This subject guide has been developed to provide resources which align with QUT's Teaching Capabilities Framework. QUT's teaching capabilities framework clarifies the approach to Improving Teaching for Learning and encompasses the scholarship of teaching practice across four dimensions. This resource guide addresses the first dimension of "Engaging Learners".
Engaging learners in the process of learning involves teachers adopting and fostering active, interactive and deep learning approaches so that learners can interact meaningfully with the concepts, materials, processes and people in a course.
The references in this subject guide are only a starting point. There is an extensive range of other resources available on this subject area.
Books
| Details | Call number | Description |
|---|---|---|
Bigge, M. (1999)Learning theories for teachers, New York : Longman |
KG 153.15024372 2 /6 | This work explains a number of learning theories and how they relate to teaching and learning. Some of the theories explained are the Skinnerian Operant Conditioning, Vygotsky's Thought and Language, Bruner's Cognitive-Interactionish Narrative-Centred Psychology, and Bandura's Linear-Interactionist Social-Cognitive Learning Theory. |
| Biggs, J. (1999) Teaching for quality learning at university : what the student does, Buckingham : Society for Research in to Higher Education and Open University Press. | GP 378.125 88 |
John Biggs tackles how academics can improve their teaching in today's circumstances of large classes and diverse student populations. His approach is practical but not prescriptive. Teachers need to make decisions on teaching and assessment methods to suit their own circumstances. In order to do that they need a conceptual framework to inform their decision making. Such a framework is clearly described and exemplified by this book. |
| Boud, D. and Feletti, G. (1997) The Challenge of Problem-based Learning. London : Kogan Page | KG 378.013 19 /2 | Problem-based learning is a way of constructing and teaching courses using problems as the stimulus and focus for student activity. This work establishes its significance, how it can be used and its strengths and limitations. The book discusses experiences from a range of countries and fields of practice, in order to present a picture of the role of problem based learning in practice. |
| Dart, B., and Boulton-Lewis, G. (1997) Teaching and learning in higher education. Camberwell, Vic : Australian Council for Educational Research | GP 378.125 78 KG 378.125 78 |
This work provides a contribution to the theory and research in the field of teaching and learning in higher education. This book includes chapters from a selection of leading researchers and academics, all of whom have been influences by the work of John Biggs. It is structured around Biggs' model of presage, process and product. |
| Gibbs, G. (1992) Improving the Quality of Student Learning : based on the Improving Student Learning Project funded by the council for National Academic Awards. Oxford : Teachnical and Educational Services Limited. | KG 378.41 75 | A review of research on the effects of course characteristics on student learning, with a range of case studies of subjects redesigned to try to encourage deep approaches. |
| Gibbs, G. (1994) Improving student learning : theory and practice, Headington : Oxford Centre for Staff Development | GP 378.41 93 | The proceedings of the 1st International Improving Student Learning Symposium. Contains a preface by Graham Gibbs summarising the findings of student learning research. The proceedings address aspects of practice on themes such as identifying student's approaches to studying, understanding adult learning and writing. |
| Gibbs, G. and Habeshaw, T. (1996) Learning to Teach : Powerful Ideas in Teaching and Learning. Oxford : The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development. | GP 378.125 72 | This work looks in depth at students perceptions of learning, including topics such as : knowledge construction, responsibility for learning, assessment, small groupwork and work load issues. |
| Evans, L. and Abbott, I. (1998) Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. London : Cassell. | KG 378.1250941 8 | This study examines the quality of teaching in higher education. It highlights and analyses the fundamental issues which influence and underlie the quality of teaching in higher education. In particular it focuses on students' and tutors' perceived needs, requirements and practices. |
| Habeshaw, S., Gibbs, G., and Habeshaw, T. (1992) 53 Interesting Things to do in your Seminars and Tutorials. Bristol : Technical and Educational Services | GP 378.177 3 /4 |
This work outlines 53 interesting practical ideas on topics including : encouraging students to participate, encouraging student responsibility, groupwork and written work. |
| Hativa, N. and Goodyear, P (eds) (2002) Teacher Thinking, Beliefs and Knowledge in Higher Education. Dordrecht : Kluwer Academic Publishers. | KG 378.125 101 | The underlying contention is that a well founded account of the relations between knowledge, beliefs, thinking, intention and action in teaching is necessary to an evidence-based program of improvement in the practices of higher education. |
| Hativa, N. (2000) Teaching for Effective Learning in Higher Education. Boston : Kluwer Academic Publishers. | CA 378.125 94 KG 378.125 94 |
