Using targeted active-learning exercises and diagnostic question clusters to improve students' understanding of carbon cycling in ecosystems.

PubMed

Maskiewicz, April Cordero; Griscom, Heather Peckham; Welch, Nicole Turrill

2012-01-01

In this study, we used targeted active-learning activities to help students improve their ways of reasoning about carbon flow in ecosystems. The results of a validated ecology conceptual inventory (diagnostic question clusters [DQCs]) provided us with information about students' understanding of and reasoning about transformation of inorganic and organic carbon-containing compounds in biological systems. These results helped us identify specific active-learning exercises that would be responsive to students' existing knowledge. The effects of the active-learning interventions were then examined through analysis of students' pre- and postinstruction responses on the DQCs. The biology and non-biology majors participating in this study attended a range of institutions and the instructors varied in their use of active learning; one lecture-only comparison class was included. Changes in pre- to postinstruction scores on the DQCs showed that an instructor's teaching method had a highly significant effect on student reasoning following course instruction, especially for questions pertaining to cellular-level, carbon-transforming processes. We conclude that using targeted in-class activities had a beneficial effect on student learning regardless of major or class size, and argue that using diagnostic questions to identify effective learning activities is a valuable strategy for promoting learning, as gains from lecture-only classes were minimal.

Using Targeted Active-Learning Exercises and Diagnostic Question Clusters to Improve Students' Understanding of Carbon Cycling in Ecosystems

PubMed Central

Maskiewicz, April Cordero; Griscom, Heather Peckham; Welch, Nicole Turrill

2012-01-01

In this study, we used targeted active-learning activities to help students improve their ways of reasoning about carbon flow in ecosystems. The results of a validated ecology conceptual inventory (diagnostic question clusters [DQCs]) provided us with information about students' understanding of and reasoning about transformation of inorganic and organic carbon-containing compounds in biological systems. These results helped us identify specific active-learning exercises that would be responsive to students' existing knowledge. The effects of the active-learning interventions were then examined through analysis of students' pre- and postinstruction responses on the DQCs. The biology and non–biology majors participating in this study attended a range of institutions and the instructors varied in their use of active learning; one lecture-only comparison class was included. Changes in pre- to postinstruction scores on the DQCs showed that an instructor's teaching method had a highly significant effect on student reasoning following course instruction, especially for questions pertaining to cellular-level, carbon-transforming processes. We conclude that using targeted in-class activities had a beneficial effect on student learning regardless of major or class size, and argue that using diagnostic questions to identify effective learning activities is a valuable strategy for promoting learning, as gains from lecture-only classes were minimal. PMID:22383618

A Bridge to Active Learning: A Summer Bridge Program Helps Students Maximize Their Active-Learning Experiences and the Active-Learning Experiences of Others.

PubMed

Cooper, Katelyn M; Ashley, Michael; Brownell, Sara E

2017-01-01

National calls to improve student academic success in college have sparked the development of bridge programs designed to help students transition from high school to college. We designed a 2-week Summer Bridge program that taught introductory biology content in an active-learning way. Through a set of exploratory interviews, we unexpectedly identified that Bridge students had developed sophisticated views of active learning, even though this was not an explicit goal of the program. We conducted an additional set of semistructured interviews that focused on active learning and compared the interviews of Bridge students with those from non-Bridge students who had been eligible for but did not participate in the program. We used the constant comparative method to identify themes from the interviews. We found that Bridge students perceived that, because they knew how to approach active learning and viewed it as important, they benefited more from active learning in introductory biology than non-Bridge students. Specifically, Bridge students seemed to be more aware of their own learning gains from participating in active learning. Compared with the majority of non-Bridge students, the majority of Bridge students described using a greater variety of strategies to maximize their experiences in active learning. Finally, in contrast to non-Bridge students, Bridge students indicated that they take an equitable approach to group work. These findings suggest that we may be able to prime students to maximize their own and other's experiences in active learning. © 2017 K. M. Cooper et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

"Bringing Life to Learning": A Study of Active Learning in Hospitality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chau, Salott; Cheung, Catherine

2017-01-01

Active learning connects students to the real life situations they will encounter in their future jobs. In hospitality education, active learning implements various lively, fun activities to introduce practical scenarios students may experience in their hospitality careers. This study identifies 18 essential active-learning items of hospitality…

THEOR"ACTIVE" Learning: How "Theory" and "Practice" Meet. Perception of Students at the University of Tampere, Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajbhandari, Mani Man Singh; Basaran, Kenan; Hujala, Eeva; Kinos, Jarmo

2011-01-01

THEOR"ACTIVE" learning is a multi dimensional attachment of theories and practices. The study explores to identify the implementation of theories into practices and how it is being perceived by the students. The research on THEOR"ACTIVE" was conducted with the master degree student coming from different countries at the…

Picture Chem: Playing a Game to Identify Laboratory Equipment Items and Describe Their Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavak, Nusret; Yamak, Havva

2016-01-01

Laboratory activities are an important means of instruction in science; as such, they have been used in chemistry education since the 1880s. Many learning objectives can be achieved through the use of laboratory activities undertaken by chemistry students. In student-centered laboratory activities, students should know how to use an apparatus in…

Assessing Student Behaviors and Motivation for Actively Learning Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Michael Edward

2017-01-01

Vision and Change states that one of the major changes in the way we design biology courses should be a switch in approach from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning and identifies active learning as a recommended methods. Studies show performance benefits for students taking courses that use active learning. What is unknown is…

Investigation the Scientific Creativity of Gifted Students through Project-Based Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karademir, Ersin

2016-01-01

In this research, it is aimed to identify the scientific creativity of gifted students through project-based activities. In accordance with this purpose, a study has been carried out with 13 gifted students studying in third and fifth grade. In the study, students have been informed about the project development stages and they have been asked…

What Do Medical Students Do for Self-Care? A Student-Centered Approach to Well-Being.

PubMed

Ayala, Erin E; Omorodion, Aisha M; Nmecha, Dennis; Winseman, Jeffrey S; Mason, Hyacinth R C

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Despite the promotion of medical student health and wellness through recent program and curricular changes, research continues to show that medical education is associated with decreased well-being in medical students. Although many institutions have sought to more effectively assess and improve self-care in medical students, no self-care initiatives have been designed using the explicit perspectives of students themselves. Using concept mapping methodology, the research team created a student-generated taxonomy of self-care behaviors taken from a national sample of medical students in response to a brainstorming prompt. The research team examined how students' conceptualizations of self-care may be organized into a framework suitable for use in programming and curricular change in medical education. Ten clusters of self-care activities were identified: nourishment, hygiene, intellectual and creative health, physical activity, spiritual care, balance and relaxation, time for loved ones, big picture goals, pleasure and outside activities, and hobbies. Using results of the two-dimensional scaling analysis, students' individual self-care behaviors were organized within two orthogonal dimensions of self-care activities. Insights: This concept map of student-identified self-care activities provides a starting point for better understanding and ultimately improving medical student self-care. Students' brainstormed responses fit within a framework of varying levels of social engagement and physical-psychological health that included a wide range of solitary, social, physical, and mental health behaviors. As students' preferred self-care practices did not often include programmatic activities, medical educators may benefit from consulting this map as they plan new approaches to student self-care and in counseling individual students searching for more effective ways to ease the burdens of medical school.

Adding Value to the Health Care System: Identifying Value-Added Systems Roles for Medical Students.

PubMed

Gonzalo, Jed D; Graaf, Deanna; Johannes, Bobbie; Blatt, Barbara; Wolpaw, Daniel R

To catalyze learning in Health Systems Science and add value to health systems, education programs are seeking to incorporate students into systems roles, which are not well described. The authors sought to identify authentic roles for students within a range of clinical sites and explore site leaders' perceptions of the value of students performing these roles. From 2013 to 2015, site visits and interviews with leadership from an array of clinical sites (n = 30) were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to identify tasks and benefits of integrating students into interprofessional care teams. Types of systems roles included direct patient benefit activities, including monitoring patient progress with care plans and facilitating access to resources, and clinic benefit activities, including facilitating coordination and improving clinical processes. Perceived benefits included improved value of the clinical mission and enhanced student education. These results elucidate a framework for student roles that enhance learning and add value to health systems.

Key beliefs related to decisions for physical activity engagement among first-in-family students transitioning to university.

PubMed

Cowie, Eloise; Hamilton, Kyra

2014-08-01

The current study investigated key beliefs related to decisions for physical activity (PA) engagement among first-in-family (FIF) students transitioning to university. FIF students (n = 157) completed an online questionnaire assessing standard theory of planned behaviour constructs and belief-based items. One week later, participants completed a follow-up questionnaire assessing self-reported PA during the previous week. Results identified a range of behavioural, normative, and control beliefs that were significantly correlated with both PA intention and behaviour. Various key beliefs were also identified in relation to FIF students' decisions to be regularly physically active, with behavioural beliefs such as "take up too much time", normative beliefs including "friends outside of university", and control beliefs such as "cost", identified. Finally, frequencies of those who strongly or fully accepted these beliefs were analysed, demonstrating that typically, a large number of FIF students did not hold the beliefs, and as such, these are relevant to target in resultant interventions. The current study effectively highlights a number of key beliefs that can be targeted in programs aimed at encouraging FIF students' PA. Further, the study addresses a gap in the literature of targeting FIF students, a cohort at risk for inactivity, and utilises a sound theoretical framework to identify the unique set of beliefs guiding decisions for PA for this at-risk community group.

Involvement in Campus Activities and the Retention of First-Year College Students. The First-Year Experience Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skipper, Tracy L., Ed.; Argo, Roxanne, Ed.

The chapters of this monograph offer insights into educationally purposeful out-of-class activities and the impact they have on the student experience. It also provides future directions for the campus activities field and identifies ways to improve the educational experience of first-year students to enhance their scholarly experience and to…

Physical activity and its related motivational attributes in adolescents with different BMI.

PubMed

Hwang, J; Kim, Y H

2013-03-01

A number of obesity studies have been focused on identifying the relationships between socioeconomic status and physical activity involvement. In behavioral medicine, the limited data are available on obese people's physical activity and its related psychological predictors based on psychological theories. To identify the differences in physical activity and its related motivational attributes among normal weight, overweight, and obese adolescents and to find the effect of body mass index (BMI) and the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) constructs in predicting physical activity. One thousand seventy-one students ranging from seventh to ninth grades were randomly selected from three junior high schools in Seoul (359 normal weight students, 468 overweight students, and 244 obese students). A Korean version of Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 and Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire were applied to measure the participants' motivational attributes and physical activity. Overweight and obese adolescents showed higher scores on amotivation and externally motivated regulations for physical activity than their normal weight counterparts. Internal regulation was more significant for physical activity in normal weight adolescent. However, there was no difference in physical activity among the three groups. Additionally, the findings identified that BMI and the SDT constructs were significant to explain physical activity. This study offers fundamental knowledge in gaining a clearer understanding of the types of motivation most likely to contribute to the initiation and promotion of physical activity in overweight and obese adolescents.

An Examination of Tertiary Students' Desire to Found an Enterprise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birdthistle, Naomi

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the paper aims to identify and explain the behaviour and intentions of students in their decision to start entrepreneurial activities and establish an enterprise. Second, the paper aims to identify whether students in tertiary level institutions in Ireland display the personality traits of an…

Student Perceptions of a Conceptual Physical Education Activity Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Jayne M.; Jenkins, Patience; Collums, Ashley; Werhonig, Gary

2006-01-01

Conceptual physical education (CPE) courses are typically included in university course work to provide students knowledge and skills to engage in physical activity for life. The purpose of this study was to identify CPE course characteristics that contributed to positive and negative student perceptions. Participants included 157 undergraduates…

A Microbial Murder Mystery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Melissa A.; Mitchell, James K.

2002-01-01

Proposes a microbial mystery activity to test students' knowledge of human anatomy and their ability to identify microbes. Provides an opportunity for students to develop logical deductive reasoning. Includes national science education standards related to this activity, activity sheets with whole procedures, and Internet resources. (KHR)

Students Learn by Doing: Teaching about Rules of Thumb.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cude, Brenda J.

1990-01-01

Identifies situation in which consumers are likely to substitute rules of thumb for research, reviews rules of thumb often used as substitutes, and identifies teaching activities to help students learn when substitution is appropriate. (JOW)

Physical activity during recess in low-income 3rd grade students in Texas

PubMed Central

Springer, Andrew E.; Tanguturi, Yasas; Ranjit, Nalini; Skala, Katherine A.; Kelder, Steven H.

2012-01-01

Objectives We estimated the prevalence of recess-based moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vigorous physical activity (VPA) among third grade students attending low-income, urban schools in Texas. Methods Structured observations (n=77 class and 616 student observations) using SOFIT were conducted over three-months in 8 elementary schools with majority Hispanic students. Results Students engaged in 66.4% and 19.2% of their ~20 minute recess time in MVPA and VPA, respectively. Boys engaged in more MVPA and VPA (P<.007). Contextual differences in activity (setting and activity type) were identified. Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of scheduled recess time for children’s physical activity. PMID:23985178

Embedding Sustainability Instruction across Content Areas: best Classroom Practices from Informal Environmental Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clary, R. M.; Walker, R. M.; Wissehr, C.

2017-12-01

Environmental education (EE) facilitates students' scientific and environmental literacy, and addresses content areas including sustainability, ecology, and civic responsibility. However, U.S. science content compartmentalization and EE's interdisciplinary nature historically made it a fragmented curriculum within U.S. schools. To gain a better understanding of effective EE instruction that can be transferred to traditional K-12 classrooms, we researched the interactions between a recognized environmental residential camp and students and teachers from six participating schools using grounded theory methodology. Our research identified the residential learning center's objectives, methods of instruction, and objectives' alignment to the delivered curricula. Data generated included lesson plans, survey responses, and interviews. Students (n = 215) identified wilderness and geology activities as the activities they wanted to experience more; they also identified developing curiosity and a sense of discovery as the most meaningful. Whereas most student-identified meaningful experiences aligned with the center's curricular objectives within the optional units, categories emerged that were not explicitly targeted in the unit activities but were embedded throughout the curriculum in sustainable practices, data collection, and reflections. We propose that embedded activities and implicit instruction can be included across content areas within K-12 classrooms. Teacher modeling and implicit instruction will require minimal classroom time, and facilitate students' scientific and environmental literacy in topics such as sustainability and citizen responsibility.

Knowledge-Integration Processes and Learning Outcomes Associated with a Self-Diagnosis Activity: The Case of 5th-Graders Studying Simple Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safadi, Rafi'

2018-01-01

I examined how well a self-diagnosis activity engages students in knowledge-integration processes, and its impact on students' mathematical achievements. The self-diagnosis activity requires students to self-diagnose their solutions to problems that they have solved on their own--namely, to identify where they went wrong and to explain the nature…

The Relationship between High School Music Activities and the College Student's Musical Independence. (How Musically Important Are All-State Band, Concert Festival, Private Lessons, Marching Contests, Etc.?).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bobbett, Gordon C.; And Others

This paper presents a study attempting to identify and evaluate high school activities that impact instrumental student outcome. High school music activities and their impact on student instrumental outcome from a variety of perspectives were examined. There is a subtle difference between musical independence and musical achievement. Musical…

A Meaty Project. A Learning Activity Capsule in Consumer Operations Survival Training. Teacher's Guide [and] Student Material.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Virginia

The unit introduces junior high school students to the different kinds of ground beef available to consumers. Objectives are to identify sources of meat for ground beef and evaluate the different types to determine how each can best be used by the consumer. Activities include identifying types of meat from an illustrated worksheet, buying at least…

Mostly Plants. Individualized Biology Activities on: I. Investigating Bread Mold; II. Transpiration; III. Botany Project; IV. Collecting/Preserving/Identifying Leaves; [and] V. Student Science Laboratory Write-Ups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Paul R.

Individualized biology activities for secondary students are presented in this teaching guide. The guide is divided into five sections: (1) investigating bread mold; (2) investigating transpiration; (3) completing a botany project; (4) collecting, preserving, and identifying leaves; and (5) writing up science laboratory investigations. The…

Profiles of African American College Students’ Alcohol Use and Sexual Behaviors: Associations With Stress, Racial Discrimination, and Social Support

PubMed Central

Metzger, Isha W.; Cooper, Shauna M.; Ritchwood, Tiarney D.; Onyeuku, Chisom; Griffin, Charity Brown

2017-01-01

Though studies show that alcohol use and sexual activity increase during emerging adulthood, few studies examine within–ethnic group differences, particularly among African American college students. This investigation utilized a latent class analytic methodology to identify risk behavior profiles of alcohol use (frequency and amount of alcohol consumed), sexual activity (number of intimate partners), and co-occurring risk behaviors (drinking before sexual intercourse) among 228 African American college students. This investigation also examined whether identified risk behavior profiles were associated with stress (interpersonal, intraperso-nal, academic, and environmental), experiences of racial discrimination, and social support (from family, friends, and the college community). Results identified five distinct profiles within this sample: (a) High Sexual Risk—above-average sexual activity; (b) Abstainers—below-average alcohol use and sexual activity; (c) Low Risk—average alcohol use and sexual activity; (d) Alcohol Risk—above-average alcohol use and below-average sexual activity; and (e) Co-Occurring Risk—above-average alcohol use and sexual activity. Identified profiles differed across interpersonal and environmental stress, and self-reported frequency of experiences with racial discrimination. Implications for prevention programs and interventions aimed at reducing alcohol and sexual activity for African American college students are discussed. PMID:27215314

Effects of Curricular Activity on Students' Situational Motivation and Physical Activity Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Zan; Hannon, James C.; Newton, Maria; Huang, Chaoqun

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the effects of three curricular activities on students' situational motivation (intrinsic motivation [IM], identified regulation [IR], external regulation, and amotivation [AM]) and physical activity (PA) levels, and (b) the predictive strength of situational motivation to PA levels. Four hundred twelve…

On Study Habits on an Introductory Course on Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willman, Salla; Lindén, Rolf; Kaila, Erkki; Rajala, Teemu; Laakso, Mikko-Jussi; Salakoski, Tapio

2015-01-01

Computer aided assessment systems enable the collection of exact time and date information on students' activity on a course. These activity patterns reflect students' study habits and these study habits further predict students' likelihood to pass or fail a course. By identifying such patterns, those who design the courses can enforce positive…

Identifying Students with Gifts and Talents in Technology. Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegle, Del

2004-01-01

Technology expertise often occurs in two types of technology activities. One area of expertise is computer programming and another is expertise as a technology consumer using hardware and software. In addition to demonstrating prowess, some students tend to exhibit passion toward one or both of these activities. Students who excel in either could…

Monitoring Social Media: Students Satisfaction with University Administration Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koshkin, Andrey Petrovich; Rassolov, Ilya Mihajlovich; Novikov, Andrey Vadimovich

2017-01-01

The paper presents an original method of identifying satisfaction of students with the activities of their university administration based on studying the content of comments on the social networks. The analysis of student opinions revealed areas of concern and priority areas in the work of the university administration. The paper characterizes…

Exploring Norms and Moral Authority through Content Analysis of Classic Texts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Richard Cheever

1993-01-01

Describes a class assignment for a college-level sociology course in which students read from religious texts to identify norms and sanctions. Reports that students expressed positive comments about the activity. Includes suggestions for preparing materials, instructions for implementing the activity, and a coding sheet to be used by students.…

Precious Cargo-Handle with Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coleman, Diane J.; Monger, Joyce R.

1992-01-01

Learning activities that expose students to the concepts of economics are presented, using concrete examples involving the daily activities of zoos and their visitors. The activities call for students to identify zoo expenses, evaluate decisions about zoo spending, and consider the financial and moral costs of treating animals humanely. (JDD)

Candies to Dye For: Cooperative, Open-Ended Student Activities To Promote Understanding of Electrophoretic Fractionation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emry, Randall; Curtright, Robert D.; Wright, Jonathan; Markwell, John

2000-01-01

Introduces electrophoresis activities developed for chemistry and biology courses in which students identify the food, drug, and cosmetic identity of the food dyes used in the coating of candies. (YDS)

Identifying and Responding to Personal Stressors: Utilizing Photo Elicitation in Health Education Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Theresa

2014-01-01

The "Photo Elicitation Project" teaching idea applies the techniques of photo elicitation to stress prevention and management. This activity is designed to help students identify their personal stressors and to determine which stress prevention strategies are most useful for them. Objectives: students will be able to (a) identify current…

Student Benefits from School Farm Activities as Perceived by Administrators and Instructors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, David L.; McCarthy, David A.

1985-01-01

Describes a study designed to determine characteristics of school farms operated by vocational agriculture departments in four states, identify how the farms are utilized, identify personal and situational characteristics of school farm teachers and administrators, and identify benefits to students of the school farms as perceived by teachers and…

Promoting active learning using audience response system in large bioscience classes.

PubMed

Efstathiou, Nikolaos; Bailey, Cara

2012-01-01

This paper considers the challenges of bioscience teaching and learning in pre-registration nurse education. Effective learning requires active student participation which is problematic when teaching large groups of students. New technologies, such as the audience response system (ARS), have been introduced to increase student participation and support them in the understanding of complex bioscience concepts. Within one university department, an evaluation was undertaken to identify the perceptions of pre-registration nurse students on the use of ARS in the teaching and learning of bioscience. Our findings concur with others that ARS increases student participation and aids in identifying misconceptions and in correcting them. Students found ARS very useful and wanted ARS to be used in additional modules too. Although ARS did not seem to motivate students to study adequately before attending the relevant sessions, it increased discussion among students and awareness of their level of knowledge compared to their peers. Further research is required to identify the effectiveness of ARS in the teaching and learning of bioscience and its impact on the performance of the students in their final assessments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Student Life in Canadian Universities: The Lessons of History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Axelrod, Paul

1990-01-01

The relationship between the history of the student and contemporary student life is explored, and enduring patterns are identified in three areas: the social origins of students; student culture and activism; and the perceived academic quality of students. It is concluded that students should be heard and taken more seriously. (MSE)

The Influence of Toy Design Activities on Middle School Students' Understanding of the Engineering Design Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ninger; Pereira, Nielsen L.; George, Tarun Thomas; Alperovich, Jeffrey; Booth, Joran; Chandrasegaran, Senthil; Tew, Jeffrey David; Kulkarni, Devadatta M.; Ramani, Karthik

2017-10-01

The societal demand for inspiring and engaging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and preparing our workforce for the emerging creative economy has necessitated developing students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes from as early as elementary school levels. Hands-on engineering design activities have shown the potential to promote middle school students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes. However, traditional classrooms often lack hands-on engineering design experiences, leaving students unprepared to solve real-world design problems. In this study, we introduce the framework of a toy design workshop and investigate the influence of the workshop activities on students' understanding of and self-efficacy beliefs in engineering design. Using a mixed method approach, we conducted quantitative analyses to show changes in students' engineering design self-efficacy and qualitative analyses to identify students' understanding of the engineering design processes. Findings show that among the 24 participants, there is a significant increase in students' self-efficacy beliefs after attending the workshop. We also identified major themes such as design goals and prototyping in students' understanding of engineering design processes. This research provides insights into the key elements of middle school students' engineering design learning and the benefits of engaging middle school students in hands-on toy design workshops.

How Can Biodiversity Be Preserved? A Curriculum Unit for Science and Social Studies, Grades 6-10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boston, Jane; Commins, Stephen

This unit examines questions about biodiversity and its preservation through six activities. Each activity allows students to explore a particular approach to preservation and to identify some of the challenges facing policymakers. Through the introductory activities and the six focused activities, students develop an understanding of the dynamics…

Flipping the Audience Script: An Activity That Integrates Research and Audience Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Chris; Hannah, Mark A.

2016-01-01

This article describes a flipped classroom activity that requires students to integrate research and audience analysis. The activity uses Twitter as a data source. In the activity, students identify a sample, collect customer tweets, and analyze the language of the tweets in an effort to construct knowledge about an audience's values, needs, and…

Motivating and Demotivating Factors for Students with Low Emotional Intelligence to Participate in Speaking Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Méndez López, Mariza G.; Bautista Tun, Moisés

2017-01-01

The study aims to understand what factors may motivate and demotivate students with low emotional intelligence to participate in speaking activities during English class. Participants wrote an emotions journal to identify factors affecting student participation and were then interviewed at the end of the study period in order to elaborate on their…

Predicting Middle School Students' Use of Web 2.0 Technologies out of School Using Home and School Technological Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Joan E.; Read, Michelle F.; Jones, Sara; Mahometa, Michael

2015-01-01

This study used multiple regression to identify predictors of middle school students' Web 2.0 activities out of school, a construct composed of 15 technology activities. Three middle schools participated, where sixth- and seventh-grade students completed a questionnaire. Independent predictor variables included three demographic and five computer…

Role-Play and Student Engagement: Reflections from the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Rachel

2015-01-01

Role-play is viewed by scholars as an effective active learning strategy: it encourages participation among passive learners, adds dynamism to the classroom and promotes the retention of material. But what do students think of role-play? This study surveyed 144 students after a role-play activity in a history course and asked them to identify what…

Fit Matters in the Supervisory Relationship: Doctoral Students and Supervisors Perceptions about the Supervisory Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyhältö, Kirsi; Vekkaila, Jenna; Keskinen, Jenni

2015-01-01

Although supervision has been identified as one of the central determinants of the doctoral experience, there is still an insufficient understanding of the ways in which supervisors and doctoral students perceive supervisory activities. The study focuses on exploring the fit between doctoral students' and supervisors' perceptions of who are…

Emotionally Intense Science Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Donna; Ritchie, Stephen; Sandhu, Maryam; Henderson, Senka

2015-08-01

Science activities that evoke positive emotional responses make a difference to students' emotional experience of science. In this study, we explored 8th Grade students' discrete emotions expressed during science activities in a unit on Energy. Multiple data sources including classroom videos, interviews and emotion diaries completed at the end of each lesson were analysed to identify individual student's emotions. Results from two representative students are presented as case studies. Using a theoretical perspective drawn from theories of emotions founded in sociology, two assertions emerged. First, during the demonstration activity, students experienced the emotions of wonder and surprise; second, during a laboratory activity, students experienced the intense positive emotions of happiness/joy. Characteristics of these activities that contributed to students' positive experiences are highlighted. The study found that choosing activities that evoked strong positive emotional experiences, focused students' attention on the phenomenon they were learning, and the activities were recalled positively. Furthermore, such positive experiences may contribute to students' interest and engagement in science and longer term memorability. Finally, implications for science teachers and pre-service teacher education are suggested.

Can active learning principles be applied to the bioscience assessments of nursing students? A review of the literature.

PubMed

Bakon, Shannon; Craft, Judy; Christensen, Martin; Wirihana, Lisa

2016-02-01

To explore if active learning principles be applied to nursing bioscience assessments and will this influence student perception of confidence in applying theory to practice? A review of the literature utilising searches of various databases including CINAHL, PUBMED, Google Scholar and Mosby's Journal Index. The literature search identified research from twenty-six original articles, two electronic books, one published book and one conference proceedings paper. Bioscience has been identified as an area that nurses struggle to learn in tertiary institutions and then apply to clinical practice. A number of problems have been identified and explored that may contribute to this poor understanding and retention. University academics need to be knowledgeable of innovative teaching and assessing modalities that focus on enhancing student learning and address the integration issues associated with the theory practice gap. Increased bioscience education is associated with improved patient outcomes therefore by addressing this "bioscience problem" and improving the integration of bioscience in clinical practice there will subsequently be an improvement in health care outcomes. From the literature several themes were identified. First there are many problems with teaching nursing students bioscience education. These include class sizes, motivation, concentration, delivery mode, lecturer perspectives, student's previous knowledge, anxiety, and a lack of confidence. Among these influences the type of assessment employed by the educator has not been explored or identified as a contributor to student learning specifically in nursing bioscience instruction. Second that educating could be achieved more effectively if active learning principles were applied and the needs and expectations of the student were met. Lastly, assessment influences student retention and the student experience and as such assessment should be congruent with the subject content, align with the learning objectives and be used as a stimulus tool for learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physician as teacher: promoting health and wellness among elementary school students.

PubMed

Stefaniak, Jill E; Lucia, Victoria C

2014-01-01

Every day, physicians engage in teaching during their patient encounters. It may be that medical students who are introduced to the principles of teaching and learning are more likely to become good communicators and learners. Service-learning may be an effective way for medical students to practice skills in teaching and communication in a real-world setting, while also filling a need within the community. The purpose of this study was to identify common themes within medical students' reflections on what they learned through participating in a teaching exercise with local elementary school children. As a required component of a longitudinal prevention and public health course that spans the first and second years of undergraduate medical education, second year students at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, in Detroit, Michigan, in the USA completed a service-learning activity, which included teaching a standardized curricular module to local elementary school children. Students were required to complete a reflection assignment based on their teaching experience. Medical students' responses to assignment's three guided questions were qualitatively coded to identify common themes among the responses related to the teaching activity. Qualitative analysis of students' reflections revealed several themes regarding what the students learned and viewed as the benefits of the activity: The importance of early education and parental involvement; the importance of understanding your audience when teaching; the importance of simplifying complex concepts to the audience's level; and the importance of preparation for teaching. Medical students identified the difficulties of communicating at an audience appropriate level and providing patient education outside the confines of a controlled classroom setting. This activity provided medical students with hands-on experience presenting to an audience age-appropriate, health-related topics. Presenting in an elementary school environment helped students better understand what health information various age groups knew about and the importance of clarifying information when communicating with a younger audience.

Hispanic/Latino College Student Involvement in Student Organization Leadership Roles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Barry Slade

2009-01-01

The study examined attributes associated with Hispanic/Latino college student involvement in student organization leadership roles. The study helped identify attributes that active and involved Hispanic/Latino students felt were most important to them and their leadership roles. The roles that peer influence, role model influence, extraversion,…

Patterns of leisure participation among adolescents with a mild intellectual disability.

PubMed

Buttimer, John; Tierney, Edel

2005-03-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the leisure and recreational activities of a cohort of 34 students attending a full-time special school as reported by the students and their parents. Leisure activities which were mostly solitary and passive in nature were identified as those being most commonly engaged in. Barriers to leisure were also identified, with 'access to' and 'location of' the leisure facilities being barriers perceived by both students and parents. Data on aspects of leisure use, e.g. enjoyment, participation, assistance required, socialization and choice, were also collected.

Preparing Twice Exceptional Students for Adult Lives: A Critical Need.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hua, C. Bruce; Coleman, Mary Ruth

2002-01-01

Six necessary program components to prepare gifted students with disabilities for productive adult lives are identified: provide challenging educational experiences along with supports, facilitate passion learning through enrichment activities, empower students through student-centered planning, develop self-advocacy, enhance positive social…

A review of teaching-learning strategies to be used with film for prelicensure students.

PubMed

Oh, Jina; De Gagné, Jennie Chang; Kang, Jeongae

2013-03-01

The use of film in nursing and medical education has been supported as an effective instructional method. The purpose of this article is to identify and synthesize the available studies on teaching-learning strategies to be used with film for prelicensure students. Electronic databases were searched to identify studies published in the English language between January 1990 and March 2012. Twenty-seven articles met the selection criteria for this review and were analyzed. After in-depth discussion about and investigation of the relevant literature, we narrowed down three teaching-learning strategies: reflective activities, practical activities, and evaluative activities. The synthesis of the identified teaching-learning strategies provides a data point for the development of more effective evidence-based learning activities for prelicensure students. Future studies should focus on the examination of teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes, as well as the evaluation of using film, to achieve nursing competencies appropriate to role preparation. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

The Effect of Concept Mapping on Student Understanding and Correlation with Student Learning Styles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosley, William G.

This study investigated the use of concept mapping as a pedagogical strategy to promote change in the learning styles of pre-nursing students. Students' individual learning styles revealed two subsets of students; those who demonstrated a learning style that favors abstract conceptualization and those who demonstrated a learning style that favors concrete experience. Students in the experimental groups performed concept mapping activities designed to facilitate an integrative understanding of interactions between various organ systems of the body while the control group received a traditional didactic instruction without performing concept mapping activities. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in order to measure differences in student achievement. Analysis of the quantitative data revealed no significant change in the learning styles of students in either the control or experimental groups. Learning style groups were analyzed qualitatively for recurring or emergent themes that students identified as facilitating their learning. An analysis of qualitative data revealed that most students in the pre-nursing program were able to identify concepts within the class based upon visual cues, and a majority of these students exhibited the learning style of abstract conceptualization. As the laboratory experience for the course involves an examination of the anatomical structures of the human body, a visual identification of these structures seemed to be the most logical method to measure students' ability to identify anatomical structures.

Motivating the Study of International Trade: A Classroom Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Sherry

2016-01-01

In this article, the author describes a classroom activity for use in introductory economics courses to motivate the study of international trade. The learning activity highlights the importance of international trade in students' everyday lives by having students inventory their on-hand belongings and identify where the items were manufactured.…

Exploring Characteristics of Fine-Grained Behaviors of Learning Mathematics in Tablet-Based E-Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeung, Cheuk Yu; Shum, Kam Hong; Hui, Lucas Chi Kwong; Chu, Samuel Kai Wah; Chan, Tsing Yun; Kuo, Yung Nin; Ng, Yee Ling

2017-01-01

Attributes of teaching and learning contexts provide rich information about how students participate in learning activities. By tracking and analyzing snapshots of these attributes captured continuously throughout the duration of the learning activities, teachers can identify individual students who need special attention and apply different…

Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, Alcohol Consumption and Cigarette Smoking among East Asian College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, Dong-Chul; Torabi, Mohammad R.; Chin, Ming-Kai; Lee, Chung Gun; Kim, Nayoung; Huang, Sen-Fang; Chen, Chee Keong; Mok, Magdalena Mo Ching; Wong, Patricia; Chia, Michael; Park, Bock-Hee

2014-01-01

Objective: To identify levels of moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA) and vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) in a representative sample of college students in six East Asian economies and examine their relationship with weight, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: College students…

Kickin' Asthma: school-based asthma education in an urban community.

PubMed

Magzamen, Sheryl; Patel, Bina; Davis, Adam; Edelstein, Joan; Tager, Ira B

2008-12-01

In urban communities with high prevalence of childhood asthma, school-based educational programs may be the most appropriate approach to deliver interventions to improve asthma morbidity and asthma-related outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of Kickin' Asthma, a school-based asthma curriculum designed by health educators and local students, which teaches asthma physiology and asthma self-management techniques to middle and high school students in Oakland, CA. Eligible students were identified through an in-class asthma case identification survey. Approximately 10-15 students identified as asthmatic were recruited for each series of the Kickin' Asthma intervention. The curriculum was delivered by an asthma nurse in a series of four 50-minute sessions. Students completed a baseline and a 3-month follow-up survey that compared symptom frequency, health care utilization, activity limitations, and medication use. Of the 8488 students surveyed during the first 3 years of the intervention (2003-2006), 15.4% (n = 1309) were identified as asthmatic; approximately 76% of eligible students (n = 990) from 15 middle schools and 3 high schools participated in the program. Comparison of baseline to follow-up data indicated that students experienced significantly fewer days with activity limitations and significantly fewer nights of sleep disturbance after participation in the intervention. For health care utilization, students reported significantly less frequent emergency department visits or hospitalizations between the baseline and follow-up surveys. A school-based asthma curriculum designed specifically for urban students has been shown to reduce symptoms, activity limitations, and health care utilization for intervention participants.

Active-Learning Instruction on Emergency Contraception Counseling

PubMed Central

Young, Shardae; Vest, Kathleen

2013-01-01

Objective. To increase pharmacy students’ knowledge of and confidence in counseling patients regarding emergency contraception and to identify any barriers to counseling patients about emergency contraception. Design. Approximately 200 third-year pharmacy students participated in the Women’s Health Therapeutics workshop at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy. Students observed a 5-minute skit of a counseling session on emergency contraception and then were asked to pair up with a classmate and practice counseling each other regarding the use of emergency contraception following a checklist of key points. Assessment. One hundred eighty-nine students completed pre- and post-workshop survey instruments. Students’ knowledge scores increased from 86% to 93% (p<0.001). Approximately 25% of the students stated they were confident in counseling patients on emergency contraception before completing the active-learning exercise compared to 58.5% after (p<0.001). The most common barrier to counseling that students identified on the pre- and post-workshop survey was lack of knowledge. Conclusion. Participation in an active-learning exercise significantly increased pharmacy students’ knowledge of and confidence in counseling patients regarding emergency contraception and significantly reduced several barriers to counseling identified prior to participation. PMID:23788815

The Use of Newspaper Articles as a Tool to Develop Critical Thinking in Science Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveras, Begoña; Márquez, Conxita; Sanmartí, Neus

2013-04-01

The aim of this research is to identify the difficulties experienced by secondary school students (aged 15-16) with the critical reading of newspaper articles with scientific content. Two newspaper critical reading activities in relation to the study of various scientific contents were designed and carried out in two schools (61 students in total), one with a student population from a medium to high social and economic bracket and the other with students from a medium to low social and economic bracket. These activities were designed taking into account the phases of the reading process: before, during and after reading. In order to analyse the difficulties 'Elements of science critical reading' were identified on the basis of the 'Elements of reasoning' of Paul and Elder and the categories proposed by Bartz C.R.I.T.I.C. questionnaire and a scale was drawn up. The results show that the activities designed were useful in helping students to read critically. We also rated very positively the instrument created to assess the students' answers: the scale based on the performance indicators of Paul and Elder. This instrument enabled us to detect the aspects of critical thinking where students have the most difficulties: identifying the writer's purpose and looking for evidence in a text. It was also shown that the stance taken in the articles also had an influence on the results.

Psychosocial and Environmental Determinants of Eating Behaviors, Physical Activity, and Weight Change among College Students: A Qualitative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaCaille, Lara J.; Dauner, Kim Nichols; Krambeer, Rachel J.; Pedersen, Jon

2011-01-01

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify factors that college students perceived as contributing to healthy and unhealthy eating patterns, physical activity (PA) levels, and weight change. Participants: Forty-nine 18- to 22-year-old students at a midwestern university participated. Methods: Six focus groups (3 with each gender) were…

Are Environmental Influences on Physical Activity Distinct for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Schools? A Multilevel Study among Secondary School Students in Ontario, Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobin, Erin P.; Leatherdale, Scott; Manske, Steve; Dubin, Joel A.; Elliott, Susan; Veugelers, Paul

2013-01-01

Background: This study examined differences in students' time spent in physical activity (PA) across secondary schools in rural, suburban, and urban environments and identified the environment-level factors associated with these between school differences in students' PA. Methods: Multilevel linear regression analyses were used to examine the…

A New Two-Step Approach for Hands-On Teaching of Gene Technology: Effects on Students' Activities During Experimentation in an Outreach Gene Technology Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

2011-08-01

Emphasis on improving higher level biology education continues. A new two-step approach to the experimental phases within an outreach gene technology lab, derived from cognitive load theory, is presented. We compared our approach using a quasi-experimental design with the conventional one-step mode. The difference consisted of additional focused discussions combined with students writing down their ideas (step one) prior to starting any experimental procedure (step two). We monitored students' activities during the experimental phases by continuously videotaping 20 work groups within each approach ( N = 131). Subsequent classification of students' activities yielded 10 categories (with well-fitting intra- and inter-observer scores with respect to reliability). Based on the students' individual time budgets, we evaluated students' roles during experimentation from their prevalent activities (by independently using two cluster analysis methods). Independently of the approach, two common clusters emerged, which we labeled as `all-rounders' and as `passive students', and two clusters specific to each approach: `observers' as well as `high-experimenters' were identified only within the one-step approach whereas under the two-step conditions `managers' and `scribes' were identified. Potential changes in group-leadership style during experimentation are discussed, and conclusions for optimizing science teaching are drawn.

Instructor Active Empathic Listening and Classroom Incivility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weger, Harry

2018-01-01

Instructor listening skill is an understudied area in instructional communication research. This study looks at teachers' active empathic listening behavior association with student incivility. Scholars recognize student incivility as a growing problem and have called for research that identifies classroom behaviors that can affect classroom…

Sustaining Student Engagement in Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ateh, Comfort M.; Charpentier, Alicia

2014-01-01

Many students perceive science to be a difficult subject and are minimally engaged in learning it. This article describes a lesson that embedded an activity to engage students in learning science. It also identifies features of a science lesson that are likely to enhance students' engagement and learning of science and possibly reverse students'…

Student Leadership at the University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilliard, Ann T.

2010-01-01

The focus of this article is about the utilization of student leadership at the University. Based on research, student leadership opportunities at the university have been frequently at a low percentage (Zimmerman, Burkhart, 2002). The researcher identifies practical ways to involve students in various leadership activities. Emphases are placed on…

Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Collaborative Learning in a Differential Equations Mathematics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hajra, Sayonita Ghosh; Das, Ujjaini

2015-01-01

This paper uses collaborative learning strategies to examine students' perceptions in a differential equations mathematics course. Students' perceptions were analyzed using three collaborative learning strategies including collaborative activity, group-quiz and online discussion. The study results show that students identified both strengths and…

Perception of Physical Activity Participation of Chinese Female Graduate Students: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Zi; Cardinal, Bradley J.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Chinese female international students (CFIS) have been identified as one of the least physically active groups in the United States. In an effort to better understand this situation, this study's purpose was to examine CFIS in American higher education in terms of the meaning they assigned to physical activity and facilitators and…

Designing Efficient Self-Diagnosis Activities in the Physics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safadi, Rafi'

2017-01-01

Self-diagnosis (SD) activities require students to self-diagnose their solutions to problems that they solved on their own. This involves identifying where they went wrong and then explaining the nature of their errors--why they went wrong--aided by some form of support. Worked examples (WEs) are often used to support students in SD activities. A…

Alcohol-related and alcohol-free activity participation and enjoyment among college students: a behavioral theories of choice analysis.

PubMed

Murphy, James G; Barnett, Nancy P; Colby, Suzanne M

2006-08-01

College student alcohol abuse remains a significant public health problem, and there is a need for theory-driven and empirically based models to guide prevention efforts. Behavioral theories of choice assume that the decision to consume alcohol is influenced by the relative value of alcohol versus other available activities. In the present study, a sample of college student drinkers (N=108; 56% female, 44% male) who had previously completed a mandatory alcohol intervention completed a measure of alcohol-related and alcohol-free activity participation and enjoyment. The goals of the study were to examine the influence of drinking quantity and contextual variables on activity enjoyment and to identify enjoyable alcohol-free activities that take place on evenings when students might otherwise be drinking. Overall, students found alcohol-related activities more enjoyable than alcohol-free activities, and drinking quantity was positively related to enjoyment. However, alcohol-free activities such as watching movies, going to the theater or museums, going to bars or parties, hanging out with friends, eating at restaurants, and engaging in creative activity were generally as enjoyable as drinking. Alcohol-free activities that included peers or dates were more enjoyable than solitary activities. Men were less likely to engage in alcohol-free activities that included peers and reported less enjoyment related to alcohol-free activities than did women. Further research is required to identify procedures for increasing participation in alcohol-free activities and to determine whether increased alcohol-free activity participation results in decreased alcohol consumption.

Class and Home Problems. Identify-Solve-Broadcast Your Own Transport Phenomenon: Student-Created YouTube Videos to Foster Active Learning in Mass and Heat Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wen, Fei; Khera, Eshita

2016-01-01

Despite the instinctive perception of mass and heat transfer principles in daily life, productive learning in this course continues to be one of the greatest challenges for undergraduate students in chemical engineering. In an effort to enhance student learning in classroom, we initiated an innovative active-learning method titled…

Exploring Insulation with Ice Hands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Neil; Taylor, Subhashni; Littledyke, Michael

2017-01-01

Students often hold misconceptions about insulation, largely because they put on clothes to keep themselves warm--at least in winter in the cooler regions of Australia. The following activity is designed to identify students' misconceptions about insulation and provide an engaging, evidence-based activity to help address these misconceptions using…

Motivational Factors That Influence Students' Participation in Outdoor Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Festeu, Dorin

2002-01-01

A study examined why students participate in outdoor activities. Questionnaires completed by 108 college freshmen aged 18-26 at the University of Transylvania (Romania) were supplemented with participant observation and conversations. Five motivational themes were identified: enjoyment and fun, meeting new friends, enjoying nature, escaping from…

Identifying Opportunities for Peer Learning: An Observational Study of Medical Students on Clinical Placements.

PubMed

Tai, Joanna H; Canny, Benedict J; Haines, Terry P; Molloy, Elizabeth K

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Peer assisted learning (PAL) is frequently employed and researched in preclinical medical education. Fewer studies have examined PAL in the clinical context: These have focused mainly on the accuracy of peer assessment and potential benefits to learner communication and teamwork skills. Research has also examined the positive and negative effects of formal, structured PAL activities in the clinical setting. Given the prevalence of PAL activities during preclinical years, and the unstructured nature of clinical placements, it is likely that nonformal PAL activities are also undertaken. How PAL happens formally and informally and why students find PAL useful in this clinical setting remain poorly understood. This study aimed to describe PAL activities within the context of clinical placement learning and to explore students' perceptions of these activities. An ethnographic study was conducted to gather empirical data on engagement in clinical placement learning activities, including observations and interviews with students in their 1st clinical year, along with their supervising clinicians. Thematic analysis was used to interrogate the data. On average, students used PAL for 5.19 hours per week in a range of activities, of a total of 29.29 hours undertaking placements. PAL was recognized as a means of vicarious learning and had greater perceived value when an educator was present to guide or moderate the learning. Trust between students was seen as a requirement for PAL to be effective. Students found passive observation a barrier to PAL and were able to identify ways to adopt an active stance when observing peers interacting with patients. For example, learners reported that the expectation that they had to provide feedback to peers after task observation, resulted in them taking on a more critical gaze where they were encouraged to consider notions of good practice. Insights: Students use PAL in formal (i.e., tutorial) and nonformal (e.g., peer observation and feedback on the ward; discussion during lunch) situations in clinical education and find it useful. The educator is crucial in fostering PAL through providing opportunities for learners to practice together and in helping to moderate discussions about quality of performance. Student engagement in PAL may reduce passivity commonly reported in clinical rotations. Further directions for research into PAL in clinical education are identified along with potential strategies that may maximize the benefits of peer to peer learning.

