Introduction
The Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching (JALT) is pleased to announce a forthcoming special issue on “Kindness in Higher Education: Fostering the Human(e) Element of Teaching and Learning”.
This issue aims to explore the essential aspects of Garrison’s (2016) Community of Inquiry model, with a specific focus on the three forms of ‘presence’: social, cognitive, and teaching. We seek to investigate how these elements play a pivotal role in fostering productive and meaningful learning experiences in diverse higher education settings while embracing and nurturing the humane aspect of education.
Theme and Scope
As the landscape of higher education undergoes a transition back to full on-campus, online, and hybrid teaching environments, the challenge of cultivating purposeful pedagogies, enhancing student engagement, and implementing authentic assessment methodologies becomes ever more critical. This special issue is designed to synthesise contemporary research, insightful analysis, debates, and provocations centred around the theme of fostering humane, socially present learning environments.
Topics of interest include but are not limited to:
- Social presence and learning outcomes: Exploring the impact of social presence on student engagement, collaboration, and learning outcomes in various higher education settings.
- Cognitive presence and pedagogical strategies: Investigating the relationship between cognitive presence and effective pedagogical approaches that promote deep learning and critical thinking.
- Facilitating teaching presence in hybrid and online settings: Examining the role of teaching presence in hybrid and online courses, and its impact on the quality of instruction and student learning experiences.
- Authentic assessment techniques: Presenting innovative assessment methods that align with authentic learning experiences, promoting a deeper understanding of course content.
- Humanising learning environments: Discussing strategies for creating inclusive and empathetic learning spaces that value and respect individual learner identities and experiences.
- Student perspectives on social and cognitive presence: Inquiring into students’ perspectives on the importance of social and cognitive presence in their learning journey.
- Leadership in higher education and learning environment design: Analysing the role of institutional leaders in fostering socially and cognitively rich learning settings.
Submission Guidelines
We invite submissions from teaching practitioners, academic scholars, leaders in higher education, and graduate research students. Manuscripts should be original and unpublished works adhering to the JALT’s guidelines for authors and the article template.
Please ensure that your submission addresses the theme and scope of the special issue. All manuscripts will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process to ensure the highest quality and relevance of the published articles.
Important Dates
- Submission of full article due – Monday 8th January 2024
- Editorial comments/peer review of article due – Monday 12th February 2024 ? Submission of final article due – Monday 6th May 2024
- Expected publication – mid-June 2024
Submission Process & Article Classification
All submissions should be done electronically via the dedicated Online Submission Form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfSfbEz2tZrzFrwW0J8BQy3udmR2UzAbemAX1XK4hlxDFlRw/viewform?usp=sharing) following the indicated instructions no later than Monday 8th January 2024. You will be required to upload your paper in a single Word file (up to 3MB in size). Please rename your file as ‘JALT Kindness Special Issue_Your Full Name’ prior to submission. The types of submissions that are eligible for consideration in this special issue include:
- Research and review articles (4,000 to 8,000 words)
- Brief articles (1,000 to 3,000 words)
- Case studies and good practice examples (3,000 to 6,000 words)
- Educational technology reviews
- Book reviews
- Other types may be considered. Please email Dr Fiona Tang for further discussion.
Guest Editors (listed alphabetically by last name)
Professor Tania Aspland, Kaplan Australia and New Zealand/Co Editor-in-Chief of JALT Vanessa Stafford, Kaplan Business School Australia
Dr Fiona Tang, Kaplan Business School Australia
Dr Shanthy Thuraisingham, Kaplan Business School Australia
Inquiries
For any inquiries or further information regarding the special issue, please contact Dr Fiona Tang at fiona.tang@kbs.edu.au
References
Garrison, D. R. (2016). E-learning in the 21st century: A community of inquiry framework for research and practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315667263
Dr Fiona Tang
