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Papers by Dorothy Spiller
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2013
ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practic... more ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practice in higher education institutions, providing data for monitoring teaching quality and for teacher professional development. While extensive research has been done on student evaluations, there is less research-based evidence about teachers’ perceptions of and engagement with student evaluations, the focus of the research reported in this paper. An interpretive approach framed the study in which data were gathered through questionnaire and interview responses from teaching staff at three New Zealand tertiary institutions. Results highlighted the general acceptance of the notion of student evaluations, recurring ideas about the limitations of evaluations and significant gaps in the way academics engage with student evaluation feedback. Recommendations for enhancing teacher engagement with student evaluation are made to optimise the potential for student evaluations to inform teaching development and to improve students’ learning experiences.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02602938 2013 767876, Feb 25, 2013
ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practic... more ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practice in higher education institutions, providing data for monitoring teaching quality and for teacher professional development. While extensive research has been done on student evaluations, there is less research-based evidence about teachers’ perceptions of and engagement with student evaluations, the focus of the research reported in this paper. An interpretive approach framed the study in which data were gathered through questionnaire and interview responses from teaching staff at three New Zealand tertiary institutions. Results highlighted the general acceptance of the notion of student evaluations, recurring ideas about the limitations of evaluations and significant gaps in the way academics engage with student evaluation feedback. Recommendations for enhancing teacher engagement with student evaluation are made to optimise the potential for student evaluations to inform teaching development and to improve students’ learning experiences.
Enhancing the Learner Experience in Higher Education, 2013
This paper draws on research that is currently in progress across three New Zealand higher educat... more This paper draws on research that is currently in progress across three New Zealand higher education institutions. The research examines lecturers' perceptions of the formal student appraisal process and the influence of these views on lecturer thinking and behavior at all stages of the teaching and learning cycle. This paper examines the views of twenty lecturers at Waikato University, New Zealand, who were interviewed as part of the larger study and focuses on lecturers' perceptions about students' capacity to make judgments about the quality of their learning experience within the context of the formal appraisal system. The discussion also examines other factors that may influence lecturer's perception, the way they engage with student feedback and the extent to which they use it to modify their teaching practices. The findings from the Waikato University interviews indicate that lecturers were generally positive about students' capacity to evaluate teaching a...
Thesis (M.A. - English)-University of Natal, Durban.
Extract: The milieu of the contemporary western university has many features that make it suscept... more Extract: The milieu of the contemporary western university has many features that make it susceptible to conflict. Consequently, finding appropriate models of conflict resolution for universities is becoming imperative. Currently, there is a considerable amount of mediation practice in western universities and increasing recognition of its usefulness. However, there has been less debate about and analysis of the model and
Enhancing the Learner Experience in Higher Education, 2013
Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 1980
Abstract The survey described here was an attempt to discover what types of fiction are issued in... more Abstract The survey described here was an attempt to discover what types of fiction are issued in public libraries, how novels are chosen by users, whether they are reserved and whether read, and also to record users' observations on other matters such as preferences ...
International Journal for Academic Development, 2013
Innovations in Education & Training International, 1999
An interrelated problem in teaching and learning development in higher education is that staff de... more An interrelated problem in teaching and learning development in higher education is that staff development may be divorced from the disciplines in which teaching and learning occurs, at least this is the case in the New Zealand context. For example, while staff developers may engage with discipline‐specific tasks alongside staff, developmental units on university campuses exist independently of academic departments.
Higher Education Research & Development, 2010
... 501072 Dorothy Spiller a * ... View all references) that 'in narrative inquiry, it is im... more ... 501072 Dorothy Spiller a * ... View all references) that 'in narrative inquiry, it is important that the researcher listens first to the practitioner's story' (p. 4). Similarly, the phrase 'memorable messages' was a prompt to elicit resonant individual or organisational stories (Stohl, 1995). ...
Higher Education Research & Development, 2010
This research draws on the experiences of a group of tertiary teachers who compiled a multi‐purpo... more This research draws on the experiences of a group of tertiary teachers who compiled a multi‐purpose portfolio as an assessment component of a postgraduate certificate in tertiary teaching at a New Zealand University. The research was initially undertaken in response to feedback from some of the participants that the experience of compiling a portfolio generated intense emotions. The data for this study were the retrospective reflections of the tertiary teachers on the experience of creating a portfolio as well as the portfolios themselves. The authors chose a narrative research methodology as an appropriate way to investigate a process that essentially involved the storying of the participants’ achievements and identities as tertiary teachers. The findings revealed that some participants felt uncomfortable about the blend of the formative (or developmental) and summative (or evaluative) functions of the multi‐purpose portfolio and that producing the portfolio evoked a range of complex emotions. These findings have led to the reformulation of the portfolio task.