Students as Audience: Identity and Information Literacy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Carolyn N.; Thomas, Wm. Joseph

2006-01-01

This article encourages librarians to ask who their students are and how the makeup of the student body influences their instructional planning and presentations. Specifically included are implications for teaching space, planning for and presenting instructional content in person, and identifying outreach activities to selected student groups.…

The Perspectives of Students Undertaking Masters' Degrees by Coursework on Career Development Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Shari P.; Tucker, Kelly

2011-01-01

Master's degree by coursework students have been identified as a "forgotten" cohort by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Careers and Employment service. Traditionally, these students have been included in undergraduate career development activities. Master's degree students are arguably a specialised group due to the advanced…

High school students' representations and understandings of electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Ying; Brizuela, Bárbara M.

2016-12-01

This study investigates the representations and understandings of electric fields expressed by Chinese high school students 15 to 16 years old who have not received high school level physics instruction. The physics education research literature has reported students' conceptions of electric fields postinstruction as indicated by students' performance on textbook-style questions. It has, however, inadequately captured student ideas expressed in other situations yet informative to educational research. In this study, we explore students' ideas of electric fields preinstruction as shown by students' representations produced in open-ended activities. 92 participant students completed a worksheet that involved drawing comic strips about electric charges as characters of a cartoon series. Three students who had spontaneously produced arrow diagrams were interviewed individually after class. We identified nine ideas related to electric fields that these three students spontaneously leveraged in the comic strip activity. In this paper, we describe in detail each idea and its situated context. As most research in the literature has understood students as having relatively fixed conceptions and mostly identified divergences in those conceptions from canonical targets, this study shows students' reasoning to be more variable in particular moments, and that variability includes common sense resources that can be productive for learning about electric fields.

Student perceptions of independent versus facilitated small group learning approaches to compressed medical anatomy education.

PubMed

Whelan, Alexander; Leddy, John J; Mindra, Sean; Matthew Hughes, J D; El-Bialy, Safaa; Ramnanan, Christopher J

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare student perceptions regarding two, small group learning approaches to compressed (46.5 prosection-based laboratory hours), integrated anatomy education at the University of Ottawa medical program. In the facilitated active learning (FAL) approach, tutors engage students and are expected to enable and balance both active learning and progression through laboratory objectives. In contrast, the emphasized independent learning (EIL) approach stresses elements from the "flipped classroom" educational model: prelaboratory preparation, independent laboratory learning, and limited tutor involvement. Quantitative (Likert-style questions) and qualitative data (independent thematic analysis of open-ended commentary) from a survey of students who had completed the preclerkship curriculum identified strengths from the EIL (promoting student collaboration and communication) and FAL (successful progression through objectives) approaches. However, EIL led to student frustration related to a lack of direction and impaired completion of objectives, whereas active learning opportunities in FAL were highly variable and dependent on tutor teaching style. A "hidden curriculum" was also identified, where students (particularly EIL and clerkship students) commonly compared their compressed anatomy education or their anatomy learning environment with other approaches. Finally, while both groups highly regarded the efficiency of prosection-based learning and expressed value for cadaveric-based learning, student commentary noted that the lack of grade value dedicated to anatomy assessment limited student accountability. This study revealed critical insights into small group learning in compressed anatomy education, including the need to balance student active learning opportunities with appropriate direction and feedback (including assessment). © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Student Motivation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Practitioner, 1987

1987-01-01

Although ability partly explains why some students are eager to learn in school whereas others are disinterested, motivation is another significant factor. This newsletter discusses factors that affect students' motivation to learn, considers techniques that can increase motivation, and identifies schools that have developed activities to enhance…

Weed Warriors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buczynski, Sandy

2007-01-01

In these activities, middle school and high school students examine the threat of nonnative plant species to Hawaiian ecosystems. Students explore different viewpoints on alien plants and consider how beliefs and attitudes may affect others' decisions concerning nonnative plant species. Students also identify invasive plant characteristics and…

Education: Mutualistic Interactions between Scientists and Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Condon, Marty

1991-01-01

A project that introduced scientists to students and engaged students in creative scientific activities is described. Students were asked to help scientists identify patterns on the wing of a species of fruit fly. A combined research/education program is recommended. (KR)

Identifying criteria for the assessment of pharmacy students' communication skills with patients.

PubMed

Mackellar, Adele; Ashcroft, Darren M; Bell, Dawn; James, Delyth Higman; Marriott, John

2007-06-15

To identify criteria by which patients can assess the communication skills of pharmacy students. Potential assessment criteria were generated from 2 main sources: a literature review and a focus group discussion. A modified two-round Delphi survey was subsequently conducted with 35 professionals who were actively involved in teaching and assessing communication skills of pharmacy students to determine the importance and reliability of each criterion. Consensus ratings identified 7 criteria that were important measures of pharmacy students' communication skills and could be reliably assessed by patients. A modified two-round Delphi consultation survey successfully identified criteria that can be used by patients to assess the communication skills of pharmacy undergraduates. Future work will examine the feasibility of using patients as assessors of communication skills of pharmacy students, preregistration pharmacists, and qualified pharmacists.

Talking Trees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolman, Marvin

2005-01-01

Students love outdoor activities and will love them even more when they build confidence in their tree identification and measurement skills. Through these activities, students will learn to identify the major characteristics of trees and discover how the pace--a nonstandard measuring unit--can be used to estimate not only distances but also the…

Skim, Scan, and Run

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaughey, Kevin

2018-01-01

Teachers often think of reading activities as silent, individual tasks in which seated students process every word in a copy of a text that the whole class is working with. Instead, in this activity, students will work in groups to practice skimming (identifying general ideas) and scanning (finding specific information) while reading several short…

Does Active Learning Improve Students' Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Research Methods?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campisi, Jay; Finn, Kevin E.

2011-01-01

We incorporated an active, collaborative-based research project in our undergraduate Research Methods course for first-year sports medicine majors. Working in small groups, students identified a research question, generated a hypothesis to be tested, designed an experiment, implemented the experiment, analyzed the data, and presented their…

Model Strategies for the Recruitment and Retention of Undergraduate Criminal Justice Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Positive Futures, Inc., Washington, DC.

Components for a model strategy/program for the recruitment and retention of students in criminal justice (CJ) programs are presented to stimulate planning activity. These 24 general examples of approaches identify the strategy, state the objectives, provide a rationale, describe implementation, discuss intervention activities, and delineate the…

Teachers' PET Project. Population Education Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zero Population Growth, Inc., Washington, DC.

Six population education activities presented in both English and Spanish are part of this activity pack. The first, "Population Riddles," helps students to understand just how much one billion is. The second, "Everything Is Connected," helps students to identify ways that factors in human society and the natural environment are interdependent.…

Guided-Inquiry Labs Using Bean Beetles for Teaching the Scientific Method & Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlueter, Mark A.; D'Costa, Allison R.

2013-01-01

Guided-inquiry lab activities with bean beetles ("Callosobruchus maculatus") teach students how to develop hypotheses, design experiments, identify experimental variables, collect and interpret data, and formulate conclusions. These activities provide students with real hands-on experiences and skills that reinforce their understanding of the…

Family Outing Activities and Achievement among Fourth Graders in Compensatory Education Funded Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griswold, Philip A.

This study sought to identify the relationship between operationally-defined family outing activities and measures of achievement among fourth grade students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. The results, collected for four successive years from 1715 students in urban Los Angeles, indicated that: (1) participation in family activities…

Hands-On Whole Science. Pass the Beetles, Please.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepler, Lynne

1992-01-01

Several hands-on whole science activities help elementary students learn about animals' diets and how they affect other animals. One activity involves identifying animals as carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores. Another has students construct food chains. Two across-the-curriculum ideas involve naming carnivores and preparing imaginary menus for…

Mid-USA, Making Informed Decisions: Using Student Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scovel, Donald A.; Nelson, Phillip J.

This document presents a series of learning activities focusing on the role of state government in American society. It is intended for senior or junior high school students. Six objectives are: to identify information sources about state government; to increase knowledge about its organization, processes, services, and costs; to compare these…

A Cross-National Study of Leisure Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beatty, Sharon E.; And Others

1994-01-01

Choice of leisure activity expressed by students and one parent each from four countries supports a three-dimensional factor structure of leisure dimensions, identified as aesthetic-intellectual, sports, and social-entertainment. Subjects were 642 U.S., 174 French, 243 Danish, and 139 New Zealand college students and their parents. (SLD)

Decision Points and Considerations for Identifying Rural Districts That Have Closed Student Achievement Gaps. REL 2016-130

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culbertson, Michael J.; Billig, Shelley H.

2016-01-01

Rural districts have long faced challenges in closing achievement gaps between subgroups of students. This brief report describes key decision points and considerations for decision-makers interested in identifying rural districts that have closed academic achievement gaps. Examining practices in these districts may suggest activities associated…

Closing the Math Gap of Native American Students Identified as Learning Disabled

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hankes, Judith; Skoning, Stacey; Fast, Gerald; Mason-Williams, Loretta

2013-01-01

This article serves as an overview of activities and selected assessment findings of a three-year research study titled, Closing the Mathematics Achievement Gap of Native American Students Identified as Learning Disabled Project (CMAG Project). Methods used were problem-based, consistent with those of Cognitively Guided Instruction, and culturally…

Improving the Laboratory Experience for Introductory Geology Students Using Active Learning and Evidence-Based Reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oien, R. P.; Anders, A. M.; Long, A.

2014-12-01

We present the initial results of transitioning laboratory activities in an introductory physical geology course from passive to active learning. Educational research demonstrates that student-driven investigations promote increased engagement and better retention of material. Surveys of students in introductory physical geology helped us identify lab activities which do not engage students. We designed new lab activities to be more collaborative, open-ended and "hands-on". Student feedback was most negative for lab activities which are computer-based. In response, we have removed computers from the lab space and increased the length and number of activities involving physical manipulation of samples and models. These changes required investment in lab equipment and supplies. New lab activities also include student-driven exploration of data with open-ended responses. Student-evaluations of the new lab activities will be compiled during Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 to allow us to measure the impact of the changes on student satisfaction and we will report on our findings to date. Modification of this course has been sponsored by NSF's Widening Implementation & Demonstration of Evidence Based Reforms (WIDER) program through grant #1347722 to the University of Illinois. The overall goal of the grant is to increase retention and satisfaction of STEM students in introductory courses.

A Comparison of 9th Grade Male and Female Physical Education Activities Preferences and Support for Coeducational Groupings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Grant; Cleven, Brian

2005-01-01

The purposes of this study were to determine the physical education activity preferences of 9th grade students in a southern California school district, to identify which activities students felt should be offered in coeducation or gender separate formats, and to determine whether physical education is one of their favorite classes. Results…

The Impact of Students' Choice of Time of Day for Class Activity and Their Sleep Quality on Academic Performance in Multidisciplinary Distance Education Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Jessica A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research was to identify the impact of students' choice of time of day for class activity and their sleep quality on academic performance in multidisciplinary distance education courses at a southeastern U.S. state college. The research addressed the relationship of other individual student characteristics (i.e., age, gender,…

Motivation towards extracurricular activities and motivation at school: A test of the generalization effect hypothesis.

PubMed

Denault, Anne-Sophie; Guay, Frédéric

2017-01-01

Participation in extracurricular activities is a promising avenue for enhancing students' school motivation. Using self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), the goal of this study was to test a serial multiple mediator model. In this model, students' perceptions of autonomy support from their extracurricular activity leader predicted their activity-based intrinsic and identified regulations. In turn, these regulations predicted their school-based intrinsic and identified regulations during the same school year. Finally, these regulations predicted their school-based intrinsic and identified regulations one year later. A total of 276 youths (54% girls) from disadvantaged neighborhoods were surveyed over two waves of data collection. The proposed mediation model was supported for both types of regulation. These results highlight the generalization effects of motivation from the extracurricular activity context to the school context. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Positive Psychology and Career Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aulthouse, Michelle; Kolbert, Jered B.; Bundick, Matthew J.; Crothers, Laura M.

2017-01-01

The article details how school counselors can use principles of positive psychology to promote students' career development by facilitating students' pursuit of purpose and meaning. Specifically, the publication identifies how school counselors can actively employ with their students five constructs of positive psychology--namely strengths,…

Using PyMOL to Explore the Effects of pH on Noncovalent Interactions between Immunoglobulin G and Protein A: A Guided-Inquiry Biochemistry Activity.

PubMed

Roche Allred, Zahilyn D; Tai, Heeyoung; Bretz, Stacey Lowery; Page, Richard C

2017-11-01

Students' understandings of foundational concepts such as noncovalent interactions, pH and pK a are crucial for success in undergraduate biochemistry courses. We developed a guided-inquiry activity to aid students in making connections between noncovalent interactions and pH/pK a . Students explore these concepts by examining the primary and tertiary structures of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Protein A. Students use PyMOL, an open source molecular visualization application, to (1) identify hydrogen bonds and salt bridges between and within the proteins at physiological pH and (2) apply their knowledge of pH/pK a to association rate constant data for these proteins at pH 4 and pH 11. The laboratory activity was implemented within a one semester biochemistry laboratory for students majoring in allied health disciplines, engineering, and biological sciences. Several extensions for more advanced students are discussed. Students' overall performance highlighted their ability to successfully complete tasks such as labeling and identifying noncovalent interactions and revealed difficulties with analyzing noncovalent interactions under varying pH/pK a conditions. Students' evaluations after completing the activity indicated they felt challenged but also recognized the potential of the activity to help them gain meaningful understanding of the connections between noncovalent interactions, pH, pK a , and protein structure. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):528-536, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Research: Detailed and Selective Follow-up of Students for Improvement of Programs/Program Components in Business & Office Education and Marketing & Distributive Education. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Gary D.; Chapman, Alberta

The Kentucky student follow-up system was studied to identify the current status of follow-up activities in business and office education and marketing and distributive education; to identify the impact of follow-up data on these programs; to identify program components for which detailed follow-up can provide information to assist in program…

Quantifying the Impact of Physical Activity on Stress Tolerance in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bland, Helen W.; Melton, Bridget F.; Bigham, Lauren E.; Welle, Paul D.

2014-01-01

Problem: Stress experience by millennial college students can be crippling. While stress is a universal and unavoidable phenomenon for college students, the variance in ability to handle stress can be attributed to stress tolerance (Welle & Graf, 2011). Research is needed to identify effective tools that increase college students' ability to…

Defining Pedagogic Expertise: Students and New Lecturers as Co-Developers in Learning and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howson, Camille Kandiko; Weller, Saranne

2016-01-01

This study evaluated a model of student-engaged educational development. Despite widespread commitment to student engagement across many institutional activities, student participation as partners with faculty in teaching and learning enhancement has been identified as a threshold concept for educational development. This study sought not only to…

Digital Video as a Personalized Learning Assignment: A Qualitative Study of Student Authored Video Using the ICSDR Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Laurie O.; Cox, Thomas D.

2018-01-01

Students within this study followed the ICSDR (Identify, Conceptualize/Connect, Storyboard, Develop, Review/Reflect/Revise) development model to create digital video, as a personalized and active learning assignment. The participants, graduate students in education, indicated that following the ICSDR framework for student-authored video guided…

Comfort and Convenience? Why Students Choose Alternatives to the Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vondracek, Ruth

2007-01-01

Oregon State University (OSU) researchers surveyed 3,227 undergraduate students to identify how many students use or do not use the physical and virtual OSU libraries. Most importantly, we wanted to determine the alternatives to the library that students choose for typical library activities, such as studying, research, and research assistance,…

Student Services Review: Grossmont College Disabled Student Programs and Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mimi; Mueler, Toni

An overview is provided of the support services and special activities provided by Grossmont College's Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS). Following introductory material on the philosophy and objectives of the DSPS, the report describes the methods used to identify the instructional development and support needs of DSPS students during…

Involving postgraduate's students in undergraduate small group teaching promotes active learning in both

PubMed Central

Kalra, Ruchi; Modi, Jyoti Nath; Vyas, Rashmi

2015-01-01

Background: Lecture is a common traditional method for teaching, but it may not stimulate higher order thinking and students may also be hesitant to express and interact. The postgraduate (PG) students are less involved with undergraduate (UG) teaching. Team based small group active learning method can contribute to better learning experience. Aim: To-promote active learning skills among the UG students using small group teaching methods involving PG students as facilitators to impart hands-on supervised training in teaching and managerial skills. Methodology: After Institutional approval under faculty supervision 92 UGs and 8 PGs participated in 6 small group sessions utilizing the jigsaw technique. Feedback was collected from both. Observations: Undergraduate Feedback (Percentage of Students Agreed): Learning in small groups was a good experience as it helped in better understanding of the subject (72%), students explored multiple reading resources (79%), they were actively involved in self-learning (88%), students reported initial apprehension of performance (71%), identified their learning gaps (86%), team enhanced their learning process (71%), informal learning in place of lecture was a welcome change (86%), it improved their communication skills (82%), small group learning can be useful for future self-learning (75%). Postgraduate Feedback: Majority performed facilitation for first time, perceived their performance as good (75%), it was helpful in self-learning (100%), felt confident of managing students in small groups (100%), as facilitator they improved their teaching skills, found it more useful and better identified own learning gaps (87.5%). Conclusions: Learning in small groups adopting team based approach involving both UGs and PGs promoted active learning in both and enhanced the teaching skills of the PGs. PMID:26380201

College Women's Weight-related Behavior Profiles Differ by Sexual Identity.

PubMed

VanKim, Nicole A; Erickson, Darin J; Eisenberg, Marla E; Lust, Katherine; Rosser, B R Simon; Laska, Melissa N

2015-07-01

To identify and describe homogenous profiles of female college students based on weight-related behaviors and examine differences across 5 sexual orientation groups. Data from the 2009-2013 College Student Health Survey (Minnesota-based survey of 2- and 4-year college students) were used to fit latent class models. Four profiles were identified across all sexual orientation groups: "healthier eating habits," "moderate eating habits," "unhealthy weight control," and "healthier eating habits, more physically active." Differences in patterns and prevalence of profiles across sexual orientation suggest need for interventions addressing insufficient physical activity and unhealthy weight control behaviors. Future interventions should consider the diversity of behavioral patterns across sexual orientation to more effectively address weight-related behavioral disparities.

Biology Myth-Killers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lampert, Evan

2014-01-01

"Biology Myth-Killers" is an activity designed to identify and correct common misconceptions for high school and college introductory biology courses. Students identify common myths, which double as biology misconceptions, and use appropriate sources to share the "truth" about the myths. This learner-centered activity is a fun…

How to Motivate Your Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Girmus, Ronald L.

2012-01-01

Student motivation is critical for learning. Psychological and neuroscientific evidence demonstrate that motivation and cognition are inextricably linked. In field research, 660 k-12 teachers were surveyed to self-identify the most successful strategies and activities they used to motivate students. A literature review that included 190 education…

Prevalence and correlates of walking and biking to school among adolescents.

PubMed

Bungum, Timothy J; Lounsbery, Monica; Moonie, Sheniz; Gast, Julie

2009-04-01

Increasing the rates that our adolescents walk and bicycle to school, also called active transport to school (ATS), could increase the physical activity (PA) levels of that age group. This type of activity has been identified as a missed opportunity for PA. It is currently estimated that 15% of American youth walk or bicycle to school. These rates of ATS are lower than those of European and Asian youth. Efforts to enhance levels of non-motorized transport to school could aid in reducing obesity rates among American youth, decrease traffic congestion and attenuate emission of greenhouse gasses. The objective was to identify demographic, environmental and psychosocial predictors of ATS. A 30-questionnaire was completed by 2,692 students. Logistic regression was used to identify psychosocial, demographic and environmental predictors of ATS. Only 4.6% of students used ATS. Predictors of ATS were street connectedness (density of street intersections) and gender, (boys had higher ATS rates). Public health officials should be alert for opportunities to select sites for new schools that are in neighborhoods with well connected street systems. Interventions promoting ATS will need to target male and female students and there appears to be an opportunity to increase rates that students bicycle to school.

The analysis and reconciliation of students' rebuttals in argumentation activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yu-Ren; Hung, Jeng-Fung

2016-01-01

The present study investigated the guidance provided by science teachers to resolve conflicts during socioscientific issue-based argumentation activities. A graphical representation (GR) was developed as a tool to code and analyze the dialogue interaction process. Through the GR and qualitative analysis, we identified three types of dialogue reconciling strategies. The first one consists of teacher management, in which the teacher temporarily maintains the right to speak when students get mired in an emotional rebuttal situation. The second strategy involves the use of qualifiers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an opposing argument. The third strategy consists of providing students with guidance to keep both parties (i.e. the students taking, respectively, the affirmative and negative positions) on the same discussion topic and can be used to assist teachers with forming broad questions that prompt students to conduct deeper discussions. These reconciling strategies were beneficial in that they helped students to argue in a more reflective way.

A needs assessment study of undergraduate surgical education.

PubMed

Kaur, Navneet; Gupta, Ankit; Saini, Pradeep

2011-01-01

A needs assessment is the process of identifying performance requirements or 'gaps' between what is required and what exists at present. To identify these gaps, the inputs of all stakeholders are needed. In medical education, graduating medical students are important stakeholders who can provide valuable feedback on deficiencies in their training. To know the students' perceptions about effectiveness of their surgical training, an anonymous questionnaire seeking their opinion on the duration, content, methods of teaching and assessment was administered. Their responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. The students were largely in favour of active methods of learning and there was very little preference for didactic lectures. For clinical teaching, involvement in ward rounds and patient care activities, in addition to case discussions, was considered to facilitate learning. A clerkship model of clinical training was favoured. Any teaching-learning activity in small groups of 8-10 students were preferred. As regards their evaluation, besides internal assessment, the students felt the need for direct constructive feedback from teachers on how to improve their performance. A large number (73.5%) were opposed to attendance being considered a qualifying criterion for taking the examination. Students' feedback about their 'perceived needs' should be considered when revising training programmes.

An In-Depth Look at RACE: Creating a Public Relations Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luttrell, Regina

2013-01-01

This article describes an activity in which students will understand, analyze, and apply the principles learned in the RACE process (research, action, communication, and evaluation). Students should have the ability to identify the four-step public relations planning process and ultimately create a public relations plan. This two-week activity is…

ABO/Rh Blood-Typing Model: A Problem-Solving Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wake, Carol

2005-01-01

An ARO/Rh Blood-Typing kit useful for students to visualize blood-typing activities and practice problem-solving skills with transfusion reactions is presented. The model also enables students to identify relationships between A, B, and Rh antigens and antibodies in blood and to understand molecular mechanisms involved in transfusion agglutination…

Students' Opinions on the Light Pollution Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özyürek, Cengiz; Aydin, Güliz

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of computer-animated concept cartoons and outdoor science activities on creating awareness among seventh graders about light pollution. It also aims to identify the views of the students on the activities that were carried out. This study used one group pre-test/post-test experimental design…

External and Institutional Factors Affecting Community College Student-Transfer Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Debra L.

A study was conducted to identify the environmental conditions and relationships between external and institutional conditions that have a significant effect upon student transfer activity. A sample of 78 colleges in 15 states were selected from institutions participating in a national transfer project; 42% were located in Texas or California. The…

Activities for Students: Biology as a Source for Algebra Equations--The Heart

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horak, Virginia M.

2005-01-01

The high school course that integrated first year algebra with an introductory environmental biology/anatomy and physiology course, in order to solve algebra problems is discussed. Lessons and activities for the course were taken by identifying the areas where mathematics and biology content intervenes may help students understand biology concepts…

A Multi-Modal Active Learning Experience for Teaching Social Categorization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarzmueller, April

2011-01-01

This article details a multi-modal active learning experience to help students understand elements of social categorization. Each student in a group dynamics course observed two groups in conflict and identified examples of in-group bias, double-standard thinking, out-group homogeneity bias, law of small numbers, group attribution error, ultimate…

Ninth Graders' Energy Balance Knowledge and Physical Activity Behavior: An Expectancy-Value Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Senlin; Chen, Ang

2012-01-01

Expectancy beliefs and task values are two essential motivators in physical education. This study was designed to identify the relation between the expectancy-value constructs (Eccles & Wigfield, 1995) and high school students' physical activity behavior as associated with their energy balance knowledge. High school students (N = 195) in two…

Cognitive and Social Aspects of Engagement in Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koretsky, Milo

2017-01-01

This article reports analysis of students' written reflections as to what helps them learn in an active learning environment. Eight hundred and twenty seven responses from 403 students in four different studio courses over two years were analyzed. An emergent coding scheme identified 55% of the responses as associated with cognitive processes…

Identity in Activity: Examining Teacher Professional Identity Formation in the Paired-Placement of Student Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dang, Thi Kim Anh

2013-01-01

This paper examines the evolution of the professional identities of student teachers (STs) in a paired-placement teaching practicum in Vietnam. The study draws on activity theory, its notion of contradiction, and Vygotsky's concepts of ZPD and "perezhivanie", to identify the factors driving the intricate learning process. Opportunities…

Designing Efficient Self-Diagnosis Activities in the Physics Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safadi, Rafi'

2017-12-01

Self-diagnosis (SD) activities require students to self-diagnose their solutions to problems that they solved on their own. This involves identifying where they went wrong and then explaining the nature of their errors—why they went wrong—aided by some form of support. Worked examples (WEs) are often used to support students in SD activities. A WE is a step-by-step demonstration of how to solve a problem. One unresolved issue is why students fail to exploit WEs in SD exercises. Yerushalmi et al., for instance, provided students with written WEs and asked them to self-diagnose their solutions with respect to these WEs. These authors found no correlation between students' SD performance and their subsequent problem-solving performance on transfer problems, suggesting that students had only superficially exploited the written WEs. The aim of this article is to describe a new SD activity that was developed to prompt students to effectively use written WEs when self-diagnosing, and to examine its effectiveness in advancing students' learning in physics.

Potential to increase active commuting level in university area (Case study: Universitas Gadjah Mada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, M. K.

2017-06-01

In order to alleviate the negative impacts of motorized vehicle use as well as create sustainable environment within campus area, it is pivotal to encourage mode shifting among university students. Active transport modes such as walking, cycling, and using public transport can be considered as alternative modes. This paper tried to identify the potential to increase active commuting in UGM by understanding student’s travel behavior. ANOVA test was employed to identify the perceptions between students across residential zones toward motivators and barriers to actively commute. The findings were used to propose strategies for increasing active commuting level in UGM, which are: reducing barriers to actively commute, improving public transport services, improving walking and cycling facilities, and introducing programs to discourage motorized vehicle use.

Developing teaching process for enhancing students' mathematical problem solving in the 21st century through STEM education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prawvichien, Sutthaporn; Siripun, Kulpatsorn; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

The STEM education could provide the context for students' learning in the 21st century. The Mathematical problem solving requires a context which simulates real life in order to give students experience of the power of mathematics in the world around them. This study aimed to develop the teaching process for enhancing students' mathematical problem solving in the 21st century through STEM education. The paper will clarify the STEM learning activities about graph theories regarding on the 6 steps of engineering design process. These include identify a challenge, exploring ideas, designing and planning, doing and developing, test and evaluate, and present the solution. The learning activities will start from the Identify a challenge stage which provides the northern part of Thailand flooding situation in order to set the students' tasks of develop the solutions of providing the routes of fastest moving people away from the flooding areas. The explore ideas stage will provide activities for enhance students to learn some knowledge based for designing the possible solutions. This knowledge based could focus on measuring, geometry, graph theory, and mathematical process. The design and plan stage will ask students to model the city based on the map and then provide the possible routes. The doing and development stage will ask students to develop the routes based on their possible model. The test and evaluating will ask students to clarify how to test and evaluate the possible routes, and then test it. The present solution stage will ask students to present the whole process of designing routes. Then, the paper will discuss how these learning activities could enhance students' mathematical problem solving. The paper may have implication for STEM education in school setting.

Perceived Effectiveness of Identified Methods and Techniques Teachers Adopt in Prose Literature Lessons in Some Secondary Schools in Owerri

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezeokoli, F. O.

2016-01-01

The study determined the methods adopted by teachers in prose literature-in-English classrooms, activities of teachers and students, teachers' perceived effectiveness of techniques used. It also examined the objectives of teaching prose literature that teachers should address and the extent teachers believe in student-identified difficulties of…

Designing Algebraic Tasks for 7-Year-Old Students--A Pilot Project Inspired by Davydov's "Learning Activity" Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eriksson, Inger; Jansson, Anders

2017-01-01

The issue of this article is to identify and discuss what conditions may be necessary to build into tasks to make it likely for students to be involved in an algebraic Learning Activity inspired by Davydov. Data from a pilot study was used in which a group of students (N = 28) in grade 1 (7-year-olds) were invited to participate in discussions and…

Self-Diagnosis as a Tool for Supporting Students' Conceptual Understanding and Achievements in Physics: The Case of 8th-Graders Studying Force and Motion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safadi, Rafi'

2017-01-01

I examined the impact of a self-diagnosis activity on students' conceptual understanding and achievements in physics. This activity requires students to self-diagnose their solutions to problems that they have solved on their own--namely, to identify and explain their errors--and self-score them--that is, assign scores to their solutions--aided by…

Portraiture of constructivist parental involvement: A model to develop a community of practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dignam, Christopher Anthony

This qualitative research study addressed the problem of the lack of parental involvement in secondary school science. Increasing parental involvement is vital in supporting student academic achievement and social growth. The purpose of this emergent phenomenological study was to identify conditions required to successfully construct a supportive learning environment to form partnerships between students, parents, and educators. The overall research question in this study investigated the conditions necessary to successfully enlist parental participation with students during science inquiry investigations at the secondary school level. One hundred thirteen pairs of parents and students engaged in a 6-week scientific inquiry activity and recorded attitudinal data in dialogue journals, questionnaires, open-ended surveys, and during one-one-one interviews conducted by the researcher between individual parents and students. Comparisons and cross-interpretations of inter-rater, codified, triangulated data were utilized for identifying emergent themes. Data analysis revealed the active involvement of parents in researching with their child during inquiry investigations, engaging in journaling, and assessing student performance fostered partnerships among students, parents, and educators and supported students' social skills development. The resulting model, employing constructivist leadership and enlisting parent involvement, provides conditions and strategies required to develop a community of practice that can help effect social change. The active involvement of parents fostered improved efficacy and a holistic mindset to develop in parents, students, and teachers. Based on these findings, the interactive collaboration of parents in science learning activities can proactively facilitate a community of practice that will assist educators in facilitating social change.

Exploring Agriculture in America. Instructor Guide and Student Reference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, John Kevin; And Others

This curriculum guide is designed to provide instruction about agriculture for eighth-grade students in Missouri. Lessons included in the curriculum employ a problem-solving instructional approach. Student-oriented activities are included to provide opportunities for experiential learning. Core competencies and key skills are identified in…

Learning Strategies of Students Attending a "Second Chance" School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cartier, Sylvie C.; Langevin, Louise; Robert, Josianne

2011-01-01

This study was conducted in Quebec with 608 students (aged 16-19) in four "second chance" schools of the greater Montreal area. The objectives were twofold: (a) to identify the strategies of these students in the context of five learning activities; and (b) to compare the strategies of students who had withdrawn from school after their…

5 Tips for Creating Independent Activities Aligned with the Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Dawn W.

2013-01-01

Promoting independence in all students is one important part of education. It can be difficult for educators to identify meaningful tasks that students with severe disabilities can complete with full independence. By incorporating visual supports into a student's independent work, the teacher is providing the student with an opportunity to…

How do interprofessional student teams interact in a primary care clinic? A qualitative analysis using activity theory.

PubMed

Kent, Fiona; Francis-Cracknell, Alison; McDonald, Rachael; Newton, Jennifer M; Keating, Jennifer L; Dodic, Miodrag

2016-10-01

Practice based interprofessional education opportunities are proposed as a mechanism for health professionals to learn teamwork skills and gain an understanding of the roles of others. Primary care is an area of practice that offers a promising option for interprofessional student learning. In this study, we investigated what and how students from differing professions learn together. Our findings inform the design of future interprofessional education initiatives. Using activity theory, we conducted an ethnographic investigation of interprofessional education in primary care. During a 5 months period, we observed 14 clinic sessions involving mixed discipline student teams who interviewed people with chronic disease. Teams were comprised of senior medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy and physiotherapy entry level students. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with seven clinical educators. Data were analysed to ascertain the objectives, tools, rules and division of labour. Two integrated activity systems were identified: (1) student teams gathering information to determine patients' health care needs and (2) patients either as health consumers or student educators. Unwritten rules regarding 'shared contribution', 'patient as key information source' and 'time constraints' were identified. Both the significance of software literacy on team leadership, and a pre-determined structure of enquiry, highlighted the importance of careful consideration of the tools used in interprofessional education, and the way they can influence practice. The systems of practice identified provide evidence of differing priorities and values, and multiple perspectives of how to manage health. The work reinforced the value of the patients' voice in clinical and education processes.

Predictors of prevention failure in college students participating in two indicated depression prevention programs.

PubMed

Blanco, Vanessa; Rohde, Paul; Vázquez, Fernando L; Otero, Patricia

2014-04-04

The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of university students with the highest likelihood of remaining at elevated levels of depressive symptoms six months following the receipt of a depressive prevention intervention on the basis of known risk factors and participation in one of two depression prevention programs. Data from a randomized controlled trial evaluating depression prevention among 133 college students with elevated depressive symptoms were analyzed. Participants were randomized to a cognitive-behavioral or relaxation training group preventive intervention. Classification tree analysis showed that older age was the strongest risk factor for persistently elevated depression. Additional risk factors were: (1) for younger students, fewer daily pleasant activities; (2) for those with higher level of pleasant activities, higher level of stressful events; and (3) for those with higher level of stressful events, lower assertiveness. Results offer directions for prevention foci, identify specific subgroups of college students to target for depression prevention efforts, and suggest that research aim to help older, non-traditional students or graduating students manage the transition from college to the work force.

Predictors of Prevention Failure in College Students Participating in Two Indicated Depression Prevention Programs

PubMed Central

Blanco, Vanessa; Rohde, Paul; Vázquez, Fernando L.; Otero, Patricia

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of university students with the highest likelihood of remaining at elevated levels of depressive symptoms six months following the receipt of a depressive prevention intervention on the basis of known risk factors and participation in one of two depression prevention programs. Data from a randomized controlled trial evaluating depression prevention among 133 college students with elevated depressive symptoms were analyzed. Participants were randomized to a cognitive-behavioral or relaxation training group preventive intervention. Classification tree analysis showed that older age was the strongest risk factor for persistently elevated depression. Additional risk factors were: (1) for younger students, fewer daily pleasant activities; (2) for those with higher level of pleasant activities, higher level of stressful events; and (3) for those with higher level of stressful events, lower assertiveness. Results offer directions for prevention foci, identify specific subgroups of college students to target for depression prevention efforts, and suggest that research aim to help older, non-traditional students or graduating students manage the transition from college to the work force. PMID:24714056

We are what we do: Examining learner-generated content in the anatomy laboratory through the lens of activity theory.

PubMed

Doubleday, Alison F; Wille, Sarah J

2014-01-01

Video and photography are often used for delivering content within the anatomical sciences. However, instructors typically produce these resources to provide instructional or procedural information. Although the benefits of learner-generated content have been explored within educational research, virtually no studies have investigated the use of learner-generated video and photograph content within anatomy dissection laboratories. This study outlines an activity involving learner-generated video diaries and learner-generated photograph assignments produced during anatomy laboratory sessions. The learner-generated photographs and videos provided instructors with a means of formative assessment and allowed instructors to identify evidence of collaborative behavior in the laboratory. Student questionnaires (n = 21) and interviews (n = 5), as well as in-class observations, were conducted to examine student perspectives on the laboratory activities. The quantitative and qualitative data were examined using the framework of activity theory to identify contradictions between student expectations of, and engagement with, the activity and the actual experiences of the students. Results indicate that learner-generated photograph and video content can act as a rich source of data on student learning processes and can be used for formative assessment, for observing collaborative behavior, and as a starting point for class discussions. This study stresses the idea that technology choice for activities must align with instructional goals. This research also highlights the utility of activity theory as a framework for assessing classroom and laboratory activities, demonstrating that this approach can guide the development of laboratory activities. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

Using Valsiner's Zone Theory for Identifying the Forms of Students' Pseudo Responses in Mathematics Teaching Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iffah, Jauhara Dian Nurul; Sutawidjaja, Akbar; Sa'dijah, Cholis; Subanji

2017-01-01

Various methods of teaching had been implemented to create an active and fun teaching process by teachers for students. Teachers' actions during class could lead to different responses from students. However, those actions are not always well accepted by students. Valsiner suggested a theory on a set of teachers' actions for promoting students'…

Learning from the Past as We Aim for the Future through Identifying Students' Learning Styles To Improve Teaching/Learning Experiences in College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Elsa C.

Community college students arrive with a diversity of learning styles, study skills, and test anxiety levels. The study described here was conducted to determine whether activity grouping of students according to learning style (incorporating at least two different styles in each group) contributes to improved student performance. In the spring of…

Relationship between admission data and pharmacy student involvement in extracurricular activities.

PubMed

Kiersma, Mary E; Plake, Kimberly S; Mason, Holly L

2011-10-10

To assess pharmacy student involvement in leadership and service roles and to evaluate the association between admissions data and student involvement. Doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students were invited to complete a 56-item online survey instrument containing questions regarding leadership and service involvement, work experiences, perceived contribution of involvement to skill development, and perceived importance of involvement. Responses were linked to admissions data to identify possible associations. Five hundred fourteen (82.4%) pharmacy students completed the survey instrument. Students with higher admissions application and interview scores were more likely to be involved in organizations and hold leadership roles, while students with higher admissions grade point averages were less likely to be involved in organizations and leadership roles. Assessing students' involvement in leadership and service roles can assist in the evaluation of students' leadership skills and lead to modification of curricular and co-curricular activities to provide development opportunities. Student involvement in extracurricular activities may encourage future involvement in and commitment to the pharmacy profession.

Identifying Content Knowledge for Teaching Energy: Examples from High School Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Amy D.; Scherr, Rachel E.; Goodhew, Lisa M.; Daane, Abigail R.; Gray, Kara E.; Aker, Leanna B.

2017-01-01

"Content knowledge for teaching" is the specialized content knowledge that teachers use in practice the content knowledge that serves them for tasks of teaching such as revoicing students' ideas, choosing an instructional activity to address a student misunderstanding, and evaluating student statements. We describe a methodology for…

Can University-Industry Linkages Stimulate Student Employability?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishengoma, Esther; Vaaland, Terje I.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify important university-industry linkage (UIL) activities that can stimulate the likelihood of employability among students. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 404 respondents located in Tanzania, comprising students, faculty members and employees from 20 companies operating within the oil and…

College Student Perceptions of the (In)Appropriateness and Functions of Teacher Disclosure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosek, Angela M.; Presley, Rachel

2018-01-01

This study investigated college student perceptions of the (in)appropriateness of instructor disclosures and perceived functions of instructor disclosures. An interpretive analysis of 35 college students identified that family relationships, life experiences and background, and everyday talk and activities were forms of appropriate disclosures;…

TELSQA and the Mainstreamed LD Social Studies Student.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tama, M. Carrol; Martinez, David H.

1988-01-01

Examines research about learning disabled (LD) students and presents an LD learning-style profile. Describes a learning activity, TELSQA, that social studies teachers can use to encourage reading comprehension. TELSQA asks students to identify title (T), examine material (E), look for important words (L), self-question (SQ), and answer…

Prairie Restoration Project: Alternatives for Identifying Gifted Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salisbury, Katie E.; Rule, Audrey C.; Vander Zanden, Sarah M.

2016-01-01

An authentic, challenging curriculum engaged middle school students from an urban district in exploratory work related to restoring a small prairie at the school. Integrated science-literacy-arts activities were coupled with a system of thinking skills that helped students view issues from different perspectives. Impassioned guest speakers and an…

Student Stress. Information Capsule. Volume 1006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blazer, Christie

2010-01-01

Students are under pressure from teachers, parents, and college admissions counselors to maintain high grade point averages, score well on high-stakes tests, participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, and gain admission to top colleges. In fact, surveys have found that most students identify academic pressure as the main reason for…

Paper Towers: Building Students' Understandings of Technological Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minogue, James; Guentensberger, Todd

2006-01-01

One set of ideas at the core of the National Science Education Standards (NSES) Science and Technology Standards is that of engaging middle school students in activities that help them develop their understandings of technological design. More precisely, students should be able to identify appropriate problems for technological design, design a…

Multimedia Instructional Tools and Student Learning in Computer Applications Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Debra Laier

2013-01-01

Advances in technology and changes in educational strategies have resulted in the integration of technology into the classroom. Multimedia instructional tools (MMIT) have been identified as a way to provide student-centered active-learning instructional material to students. MMITs are common in introductory computer applications courses based on…

Current Domestic Problems, Social Studies: 6416.18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, John A.

Secondary students learn to deal objectively with domestic issues and problems in this quinmester elective course. Emphasis is upon providing students with an opportunity for indepth study in critical thinking on current controversial issues, using activity units as a principal teaching technique. The objectives are for students to identify and…

Students distracted by electronic devices perform at the same level as those who are focused on the lecture.

PubMed

Nalliah, Romesh P; Allareddy, Veerasathpurush

2014-01-01

Background. Little is known about the characteristics of internet distractions that students may engage in during lecture. The objective of this pilot study is to identify some of the internet-based distractions students engage in during in-person lectures. The findings will help identify what activities most commonly cause students to be distracted from the lecture and if these activities impact student learning. Methods. This study is a quasi-experimental pilot study of 26 students from a single institution. In the current study, one class of third-year students were surveyed after a lecture on special needs dentistry. The survey identified self-reported utilization patterns of "smart" devices during the lecture. Additionally, twelve quiz-type questions were given to assess the students' recall of important points in the lecture material that had just been covered. Results. The sample was comprised of 26 students. Of these, 17 were distracted in some form (either checking email, sending email, checking Facebook, or sending texts). The overall mean score on the test was 9.85 (9.53 for distracted students and 10.44 for non-distracted students). There were no significant differences in test scores between distracted and non-distracted students (p = 0.652). Gender and types of distractions were not significantly associated with test scores (p > 0.05). All students believed that they understood all the important points from the lecture. Conclusions. Every class member felt that they acquired the important learning points during the lecture. Those who were distracted by electronic devices during the lecture performed similarly to those who were not. However, results should be interpreted with caution as this study was a small quasi-experimental design and further research should examine the influence of different types of distraction on different types of learning.

Physical education resources, class management, and student physical activity levels: a structure-process-outcome approach to evaluating physical education effectiveness.

PubMed

Bevans, Katherine B; Fitzpatrick, Leslie-Anne; Sanchez, Betty M; Riley, Anne W; Forrest, Christopher

2010-12-01

This study was conducted to empirically evaluate specific human, curricular, and material resources that maximize student opportunities for physical activity during physical education (PE) class time. A structure-process-outcome model was proposed to identify the resources that influence the frequency of PE and intensity of physical activity during PE. The proportion of class time devoted to management was evaluated as a potential mediator of the relations between resource availability and student activity levels. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected from interviews conducted with 46 physical educators and the systematic observation of 184 PE sessions in 34 schools. Regression analyses were conducted to test for the main effects of resource availability and the mediating role of class management. Students who attended schools with a low student-to-physical educator ratio had more PE time and engaged in higher levels of physical activity during class time. Access to adequate PE equipment and facilities was positively associated with student activity levels. The availability of a greater number of physical educators per student was found to impact student activity levels by reducing the amount of session time devoted to class management. The identification of structure and process predictors of student activity levels in PE will support the allocation of resources and encourage instructional practices that best support increased student activity levels in the most cost-effective way possible. Implications for PE policies and programs are discussed. © 2010, American School Health Association.

