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 (not the whole list).
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 via http://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/user/register.
| Submission | Title and abstract | Editor to contact |
| #1292 | Expanding escape-rooms with role-plays to promote a sense of belonging and communication skills among first-year university students | Amy Sampson |
| Paper | This paper presents a student-centered learning scenario aiming at establishing a sense of belongingness and fostering communication skills in first-year university students. Based on an existing escape room, we developed a script to guide interaction between students by using elements from the Jigsaw technique and paying attention to specific requirements for practicing communication skills. While still using an online gamification approach, the guiding script circumvents the necessity to develop specific software. Thus, the presented approach complements existing escape room-based scenarios by highlighting the role of the instruction. As instruction may be altered more easily, the scenario can be adapted to different learning contexts, for example to hybrid and face-to-face settings. We describe central underlying ideas and the implementation of the learning scenario. This scenario consists of elaborated role-plays with different gaming and counselling phases where some students act as players and other students act as coaches. Results from an accompanying mixed-methods evaluation show that students perceive the scenario positively, but also provide hints for improvement. We describe how we adapted the scenario including to different learning contexts and requirements. As many of our participants were non-traditional students the scenario is grounded in the motivating and structured interaction between students in a safe environment to facilitate transition to university. | a.sampson@greenwich.ac.uk |
| #1373 | Students’ perceptions on joining university: skills, employment and socio-economic realities in a new HE landscape | Dr Craig Morley |
| Paper | In recent years, the landscape of higher education (HE) has changed, due to factors like the massification and marketisation of the sector. We decided it was the right time to ask students why they joined university and their perception on the value of skills for their future. Drawing on the quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative data from focus groups, we answered these questions. In our analysis we also observed that many students, particularly those from non-traditional backgrounds felt at a disadvantage to enjoy university and to relax about their future, based on their socio-economic circumstances and their cultural background. To acknowledge the voices of our diverse student body we suggest that more communication is needed amongst HE, employers and student representatives, to recognise these feelings of disadvantage and better consider how to support students from a different background; and we propose that we need to inform those students that many of them are unique and hold individual skills based on their non-traditional background, which are very much valued by HE and employers; this information may help promote their confidence and well-being, and support them overcoming the barriers to becoming the employees and citizens of change they aspired to be when they joined university. | |
| #1384 | Presentation skills in distance education: A proposal for a five-session course | Amy Sampson |
| Case study | The rapid shift towards online learning in higher education has transformed the landscape of essential academic skills, with presentation abilities emerging as a crucial competency for student success. This paper addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with teaching presentation skills in a distance education context. Traditional face-to-face interactions have been replaced by digital tools that, while offering unique benefits, also present significant hurdles in skill acquisition. A five-step approach is outlined, emphasizing assessment literacy, peer feedback, and reflective practices to support students in developing strong presentation skills in virtual environments. This approach integrates both synchronous and asynchronous learning modalities, ensuring comprehensive skill development while addressing the unique challenges of online education. The effectiveness of this method is discussed, with a call for further empirical research to validate its impact on student outcomes. | a.sampson@greenwich.ac.uk |
| #1378 | A practice-based model to bolster teaching and learning collaborations among academic support units. | Dr Carina Buckley |
| Case study | This case study demonstrates the conceptualization of the Liminal Space Hub Model, a grassroots, collaborative approach to a teaching and learning challenge on our campus where we identified a need, made connections, and stretched the boundaries of our third space roles (Whitchurch, 2008) to shape teaching practice and raise the visibility of our work on campus. Benefits and challenges of this model, as well as possible future applications, are also discussed. | carina.buckley@solent.ac.uk |
| #1379 | Research Process Model for Bachelor Thesis | Dr Carina Buckley |
| Paper | This is an exploration of challenges faced by bachelor students during the thesis-writing process and the development of a model to simplify and visualise this research journey. The study addresses common misunderstandings and challenges students encounter, emphasising the importance of structured guidance. Through observation of a supervision session, and by conducting an interview with an experienced supervisor insights have been gained which has then been utilised into a research process model. The constructed model consists of two phases: establishing the research proposal and then advancing to the full project. It covers key elements such as research idea, defining the problem, literature review, research questions, methodology, theoretical framework, data collection, analysis, and ethical considerations. | carina.buckley@solent.ac.uk |
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!
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
Editor-in-Chief
JLDHE
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education