Sample records for students reported learning

  1. How are learning strategies reflected in the eyes? Combining results from self-reports and eye-tracking.

    PubMed

    Catrysse, Leen; Gijbels, David; Donche, Vincent; De Maeyer, Sven; Lesterhuis, Marije; Van den Bossche, Piet

    2018-03-01

    Up until now, empirical studies in the Student Approaches to Learning field have mainly been focused on the use of self-report instruments, such as interviews and questionnaires, to uncover differences in students' general preferences towards learning strategies, but have focused less on the use of task-specific and online measures. This study aimed at extending current research on students' learning strategies by combining general and task-specific measurements of students' learning strategies using both offline and online measures. We want to clarify how students process learning contents and to what extent this is related to their self-report of learning strategies. Twenty students with different generic learning profiles (according to self-report questionnaires) read an expository text, while their eye movements were registered to answer questions on the content afterwards. Eye-tracking data were analysed with generalized linear mixed-effects models. The results indicate that students with an all-high profile, combining both deep and surface learning strategies, spend more time on rereading the text than students with an all-low profile, scoring low on both learning strategies. This study showed that we can use eye-tracking to distinguish very strategic students, characterized using cognitive processing and regulation strategies, from low strategic students, characterized by a lack of cognitive and regulation strategies. These students processed the expository text according to how they self-reported. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  2. Peer learning a pedagogical approach to enhance online learning: A qualitative exploration.

    PubMed

    Raymond, Anita; Jacob, Elisabeth; Jacob, Darren; Lyons, Judith

    2016-09-01

    Flexible online programs are becoming increasingly popular method of education for students, allowing them to complete programs in their own time and cater for lifestyle differences. A mixture of delivery modes is one way which allows for enhanced learning. Peer learning is another method of learning which is shown to foster collaboration and prepare healthcare students for their future careers. This paper reports on a project to combine peer and online learning to teach pharmacology to nursing students. To explore undergraduate nursing student opinions of working in peer groups for online learning sessions in a pharmacology course. A qualitative study utilising a self-reported questionnaire. A rural campus of an Australian university. Second year nursing students enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing Program. A hard copy questionnaire was distributed to all students who attended the final semester lecture for the course. Content analysis of open-ended survey questions was used to identify themes in the written data. Of the 61 students enrolled in the nursing subject, 35 students chose to complete the survey (57%). Students reported a mixed view of the benefits and disadvantages of peer online learning. Sixty 6% (66%) of students liked peer online learning, whilst 29% disliked it and 6% were undecided. Convenience and ease of completion were reported as the most common reason to like peer online learning, whilst Information Technology issues, communication and non-preferred learning method were reasons for not liking peer online learning. Peer online learning groups' acted as one further method to facilitate student learning experiences. Blending peer online learning with traditional face-to-face learning increases the variety of learning methods available to students to enhance their overall learning experience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Comments on the Community Colleges' Study of Students with Learning Disabilities: A Report to the Legislature in Response to Supplemental Report Language to the 1988 State Budget Act. Commission Report 89-5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Postsecondary Education Commission, Sacramento.

    Prepared in response to a report by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges on learning disabled students, this report describes students with learning disabilities, explains the operation of the community colleges' learning disability eligibility model, summarizes the main findings of the Office of the Chancellor's…

  4. Student/Worker/Carer: The Intersecting Priorities of Arts Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maher, JaneMaree; Mitchell, Jennifer; Brown, Kate

    2009-01-01

    This article reports on a focus group study of student experience and learning in a large humanities and social science faculty in Australia. The study explored student study/work/life issues, and student learning experiences. The article reports specifically on a discussion about combining meaningful learning in university classrooms with other…

  5. Student views on the role of self-regulated learning in a surgery clerkship.

    PubMed

    Lyons-Warren, Ariel M; Kirby, John P; Larsen, Douglas P

    2016-12-01

    Self-regulated learning, including student-generated learning goals and flexibility in the learning structure are increasingly being used to enhance medical education. The role of these practices in surgical education of medical students has not been studied. We administered an 18-question electronic survey to all third-year medical students at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. Of the 126 students invited, 64 responded and 56 were included in the analysis. We found that third-year medical students develop learning goals at the beginning of the surgery clerkship. Although these learning goals theoretically can be a mechanism for enhanced student-faculty engagement, students are not aware of formal mechanisms for sharing these goals with faculty members. Furthermore, students report a lack of flexibility within the surgery clerkship and discomfort with requesting specific learning opportunities. Finally, students report that they believe increased flexibility could improve student engagement, learning, and the overall clerkship experience. We therefore propose that a mechanism for students to share their learning goals with faculty and an infrastructure in which student learning experiences can be tailored to fit with these individualized goals would enhance student surgical learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Are students' impressions of improved learning through active learning methods reflected by improved test scores?

    PubMed

    Everly, Marcee C

    2013-02-01

    To report the transformation from lecture to more active learning methods in a maternity nursing course and to evaluate whether student perception of improved learning through active-learning methods is supported by improved test scores. The process of transforming a course into an active-learning model of teaching is described. A voluntary mid-semester survey for student acceptance of the new teaching method was conducted. Course examination results, from both a standardized exam and a cumulative final exam, among students who received lecture in the classroom and students who had active learning activities in the classroom were compared. Active learning activities were very acceptable to students. The majority of students reported learning more from having active-learning activities in the classroom rather than lecture-only and this belief was supported by improved test scores. Students who had active learning activities in the classroom scored significantly higher on a standardized assessment test than students who received lecture only. The findings support the use of student reflection to evaluate the effectiveness of active-learning methods and help validate the use of student reflection of improved learning in other research projects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Dental Students' Study Habits in Flipped/Blended Classrooms and Their Association with Active Learning Practices.

    PubMed

    Gadbury-Amyot, Cynthia C; Redford, Gloria J; Bohaty, Brenda S

    2017-12-01

    In recognition of the importance for dental education programs to take a student-centered approach in which students are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning, a pediatric dentistry course redesign aimed at promoting greater active and self-directed learning was implemented at one U.S. dental school. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the students' self-reported study habits and active learning practices necessary for meaningful learning in the flipped/blended classroom. A convenience sample of two classes of second-year dental students in spring 2014 (SP14, n=106) and spring 2015 (SP15, n=106) was invited to participate in the study. Of the SP14 students, 84 participated, for a response rate of 79%; of the SP15 students, 94 participated, for a response rate of 87%. Students' self-reported responses to questions about study strategies with the prerecorded lecture materials and assigned reading materials were examined. Non-parametric analyses resulted in a cohort effect, so data are reported by class. In the SP15 class, 72% reported watching all/more than half of the prerecorded lectures versus 62% of the SP14 class, with a majority watching more than one lecture per week. In the SP15 cohort, 68% used active learning strategies when watching the lectures versus 58.3% of the SP14 cohort. The time of day preferred by the majority of both cohorts for interacting with course materials was 7-11 pm. Both SP14 and SP15 students reported being unlikely to read assigned materials prior to coming to class. Overall, the course redesign appeared to engage students in self-directed active learning. However, the degree to which active learning practices were taking place to achieve meaningful learning was questionable given students' self-reported study strategies. More work is needed to examine strategies for promoting study practices that will lead to meaningful learning.

  8. Assessing Learning Styles among Students with and without Learning Disabilities at a Distance-Learning University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heiman, Tali

    2006-01-01

    Differences in the learning styles of students with and without learning disabilities (LD) at a distance-learning university were examined. Two hundred and twelve students answered self-report questionnaires on their learning styles. Results revealed that students with LD preferred to use more stepwise processing, including memorizing and…

  9. Enhancing science literacy through implementation of writing-to-learn strategies: Exploratory studies in high school biology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hohenshell, Liesl Marie

    Some evidence of benefits from writing-to-learn techniques exists; however, more research is needed describing the instructional context used to support learning through writing and the quality of learning that results from particular tasks. This dissertation includes three papers, building on past research linking inquiry, social negotiation, and writing strategies to enhance scientific literacy skills of high school biology students. The interactive constructivist position informed the pedagogical approach for two empirical, classroom-based studies utilizing mixed methods to identify quantitative differences in learning outcomes and students' perceptions of writing tasks. The first paper reports students with planned writing activities communicated biotechnology content better in textbook explanations to a younger audience, but did not score better on tests than students who had delayed planning experiences. Students with two writing experiences as opposed to one, completing a newspaper article, scored better on conceptual questions both after writing and on a test 8 weeks later. The difference in treatments initially impacted males compared to females, but this effect disappeared with subsequent writing. The second paper reports two parallel studies of students completing two different writing types, laboratory and summary reports. Three comparison groups were used, Control students wrote in a traditional format, while SWH group students used the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) during guided inquiry laboratories. Control students wrote summary reports to the teacher, while SWH students wrote either to the teacher or to peers (Peer Review group). On conceptual questions, findings indicated that after laboratory writing SWH females performed better compared to SWH males and Control females; and as a group SWH students performed better than Control students on a test following summary reports (Study 1). These results were not replicated in Study 2. An open-ended survey revealed findings that persisted in both studies; compared to Control students, SWH students were more likely to describe learning as they were writing and to report distinct thinking was required in completing the two writing types. Students' comments across studies provide support for using non-traditional writing tasks as a means to assist learning. Various implications for writing to serve learning are reported, including identification of key support conditions.

  10. The connection between teaching and learning: Linking teaching quality and metacognitive strategy use in primary school.

    PubMed

    Rieser, Svenja; Naumann, Alexander; Decristan, Jasmin; Fauth, Benjamin; Klieme, Eckhard; Büttner, Gerhard

    2016-12-01

    In order for teaching to be successful, students need to be actively involved in learning. However, research on teaching effectiveness often neglects students' learning activities. Although it is assumed that effective teaching promotes the use of beneficial learning activities, empirical evidence for this connection is still limited. This study aimed to investigate the connection between effective teaching and reported learning activities. We hypothesize specific relations between a three-dimensional model of teaching quality (i.e., cognitive activation, supportive climate, and classroom management) and students' reported use of metacognitive strategies. Students' intrinsic motivation is considered as a mediator and a moderator of this connection. N = 1,052 students from 53 German primary school classes and their science teachers participated. Data were collected through classroom or video observation and questionnaires over a period of approximately 2 months. Multilevel analysis was utilized to test our hypotheses. Each dimension of teaching quality positively predicted students' reported use of metacognitive strategies. For supportive climate, this connection was mediated by students' intrinsic motivation. Cognitive activation negatively predicted the slopes between students' reported metacognitive strategy use and motivation. The results support the notion that effective teaching is connected to learning activities and stress the importance of students' learning motivation. Results from the cross-level interaction could indicate that especially less motivated students' reported metacognitive strategy use might be supported by cognitively activating teaching. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

  11. Home Care Learning Model for Medical Students in Chile: A Mixed Methods Study

    PubMed Central

    Gonzalez, Carolina

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. The relevance of home care training is not questioned. However, there are no reported learning models to teach in this setting. Aims. To develop and evaluate a learning model to teach home care to medical students. Methods. Stage 1: Learning Model Design. Tutors teaching home care and a sample of medical students were invited to focus groups analyzed according to the grounded theory. Later, the researchers designed the learning model, which was approved by all participants. Stage 2: Learning Assessment. All students in their family medicine internship at Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile were invited to participate in a nonrandomized before-and-after pilot trial, assessing changes in their perception towards home care and satisfaction with the learning model. Results. Stage 1: Six tutors and eight students participated in the focus groups. The learning model includes activities before, during, and after the visits. Stage 2: 105 students (88.2%) participated. We observed improvement in all home care training domains (P ≤ 0.001) and a high satisfaction with the model. Students with previous home visit experiences and who participated with nurses and social workers reported more learning. Conclusions. We report an effective learning model to train medical students in home care. Limitations and recommendations for future studies are discussed. PMID:24967327

  12. Peer Learning in Instrumental Practicing

    PubMed Central

    Nielsen, Siw G.; Johansen, Guro G.; Jørgensen, Harald

    2018-01-01

    In higher music education (HME), the notion of “private teaching, private learning” has a long tradition, where the learning part rests on the student's individual practicing between instrumental lessons. However, recent research suggests that collaborative learning among peers is beneficial in several aspects, such as sense of belonging, motivation and self-efficacy. This is consistent with the concept of vicarious learning. In this study, we conducted a survey among bachelor music students in church music, performance or music education programs enrolled in a music academy (N = 96), where parts of the questionnaire addressed peer learning and peer's influence on the students's instrumental practicing, and the degree of satisfaction with their practicing. These issues were seen in relation to gender, musical genre and study program. Overall, the students reported engaging in peer learning related to their instrumental practicing, to various degrees. This involved discussing practicing matters with peers, and practicing together with peers. However, student's reports of their views on peer learning, show that they perceive it more beneficial than the amount of time reported doing it would indicate. No significant gender differences were found, but students within improvised music/jazz engaged the most in peer learning, and church music students the least. Neither the degree of engaging in peer learning nor reported influence from peers correlated significantly with the degree of satisfaction. We discuss whether a general dissatisfaction is caused by being in a competitive learning environment combined with a privatized culture for learning. Finally, we suggest that collaborative forums for instrumental practicing within HME institutions can function as constructive and supportive arenas to enhance students learning and inner motivation. PMID:29599738

  13. Radiography Students' Learning: A Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Holmström, Anneli; Ahonen, Sanna-Mari

    2016-01-01

    To describe research methodology and findings concerning radiography students' learning. Health sciences databases were searched to perform a traditional narrative literature review. Thirty-five peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2014 were analyzed using thematic analysis. Specific methods of learning were found to be of the most interest. The studies focused primarily on the use and usability of a method or the students' general experiences of it. The most commonly studied methods were e-learning and interprofessional learning, which students perceived as positive methods for theoretical studies and clinical training. Students' learning regarding research was the focus of only one article reporting a wide variety of students' research interests. Most studies reported quantitative research gathered from questionnaires and surveys. Additional research, especially from a qualitative point of view, is needed to deepen the evidence-based knowledge of radiography student learning.

  14. Conceptualizing Learning Style Modalities for ESL/EFL Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wintergerst, Ann C.; DeCapua, Andrea; Verna, Marilyn Ann

    2003-01-01

    Reports results of testing a newly developed learning styles instrument on three groups of language learners: Russian English-as-a-Foreign-Language students, Russian English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students, and Asian ESL students to determine their learning style preference. Results indicate that these students learn English under three…

  15. Medical student use of digital learning resources.

    PubMed

    Scott, Karen; Morris, Anne; Marais, Ben

    2018-02-01

    University students expect to use technology as part of their studies, yet health professional teachers can struggle with the change in student learning habits fuelled by technology. Our research aimed to document the learning habits of contemporary medical students during a clinical rotation by exploring the use of locally and externally developed digital and print self-directed learning resources, and study groups. We investigated the learning habits of final-stage medical students during their clinical paediatric rotation using mixed methods, involving learning analytics and a student questionnaire. Learning analytics tracked aggregate student usage statistics of locally produced e-learning resources on two learning management systems and mobile learning resources. The questionnaire recorded student-reported use of digital and print learning resources and study groups. The students made extensive use of digital self-directed learning resources, especially in the 2 weeks before the examination, which peaked the day before the written examination. All students used locally produced digital formative assessment, and most (74/98; 76%) also used digital resources developed by other institutions. Most reported finding locally produced e-learning resources beneficial for learning. In terms of traditional forms of self-directed learning, one-third (28/94; 30%) indicated that they never read the course textbook, and few students used face-to-face 39/98 (40%) or online 6/98 (6%) study groups. Learning analytics and student questionnaire data confirmed the extensive use of digital resources for self-directed learning. Through clarification of learning habits and experiences, we think teachers can help students to optimise effective learning strategies; however, the impact of contemporary learning habits on learning efficacy requires further evaluation. Health professional teachers can struggle with the change in student learning habits fuelled by technology. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  16. How Should Students Learn in the School Science Laboratory? The Benefits of Cooperative Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raviv, Ayala; Cohen, Sarit; Aflalo, Ester

    2017-07-01

    Despite the inherent potential of cooperative learning, there has been very little research into its effectiveness in middle school laboratory classes. This study focuses on an empirical comparison between cooperative learning and individual learning in the school science laboratory, evaluating the quality of learning and the students' attitudes. The research included 67 seventh-grade students who undertook four laboratory experiments on the subject of "volume measuring skills." Each student engaged both in individual and cooperative learning in the laboratory, and the students wrote individual or group reports, accordingly. A total of 133 experiment reports were evaluated, 108 of which also underwent textual analysis. The findings show that the group reports were superior, both in terms of understanding the concept of "volume" and in terms of acquiring skills for measuring volume. The students' attitudes results were statistically significant and demonstrated that they preferred cooperative learning in the laboratory. These findings demonstrate that science teachers should be encouraged to implement cooperative learning in the laboratory. This will enable them to improve the quality and efficiency of laboratory learning while using a smaller number of experimental kits. Saving these expenditures, together with the possibility to teach a larger number of students simultaneously in the laboratory, will enable greater exposure to learning in the school science laboratory.

  17. Students' Cognitive Processes While Learning from Teaching. Final Report (Volume One).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winne, Philip H.; Marx, Ronald W.

    Research is reported on the cognitive mediational paradigm which postulates that teachers influence students' learning by causing them to think and behave in particular ways during teaching. Four studies are reported. The first describes five teachers and their students and explores, in classroom lessons, the cognitive processes students used in…

  18. Relationship of biomedical science content acquisition performance to students' level of PBL group interaction: are students learning during PBL group?

    PubMed

    Romito, Laura M; Eckert, George J

    2011-05-01

    This study assessed biomedical science content acquisition from problem-based learning (PBL) and its relationship to students' level of group interaction. We hypothesized that learning in preparation for exams results primarily from individual study of post-case learning objectives and that outcomes would be unrelated to students' group involvement. During dental curricular years 1 and 2, student-generated biomedical learning issues (LIs) were identified from six randomly chosen PBL cases. Knowledge and application of case concepts were assessed with quizzes based on the identified LIs prior to dissemination of the learning objectives. Students and facilitators were surveyed on students' level of group involvement for the assessed LI topics. Year 1 students had significantly higher assessment scores (p=0.0001). For both student classes, means were significantly higher for the recall item (Q1) than for the application item (Q2). Q1 scores increased along with the student's reported role for Year 1 (p=0.04). However, there was no relationship between the student's reported role and Q1 for Year 2 (p=0.20). There was no relationship between the student's reported role and Q2 for Year 1 (p=0.09) or Year 2 (p=0.19). This suggests that students' level of group involvement on the biomedical learning issues did not significantly impact students' assessment performance.

  19. A National Study Assessing the Teaching and Learning of Introductory Astronomy; Part II: Analysis of Student Demographics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prather, E. E.; Consiglio, D.; Rudolph, A. L.; Brissenden, G.

    2011-09-01

    This is the second in a series of reports on a national study of the teaching and learning of astronomy in general education, non-science major, introductory astronomy courses (Astro 101). We report here on the analysis of how individual student characteristics affect student learning in these classes, and whether the demonstrated positive effect of interactive learning strategies on student learning differs based on these characteristics. This analysis was conducted using data from nearly 2000 students enrolled in 69 Astro 101 classes taught across the country. These students completed a 15-question demographic survey, in addition to completing the 26-question Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI) pre- and post-instruction. The LSCI was used to determine student learning via a normalized gain calculated for each student. A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to determine how ascribed characteristics (personal demographic and family characteristics), obtained characteristics (academic achievement and student major), and the use of interactive learning strategies predict student learning in these classes. The results show dramatic improvement in student learning with increased use of interactive learning strategies even after controlling for individual characteristics. In addition, we find that the positive effects of interactive learning strategies are the same for strong and weak students, men and women, across ethnicities, and regardless of primary language. The research strongly suggests all students benefit from interactive learning strategies.

  20. Involvement in Learning Revisited: Lessons We Have Learned.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Astin, Alexander W.

    1996-01-01

    Discusses interconnections between the following two national reports: (1) Involvement in Learning; and (2) The Student Learning Imperative. Reviews recent research on student development in order to demonstrate how student affairs professionals can use this information to enhance learning. (SNR)

  1. An International Survey of Veterinary Students to Assess Their Use of Online Learning Resources.

    PubMed

    Gledhill, Laura; Dale, Vicki H M; Powney, Sonya; Gaitskell-Phillips, Gemma H L; Short, Nick R M

    Today's veterinary students have access to a wide range of online resources that support self-directed learning. To develop a benchmark of current global student practice in e-learning, this study measured self-reported access to, and use of, these resources by students internationally. An online survey was designed and promoted via veterinary student mailing lists and international organizations, resulting in 1,070 responses. Analysis of survey data indicated that students now use online resources in a wide range of ways to support their learning. Students reported that access to online veterinary learning resources was now integral to their studies. Almost all students reported using open educational resources (OERs). Ownership of smartphones was widespread, and the majority of respondents agreed that the use of mobile devices, or m-learning, was essential. Social media were highlighted as important for collaborating with peers and sharing knowledge. Constraints to e-learning principally related to poor or absent Internet access and limited institutional provision of computer facilities. There was significant geographical variation, with students from less developed countries disadvantaged by limited access to technology and networks. In conclusion, the survey provides an international benchmark on the range and diversity in terms of access to, and use of, online learning resources by veterinary students globally. It also highlights the inequalities of access among students in different parts of the world.

  2. "Your Thrust Is to Understand"--How Academically Successful Students Learn

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMillan, Wendy Jayne

    2010-01-01

    The article sets out to understand how academically successful students learn. Self-regulated learning theory is used as a lens to explicate the learning strategies adopted by a cohort of academically successful dentistry students. Data were collected from self-report interviews, observations of individual student's learning in a quasi-realistic…

  3. Variability in University Students' Use of Technology: An "Approaches to Learning" Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mimirinis, Mike

    2016-01-01

    This study reports the results of a cross-case study analysis of how students' approaches to learning are demonstrated in blended learning environments. It was initially propositioned that approaches to learning as key determinants of the quality of student learning outcomes are demonstrated specifically in how students utilise technology in…

  4. Review of Research on Student-Facing Learning Analytics Dashboards and Educational Recommender Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bodily, Robert; Verbert, Katrien

    2017-01-01

    This article is a comprehensive literature review of student-facing learning analytics reporting systems that track learning analytics data and report it directly to students. This literature review builds on four previously conducted literature reviews in similar domains. Out of the 945 articles retrieved from databases and journals, 93 articles…

  5. Are Students' Learning Styles Discipline Specific?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Cheryl; Reichard, Carla; Mokhtari, Kouider

    2003-01-01

    This study examines the extent to which community college students' learning style preferences vary as a function of discipline. Reports significant differences in students' learning style preferences across disciplines, but not by gender. Adds that student learning style preferences varied by academic performance as measured by gender. Discusses…

  6. Language Learning Strategies and Beliefs about Language Learning in High-School Students and Students Attending English Institutes: Are They Different?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saeb, Fateme; Zamani, Elham

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports a comparative study exploring language learning strategy use and beliefs about language learning of high-school students and students attending English institutes. Oxford's (1990) strategy inventory for language learning (SILL) and Horwitz's (1987) beliefs about language learning inventory (BALLI), were used to collect data.…

  7. How are learning physics and student beliefs about learning physics connected? Measuring epistemological self-reflection in an introductory course and investigating its relationship to conceptual learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    May, David B.

    2002-11-01

    To explore students' epistemological beliefs in a variety of conceptual domains in physics, and in a specific and novel context of measurement, this Dissertation makes use of Weekly Reports, a class assignment in which students reflect in writing on what they learn each week and how they learn it. Reports were assigned to students in the introductory physics course for honors engineering majors at The Ohio State University in two successive years. The Weekly Reports of several students from the first year were analyzed for the kinds of epistemological beliefs exhibited therein, called epistemological self-reflection, and a coding scheme was developed for categorizing and quantifying this reflection. The connection between epistemological self-reflection and conceptual learning in physics seen in a pilot study was replicated in a larger study, in which the coded reflections from the Weekly Reports of thirty students were correlated with their conceptual learning gains. Although the total amount of epistemological self-reflection was not found to be related to conceptual gain, different kinds of epistemological self-reflection were. Describing learning physics concepts in terms of logical reasoning and making personal connections were positively correlated with gains; describing learning from authority figures or by observing phenomena without making inferences were negatively correlated. Linear regression equations were determined in order to quantify the effects on conceptual gain of specific ways of describing learning. In an experimental test of this model, the regression equations and the Weekly Report coding scheme developed from the first year's data were used to predict the conceptual gains of thirty students from the second year. The prediction was unsuccessful, possibly because these students were not given as much feedback on their reflections as were the first-year students. These results show that epistemological beliefs are important factors affecting the conceptual learning of physics students. Also, getting students to reflect meaningfully on their knowledge and learning is difficult and requires consistent feedback. Research into the epistemological beliefs of physics students in different contexts and from different populations can help us develop more complete models of epistemological beliefs, and ultimately improve the conceptual and epistemological knowledge of all students.

  8. Students' experiences of blended learning across a range of postgraduate programmes.

    PubMed

    Smyth, Siobhan; Houghton, Catherine; Cooney, Adeline; Casey, Dympna

    2012-05-01

    The article describes the students' experiences of taking a blended learning postgraduate programme in a school of nursing and midwifery. The indications to date are that blended learning as a pedagogical tool has the potential to contribute and improve nursing and midwifery practice and enhance student learning. Little is reported about the students' experiences to date. Focus groups were conducted with students in the first year of introducing blended learning. The two main themes that were identified from the data were (1) the benefits of blended learning and (2) the challenges to blended learning. The blended learning experience was received positively by the students. A significant finding that was not reported in previous research was that the online component meant little time away from study for the students suggesting that it was more invasive on their everyday life. It is envisaged that the outcomes of the study will assist educators who are considering delivering programmes through blended learning. It should provide guidance for further developments and improvements in using Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and blended learning in nurse education. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Who is teaching the kids to cook? Results from a nationally representative survey of secondary school students in New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Utter, Jennifer; Denny, Simon; Lucassen, Mathijs; Dyson, Ben

    2016-08-10

    Learning how to cook is an important skill for developing healthy eating behaviors. Moreover, involvement in home cooking may offer young people opportunities for skill building, identity development and social engagement with their families. Recently, there have been concerns that the current generation of young people may not have the opportunities to develop sufficient cooking skills. These concerns have been addressed by the initiation of numerous, localized interventions. Yet, little is known about where the current generation of young people learn cooking skills. The objective of this study was to describe where the current generation of young people report learning to cook, drawing on nationally representative data from New Zealand. Data were collected as part of Youth2012, a nationally representative survey of secondary school students (n=8500) in New Zealand. Almost all students reported learning to cook and from multiple sources. Almost all students reported learning to cook from a family member (mother, father, or other family member), approximately 60% of students reported that they learned to cook from certain media (cookbooks, TV, or the Internet) and half of all students reported learning to cook at school. There were numerous differences in where students learned to cook by socio-demographic characteristics. Findings from the current research highlight the important role that families play in teaching young people to cook and will be useful for those working with young people to develop these skills.

  10. Associations of Middle School Student Science Achievement and Attitudes about Science with Student-Reported Frequency of Teacher Lecture Demonstrations and Student-Centered Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Odom, Arthur Louis; Bell, Clare Valerie

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the association of middle school student science achievement and attitudes about science with student-reported frequency of teacher lecture demonstrations and student-centered learning. The student sample was composed of 602 seventh- and eighth-grade students enrolled in middle school science. Multiple…

  11. Instructor and student knowledge of study strategies.

    PubMed

    Morehead, Kayla; Rhodes, Matthew G; DeLozier, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    Students' self-reported study skills and beliefs are often inconsistent with empirically supported (ES) study strategies. However, little is known regarding instructors' beliefs about study skills and if such beliefs differ from those of students. In the current study, we surveyed college students' and instructors' knowledge of study strategies and had both groups evaluate the efficacy of learning strategies described in six learning scenarios. Results from the survey indicated that students frequently reported engaging in methods of studying that were not optimal for learning. Instructors' responses to the survey indicated that they endorsed a number of effective study skills but also held several beliefs inconsistent with research in learning and memory (e.g., learning styles). Further, results from the learning scenarios measure indicated that instructors were moderately more likely than students to endorse ES learning strategies. Collectively, these data suggest that instructors exhibited better knowledge of effective study skills than students, although the difference was small. We discuss several notable findings and argue for the improvement of both students' and instructors' study skill knowledge.

  12. College physics students' epistemological self-reflection and its relationship to conceptual learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    May, David B.; Etkina, Eugenia

    2002-12-01

    Students should develop self-reflection skills and appropriate views about knowledge and learning, both for their own sake and because these skills and views may be related to improvements in conceptual understanding. We explored the latter issue in the context of an introductory physics course for first-year engineering honors students. As part of the course, students submitted weekly reports, in which they reflected on how they learned specific physics content. The reports by 12 students were analyzed for the quality of reflection and some of the epistemological beliefs they exhibited. Students' conceptual learning gains were measured with standard survey instruments. We found that students with high conceptual gains tend to show reflection on learning that is more articulate and epistemologically sophisticated than students with lower conceptual gains. Some implications for instruction are suggested.

  13. Two Meta-Analyses Exploring the Relationship between Teacher Clarity and Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Titsworth, Scott; Mazer, Joseph P.; Goodboy, Alan K.; Bolkan, San; Myers, Scott A.

    2015-01-01

    This article reports the findings of two meta-analyses that explored the relationship between teacher clarity and student learning. Combined, the results suggest that teacher clarity has a larger effect for student affective learning than for cognitive learning. However, neither the effects for cognitive learning nor affective learning were…

  14. Design-Based Research Principles for Student Orientation to Online Study: Capturing the Lessons Learnt

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wozniak, Helen; Pizzica, Jenny; Mahony, Mary Jane

    2012-01-01

    Few institutions have reported research on students' "use" of orientation programs designed for mature students returning to study in contemporary learning environments now regularly amalgamating distance and online strategies. We report within a design-based research framework the student experience of "GetLearning," the third…

  15. Changing How We Think, Changing How We Learn: Scaffolding Executive Function Processes for Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosen, Sonia M.; Boyle, Joseph R.; Cariss, Kaitlyn; Forchelli, Gina A.

    2014-01-01

    Students with learning disabilities have been reported to have difficulty in a number of different executive function processes that affect their academic performance (Singer & Bashir, 1999). Executive function difficulties for students with learning disabilities have been implicated as the reason why these students struggle with complex…

  16. A Project Focusing on Superintendents' Knowledge of Evidence-Based Practices of Structuring Time for Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Jared R.

    2016-01-01

    This report describes a problem based learning project focusing on superintendents' knowledge of evidence-based practices of structuring time for student learning. Current research findings offer evidence that structuring time for student learning is an important factor in student achievement. School district superintendents are challenged with…

  17. Enhancing Student Experiential Learning with Structured Interviews

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornell, Robert M.; Johnson, Carol B.; Schwartz, William C., Jr.

    2013-01-01

    Learning through experience can be rewarding but intimidating. To maximize the benefits of experiential learning assignments, students need to have confidence in their abilities. The authors report how a structured-interview instrument effectively facilitated experiential learning for accounting students without extensive content-specific…

  18. The Effects of a School-Based Program on the Reported Self-Advocacy Knowledge of Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mishna, Faye; Muskat, Barbara; Farnia, Fataneh; Wiener, Judith

    2011-01-01

    A school-based study examined self-reported self-advocacy knowledge of middle school students with learning disabilities (LD). Children with LD are vulnerable to experiencing psychosocial and academic problems. Self-advocacy is a protective factor as students with LD enter middle and high school, comprising knowledge of one's learning strengths…

  19. Assessing Students' Development in Learning Approaches According to Initial Learning Profiles: A Person-Oriented Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vanthournout, Gert; Coertjens, Liesje; Gijbels, David; Donche, Vincent; Van Petegem, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Research regarding the development of students' learning approaches have at times reported unexpected or lack of expected changes. The current study explores the idea of differential developments in learning approaches according to students' initial learning profiles as a possible explanation for these outcomes. A learning profile is conceived as…

  20. Student Perspectives on Intercultural Learning from an Online Teacher Education Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sauro, Shannon

    2016-01-01

    This study reports on intercultural learning during telecollaboration from the perspective of student participants in a five-country online teacher education partnership. The student perspectives reported here were drawn from one intact class in the partnership, five students who completed this partnership as part of a sociolinguistics course in a…

  1. "Do I Have to Take This Class?" Nontraditional Students' Attitudes toward and Perceptions of a Required Effective Learning Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, Evelyn J.