Leisure Activities for the Development of Creative Intelligence in Mathematical Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Angélica Mercedes Tumbaco; Guerra, Galo Ernestro Cabanilla; Brito, Christian Antonio Pavón; Chávez, Tannia Gabriela Acosta

2018-01-01

The present work studies the influence of leisure activities on the creative intelligence of the students. An experimental pre- and post-test design was carried out with individuals selected in a sampling process. The design identifies the ease of students to place themselves in possible contexts and solve them mathematically through Polya's…

Four Characteristics of Facebook Activities for English Language Learning: A Study of Malaysian University Students' Needs and Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasuma, Shaidatul Akma Adi

2017-01-01

This paper identifies Malaysian university students' needs and preferences for online English language activities on a Facebook group that supports their formal learning. Two methods of data collection were employed; content analysis of the Facebook interactions, and semi structured interviews. Four main learning preferences or characteristics of…

Dynamics of Student Interactions: An Empirical Study of Orienteering Lessons in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jourand, Clément; Adé, David; Sève, Carole; Komar, John; Thouvarecq, Régis

2018-01-01

Introduction: Many studies in physical education (PE) have sought to identify and categorize the modes of student interaction in order to gain greater insight into the nature of cooperative activity. More others recent studies have examined how modes of interaction evolve on the basis of the modes of collective activity that they generate. These…

A Planning Tool for Incorporating Backward Design, Active Learning, and Authentic Assessment in the College Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Heather L.; Kearns, Katherine Dowell

2017-01-01

Backward course design is a compelling strategy for achieving results-based, student-centered learning. The backward course-design approach is first to identify student-learning outcomes, then the means of assessing the outcomes, and lastly the classroom activities that would support the learning outcomes. With demonstrated success at improving…

A latent class analysis of weight-related health behaviors among 2- and 4-year college students and associated risk of obesity.

PubMed

Mathur, Charu; Stigler, Melissa; Lust, Katherine; Laska, Melissa

2014-12-01

Little is known about the complex patterning of weight-related health behaviors in 2- and 4-year college students. The objective of this study was to identify and describe unique classes of weight-related health behaviors among college students. Latent class analysis was used to identify homogenous, mutually exclusive classes of nine health behaviors that represent multiple theoretically/clinically relevant dimensions of obesity risk among 2- versus 4-year college students using cross-sectional statewide surveillance data (N = 17,584). Additionally, differences in class membership on selected sociodemographic characteristics were examined using a model-based approach. Analysis was conducted separately for both college groups, and five and four classes were identified for 2- and 4-year college students, respectively. Four classes were similar across 2- and 4-year college groups and were characterized as "mostly healthy dietary habits, active"; "moderately high screen time, active"; "moderately healthy dietary habits, inactive"; and "moderately high screen time, inactive." "Moderately healthy dietary habits, high screen time" was the additional class unique to 2-year college students. These classes differed on a number of sociodemographic characteristics, including the proportion in each class who were classified as obese. Implications for prevention scientists and future intervention programs are considered. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Eliciting and activating funds of knowledge in an environmental science community college classroom: An action research study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Niel, John J.

Many non-traditional students are currently underperforming in college and yet may have untapped knowledge and skills that could support their academic success if appropriately utilized. Previous practices that students experience as a part of their lives are what Gonzales and other researchers call "funds of knowledge" (FOK). There is ample evidence to show that utilization of students' FOK in K-12 instructional contexts can be beneficial. In contrast, little formal FOK research has been done with higher education students. To address this gap, this study explores how environmental college courses could be designed so as to better elicit and capitalize on students' FOK, with the ultimate goal of increasing student engagement and learning. More specifically, using an action research paradigm, I designed, implemented and studied an intervention in two sections of the required environmental science course I taught in Fall 2009 at the community college where I am employed. The intervention consisted of two phases: (1) eliciting FOK from the students enrolled in one section of the course through a draft survey, and (2) refining that survey tool in order to better elicit FOK, development of other methods of elicitation of FOK and activating (or incorporating) the FOK thus identified as relevant to enhance the learning experience of the students in both sections of the course. The designs of the intervention as well as data collection and analysis were informed by the following research questions: Q1. What are effective strategies for eliciting FOK that may be generalized to the practices of other college instructors? Q2. What relevant FOK do students bring to this class? Q3. What were instances where FOK were activated in the course? Q4. What are effective strategies for activating FOK that may be generalized to the practices of other college instructors? Q5. What evidence was there that students took up new practices due to the intervention? Data were collected from a variety of sources including an audio recorded small-group session where FOK were elicited, surveys compiled by all students to point to potentially relevant life experiences and practices, audio recorded classroom lessons where FOK were utilized, audio recorded final class reflections on the experience, and my own teacher log. Data were qualitatively analyzed first to identify the range and frequency of students' relevant FOK, then to identify and characterize effective activation of these funds in a classroom setting. Findings highlight the breadth of relevant FOK present in a given class as well as strategies shown to be effective for both elicitation and activation of these funds. Implications are drawn for future research into FOK as well as for other instructors wishing to explicitly draw on students' FOK to enrich their learning experiences.

Analyzing Students' Learning Progressions Throughout a Teaching Sequence on Acoustic Properties of Materials with a Model-Based Inquiry Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández, María Isabel; Couso, Digna; Pintó, Roser

2015-04-01

The study we have carried out aims to characterize 15- to 16-year-old students' learning progressions throughout the implementation of a teaching-learning sequence on the acoustic properties of materials. Our purpose is to better understand students' modeling processes about this topic and to identify how the instructional design and actual enactment influences students' learning progressions. This article presents the design principles which elicit the structure and types of modeling and inquiry activities designed to promote students' development of three conceptual models. Some of these activities are enhanced by the use of ICT such as sound level meters connected to data capture systems, which facilitate the measurement of the intensity level of sound emitted by a sound source and transmitted through different materials. Framing this study within the design-based research paradigm, it consists of the experimentation of the designed teaching sequence with two groups of students ( n = 29) in their science classes. The analysis of students' written productions together with classroom observations of the implementation of the teaching sequence allowed characterizing students' development of the conceptual models. Moreover, we could evidence the influence of different modeling and inquiry activities on students' development of the conceptual models, identifying those that have a major impact on students' modeling processes. Having evidenced different levels of development of each conceptual model, our results have been interpreted in terms of the attributes of each conceptual model, the distance between students' preliminary mental models and the intended conceptual models, and the instructional design and enactment.

Perspective transformation: enhancing the development of professionalism in RN-to-BSN students.

PubMed

Morris, Arlene H; Faulk, Debbie

2007-10-01

The purpose of this research was to examine whether there are resultant behavioral changes in professionalism for returning adult RN-to-BSN students and to identify teaching-learning activities that stimulate transformative learning. Mezirow's adult learning theory served as a theoretical guide for the study. A convenience sample of students enrolled in a RN-to-BSN completion program during 2 academic years was surveyed using the core standards from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's essentials of baccalaureate nursing education. A total of 26 learning activities were identified as creating cognitive dissonance (conflict of values). Changes in professional behavior 3 months postgraduation included increased collaboration with the health care team, increased patient advocacy, and increased confidence in the role as a teacher of patients and families. The findings indicate that planning learning activities in nursing curricula can foster perspective transformation in professionalism.

Partnering to provide simulated learning to address Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies.

PubMed

Murphy, Judy I; Nimmagadda, Jayashree

2015-05-01

Learning to effectively communicate and work with other professionals requires skill, yet interprofessional education is often not included in the undergraduate healthcare provider curriculum. Simulation is an effective pedagogy to bring students from multiple professions together for learning. This article describes a pilot study where nursing and social work students learned together in a simulated learning activity, which was evaluated to by the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). The RIPLS was used before and after the simulated activity to determine if this form of education impacted students' perceptions of readiness to learn together. Students from both professions improved in their RIPLS scores. Students were also asked to identify their interprofessional strengths and challenges before and after the simulation. Changes were identified in qualitative data where reports of strengths and challenges indicated learning and growth had occurred. In conclusion, this pilot study suggests that interprofessional simulation can be an effective method to integrate Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies into the curriculum.

A phenomenological study of millennial students and traditional pedagogies.

PubMed

Toothaker, Rebecca; Taliaferro, Donna

The Millennial generation comprises the majority of learners in the traditional university setting. Nurse educators identify problems developing teaching strategies in education that undergraduate Millennial nursing students find engaging and meaningful. The purpose of this study was to identify the perception of Millennial students participating in traditional pedagogies and its significant implications for nursing education. This interpretive phenomenological study recorded the lived experiences of Millennial nursing students' experiences in traditional classrooms. One on one interviews with 13 Millennial students were conducted. Data collection and analysis aligned with van Manen's method. There are five themes that emerged from the data: physically present, mentally dislocated; unspoken peer pressure; wanting more from the professors; surface learning; and lack of trust. The essence focuses around the central theme of belonging, while students identified the most significant challenge in a classroom was disengaging professors. Recommendations for faculty to engage nursing students through a method of shared responsibility of educational approach are given. Blended teaching pedagogies that offer traditional and active methods are recommended. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Teacher Activities and Adolescent Students' Participation in a Colombian EFL Classroom (Actividades de enseñanza y participación de estudiantes adolescentes en una clase de enseñanza de inglés como lengua extranjera en Colombia)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caicedo, Jefferson

2015-01-01

The present study concerns the activities teachers develop and ninth-graders' participation in responses to those activities. The objectives of this study were to identify and describe the types of teaching activities developed and how students respond to them and to show how the target language is used in the classroom. The data collection was…

Associations of Adolescent Weight Status and Meeting National Obesity-Related Recommendations.

PubMed

Cook, Jessica A; McCormick, Emily V; Mickiewicz, Theresa E; Davidson, Arthur J; Main, Deborah S

2017-12-01

Adolescent overweight and obesity are serious health risks, with prevalence varying by sociodemographic group. Studies link children's weight status and sex/race-ethnic differences with meeting recommendations for physical activity and diet. But, research examining the intersection of sociodemographic characteristics, behavior, and weight status is limited. This paper aims to identify sociodemographic differences in the association between adolescent weight status and meeting 6 national obesity-related recommendations. In 2011-2012, the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey was administered to all Denver high school students. Using descriptive and multivariate modeling, we examined subgroup associations between students' self-reported weight status and physical activity and diet. Students (N = 6652) who met at least 1 recommendation were less likely to be at an unhealthy weight (OR = 0.87); also true for students who met at least 1 physical activity recommendation (OR = 0.80). However, the association varied across subgroups. The association between weight status and meeting at least 1 nutritional recommendation (OR = 0.91) was inconsistent across subgroups. Unexpected patterns also emerged in subgroup associations between meeting specific recommendations and weight status. Identifying subgroup differences in meeting recommendations and the association with weight status is important in identifying high risk groups and improving policy and programs that target childhood obesity prevention. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Interprofessional pharmacy observation activity for third-year dental students.

PubMed

Conway, Susan E; Smith, Winter J; Truong, Teresa H; Shadid, Jill

2014-09-01

Interprofessional learning is a key component of today's health sciences education. Within a two-course series in dental pharmacology and therapeutics, a dental curriculum was revised to provide an interprofessional activity to expose dental students to a community pharmacy setting. The objectives of this activity were to augment students' learning about drug laws and prescription writing, as well as to foster interprofessional relationships and collaboration between pharmacists and dentists. Dental students were scheduled for one-hour observations at community pharmacies on campus. Learning objectives to guide this activity focused on demonstrating community pharmacy operating procedures, identifying ways to minimize prescribing and dosing errors, and understanding how pharmacists can assist dentists in prescribing. Following the observation, students were required to submit a written assignment, which accounted for 14 percent of their course grade. All 119 dental students (100 percent) enrolled in the course for the summers of 2012 and 2013 completed the activity. The average grade on the written assignment was 96.2 out of 100. At the end of the course, students were asked to participate in an online course evaluation survey, for which response rates were 37 percent and 43 percent for 2012 and 2013, respectively. The students rated the pharmacy observation activity favorably on this course evaluation. The pharmacy observation activity provided a successful interprofessional component to the didactic pharmacy course and was well received by the dental students as well as the community pharmacists.

Entomology: Promoting Creativity in the Science Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akcay, Behiye B.

2013-01-01

A class activity has been designed to help fourth grade students to identify basic insect features as a means of promoting student creativity while making an imaginary insect model. The 5Es (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend [or Elaborate], and Evaluate) learning cycle teaching model is used. The 5Es approach allows students to work in small…

Factors Affecting Student Retention in Online Courses: Overcoming This Critical Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaytan, Jorge

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine what a panel of 15 experts would identify as critical factors affecting student retention in online courses that will serve as implications for educational leaders to guide their student retention strategies, online organizational structures, institutional policies, and online instructional activities. A…

Learning Styles among Students in an Advanced Soil Management Class: Impact on Students' Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eudoxie, Gaius D.

2011-01-01

Learning styles represent an integral component of the learning environment, which has been shown to differ across institutions and disciplines. To identify learner preferences within a discipline would aid in evaluating instructional resources geared toward active learning. The learning profiles of second-year soil science students (n = 62) were…

How Not to Lose Your Students with Concept Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Francoise Judith Benay; Kennedy, Sarah; Semsar, Katharine

2011-01-01

Four physiology courses participating in a science education program used concept maps for the first time. At the conclusion of the term, students responded to an end-of-term survey about the activity. Following varied results, we sought to identify factors that students indicated are important for the acceptance of the technique. To encourage…

Impact of Work Awareness Instruction for Adolescents with Special Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Rhonda S.

A work awareness curriculum designed to help disabled students develop the core social skills critical to success in the workplace was developed and presented to disabled students in two states. The core social skills were identified in a literature review. The curriculum included activities to increase students' awareness of often-unstated…

Blending Assessment into Instruction: Practical Applications and Meaningful Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Michael T.; van der Mars, Hans

2004-01-01

Since engagement in physical activity is now identified as an important outcome for students, teachers need to assess their students in ways that measure that behavior. Assessment serves many purposes in an educational setting. It can provide feedback, drive instructional needs, and evaluate outcomes of both students and programs. If done…

Decision Making in a Nuclear Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austill, Chris, Ed.

These activities help high school students develop an understanding of nuclear weapons within the context of human beings making choices. Students learn to evaluate information and to identify the political stand or bias in what they hear and read. To record their own growth and change, students are encouraged to keep a journal. Teachers can…

Teaching Students to Engage with Evidence: An Evaluation of Structured Writing and Classroom Discussion Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blings, Steffen; Maxey, Sarah

2017-01-01

In their transition to college, students often struggle to identify and make connections between the main arguments, evidence, and empirical findings of articles from academic journals commonly assigned on political science syllabi. Which active learning techniques are most effective for teaching students to recognize and evaluate social science…

Learning or Lurking?: Tracking the "Invisible" Online Student.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaudoin, Michael F.

2002-01-01

This case study of inactive, or invisible, students enrolled in an online graduate course identifies how much time is spent in course-related activity, what the reasons are for students' invisibility, and if their preferred learning styles influence online behavior. Preliminary analysis of grades indicate that grades are better for high-visibility…

"LearningPad" Conundrum: The Perils of Using Third-Party Software and Student Privacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Jason; Roller, Sarah; Lampley, Sandra

2017-01-01

This case focuses on the potential problems associated with sharing personally identifiable information (PII) when students are required to use third-party software. Specifically, third-grade students were required to complete "LearningPad" activities as a component of their homework grade in math, spelling, and language arts. As…

Identification of Minerals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allison, Diane

2005-01-01

The lab described in this article was developed to satisfy two major goals. First, the activity is designed to show students the proper techniques used to identify the seven characteristics of all minerals. Second, the lab gives students a glimpse into the life of a professional field geologist. The author has students complete this lab at the end…

A Change in Seasons: Increasing Student Observation Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterling, Donna R.

2006-01-01

Using the seasons in the science classroom increases student observation skills as they focus on subtle differences such as shades of color and differences in structures. In this article, the author presents a variety of activities that can help students identify and demonstrate patterns and changes in leaf or plant development. The ability to…

Science literacy and academic identity formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reveles, John M.; Cordova, Ralph; Kelly, Gregory J.

2004-12-01

The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focused on the co-development of science literacy and academic identity formulation within a third-grade classroom. Our theoretical framework draws from sociocultural theory and studies of scientific literacy. Through analysis of classroom discourse, we identified opportunities afforded students to learn specific scientific knowledge and practices during a series of science investigations. The results of this study suggest that the collective practice of the scientific conversations and activities that took place within this classroom enabled students to engage in the construction of communal science knowledge through multiple textual forms. By examining the ways in which students contributed to the construction of scientific understanding, and then by examining their performances within and across events, we present evidence of the co-development of students' academic identities and scientific literacy. Students' communication and participation in science during the investigations enabled them to learn the structure of the discipline by identifying and engaging in scientific activities. The intersection of academic identities with the development of scientific literacy provides a basis for considering specific ways to achieve scientific literacy for all students.

Impact of the Design of U.S. History Textbooks on Content Acquisition and Academic Engagement of Special Education Students: An Experimental Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harniss, Mark K.; Caros, Jennifer; Gersten, Russell

2007-01-01

We used randomized controlled trials to compare the impact of the designs of 2 United States history textbooks on the content acquisition and behavior of 8th-grade students identified for special education services or identified as low achieving. We also investigated whether teachers differed in their use of instructional activities and…

Physical Education Resources, Class Management, and Student Physical Activity Levels: A Structure-Process-Outcome Approach to Evaluating Physical Education Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bevans, Katherine B.; Fitzpatrick, Leslie-Anne; Sanchez, Betty M.; Riley, Anne W.; Forrest, Christopher

2010-01-01

Background: This study was conducted to empirically evaluate specific human, curricular, and material resources that maximize student opportunities for physical activity during physical education (PE) class time. A structure-process-outcome model was proposed to identify the resources that influence the frequency of PE and intensity of physical…

Opciones (Options). Spanish Correspondence. Level 1. Learning Activity Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, James W.

The purpose of this learning activity packet is to acquaint students of Spanish as a second language with letter-writing in Spanish. Upon completion of the packet, students should be able to: (1) identify some of the major differences in mailing customs between the U.S. and Hispanic countries, (2) read and write mailing and return adresses, (3)…

Effects of an Equine Assisted Activities Program on Youth with Emotional Disturbance: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stebbins, Tira

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the effects of a 10-week Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) program on special education students (aged 9 to 15) identified as Emotionally Disturbed (ED) who were enrolled in an alternative school. A control group of special education students receiving treatment-as-usual was included. The Behavior Assessment Scale for Children,…

Incorporation of Socio-scientific Content into Active Learning Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, D. B.; Lewis, J. E.; Anderson, K.; Latch, D.; Sutheimer, S.; Webster, G.; Moog, R.

2014-12-01

Active learning has gained increasing support as an effective pedagogical technique to improve student learning. One way to promote active learning in the classroom is the use of in-class activities in place of lecturing. As part of an NSF-funded project, a set of in-class activities have been created that use climate change topics to teach chemistry content. These activities use the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) methodology. In this pedagogical approach a set of models and a series of critical thinking questions are used to guide students through the introduction to or application of course content. Students complete the activities in their groups, with the faculty member as a facilitator of learning. Through assigned group roles and intentionally designed activity structure, process skills, such as teamwork, communication, and information processing, are developed during completion of the activity. Each of these climate change activities contains a socio-scientific component, e.g., social, ethical and economic data. In one activity, greenhouse gases are used to explain the concept of dipole moment. Data about natural and anthropogenic production rates, global warming potential and atmospheric lifetimes for a list of greenhouse gases are presented. The students are asked to identify which greenhouse gas they would regulate, with a corresponding explanation for their choice. They are also asked to identify the disadvantages of regulating the gas they chose in the previous question. In another activity, where carbon sequestration is used to demonstrate the utility of a phase diagram, students use economic and environmental data to choose the best location for sequestration. Too often discussions about climate change (both in and outside the classroom) consist of purely emotional responses. These activities force students to use data to support their arguments and hypothesize about what other data could be used in the corresponding discussion to support their position. In this presentation, we will present examples of the socio-scientific components of several activities, and discuss the challenges associated with incorporating socio-scientific components into content-based class activities.

How can students contribute? A qualitative study of active student involvement in development of technological learning material for clinical skills training.

PubMed

Haraldseid, Cecilie; Friberg, Febe; Aase, Karina

2016-01-01

Policy initiatives and an increasing amount of the literature within higher education both call for students to become more involved in creating their own learning. However, there is a lack of studies in undergraduate nursing education that actively involve students in developing such learning material with descriptions of the students' roles in these interactive processes. Explorative qualitative study, using data from focus group interviews, field notes and student notes. The data has been subjected to qualitative content analysis. Active student involvement through an iterative process identified five different learning needs that are especially important to the students: clarification of learning expectations, help to recognize the bigger picture, stimulation of interaction, creation of structure, and receiving context- specific content. The iterative process involvement of students during the development of new technological learning material will enhance the identification of important learning needs for students. The use of student and teacher knowledge through an adapted co-design process is the most optimal level of that involvement.

The impact of utilizing mobile phones to promote physical activity among post-secondary students: a scoping review.

PubMed

Ly, Hieu

2016-01-01

A commitment to regular physical activity may reduce the risks of chronic diseases for young adults. Internationally, the majority of post-secondary students are insufficiently active for health benefits. Novel health strategies and interventions utilizing mobiles phones could increase post-secondary students' physical activity levels. However, there is contradictory evidence to support the use of mobile phones to promote physical activity, and a scoping review could provide further insights into this topic. The purpose of this study was to conduct a scoping review to explore the existing literature and investigate what is currently known about the use of mobile phones to enhance physical activity levels among post-secondary students. A total of 84 articles were identified from the literature search, and six studies were selected for data analysis. Two major themes were supported by the evidence, which included: (I) the relationship between mobile phones and physical activity levels; and (II) students' perceptions of mobile phones. Goal setting principles combined with text message interventions were reported to have significant influences on students' physical activity levels. Students expressed mixed feelings about coaching elements of apps and posting personal results on social networking websites. No studies reported the use of objective physical activity measurements. In conclusion, mobile phone technologies such as text message reminders could be included in health interventions to enhance post-secondary students' physical activity levels. There is limited evidence available on this topic and additional research is warranted to establish a clearer understanding of the relationship between mobile phones and post-secondary students' physical activity.

Flipped Class - Making that One Hour Effective in a Resource Constrained Setting.

PubMed

Zafar, Afsheen

2016-09-01

Flipped-class teaching has a great potential to replace traditional lectures in medical education. This study was designed to explore attitude of undergraduate medical students from Pakistan towards flipped-class. Five flipped classes were conducted in third year MBBS by a single teacher for a class of 100 students. Quantitative data was collected through a survey questionnaire to assess students' response to the new method. Afocused group discussion was then conducted with students who disliked the method and preferred traditional lectures. Asequential mixed methods approach was used for analysis. Seventy-one students participated in the survey, 84.5% students liked this method of teaching. Students identified fruitful interaction, better retention, better conceptualisation, prior knowledge, active learning, individual student attention, and application of knowledge as strengths of the class. Noise, limited time, lack of self-confidence, and presence of uninterested students were identified as problems for engaging in the class.

How learning analytics can early predict under-achieving students in a blended medical education course.

PubMed

Saqr, Mohammed; Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti

2017-07-01

Learning analytics (LA) is an emerging discipline that aims at analyzing students' online data in order to improve the learning process and optimize learning environments. It has yet un-explored potential in the field of medical education, which can be particularly helpful in the early prediction and identification of under-achieving students. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative markers collected from students' online activities that may correlate with students' final performance and to investigate the possibility of predicting the potential risk of a student failing or dropping out of a course. This study included 133 students enrolled in a blended medical course where they were free to use the learning management system at their will. We extracted their online activity data using database queries and Moodle plugins. Data included logins, views, forums, time, formative assessment, and communications at different points of time. Five engagement indicators were also calculated which would reflect self-regulation and engagement. Students who scored below 5% over the passing mark were considered to be potentially at risk of under-achieving. At the end of the course, we were able to predict the final grade with 63.5% accuracy, and identify 53.9% of at-risk students. Using a binary logistic model improved prediction to 80.8%. Using data recorded until the mid-course, prediction accuracy was 42.3%. The most important predictors were factors reflecting engagement of the students and the consistency of using the online resources. The analysis of students' online activities in a blended medical education course by means of LA techniques can help early predict underachieving students, and can be used as an early warning sign for timely intervention.

Motivational factors and stages of change for physical activity among college students in Amman, Jordan.

PubMed

Madanat, Hala; Merrill, Ray M

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate physical activity levels across the five stages of change for physical activity and to identify motivational factors for physical activity according to these stages of change among college students in Amman, Jordan. Analyses were based on a cross-sectional survey of 431 students, with a mean age of 21.1 (SD=0.16) and 67.5% female. Based on the recommendation that physical activity requires at least 30 minutes of physical activity 3 or more days per week, men were more likely than women to classify themselves in later stages: 7.3% vs. 9.5% in the precontemplation stage, 17.4% vs. 14.7% in the contemplation stage, 50.0% vs. 63.5% in the preparation stage, 9.4% vs. 5.6% in the action stage, and 15.9% vs. 6.7% in the maintenance stage [X2(4) = 14.04, p = 0.0072]. Seven potential motivational items for physical activity were assessed using factor analysis: experience better self-worth, prevent chronic disease, relieve stress, stay in shape, longevity, recreation/fun, and social benefits. Two factor groupings were identified from these items. The first factor included the first five items, labeled as "Physical and Mental". The second factor included the last two items, labeled as "Social and Recreational." "Physical and Mental" items compared with "Social and Recreational" items were most likely to motivate physical activity across the stages of change for physical activity. The strongest motivator of physical activity was to stay in shape. The weakest motivator of physical activity was for social reasons. The influence of the intermediate motivational factors was slightly affected by the students' stage of change for physical activity. Motivators for physical activity did not differ according to sex. These results provide important information about the motivational factors for physical activity for college-aged students in Jordan that can be useful in developing effective physical activity intervention programs.

Promoting Visualization Skills through Deconstruction Using Physical Models and a Visualization Activity Intervention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiltz, Holly Kristine

Visualization skills are important in learning chemistry, as these skills have been shown to correlate to high ability in problem solving. Students' understanding of visual information and their problem-solving processes may only ever be accessed indirectly: verbalization, gestures, drawings, etc. In this research, deconstruction of complex visual concepts was aligned with the promotion of students' verbalization of visualized ideas to teach students to solve complex visual tasks independently. All instructional tools and teaching methods were developed in accordance with the principles of the theoretical framework, the Modeling Theory of Learning: deconstruction of visual representations into model components, comparisons to reality, and recognition of students' their problemsolving strategies. Three physical model systems were designed to provide students with visual and tangible representations of chemical concepts. The Permanent Reflection Plane Demonstration provided visual indicators that students used to support or invalidate the presence of a reflection plane. The 3-D Coordinate Axis system provided an environment that allowed students to visualize and physically enact symmetry operations in a relevant molecular context. The Proper Rotation Axis system was designed to provide a physical and visual frame of reference to showcase multiple symmetry elements that students must identify in a molecular model. Focus groups of students taking Inorganic chemistry working with the physical model systems demonstrated difficulty documenting and verbalizing processes and descriptions of visual concepts. Frequently asked student questions were classified, but students also interacted with visual information through gestures and model manipulations. In an effort to characterize how much students used visualization during lecture or recitation, we developed observation rubrics to gather information about students' visualization artifacts and examined the effect instructors' modeled visualization artifacts had on students. No patterns emerged from the passive observation of visualization artifacts in lecture or recitation, but the need to elicit visual information from students was made clear. Deconstruction proved to be a valuable method for instruction and assessment of visual information. Three strategies for using deconstruction in teaching were distilled from the lessons and observations of the student focus groups: begin with observations of what is given in an image and what it's composed of, identify the relationships between components to find additional operations in different environments about the molecule, and deconstructing steps of challenging questions can reveal mistakes. An intervention was developed to teach students to use deconstruction and verbalization to analyze complex visualization tasks and employ the principles of the theoretical framework. The activities were scaffolded to introduce increasingly challenging concepts to students, but also support them as they learned visually demanding chemistry concepts. Several themes were observed in the analysis of the visualization activities. Students used deconstruction by documenting which parts of the images were useful for interpretation of the visual. Students identified valid patterns and rules within the images, which signified understanding of arrangement of information presented in the representation. Successful strategy communication was identified when students documented personal strategies that allowed them to complete the activity tasks. Finally, students demonstrated the ability to extend symmetry skills to advanced applications they had not previously seen. This work shows how the use of deconstruction and verbalization may have a great impact on how students master difficult topics and combined, they offer students a powerful strategy to approach visually demanding chemistry problems and to the instructor a unique insight to mentally constructed strategies.

Relationship Between Admission Data and Pharmacy Student Involvement in Extracurricular Activities

PubMed Central

Plake, Kimberly S.; Mason, Holly L.

2011-01-01

Objectives. To assess pharmacy student involvement in leadership and service roles and to evaluate the association between admissions data and student involvement. Methods. Doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students were invited to complete a 56-item online survey instrument containing questions regarding leadership and service involvement, work experiences, perceived contribution of involvement to skill development, and perceived importance of involvement. Responses were linked to admissions data to identify possible associations. Results. Five hundred fourteen (82.4%) pharmacy students completed the survey instrument. Students with higher admissions application and interview scores were more likely to be involved in organizations and hold leadership roles, while students with higher admissions grade point averages were less likely to be involved in organizations and leadership roles. Conclusions. Assessing students’ involvement in leadership and service roles can assist in the evaluation of students’ leadership skills and lead to modification of curricular and co-curricular activities to provide development opportunities. Student involvement in extracurricular activities may encourage future involvement in and commitment to the pharmacy profession. PMID:22102745

Effects of curricular activity on students' situational motivation and physical activity levels.

PubMed

Gao, Zan; Hannon, James C; Newton, Maria; Huang, Chaoqun

2011-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the effects of three curricular activities on students'situational motivation (intrinsic motivation [IM], identified regulation [IR], external regulation, and amotivation [AM]) and physical activity (PA) levels, and (b) the predictive strength of situational motivation to PA levels. Four hundred twelve students in grades 7-9 participated in three activities (cardiovascular fitness, ultimate football, and Dance Dance Revolution [DDR]) in physical education. ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers were used to measure students' PA levels for three classes for each activity. Students also completed a Situational Motivation Scale (Guay, Vallerand, & Blanchard, 2000) at the end of each class. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that students spent significantly higher percentages of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) in fitness and football classes than they did in DDR class. Students reported higher lM and IR toward fitness than DDR They also scored higher in IR toward fitness than football. In contrast, students displayed significantly lower AM toward fitness than football and DDR Hierarchical Linear Modeling revealed that IM was the only positive predictor for time in MVPA (p = .02), whereas AM was the negative predictor (p < .01). The findings are discussed in regard to the implications for educational practice.

Performing mathematics activities with non-standard units of measurement using robots controlled via speech-generating devices: three case studies.

PubMed

Adams, Kim D; Cook, Albert M

2017-07-01

Purpose To examine how using a Lego robot controlled via a speech-generating device (SGD) can contribute to how students with physical and communication impairments perform hands-on and communicative mathematics measurement activities. This study was a follow-up to a previous study. Method Three students with cerebral palsy used the robot to measure objects using non-standard units, such as straws, and then compared and ordered the objects using the resulting measurement. Their performance was assessed, and the manipulation and communication events were observed. Teachers and education assistants were interviewed regarding robot use. Results Similar benefits to the previous study were found in this study. Gaps in student procedural knowledge were identified such as knowing to place measurement units tip-to-tip, and students' reporting revealed gaps in conceptual understanding. However, performance improved with repeated practice. Stakeholders identified that some robot tasks took too long or were too difficult to perform. Conclusions Having access to both their SGD and a robot gave the students multiple ways to show their understanding of the measurement concepts. Though they could participate actively in the new mathematics activities, robot use is most appropriate in short tasks requiring reasonable operational skill. Implications for Rehabilitation Lego robots controlled via speech-generating devices (SGDs) can help students to engage in the mathematics pedagogy of performing hands-on activities while communicating about concepts. Students can "show what they know" using the Lego robots, and report and reflect on concepts using the SGD. Level 1 and Level 2 mathematics measurement activities have been adapted to be accomplished by the Lego robot. Other activities can likely be accomplished with similar robot adaptations (e.g., gripper, pen). It is not recommended to use the robot to measure items that are long, or perform measurements that require high operational competence in order to be successful.

Remote Sensing of Landuse Changes and Implications for Landuse Policy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Ken

1996-01-01

This final report describes grant activities under which students were to study landuse changes by comparing planning and zoning documents using remote sensed data data analyzed and interpreted in the laboratory. Students were recruited through mathematics, political science and engineering classes an clubs. Work protocols were then organized for research on the county's growth patterns over the last three decades. Students and investigators made planes to identify specific scenes in Landsat and other data which would satisfy the research parameters. Finally, statistical and imaging software was identified and some was acquired.

Fertility knowledge and intentions to have children in a national study of Australian secondary school students.

PubMed

Heywood, Wendy; Pitts, Marian K; Patrick, Kent; Mitchell, Anne

2016-10-01

This paper reports on fertility knowledge and intentions to have children among a national sample of students in years 10-12. Data were from the Fifth National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health. Students identified factors that could affect fertility, if they wanted children and at what age. Most students wanted to have children (77%). Of those who wanted children or were unsure (n=1,780), 54% were able to identify six of eight factors that could affect fertility. Male students had poorer knowledge than females. Poorer knowledge was also reported by male students who were born overseas or used marijuana and by female students who were sexually active or religious. More than half the students (59%) wanted their first child aged 25-29, while 19% wanted their first child after 30. Intentions to have children at an earlier age were associated with being religious, sexually active (females), and using marijuana (males). Students not exclusively attracted to the opposite sex were more likely to want children at an older age. Most students typically want children in their late 20s. Many were unaware of factors that could affect their fertility and there was a mismatch between intentions and likely behaviour. These factors could be addressed as part of relationship education. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

Introducing Pre-university Students to Primary Scientific Literature Through Argumentation Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koeneman, Marcel; Goedhart, Martin; Ossevoort, Miriam

2013-10-01

Primary scientific literature is one of the most important means of communication in science, written for peers in the scientific community. Primary literature provides an authentic context for showing students how scientists support their claims. Several teaching strategies have been proposed using (adapted) scientific publications, some for secondary education, but none of these strategies focused specifically on scientific argumentation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a strategy for teaching pre-university students to read unadapted primary scientific literature, translated into students' native language, based on a new argumentation analysis framework. This framework encompasses seven types of argumentative elements: motive, objective, main conclusion, implication, support, counterargument and refutation. During the intervention, students studied two research articles. We monitored students' reading comprehension and their opinion on the articles and activities. After the intervention, we measured students' ability to identify the argumentative elements in a third unadapted and translated research article. The presented framework enabled students to analyse the article by identifying the motive, objective, main conclusion and implication and part of the supports. Students stated that they found these activities useful. Most students understood the text on paragraph level and were able to read the article with some help for its vocabulary. We suggest that primary scientific literature has the potential to show students important aspects of the scientific process and to learn scientific vocabulary in an authentic context.

Deliberate Integration of Student Leadership Development in Doctor of Pharmacy Programs

PubMed Central

Nelson, Michael H.; Bzowyckyj, Andrew S.; Fuentes, David G.; Rosenberg, Ettie; DiCenzo, Robert

2016-01-01

The CAPE 2013 Outcomes answered the call for increased student leadership development (SLD) by identifying leadership as a desired curricular goal. To meet this outcome, colleges and schools of pharmacy are advised to first identify a set of SLD competencies aligned with their institution’s mission and goals and then organize these competencies into a SLD framework/model. Student leadership development should be integrated vertically and horizontally within the curriculum in a deliberate and longitudinal manner. It should include all student pharmacists, begin at the point of admission, and extend beyond extracurricular activities. The school’s assessment plan should be aligned with the identified SLD competencies so student learning related to leadership is assessed. To accomplish these recommendations, a positive environment for SLD should be cultivated within the school, including administrative backing and resources, as well as support among the broader faculty for integrating SLD into the curriculum. PMID:26941428

Deliberate Integration of Student Leadership Development in Doctor of Pharmacy Programs.

PubMed

Janke, Kristin K; Nelson, Michael H; Bzowyckyj, Andrew S; Fuentes, David G; Rosenberg, Ettie; DiCenzo, Robert

2016-02-25

The CAPE 2013 Outcomes answered the call for increased student leadership development (SLD) by identifying leadership as a desired curricular goal. To meet this outcome, colleges and schools of pharmacy are advised to first identify a set of SLD competencies aligned with their institution's mission and goals and then organize these competencies into a SLD framework/model. Student leadership development should be integrated vertically and horizontally within the curriculum in a deliberate and longitudinal manner. It should include all student pharmacists, begin at the point of admission, and extend beyond extracurricular activities. The school's assessment plan should be aligned with the identified SLD competencies so student learning related to leadership is assessed. To accomplish these recommendations, a positive environment for SLD should be cultivated within the school, including administrative backing and resources, as well as support among the broader faculty for integrating SLD into the curriculum.

The relationship between meeting vigorous physical activity recommendations and burnout symptoms among adolescents: an exploratory study with vocational students.

PubMed

Elliot, Catherine; Lang, Christin; Brand, Serge; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Pühse, Uwe; Gerber, Markus

2015-04-01

This study examines how students who met the current recommendations for vigorous physical activity (VPA) of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) differ from peers who did not reach these standards with regard to self-reported burnout, before and after controlling for light physical activity and moderate physical activity. A sample of 144 vocational students (Mage =16.2 years, SD = 1.13, 98 males) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure, and the School Burnout Inventory. Bivariate correlations revealed that only VPA was associated with reduced burnout. Both the ACSM and CDC guidelines were useful to identify significant differences in burnout symptoms between students who met versus did not meet the standards. Health policy makers should develop strategies to integrate more VPA into the lives of adolescent students so as to reach a minimum of 60 min per week.

Predictors of physical activity and barriers to exercise in nursing and medical students.

PubMed

Blake, Holly; Stanulewicz, Natalia; Mcgill, Francesca

2017-04-01

To investigate physical activity levels of nursing and medicine students, examine predictors of physical activity level and examine the most influential benefits and barriers to exercise. Healthcare professionals have low levels of physical activity, which increases their health risk and may influence their health promotion practices with patients. We surveyed 361 nursing (n = 193) and medicine (n = 168) students studying at a UK medical school. Questionnaire survey, active over 12 months in 2014-2015. Measures included physical activity level, benefits and barriers to exercise, social support, perceived stress and self-efficacy for exercise. Many nursing and medicine students did not achieve recommended levels of physical activity (nursing 48%; medicine 38%). Perceived benefits of exercise were health related, with medicine students identifying additional benefits for stress relief. Most notable barriers to exercise were as follows: lack of time, facilities having inconvenient schedules and exercise not fitting around study or placement schedules. Nursing students were less active than medicine students; they perceived fewer benefits and more barriers to exercise and reported lower social support for exercise. Physical activity of nursing and medicine students was best predicted by self-efficacy and social support, explaining 35% of the variance. Physical activity should be promoted in nursing and medicine students. Interventions should aim to build self-efficacy for exercise and increase social support. Interventions should be developed that are targeted specifically to shift-working frontline care staff, to reduce schedule-related barriers to exercise and to increase accessibility to workplace health and well-being initiatives. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Motivational readiness for active commuting by university students: incentives and barriers.

PubMed

Cole, Rachel; Leslie, Eva; Donald, Maria; Cerin, Ester; Neller, Anne; Owen, Neville

2008-12-01

Walking for transport can contribute significantly to health-enhancing physical activity. We examined the associations of stages of motivational readiness for active transport with perceived barriers and incentives to walking to and from university among students. Mail-back surveys were completed by 781 students in a regional university in south-east Queensland. They identified one of eight options on motivational readiness for active commuting, which were then classified as: pre-contemplation; contemplation-preparation; or, action-maintenance. Open-ended questions were used to identify relevant barriers and incentives. Logistic regressions were used to examine the barriers and incentives that distinguished between those at different stages of motivational readiness. Barriers most frequently reported were long travel distances, inconvenience and time constraints. Incentives most frequently reported were shorter travel distance, having more time, supportive infrastructure and better security. Those not considering active commuting (pre-contemplation) were significantly more likely to report shorter travel distance as an incentive compared to those in contemplation-preparation. Those in contemplation-preparation were significantly more likely to report lack of motivation, inadequate infrastructure, shorter travel distance and inconvenience as barriers; and, having more time, supportive infrastructure, social support and incentive programs as encouragement. Different barriers and incentives to walking to or from university exist for students in the different stages of motivational readiness for active commuting. Interventions targeted specifically to stage of motivational readiness may be potentially helpful in increasing activity levels, through active transport.

Coming Out in Class: Challenges and Benefits of Active Learning in a Biology Classroom for LGBTQIA Students

PubMed Central

Cooper, Katelyn M.; Brownell, Sara E.

2016-01-01

As we transition our undergraduate biology classrooms from traditional lectures to active learning, the dynamics among students become more important. These dynamics can be influenced by student social identities. One social identity that has been unexamined in the context of undergraduate biology is the spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) identities. In this exploratory interview study, we probed the experiences and perceptions of seven students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community. We found that students do not always experience the undergraduate biology classroom to be a welcoming or accepting place for their identities. In contrast to traditional lectures, active-learning classes increase the relevance of their LGBTQIA identities due to the increased interactions among students during group work. Finally, working with other students in active-learning classrooms can present challenges and opportunities for students considering their LGBTQIA identity. These findings indicate that these students’ LGBTQIA identities are affecting their experience in the classroom and that there may be specific instructional practices that can mitigate some of the possible obstacles. We hope that this work can stimulate discussions about how to broadly make our active-learning biology classes more inclusive of this specific population of students. PMID:27543636

Identifying productive resources in secondary school students' discourse about energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrer, Benedikt

A growing program of research in science education acknowledges the beginnings of disciplinary reasoning in students' ideas and seeks to inform instruction that responds productively to these disciplinary progenitors in the moment to foster their development into sophisticated scientific practice. This dissertation examines secondary school students' ideas about energy for progenitors of disciplinary knowledge and practice. Previously, researchers argued that students' ideas about energy were constrained by stable and coherent conceptual structures that conflicted with an assumed unified scientific conception and therefore needed to be replaced. These researchers did not attend to the productive elements in students' ideas about energy. To analyze the disciplinary substance in students' ideas, a theoretical perspective was developed that extends Hammer and colleagues' resources framework. This elaboration allows for the identification of disciplinary productive resources---i.e., appropriately activated declarative and procedural pieces of knowledge---in individual students' utterances as well as in the interactions of multiple learners engaged in group learning activities. Using this framework, original interview transcripts from one of the most influential studies of students' ideas about energy (Watts, 1983. Some alternative views of energy. Physics Education, 18/5, 213-217) were analyzed. Disciplinary productive resources regarding the ontology of energy, indicators for energy, and mechanistic reasoning about energy were found to be activated by interviewed students. These valuable aspects were not recognized by the original author. An interpretive analysis of video recorded student-centered discourse in rural Maine middle schools was carried out to find cases of resource activation in classroom discussions. Several cases of disciplinary productive resources regarding the nature of energy and its forms as well as the construction of a mechanistic energy story were identified and richly described. Like energy, resources are manifested in various ways. The results of this study imply the necessity of appropriate disciplinary training for teachers that enables them to recognize and productively respond to disciplinary progenitors of the energy concept in students' ideas.

School Counselors: Untapped Resources for Safe Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callahan, Connie J.

2000-01-01

Principals should consider redirecting school counselors' responsibilities to include directing safe-school teams; establishing networks to identify at-risk students and violent behavior signs; developing conflict-resolution activities; assessing and counseling misbehaving students; devising crisis- management plans; and helping staff predict and…

Student evaluations of the portfolio process.

PubMed

Murphy, John E; Airey, Tatum C; Bisso, Andrea M; Slack, Marion K

2011-09-10

To evaluate pharmacy students' perceived benefits of the portfolio process and to gather suggestions for improving the process. A questionnaire was designed and administered to 250 first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. Although the objectives of the portfolio process were for students to understand the expected outcomes, understand the impact of extracurricular activities on attaining competencies, identify what should be learned, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and modify their approach to learning, overall students perceived the portfolio process as having less than moderate benefit. First-year students wanted more examples of portfolios while second- and third-year students suggested that more time with their advisor would be beneficial. The portfolio process will continue to be refined and efforts made to improve students' perceptions of the process as it is intended to develop the self-assessments skills they will need to improve their knowledge and professional skills throughout their pharmacy careers.

Powerful Letter Writing: Students Discover the Power of the Pen(cil).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neuhauser, Sandra P.

Students can better experience the impact of written words by the response of a real audience. This paper describes a letter-writing activity for sixth graders in which the students first identified and discussed real-life happenings which had caused disappointments with companies that had produced faulty items. They then obtained all the…

Mathematics Curriculum Coaching and Elementary School Students' Mathematics Achievement in a Northeast Tennessee School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valente, Evandro R.

2013-01-01

Educators and policymakers have demonstrated interest in finding ways to better equip mathematics teachers so they can help students achieve at a higher level. Academic coaching has been identified as an effective professional development activity for teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between students'…

Beyond Engagement Analytics: Which Online Mixed-Data Factors Predict Student Learning Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strang, Kenneth David

2017-01-01

This mixed-method study focuses on online learning analytics, a research area of importance. Several important student attributes and their online activities are examined to identify what seems to work best to predict higher grades. The purpose is to explore the relationships between student grade and key learning engagement factors using a large…

A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words: Using Collage to Explore Students Beliefs and Feelings about Marketing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Scott R.; Wald, Karla A.

