Authentic Assessments: Preparing Undergraduate Computing Students for a New Future of Remote Internships [Scholarly Article - Irish Journal of Academic Practice, 2021]

Title:

Authentic Assessments: Preparing Undergraduate Computing Students for a New Future of Remote Internships

 

Author:

Farrah Higgins

Technological University Dublin

 

Published:

Irish Journal of Academic Practice, Volume 9, Issue 2, 2021

https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijap/vol9/iss2/6/

 

Abstract:

It is accepted practice now in higher education in Ireland that assessments should be designed to assess the learning outcomes of a module and the skills needed for professional practice. Due to the current demands and challenges of remote working, employers are looking for a new set of employability skills where graduates can work autonomously and network remotely. Authentic assessments are an opportunity to produce ‘remote work ready’ graduates for this new working environment. However, authentic assessments can be decontextualised if they are designed without considering both academic outcomes and industry/real-world activities. The following practitioner case study reviews the research literature on authentic assessments. An authentic assessment framework design is outlined to bridge the gap between learning and teaching outcomes and industry expectations. This paper describes the redesign of an assessment practice at TU Dublin following a proposed authentic assessment framework design model. It discusses how the proposed model can help practitioners design authentic assessments to enable computing students to develop and articulate their transversal skills, while preparing them for a future of remote working. Recommendations from this case study can inform and shape the current TU Dublin assessment culture and the IMPACT Community of Practice as a sustainable, authentic assessment practice.

 

Students’ perception of written, audio, video and face-to-face reflective approaches for holistic competency development [Scholarly Article - Active Learning in Higher Education, 2021]

Title:

Students’ perception of written, audio, video and face-to-face reflective approaches for holistic competency development 

 

Authors:

Cecilia KY Chan & Hannah YH Wong

 

Published:

Active Learning in Higher Education, 19 November 2021

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14697874211054449

 

Abstract:

Reflection has been increasingly used to enhance student development in higher education, in both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Learner autonomy is essential on reflection, particularly on how learners interpret their learning experiences. The learner has to take initiatives in making meaning of their learning by examining their experiences, and purposefully exploring their learning. Reflection is a key component in active learning as students actively engage in the process of thinking about what they have learnt or experienced. Mezirow highlighted how reflection can mean many things, including awareness of a perception, thought, feeling, intention and action, taking something into consideration or simply imagining alternatives. And there are also multiple approaches to embracing reflection today, such as reflective essays, videos and online blogs, where reflective processes and approaches may differ particularly in relation to technological adoption. In a learning environment, reflective approaches are adopted with the aim for learners to transfer knowledge and experiences to practice. However, there is scarce literature on student perception of the different reflective approaches. The present paper therefore examines student perspectives on four different reflective approaches and how these different approaches are applied within the context of higher education. The four approaches chosen are written, audio, video and face-to-face based on current literature on how reflection is documented or presented in education) and the integration of the concept of multimodality.

SOUTH AFRICA - Makerspaces: Equipping students with skills for employability in the 21st century [BizCommunity, 21 December 2020]

Title:

Makerspaces: Equipping students with skills for employability in the 21st century

 

Author:

Ahmed Shaikh

 

Published:

BizCommunity, 21 December 2020

https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/371/211683.html

 

From the article:

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that over the next 10 to 20 years, “14% of jobs are at high risk of being fully automated, while another 32% at risk of significant change”. The obvious outcome of this new scenario is that higher education institutions have to prepare students, in order to ‘right-skill’ them to adapt to the new world of work.