This paper opens by summarising the case for student-directed learning in online higher education as a means of bringing about the development and use of higher-level cognitive and interpersonal abilities such as critical and creative thinking. The writers refine their conceptualisations of student-direction, different to, but flowing from…

This article discusses the issues and problems which typically arise in the process of compiling non-completion statistics, using the example of an empirical investigation of student non-continuation on an institution-wide language programme. The research highlights the fact that the validity of seemingly neutral dropout figures depends on the…

A survey of student satisfaction and dissatisfaction was undertaken within an undergraduate education studies cohort at a new university in the English Midlands. The cohort included both 'traditional' and 'non-traditional' students and represented an increasingly typical 'widened' community of students within higher education. This student-…

Peer observation has become a feature of university practice over the last decade, the primary impetus for its introduction being the political drive to raise teaching quality via the development and sharing of 'good practice'. Peer observation within higher education (HE) involves observing colleagues in the classroom and has the further aim of…

This paper explores how lecturers across a range of subjects perceived lectures. In particular, what did they regard the role of modern technology to be. Twenty-five lecturers were interviewed, using a semi-structured schedule. Results indicated a range of views from the lecture as an inspirational address to providing a detailed outline of each…