2013-01-01

This paper describes a simple creative exercise that utilizes collage as a tool for student expression of feelings and impressions as well as reflection and understanding of the question "What is marketing?" This engaging activity can enhance student learning and understanding of the marketing field by identifying and clarifying…

Challenges in a Physics Course: Introducing Student-Centred Activities for Increased Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez, Carola; Ravn, Ole; Forero-Shelton, Manu

2014-01-01

This article identifies and analyses some of the challenges that arose in a development process of changing from a content-based teaching environment to a student-centred environment in an undergraduate physics course for medicine and biology students at Universidad de los Andes. Through the use of the Critical Research model proposed by Skovsmose…

Talk with Me: Student Behaviours and Pronoun Use as Indicators of Discourse Health across Facilitation Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epp, Carrie Demmans; Phirangee, Krystle; Hewitt, Jim

2017-01-01

Identifying which online behaviours and interactions are associated with student perceptions of being supported will enable a deeper understanding of how those activities contribute to learning experiences. Student language is one aspect of their interaction in need of greater exploration within discourse-based online learning environments. As a…

Transition Program: The Challenges Faced by Special Needs Students in Gaining Work Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alias, Aliza

2014-01-01

Transition program for special needs students is known to open opportunities for students with learning disabilities to gain work experience in actual work environment. The program provides training activities and also an opportunity to go for internship to gain work experience. Therefore, this study is to identify the challenges faced by special…

Comparative Analysis of Students Training Needs Regarding Internet and Its Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turturean, Monica; Turturean, Ciprian

2012-01-01

In this article we will try to realize a comparative study in order to find out if the internet has a positive or a negative role for undergraduate's university students. The purpose of this study is to identify the perception of undergraduate university students regarding the effects of the internet for their scientific activities and their…

Interest, Enjoyment and Pride after Failure Experiences? Predictors of Students' State-Emotions after Success and Failure during Learning in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tulis, Maria; Ainley, Mary

2011-01-01

The current investigation was designed to identify emotion states students experience during mathematics activities, and in particular to distinguish emotions contingent on experiences of success and experiences of failure. Students' task-related emotional responses were recorded following experiences of success and failure while working with an…

Providing Students with a Sense of Purpose by Adapting a Professional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westbroek, Hanna B.; Klaassen, Kees; Bulte, Astrid; Pilot, Albert

2010-01-01

This article reports on a design study aimed at achieving that students experience their learning as meaningful. Two conditions for meaningful activities were identified: (1) students should be motivated to attain a certain goal and (2) they should have rudimentary conceptual and procedural knowledge of how to attain that goal. Together, these…

Cultural Differences in the Health Information Environments and Practices between Finnish and Japanese University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askola, Kreetta; Atsushi, Toshimori; Huotari, Maija-Leena

2010-01-01

Introduction: The aim of this study was to identify cultural differences in the information environment and information practices, namely active seeking and encountering, of web-based health information between Finnish and Japanese university students. Method: The data were gathered with a Web-based survey among first-year university students at…

Use of Case-Based or Hands-On Laboratory Exercises with Physiology Lectures Improves Knowledge Retention, but Veterinary Medicine Students Prefer Case-Based Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFee, Renee M.; Cupp, Andrea S.; Wood, Jennifer R.

2018-01-01

Didactic lectures are prevalent in physiology courses within veterinary medicine programs, but more active learning methods have also been utilized. Our goal was to identify the most appropriate learning method to augment the lecture component of our physiology course. We hypothesized that case-based learning would be well received by students and…

An Activity Theoretical Perspective towards the Design of an ICT-Enhanced After-School Programme for Academically At-Risk Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tay, Lee Yong; Lim, Cher Ping

2010-01-01

This paper examines how a game-like 3D Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE), Quest Atlantis (QA), is used in an after-school programme to engage a group of 14 academically at-risk primary students in their learning. It adopts an activity theoretical perspective to identify the disturbances and contradictions during the implementation of the…

The Use of Parent Involved Take-Home Science Activities during Student Teaching: Understanding the Challenges of Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarazinski, Jill

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify student teachers use and implementation of "Science in a Bag" when it was no longer a required course-based assessment. This take-home science activity acted as the elaboration component of the 5Es lesson teacher candidates designed and taught in the classroom, utilized household items, and directly…

How Role Play Addresses the Difficulties Students Perceive when Writing Reflectively about the Concepts They are Learning in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millar, Susan

A fundamental problem which confronts Science teachers is the difficulty many students experience in the construction, understanding and remembering of concepts. This is more likely to occur when teachers adhere to a Transmission model of teaching and learning, and fail to provide students with opportunities to construct their own learning. Social construction, followed by individual reflective writing, enables students to construct their own understanding of concepts and effectively promotes deep learning. This method of constructing knowledge in the classroom is often overlooked by teachers as they either have no knowledge of it, or do not know how to appropriate it for successful teaching in Science. This study identifies the difficulties which students often experience when writing reflectively and offers solutions which are likely to reduce these difficulties. These solutions, and the use of reflective writing itself, challenge the ideology of the Sydney Genre School, which forms the basis of the attempt to deal with literacy in the NSW Science Syllabus. The findings of this investigation support the concept of literacy as the ability to use oral and written language, reading and listening to construct meaning. The investigation demonstrates how structured discussion, role play and reflective writing can be used to this end. While the Sydney Genre School methodology focuses on the structure of genre as a prerequisite for understanding concepts in Science, the findings of this study demonstrate that students can use their own words to discuss and write reflectively as they construct scientific concepts for themselves. Social construction and reflective writing can contribute to the construction of concepts and the development of metacognition in Science. However, students often experience difficulties when writing reflectively about scientific concepts they are learning. In this investigation, students identified these difficulties as an inability to understand, remember and think about a concept and to plan the sequence of their reflective writing. This study was undertaken in four different classes at junior to senior levels. The difficulties identified by students were successfully addressed by role play and the activities that are integral to it. These include physical or kinaesthetic activity, social construction, the use of drawing, diagrams and text, and the provision of a concrete model of the concept. Through the enactment effect, kinaesthetic activity enables students to automatically remember and visualise concepts, whilst visual stimuli and social construction provide opportunities for students to both visualise and verbalise concepts. In addition, the provision of a concrete model enables most students to visualise and understand abstract concepts to some extent. These activities, embedded in role play, enable students to understand, remember, sequence and think about a concept as they engage in reflective writing. This, in turn, enhances understanding and memory. Role play has hitherto been regarded as a useful teaching technique when dealing with very young students. This study demonstrates that role play can be highly effective when teaching Science at the secondary level. This investigation looks at the activities embedded in role play, and demonstrates how they can be effectively translated from theoretical constructs into classroom practice. Grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967; Glaser, 1978; 1998; 2002) was selected as the most appropriate methodology for this investigation. The problems of identifying and controlling variables in an educational setting were essentially resolved using this qualitative, interpretative approach. Students from four classes in Years 8, 10 and 11 were investigated. Data were gathered using classroom observations, informal interviews, and formal written interviews, focus group conversations and samples of student writing.

Analysis of mathematical literacy ability based on self-efficacy in model eliciting activities using metaphorical thinking approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiani, C.; Waluya, S. B.; Wardono

2018-03-01

The purposes of this research are: (1) to identify learning quality in Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs) using a Metaphorical Thinking (MT) approach regarding qualitative and quantitative; (2) to analyze mathematical literacy of students based on Self-Efficacy (SE). This research is mixed method concurrent embedded design with qualitative research as the primary method. The quantitative research used quasi-experimental with non-equivalent control group design. The population is VIII grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Semarang Indonesia. Quantitative data is examined by conducting completeness mean test, standard completeness test, mean differentiation test and proportional differentiation test. Qualitative data is analyzed descriptively. The result of this research shows that MEAs learning using MT approach accomplishes good criteria both quantitatively and qualitatively. Students with low self-efficacy can identify problems, but they are lack ability to arrange problem-solving strategy on mathematical literacy questions. Students with medium self-efficacy can identify information provided in issues, but they find difficulties to use math symbols in making a representation. Students with high self-efficacy are excellent to represent problems into mathematical models as well as figures by using appropriate symbols and tools, so they can arrange strategy easily to solve mathematical literacy questions.

The Influence of Social Media on Saudi Graduate Students: An Explanatory Case Study of Six Saudi Graduate Students Studying in American Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alhamadi, Asma Abdulmana

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative multiple participant case study was to identify the influence of social media on Saudi graduate students who are active social media users. Social media have been influencing Saudi students differently than those in other socio-cultural contexts due to the uniqueness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in terms of…

How we used two social media tools to enhance aspects of active learning during lectures.

PubMed

George, Daniel R; Dreibelbis, Tomi D; Aumiller, Betsy

2013-12-01

Medical education is evolving to include active learning approaches, yet some courses will remain lecture-based. Social media tools used by students may foster collaborative learning during lectures. We present preliminary results from a pilot study that integrated two 'social' technologies, Google Docs and SurveyMonkey, into 22 hour-long lectures for a course called "Social Influences on Health" attended by 154 students. At the conclusion of the semester, we reviewed student usage patterns with both technologies and collected data from students via course evaluations that included a standard Likert Scale. We used thematic analysis to identify emergent themes from evaluations. On average, students contributed 6 comments/questions to the Google Doc in each lecture, and 35 students participated in SurveyMonkey. Engagement with both technologies increased throughout the semester and no unprofessional incidents were observed. The mean student rating for integration of Google Docs and SurveyMonkey was 3.4 or "above average" (SD = 1.17). Thematic analysis identified perceived strengths of this approach as well as areas for improvement. Social media such as Google Docs and SurveyMonkey can facilitate interaction and provide students with control over content and flow of lecture-based courses, but educators must be mindful of practical and conceptual limitations.

Validation of learning style measures: implications for medical education practice.

PubMed

Chapman, Dane M; Calhoun, Judith G

2006-06-01

It is unclear which learners would most benefit from the more individualised, student-structured, interactive approaches characteristic of problem-based and computer-assisted learning. The validity of learning style measures is uncertain, and there is no unifying learning style construct identified to predict such learners. This study was conducted to validate learning style constructs and to identify the learners most likely to benefit from problem-based and computer-assisted curricula. Using a cross-sectional design, 3 established learning style inventories were administered to 97 post-Year 2 medical students. Cognitive personality was measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test, information processing by the Learning Styles Inventory, and instructional preference by the Learning Preference Inventory. The 11 subscales from the 3 inventories were factor-analysed to identify common learning constructs and to verify construct validity. Concurrent validity was determined by intercorrelations of the 11 subscales. A total of 94 pre-clinical medical students completed all 3 inventories. Five meaningful learning style constructs were derived from the 11 subscales: student- versus teacher-structured learning; concrete versus abstract learning; passive versus active learning; individual versus group learning, and field-dependence versus field-independence. The concurrent validity of 10 of 11 subscales was supported by correlation analysis. Medical students most likely to thrive in a problem-based or computer-assisted learning environment would be expected to score highly on abstract, active and individual learning constructs and would be more field-independent. Learning style measures were validated in a medical student population and learning constructs were established for identifying learners who would most likely benefit from a problem-based or computer-assisted curriculum.

Reading space characteristics in campus environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tampubolon, A. C.; Kusuma, H. E.

2018-03-01

Reading activity is a part of daily learning activities that are usually done by college students and takes place in the facilities that are provided by the campus. However, students tend to have a perception of a particular location that is considered appropriate with the activities undertaken. This study identified students’ perceptions of reading space characteristics in campus environment which are considered able to accommodate reading activity. Exploratory qualitative research methods were used to collect data from selected types of space and the reasons for the students in choosing the specifics space to do their reading. The results showed that students do not only use library facilities as a support unit of academic activities. This study found that students tend to use some places with non-library function, such as students’ union room, hallway, and classroom. Students perceive reading space by its physical and social characteristics. The physical consist of ambiance, quiet place, tranquility, availability of facilities, the level of coolness, lighting, location accessibility, connection with nature, convenience furniture, air quality, aesthetics, the flexibility of activities, the crowd of place, the level of shade, outdoor, ownership, and indoor. While the social characteristics of the reading space are to have privacy, favorable reading position, and the presence of others.

How Students Combine Resources to Make Conceptual Breakthroughs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, A. J.; Jones, Darrick C.; Etkina, Eugenia

2018-04-01

We use the framework of cognitive resources to investigate how students construct understanding of a complex physics topic, namely, a photovoltaic cell. By observing students as they learn about how a solar cell functions, we identified over 60 distinct resources that learners may activate while thinking about photovoltaic cells. We classify these resources into three main types: phenomenological primitives, conceptual resources, and epistemological resources. Furthermore, we found a pattern that suggests that when students make conceptual breakthroughs they may be more likely to activate combinations of resources of different types in concert, especially if a resource from each of the three categories is used. This pattern suggests that physics instructors should encourage students to activate multiple types of prior knowledge during the learning process. This can result from instructors deliberately and explicitly connecting new knowledge to students' prior experience both in and outside the formal physics classroom, as well as allowing students to reflect metacognitively on how the new knowledge fits into their existing understanding of the natural world.

Japanese and Korean Nursing Students' Motivation for Joining Disaster Relief Activities as Nurses in the Future.

PubMed

Choe, Myoung-Ae; Kuwano, Noriko; Bang, Kyung-Sook; Cho, Mi-Kyoung; Yatsushiro, Rika; Kawata, Yuki

The purpose of this study was to identify differences in motivation for joining disaster relief activities as a nurse in the future between Japanese and Korean nursing students. A descriptive 2-group comparative study design was used. The participants were 721 first- to fourth-year nursing students (Japanese, n = 324; Korean, n = 397). From June to September 2014, data were collected through a researcher-administered questionnaire and self-reported answers. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the χ test, and the t test.No significant difference was found between Japanese and Korean students in motivation to join domestic relief activities should a disaster occur in the area in which they lived. Compared with Korean students, Japanese students strongly agreed that it is necessary to carry out relief work across borders when disasters occur in foreign countries (p = .001). Meanwhile, Japanese students showed less motivation than Korean students to join relief activities in other domestic areas and foreign countries (p = .020).The results of this study suggest that the motivation of Japanese students to join disaster relief activities as nurses in the future should a disaster occur in other domestic areas and foreign countries needs to be increased. The results also suggest that undergraduate students should be well prepared for disasters through disaster nursing education, including practical training, disaster drills, and simulation.

Song repertoire across the generations: a comparison of music therapy majors' and senior citizens' recognitions.

PubMed

Prickett, C A; Bridges, M S

2000-01-01

This study examined whether a basic song repertoire of folk-type melodies which can be accompanied with principal triads exists in the senior citizen population and compared this repertoire with that of music therapy students. An audiotape of the tunes of 25 standard songs, assumed in previous research to be known by everyone who has finished 6th grade, was played for undergraduate music therapy students (N = 78) and for healthy, active senior citizens (N = 78). None of the senior citizens had received any music therapy services, although many were involved in music activities such as the senior choir at church. Music therapy majors identified significantly more tunes than did the older listeners. Further analysis indicated that there is a good deal of overlap in the repertoires of these two groups. Sixteen tunes were recognized by 80% of therapy students; 10 songs were recognized by 80% of the seniors; the 10 songs identified by these seniors were 10 of the top 11 identified by the college students ("Kumbaya" was not known by the older listeners). Six songs could not be named by 50% of the students; 7 songs could not be named by 50% of the seniors; these two lists contained five common selections ("Oh Shenandoah," "Kookaburra," "Down in the Valley," "Shalom Chaverim," and "Tinga Layo"). Given the growth of the senior segment of the American population, the expansion of services for them, and the popularity of including music activities among these services, it would appear that music therapy students' basic knowledge of a repertoire of songs which are known to older people and which can easily be accompanied with principal triads is adequate, even though the range of songs which could be identified was broad (11-24) and the mean correctly named was merely 70.82% of a set which other investigators, teachers, and professional organizations have said represent a minimal repertoire for all citizens beyond the 6th grade.

Make Science Matter. Hands on Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepler, Lynne

1992-01-01

Presents class activities to help elementary students learn about changes in the state of matter by making ice cream. In addition to making observations on the changes of state, students can practice measuring and identifying the properties (e.g., color, size, and shape). (SM)

Addressing the nutritional needs of university students

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The USDA Delta Obesity Prevention Research Project seeks to identify and evaluate dietary and physical activity patterns in African American students to develop an educational intervention that is nutritionally adequate and culturally relevant for 18- to 24-year-old African-American university stude...

Teaching Science. The Soup-Can Olympics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leyden, Michael

1996-01-01

Presents classroom science activities to illustrate concepts of inertia, linear momentum, and friction. Students or teachers conduct races down a slope, using cans containing soups varying in mass, mass distribution, and viscosity. Students predict outcomes, compare speeds, and identify variables affecting the results. (KDFB)

Profile of mathematics anxiety of 7th graders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udil, Patrisius Afrisno; Kusmayadi, Tri Atmojo; Riyadi

2017-08-01

Mathematics anxiety is one of the important factors affect students mathematics achievement. This present research investigates profile of students' mathematics anxiety. This research focuses on analysis and description of students' mathematics anxiety level generally and its dominant domain and aspect. Qualitative research with case study strategy was used in this research. Subject in this research involved 15 students of 7th grade chosen with purposive sampling. Data in this research were students' mathematics anxiety scale result, interview record, and observation result during both mathematics learning activity and test. They were asked to complete mathematics anxiety scale before interviewed and observed. The results show that generally students' mathematics anxiety was identified in the moderate level. In addition, students' mathematics anxiety during mathematics test was identified in the high level, but it was in the moderate level during mathematics learning process. Based on the anxiety domain, students have a high mathematics anxiety on cognitive domain, while it was in the moderate level for psychological and physiological domains. On the other hand, it was identified in low level for psychological domain during mathematics learning process. Therefore, it can be concluded that students have serious and high anxiety regarding mathematics on the cognitive domain and mathematics test aspect.

Determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in university students: a qualitative study using focus group discussions.

PubMed

Deliens, Tom; Deforche, Benedicte; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Clarys, Peter

2015-02-28

College or university is a critical period regarding unhealthy changes in energy related behaviours in students. The first objective of this explorative study was to identify determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Belgian university students. Secondly, we aimed to collect ideas and recommendations to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behaviours in university students. Using a semi-structured question guide, seven focus group discussions were conducted consisting of 17 male and 29 female university students from a variety of study disciplines, with a mean age of 20.7 ± 1.6 yrs. Using Nvivo9, an inductive thematic approach was used for data analysis. Students reported that both physical and sedentary activities were influenced by individual factors (e.g. perceived enjoyment, self-discipline, time and convenience), their social networks (e.g. (lack of) parental control, modelling, social support), physical environment (e.g. availability and accessibility, travel time/distance, prices), and macro environment (e.g. media and advertising). Furthermore, the relationships between determinants and university students' physical activity and sedentary behaviour seemed to be moderated by university characteristics, such as residency, university lifestyle, exams and academic pressure. Recommendations for future physical activity interventions include improving information strategies regarding on-campus sports activities, cheaper and/or more flexible sports subscriptions and formulas, including 'sports time' into the curricula, and providing university bicycles around campus. Students also believed that increasing students' physical activity might decrease their sedentary behaviour at the same time. The recommendations and ideas discussed in this study may facilitate the development of effective and tailored (multilevel) intervention programs aiming to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behaviours in university students.

Can Hybrid Educational Activities of Team and Problem Based Learning Program be Effective for Japanese Medical Students?

PubMed

Iwata, Kentaro; Doi, Asako

2017-11-10

The purpose of this study is to investigate the medical students'perceptions of the Hybrid Educational Activities between team based learning (TBL) and problem based learning (PBL) Program (HEATAPP), a novel educational program that combines characteristics of PBL and TBL. A five-day HEATAPP on infectious diseases was provided to 4th year medical students at Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. After the program, a focus group discussion was held among 6 medical students who participated in HEATAPP. We qualitatively analyzed the recorded data to delineate the effectiveness of, and the perceptions on, HEATAPP. Some students considered HEATAPP being effective as an active learning, and in developing questions. However, some students found active learning difficult to execute, since they were so familiar with passive learning such as lectures and examinations. They also found it difficult to identify important points by reading authentic textbooks on given issues, particularly English textbooks. Even though active learning and group discussion are underscored as important in medicine, some Japanese medical students may be reluctant to shift towards these since they are so used to passive learning since childhood. English language is another barrier to active learning. The introduction of active learning in the earlier stages of education might be an effective solution. Teachers at medical schools in Japan should be mindful of the students'potentially negative attitudes towards active learning, which is claimed to be successful in western countries.

Identifying Key Features of Effective Active Learning: The Effects of Writing and Peer Discussion

PubMed Central

Pangle, Wiline M.; Wyatt, Kevin H.; Powell, Karli N.; Sherwood, Rachel E.

2014-01-01

We investigated some of the key features of effective active learning by comparing the outcomes of three different methods of implementing active-learning exercises in a majors introductory biology course. Students completed activities in one of three treatments: discussion, writing, and discussion + writing. Treatments were rotated weekly between three sections taught by three different instructors in a full factorial design. The data set was analyzed by generalized linear mixed-effect models with three independent variables: student aptitude, treatment, and instructor, and three dependent (assessment) variables: change in score on pre- and postactivity clicker questions, and coding scores on in-class writing and exam essays. All independent variables had significant effects on student performance for at least one of the dependent variables. Students with higher aptitude scored higher on all assessments. Student scores were higher on exam essay questions when the activity was implemented with a writing component compared with peer discussion only. There was a significant effect of instructor, with instructors showing different degrees of effectiveness with active-learning techniques. We suggest that individual writing should be implemented as part of active learning whenever possible and that instructors may need training and practice to become effective with active learning. PMID:25185230

Identifying and Enhancing the Strengths of Gifted Learners, K-8: Easy-to-Use Activities and Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maccagnano, Ann Marie

2007-01-01

Educators can identify children's strengths early on and gain insight into each student's unique abilities by using the numerous ideas and informal assessments in this exciting guide. Gifted and talented specialist Ann Maccagnano offers K-8 teachers challenging activities and engaging lessons to develop and nurture gifted learners' talents.…

Multilevel Analyses of School and Children's Characteristics Associated with Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomes, Thayse Natacha; dos Santos, Fernanda K.; Zhu, Weimo; Eisenmann, Joey; Maia, José A. R.

2014-01-01

Background: Children spend most of their awake time at school, and it is important to identify individual and school-level correlates of their physical activity (PA) levels. This study aimed to identify the between-school variability in Portuguese children PA and to investigate student and school PA correlates using multilevel modeling. Methods:…

Freshman Seminars: Interdisciplinary Engagements in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemenway, M. K.

2006-08-01

The Freshman Seminar program at the University of Texas is designed to allow groups of fifteen students an engaging introduction to the University. The seminars introduce students to the resources of the university and allow them to identify interesting subjects for further research or future careers. An emphasis on oral and written communication by the students provides these first-year students a transition to college-level writing and thinking. Seminar activities include field trips to an art museum, a research library, and the Humanities Research Center rare book collection. This paper will report on two seminars, each fifteen weeks in length. In "The Galileo Scandal" students examine Galileo's struggle with the church (including a mock trial). They perform activities that connect his use of the telescope and observations to astronomical concepts. In "Astronomy and the Humanities" students analyze various forms of human expression that have astronomical connections (art, drama, literature, music, poetry, and science fiction); they perform hands-on activities to reinforce the related astronomy concepts. Evaluation of the seminars indicates student engagement and improvement in communication skills. Many of the activities could be used independently to engage students enrolled in standard introductory astronomy classes.

Strategies for enhancing medical student resilience: student and faculty member perspectives.

PubMed

Farquhar, Julia; Kamei, Robert; Vidyarthi, Arpana

2018-01-12

To improve programs aimed to enhance medical student resiliency, we examined both medical student and faculty advisor perspectives on resiliency-building in an Asian medical school. In two separate focus groups, a convenience sample of 8 MD-PhD students and 8 faculty advisors were asked to identify strategies for enhancing resilience. Using thematic analysis, two researchers independently examined discussion transcripts and field notes and determined themes through a consensus process. They then compared the themes to discern similarities and differences between these groups. Themes from the student suggestions for increasing resilience included "Perspective changes with time and experience", "Defining effective advisors," and "Individual paths to resiliency". Faculty-identified themes were "Structured activities to change student perspectives," "Structured teaching of coping strategies", and "Institution-wide social support". Students described themselves as individuals building their own resilience path and preferred advisors who were not also evaluators. Faculty, however, suggested systematic, structural ways to increase resilience. Students and advisors identified some common, and many distinct strategies for enhancing medical student resilience. Student/advisor discrepancies may exemplify a cultural shift in Singapore's medical education climate, where students value increased individualism and autonomy in their education. As medical schools create interventions to enhance resilience and combat potential student burnout, they should consider individually-tailored as well as system-wide programs to best meet the needs of their students and faculty.

Helping Students Manage Their Energy: Taking Their Pulse with the Energy Audit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spreitzer, Gretchen M.; Grant, Traci

2012-01-01

This article introduces a tool to help students learn to better manage their energy. The tool asks students to assess their energy levels for each waking hour over at least 2 days in order to identify patterns of activities associated with high energy and with depleted energy. The article describes how to use the tool in the classroom by…

Quantitative Analysis in the General Chemistry Laboratory: Training Students to Analyze Individual Results in the Context of Collective Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling, Chris D.; Bridgeman, Adam J.

2011-01-01

Titration experiments are ideal for generating large data sets for use in quantitative-analysis activities that are meaningful and transparent to general chemistry students. We report the successful implementation of a sophisticated quantitative exercise in which the students identify a series of unknown acids by determining their molar masses…

Predicting Student Grades in Learning Management Systems with Multiple Instance Genetic Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zafra, Amelia; Ventura, Sebastian

2009-01-01

The ability to predict a student's performance could be useful in a great number of different ways associated with university-level learning. In this paper, a grammar guided genetic programming algorithm, G3P-MI, has been applied to predict if the student will fail or pass a certain course and identifies activities to promote learning in a…

Nursing Students' Attitudes and Use of Holistic Therapies for Stress Relief.

PubMed

Kinchen, Elizabeth V; Loerzel, Victoria

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to explore student nurses' openness to using or recommending holistic therapies, the strategies they use to manage stress from school or work, and their perceptions of the impact of holistic therapies on personal health. Qualitative component of a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study. A convenience sample of undergraduate nursing students in a southeastern U.S. university completed baseline surveys, including demographics and three open-ended questions regarding attitudes toward holistic therapies and strategies used for stress management. Qualitative thematic analysis was undertaken to identify recurring themes in textual data. Students are open to using or recommending holistic therapies but identify lack of knowledge and lack of time as barriers to their practice. Among strategies used by student nurses to manage stress from school or work were physical activity, prayer and meditation, time management, distraction, socialization, artistic pursuits, animal interactions, and other activities. Themes describing holistic therapies' impact on personal health were wholeness, self-empowerment, relaxation/restoration, and alternative/complement to traditional medicine. Findings indicate receptiveness by student nurses to the use of holistic therapies but point to the need for the inclusion of informational as well as experiential education on holistic therapies within nursing curricula.

An interactive, web-based tool for learning anatomic landmarks.

PubMed

Hallgren, Richard C; Parkhurst, Perrin E; Monson, Carol L; Crewe, Nancy M

2002-03-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of a Web-based interactive teaching tool that uses self-assessment exercises with real-time feedback to aid students' learning in a gross anatomy class. A total of 107 of 124 first-year medical students at one school were enrolled in the study. Students were divided into three groups: Group 1 (n = 63) received introductory material and activated their Web-based accounts; Group 2 (n = 44) received introductory material but did not activate their Web-based accounts; and Group 3 (n = 17) were not enrolled in the study and received no introductory material. Students in Group 1 had access to a graphic showing the locations of anatomic landmarks, a drill exercise, and a self-evaluation exercise. Students' ability to identify the anatomic landmarks on a 30-question midterm and a 30-question final exam were compared among the groups. The mean scores of students in Group 1 (midterm = 28.5, final = 28.1) were significantly higher than were the mean scores of students in Group 2 (midterm = 26.8, p <.001; final = 26.9, p <.017) and Group 3 (midterm = 24.8, p <.001; final = 26.4, p <.007). The Web-based tool was effective in improving students' scores on anatomic landmark exams. Future studies will determine whether the tool aids students in identifying structures located in three-dimensional space within regions such as the cranium and the abdominal cavity.

Using a dual safeguard web-based interactive teaching approach in an introductory physics class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lie-Ming; Li, Bin; Luo, Ying

2015-06-01

We modified the Just-in-Time Teaching approach and developed a dual safeguard web-based interactive (DGWI) teaching system for an introductory physics course. The system consists of four instructional components that improve student learning by including warm-up assignments and online homework. Student and instructor activities involve activities both in the classroom and on a designated web site. An experimental study with control groups evaluated the effectiveness of the DGWI teaching method. The results indicate that the DGWI method is an effective way to improve students' understanding of physics concepts, develop students' problem-solving abilities through instructor-student interactions, and identify students' misconceptions through a safeguard framework based on questions that satisfy teaching requirements and cover all of the course material. The empirical study and a follow-up survey found that the DGWI method increased student-teacher interaction and improved student learning outcomes.

Performance of first-year health sciences students in a large, diverse, multidisciplinary, first-semester, physiology service module.

PubMed

Higgins-Opitz, Susan B; Tufts, Mark

2014-06-01

Health Science students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal perform better in their professional modules compared with their physiology modules. The pass rates of physiology service modules have steadily declined over the years. While a system is in place to identify "at-risk" students, it is only activated after the first semester. As a result, it is only from the second semester of their first year studies onward that at-risk students can be formally assisted. The challenge is thus to devise an appropriate strategy to identify struggling students earlier in the semester. Using questionnaires, students were asked about attendance, financing of their studies, and relevance of physiology. After the first class test, failing students were invited to complete a second questionnaire. In addition, demographic data were also collected and analyzed. Correlation analyses were undertaken of performance indicators based on the demographical data collected. The 2011 class comprised mainly sport science students (57%). The pass rate of sport science students was lower than the pass rates of other students (42% vs. 70%, P < 0.001). Most students were positive about physiology and recognized its relevance. Key issues identified were problems understanding concepts and terminology, poor study environment and skills, and lack of matriculation biology. The results of the first class test and final module marks correlated well. It is clear from this study that student performance in the first class test is a valuable tool to identify struggling students and that appropriate testing should be held as early as possible. Copyright © 2014 The American Physiological Society.

Performance of first-year health sciences students in a large, diverse, multidisciplinary, first-semester, physiology service module

PubMed Central

Tufts, Mark

2014-01-01

Health Science students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal perform better in their professional modules compared with their physiology modules. The pass rates of physiology service modules have steadily declined over the years. While a system is in place to identify “at-risk” students, it is only activated after the first semester. As a result, it is only from the second semester of their first year studies onward that at-risk students can be formally assisted. The challenge is thus to devise an appropriate strategy to identify struggling students earlier in the semester. Using questionnaires, students were asked about attendance, financing of their studies, and relevance of physiology. After the first class test, failing students were invited to complete a second questionnaire. In addition, demographic data were also collected and analyzed. Correlation analyses were undertaken of performance indicators based on the demographical data collected. The 2011 class comprised mainly sport science students (57%). The pass rate of sport science students was lower than the pass rates of other students (42% vs. 70%, P < 0.001). Most students were positive about physiology and recognized its relevance. Key issues identified were problems understanding concepts and terminology, poor study environment and skills, and lack of matriculation biology. The results of the first class test and final module marks correlated well. It is clear from this study that student performance in the first class test is a valuable tool to identify struggling students and that appropriate testing should be held as early as possible. PMID:24913452

Building a Twig Phylogeny

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flinn, Kathryn M.

2015-01-01

In this classroom activity, students build a phylogeny for woody plant species based on the morphology of their twigs. Using any available twigs, students can practice the process of cladistics to test evolutionary hypotheses for real organisms. They identify homologous characters, determine polarity through outgroup comparison, and construct a…

Pieces and Parts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Deborah A.; Ellis, Edith B.

2006-01-01

Although critical to understanding human sexuality and reproductive physiology, the male and female reproductive anatomy is often minimally covered by teachers. For teachers and students alike, it is often an embarrassing topic to discuss. This activity allows students and teachers to identify the parts of both reproductive systems with little…

Speed-Discussion: Engaging Students in Class Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kornfield, Sarah; Noack, Kristen

2017-01-01

Courses: Communication Criticism, Rhetorical Criticism, Family and Communication, Gender and Communication, Popular Communication, and theory-based courses. Objectives: This activity engages students in dynamic, supportive, social discussion groups; helps them to identify and review the central ideas from the reading; and creates a record of their…

Invisible Passengers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chemecology, 1996

1996-01-01

Describes an activity that enables students to understand that there are many substances and odors carried in the flow of water. Students identify and describe a variety of natural and introduced materials found in bodies of water, and observe the effects of silt, sand, gravel and odor sources on water. (DDR)

Optimising Teacher Input: Maximising Student Output

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathematics Teaching, 2009

2009-01-01

A group of teachers involved in embedding NRICH tasks into their everyday practice decided they needed to address the (im)balance between teacher and student activity in their classrooms. In this article they share the issues they identified, and what they have been doing to address them.

Spitzer - Hot & Colorful Student Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, D.; Rebull, L. M.; DeWolf, C.; Guastella, P.; Johnson, C. H.; Schaefers, J.; Spuck, T.; McDonald, J. G., III; DeWolf, T.; Brock, S.; Boerma, J.; Bemis, G.; Paulsen, K.; Yueh, N.; Peter, A.; Wassmer, W.; Haber, R.; Scaramucci, A.; Butchart, J.; Holcomb, A.; Karns, B.; Kennedy, S.; Siegel, R.; Weiser, S.

2009-01-01

In this poster, we present the results of several activities developed for the general science student to explore infrared light. The first activity involved measuring infrared radiation using an updated version of Newton's experiment of splitting white light and finding IR radiation. The second used Leslie's cube to allow students to observe different radiators, while the third used a modern infrared thermometer to measure and identify IR sources in an enclosed box. The last activity involved students making false-color images from narrow-band filter images from data sets from Spitzer Space Telescope, STScI Digitized Sky Survey and other sources. Using computer programs like Adobe Photoshop and free software such as ds9, Spot and Leopard, poster-like images were created by the students. This research is funded by the Spitzer Science Center (SSC) and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). Please see our companion poster, Johnson et al., on the science aspect of this program, and another poster on the educational aspects, Guastella et al.

A multilevel examination of school and student characteristics associated with moderate and high levels of physical activity among elementary school students (Ontario, Canada).

PubMed

Hobin, Erin P; Leatherdale, Scott T; Manske, Steve R; Robertson-Wilson, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Schools represent an important environment for physical activity (PA) promotion among youth. Schools can promote PA through policies and programs but our understanding of how these school characteristics associate with student PA levels is largely unknown. Developing this understanding is critical for implementing new prevention interventions. The aim of this study was to identify the school- and student-related characteristics associated with moderate and high levels of PA in a sample of Ontario elementary schools. Using multi-level logistic regression analyses, we explored the school- and student-level characteristics associated with being moderately and highly active using data collected from administrators and from students in grades 5 to 8 at 30 elementary schools in Ontario. Students' PA levels, sex, grade, and the number of physical education classes per week were linked to school environment data--specifically, a school's chosen implementation model for daily physical activity and whether it offers intramural and interschool PA programming. Findings indicate that there was significant between-school variation for being moderately and highly active. Students were less likely to be moderately or highly active if they attended a school offering interschool PA programming. An important student characteristic positively associated with student PA levels included participating in at least two physical education classes per week. The residual differences in PA by school suggest that school-level characteristics facilitate higher levels of student PA beyond individual-level factors. Although most variation in student PA lies between students within schools, there is sufficient between-school variation to be of interest to practitioners and policy-makers.

Self-esteem and stress coping among proficiency certificate level nursing students in nursing campus Maharajgunj and Lalitpur Nursing Campus.

PubMed

Shrestha, T

2013-09-01

Nursing requires high self-esteem and effective coping strategies for the quality of health services that they deliver. Self -esteem and stress coping mechanism developed during education period is foundation for professional practice. So, this study was conducted to identify self-esteem, coping activities, and their relationship. Descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among 287 PCL nursing students currently studying in different level in nursing campuses of the Institute of Medicine during June and July 2013. Self administered semi structured questionnaire and rating scales were used for the data collection. Findings showed that 21 (7.31%), 194 (67.5%), and 67 (23.34%), students had have very high, high and moderate, self-esteem and only five (1.74%) have low self-esteem.The difference in self-esteem level was insignificant with the level of the students. Students most frequently used problem focused (3.36±0.54) followed by emotion focused (3.04±0.45) and avoidance coping activities (2.91±0.63). The relationship of use of coping activities and level of students was statistically insignificant. Self-esteem level had positive relation with problem focused and emotion focused coping activities (Pearson r: 0.114 and 0.118), though the correlation was significant with emotion focused coping activities only. Bicytopenia and pancytopenia were seen in two cases each of myelodysplastic syndrome. Chronic myeloid leukemia and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma showed anemia and pancytopenia respectively. Majority of PCL nursing students have high level of self-esteem. They used problem focused coping activities most however, use of it decreased with increased level of students. Students with high self -esteem used problem focused followed by emotion focused coping activities. Students should be encouraged to use problem focused coping activities.

Neighborhood perceptions and active school commuting in low-income cities.

PubMed

Deweese, Robin S; Yedidia, Michael J; Tulloch, David L; Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam

2013-10-01

Few children accumulate the recommended ≥60 minutes of physical activity each day. Active travel to and from school (ATS) is a potential source of increased activity for children, accounting for 22% of total trips and time spent traveling by school-aged children. This study identifies the association of parents' perceptions of the neighborhood, geospatial variables, and demographic characteristics with ATS among students in four low-income, densely populated urban communities with predominantly minority populations. Data were collected in 2009-2010 from households with school-attending children in four low-income New Jersey cities. Multivariate logistic regression analyses (n=765) identified predictors of ATS. Analyses were conducted in 2012. In all, 54% of students actively commuted to school. Students whose parents perceived the neighborhood as very unpleasant for activity were less likely (OR=0.39) to actively commute, as were students living farther from school, with a 6% reduction in ATS for every 0.10 mile increase in distance to school. Perceptions of crime, traffic, and sidewalk conditions were not predictors of ATS. Parents' perceptions of the pleasantness of the neighborhood, independent of the effects of distance from school, may outweigh concerns about crime, traffic, or conditions of sidewalks in predicting active commuting to school in the low-income urban communities studied. Efforts such as cleaning up graffiti, taking care of abandoned buildings, and providing shade trees to improve neighborhood environments are likely to increase ATS, as are efforts that encourage locating schools closer to the populations they serve. © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Video-recorded simulated patient interactions: can they help develop clinical and communication skills in today's learning environment?

PubMed

Seif, Gretchen A; Brown, Debora

2013-01-01

It is difficult to provide real-world learning experiences for students to master clinical and communication skills. The purpose of this paper is to describe a novel instructional method using self- and peer-assessment, reflection, and technology to help students develop effective interpersonal and clinical skills. The teaching method is described by the constructivist learning theory and incorporates the use of educational technology. The learning activities were incorporated into the pre-clinical didactic curriculum. The students participated in two video-recording assignments and performed self-assessments on each and had a peer-assessment on the second video-recording. The learning activity was evaluated through the self- and peer-assessments and an instructor-designed survey. This evaluation identified several themes related to the assignment, student performance, clinical behaviors and establishing rapport. Overall the students perceived that the learning activities assisted in the development of clinical and communication skills prior to direct patient care. The use of video recordings of a simulated history and examination is a unique learning activity for preclinical PT students in the development of clinical and communication skills.

Resourcing the clinical complementary medicine information needs of Australian medical students: Results of a grounded theory study.

PubMed

Templeman, Kate; Robinson, Anske; McKenna, Lisa

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to identify Australian medical students' complementary medicine information needs. Thirty medical students from 10 medical education faculties across Australian universities were recruited. Data were generated using in-depth semi-structured interviews and constructivist grounded theory method was used to analyze and construct data. Students sought complementary medicine information from a range of inadequate sources, such as pharmacological texts, Internet searches, peer-reviewed medical journals, and drug databases. The students identified that many complementary medicine resources may not be regarded as objective, reliable, differentiated, or comprehensive, leaving much that medical education needs to address. Most students sought succinct, easily accessible, evidence-based information to inform safe and appropriate clinical decisions about complementary medicines. A number of preferred resources were identified that can be recommended and actively promoted to medical students. Therefore, specific, evidence-based complementary medicine databases and secondary resources should be subscribed and recommended to medical schools and students, to assist meeting professional responsibilities regarding complementary medicines. These findings may help inform the development of appropriate medical information resources regarding complementary medicines. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Involvement in Extracurricular Activities: Identifying Differences in Perceptions of School Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Andrew; Coker, Crystal; McMahon, Susan D.; Cohen, Jonathan; Thapa, Amrit

2016-01-01

Many youth participate in extracurricular activities, and research has linked activity participation with school engagement and academic success. Social-ecological theory suggests that the social contexts of different types of extracurricular activities may differentially affect student outcomes. Yet, there is scant research examining the relation…

Motivational factors associated with sports program participation in middle school students.

PubMed

Sirard, John R; Pfeiffer, Karin A; Pate, Russell R

2006-06-01

The purposes of this study were 1) to identify gender-specific motivational factors associated with sports program participation and attrition in middle school students and 2) to examine the relationships among sports program participation, physical activity, and sedentary behavior in this age group. Seventh and eighth grade students (N = 1692) completed a questionnaire to measure sports program participation and factors that may motivate continued participation in or attrition from sports. The psychometric properties of the participation and attrition scales were tested using gender-separate exploratory factor analysis. Analysis of variance (participation status*gender) was used to identify differences in motivational factor scores and physical activity variables. Eighty percent of the students were recent participants (within the past year), 10% were former participants, and 10% had never participated. For boys, the participation factors were labeled (in order) competition, social benefits, and fitness. For girls, factor structures were slightly different than the boys, which loaded as; social + skill benefits, competition, and fitness. For both genders, lack of interest, coaching problems, and time barriers were identified as attrition factors. Recent sport participants reported more time in vigorous (p < .01), stretching (p = .03), and strengthening activities (p < .01) and less time watching television (p < .01). Gender-specific motivational factors exist for middle school youth; boys are more attracted to the competitive aspects of sports whereas girls are more motivated by the social opportunities that sports provide. Boys and girls who participate in sports are more physically active, so it is important to develop programs that children want to participate in and maximize retention.

Implementing Peer Learning in Clinical Education: A Framework to Address Challenges In the "Real World".

PubMed

Tai, Joanna Hong Meng; Canny, Benedict J; Haines, Terry P; Molloy, Elizabeth K

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Peer learning has many benefits and can assist students in gaining the educational skills required in future years when they become teachers themselves. Peer learning may be particularly useful in clinical learning environments, where students report feeling marginalized, overwhelmed, and unsupported. Educational interventions often fail in the workplace environment, as they are often conceived in the "ideal" rather than the complex, messy real world. This work sought to explore barriers and facilitators to implementing peer learning activities in a clinical curriculum. Previous peer learning research results and a matrix of empirically derived peer learning activities were presented to local clinical education experts to generate discussion around the realities of implementing such activities. Potential barriers and limitations of and strategies for implementing peer learning in clinical education were the focus of the individual interviews. Thematic analysis of the data identified three key considerations for real-world implementation of peer learning: culture, epistemic authority, and the primacy of patient-centered care. Strategies for peer learning implementation were also developed from themes within the data, focusing on developing a culture of safety in which peer learning could be undertaken, engaging both educators and students, and establishing expectations for the use of peer learning. Insights: This study identified considerations and strategies for the implementation of peer learning activities, which took into account both educator and student roles. Reported challenges were reflective of those identified within the literature. The resultant framework may aid others in anticipating implementation challenges. Further work is required to test the framework's application in other contexts and its effect on learner outcomes.

Reduction of Aggressive Behavior in the School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petermann, Ulrike

1988-01-01

Discusses what may be considered aggressive behavior, what motivates aggressive students, and possible teacher responses to aggressive behavior. Describes four points on which teachers can focus to diminish the attractiveness of aggression and ensure that it is not rewarded. Identifies learning activities which provide aggressive students with the…

Productive Group Work for Students. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Ronald

2010-01-01

There is clear evidence that students who are involved in productive collaborative groups outperform their peers. Cooperative group work also results in improved self-esteem, improved relationships and enhanced social and decision-making skills. Johnson and Johnson (1993) identified the elements of a successful collaborative activity. They include…

Helping Students Acquire Thinking Skills through Mathematics Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Devender, Evelyn M.

1992-01-01

Describes three activities that the teacher can employ to help students develop thinking skills through mathematics instruction: (1) memorization using the technique of chunking; (2) higher order thinking with magic squares; and (3) predicting games. Identifies eight facets of the teacher's role in promoting thinking skills. (MDH)

Perception of Boredom: Students' Resistance to a Secondary Physical Education Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ang

1998-01-01

Used Q methodology to examine university students' perceptions of boredom in secondary school physical education. Identified four response patterns: fitness development, socialization, activity variation, and self-expression. Four types of conflict between learning expectations and reality accounted for perceived boredom: competition, meaning,…

Improving Relationships: Serving up a Slice of "Enemy Pie"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, P. Cougar; McIntyre, Emily

2011-01-01

The "14 Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula" identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health promote teaching ideas designed to personalize information and engage students through activities which are both student centered and interactive. Effective health education efforts…

Characteristics of Abductive Inquiry in Earth and Space Science: An Undergraduate Teacher Prospective Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramalis, T. R.; Liliasari; Herdiwidjaya, D.

