Although numerous studies have been conducted on conceptions of teaching, research extending this investigation into conceptions of teaching using eLearning is rare. This study employed a phenomenographic approach to investigate what university teachers think eLearning is good for in their teaching. Four qualitatively different ways of conceiving…

This mixed methods study used a survey with programme completers from 32 UK higher education institutions, and interviews and focus groups with programme completers, programme leaders, heads of department and pro-vice-chancellors, to explore the perceived impact of UK-accredited teaching development programmes upon participants and departments.…

The latest UK White Paper has once again focused attention on the quality of learning, teaching and professional development in higher education. Underpinning the discussion is the premise that teaching excellence and professional development are essential for all academics, in particular new lecturers, which are firmly positioned within the…

This article reports on a study of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS), which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The study undertook a critical evaluation of the NTFS and focused on three main areas: (1) how 'teaching excellence' is understood within the NTFS; (2) the key characteristics of the NTFS as a development…

Peer observation of teaching can be seen as a means by which the quality of the teaching and learning process in higher education establishments is both accounted for and improved. The majority of the literature to date has focused on the mechanisms for implementing peer observation systems and its links to enhanced professional practice. However,…

A variety of models of the scholarship of university teaching have been advocated since Boyer first proposed that the scholarship of teaching be considered as one of four forms of scholarship associated with university practices. These models have evolved from theoretical and empirically based analyses, and have as their core value concepts as…

In response to policy developments in higher education in the UK, the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE--now merged in the Higher Education Academy) was established in 1999 to provide a national framework for teaching and learning at tertiary level. This article considers the training environment of novice lecturers…

A study explored the extent to which 142 undergraduate students' willingness and perceived capacity to engage in self-directed learning, and ability to think critically, were explained by psychological type. Results indicate extroverted intuition is a strong predictor for self-directed learning; psychological type did not predict critical…

A discussion of college students' learning motivation looks at how theory concerning work attitudes and motivation may apply to student learning, and how assessment can enhance learning. Strategies are offered for faculty to use in increasing the kind of learning motivation they traditionally favor, but an argument is also made for allowing…

The planning of continuing medical education (CME) for general practitioners in the province of Limburg is outlined, including a survey of practitioners concerning their educational needs, a followup study to an intensive CME course, and an outline of a new curriculum approach. (MSE)

The teaching approaches and attitudes toward teaching of University of Queensland faculty rated superior under one rating system are examined, including professional and personal skills and attitudes such as subject area competence, ability to communicate knowledge in various classroom contexts, and commitment to facilitating learning in…

The results of a survey of department chairmen in nine British university-level institutions concerning the system of external evaluation, especially the duties and approaches of examiners, are discussed. (MSE)

A discussion of the relationship between theory and practice in professional continuing education considers the different kinds of professional knowledge (according to its generalizability or explicitness), modes of knowledge (replication, application, interpretation, association), and the contexts of knowledge use. (MSE)

A system for classifying educational objectives based on a description of personal attributes is proposed to fill the gap in analyzing and specifying objectives for professional education. The system's application to curriculum analysis and design in professional and other kinds of education is discussed. (MSE)

A typology of the vocational intent of various college courses, or the stated objectives and curricula of courses as they relate to specific occupational fields is proposed that makes distinctions about vocational specificity, selection for employment, and training for employment. (MSE)