nature of caring in Marsha’s stories? The study draws on life story and portraiture methods. Data were collected over a period of three years and includes life story interviews, one focus group interview, observations, and artifacts. Through the process of constant comparative method, three themes emerged: literacy and accountability, teacher development and identity, and caring and connecting. The most salient theme was caring and connecting throughout Marsha’s stories, and it served as a unifying thread to pull her stories together. This study found that in Marsha’s first years of teaching there were few forms of accountability. She felt that this was the primary reason many of her sixth graders had made it through school without learning to read. In the following years she used a variety of measures for accountability, including high-stakes accountability, which caused her to experience increasing professional dissonance. The form of accountability she believed improved her teaching practices the most was accountability situated in the context of caring relationships and it led to hope for future success. Marsha experienced this face-to-face accountability in the teacher-initiated group she had been meeting with for 27 years. Research implications from this study include the need to further explore discourse in teacher-initiated groups over time and in different contexts, as well as consider how the relational dynamics and accountability within collaborative teacher groups contribute to teacher growth. Additionally, the analysis of Marsha’s life stories indicate a need for teachers, parents, researchers, and policy makers to lay aside discourse of blaming and shaming to create opportunities for extended conversations about alternatives to high-stakes accountability.
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abstract: The availability and subsequent expansion in the use of online learning environments has provided a new avenue for teacher professional development: blended learning. While blended learning environments may provide attractive benefits to teachers and school administration, the impact of blended teacher professional development has been largely unexamined in the existing research. This mixed-methods study investigated professional development outcomes for 64 teachers participating in district sponsored teaching professional development, 32 in a blended course and 32 in a face-to-face equivalent of the course. Outcomes of the professional development were measured using pre- and post- instructional belief surveys, participant satisfaction surveys, and interviews measuring retention of instructional beliefs and application of new instructional strategies. Additionally, participants who did not complete the course were interviewed to learn about their experience in the course and reasons for non-completion. The results of this study show similar changes in instructional beliefs for both the blended and face-to-face sections and significantly higher satisfaction with course content, materials, and instructor involvement among blended participants. However, blended participants were less likely to be transitioning to, or practicing new strategies as measured by interviews 12 weeks following course completion. A large number of blended participants showed evidence of their knowledge of new instructional strategies, but were reluctant to apply new strategies in their classrooms. Non-completers primarily cited lack of time for their withdrawal, but expressed an interest in future blended learning courses. The recommendations from this study should inform districts, schools, and teachers about blended learning for teacher professional development.
Dissertation/Thesis
Ed.D. Educational Administration and Supervision 2014

Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to undertake and report the findings of a health technology assessment (HTA) on the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of online and LAN-based eLearning, and blended learning, among post-registration healthcare professionals. Methods: This HTA comprised three studies. The first study was a systematic review of 93 randomised controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of online and LAN-based eLearning on physicians' knowledge, skills, attitude and satisfaction. The second study compared the cost, cost-savings and return on investment between a blended and a face-to-face advanced cardiac life support course for physicians in Singapore. The third study was an online survey that assessed the acceptability of the technology among a sample of optometrists and opticians in Singapore and their scope of practice, primary eye care knowledge, views on extended roles in primary eye care, preferred mode of learning for continuing professional education, and referral behaviour. Results: The systematic review showed that online and LAN-based eLearning or blended learning compared with self-directed or face-to-face learning resulted in higher post-intervention knowledge scores (21 studies; small to large effect size; very poor quality); higher post-intervention skills scores (seven studies; large effect size; low quality); higher attitude scores (one study; very low quality); higher post-intervention satisfaction (four studies; large effect size; low quality); and higher post-intervention practice or behaviour changes (eight studies; large effect size; low quality) among physicians in the intervention groups. Fourteen studies compared eLearning with other forms of eLearning. Among these, four studies reported higher post-intervention knowledge scores (large effect size; very low quality) for participants in the intervention group. Unintended or adverse effects of the intervention were not reported among the included studies. Ninety-three studies (N=16,895) were included of which seventy-six studies compared ODE (including blended) vs self-directed/face-to-face learning. Overall the effect of ODE (including blended) on post-intervention knowledge, skills, attitude, satisfaction, practice or behaviour change and patient outcomes was inconsistent and ranged mostly from no difference between the groups to higher post-intervention score in the intervention group (small to large effect size, very low to low quality evidence). Twenty-one studies reported higher knowledge score (small to large effect size; very low quality) for the intervention while 20 studies reported no difference in knowledge between the groups. Seven studies reported higher skill score in the intervention (large effect size; low quality) while thirteen studies reported no difference in skill score between the groups. One study reported higher attitude score for the intervention (very low quality), while 4 studies reported no difference in attitude score between the groups. Four studies reported higher post-intervention physician