learning - Academic Conferences Limited

Glenn Duckworth
was seen as being very important on intensive courses. Tutors also perceived higher levels of
knowledge and confidence and less stress than previous cohorts of students who had not been
provided with the same resources and activities.
Whether this type of initiative would be useful to other student groups is up for debate. As Daniel
(2000) points out, students who opt to take intensive courses tend to be older and are more motivated
than traditional students. The composition of cohorts on the EMBA at the University of the West of
England does seem to fit this description. It may be that other intensive courses - particularly those
with cohorts with these characteristics - would benefit from a similar pre-workshop initiative. This may
include other areas of post-graduate studies or continuing professional development (CPD) courses.
The longer term benefits of the initiative are also not yet known. This case study has drawn together
findings from three discreet evaluations for three modules. All of the evaluations were conducted
during the classroom based component, not long after the students had worked through the preworkshop
activities. Planned future research will examine the perceptions of a cohort at the end of
their studies – looking at the their views of the initiative as a whole.
To conclude, from the viewpoint of one of the lecturers…
“It’s a very enjoyable experience. It’s completely unique for me… I’ve never been part of
a process like this. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing it. I’ve seen it work and I recommend it
to anybody to use.”
References
Conrad, P. A. (1996) Attributes of high-quality intensive course learning experiences: Students' voices and
experiences. College Student Journal, 30, pp 69-77.
Daniel, E. L. (2000) “A review of time-shortened courses across disciplines”, College Student Journal, 34, pp
298-308.
Davies, W.M. (2006) “Intensive teaching formats: A review”, Issues In Educational Research, Vol. 16, pp 1-20.
Kasworm, C. (2001) Adult learner experiences of an accelerated degree program. Paper presented at the Adult
Education Research Conference, Michigan State University.
Petrowsky, M. C. (1996) The two-week summer macroeconomics course: Success or failure?, Glendale
Community College.
Scott, P.A. (2003) Attributes of High-Quality Intensive Courses, New Directions for Adult and Continuing
Education, 97, pp 29-38.
Tatum, B.C. (2010) Accelerated Education: Learning on the Fast Track, Journal of Research in Innovative
Teaching, Volume 3, Issue 1, pp 34-50.
Wlodkowski, R. J. (2003) Accelerated learning in colleges and universities, New Directions for Adult and
Continuing Education, 97, pp 5-15.
202