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2013
ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practic... more ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practice in higher education institutions, providing data for monitoring teaching quality and for teacher professional development. While extensive research has been done on student evaluations, there is less research-based evidence about teachers’ perceptions of and engagement with student evaluations, the focus of the research reported in this paper. An interpretive approach framed the study in which data were gathered through questionnaire and interview responses from teaching staff at three New Zealand tertiary institutions. Results highlighted the general acceptance of the notion of student evaluations, recurring ideas about the limitations of evaluations and significant gaps in the way academics engage with student evaluation feedback. Recommendations for enhancing teacher engagement with student evaluation are made to optimise the potential for student evaluations to inform teaching development and to improve students’ learning experiences.
Higher education in a …, 2005
Abstract: There are many challenges confronting the new academic upon entering the University con... more Abstract: There are many challenges confronting the new academic upon entering the University context (Barkhuizen, 2002; Cawyer, Simonds, and David, 2002). In addition in the broader context of tertiary teaching, there are ongoing discussions about critically ...
This paper considers the imperatives of human resource management (HRM) studies in the context of... more This paper considers the imperatives of human resource management (HRM) studies in the context of contemporary South Africa. The authors draw on critical management studies (CMS) and the principles of emancipatory education to inform their argument for a critical and relevant HRM curriculum and associated teaching and learning approaches. The authors propose that the content and processes of HRM education must prepare students for critical participation in the contemporary South African society and workplace. The discussion outlines the rationale for the study, the specific prompts for its initiation, the theoretical framework of CMS, and Freire's concept of emancipatory education.
Higher Education Research & Development, 2013
This paper argues for, outlines and begins to evaluate a process of building a critical and refle... more This paper argues for, outlines and begins to evaluate a process of building a critical and reflective community of postgraduate supervisors who can develop their supervision practice through reflective conversations, with the sharing of best practice and reference to research-based evidence. In 2009, the initiative of the Postgraduate Supervisors' Conversations was set up through the collaboration of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Postgraduate) and the Teaching Development Unit at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. This initiative was designed to complement the compulsory workshops for postgraduate supervisors that are intended to provide foundation skills. We aimed to create a professional development opportunity that could meet institutional requirements as well as enhance supervisors' capacity to manage the ongoing interpersonal and academic complexity of the supervision process and its dynamic character. This paper outlines the rationale for the Postgraduate Supervisors' Conversations, describes its implementation and discusses the implications of an initial evaluative focusgroup discussion with attendees.
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2013
ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practic... more ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practice in higher education institutions, providing data for monitoring teaching quality and for teacher professional development. While extensive research has been done on student evaluations, there is less research-based evidence about teachers’ perceptions of and engagement with student evaluations, the focus of the research reported in this paper. An interpretive approach framed the study in which data were gathered through questionnaire and interview responses from teaching staff at three New Zealand tertiary institutions. Results highlighted the general acceptance of the notion of student evaluations, recurring ideas about the limitations of evaluations and significant gaps in the way academics engage with student evaluation feedback. Recommendations for enhancing teacher engagement with student evaluation are made to optimise the potential for student evaluations to inform teaching development and to improve students’ learning experiences.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02602938 2013 767876, Feb 25, 2013
ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practic... more ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practice in higher education institutions, providing data for monitoring teaching quality and for teacher professional development. While extensive research has been done on student evaluations, there is less research-based evidence about teachers’ perceptions of and engagement with student evaluations, the focus of the research reported in this paper. An interpretive approach framed the study in which data were gathered through questionnaire and interview responses from teaching staff at three New Zealand tertiary institutions. Results highlighted the general acceptance of the notion of student evaluations, recurring ideas about the limitations of evaluations and significant gaps in the way academics engage with student evaluation feedback. Recommendations for enhancing teacher engagement with student evaluation are made to optimise the potential for student evaluations to inform teaching development and to improve students’ learning experiences.
Enhancing the Learner Experience in Higher Education, 2013
This paper draws on research that is currently in progress across three New Zealand higher educat... more This paper draws on research that is currently in progress across three New Zealand higher education institutions. The research examines lecturers' perceptions of the formal student appraisal process and the influence of these views on lecturer thinking and behavior at all stages of the teaching and learning cycle. This paper examines the views of twenty lecturers at Waikato University, New Zealand, who were interviewed as part of the larger study and focuses on lecturers' perceptions about students' capacity to make judgments about the quality of their learning experience within the context of the formal appraisal system. The discussion also examines other factors that may influence lecturer's perception, the way they engage with student feedback and the extent to which they use it to modify their teaching practices. The findings from the Waikato University interviews indicate that lecturers were generally positive about students' capacity to evaluate teaching a...
Thesis (M.A. - English)-University of Natal, Durban.
