Evaluating Changes in Learning and Teaching

Abstract

Editorial Evaluating Changes in Learning and TeachingThe Journal of Geography in Higher Education receives many papers presenting developments in learning and teaching methods. Some of these are original pieces of pedagogic research that may appear as 'mainline' papers, others aim to disseminate good practice or advice and as such may appear as a 'resource' paper. For example, the 1990s witnessed tremendous innovation in the use of the WWW in higher education teaching and greater emphasis upon student acquisition of skills. In response JGHE has published many articles on the most effective use of new technologies and innovative methods of enhancing student acquisition of skills. A challenge for the reviewers of such papers submitted to JGHE is the evaluation of the claims made by many authors about the educational effectiveness of their innovative learning strategy or use of the new technology. The purpose of this editorial is to discuss and provide some guidance on the ways prospective authors can better present the results of their learning innovations and new educational ideas.In writing this editorial I have taken the premise that the author has decided to change the way in which she/he teaches an aspect of their geography course and wishes to disseminate this new practice as a successful (or even unsuccessful) innovation. The discussion below is structured around a series of issues rather than a checklist of methods. The reason is simple: the international audience of JGHE means that there is a range of higher education contexts and consequently there is no universally accepted approach. For example, in the UK it is uncommon for the same course to be taught twice in the same academic year so evaluations of any learning strategy are often based on subsequent years, encompassing the complexity of changes in composition and educational background of the students. Hence comparisons are dif cult. This complexity is lessened, but not eliminated, in institutions-for instance in North America-where a course can be taught in one semester and is repeated, with changes in teaching, in the same academic year. Establish the Criteria for 'Success'We need to think about the evaluation before the introduction of any new teaching method. This probably seems too obvious to need stating but often papers presented to JGHE concentrate on what was done with too little explanation of why this was done. Hence a standard pattern is for a paper to present, sometimes uncritically, an anticipated pedagogic improvement from a learning strategy with very little context for geography students. This is followed by an assessment that emphasises the practical problems of implementation with an examination of the responses from a student evaluation yielding Editorial a high 'satisfaction index' as evidence of the value of the innovation. But if students were 'happy' with the teaching before the new strategy, what is the real reason for the change? Typically the criteria cited are:· to promote greater (critical) understanding; · to develop ski...

Effects of PBL Implementation on Teaching of Geography in High School

“…Problem-based learning (PBL) is one of the clusters of recent innovations in active learning, with a wide range of positive outcomes for students (Powson et al, 2006). Further, Agnew (2001) points out that the supporters of such innovations mainly declare that they promote profound learning through a better understanding of the concepts and skill development, as well as encourage student participation, motivation and inspiring classes. Th ese authors also consider PBL as a learning method and strategy or as a curricular philosophy (Maudsley, 1999).…”