    2014-01-01

    This study involves nontraditional students attending a community college in west Texas. The purpose of this study was to report initial attitudes of nontraditional students required to enroll in an Effective Learning/Student Success course. Participants included four nontraditional students from the researchers' Effective Learning/Student Success…

  2. Collaborative testing as a learning strategy in nursing education.

    PubMed

    Sandahl, Sheryl S

    2010-01-01

    A primary goal of nursing education is to prepare nurses to work collaboratively as members of interprofessional health care teams on behalf of patients. Collaborative testing is a collaborative learning strategy used to foster knowledge development, critical thinking in decision making, and group processing skills. This study incorporated a quasi-experimental design with a comparison group to examine the effect of collaborative testing as a learning strategy on student learning and retention of course content as well as group process skills and student perceptions of their learning and anxiety. The setting was a baccalaureate nursing program; the sample consisted of two groups of senior students enrolled in Medical-Surgical Nursing II. Student learning, as measured by unit examination scores, was greater for students taking examinations collaboratively compared to individually. Retention of course content, as measured by final examination scores, was not greater for students taking examinations collaboratively compared to individually. Student perceptions were overwhelmingly positive, with students reporting increased learning as a result of the collaborative testing experiences. Despite the lack of data to support increased retention, collaborative testing may be a learning strategy worth implementing in nursing education. Students reported more positive interactions and collaboration with their peers, skills required by the professional nurse.

  3. Improving Bilingual Student Learning and Thinking Skills through the Use of the Constructivist Theory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomason, Juliann Elizabeth

    This report describes a program for improving bilingual students' learning and thinking skills using the constructivist theory. It targeted bilingual high school students in a middle class, suburban Illinois high school. Students' learning and thinking behaviors were documented using methods that showed when and how they employed new learning and…

  4. The Impact of Service-Learning Course Characteristics on University Students' Learning Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moely, Barbara E.; Ilustre, Vincent

    2014-01-01

    Undergraduate students' reports of their service-learning course experiences and their gains from participation in those courses were investigated with a sample of 250 students at Tulane University. The students completed a survey in which they rated their service-learning courses in terms of three aspects: Value of Service, Focus on Service, and…

  5. Using a Learning Progression Framework to Assess and Evaluate Student Growth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Briggs, Derek C.; Diaz-Bilello, Elena; Peck, Fred; Alzen, Jessica; Chattergoon, Rajendra; Johnson, Raymond

    2015-01-01

    This report describes the use of a Learning Progression Framework (LPF) to support the Student Learning Objectives (SLO) process. The report highlights a few common threats we currently see in the SLO process implemented at various states and districts, and offers the LPF as a possible solution for addressing these threats. This report was…

  6. Residential Learning Communities. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2014

    2014-01-01

    Residential learning communities in postsecondary education, also known as living-learning programs, aim to improve student learning and success by integrating students' academic and daily living environments. Students participating in these programs live together (usually in a residential dormitory), take certain classes together, and engage in…

  7. Directive versus Facilitative Peer Tutoring? A View on Students' Appraisal, Reported Learning Gains and Experiences within Two Differently-Tutored Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berghmans, Inneke; Michiels, Lotte; Salmon, Sara; Dochy, Filip; Struyven, Katrien

    2014-01-01

    The present study aimed to shed light on students' appraisal and reported learning gains in two differently-tutored learning environments (i.e. directively and facilitatively tutored). In order to investigate this, a quasi-experimental study was set up in the context of a clinical skills learning environment. Not only were participating…

  8. Facilitating Improvements in Laboratory Report Writing Skills with Less Grading: A Laboratory Report Peer-Review Process†

    PubMed Central

    Brigati, Jennifer R.; Swann, Jerilyn M.

    2015-01-01

    Incorporating peer-review steps in the laboratory report writing process provides benefits to students, but it also can create additional work for laboratory instructors. The laboratory report writing process described here allows the instructor to grade only one lab report for every two to four students, while giving the students the benefits of peer review and prompt feedback on their laboratory reports. Here we present the application of this process to a sophomore level genetics course and a freshman level cellular biology course, including information regarding class time spent on student preparation activities, instructor preparation, prerequisite student knowledge, suggested learning outcomes, procedure, materials, student instructions, faculty instructions, assessment tools, and sample data. T-tests comparing individual and group grading of the introductory cell biology lab reports yielded average scores that were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.13, n = 23 for individual grading, n = 6 for group grading). T-tests also demonstrated that average laboratory report grades of students using the peer-review process were not significantly different from those of students working alone (p = 0.98, n = 9 for individual grading, n = 6 for pair grading). While the grading process described here does not lead to statistically significant gains (or reductions) in student learning, it allows student learning to be maintained while decreasing instructor workload. This reduction in workload could allow the instructor time to pursue other high-impact practices that have been shown to increase student learning. Finally, we suggest possible modifications to the procedure for application in a variety of settings. PMID:25949758

  9. Facilitating improvements in laboratory report writing skills with less grading: a laboratory report peer-review process.

    PubMed

    Brigati, Jennifer R; Swann, Jerilyn M

    2015-05-01

    Incorporating peer-review steps in the laboratory report writing process provides benefits to students, but it also can create additional work for laboratory instructors. The laboratory report writing process described here allows the instructor to grade only one lab report for every two to four students, while giving the students the benefits of peer review and prompt feedback on their laboratory reports. Here we present the application of this process to a sophomore level genetics course and a freshman level cellular biology course, including information regarding class time spent on student preparation activities, instructor preparation, prerequisite student knowledge, suggested learning outcomes, procedure, materials, student instructions, faculty instructions, assessment tools, and sample data. T-tests comparing individual and group grading of the introductory cell biology lab reports yielded average scores that were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.13, n = 23 for individual grading, n = 6 for group grading). T-tests also demonstrated that average laboratory report grades of students using the peer-review process were not significantly different from those of students working alone (p = 0.98, n = 9 for individual grading, n = 6 for pair grading). While the grading process described here does not lead to statistically significant gains (or reductions) in student learning, it allows student learning to be maintained while decreasing instructor workload. This reduction in workload could allow the instructor time to pursue other high-impact practices that have been shown to increase student learning. Finally, we suggest possible modifications to the procedure for application in a variety of settings.

  10. A model of influences on the clinical learning environment: the case for change at one U.S. medical school.

    PubMed

    Fleit, Howard B; Iuli, Richard J; Fischel, Janet E; Lu, Wei-Hsin; Chandran, Latha

    2017-03-23

    The learning environment within a school of medicine influences medical students' values and their professional development. Despite national requirements to monitor the learning environment, mistreatment of medical students persists. We designed a program called WE SMILE: We can Eradicate Student Mistreatment In the Learning Environment with a vision to enhance trainee and faculty awareness and ultimately eliminate medical student mistreatment. We provide a description of our program and early outcomes. The program has enhanced student awareness of what constitutes mistreatment and how to report it. Faculty members are also aware of the formal processes and procedures for review of such incidents. Our proposed model of influences on the learning environment and the clinical workforce informs the quality of trainee education and safety of patient care. Institutional leadership and culture play a prominent role in this model. Our integrated institutional response to learning environment concerns is offered as a strategy to improve policy awareness, reporting and management of student mistreatment concerns. Our WE SMILE program was developed to enhance education and awareness of what constitutes mistreatment and to provide multiple pathways for student reporting, with clear responsibilities for review, adjudication and enforcement. The program is demonstrating several signs of early success and is offered as a strategy for other schools to adopt or adapt. We have recognized a delicate balance between preserving student anonymity and informing them of specific actions taken. Providing students and other stakeholders with clear evidence of institutional response and accountability remains a key challenge. Multiple methods of reporting have been advantageous in eliciting information on learning environment infringements. These routes and types of reporting have enhanced our understanding of student perceptions and the specific contexts in which mistreatment occurs, allowing for targeted interventions. A common platform across the healthcare professions to report and review concerns has afforded us opportunities to deal with interprofessional issues in a respectful and trustworthy manner. We offer a model of learning environment influences with leadership and institutional culture at the helm, as a way to frame a comprehensive perspective on this challenging and complex concern.

  11. Process for Discovery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    Project-based learning is a successful way to engage students in learning in the classroom, and research reports increases in student achievement data. This article asks: If both students and teachers are more engaged when project-based learning is used, why aren't the elements of project-based learning being used to engage teachers in…

  12. Confidence as a barrier to the use of problem-based learning in veterinary undergraduate students.

    PubMed

    Tarlinton, Rachael E; Yon, Lisa; Klisch, Karl; Tötemeyer, Sabine; Gough, Kevin C

    2011-01-01

    Problem-based or case-based learning is a popular method of instruction in clinical degrees such as veterinary science, nursing, and medicine. It is difficult, however, for students to adapt to this learning method, and this difficulty has been well described. The present study surveyed first-year undergraduate veterinary students at the University of Nottingham about the challenges they faced upon beginning problem-based learning sessions. A surprisingly large percentage of students (36% of females and 38% of males) reported a lack of confidence in speaking in front of the other students as a concern they experienced during their first term. Conversely, only 10% of the female students (and none of the male students) reported overconfidence as a problem. This is in contrast to the perceptions of the staff members who facilitated the sessions who reported that 14% of the students exhibited underconfidence and 14% exhibited overconfidence. The difference between the female and male students' responses as well as the difference between the perceptions of students and those of facilitators is statistically significant (G-test p<.05).

  13. Attitudes and Perceptions of Students in a Systems Engineering E-Learnig Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Vega, Carolina Armijo; McAnally-Salas, Lewis; Lavigne, Gilles

    2009-01-01

    In this paper is reported the attitudes and perception of students in a systems Engineering e-learning course and a teacher with more than six years of experience teaching online courses. The paper reports the teacher and students' perceptions about the e-learning courses experience. Personalized interviews with some of the students were carried…

  14. Motivating Students through Positive Learning Experiences: A Comparison of Three Learning Designs for Computer Programming Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lykke, Marianne; Coto, Mayela; Jantzen, Christian; Mora, Sonia; Vandel, Niels

    2015-01-01

    Based on the assumption that wellbeing, positive emotions and engagement influence motivation for learning, the aim of this paper is to provide insight into students' emotional responses to and engagement in different learning designs. By comparing students' reports on the experiential qualities of three different learning designs, their…

  15. An Outcome Evaluation of a Problem-Based Learning Approach with MSW Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Westhues, Anne; Barsen, Chia; Freymond, Nancy; Train, Patricia

    2014-01-01

    In this article, we report the findings from a study exploring the effects of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach to teaching and learning on learning outcomes for master's of social work (MSW) students. Students who participated in a PBL pilot project were compared with students who did not participate in 5 outcome areas: social work…

  16. In Their Own Words: Student Stories of Seeking Learning Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Mark; Hughes, Helen; Keppell, Mike; Hard, Natasha; Smith, Liz

    2013-01-01

    Many Open and Distance Learning (ODL) providers report that their students are prone to lower rates of retention and completion than campus-based students. Against this background, there is growing interest around distance-specific learning support. The current research investigated the experiences of students during their first semester as…

  17. Senior physiotherapy students as standardised patients for junior students enhances self-efficacy and satisfaction in both junior and senior students.

    PubMed

    Mandrusiak, Allison M; Isles, Rosemary; Chang, Angela T; Choy, Nancy L Low; Toppenberg, Rowena; McCook, Donna; Smith, Michelle D; O'Leary, Karina; Brauer, Sandra G

    2014-05-23

    Standardised patients are used in medical education to expose students to clinical contexts and facilitate transition to clinical practice, and this approach is gaining momentum in physiotherapy programs. Expense and availability of trained standardised patients are factors limiting widespread adoption, and accessing clinical visits with real patients can be challenging. This study addressed these issues by engaging senior students as standardised patients for junior students. It evaluated how this approach impacted self-reported constructs of both the junior and senior students. Learning activities for undergraduate physiotherapy students were developed in five courses (Neurology, Cardiorespiratory and three Musculoskeletal courses) so that junior students (Year 2 and 3) could develop skills and confidence in patient interview, physical examination and patient management through their interaction with standardised patients played by senior students (Year 4). Surveys were administered before and after the interactions to record junior students' self-reported confidence, communication, preparedness for clinic, and insight into their abilities; and senior students' confidence and insight into what it is like to be a patient. Satisfaction regarding this learning approach was surveyed in both the junior and senior students. A total of 253 students completed the surveys (mean 92.5% response rate). Across all courses, junior students reported a significant (all P < 0.037) improvement following the standardised patient interaction in their: preparedness for clinic, communication with clients, confidence with practical skills, and understanding of their strengths and weaknesses in relation to the learning activities. Senior students demonstrated a significant improvement in their confidence in providing feedback and insight into their own learning (P < 0.001). All students reported high satisfaction with this learning experience (mean score 8.5/10). This new approach to peer-assisted learning using senior students as standardised patients resulted in positive experiences for both junior and senior students across a variety of physiotherapy areas, activities, and stages within a physiotherapy program. These findings support the engagement of senior students as standardised patients to enhance learning within physiotherapy programs, and may have application across other disciplines to address challenges associated with accessing real patients via clinical visits or utilising actors as standardised patients.

  18. Incorporating Active Learning and Student Inquiry into an Introductory Merchandising Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Hyun-Hwa; Hines, Jean D.

    2012-01-01

    Many educators believe that student learning is enhanced when they are actively involved in classroom activities that require student inquiry. The purpose of this paper is to report on three student inquiry projects that were incorporated into a merchandising class with the focus on making students responsible for their learning, rather than the…

  19. The Challenges of Establishing Social Learning Spaces at a Johannesburg University Student Residence: Student Views

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agherdien, Najma; Petersen, Nadine

    2016-01-01

    This article reports on two cycles of a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study on student experiences of the process of establishing social learning spaces in a Johannesburg university student residence. We draw on Wenger's (2009) notion of "social learning spaces" to explore the manner in which students mediate their social and…

  20. Peer-Led Team Learning in Mathematics Courses for Freshmen Engineering and Computer Science Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reisel, John R.; Jablonski, Marissa R.; Munson, Ethan; Hosseini, Hossein

    2014-01-01

    Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) is an instructional method reported to increase student learning in STEM courses. As mathematics is a significant hurdle for many freshmen engineering students, a PLTL program was implemented for students to attempt to improve their course performance. Here, an analysis of PLTL for freshmen engineering students in…

  1. Changing the Metacognitive Orientation of a Classroom Environment to Stimulate Metacognitive Reflection Regarding the Nature of Physics Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Gregory P.

    2013-05-01

    Problems persist with physics learning in relation to students' understanding and use of representations for making sense of physics concepts. Further, students' views of physics learning and their physics learning processes have been predominantly found to reflect a 'surface' approach to learning that focuses on mathematical aspects of physics learning that are often passed on via textbooks and lecture-style teaching. This paper reports on a teacher's effort to stimulate students' metacognitive reflection regarding their views of physics learning and their physics learning processes via a pedagogical change that incorporated the use of a representational framework and metaphors. As a consequence of the teacher's pedagogical change, students metacognitively reflected on their views of physics and their learning processes and some reported changes in their views of what it meant to understand physics and how they might learn and understand physics concepts. The findings provide a basis for further explicit teaching of representational frameworks to students in physics education as a potential means of addressing issues with their physics learning.

  2. The Effects of Using a Wiki on Student Engagement and Learning of Report Writing Skills in a University Statistics Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neumann, David L.; Hood, Michelle

    2009-01-01

    A wiki was used as part of a blended learning approach to promote collaborative learning among students in a first year university statistics class. One group of students analysed a data set and communicated the results by jointly writing a practice report using a wiki. A second group analysed the same data but communicated the results in a…

  3. [Learning during the early clinical years takes more than good study habits: Perceptions of students and teachers].

    PubMed

    Zúñiga, Denisse; Leiva, Isabel; Calderón, Maribel; Tomicic, Alemka; Padilla, Oslando; Riquelme, Arnoldo; Bitran, Marcela

    2015-11-01

    Teaching methods of the undergraduate medical curriculum change considerably from the first years to clinical training. Clinical learning occurs in complex and varied scenarios while caring for patients. Students have to adapt their learning approaches and strategies to be able to integrate theory and clinical practice and become experiential learners. To identify the strategies used by medical students to learn during the initial clinical years, as reported by students themselves and by their clinical tutors. We performed eight focus group discussions with 54 students enrolled in years three to six and we interviewed eight clinical tutors. Both focus group discussions and interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed according to Grounded Theory. Four main themes were identified in the discourse of both students and tutors: Strategies oriented to theoretical learning, strategies oriented to experiential learning, strategies for integrating theory and practice and strategies oriented to evaluation. The mentioning of individual differences was present across the reports of both students and tutors. Students use a rich variety of strategies to face the challenges of clinical learning. Both students and tutors recognize that the learning approaches and strategies vary according the nature of the task and individual differences. The responses of students bring particular knowledge of the approaches used for the theoretical and practical integration and delve into the social dimension of learning.

  4. Associations between the Classroom Learning Environment and Student Engagement in Learning 2: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harbaugh, Allen G.; Cavanagh, Robert F.

    2012-01-01

    This report is about the second of two phases in an investigation into associations between student engagement in classroom learning and the classroom-learning environment. Whereas the first phase utilized Rasch modelling (Cavanagh, 2012), this report uses latent variable modelling to explore the data. The investigations in both phases of this…

  5. Associations between the Classroom Learning Environment and Student Engagement in Learning 1: A Rasch Model Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavanagh, Rob

    2012-01-01

    This report is about one of two phases in an investigation into associations between student engagement in classroom learning and the classroom learning environment. Both phases applied the same instrumentation to the same sample. The difference between the phases was in the measurement approach applied. This report is about application of the…

  6. Structure of Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) Efforts, 2000-01.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baenen, Nancy; Yaman, Kimberly

    This report focuses on the structure of instructional assistance available through the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) to students who show low achievement in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina. Context information is also provided on other programs available to these students. Reports on ALP student participation,…

  7. Do Students Develop towards More Deep Approaches to Learning during Studies? A Systematic Review on the Development of Students' Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asikainen, Henna; Gijbels, David

    2017-01-01

    The focus of the present paper is on the contribution of the research in the student approaches to learning tradition. Several studies in this field have started from the assumption that students' approaches to learning develop towards more deep approaches to learning in higher education. This paper reports on a systematic review of longitudinal…

  8. Student Self-Reported Learning Outcomes of Field Trips: The pedagogical impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lavie Alon, Nirit; Tal, Tali

    2015-05-01

    In this study, we used the classification and regression trees (CART) method to draw relationships between student self-reported learning outcomes in 26 field trips to natural environments and various characteristics of the field trip that include variables associated with preparation and pedagogy. We wished to examine the extent to which the preparation for the field trip, its connection to the school curriculum, and the pedagogies used, affect students' self-reported outcomes in three domains: cognitive, affective, and behavioral; and the extent the students' socioeconomic group and the guide's affiliation affect students' reported learning outcomes. Given that most of the field trips were guide-centered, the most important variable that affected the three domains of outcomes was the guide's storytelling. Other variables that showed relationships with self-reported outcomes were physical activity and making connections to everyday life-all of which we defined as pedagogical variables. We found no significant differences in student self-reported outcomes with respect to their socioeconomic group and the guide's organizational affiliation.

  9. A study of the impact of collaborative learning on student learning of major concepts in a microbiology laboratory exercise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baumgarten, Kristyne A.

    This study investigated the possible relationship between collaborative learning strategies and the learning of core concepts. This study examined the differences between two groups of nursing students enrolled in an introductory microbiology laboratory course. The control group consisted of students enrolled in sections taught in the traditional method. The experimental group consisted of those students enrolled in the sections using collaborative learning strategies. The groups were assessed on their degrees of learning core concepts using a pre-test/post-test method. Scores from the groups' laboratory reports were also analyzed. There was no difference in the two group's pre-test scores. The post-test scores of the experimental group averaged 11 points higher than the scores of the control group. The lab report scores of the experimental group averaged 15 points higher than those scores of the control group. The data generated from this study demonstrated that collaborative learning strategies can be used to increase students learning of core concepts in microbiology labs.

  10. Exploring How Creating Stop-Motion Animations Supports Student Teachers in Learning to Teach Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wishart, Jocelyn

    2017-01-01

    This article reports on an exploration of teaching and learning through creating rudimentary stop-motion animations set up to identify how learning opportunities involving stop-motion animations can support student learning and science teacher education. Participants were student teachers, volunteers representing both secondary and primary school…

  11. Learning Problems Reported by College Students: Are They Using Learning Strategies?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rachal, K. Chris; Daigle, Sherri; Rachal, Windy S.

    2007-01-01

    As teachers of higher education, we expect students to enter college with some understanding of what it means to be an effective learner and the ability to apply effective learning strategies. Unfortunately, many students do not develop effective learning strategies unless they receive explicit instruction and the opportunity to apply these…

  12. Self-Regulated Learning as a Critical Attribute for Successful Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iwamoto, Darren H.; Hargis, Jace; Bordner, Richard; Chandler, Pomaika'inani

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this scholarship of teaching and learning was to define and assess the level of self-regulation skills undergraduate students possess. Participants completed the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Through the analysis of the MSLQ, students reported having high expectations for themselves. Yet, students were…

  13. How Teachers Teach and Students Learn: "Successful Strategies for School." OECD Education Working Papers, No. 130

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Echazarra, Alfonso; Salinas, Daniel; Méndez, Ildefonso; Denis, Vanessa; Rech, Giannina

    2016-01-01

    This paper examines how particular teaching and learning strategies are related to student performance on specific PISA test questions, particularly mathematics questions. The report compares teacher-directed instruction and memorisation learning strategies, at the traditional ends of the teaching and learning spectrums, and student-oriented…

  14. Postgraduate Students' Knowledge Construction during Asynchronous Computer Conferences in a Blended Learning Environment: A Malaysian Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kian-Sam, Hong; Lee, Julia Ai Cheng

    2008-01-01

    Blended learning, using e-learning tools to supplement existing on campus learning, often incorporates asynchronous computer conferencing as a means of augmenting knowledge construction among students. This case study reports findings about levels of knowledge construction amongst adult postgraduate students in six asynchronous computer…

  15. Evaluation of a Modified Debate Exercise Adapted to the Pedagogy of Team-Based Learning

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Haoshu; Gupta, Vasudha

    2018-01-01

    Objective. To assess the impact of a debate exercise on self-reported evidence of student learning in literature evaluation, evidence-based decision making, and oral presentation. Methods. Third-year pharmacy students in a required infectious disease therapeutics course participated in a modified debate exercise that included a reading assignment and readiness assessment tests consistent with team-based learning (TBL) pedagogy. Peer and faculty assessment of student learning was accomplished with a standardized rubric. A pre- and post-debate survey was used to assess self-reported perceptions of abilities to perform skills outlined by the learning objectives. Results. The average individual readiness assessment score was 93.5% and all teams scored 100% on their team readiness assessments. Overall student performance on the debates was also high with an average score of 88.2% prior to extra credit points. Of the 95 students, 88 completed both pre- and post-surveys (93% participation rate). All learning objectives were associated with a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-debate surveys with the majority of students reporting an improvement in self-perceived abilities. Approximately two-thirds of students enjoyed the debates exercise and believed it improved their ability to make and defend clinical decisions. Conclusion. A debate format adapted to the pedagogy of TBL was well-received by students, documented high achievement in assessment of skills, and improved students’ self-reported perceptions of abilities to evaluate the literature, develop evidence-based clinical decisions, and deliver an effective oral presentation.

  16. Improving Learning Analytics--Combining Observational and Self-Report Data on Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Robert A.; Han, Feifei; Pardo, Abelardo

    2017-01-01

    The field of education technology is embracing a use of learning analytics to improve student experiences of learning. Along with exponential growth in this area is an increasing concern of the interpretability of the analytics from the student experience and what they can tell us about learning. This study offers a way to address some of the…

  17. Learning Styles, Learning Abilities and Learning Problems in College: An Exploration of Learning Disabilities in College Students. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldberg, Renee L.; Zern, David S.

    The study examined differences between 57 learning disabled (LD) and 24 non-LD college students on measures of psychoeducational assessment. In addition, differences between LD students with good and poor academic performance were studied, and coping strategies were identified for both sub-groups. A variety of standardized tests were administered…

  18. Supervising international students in clinical placements: perceptions of experiences and factors influencing competency development.

    PubMed

    Attrill, Stacie; Lincoln, Michelle; McAllister, Sue

    2016-07-16

    Health professional education programs attract students from around the world and clinical supervisors frequently report that international students find learning in clinical placement contexts particularly challenging. In existing literature clinical supervisors, who support international students on placement have identified concerns about their communication and interactions within clinical environments. However, clinical supervisors' perspectives about their experiences with international students on placement and the strategies they utilise to facilitate international student learning have not been described. As a result we have little insight into the nature of these concerns and what clinical supervisors do to support international students' competency development. Five focus group interviews were conducted with twenty Speech-Language Pathology clinical supervisors, recruited from 2 Australian universities. Interview data were analysed thematically. Themes identified were interpreted using cognitive load and sociocultural learning theories to enhance understanding of the findings. Four themes were identified: 'Complex teaching and learning relationships', 'Conceptions of students as learners'; Student communication skills for professional practice', and 'Positive mutual learning relationships'. Findings indicated that clinical supervisors felt positive about supporting international students in clinical placements and experienced mutual learning benefits. However, they also identified factors inherent to international students and the placement environment that added to workload, and made facilitating student learning complex. Clinical supervisors described strategies they used to support international students' cultural adjustment and learning, but communication skills were reported to be difficult to facilitate within the constraints of placements. Future research should address the urgent need to develop and test strategies for improving international students' learning in clinical settings.

  19. "I Have No English Friends": Some Observations on the Practice of Action Learning with International Business Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brook, Cheryl; Milner, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    This account reports on some experiences of facilitating action learning with international business students. Interest in international student learning and the international student experience is significant and increasing with a considerable range of literature on the subject. Some of this literature is concerned with the perceived…

  20. Problem-Based Learning for Didactic Presentation to Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

    PubMed

    Montenery, Susan

    2017-05-01

    Nursing judgment is an essential component in the delivery of safe, quality patient care. Nurses must have the knowledge and skills to question authority, make judgments, substantiate evidence, and advocate for the patient. Traditional pedagogy in content-laden courses remains primarily lecture based. Incorporating active strategies to strengthen professional practice is essential. A pilot study assessed senior baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of problem-based learning (PBL) and their readiness for self-directed learning. In addition, the authors analyzed the relationship between readiness for self-directed learning and course content mastery using PBL. Students completed the Self-directed Learning Readiness Scale, the Problem-Based Learning Environment Inventory, and course content mastery exams. Students reported positive experiences with PBL and readiness for self-directed learning. Readiness for self-directed learning and 2 of 5 exam scores were inversely, significantly related. Students' perceptions of their readiness for self-directed learning did not always correspond with course content mastery. Specifically, some students who perceived themselves as ready for self-directed learning did not perform well on course content exams. This inverse relationship has not been reported by other researchers and brings an interesting perspective to student perceptions and actual performance. Four themes emerged from students' narrative responses: Prepared Me for Real Life Professional Situations, Stimulated My Critical Thinking, Promoted Independent Problem Solving, and Supported Learning Retention. PBL as a pedagogical approach provides opportunities for nursing students to explore their professional independence while attempting to master content.

  1. A comparison of learning strategies, orientations and conceptions of learning of first-year medical students in a traditional and an innovative curriculum.

    PubMed

    Marambe, Kosala N; Athuraliya, T Nimmi C; Vermunt, Jan D; Boshuizen, Henny Pa

    2007-09-01

    Students adapt their learning strategies, orientations and conceptions to differences in the learning environment. The new curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, which commenced in 2005, puts greater emphasis on student-centred learning. The aim of this study was to compare the learning strategies, orientations and conceptions measured by means of a validated Sri Lankan version of the Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) at the end of the first academic year for a traditional curriculum student group and a new curriculum student group. The Adyayana Rata Prakasha Malawa (ARPM) 130-item Sinhala version of the ILS was administered to students of the traditional curriculum and the new curriculum at the end of their first academic year respectively. Mean scale scores of the 2 groups were compared using independent sample t-test. Students of the new curriculum reported the use of critical processing, concrete processing and memorising and rehearsing strategies significantly more than those in the traditional curriculum group. With respect to learning orientations, personal interest scores were significantly higher for the new curriculum students while reporting of ambiguity was significantly lower among them. The results favour the assumption that changes made to the organisation of subject content and instructional and assessment methods have a positive impact on students' use of learning strategies and motivation.

  2. Undergraduate research experiences support science career decisions and active learning.

    PubMed

    Lopatto, David

    2007-01-01

    The present study examined the reliability of student evaluations of summer undergraduate research experiences using the SURE (Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences) and a follow-up survey disseminated 9 mo later. The survey further examines the hypothesis that undergraduate research enhances the educational experience of science undergraduates, attracts and retains talented students to careers in science, and acts as a pathway for minority students into science careers. Undergraduates participated in an online survey on the benefits of undergraduate research experiences. Participants indicated gains on 20 potential benefits and reported on career plans. Most of the participants began or continued to plan for postgraduate education in the sciences. A small group of students who discontinued their plans for postgraduate science education reported significantly lower gains than continuing students. Women and men reported similar levels of benefits and similar patterns of career plans. Undergraduate researchers from underrepresented groups reported higher learning gains than comparison students. The results replicated previously reported data from this survey. The follow-up survey indicated that students reported gains in independence, intrinsic motivation to learn, and active participation in courses taken after the summer undergraduate research experience.

  3. Enabling Pupils with Learning Difficulties to Reflect on Their Own Thinking.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powell, Stuart D.; Makin, Michael

    1994-01-01

    Reports on a study of the impact of metacognition among 10 middle school-aged British students with learning difficulties. Finds that student awareness and subsequent control over thought processes were enhanced through self-reporting and self-appraisal. Examines this kind of reflection on enhanced learning capabilities and self-esteem. (CFR)

  4. Online or not? A comparison of students' experiences of an online and an on-campus class.

    PubMed

    Mgutshini, Tennyson

    2013-03-18

    Educational discourse has long portrayed online, or e-based, learning and all non-campus-based learning options as second best to traditional face-to-face options. Critically much of the research and debate in this area of study has focused on evidence relating to student performance, attrition and retention with little consideration of the total learning experience, which values both the traditional learning outcome measures side-by-side with student-centered factors, such as students' satisfaction with their learning experience. The objective of this study was to present a synchronous head-to-head comparison between online and campus-based students' experiences of an undergraduate course. This paper reports on a qualitative comparative cross-sectional study, which used multiple data collection approaches to assess student learning and student satisfaction of 61 students who completed a semester of an undergraduate course. Of the 61 students, 34 were enrolled purely as online students, whilst the remaining 27 students studied the same material entirely through the traditional face-to-face medium. Methods included a standardised student satisfaction survey and an 'achievement of learning outcomes' measurement tool. Students on the online cohort performed better in areas where 'self-direction' in learning was indicated, for example self-directed problem-based tasks within the course. Online students gave less positive self-assessments of their perceived content mastery than their campus-based counterparts, despite performing just as well in both summative and formative assignments. A multi-factorial comparison shows online students to have comparable educational success and that, in terms of student satisfaction, online learners reported more satisfaction with their learning experience than their campus-based counterparts.

  5. Focusing on learning through constructive alignment with task-oriented portfolio assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cain, A.; Grundy, J.; Woodward, C. J.

    2018-07-01

    Approaches to learning have been shown to have a significant impact on student success in technical units. This paper reports on an action research study that applied the principles of constructive alignment to improve student learning outcomes in programming units. The proposed model uses frequent formative feedback to engage students with unit material, and encourage them to adopt deep approaches to learning. Our results provide a set of guiding principles and a structured teaching approach that focuses students on meeting unit learning objectives, the goal of constructive alignment. The results are demonstrated via descriptions of the resulting teaching and learning environment, student results, and staff and student reflections.

