This article captures the different perspectives of those involved in a collaborative project which implemented an e-learning initiative with higher education and further education institutions in partnership. The initial part of the article provides context and considers some of the debates in the literature on collaboration. It reflects on what…

This article raises some questions about the current policy context of debates on the link between research and teaching in academic work, specifically within university education departments. It draws selectively from a research project which investigated education academics' perceptions and experiences in Scotland and England but focuses…

This article explores a range of factors associated with excellent teaching from the perspective of past student groups. One hundred and thirty-nine respondents who had been asked to nominate one teacher for an excellence in teaching award provided comments on the reasons for their nomination. An exploration of these reasons is presented. Findings…

This article attempts to examine the implications of introducing critical management education to Chinese students. It is based on an empirical study of 26 students attending MBA programmes at three UK university business schools, one "old" and two "new" universities. The study seems to show that there are significant barriers and problems of…

This article provides a narrative and commentary on the developments, over the last 20 years, of professional standards for lecturers in the lifelong learning and higher education sectors in the UK. The article examines these developments and seeks to demonstrate that a number of tensions and issues arise from the current structures and…

This article considers the value of collaborative forms of educational action research in higher education and the difficulties involved in implementing such forms of research. It is argued that educational action research represents an opportunity for improving teaching and learning and developing the knowledge and skills of those participating…

The Internet has made it impossible for higher education institutions to ignore technology in fulfilling their strategic mission and responding to the expectations of a diverse student body. In the Republic of Ireland, as elsewhere, the use of online technologies has become an increasingly important challenge in academic staff development, and on…

The advancement of distance learning as an educational tool for geographic information systems (GIS) has been at the forefront of educational development at tertiary institutions in the last decade in South Africa. Distance education is envisaged as a means whereby previously disadvantaged members of society, of all ages, can enroll either…

This paper presents an analysis of the current situation of Spanish geography in higher education. The authors show that Spanish geography has undergone a profound transformation in the new democratic era, resulting in a thriving community struggling to find its place amongst other disciplines. To assess the current health of the discipline in…

South Africa's higher education system has undergone significant change since the end of apartheid. A central theme in the debates on higher education transformation has been the tension between the global imperatives of development and the need for universities to respond to the legacy of apartheid. This paper explores this tension by considering…

This paper explores how photographs can be used to teach urban social geography to second- and third-year university students. In it the author describes her work acquainting students with the skill of "directed observation". She argues that teaching geography through photography is not merely asking students to take pictures but rather, the…

China is one of the largest countries in terms of geography student enrolment in higher education. This study draws on an extensive collection of data as well as the authors' own surveys of 20 geography schools/departments, to elaborate on the development features of China's geography in higher education (GHE) against its unique background since…

This paper reflects on the use of digital photography in urban-based human geography fieldwork. It draws on the authors' experience of introducing digital photography into the teaching and assessment of a level 3 undergraduate field course in Berlin. To begin they outline how they sought to use simple digital technologies in order to facilitate…

This paper explores the research method of participatory action research, first by examining the roots of this approach and then analysing the shift to using more participatory approaches than in former years. It begins by considering the reasoning and theoretical underpinning for adopting this approach and provides an overview of the steps to be…

This paper reports on research that investigates the effectiveness of residential field courses in geography, earth science and environmental science courses at UK institutions of higher education. The research focuses on the effects of fieldwork in the affective domain, which is thought to be linked to the adoption of effective approaches to…