UWI Regional Conference on Institutionalising Best Practice in Higher Education 2015 Proceedings

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Defining best practice: Contextual relevance in the Caribbean [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Harvey, Claudia
The word "best" is heavily value laden and, therefore, "best practice" can only be discussed within a particular context; in this instance, higher education in the Caribbean. The Strategic Plan for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM 2014), outlines the strategic priorities for the region until 2019 as: strong economic growth and reduction in poverty and unemployment; improved quality of life; reduced environmental vulnerability; and an integrated community with equity for all. The Plan envisages a strong role for tertiary education in preparing its graduates to deliver on these priorities. Drawing on the UWI Survey of the Literature on Global Best Practices in Higher Education (Harvey, 2012), this keynote presentation examined the problematique of defining best practice in higher education. The paper then examined the definition in terms of higher education helping to meet the defined priority needs of the Caribbean. An attempt was made to illustrate the definition by drawing on examples of "best practice" in higher education in Cuba, a country operating within severe economic strictures, yet able to meet their particular societal needs and have such "best practice", particularly in medicine, as to help serve the whole world. From the derived definition, the presentation examined some of the implications for application to higher education institutions and programmes and quality assurance agencies in the Caribbean.
The design and development of study materials to facilitate skills development in recognising statements in academic text
(2015-07-15) Kuboni, Olabisi
This paper outlines the strategies employed in the design and development of study materials for building learner competence in recognizing and differentiating among statements in academic text. This specific skill represents one aspect of the broader capability of unpacking complex academic information, which appears to be a challenge for a growing number of higher education students, in particular those belonging to the mature cohort. Drawing on prior knowledge from personal engagement with academic texts, the author developed a draft instructional framework around three statement-types, namely, facts, assertions, and generalizations. Based on feedback obtained from peer review of the draft framework, an in-depth analysis of the statement-types was conducted. This analysis entailed matching dictionary/thesaurus definitions of each of the three with relevant segments of text drawn from a selection of journals. This exercise led to a fuller conception of each statement-type and the development of a more fleshed out instructional framework. The first of the three statement-types was also changed from "facts" to "facts and factual information." This fleshed-out framework provided the basis for the development of the study materials, which comprise a series of slide (PowerPoint)-sound presentations with accompanying assessment exercises, and which are organized within an online study environment. Issues receiving special attention in the paper include cognitive task analysis as an alternative instructional design strategy when the focus is on building schemata, as well as the pros and cons of utilizing embedded versus generic materials for skills training.
Implementation success story of a business intelligence (BI) system - Solving the big organisation data problem with best practices in BI [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Bhatt, Ashish
No one can deny the importance of information in decision making; however, getting the right 'trust worthy' information as and when needed poses a big challenge for decision makers in a large organisation. Information is gained through the interpretation of data when placed within the context of a problem or situation. Data is often dispersed throughout an organisation in multiple systems that an organisation acquires over time, and may become subject to inconsistencies in interpretation and data quality issues, as systems constantly adapt to growing business needs. Best practices in business intelligence (BI) address this "big organisation data problem." In the absence of a proper BI system, getting the right data can be cumbersome and time consuming; by the time data is received for interpretation and analysis it risks being outdated or irrelevant. This presentation follows the successful implementation of a BI system at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus. It presents the BI strategy for the Campus, a BI framework solution that addresses inherent challenges and risks associated with the implementation of a BI system, standards established to support institutionalization of best practices in BI, lessons learnt, preliminary findings, and results.
Blended approaches to English as a foreign language instruction
(2015-07-15) Daly, Avian
The teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in the English-speaking Caribbean is becoming a lucrative branch of the tertiary education sector. While some learners seek a fully immersive experience, others prefer a blended option to accommodate personal and professional schedules. Regardless of the desired experience, the current regional trend suggests a significant shift from mainstream US/UK EFL providers toward the English-speaking Caribbean for accredited, cost-effective, alternative modes of instruction. This phenomenon presents unique challenges to the English-speaking Caribbean, as our institutions of higher education (HE) seek to establish themselves as leaders in the field of EFL instruction. This theoretical paper therefore critically assesses best practices in blended approaches as presented in the literature, namely, the use of the learning management system, Moodle, and video-conferencing technology, in response to the demand for online EFL instruction adapted to the Caribbean context. An analysis of the aforementioned practices will provide greater insight into the challenges that may be encountered in online EFL delivery for the EFL programme at the UWI St. Augustine.
