ERIC Number: EJ1016417
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1812-9129
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Available Date: N/A
Applying an Appreciative Inquiry Process to a Course Evaluation in Higher Education
Kung, Susie; Giles, David; Hagan, Bill
International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, v25 n1 p29-37 2013
While appreciative inquiry (AI) has its origins in organizational development, this article considers the application of AI within a course evaluation in higher education. An AI process was deemed appropriate given its concern for peak performance or life-centric experiences. Former students of a particular course, along with current students, engaged in the discovery and dream stages of the 4D process, after which the researchers engaged in the identification of perceived causes of success and emergent themes that led to the co-construction of a set of aspirational statements (known as provocative propositions) and an action plan for future teaching staff within the course. Engaged in the process, the students willingly wrote and spoke about their lived experiences of the course, constructing and co-constructing ideas that were professional in nature on one hand and deeply personal on the other. The process and outcomes affirmed the application and power of this strengths-based approach to uncover experiential and interpretive data pertinent to the ongoing development and sustainability of an academic course.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Course Evaluation, Inquiry, Learning Experience, Student Experience, Evaluation Methods, Early Childhood Education, Preservice Teacher Education, Student Characteristics, Teaching Methods, Educational Strategies, Achievement Need, Motivation Techniques, Experiential Learning, Focus Groups, Educational Practices, Phenomenology, Participant Satisfaction, Student Teacher Attitudes
International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning. Web site: http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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