K-12 Institutional Challenges
Changing Pedaogy and Curriculum in a Graduate Program: Introducing High Impact Learning into a Master of Science Healthcare Program.
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session John Zanetich
High Impact Practices (HIP) in higher education are course based, credit-bearing educational experiences in which students (a) participate in an organized activity that meets learning outcomes and (b) reflects on the activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) endorses HIP as a way for encouraging academic institutions to incorporate experiential learning into both graduate and undergraduate program curricula. Students in HIP programs are provided with real-world learning experiences that help faculty integrate teaching, learning, and public service. HIP activities used include first-year experiences, common intellectual experiences, learning communities, diversity/global learning (study abroad), internships and capstone projects.
Finding the Personal in the Development of School-based Substance Abuse Prevention Programmes
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Xena Michelle Cupido
The prevalence of substance abuse globally has been a cause for concern. South Africa is regarded as one of the countries with the highest substance abuse rates in the world. As a consequence, families, communities and society are seriously impacted and in some instances destroyed. The Western Cape, is one of the provinces hardest hit by this challenge, with youth in particular being affected as they are exposed to illicit substances in various environments. Awareness and prevention programmes remain an important aspect of drug control systems in South Africa. It is against this background that this study investigated the role of schools in the awareness and prevention of substance abuse programmes in the Western Cape. This qualitative study adopted a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore the factors that influenced the development of school-based programmes. A documentary analysis and interviews were used as data collection methods. The study included school principals, educators and community organisation representatives who were involved in the development and delivery of programmes. The findings revealed that the development of school-based substance abuse prevention programmes are influenced by the following systemic influences; personal influences which included personal experience, personal values and beliefs and personal connection.environmental and relational influences. The emerging framework of this research project is discussed as a useful tool for the development of substance abuse programmes.
School Suspensions in the Early Years: Impact of Technology and Media on Early Childhood Development
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Yvonne Harman, Reesa Sorin, Nerina J. Caltabiano
A report published by the Australian Department of Education and Training identifies significant increases in student suspensions in Queensland state schools over the past ten years. This trend includes five to six-year-old children, with an increase of over 76% in Preparatory student suspensions between 2012-2016. This paper consists of a literature review exploring the hypothesis that increased access to technology and hand-held devices may impact negatively on the physical, cognitive and emotional development of young children, increasing their risk of exhibiting behaviours that lead to school suspension. It pretexts a study being conducted in 2018, examining community perceptions and experiences regarding Early Years suspensions via an online survey, together with a government document analysis, to help identify effective ways to reduce behaviours that most frequently cause young students to be suspended. There is no denying the impact of technology on daily life in our contemporary society. Once a tool for the workplace or a vice for the wealthy, it is now impossible to get through a day without encountering technology of one description or another. Nowhere is technology more invasive than through media applications; much of our population is ‘plugged in’ from the moment we awaken to the moment we go to sleep. Our younger generation is the most rapidly-growing consumer of them all. So what effect does this constant stimulation have on their behaviour and wellbeing?