In this work, teaching behaviours and strategies are consistently associated with good teaching are identified and presented within a theoretical framework that explains how they promote students active and meaningful learning. |
| Marton, F. (1997) Learning and Awareness. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum Associates. | KG 370.1523 165 GP 370.1523 165 |
The aspect of learning as in experiencing the world is the focus of this book. It offers an answer to instances of learning in educational institutions by looking at differences in the structure of the learners' awareness and in the meaning of the learners world. |
| Merriam, S., and Caffarella, R. (1999) Learning in adulthood : a comprehensive guide, San Francisco : Jossey-Bass Publishers | KG 374 210 /2 | Guides readers towards new ways of thinking about teaching, learning and the broader social implications of adult education. Explores learning in both formal and informal settings, age and learning styles and the nature of self-directed learning. |
| Murphy, E. (1998) Lecturing at University. Bently, W.A.: Paradigm Books Curtin University. | KG 378.1796 17 | The aim of this book is to provide a concise, easy-to-read, practical manual for university lecturers. It is designed both for those who are experienced and particularly for those who are just starting out on their lecturing careers. |
| Pratt, D.(1998) Five perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education, Florida : Krieger Publishing Company | KG 371.782 4 | This work is derived from several years studying the teaching of adults in Asia and North America. It presents five different perspectives on teaching adults. Each perspective is described as a set of actions, intentions and beliefs, and then illustrated within contexts of adult education practice. |
| Prosser, M., and Trigwell, K. (1999) Understanding learning and teaching : the experience in higher education, Buckingham : Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press | CA 378.125 85 |
Prosser and Trigwell argue that the answer to improving the quality of student learning lies in determining how students perceive their unique learning situations. In doing so they draw upon the considerable body of educational research into student learning in higher education which has been developed and published over the last three decades; and they enable university teachers to research and improve their own teaching. |
| Schon, D. (1995) The Reflective Practitioner : how professionals think in action. Aldershot, England : Arena. | GP 153.4 114 /2 | A leading M.I.T. social scientist and consultant examines five professions - engineering, architecture, management, psychotherapy. and town planning - to show how professionals really go about solving problems. This work looks at this largely unexamined process in an effort to show precisely how "reflection-in-action" works and how this vital creativity might be fostered in future professionals. |
| Schunk, D. (2000) Learning theories : an educational perspective, New Jersey : Merrill | KG 370.1523 90 /3 | This work addresses the following topics : behavioural theories, information processing, cognitive learning processes, development and learning, content area learning, motivation, self-regulation and instruction. |
| Sternberg, R., and Zhang, L. (2001) Perspectives on thinking, learning, and cognitive styles, London : L. Erlbaum Associates | KG 153 340 |
This volume presents coverage of theory and research on thinking, learning and cognitive styles. The central premise of this work is that cognitive, learning and thinking styles are not abilities, but rather preferences in the use of abilities. |
Journal articles and book portions
| Details | Location | Abstract |
|---|---|---|
| Biggs, J. (1999) What the Student Does : teaching for enhanced learning, Higher Education Research and Development, 18(1), 57-75. | Online |
This article focuses on the adoption of an efficient instructional system by teachers to maintain academic standards. It explains how the organisation of teaching contexts can encourage students to use a higher order learning process. |
| Devlin, M. (2002) Taking Responsibility for Learning isn't Everything : a case for developing tertiary students' conceptions of learning, Teaching in Higher Education, 7(2), 125-138 | Online |
This study examines first year university student perceptions of responsibility for their learning, within the context of their conceptions of learning, with a view to meeting two of the objectives of higher education in Australia: teaching students to think and to learn. A questionnaire was distributed to 100 students undertaking at least one first year subject at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) in 1998. Results indicated that students held perceptions of personal responsibility for their learning, but that their conceptions of learning were essentially quantitative in nature and were at the lower levels of complexity. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of university teaching and learning, and of meeting the ultimate objectives of higher education. |
| Entwistle, N., Skinner, D., Entwistle, D. and Orr, S. (2000) Conceptions and Beliefs about "Good Teaching" : an integration of contrasting research areas. Higher Education Research and Development, 19(1), 5-26 | Online |