  6. Using Feedback Strategies to Improve Peer-Learning in Welding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Selena; Leijten, Flip

    2012-01-01

    Due to safety considerations, students' practice and learning of welding is conducted within individual welding booths. The booth setting presents some challenges to student learning as collaborative learning within a workshop learning environment is compromised. The project reported in this paper, established peer-learning (i.e., students…

  7. Attitudinal Effects of a Student-Centered Active Learning Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliver-Hoyo, Maria T.; Allen, Deedee

    2005-06-01

    The importance of attitudes toward science has risen from widely accepted assumptions that achievement and attitude are positively interdependent and that affective variables are as important as cognitive variables in molding student learning. This report examines the effect on student attitudes toward learning chemistry in an active learning environment that has incorporated elements believed to positively influence student attitudes toward science including cooperative learning, hands-on activities, real-world applications, and engaging technology. These elements were considered for synergetic effects and not as individual contributors to the overall results. Two different sections of the same general chemistry course participated. The lecture setting was used as the control. Residualized gain scores were used to compare net changes in student attitudes. Data were analyzed for possible differences in gain for different academic majors. Anxiety in chemistry was monitored for the two class settings in three areas, learning in chemistry, chemistry evaluation, and chemical handling. Qualitative student feedback was also collected and is summarized in this report on the attitudinal aspects of instruction.

  8. Peer learning in the UNSW Medicine program.

    PubMed

    Scicluna, Helen A; O'Sullivan, Anthony J; Boyle, Patrick; Jones, Philip D; McNeil, H Patrick

    2015-10-02

    The UNSW Australia Medicine program explicitly structures peer learning in program wide mixing of students where students from two adjoining cohorts complete the same course together, including all learning activities and assessment. The purpose of this evaluation is to explore the student experience of peer learning and determine benefits and concerns for junior and senior students. All medical students at UNSW Australia in 2012 (n = 1608) were invited to complete the Peer Learning Questionnaire consisting of 26 fixed-response items and 2 open-ended items exploring vertical integration and near-peer teaching. Assessment data from vertically integrated and non-vertically integrated courses were compared for the period 2011-2013. We received valid responses from 20 % of medical students (n = 328). Eighty percent of respondents were positive about their experience of vertical integration. Year 1 students reported that second year students provided guidance and reassurance (87.8 %), whilst year 2 students reported that the senior role helped them to improve their own understanding, communication and confidence (84 %). Vertical integration had little effect on examination performance and failure rates. This evaluation demonstrates that vertical integration of students who are one year apart and completing the same course leads to positive outcomes for the student experience of learning. Students benefit through deeper learning and the development of leadership qualities within teams. These results are relevant not only for medical education, but also for other professional higher education programs.

  9. Learning with Collaborative Inquiry: A Science Learning Environment for Secondary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Daner; Looi, Chee-Kit; Xie, Wenting

    2017-01-01

    When inquiry-based learning is designed for a collaborative context, the interactions that arise in the learning environment can become fairly complex. While the learning effectiveness of such learning environments has been reported in the literature, there have been fewer studies on the students' learning processes. To address this, the article…

  10. Improving student learning and views of physics in a large enrollment introductory physics class

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salehzadeh Einabad, Omid

    Introductory physics courses often serve as gatekeepers for many scientific and engineering programs and, increasingly, colleges are relying on large, lecture formats for these courses. Many students, however, leave having learned very little physics and with poor views of the subject. In interactive engagement (IE), classroom activities encourage students to engage with each other and with physics concepts and to be actively involved in their own learning. These methods have been shown to be effective in introductory physics classes with small group recitations. This study examined student learning and views of physics in a large enrollment course that included IE methods with no separate, small-group recitations. In this study, a large, lecture-based course included activities that had students explaining their reasoning both verbally and in writing, revise their ideas about physics concepts, and apply their reasoning to various problems. The questions addressed were: (a) What do students learn about physics concepts and how does student learning in this course compare to that reported in the literature for students in a traditional course?, (b) Do students' views of physics change and how do students' views of physics compare to that reported in the literature for students in a traditional course?, and (c) Which of the instructional strategies contribute to student learning in this course? Data included: pre-post administration of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), classroom exams during the term, pre-post administration of the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey (CLASS), and student work, interviews, and open-ended surveys. The average normalized gain (=0.32) on the FCI falls within the medium-gain range as reported in the physics education literature, even though the average pre-test score was very low (30%) and this was the instructor's first implementation of IE methods. Students' views of physics remained relatively unchanged by instruction. Findings also indicate that the interaction of the instructional strategies together contributed to student learning. Based on these results, IE methods should be adopted in introductory physics classes, particularly in classes where students have low pre-test scores. It is also important to provide support for instructors new to IE strategies.

  11. U.S. dental hygiene faculty perceptions of learner outcomes in distance education courses.

    PubMed

    Corum, Kathrine A; Gadbury-Amyot, Cynthia C; Johnson, Kerry; Strait, Tia M

    2014-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine perceptions of full-time, entry-level dental hygiene educators regarding the ability to achieve interaction in their distance education courses and the impact of interaction on learning outcomes. The specific interactions explored were student-instructor, student-content, and student-student. A survey was developed, pilot tested, revised, and mailed to 287 educators across the United States, generating an overall response rate of 22.3 percent. The majority of respondents perceived interaction to be achievable in their distance courses, to increase through technology, and to positively influence learning outcomes. Nearly 90 percent reported student-instructor interaction as achievable, 95.3 percent reported student-content interaction as achievable, and 79.7 percent reported student-student interaction as achievable. Learning outcomes were defined in this study as the student's achievement of course objectives and competencies at course completion. Approximately 81 percent of the respondents reported a positive influence from student-instructor interaction, 79.7 percent from student-content interaction, and 70.3 percent from student-student interaction. This study also examined which modalities were perceived as being most influential in achieving interaction. The results demonstrated a prevalence of discussion board posting in an environment in which numerous Web 2.0 tools are available and respondents were not as positive about their ability to achieve student-student interaction in the distance learning environment. The authors conclude that faculty development is critical in achieving quality outcomes in dental hygiene distance education courses.

  12. Learning Disabilities. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delaware State Dept. of Education, Dover.

    This report responds to Delaware state legislation requiring the development of proposed revised regulations for the classification of students as learning disabled (LD). The report first describes the current system, noting that in 1997 15 percent of the student population were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and over…

  13. The Importance of Establishing Relevance in Motivating Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kember, David; Ho, Amber; Hong, Celina

    2008-01-01

    This article reports findings from a study which interviewed 36 undergraduate students about aspects of the teaching and learning environment which motivated or demotivated their study. It was found that students were motivated by a teaching environment characterized by eight main elements. This article reports in detail on the element of…

  14. Integrating Various Apps on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) into Seamless Inquiry-Based Learning to Enhance Primary Students' Science Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Yanjie; Wen, Yun

    2018-04-01

    Despite that BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) technology model has been increasingly adopted in education, few studies have been reported on how to integrate various apps on BYOD into inquiry-based pedagogical practices in primary schools. This article reports a case study, examining what apps on BYOD can help students enhance their science learning, and how students develop their science knowledge in a seamless inquiry-based learning environment supported by these apps. A variety of qualitative data were collected and analyzed. The findings show that the affordances of the apps on BYOD could help students improve their science knowledge without time and place constraints and gain a better sense of ownership in learning.

  15. 'Not Hard to Sway': A Case Study of Student Engagement in Two Large Engineering Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shekhar, Prateek; Borrego, Maura

    2018-01-01

    Although engineering education research has empirically validated the effectiveness of active learning in improving student learning over traditional lecture-based methods, the adoption of active learning in classrooms has been slow. One of the greatest reported barriers is student resistance towards engagement in active learning exercises. This…

  16. How Do Management Students Prefer to Learn? Why Should We Care?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernardes, Ednilson; Hanna, Mark

    2009-01-01

    This paper reports the findings of a study of the learning styles of students in the operations management class at a regional comprehensive university in southeastern United States. Extant learning styles are found to be highly diverse and differ by student gender. However, in contrast to at least one prior study, the learning styles of our…

  17. Learning Quanta: Barriers to Stimulating Transitions in Student Understanding of Orbital Ideas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taber, Keith S.

    2005-01-01

    This paper reports the results of applying a particular analytical perspective to data from an interview study: a typology of learning impediments informed by research into learning and students' ideas in science. This typology is a heuristic tool that may help diagnose the origins of students' learning difficulties. Here it is applied to data…

  18. Student and Staff Perceptions of a Learning Management System for Blended Learning in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holmes, Kathryn A.; Prieto-Rodriguez, Elena

    2018-01-01

    Higher education institutions routinely use Learning Management Systems (LMS) for multiple purposes; to organise coursework and assessment, to facilitate staff and student interactions, and to act as repositories of learning objects. The analysis reported here involves staff (n = 46) and student (n = 470) responses to surveys as well as data…

  19. First Report about an E-learning Application Supporting PBL: Students' Usages, Satisfactions, and Achievements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gurpinar, Erol; Zayim, Nese; Ozenci, Ciler Celik; Alimoglu, Mustafa Kemal

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to determine applicability of e-learning in problem based learning (PBL) by investigating its usage and acceptability among students and its effect on academic achievement. The study was carried out among first year medical students of Akdeniz University, Turkey. A web-based learning environment (WBLE) including…

  20. Students' Learning Behavior, Motivation and Critical Thinking in Learning Management Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wichadee, Saovapa

    2014-01-01

    Computer mediated communication (CMC) offers new opportunities for learners to create communities of inquiry that allow for more active learning. This paper reports on the use of a Learning Management System (LMS) as a tool to facilitate students' writing and critical thinking skills. The primary data for the study came from students'…

  1. The University Experiences of Students with Learning Disabilities

    PubMed Central

    McGregor, Karla K.; Langenfeld, Natalie; Van Horne, Sam; Oleson, Jacob; Anson, Matthew; Jacobson, Wayne

    2016-01-01

    To explore the university experiences of students with learning disabilities (LD), 63,802 responses to the 2014 Student Experience in the Research University Survey were analyzed. Compared to other students, those with self-reported LD (5.96%) had difficulty with assignments and had more obstacles caused by non-academic responsibilities and imposed by their skill levels. Students with self-reported LD sensed more bias towards people with disabilities on campus, and they were less satisfied with their overall experience. Interactions between disability status and age suggested even more challenges for older students who self-reported LD. Approximately one-third of students who self-reported LD received accommodations. The rate of accommodations was higher among individuals who were wealthy, who lived alone, and who were out-of-state students. Compared to students who self-reported LD but reported no accommodations, those with accommodations had more contact with faculty and less difficulty with assignments. PMID:27667902

  2. Clinical Skills Passport: A Method to Increase Participation in Clinical Skills by Medical Students During a Surgery Clerkship.

    PubMed

    Read, Thomas E

    To prospectively evaluate the effect of introducing a clinical skills "passport" on medical students' reporting of their experience with basic clinical skills. A prospective longitudinal intervention study was conducted. Medical students were administered a questionnaire at the conclusion of their 12-week surgery clerkship regarding their experience with 15 clinical skills, inquiring whether they had "learned on surgery clerkship", "learned before surgery clerkship", or "not learned". Preintervention baseline data were obtained for 2 consecutive academic years (n = 213 students). In the third year, students (n = 124) were given a clinical skills passport to document performance of 8 of the 15 skills under the supervision of a surgical resident or faculty member. After excluding from analysis those students who learned a skill before their surgery clerkship, the fraction of students who reported learning clinical skills during their surgery clerkship before and after the introduction of the clinical skills passport was compared using Fisher exact test and chi-squared test, where appropriate (p ≤ 0.003 was considered significant; Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons). Washington University School of Medicine. A total of 337 medical students completing the junior surgery clerkship over a 3-year period were included in the study. All 337 students completed a survey. Considering each skill individually, survey response rate was 5045/5055 (99.8%). Combining all responses for all skills, the fraction of students reporting that skills were learned on the surgery clerkship increased after the introduction of the clinical skills passport (1498/1938 [77%] preintervention vs. 974/1109 [88%] postintervention, p < 0.0001, chi square). After the introduction of the clinical skills passport, the fraction of students reporting that a skill was "learned on surgery clerkship" significantly increased for the 8 skills listed on the passport (1026/1699 [83%] preintervention vs. 685/714 [96%] postintervention, p < 0.0001, chi square), but did not increase for the 7 skills not listed on the passport (472/695 [68%] preintervention vs. 289/395 [73%] postintervention, p = 0.08, chi square). Considering each skill individually, after the introduction of the clinical skills passport, the fraction of students reporting that a skill was "learned on surgery clerkship" significantly increased for 4/15 skills (all listed on the clinical passport) and decreased for 0/15 skills (p < 0.003, Fisher exact test, 2 tailed). Institution of a clinical skills passport system during a surgery clerkship increased medical student reporting of their performance of basic clinical skills. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Exploring Online Students' Self-Regulated Learning with Self-Reported Surveys and Log Files: A Data Mining Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Moon-Heum; Yoo, Jin Soung

    2017-01-01

    Many researchers who are interested in studying students' online self-regulated learning (SRL) have heavily relied on self-reported surveys. Data mining is an alternative technique that can be used to discover students' SRL patterns from large data logs saved on a course management system. The purpose of this study was to identify students' online…

  4. Student perceptions and learning outcomes of blended learning in a massive first-year core physiology for allied health subjects.

    PubMed

    Page, Janelle; Meehan-Andrews, Terri; Weerakkody, Nivan; Hughes, Diane L; Rathner, Joseph A

    2017-03-01

    Evidence shows that factors contributing to success in physiology education for allied health students at universities include not only their high school achievement and background but also factors such as confidence with their teachers and quality of their learning experience, justifying intensive and continued survey of students' perceptions of their learning experience. Here we report data covering a 3-yr period in a physiology subject that has been redesigned for blended and online presentation. Consistent with previous reports, we show that when we undertook a blended mode of delivery, students demonstrated better grades than traditional modes of teaching; however the absence of didactic teaching in this subject resulted in lower grades overall. Students have very strong positive attitudes to weekly quizzes (80% positive approval) but report ambivalent attitudes to online self-directed learning (61% negative perception), even though they had 2-h weekly facilitated workshops. Overwhelmingly, students who undertook the subject in a self-directed online learning mode requested more face-to-face-teaching (70% of comments). From these data, we suggest that there is a quantifiable benefit to didactic teaching in the blended teaching mode that is not reproduced in online self-directed learning, even when face-to-face guided inquiry-based learning is embedded in the subject. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  5. Participation in Asynchronous Online Discussion Forums Does Improve Student Learning of Gross Anatomy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Rodney A.; Farchione, Davide; Hughes, Diane L.; Chan, Siew-Pang

    2014-01-01

    Asynchronous online discussion forums are common in blended learning models and are popular with students. A previous report has suggested that participation in these forums may assist student learning in a gross anatomy subject but it was unclear as to whether more academically able students post more often or whether participation led to…

  6. Information Literacy of Medical Students Studying in the Problem-Based and Traditional Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eskola, Eeva-Liisa

    2005-01-01

    Introduction: This paper reports on part of a research project on relationships between learning methods and students' information behaviour in Finland. It has been suggested that student-centred learning methods, such as problem-based learning, influence students' information needs, seeking and use. The focus of this paper is on the concept of…

  7. Using Indirect vs. Direct Measures in the Summative Assessment of Student Learning in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luce, Christine; Kirnan, Jean P.

    2016-01-01

    Contradictory results have been reported regarding the accuracy of various methods used to assess student learning in higher education. The current study examined student learning outcomes across a multi-section and mult-iinstructor psychology research course with both indirect and direct assessments in a sample of 67 undergraduate students. The…

  8. Gender-Related Effects of Group Learning on Mathematics Achievement among the Rural Secondary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hossain, Md. Anowar; Tarmizi, Rohani Ahmad

    2012-01-01

    Problem Statement: Gender differences in the effects of group learning play a contested role in mathematics education. Several researchers concluded that male students perform better on mathematics than female students. Whilst on the other hand, others reported that female students perform best under the group learning setting whereas the male…

  9. Learning English: Experiences and Needs of Saudi Engineering Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Unruh, Susan; Obeidat, Fayiz

    2015-01-01

    In this qualitative study, Saudi engineering students talk openly of their experiences learning English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and as university students in the United States (US). These students reported that they learned only the basics of vocabulary and grammar in KSA. Consequently, they came to the US with few English skills. In…

  10. The Effect of Precommitment on Student Achievement within a Technology-Rich Project-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hao, Qiang; Branch, Robert Maribe; Jensen, Lucas

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of precommitment on college students' goal setting and academic performance, and students' attitude towards precommitment-related activities. Precommitment refers to a procedure in which students set up learning goals, possibly with a time limit at the beginning of a learning phase, then report the comparison…

  11. The Role of Subjective Task Value in Service-Learning Engagement among Chinese College Students.

    PubMed

    Li, Yulan; Guo, Fangfang; Yao, Meilin; Wang, Cong; Yan, Wenfan

    2016-01-01

    Most service-learning studies in higher education focused on its effects on students' development. The dynamic processes and mechanisms of students' development during service-learning, however, have not been explored thoroughly. Student engagement in service-learning may affect service-learning outcomes and be affected by subjective task value at the same time. The present study aimed to explore the effect of subjective task value on Chinese college student engagement during service-learning. Fifty-four Chinese college students participated in a 9-weeks service-learning program of interacting with children with special needs. Students' engagement and subjective task value were assessed via self-report questionnaires and 433 weekly reflective journals. The results indicated that the cognitive, emotional and behavioral engagement of Chinese college students demonstrated different developmental trends during service-learning process. Subjective task value played an essential role in student engagement in service-learning activities. However, the role of subjective task value varied with different stages. Finally, the implications for implementing service-learning in Chinese education were discussed.

  12. Student nurses' learning on community-based education in Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Salmon, Karen; Keneni, Gutema

    2004-07-01

    At Jimma University educational goals are to apply the concept of community-oriented education through community-based education (CBE) of health students. This study examined the experiences of student nurses on CBE. The aims of the study were to identify factors that students considered had helped or hindered their learning on CBE and to ascertain if the stated learning objectives were met. A quantitative, descriptive, survey design was adopted, using a single, anonymous questionnaire. Some qualitative data were gained using open questions. A convenience sample of 95 students participated in the research. Participants represented 90% of all students who had completed their CBE placements. Participation, mentors' willingness to answer questions and the relevance of the placement were factors that facilitated learning. Factors reported by students that hindered learning were difficulties of self-expression in a group, mentors emphasising mistakes and weakness and the short time-frame due to ongoing lectures during placement. Students said learning objectives most met were socio-demographic assessment, identifying health problems and action planning. Objectives reported to be least met were identifying environmental health problems, planning preventive health interventions and implementing health interventions. These include the need to develop students' group skills, prepare mentors to facilitate learning, organise CBE in spiral phases, avoid concurrent lectures and improve study facilities.

  13. Self-regulated learning in a dynamic coaching model for supporting college students with traumatic brain injury: two case reports.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, Mary R T; Krause, Miriam O

    2011-01-01

    To describe a program that integrates self-regulated learning theory with supported education for college students with traumatic brain injury using a dynamic coaching model; to demonstrate the feasibility of developing and implementing such a program; and to identify individualized outcomes. Case study comparisons. University setting. Two severely injured students with cognitive impairments. A dynamic coaching model of supported education which incorporated self-regulated learning was provided for students with traumatic brain injury while attending college. Outcomes were both short and long term including decontextualized standardized test scores, self-reported academic challenges, number and specificity of reported strategies, grades on assignments, number of credits completed versus attempted, and changes in academic status and campus life. Students improved on graded assignments after strategy instruction and reported using more strategies by the end of the year. Students completed most of the credits they attempted, were in good academic standing, and made positive academic decisions. Performance on decontextualized tests pre- and postintervention was variable. It is feasible to deliver a hybrid supported education program that is dynamically responsive to individual students' needs and learning styles. Reasons for including both functional and standardized test outcomes are discussed.

  14. Integrated learning through student goal development.

    PubMed

    Price, Deborah; Tschannen, Dana; Caylor, Shandra

    2013-09-01

    New strategies are emerging to promote structure and increase learning in the clinical setting. Nursing faculty designed a mechanism by which integrative learning and situated coaching could occur more readily in the clinical setting. The Clinical Goals Initiative was implemented for sophomore-, junior-, and senior-level students in their clinical practicums. Students developed weekly goals reflecting three domains of professional nursing practice. Goals were shared with faculty and staff nurse mentors at the beginning of the clinical day to help guide students and mentors with planning for learning experiences. After 6 weeks, faculty and students were surveyed to evaluate project effectiveness. Faculty indicated that goal development facilitated clinical learning by providing more student engagement, direction, and focus. Students reported that goal development allowed them to optimize clinical learning opportunities and track their growth and progress. Faculty and students indicated the goals promoted student self-learning, autonomy, and student communication with nurse mentors and faculty. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  15. A Review of the Literature on Social and Emotional Learning for Students Ages 3-8: Outcomes for Different Student Populations and Settings (Part 4 of 4). REL 2017-248

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Conner, Rosemarie; De Feyter, Jessica; Carr, Alyssa; Luo, Jia Lisa; Romm, Helen

    2017-01-01

    Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This is the fourth in a series of four related reports about what is known about SEL programs for students ages 3-8. The report series addresses four issues raised…

  16. When high achievers and low achievers work in the same group: the roles of group heterogeneity and processes in project-based learning.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Rebecca Wing-yi; Lam, Shui-fong; Chan, Joanne Chung-yan

    2008-06-01

    There has been an ongoing debate about the inconsistent effects of heterogeneous ability grouping on students in small group work such as project-based learning. The present research investigated the roles of group heterogeneity and processes in project-based learning. At the student level, we examined the interaction effect between students' within-group achievement and group processes on their self- and collective efficacy. At the group level, we examined how group heterogeneity was associated with the average self- and collective efficacy reported by the groups. The participants were 1,921 Hong Kong secondary students in 367 project-based learning groups. Student achievement was determined by school examination marks. Group processes, self-efficacy and collective efficacy were measured by a student-report questionnaire. Hierarchical linear modelling was used to analyse the nested data. When individual students in each group were taken as the unit of analysis, results indicated an interaction effect of group processes and students' within-group achievement on the discrepancy between collective- and self-efficacy. When compared with low achievers, high achievers reported lower collective efficacy than self-efficacy when group processes were of low quality. However, both low and high achievers reported higher collective efficacy than self-efficacy when group processes were of high quality. With 367 groups taken as the unit of analysis, the results showed that group heterogeneity, group gender composition and group size were not related to the discrepancy between collective- and self-efficacy reported by the students. Group heterogeneity was not a determinant factor in students' learning efficacy. Instead, the quality of group processes played a pivotal role because both high and low achievers were able to benefit when group processes were of high quality.

  17. Measuring Cognitive Load with Electroencephalography and Self-Report: Focus on the Effect of English-Medium Learning for Korean Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Hyunjeong

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated a reliable and valid method for measuring cognitive load during learning through comparing various types of cognitive load measurements: electroencephalography (EEG), self-reporting, and learning outcome. A total of 43 college-level students underwent watching a documentary delivered in English or in Korean. EEG was…

  18. Traditional learning and problem-based learning: self-perception of preparedness for internship.

    PubMed

    Millan, Laís Pereira Bueno; Semer, Beatriz; Rodrigues, José Mauro da Silva; Gianini, Reinaldo José

    2012-01-01

    This study aims to evaluate Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) medical students' perception of their preparedness to attend the internship course by comparing students who entered the internship in 2009, who were taught according to the traditional learning method, and those who entered the internship in 2010, who were taught according to the new method, i.e. problem-based learning (PBL). 50 traditional learning method students answered a standard Lickert scale questionnaire upon entering internship in 2009. In 2010, the process was repeated with PBL students. The questionnaire was based upon the Preparation for Hospital Practice Questionnaire. This questionnaire was evaluated by professors from three medical schools in Brazil regarding its applicability. The original questions were classified according to the importance these professors attributed to them, and less important questions were removed. Scores obtained from the Student's t-test were considered significant with p < 0.05. A significant statistical difference was observed in 16 questions, and the traditional learning method students reported higher average scores. When questions were divided into dimensions, a significant statistical difference appeared in the dimensions " social aspects of health", "medical skills", and "ethical concepts"; traditional learning method students again reported higher scores (p < 0.001 for all dimensions). Higher scores were also reported when the average of the answers to the whole questionnaire was calculated. Traditional learning method students consider themselves to be better prepared for internship activities than PBL students, according to the following three comparative means: by analyzing the answers to each question, by grouping these answers into dimensions, and by calculating the means of answers to the whole questionnaire.

  19. Professional development that works: Impacting elementary science teachers' learning and practice during the implementation of an inquiry-oriented science curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlang, Jodi A.

    One of the most important factors for developing science literacy for all students is teacher knowledge of science content and pedagogy. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of professional development on teacher learning, changes in teacher behavior, and student learning. The goal was to develop a deeper understanding of how the Elementary Science Teaching and Learning (ESTL) program affected teacher learning and changed teacher behavior in the classroom. This study also provided insight into the effect of the ESTL program on student learning during the first year of the professional development. This mixed method case study was used to examine the link between participation in the ESTL program, teacher learning, changes in teacher classroom behavior, and student learning. Qualitative observations and videotaped sessions provided rich description of the professional development and implementation of inquiry-oriented strategies in participant's classrooms. Artifacts and interviews provided evidence of teacher learning and changes in teacher behaviors. Quantitative data included self-report survey data examining changes in teacher behavior and the measurement of student learning used both science district assessment scores and CSAP writing scores. Key findings include: (1) teacher learning was reported in the areas of questioning and scope and sequence of the curriculum occurred; (2) statistically significant changes teacher behavior were reported and were noted in teacher interviews; (3) participation in the ESTL program did not positively impact student learning; (4) unanticipated findings include the role of camaraderie in professional development and the role of additional training in teacher's confidence in both their own teaching and in helping others; and, (5) teacher's perceptions identified the role of inquiry-based science curriculum as providing the rich experiences necessary for improved student writing. Overall participation in the ESTL program increased the implementation of inquiry-oriented strategies and it strengthened teacher inquiry-based science teaching in the classroom even though no increases were found in student test scores.

  20. Surgery 101: evaluating the use of podcasting in a general surgery clerkship.

    PubMed

    White, J S; Sharma, N; Boora, P

    2011-01-01

    Provision of learning resources online is rapidly becoming a feature of medical education. This study set out to determine how medical students engaged in a 6-week clerkship in General Surgery would make use of a series of audio podcasts designed to meet their educational objectives. Patterns of use and student learning styles were determined using an anonymous survey. Of the 112 students, 93 responded to the survey (83%); 68% of students reported listening to at least one podcast (average number: six). While students reported listening in a variety of time and places, the majority of students reported listening on a computer in dedicated study time. Of the listeners, 84% agreed the podcasts helped them learn core topics, and over 80% found the recordings interesting and engaging. This study demonstrates that podcasts are an acceptable learning resource for medical students engaged in a surgery clerkship, and can be integrated into existing study habits. We believe that podcasting can help us cater to busy students with a range of learning styles. We have also shown that a free online resource developed by one school can reach a global audience many times larger than its intended target: to date, the 'Surgery 101' podcast series has been downloaded more than 160,000 times worldwide.

  1. Media Combinations and Learning Styles: A Dual Coding Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beacham, N. A.; Elliott, A. C.; Alty, J. L.; Al-Sharrah, A.

    This paper reports initial results from a study which investigated whether different media combinations could be shown to improve students' understanding of computer-based learning materials and to determine whether student learning style affected student understanding for different media combinations. Three groups of participants were given a…

  2. Learners' Perceived Information Overload in Online Learning via Computer-Mediated Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Chun-Ying; Pedersen, Susan; Murphy, Karen L.

    2011-01-01

    Many studies report information overload as one of the main problems that students encounter in online learning via computer-mediated communication. This study aimed to explore the sources of online students' information overload and offer suggestions for increasing students' cognitive resources for learning. Participants were 12 graduate students…

  3. The Community as Classroom: Multiple Perspectives on Student Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerrigan, Seanna; Gelmon, Sherrill; Spring, Amy

    2003-01-01

    Reports on the multiple perspectives of students, community members, and faculty to document the affect of student participation in service-learning courses. The study examined in this article used a large sample size and multiple qualitative and quantitative methods over several years. The results indicate that service learning affects students…

  4. Engaging Students in Learning: An Application with Quantitative Psychology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harlow, Lisa L.; Burkholder, Gary J.; Morrow, Jennifer A.

    2006-01-01

    In response to calls for more engaging and interactive pedagogy, we simultaneously implemented 4 rousing learning activities: peer-mentored learning, student reports of what was clear (or not) from a previous lecture, consult corners where student groups provided course-informed solutions to problem-based scenarios, and applied projects presented…

  5. Constrained Subjective Assessment of Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saliu, Sokol

    2005-01-01

    Student learning is a complex incremental cognitive process; assessment needs to parallel this, reporting the results in similar terms. Application of fuzzy sets and logic to the criterion-referenced assessment of student learning is considered here. The constrained qualitative assessment (CQA) system was designed, and then applied in assessing a…

  6. Testing a Conception of How School Leadership Influences Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leithwood, Kenneth; Patten, Sarah; Jantzi, Doris

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: This article describes and reports the results of testing a new conception of how leadership influences student learning ("The Four Paths"). Framework: Leadership influence is conceptualized as flowing along four paths (Rational, Emotions, Organizational, and Family) toward student learning. Each path is populated by multiple…

  7. The Influence of the Conduct System and Campus Environments on Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Janosik, Steven M.; Stimpson, Matthew T.

    2017-01-01

    Researchers have demonstrated the influence of the perceived efficacy of a conduct system on student learning (King, 2012; Stimpson & Janosik, 2015). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to test the relationship between perceived level of conduct system efficacy, institutional culture, and self-reported student learning. More…

  8. Promoting Student Learning in a Large General Chemistry Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchanan, Stacey A.; Reynolds, Melissa M.; Duersch, Brett S.; Lohr, Lawrence L.; Coppola, Brian P.; Zusho, Akane; Pintrich, Paul R.

    2004-01-01

    Based on recent reports in the science education literature, curricular modifications were made to one section of a freshman-level general chemistry course. Assessment results indicate that these modifications resulted in a more student-centered learning environment and increased student learning and satisfaction as compared to results from…

  9. Cognitive Tutor®. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2016

    2016-01-01

    "Cognitive Tutor"® is a secondary mathematics curriculum developed by Carnegie Learning that focuses on how students think about and learn mathematics. Teachers facilitate student learning as students acquire and apply new information and discuss their work. The curriculum can be implemented using a textbook, adaptive software, or…

  10. Classroom Behavior and Family Climate in Students with Learning Disabilities and Hyperactive Behavior.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Margalit, Malka; Almougy, Katrina

    1991-01-01

    Questioning of teachers and mothers of 84 Israeli students (ages 7-10) classified as either hyperactive, learning disabled, both, or neither, found higher distractibility and hostility among hyperactive children whose families were also reported as less supportive. Learning-disabled students were characterized by dependent interpersonal relations…

  11. Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions Comparing Team-based Learning and Traditional Lecture in a Pharmacotherapeutics Course.

    PubMed

    Remington, Tami L; Bleske, Barry E; Bartholomew, Tracy; Dorsch, Michael P; Guthrie, Sally K; Klein, Kristin C; Tingen, Jeffrey M; Wells, Trisha D

    2017-04-01

    Objective. To qualitatively compare students' attitudes and perceptions regarding team-based learning (TBL) and lecture. Design. Students were exposed to TBL and lecture in an elective pharmacotherapeutics course in a randomized, prospective, cross-over design. After completing the course, students provided their attitudes and perceptions through a written self-reflection and narrative questions on the end-of-course evaluation. Student responses were reviewed using a grounded theory coding method. Assessment. Students' responses yielded five major themes: impact of TBL on learning, perceptions about TBL learning methods, changes in approaches to learning, building skills for professional practice, and enduring challenges. Overall, students report TBL enhances their learning of course content (knowledge and application), teamwork skills, and lifelong learning skills. Conclusion. Students' attitudes and perceptions support TBL as a viable pedagogy for teaching pharmacotherapeutics.