Meeting student needs through the Open Campus: Opportunities and possibilities [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Severin, Francis O.
This presentation examines the following topics: 1) The Needs - critical thinking, employability, civic responsibility/political astuteness, gender equity, ethical behaviour; 2) Avoiding the tragedy of the pedagogy of the oppressed; 3) Online versus face-to-face/in-class; 4) Retaining students in the online environment; and 5) Some hope: The DFATD-SDEC Project in the Open Campus - investing in employability skills of the Caribbean with sensitivity to gender.
Student Entrepreneurial Empowerment Development (SEED) Project [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Young Marshall, Ayanna
SEED is a motivational entrepreneurship development programme and co-curricular course that fosters self-reliance, innovation, and entrepreneurship among students. SEED's ultimate goal is to expand employment choices so that instead of having to rely on jobs in the private and public sectors, graduates will start their own businesses. SEED uses non-conventional teaching methods, mentorship, and a business plan competition as part of its innovative approach. This presentation provides context, a description of SEED objectives, components, primary activities, constraints, opportunities, impact, and build out. Some concluding observations are included.
Best practice in higher education: The experience of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Gift, Stephan
This presentation briefly discusses each of the categories under which the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine was recently accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), namely: 1) Aims and objectives; 2) Outcomes from last IET visit; 3) Programme; 4) Admission, progression and award; 5) Projects; 6) Staffing; 7) Resources and facilities; and 8) Quality assurance.
Students' attitudes towards research: Applying best practice principles through a student-centred approach
(2015-07-15) Belgrave, Korah L.; Jules, Janice E.
Informal observation over the last five years reveals that a number of students in the undergraduate programme in Linguistics at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus demonstrate negative attitudes towards courses that require them to learn and participate in the research process. Hence, this paper presents an analysis of the attitudes of undergraduate linguistics students at the Cave Hill Campus towards research in order to determine students' perception of the use of student-centred principles associated with best practices during instruction in the courses with research activities: LING2302: Sociolinguistics, LING3202: Creole Linguistics, and LING2099: Research Methods in Linguistics, and the implications of these findings for the teaching/learning process. Through an action research design, information was collected from a purposive sample comprising Level 2 and 3 students in the linguistics undergraduate programme. Accordingly, qualitative data gathered from a questionnaire and from a focus group provide a description of students' orientation towards research. There is also analysis of students' perceptions of the extent to which the course content addresses their research needs and caters to their success in life beyond the classroom. A quantitative component provides some measurement of the dependent variable. The analysis of the results validate the hypothesis that students' perceptions of the functionality of research and its meaningful application to real-life situations results in a positive attitude towards research. Findings suggest that greater focus on student-centred principles of best practice in the courses' research components would enhance the worth and usefulness within a broader world context.g is an element of best practice that can be explored as a means of improving teaching and learning at The UWIOC.
Strategies for financing higher education: The Caribbean context [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Downes, Andrew S.
This presentation examines 1) stakeholders' perspectives of financing higher education, 2) recent trends in financing higher education, 3) some socio-economic considerations, and 4) "best practice" in the Caribbean context.
A critical look at key components of The University of the West Indies quality assurance system [Panel]
(2015-07-15) Dottin, Pamela; Gift, Sandra; Perkins, Anna Kasafi; Thompson, Kay
Using the Framework for Analysis of Practices in Higher Education (FAPHE) proffered by Harvey (2012), this panel critically assesses components of The University of the West Indies (UWI) academic Quality Management System (QMS), as implemented by the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU). These components are: i) the integration of institutional research data in the self-assessment process; (ii) review team selection; (iii) quality assurance of distance and online education; and (iv) work based/experiential learning. Harvey's key principles for establishing the presence of best practices-efficiency in the use of resources, being well-documented, engagement of key stakeholders, and undertaking monitoring and evaluation-is the framework for the assessment. These principles address the administrative and management concerns of policy, leadership, human resource development, and monitoring and evaluation, which have been identified elsewhere as important in developing quality in higher education. In examining these features critically, evidence is identified for the presence of best practice or gaps that need to be closed for the system to produce superior results. A mixed methodological approach is utilized; it involves undertaking a desk study of quality assurance review team reports from the various UWI campuses completed within the last five years, post-review evaluation instruments completed by review team members and heads of departments, as well as policy, and strategic planning documentation of the university and the Quality Assurance Unit. For the integration of institutional research data, a comparative review is undertaken against QA systems used in two other higher education institutions. Reference is also made to the literature on best practice.