2016-08-01

The purpose this case study was to describe characteristic features learning activities in the domain of earth and space science. Context of this study is earth and space learning activities on three groups of student teachers prospective, respectively on the subject of the shape and size of Earth, land and sea breeze, and moon's orbit. The analysis is conducted qualitatively from activity data and analyze students doing project work, student worksheets, group project report documents, note and audio recordings of discussion. Research findings identified the type of abduction: theoretical models abduction, factual abduction, and law abduction during the learning process. Implications for science inquiry learning as well as relevant research were suggested.

Cognitive load, emotion, and performance in high-fidelity simulation among beginning nursing students: a pilot study.

PubMed

Schlairet, Maura C; Schlairet, Timothy James; Sauls, Denise H; Bellflowers, Lois

2015-03-01

Establishing the impact of the high-fidelity simulation environment on student performance, as well as identifying factors that could predict learning, would refine simulation outcome expectations among educators. The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to explore the impact of simulation on emotion and cognitive load among beginning nursing students. Forty baccalaureate nursing students participated in teaching simulations, rated their emotional state and cognitive load, and completed evaluation simulations. Two principal components of emotion were identified representing the pleasant activation and pleasant deactivation components of affect. Mean rating of cognitive load following simulation was high. Linear regression identiffed slight but statistically nonsignificant positive associations between principal components of emotion and cognitive load. Logistic regression identified a negative but statistically nonsignificant effect of cognitive load on assessment performance. Among lower ability students, a more pronounced effect of cognitive load on assessment performance was observed; this also was statistically non-significant. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Evaluation of Changes in Ghanaian Students' Attitudes Towards Science Following Neuroscience Outreach Activities: A Means to Identify Effective Ways to Inspire Interest in Science Careers.

PubMed

Yawson, Nat Ato; Amankwaa, Aaron Opoku; Tali, Bernice; Shang, Velma Owusua; Batu, Emmanuella Nsenbah; Asiemoah, Kwame; Fuseini, Ahmed Denkeri; Tene, Louis Nana; Angaandi, Leticia; Blewusi, Isaac; Borbi, Makafui; Aduku, Linda Nana Esi; Badu, Pheonah; Abbey, Henrietta; Karikari, Thomas K

2016-01-01

The scientific capacity in many African countries is low. Ghana, for example, is estimated to have approximately twenty-three researchers per a million inhabitants. In order to improve interest in science among future professionals, appropriate techniques should be developed and employed to identify barriers and correlates of science education among pre-university students. Young students' attitudes towards science may affect their future career choices. However, these attitudes may change with new experiences. It is, therefore, important to evaluate potential changes in students' attitudes towards science after their exposure to experiences such as science outreach activities. Through this, more effective means of inspiring and mentoring young students to choose science subjects can be developed. This approach would be particularly beneficial in countries such as Ghana, where: (i) documented impacts of outreach activities are lacking; and (ii) effective means to develop scientist-school educational partnerships are needed. We have established an outreach scheme, aimed at helping to improve interaction between scientists and pre-university students (and their teachers). Outreach activities are designed and implemented by undergraduate students and graduate teaching assistants, with support from faculty members and technical staff. Through this, we aim to build a team of trainee scientists and graduates who will become ambassadors of science in their future professional endeavors. Here, we describe an approach for assessing changes in junior high school students' attitudes towards science following classroom neuroscience outreach activities. We show that while students tended to agree more with questions concerning their perceptions about science learning after the delivery of outreach activities, significant improvements were obtained for only two questions, namely "I enjoy science lessons" and "I want to be a scientist in the future." Furthermore, there was a generally strong trend towards a change in attitude for questions that sought information about students' perceptions about scientists (both positive and negative perceptions). In addition, outreach providers reported that their involvement in this public engagement scheme helped them acquire several transferable skills that will be beneficial in their studies and career development. These include vital skills in project and time management, teamwork and public speaking. Altogether, our findings provide novel indications that the development of scientist-school outreach partnerships in Ghana has valuable implications for science education and capacity development.

College Students' Health Information Activities on Facebook: Investigating the Impacts of Health Topic Sensitivity, Information Sources, and Demographics.

PubMed

Syn, Sue Yeon; Kim, Sung Un

2016-07-01

College students tend to lack access to health information. Because social networking sites (SNSs) are popularly adopted by college students, SNSs are considered to be good media channels for college students to obtain health-related information. This study examines the factors that influence college students' health information-seeking and -sharing activities on Facebook. An online survey was distributed to college students between the ages of 18 and 29 to determine intentions pertaining to health information activities according to the factors identified for the study. The factors included both contextual factors (such as health topic sensitivity and health information sources) as well as user factors (such as demographics). Our findings showed that college students are willing to read and post health-related information on Facebook when the health topic is not sensitive. In addition, there are clear differences in preferences between professional sources and personal sources as health information sources. It was found that most user factors, except gender, have no influence on health information activities. The impacts of SNS contexts, awareness of information sources, types of interlocutors, and privacy concerns are further discussed.

Young Children Learn to Restructure Personal Ideas about Growth in Trees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunal, Dennis W.; Sunal, Cynthia S.

1991-01-01

Three activities in which students identify and demonstrate similarities and differences in plants and in plant growth are presented. The activities include background information, objectives for the tree ring activities, a list of needed materials, procedures, evaluation procedures, and a glossary. (KR)

Radiography student perceptions of clinical stressors.

PubMed

Mason, Starla L

2006-01-01

Technological change and the increasingly rapid pace of life in the United States and globally have contributed to increased levels of stress and burnout experienced by workers and their families. Although studies are available on the levels of workplace stress and burnout affecting radiographers, little to no research has been conducted to assess the stressors encountered by radiography students in the clinical environment. This study was designed to pinpoint the primary sources of stress for radiography students and to determine the most effective measures to alleviate the stress that students experience in the clinical environment. It also sought to identify the clinical activities and practices that enhance learning. A convenience sample of radiography students attending an Association of Collegiate Educators in Radiologic Technology meeting was surveyed. Students were asked to rank their greatest stressors in the clinical environment, the most desired qualities in a clinical instructor and clinical environment, and the clinical practices and activities that best enhance their learning. Descriptive statistics were used to report the results. Data were collected for 82 first-year and second-year students. Students identified 7 primary clinical stressors: fear of making a mistake/repeat, feeling unprepared/inexperienced, intimidation by staff and by instructors, difficult/critical patients, hurtful criticism, too much supervision and negative responses to questions/requests for help. Students indicated that more frequent feedback, availability of the clinical instructor and other staff, assurance that mistakes happen and the opportunity to make mistakes were clinical practices that eased stress. The majority of students cited hands-on learning and repetition as the clinical activities that most reinforced their learning. Summary Radiography students in this survey experience some of the same clinical stressors as radiographers and other allied health workers, although the source of stress may be different. Factors that promote an optimum clinical learning environment for students include instructor availability, opportunities to practice skills and make mistakes, frequent performance feedback and assurance that mistakes happen.

Moving to Inclusion. Active Living through Physical Education: Maximizing Opportunities for Students with a Disability = Integration en Mouvement. La vie active par l'education physique: Multipliez les possibilities offertes aux eleves ayant un handicap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability, Gloucester (Ontario).

This document is composed of 10 manuals which provide both general and specific guidelines to facilitate the inclusion of Canadian students with disabilities in physical education programs. An introductory manual identifies general concepts, strategies, and practical approaches that can be used in an inclusive physical education program. It…

Effects of Integrating an Active Learning-Promoting Mechanism into Location-Based Real-World Learning Environments on Students' Learning Performances and Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chang, Shao-Chen; Chen, Pei-Ying; Chen, Xiang-Ya

2018-01-01

Engaging students in real-world learning contexts has been identified by educators as being an important way of helping them learn to apply what they have learned from textbooks to practical problems. The advancements in mobile and image-processing technologies have enabled students to access learning resources and receive learning guidance in…

Data Management and Sharing from the Perspective of Graduate Students: An Examination of the Culture and Practice at the Water Quality Field Station

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Jake; Stowell-Bracke, Marianne

2013-01-01

Libraries are actively seeking to identify and respond to the data management and curation needs of researchers. One important perspective often overlooked in acquiring an understanding is that of graduate students. This case study used the Data Curation Profile Toolkit to interview six graduate students working for agronomy researchers at the…

Performance of First-Year Health Sciences Students in a Large, Diverse, Multidisciplinary, First-Semester, Physiology Service Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tufts, Mark; Higgins-Opitz, Susan B.

2014-01-01

Health Science students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal perform better in their professional modules compared with their physiology modules. The pass rates of physiology service modules have steadily declined over the years. While a system is in place to identify "at-risk" students, it is only activated after the first semester. As a…

A systematic review of creative thinking/creativity in nursing education.

PubMed

Chan, Zenobia C Y

2013-11-01

This systematic review aimed to identify the types of nursing course structure that promotes students' creative thinking and creativity. Systematic review. Five electronic databases: The British Nursing Index, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Ovid Medline. The databases were systematically searched to identify studies that discussed the concept of creative thinking in nursing education or reported a strategy that improved students' creative thinking. Qualitative studies or studies that included qualitative data were included. After reading the full content of the included studies, key themes and concepts were extracted and synthesized. Eight studies were identified. Four main themes relating to the course structure in teaching creativity were developed: diversity learning, freedom to learn, learning with confidence and learning through group work. To promote creative thinking in nursing students, educators themselves need to be creative in designing courses that allow students to learn actively and convert thoughts into actions. Educators should balance course freedom and guidance to allow students to develop constructive and useful ideas. Confidence and group work may play significant roles in helping students to express themselves and think creatively. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Artifact-based reflective interviews for identifying pragmatic epistemological resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shubert, Christopher Walden

Physics Education Research studies the science of teaching and learning physics. The process of student learning is complex, and the factors that affect it are numerous. Describing students' understanding of physics knowledge and reasoning is the basis for much productive research; however, such research fails to account for certain types of student learning difficulties. In this dissertation, I explore one source of student difficulty: personal epistemology, students' ideas about knowledge and knowing. Epistemology traditionally answers three questions: What is knowledge? How is knowledge created? And, how do we know what we know? An individual's responses to these questions can affect learning in terms of how they approach tasks involving the construction and application of knowledge. The key issue addressed in this dissertation is the effect of methodological choices on the validity and reliability of claims concerning personal epistemology. My central concern is contextual validity, how what is said about one's epistemology is not identical to how one behaves epistemologically. In response to these issues, I present here a new methodology for research on student epistemology: video artifact-based reflective interview protocols. These protocols begin with video taping students in their natural classroom activities, and then asking the participants epistemological questions immediately after watching selected scenes from their activity, contextually anchoring them in their actual learning experience. The data from these interviews is viewed in the framework of Epistemological Resource Theory, a framework of small bits of knowledge whose coordination in a given context is used to describe personal epistemology. I claim that the privileged data from these interviews allows detailed epistemological resources to be identified, and that these resources can provide greater insight into how student epistemologies are applied in learning activities. This research, situated within an algebra-based physics for life scientists course reform project, focuses on student work in Modeling Informed Instruction (MII) laboratory activities, which are an adaptation of Modeling Instruction. The development of these activities is based on the epistemological foundations of Modeling Instruction, and these foundations are used to describe a potential assessment for the epistemological effectiveness of a curriculum.

Accidents with biological material among undergraduate nursing students in a public Brazilian university.

PubMed

Reis, Renata Karina; Gir, Elucir; Canini, Silvia Rita M S

2004-02-01

During their academic activities, undergraduate nursing students are exposed to contamination by bloodborne pathogens, as well as by others found in body fluids, among which are the Human Immunodeficiency (HIV), Hepatitis B and C viruses. We developed a profile of victimized students, characterizing accidents with biological material occurring among undergraduate nursing students at a public university in São Paulo State, Brazil. We identified the main causes and evaluated the conduct adopted by students and their reactions and thoughts concerning the accidents. Seventy-two accidents were identified, of which 17% involved potentially contaminated biological material. Needles were the predominant cause of accidents. The most frequently involved topographic areas were the fingers. Only five students reported the accidents and sought medical care. Among these, two students were advised to begin prophylactic treatment against HIV infection by means of antiretroviral drugs. It was found that the risk of accidents is underestimated and that strategies such as formal teaching and continual training are necessary in order to make students aware of biosafety measures.

MLS student active learning within a "cloud" technology program.

PubMed

Tille, Patricia M; Hall, Heather

2011-01-01

In November 2009, the MLS program in a large public university serving a geographically large, sparsely populated state instituted an initiative for the integration of technology enhanced teaching and learning within the curriculum. This paper is intended to provide an introduction to the system requirements and sample instructional exercises used to create an active learning technology-based classroom. Discussion includes the following: 1.) define active learning and the essential components, 2.) summarize teaching methods, technology and exercises utilized within a "cloud" technology program, 3.) describe a "cloud" enhanced classroom and programming 4.) identify active learning tools and exercises that can be implemented into laboratory science programs, and 5.) describe the evaluation and assessment of curriculum changes and student outcomes. The integration of technology in the MLS program is a continual process and is intended to provide student-driven active learning experiences.

Estimation of leisure time physical activity and sedentary behaviour among school adolescents in Nepal.

PubMed

Paudel, Susan; Subedi, Narayan; Bhandari, Ramjee; Bastola, Ramesh; Niroula, Rakshya; Poudyal, Amod Kumar

2014-06-22

Leisure-time physical activity is essential for healthy and physically active life; however, this domain of physical activity is less common in developing countries. Information on leisure time physical activity and sedentary behaviour among Nepalese population is not available. The study was carried out to assess leisure time physical activity and sedentary behaviour among high school adolescents and identify the associated factors in Nepal. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in Banke district, Nepal in 2013 among higher secondary school students using self-administered questionnaire based on International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A sample of 405 students, 178 females and 227 males, of the age-group 15 to 20 years from seven schools were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify factors associated with participation in leisure time physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Engagement of female in leisure time physical activity was lower but mean time spent on sitting per day was higher. Students who walked to school and have playground/parks near home, younger females (OR = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.18-8.08), females living in nuclear families (OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.01-4.62) and males who cycled to school (OR: 8.09, 95% CI: 2.35-27.80) and have provision of extra-curricular activities (OR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.04-5.97) were more likely to be engaged in leisure time physical activity. On the other hand, students who did not have playground in school and lived in rural areas were more likely to sit for more than 6 hours a day. Likewise, male students of private school (OR: 6.41, 95% CI: 2.89-14.21), who used vehicle to reach school (OR: 5.90, 95% CI: 1.26-27.75) and have no provision of extra-curricular activities (OR: 2.98, 95% CI: 1.09-8.07) had longer sitting time. Difference in leisure time physical activity and sedentary behaviour was found among male and female school adolescents. Interventions are needed not only to promote leisure time physical activity but also to reduce sedentary behaviour among this group.

At-Risk and Bilingual Fifth-Grade Students' On-Task Behavior and Conceptual Understanding in Earth Science-Related Topics during Inquiry-, Technology-, and Game-Based Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeal, K.; Vasquez, Y.; Avandano, C.; Moreno, K.; Besinaiz, J.

2007-12-01

The Graduate K-12 (GK12) program has been developed by NSF to support the national effort to advance scientific knowledge through educational partnerships. This paper highlights research conducted during the 2006-2007 school year with the Texas A&M University GK12 project. Two elementary schools with very high numbers of at risk students - those who are poor, speak English as their second language, and have a history of failing state-mandated tests were identified to be the field site for the GK12 project. In these two, high-minority (97% and 40% African American and Hispanic) schools, 80% and 56% of the children have been identified by the state as at risk; 94% and 52% are classified as economically disadvantaged; and 46% and 2% are limited English proficient, respectively. In the past year, 30% and 73% of fifth grade students in these schools passed the science portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. Data collected during a three- week period where GK12 fellows taught the fifth graders Earth science-related topics is presented. During the implementation, students were engaged in technology-, inquiry-, and game-based activities. Students were divided into low-, medium-, and high-abilities in one school, and regular and bilingual groups in the other. Pre- post open-ended multiple choice tests indicated that all but the low performing students' conceptual understanding (CU) significantly (p < 0.05) improved during the IT activity. The low and high student groups' CU significantly improved during the inquiry activity, and the high and bilingual students' CU significantly improved for the game activities. Classroom observation assessments showed that there was a significant (p < 0.10) positive (0.347) correlation between on-task behavior and CU. Significant differences between student groups' CU and on-task behavior indicated that technology-based activities showed greatest differences between the low- ability learners and the other students, whereas, inquiry-based activities tended not to show such extremes. In the case of the bilingual and regular students however, technology-based instruction tended to increase their scores and decrease gaps with other groups. Using different pedagogical approaches (e.g., technology-, inquiry- and game-based methods) to teach Earth science is important to reach all elementary students. Earth science educators should not forget that there does not exist any one teaching and learning method that will be a 'quick fix' for the masses. However, educational partnerships between universities and K-12 schools strengthen the efforts to increase scientific literacy among all students, including diverse and at risk populations.

[Silver Hills Junior High School Talent Pool].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace School District 393, ID.

The paper describes the Silver Hills (Idaho) Junior High School Talent Pool, a program designed to advance thinking skills through enrichment activities. The Talent Pool concept was established as an alternate means of identifying students eligible for gifted/talented services and programs. Students participate in three levels of enrichment…

College Students' Goal Orientations, Situational Motivation and Effort/Persistence in Physical Activity Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Zan; Podlog, Leslie W.; Harrison, Louis

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among college students' 2 x 2 goal orientations (mastery-approach [MAp], mastery-avoidance [MAv], performance-approach [PAp], performance-avoidance [PAv]), situational motivation (intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, external regulation and amotivation) and effort/persistence in…

A New Twist on Torque Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, W. Brian

2014-01-01

The traditional introductory-level meterstick-balancing lab assumes that students already know what torque is and that they readily identify it as a physical quantity of interest. We propose a modified version of this activity in which students qualitatively and quantitatively measure the amount of force required to keep the meterstick level. The…

The Story of Stuff: Increasing Environmental Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nowak, Amy L. Versnik; Hale, Heidi; Lindholm, Jessica; Strausser, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

Objectives: After this lesson, students will be able to: (1) list the five stages of materials production, (2) report key facts related to the materials economy, (3) identify sustainable solutions that positively impact the environment, and (4) recognize how the environment affects health. Target Audience: This activity is designed for students in…

Teaching Violence Prevention: How Much Does Bullying Weigh?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blosnich, John; Kershner, Ruth

2009-01-01

Bullying is a prevalent problem for many elementary school students, and it is associated with physical injury and depression. Objectives: Students engaged in this teaching activity will be able to identify bullying behaviors as well as list and demonstrate strategies to effectively deal with bullying situations. Target Audience: Fourth- and…

Identifying Student Difficulties with Entropy, Heat Engines, and the Carnot Cycle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Trevor I.; Christensen, Warren M.; Mountcastle, Donald B.; Thompson, John R.

2015-01-01

We report on several specific student difficulties regarding the second law of thermodynamics in the context of heat engines within upper-division undergraduate thermal physics courses. Data come from ungraded written surveys, graded homework assignments, and videotaped classroom observations of tutorial activities. Written data show that students…

Exposing college students to exercise: the training interventions and genetics of exercise response (TIGER) study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Training Interventions and Genetics of Exercise Response (TIGER) study is an exercise program designed to introduce sedentary college students to regular physical activity and to identify genetic factors that influence response to exercise. A multiracial/ethnic cohort (N = 1,567; 39% male), age ...

Gunn and Heid: Teaching Small Group Development with Reality TV

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopaczewski, Shana

2017-01-01

Courses: Small group communication or any courses with units on group/team work. Objective: In this single-class activity, students will use reality TV to identify Tuckman's five phases of group development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Students analyze how phases of group development manifest through group interaction…

Design of a Course on the Medical Consequences of Nuclear War.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassel, Christine; And Others

1982-01-01

A course is described in which students were to: learn about nuclear weapons and their medical, social, and ecological consequences; identify principles of social ethics defining health professionals' roles; and define professional activities consistent with these principles. Student attitudes toward the course and its content were measured. (MSE)

A Delphi Study of Agriculture Teacher Perceptions of Problems in Student Retention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyer, James E.; Breja, Lisa M.; Ball, Anna L.

2003-01-01

A four-round Delphi study of secondary agriculture teachers (17, 17, 22, and 21 responses) identified and rated student retention problems. Consensus was reached on these items: scheduling difficulties, lack of counselor support, image, increased graduation requirements, college entrance requirements, competition from other activities, block…

Service Learning: Opportunities for Legal Studies in Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Debra D.

2007-01-01

Service learning is a form of experiential learning designed to engage students, faculty, and community partners in a mutually beneficial experience. Specifically, it "is a credit-bearing, educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflects on the service activity…

EMP: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Jill

A 2-year study examined the relevance of English-as-a-second-language instructional materials for students in health care fields. The study gathered specific information on common medical activities requiring the use of English and identified problem areas. A random sample of students of medicine, pharmacy, and research science was surveyed, the…

The Nature, Correlates, and Conditions of Parental Advocacy in Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Meghan M.; Hodapp, Robert M.

2016-01-01

Although parents often advocate for the best educational services for their children with disabilities, few studies examine parents' advocacy activities; identify parent-school relationship, parent, and student correlates of advocacy; or describe the conditions of advocacy. Responding to a national, web-based survey, 1087 parents of students with…

Using Scientific Inquiry to Teach Students about Water Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puche, Helena; Holt, Jame

2012-01-01

This semi-guided inquiry activity explores the macroinvertebrate fauna in water sources affected by different levels of pollution. Students develop their ability to identify macroinvertebrates, compare aquatic fauna from different sources of water samples, evaluate water quality using an index, document and analyze data, raise questions and…

Engaging Students in Physical Education: Recommendations for Secondary Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorp, Jennifer L.

2013-01-01

A review of the literature identifies three main factors that influence student motivation to participate in physical education activities: (1) gender; (2) body image; and (3) enjoyment (Azzarito & Solmon, 2005, 2006, 2009; Lodewyk et al., 2009; Smith & St. Pierre, 2009). Males and females are motivated differently because of their…

Communication Civility Codes: Positive Communication through the Students' Eyes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pawlowski, Donna R.

2017-01-01

Courses: Presentational courses such as Public Speaking, Interviewing, Business and Professional, Persuasion, Interpersonal; any course where civility may be promoted in the classroom. Objectives: At the end of this single-class activity, students will have an understanding of civility in order to: (1) identify civility and consequences of…

The Irish Centre for Talented Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilheany, Sheila

2005-01-01

Conducting potency tests on penicillin, discussing rocket technology with a NASA astronaut, analysing animal bone fragments from medieval times, these are just some of the activities which occupy the time of students at The Irish Centre for Talented Youth. The Centre identifies young students with exceptional academic ability and then provides…

Ice and Sand: Linking the Sandbox to Geographic Features in Elementary Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Ronald V.

1999-01-01

Presents an activity in which students construct models to explain glacial action. Describes the models, which recreate specific glacial processes, and discusses 11 glacial actions. Students examine the economic implications of glaciation and use maps to identify the locations and effects of glaciers. (CMK)

Indiana in the World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Robert; Lowrie, Jane

This handbook for secondary teachers contains activities, exercises, and strategies designed to make more obvious and concrete the opportunities local communities and states provide for students to learn about and to participate in global affairs. A major objective is to help high school students develop the competencies needed to identify and to…

Identifying instructional tasks that occasion problem behaviors and assessing the effects of student versus teacher choice among these tasks.

PubMed

Vaughn, B J; Horner, R H

1997-01-01

Levels of problem behavior were assessed when 4 students with severe disabilities received instruction on preferred versus nonpreferred tasks and when tasks of each type were chosen by the teacher rather than by the student. In Phase 1, interview and direct observation assessments were conducted to identify relative preferences for academic tasks. In Phase 2, the effects of these lower preference and higher preference tasks on the rate of problem behavior were evaluated using a multielement design. The results showed that lower preference tasks were associated with higher rates of problem behaviors and that students, when given a choice, consistently selected the tasks that had been identified through interview and direct observation as higher preference. In Phase 3, we assessed whether allowing the students to choose between pairs of lower preference tasks or between pairs of higher preference tasks reduced problem behavior relative to a condition in which the teacher selected the same tasks. For 2 of 4 students, the rates of problem behavior were lower when students (rather than the teacher) selected the lower preference activity. Higher preference tasks for 3 students were associated with relatively low rates of problem behavior regardless of whether the student or the teacher selected the task.

Using Cogenerative Dialogs to Improve Science Teaching and Learning: Challenges and Solutions in High School Students' Internships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Pei-Ling

2018-05-01

Internships in science research settings have received increasing attention as a means of helping students construct appropriate understandings, practices, tools, and language in scientific activities. To advance student-scientist partnerships beyond the status quo, the study aimed to investigate how cogenerative dialogs (cogens) may help high school students and scientists identify and address challenges collectively. The analysis identified nine major challenges discussed during cogens: (1) the quality and progress of scientific practice in laboratories, (2) the quality of scientists'/assistants' instructions in classrooms, (3) the quality of student participation in classrooms and homework, (4) students' absences, including arriving late or leaving early, (5) the quality of administrative support, (6) preparation for scientific presentations, (7) the process of deciding project topics, (8) students' peer interactions and communication, and (9) students' physiological needs. The three most salient challenges were "the quality and progress of scientific practice in laboratories" (39%), "the quality of scientists'/assistants' instructions in classrooms" (20%), and "the quality of student participation in classrooms and homework" (17%). The study shows that cogens allowed students and scientists to agree on teaching modifications that positively influenced teaching and learning processes during the internship, such that issues were reduced from the beginning to the closing stages. Importantly, the challenges and solutions identified by students and scientists in this study provide accounts of first-hand experience as well as insights to aid program directors or coordinators in designing a learning environment that can foster effective practice for internships by avoiding the issues identified in the study.

Perspective of the Graduating Medical Student: The Ideal Curriculum for the Fourth Year of Undergraduate Medical Education.

PubMed

Andrews, Mary A; Paolino, Nathalie D; DeZee, Kent J; Hemann, Brian

2016-11-01

To explore medical students' perspective regarding the fourth year of medical school and common educational activities thereof. The authors surveyed students graduating in 2012 with a military service obligation about the importance of common fourth-year activities, the proportion of the fourth year devoted to these activities, and important considerations for the fourth-year curriculum. The authors calculated mean importance scores for educational activities and mean proportions of the fourth year that should be devoted to certain activities. Two reviewers independently coded free-text answers to identify and calculate frequencies for common themes. The response rate was 40% (376/942). Participants rated activities related to improving clinical skills and securing the residency of their choice as more than activities such as learning business skills, conducting research, and studying basic sciences. Participants indicated that electives and direct patient care should comprise the majority of the fourth year and frequently mentioned improving specialty-specific clinical skills, pursuing personal medical interests, and taking time to relax as important fourth-year themes. Students value activities related to securing and succeeding in their chosen residency and the opportunity to pursue electives and take vacation. Faculty should consider the student perspective when reforming curricula. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Strategies for enhancing medical student resilience: student and faculty member perspectives

PubMed Central

Kamei, Robert; Vidyarthi, Arpana

2018-01-01

Objectives To improve programs aimed to enhance medical student resiliency, we examined both medical student and faculty advisor perspectives on resiliency-building in an Asian medical school. Methods In two separate focus groups, a convenience sample of 8 MD-PhD students and 8 faculty advisors were asked to identify strategies for enhancing resilience. Using thematic analysis, two researchers independently examined discussion transcripts and field notes and determined themes through a consensus process. They then compared the themes to discern similarities and differences between these groups. Results Themes from the student suggestions for increasing resilience included “Perspective changes with time and experience”, “Defining effective advisors,” and “Individual paths to resiliency”. Faculty-identified themes were “Structured activities to change student perspectives,” “Structured teaching of coping strategies”, and “Institution-wide social support”. Students described themselves as individuals building their own resilience path and preferred advisors who were not also evaluators. Faculty, however, suggested systematic, structural ways to increase resilience. Conclusions Students and advisors identified some common, and many distinct strategies for enhancing medical student resilience. Student/advisor discrepancies may exemplify a cultural shift in Singapore’s medical education climate, where students value increased individualism and autonomy in their education. As medical schools create interventions to enhance resilience and combat potential student burnout, they should consider individually-tailored as well as system-wide programs to best meet the needs of their students and faculty. PMID:29334480

Physical education issues for students with autism: school nurse challenges.

PubMed

Rutkowski, Elaine M; Brimer, Debbie

2014-08-01

Extant studies indicate persons with autism have difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors, and poor ability to generalize learned skills. Obesity has also been identified as significantly affecting children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Negative experience in physical education (PE) may be the antecedent behavior to lack of activities that are mediators to sedentary lifestyles and contributors to the chronic illnesses associated with overweight and obesity. Students with ASD often cannot perform required activities to meet required PE standards. It is imperative school nurses be aware of the many challenges students with ASD bring into a PE class. School nurses provide education for the members of the school community, including the Individualized Education Plan team, regarding the need for attention to limitations, including physical activity, of students with ASD. © The Author(s) 2013.

Characteristics of travel to and from school among adolescents in NSW, Australia.

PubMed

Booth, Michael L; Okely, Anthony D; Denney-Wilson, Elizabeth; Hardy, Louise L; Dobbins, Timothy; Wen, Li-Ming; Rissel, Christopher

2007-11-01

Active transport to and from school is frequently identified as an opportunity to increase energy expenditure among young people. The epidemiology of travel behaviours among Grade 6, 8 and 10 students in NSW is reported. A representative population survey of students in NSW, Australia was conducted during February to May 2004 (n = 2750) and the prevalence of travelling to and from school by walking, car and public transport was determined for Grade 6, 8 and 10 students. Among Grade 6 students, approximately 30% travelled by car, 30% walked and 20% used public transport to travel to school (the travel habits of 20% could not be accurately characterised). Among secondary school students, approximately 50% used public transport, 15-20% travelled by car and 15-20% walked. Among those who walked or used public transport, the median times spent walking were 10-15 min and 5 min per trip, respectively. While there is little scope to increase the prevalence of active transport among secondary school students, there is potential to do so among primary school students. Primary school students who replace travelling to and from school by car with walking will experience an increase in activity energy expenditure of up to 10% and those who change to public transport will experience an increase in activity energy expenditure of up to 3%.

"Cooking and Active Leisure" TAS Program, Spain: a Program Impact Pathways (PIP) analysis.

PubMed

Roura, Elena; Pareja, Sara Lucía; Milá, Raimon; Cinca, Núria

2014-09-01

The "Cooking and Active Leisure" Tu y Alícia por la Salud (CAL-TAS) Program is a school-based pilot that addresses healthy lifestyle needs of Spanish secondary school students with initiatives that research has proven to improve dietary and physical activity behaviors. The objectives were to perform a Program Impact Pathways (PIP) analysis to describe key activities and processes of the CAL-TAS Program, identify Critical Quality Control Points (CCPs), and identify a suite of common indicators of healthy lifestyles to be applied across participant schools. The CAL-TAS Program designers and implementation team developed this PIP analysis through an iterative process and presented the results for feedback at the seven-country Healthy Lifestyles Program Evaluation Workshop held in Granada, Spain, 13-14 September 2013, under the auspices of the Mondelēz International Foundation. The team identified three PIP CCPs: teachers' motivation and training, changes in students' knowledge of healthy lifestyles, and changes in students' healthy lifestyle behavior. The selected indicators of the program's impact on healthy lifestyles are adequacy of food intake, level of knowledge of healthy lifestyles gained, and adequacy of physical activity level according to World Health Organization recommendations. A clear definition of impact indicators, as well as collection of accurate data on healthy lifestyle behaviors and knowledge, is essential to understanding the effectiveness of this program before it can be scaled up. CAL-TAS is an effective secondary school-based program encouraging healthy lifestyles. The PIP analysis was instrumental in identifying CCPs to sustain and improve the quality of the program. The team hopes to sustain and improve the program through these program evaluation recommendations.

Motivating medical students to do research: a mixed methods study using Self-Determination Theory.

PubMed

Rosenkranz, Sara K; Wang, Shaoyu; Hu, Wendy

2015-06-02

It is widely accepted that all medical graduates should understand the uses and methods of rigorous research, with a need to promote research to graduates who will pursue an academic career. This study aimed to explore, identify and explain what motivates and demotivates medical students to do research. A convergent parallel mixed methods study was conducted. Cross-sectional quantitative survey data (n = 579) and qualitative semi-structured interview findings (n = 23) data were separately collected and analysed. Informed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated to develop a model for the factors associated with medical students' expressed motivation to do research, and related to clinical and research learning activities at different stages in an undergraduate medical program. Only 7.5% of students had research experience prior to entering the program. Survey results revealed that students who had experienced exposure to the uncertainties of clinical practice through clerkships (Pre-Clinical (48%) vs Clinical Years (64%), p < 0.001), and a sense of achievement through supported compulsory research activities which were conducted as a team (Pre- Community Research (51%) vs Post-Community Research (66%), p < 0.001), were more likely to view future research activities positively. When integrated with qualitative findings using the three SDT domains of autonomy, competence and relatedness, eight major themes were identified: Self & Time, Career, Bureaucracy, Financial, Confidence, Clinical Relevance, Research as a Social Activity, and Personal Relevance. The findings suggest that motivation to do research is associated with increasing internalization of intrinsic motivators; in particular those associated with competence (Confidence) and relatedness (Clinical Relevance, Research as a Social Activity). SDT is useful for understanding the motivation of individuals and how curriculum can be designed to optimise motivation. Study findings suggest that well supported compulsory research activities that incorporate group learning and elements of choice may promote motivation to do research, and potentially, careers in research, even in a research naive student body.

Assessing Student Behaviors and Motivation for Actively Learning Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Michael Edward

Vision and Change states that one of the major changes in the way we design biology courses should be a switch in approach from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning and identifies active learning as a recommended methods. Studies show performance benefits for students taking courses that use active learning. What is unknown is why active learning is such an effective instructional tool and the limits of this instructional method’s ability to influence performance. This dissertation builds a case in three steps for why active learning is an effective instructional tool. In step one, I assessed the influence of different types of active learning (clickers, group activities, and whole class discussions) on student engagement behavior in one semester of two different introductory biology courses and found that active learning positively influenced student engagement behavior significantly more than lecture. For step two, I examined over four semesters whether student engagement behavior was a predictor of performance and found participation (engagement behavior) in the online (video watching) and in-class course activities (clicker participation) that I measure were significant predictors of performance. In the third, I assessed whether certain active learning satisfied the psychological needs that lead to students’ intrinsic motivation to participate in those activities when compared over two semesters and across two different institutions of higher learning. Findings from this last step show us that student’s perceptions of autonomy, competency, and relatedness in doing various types of active learning are significantly higher than lecture and consistent across two institutions of higher learning. Lastly, I tie everything together, discuss implications of the research, and address future directions for research on biology student motivation and behavior.

Blue Marble Matches: Using Earth for Planetary Comparisons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, Paige Valderrama

2009-01-01

Goal: This activity is designed to introduce students to geologic processes on Earth and model how scientists use Earth to gain a better understanding of other planetary bodies in the solar system. Objectives: Students will: 1. Identify common descriptor characteristics used by scientists to describe geologic features in images. 2. Identify geologic features and how they form on Earth. 3. Create a list of defining/distinguishing characteristics of geologic features 4. Identify geologic features in images of other planetary bodies. 5. List observations and interpretations about planetary body comparisons. 6. Create summary statements about planetary body comparisons.

Integrating Motivational Activities into Instruction: A Developmental Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brawer, Michael P.

A model for integrating motivational activities into instruction and the problem with motivational activities in the classroom for the disadvantaged learner are examined. Eight basic learning processes are identified that the teacher should understand in preparation for presenting information to students: attention/reception, selective perception,…

Developing Modelling Lenses among Practicing Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahbari, Juhaina Awawdeh; Tabach, Michal

2016-01-01

Growing awareness of the importance of modelling activities in mathematics education has raised the question of whether teachers are prepared to facilitate the engagement of students in such activities. The current study investigates the effects of how teachers cope with modelling activities in developing their abilities to identify modelling…

Exploring The Moon through a 21st Century Learning Environment of Interactive Whiteboards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runyon, C. J.; Hall, C.; Joyner, E.; Meyer, H. M.

2012-12-01

Lunar exploration has an important role to play in inspiring students to hone their skills and understanding, as well as encouraging them to pursue careers in science, technology engineering and math (STEM). Many of NASA's current lunar educational materials do not dynamically engage the whole learner or effectively address 21st Century skills. We present examples of several dynamic lunar science activities for use on interactive white boards. These activities are replicable and incorporate NASA mission-derived sampling and analysis techniques. Building on a highly visual and tactile workforce, it is imperative that today's classrooms keep up with technologies that are the media of modern life. Interactive white boards offer a coordinated curricula and supporting resources that are immediately usable in most classrooms across America. Our dynamic classroom materials are rich in scientific processes, meet the national standards of learning in STEM, and are teacher-vetted for content and usability. Incorporating educational activities created from the NASA Lunar Science Institute team activities, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) Educator's Guide, and more current NASA lunar missions, we offer three dynamic modules for use on an interactive white board. SMART activities implement the mastery teaching model, employing instructional strategies so that all students can achieve the same level of learning. Our goal is to provide educators with multiple resources for teaching their students about the Moon and engaging their interest in pursuing STEM in the future. In addition to background information, inquiry-oriented lessons allow students to gather information and data directly through the Internet. For example, with the return of high resolution/high spatial data from M3/Chandrayaan-1, we can now better identify, discern and understand the compositional variations on the lunar surface. Data and analysis techniques from the M3 imaging spectrometer are incorporated into the lessons. Module I: Students explore the properties of light and use an ALTA hand-held spectrometer to identify and map compositional variation on the moon's surface, discovering that the Moon is similar to, yet different from, the Earth and terrestrial planets. Module II: Students break up into teams of "Orbiters" and "Earth scientists" to gather reflectance data from "Moon rocks" and Earth rocks respectively. Students compare the reflectance spectra from those to identify the rock types on the Moon. Module III: Students create and compare color-coded mineralogy maps and topographical maps of the Moon. Using spectroscopic data and their understanding of cratering and volcanism from previous activities, students create questions and devise theories for the geologic history of the Moon. Current research is inconclusive as to whether or not the use of 21st century technologies are effective as learning tools. Although the technology may be available in modern classrooms, many teachers still teach with traditional instructional strategies. We have seen, that when students actively engage and are a part of using the technology, they develop a deeper understanding and a desire to learn more about the topics covered. The interactive whiteboard technology permits students to directly immerse themselves with the content.

Analysis of Motivational Profiles of Satisfaction and Importance of Physical Education in High School Adolescents

PubMed Central

Granero-Gallegos, Antonio; Baena-Extremera, Antonio; Pérez-Quero, Francisco J.; Ortiz-Camacho, Maria M.; Bracho-Amador, Clara

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the motivational profiles of satisfaction with and importance of physical education in high school students and its relation with gender and the practice of sport. The sample comprised 2002 students aged from 12 to 19 who completed the Sport Motivation Scale (Núñez et al., 2006), the Sport Satisfaction Instrument (Baena-Extremera et al., 2012) and the Importance of Physical Education Scale (Moreno et al., 2009). Descriptive analyzes, correlations between the scales, a cluster analysis for profiles, and a MANOVA were conducted to examine differences by gender. Three clusters (profiles) were identified. The first profile identified was "moderate" motivation (n = 463) and was associated with boys who practice physical activity for less than 3 hours per week. The second profile identified was "low" motivation (n = 545) and was associated mainly with girls who practice physical activity for less than 3 hours per week. And lastly the third profile identified was "high" motivation (n = 910), which was found to be greater in boys who practiced physical exercise for more than 3 hours a week. Key points High school students’ motivation was mainly intrinsic, scoring very low on a motivation and high on satisfaction/fun; equally, these students were task-oriented. There appears to be a positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and task-orientation in high school students. The subject of PE is considered very highly by the students, and hence it obtains high values on satisfaction/fun and is positively associated with the importance given to PE. PMID:24150070

An innovative, multidisciplinary strategy to improve retention of nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

PubMed

Igbo, Immaculata N; Straker, Kathleen C; Landson, Margie J; Symes, Lene; Bernard, Lillian F; Hughes, Lisa A; Carroll, Theresa L

2011-01-01

Nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds must overcome many barriers in order to succeed. This article will focus on how a multidisciplinary team helped 76 percent of these high-risk students persist in their nursing programs by addressing some of these barriers. Three baccalaureate nursing schools in the Texas Medical Center embarked on a three-year retention program designed to enhance the success of students identified by federal criteria as being at risk. Multidisciplinary teams led various activities, including a study skills component, which included preparing for lectures, taking notes, critical thinking, and test-taking strategies. Also addressed were written and oral communication skills, medical terminology, critical thinking, career coaching, and socialization activities. Collaboration among faculty and students at the three schools was key to the success of the program.

Patterns of Gambling Activities and Gambling Problems Among Italian High School Students: Results from a Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

De Luigi, Nicola; Gibertoni, Dino; Randon, Emanuela; Scorcu, Antonello E

2018-06-01

This study aims to provide an estimate of the prevalence of gambling among Italian adolescents and a description of their patterns of gambling activities (PGAs) using a latent class analysis on 13 different types of games. A nationwide sample of 10,959 Italian high school students was recruited in 2013. We assessed problem gambling using the South Oaks Gambling Screen: Revisited for Adolescent (SOGS-RA) scale. Approximately half (50.6%) of students reported gambling at least once in the previous year; 5.0% of them were problem gamblers and 9.1% were at-risk gamblers according to their SOGS-RA scores. Eight PGAs were identified, among which heavy players (1.7% of students) could be classified as problem gamblers and broad skill players (2.0%) and lotteries & sports players (2.4%) as "at-risk" players. These high-risk classes were consistently associated with risky behaviours in terms of substance use, school performance, money spent on gambling and family environment; the other five classes identified low-risk players associated with safe behaviours. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify PGAs among Italian adolescents. Problem gamblers are not a homogeneous group in terms of patterns of gambling activities and are associated with different risk factors, among which environmental factors, such as parents' gambling attitude and behaviour, deserve special attention. The acknowledgment of such patterns and risk factors could be useful in developing sensible public policies addressing prevention strategies and regulatory instruments.

Patterns of Physical Activity Outside of School Time among Japanese Junior High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Li; Ishii, Kaori; Shibata, Ai; Adachi, Minoru; Nonoue, Keiko; Oka, Koichiro

2013-01-01

Background: Physical activity is beneficial for adolescent health. The physical activity patterns of Japanese adolescents are relatively unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the current patterns of physical activity and to identify sex and grade differences among them. Methods: The participants comprised 714 Japanese adolescents aged…

Mentoring disadvantaged nursing students through technical writing workshops.

PubMed

Johnson, Molly K; Symes, Lene; Bernard, Lillian; Landson, Margie J; Carroll, Theresa L

2007-01-01

Recent studies have identified a problematic gap for nursing students between terse clinical writing and formal academic writing. This gap can create a potential barrier to academic and workplace success, especially for disadvantaged nursing students who have not acquired the disciplinary conventions and sophisticated writing required in upper-level nursing courses. The authors demonstrate the need for writing-in-the-discipline activities to enhance the writing skills of nursing students, describe the technical writing workshops they developed to mentor minority and disadvantaged nursing students, and provide recommendations to stimulate educator dialogue across disciplines and institutions.

Characteristics of internet addiction/pathological internet use in U.S. university students: a qualitative-method investigation.

PubMed

Li, Wen; O'Brien, Jennifer E; Snyder, Susan M; Howard, Matthew O

2015-01-01

Studies have identified high rates and severe consequences of Internet Addiction/Pathological Internet Use (IA/PIU) in university students. However, most research concerning IA/PIU in U.S. university students has been conducted within a quantitative research paradigm, and frequently fails to contextualize the problem of IA/PIU. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study using the focus group approach and examined 27 U.S. university students who self-identified as intensive Internet users, spent more than 25 hours/week on the Internet for non-school or non-work-related activities and who reported Internet-associated health and/or psychosocial problems. Students completed two IA/PIU measures (Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and participated in focus groups exploring the natural history of their Internet use; preferred online activities; emotional, interpersonal, and situational triggers for intensive Internet use; and health and/or psychosocial consequences of their Internet overuse. Students' self-reports of Internet overuse problems were consistent with results of standardized measures. Students first accessed the Internet at an average age of 9 (SD = 2.7), and first had a problem with Internet overuse at an average age of 16 (SD = 4.3). Sadness and depression, boredom, and stress were common triggers of intensive Internet use. Social media use was nearly universal and pervasive in participants' lives. Sleep deprivation, academic under-achievement, failure to exercise and to engage in face-to-face social activities, negative affective states, and decreased ability to concentrate were frequently reported consequences of intensive Internet use/Internet overuse. IA/PIU may be an underappreciated problem among U.S. university students and warrants additional research.

Relationships between physical education students' motivational profiles, enjoyment, state anxiety, and self-reported physical activity.