  12. Improving Student Reflection in Experiential Learning Reports in Post-Secondary Institutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tiessen, Rebecca

    2018-01-01

    Work-integrated learning options--or experiential learning--(such as co-operative education, practicum placements, and community service learning/volunteer placements) offer much scope for enhancing educational opportunities for post-secondary students to learn about the workplace and to develop skills that may contribute to their future…

  13. Note-taking skills of middle school students with and without learning disabilities.

    PubMed

    Boyle, Joseph R

    2010-01-01

    For middle school students with learning disabilities (LD), one major component of learning in content area classes, such as science, involves listening to lectures and recording notes. Lecture learning and note-taking are critical skills for students to succeed in these classes. Despite the importance of note-taking skills, no research has been reported on the problems that school-age students with LD encounter when recording notes during science lectures. Using a sample size of 90 middle school students, the performance of students with LD was compared to students with no learning disabilities (NLD). Results found that students with LD performed significantly worse than students with NLD in terms of the type and amount of notes recorded and test performance.

  14. Using Action Learning Sets to Support Students Managing Transition into the Clinical Learning Environment in a UK Medical School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKee, Anne; Markless, Sharon

    2017-01-01

    This paper reports on a Curriculum Innovation Project to empower third-year Undergraduate Medical students to recognise learning opportunities in their clinical placements and to proactively use them to develop their understanding and practice. The project created action learning sets (ALS) in response to the challenges students face when trying…

  15. An Initial Field Trial of an Instrument for Measuring Learning Strategies of Middle School Students. Research Report. ETS RR-08-03

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Ou Lydia; Jackson, Teresa; Ling, Guangming

    2008-01-01

    Learning strategies have been increasingly recognized as a useful tool to promote effective learning. In response to the lack of available learning strategies measures for middle school students, this study designed an instrument for these students, assessing behavioral, cognitive, and metacognitive strategies. This instrument, the Middle School…

  16. Ambience in Social Learning: Student Engagement with New Designs for Learning Spaces

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crook, Charles; Mitchell, Gemma

    2012-01-01

    An imperative to develop the social experience of learning has led to the design of informal learning spaces within libraries. Yet little is known about how these spaces are used by students or how students perceive them. Field work in one such space is reported. The general private study practice of undergraduates was captured through audio…

  17. From primary care to public health: using Problem-based Learning and the ecological model to teach public health to first year medical students.

    PubMed

    Hoover, Cora R; Wong, Candice C; Azzam, Amin

    2012-06-01

    We investigated whether a public health-oriented Problem-Based Learning case presented to first-year medical students conveyed 12 "Population Health Competencies for Medical Students," as recommended by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Regional Medicine-Public Health Education Centers. A public health-oriented Problem-Based Learning case guided by the ecological model paradigm was developed and implemented among two groups of 8 students at the University of California, Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, in the Fall of 2010. Using directed content analysis, student-generated written reports were coded for the presence of the 12 population health content areas. Students generated a total of 29 reports, of which 20 (69%) contained information relevant to at least one of the 12 population health competencies. Each of the 12 content areas was addressed by at least one report. As physicians-in-training prepare to confront the challenges of integrating prevention and population health with clinical practice, Problem-Based Learning is a promising tool to enhance medical students' engagement with public health.

  18. Cueing Metacognition to Improve Researching and Essay Writing in a Final Year High School Biology Class

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conner, L. N.

    2007-03-01

    This paper reports on degrees of awareness and use of specific metacognitive strategies by 16 students in a final-year high school biology class in New Zealand. The aims of the intervention were to broaden students' thinking about bioethical issues associated with cancer and to enhance students' use of metacognition. Cues and prompts were used in this unit of work to help students use metacognitive strategies since students did not generally use metacognitive strategies spontaneously. Scaffolding was mediated through the teacher modelling, questioning, cueing or prompting students to evaluate their learning. The research reported here illustrates how teachers can cue students to be more self-directed in their learning. Three case studies illustrate how learning strategies were used differentially. Most students were aware of strategies that could help them to learn more effectively. It was found that those students who were not only aware of but also used strategies to plan, monitor and evaluate their work, produced essays of higher quality.

  19. Learner differences and learning outcomes in an introductory biochemistry class: attitude toward images, visual cognitive skills, and learning approach.

    PubMed

    Milner, Rachel E

    2014-01-01

    The practice of using images in teaching is widespread, and in science education images are used so extensively that some have argued they are now the "main vehicle of communication" (C. Ferreira, A. Arroio Problems Educ. 21st Century 2009, 16, 48-53). Although this phenomenon is especially notable in the field of biochemistry, we know little about the role and importance of images in communicating concepts to students in the classroom. This study reports the development of a scale to assess students' attitude toward biochemical images, particularly their willingness and ability to use the images to support their learning. In addition, because it is argued that images are central in the communication of biochemical concepts, we investigated three "learner differences" which might impact learning outcomes in this kind of classroom environment: attitude toward images, visual cognitive skills, and learning approach. Overall, the students reported a positive attitude toward the images, the majority agreeing that they liked images and considered them useful. However, the participants also reported that verbal explanations were more important than images in helping them to understand the concepts. In keeping with this we found that there was no relationship between learning outcomes and the students' self-reported attitude toward images or visual cognitive skills. In contrast, learning outcomes were significantly correlated with the students' self-reported approach to learning. These findings suggest that images are not necessarily the main vehicle of communication in a biochemistry classroom and that verbal explanations and encouragement of a deep learning approach are important considerations in improving our pedagogical approach. © 2013 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  20. `Not hard to sway': a case study of student engagement in two large engineering classes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shekhar, Prateek; Borrego, Maura

    2018-07-01

    Although engineering education research has empirically validated the effectiveness of active learning in improving student learning over traditional lecture-based methods, the adoption of active learning in classrooms has been slow. One of the greatest reported barriers is student resistance towards engagement in active learning exercises. This paper argues that the level of student engagement in active learning classrooms is an interplay of social and physical classroom characteristics. Using classroom observations and instructor interviews, this study describes the influence of the interaction of student response systems and classroom layout on student engagement in two large active-learning-based engineering classrooms. The findings suggest that the use of different student response systems in combination with cluster-style seating arrangements can increase student engagement in large classrooms.

  1. WWC Review of the Report "Mastery Learning and Student Teams: A Factorial Experiment in Urban General Mathematics Classes"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

    2012-01-01

    The study reviewed in this paper examined the effects of "mastery learning" and "student team learning" on the math achievement of high school students. The analysis included 588 ninth-grade students in 16 urban Philadelphia high schools. The study assessed the effectiveness of the different conditions after one year by…

  2. The laboratory report: A pedagogical tool in college science courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferzli, Miriam

    When viewed as a product rather than a process that aids in student learning, the lab report may become rote, busywork for both students and instructors. Students fail to see the purpose of the lab report, and instructors see them as a heavy grading load. If lab reports are taught as part of a process rather than a product that aims to "get the right answer," they may serve as pedagogical tools in college science courses. In response to these issues, an in-depth, web-based tutorial named LabWrite (www.ncsu.edu/labwrite) was developed to help students and instructors (www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/instructors) understand the purpose of the lab report as grounded in the written discourse and processes of science. The objective of this post-test only quasi-experimental study was to examine the role that in-depth instruction such as LabWrite plays in helping students to develop skills characteristic of scientifically literate individuals. Student lab reports from an introductory-level biology course at NC State University were scored for overall understanding of scientific concepts and scientific ways of thinking. The study also looked at students' attitudes toward science and lab report writing, as well as students' perceptions of lab reports in general. Significant statistical findings from this study show that students using LabWrite were able to write lab reports that showed a greater understanding of scientific investigations (p < .003) and scientific ways of thinking (p < .0001) than students receiving traditional lab report writing instruction. LabWrite also helped students develop positive attitudes toward lab reports as compared to non-LabWrite users (p < .01). Students using LabWrite seemed to perceive the lab report as a valuable tool for determining learning objectives, understanding science concepts, revisiting the lab experience, and documenting their learning.

  3. Senior physiotherapy students as standardised patients for junior students enhances self-efficacy and satisfaction in both junior and senior students

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Standardised patients are used in medical education to expose students to clinical contexts and facilitate transition to clinical practice, and this approach is gaining momentum in physiotherapy programs. Expense and availability of trained standardised patients are factors limiting widespread adoption, and accessing clinical visits with real patients can be challenging. This study addressed these issues by engaging senior students as standardised patients for junior students. It evaluated how this approach impacted self-reported constructs of both the junior and senior students. Methods Learning activities for undergraduate physiotherapy students were developed in five courses (Neurology, Cardiorespiratory and three Musculoskeletal courses) so that junior students (Year 2 and 3) could develop skills and confidence in patient interview, physical examination and patient management through their interaction with standardised patients played by senior students (Year 4). Surveys were administered before and after the interactions to record junior students’ self-reported confidence, communication, preparedness for clinic, and insight into their abilities; and senior students’ confidence and insight into what it is like to be a patient. Satisfaction regarding this learning approach was surveyed in both the junior and senior students. Results A total of 253 students completed the surveys (mean 92.5% response rate). Across all courses, junior students reported a significant (all P < 0.037) improvement following the standardised patient interaction in their: preparedness for clinic, communication with clients, confidence with practical skills, and understanding of their strengths and weaknesses in relation to the learning activities. Senior students demonstrated a significant improvement in their confidence in providing feedback and insight into their own learning (P < 0.001). All students reported high satisfaction with this learning experience (mean score 8.5/10). Conclusion This new approach to peer-assisted learning using senior students as standardised patients resulted in positive experiences for both junior and senior students across a variety of physiotherapy areas, activities, and stages within a physiotherapy program. These findings support the engagement of senior students as standardised patients to enhance learning within physiotherapy programs, and may have application across other disciplines to address challenges associated with accessing real patients via clinical visits or utilising actors as standardised patients. PMID:24885224

  4. Facilitating long-term changes in student approaches to learning science.

    PubMed

    Buchwitz, Brian J; Beyer, Catharine H; Peterson, Jon E; Pitre, Emile; Lalic, Nevena; Sampson, Paul D; Wakimoto, Barbara T

    2012-01-01

    Undergraduates entering science curricula differ greatly in individual starting points and learning needs. The fast pace, high enrollment, and high stakes of introductory science courses, however, limit students' opportunities to self-assess and modify learning strategies. The University of Washington's Biology Fellows Program (BFP) intervenes through a 20-session, premajors course that introduces students to the rigor expected of bioscience majors and assists their development as science learners. This study uses quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess whether the 2007-2009 BFP achieved its desired short- and long-term impacts on student learning. Adjusting for differences in students' high school grade point average and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, we found that participation in the BFP was associated with higher grades in two subsequent gateway biology courses, across multiple quarters and instructors. Two to 4 yr after participating in the program, students attributed changes in how they approached learning science to BFP participation. They reported having learned to "think like a scientist" and to value active-learning strategies and learning communities. In addition, they reported having developed a sense of belonging in bioscience communities. The achievement of long-term impacts for a short-term instructional investment suggests a practical means to prepare diverse students for the rigors of science curricula.

  5. Student Growth from Service-Learning: A Comparison of First-Generation and Non-First-Generation College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pelco, Lynn E.; Ball, Christopher T.; Lockeman, Kelly S.

    2014-01-01

    The effect of service-learning courses on student growth was compared for 321 first-generation and 782 non-first-generation undergraduate students at a large urban university. Student growth encompassed both academic and professional skill development. The majority of students reported significant academic and professional development after…

  6. Student Response Systems and Learning: Perceptions of the Student.

    PubMed

    Benson, Jeryl D; Szucs, Kimberly A; Taylor, Meredith

    2016-10-01

    To assess student perception of learning and use of a student response system (SRS) as a teaching/learning strategy. Survey methods were used to explore student perceptions of learning and use of student response systems as a pedagogical strategy. Fifty-nine graduate students participated in the survey post completion of two graduate intervention courses. Overall, there was a positive response to the use of SRS's in the classroom. All of the students (100%) recommended the continued use of the clickers for various reasons. The primary benefit reported by students related to providing immediate feedback, the opportunity to manipulate and revisit the content, and the ability to check for understanding within a class session. Students recommended the continued use of the SRS in classes to support acquisition of content and exam preparation. The student reported technology difficulties as the only the negative to SRS use in the classroom. Instructor perception was that the addition of the SRS devices added a new way to interact with the students. Suggestions for incorporating the use of a SRS devices into classroom instruction are offered.

  7. Using Expectancy Value Theory as a Framework to Reduce Student Resistance to Active Learning: A Proof of Concept.

    PubMed

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

    2017-01-01

    There has been a national movement to transition college science courses from passive lectures to active learning environments. Active learning has been shown to be a more effective way for students to learn, yet there is concern that some students are resistant to active learning approaches. Although there is much discussion about student resistance to active learning, few studies have explored this topic. Furthermore, a limited number of studies have applied theoretical frameworks to student engagement in active learning. We propose using a theoretical lens of expectancy value theory to understand student resistance to active learning. In this study, we examined student perceptions of active learning after participating in 40 hours of active learning. We used the principal components of expectancy value theory to probe student experience in active learning: student perceived self-efficacy in active learning, value of active learning, and potential cost of participating in active learning. We found that students showed positive changes in the components of expectancy value theory and reported high levels of engagement in active learning, which provide proof of concept that expectancy value theory can be used to boost student perceptions of active learning and their engagement in active learning classrooms. From these findings, we have built a theoretical framework of expectancy value theory applied to active learning.

  8. Using Expectancy Value Theory as a Framework to Reduce Student Resistance to Active Learning: A Proof of Concept

    PubMed Central

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

    2017-01-01

    There has been a national movement to transition college science courses from passive lectures to active learning environments. Active learning has been shown to be a more effective way for students to learn, yet there is concern that some students are resistant to active learning approaches. Although there is much discussion about student resistance to active learning, few studies have explored this topic. Furthermore, a limited number of studies have applied theoretical frameworks to student engagement in active learning. We propose using a theoretical lens of expectancy value theory to understand student resistance to active learning. In this study, we examined student perceptions of active learning after participating in 40 hours of active learning. We used the principal components of expectancy value theory to probe student experience in active learning: student perceived self-efficacy in active learning, value of active learning, and potential cost of participating in active learning. We found that students showed positive changes in the components of expectancy value theory and reported high levels of engagement in active learning, which provide proof of concept that expectancy value theory can be used to boost student perceptions of active learning and their engagement in active learning classrooms. From these findings, we have built a theoretical framework of expectancy value theory applied to active learning. PMID:28861130

  9. Does Students' Expectation of Teachers Affect Students' Evaluation of Teachers?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Babski, Carl

    This report gives an extensive review of the literature dealing with student evaluation of faculty, and investigates the effect of a previously unexplored variable, students' expectations of the teaching-learning situation. Eight student perceptions of the teaching-learning situation were identified: dogmatic, erotic, moral, therapeutic,…

  10. Improving Student Teamwork in a Collaborative Project-Based Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kapp, Edward

    2009-01-01

    While collaborative student projects can be effective in improving student learning, the failure of students to work together effectively remains a widely reported problem in collaborative learning. This article describes a team-building intervention designed to improve the students' abilities to work together in teams successfully. The…

  11. Assessing Students' Emotional Competence in Higher Education: Development and Validation of the Widener Emotional Learning Scale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Ning; Young, Thomas; Wilhite, Stephen C.; Marczyk, Geoffrey

    2011-01-01

    This article reports the development and validation studies of the Widener Emotional Learning Scale (WELS), a self-report measure, for assessing students' social and emotional competence in higher education. Conceptual specifications, item development, psychometric properties, and factor structure of the instrument are reported in the article. The…

  12. The Relationship among Student Basic Need Satisfaction, Approaches to Learning, Reporting of Avoidance Strategies and Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Betoret, Fernando Domenech; Artiga, Amparo Gomez

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: This study examines the relationship between student basic need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, relatedness and belonging), their reporting of approaches to learning (deep and surface), their reporting of avoidance strategies (avoidance of effort and challenge, avoidance of help seeking and preference to avoid novelty) and…

  13. Integrative Learning: A Grounded Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leonard, Jeannie Brown

    2012-01-01

    This article reports the findings from a study of undergraduate students in an academic program focused on integrative learning rather than interdisciplinarity. One aspect of this study included how students defined integrative learning. This participant-shaped understanding of integrative learning was broad and reflected a continuum of…

  14. Assessment of Learning Strategies: Self-Report Questionnaire or Learning Task

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kikas, Eve; Jõgi, Anna-Liisa

    2016-01-01

    Two types of assessment instruments were developed to assess middle school students' learning strategies, and their effectiveness in predicting various learning outcomes was examined. The participants were 565 middle school students. Three subscales (rehearsal, organization, elaboration) from the "Motivated Strategies for Learning…

  15. Transformative Learning Experiences of International Graduate Students from Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kumi-Yeboah, Alex

    2014-01-01

    This article examines factors that influence transformative learning experiences of international graduate students from Africa. In general, 84.8% of the participants experienced transformative learning while 15.2% reported no transformative experiences. For those who experienced transformative learning, 26.1% of the transformative experiences…

  16. How Are Learning Strategies Reflected in the Eyes? Combining Results from Self-Reports and Eye-Tracking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Catrysse, Leen; Gijbels, David; Donche, Vincent; De Maeyer, Sven; Lesterhuis, Marije; Van den Bossche, Piet

    2018-01-01

    Background: Up until now, empirical studies in the Student Approaches to Learning field have mainly been focused on the use of self-report instruments, such as interviews and questionnaires, to uncover differences in students' general preferences towards learning strategies, but have focused less on the use of task-specific and online measures.…

  17. When Knowing More Means Knowing Less: Understanding the Impact of Computer Experience on e-Learning and e-Learning Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kushnir, Lena Paulo

    2009-01-01

    Students often report feeling more overloaded in courses that use e-learning environments compared to traditional face-to-face courses that do not use such environments. Discussions here consider online design and organizational factors that might contribute to students' reports of information overload. It was predicted that certain online factors…

  18. Research report: learning styles of biomedical engineering students.

    PubMed

    Dee, Kay C; Nauman, Eric A; Livesay, Glen A; Rice, Janet

    2002-09-01

    Examining students' learning styles can yield information useful to the design of learning activities, courses, and curricula. A variety of measures have been used to characterize learning styles, but the literature contains little information specific to biomedical engineering (BMEN) students. We, therefore, utilized Felder's Index of Learning Styles to investigate the learning style preferences of BMEN students at Tulane University. Tulane BMEN students preferred to receive information visually (preferred by 88% of the student sample) rather than verbally, focus on sensory information (55%) instead of intuitive information, process information actively (66%) instead of reflectively, and understand information globally (59%) rather than sequentially. These preferences varied between cohorts (freshman, sophomore, etc.) and a significantly higher percentage of female students preferred active and sensing learning styles. Compared to other engineering student populations, our sample of Tulane BMEN students contained the highest percentage of students preferring the global learning style. Whether this is a general trend for all BMEN students or a trait specific to Tulane engineers requires further investigation. Regardless, this study confirms the existence of a range of learning styles within biomedical engineering students, and provides motivation for instructors to consider how well their teaching style engages multiple learning styles.

  19. Investigating Relationships between Features of Learning Designs and Student Learning Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNaught, Carmel; Lam, Paul; Cheng, Kin Fai

    2012-01-01

    This article reports a study of eLearning in 21 courses in Hong Kong universities that had a blended design of face-to-face classes combined with online learning. The main focus of the study was to examine possible relationships between features of online learning designs and student learning outcomes. Data-collection strategies included expert…

  20. Exploring Student-Generated Animations, Combined with a Representational Pedagogy, as a Tool for Learning in Chemistry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yaseen, Zeynep; Aubusson, Peter

    2018-02-01

    This article describes an investigation into teaching and learning with student-generated animations combined with a representational pedagogy. In particular, it reports on interactive discussions that were stimulated by the students' own animations as well as their critiques of experts' animations. Animations representing views of states of matter provided a vehicle by which to investigate learning in a series of lessons. The study was implemented with Year 11 high school students. After students constructed, presented and discussed their animations, they watched and critiqued experts' animations. They were then interviewed about the teaching-learning process. Most students (91%) spoke positively about follow-up discussion classes, saying that their previous conceptions and understanding of states of matter had improved. They explained that they had identified some alternative conceptions, which they had held regarding states of matter and explained how their conceptions had changed. They reported that the teaching/learning process had helped them to develop a deeper understanding of the changing states of matter.

  1. Case Report Writing in a Doctor of Physical Therapy Education Program: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fillyaw, Michael J.

    2011-01-01

    Case reports are an established form of scholarship used for teaching and learning in medicine and health care, but there are few examples of the teaching and learning activities used to prepare students to write a case report. This report describes the implementation of two courses that prepare physical therapy students to write and disseminate a…

  2. The context of learning anatomy: does it make a difference?

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Claire F; Martinez-Álvarez, Concepción; McHanwell, Stephen

    2014-01-01

    This study set out to ascertain whether the context in which anatomy is learnt made a difference to students' perceptions of learning. An Approach to Learning Inventory (ASSIST) and a 31-item Anatomy Learning Experience Questionnaire (ALE) were administered to 224 students (77 dental, 132 medical and 19 speech and language) as a multi-site study. Results revealed that 45% adopted a strategic, 39% a deep and 14% a surface approach. Trends between professions are similar for a deep or strategic approach (both ∼ 40%). However, a surface approach differed between professions (7% dentistry, 16% medicine, 26% speech and language science). Dental students responded more to being able to use their knowledge than did other groups (P = 0.0001). Medical students found the dissecting environment an intimidating one and subsequently reported finding online resources helpful (P = 0.015 and P = 0.003, respectively). Speech and language science students reported that they experienced greater difficulties with learning anatomy; they reported finding the amount to learn daunting (P = 0.007), struggled to remember what they did last semester (P = 0.032) and were not confident in their knowledge base (P = 0.0001). All students responded strongly to the statement ‘I feel that working with cadaveric material is an important part of becoming a doctor/dentist/health care professional’. A strong response to this statement was associated with students adopting a deep approach (P = 0.0001). This study has elucidated that local curriculum factors are important in creating an enabling learning environment. There are also a number of generic issues that can be identified as being inherent in the learning of anatomy as a discipline and are experienced across courses, different student groups and institutions. PMID:23930933

  3. The context of learning anatomy: does it make a difference?

    PubMed

    Smith, Claire F; Martinez-Álvarez, Concepción; McHanwell, Stephen

    2014-03-01

    This study set out to ascertain whether the context in which anatomy is learnt made a difference to students' perceptions of learning. An Approach to Learning Inventory (ASSIST) and a 31-item Anatomy Learning Experience Questionnaire (ALE) were administered to 224 students (77 dental, 132 medical and 19 speech and language) as a multi-site study. Results revealed that 45% adopted a strategic, 39% a deep and 14% a surface approach. Trends between professions are similar for a deep or strategic approach (both ~ 40%). However, a surface approach differed between professions (7% dentistry, 16% medicine, 26% speech and language science). Dental students responded more to being able to use their knowledge than did other groups (P = 0.0001). Medical students found the dissecting environment an intimidating one and subsequently reported finding online resources helpful (P = 0.015 and P = 0.003, respectively). Speech and language science students reported that they experienced greater difficulties with learning anatomy; they reported finding the amount to learn daunting (P = 0.007), struggled to remember what they did last semester (P = 0.032) and were not confident in their knowledge base (P = 0.0001). All students responded strongly to the statement 'I feel that working with cadaveric material is an important part of becoming a doctor/dentist/health care professional'. A strong response to this statement was associated with students adopting a deep approach (P = 0.0001). This study has elucidated that local curriculum factors are important in creating an enabling learning environment. There are also a number of generic issues that can be identified as being inherent in the learning of anatomy as a discipline and are experienced across courses, different student groups and institutions. © 2013 Anatomical Society.

  4. Students' perspectives on basic nursing care education.

    PubMed

    Huisman-de Waal, Getty; Feo, Rebecca; Vermeulen, Hester; Heinen, Maud

    2018-02-05

    The aim of the study is to explore the perspectives of nursing students on their education concerning basic nursing care, learned either during theoretical education or clinical placement, with a specific focus on nutrition and communication. Basic care activities lie at the core of nursing, but are ill-informed by evidence and often poorly delivered. Nursing students' education on basic care might be lacking, and the question remains how they learn to deliver basic care in clinical practice. Descriptive study, using an online questionnaire. Nursing students at the vocational and bachelor level of six nursing schools in the Netherlands were invited to complete an online questionnaire regarding their perception of basic nursing care education in general (both theoretical education and clinical placement), and specifically in relation to nutrition and communication. Nursing students (n=226 bachelor students, n=30 vocational students) completed the questionnaire. Most students reported that they learned more about basic nursing care during clinical placement than during theoretical education. Vocational students also reported learning more about basic nursing care in both theoretical education and clinical practice than bachelor students. In terms of nutrition, low numbers of students from both education levels reported learning about nutrition protocols and guidelines during theoretical education. In terms of communication, vocational students indicated that they learned more about different aspects of communication during clinical practice than theoretical education, and were also more likely to learn about communication (in both theoretical education and clinical practice) than were bachelor students. Basic nursing care seems to be largely invisible in nursing education, especially at the bachelor level and during theoretical education. Improved basic nursing care will enhance nurse sensitive outcomes and patient satisfaction and will contribute to lower healthcare costs. This study shows that there is scope within current nurse education in the Netherlands to focus more systematically and explicitly on basic nursing care. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  5. Loci of Difficulty in Learning to Program. Technical Report 86-6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perkins, David; And Others

    To learn more about the specific nature of the teaching and learning problems involved, researchers conducted a clinical study of 20 high school students enrolled a BASIC course. Investigators presented each student with a sequence of eight programming problems, ranging from easy to difficult. They asked questions to track student thinking and…

  6. Challenge Based Learning: The Report from the Implementation Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, L.; Adams, S.

    2011-01-01

    Challenge Based Learning (CBL) is an engaging multidisciplinary approach to teaching and learning that encourages students to leverage the technology they use in their daily lives to solve real-world problems. The approach is collaborative and hands-on, asking students to work with other students, their teachers, and experts in their communities…

  7. Discontinuities in University Student Experiences of Learning through Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Robert A.; Calvo, Rafael A.

    2006-01-01

    This article reports on research into the student experience of learning through discussions in a third-year undergraduate engineering subject. Information engineering students studying e-commerce were required to engage in face-to-face and online discussions as a key aspect of their learning experience. This study investigates the quality of the…

  8. Generation of Student Interest in an Inquiry-Based Mobile Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laine, Erkka; Veermans, Marjaana; Lahti, Aleksi; Veermans, Koen

    2017-01-01

    A declining trend in adolescents' interest in science learning and attitudes towards science-related careers has been reported during recent years. There has been a call for more motivating learning environments that inspire students to develop interest towards science. This study examines students' interest development in STEM subjects in an…

  9. Effects of Mental Health on Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    VanderLind, Ren

    2017-01-01

    Learning can be hindered by students' mental health. Given the increased reports of mental health concerns among college students, it is imperative that we understand how best to provide supports to this population to help them learn and succeed. This is particularly significant given the body of research that demonstrates how mental illness may…

  10. Comparison of 1:1 and 1:m CSCL Environment for Collaborative Concept Mapping

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, C.-P.; Wong, L.-H.; Shao, Y.-J.

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports an investigation into the effects of collaborative concept mapping in a digital learning environment, in terms of students' overall learning gains, knowledge retention, quality of student artefacts (the collaboratively created concept maps), interactive patterns, and learning perceptions. Sixty-four 12-year-old students from two…

  11. Language of Evaluation: How PLA Evaluators Write about Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Travers, Nan L.; Smith, Bernard; Ellis, Leslie; Brady, Tom; Feldman, Liza; Hakim, Kameyla; Onta, Bhuwan; Panayotou, Maria; Seamans, Laurie; Treadwell, Amanda

    2011-01-01

    Very few studies (e.g., Arnold, 1998; Joosten-ten Brinke, et al., 2009) have examined the ways in which evaluators assess students' prior learning. This investigation explored the ways that evaluators described students' prior learning in final assessment reports at a single, multiple-location institution. Results found four themes; audience,…

  12. Learning about Computer-Based Education in Adult Basic Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fahy, Patrick J.

    In 1979 the adult basic education department at the Alberta Vocational Centre (AVC), Edmonton, began to use the Control Data PLATO system. Results of the first PLATO project showed students using PLATO learned at least as much as students in regular classes. Students learned faster and reported great satisfaction with PLATO experiences. Staff and…

  13. Personality Characteristics and Learning Style Preferences of Adult Basic Education Students. Research Monograph.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manzo, Anthony V.; And Others

    The study described in the report identifies personality characteristics and learning styles of adult basic education (ABE) students on the basis of three instruments: the Luscher Color Test, the Manzo Bestiary Inventory, and the Learning Preference Inventory. The volunteer sample consisted of 83 ABE students. Subsample comparison groups consisted…

  14. Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of GIS-Based Learning Materials in an Introductory Geoscience Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall-Wallace, Michelle K.; McAuliffe, Carla M.

    2002-01-01

    Investigates student learning that occurred with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based module on plate tectonics and geologic hazards. Examines factors in the design and implementation of the materials that impacted student learning. Reports positive correlations between student' spatial ability and performance. Includes 17 references.…

  15. Exploring Zimbabwean Advanced Level Chemistry Students' Approaches to Investigations from a Learning Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chirikure, Tamirirofa; Hobden, Paul; Hobden, Sally

    2018-01-01

    In this paper we report on the findings of a study on Advanced Level Chemistry students' approaches to investigations from a learning perspective in the Zimbabwean educational context. Students' approaches to investigations are inextricably linked to the quality of learning and performances in these practical activities. An explanatory…

  16. Benefits of Informal Learning Environments: A Focused Examination of STEM-Based Program Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denson, Cameron D.; Austin Stallworth, Chandra; Hailey, Christine; Householder, Daniel L.

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines STEM-based informal learning environments for underrepresented students and reports on the aspects of these programs that are beneficial to students. This qualitative study provides a nuanced look into informal learning environments and determines what is unique about these experiences and makes them beneficial for students. We…

  17. Making Sense of Undergraduate Students' Reflections as They Learn through Writing an Action Research Proposal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maoto, S.

    2011-01-01

    This article explores learning opportunities offered by students' written reflections as they learn through writing an action research proposal. From tapping into students' reported struggles, I analysed data using three stages of qualitative data analysis: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing (Miles and Huberman 1994). It emerged…

  18. A WEB based approach in biomedical engineering design education.

    PubMed

    Enderle, J D; Browne, A F; Hallowell, M B

    1997-01-01

    As part of the accreditation process for university engineering programs, students are required to complete a minimum number of design credits in their course of study, typically at the senior level. Many call this the capstone course. Engineering design is a course or series of courses that bring together concepts and principles that students learn in their field of study--it involves the integration and extension of material learned in their major toward a specific project. Most often, the student is exposed to system-wide analysis, critique and evaluation for the first time. Design is an iterative, decision making process in which the student optimally applies previously learned material to meet a stated objective. At the University of Connecticut, students work in teams of 3-4 members and work on externally sponsored projects. To facilitate working with sponsors, a WEB based approach is used for reporting the progress on projects. Students are responsible for creating their own WEB sites that support both html and pdf formats. Students provide the following deliverables: weekly progress reports, project statement, specifications, project proposal, interim report, and final report. A senior design homepage also provides links to data books and other resources for use by students. We are also planning distance learning experiences between two campuses so students can work on projects that involve the use of video conferencing.

  19. The Impact of Preceptor and Student Learning Styles on Experiential Performance Measures

    PubMed Central

    Cox, Craig D.; Seifert, Charles F.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives. To identify preceptors’ and students’ learning styles to determine how these impact students’ performance on pharmacy practice experience assessments. Methods. Students and preceptors were asked to complete a validated Pharmacist’s Inventory of Learning Styles (PILS) questionnaire to identify dominant and secondary learning styles. The significance of “matched” and “unmatched” learning styles between students and preceptors was evaluated based on performance on both subjective and objective practice experience assessments. Results. Sixty-one percent of 67 preceptors and 57% of 72 students who participated reported “assimilator” as their dominant learning style. No differences were found between student and preceptor performance on evaluations, regardless of learning style match. Conclusion. Determination of learning styles may encourage preceptors to use teaching methods to challenge students during pharmacy practice experiences; however, this does not appear to impact student or preceptor performance. PMID:23049100

  20. Efficacy of a Meiosis Learning Module Developed for the Virtual Cell Animation Collection

    PubMed Central

    Goff, Eric E.; Reindl, Katie M.; Johnson, Christina; McClean, Phillip; Offerdahl, Erika G.; Schroeder, Noah L.; White, Alan R.

