Book Reviews / Comptes rendus 202 CSSHE SCÉES Canadian Journal of Higher Education Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur Volume 46, No. 4, 2016, pages 202 - 204 Book Review / Compte rendu Layne, P.C., & Lake, P. (Eds.) (2015). Global Innovation of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Transgressing Boundaries. New York and London: Springer. Pages: 368. Price: USD $129 (hardcover or paper), USD $99.00 (ebook). Reviewed by Lijuan Wang, Centre for Teaching and Learning Development, Shanghai Jiaotong University. The purpose of this book is to examine current trends in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and higher education, with a focus on the pedagogical strategies used by instructors worldwide for overcoming challenges in higher education. The general idea is that, in order to maximize students’ learning, institutions should follow innovative policies, and instructors have to be collaborative and creative in their teaching practices, for in the present world demands and needs are growing faster than ever and challenges have become far more rigorous. The book is organized into an introduction and five parts. Part I (Chapters 2 to 6) is composed of five chapters and it calls for transforming the “traditional” in higher education which adheres too much to organizational systems and structures—i.e., based on lecture-style pedagogies and unidirectional transfer of knowledge and related assessment. To be specific, Baun (Ch2) combines accelerated, intensive and immersion learning, and with two case studies points out that concentrated learning can be a feasible method for education. Layne (Ch3) examines some of the creative innovations higher education institutions make around their funding sources, structures and competition, and finds that, even within the context of economic pressures, competition and globalization, students should remain the central motivation in pedagogies, policies and infrastructures. Barnes et al. (Ch4) find that adopting an approach such as the Universal Design for Learning, which aims to facilitate learning for the maximum number of students, would benefit all students, for in such an approach, the variety of skills, cultures, needs, interests and backgrounds are all taken into consideration in learning activities. Burkill (Ch5) discusses the key pedagogic principles and reflects critically on the challenges faced by instructors and students. Nye (Ch6) focuses on stories of assessment and argues that good outcomes in the discipline depend on the inclusion of both traditional and experimental approaches. CJHE / RCES Volume 46, No. 4, 2016 Book Reviews / Comptes rendus 203 Part II (Chapters 7 to 9) is composed of three chapters on the experience of theory in solving current problems. Among the global innovations in teaching and learning introduced to readers, theory and practice-based approaches and case studies reveal researchoriented, student-driven experiences where student voices are foregrounded. Roller (Ch7) finds that if pre-service teachers participate in study abroad programs with an intentional curriculum, they are going to become better equipped to work with diverse students in their classrooms, being encouraged to reflect upon culture and pedagogy. Bartzis & Mulvihill (Ch8) find that the benefits of student teaching abroad programmes include increased self-awareness, cross-cultural understanding and the development of cultural empathy in teacher candidates. Hammonds & Oritsejafor (Ch9) argue that educators must take into account the extraordinary amount of time needed for planning, discussion, evaluation, and conceptualization before curriculum design begins. Practical experiences are then introduced in Part III (Chapters 10-13), with focus on the theme of “transgressing boundaries using technology.” Technology represents the most widely used means of transforming higher education and approaches to teaching and learning, under the influence of the internet. It demonstrates the range of possibilities available to transform teaching and learning in higher education. Morris & Stommel (Ch10) argue that MOOCs do not reveal anything new about education and learning, and they propose to build community in MOOCs. Kulchitsky et al. (Ch11) focus on how automating and using feedback/checking of student notes support teaching and learning, and they find that the semantic coherence of student notes to instructor notes is a useful measurement tool of class performance. Scheg (Ch12) aims to better understand the process of technological codeswitching and proposes that instructors should carefully consider what technological tools to choose for the classroom. Mathew (Ch13) argues that it is important for the learner to be in a position to contribute as well as to justify thoughts and opinions in learning. Part IV (Chapters 14-20) aims to share with readers experiences in restructuring delivery, formats and modes. These pedagogically-focused chapters focus on students’ cognitive, performative and affective behaviours in higher education. Collins (Ch14) argues that in addition to mastering a certain specialty, an instructor should have a firm understanding of adult learning attributes and active learning strategies, and he/she must also make the adjustments that may be required to create optimal learning situations. Lake (Ch15) reviews a pilot study undertaken at Sheffield Hallam University and answers the question “Does duration matter?” Strachan & Liyanage (Ch16) find that the format, duration and delivery of a course are most effective when the underlying philosophy is to actively engage students in their learning. James (Ch17) describes what creative arts learning looks like and shows how creative learning pervades learning in other disciplines and how new developments in physical space design affect the delivery of such learning. Smith et al. (Ch18) believe that the challenge for delivering courses to postgraduates in UK classroom is becoming quite complex because of the diverse backgrounds of the students. They argue that the sessions should be interactive and instructors should ensure that all students are confident with the technology. Oberski et al. (Chapter 19) argue that mindfulness meditation is humanizing the environment of higher education by teaching to the whole student. Thus the student experience can be enhanced through the affective domain, and learning, teaching and general well-being can all be facilitated. Mannix CJHE / RCES Volume 46, No. 4, 2016 Book Reviews / Comptes rendus 204 (Ch20) argues that students can be empowered to engage with and reflect on various concepts by enriching spaces through participatory teaching and learning methods. In Part V (Chapter 21) Layne & Lake discuss further the critical transitions in teaching and learning, with emphasis on expectations of moving the field forward. To move forward, both institutions and instructors are expected to move, and theory needs to be moved connect with practice at the crossroads of SoTL. They argue that we have, indeed, reached a crossroads in SoTL where students may decide to take their own learning paths, and the decisions institutions and instructors make will have tremendous consequences for the students. This collection presents idiosyncrasies and challenges that drive innovation across particular cultures, disciplines and institutions in the US, the UK, Africa, Asia, Australia, Scandinavia and the Middle East. A broad range of disciplines, fields and institutional types, as well as teaching in varied contexts, durations, delivery modes, and formats are presented to readers. “Learning flourishes when we take what we think we know and offer it as community property among fellow learners so that it can be tested, examined, challenged, and improved before we internalize it” (Shulman, 1999, p. 12). In this sense, this collection offers readers a community property in understanding SoTL. Reference Shulman, L. S. (1999). Taking learning seriously. Change, 31(4), 10-17. CJHE / RCES Volume 46, No. 4, 2016