PubMed

Yli-Piipari, Sami; Watt, Anthony; Jaakkola, Timo; Liukkonen, Jarmo; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze motivational profiles based on the self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000) and how these profiles are related to physical education students' enjoyment, state anxiety, and physical activity. The participants, 429 sixth grade students (girls = 216; boys = 213) completed SMS, Sport Enjoyment Scale, PESAS, and Physical Activity Scale. Cluster analyses identified two motivational profiles: 1) the "High motivation profile", in which the students had high intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and low levels of amotivation, and 2) the "Low motivation profile", in which the students had low intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and low levels of amotivation. The students in the first cluster enjoyed physical education more and were physically more active. The results revealed that students may be motivated towards physical education lessons both intrinsically and extrinsically, and still experience enjoyment in physical education. Key pointsTWO MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES WERE REVEALED: 1) the "High motivation profile", in which the students had high intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and low levels of amotivation, and 2) the "Low motivation profile", in which the students had low intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and low levels of amotivation.The students in the first profile enjoyed physical education more and were physically more active than the students in the second profile.Moreover, the representatives of the "High motivation profile "experienced greater anxiety toward physical education than the representatives of the "Low motivation profile"These findings raised an interesting question whether students engaging in physical education benefit more from the presence of both self-determined and non-self-determined forms of motivation, or are the benefits higher if students are primarily self-determined?

Remediating lapses in professionalism among undergraduate pre-clinical medical students in an Asian Institution: a multimodal approach.

PubMed

Findyartini, Ardi; Sudarsono, Nani Cahyani

2018-05-02

Fostering personal identity formation and professional development among undergraduate medical students is challenging. Based on situated learning, experiential learning and role-modelling frameworks, a six-week course was developed to remediate lapses in professionalism among undergraduate medical students. This study aims to explore the students' perceptions of their personal identity formation and professional development following completion of the course. This qualitative study, adopting a phenomenological design, uses the participants' reflective diaries as primary data sources. In the pilot course, field work, role-model shadowing and discussions with resource personnel were conducted. A total of 14 students were asked to provide written self-reflections. Consistent, multi-source feedback was provided throughout the course. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify the key processes of personal and professional development among the students during remediation. Three main themes were revealed. First, students highlighted the strength of small group activities in helping them 'internalise the essential concepts'. Second, the role-model shadowing supported their understanding of 'what kind of medical doctors they would become'. Third, the field work allowed them to identify 'what the "noble values" are and how to implement them in daily practice'. By implementing multimodal activities, the course has high potential in supporting personal identity formation and professional development among undergraduate pre-clinical medical students, as well as remediating their lapses in professionalism. However, there are challenges in implementing the model among a larger student population and in documenting the long-term impact of the course.

Undergraduate Medical Students Using Facebook as a Peer-Mentoring Platform: A Mixed-Methods Study.

PubMed

Pinilla, Severin; Nicolai, Leo; Gradel, Maximilian; Pander, Tanja; Fischer, Martin R; von der Borch, Philip; Dimitriadis, Konstantinos

2015-10-27

Peer mentoring is a powerful pedagogical approach for supporting undergraduate medical students in their learning environment. However, it remains unclear what exactly peer mentoring is and whether and how undergraduate medical students use social media for peer-mentoring activities. We aimed at describing and exploring the Facebook use of undergraduate medical students during their first 2 years at a German medical school. The data should help medical educators to effectively integrate social media in formal mentoring programs for medical students. We developed a coding scheme for peer mentoring and conducted a mixed-methods study in order to explore Facebook groups of undergraduate medical students from a peer-mentoring perspective. All major peer-mentoring categories were identified in Facebook groups of medical students. The relevance of these Facebook groups was confirmed through triangulation with focus groups and descriptive statistics. Medical students made extensive use of Facebook and wrote a total of 11,853 posts and comments in the respective Facebook groups (n=2362 total group members). Posting peaks were identified at the beginning of semesters and before exam periods, reflecting the formal curriculum milestones. Peer mentoring is present in Facebook groups formed by undergraduate medical students who extensively use these groups to seek advice from peers on study-related issues and, in particular, exam preparation. These groups also seem to be effective in supporting responsive and large-scale peer-mentoring structures; formal mentoring programs might benefit from integrating social media into their activity portfolio.

Interventions to Reduce College Student Drinking: State of the Evidence for Mechanisms of Behavior Change

PubMed Central

Reid, Allecia E.; Carey, Kate B.

2015-01-01

Interventions to reduce college student drinking, although efficacious, generally yield only small effects on behavior change. Examining mechanisms of change may help to improve the magnitude of intervention effects by identifying effective and ineffective active ingredients. Informed by guidelines for establishing mechanisms of change, we conducted a systematic review of alcohol interventions for college students to identify (a) which constructs have been examined and received support as mediators, (b) circumstances that enhance the likelihood of detecting mediation, and (c) the extent of evidence for mechanisms of change. We identified 61 trials that examined 22 potential mediators of intervention efficacy. Descriptive norms consistently mediated normative feedback interventions. Motivation to change consistently failed to mediate motivational interviewing interventions. Multiple active ingredient interventions were not substantially more likely to find evidence of mediation than single ingredient interventions. Delivering intervention content remotely reduced likelihood of finding support for mediation. With the exception of descriptive norms, there is inadequate evidence for the psychosocial constructs purported as mechanisms of change in the college drinking literature. Evidence for mechanisms will be yielded by future studies that map all active ingredients to targeted psychosocial outcomes and that assess potential mediators early, inclusively, and at appropriate intervals following interventions. PMID:26164065

Think Like a Nurse: A Critical Thinking Initiative.

PubMed

Ward, Terry D; Morris, Tiffany

2016-01-01

Critical thinking is essential in the practice of the nurse generalist, today. Nursing faculty is frequently trying to identify teaching strategies in promoting critical thinking and engaging students in active learning. To close the gap between critical thinking and student success, a school in the south east United States implemented the use of the 'think like a nurse initiative" for incoming junior nursing students. Faculty collaborated to adopt the fundamental and essential nursing concepts for nursing students to support thinking like a nurse.

Identification of good practices for teachers and students training activity in the ENVRIPLUS project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Addezio, Giuliana; Marsili, Antonella; Beranzoli, Laura

2016-04-01

We elaborated basic guiding principles that will be used to improve the content of the ENVRIPLUS e-Training Platform for multimedia education of Secondary School level teachers and students. The purpose is to favour teacher training and consequently students training on selected scientific themes faced within the ENVRIPLUS Research Infrastructures. "Best practices" could positively impacts on students by providing motivation on promoting scientific research and to increase the awareness of the Earth System complexity and Environmental challenges for its preservation and sustainability. Best practice teaching strategies represent an inherent part of a curriculum that exemplifies the connection and relevance identified in education research. The actions are designed to develop thinking and problem-solving skill through integration and active learning. Relationships are built though opportunities for communication and teamwork. Best practices motivate, engage and prompt student to learn and achieve. A starting list of principles is discussed in respect of the following main Best Practices pillars: • Identify the conceptual framework of the subject of the dissemination • Increase personal awareness of the individual potential • Easy personal elaboration and the connection of the subject with the school curriculum.

Enhancing Primary School Students' Knowledge about Global Warming and Environmental Attitude Using Climate Change Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpudewan, Mageswary; Roth, Wolff-Michael; Abdullah, Mohd Nor Syahrir Bin

2015-01-01

Climate change generally and global warming specifically have become a common feature of the daily news. Due to widespread recognition of the adverse consequences of climate change on human lives, concerted societal effort has been taken to address it (e.g. by means of the science curriculum). This study was designed to test the effect that child-centred, 5E learning cycle-based climate change activities would have over more traditional teacher-centred activities on Malaysian Year 5 primary students (11 years). A quasi-experimental design involving a treatment (n = 55) and a group representing typical teaching method (n = 60) was used to measure the effectiveness of these activities on (a) increasing children's knowledge about global warming; (b) changing their attitudes to be more favourable towards the environment and (c) identify the relationship between knowledge and attitude that exist in this study. Statistically significant differences in favour of the treatment group were detected for both knowledge and environmental attitudes. Non-significant relationship was identified between knowledge and attitude in this study. Interviews with randomly selected students from treatment and comparison groups further underscore these findings. Implications are discussed.

Medical students' opportunities to participate and learn from activities at an internal medicine ward: an ethnographic study

PubMed Central

Hägg-Martinell, A; Hult, H; Henriksson, P; Kiessling, A

2017-01-01

Objectives To optimise medical students’ early clerkship is a complex task since it is conducted in a context primarily organised to take care of patients. Previous studies have explored medical students’ perceptions of facilitation and hindrance of learning. However, the opportunities for medical student to learn within the culture of acute medicine care have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore how medical students approach, interact and socialise in an acute internal medicine ward context, and how spaces for learning are created and used in such a culture. Design and setting Ethnographic observations were performed of medical students' interactions and learning during early clerkship at an acute internal medicine care ward. Field notes were taken, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Data analysis was guided by Wenger's theory of communities of practice. Participants 21 medical students and 30 supervisors participated. Results Two themes were identified: Nervousness and curiosity—students acted nervously and stressed, especially when they could not answer questions. Over time curiosity could evolve. Unexplored opportunities to support students in developing competence to judge and approach more complex patient-related problems were identified. Invited and involved—students were exposed to a huge variation of opportunities to learn, and to interact and to be involved. Short placements seemed to disrupt the learning process. If and how students became involved also depended on supervisors' activities and students' initiatives. Conclusions This study shed light on how an acute internal medicine ward culture can facilitate medical students' possibilities to participate and learn. Medical students' learning situations were characterised by questions and answers rather than challenging dialogues related to the complexity of presented patient cases. Further, students experienced continuous transfers between learning situations where the potential to be involved differed in a wide variety of ways. PMID:28196948

Faculty Perceptions about Barriers to Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Joel

2007-01-01

Faculty may perceive many barriers to active learning in their classrooms. Four groups of participants in a faculty development workshop were asked to list their perceived barriers to active learning. Many of the problems identified were present on more than one list. The barriers fall into three categories: student characteristics, issues…

A Conceptual Framework for Organizing Active Learning Experiences in Biology Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Joel; Belland, Brian R.

2012-01-01

Introductory biology courses form a cornerstone of undergraduate instruction. However, the predominantly used lecture approach fails to produce higher-order biology learning. Research shows that active learning strategies can increase student learning, yet few biology instructors use all identified active learning strategies. In this paper, we…

Chlamydia trachomatis infection and sexual behaviour among female students attending higher education in the Republic of Ireland

PubMed Central

O'Connell, Emer; Brennan, Wendy; Cormican, Martin; Glacken, Marita; O'Donovan, Diarmuid; Vellinga, Akke; Cahill, Niall; Lysaght, Fionnguala; O'Donnell, Joan

2009-01-01

Background There are no prevalence data on Chlamydia trachomatis relating to female students attending higher education available for the Republic of Ireland. This information is required to guide on the necessity for Chlamydia screening programmes in higher education settings. This research aimed to determine the prevalence of and predictive risk factors for Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection among female higher education students in Ireland. Methods All females presenting during one-day periods at Student Health Units in three higher education institutions in two cities in the Republic of Ireland were invited to participate. Participants completed a questionnaire on lifestyle and socio-demographic factors and provided a urine sample. Samples were tested for C. trachomatis DNA by a PCR based technique (Cobas Amplicor, Roche). To examine possible associations between a positive test and demographic and lifestyle risk factors, a univariate analysis was performed. All associations with a p value < 0.05 were included in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Of the 460 sexually active participants 22 tested positive (prevalence 4.8%; 95% CI 3.0 to 7.1%). Variables associated with significantly increased risk were current suggestive symptoms, two or more one-night stands and three or more lifetime sexual partners. The students displayed high-risk sexual behaviour. Conclusion The prevalence of C. trachomatis infection and the lack of awareness of the significance of suggestive symptoms among sexually experienced female students demonstrate the need for a programme to test asymptomatic or non-presenting higher education students. The risk factors identified by multivariate analysis may be useful in identifying those who are most likely to benefit from screening. Alcohol abuse, condom use, sexual behaviour (at home and abroad) and, knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (including asymptomatic nature or relevant symptoms) were identified as target areas for health promotion strategies. These strategies are needed in view of the high-risk sexual activity identified. PMID:19874584

Constructive alignment of a research-informed teaching activity within an undergraduate diagnostic radiography curriculum: A reflection.

PubMed

Higgins, R; Hogg, P; Robinson, L

2017-09-01

To evaluate the learning experience of a level 5 (year 2) student cohort within a research-informed teaching (RiT) activity and to map findings against learning outcomes and level descriptors using constructive alignment. An online questionnaire was used to explore the level 5 student experience of a Research-informed Teaching (RiT) activity. Responses were retrospectively mapped against Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) level descriptors for level 5 using constructive alignment. Thirty one out of 46 level 5 students completed the questionnaire (67% response rate). Analysis of the questionnaire supported the integration of this RiT activity within the curriculum in terms of learning and research skill development by students. However, it was identified that this activity could be revised further to better align with level 5 descriptors and incorporate additional higher level cognitive processes. Learning outcomes for this RiT activity were constructively aligned with FHEQ level 5 descriptors. Recommendations are provided on how these could be further refined to ensure students undertake a more critical approach to the application of theory into practice. Discussion also considers how this process could be used to develop a similar RiT activity at level 6 (year 3). Copyright © 2016 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

So you want to be a dentist? An investigative report.

PubMed

Shelton, John W; Smithgall, Francis J

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify a testing mechanism that could predict a student's hand skills performance if they chose a career in dentistry. Hand eye coordination is an important developmental skill required to navigate the rigorous dental school curriculum. These skills traditionally were assessed by using a carving chalk block exercise. This "gold standard" for determining a student's digital dexterity was used for many years in dental education. We postulated that a survey could take the place of chalk carving and still be a reliable predictor of a student's performance. A questionnaire was developed looking at a dental student's everyday activities and hobbies. We wanted to determine if a correlation could be made between hand-eye coordination activities and a student's preclinical grades. Analysis of the questionnaire given to ninety-seven first year students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine showed a direct correlation between activities that students were involved in prior to beginning dental education and the quality of their preclinical dental skills. With insightful interpretation, the use of this type of questionnaire might help locate individuals that are suited for dentistry, and allow potential students to have greater confidence in choosing dentistry or a related field.

Effectiveness and student perceptions of an active learning activity using a headline news story to enhance in-class learning of cell cycle regulation.

PubMed

Dirks-Naylor, Amie J

2016-06-01

An active learning activity was used to engage students and enhance in-class learning of cell cycle regulation in a PharmD level integrated biological sciences course. The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness and perception of the in-class activity. After completion of a lecture on the topic of cell cycle regulation, students completed a 10-question multiple-choice quiz before and after engaging in the activity. The activity involved reading of a headline news article published by ScienceDaily.com entitled "One Gene Lost Equals One limb Regained." The name of the gene was deleted from the article and, thus, the end goal of the activity was to determine the gene of interest by the description in the story. The activity included compiling a list of all potential gene candidates before sufficient information was given to identify the gene of interest (p21). A survey was completed to determine student perceptions of the activity. Quiz scores improved by an average of 20% after the activity (40.1 ± 1.95 vs. 59.9 ± 2.14,P< 0.0001,n= 96). Students enjoyed the activity, found the news article interesting, and believed that the activity improved their understanding of cell cycle regulation. The majority of students agreed that the in-class activity piqued their interest for learning the subject matter and also agreed that if they understand a concept during class, they are more likely to want to study that concept outside of class. In conclusion, the activity improved in-class understanding and enhanced interest in cell cycle regulation. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Kinematics Card Sort Activity: Insight into Students' Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berryhill, Erin; Herrington, Deborah; Oliver, Keith

2016-12-01

Kinematics is a topic students are unknowingly aware of well before entering the physics classroom. Students observe motion on a daily basis. They are constantly interpreting and making sense of their observations, unintentionally building their own understanding of kinematics before receiving any formal instruction. Unfortunately, when students take their prior conceptions to understand a new situation, they often do so in a way that inaccurately connects their learning. We were motivated to identify strategies to help our students make accurate connections to their prior knowledge and understand kinematics at a deeper level. To do this, we integrated a formative assessment card sort into a kinematic graphing unit within an introductory high school physics course. Throughout the activities, we required students to document and reflect upon their thinking. This allowed their learning to build upon their own previously held conceptual understanding, which provided an avenue for cognitive growth. By taking a more direct approach to eliciting student reasoning, we hoped to improve student learning and guide our assessment of their learning.

Nursing Students' Perceptions of Participatory Action Research.

PubMed

Csiernik, Rick; O'Regan, Tony; Forchuk, Cheryl; Rudnick, Abraham

2018-05-01

This article evaluates the experience of students engaged in a participatory action research project. Nursing students were assigned to research activities addressing poverty and social inclusion in the lives of individuals with mental health issues. Focus group interviews were held with 25 students, representing 58.1% of eligible students. Themes and subthemes were categorized from the transcripts, with two overarching themes emerging: (a) aspects that worked well, and (b) aspects that could be improved. The range of activities students engaged in while assigned to the project and students' perceptions, both positive and negative, about their overall exposure to participatory action research are identified and discussed. Findings in the literature with regard to perceived benefits and limitations of participatory action research projects involving students are supported by those found in this study. Based on the findings of this study, curriculum development for an interdisciplinary graduate-level course is in process. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(5):282-286.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

[Factors associated with overweight in students from tri-border region: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay].

PubMed

Legnani, Elto; Legnani, Rosimeide Francisco Santos; Filho, Valter Cordeiro Barbosa; Krinski, Kleverton; Elsangedy, Hassan Muhamed; de Campos, Wagner; da Silva, Sergio Gregório; Lopes, Adair da Silva

2010-12-01

The Tri-Border Region has several social and health problems among young people, however, there are no data about the overweight between adolescents. This study investigated the prevalence of overweight and associated factors in students from Tri-Border Region: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Study participants were 1.183 students, ages from 15 to 18 years. The overweight was identified according to body mass index cut-off points proposed by the World Health Organization. The Global School-Based Student Health Survey questionnaire was used to identify sociodemographic (gender and age) and behavioral factors (physical activity outside of school, commuting to school, time watching TV and fruits, vegetables, sweet, and salty snack consumption) associated with overweight in adolescents. It was used the descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, chi-square and binary logistic regression, adopting p < 0.05. Thirteen percent of students were overweight. Boys were approximately two times more likely to have overweight than girls, independently of nationality. Brazilian students that realized passive commuting to school and Argentineans students with low consumption of vegetables (< 1 time/day) were 2.2 and 2.9 times more likely to have overweight than their counterparts who performed active commuting to school and consumed vegetables daily, respectively. These results suggest that public policies to combat overweight should attention on promoting healthy lifestyle among young people from Tri-Border Region.

Identifying the Career-Interest Profiles of Junior-High-School Students Through Latent Profile Analysis.

PubMed

Sung, Yao-Ting; Cheng, Yu-Wen; Hsueh, Jen-Hu

2017-04-03

Exploring the career-interest profiles of students has both practical and theoretical significance; however, a minimal amount of research has been conducted to address this issue. The present study combined latent profile analysis and differentiation values to investigate the career-interest profiles of 13,853 junior-high-school students. The results indicate that while the students' interests could be stratified into 25 profiles, 44.6% of students could be classified the as having low-differentiation profiles (such as like or dislike all types of vocational activities) and 24.9% of students could be classified the as having the artistic-social (like both artistic and social types of activities) profile. In addition, the proportions of females and males differed significantly among the profiles, but different grades did not. The proportion of males was higher for all three low-differentiation groups than of female proportions. Implications for career practices and future research are proposed.

Recruitment Strategies and Activities Used by Agriculture Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Brian E.; Dyer, James E.; Breja, Lisa M.

2003-01-01

The most frequent student recruitment strategies reported by 275 secondary agriculture teachers were (in order of effectiveness) feeder schools, personal contacts, FFA, publications, strong curriculum, support groups, and special events. Specific activities for each strategy were identified. (Contains 34 references.) (SK)

Exploratory Study of Factors Related to Educational Scores of First Preclinical Year Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sitticharoon, Chantacha; Srisuma, Sorachai; Kanavitoon, Sawita; Summachiwakij, Sarawut

2014-01-01

The relationships among the scores of major subjects taught in the first preclinical year of a Thai medical school, previous academic achievements, and daily life activities are rarely explored. We therefore performed an exploratory study identifying various factors possibly related to the educational scores of these medical students.…

A Spreadsheet-Based Visualized Mindtool for Improving Students' Learning Performance in Identifying Relationships between Numerical Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Chiu-Lin; Hwang, Gwo-Jen

2015-01-01

In this study, a spreadsheet-based visualized Mindtool was developed for improving students' learning performance when finding relationships between numerical variables by engaging them in reasoning and decision-making activities. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted on the "phenomena of climate…

Mindtool-Assisted In-Field Learning (MAIL): An Advanced Ubiquitous Learning Project in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Hung, Pi-Hsia; Chen, Nian-Shing; Liu, Gi-Zen

2014-01-01

Scholars have identified that learning in an authentic environment with quality contextual and procedural supports can engage students in thorough observations and knowledge construction. Moreover, the target is that students are able to experience and make sense of all of the learning activities in the real-world environment with meaningful…

Scientific Inquiry into Home Electronic Technology Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazaros, Edward J.; Spotts, Thomas H.; Verdon, Jessica E.

2010-01-01

This activity promotes ways to save electricity in the home. Students identify electronic devices in the home and examine wattage, hours of use per month, estimated wattage per month, kilowatt hours per month, average retail price per kilowatt hour in each state, and the estimated cost per month. Students gain an appreciation for how saving power…

Community College Faculty Attitudes and Concerns about Student Learning Outcomes Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fontenot, Janet Smith

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes and concerns community college faculty have about student learning outcomes assessment and to further explore the relationship between these factors and faculty levels of involvement in assessment activities. Combining the conceptual frameworks of the concerns-based adoption Model (CBAM) and…

The Effects of Training and Other Factors on Problem Solving in Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puran, Robabeh; Behzadi, Mohamad Hasan; Shahvarani, Ahmad; Lotfi, Farhad Hosseinzadeh

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to identify the factors which affect students' creative thinking in problem solving. The research which was performed was quasi-experimental. It used one experimental group and two control groups from three second-grade high school classes. They received either traditional, active or heuristic problem-solving…

Learners' Preferences in Using Online Learning Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Sha; Leh, Amy; Fu, Yujian; Zhao, Xiang

2009-01-01

This article describes an action research in a graduate educational technology class. The study employed the Online Top-Down Modeling Model (Li & Liu, 2005) as a case in which the students used the learning resources from the course website to perform various learning activities. The findings of this research identify the students' eight…

An Active Learning Approach to Understanding Gender, Sexuality, and Sport Journalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chawansky, Megan

2010-01-01

Most of the students who are taking the author's sport sociology courses can easily identify the problematic ways in which women's athletic events and bodies are covered within the sports sections of newspapers, magazines, Web sites, and television shows. These students are less able to understand how the heterosexual male sporting experience…

Teaching Badminton Based on Student Skill Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jianyu; Moffit, Jeff

2009-01-01

Badminton has been identified as a lifelong activity. It is an inexpensive sport and everyone--children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities--can reach a level of enjoyment in the game after mastering basic skills and tactics. In teaching badminton, teachers need to understand how students develop game play ability from a low level to an…

Significant Life Experiences on the Formation of Environmental Action among Chinese College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Danqing; Chen, Jin

2015-01-01

Determining the factors that influence young adults' engagement in environmental action is critical to further developing their active and important participation in environmental issues. In this paper, we designed two studies to identify life experiences of Chinese college students that foster environmental action. In Study 1, we used an…

What Can Jesus Teach Us about Student Engagement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Glenn; Martinez, Elda; Herbers, Sherry

2015-01-01

This article examines Jesus's teaching methods as described in the four Gospels, highlighting the ways in which He led listeners to participate actively in their learning. We identify similarities between many of Jesus's techniques and current practices in the field of student engagement, with a focus on applications for instructors in higher…

Viewing Critical Communication Pedagogy through a Cinematic Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahl, David H., Jr.

2013-01-01

This article describes an activity in which students of instructional communication (1) learn about hegemony in the classroom; and (2) analyze the pedagogical behavior of a cinematic teacher in the movie "Half Nelson." Through this analysis, students will gain a heightened awareness of hegemony and will identify avenues for praxis. Doing so will…

Learning from the Experiences of Self-Identified Women of Color Activists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Chris; Rodriguez, Katrina L.

2012-01-01

We studied 7 women of color student activists on a large, predominantly White college campus and employed intersectionality theory and multiple identity development theory to examine how they make meaning of their multiple identities. Findings from this narrative study highlight ways students' identities led them to activism, experiences of…

Implementation of Ptechls Modules in Rural Malaysian Secondary School: A Needs Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alias, Norlidah; DeWitt, Dorothy; Siraj, Saedah; Rahman, Mohd Nazri Abdul; Gelamdin, Rashidah Begum; Rauf, Rose Amnah Abd

2014-01-01

Research has shown that the strategy of matching learning style with certain technology enhances students' learning experience. This study seeks to identify the learning styles among students in a rural secondary school, based on the Felder Silverman Model (1988) which comprises four dimensions (visual/verbal, active/reflective, sequential/global,…

From Absent to Active Voices: Securing Disability Equality within Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beauchamp-Pryor, Karen

2012-01-01

This article discusses the representation and participation of disabled students in the development of higher education policy and provision within the UK, at both a national and institutional level. Findings are drawn from a doctoral study, which identified the importance of student participation in securing equality and inclusion. Power…

The Arabs: Perception/Misperception. A Comparative View, Experimental Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otero, George G.

In this unit, high-school students identify and evaluate their own images of the Arabs and begin to develop more accurate perceptions of the Arabs through data analysis. Activities emphasize social studies skills, such as mapmaking and reading, use of time lines and the concept of chronology, and data collection and analysis. Students compare…

Student-Teachers' Supervision as a Professional Development Activity: Building Work-Related Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minott, Mark A.; Willett, Ionie Liburd

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to identify and outline the work-related skills that cooperating teachers in the Cayman Islands and Saint Kitts-Nevis developed or reinforced as they supervised student-teachers. A qualitative case-study methodology was used. The findings indicate that cooperating teachers developed and reinforced essential…

"What Happened?" Teaching Attribution Theory through Ambiguous Prompts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McArthur, John

2011-01-01

The concept of attribution, "the act of explaining why something happens or why a person acts a particular way," is typically an abstract concept. This 35-50-minute activity invites students to make a series of attributions by asking them "What happened?" in ambiguous scenes presented in class. Then, students retrospectively identify what…

Minority Enrollment Report, Fall Semester 1994. Research Report No. 2-95.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Head, Ronald B.

Each year, Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) examines longitudinal data on fall term minority enrollment to identify trends which may be of interest to those involved in planning student recruitment and retention activities. The analysis for fall 1994 indicated the following: (1) 594 minority students attended PVCC during fall 1994,…

Traditional Chinese Celebrations: Continuity and Change in Taiwan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Wendy L.

This teaching unit is designed to introduce elementary school students to traditional Chinese celebrations in Taiwan. An introductory activity asks students to distinguish between various kinds of celebrations (traditional or modern; religious or secular), and to identify U.S. and Chinese examples of each kind. The body of the unit concerns four…

A Review of Research on Student Teachers' Professional Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Izadinia, Mahsa

2013-01-01

This article presents a review of 29 empirical studies to identify the main foci of research on student teachers' identity, the methodologies used and their major findings. The reviewed studies were found to investigate four broad factors: the contribution of: (1) reflective activities, (2) learning communities, (3) context and (4) (prior)…

Sex and Violence: Words at Play in the Shakespeare Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paquette, Maryellen G.

2007-01-01

Maryellen G. Paquette reveals the excitement and learning that can occur when high school students are presented with multiple opportunities to play. Activities that employ playful language and the whole body allow students to embody, name, and identify with complicated emotions and situations in Shakespeare's plays. In addition, play can be…

Abstinence-Related Word Associations and Definitions of Abstinence and Virginity among Missouri High School Freshmen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Kelly L.; Smith, Matthew Lee; Menn, Mindy

2013-01-01

Background: The ways in which adolescents define and view sex, abstinence, and virginity impact the efforts of sexuality educators and sexual health professionals. This study examined terminology used by nonsexually active high school students to define abstinence and virginity and identified words students associate with these terms. Purposes…

Yucca! Teaching the Essentials of a Wild Food Feast.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamberton, Ken

1994-01-01

Using science from the classroom, a teacher involves students in variety of explorations to identify safe foods from outdoors. These activities culminate in a Wild Plant and Beast Feast day, where the students have an opportunity to share their new cuisine and recipes with classmates and teachers. Tips on the successful development and…

Foreign Student Orientation Needs at the University of Connecticut: Results of a Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfau, Richard H.

Views of 48 foreign students concerning orientation needs at the University of Connecticut were surveyed. The following orientation activities were identified as most important, and are listed in the approximate order of importance: (1) U.S. government regulations (about visas, immigration, social security, and taxes); (2) needs of the spouse…

Assessing Students' Learning of Internal Controls: Closing the Loop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amer, T. S.; Mohrweis, Lawrence C.

2009-01-01

This study describes the multifaceted components of an assessment process. The paper explains a novel approach in which an advisory council participated in a "fun," hands-on activity to rank-order learning outcomes. The top ranked learning competency, as identified by the advisory council, was the need for students to gain a better…

CPMSA Comprehensive Partnerships for Minority Student Achievement, Hartford Public Schools. Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Patricia A.; Cimochowski, Anna M.; King, Alexandra I.; Bruckerhoff, Charles E.; Bruckerhoff, Theresa F. S.

The Hartford Public Schools (Connecticut) received a Comprehensive Partnerships for Minority Student Achievement (CPMSA) grant from the National Science Foundation. In the first year of the grant, four schools (two elementary, one middle, and one high school) were identified for CPMSA activities. The CPMSA goal was to develop systemic approaches…

Measuring Model-Based High School Science Instruction: Development and Application of a Student Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulmer, Gavin W.; Liang, Ling L.

2013-01-01

This study tested a student survey to detect differences in instruction between teachers in a modeling-based science program and comparison group teachers. The Instructional Activities Survey measured teachers' frequency of modeling, inquiry, and lecture instruction. Factor analysis and Rasch modeling identified three subscales, Modeling and…

Debunking a Video on Youtube as an Authentic Research Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidowsky, Philip; Rogers, Michael

2015-01-01

Students are exposed to a variety of unrealistic physical experiences seen in movies, video games, and short online videos. A popular classroom activity has students examine footage to identify what aspects of physics are correctly and incorrectly represented. Some of the physical phenomena pictured might be tricks or illusions made easier to…

Effects of Goal-Setting Instruction on Academic Engagement for Students at Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, Dawn A.; Mazzotti, Valerie L.; Ingram, Angela; Lee, Seunghee

2017-01-01

Research indicates teachers feel teaching goal-setting is an effective way to enhance academic engagement. However, teachers ultimately feel unprepared to embed goal-setting instruction into academic content to support active student engagement. Given the importance teachers place on goal-setting skills, there is a need to identify strategies to…

Undergraduate Involvement in Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Development in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foreman, Elizabeth A.; Retallick, Michael S.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe experiences of undergraduate extracurricular involvement that result in increased leadership development. Senior students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University completed an online questionnaire about their extracurricular experiences. Leadership development…

Writing Science and Objectification: Selecting, Organizing, and Decontextualing Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Laura J.

2008-01-01

This analysis focuses on two writing activities required by a middle school science curriculum unit to demonstrate how particular forms of writing guide students to frame their knowledge in important ways. Following the completion of charts and "Think and Write" questions related to a single scientific phenomenon, I trace how students identify the…

I Am Working for ___: Successfully Using Token Reward Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Gwendolyn P.; Da Fonte, M. Alexandra; Boesch, Miriam C.

2015-01-01

The use of these systems can enhance students' participation in instructional activities. However, to use token systems effectively, the system must be individualized and tailored to meet the needs of the child. In order to individualize the token system for each student, teachers should (1) identify an array of back-up reinforcers for the…

Using simulation to improve the capability of undergraduate nursing students in mental health care.

PubMed

Kunst, Elicia L; Mitchell, Marion; Johnston, Amy N B

2017-03-01

Mental health care is an increasing component of acute patient care and yet mental health care education can be limited in undergraduate nursing programs. The aim of this study was to establish if simulation learning can be an effective method of improving undergraduate nurses' capability in mental health care in an acute care environment. Undergraduate nursing students at an Australian university were exposed to several high-fidelity high-technology simulation activities that incorporated elements of acute emergency nursing practice and acute mental health intervention, scaffolded by theories of learning. This approach provided a safe environment for students to experience clinical practice, and develop their skills for dealing with complex clinical challenges. Using a mixed method approach, the primary domains of interest in this study were student confidence, knowledge and ability. These were self-reported and assessed before and after the simulation activities (intervention) using a pre-validated survey, to gauge the self-rated capacity of students to initiate and complete effective care episodes. Focus group interviews were subsequently held with students who attended placement in the emergency department to explore the impact of the intervention on student performance in this clinical setting. Students who participated in the simulation activity identified and reported significantly increased confidence, knowledge and ability in mental health care post-intervention. They identified key features of the intervention included the impact of its realism on the quality of learning. There is some evidence to suggest that the intervention had an impact on the performance and reflection of students in the clinical setting. This study provides evidence to support the use of simulation to enhance student nurses' clinical capabilities in providing mental health care in acute care environments. Nursing curriculum development should be based on best-evidence to ensure that future nursing graduates have the skills and capability to provide high-quality, holistic care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can empathy, other personality attributes, and level of positive social influence in medical school identify potential leaders in medicine?

PubMed

Hojat, Mohammadreza; Michalec, Barret; Veloski, J Jon; Tykocinski, Mark L

2015-04-01

To test the hypotheses that medical students recognized by peers as the most positive social influencers would score (1) high on measures of engaging personality attributes that are conducive to relationship building (empathy, sociability, activity, self-esteem), and (2) low on disengaging personality attributes that are detrimental to interpersonal relationships (loneliness, neuroticism, aggression-hostility, impulsive sensation seeking). The study included 666 Jefferson Medical College students who graduated in 2011-2013. Students used a peer nomination instrument to identify classmates who had a positive influence on their professional and personal development. At matriculation, these students had completed a survey that included the Jefferson Scale of Empathy and Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire short form and abridged versions of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and UCLA Loneliness Scale. In multivariate analyses of variance, the method of contrasted groups was used to compare the personality attributes of students nominated most frequently by their peers as positive influencers (top influencers [top 25% in their class distribution], n = 176) with those of students nominated least frequently (bottom influencers [bottom 25%], n = 171). The top influencers scored significantly higher on empathy, sociability, and activity and significantly lower on loneliness compared with the bottom influencers. However, the effect size estimates of the differences were moderate at best. The research hypotheses were partially confirmed. Positive social influencers appear to possess personality attributes conducive to relationship building, which is an important feature of effective leadership. The findings have implications for identifying and training potential leaders in medicine.

The Mediterranean Sea Mollusks - a school shell collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcu, Delia

2017-04-01

School: 1. "Ana Aslan" Technical College, Street Decebal 1, Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2. Orthodox Theological Seminary, Avram Iancu Square No.18, Cluj-Napoca, Romania The aim of the present project is to develop the students awareness of human activities impact on mollusks population in the Mediterranean Sea. Students have studied about the Geography of the Mediterranean Sea and they have the theoretical knowledge related to the its specific flora and fauna. One of the main fears related to the Mediterranean Sea is the loss of marine and coastal biodiversity due to biological disturbance, climate change and human activities. Out of all reasons, the human impact is considered to be the major cause of habitat loss, degradation and extinction. Regarding the Phylum Mollusca a major threat is represented by unregulated fisheries and shell traffic. In order to enable the students possibility to observe the great diversity of the Phylum Mollusca in the Mediterranean Sea, a school shell collection was made. The shells were brought by the students and they had to mention if the shells were bought, received as a souvenir or picked from their environment. Further, the students learned how to prepare the shells for the collection. The next step involved the shell classification and by this activity the students learned how to use the IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature database to identify the threatened species, as well as the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) for a correct identification of the species. As Romania romania bordering the Black Sea, the students had the opportunity to identify the mollusks species common for both the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. The objectives of this study were to highlight the human-environment relation and the interconnection between environment conditions and life quality, to develop the students research, exploration and investigation skills, to be able to identify the causes of species extinction and methods that can be taken, understand what is an endangered species and how can the students contribute to this phenomenon and how to reduce their traffic, as well as acquiring scientific knowledge regarding taxonomy and using scientific databases. This project has a practical, as well as a theoretical purpose and represents a valuable adjacent material as a modern educational system. It is an important tool for the scientific preparation of the students and an opportunity to educate them in the spirit of environmental protection.

Collaboration and research as key elements for strengthening blood donation in developing nations: the case of Grenada, West Indies.

PubMed

Gomez, A; Messam, L L McV; Toner, L

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify ways to strengthen the collaboration between the Grenadian Blood Bank, the St George's University (SGU) chapter of the American Medical Students Association, and St George's University Health Clinic in order to improve the promotion of blood drives and increase the number of volunteer donors. The study had two phases. Phase 1: an assessment of the strengths and needs of the collaborators and of the blood drives. Phase 2 consisted of three student assessments: a cross-sectional survey of second year medical students, a cross-sectional survey of students in the School of Arts and Sciences and a case-control study of factors affecting student donation on the day of blood drives. Embedded within both phases were service-learning opportunities for students. Both phases received approval from SGU's Institutional Review Board. Preliminary achievements included a transient increase in blood donation of twenty per cent during five months though advertising of blood drives remains inadequate. Assessments reveal that most students lack knowledge about the drives, and time (medical students) and fear of needles and infection (Arts and Science students) are potential hindrances to blood donation. The Blood Bank needs to increase its profile on the university campus and develop a more effective promotion of the blood drives addressing the concerns of students. St George's University needs to continue supporting student involvement in health promotion activities and identify ways to ensure the sustainability and continuity of these activities. Collaboration and research are useful and effective means to promote blood donation. College students are potentially an excellent source of collaborators and donors if provided with the promotion skills and participation is made convenient.

Are environmental influences on physical activity distinct for urban, suburban, and rural schools? A multilevel study among secondary school students in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Hobin, Erin P; Leatherdale, Scott; Manske, Steve; Dubin, Joel A; Elliott, Susan; Veugelers, Paul

2013-05-01

This study examined differences in students' time spent in physical activity (PA) across secondary schools in rural, suburban, and urban environments and identified the environment-level factors associated with these between school differences in students' PA. Multilevel linear regression analyses were used to examine the environment- and student-level characteristics associated with time spent in PA among grades 9 to 12 students attending 76 secondary schools in Ontario, Canada, as part of the SHAPES-Ontario study. This approach was first conducted with the full data set testing for interactions between environment-level factors and school location. Then, school-location specific regression models were run separately. Statistically significant between-school variation was identified among students attending urban (σ(2) μ0  = 8959.63 [372.46]), suburban (σ(2) μ0  = 8918.75 [186.20]), and rural (σ(2) μ0  = 9403.17 [203.69]) schools, where school-level differences accounted for 4.0%, 2.0%, and 2.1% of the variability in students' time spent in PA, respectively. Students attending an urban or suburban school that provided another room for PA or was located within close proximity to a shopping mall or fast food outlet spent more time in PA. Students' time spent in PA varies by school location and some features of the school environment have a different impact on students' time spent in PA by school location. Developing a better understanding of the environment-level characteristics associated with students' time spent in PA by school location may help public health and planning experts to tailor school programs and policies to the needs of students in different locations. © 2013, American School Health Association.

The impact of experience on undergraduate preregistration student nurses' responses to patients in pain: a 2-year qualitative longitudinal study.

PubMed

Mackintosh-Franklin, Carolyn

2014-03-01

The management of pain is consistently reported as a problematic area of practice, with limited evidence of improvements in the past 30 years. This study explores the impact of experience on student nurses' responses to patients in pain. Sixteen volunteers from a cohort of undergraduate student nurses in the U.K. participated in a qualitative longitudinal study that used two semistructured interviews 18 months apart. Interview transcripts were analyzed with the use of thematic content analysis for each individual interview stage and then additionally to identify relationships between each stage. Participants revealed an initial lack of interest in nearly all aspects of pain. At the second stage of interviews, some participants expressed increasing discernment and empathy toward patients in pain, although some continued to have minimal interest. Findings suggest that an active interest in pain is essential so that individuals can react critically to assumptions of the clinical culture they are exposed to. Further research is needed to identify how an active interest can by developed among those students for whom experience has little positive impact. Without active interest, apathy, aversion to change, and continued poor pain management practices are likely to continue. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Female university students' physical activity levels and associated factors--a cross-sectional study in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Khalaf, Atika; Ekblom, Örjan; Kowalski, Jan; Berggren, Vanja; Westergren, Albert; Al-Hazzaa, Hazzaa

2013-08-09

The high prevalence of physical inactivity in Saudi Arabia is a growing challenge to public health. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of physical activity (PA) and associated factors among female university students. This cross-sectional study involved 663 randomly selected female university students who completed the Arab Teens Life Style questionnaire. Data included measurements of anthropometric, socioeconomic and environmental factors, as well as self-reported PA. Ordinal regression was used to identify associated factors with low, moderate and high PA levels. The mean age of participants was 20.4 years (SD 1.5). Mean BMI of the students in relation to PA were 23.0, 22.9, 22.1 for high, moderate and low levels of activity, respectively. The analysis revealed significantly higher PA levels among married students, those with high educated mothers, and those who lived far from parks, and lower activity levels among underweight students. This study raises four important determinants for female university students' PA levels. These factors could be of great importance in the endeavor to prevent the health-threatening increase in physical inactivity patterns and thus non-communicable diseases and obesity where the focus should be on the specific situation and needs of women in Saudi Arabia.

Risky business: Behaviors associated with indoor tanning in US high school students.

PubMed

Chapman, Stephanie; Ashack, Kurt; Bell, Eric; Sendelweck, Myra Ann; Dellavalle, Robert

2017-09-15

Understanding of associations between indoor tanning and risky health related behaviors such as sexual activity and substance abuse among high school students across the United States is incomplete. To identify risky health related behaviors among high school students utilizing indoor tanning and analyze differences between state specific data. Results from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2013 in 14 different states were analyzed. Participants were 90,414 high school students. Responses to questions assessing indoor tanning habits, sexual activity, and use of substances were analyzed. Sexual activity was associated with indoor tanning in 10 of 14 states, with Nebraska having the strongest association (adjusted odds ratio, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.4-6.2; p<0.001). Indoor tanning was also associated with use of alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, prescription medications, and cigarettes. Only 15 states asked students about their personal history of indoor tanning use, and Minnesota was excluded from our analysis as they administered a non-YRBS questionnaire. Additionally, our study only analyzed results from the 2013 YRBS. Lastly, our data was analyzed in 14 individual data sets, giving a high likelihood of Type 1 error. High school students utilizing indoor tanning are more likely to engage in sexual activity and substance abuse as compared to students who do not utilize indoor tanning.

Identifying Novel Helix–Loop–Helix Genes in Caenorhabditis elegans through a Classroom Demonstration of Functional Genomics

PubMed Central

Griffin, Vernetta; McMiller, Tracee; Jones, Erika; Johnson, Casonya M.

2003-01-01

A 14-week, undergraduate-level Genetics and Population Biology course at Morgan State University was modified to include a demonstration of functional genomics in the research laboratory. Students performed a rudimentary sequence analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome and further characterized three sequences that were predicted to encode helix–loop–helix proteins. Students then used reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction to determine which of the three genes is normally expressed in C. elegans. At the end of this laboratory activity, students were 1) to demonstrate a rudimentary knowledge of bioinformatics, including the ability to differentiate between “having” a gene and “expressing” a gene, and 2) to understand basic approaches to functional genomics, including one specific technique for assaying for gene expression. It was also anticipated that students would increase their skills at effectively communicating their research activities through written and/or oral presentation. This article describes the laboratory activity and the assessment of the effectiveness of the activity. PMID:12822036

Exploring motivation for leisure-based physical activity: a case study of college students

Treesearch

Alvin Hung Chih Yu

2007-01-01

The benefits of physical activity have been well documented in recent years. Physical activity may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, assist in weight management, improve personal mood, and promote physiological health. In light of this increased activity, it is important to understand the reasons for it. This exploratory study attempted to identify college...

Taking a Step Back: Learning without the Facilitator on Solo Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Andy

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to report on the nature of student learning resulting from an open facilitation approach to solo activities. Three key moments of facilitator intervention were identified at which the facilitator was encouraged to take a step back from directing the experience. They are the pre-activity brief, the mid-activity visit…

Psychosocial factors underlying physical activity.