satisfaction with the intervention (large effect size; low quality), while six studies reported no difference in satisfaction between the groups. Eight studies reported higher post-intervention practice or behaviour change for the ODE group (small to moderate effect size; low quality) while five studies reported no difference in practice or behaviour change between the groups. One study reported higher improvement in patient outcome, while three others reported no difference in patient outcome between the groups. None of the included studies reported any unintended/adverse effects, cost-effectiveness of the interventions. Although the review only focused on post-registration medical doctors, the technology could be used for the interprofessional education of post-registration medical doctors and other healthcare professionals. Such an initiative would encourage collaborative learning and facilitate task-shifting, which could address the problem of fragmentation in health care. Although eLearning and blended learning technology interventions have been implemented, primary studies have not assessed their cost-effectiveness. Hence, to ascertain the technology’s cost-saving potential, we used a blended advanced cardiac life support (B-ACLS) course as an exemplar and compared its cost to face-to-face advanced life support (F-ACLS) training. The analysis showed that the annual cost of F-ACLS training (USD$72,793) was 1.7 times higher than B-ACLS training (USD$43,467). The discounted total cost of training over the life of the course (5-years) was SGD $107,960 for B-ACLS and S$280,162 for F-ACLS. The cost of productivity loss accounted for 52% and 23% of the costs for F-ACLS and B-ACLS, respectively. B-ACLS yielded a 160% return on the money invested, yielding $1.60 for every dollar spent. There would be a 61% saving for course providers if they delivered a B-ACLS instead of F-ACLS course. The effectiveness component of the HTA showed that online eLearning and blended learning is as effective as traditional learning and has cost-saving potential. We also sought to determine if this technology could be used to train and equip optometrists and opticians in Singapore to take on an extended role in primary care, which would allow some simple primary eye care tasks to be shifted from ophthalmologists to optometrists and ease healthcare access issues at specialist hospital outpatient clinics. The survey of optometrists showed that the current roles of opticians and optometrists in Singapore were limited to diagnostic refraction (92%); colour vision assessment (65%); contact lens fitting and dispensing (62%) amongst others. The average self-rated primary eye care knowledge score was 8.2 ± 1.4; (score range 1-10; 1 = very poor, 10 = excellent). Average self-rated confidence scores for screening for cataract, diabetic retinopathy, chronic glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration were 2.7 ± 1.5; 3.7 ± 1.9; 4.0 ± 1.0 and 2.7 ± 1.5, respectively. Three fourths of the optometrists surveyed felt that they should undertake regular continuing professional education (CPE) to improve their primary eye care knowledge. Blended learning (eLearning and traditional face-to-face lectures) was the most preferred mode (46.8%) for CPE delivery. Conclusions: Overall, the findings from the HTA provide evidence of effectiveness, cost-saving of online eLearning and blended learning for training medical doctors and the acceptance of the technology in a local context to facilitate its wider adoption for training post-registration healthcare professionals’. These research outputs would have direct impact on the adoption of online eLearning, blended learning technologies in universities and educational institutes across the region with consequent impacts on post-registration health professionals’ education and policy. The results of learning will serve as a guide for policy makers to decide on investment in the learning technology and to learn about the associated factors, which would influence its adoption. This thesis resulted in three papers, of which one has been accepted for publication, the two other papers are under review.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Adelaide Medical School, 2018

L’intégration des nouvelles technologies en enseignement supérieur ne devrait pas être vue comme un simple effet de mode, mais plutôt comme un cadre de réflexion sur les orientations nouvelles à donner à l’Université du 21ème siècle, en termes de culture institutionnelle, de ressources organisationnelles et d’opérationnalisation d’objectifs de recherche et d’enseignement (Duderstadt et al, 2002 ; Guri-Rosenblit, 2005). En effet, l’émergence d’une nouvelle tendance de formation post-secondaire, qu’est l’intégration des solutions virtuelles au présentiel, n’est pas sans incidences sur les pratiques enseignantes. Or, la littérature n’offre pas de modèles descriptifs satisfaisants permettant de mieux saisir la pertinence des liens entre l’enseignement en contexte d’apprentissage hybride et le développement professionnel des enseignants universitaires. Aussi avons-nous procédé par des observations participantes de deux cours en sciences de la gestion à HEC Montréal, dans les programmes de certificat de premier cycle ainsi que par des entretiens d’explicitation et d’autoconfrontation, pendant toute la session d’automne 2014, pour respectivement recueillir des données sur les pratiques réelles d’un maître d’enseignement, en sociologie du travail, et d’une chargée de cours, en gestion de projets. Notre analyse du corpus, par catégorisations conceptualisantes, a permis la production d’énoncés nomologiques rendant compte de la dynamique de relations entre ces deux phénomènes. Sur le plan scientifique, elle a apporté un éclairage nouveau sur les processus de construction identitaire professionnelle en pédagogie universitaire, en regard des mutations technologiques, socioculturelles et économiques que subissent l’Université, en général, et les pratiques enseignantes et étudiantes, en particulier. L’approche inductive utilisée a donc permis de définir la structure des interactions des deux phénomènes, selon la perspective des deux enseignants, et d’élaborer des modèles d’intervention enracinés dans leurs pratiques quotidiennes. Aussi sur le plan social, ces modèles sont-ils l’expression d’une grammaire de la pensée et de l’action, ancrée dans les valeurs des enseignants eux-mêmes. Nous avons pris en compte le paradigme de la tâche réelle, versus celui de la tâche prescrite, en termes de mise en œuvre concrète des processus pédagogiques, pour rendre les résultats de cette recherche signifiants pour la pratique. Les modèles, qui ont émergé de notre configuration de la pensée dialogique des participants, peuvent être intégrés à la formation des enseignants universitaires en contexte de bimodalisation de l’Université.