    2017-01-01

    Recent reports calling for change in undergraduate biology education have resulted in the redesign of many introductory biology courses. Reports on one common change to course structure, the active-learning environment, have placed an emphasis on student preparation, noting that the positive outcomes of active learning in the classroom depend greatly on how well the student prepares before class. As a possible preparatory resource, we test the efficacy of a learning module developed for the Virtual Cell Animation Collection. This module presents the concepts of meiosis in an interactive, dynamic environment that has previously been shown to facilitate learning in introductory biology students. Participants (n = 534) were enrolled in an introductory biology course and were presented the concepts of meiosis in one of two treatments: the interactive-learning module or a traditional lecture session. Analysis of student achievement shows that students who viewed the learning module as their only means of conceptual presentation scored significantly higher (d = 0.40, p < 0.001) than students who only attended a traditional lecture on the topic. Our results show the animation-based learning module effectively conveyed meiosis conceptual understanding, which suggests that it may facilitate student learning outside the classroom. Moreover, these results have implications for instructors seeking to expand their arsenal of tools for “flipping” undergraduate biology courses. PMID:28188282

  1. Challenging clinical learning environments: experiences of undergraduate nursing students.

    PubMed

    O'Mara, Linda; McDonald, Jane; Gillespie, Mary; Brown, Helen; Miles, Lynn

    2014-03-01

    Clinical learning is an essential component of becoming a nurse. However at times, students report experiencing challenging clinical learning environments (CCLE), raising questions regarding the nature of a challenging clinical learning environment, its impact on students' learning and how students might respond within a CCLE. Using an Interpretive Descriptive study design, researchers held focus groups with 54 students from two Canadian sites, who self-identified as having experienced a CCLE. Students defined a CCLE as affected by relationships in the clinical area and by the context of their learning experiences. CCLE decreased students' learning opportunities and impacted on them as persons. As students determined which relationships were challenging, they tapped other resources and they used strategies to rebuilt, reframe, redirect and/or retreat relative to the specific challenge. Relationships also acted as buffers to unsupportive practice cultures. Implications for practice and research are addressed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Online Learning and Student Satisfaction: Academic Standing, Ethnicity and Their influence on Facilitated Learning, Engagement, and Information Fluency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradford, George; Wyatt, Shelly

    2010-01-01

    A study by Mullen and Tallent-Runnels (2006) found significance in the differences between online and traditional students' reports of instructors' academic support, instructors' demands, and students' satisfaction. They also recognized that the limitation to their study was their demographic data. In an original report funded by the Alfred P.…

  3. History-Infused Lessons in Introductory Calculus at the Secondary Level: Students' Learning and Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poh, Wei Beng; Dindyal, Jaguthsing

    2016-01-01

    A history-infused lesson package developed by a team of teachers in a professional learning community was used to teach introductory calculus in a secondary school. First, we report a quasi-experimental design that showed that students in the experimental group performed significantly better than students in the control group. Second, we report on…

  4. Creating Learning Environments in the Early Grades That Support Teacher and Student Success: Profiles of Effective Practices in Three Expanded Learning Time Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farbman, David A.; Novoryta, Ami

    2016-01-01

    In "Creating Learning Environments in the Early Grades that Support Teacher and Student Success," the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) profiles three expanded-time elementary schools that leverage a longer school day to better serve young students. In particular, the report describes how a longer day opens up opportunities…

  5. A Resource-Oriented Functional Approach to English Language Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Jia

    2018-01-01

    This article reports on a case study that investigates the learning preferences and strategies of Chinese students learning English as a second language (ESL) in Canadian school settings. It focuses on the interaction between second language (L2) learning methods that the students have adopted from their previous learning experience in China and…

  6. Evaluating Student Satisfaction with Blended Learning in a Gender-Segregated Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naaj, Mahmoud Abou; Nachouki, Mirna; Ankit, Ahmed

    2012-01-01

    Blended learning combines multiple delivery media that are designed to complement each other and promote learning and application-learned behavior (Smith & Dillon, 1999). This article reports on a study conducted in the College of Information Technology to evaluate levels of student' satisfaction with blended learning. The particular blend of…

  7. Practitioner Reflections on Engineering Students' Engagement with e-Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Rosemary L.; Richardson, Jennifer C.; Banky, George P.; Coller, Brianno D.; Jaksa, Mark B.; Lindsay, Euan D.; Maier, Holger R.

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports on an investigation of student engagement with e-learning, using practitioner reflection as a lens. Five e-learning practitioners each provided a case study from their teaching, which was the focus of practitioners' reflective accounts. Each of the practitioners had used e-learning as a way of promoting both learning and…

  8. Effects of digital game-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Little, Timothy W.

    This experimental study was designed to determine the effect of digital game-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement. The sample was comprised of 34 students enrolled in a secondary Biology class in a rural public school. The study utilized an experimental pretest-posttest design with switching replications. After random assignment, students participated in one of two supplemental learning activities: playing a digital game designed to review science concepts or participating in a lab to review the same concepts. Students subsequently switched activities. Student achievement data were collected on mastery of science concepts, and student engagement data were collected utilizing self- and teacher-reported measures. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. Results demonstrated that the digital game was as effective as the lab activity at increasing teacher-reported student engagement and academic achievement. These findings may be of interest to school administrators or directors of teacher preparation programs on the potential effectiveness of digital games as a learning tool.

  9. Impact of an iDevice application on student learning in an occupational therapy kinesiology course.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Jason K; Kearney, Pamalyn

    2017-01-01

    As technology continues to evolve, and information is increasingly accessed through smartphones and tablets, it is essential for university faculty to reassess teaching methodologies. This study explored how use of an iDevice application (app) by participants enrolled in an entry-level occupational therapy kinesiology course affected student learning in the course. This iDevice app was developed through a collaboration between the lead author and the Department of Technology Enhanced Learning and Innovation at Augusta University. The iDevice app was released to the public via the Apple ® App Store at the midpoint of the kinesiology course. All students were invited to use the app. Focus groups were conducted with 19 students recruited from the first year cohort of occupational therapy graduate students. These focus groups were conducted at the end of the semester once grades had been submitted. Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts revealed three themes reflecting how participants perceived app use impacting their learning. Participants report the app facilitated learning through provision of visual content, serving as a reliable source of information, and generally supporting the learning process. The Kinesiology Pro Consult App provided on demand learning, allowing students to be more autonomous with their learning and take advantage of opportunities to learn anywhere and anytime. Finally, participants reported the app allowed them to be more efficient in their learning, possibly allowing more time for other courses. Mobile device apps that support student learning in specific content areas may provide positive benefits to student learning both in the specific course related to the app but also in other courses as a result of increased efficiency in learning.

  10. Impact of an iDevice application on student learning in an occupational therapy kinesiology course

    PubMed Central

    Kearney, Pamalyn

    2017-01-01

    Background As technology continues to evolve, and information is increasingly accessed through smartphones and tablets, it is essential for university faculty to reassess teaching methodologies. This study explored how use of an iDevice application (app) by participants enrolled in an entry-level occupational therapy kinesiology course affected student learning in the course. This iDevice app was developed through a collaboration between the lead author and the Department of Technology Enhanced Learning and Innovation at Augusta University. Methods The iDevice app was released to the public via the Apple® App Store at the midpoint of the kinesiology course. All students were invited to use the app. Focus groups were conducted with 19 students recruited from the first year cohort of occupational therapy graduate students. These focus groups were conducted at the end of the semester once grades had been submitted. Results Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts revealed three themes reflecting how participants perceived app use impacting their learning. Participants report the app facilitated learning through provision of visual content, serving as a reliable source of information, and generally supporting the learning process. The Kinesiology Pro Consult App provided on demand learning, allowing students to be more autonomous with their learning and take advantage of opportunities to learn anywhere and anytime. Finally, participants reported the app allowed them to be more efficient in their learning, possibly allowing more time for other courses. Conclusions Mobile device apps that support student learning in specific content areas may provide positive benefits to student learning both in the specific course related to the app but also in other courses as a result of increased efficiency in learning. PMID:29184895

  11. Student Learning Abroad: What Our Students Are Learning, What They're Not, and What We Can Do about It

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vande Berg, Michael, Ed.; Paige, R. Michael, Ed.; Lou, Kris Hemming, Ed.

    2012-01-01

    A central purpose of this book is to question the claims commonly made about the educational benefits of study abroad. Traditional metrics of enrollment increases and student self-report, and practices of structural immersion, are being questioned as educators voice growing uncertainty about what students are or are not in fact learning abroad.…

  12. Supporting New Students from Vocational Education and Training: Finding a Reusable Solution to Address Recurring Learning Difficulties in e-Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Dai Fei; Catterall, Janice; Davis, Janelle

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports on a project that investigated the first year, online experiences of vocational education and training (VET) pathway students studying at university. It was found that, although some students embraced online learning, more than twenty percent of new VET students suffered from high levels of anxiety and frustration when learning…

  13. The Use of an Online Learning and Teaching System for Monitoring Computer Aided Design Student Participation and Predicting Student Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akhtar, S.; Warburton, S.; Xu, W.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we report on the use of a purpose built Computer Support Collaborative learning environment designed to support lab-based CAD teaching through the monitoring of student participation and identified predictors of success. This was carried out by analysing data from the interactive learning system and correlating student behaviour with…

  14. A Resource Manual for Community College Faculty to Support Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Laura

    2013-01-01

    According to the 23rd Annual Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Education, one out of every five people in the United States has a learning disability (LD). The dropout rate among these students is high, and students with learning disabilities are also less likely to attend 4-year colleges and universities. Although a majority of students with…

  15. "Involvement in Learning" Revisited: Lessons We Have Learned.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Astin, Alexander W.

    1999-01-01

    Originally published in March/April 1996, reviews the interconnections between two national reports, "Involvement in Learning," and the "Student Learning Imperative." Focuses on the issue of shared values and demonstrates how student affairs professionals can utilize the most recent research to realize the full potential of the…

  16. Using group learning to promote integration and cooperative learning between Asian and Australian second-year veterinary science students.

    PubMed

    Mills, Paul C; Woodall, Peter F; Bellingham, Mark; Noad, Michael; Lloyd, Shan

    2007-01-01

    There is a tendency for students from different nationalities to remain within groups of similar cultural backgrounds. The study reported here used group project work to encourage integration and cooperative learning between Australian students and Asian (Southeast Asian) international students in the second year of a veterinary science program. The group project involved an oral presentation during a second-year course (Structure and Function), with group formation engineered to include very high, high, moderate, and low achievers (based on previous grades). One Asian student and three Australian students were placed in each group. Student perceptions of group dynamics were analyzed through a self-report survey completed at the end of the presentations and through group student interviews. Results from the survey were analyzed by chi-square to compare the responses between Asian and Australian students, with statistical significance accepted at p < 0.05. There were too few Asian students for statistical analysis from a single year; therefore, the results from two successive years, 2004 (N = 104; 26% Asian) and 2005 (N = 105; 20% Asian), were analyzed. All participating students indicated in the interviews that the project was worthwhile and a good learning experience. Asian students expressed a greater preference for working in a group than for working alone (p = 0.001) and reported more frequently than Australian students that teamwork produces better results (p = 0.01). Australian students were more likely than Asian students to voice their opinion in a team setting (p = 0.001), while Asian students were more likely to depend on the lecturer for directions (p = 0.001). The results also showed that group project work appeared to create an environment that supported learning and was a successful strategy to achieve acceptance of cultural differences.

  17. Evaluation of a filmed clinical scenario as a teaching resource for an introductory pharmacology unit for undergraduate health students: A pilot study.

    PubMed

    East, Leah; Hutchinson, Marie

    2015-12-01

    Simulation is frequently being used as a learning and teaching resource for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, however reporting of the effectiveness of simulation particularly within the pharmacology context is scant. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate a filmed simulated pharmacological clinical scenario as a teaching resource in an undergraduate pharmacological unit. Pilot cross-sectional quantitative survey. An Australian university. 32 undergraduate students completing a healthcare degree including nursing, midwifery, clinical science, health science, naturopathy, and osteopathy. As a part of an undergraduate online pharmacology unit, students were required to watch a filmed simulated pharmacological clinical scenario. To evaluate student learning, a measurement instrument developed from Bloom's cognitive domains (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation) was employed to assess pharmacological knowledge conceptualisation and knowledge application within the following fields: medication errors; medication adverse effects; medication interactions; and, general pharmacology. The majority of participants were enrolled in an undergraduate nursing or midwifery programme (72%). Results demonstrated that the majority of nursing and midwifery students (56.52%) found the teaching resource complementary or more useful compared to a lecture although less so compared to a tutorial. Students' self-assessment of learning according to Bloom's cognitive domains indicated that the filmed scenario was a valuable learning tool. Analysis of variance indicated that health science students reported higher levels of learning compared to midwifery and nursing. Students' self-report of the learning benefits of a filmed simulated clinical scenario as a teaching resource suggest enhanced critical thinking skills and knowledge conceptualisation regarding pharmacology, in addition to being useful and complementary to other teaching and learning methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Extending inter-professional learning through the use of a multi-disciplinary Wiki.

    PubMed

    Stephens, Melanie; Robinson, Leslie; McGrath, Denis

    2013-11-01

    This paper reports our experiences of a student learning activity which employed a Wiki for student radiographers and nurses to build on an inter-professional learning event. The aim of the Wiki was to facilitate inter-professional learning for students who, having met face-to-face once for a classroom based activity, would not be timetabled to meet again. It was designed to allow students from differing disciplines to: construct knowledge together, learn from and about one another, and collaboratively produce a textual learning resource. 150 nursing and radiography undergraduates were provided with a PBL trigger related to the acute presentation of stroke. The students met once (5 mixed-discipline groups) to discuss the role of the professions and the outcomes for the trigger scenario. Further learning was enabled through the provision of a Wiki for each group. At week 4, all Wikis were made visible for group peer assessment. Wiki editing skills were provided by student 'Wiki champions', who cascaded training to their peers. We report and reflect on the students' evaluations of both the Wiki as process and outcome and discuss the value of Wikis for inter-professional learning. Findings show that, in addition to being an enjoyable and flexible learning experience, the Wiki satisfied its intended aims. There was a variation in the level and quality of student participation the causes of which are discussed. Ground rules for effective Wiki use are proposed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Medical students' reflective writing about a task-based learning experience on public health communication.

    PubMed

    Koh, Yang Huang; Wong, Mee Lian; Lee, Jeanette Jen-Mai

    2014-02-01

    Medical educators constantly face the challenge of preparing students for public health practice. This study aimed to analyze students' reflections to gain insight into their task-based experiences in the public health communication selective. We have also examined their self-reported learning outcomes and benefits with regard to application of public health communication. Each student wrote a semi-structured reflective journal about his or her experiences leading to the delivery of a public health talk by the group. Records from 41 students were content-analyzed for recurring themes and sub-themes. Students reported a wide range of personal and professional issues. Their writings were characterized by a deep sense of self-awareness and social relatedness such as increased self-worth, communications skills, and collaborative learning. The learning encounter challenged assumptions, and enhanced awareness of the complexity of behaviour change Students also wrote about learning being more enjoyable and how the selective had forced them to adopt a more thoughtful stance towards knowledge acquisition and assimilation. Task-based learning combined with a process for reflection holds promise as an educational strategy for teaching public health communication, and cultivating the habits of reflective practice.

  20. A Review of the Literature on Social and Emotional Learning for Students Ages 3-8: Characteristics of Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs (Part 1 of 4). REL 2017-245

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Conner, Rosemarie; De Feyter, Jessica; Carr, Alyssa; Luo, Jia Lisa; Romm, Helen

    2017-01-01

    Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This is the first in a series of four related reports about what is known about SEL programs for students ages 3-8. The report series addresses four issues raised…

  1. The flip side of traditional nursing education: A literature review.

    PubMed

    Ward, Maria; Knowlton, Mary C; Laney, Candice W

    2018-03-01

    The flipped classroom (FC) andragogy purports an improvement of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students. This literature review explores fourteen research studies and discusses outcome measures reported on the effectiveness of using this teaching modality. Students described the learning activities during the classroom meeting times as valuable and indicated the interaction and engagement were beneficial to their learning. Many students opined an increased comprehension of the subject matter. Overall, the FC required more work on the part of the students and the faculty, and the majority of students preferred the traditional classroom (TC) passive method of learning over the FC active learning andragogy as a result of the substantial time commitment required for preparation necessitated by the FC. Five of the fourteen studies evaluated student learning outcome measures; four studies showed an improvement in the FC environment compared to the TC and one reported the FC was at least as effective as the TC. Further studies with quantifiable outcome measures are required to determine the effectiveness of a FC on critical thinking and problem-solving skills of nursing students. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Review of the status of learning in research on sport education: future research and practice.

    PubMed

    Araújo, Rui; Mesquita, Isabel; Hastie, Peter A

    2014-12-01

    Research concerning Sport Education's educational impact has shown unequivocal results according to students' personal and social development. Nevertheless, research is still sparse with respect to the model's impact on student learning outcomes. The goal of the present review is to therefore scrutinize what is currently known regarding students' learning during their participation in Sport Education. This research spans a variety of studies, cross various countries, school grades, the sports studied, as well as the methods applied and dimensions of student learning analyzed. While research on the impact of Sport Education on students' learning, as well as teachers' and students' perceptions about student learning has shown students' improvements during the participation in Sport Education seasons, there is still considerable variance in these results. For example, some studies report superior learning opportunities to boys and higher skill-level students while other studies have identified superior learning opportunities for girls and lower skill-level students. These inconsistent results can be explained by factors not considered in the Sport Education research, such as the effect of time on students' learning and the control of the teaching-learning process within Sport Education units. In this review directions for future research and practice are also described. Future research should define, implement, and evaluate protocols for student-coaches' preparation in order to understand the influence of this issue on students' learning as well as consider the implementation of hybrid approaches. Moreover, future studies should consider the interaction of gender and skill level and a retention test in the analysis of students' learning improvements in order to obtain a more realist and complete portrait of the impact of Sport Education. Finally, in order to reach an entirely understanding of the teaching-learning process, it is necessary to use research designs that attend to the complexity of this process. Key PointsDespite research regarding has showed students' improvements during the participation in Sport Education seasons, it remains somewhat equivocal.The studies included in this review show students' improvements on skill, knowledge and tactical development, as we as game play, during the participation in Sport Education units.Some studies report superior learning opportunities to boys and higher skill-level students while other studies exposed superior learning opportunities to girls and lower skill-level students.The effect of time on students' learning and the control of the teaching-learning process within Sport Education units can explain these equivocal results.Future research is encouraged to consider the implementation of protocols for student-coaches' preparation, hybrid models, a retention test, the interaction of gender and skill level, and use research designs that attend to the complexity of the teaching-learning process.

  3. Visualising the invisible: a network approach to reveal the informal social side of student learning.

    PubMed

    Hommes, J; Rienties, B; de Grave, W; Bos, G; Schuwirth, L; Scherpbier, A

    2012-12-01

    World-wide, universities in health sciences have transformed their curriculum to include collaborative learning and facilitate the students' learning process. Interaction has been acknowledged to be the synergistic element in this learning context. However, students spend the majority of their time outside their classroom and interaction does not stop outside the classroom. Therefore we studied how informal social interaction influences student learning. Moreover, to explore what really matters in the students learning process, a model was tested how the generally known important constructs-prior performance, motivation and social integration-relate to informal social interaction and student learning. 301 undergraduate medical students participated in this cross-sectional quantitative study. Informal social interaction was assessed using self-reported surveys following the network approach. Students' individual motivation, social integration and prior performance were assessed by the Academic Motivation Scale, the College Adaption Questionnaire and students' GPA respectively. A factual knowledge test represented student' learning. All social networks were positively associated with student learning significantly: friendships (β = 0.11), providing information to other students (β = 0.16), receiving information from other students (β = 0.25). Structural equation modelling revealed a model in which social networks increased student learning (r = 0.43), followed by prior performance (r = 0.31). In contrast to prior literature, students' academic motivation and social integration were not associated with students' learning. Students' informal social interaction is strongly associated with students' learning. These findings underline the need to change our focus from the formal context (classroom) to the informal context to optimize student learning and deliver modern medics.

  4. Mathematics Self-Related Beliefs and Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ichinose, Cherie; Bonsangue, Martin

    2016-01-01

    This study examined students' mathematical self-related beliefs in an online mathematics course. Mathematical self-related beliefs of a sample of high school students learning mathematics online were compared with student response data from the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The treatment group reported higher levels…

  5. A mixed methods evaluation of team-based learning for applied pathophysiology in undergraduate nursing education.

    PubMed

    Branney, Jonathan; Priego-Hernández, Jacqueline

    2018-02-01

    It is important for nurses to have a thorough understanding of the biosciences such as pathophysiology that underpin nursing care. These courses include content that can be difficult to learn. Team-based learning is emerging as a strategy for enhancing learning in nurse education due to the promotion of individual learning as well as learning in teams. In this study we sought to evaluate the use of team-based learning in the teaching of applied pathophysiology to undergraduate student nurses. A mixed methods observational study. In a year two, undergraduate nursing applied pathophysiology module circulatory shock was taught using Team-based Learning while all remaining topics were taught using traditional lectures. After the Team-based Learning intervention the students were invited to complete the Team-based Learning Student Assessment Instrument, which measures accountability, preference and satisfaction with Team-based Learning. Students were also invited to focus group discussions to gain a more thorough understanding of their experience with Team-based Learning. Exam scores for answers to questions based on Team-based Learning-taught material were compared with those from lecture-taught material. Of the 197 students enrolled on the module, 167 (85% response rate) returned the instrument, the results from which indicated a favourable experience with Team-based Learning. Most students reported higher accountability (93%) and satisfaction (92%) with Team-based Learning. Lectures that promoted active learning were viewed as an important feature of the university experience which may explain the 76% exhibiting a preference for Team-based Learning. Most students wanted to make a meaningful contribution so as not to let down their team and they saw a clear relevance between the Team-based Learning activities and their own experiences of teamwork in clinical practice. Exam scores on the question related to Team-based Learning-taught material were comparable to those related to lecture-taught material. Most students had a preference for, and reported higher accountability and satisfaction with Team-based Learning. Through contextualisation and teamwork, Team-based Learning appears to be a strategy that confers strong pedagogical benefits for teaching applied pathophysiology (bioscience) to student nurses. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  6. Medical Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment in Medical School Change as Students Transition to Clinical Training in Undergraduate Medical School.

    PubMed

    Dunham, Lisette; Dekhtyar, Michael; Gruener, Gregory; CichoskiKelly, Eileen; Deitz, Jennifer; Elliott, Donna; Stuber, Margaret L; Skochelak, Susan E

    2017-01-01

    Phenomenon: The learning environment is the physical, social, and psychological context in which a student learns. A supportive learning environment contributes to student well-being and enhances student empathy, professionalism, and academic success, whereas an unsupportive learning environment may lead to burnout, exhaustion, and cynicism. Student perceptions of the medical school learning environment may change over time and be associated with students' year of training and may differ significantly depending on the student's gender or race/ethnicity. Understanding the changes in perceptions of the learning environment related to student characteristics and year of training could inform interventions that facilitate positive experiences in undergraduate medical education. The Medical School Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) was administered to 4,262 students who matriculated at one of 23 U.S. and Canadian medical schools in 2010 and 2011. Students completed the survey at the end of each year of medical school as part of a battery of surveys in the Learning Environment Study. A mixed-effects longitudinal model, t tests, Cohen's d effect size, and analysis of variance assessed the relationship between MSLES score, year of training, and demographic variables. After controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and school, students reported worsening perceptions toward the medical school learning environment, with the worst perceptions in the 3rd year of medical school as students begin their clinical experiences, and some recovery in the 4th year after Match Day. The drop in MSLES scores associated with the transition to the clinical learning environment (-0.26 point drop in addition to yearly change, effect size = 0.52, p < .0001) is more than 3 times greater than the drop between the 1st and 2nd year (0.07 points, effect size = 0.14, p < .0001). The largest declines were from items related to work-life balance and informal student relationships. There was some, but not complete, recovery in perceptions of the medical school learning environment in the 4th year. Insights: Perceptions of the medical school learning environment worsen as students continue through medical school, with a stronger decline in perception scores as students' transition to the clinical learning environment. Students reported the greatest drop in finding time for outside activities and students helping one another in the 3rd year. Perceptions differed based on gender and race/ethnicity. Future studies should investigate the specific features of medical schools that contribute most significantly to student perceptions of the medical school learning environment, both positive and negative, to pinpoint potential interventions and improvements.

  7. A comparison of professional-level faculty and student perceptions of active learning: its current use, effectiveness, and barriers.

    PubMed

    Miller, Cynthia J; Metz, Michael J

    2014-09-01

    Active learning is an instructional method in which students become engaged participants in the classroom through the use of in-class written exercises, games, problem sets, audience-response systems, debates, class discussions, etc. Despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of active learning strategies, minimal adoption of the technique has occurred in many professional programs. The goal of this study was to compare the perceptions of active learning between students who were exposed to active learning in the classroom (n = 116) and professional-level physiology faculty members (n = 9). Faculty members reported a heavy reliance on lectures and minimal use of educational games and activities, whereas students indicated that they learned best via the activities. A majority of faculty members (89%) had observed active learning in the classroom and predicted favorable effects of the method on student performance and motivation. The main reported barriers by faculty members to the adoption of active learning were a lack of necessary class time, a high comfort level with traditional lectures, and insufficient time to develop materials. Students hypothesized similar obstacles for faculty members but also associated many negative qualities with the traditional lecturers. Despite these barriers, a majority of faculty members (78%) were interested in learning more about the alternative teaching strategy. Both faculty members and students indicated that active learning should occupy portions (29% vs. 40%) of face-to-face class time. Copyright © 2014 The American Physiological Society.

  8. A comparison of professional-level faculty and student perceptions of active learning: its current use, effectiveness, and barriers

    PubMed Central

    Metz, Michael J.

    2014-01-01

    Active learning is an instructional method in which students become engaged participants in the classroom through the use of in-class written exercises, games, problem sets, audience-response systems, debates, class discussions, etc. Despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of active learning strategies, minimal adoption of the technique has occurred in many professional programs. The goal of this study was to compare the perceptions of active learning between students who were exposed to active learning in the classroom (n = 116) and professional-level physiology faculty members (n = 9). Faculty members reported a heavy reliance on lectures and minimal use of educational games and activities, whereas students indicated that they learned best via the activities. A majority of faculty members (89%) had observed active learning in the classroom and predicted favorable effects of the method on student performance and motivation. The main reported barriers by faculty members to the adoption of active learning were a lack of necessary class time, a high comfort level with traditional lectures, and insufficient time to develop materials. Students hypothesized similar obstacles for faculty members but also associated many negative qualities with the traditional lecturers. Despite these barriers, a majority of faculty members (78%) were interested in learning more about the alternative teaching strategy. Both faculty members and students indicated that active learning should occupy portions (29% vs. 40%) of face-to-face class time. PMID:25179615

  9. Report to the Legislature on School Redesign: Expanding Learning Time to Support Student Success. Line-item 7061-9412

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Massachusetts Department of Education, 2008

    2008-01-01

    The "Report to the Legislature on School Redesign: Expanding Learning Time to Support Student Success" is submitted to the Legislature pursuant to Chapter 61 of the Acts of 2007, Section 2, line item 7061-9412. The School Redesign: Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative began in FY 06 when planning grants were first included in the…

  10. College Learning for the New Global Century: A Report from the National Leadership Council for Liberal Education & America's Promise

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2007

    2007-01-01

    This report identifies the essential aims, learning outcomes, and guiding principles for a 21st century college education. It is based on extensive input both from educators and employers and responds to the new global challenges today's students face. It describes the learning contemporary students need from college, and what it will take to help…

  11. Opening Lines: Approaches to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchings, Pat, Ed.

    This publication features reports by eight Carnegie Scholars who are working to develop a scholarship of teaching and learning that will advance the profession of teaching and improve student learning. Following the Introduction, "Approaching the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning" (Pat Hutchings), the papers are: "Investigating Student Learning…

  12. Tidewater Community College Distance Learning Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tidewater Community Coll., Norfolk, VA.

    This study of distance learning at Tidewater Community College (TCC) was conducted to determine enrollment patterns, retention, and success in distance learning courses and student perceptions. Distance learning was defined as students enrolled in one of three modes of course delivery: telecourse, online, and compressed video. The time frame for…

  13. Empowering Underachieving Adolescents: An Emancipatory Learning Perspective on Underachievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ren, Kai; Deakin Crick, Ruth

    2013-01-01

    The article reports on an empirical study into underachievement of 14-year-old students in four English schools by drawing upon learning power theory and practice. The study examined the characteristic learning power profiles of underachieving and overachieving adolescents, and then used student learning profiles diagnostically to support the…

  14. How we launched a developmental student-as-teacher (SAT) program for all medical students.

    PubMed

    Blanco, Maria A; Maderer, Ann; Oriel, Amanda; Epstein, Scott K

    2014-05-01

    Teaching is a necessary skill for medical trainees and physicians. We designed and launched a developmental Student-as-Teacher program for all students, beginning with the class of 2016. A task force of faculty and students designed the program. The goal is to enable all students to acquire basic principles of teaching and learning at different stages in their four-year medical school career. Upon completion, students will achieve twenty-eight learning objectives grouped within four competency domains: (1) Adult and Practice-Based Learning; (2) Learning Environment; (3) Instructional Design and Performance; and, (4) Learner's Assessment and Evaluation. The program combines online learning modules and a field teaching experience. The entire class of 2016 (N = 200) completed the first online module. Students found the module effective, and 70% reported an increase in their level of knowledge. Although most students are expected to complete their field teaching experience in fourth year, twelve students completed their field experience in first year. Reported strengths of these experiences include reinforcement of their medical knowledge and improvement of their adult teaching skills. The program was successfully launched, and students are already experiencing the benefits of training in basic teaching skills in the first year of the program.

  15. Student Perceptions of Team-based Learning vs Traditional Lecture-based Learning

    PubMed Central

    Frame, Tracy R.; Cailor, Stephanie M.; Chen, Aleda M.; Kiersma, Mary E.; Sheppard, Lorin

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To evaluate pharmacy student perceptions of team-based learning (TBL) vs traditional lecture-based learning formats. Methods. First professional year pharmacy students (N=111) at two universities used TBL in different courses during different semesters (fall vs spring). Students completed a 22-item team perceptions instrument before and after the fall semester. A 14-item teaching style preference instrument was completed at the end of the spring semester. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results. Students who experienced TBL in the fall and went back to traditional format in the spring reported improved perceptions of teams and preferred TBL format over a traditional format more than students who experienced a traditional format followed by TBL. Students at both universities agreed that the TBL format assists with critical-thinking, problem-solving, and examination preparation. Students also agreed that teams should consist of individuals with different personalities and learning styles. Conclusion. When building teams, faculty members should consider ways to diversify teams by considering different views, perspectives, and strengths. Offering TBL early in the curriculum prior to traditional lecture-based formats is better received by students, as evidenced by anecdotal reports from students possibly because it allows students time to realize the benefits and assist them in building teamwork-related skills. PMID:26089560

  16. Student Perceptions of Team-based Learning vs Traditional Lecture-based Learning.

    PubMed

    Frame, Tracy R; Cailor, Stephanie M; Gryka, Rebecca J; Chen, Aleda M; Kiersma, Mary E; Sheppard, Lorin

    2015-05-25

    To evaluate pharmacy student perceptions of team-based learning (TBL) vs traditional lecture-based learning formats. First professional year pharmacy students (N=111) at two universities used TBL in different courses during different semesters (fall vs spring). Students completed a 22-item team perceptions instrument before and after the fall semester. A 14-item teaching style preference instrument was completed at the end of the spring semester. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test. Students who experienced TBL in the fall and went back to traditional format in the spring reported improved perceptions of teams and preferred TBL format over a traditional format more than students who experienced a traditional format followed by TBL. Students at both universities agreed that the TBL format assists with critical-thinking, problem-solving, and examination preparation. Students also agreed that teams should consist of individuals with different personalities and learning styles. When building teams, faculty members should consider ways to diversify teams by considering different views, perspectives, and strengths. Offering TBL early in the curriculum prior to traditional lecture-based formats is better received by students, as evidenced by anecdotal reports from students possibly because it allows students time to realize the benefits and assist them in building teamwork-related skills.