PubMed

Zhang, Juan; Middlestadt, Susan E; Ji, Cheng-Ye

2007-09-19

Given the increasing importance of obesity in China, prevention interventions encouraging physical activity by middle school students are needed. The purpose of this study is to illustrate how a rapid elicitation method can be used to identify salient consequences, referents, and circumstances about physical activity as perceived by middle school students and to provide suggestions for interventions and quantitative research. A theory-based qualitative study using a self-completion elicitation was conducted with 155 students from two middle schools in Beijing, China. Following the Theory of Planned Behavior, six open-ended questions asked students for their perceptions about performing physical activity at least 60 minutes each day: advantages of participating in physical activity; disadvantages of doing so; people who approve of participation; people who disapprove; things that make it easy; and things that make it hard. Content analysis revealed categories of salient consequences, reference groups, and circumstances. While the three most frequently mentioned advantages elicited from the students were physical health consequences (e.g., will strengthen my body (58.7%)), four of the salient advantages were not (e.g., will improve my grades (12.2%)). Parents were the most frequently mentioned social referent (42.6% as approving; 27.7% as disapproving) when students were asked who might approve or disapprove of their participation. Circumstances perceived to hinder daily physical activity included having too many assignments and not having enough time. While many of the beliefs about physical activity elicited from this study were similar to those found with students from England and the US, several were unique to these students from Beijing. The results of this qualitative research suggest that interventions to encourage physical activity among middle school students should address: perceived consequences of physical activity on academic achievement and other factors beyond physical health; barriers of not having enough time and having too many assignments perceived to hinder frequent physical activity; and parental approval. More rigorous research on psychosocial determinants with close-ended items developed from these open-ended data and with larger sample sizes of students is necessary. Research with parents and school staff will be needed to understand the perceptions of these stakeholder groups key to creating the students' social environment.

Engagement studios: students and communities working to address the determinants of health.

PubMed

Bainbridge, Lesley; Grossman, Susan; Dharamsi, Shafik; Porter, Jill; Wood, Victoria

2014-01-01

This article presents an innovative model for interprofessional community-oriented learning. The Engagement Studios model involves a partnership between community organizations and students as equal partners in conversations and activities aimed at addressing issues of common concern as they relate to the social determinants of health. Interprofessional teams of students from health and non-health disciplines work with community partners to identify priority community issues and explore potential solutions. The student teams work with a particular community organization, combining their unique disciplinary perspectives to develop a project proposal, which addresses the community issues that have been jointly identified. Approved proposals receive a small budget to implement the project. In this paper we present the Engagement Studios model and share lessons learned from a pilot of this educational initiative.

Adolescents' physical activity in physical education, school recess, and extra-curricular sport by motivational profiles.

PubMed

Mayorga-Vega, Daniel; Viciana, Jesús

2014-06-01

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in adolescents´ objective physical activity levels and perceived effort in physical education, school recess, and extra-curricular organized sport by motivational profiles in physical education. A sample of 102 students 11-16 yr. old completed a self-report questionnaire assessing self-determined motivation toward physical education. Subsequently, students' objective physical activity levels (steps/min., METs, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) and perceived effort were evaluated for each situation. Cluster analysis identified a two-cluster structure: "Moderate motivation toward physical education profile" and "High motivation toward physical education profile." Adolescents in the second cluster had higher physical activity and perceived effort values than adolescents in the first cluster, except for METs and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in extra-curricular sport. These results support the importance of physical education teachers who should promote self-determined motivation toward physical education so that students can reach the recommended physical activity levels.

Identifying Information Behavior in Information Search and Retrieval through Learning Activities Using an E-learning Platform Case: Interamerican School of Library and Information Science at the University of Antioquia (Medellin-Colombia)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tirado, Alejandro Uribe; Munoz, Wilson Castano

2011-01-01

This text presents the future of librarian education as exemplified by the Interamerican School of Library and Information Science at the University of Antioquia (Medellin-Colombia), using an online learning platform-LMS (Moodle) and through different personalized and collaborative learning activities and tools that help students identify their…

Evaluation of California's in-school tobacco use prevention education (TUPE) activities using a nested school-longitudinal design, 2003–2004 and 2005–2006

PubMed Central

Dent, Clyde; Abramsohn, Erin; Dietsch, Barbara; McCarthy, William J

2010-01-01

Background Current legislative language requires the California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program, to evaluate the effectiveness of the school-based Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) programme in California every 2 years. The objective of the study was to measure change and to identify the impact of school-based tobacco use prevention education activities on youth smoking prevalence and attitudes over time, spanning two school year surveys (2003–2004 and 2005–2006). Methods Evaluation focused on school-based tobacco use prevention activities in 57 schools (student sample size, n=16 833) that participated in the in-school administration of the 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 California Student Tobacco Surveys. Hierarchical linear models were used to predict student tobacco use and precursors to tobacco use. Results Overall, student tobacco use, intention to smoke, number of friends smoking and perceived smoking prevalence by peers increased as students moved through grades 9 and 10 to grades 11 and 12. TUPE-related activities showed a suggestive association (p=0.06) with reduced rate in student tobacco use between the two surveys after adjusting for other contextual factors such as each school's socioeconomic characteristics. Conclusions TUPE activities appears to be beneficial in reducing tobacco use in California high school students over time. Other contextual factors were important moderating influences on student tobacco use. PMID:20382650

PORTAAL: A Classroom Observation Tool Assessing Evidence-Based Teaching Practices for Active Learning in Large Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Classes

PubMed Central

Eddy, Sarah L.; Converse, Mercedes; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2015-01-01

There is extensive evidence that active learning works better than a completely passive lecture. Despite this evidence, adoption of these evidence-based teaching practices remains low. In this paper, we offer one tool to help faculty members implement active learning. This tool identifies 21 readily implemented elements that have been shown to increase student outcomes related to achievement, logic development, or other relevant learning goals with college-age students. Thus, this tool both clarifies the research-supported elements of best practices for instructor implementation of active learning in the classroom setting and measures instructors’ alignment with these practices. We describe how we reviewed the discipline-based education research literature to identify best practices in active learning for adult learners in the classroom and used these results to develop an observation tool (Practical Observation Rubric To Assess Active Learning, or PORTAAL) that documents the extent to which instructors incorporate these practices into their classrooms. We then use PORTAAL to explore the classroom practices of 25 introductory biology instructors who employ some form of active learning. Overall, PORTAAL documents how well aligned classrooms are with research-supported best practices for active learning and provides specific feedback and guidance to instructors to allow them to identify what they do well and what could be improved. PMID:26033871

Public Perception of Invasive Plant Species: Assessing the impact of workshop activities to promote young students' awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreck Reis, Catarina; Marchante, Hélia; Freitas, Helena; Marchante, Elizabete

2013-03-01

Invasive species are one of the main threats to biodiversity worldwide. Even though they are identified and recognized as such by the Portuguese law, the majority of the population is not yet aware of this problem. Aiming to increase awareness about biological invasions among young students, a workshop on Invasive Plant Species was organized at the Botanical Museum of the University of Coimbra. A total of 170 teenager students from five schools participated in the workshop. Three activities were prepared, focusing on: (1) identification of invasive plants, (2) competition between native and invasive plants and (3) control of invasive plants. One year later, questionnaires were sent to the participants, aiming to appraise workshop effectiveness, and this questionnaire revealed that these students know more about invasive plant species than a comparable group of students that did not participate in the workshop. The results clearly showed that practical informal education activities may be effective in raising public awareness. Questionnaires were essential to evaluate the knowledge acquired and retained by the students during the workshop.

Mapping remote and multidisciplinary learning barriers: lessons from challenge-based innovation at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Matilde Bisballe; Utriainen, Tuuli Maria; Steinert, Martin

2018-01-01

This paper presents the experienced difficulties of students participating in the multidisciplinary, remote collaborating engineering design course challenge-based innovation at CERN. This is with the aim to identify learning barriers and improve future learning experiences. We statistically analyse the rated differences between distinct design activities, educational background and remote vs. co-located collaboration. The analysis is based on a quantitative and qualitative questionnaire (N = 37). Our analysis found significant ranking differences between remote and co-located activities. This questions whether the remote factor might be a barrier for the originally intended learning goals. Further a correlation between analytical and converging design phases was identified. Hence, future facilitators are suggested to help students in the transition from one design phase to the next rather than only teaching methods in the individual design phases. Finally, we discuss how educators address the identified learning barriers when designing future courses including multidisciplinary or remote collaboration.

Increasing Impact of Coursework Through Deep Analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horodyskyj, L.; Schonstein, D.; Buxner, S.; Semken, S. C.; Anbar, A. D.

2014-12-01

Over the past few years, ASU has developed the online astrobiology lab course Habitable Worlds, which has been offered to over 1,500 students over seven semesters. The course is offered through Smart Sparrow's intelligent tutoring system, which records student answers, time on question, simulation setups, and additional data that we refer to as "analytics". As the development of the course has stabilized, we have been able to devote more time to analyzing these data, extracting patterns of student behavior and how they have changed as the course has developed. During the most recent two semesters, pre- and post-tests of content knowledge related to the greenhouse effect were administered to assess changes in students' knowledge. The results of the Fall 2013 content assessment and an analysis of each step of every activity using the course platform analytics were used to identify problematic concepts and lesson elements, which were redesigned for the following semester. We observed a statistically significant improvement from pre to post instruction in Spring 2014. Preliminary results seem to indicate that several interactive activities, which replaced written/spoken content, contributed to this positive outcome. Our study demonstrates the benefit of deep analytics for thorough analysis of student results and quick iteration, allowing for significantly improved exercises to be redeployed quickly. The misconceptions that students have and retain depend on the individual student, although certain patterns do emerge in the class as a whole. These patterns can be seen in student discussion board behavior, the types of answers they submit, and the patterns of mistakes they make. By interrogating this wealth of data, we seek to identify the patterns that outstanding, struggling, and failing students display and how early in the class these patterns can be detected. If these patterns can be identified and detected early in the semester, instructors can intervene earlier, prodding unmotivated students while devoting significant attention to students who struggle yet remain interested in the subject matter. This offers a marked improvement over the more common practice of waiting (often futilely) for students to seek help.

Factors across home, work, and school domains influence nutrition and physical activity behaviors of nontraditional college students.

PubMed

Quintiliani, Lisa M; Bishop, Hillary L; Greaney, Mary L; Whiteley, Jessica A

2012-10-01

Nontraditional college students (older, part-time, and/or working) have less healthful nutrition and physical activity behaviors compared to traditional students, yet few health promotion efforts focus on nontraditional students. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative methods to explore factors affecting nutrition and physical activity behaviors of nontraditional students. Fourteen semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nontraditional undergraduate students attending a large university. The sample had a median age of 25 (range, 21-64), 57% were men, 43% were racial/ethnic minorities, and 57% were employed (mean 22 hours/week). Data were coded using a systematic team-based approach. Consistent themes (mentioned by 4+ students) were identified and categorized into three domains: home, work, and school. Home (themes: neighborhood characteristics, family, partners), work (theme: work environment), and school (themes: cafeteria, vending machines) factors consistently influenced positive nutrition behaviors. Similarly, home (themes: neighborhood including safety, friends from home, partner,), work (theme: work environment), and school (themes: not having a car, campus structure, campus gym, friends at school) factors consistently influenced positive physical activity. Financial resources and perceptions of autonomy had influence across domains. Results indicate consistent influences on nutrition and physical activity behaviors across home, work, and school domains for nontraditional college students. Study findings suggest possible, and sometimes unconventional, intervention strategies to promote healthful eating and physical activity. For example, when cafeteria meal plans are not offered and financial constraints limit eating at the cafeteria, encouraging healthful choices from vending machines could be preferable to not eating at all. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gross Motor Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida Learning Resources System/CROWN, Jacksonville.

The document is designed to help teachers identify and remediate gross motor development deficits in elementary school students. A definition of gross motor development and a checklist of gross motor skills are provided. Sections cover the following topics: successful teaching techniques; activities for perceptual-motor training; activities for…

Characteristics of Internet Addiction/Pathological Internet Use in U.S. University Students: A Qualitative-Method Investigation

PubMed Central

Li, Wen; O’Brien, Jennifer E.; Snyder, Susan M.; Howard, Matthew O.

2015-01-01

Studies have identified high rates and severe consequences of Internet Addiction/Pathological Internet Use (IA/PIU) in university students. However, most research concerning IA/PIU in U.S. university students has been conducted within a quantitative research paradigm, and frequently fails to contextualize the problem of IA/PIU. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study using the focus group approach and examined 27 U.S. university students who self-identified as intensive Internet users, spent more than 25 hours/week on the Internet for non-school or non-work-related activities and who reported Internet-associated health and/or psychosocial problems. Students completed two IA/PIU measures (Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and participated in focus groups exploring the natural history of their Internet use; preferred online activities; emotional, interpersonal, and situational triggers for intensive Internet use; and health and/or psychosocial consequences of their Internet overuse. Students’ self-reports of Internet overuse problems were consistent with results of standardized measures. Students first accessed the Internet at an average age of 9 (SD = 2.7), and first had a problem with Internet overuse at an average age of 16 (SD = 4.3). Sadness and depression, boredom, and stress were common triggers of intensive Internet use. Social media use was nearly universal and pervasive in participants’ lives. Sleep deprivation, academic under-achievement, failure to exercise and to engage in face-to-face social activities, negative affective states, and decreased ability to concentrate were frequently reported consequences of intensive Internet use/Internet overuse. IA/PIU may be an underappreciated problem among U.S. university students and warrants additional research. PMID:25647224

Environmental barriers in mainstream schools.

PubMed

Hemmingsson, H; Borell, L

2002-01-01

Research on students with disabilities in mainstream schools often focuses on the students' personal abilities rather than on the establishment itself. To promote inclusive education, the environmental prerequisite for participation has to be explored also. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers to participation in Swedish mainstream schools, from the personal perspective of students with physical disabilities. The study also investigated how gender, diagnosis, level of mobility, academic years and availability of an assistant were related to student-environment fit. A total of 34 students with physical disabilities, aged between 10 and 19 years, participated in the study. The students were assessed by 'The school-setting interview'. Results show that two-thirds of the students experienced barriers to participation in both the physical and the social environment. A majority of the barriers originated from the way in which school activities were organized and carried out in schools. Failure to provide adequate environmental adjustments resulted in restricted participation or exclusion from some of the activities in class. Older students experienced significantly more barriers than younger ones because the school organization was less favourable. The results suggest that the way in which activities are organized in school is the area in need of most improvements to promote participation of students with physical disabilities.

Tensions in mentoring medical students toward self-directed and reflective learning in a longitudinal portfolio-based mentoring system - An activity theory analysis.

PubMed

Heeneman, Sylvia; de Grave, Willem

2017-04-01

In medical education, students need to acquire skills to self-direct(ed) learning (SDL), to enable their development into self-directing and reflective professionals. This study addressed the mentor perspective on how processes in the mentor-student interaction influenced development of SDL. n = 22 mentors of a graduate-entry medical school with a problem-based curriculum and longitudinal mentoring system were interviewed (n = 1 recording failed). Using activity theory (AT) as a theoretical framework, thematic analysis was applied to the interview data to identify important themes. Four themes emerged: centered around the role of the portfolio, guiding of students' SDL in the context of assessment procedures, mentor-role boundaries and longitudinal development of skills by both the mentor and mentee. Application of AT showed that in the interactions between themes tensions or supportive factors could emerge for activities in the mentoring process. The mentors' perspective on coaching and development of reflection and SDL of medical students yielded important insights into factors that can hinder or support students' SDL, during a longitudinal mentor-student interaction. Coaching skills of the mentor, the interaction with a portfolio and the context of a mentor community are important factors in a longitudinal mentor-student interaction that can translate to students' SDL skills.

Determinants of health-related lifestyles among university students.

PubMed

Aceijas, Carmen; Waldhäusl, Sabrina; Lambert, Nicky; Cassar, Simon; Bello-Corassa, Rafael

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate students' health-related lifestyles and to identify barriers and social determinants of healthier lifestyles. An online survey, two focus groups and three in-depth interviews across 2014/2015. A stratified by school size and random sample ( n = 468) of university students answered a 67-item questionnaire comprising six scales: Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity, Rapid Eating and Activity Assessment for Patients-Short Version, CAGE, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale short version, and ad hoc scale for drug use/misuse. Stratified by gender, χ 2 tests were run to test associations/estimate risks and three multivariate Logistic Regression models were adjusted. A thematic approach guided the analysis of qualitative data. A total of 60% of the respondents were insufficiently physically active, 47% had an unbalanced diet and 30% had low mental wellbeing. Alcohol drinkers versus abstinent were almost equally distributed. A total of 42% of alcohol drinkers reported getting drunk at least once a month. Smokers accounted for 16% of the respondents. Identified risk factors for suboptimal physical activity were as follows: being a woman, not using the university gym and smoking. Risk factors for unbalanced diet were low mental wellbeing and drug use. Poor mental wellbeing was predicted by unbalanced diet, not feeling like shopping and cooking frequently, and a lack of help-seeking behaviour in cases of distress. Qualitative analysis revealed seven thematic categories: transition to new life, university environment and systems, finances, academic pressure, health promotion on campus and recommendations. This study provides robust evidence that the health-related lifestyles of the student population are worrying and suggests that the trend in chronic diseases associated with unhealthy lifestyles sustained over years might be unlikely to change in future generations. University students' health-related lifestyle is a concern. Nine out of the identified 10 predictors of problematic physical activity, nutrition and mental wellbeing, were environmental/societal or institutional barriers. Universities must expand corporate responsibilities to include the promotion of health as part of their core values.

An Alternative Approach to "Identification of Unknowns": Designing a Protocol to Verify the Identities of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria.

PubMed

Martinez-Vaz, Betsy M; Denny, Roxanne; Young, Nevin D; Sadowsky, Michael J

2015-12-01

Microbiology courses often include a laboratory activity on the identification of unknown microbes. This activity consists of providing students with microbial cultures and running biochemical assays to identify the organisms. This approach lacks molecular techniques such as sequencing of genes encoding 16S rRNA, which is currently the method of choice for identification of unknown bacteria. A laboratory activity was developed to teach students how to identify microorganisms using 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and validate microbial identities using biochemical techniques. We hypothesized that designing an experimental protocol to confirm the identity of a bacterium would improve students' knowledge of microbial identification techniques and the physiological characteristics of bacterial species. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria were isolated from the root nodules of Medicago truncatula and prepared for 16S rRNA PCR analysis. Once DNA sequencing revealed the identity of the organisms, the students designed experimental protocols to verify the identity of rhizobia. An assessment was conducted by analyzing pre- and posttest scores and by grading students' verification protocols and presentations. Posttest scores were higher than pretest scores at or below p = 0.001. Normalized learning gains (G) showed an improvement of students' knowledge of microbial identification methods (LO4, G = 0.46), biochemical properties of nitrogen-fixing bacteria (LO3, G = 0.45), and the events leading to the establishment of nitrogen-fixing symbioses (LO1&2, G = 0.51, G = 0.37). An evaluation of verification protocols also showed significant improvement with a p value of less than 0.001.

Reference Manual on Making School Climate Improvements. School Climate Improvement Resource Package, 2017

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoder, N.; Darling-Churchill, K.; Colombi, G. D.; Ruddy, S.; Neiman, S.; Chagnon, E.; Mayo, R.

2017-01-01

This reference manual identifies five overarching sets of activities for improving school climate, with the goal of improving student outcomes (e.g., achievement, attendance, behaviors, and skills). These sets of activities help to initiate, implement, and sustain school climate improvements. For each activity set, the manual presents a clear…

Plant Pigment Identification: A Classroom and Outreach Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garber, Kathleen C. A.; Odendaal, Antoinette Y.; Carlson, Erin E.

2013-01-01

Anthocyanins are a class of pigments responsible for the bright colors of many flowers, fruits, and vegetables typically resulting in shades of red, blue, and purple. Students were asked to perform an activity to enable them to identify which anthocyanin was present in one of several possible plant materials through a hands-on activity. Students…

The Mamook Book: Activities for Learning About the Northwest Coast Indians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathers, Sharon; And Others

A student activity book about the Northwest Coast provides "to-do" activities, such as reading, coloring, cutting out and putting together, while learning about the Northwest Coast tribes, their language, legends, clothing and ways of living. A map identifies the tribes and their location along the shores of Alaska, British Columbia,…

Integrating outdoor activities into the FOSS curriculum: Effect on teacher practices on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geraghty, E.

2004-12-01

A goal of the Center for Learning and Teaching West based at the University of Montana is to provide in-depth professional development through a combination of on-site and distance education activities to mathematics and science middle and high school teachers at identified high-needs schools. In accordance with the Center's goal, teachers on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation have been contacted as they meet the "high-needs" criteria: the schools are in a rural setting and educate mainly Native American students. Since the spring of 2003, contact with the directors of the Rural Systemic Initiative (RSI) on the Blackfeet Reservation has uncovered the need for integration of local outdoor earth science activities into the current Full Option Science System (FOSS) curriculum used in the middle school classrooms. This information combined with the results of a teacher interest survey sent out to the Blackfeet educators in early 2004 indicates an interest in professional development (PD) that covers training in both earth science and field experiences. This research focuses on the earth science teachers and their use of outdoor activities in their science curriculum. Much research has been conducted on the learning styles of Native American students and show that these students have some tendency toward: global/holistic style of organizing information, visual style of mental representation in thinking, reflective style for information processing, and preference of collaborative work on assigned tasks (Hilberg and Tharp, 2002). Though native students generally perform poorly in science, the belief is that their learning styles matched with hands-on, outdoor instruction may improve the students' connection with science and their performance on science assessments. Therefore, the first step in the process is to work with the teachers through professional development in order to incorporate activities that match the learning styles of their students. The workshop designed for the middle school teachers on the Blackfeet Reservation provides support for teachers with regards to FOSS training, content, and activities at local field sites (example is the outdoor classroom at Cut Bank Creek outside of Browning, MT) specific to the Earth History FOSS kit activities chosen for the workshop. The field activities will highlight National and Montana Science Content Standards identified by the teachers and specifically Montana Science Content Standard 5 which reads: "Students understand how scientific knowledge and technological developments impact society." The specific focus on this standard provides opportunity for the "traditional" and "practical" earth science experiences to be "integrated into the more formal content approach of school science (Cajete, 1988)"; a format more accessible to native students."

Ghost Children: Invisible Middle Level Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matteson, Shirley M.

2014-01-01

For this study, 119 middle level teacher candidates identified, observed, and documented their interactions with middle school "ghost children" as part of their field placement activities. About two thirds of the 124 ghost children identified for this study were male. The teacher candidates documented additional characteristics of ghost…

Value of Web-based learning activities for nursing students who speak English as a second language.

PubMed

Koch, Jane; Salamonson, Yenna; Du, Hui Yun; Andrew, Sharon; Frost, Steven A; Dunncliff, Kirstin; Davidson, Patricia M

2011-07-01

There is an increasing need to address the educational needs of students with English as a second language. The authors assessed the value of a Web-based activity to meet the needs of students with English as a second language in a bioscience subject. Using telephone contact, we interviewed 21 Chinese students, 24 non-Chinese students with English as a second language, and 7 native English-speaking students to identify the perception of the value of the intervention. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: (1) Language is a barrier to achievement and affects self-confidence; (2) Enhancement intervention promoted autonomous learning; (3) Focusing on the spoken word increases interaction capacity and self-confidence; (4) Assessment and examination drive receptivity and sense of importance. Targeted strategies to promote language acculturation and acquisition are valued by students. Linking language acquisition skills to assessment tasks is likely to leverage improvements in competence. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Hypothetical biotechnology companies: A role-playing student centered activity for undergraduate science students.

PubMed

Chuck, Jo-Anne

2011-01-01

Science students leaving undergraduate programs are entering the biotechnology industry where they are presented with issues which require integration of science content. Students find this difficult as through-out their studies, most content is limited to a single subdiscipline (e.g., biochemistry, immunology). In addition, students need knowledge of the ethical, economic, and legal frame work in which the industry operates. This article presents an approach to deliver these outcomes in a collaborative and active learning modality which promotes deep learning. In the model, groups of final year undergraduate students form hypothetical biotechnology companies and identify real issues of interest to industry, make integrative team decisions, use professional level technology, and develop appropriate communication skills. The final successful teaching paradigm was based on self reflection, observation, and student feedback to ensure appropriate attainment of content, group work skills and increased confidence in professional decision-making. It is these outcomes which will facilitate life long learning skills, a major outcome applicable for all tertiary education. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lessons Learned Through the Implementation of an eHealth Physical Activity Gaming Intervention with High School Youth.

PubMed

Pope, Lizzy; Garnett, Bernice; Dibble, Marguerite

2018-04-01

To encourage high school students to meet physical activity goals using a newly developed game, and to document the feasibility, benefits, and challenges of using an electronic gaming application to promote physical activity in high school students. Working with youth and game designers an electronic game, Camp Conquer, was developed to motivate high school students to meet physical activity goals. One-hundred-five high school students were recruited to participate in a 12-week pilot test of the game and randomly assigned to a Game Condition or Control Condition. Students in both conditions received a FitBit to track their activity, and participants in the Game Condition received access to Camp Conquer. Number of steps and active minutes each day were tracked for all participants. FitBit use, game logins, and qualitative feedback from researchers, school personnel, and participants were used to determine intervention engagement. The majority of study participants did not consistently wear their FitBit or engage with the gaming intervention. Numerous design challenges and barriers to successful implementation such as the randomized design, absence of a true school-based champion, ease of use, and game glitches were identified. Developing games is an exciting technique for motivating the completion of a variety of health behaviors. Although the present intervention was not successful in increasing physical activity in high school students, important lessons were learned regarding how to best structure a gaming intervention for the high school population.

Students' Perceptions of Teaching Methods That Bridge Theory to Practice in Dental Hygiene Education.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Denise M; Smallidge, Dianne; Boyd, Linda D; Giblin, Lori

2015-10-01

Health care education requires students to connect classroom learning with patient care. The purpose of this study was to explore dental hygiene students' perceptions of teaching tools, activities and teaching methods useful in closing the gap between theory and practice as students transition from classroom learning into the clinical phase of their training. This was an exploratory qualitative study design examining retrospective data from journal postings of a convenience sample of dental hygiene students (n=85). Open-ended questions related to patient care were given to junior and senior students to respond in a reflective journaling activity. A systematic approach was used to establish themes. Junior students predicted hands-on experiences (51%), critical thinking exercises (42%) and visual aids (27%) would be the most supportive in helping them connect theory to practice. Senior students identified critical thinking exercises (44%) and visual aids (44%) as the most beneficial in connecting classroom learning to patient care. Seniors also identified barriers preventing them from connecting theory to patient care. Barriers most often cited were not being able to see firsthand what is in the text (56%) and being unsure that what was seen during clinical practice was the same as what was taught (28%). Students recognized the benefits of critical thinking and problem solving skills after having experienced patient care and were most concerned with performance abilities prior to patient care experiences. This information will be useful in developing curricula to enhance critical thinking and problem solving skills. Copyright © 2015 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Undergraduate Medical Students Using Facebook as a Peer-Mentoring Platform: A Mixed-Methods Study

PubMed Central

Gradel, Maximilian; Pander, Tanja; Fischer, Martin R; von der Borch, Philip; Dimitriadis, Konstantinos

2015-01-01

Background Peer mentoring is a powerful pedagogical approach for supporting undergraduate medical students in their learning environment. However, it remains unclear what exactly peer mentoring is and whether and how undergraduate medical students use social media for peer-mentoring activities. Objective We aimed at describing and exploring the Facebook use of undergraduate medical students during their first 2 years at a German medical school. The data should help medical educators to effectively integrate social media in formal mentoring programs for medical students. Methods We developed a coding scheme for peer mentoring and conducted a mixed-methods study in order to explore Facebook groups of undergraduate medical students from a peer-mentoring perspective. Results All major peer-mentoring categories were identified in Facebook groups of medical students. The relevance of these Facebook groups was confirmed through triangulation with focus groups and descriptive statistics. Medical students made extensive use of Facebook and wrote a total of 11,853 posts and comments in the respective Facebook groups (n=2362 total group members). Posting peaks were identified at the beginning of semesters and before exam periods, reflecting the formal curriculum milestones. Conclusions Peer mentoring is present in Facebook groups formed by undergraduate medical students who extensively use these groups to seek advice from peers on study-related issues and, in particular, exam preparation. These groups also seem to be effective in supporting responsive and large-scale peer-mentoring structures; formal mentoring programs might benefit from integrating social media into their activity portfolio. PMID:27731859

How we used a patient visit tracker tool to advance experiential learning in systems-based practice and quality improvement in a medical student clinic.

PubMed

Chen, Chen Amy; Park, Ryan J; Hegde, John V; Jun, Tomi; Christman, Mitalee P; Yoo, Sun M; Yamasaki, Alisa; Berhanu, Aaron; Vohra-Khullar, Pamela; Remus, Kristin; Schwartzstein, Richard M; Weinstein, Amy R

2016-01-01

Poorly designed healthcare systems increase costs and preventable medical errors. To address these issues, systems-based practice (SBP) education provides future physicians with the tools to identify systemic errors and implement quality improvement (QI) initiatives to enhance the delivery of cost-effective, safe and multi-disciplinary care. Although SBP education is being implemented in residency programs and is mandated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as one of its core competencies, it has largely not been integrated into undergraduate medical education. We propose that Medical Student-Faculty Collaborative Clinics (MSFCCs) may be the ideal environment in which to train medical students in SBPs and QI initiatives, as they allow students to play pivotal roles in project development, administration, and management. Here we describe a process of experiential learning that was developed within a newly established MSFCC, which challenged students to identify inefficiencies, implement interventions, and track the results. After identifying bottlenecks in clinic operations, our students designed a patient visit tracker tool to monitor clinic flow and implemented solutions to decrease patient visit times. Our model allowed students to drive their own active learning in a practical clinical setting, providing early and unique training in crucial QI skills.

Importance of direct patient care in advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

PubMed

Rathbun, R Chris; Hester, E Kelly; Arnold, Lindsay M; Chung, Allison M; Dunn, Steven P; Harinstein, Lisa M; Leber, Molly; Murphy, Julie A; Schonder, Kristine S; Wilhelm, Sheila M; Smilie, Kristine B

2012-04-01

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education issued revised standards (Standards 2007) for professional programs leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree in July 2007. The new standards require colleges and schools of pharmacy to provide pharmacy practice experiences that include direct interaction with diverse patient populations. These experiences are to take place in multiple practice environments (e.g., community, ambulatory care, acute care medicine, specialized practice areas) and must include face-to-face interactions between students and patients, and students and health care providers. In 2009, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) identified concerns among their members that training for some students during the fourth year of pharmacy curriculums are essentially observational experiences rather than encounters where students actively participate in direct patient care activities. These ACCP members also stated that there is a need to identify effective mechanisms for preceptors to balance patient care responsibilities with students' educational needs in order to fully prepare graduates for contemporary, patient-centered practice. The 2010 ACCP Educational Affairs Committee was charged to provide recommendations to more effectively foster the integration of pharmacy students into direct patient care activities during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). In this commentary, the benefits to key stakeholders (pharmacy students, APPE preceptors, clerkship sites, health care institutions, academic pharmacy programs) of this approach are reviewed. Recommendations for implementation of direct patient care experiences are also provided, together with discussion of the practical issues associated with delivery of effective APPE. Examples of ambulatory care and acute care APPE models that successfully integrate pharmacy students into the delivery of direct patient care are described. Enabling students to engage in high-quality patient care experiences and to assume responsibility for drug therapy outcomes is achievable in a variety of practice settings. In our opinion, such an approach is mandatory if contemporary pharmacy education is to be successful in producing a skilled workforce capable of affecting drug therapy outcomes. © 2012 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

A suggested emergency medicine boot camp curriculum for medical students based on the mapping of Core Entrustable Professional Activities to Emergency Medicine Level 1 milestones.

PubMed

Lamba, Sangeeta; Wilson, Bryan; Natal, Brenda; Nagurka, Roxanne; Anana, Michael; Sule, Harsh

2016-01-01

An increasing number of students rank Emergency Medicine (EM) as a top specialty choice, requiring medical schools to provide adequate exposure to EM. The Core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for Entering Residency by the Association of American Medical Colleges combined with the Milestone Project for EM residency training has attempted to standardize the undergraduate and graduate medical education goals. However, it remains unclear as to how the EPAs correlate to the milestones, and who owns the process of ensuring that an entering EM resident has competency at a certain minimum level. Recent trends establishing specialty-specific boot camps prepare students for residency and address the variability of skills of students coming from different medical schools. Our project's goal was therefore to perform a needs assessment to inform the design of an EM boot camp curriculum. Toward this goal, we 1) mapped the core EPAs for graduating medical students to the EM residency Level 1 milestones in order to identify the possible gaps/needs and 2) conducted a pilot procedure workshop that was designed to address some of the identified gaps/needs in procedural skills. In order to inform the curriculum of an EM boot camp, we used a systematic approach to 1) identify gaps between the EPAs and EM milestones (Level 1) and 2) determine what essential and supplemental competencies/skills an incoming EM resident should ideally possess. We then piloted a 1-day, three-station advanced ABCs procedure workshop based on the identified needs. A pre-workshop test and survey assessed knowledge, preparedness, confidence, and perceived competence. A post-workshop survey evaluated the program, and a posttest combined with psychomotor skills test using three simulation cases assessed students' skills. Students (n=9) reported increased confidence in the following procedures: intubation (1.5-2.1), thoracostomy (1.1-1.9), and central venous catheterization (1.3-2) (a three-point Likert-type scale, with 1= not yet confident/able to perform with supervision to 3= confident/able to perform without supervision). Psychomotor skills testing showed on average, 26% of students required verbal prompting with performance errors, 48% with minor performance errors, and 26% worked independently without performance errors. All participants reported: 1) increased knowledge and confidence in covered topics and 2) overall satisfaction with simulation experience. Mapping the Core EPAs for Entering Residency to the EM milestones at Level 1 identifies educational gaps for graduating medical students seeking a career in EM. Educators designing EM boot camps for medical students should consider these identified gaps, procedures, and clinical conditions during the development of a core standardized curriculum.

Students as partners: Our experience of setting up and working in a student engagement friendly framework.

PubMed

Zdravković, Marko; Serdinšek, Tamara; Sobočan, Monika; Bevc, Sebastjan; Hojs, Radovan; Krajnc, Ivan

2018-03-11

Student engagement (SE) in the curriculum is a positive indicator in the development of students deeply involved in their learning. It also has several benefits for the schools' level of educational innovation and quality assurance. In order to identify the most important pearls from the last decade of educational developments within the field of SE at the Faculty of Medicine University of Maribor, we searched through our school's archives, publications and research in the field of medical education. Three areas were identified as the most important SE complements: (i) peer teaching, (ii) school governance, and (iii) extracurricular activities. The paper highlights how many student-driven initiatives move from informal frameworks toward a formal structure, elective courses, and, in the end, compulsory components of the curriculum. As demonstrated by the three educational achievements at our school, fostering a high level of SE can lead to innovative curricular changes, benefit the whole school and enable students to deliver highly impactful extracurricular projects.

Student Evaluations of the Portfolio Process

PubMed Central

Airey, Tatum C.; Bisso, Andrea M.; Slack, Marion K.

2011-01-01

Objective. To evaluate pharmacy students’ perceived benefits of the portfolio process and to gather suggestions for improving the process. Methods. A questionnaire was designed and administered to 250 first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. Results. Although the objectives of the portfolio process were for students to understand the expected outcomes, understand the impact of extracurricular activities on attaining competencies, identify what should be learned, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and modify their approach to learning, overall students perceived the portfolio process as having less than moderate benefit. First-year students wanted more examples of portfolios while second- and third-year students suggested that more time with their advisor would be beneficial. Conclusions. The portfolio process will continue to be refined and efforts made to improve students’ perceptions of the process as it is intended to develop the self-assessments skills they will need to improve their knowledge and professional skills throughout their pharmacy careers. PMID:21969718

Adventures in Technology = Options in Math and Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quanty, Michael

1997-01-01

All five school systems on the Virginia Peninsula participate with a total of 21 middle schools in the ATOMS program. More than 20,000 students have participated in the pipeline programs since 1989. The focus has been on creating a diverse pool of academically-prepared students. The number of minority students participating has steadily increased, reaching 49.1 % in 1997. Female participation has remained steady at 55.4%. Female and minority participation will continue to receive high priority. The programs were evaluated by means of student, teacher, and counselor surveys. Questionnaires are distributed immediately after each intervention. The respondents are asked questions concerning the appropriateness of the activity, their interest level and change in opinion after the intervention. More than 90% of all students rate each activity as "Interesting" to "Very Interesting." Almost 70 % of students indicate they intend to take additional higher level mathematics courses in high school after participating in the Site and Campus Visits. Between 70 and 80 % (79.3 % after the Career Awareness Activity, 72.0 % after the Industry Site Visit) of students indicated they have a better understanding of why math and science are important school subjects after participation in each ATOMS activity. Comparisons in scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills have been made between the ATOMS students and the remainder of the seventh and eighth grade populations. ATOMS students' math and science achievement scores from the fifth grade were near the district average. After participating in ATOMS, students scored significantly higher than their peers. ATOMS students enrolled at TNCC have been identified and are being tracked further for achievement.

Tool for Predicting Medical Student Burnout From Sustained Stress Levels: Factor Analysis of the Medical Education Hassles Scale-R.

PubMed

Johnson, Jane C; Degenhardt, Brian F; Smith, Carol K; Wolf, Thomas M; Peterson, D Fred

2018-03-01

Acute stress during medical school affects the health of students and is associated with burnout. The Medical Education Hassles Scale-R (MEHS-R) is designed to measure acute stress among medical students. Researchers using the MEHS-R primarily report overall hassles scores, which are unable to discriminate between different categories of hassles encountered. The present study examined the factor structure of the MEHS-R to identify subscales that would be useful to categorize hassles for research and assessment purposes. Longitudinal, observational study. Two osteopathic medical schools. Five hundred six first-year medical students. The MEHS-R was administered at orientation and 9 to 10 times throughout the first year, classified into examination, vacation, and routine medical school activity periods. Students rated the 101 items on a 4-point scale (0=none to 3=a great deal) to indicate how much of a hassle each item had been during the previous week. Demographic subgroups were males, females, married students, single students, whites, and ethnic minorities. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on data collected at the first school during orientation. Seven subscales were identified: Academic and Time Pressures, Financial, Social, External Influences, Day-to-Day Functioning, Relationships With Immediate Family, and Health. Cronbach α were ≥0.75. Stability of these subscales was examined using confirmatory factor analysis. Both of the fit indices used indicated the 7-subscale model for the MEHS-R adequately fit the data obtained during examination and routine medical school activity periods, one fit index indicated adequate fit for the vacation period, and neither indicated adequate fit for the data from the second school. Of the 7 subscales, 5 had a strong correspondence with categories identified by the scale developers. Fit indices also indicated the 7-subscale model was adequately generalizable to the demographic subgroups with the exception of the ethnic minorities subgroup. Exploratory factor analysis performed on the MEHS-R supported formation of subscales similar to categories identified during MEHS-R development. Results of the current study supported the use of the MEHS-R for the investigation of acute stress in medical students. In future research, targeted wellness interventions for medical students may be developed based on student responses to this instrument.

Exposing College Students to Exercise: The Training Interventions and Genetics of Exercise Response (TIGER) Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sailors, Mary H.; Jackson, Andrew S.; McFarlin, Brian K.; Turpin, Ian; Ellis, Kenneth J.; Foreyt, John P.; Hoelscher, Deanna M.; Bray, Molly S.

2010-01-01

Objective: The Training Interventions and Genetics of Exercise Response (TIGER) study is an exercise program designed to introduce sedentary college students to regular physical activity and to identify genetic factors that influence response to exercise. Participants: A multiracial/ethnic cohort (N = 1,567; 39% male), age 18 to 35 years,…

Making Schools Safe for Students: Creating a Proactive School Safety Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blauvelt, Peter D.

This guide offers strategies for creating a proactive school safety plan that encourages parents, teachers, principals, and students to take the initiative and identify threats to school safety. It emphasizes that schools must have an active plan that addresses fights, name calling, bullying, changes in kid's behaviors, and staff who have run out…

Andragogical Teaching Methods to Enhance Non-Traditional Student Classroom Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Pamela; Withey, Paul; Lawton, Deb; Aquino, Carlos Tasso

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to provide a reflection of current trends in higher education, identify some of the changes in student behavior, and potential identification of non-traditional classroom facilitation with the purpose of strengthening active learning and use of technology in the classroom. Non-traditional teaching is emerging in the form…

Development of a Laboratory Project to Determine Human ABO Genotypes--Limitations Lead to Further Student Explorations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salerno, Theresa A.

2009-01-01

A multiplex allele-specific PCR analysis was developed to identify six "common" genotypes: AA, AO, BB, BO, OO, and AB. This project included a pre-laboratory exercise that provided active learning experiences and developed critical thinking skills. This laboratory resulted in many successful analyses, which were verified by student knowledge of…

Organization of Individual Work of Students under Competence-Oriented Approach to Education in Higher School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ualiyeva, Nazym T.; Murzalinova, Alma Z.

2016-01-01

The main objective of this research is to identify the essence, content and specifics of organization of individual work of higher school students under competence-oriented approach. The research methodology is related to the choice of competence-oriented approach to ensure transformation of individual work into individual activity in…

Effect of Foreign Presence on Domestic Performance: The Cases of Education in the US and Manufacturing Firms in Ethiopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abegaz, Melaku

2016-01-01

This dissertation studies the effects of foreign presence on the performance of domestic institutions and economic agents. We identify three types of foreign presence: international students, inward foreign investment, and exporting activities. The first chapter investigates the impacts of international students on the graduation performance of…

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study of Students' Perceptions of Classroom Practices and the Affect on Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baum-Leaman, Rebekah

2013-01-01

Although teachers continue to implement an array of best practices, learners identified as unsuccessful according to criteria may lack engagement to succeed in the current curriculum activities. Even as teachers continue to apply best practices in the classroom, data does not support continued improvement of student engagement and achievement of…

Gamification for Engaging Computer Science Students in Learning Activities: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibáñez, Maria-Blanca; Di-Serio, Ángela; Delgado-Kloos, Carlos

2014-01-01

Gamification is the use of game design elements in non-game settings to engage participants and encourage desired behaviors. It has been identified as a promising technique to improve students' engagement which could have a positive impact on learning. This study evaluated the learning effectiveness and engagement appeal of a gamified learning…

A Study of Sandy Beach Zonation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Steve K.

1991-01-01

Describes the study of sandy beach zonations as a seashore activity for either high school or lower-level college courses in biology, ecology, or marine biology. Students first draw a profile of a beach scene and then collect specimens from the zones of the shore. In a laboratory, students identify their specimens and relate them to the beach…

D-Man: Teacher's Guide [and] D-Man Deaf Super-Hero Fights for Good Nutrition!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Nancy Q.; And Others

The comic book featuring a deaf super-hero and the accompanying teacher guide are designed to teach junior high school students about nutrition. Section 1 of the teacher's guide outlines student activities which are grouped according to nutritional concepts. Objectives, subject areas, and resources are identified. Seven nutritional concepts,…

Launching Learners in Science, PreK-5: How to Design Standards-Based Experiences and Engage Students in Classroom Conversations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Kerry Curtiss; Veomett, George E.

2006-01-01

Teaching science means doing science and involves three elements: knowing content, knowing children, and teachers knowing themselves as teachers and learners. The authors describe principles and requirements that reflect National Science Education Standards for the active learning of science. They identify key ingredients for primary students and…

Enhancing Thematic Units Using the World Wide Web: Tools and Strategies for Students with Mild Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, J. Emmett; Wissick, Cheryl A.

2002-01-01

This article presents principles for using Web-based activities to support curriculum accommodations for students with mild disabilities. Tools, resources, and strategies are identified to help teachers construct meaningful and Web-enhanced thematic units. Web sites are listed in the areas of math, science, language arts, and social studies;…

Just Another Brick in the Wall ... or Not? A Paradigm Introduction Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Stephanie; Davis, M. Justin

2011-01-01

To say that there is a lack of student enthusiasm on the first day of Research Methods is an understatement. Research Methods begins each semester with two teaching goals: (1) lowering classroom anxiety; and (2) bolstering student enthusiasm for the course material by helping them identify its relation to their lives. The most powerful…

Assessing All Dimensions of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furco, Andrew

2010-01-01

At its most basic level, service learning integrates community service activities with intentional learning components to enhance students' understanding of subject content and to meet identified community needs. Although service learning is similar to other active learning pedagogies--such as project-based, problem-based, inquiry-based, and…

Thinking Out Loud while Studying Text: Rehearsing Key Ideas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muth, K. Denise; And Others

1988-01-01

A study involving 32 undergraduate students was conducted to identify mechanisms by which instructional objectives affect learning. Protocols for thinking out loud were examined for evidence of rehearsal activity. Results suggest that instructional objectives enhanced real-time rehearsal activity, recall, and reading time. (TJH)

Instructional Analysis for Health Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

East Texas State Univ., Commerce. Occupational Curriculum Lab.

This instructional analysis centers on identifying the skills, related knowledge, teacher activities, and student activities that are central to teaching various topics included in the core curriculum for health occupations courses. Addressed in the volume are the following instructional areas: first aid; medical terminology; medical asepsis;…

Fostering Argumentation Skills: Doing What Real Scientists Really Do

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llewellyn, Douglas; Rajesh, Hema

2011-01-01

Elementary and middle school teachers often provide students with hands-on activities or even inquiry-based investigations that emphasize science process skills such as observing, classifying, identifying and controlling variables, hypothesizing, experimenting, and collecting and analyzing data. These activities and investigations are frequently…

Medical Students' Understanding of Directed Questioning by Their Clinical Preceptors.

