Dear Colleagues,
We are seeking offers to undertake a blind peer-review of the following submissions to the JLDHE (Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education).
If you would like to complete a review of any of these articles, please email the designated contact editor(s) below.
If you haven’t reviewed for us before, please include a brief description of your interest in the topic, your relevant qualifications, expertise and/or experience in relation to the submission (up to 200 words). This might include your knowledge of the subject and/or your experience acting as a peer reviewer for academic papers or as an author or researcher in the field.
Please also join our register of reviewers and list your interests.
New reviewers are welcome and we provide a very developmental environment for those interested in this important community service – why not try something new today!
| Submission | Title and abstract | Editor to contact |
| #1355 Paper | Reflections for the Digital Era: A Narrative Analysis of Medical Student Portfolio SelfiesPortfolios are designed to promote self-regulated learning and reflective practice through guided reflection on collections of artefacts. However, many medical students are reluctant to write reflections. On social media and in social research photographic self-portraits (selfies) document experiences, relationships, and identity. Therefore, selfies may present an unexplored alternative to written reflections. We explored how selfies in student portfolios might support reflection on learning and professional identity development (PID) during the first two years of medical school.Our longitudinal qualitative study analysed 200 selfies including individual and group photos or videos created by 37 students over 14 months between May 2020 and July 2021. These selfies were included in student presentations alongside other artefacts for interviews with portfolio advisors. The student sample was purposefully selected from a cohort of 147 first year medical students. Visual narrative analysis identified recurring stories about the participants’ clinical and social learning.Selfies documented classwork, social activities, and clinical learning associated with stories related to Beginning, Connection, Shared Activities and Belonging. Viewed in combination, the stories revealed narratives of Integration, Competence, and PID consistent with the stages described in Situated Learning Theory.Selfies can offer an alternative or addition to written reflections for engaging and supporting medical students’ reflections on some aspects of their learning experiences. Selfies are relevant to team-based and clinical learning, and PID, complementing evidence of academic achievements. Ethical guidelines for their use and further studies on their use in other educational contexts are needed | Amy Sampson a.sampson@greenwich.ac.uk |
| #1368 Paper | Trauma-Informed Teaching Practice in Human Rights Education and TrainingThis article examines trauma-informed education in the context of human rights education and training (TIHRET). It argues that in multicultural, diverse learner cohorts, there is an increased likelihood that some learners will have lived and very diverse experiences of trauma, whether through adverse childhood events, war, natural disasters or other significant human rights events resulting in serious violations of their fundamental rights. The article explores emerging approaches that educators can take to integrate a more trauma-sensitive approach in their teaching practice and into the development of their teaching persona (clarified through a process of values clarification); into content design; engagement with students; and at the conclusion of trauma-informed sessions, which should focus on resilience-building. The article also identifies areas for further research in TIHRET, such as the importance of self- and collective care for human rights educators, and the role of university leadership in supporting working trauma-informed working cultures that empower learners as survivors and academics as catalysts of hope, healing and liberation. | Dr Lee Fallin Lee.Fallin@hull.ac.uk |
| #1367 Opinion piece | From Research to Reality: The Need for Practical Steps for Inclusive Teaching Practices of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in Higher Education (HE).In a higher education landscape that is becoming increasingly internationalised and diversified, the importance of inclusive teaching practices, particularly in the context of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), is gaining growing international attention. While comprehensive frameworks and strategies are developed through educational research to support such practices a significant gap remains between theoretical recommendations and practical implementation. This disconnect hinders the promotion of inclusive teaching practices, as identified by an ongoing wide-scale research project funded by XXXXX. Current policies often emphasise broad aims such as inclusivity, diversity and equity but lack detailed guidance, leaving learning developers and other frontline educators, EAP tutors included, without the tools to realise these goals effectively. This opinion essay discusses the intersections between education research and policy on inclusive teaching practices of EAP in HE, identifying gaps in existing policies and setting a way forward. Highlighting the need for comprehensive policy frameworks that bridge theory and practice, it underscores the anticipated outcomes of the ongoing XXXXX-funded project that aims to provide practical recommendations, offering concrete strategies to foster inclusive learning environments, thereby enhancing educational experiences and outcomes for all students. | Dr Carina Buckley carina.buckley@solent.ac.uk |
| #1372 Paper | Leadership by Learning Design: Embrace complexity where it exists.Learning Design methods have traditionally lent heavily upon the reduction of learning into consumable units of knowledge, skill, or understanding, that constructively align to create higher-level learning. However, those structured and predetermined outcomes assume a level of order and predictability that is not applicable to all contexts, and even less applicable the more volatile, unpredictable, rapidly changing our world becomes. The mismatch between established practice in learning design and the increasingly complex or wicked nature of the challenges we face is clear. A miss match that places the learning designer as passive and complicit in perpetuating those challenges. Learning design can lean upon complexity science to treat learning as a complex adaptive system of interrelated and co-dependent parts. The Anthro-complexity approach of the Cynefin Framework can be applied to the design of learning experiences. The application of this sense-making framework identifies opportunities to change praxis so that the learners are better prepared to address wicked problems in an increasingly complex world. These are changes that learning designers need to lead in an ethical and considered fashion. | Dr Maggie Scott M.R.Scott@salford.ac.uk |
| #1371 Paper | Innovative Teaching Strategies in Higher Education: Addressing Massification, Decolonisation, and Technology for Student-Centred LearningHigher education faces significant challenges, such as massification, demands for decolonisation, and technology integration. These issues require innovative teaching strategies that promote student-centred learning. This article explores these themes through a desktop methodology, analysing current research and theoretical perspectives to identify practical approaches for addressing these issues. The introduction discusses the growing need for inclusive education and the factors contributing to these changes. The literature review examines studies on massification, revealing its impact on class sizes and diversity and highlighting the pressures it places on educators to maintain quality teaching. The call for decolonisation, focusing on the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) curriculum, emphasises the importance of representing diverse perspectives and challenging traditional power structures. Additionally, we examine the role of technology in modern classrooms, focusing on how it can facilitate student engagement and personalised learning. The theoretical framework is grounded in constructivism and culturally responsive teaching, supporting the idea that learning is most effective when relevant to students’ backgrounds. The methodology involves qualitatively analysing existing literature to identify trends and best practices. Results indicate successful strategies often blend technology with culturally inclusive content and active learning techniques. The discussion focuses on how these findings can inform educational policy and classroom practices to create a more equitable and engaging learning environment. | Dr Carina Buckley carina.buckley@solent.ac.uk |
NB: it is essential to be respectful of the writers of submissions to our journal, especially when they are at the draft stages. Please do not comment publicly on the list or elsewhere on any aspect of the paper title or abstract above.
Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!
With warm wishes on behalf of the editorial board,
Alicja
Dr Alicja Syska Co-Lead Editor
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