  17. Vocational Curriculum Modification. Teaching Technical Language to Learning Handicapped Students. Project HIRE: A Curriculum Management System for Instructing the Handicapped. Final Report, Volume 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, David C.; And Others

    Volume 1 of the final report on Project HIRE reports the design, development, field-testing, and refining of self-instructional packages to teach entry level technical vocabulary to learning handicapped students mainstreamed in vocational programs. Volume 2, a management handbook, reports the methods and findings concerning development of…

  18. An Assessment of Service-Learning in 34 US Schools of Pharmacy Follow Up on the 2001 Professional Affairs Committee Report

    PubMed Central

    Schlesselman, Lauren; Borrego, Matthew; Mehta, Bella; Drobitch, Robert K.; Smith, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To determine if the service-learning components used at a convenience sample of schools and colleges of pharmacy meet the intent of the 2001 AACP Professional Affairs Committee (PAC) report. Methods. An online questionnaire was used to survey faculty members or staff involved with service-learning education at their school of pharmacy. Questions addressed aspects of service-learning including types of activities used, duration of student involvement with community partners, and association of learning objectives with service-learning activities. Results. The majority (85.3%) of respondents reported their institution used service-learning. Activities reported as part of service-learning ranged from working at health fairs to involvement with pharmacy school recruitment. More than half (64.3%) of service-learning activities involved long-term interactions with one community partner, and 74.1% of respondents indicated there was always an opportunity for student reflection on the service-learning activity. Conclusion. There is increasing though inconsistent application of PAC guidelines regarding service-learning. PMID:26688584

  19. Effect of Active Learning Techniques on Students' Choice of Approach to Learning in Dentistry: A South African Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khan, S.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to report on empirical work, related to a techniques module, undertaken with the dental students of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. I will relate how a range of different active learning techniques (tutorials; question papers and mock tests) assisted students to adopt a deep approach to learning in…

  20. Impact of the Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Adventures in Learning (ELO SAIL) Program on Student Academic Performance: Part 1, Results from Fall 2012 to Fall 2015

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper-Martin, Elizabeth; Wolanin, Natalie; Jang, Seong; Modarresi, Shahpar; Zhao, Huafang

    2016-01-01

    Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Adventures in Learning (ELO SAIL) is a Montgomery County Public Schools summer program for students in all Title I elementary schools; it targets students who will be in kindergarten-Grade 2 in the fall following the program. This report analyzed demographic characteristics of attendees and the impact of the…

  1. Burnout Syndrome in Students of a Distance Learning Program: The Open University of Cyprus Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pavlakis, Andreas; Kaitelidou, Dafni

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Distance learning seems to have a crucial impact on the social and emotional life of students. Within the framework of distance learning at the Open University of Cyprus, the "Healthcare Management" department conducted a study regarding the levels of stress, anxiety and depression reported by the student population. The…

  2. Concept Development and Meaningful Learning among Electrical Engineering Students Engaged in a Problem-Based Laboratory Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bledsoe, Karen E.; Flick, Lawrence

    2012-01-01

    This phenomenographic study documented changes in student-held electrical concepts the development of meaningful learning among students with both low and high prior knowledge within a problem-based learning (PBL) undergraduate electrical engineering course. This paper reports on four subjects: two with high prior knowledge and two with low prior…

  3. Intercultural Learning--An Undergraduate Module Supporting the Development of Students' Cultural Awareness in International Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colaiacomo, Silvia; Puntil, Donata

    2018-01-01

    This report illustrates the context and development of the Intercultural Learning module, provided by the Modern Language Centre (MLC), King's College London. The Intercultural Learning Module is a one semester undergraduate course mostly attended by visiting study abroad students. The module aims to enhance students' intercultural awareness and…

  4. Error-Based Simulation for Error-Awareness in Learning Mechanics: An Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horiguchi, Tomoya; Imai, Isao; Toumoto, Takahito; Hirashima, Tsukasa

    2014-01-01

    Error-based simulation (EBS) has been developed to generate phenomena by using students' erroneous ideas and also offers promise for promoting students' awareness of errors. In this paper, we report the evaluation of EBS used in learning "normal reaction" in a junior high school. An EBS class, where students learned the concept…

  5. American River College Beacon Project: Student Catalyst Program - Peer Assisted Learning. First Semester Summary Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American River Coll., Sacramento, CA.

    The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Project at American River College (ARC) in Sacramento, California, was developed to improve retention rates among underrepresented students in math and science classes with high dropout rates. The project involved a group of 24 paid student Learning Assistants (LA's) who successfully completed the targeted courses…

  6. Psychosocial Well-Being of Israeli Students and Attitudes toward Open and Distance Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kurtz, Gila; Amichai-Hamburger, Yair; Kantor, Jeffrey

    2009-01-01

    This article reports on a study conducted in Israel at an academic institution. The study investigates the correlation between students' attitudes toward open and distance learning (ODL) and their perceived self-esteem and loneliness at the last stage of their online learning experience. For this study, 120 students were asked to complete a…

  7. The Experiences of Students with Learning Disabilities in a Higher Education Virtual Campus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hollins, Nancy; Foley, Alan R.

    2013-01-01

    Institutions of higher education are increasingly asking students to use the online environment, or virtual campus, when carrying out business related to college life. In this paper, we report findings from a study conducted to learn more about the experiences of college students with learning disabilities as they interacted with this virtual…

  8. Infusing Student Activism into the College Curriculum: A Report of a Service-Learning Project to Bring Awareness to Sexual Violence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stepteau-Watson, Desiree

    2012-01-01

    Service learning involves infusing activities into the curriculum that enhance student learning, promote community engagement and effect change on the community level. Significant advantage can be applied to vulnerable communities by leveraging student action, interest, and energy, which can bring time, effort and attention to important community…

  9. The Effect of Linked Learning Certified Pathways on Selected Student Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzgerald, Robert; Ottem, Randolph; Hufford, Justine

    2016-01-01

    This report examines outcomes for grade-12 students in academic years (AY) 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13 who were enrolled in a Linked Learning certified pathway (LLCP) in California. Outcomes include student engagement in learning, measured by high school attendance and discipline events, as well as college readiness and postsecondary enrollment.…

  10. Out of the Comfort Zone: Enhancing Work-Based Learning about Employability through Student Reflection on Work Placements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eden, Sally

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines the work-based learning about employability reported by 26 undergraduate Geography and Environmental Management students on part-time, unpaid work placements. The students' "reflective essays" emphasized their learning more in terms of emotional challenges than in terms of skills, as being pushed out of their…

  11. Effects of Cooperative Learning on Students at An Giang University in Vietnam

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tran, Van Dat; Lewis, Ramon

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates the effects of jigsaw cooperative learning on the achievement and knowledge retention of 80 final-year Vietnamese mathematics students, as well as reporting their attitudes toward this form of learning. These tertiary students were divided into two matched groups of 40 to be taught by the same lecturer. In the experimental…

  12. Using Desktop Publishing in an Editing Class--The Lessons Learned and Students' Assessments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tharp, Marty; Zimmerman, Don

    1992-01-01

    Reports students' perceptions of learning desktop publishing (DTP) systems. Finds that (1) students learned the foundations of DTP in under 60 hours of hands-on experience; (2) the incremental introduction of DTP functions and practice sessions before assignments were the most effective teaching strategy; and (3) use of DTP encouraged nonartistic…

  13. Advancing Accounting Research of Teaching Efficacy: Developing a Scale to Measure Student Attitudes toward Active Learning Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burney, Laurie; Zascavage, Victoria; Matherly, Michele

    2017-01-01

    Literature consistently documents a positive, direct effect of students' attitudes on learning (Lizzio, Wilson, & Simons, 2002). Hence, accounting studies describing active learning activities often report student attitudes as evidence of efficacy (e.g., Matherly & Burney, 2013), but rely on single-item instead of multi-item scales. This…

  14. Evaluating the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Process in Undergraduate Parks and Recreation Academic Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, Craig M.; Young, Sarah J.; Sturts, Jill R.

    2012-01-01

    Institutions of higher education are increasingly being held more accountable for assessing student learning both in and out of their classrooms along with reporting results to their stakeholders. The purpose of this study, which examined assessment of student learning outcomes in undergraduate park and recreation academic programs, was two-fold:…

  15. A Conceptual Model and Set of Instruments for Measuring Student Engagement in Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldspink, Christopher; Foster, Margot

    2013-01-01

    This work has its origins with research into the effects of pedagogy on student engagement and learning outcomes. It summarises the development of self-report and observation instruments for measuring student engagement suitable for early years to senior secondary. The measures are sensitive to the context and experience of learning rather than,…

  16. Victimization by Bullying and Attachment to Parents and Teachers among Students Who Report Learning Disorders and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klomek, A. Brunstein; Kopelman-Rubin, D.; Al-Yagon, M.; Berkowitz, Ruth; Apter, A.; Mikulincer, M.

    2016-01-01

    This is the first study examining the association between victimization by bullying and attachment to both parents and teachers among students who report Learning Disorders (LD) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 1,691 seventh- and eighth-grade students in six junior high schools completed questionnaires about…

  17. A Report on the Intellectual Development of Students in the QUANTA Learning Community at Daytona Beach Community College, 1989-1990.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avens, Cynthia; Zelley, Richard

    This report summarizes the results of a research study conducted to assess the intellectual development of students in the QUANTA Learning Community at Daytona Beach Community College (DBCC) (Florida) in the 1989-90 academic year. QUANTA is a freshman interdisciplinary program with 75 students and three faculty. Three courses--English, psychology,…

  18. An innovative strategy in evaluation: using a student engagement framework to evaluate a role-based simulation.

    PubMed

    Smith, Morgan; Warland, Jane; Smith, Colleen

    2012-03-01

    Online role-play has the potential to actively engage students in authentic learning experiences and help develop their clinical reasoning skills. However, evaluation of student learning for this kind of simulation focuses mainly on the content and outcome of learning, rather than on the process of learning through student engagement. This article reports on the use of a student engagement framework to evaluate an online role-play offered as part of a course in Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery programs. Instruments that measure student engagement to date have targeted large numbers of students at program and institutional levels, rather than at the level of a specific learning activity. Although the framework produced some useful findings for evaluation purposes, further refinement of the questions is required to be certain that deep learning results from the engagement that occurs with course-level learning initiatives. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

  19. Engaging students in a community of learning: Renegotiating the learning environment.

    PubMed

    Theobald, Karen A; Windsor, Carol A; Forster, Elizabeth M

    2018-03-01

    Promoting student engagement in a student led environment can be challenging. This article reports on the process of design, implementation and evaluation of a student led learning approach in a small group tutorial environment in a three year Bachelor of Nursing program at an Australian university. The research employed three phases of data collection. The first phase explored student perceptions of learning and engagement in tutorials. The results informed the development of a web based learning resource. Phase two centred on implementation of a community of learning approach where students were supported to lead tutorial learning with peers. The final phase constituted an evaluation of the new approach. Findings suggest that students have the capacity to lead and engage in a community of learning and to assume greater ownership and responsibility where scaffolding is provided. Nonetheless, an ongoing whole of course approach to pedagogical change would better support this form of teaching and learning innovation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Educating the Educators: Developing Those Who Support Learning for Students with Additional Learning Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLachlan, Benita; Davis, Geraldine

    2013-01-01

    This article reports findings from a research project which developed and introduced the Enhanced Learning Support Assistant Programme (ELSAP) as a source of professional development for learning support assistants who were supporting students with additional learning needs in a college of further education in England. The purpose of this article…

  1. The Role of Metacognitive Reading Strategies, Metacognitive Study and Learning Strategies, and Behavioral Study and Learning Strategies in Predicting Academic Success in Students With and Without a History of Reading Difficulties.

    PubMed

    Chevalier, Thérèse M; Parrila, Rauno; Ritchie, Krista C; Deacon, S Hélène

    2017-01-01

    We examined the self-reported use of reading, study, and learning strategies in university students with a history of reading difficulties (HRD; n = 77) and with no history of reading difficulties (NRD; n = 295). We examined both between-groups differences in strategy use and strategy use as a predictive measure of academic success. Participants completed online questionnaires regarding reading history and strategy use. GPA and frequency of use of academic support services were also obtained for all students. University students with HRD reported a different profile of strategy use than their NRD peers, and self-reported strategy use was differentially predictive of GPA for students with HRD and NRD. For students with HRD, the use of metacognitive reading strategies and the use of study aids predicted academic success. Implications for university student services providers are discussed. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2015.

  2. "There's a Lot of Learning Going on but NOT Much Teaching!": Student Perceptions of Problem-Based Learning in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pepper, Coral

    2010-01-01

    In this paper I report on 625 student responses and analyse student perceptions of Problem-Based Learning during their first semester at university. The data I present outlines the scope of the implementation at six entry-level units for the years 2007 to 2009 and is followed by a qualitative analysis of student responses. Eight themes are…

  3. Underserved Students Who Earn Credit through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Have Higher Degree Completion Rates and Shorter Time-to-Degree. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein-Collins, Rebecca

    2011-01-01

    In 2010, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) released a report on a multi-institutional study on prior learning assessment (PLA) and adult student outcomes. The study examined data from 62,475 adult students at 48 colleges and universities, following the students' academic progress over the course of seven years. The data from…

  4. 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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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

    2015-01-01

    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…

  5. The University Experiences of Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGregor, Karla K.; Langenfeld, Natalie; Van Horne, Sam; Oleson, Jacob; Anson, Matthew; Jacobson, Wayne

    2016-01-01

    To explore the university experiences of students with learning disabilities (LD), 63,802 responses to the 2014 Student Experience in the Research University Survey were analyzed. Compared to other students, those with self-reported LD (5.96 percent) had difficulty with assignments and had more obstacles caused by nonacademic responsibilities and…

  6. Experiences That Matter: Enhancing Student Learning and Success. Annual Report 2007

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Survey of Student Engagement, 2007

    2007-01-01

    The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

  7. Geography Students Assess Their Learning Using Computer-Marked Tests.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogg, Jim

    1997-01-01

    Reports on a pilot study designed to assess the potential of computer-marked tests for allowing students to monitor their learning. Students' answers to multiple choice tests were fed into a computer that provided a full analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. Students responded favorably to the feedback. (MJP)

  8. Students' Difficulties With Multiple Representations in Introductory Mechanics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nguyen, Dong-Hai; Rebello, N. Sanjay

    2011-01-01

    Research in physics education indicates that the use of multiple representations in teaching and learning helps students become better problem-solvers. We report on a study to investigate students' difficulties in solving mechanics problems presented in multiple representations. We conducted teaching/learning interviews with 20 students in a…

  9. Alternative Schools and Area Learning Centers. 1998 Minnesota Student Survey.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fulkerson, Jayne A.; Harrison, Patricia A.; Hedger, Scott A.

    This report highlights findings from the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey, administered to 3,791 voluntary participants, comparing students in alternative school settings with those in public schools. Alternative schools and area learning centers are high school diploma granting programs designed for students who are behind in their work, have…

  10. Learning Complex Scientific Information: Motivation Theory and Its Relation to Student Perceptions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hynd, Cynthia; Holschuh, Jodi; Nist, Sherrie

    2000-01-01

    Examines motivation in high school students' conceptual change about physics principles, and college students' motivation for biology learning. Finds grades and interest were important, but students did not report the importance of social support. Suggests similar motivations are important in both conceptual change and assimilation and help…

  11. Clinical supervisors' perspectives on delivering work integrated learning: a survey study.

    PubMed

    Mather, Carey A; McKay, Angela; Allen, Penny

    2015-04-01

    Previous research has indicated a disconnect between academic nursing programmes and workplace learning environments. Nurse supervisors and clinical practitioners have reported inadequate information and training on how to support students of nursing to learn in the clinical setting. This study aimed to investigate the level of confidence that clinical supervisors have in relation to specific components of supporting student learning in the work place. Survey of clinical nurse supervisors. Simulation-based clinical reasoning workshops. Sixty participants: fifty nine registered nurses, including nurse managers and clinical nurse educators, and one allied health professional. Survey using Likert scales and free-text questions. The findings indicated that clinicians were confident in sharing their knowledge and experience with students and making them feel welcome in the work place, they were less confident about what were the significant learnings in relation to students' academic programme. Registered nurses supervising students were experienced clinicians with many role responsibilities, which were perceived as barriers to the role of clinical supervisor. Participants reported that they would like tools to assist them with developing links to the academic programme. They considered that these tools would support student learning and remediation in the work place. This study found that the abilities of supervisors to support student learning is an identified gap impacting on work integrated learning. The results indicated the need for a professional development workshop, to enable clinical supervisors to move beyond promoting a supervision model, towards a theoretical framework for assisting and guiding students to learn. Addressing this deficit will improve growth and change in student learning in the work place. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Engaging students in learning: findings from a study of project-led education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandes, Sandra; Mesquita, Diana; Assunção Flores, Maria; Lima, Rui M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on findings from a three-year study of project-based learning implemented in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and Management programme, at the University of Minho, Portugal. This particular model was inspired on project-led education (PLE), following Powell and Weenk's [2003. Project-Led Engineering Education. Utrecht: Lemma] work. It aims to analyse students' perceptions of PLE as a learning device and its implications for faculty and students' role in teaching and learning. Data collection took place in two phases through individual surveys and focus groups to students. Findings suggest the importance of PLE as a device to enhance meaningful learning and provide evidence from students that it helps to increase their engagement in learning. Implications of PLE for faculty and students role in teaching and learning will be discussed in the paper.

  13. A multidimensional approach to examine student interdisciplinary learning in science and engineering in higher education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spelt, Elisabeth Jacoba Hendrika; Luning, Pieternelleke Arianne; van Boekel, Martinus A. J. S.; Mulder, Martin

    2017-11-01

    Preparing science and engineering students to work in interdisciplinary teams necessitates research on teaching and learning of interdisciplinary thinking. A multidimensional approach was taken to examine student interdisciplinary learning in a master course on food quality management. The collected 615 student experiences were analysed for the cognitive, emotional, and social learning dimensions using the learning theory of Illeris. Of these 615 experiences, the analysis showed that students reported 214, 194, and 207 times on, respectively, the emotional, the cognitive, and the social dimension. Per learning dimension, key learning experiences featuring interdisciplinary learning were identified such as 'frustrations in selecting and matching disciplinary knowledge to complex problems' (emotional), 'understanding how to apply theoretical models or concepts to real-world situations' (cognitive), and 'socially engaging with peers to recognise similarities in perceptions and experiences' (social). Furthermore, the results showed that students appreciated the cognitive dimension relatively more than the emotional and social dimensions.

  14. Proposed learning strategies of medical students in a clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology: a descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Deane, Richard P; Murphy, Deirdre J

    2016-01-01

    Medical students face many challenges when learning within clinical environments. How students plan to use their time and engage with learning opportunities is therefore critical, as it may be possible to highlight strategies that optimize the learning experience at an early stage in the rotation. The aim of the study was to describe the learning drivers and proposed learning strategies of medical students for a clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology. A descriptive study of personal learning plans completed by students at the start of their clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology was undertaken. Data relating to students' learning strategies were obtained from the personal learning plans completed by students. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used. The desire to obtain a good examination result was the most significant reason why the rotation was important to students (n=67/71, 94%). Students struggled to create a specific and practical learning outcome relevant to their career interest. Target scores of students were significantly higher than their reported typical scores (P<0.01). Textbooks were rated as likely to be the most helpful learning resource during the rotation. Bedside tutorials were rated as likely to be the most useful learning activity and small group learning activities were rated as likely to be more useful than lectures. Most students intended to study the course material linked to their clinical program rather than the classroom-based tutorial program. The main learning driver for medical students was academic achievement, and the proposed learning strategy favored by medical students was linking their study plans to clinical activities. Medical educators should consider strategies that foster more intrinsic drivers of student learning and more student-oriented learning resources and activities.

  15. Structured learning and self-reflection: strategies to decrease anxiety in the psychiatric mental health clinical nursing experience.

    PubMed

    Ganzer, Christine Anne; Zauderer, Cheryl

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to test a teaching-learning strategy to help nursing students decrease stress and anxiety that may be brought about by the psychiatric mental health clinical experience. Undergraduate nursing students are known to experience affective stress prior to their first psychiatric mental health clinical practicum. A stressful learning environment can affect the success of the student's clinical performance. Thirty nursing students participated in this study. A structured preclinical workshop combined with self-reflection provided insight into students' perceptions of the psychiatric mental health clinical experience. Overall, students reported that participating in the teaching-learning strategy and self-reflection helped mitigate Combining structured learning with self-reflection is a useful tool for helping nursing students increase self-awareness and ease anxiety that may interfere with learning.

  16. A Review of the Literature on Social and Emotional Learning for Students Ages 3-8: Teacher and Classroom Strategies that Contribute to Social and Emotional Learning (Part 3 of 4). REL 2017-247

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Conner, Rosemarie; De Feyter, Jessica; Carr, Alyssa; Luo, Jia Lisa; Romm, Helen

    2017-01-01

    Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This is the third in a series of four related reports about what is known about SEL programs for students ages 3-8. The report series addresses four issues raised…

  17. Conceptions of Programming: A Study into Learning To Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Booth, Shirley

    This paper reports the results of a phenomenographic study which focused on identifying and describing the conceptions of programming and related phenomena of about 120 computer science and computer engineering students learning to program. The report begins by tracing developments in the students' conceptions of programming and its parts, and…

  18. Motivational Goal Orientation, Perceptions of Biology and Physics Classroom Learning Environments, and Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koul, Ravinder; Roy, Laura; Lerdpornkulrat, Thanita

    2012-01-01

    Researchers have reported persuasive evidence that students' perceptions of their classroom learning environment account for significant variance in cognitive and affective outcomes (e.g. intrinsic motivation, self-concept, liking for particular subjects and students' intention to drop out). The study reported in this paper investigated the…

  19. The Essential Supports for School Improvement. Research Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sebring, Penny Bender; Allensworth, Elaine; Bryk, Anthony S.; Easton, John Q.; Luppescu, Stuart

    2006-01-01

    This report sets forth a framework of essential supports and contextual resources for school improvement, examines empirical evidence on its key elements and how they link to improvements in student learning, and investigates how a school's essential supports interact with community context to affect student learning. The purpose of this research…

  20. Academic stress and active learning of nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Magnavita, Nicola; Chiorri, Carlo

    2018-06-08

    The active role of nursing students is particularly important in the delivery of health care, since playing an active role at the bedside and the use of active and collaborative engagement of students in the nursing activities has been associated with improved student learning. This is consistent with Karasek's learning hypothesis, but it has never been tested on nursing students. This study aimed at investigating whether nursing students in high control conditions reported lower levels of work impairment than students in the conditions with low control, compared them with a group of healthcare workers (HCWs), and tested the moderating role of social support at work. 633 nursing students and 160 HCWs completed the Nursing Work Functioning Questionnaire (NWFQ), and the Demand-Control-Support questionnaire (DCS). Results showed that nursing students reported higher levels of work impairment and were less likely to be classified as active (high demand/high control) or low strain (low demand/high control) than HCWs, and that social support at work moderated the association between being in active or low strain condition and work impairment. Programs to enhance the learning of nursing students must not only fight strain and isolation but must also promote active learning, by increasing the control over the job, team work, and support from teachers. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Comparing team-based and mixed active-learning methods in an ambulatory care elective course.

    PubMed

    Zingone, Michelle M; Franks, Andrea S; Guirguis, Alexander B; George, Christa M; Howard-Thompson, Amanda; Heidel, Robert E

    2010-11-10

    To assess students' performance and perceptions of team-based and mixed active-learning methods in 2 ambulatory care elective courses, and to describe faculty members' perceptions of team-based learning. Using the 2 teaching methods, students' grades were compared. Students' perceptions were assessed through 2 anonymous course evaluation instruments. Faculty members who taught courses using the team-based learning method were surveyed regarding their impressions of team-based learning. The ambulatory care course was offered to 64 students using team-based learning (n = 37) and mixed active learning (n = 27) formats. The mean quality points earned were 3.7 (team-based learning) and 3.3 (mixed active learning), p < 0.001. Course evaluations for both courses were favorable. All faculty members who used the team-based learning method reported that they would consider using team-based learning in another course. Students were satisfied with both teaching methods; however, student grades were significantly higher in the team-based learning course. Faculty members recognized team-based learning as an effective teaching strategy for small-group active learning.

  2. The Socio-Cultural and Learning Experiences of Music Students in a British University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dibben, Nicola

    2006-01-01

    Research into student experience in Higher Education has largely focused on students' role as learners. However, the student experience encompasses a much wider range of behaviours and beliefs than can be captured through a focus on teaching and learning alone. I report the findings of a research project which explored student experience in the…

  3. Professional Development of Faculty: How Do We Know It Is Effective?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Derting, T. L.; Ebert-May, D.; Hodder, J.

    2011-12-01

    Professional development (PD) of faculty has been an integral component of curriculum reform efforts in STEM. Traditionally, PD occurs through workshops that last from hours to several days. Regardless of the particular model of PD used during a workshop, its effectiveness is usually assessed through self-report surveys of faculty satisfaction, perceived learning, and reports of applications in faculty classrooms. My presentation focuses on ways of assessing the effectiveness of models of PD, with an emphasis on the need for objective measures of change in faculty teaching. The data that I present raise two significant questions about faculty PD. Are traditional approaches to faculty PD effective in changing classroom teaching practices and improving student learning? What evidence is needed to determine the effectiveness of different models of PD? Self-report data have been useful in identifying variables that can influence the extent to which faculty implement new teaching strategies. These variables include faculty beliefs about student learning, self-efficacy, level of dissatisfaction with student learning, departmental rewards for teaching and learning, time limitations, and peer interactions. Self-report data do not, however, provide a complete or necessarily accurate assessment of the impacts of PD on classroom practices and student learning. Objective assessment of teaching and learning is also necessary, yet seldom conducted. Two approaches to such assessment will be presented, one based on student performance and the other based on observations of faculty teaching. In multiple sections of a student-centered, inquiry-based course, learning gains were higher for students taught by faculty who were trained in student-centered teaching compared with faculty with no such training. In two national projects that focused on faculty PD, self-report data indicated that faculty increased their use of student-centered teaching following PD. Objective assessment measures, however, showed that most faculty actually used teacher-centered methods with only minor use of student-centered teaching practices. Moreover, variables that have been associated with change in teaching practices, or the lack thereof, contributed little to explaining observed classroom teaching practice after PD. For example, faculty with less teaching experience engaged in more student-centered teaching compared with faculty with more years of teaching experience. Also, departmental and peer support for faculty use of non-lecture approaches to teaching had no significant relationship with the classroom practices used by faculty. These and other data suggest that assumptions about the effectiveness of traditional models of PDs need to be validated using objective, as well as subjective measures. The data also indicate a need for new models of PD for STEM faculty.

  4. Self-Reported Substance Use among High School Students with and without Learning Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carroll, Annemaree; Houghton, Stephen; Bourgeois, Amanda

    2014-01-01

    A total of 197 Year 9 and 10 students, 74 of whom had learning difficulties (LD), from two high schools in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia, self-reported their substance use. Seventeen substances, including two fictitious ones to detect over-reporting, were presented to participants for them to indicate their current usage,…

  5. Acquisition of Learning by Facilitating Academics (Project ALFA). Final Evaluation Report, 1992-93. OREA Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruno, Paula

    This report assesses the Acquisition of Learning by Facilitating Academics (Project ALFA), which is designed to assist the academic progress of Haitian students at Lafayette High School in Brooklyn, New York. Project ALFA served a total of 62 students of limited English proficiency who had attended an English-speaking school system for less than 5…

  6. Integrating Various Apps on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) into Seamless Inquiry-Based Learning to Enhance Primary Students' Science Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Song, Yanjie; Wen, Yun

    2018-01-01

    Despite that BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) technology model has been increasingly adopted in education, few studies have been reported on how to integrate various apps on BYOD into inquiry-based pedagogical practices in primary schools. This article reports a case study, examining what apps on BYOD can help students enhance their science learning,…

  7. Mobile Learning: Can Students Really Multitask?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coens, Joke; Reynvoet, Bert; Clarebout, Geraldine

    2011-01-01

    The advent of mobile learning offers opportunities for students to do two things at once in an educational context: learning while performing another activity. The main aim of the reported studies is to address the effect of multitasking on learning with a mobile device. Two experiments were set up to examine the effect of performing a secondary…

  8. Providing Simulated Online and Mobile Learning Experiences in a Prison Education Setting: Lessons Learned from the PLEIADES Pilot Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farley, Helen; Murphy, Angela; Bedford, Tasman

    2014-01-01

    This article reports on the preliminary findings, design criteria and lessons learned while developing and piloting an alternative to traditional print-based education delivery within a prison environment. PLEIADES (Portable Learning Environments for Incarcerated Distance Education Students), was designed to provide incarcerated students with…

  9. Student Perceptions and Effectiveness of an Innovative Learning Tool: Anatomy Glove Learning System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lisk, Kristina; McKee, Pat; Baskwill, Amanda; Agur, Anne M. R.

    2015-01-01

    A trend in anatomical education is the development of alternative pedagogical approaches to replace or complement experiences in a cadaver laboratory; however, empirical evidence on their effectiveness is often not reported. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Anatomy Glove Learning System (AGLS), which enables students to learn the…

  10. Distinguishing the Learning Approaches Adopted by Undergraduates in Their Use of Online Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knight, Jasper

    2010-01-01

    This article reports a study which sought to evaluate the different learning strategies adopted by students when accessing virtual learning environment (VLE)-hosted resources because, if student achievement corresponds to the learning strategy that is adopted whilst accessing VLE resources, directed tasks can be put in place that will encourage…

  11. Simulation-Based Learning: The Learning-Forgetting-Relearning Process and Impact of Learning History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidovitch, Lior; Parush, Avi; Shtub, Avy

    2008-01-01

    The results of empirical experiments evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the learning-forgetting-relearning process in a dynamic project management simulation environment are reported. Sixty-six graduate engineering students performed repetitive simulation-runs with a break period of several weeks between the runs. The students used a…

  12. Reflection for Learning, Learning for Reflection: Developing Indigenous Competencies in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennett, Dawn; Power, Anne; Thomson, Chris; Mason, Bonita; Bartleet, Brydie-Leigh

    2016-01-01

    Reflection is an essential part of students' critically reflective development within experiential-learning contexts; it is arguably even more important when working cross-culturally. This paper reports from a national, arts-based service-learning project in which students in creative arts, media and journalism, and preservice teachers worked with…

  13. Exploring First-Year Undergraduate Medical Students' Self-Directed Learning Readiness to Physiology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abraham, Reem Rachel; Fisher, Murray; Kamath, Asha; Izzati, T. Aizan; Nabila, Saidatul; Atikah, Nik Nur

    2011-01-01

    Medical students are expected to possess self-directed learning skills to pursue lifelong learning. Previous studies have reported that the readiness for self-directed learning depends on personal attributes as well as the curriculum followed in institutions. Melaka Manipal Medical College of Manipal University (Karnataka, India) offers a Bachelor…

  14. How WebQuests Can Enhance Science Learning Principles in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Subramaniam, Karthigeyan

    2012-01-01

    This article examines the merits of WebQuests in facilitating students' in-depth understanding of science concepts using the four principles of learning gathered from the National Research Council reports "How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School" (1999) and the "How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom" (2005) as an analytic…

  15. Student Conceptions of Peer-Assisted Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hodgson, Yvonne; Benson, Robyn; Brack, Charlotte

    2015-01-01

    This article reports on a programme in which peer-assisted learning (PAL) was combined with case-based learning (CBL) in a second-year radiologic biology unit of study. Our aim is to explore evidence of whether PAL supported the development of qualitative conceptions of learning. The programme involved students in small PAL groups preparing and…

  16. Learning Pre-Played Solos: Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in Jazz/Improvised Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nielsen, Siw G.