Previous research on conceptions of teaching comes from three distinct areas. The first is based on interviews with students and staff in higher education, the second involves the investigation of the conceptions and beliefs of school teachers, while the third derives from more general consideration of the nature of conceptions themselves. The empirical study reported here drew on these differing research areas to distinguish between beliefs and conceptions about "good teaching" and to explore their possible origins. The data came from student teachers, but the findings contribute to current thinking about conceptions of teaching in higher education. Bringing the empirical findings together with the three areas of previous research enables a more complete concept map to be drawn to summarise what may underlie the notion of "good teaching". |
| Marton, F., Dall'Alba, G., and Beaty, E. (1993). Conceptions of learning. International Journal of Educational Research, 19(3), 277-300. | KG Periodical 370 214 | In an interview carried out at the beginning of their studies, 29 students on a Social Science Foundation course at the Open University in Britain were asked about their view of learning. Learning was seen as (a) increasing one's knowledge, (b) memorizing and reproducing, (c) applying, (d)understanding, (e) seeing something in a different way, and (f) changing as a person. The first five of these conceptions were identical to those earlier identified by Saljo (1979). Further differentiations have been made within the various conceptions, and some more general characteristics of the commonalities between conceptions have been presented, within the framework of the model of description suggested. |
| Schulman, L. (1999) "Taking Learning Seriously", Change, Vol 31 (4), p11-18. | Online | Schulman examines what it means to take learning seriously. As a professor, he offers several explanations, including : professing one's understanding, taking learning as a dual process, understanding the ways in whcih students fail to learn, committing to a scholarship of teaching and creating partnerships for learning and teaching. |
| Trigwell, K. and Prosser, M. (1996) Changing Approaches to Teaching : A relational perspective. Studies in Higher Education, 21(3), 275-284. | Online | Looks at the conceptions of teaching and learning of a group of first year science lecturers in Australia. The article explores the relation between those conceptions and their approaches to teaching. Relations between conceptions of teaching and conceptions of learning were not so strong, but lecturers with highly developed conceptions of teaching differentiated between teaching and learning in quite different ways to those with less well-developed conceptions. The implications of these results for the practice and development of teaching in higher education are discussed. |
Internet resources
| Details | Abstract |
|---|---|
| Generic Capabilities of ATN University Graduates | This is the website for the ATN Generic Capabilities Report. The aim of this report was to provide support for course teams in the ATN universities in reviewing and revising course curricula to foster the development of graduate capabilities, in devising appropriate learning experiences for students and in designing appropriate assessment for the non-subject specific objectives of university programmes, i.e. what is to be learned, how it can be learned and whether it has been learned. A staff development package has been developed that contains background reading, activities, and a number of case studies. |
| Good Practices in Teaching and Learning. University College Dublin. | The purpose of this web page is to give an introduction to the main concepts and principles in the area of 'Good Practices in Teaching and Learning' in tertiary education. Topics covered include : Deep, surface and strategic approaches to learning; lifelong learning; self-directed learning; curriculum and course design; small and large group teaching, and flexible learning. |
| Teaching Effectively in Higher Education in Hong Kong | The Teaching Effectively in Higher Education in Hong Kong (TEHE) website is designed to present a selection of teaching resources developed by teachers for teachers in Hong Kong. It is mainly designed for new teachers in Hong Kong but it has a wealth of information that will help academics worldwide. |
| Teaching Perspectives Inventory | The Teaching Perspectives Inventory has been developed by Daniel Pratt and John Collins as a tool for teachers. The Teaching Perspectives Inventory can help you collect your thoughts and summarize your ideas about teaching. It can be useful in examining your own teaching as well as helping clarify the teaching views of other people. |
| VARK : A guide to Learning Styles | Vark is a questionnaire that provides users with a profile of their preferences. These preferences are about the ways that they want to take-in and give-out information whilst learning. This site provides four different conceptions of learning styles and methods for teaching and learning which best suit each style. |
Related guides
There are four other related guides which combine to make the QUT Teaching Capabilities Framework Resource Guide. These are :
- Whole of Framework Resources
- Designing for Learning
- Assessing for Learning
- Managing for Learning
- Scholarship of Teaching
If you have any suggestions for publications which could be included in this guide please contact us.