PubMed

Lo, Lawrence; Regehr, Glenn

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Throughout clerkship, preceptors ask medical students questions for both assessment and teaching purposes. However, the cognitive and strategic aspects of students' approaches to managing this situation have not been explored. Without an understanding of how students approach the question and answer activity, medical educators are unable to appreciate how effectively this activity fulfills their purposes of assessment or determine the activity's associated educational effects. A convenience sample of nine 4th-year medical students participated in semistructured one-on-one interviews exploring their approaches to managing situations in which they have been challenged with questions from preceptors to which they do not know the answer. Through an iterative and recursive analytic reading of the interview transcripts, data were coded and organized to identify themes relevant to the students' considerations in answering such questions. Students articulated deliberate strategies for managing the directed questioning activity, which at times focused on the optimization of their learning but always included considerations of image management. Managing image involved projecting not only being knowledgeable but also being teachable. The students indicated that their considerations in selecting an appropriate strategy in a given situation involved their perceptions of their preceptors' intentions and preferences as well as several contextual factors. Insights: The medical students we interviewed were quite sophisticated in their understanding of the social nuances of the directed questioning process and described a variety of contextually invoked strategies to manage the situation and maintain a positive image.

Pharmacy student decision making in over-the-counter medicine supply: A critical incident study.

PubMed

McMillan, Sara S; Thangarajah, Thachaayini; Anderson, Claire; Kelly, Fiona

2017-09-28

Various factors influence decision making in over-the-counter (OTC) medicine consultations, yet limited studies have focused, in-depth, on the thought process of pharmacy staff. This includes pharmacy students as pharmacists-in-training. To explore the factors that influence pharmacy students' decisions in relation to OTC consultations and choice of OTC medicine/s. Semi-structured interviews using the critical incident technique were undertaken with ten pharmacy students in Australia, who also worked as part-time pharmacy staff. Nine key themes were identified to influence pharmacy student decision making in OTC consultations, including customer response, confidence and scope of practice. Product requests were reported as more challenging due to customer expectations and experiences in other pharmacies, states or countries. Although negative customer response influenced some students to supply medicines in contradiction of evidence, an overarching concern for safety meant that a medicine was only supplied if unlikely to cause harm. Students reported developing confidence in OTC decision making more from real-life practice than university training; greater confidence was identified for inquiries more frequently experienced in the pharmacy. Students perceived that customers had assumptions around support staff, and were happier to talk to students than assistants. This study further identified that OTC decision making is a complex process for pharmacy students. Additional opportunities for experiential learning within this area are suggested, such as work-based placements or in-class activities such as role-plays with simulated patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coming Out in Class: Challenges and Benefits of Active Learning in a Biology Classroom for LGBTQIA Students.

PubMed

Cooper, Katelyn M; Brownell, Sara E

As we transition our undergraduate biology classrooms from traditional lectures to active learning, the dynamics among students become more important. These dynamics can be influenced by student social identities. One social identity that has been unexamined in the context of undergraduate biology is the spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) identities. In this exploratory interview study, we probed the experiences and perceptions of seven students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community. We found that students do not always experience the undergraduate biology classroom to be a welcoming or accepting place for their identities. In contrast to traditional lectures, active-learning classes increase the relevance of their LGBTQIA identities due to the increased interactions among students during group work. Finally, working with other students in active-learning classrooms can present challenges and opportunities for students considering their LGBTQIA identity. These findings indicate that these students' LGBTQIA identities are affecting their experience in the classroom and that there may be specific instructional practices that can mitigate some of the possible obstacles. We hope that this work can stimulate discussions about how to broadly make our active-learning biology classes more inclusive of this specific population of students. © 2016 K. M. Cooper and S. E. Brownell. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Medical students' opportunities to participate and learn from activities at an internal medicine ward: an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Hägg-Martinell, A; Hult, H; Henriksson, P; Kiessling, A

2017-02-14

To optimise medical students' early clerkship is a complex task since it is conducted in a context primarily organised to take care of patients. Previous studies have explored medical students' perceptions of facilitation and hindrance of learning. However, the opportunities for medical student to learn within the culture of acute medicine care have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore how medical students approach, interact and socialise in an acute internal medicine ward context, and how spaces for learning are created and used in such a culture. Ethnographic observations were performed of medical students' interactions and learning during early clerkship at an acute internal medicine care ward. Field notes were taken, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Data analysis was guided by Wenger's theory of communities of practice. 21 medical students and 30 supervisors participated. Two themes were identified: Nervousness and curiosity- students acted nervously and stressed, especially when they could not answer questions. Over time curiosity could evolve. Unexplored opportunities to support students in developing competence to judge and approach more complex patient-related problems were identified. Invited and involved -students were exposed to a huge variation of opportunities to learn, and to interact and to be involved. Short placements seemed to disrupt the learning process. If and how students became involved also depended on supervisors' activities and students' initiatives. This study shed light on how an acute internal medicine ward culture can facilitate medical students' possibilities to participate and learn. Medical students' learning situations were characterised by questions and answers rather than challenging dialogues related to the complexity of presented patient cases. Further, students experienced continuous transfers between learning situations where the potential to be involved differed in a wide variety of ways. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A Crisis in Student Loans? How Changes in the Characteristics of Borrowers and in the Institutions They Attended Contributed to Rising Loan Defaults. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Fall 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Looney, Adam; Yannelis, Constantine

2015-01-01

This paper examines the rise in student loan default and delinquency. It draws on a unique set of administrative data on federal student borrowing matched to earnings records from de-identified tax records. Most of the increase in default is associated with borrowers at for-profit schools, 2-year institutions, and certain other nonselective…

An Investigation between Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sener, Sabriye; Çokçaliskan, Ayten

2018-01-01

Exploring learning style and multiple intelligence type of learners can enable the students to identify their strengths and weaknesses and learn from them. It is also very important for teachers to understand their learners' learning styles and multiple intelligences since they can carefully identify their goals and design activities that can…

A Model for Infusing Energy Concepts into Vocational Education Programs. Advanced Solar Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delta Vocational Technical School, Marked Tree, AR.

This instructional unit consists of materials designed to help students understand terms associated with solar energy; identify components of advanced solar systems; and identify applications of solar energy in business, industry, agriculture, and photovoltaics. Included in the unit are the following materials: suggested activities, instructional…

Reflection on solutions in the form of refutation texts versus problem solving: the case of 8th graders studying simple electric circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safadi, Rafi'; Safadi, Ekhlass; Meidav, Meir

2017-01-01

This study compared students’ learning in troubleshooting and problem solving activities. The troubleshooting activities provided students with solutions to conceptual problems in the form of refutation texts; namely, solutions that portray common misconceptions, refute them, and then present the accepted scientific ideas. They required students to individually diagnose these solutions; that is, to identify the erroneous and correct parts of the solutions and explain in what sense they differed, and later share their work in whole class discussions. The problem solving activities required the students to individually solve these same problems, and later share their work in whole class discussions. We compared the impact of the individual work stage in the troubleshooting and problem solving activities on promoting argumentation in the subsequent class discussions, and the effects of these activities on students’ engagement in self-repair processes; namely, in learning processes that allowed the students to self-repair their misconceptions, and by extension on advancing their conceptual knowledge. Two 8th grade classes studying simple electric circuits with the same teacher took part. One class (28 students) carried out four troubleshooting activities and the other (31 students) four problem solving activities. These activities were interwoven into a twelve lesson unit on simple electric circuits that was spread over a period of 2 months. The impact of the troubleshooting activities on students’ conceptual knowledge was significantly higher than that of the problem solving activities. This result is consistent with the finding that the troubleshooting activities engaged students in self-repair processes whereas the problem solving activities did not. The results also indicated that diagnosing solutions to conceptual problems in the form of refutation texts, as opposed to solving these same problems, apparently triggered argumentation in subsequent class discussions, even though the teacher was unfamiliar with the best ways to conduct argumentative classroom discussions. We account for these results and suggest possible directions for future research.

Multilevel analyses of school and children's characteristics associated with physical activity.

PubMed

Gomes, Thayse Natacha; dos Santos, Fernanda K; Zhu, Weimo; Eisenmann, Joey; Maia, José A R

2014-10-01

Children spend most of their awake time at school, and it is important to identify individual and school-level correlates of their physical activity (PA) levels. This study aimed to identify the between-school variability in Portuguese children PA and to investigate student and school PA correlates using multilevel modeling. The sample included 1075 Portuguese children of both sexes, aged 6-10 years, from 24 schools. Height and weight were measured and body mass index (BMI) was estimated. Physical activity was estimated using the Godin and Shephard questionnaire (total PA score was used); cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated with the 1-mile run/walk test. A structured inventory was used to access information about the school environment. A multilevel analysis (level-1: student-level; level-2: school-level) was used. Student-level variables (age, sex, 1-mile run/walk test) explained 7% of the 64% variance fraction of the individual-level PA; however, school context explained approximately 36% of the total PA variance. Variables included in the model (school size, school setting, playground area, frequency and duration of physical education class, and qualification of physical education teacher) are responsible for 80% of the context variance. School environment is an important correlate of PA among children, enhancing children's opportunities for being active and healthy. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Self-diagnosis as a tool for supporting students’ conceptual understanding and achievements in physics: the case of 8th-graders studying force and motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safadi, Rafi'

2017-01-01

I examined the impact of a self-diagnosis activity on students’ conceptual understanding and achievements in physics. This activity requires students to self-diagnose their solutions to problems that they have solved on their own—namely, to identify and explain their errors—and self-score them—that is, assign scores to their solutions—aided by a rubric demonstrating how to solve each problem step by step. I also examined a common practice in the physics classroom in which teachers manage a whole class discussion during which they solve, together with their students, problems that students had solved on their own. Three 8th-grade classes studying force and motion with the same teacher participated. Students were first taught the unit in force and motion. Then a first summative exam was administered. Next, two classes (59 students) were assigned to the self-diagnosis activity and the other class to the whole class discussion (27 students). To assess students’ learning with these activities, a repeat exam was administered. Results suggest that at least for teachers who are not competent in managing argumentative class discussions, the self-diagnosis activity is more effective than the whole class discussion in advancing students’ conceptual understanding and achievements. I account for these results and suggest possible directions for future research.

Identifying Creative Activities in Preschool Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keily, Margaret Mary

This study compared the creative self-direction, creative behavior, and creative activities of preschool children to determine if students and teachers trained in the creative process and in observation techniques can, with reliability, observe the creative potential of young children. Creative abilities of 155 children from four preschool centers…

Getting Behind the Newspaper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nebraska State Dept. of Education, Lincoln.

A number of learning center activities designed to help elementary school students learn to read a newspaper intelligently are presented in this guide. Specific activities deal with newspaper vocabulary, using an index, identifying the five "W's" in a news article, editorials, characteristics of various kinds of newspaper cartoons (advertising,…

Music Listening Is Creative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratus, John

2017-01-01

Active music listening is a creative activity in that the listener constructs a uniquely personal musical experience. Most approaches to teaching music listening emphasize a conceptual approach in which students learn to identify various characteristics of musical sound. Unfortunately, this type of listening is rarely done outside of schools. This…

Looking at Leaves.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nature Study, 1998

1998-01-01

Presents a Project Learning Tree (PLT) activity that allows students to describe how leaf characteristics vary from tree to tree and how these characteristics can be used to identify trees. This lesson plan features a description of levels, skills, objectives, materials, enrichment activities, assessment strategies, and a listing of related PLT…

Development, Evaluation and Use of a Student Experience Survey in Undergraduate Science Laboratories: The Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory Student Laboratory Learning Experience Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrie, Simon C.; Bucat, Robert B.; Buntine, Mark A.; Burke da Silva, Karen; Crisp, Geoffrey T.; George, Adrian V.; Jamie, Ian M.; Kable, Scott H.; Lim, Kieran F.; Pyke, Simon M.; Read, Justin R.; Sharma, Manjula D.; Yeung, Alexandra

2015-07-01

Student experience surveys have become increasingly popular to probe various aspects of processes and outcomes in higher education, such as measuring student perceptions of the learning environment and identifying aspects that could be improved. This paper reports on a particular survey for evaluating individual experiments that has been developed over some 15 years as part of a large national Australian study pertaining to the area of undergraduate laboratories-Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory. This paper reports on the development of the survey instrument and the evaluation of the survey using student responses to experiments from different institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. A total of 3153 student responses have been analysed using factor analysis. Three factors, motivation, assessment and resources, have been identified as contributing to improved student attitudes to laboratory activities. A central focus of the survey is to provide feedback to practitioners to iteratively improve experiments. Implications for practitioners and researchers are also discussed.

A New Generation of Leaders for Eastern Europe: Values and Attitudes for Active Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphreys, Melanie J.

2011-01-01

Higher education has a crucial role in developing active citizenship within students. Even though active citizenship skills and competencies have been identified as essential life skills for Europe there is very little progress to date in establishing measures or indicators as to how this might be accomplished. This study provides the first data…

An investigation into the factors that encourage learner participation in a large group medical classroom.

PubMed

Moffett, Jennifer; Berezowski, John; Spencer, Dustine; Lanning, Shari

2014-01-01

Effective lectures often incorporate activities that encourage learner participation. A challenge for educators is how to facilitate this in the large group lecture setting. This study investigates the individual student characteristics involved in encouraging (or dissuading) learners to interact, ask questions, and make comments in class. Students enrolled in a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St Kitts, were invited to complete a questionnaire canvassing their participation in the large group classroom. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed using Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA) and the R software environment (http://www.r-project.org/). One hundred and ninety-two students completed the questionnaire (response rate, 85.7%). The results showed statistically significant differences between male and female students when asked to self-report their level of participation (P=0.011) and their confidence to participate (P<0.001) in class. No statistically significant difference was identified between different age groups of students (P=0.594). Student responses reflected that an "aversion to public speaking" acted as the main deterrent to participating during a lecture. Female participants were 3.56 times more likely to report a fear of public speaking than male participants (odds ratio 3.56, 95% confidence interval 1.28-12.33, P=0.01). Students also reported "smaller sizes of class and small group activities" and "other students participating" as factors that made it easier for them to participate during a lecture. In this study, sex likely played a role in learner participation in the large group veterinary classroom. Male students were more likely to participate in class and reported feeling more confident to participate than female students. Female students in this study commonly identified aversion to public speaking as a factor which held them back from participating in the large group lecture setting. These are important findings for veterinary and medical educators aiming to improve learner participation in the classroom. Potential ways of addressing this challenge include addition of small group activities and audience response systems during lectures, and inclusion of training interventions in public speaking at an early stage of veterinary and medical curricula.

The Totem Pole Recycled.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sewall, Susan Breyer

1991-01-01

Presents an activity that integrates science, environmental education, art, and social studies. Students identify and research an endangered species and construct a totem pole depicting the species using a recyclable material. (MDH)

Experiment Clarifies Buoyancy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oguz, Ayse; Yurumezoglu, Kemal

2008-01-01

This article presents a simple activity using Archimedes' principle that helps students to develop their scientific thinking and also to identify and correct their misconceptions. The exercise consists of linear and reverse processes.

Learning style preferences of Australian health science students.

PubMed

Zoghi, Maryam; Brown, Ted; Williams, Brett; Roller, Louis; Jaberzadeh, Shapour; Palermo, Claire; McKenna, Lisa; Wright, Caroline; Baird, Marilyn; Schneider-Kolsky, Michal; Hewitt, Lesley; Sim, Jenny; Holt, Tangerine-Ann

2010-01-01

It has been identified that health science student groups may have distinctive learning needs. By university educators' and professional fieldwork supervisors' being aware of the unique learning style preferences of health science students, they have the capacity to adjust their teaching approaches to best fit with their students' learning preferences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning style preferences of a group of Australian health science students enrolled in 10 different disciplines. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory was distributed to 2,885 students enrolled in dietetics and nutrition, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, paramedics, pharmacy, physiotherapy, radiation therapy, radiography, and social work at one Australian university. A total of 752 usable survey forms were returned (response rate 26%). The results indicated the converger learning style to be most frequently preferred by health science students and that the diverger and accommodator learning styles were the least preferred. It is recommended that educators take learning style preferences of health science students into consideration when planning, implementing, and evaluating teaching activities, such as including more problem-solving activities that fit within the converger learning style.

Competency-based curriculum and active methodology: perceptions of nursing students.

PubMed

Paranhos, Vania Daniele; Mendes, Maria Manuela Rino

2010-01-01

This study identifies the perceptions of undergraduate students at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, College of Nursing (EERP-USP) concerning the teaching-learning process in two courses: Integrated Seminar: Health-Disease/Care Process in Health Services Policies and Organization, which was offered to first-year students in 2005 and 2006 and Integrality in Health Care I and II, which was offered to second-year students in 2006. The courses proposal was to adopt active methodology and competency-based curriculum. Data were collected from written tests submitted to 62 students at the end of the curse, focusing on the tests pertinence, development of performance, structure and pedagogical dynamics, organization and settings. Thematic analysis indicated that students enjoyed the courses, highlighted the role of the professor/facilitator at points of the pedagogical cycle and learning recorded in students portfolios. Students valued their experience in the Primary Health Care setting, which was based on, and has since the beginning of the program been based on, the theory-professional practice interlocution and closeness to the principles of the Unified Health System (SUS).

An elective course in aromatherapy science.

PubMed

Esposito, Emily R; Bystrek, Mary V; Klein, JoAnn S

2014-05-15

To evaluate the impact of an innovative team-taught elective course on second-year (P2) students' knowledge and skills relating to the relationship between aromatherapy and pharmacy. An Aromatherapy Science elective course was offered to P2 students in an accelerated doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree program and was designed to provide an elective course experience while focusing on active-learning skills such as group work, student-led presentations, and in-class activities. Lectures were designed to reinforce core curricular threads from the basic sciences within the pharmaceutical sciences department while highlighting key aromatherapy principles. Course evaluations, grades, and student self-assessments were used to evaluate student fulfillment and knowledge gained. Students agreed this hands-on course integrated pharmaceutical science experiences, enriched their pharmacy education, and provided knowledge to enhance their confidence in describing essential oil uses, drug interactions, and key aromatherapy clinical implications. Students agreed this course prepared them to identify essential oil therapeutic uses and potential essential oil-drug interactions, and interpret literature. The introduction of aromatherapy principles to pharmacy students will prepare a new generation of healthcare professionals on the role of alternative medicines.

[Medical students and drug marketing].

PubMed

Calderón Larrañaga, Sara; Rabanaque Hernández, María José

2014-03-01

To determine the exposure of medical students to the marketing activities of the pharmaceutical industry, and identify their opinions and attitudes, and also the possible effects this exposure on their training and future professional practice. Descriptive cross-sectional. University of Zaragoza Faculty of Medicine. Third, fourth, fifth and sixth year medical students. The information was obtained using a previously adapted, self-report questionnaire on the exposure, attitudes and perceived suitability of drug marketing activities. Percentages were calculated for the categorical variables, applying the chi squared test for the comparison between the groups. A logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with their attitudes towards these activities. A total of 369 questionnaires were returned (93% of those attending classes). The exposure to marketing activities is high, particularly in the clinical stage (78.6% said to have received a gift non-educational gift). The students recognised the possible biases and repercussions in professional practice, although with ambiguity and contradictions. The most accepted activities are those associated with training, and the most critical attitudes appear in the clinical stage, particularly in the sixth year. Exposure to drug marketing by medical students and its possible training and professional effects is frequent and significant. The training environment is particularly open to promotional activities. The differences observed in the later years suggest the need for a specific curriculum subject and development of reflective attitudes by the students themselves. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Does the Consecutive Interpreting Approach enhance medical English communication skills of Japanese-speaking students?

PubMed

Iizuka, Hideki; Lefor, Alan K

2018-04-19

To determine if the Consecutive Interpreting Approach enhances medical English communication skills of students in a Japanese medical university and to assess this method based on performance and student evaluations.  This is a three-phase study using a mixed-methods design, which starts with four language reproduction activities for 30 medical and 95 nursing students, followed by a quantitative analysis of perfect-match reproduction rates to assess changes over the duration of the study and qualitative error analysis of participants' language reproduction. The final stage included a scored course evaluation and free-form comments to evaluate this approach and to identify effective educational strategies to enhance medical English communication skills. Mean perfect-match reproduction rates of all participants over four reproduction activities differed statistically significantly (repeated measures ANOVA, p<0.0005). The overall perfect-match reproduction rates improved from 75.3 % to 90.1 % for nursing and 89.5 % to 91.6% for medical students. The final achievement levels of nursing and medical students were equivalent (test of equivalence, p<0.05). Details of lexical- and syntactic-level errors were identified. The course evaluation scores were 3.74 (n=30, SD = 0.59) and 3.77 (n=90, SD=0.54) for medical and nursing students respectively. Participants' medical English communication skills are enhanced using this approach. Participants expressed positive feedback regarding this instruction method. This approach may be effective to enhance the language skills of non-native English-speaking students seeking to practice medicine in English speaking countries.

Does the Consecutive Interpreting Approach enhance medical English communication skills of Japanese-speaking students?

PubMed Central

Lefor, Alan K.

2018-01-01

Objectives To determine if the Consecutive Interpreting Approach enhances medical English communication skills of students in a Japanese medical university and to assess this method based on performance and student evaluations.   Methods  This is a three-phase study using a mixed-methods design, which starts with four language reproduction activities for 30 medical and 95 nursing students, followed by a quantitative analysis of perfect-match reproduction rates to assess changes over the duration of the study and qualitative error analysis of participants' language reproduction. The final stage included a scored course evaluation and free-form comments to evaluate this approach and to identify effective educational strategies to enhance medical English communication skills. Results Mean perfect-match reproduction rates of all participants over four reproduction activities differed statistically significantly (repeated measures ANOVA, p<0.0005). The overall perfect-match reproduction rates improved from 75.3 % to 90.1 % for nursing and 89.5 % to 91.6% for medical students. The final achievement levels of nursing and medical students were equivalent (test of equivalence, p<0.05). Details of lexical- and syntactic-level errors were identified. The course evaluation scores were 3.74 (n=30, SD = 0.59) and 3.77 (n=90, SD=0.54) for medical and nursing students respectively. Conclusions Participants’ medical English communication skills are enhanced using this approach. Participants expressed positive feedback regarding this instruction method. This approach may be effective to enhance the language skills of non-native English-speaking students seeking to practice medicine in English speaking countries. PMID:29677693

Antibiotic discovery throughout the Small World Initiative: A molecular strategy to identify biosynthetic gene clusters involved in antagonistic activity.

PubMed

Davis, Elizabeth; Sloan, Tyler; Aurelius, Krista; Barbour, Angela; Bodey, Elijah; Clark, Brigette; Dennis, Celeste; Drown, Rachel; Fleming, Megan; Humbert, Allison; Glasgo, Elizabeth; Kerns, Trent; Lingro, Kelly; McMillin, MacKenzie; Meyer, Aaron; Pope, Breanna; Stalevicz, April; Steffen, Brittney; Steindl, Austin; Williams, Carolyn; Wimberley, Carmen; Zenas, Robert; Butela, Kristen; Wildschutte, Hans

2017-06-01

The emergence of bacterial pathogens resistant to all known antibiotics is a global health crisis. Adding to this problem is that major pharmaceutical companies have shifted away from antibiotic discovery due to low profitability. As a result, the pipeline of new antibiotics is essentially dry and many bacteria now resist the effects of most commonly used drugs. To address this global health concern, citizen science through the Small World Initiative (SWI) was formed in 2012. As part of SWI, students isolate bacteria from their local environments, characterize the strains, and assay for antibiotic production. During the 2015 fall semester at Bowling Green State University, students isolated 77 soil-derived bacteria and genetically characterized strains using the 16S rRNA gene, identified strains exhibiting antagonistic activity, and performed an expanded SWI workflow using transposon mutagenesis to identify a biosynthetic gene cluster involved in toxigenic compound production. We identified one mutant with loss of antagonistic activity and through subsequent whole-genome sequencing and linker-mediated PCR identified a 24.9 kb biosynthetic gene locus likely involved in inhibitory activity in that mutant. Further assessment against human pathogens demonstrated the inhibition of Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of this compound, thus supporting our molecular strategy as an effective research pipeline for SWI antibiotic discovery and genetic characterization. © 2017 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Verbal and nonverbal behavior of ability-grouped dyads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, M. Gail; Carter, Glenda

In this study we describe the social interactions of ability-grouped dyads as they constructed knowledge of balance concepts to elucidate the relationship between interactions and conceptual growth. The verbal and nonverbal behaviors of 30 fifth-grade students were recorded as they completed three activities related to balance. These student interactions were examined within a framework of social cognition. For each dyad, characteristics of ability-grouped dyads were identified. Results revealed that high-achieving students effectively used prior experiences, maintained focus on the learning task, and were able to manipulate the equipment effectively to construct knowledge. Low-achieving students exhibited off-task behavior, lacked a metacognitive framework for organizing the learning tasks, centered on irrelevant features of the equipment, and were unable to use language effectively to mediate learning. Within low-high student dyads, high-achieving students typically modeled thinking processes and strategies for manipulating equipment. In addition, they focused the low-achieving students on the components of the tasks while verbally monitoring their progress, thus enabling low students to identify the critical features necessary for concept construction. These results highlighted the differences that students have in the use of language and tools. Low students' inefficient use of tools has implications for the ways science teachers structure lessons and group students for laboratory work.Received: 8 March 1993; Revised: 6 January 1994;

Who perceives they are smarter? Exploring the influence of student characteristics on student academic self-concept in physiology.

PubMed

Cooper, Katelyn M; Krieg, Anna; Brownell, Sara E

2018-06-01

Academic self-concept is one's perception of his or her ability in an academic domain and is formed by comparing oneself to other students. As college biology classrooms transition from lecturing to active learning, students interact more with each other and are likely comparing themselves more to other students in the class. Student characteristics can impact students' academic self-concept; however, this has been unexplored in the context of undergraduate biology. In this study, we explored whether student characteristics can affect academic self-concept in the context of an active learning college physiology course. Using a survey, students self-reported how smart they perceived themselves to be in the context of physiology relative to the whole class and relative to their groupmate, the student with whom they worked most closely in class. Using linear regression, we found that men and native English speakers had significantly higher academic self-concept relative to the whole class compared with women and nonnative English speakers. Using logistic regression, we found that men had significantly higher academic self-concept relative to their groupmate compared with women. Using constant comparison methods, we identified nine factors that students reported influenced how they determined whether they were more or less smart than their groupmate. Finally, we found that students were more likely to report participating more than their groupmate if they had a higher academic self-concept. These findings suggest that student characteristics can influence students' academic self-concept, which in turn may influence their participation in small-group discussion and their academic achievement in active learning classes.

An Investigation of a Two-Tier Test Strategy in a University Calculus Course: Causes versus Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Tzu Chi; Chen, Sherry Y.; Chen, Meng Chang

2016-01-01

Online tests have been identified as a core learning activity in higher education. Unlike conventional online tests, which cannot completely reflect students' learning status, two-tier tests not only consider students' answers, but also take into account reasons for their answers. Due to such significance, research into the two-tier tests had…

Coastal Residents, Stingray Style: Selecting the Best Intertidal Creeks for Seasonal Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Sarah; Carla Curran, Mary

2017-01-01

Graphing and calculating percentages are integral skills in a STEM curriculum. Teaching students how to create graphs allows them to identify numerical trends and to express results in a clear and concise manner. In this activity, students will remain engaged in the lesson by moving around the room and then work together to generate their own…

The Concept of Culture and Sojourner Assimilation into the Host Environment: An Example of Foreign Students in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okoli, Emeka Jonathan

Accepting a definition of culture as "the total accumulation of an identifiable group's beliefs, norms, activities, institutions, and communication patterns," this paper, in an extensive literature review, conjectures that the environment has a far-reaching impact on the performance of the foreign student in the United States. The paper…

Small Schools Social Studies Curriculum, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Small schools will find this social studies curriculum guide for grades K-3 helpful in complying with Washington state education laws that require districts to identify student learning objectives and evaluate each student's performance relative to the attainment of the objectives. This curriculum, developed during 1975 and 1976 by teachers and…

Using Target Heart-Rate Zones in Your Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Jennie A.

2005-01-01

Should teachers teach the calculation of target heart rate to students? And when is it appropriate to engage students in the attainment of these heart rates during physical education class activities? The answers to these questions are not easy. One might be tempted to state a simple yes or no and to identify a specific age to begin using training…

The Cultural Exchange, A Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Multicultural Education Curriculum for Grades 4-8. North Country Chronicles. Teacher Manual [and] Test Booklet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humboldt County Office of Education, Eureka, CA.

The document presents historical data and activities for students in grades 4-8 to research and explore the ethnocultural history of Humboldt County, California. Objectives are for students to identify unique geographical characteristics of their county and how these characteristics influence ways of living, examine relationships between American…

Fab! or Drab?: Increasing the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning in Summer Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omelicheva, Mariya Y.

2012-01-01

This article reviews the pitfalls and benefits of teaching and learning in summer school and identifies the lack of student interest as the key factor affecting the effectiveness of learning in the summer. The primary goal of this research is to investigate the impact of active learning strategies on generating student interest and improving their…

Maintaining Foreign Language Skills for the Advanced-Course Dropout. ERIC Focus Reports on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grittner, Frank M.

The nationwide need for maintenance of skills programs for students who discontinue their language studies 1-3 years before college is explained. Figures based on a national questionnaire identify the extent of this need, and possible program objectives and structure are suggested. Major attention is directed to such student activities as…

A Classroom Exercise in Spatial Analysis Using an Imaginary Data Set.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopaska-Merkel, David C.

One skill that elementary students need to acquire is the ability to analyze spatially distributed data. In this activity students are asked to complete the following tasks: (1) plot a set of data (related to "mud-sharks"--an imaginary fish) on a map of the state of Alabama, (2) identify trends in the data, (3) make graphs using the data…

Active transportation to support diabetes prevention: Expanding school health promotion programming in an Indigenous community.

PubMed

Macridis, Soultana; Garcia Bengoechea, Enrique; McComber, Alex M; Jacobs, Judi; Macaulay, Ann C

2016-06-01

School-based physical activity (PA) interventions, including school active transportation (AT), provide opportunities to increase daily PA levels, improves fitness, and reduces risk of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Based on a community-identified need, the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project, within an Indigenous community, undertook school travel planning to contribute to PA programming for two elementary schools. Using community-based participatory research, the Active & Safe Routes to School's School Travel Planning (STP) process was undertaken in two schools with an STP-Committee comprised of community stakeholders and researchers. STP activities were adapted for local context including: school profile form, family survey, in-class travel survey, pedestrian-traffic observations, walkability checklist, and student mapping. STP data were jointly collected, analyzed and interpreted by researchers and community. Traffic-pedestrian observations, walkability and parent surveys identified key pedestrian-traffic locations, helped develop safe/direct routes, and traffic calming strategies. In-class travel and mapping surveys identified a need and student desire to increase school AT. The STP-Committee translated findings into STP-action plans for two schools, which were implemented in 2014-2015 school year. Combining CBPR with STP merges community and researcher expertise. This project offered evidence-informed practice for active living promotions. Experience and findings could benefit Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Facebook as an informal learning environment.

PubMed

Cain, Jeff; Policastri, Anne

2011-12-15

To create, implement, and assess the effectiveness of an optional Facebook activity intended to expose students to contemporary business issues not covered in the core content of a pharmacy management and leadership course and to perspectives of experts and thought leaders external to their university. An informal learning strategy was used to create a Facebook group page and guest experts were identified and invited to submit posts pertaining to business-related topics. Students were given instructions for joining the Facebook group but informed that participation was optional. A mixed-methods approach using a student questionnaire, results on examination questions, and a student focus group was used to assess this activity. The informal design with no posting guidelines and no participation requirement was well received by students, who appreciated the unique learning environment and exposure to external experts. Facebook provides an informal learning environment for presenting contemporary topics and the thoughts of guest experts not affiliated with a college or school, thereby exposing students to relevant "real world" issues.

Using Facebook as an Informal Learning Environment

PubMed Central

Policastri, Anne

2011-01-01

Objective. To create, implement, and assess the effectiveness of an optional Facebook activity intended to expose students to contemporary business issues not covered in the core content of a pharmacy management and leadership course and to perspectives of experts and thought leaders external to their university. Design. An informal learning strategy was used to create a Facebook group page and guest experts were identified and invited to submit posts pertaining to business-related topics. Students were given instructions for joining the Facebook group but informed that participation was optional. Assessment. A mixed-methods approach using a student questionnaire, results on examination questions, and a student focus group was used to assess this activity. The informal design with no posting guidelines and no participation requirement was well received by students, who appreciated the unique learning environment and exposure to external experts. Conclusions. Facebook provides an informal learning environment for presenting contemporary topics and the thoughts of guest experts not affiliated with a college or school, thereby exposing students to relevant “real world” issues. PMID:22345726

Aspects of science engagement, student background, and school characteristics: Impacts on science achievement of U.S. students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grabau, Larry J.

Science achievement of U.S. students has lagged significantly behind other nations; educational reformers have suggested science engagement may enhance this critical measure. The 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) was science-focused and measured science achievement along with nine aspects of science engagement: science self-efficacy, science self-concept, enjoyment of science, general interest in learning science, instrumental motivation for science, future-oriented science motivation, general value of science, personal value of science, and science-related activities. I used multilevel modeling techniques to address both aspects of science engagement and science achievement as outcome variables in the context of student background and school characteristics. Treating aspects of science engagement as outcome variables provided tests for approaches for their enhancement; meanwhile, treating science achievement as the outcome variable provided tests for the influence of the aspects of science engagement on science achievement under appropriate controls. When aspects of science engagement were treated as outcome variables, gender and father's SES had frequent (significant) influences, as did science teaching strategies which focused on applications or models and hands-on activities over-and-above influences of student background and other school characteristics. When science achievement was treated as the outcome variable, each aspect of science engagement was significant, and eight had medium or large effect sizes (future-oriented science motivation was the exception). The science teaching strategy which involved hands-on activities frequently enhanced science achievement over-and-above influences of student background and other school characteristics. Policy recommendations for U.S. science educators included enhancing eight aspects of science engagement and implementing two specific science teaching strategies (focus on applications or models and hands-on activities). Focused implementation of these research findings could enhance both science engagement and science achievement of U.S. students. I identified five keylimitations of my research project: the age of the dataset, the lack of racial/ethnic identifiers, the low proportion of student-level variance accounted for by multilevel models with aspects of science engagement as outcome variables, the lack of class-level measures, and the lack of inclusion of students' epistemological and fixed/flexible beliefs. These limitations provide opportunities for further investigations into these critical issues in science education.

Entrepreneurial model based technology creative industries sector software through the use of free open source software for Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, B.; Hasbullah; Purnama, W.; Hery, A.

2016-04-01

Creative industry development areas of software by using Free Open Source Software (FOSS) is expected to be one of the solutions to foster new entrepreneurs of the students who can open job opportunities and contribute to economic development in Indonesia. This study aims to create entrepreneurial coaching model based on the creative industries by utilizing FOSS software field as well as provide understanding and fostering entrepreneurial creative industries based field software for students of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. This activity phase begins with identifying entrepreneurs or business software technology that will be developed, training and mentoring, apprenticeship process at industrial partners, creation of business plans and monitoring and evaluation. This activity involves 30 UPI student which has the motivation to self-employment and have competence in the field of information technology. The results and outcomes expected from these activities is the birth of a number of new entrepreneurs from the students engaged in the software industry both software in the world of commerce (e-commerce) and education/learning (e-learning/LMS) and games.

Examining the effects of an experiential interprofessional education activity with older adults.

PubMed

Conti, Gerry; Bowers, Cassandra; O'Connell, Mary Beth; Bruer, Stephen; Bugdalski-Stutrud, Carol; Smith, Geralynn; Bickes, Joan; Mendez, Jennifer

2016-01-01

The need for experienced healthcare professionals to work with older adults is great, yet educational training is limited. In this interprofessional education (IPE) study, 861 students from five professions made 293 visits in the homes or preferred community settings of 208 older adults. Surveys with quantitative and open-text feedback assessed attitudes towards older adults, IPE team functioning, and the value of home visits. Survey results showed strongly positive attitudes towards ageing and older adults. Students from all professions expressed surprise and admiration for the active lives led by these healthier older adults, lives clearly in contrast to stereotypes of ageing. They further acknowledged the value of collaborative team functioning in meeting older adult needs, learned more about the roles and responsibilities of other professions, and identified strengths of the home as a site for care. Students positively valued the experience as part of their professional training, with 82% of all students stating they would welcome additional IPE opportunities. Results suggest that an experiential IPE activity can positively shape student attitudes towards older adults, IPE, and interprofessional collaboration.

Chinese baccalaureate nursing students' readiness for self-directed learning.

PubMed

Yuan, Hao Bin; Williams, Beverly A; Fang, Jin Bo; Pang, Dong

2012-05-01

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 536 Chinese nursing students to explore students' readiness for self-directed learning (SDL). The Self-Directed Learning Readiness (SDLR) Scale for nursing education (Chinese translation version) was used. The value of the content validity index tested by five experts was 0.915. A measure of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.925 on the total scale. Students possessed readiness for SDL with a mean score of 157.72 (S.D.=15.08, 62.3% in high level, and 37.7% in low level). The attributes of Chinese students, such as a strong sense of responsibility and perseverance, due diligence and rigorous self-discipline, enable students to take the initiative and responsibility for their own learning. The existing variation in students' readiness for SDL is helpful in identifying student characteristics that might be used to modify learning activities for these students. Senior students had higher scores for SDLR than junior students. This finding likely reflects the maturational process of developing self-directedness. Promoting SDL skills is a challenging process for faculty members and students. It is helpful if nurse educators assess the learning styles and preferences of their students in order to determine the level of SDL activities to include from year to year in the curriculum. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Student Use of Physics to Make Sense of Incomplete but Functional VPython Programs in a Lab Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherford, Shawn A.

2011-12-01

Computational activities in Matter & Interactions, an introductory calculus-based physics course, have the instructional goal of providing students with the experience of applying the same set of a small number of fundamental principles to model a wide range of physical systems. However there are significant instructional challenges for students to build computer programs under limited time constraints, especially for students who are unfamiliar with programming languages and concepts. Prior attempts at designing effective computational activities were successful at having students ultimately build working VPython programs under the tutelage of experienced teaching assistants in a studio lab setting. A pilot study revealed that students who completed these computational activities had significant difficultly repeating the exact same tasks and further, had difficulty predicting the animation that would be produced by the example program after interpreting the program code. This study explores the interpretation and prediction tasks as part of an instructional sequence where students are asked to read and comprehend a functional, but incomplete program. Rather than asking students to begin their computational tasks with modifying program code, we explicitly ask students to interpret an existing program that is missing key lines of code. The missing lines of code correspond to the algebraic form of fundamental physics principles or the calculation of forces which would exist between analogous physical objects in the natural world. Students are then asked to draw a prediction of what they would see in the simulation produced by the VPython program and ultimately run the program to evaluate the students' prediction. This study specifically looks at how the participants use physics while interpreting the program code and creating a whiteboard prediction. This study also examines how students evaluate their understanding of the program and modification goals at the beginning of the modification task. While working in groups over the course of a semester, study participants were recorded while they completed three activities using these incomplete programs. Analysis of the video data showed that study participants had little difficulty interpreting physics quantities, generating a prediction, or determining how to modify the incomplete program. Participants did not base their prediction solely from the information from the incomplete program. When participants tried to predict the motion of the objects in the simulation, many turned to their knowledge of how the system would evolve if it represented an analogous real-world physical system. For example, participants attributed the real-world behavior of springs to helix objects even though the program did not include calculations for the spring to exert a force when stretched. Participants rarely interpreted lines of code in the computational loop during the first computational activity, but this changed during latter computational activities with most participants using their physics knowledge to interpret the computational loop. Computational activities in the Matter & Interactions curriculum were revised in light of these findings to include an instructional sequence of tasks to build a comprehension of the example program. The modified activities also ask students to create an additional whiteboard prediction for the time-evolution of the real-world phenomena which the example program will eventually model. This thesis shows how comprehension tasks identified by Palinscar and Brown (1984) as effective in improving reading comprehension are also effective in helping students apply their physics knowledge to interpret a computer program which attempts to model a real-world phenomena and identify errors in their understanding of the use, or omission, of fundamental physics principles in a computational model.

What do faculty feel about teaching in this school? assessment of medical education environment by teachers.

PubMed

Shehnaz, Syed Ilyas; Arifulla, Mohamed; Sreedharan, Jayadevan; Gomathi, Kadayam Guruswami

2017-01-01

Faculty members are major stakeholders in curriculum delivery, and positive student learning outcomes can only be expected in an educational environment (EE) conducive to learning. EE experienced by teachers includes all conditions affecting teaching and learning activities. As the EE of teachers indirectly influences the EE of students, assessment of teachers' perceptions of EE can highlight issues affecting student learning. These perceptions can also serve as a valuable tool for identifying faculty development needs. In this study, we have used the Assessment of Medical Education Environment by Teachers (AMEET) inventory as a tool to assess medical teachers' perceptions of the EE. The AMEET inventory was used to assess perceptions regarding various domains of EE by teachers teaching undergraduate students at the College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates. Median total, domain, and individual statement scores were compared between groups using Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Teaching-learning activities, learning atmosphere, collaborative atmosphere, and professional self-perceptions were identified as strengths of the EE while time allocated for various teaching-learning activities, preparedness of students, levels of student stress, learning atmosphere in hospital, and support system for stressed faculty members were areas necessitating improvement. The scores of faculty members teaching in basic medical sciences were found to be significantly higher than those in clinical sciences. The EE of this medical college was generally perceived as being positive by faculty although a few areas of concern were highlighted. Strengths and weaknesses of the EE from the teachers' point of view provide important feedback to curriculum planners, which can be used to improve the working environment of the faculty as well as facilitate a better direction and focus to faculty development programs being planned for the future.

Diagnosing students' misconceptions in algebra: results from an experimental pilot study.

PubMed

Russell, Michael; O'Dwyer, Laura M; Miranda, Helena

2009-05-01

Computer-based diagnostic assessment systems hold potential to help teachers identify sources of poor performance and to connect teachers and students to learning activities designed to help advance students' conceptual understandings. The present article presents findings from a study that examined how students' performance in algebra and their overcoming of common algebraic misconceptions were affected by the use of a diagnostic assessment system that focused on important algebra concepts. This study used a four-group randomized cluster trial design in which teachers were assigned randomly to one of four groups: a "business as usual" control group, a partial intervention group that was provided with access to diagnostic tests results, a partial intervention group that was provided with access to the learning activities, and a full intervention group that was given access to the test results and learning activities. Data were collected from 905 students (6th-12th grade) nested within 44 teachers. We used hierarchical linear modeling techniques to compare the effects of full, partial, and no (control) intervention on students' algebraic ability and misconceptions. The analyses indicate that full intervention had a net positive effect on ability and misconception measures.

Investigating the Relationship among Extracurricular Activities, Learning Approach and Academic Outcomes: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Yiu-Kong

2016-01-01

Learning effectiveness requires an understanding of the relationship among extracurricular activities, learning approach and academic performance and, it is argued, this helps educators develop techniques designed to enrich learning effectiveness. Biggs' Presage-Process-Product model on student learning has identified the relationship among…

The Good, the Bad and the Dead! Using Encyclopedias.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Annette

1998-01-01

Presents a lesson plan in which students use an encyclopedia to research a famous person. Identifies library media skills objectives, curriculum (subject area objectives), grade levels (4 and 5), resources, instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, evaluation guidelines, and follow-up activities. Includes a sample worksheet.…

Encouraging Preadolescent Emotional Intelligence through Leadership Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarado, John Henry

2010-01-01

The study sought to determine effects of leadership activity on emotional intelligence in preadolescents. Ninety-two Central California Valley sixth grade students in two schools and four classes were assessed on emotional intelligence. Treatment and comparison groups were identified. A Two-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA examined change over time…

Teaching Strategy: Using the Civil Law Poster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Update on Law-Related Education, 1997

1997-01-01

Presents a series of instructional activities to be used in conjunction with a poster that identifies types of cases and processes associated with civil law. Includes procedures for the instructional activities, objectives, a poster, and student handouts using tables and graphs to illustrate current facts about tort law. (MJP)

Machiavelli's "The Prince." [Lesson Plan].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Discovery Communications, Inc., Bethesda, MD.

Based on Machiavelli's book "The Prince," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that Machiavelli's enumeration of leadership qualities for a prince has always been controversial; and that leaders and followers may differ in what they identify as the qualities of a good leader. The main activity of the lesson…

MoveU? Assessing a Social Marketing Campaign to Promote Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarapicchia, Tanya M. F.; Sabiston, Catherine M. F.; Brownrigg, Michelle; Blackburn-Evans, Althea; Cressy, Jill; Robb, Janine; Faulkner, Guy E. J.

2015-01-01

Objective: MoveU is a social marketing initiative aimed at increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among undergraduate students. Using the Hierarchy of Effects model (HOEM), this study identified awareness of MoveU and examined associations between awareness, outcome expectations, self-efficacy, intentions, and MVPA. Participants:…

Transforming Sustainability Development Education in Malaysian Schools through Greening Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanifah, Mahat; Shaharudin, Idrus; Mohmadisa, Hashim; Nasir, Nayan; Yazid, Saleh

2015-01-01

This article aims to evaluate the practice of sustainability among Malaysian Secondary Schools involved in the Sustainable Schools Program Environmental Award (SLAAS). The research attempts to identify the SLAAS effects on teachers' and students' behaviors after direct involvement with the activities of the program. The cluster sampling technique…