    2015-01-01

    This article reports on the self-regulated learning strategies of two advanced students in jazz/improvised music education when learning pre-played solos over well-known jazz tunes. The students were enrolled in a well-established performance degree programme in a music conservatoire, and videotaped their own individual practice sessions. In…

  17. Interrelations among University Students' Approaches to Learning, Regulation of Learning, and Cognitive and Attributional Strategies: A Person Oriented Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heikkila, Annamari; Niemivirta, Markku; Nieminen, Juha; Lonka, Kirsti

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the relationships among approaches to learning, regulation of learning, cognitive and attributional strategies, stress, exhaustion, and study success. University students (N = 437) from three faculties filled in a questionnaire concerning their self-reported study behaviour, cognitive strategies, and well-being. Their…

  18. Constructing Knowledge with an Agent-Based Instructional Program: A Comparison of Cooperative and Individual Meaning Making

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moreno, Roxana

    2009-01-01

    Participants in the present study were 87 college students who learned about botany using an agent-based instructional program with three different learning approaches: individual, jigsaw, or cooperative learning. Results showed no differences among learning approaches on retention. Students in jigsaw groups reported higher cognitive load during…

  19. Not Blogging, Drinking: Peer Learning, Sociality and Intercultural Learning in Study Abroad

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tonkin, Kati; Bourgault du Coudray, Chantal

    2016-01-01

    Research into study abroad students' intercultural learning has demonstrated a need to provide pedagogical support before, during and after the study abroad experience. This article reports on the authors' efforts to support the in-country learning of Australian study abroad students through an online guided reflection exercise (blog) with a…

  20. Graduate Students' Perceptions of the Impact of the Alternative National English Course on the Improvement of Their English Language Learning and Their Learning Challenges at the University of Jordan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alkhawaldeh, Ahmad Mokbel

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative study addressed the English language learning needs and challenges expressed by a sample of 22 postgraduate students from diversified faculties in the University of Jordan. These students were required to take the Alternative National English course. They wrote a self-report reflecting on their English language learning needs and…

  1. A National Study Assessing the Teaching and Learning of Introductory Astronomy Part II: Analysis of Student Demographics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rudolph, Alexander; Prather, E. E.; Brissenden, G.; Consiglio, D.; Gonzaga, V.

    2010-01-01

    This is the second in a series of reports on a national study of the teaching and learning of astronomy in general education, non-science major, introductory college astronomy courses (Astro 101). The results show dramatic improvement in student learning with increased use of interactive learning strategies even after controlling for individual student characteristics. In addition, we find that the positive effects of interactive learning strategies apply equally to men and women, across ethnicities, for students with all levels of prior mathematical preparation and physical science course experience, independent of GPA, and regardless of primary language. These results powerfully illustrate that all categories of students can benefit from the effective implementation of interactive learning strategies.

  2. How do students implement collaborative testing in real-world contexts?

    PubMed

    Wissman, Kathryn T; Rawson, Katherine A

    2016-01-01

    Recent research has explored the effects of collaborative testing, showing costs and benefits during learning and for subsequent memory. However, no prior research is informative about whether and how students use collaborative testing in real-world contexts. Accordingly, the primary purpose of the current research was to explore the extent to which students use collaborative testing during self-regulated learning. We conducted three surveys (n = 692 across three samples) asking students about their use of collaborative testing, with a particular interest in conditions under which students report implementing collaborative testing. Among the key outcomes, a majority of students reported using collaborative testing when studying in a group. Additionally, students reported that key term definitions are the material most often used during collaborative testing. Students are also more motivated to use testing and believe testing is more effective and more fun when implemented in a group versus alone. Outcomes also shed light on metacognitive components of collaborative testing, with the student asking (versus answering) the question making the monitoring judgement whereas both students make the control decision about when to terminate practice. We discuss ways in which the collaborative memory literature can be extended to support more successful student learning.

  3. Active physiology learning in a diverse class: an analysis of medical student responses in terms of sex, home language, and self-reported test performance.

    PubMed

    Higgins-Opitz, Susan B; Tufts, Mark

    2012-06-01

    The student body at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine (NRMSM) is very diverse, representing many cultures, religions, and languages. Research has shown that weakness in English can impact student performance. Recent studies have also highlighted sex-based differences in students' learning and listening styles. These factors pose both challenges and opportunities for teachers of physiology. Student presentations were incorporated for a number of years into the traditional didactic second-year medical physiology curriculum at the NRMSM. Feedback obtained about the perceived benefits of these presentations for the learning of gastrointestinal and endocrine physiology included demographic data pertaining to students' sex, home language, and self-reported performance in tests. Analysis of the 50-item questionnaire responses, obtained over a 2-yr period, provided some interesting insights. Student responses to the items differed significantly in 27 of the 50 items in the questionnaire, based on sex alone (22%), sex and home language (7%), home language alone (37%), performance alone (26%), and performance and home language (7%). Our analyses of student perceptions support the findings of other studies and show that factors such as sex, home language, and student performance can play an important role in the way students are motivated to learn. In designing active learning strategies, academics need to take into account the potential influences that might affect student learning in diverse, multicultural, and multilingual classes.

  4. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in journalistic learning: strategies for accurately engaging with information and reporting news

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inayatillah, F.

    2018-01-01

    In the era of digital technology, there is abundant information from various sources. This ease of access needs to be accompanied by the ability to engage with the information wisely. Thus, information and media literacy is required. From the results of preliminary observations, it was found that the students of Universitas Negeri Surabaya, whose major is Indonesian Literature, and they take journalistic course lack of the skill of media and information literacy (MIL). Therefore, they need to be equipped with MIL. The method used is descriptive qualitative, which includes data collection, data analysis, and presentation of data analysis. Observation and documentation techniques were used to obtain data of MIL’s impact on journalistic learning for students. This study aims at describing the important role of MIL for students of journalistic and its impact on journalistic learning for students of Indonesian literature batch 2014. The results of this research indicate that journalistic is a science that is essential for students because it affects how a person perceives news report. Through the reinforcement of the course, students can avoid a hoax. MIL-based journalistic learning makes students will be more skillful at absorbing, processing, and presenting information accurately. The subject influences students in engaging with information so that they can report news credibly.

  5. Peer-Assisted Learning in the Athletic Training Clinical Setting

    PubMed Central

    Henning, Jolene M; Weidner, Thomas G; Jones, James

    2006-01-01

    Context: Athletic training educators often anecdotally suggest that athletic training students enhance their learning by teaching their peers. However, peer-assisted learning (PAL) has not been examined within athletic training education in order to provide evidence for its current use or as a pedagogic tool. Objective: To describe the prevalence of PAL in athletic training clinical education and to identify students' perceptions of PAL. Design: Descriptive. Setting: “The Athletic Training Student Seminar” at the National Athletic Trainers' Association 2002 Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia. Patients or Other Participants: A convenience sample of 138 entry-level male and female athletic training students. Main Outcome Measure(s): Students' perceptions regarding the prevalence and benefits of and preferences for PAL were measured using the Athletic Training Peer-Assisted Learning Assessment Survey. The Survey is a self-report tool with 4 items regarding the prevalence of PAL and 7 items regarding perceived benefits and preferences. Results: A total of 66% of participants practiced a moderate to large amount of their clinical skills with other athletic training students. Sixty percent of students reported feeling less anxious when performing clinical skills on patients in front of other athletic training students than in front of their clinical instructors. Chi-square analysis revealed that 91% of students enrolled in Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs–accredited athletic training education programs learned a minimal to small amount of clinical skills from their peers compared with 65% of students in Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training–candidacy schools (χ2 3 = 14.57, P < .01). Multiple analysis of variance revealed significant interactions between sex and academic level on several items regarding benefits and preferences. Conclusions: According to athletic training students, PAL is occurring in the athletic training clinical setting. Entry-level students are utilizing their peers as resources for practicing clinical skills and report benefiting from the collaboration. Educators should consider deliberately integrating PAL into athletic training education programs to enhance student learning and collaboration. PMID:16619102

  6. American River College Beacon Project Student Catalyst Program: Peer Assisted Learning. Annual Report, 1992-93.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reitz, Nancy; McCuen, Sharon

    American River College's (California) Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) project is a 2-year project initiated in 1992 to improve the retention and performance of minority students and others in math, biology, and chemistry through increased contact and involvement with their peers. PAL involves a cadre of 24 student Learning Assistants (LA's) who have…

  7. "Asian Learners" Re-Examined: An Empirical Study of Language Learning Attitudes, Strategies and Motivation among Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gan, Zhengdong

    2009-01-01

    Although cultural stereotypes of Asian students as being prone to rote learning, passive and teacher-dependent have been under criticism, the issue of the extent to which Asian heritage culture impacts on Asian students' learning attitudes and behaviour warrants further investigation. This paper reports on an empirical study which compares…

  8. High School Teachers Use of Writing to Support Students' Learning: A National Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillespie, Amy; Graham, Steve; Kiuhara, Sharlene; Hebert, Michael

    2014-01-01

    A random sample of language arts, social studies, science, and math high school teachers from across the United States were surveyed about their use of writing to support student learning. Four out of every five teachers reported they used writing to support student learning, applying on average 24 different writing activities across the school…

  9. Learning in Large Learning Spaces: The Academic Engagement of a Diverse Group of Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunt, Clive

    2012-01-01

    Teaching larger groups of students is a growing phenomenon in HE and this brings with it its own challenges, not least for the students themselves but also for their lecturers. Demographic factors as well as the experiences that characterise us as individuals will impact upon our ability to learn. The pilot study reported here considered the…

  10. Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching to Enhance Equity of Opportunity. Report from the National Summit on ESSA and Learning Supports

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2017

    2017-01-01

    Passage of the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) provides opportunities to improve how schools address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected students and families. Of particular relevance to these concerns, ESSA replaces what has been described as a maze of programs with a "Student Support and Academic…

  11. The Contribution of Non-Formal Learning in Higher Education to Student Teachers' Professional Competence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Sylvia Y. F.; Wong, Angel K. Y.; Li, Dora D. Y.; Cheng, May M. H.

    2017-01-01

    This article reports a mixed methods study on the contribution of various aspects of pre-service student teachers' learning in initial teacher education (ITE) to their professional competence in a Five-year Bachelor of Education Programme in Hong Kong. Special attention is given to how student teachers' non-formal learning in higher education…

  12. Developing a Patient Focussed Professional Identity: An Exploratory Investigation of Medical Students' Encounters with Patient Partnership in Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barr, Jennifer; Bull, Rosalind; Rooney, Kim

    2015-01-01

    Patient encounters are central to the provision of learning opportunities for medical students and their development as medical professionals. The primary aim of the study reported in this paper was to discover how partnering medical students with patients with chronic illness in undergraduate learning influenced the development of a patient…

  13. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Impact on Elementary School Mathematics in the Central Region. Final Report. NCEE 2011-4005

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Randel, Bruce; Beesley, Andrea D.; Apthorp, Helen; Clark, Tedra F.; Wang, Xin; Cicchinelli, Louis F.; Williams, Jean M.

    2011-01-01

    This study was conducted by the Central Region Educational Laboratory (REL Central) administered by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning to provide educators and policymakers with rigorous evidence about the potential of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning (CASL) to improve student achievement. CASL is a widely used professional…

  14. The Relationship between Student Success in Introductory University Chemistry and Approaches to Learning outside of the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sinapuelas, Michelle L. S.; Stacy, Angelica M.

    2015-01-01

    The study reported here examines the learning approaches adopted by students enrolled in introductory chemistry at a public university. To evaluate learning approaches, a group of 61 students enrolled in the course were interviewed at three time-points during the semester, specifically to ascertain how they prepared for the exams. From these…

  15. The Influence of Ground Rules on Chinese Students' Learning of Critical Thinking in Group Work: A Cultural Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fung, Dennis

    2014-01-01

    This article reports the results of a one-year longitudinal study examining a teaching intervention designed to enhance students' learning of critical thinking in Hong Kong. Seventy participating students (age 16-18) learned how to make reasoned arguments through a series of collaborative activities, including critical-thinking modelling tasks and…

  16. Developing an Instrument to Assess Student Readiness for Online Learning: A Validation Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dray, Barbara J.; Lowenthal, Patrick R.; Miszkiewicz, Melissa J.; Ruiz-Primo, Maria Araceli; Marczynski, Kelly

    2011-01-01

    Given the continued growth in online learning as well as reports of high attrition rates in it, understanding student readiness for online learning is necessary. Over the years several surveys have been developed to assess student readiness as a predictor of success in online programs; however, a review of the literature yielded limited results of…

  17. Competitive Team-Based Learning versus Group Investigation with Reference to the Language Proficiency of Iranian EFL Intermediate Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosseini, Seyed Mohammad Hassan

    2014-01-01

    This paper is a report on an experimental study which intended to look into the possible effects of Competitive Team-Based Learning (CTBL) vis-à-vis Group Investigation (GI) method of Cooperative Learning (CL) on the language proficiency of Iranian EFL intermediate students. Seventy homogeneous Iranian intermediate students were selected out of a…

  18. What's Stopping Them? A Study of Teachers' Use of Formative Feedback with Students Learning in the Clinical Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campos, Susan

    2013-01-01

    Acknowledging the powerful that role formative feedback plays in learning, students who are training for professions in the clinical setting and learn while working alongside professionals in their field report that they receive limited feedback. Formative feedback helps students gauge progress, identify weaknesses, and improve performance as well…

  19. Talking and Learning Physics: Predicting Future Grades from Network Measures and Force Concept Inventory Pretest Scores

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruun, Jesper; Brewe, Eric

    2013-01-01

    The role of student interactions in learning situations is a foundation of sociocultural learning theory, and social network analysis can be used to quantify student relations. We discuss how self-reported student interactions can be viewed as processes of meaning making and use this to understand how quantitative measures that describe the…

  20. Relationships between learning strategies, stress, and study success among first-year veterinary students during an educational transition phase.

    PubMed

    Laakkonen, Juha; Nevgi, Anne

    2014-01-01

    We investigated the relationships between stress, learning strategies, and study success among first-year veterinary students at the very beginning of their veterinary studies. The study was carried out during the first course on macroscopic anatomy (osteology), which students have in the past found to be exceptionally stressful. Students (N=45) completed a questionnaire concerning their self-reported views on stress and learning strategies, which were compared with their self-reported written-test scores. Participants who had previously gained university credits did not have significantly better test scores, but they achieved the learning goals with significantly less stress than other participants. Previous experience of university study helped students not only to adjust to a new type of course content and to achieve the learning goal of the osteology course, but also to cope with the stress experienced from taking concurrently running courses. Of the respondents who specifically named factors relating to self-regulation and modification of their learning strategy, all had gained prior credits. These students were able to use their study time efficiently and adjust their schedules according to the course demands.

  1. The Dilemma of Case-Based Teaching and Learning in Science in Hong Kong: Students Need It, Want It, but May Not Value It. Research Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNaught, Carmel; Lau, W. M.; Lam, Paul; Hui, Mark Y. Y.; Au, Peter C. T.

    2005-01-01

    The paper reports a study for determining a suitable process for converting traditional surface science courses into case-based learning ones in two universities in Hong Kong. In this preparative study, a set of baseline data was collected on the current level of students' conceptual understanding and also students' perceptions about the…

  2. 21st Century Community Learning Centers 2013: A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of Program Impacts on Student Achievement in Mathematics and Reading/Language Arts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Larry; Hixson, Nate

    2014-01-01

    This report summarizes an evaluation study investigating the effects of participation in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program on student achievement in mathematics and reading/language arts, for the cohort of students who participated during the 2012-2013 school year. The report is a supplement to the Office of Assessment,…

  3. 21st Century Community Learning Centers 2014: A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of Program Impacts on Student Achievement in Mathematics and Reading/Language Arts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Larry; Whisman, Andy

    2014-01-01

    This report summarizes an evaluation study investigating the effects of participation in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program on student achievement in mathematics and reading/language arts, for the cohort of students who participated during the 2013-2014 school year. The report is a supplement to the Office of Assessment,…

  4. The Relationships between the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning in the State of Washington. Technical Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joireman, Jeff; Abbott, Martin L.

    This report examines the overlap between student test results on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The two tests were compared and contrasted in terms of content and measurement philosophy, and analyses studied the statistical relationship between the ITBS and the WASL. The ITBS assesses…

  5. Special Education Integration-Unification Initiative for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities: An Investigation of Program Status and Impact. Final Report: Project R117E10145, August 15, 1991-August 14, 1992.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Houck, Cherry Kendrick

    This final report focused on research questions associated with reducing the segregation of students with learning disabilities (LD) in Virginia. A survey of special education supervisors, general education supervisors, building principals, general elementary and secondary education teachers, LD teachers, students with LD, and parents was…

  6. Learning on Zoo Field Trips: The Interaction of the Agendas and Practices of Students, Teachers, and Zoo Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, Susan Kay; Passmore, Cynthia; Anderson, David

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports on the findings of a case study that investigated the interaction of the agendas and practices of students, teachers, and zoo educators during a class field trip to a zoo. The study reports on findings of the analysis of two case classes of students and their perceptions of their learning experiences during the field trip. The…

  7. Measuring self-reported studying and learning for university students: linking attitudes and behaviours on the same scale.

    PubMed

    Waugh, Russell F

    2002-12-01

    The relationships between self-reported Approaches to Studying and Self-concept, Self-capability and Studying and Learning Behaviour are usually studied by measuring the variables separately (using factor analysis and Cronbach Alphas) and then using various correlation techniques (such as multiple regression and path analysis). This procedure has measurement problems and is called into question. To create a single scale of Studying and Learning using a model with subsets of ordered stem-items based on a Deep Approach, a Surface Approach and a Strategic Approach, integrated with three self-reported aspects (an Ideal Self-view, a Capability Self-view and a Studying and Learning Behaviour Self-view). The stem-item sample was 33, all answered in three aspects, that produced an effective item sample of 99. The person convenience sample was 431 students in education (1(st) to 4(th) year) at an Australian university during 2000. The latest Rasch Unidimensional Measurement Model Computer Program (Andrich, Lyne, Sheridan, & Luo, 2000) was used to analyse the data and create a single scale of Studying and Learning. Altogether 77 items fitted a Rasch Measurement Model and formed a scale in which the 'difficulties' of the items were ordered from 'easy' to 'hard' and the student measures of Studying and Learning were ordered from 'low' to 'high'. The proportion of observed student variance considered true was 0.96. The response categories were answered consistently and logically and the results supported many, but not all, the conceptualised ordering of the subscales. Students found it 'easy' to report a high Ideal Self-view, 'much harder' to report a high Capability Self-view, and 'harder still' to report a high Studying and Learning Behaviour for the stem-items, in accordance with the model, where items fit the measurement model. The Ideal Self-view Surface Approach items provided the most non-fit to the model. This method was highly successful in producing a single scale of Studying and Learning from self-reported Self-concepts, Self-capabilities, and Studying and Learning Behaviours, based on a Deep Approach, a Surface Approach and a Strategic Approach.

  8. Nursing students' perceptions of learning in practice environments: a review.

    PubMed

    Henderson, Amanda; Cooke, Marie; Creedy, Debra K; Walker, Rachel

    2012-04-01

    Effective clinical learning requires integration of nursing students into ward activities, staff engagement to address individual student learning needs, and innovative teaching approaches. Assessing characteristics of practice environments can provide useful insights for development. This study identified predominant features of clinical learning environments from nursing students' perspectives across studies using the same measure in different countries over the last decade. Six studies, from three different countries, using the Clinical Leaning Environment Inventory (CLEI) were reviewed. Studies explored consistent trends about learning environment. Students rated sense of task accomplishment high. Affiliation also rated highly though was influenced by models of care. Feedback measuring whether students' individual needs and views were accommodated consistently rated lower. Across different countries students report similar perceptions about learning environments. Clinical learning environments are most effective in promoting safe practice and are inclusive of student learners, but not readily open to innovation and challenges to routine practices. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Evidence of Learning: Applying the Collegiate Learning Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning in the Liberal Arts College Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Council of Independent Colleges, 2008

    2008-01-01

    This report highlights the experiences of the 33 members of CIC's (Council of Independent Colleges) Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) Consortium over the past three years as they used the CLA to measure student learning outcomes. The CLA instrument assesses how the college experience helps students develop such "higher order" cognitive skills…

  10. Does Training in How to Regulate One's Learning Affect How Students Report Self-Regulated Learning in Diary Tasks?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Costa Ferreira, P.; Veiga Simão, A. M.; Lopes da Silva, A.

    2015-01-01

    The processes and perceptions of students' self-regulated learning are not easily measured. Thus, research has presented and suggested numerous ways in which these processes and perceptions of self-regulated learning can be investigated and assessed. Accordingly, this study aims to assess whether training in how to regulate one's learning is…

  11. Students' Evaluations of the Use of E-Learning in a Collaborative Project between Two South African Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rohleder, Poul; Bozalek, Vivienne; Carolissen, Ronelle; Leibowitz, Brenda; Swartz, Leslie

    2008-01-01

    Online learning is increasingly being used in Higher Education, with a number of advantages to online learning being identified. One of these advantages is the suggestion that online learning provides for equality of opportunity. This article reports on students' evaluations of the use of e-learning in a collaborative project between two South…

  12. Collaborative, case-based learning: how do students actually learn from each other?

    PubMed

    Thurman, Joanne; Volet, Simone E; Bolton, John R

    2009-01-01

    The value of collaborative, case-based, and problem-based learning has received increased attention in recent years. Several studies have documented veterinary staff and students' generally positive feedback on group learning activities, but one largely unaddressed question is how students actually learn from each other. This study examined how second-year veterinary students learned from each other during a collaborative, case-based learning project. Data were students' written reflections on their learning in the veterinary course and the specific learning experience, and a matched pre- and post-task questionnaire. Consistent with prior research describing veterinary students as individualistic learners, only a third of students spontaneously mentioned learning from each other as one of their most effective strategies. However, when prompted to describe a time when they felt that group members were really learning from each other, students reported highly valuable collaborative learning processes, which they explicitly linked to learning and understanding benefits. Questionnaire data were consistent, showing that students became more positive toward several aspects of the activity as well as toward group work in general. One unexpected finding was the lack of a relationship between students' self-evaluation of their learning and how well group members knew each other. These findings provide strong support for the educational value of collaborative, case-based learning. In light of other research evidence (using observation data) that the amount of time students actually engage in high-level collaborative processes may be rather limited, this article points to the need for veterinary teachers to better prepare students for group learning activities.

  13. Teaching Beginning College Students with Adapted Published Research Reports

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klemm, William R.

    2013-01-01

    This study used peer-reviewed published research reports to teach a seminar on learning and memory to first-semester college students. Complete reports (not summaries, reviews, or news reports) were re-written by this author to be more "student friendly" to college freshmen. These adapted published research reports (APRRs) retained…

  14. Student perceptions of a virtual learning environment for a problem-based learning undergraduate medical curriculum.

    PubMed

    de Leng, Bas A; Dolmans, Diana H J M; Muijtjens, Arno M M; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

    2006-06-01

    To investigate the effects of a virtual learning environment (VLE) on group interaction and consultation of information resources during the preliminary phase, self-study phase and reporting phase of the problem-based learning process in an undergraduate medical curriculum. A questionnaire was administered to 355 medical students in Years 1 and 2 to ask them about the perceived usefulness of a virtual learning environment that was created with Blackboard for group interaction and the use of learning resources. The students indicated that the VLE supported face-to-face interaction in the preliminary discussion and in the reporting phase but did not stimulate computer-mediated distance interaction during the self-study phase. They perceived that the use of multimedia in case presentations led to a better quality of group discussion than if case presentations were exclusively text-based. They also indicated that the information resources that were hyperlinked in the VLE stimulated the consultation of these resources during self-study, but not during the reporting phase. Students indicated that the use of a VLE in the tutorial room and the inclusion of multimedia in case presentations supported processes of active learning in the tutorial groups. However, if we want to exploit the full potential of asynchronous computer-mediated communication to initiate in-depth discussion during the self-study phase, its application will have to be selective and deliberate. Students indicated that the links in the VLE to selected information in library repositories supported their learning.

  15. Investigating the Longer-Term Impact of the CREST Inquiry-Based Learning Programme on Student Self-regulated Processes and Related Motivations: Views of Students and Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moote, Julie

    2017-07-01

    This study investigates the impact of participation in the CREativity in Science and Technology (CREST) programme on student self-regulated processes and related motivations. The CREST scheme, a student-run science project managed by the British Science Association, is currently being implemented in schools across the UK to increase student engagement and motivation in science. Through implementing a rigorous quasi-experimental research design using two intervention conditions and one control group with immediate as well as 3-month delayed post-test data, the results documented both the immediate and longer-term positive impact of CREST participation on students' self-reported levels of self-regulation. The present study also investigates changes in teachers' perceptions of students' self-regulated learning through CREST programme participation. Group differences regarding changes in student self-reported self-regulation were not matched when looking at the teacher-reported self-regulated learning results at both immediate post-test and delayed post-test. These discrepancies are discussed in relation to analyses conducted on the other motivational constructs measured.

  16. Teachers' Beliefs, Instructional Behaviors, and Students' Engagement in Learning from Texts with Instructional Pictures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schroeder, Sascha; Richter, Tobias; McElvany, Nele; Hachfeld, Axinja; Baumert, Jurgen; Schnotz, Wolfgang; Horz, Holger; Ullrich, Mark

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the relations between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and students' self-reported engagement in learning from texts with instructional pictures. Participants were the biology, geography, and German teachers of 46 classes (Grades 5-8) and their students. Teachers' instructional behaviors and students' engagement in learning…

  17. Examining the Impact of Interdisciplinary Programs on Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lattuca, Lisa R.; Knight, David; Seifert, Tricia A.; Reason, Robert D.; Liu, Qin

    2017-01-01

    We investigated how learning outcomes of students majoring in interdisciplinary fields differ from those of students in discipline-based majors. We found that students in interdisciplinary majors report less change in Critical Thinking and Need For Cognition than their peers in disciplinary majors, but no difference in change in Positive Attitude…

  18. Science Teaching and Learning Activities and Students' Engagement in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hampden-Thompson, Gillian; Bennett, Judith

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this analysis is to describe the variation in students' reports of engagement in science across science teaching and learning activities. In addition, this study examines student and school characteristics that may be associated with students' levels of engagement in science. Data are drawn from the Programme for International…

  19. Staff-Student Collaboration: Student Learning from Working Together to Enhance Educational Practice in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dickerson, Claire; Jarvis, Joy; Stockwell, Lewis

    2016-01-01

    The association of research and teaching, and the roles and responsibilities of students and academic staff and the nature of their interrelationship are important issues in higher education. This article presents six undergraduate student researchers' reports of their learning from collaborating with academic staff to design, undertake and…

  20. Traditional, Natural, and TPR Approaches to ESL: A Study of Japanese Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furuhata, Hamako

    1999-01-01

    Reports a study of Japanese students' perception of traditional methods versus the natural approach and total physical response (TPR) methods for learning English, and their preferred styles of learning. Subjects were Japanese students attending intensive language schools in the U.S. Students generally preferred innovative methods, such as…

  1. Critical Reading: A Guide for Faculty and Students in Economics and History. Final Report, Second Year.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bean, Thomas W.

    The first year of California State University's program to improve university students' critical reading of introductory texts had two objectives: to develop professors' available repertoire of strategies for guiding students' independent learning from texts and to develop students' facility in learning from texts with adjunct guide materials…

  2. Relation between Academic Performance and Students' Engagement in Digital Learning Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bertheussen, Bernt Arne; Myrland, Øystein

    2016-01-01

    This study reports on the effect of student engagement in digital learning activities on academic performance for 120 students enrolled in an undergraduate finance course. Interactive practice and exam problem files were available to each student, and individual download activity was automatically recorded during the first 50 days of the course.…

  3. Does Reflective Learning with Feedback Improve Dental Students' Self-Perceived Competence in Clinical Preparedness?

    PubMed

    Ihm, Jung-Joon; Seo, Deog-Gyu

    2016-02-01

    The value of dental students' self-assessment is often debated. The aim of this study was to explore whether reflective learning with feedback enabled dental students to more accurately assess their self-perceived levels of preparedness on dental competencies. Over 16 weeks, all third- and fourth-year students at a dental school in the Republic of Korea took part in clinical rotations that incorporated reflective learning and feedback. Following this educational intervention, they were asked to assess their perceptions of their clinical competence. The results showed that the students reported feeling most confident about performing periodontal treatment (mean 7.1 on a ten-point scale) and least confident about providing orthodontic care (mean 5.6). The fourth-year students reported feeling more confident on all the competencies than the third-year students. Their self-perceived competence in periodontal treatment and oral medicine significantly predicted the instructors' clinical evaluations. This study offered insights into determining if structured reflective learning with effective feedback helps to increase dental students' self-perceived level of clinical preparedness.

  4. Immersive simulated reality scenarios for enhancing students' experience of people with learning disabilities across all fields of nurse education.

    PubMed

    Saunder, Lorna; Berridge, Emma-Jane

    2015-11-01

    Poor preparation of nurses, regarding learning disabilities can have devastating consequences. High-profile reports and the Nursing and Midwifery Council requirements led this University to introduce Shareville into the undergraduate and postgraduate nursing curriculum. Shareville is a virtual environment developed at Birmingham City University, in which student nurses learn from realistic, problem-based scenarios featuring people with learning disabilities. Following the implementation of the resource an evaluation of both staff and student experience was undertaken. Students reported that problem-based scenarios were sufficiently real and immersive. Scenarios presented previously unanticipated considerations, offering new insights, and giving students the opportunity to practise decision-making in challenging scenarios before encountering them in practice. The interface and the quality of the graphics were criticised, but, this did not interfere with learning. Nine lecturers were interviewed, they generally felt positively towards the resource and identified strengths in terms of blended learning and collaborative teaching. The evaluation contributes to understandings of learning via simulated reality, and identifies process issues that will inform the development of further resources and their roll-out locally, and may guide other education providers in developing and implementing resources of this nature. There was significant parity between lecturers' expectations of students' experience of Shareville. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Language Learning within Academic Constraints.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blue, George M.

    This paper reports on a research project that examined nonnative Southampton University (England) students' attitudes to continued language learning and the importance of language learning and cultural adaptation. A survey was administered to pre-sessional and in-sessional students that included information on background, past and present language…

  6. Cheating in Online Courses: The Student Definition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raines, Deborah A.; Ricci, Peter; Brown, Susan L.; Eggenberger, Terry; Hindle, Tobin; Schiff, Mara

    2011-01-01

    One of the barriers to faculty acceptance of online teaching and learning is a concern about cheating and the quality of the learning experience. This paper reports the findings of a descriptive survey focused on the students' definition of cheating in the online learning environment.

  7. Accelerated Math®. Primary Mathematics. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2017

    2017-01-01

    "Accelerated Math®," published by Renaissance Learning, is a software tool that provides practice problems for students in grades K-12 and provides teachers with reports to monitor student progress. "Accelerated Math®" creates individualized student assignments, scores the assignments, and generates reports on student progress.…

  8. Biomedical Ph.D. students enrolled in two elite universities in the United kingdom and the United States report adopting multiple learning relationships.

    PubMed

    Kemp, Matthew W; Lazarus, Benjamin M; Perron, Gabriel G; Hanage, William P; Chapman, Elaine

    2014-01-01

    The ability to form multiple learning relationships is a key element of the doctoral learning environment in the biomedical sciences. Of these relationships, that between student and supervisor has long been viewed as key. There are, however, limited data to describe the student perspective on what makes this relationship valuable. In the present study, we discuss the findings of semi-structured interviews with biomedical Ph.D. students from the United Kingdom and the United States to: i) determine if the learning relationships identified in an Australian biomedical Ph.D. cohort are also important in a larger international student cohort; and ii) improve our understanding of student perceptions of value in their supervisory relationships. 32 students from two research intensive universities, one in the United Kingdom (n = 17), and one in the United States (n = 15) were recruited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Verbatim transcripts were transcribed, validated and analysed using a Miles and Huberman method for thematic analysis. Students reported that relationships with other Ph.D. students, post-doctoral scientists and supervisors were all essential to their learning. Effective supervisory relationships were perceived as the primary source of high-level project guidance, intellectual support and confidence. Relationships with fellow students were viewed as essential for the provision of empathetic emotional support. Technical learning was facilitated, almost exclusively, by relationships with postdoctoral staff. These data make two important contributions to the scholarship of doctoral education in the biomedical sciences. Firstly, they provide further evidence for the importance of multiple learning relationships in the biomedical doctorate. Secondly, they clarify the form of a 'valued' supervisory relationship from a student perspective. We conclude that biomedical doctoral programs should be designed to contain a minimum level of formalised structure to promote the development of multiple learning relationships that are perceived as key to student learning.