Community Service Learning Project, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Romeo-Joseph, Juliet
This presentation defines "Community Service Learning" (CSL), identifies the best practice principles for higher education that relate to teaching and learning, and examines how CSL relates to the development of the student from a pedagogical standpoint and satisfies the mandate of The University of the West Indies (UWI) and its impact on the nation/region. It then presents a case study of the Community Service Learning Project, showing how it has been incorporated into the B.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering programme, and identifies the overall project goals, logistics, outcomes, lessons learned, and future plans.
From student engagement to transformation: Best practices for teaching and learning [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Butin, Dan
This presentation discusses the key challenges and insights in the last two decades for teaching and learning in higher education. It focuses on best practices for student engagement and high impact practices, and offers a vision of fostering transformation from shallow to deep learning. It is suggested that such a scholarship must take into account the rise of digital learning technologies, student backgrounds and aspirations, and the civic role of higher education in society.
Best practice explored - Team teaching approach in one online course (a case study)
(2015-07-15) Guscott, Kareen
In recent years, team teaching has been considered an important part of course delivery to enhance class interaction, and improve the teaching and learning environment for both facilitators and students. Team teaching specific to the online environment is somewhat under-examined, but research on the method suggests that it can be beneficial to students if implemented effectively. This paper reports on the effort at The University of the West Indies Open Campus (UWIOC) in utilizing the team teaching approach in one online course. The purpose of the case study was to identify the effectiveness of team teaching and determine if such collaboration would be beneficial to students and facilitators. Using the course as a case study, qualitative and quantitative data were collected from facilitators and students to get their perspective on the experience. The main theme from the findings is the timely feedback that students received. The findings revealed that the experience gave facilitators a stronger sense of collegiality, and helped to improve their instructional practices. For the students, the experience was very good as they received more individual attention, timely feedback, and learning was enhanced. The endorsement of the approach by the students was evident by the 100 percent consensus, that, if offered again, they would enrol in another team teaching class. The findings will be shared with the Programme Delivery Department team for discussion, as they suggest that team teaching is an element of best practice that can be explored as a means of improving teaching and learning at The UWIOC.
Quality assurance in teacher education through insider evalutation and stakeholder involvement: A case for programme renewal
(2015-07-15) Yamin-Ali, Jennifer; Herbert, Susan; James, Freddy; Ali, Shahiba; Augustin, Desiree; Philip, Sharon; Rampersad, Joycelyn
This paper presents a description of a teacher education programme evaluation that was initiated, planned, and executed in an attempt to enhance the quality of the programme's content, delivery, and impact. The evaluation was conducted within the framework of academic research, and comprised reports on the perspectives of major stakeholders' (principals, heads of departments, deans, and teachers) on whether the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed.) programme (2004-2009) had met their expectations; and on the benefits and limitations of the programme and the impact of the programme on teachers' practice. In addition to those stakeholders, data were collected from officials of the Ministry of Education, who are categorized as the client of the School of Education, who is the provider. Subsequent to the preliminary enquiry into those stakeholder perspectives, a more probing approach was applied to the perspectives of heads of departments, SOE staff, and Ministry officials. The final phase of the evaluation involved observation of teachers' classroom teaching and interviews with the top and middle management of those schools. The evaluation was guided by Guskey's (2002) theoretical and conceptual model of evaluating the impact of CPD on teachers' practice, and by the fourth generation evaluation model of Guba and Lincoln (1989). The sample for each phase was either stratified random or purposive. This research is significant in that it focuses on the role of the stakeholder in determining effective practice in teacher education. It also highlights the process of rigorous programme evaluation and renewal through staff engagement.
