No abstract

FrancesDeepwell f.deepwell@coventry.ac.uk This paper presents an investigation into how students studying at university engage actively with learning technology in their self-directed study time. The case study surveyed 250 students studying at undergraduate and postgraduate level from a purposive sample of departments within one institution. The study has also conducted focus groups and a number of in-depth follow-up interviews with respondents to the survey. In this article we explore three emerging aspects of the learning experience, namely student expectations of the technology, their lecturers' engagement with technology and how the technology might support processes of transition in higher education. One key implication is that more academic guidance is needed on what and how to use the technology effectively for independent learning, even where ICT skills levels are high. The study also identifies the significant role that the lecturer plays in facilitating students' use of technology. The findings of this study will be of interest to those working to incorporate learning technologies more effectively in higher education, in particular for those who are looking to improve the engagement of students in self-directed learning.Keywords: student experience; learning technologies; self-directed learning; blended learning; case study IntroductionThis paper reports on an investigation into the experiences of students using learning technologies in their learning while studying on campus-based university courses. Particular attention is paid to the experiences of campus-based students outside formal classroom interactions in self-directed study. Self-directed learning (SDL) is 'a form of study in which learners have the primary responsibility for planning, carrying out and evaluating their own learning experiences ' (Merriam and Caffarella 1991, 41). SDL occurs in both informal and formal learning situations and typical activities include peer discussion and collaboration, accessing library resources, reading, research and development and working through tutorial materials and workbooks. Within formal academic programmes in the UK, hours are allocated to self-directed study in addition to hours for lectures and seminar attendance. These hours are quantified in quality assurance documents and typically constitute a substantial proportion of an academic programme. We were, therefore, interested in investigating how students were using technology during this time, which is, at least notionally, at the disposal of the students. There is an expectation on the part of the higher education institution that students use the time for studying in depth and preparing their coursework. For the student this notional time is under threat. The threats can come externally from the demands of income generation to cover fees and living expenses, social pressures and an overloaded curriculum, *Corresponding author. Email: f.deepwell@coventry.ac.uk 6 F. Deepwell and S. Maliktogether with a declining staff:student ratio. However, th...

FrancesDeepwell f.deepwell@coventry.ac.uk This paper presents an investigation into how students studying at university engage actively with learning technology in their self-directed study time. The case study surveyed 250 students studying at undergraduate and postgraduate level from a purposive sample of departments within one institution. The study has also conducted focus groups and a number of in-depth follow-up interviews with respondents to the survey. In this article we explore three emerging aspects of the learning experience, namely student expectations of the technology, their lecturers' engagement with technology and how the technology might support processes of transition in higher education. One key implication is that more academic guidance is needed on what and how to use the technology effectively for independent learning, even where ICT skills levels are high. The study also identifies the significant role that the lecturer plays in facilitating students' use of technology. The findings of this study will be of interest to those working to incorporate learning technologies more effectively in higher education, in particular for those who are looking to improve the engagement of students in self-directed learning.

PurposeThe aim of the study reported here was to compare the improvement of visual acuity (VA) of diabetic and nondiabetic patients after neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, 50 age- and sex-matched patients, comprising 25 nondiabetics and 25 diabetics (referred to as Group A and B, respectively), with posterior chamber poly(methyl methacrylate) non-foldable intraocular lens implants attending our clinic at Karachi for capsulotomy had pre- and postoperative measures of VA, posterior pole visibility, and grading of posterior capsular opacity as seen on slit-lamp examination. VA was recorded before and after performing standard capsulotomy.ResultsThe postoperative (mean) VA in nondiabetics was 0.25, 0.23, and 0.21 logMAR as compared with 0.25, 0.25, and 0.24 logMAR in diabetics at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months, respectively. P-values of 0.47, 0.47, and 0.24, respectively, were determined, which were not significant. Preoperative VA improvement was recorded in 92% of diabetics in Group B and 96% of nondiabetics in Group A. Two (8%) diabetic patients developed glaucoma and did not participate in the study further.ConclusionRemarkable improvement in VA was achieved in both Group A and B, but the Group A nondiabetics showed more improvement in best-corrected VA after Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy.

The quintessence of learning will be figuring out how to learn and think with a specific goal to meet the demands of the 21st century. Specifically, learners ought to be prepared to work in various situations with numerous unpredictable requirements. The present experimental study depicts the experiences of prospective teachers while studying a course through Problem Based Learning. The study was conducted by using a quasiexperimental design. The lecture-cum-discussion method was followed in the control group, whereas the lessons in the treatment group were implemented according to the 7-steps of Problem-Based Learning. A purposive sample of two groups (control and experimental group) of female prospective teachers studying the course of Educational Research enrolled in Department of Education, International Islamic University Islamabad was taken for the study. The experimental group (N=30) described their experiences of learning the course through PBL in interviews. The analysis was done through coding the responses and making themes.