The integration of new technologies in higher education should not be seen as a mere fad, but rather a framework for redesigning the new orientations to be given to the University of the 21st century, in terms of institutional culture, organizational resources and achieving the objectives of research and teaching programs. Indeed, the emergence of a new trend of higher education, that is blended learning, has impacts on the pedagogical practices. Yet, there are no satisfactory models in the literature that describes the link pertaining to the relationship between teaching in the context of blended learning and faculty development. Throughout the whole semester of fall 2014, we collected data, by the means of participant observations and self-confrontation interviews, on the teaching activities of one full-time lecturer, in sociology of work, and one part-time lecturer, in project management, with one undergraduate class of each lecturer in the programs of certificate at HEC Montreal. The data analysis, using the conceptual categorizations, brought about theoretical statements underpinning the dynamics of the relationships between the phenomena of blended learning and faculty development. Scientifically, our research has shed a new light on the processes of professional identity construction in faculty development, regarding the technological, sociocultural and economic changes that the University, in general, and, especially, the teaching and learning practices undergo. Our inductive approach has helped to elucidate the structure of the interactions of the two phenomena, from the point of view of the two lecturers, and to construct models of pedagogical practices rooted in their daily teachings. Therefore, socially, these models translate a grammar of thought and action, anchored in the very values of the lecturers. We took into consideration the paradigm of the actual task, versus that of the prescribed task, in terms of implementation of the pedagogical processes, so that the results of this study be meaningful to the practice. The emerging models, from our redesign of the dialogical thinking processes of the two lecturers, can be used for the training of the faculty integrating online solutions to face-face instructions.

Moodle, an online course management system, has been introduced into the school where this study was conducted. One of the features on Moodle is a forum that allows groups to chat online, enabling online collaborative group work. Learners used the forum to design a practical investigation to study the effects of various factors on the acceleration of a falling body and analyse the results in order to draw a conclusion. Consequently, this study compares the effects on learners‟ participation within a group and learners‟ understanding of acceleration due to gravity using an online learning environment as opposed to face-to-face interaction. The study also investigates learners‟ perceptions of the use of activities in Moodle as effective learning tools. Alternative conceptions regarding acceleration due to gravity are common and persistent. It was hoped that a peer group collaborative practical investigation may help challenge these alternative conceptions. Time in class for collaborative learning is limited due to a full curriculum and learners have extensive extramural commitments in the afternoons that limit collaborative opportunities. However, our learners have access to the Internet and are familiar with online social networking. Items in the pre-test and post-test were based on the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation devised by Thornton and Sokoloff (1998). Contrary to their findings that showed a disappointingly small improvement in the scores after traditional teaching, test scores for learners in this study dropped after completing the practical investigation. Another post-test administered seven weeks later showed that many learners had reverted back to previous alternative conceptions. It is possible that the frameworks learners use to solve textbook problems are replaced with intuitive conceptions when faced with with real life application of the laws in their practical investigation. With regard to the collaborative group work, the findings suggest that while there were far fewer off-task comments on the online forum, less challenging of alternative conceptions occurred, with participants often re-stating the correct conception without engaging with the other participants. The face-to-face contained lively debates and the use of good analogies but there were also cases where the voice of reason was drowned-out by more insistent alternative conceptions. Some learners found the discussion on the forum disjointed and difficult to follow. Aspects of the forum can be changed to minimize these problems in future. Most learners enjoyed the self-marking tests and questionnaires. Overall, neither the collaborative discussions on either the Moodle forum or face-to face, nor the practical investigation helped to challenge alternative conceptions.

This qualitative case study explored the nature of the relationships between Local (English) Teachers (LTs) and Foreign (English) Teachers (FTs) who worked at the same English institute of a foreign studies university in south-eastern China. Employing the community of practice framework, this research drew insights from a questionnaire, interviews, and observations. The findings revealed that the teachers seldom interacted and, furthermore, were influenced by broader social structures that were not considered in the framework. Accordingly, the theory was extended to include other perspectives, such as native and non-native English speaking teacher issues and the Chinese concept of face, in order to determine the underlying reasons that inhibited their interaction. Notwithstanding these challenges, three cases of FT-LT collaboration were discovered, and the factors that enhanced their collaboration were analysed. The LT and FT participants provided suggestions to each other and the administrators on how collaboration could be improved in their institute.