Best practices in ACTT accredited institutions [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Bradshaw, Michael
This presentation provides a synopsis of how institutions accredited by the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT) demonstrate tertiary level education best practice principles as part of, and as a result of, achieving accredited status. It attempts to examine how institutions, after achieving the status, engage in institutional development with regard to developing a rigorous Quality Management System, in order to improve mechanisms for governance and administration, programme development, teaching and learning strategies, student support, and resource management.
The social dimension of listening: From theory to HE practice
(2015-07-15) Mideros, Diego
The skill of Listening in Foreign/Second Language (L2) teaching and learning has been traditionally considered a "passive-receptive" skill. This paper illustrates how in the Spanish degree programme at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine we have applied the latest findings in listening research to move away from that assumption. Based on listening metacognitive strategies (Vandergrift and Goh, 2012); Sociocultural Theory in L2 learning (Lantolf and Thorne, 2007); and the Interaction Approach (Gass and Selinker, 2008) we have managed to innovate the ways in which we approach the teaching and learning of listening. This paper traces the theoretical shift from listening as a learner-internal phenomenon to a more social-oriented dimension. This social shift has deeply affected the kinds of listening teaching and learning practices in and outside the classroom in our programme. Examples of innovative listening classroom practice and research and comparison with listening practices in other HE institutions will serve to illustrate best practice in pedagogical research in the UWI Spanish degree programme.
Exploiting asynchronous delivery at the tertiary level: Transitioning from the traditional to the flipped model
(2015-07-15) Keith, Lyn R.
In recent years, educators, particularly those within the tertiary level landscape, have been subject to criticisms for their apparent inability to effectively educate students; in particular, their failure to explore the potential of technology. These criticisms have generated even more concern as the educational landscape is characterized by the inclusion of information communication technologies and their potential to facilitate digital learning. The asynchronous or Location Independent Learning (LIL) is a student-centred mode of delivery which posits the idea that students learn the same material at different times and locations. Compared to the traditional, synchronous mode of delivery, the level of convenience provided by the asynchronous modality provides opportunities for individualized pace and deeper reflection. The "flipped" or "inverted" classroom is proposed as one such way of reaching students, by speaking their digital language while at the same time creating opportunities for the development and harnessing of the critical thinking skills that could allow them to navigate the professional and social world thereafter. Using action research, this study reports on the transition from a partial to fully flipped video classroom format at a tertiary level institution in Trinidad and Tobago, as a potential means to incorporate: 1) an asynchronous component that could allow for more schedule flexibility and appeal to a millennial audience; and 2) a synchronous, interactive face-to-face component that focuses on problem solving, collaboration, crafting, and creating. The primary objectives of this study were to determine students' perception of the flipped classroom as well as to map the progression of learning in both iterations.
Programme accreditation: Medicine and dentistry [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Rafeek, Reisha
This presentation discusses the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP), and explores accreditation of medicine and dental programmes in the Faculty of Medical Sciences of The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, with respect to: (a) accreditation standards, and (b) best practice in higher education.
Assessing value and effectiveness of study abroad and exchange programmes in foreign language degree programmes at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus
(2015-07-15) Roberts, Nicole
As study abroad efforts take on increased importance globally, it is vital that we use the resources of the academy to research the impact and effectiveness of these programmes (Lederman, 2007). For this paper, action research was used to assess all aspects of the varied exchange (EXC) programmes and study abroad (SA) programmes that exist at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus. Data were collected from among students in the French and Spanish programmes. While many students lauded the broad intentions of the programmes, it was found that the impact of these international experiences on student learning has not to date been assessed with an aim to making interventions in the varied programmes. The study seeks to assess the academic benefit of the programmes while at the same time assess the value-added aspects of the programmes. As Vande Berg indicates, to simply send students to a location abroad for academic study is not sufficient toward facilitating the larger goal of creating effective global citizenship. Findings from this research lend empirical support to the notion that study abroad and exchange programmes at all levels facilitate the creation of global citizens. Additionally, it must be noted that it is not enough to send students to study abroad without intentional pedagogy focused on outcomes of intercultural effectiveness.
UNESCO perspectives on best practices of regional quality assurance networks: Implications for Latin America and the Caribbean [PowerPoint]
(2015-07-15) Hönow, Jochen
This presentation examines regional quality assurance in Latin America and the Caribbean, and identifies the implications for quality assurance agencies in the region.

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