Extract: The milieu of the contemporary western university has many features that make it suscept... more Extract: The milieu of the contemporary western university has many features that make it susceptible to conflict. Consequently, finding appropriate models of conflict resolution for universities is becoming imperative. Currently, there is a considerable amount of mediation practice in western universities and increasing recognition of its usefulness. However, there has been less debate about and analysis of the model and
Enhancing the Learner Experience in Higher Education, 2013
Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 1980
Abstract The survey described here was an attempt to discover what types of fiction are issued in... more Abstract The survey described here was an attempt to discover what types of fiction are issued in public libraries, how novels are chosen by users, whether they are reserved and whether read, and also to record users' observations on other matters such as preferences ...
International Journal for Academic Development, 2013
Innovations in Education & Training International, 1999
An interrelated problem in teaching and learning development in higher education is that staff de... more An interrelated problem in teaching and learning development in higher education is that staff development may be divorced from the disciplines in which teaching and learning occurs, at least this is the case in the New Zealand context. For example, while staff developers may engage with discipline‐specific tasks alongside staff, developmental units on university campuses exist independently of academic departments.
Higher Education Research & Development, 2010
... 501072 Dorothy Spiller a * ... View all references) that 'in narrative inquiry, it is im... more ... 501072 Dorothy Spiller a * ... View all references) that 'in narrative inquiry, it is important that the researcher listens first to the practitioner's story' (p. 4). Similarly, the phrase 'memorable messages' was a prompt to elicit resonant individual or organisational stories (Stohl, 1995). ...
Higher Education Research & Development, 2010
This research draws on the experiences of a group of tertiary teachers who compiled a multi‐purpo... more This research draws on the experiences of a group of tertiary teachers who compiled a multi‐purpose portfolio as an assessment component of a postgraduate certificate in tertiary teaching at a New Zealand University. The research was initially undertaken in response to feedback from some of the participants that the experience of compiling a portfolio generated intense emotions. The data for this study were the retrospective reflections of the tertiary teachers on the experience of creating a portfolio as well as the portfolios themselves. The authors chose a narrative research methodology as an appropriate way to investigate a process that essentially involved the storying of the participants’ achievements and identities as tertiary teachers. The findings revealed that some participants felt uncomfortable about the blend of the formative (or developmental) and summative (or evaluative) functions of the multi‐purpose portfolio and that producing the portfolio evoked a range of complex emotions. These findings have led to the reformulation of the portfolio task.
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2013
ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practic... more ABSTRACT Internationally, centralised systems of student evaluation have become normative practice in higher education institutions, providing data for monitoring teaching quality and for teacher professional development. While extensive research has been done on student evaluations, there is less research-based evidence about teachers’ perceptions of and engagement with student evaluations, the focus of the research reported in this paper. An interpretive approach framed the study in which data were gathered through questionnaire and interview responses from teaching staff at three New Zealand tertiary institutions. Results highlighted the general acceptance of the notion of student evaluations, recurring ideas about the limitations of evaluations and significant gaps in the way academics engage with student evaluation feedback. Recommendations for enhancing teacher engagement with student evaluation are made to optimise the potential for student evaluations to inform teaching development and to improve students’ learning experiences.
Higher education in a …, 2005
Abstract: There are many challenges confronting the new academic upon entering the University con... more Abstract: There are many challenges confronting the new academic upon entering the University context (Barkhuizen, 2002; Cawyer, Simonds, and David, 2002). In addition in the broader context of tertiary teaching, there are ongoing discussions about critically ...
This paper considers the imperatives of human resource management (HRM) studies in the context of... more This paper considers the imperatives of human resource management (HRM) studies in the context of contemporary South Africa. The authors draw on critical management studies (CMS) and the principles of emancipatory education to inform their argument for a critical and relevant HRM curriculum and associated teaching and learning approaches. The authors propose that the content and processes of HRM education must prepare students for critical participation in the contemporary South African society and workplace. The discussion outlines the rationale for the study, the specific prompts for its initiation, the theoretical framework of CMS, and Freire's concept of emancipatory education.
Higher Education Research & Development, 2013
This paper argues for, outlines and begins to evaluate a process of building a critical and refle... more This paper argues for, outlines and begins to evaluate a process of building a critical and reflective community of postgraduate supervisors who can develop their supervision practice through reflective conversations, with the sharing of best practice and reference to research-based evidence. In 2009, the initiative of the Postgraduate Supervisors' Conversations was set up through the collaboration of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Postgraduate) and the Teaching Development Unit at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. This initiative was designed to complement the compulsory workshops for postgraduate supervisors that are intended to provide foundation skills. We aimed to create a professional development opportunity that could meet institutional requirements as well as enhance supervisors' capacity to manage the ongoing interpersonal and academic complexity of the supervision process and its dynamic character. This paper outlines the rationale for the Postgraduate Supervisors' Conversations, describes its implementation and discusses the implications of an initial evaluative focusgroup discussion with attendees.