  9. Biomedical Ph.D. Students Enrolled in Two Elite Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Report Adopting Multiple Learning Relationships

    PubMed Central

    Kemp, Matthew W.; Lazarus, Benjamin M.; Perron, Gabriel G.; Hanage, William P.; Chapman, Elaine

    2014-01-01

    Objective The ability to form multiple learning relationships is a key element of the doctoral learning environment in the biomedical sciences. Of these relationships, that between student and supervisor has long been viewed as key. There are, however, limited data to describe the student perspective on what makes this relationship valuable. In the present study, we discuss the findings of semi-structured interviews with biomedical Ph.D. students from the United Kingdom and the United States to: i) determine if the learning relationships identified in an Australian biomedical Ph.D. cohort are also important in a larger international student cohort; and ii) improve our understanding of student perceptions of value in their supervisory relationships. Study Design 32 students from two research intensive universities, one in the United Kingdom (n = 17), and one in the United States (n = 15) were recruited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Verbatim transcripts were transcribed, validated and analysed using a Miles and Huberman method for thematic analysis. Results Students reported that relationships with other Ph.D. students, post-doctoral scientists and supervisors were all essential to their learning. Effective supervisory relationships were perceived as the primary source of high-level project guidance, intellectual support and confidence. Relationships with fellow students were viewed as essential for the provision of empathetic emotional support. Technical learning was facilitated, almost exclusively, by relationships with postdoctoral staff. Conclusions These data make two important contributions to the scholarship of doctoral education in the biomedical sciences. Firstly, they provide further evidence for the importance of multiple learning relationships in the biomedical doctorate. Secondly, they clarify the form of a ‘valued’ supervisory relationship from a student perspective. We conclude that biomedical doctoral programs should be designed to contain a minimum level of formalised structure to promote the development of multiple learning relationships that are perceived as key to student learning. PMID:25054473

  10. Learning Styles and Student Diversity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loper, Sue

    1989-01-01

    A teacher reports on helpful advice she received from a colleague when she started teaching: to teach students in the cognitive mode in which they learn best (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, or tactile). (TE)

  11. Another nail in the coffin for learning styles? Disparities among undergraduate anatomy students' study strategies, class performance, and reported VARK learning styles.

    PubMed

    Husmann, Polly R; O'Loughlin, Valerie Dean

    2018-03-13

    The concept and existence of learning styles has been fraught with controversy, and recent studies have thrown their existence into doubt. Yet, many students still hold to the conventional wisdom that learning styles are legitimate, and may adapt their outside of class study strategies to match these learning styles. Thus, this study aims to assess if undergraduate anatomy students are more likely to utilize study strategies that align with their hypothetical learning styles (using the VARK analysis from Fleming and Mills, , Improve Acad. 11:137-155) and, if so, does this alignment correlate with their outcome in an anatomy course. Relatedly, this study examines whether students' VARK learning styles are correlated with course outcomes regardless of the students' study strategies, and whether any study strategies are correlated with course outcomes, regardless of student-specific VARK results. A total of 426 anatomy students from the 2015 and 2016 Fall semesters completed a study strategies survey and an online VARK questionnaire. Results demonstrated that most students did not report study strategies that correlated with their VARK assessment, and that student performance in anatomy was not correlated with their score in any VARK categories. Rather, some specific study strategies (irrespective of VARK results), such as use of the virtual microscope, were found to be positively correlated with final class grade. However, the alignment of these study strategies with VARK results had no correlation with anatomy course outcomes. Thus, this research provides further evidence that the conventional wisdom about learning styles should be rejected by educators and students alike. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

  12. Current Practices in Global/International Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences: Preceptor and Student Considerations.

    PubMed

    Dornblaser, Emily K; Ratka, Anna; Gleason, Shaun E; Ombengi, David N; Tofade, Toyin; Wigle, Patricia R; Zapantis, Antonia; Ryan, Melody; Connor, Sharon; Jonkman, Lauren J; Ochs, Leslie; Jungnickel, Paul W; Abrons, Jeanine P; Alsharif, Naser Z

    2016-04-25

    The objective of this article is to describe the key areas of consideration for global/international advanced pharmacy practice experience (G/I APPE) preceptors, students and learning objectives. At the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the GPE SIG prepared and presented an initial report on the G/IAPPE initiatives. Round table discussions were conducted at the 2014 AACP Annual Meeting to document GPE SIG member input on key areas in the report. Literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar and EMBASE with keywords was conducted to expand this report. In this paper, considerations related to preceptors and students and learning outcomes are described. Preceptors for G/I APPEs may vary based on the learning outcomes of the experience. Student learning outcomes for G/I APPEs may vary based on the type of experiential site. Recommendations and future directions for development of G/IAPPEs are presented. Development of a successful G/I APPE requires significant planning and consideration of appropriate qualifications for preceptors and students.

  13. Undergraduate Research as Engaged Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolf, Lorraine W.

    2018-01-01

    This chapter discusses the impact of undergraduate research as a form of engaged student learning. It summarizes the gains reported in post-fellowship assessment essays acquired from students participating in the Auburn University Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. The chapter also discusses the program's efforts to increase opportunities…

  14. What Australian Primary School Students Value in Mathematics Learning: A WIFI Preliminary Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seah, Wee Tiong; Barkatsas, Tasos

    2014-01-01

    Grades 5/6 students in Melbourne reported the valuing of "achievement," "open-endedness," "relevance," "humanism," "ICT," and "openness" most in mathematics learning. Although prior research suggested that students in East Asia valued "achievement" most as well, there was an…

  15. Beyond the Anchor: Students and Broadcasting Opportunities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marks, Rick

    1999-01-01

    Describes how the author taught a class (called "Editing for Broadcasting") for 19 neophyte newspeople through total immersion: students learned how to run a newsroom while operating one. Notes that students learned the principles and fundamentals of broadcast journalism, including news judgment, writing, editing, reporting, and…

  16. Friendship Predictors of Global Self-Worth and Domain-Specific Self-Concepts in University Students with and without Learning Disability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shany, Michal; Wiener, Judith; Assido, Michal

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the association among friendship, global self-worth, and domain-specific self-concepts in 102 university students with and without learning disabilities (LD). Students with LD reported lower global self-worth and academic self-concept than students without LD, and this difference was greater for women. Students with LD also…

  17. The impact of problem-based learning on students' perceptions of preparedness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

    PubMed

    Hogan, Shirley; Lundquist, Lisa M

    2006-08-15

    To evaluate graduating pharmacy students' perceptions of their preparedness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences and the effectiveness of problem-based learning in their preparation. A survey instrument was administered anonymously in May 2004 and May 2005 to graduating pharmacy students of the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. Students reported that the areas in which problem-based learning prepared them most effectively for advanced pharmacy practice experiences were retrieval of medical information (80%), discussion of disease states and drug therapies at the basic science level (56%), and evaluation of the appropriateness of a medication regimen based on patient specific information (50%). Areas in which students reported being inadequately prepared included identifying and utilizing drug assistance programs (42%) and processing prescriptions/hospital orders (40%). Data from 2 consecutive graduating classes supports that problem-based learning is an effective format for preparing pharmacy students for advanced pharmacy practice experiences in a variety of areas.

  18. Opportunity to Learn: The Role of Prompting Cognitive Shifts in Understanding and Addressing Educational Inequities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allwarden, Ann F.

    2014-01-01

    This dissertation examines how district- and school-level leaders' understanding of achievement gaps influences the work of leadership in addressing educational inequities and broadening students' opportunity to learn. While the reporting of disaggregated data by student subgroup confirms that achievement gaps exist, reports from high-stakes…

  19. An Investigation of the Compensatory Effectiveness of Assistive Technology on Postsecondary Students with Learning Disabilities. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Harry; Higgins, Eleanor

    This final report describes the activities and accomplishments of a 3-year study on the compensatory effectiveness of three assistive technologies, optical character recognition, speech synthesis, and speech recognition, on postsecondary students (N=140) with learning disabilities. These technologies were investigated relative to: (1) immediate…

  20. CBSS Outreach Project: Computer-Based Study Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson-Inman, Lynne; Ditson, Mary

    This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the four-year Computer-Based Study Strategies (CBSS) Outreach Project at the University of Oregon. This project disseminated information about using computer-based study strategies as an intervention for students with learning disabilities and provided teachers in participating outreach…

  1. Student Self-Reported Learning Outcomes of Field Trips: The Pedagogical Impact

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alon, Nirit Lavie; Tal, Tali

    2015-01-01

    In this study, we used the classification and regression trees (CART) method to draw relationships between student self-reported learning outcomes in 26 field trips to natural environments and various characteristics of the field trip that include variables associated with preparation and pedagogy. We wished to examine the extent to which the…

  2. Building a Foundation: How Technology-Rich Project-Based Learning Transformed Talladega County Schools. Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Rachel; Hall, Sara White; Thigpen, Kamila; Murray, Tom; Loschert, Kristen

    2015-01-01

    This report demonstrates how one predominantly low-income school district dramatically improved student engagement in the classroom and increased high school graduation rates through project-based learning (PBL) and the effective use of technology. The report, which includes short video segments with educators and students, focuses on Talladega…

  3. Learning from Student Retrospective Reports: Implications for the College Developmental Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perin, Dolores; Grant, Geremy; Raufman, Julia; Kalamkarian, Hoori Santikian

    2017-01-01

    Retrospective reports gathered from developmental education students as part of a learning assessment revealed the use of several strategies for writing a summary based on a text. Participants were selected for the study based on the richness and variety of their verbal descriptions of task performance in structured, individualized interviews.…

  4. Can blended learning and the flipped classroom improve student learning and satisfaction in Saudi Arabia?

    PubMed

    Sajid, Muhammad R; Laheji, Abrar F; Abothenain, Fayha; Salam, Yezan; AlJayar, Dina; Obeidat, Akef

    2016-09-04

    To evaluate student academic performance and perception towards blended learning and flipped classrooms in comparison to traditional teaching. This study was conducted during the hematology block on year three students. Five lectures were delivered online only. Asynchronous discussion boards were created where students could interact with colleagues and instructors. A flipped classroom was introduced with application exercises. Summative assessment results were compared with previous year results as a historical control for statistical significance. Student feedback regarding their blended learning experience was collected. A total of 127 responses were obtained. Approximately 22.8% students felt all lectures should be delivered through didactic lecturing, while almost 35% felt that 20% of total lectures should be given online. Students expressed satisfaction with blended learning as a new and effective learning approach. The majority of students reported blended learning was helpful for exam preparation and concept clarification. However, a comparison of grades did not show a statistically significant increase in the academic performance of students taught via the blended learning method. Learning experiences can be enriched by adopting a blended method of instruction at various stages of undergraduate and postgraduate education. Our results suggest that blended learning, a relatively new concept in Saudi Arabia, shows promising results with higher student satisfaction. Flipped classrooms replace passive lecturing with active student-centered learning that enhances critical thinking and application, including information retention.

  5. Effective use of e-grading in the dental simulation clinic.

    PubMed

    Morrow, Jay A; Pulido, M Teresa; Smith, P Bradford; McDaniel, Thomas F; Willcox, Austin B

    2014-06-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a grading software system, accessible from any platform, that engages today's generation of students and replaces paper grading. Set up at one U.S. dental school in an all-access, anytime (24/7) web-based program accessed through tablets, the software allows for a comparison between students' self-grading and instructor grading. This comparison facilitates student-faculty interaction, promoting discussion and student learning. The software can also be used for practical examination grading in which blinded grading between instructors is possible. The data gathered can produce descriptive reports students can draw upon to encourage self-learning and guided learning, propelling students to a better understanding of critical principles as they progress through multiple psychomotor skill sets. Other reports generated by the software allow for instructor calibration, exporting of grades directly into the university grading report system, and visual analysis of trends within each class. In a post-course survey, students (56 percent response rate) and faculty (79 percent response rate) agreed that the electronic grading was more efficient and allowed more time for faculty-student interaction than the previous grading system, thus creating an environment more conducive to learning. Overall, the software has improved students' perception of enhanced kinetic skills, while facilitating administration of preclinical projects and practical examinations.

  6. Anatomy learning styles and strategies among Jordanian and Malaysian medical students: the impact of culture on learning anatomy.

    PubMed

    Mustafa, Ayman G; Allouh, Mohammed Z; Mustafa, Intisar G; Hoja, Ibrahim M

    2013-07-01

    The study aims to investigate anatomy learning styles and strategies of Jordanian and Malaysian medical students at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. The study is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Students' responses for the questionnaire were numerically coded, and the results were analyzed to reveal statistically significant differences between Jordanian and Malaysian students. The results showed that Jordanian medical students were less interested in using cadavers in learning anatomy than Malaysian medical students. However, similar to their Malaysian counterparts, they prefer to employ other tools to learn anatomy like plastinated models and Internet-based resources. In addition to the aforementioned tools, Malaysian students were more interested in using cross-sectional images and making their own revision cards. Both Jordanian and Malaysian medical students were more interested in learning anatomy through clinical cases, and by system rather than by region. Moreover, it was revealed that Jordanian medical students learn anatomy more efficiently when they formulate a general view of a particular topic. Both Jordanian and Malaysian medical students also relied on reciting definitions and memorizing facts to learn anatomy. The study also reported significant differences between Jordanian and Malaysian students' perspectives on learning anatomy. The findings of the study suggest that Jordanian and Malaysian medical students posses different cultures of learning. Jordanian anatomy instructors need to consider these different learning cultures when they prepare their instructional methods and teaching materials to fulfill the educational needs of their culturally diverse students.

  7. Developing Understanding of Image Formation by Lenses through Collaborative Learning Mediated by Multimedia Computer-Assisted Learning Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tao, Ping-Kee

    2004-01-01

    This article reports the use of a computer-based collaborative learning instruction designed to help students develop understanding of image formation by lenses. The study aims to investigate how students, working in dyads and mediated by multimedia computer-assisted learning (CAL) programs, construct shared knowledge and understanding. The…

  8. Personalised Learning with Mobile Technologies in Mathematics: An Exploration of Classroom Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willacy, Helen; West, Amie; Murphy, Carol; Calder, Nigel

    2017-01-01

    Personalised learning is generally understood to be of benefit to students' learning. In addition, the flexible nature of mobile technologies (MTs) and the variety of available apps are seen to respond to the needs of individual students, and hence have the potential to support personalised learning. This paper reports on an aspect of a larger…

  9. Learning from Leadership: Investigating the Links to Improved Student Learning. The Informed Educator Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wahlstrom, Kyla L.; Louis, Karen Seashore; Leithwood, Kenneth; Anderson, Stephen E.

    2010-01-01

    In a recent 334-page report, "Investigating the Links to Improved Student Learning," authors Kyla Walstrom, Karen Seashore Louis, Kenneth Leithwood, and Stephen Anderson discuss findings from the Learning from Leadership study. This study was designed to identify and describe successful educational leadership and to explain how such leadership at…

  10. How Our Majors Believe They Learn: Student Learning Strategies in an Undergraduate Theory Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pelton, Julie A.

    2014-01-01

    In this study, I set out to gain a better understanding of the learning strategies typically used by sociology majors, whether and to what extent they engage in metacognitive strategies, and whether teaching about learning results in students reporting greater use of self-regulatory behaviors. I discuss the importance of self-regulated learning…

  11. The Digital Learning Imperative: How Technology and Teaching Meet Today's Education Challenges. Digital Learning Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartzbeck, Terri Duggan; Wolf, Mary Ann

    2012-01-01

    This report outlines how digital learning can connect middle and high school students with better teaching and learning experiences while also addressing three major challenges facing the nation's education system--access to good teaching, tight budgets, and boosting student achievement. But simply slapping a netbook on top of a textbook will not…

  12. Active Learning: The Importance of Developing a Comprehensive Measure

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carr, Rodney; Palmer, Stuart; Hagel, Pauline

    2015-01-01

    This article reports on an investigation into the validity of a widely used scale for measuring the extent to which higher education students employ active learning strategies. The scale is the active learning scale in the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement. This scale is based on the Active and Collaborative Learning scale of the National…

  13. Comparing University Students and Community College Students Learning Styles and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Preferences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herbster, Douglas L.; And Others

    This document reports on a study to determine if there is a pattern between specific learning styles and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator preferences. The learning style inventory used for the study, "The Teaching and Learning Styles Survey for Adolescents (TLC)," is based on Jungian style preferences--thinker, feeler, sensor, and…

  14. Finnish Upper Secondary Students' Collaborative Processes in Learning Statistics in a CSCL Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oikarinen, Juho Kaleva; Järvelä, Sanna; Kaasila, Raimo

    2014-01-01

    This design-based research project focuses on documenting statistical learning among 16-17-year-old Finnish upper secondary school students (N = 78) in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. One novel value of this study is in reporting the shift from teacher-led mathematical teaching to autonomous small-group learning in…

  15. Medical Students’ Perceptions of Peer Assessment in a Problem-based Learning Curriculum

    PubMed Central

    Tayem, Yasin I.; James, Henry; Al-Khaja, Khalid A. J.; Razzak, Rima L. A.; Potu, Bhagath K.; Sequeira, Reginald P.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: Peer assessment (PA) is believed to support learning and help students develop both professionally and personally. The aim of this study was to examine medical students’ perceptions of intragroup PA in a problem-based learning (PBL) setting. Methods: This study was carried out between September and November 2014 and involved six random groups of fourth-year undergraduate medical students (n = 60) enrolled at the Arabian Gulf University in Manama, Bahrain. While working on set tasks within a curriculum unit, each student evaluated a randomly selected peer using an English language adapted assessment tool to measure responsibility and respect, information processing, critical analysis, interaction and collaborative skills. At the end of the unit, students’ perceptions of PA were identified using a specifically-designed voluntary and anonymous self-administered questionnaire in English. Results: A total of 55 students participated in the study (response rate: 92%). The majority of students reported that their learning (60%), attendance (67%), respect towards group members (70%) and participation in group discussions (71%) improved as a result of PA. Regarding problem analysis skills, most participants believed that PA improved their ability to analyse problems (65%), identify learning needs (64%), fulfil tasks related to the analysis of learning needs (72%) and share knowledge within their group (74%). Lastly, a large proportion of students reported that this form of assessment helped them develop their communication (71%) and self-assessment skills (73%), as well as collaborative abilities (75%). Conclusion: PA was well accepted by the students in this cohort and led to self-reported improvements in learning, skills, attitudes, engagement and other indicators of personal and professional development. PA was also perceived to have a positive impact on intragroup attitudes. PMID:26355668

  16. Automated Formative Feedback and Summative Assessment Using Individualised Spreadsheet Assignments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blayney, Paul; Freeman, Mark

    2004-01-01

    This paper reports on the effects of automating formative feedback at the student's discretion and automating summative assessment with individualised spreadsheet assignments. Quality learning outcomes are achieved when students adopt deep approaches to learning (Ramsden, 2003). Learning environments designed to align assessment to learning…

  17. Questionable Benefit of Visual and Peer Mediated Learning on Overall Learning Outcomes of a First-Year Physiology Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ernst, Hardy; McGahan, William T.; Harrison, John

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports on attempts to incorporate creative visual literacy, by way of student owned technology, and sharing of student-generated multimedia amongst peers to enhance learning in a first year human physiology course. In 2013, students were set the task of producing an animated video, which outlined the pathogenesis of a chosen disease.…

  18. Research-Based Learning for Undergraduate Students in Soil and Water Sciences: A Case Study of Hydropedology in an Arid-Zone Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Maktoumi, Ali; Al-Ismaily, Said; Kacimov, Anvar

    2016-01-01

    This article reports the efficacy of a research-based learning (RBL) exercise on hydropedology of arid zones, with guided and open research projects (OPR) carried out by teams of undergraduate students in Oman. A range of activities and assessments was used to support student learning during the three-month course. Assessment included monitoring…

  19. Assessment outcome is weakly correlated with lecture attendance: influence of learning style and use of alternative materials.

    PubMed

    Horton, Dane M; Wiederman, Steven D; Saint, David A

    2012-06-01

    The relation between lecture attendance and learning is surprisingly weak, and the role of learning styles in this is poorly understood. We hypothesized that 1) academic performance is related to lecture attendance and 2) learning style influences lecture attendance and, consequently, affects performance. We also speculated that the availability of alternative resources would affect this relationship. Second-year Bachelor of Science physiology students (n = 120) self-reported their lecture attendance in a block of 21 lectures (attendance not compulsory) and use of alternative resources. Overall self-reported lecture attendance was 73 ± 2%. Female students (n = 71) attended more lectures (16.4 ± 0.6) than male students (14.3 ± 0.08, n = 49) and achieved a higher composite mark in all assessments (73.6% vs. 69.3%, P < 0.02). Marks in the final exam were not statistically different between the sexes and correlated only weakly with lecture attendance (r = 0.29, n = 49, P < 0.04 for male students; r = 0.10, n = 71, P = not significant for female students; and r =0.21, n = 120, P < 0.02 for the whole class). Of the students who passed the exam, poor attenders (<11 lectures) reported significantly more use of lecture recordings (37 ± 8%, n = 15, vs. 10 ± 1%, n = 85, P < 0.001). In a VARK learning style assessment (where V is visual, A is auditory, R is reading/writing, and K is kinesthetic), students were multimodal, although female students had a slightly higher average percentage of the R learning style (preferred read/write) compared with male students (28.9 ± 0.9%, n = 63, vs. 25.3 ± 1.3%, n = 32, P < 0.03). Lecture attendance was not correlated with measured learning style. We concluded that lecture attendance is only weakly correlated with academic performance and is not related to learning style. The substitution of alternative materials for lecture attendance appears to have a greater role than learning style in determining academic outcomes.

  20. Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions Comparing Team-based Learning and Traditional Lecture in a Pharmacotherapeutics Course

    PubMed Central

    Bleske, Barry E.; Bartholomew, Tracy; Dorsch, Michael P.; Guthrie, Sally K.; Klein, Kristin C.; Tingen, Jeffrey M.; Wells, Trisha D.

    2017-01-01

    Objective. To qualitatively compare students’ attitudes and perceptions regarding team-based learning (TBL) and lecture. Design. Students were exposed to TBL and lecture in an elective pharmacotherapeutics course in a randomized, prospective, cross-over design. After completing the course, students provided their attitudes and perceptions through a written self-reflection and narrative questions on the end-of-course evaluation. Student responses were reviewed using a grounded theory coding method. Assessment. Students’ responses yielded five major themes: impact of TBL on learning, perceptions about TBL learning methods, changes in approaches to learning, building skills for professional practice, and enduring challenges. Overall, students report TBL enhances their learning of course content (knowledge and application), teamwork skills, and lifelong learning skills. Conclusion. Students’ attitudes and perceptions support TBL as a viable pedagogy for teaching pharmacotherapeutics. PMID:28496275

  1. A Knowledge Acquisition Approach to Developing Mindtools for Organizing and Sharing Differentiating Knowledge in a Ubiquitous Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chu, Hui-Chun; Lin, Yu-Shih; Tsai, Chin-Chung

    2011-01-01

    Previous studies have reported the importance and benefits of situating students in a real-world learning environment with access to digital-world resources. At the same time, researchers have indicated the need to develop learning guidance mechanisms or tools for assisting students to learn in such a complex learning scenario. In this study, a…

  2. Team-Based Learning in Pharmacy Education

    PubMed Central

    Ofstad, William

    2013-01-01

    Instructors wanting to engage students in the classroom seek methods to augment the delivery of factual information and help students move from being passive recipients to active participants in their own learning. One such method that has gained interest is team-based learning. This method encourages students to be prepared before class and has students work in teams while in the classroom. Key benefits to this pedagogy are student engagement, improved communication skills, and enhanced critical-thinking abilities. In most cases, student satisfaction and academic performance are also noted. This paper reviews the fundamentals of team-based learning in pharmacy education and its implementation in the classroom. Literature reports from medical, nursing, and pharmacy programs are also discussed. PMID:23716738

  3. Facilitating Long-Term Changes in Student Approaches to Learning Science

    PubMed Central

    Buchwitz, Brian J.; Beyer, Catharine H.; Peterson, Jon E.; Pitre, Emile; Lalic, Nevena; Sampson, Paul D.; Wakimoto, Barbara T.

    2012-01-01

    Undergraduates entering science curricula differ greatly in individual starting points and learning needs. The fast pace, high enrollment, and high stakes of introductory science courses, however, limit students’ opportunities to self-assess and modify learning strategies. The University of Washington's Biology Fellows Program (BFP) intervenes through a 20-session, premajors course that introduces students to the rigor expected of bioscience majors and assists their development as science learners. This study uses quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess whether the 2007–2009 BFP achieved its desired short- and long-term impacts on student learning. Adjusting for differences in students’ high school grade point average and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, we found that participation in the BFP was associated with higher grades in two subsequent gateway biology courses, across multiple quarters and instructors. Two to 4 yr after participating in the program, students attributed changes in how they approached learning science to BFP participation. They reported having learned to “think like a scientist” and to value active-learning strategies and learning communities. In addition, they reported having developed a sense of belonging in bioscience communities. The achievement of long-term impacts for a short-term instructional investment suggests a practical means to prepare diverse students for the rigors of science curricula. PMID:22949424

  4. Personality, Cognitive Style and Students' Learning Strategies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Entwistle, Noel; Hanley, Maureen

    1977-01-01

    Research into learning strategies students adopt in tackling academic work is reviewed. A report is presented of a research program underway at the Institute for Post-Compulsory Education at the University of Lancaster which is examining characteristics of students who adopt deep-level or surface processing strategies. (JMD)

  5. A Latent Profile Analysis of University Students' Self-Regulated Learning Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ning, Hoi Kwan; Downing, Kevin

    2015-01-01

    Based on self-reported cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioural strategy measures obtained from 828 final-year students from a university in Hong Kong, latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four distinct types of students with differential self-regulated learning strategy orientations: "competent self-regulated learners",…

  6. Students' Approaches to Summarisation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirby, John R.; Pedwell, Denise

    1991-01-01

    Considers the role that students' approaches to learning play in summarizing text and learning from summarization. Discusses studies of two forms of summarization, one with the text available and one with the text removed after reading but before summarization. Reports that text-absent summarization facilitates deeper processing for students who…

  7. Mexican High School Students' Social Representations of Mathematics, Its Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martínez-Sierra, Gustavo; Miranda-Tirado, Marisa

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports a qualitative research that identifies Mexican high school students' social representations of mathematics. For this purpose, the social representations of "mathematics", "learning mathematics" and "teaching mathematics" were identified in a group of 50 students. Focus group interviews were carried…

  8. Undergraduate Learning through Engaged Scholarship and University-Community Partnerships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tarantino, Kristen L.

    2017-01-01

    The impact of university-community partnerships and involvement in engaged scholarship on student learning was examined through in-depth interviews with undergraduate members of a student-led, community-based research organization at a selective mid-Atlantic university. Students reported benefits of participation that included increasing critical…

  9. How do early emotional experiences in the operating theatre influence medical student learning in this environment?

    PubMed

    Bowrey, David J; Kidd, Jane M

    2014-01-01

    The emotions experienced by medical students on first exposure to the operating theatre are unknown. It is also unclear what influence these emotions have on the learning process. To understand the emotions experienced by students when in the operating theatre for the first time and the impact of these emotions on learning. Nine 3rd-year medical students participated in semistructured interviews to explore these themes. A qualitative approach was used; interviews were transcribed and coded thematically. All participants reported initial negative emotions (apprehension, anxiety, fear, shame, overwhelmed), with excitement being reported by 3. Six participants considered that their anxiety was so overwhelming that it was detrimental to their learning. Participants described a period of familiarization to the environment, after which learning was facilitated. Early learning experiences centered around adjustment to the physical environment of the operating theatre. Factors driving initial negative feelings were loss of familiarity, organizational issues, concerns about violating protocol, and a fear of syncope. Participants considered that it took a median of 1 week (range = 1 day-3 weeks) or 5 visits to the operating theatre (range = 1-10) before feeling comfortable in the new setting. Emotions experienced on subsequent visits to the operating theatre were predominantly positive (enjoyment, happiness, confident, involved, pride). Two participants reported negative feelings related to social exclusion. Being included in the team was a powerful determinant of enjoyment. These findings indicate that for learning in the operating theatre to be effective, addressing the negative emotions of the students might be beneficial. This could be achieved by a formal orientation program for both learners and tutors in advance of attendance in the operating theatre. For learning to be optimized, students must feel a sense of inclusion in the theatre community of practice.

  10. How Should I Study for the Exam? Self-Regulated Learning Strategies and Achievement in Introductory Biology

    PubMed Central

    Sebesta, Amanda J.; Bray Speth, Elena

    2017-01-01

    In college introductory science courses, students are challenged with mastering large amounts of disciplinary content while developing as autonomous and effective learners. Self-regulated learning (SRL) is the process of setting learning goals, monitoring progress toward them, and applying appropriate study strategies. SRL characterizes successful, “expert” learners, and develops with time and practice. In a large, undergraduate introductory biology course, we investigated: 1) what SRL strategies students reported using the most when studying for exams, 2) which strategies were associated with higher achievement and with grade improvement on exams, and 3) what study approaches students proposed to use for future exams. Higher-achieving students, and students whose exam grades improved in the first half of the semester, reported using specific cognitive and metacognitive strategies significantly more frequently than their lower-achieving peers. Lower-achieving students more frequently reported that they did not implement their planned strategies or, if they did, still did not improve their outcomes. These results suggest that many students entering introductory biology have limited knowledge of SRL strategies and/or limited ability to implement them, which can impact their achievement. Course-specific interventions that promote SRL development should be considered as integral pedagogical tools, aimed at fostering development of students’ lifelong learning skills. PMID:28495934

  11. The iPad: tablet technology to support nursing and midwifery student learning: an evaluation in practice.

    PubMed

    Brown, Janie; McCrorie, Pamela

    2015-03-01

    This research explored the impact of tablet technology, in the form of Apple iPads, on undergraduate nursing and midwifery students' learning outcomes. In simulated clinical learning environments, first-year nursing students (n = 30) accessed apps and reference materials on iPads. Third-year nursing students (n = 88) referred to clinical guidelines to aid their decision making when problem solving. First-year midwifery students (n = 25) filmed themselves undertaking a skill and then immediately played back the video file. A total of 45 students completed an online questionnaire that allowed for qualitative comments. Students reported finding the use of iPads easy and that iPads provided point-of-care access to resources, ensuring an evidence-based approach to clinical decision making. iPads reportedly improved student efficiency and time management, while improving their ability to provide patient education. Students who used iPads for the purpose of formative self-assessment appreciated the immediate feedback and opportunity to develop clinical skills.

  12. The Impact of Problem-Based Learning Approach to Senior High School Students' Mathematics Critical Thinking Ability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Widyatiningtyas, Reviandari; Kusumah, Yaya S.; Sumarmo, Utari; Sabandar, Jozua

    2015-01-01

    The study reported the findings of an only post-test control group research design and aims to analyze the influence of problem-based learning approach, school level, and students' prior mathematical ability to student's mathematics critical thinking ability. The research subjects were 140 grade ten senior high school students coming from…

  13. Understanding Student Engagement in Online Learning Environments: The Role of Reflexivity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahn, Peter; Everington, Lucy; Kelm, Kathleen; Reid, Iain; Watkins, Francine

    2017-01-01

    It is important to develop understanding of what underpins the engagement of students in online learning environments. This article reports on a multiple case study that explored student engagement in a set of postgraduate degrees offered on a fully online basis. The study was based on a theorization of student engagement as the exercise of…

  14. Learning Approaches and Lecture Attendance of Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bates, Madeleine; Curtis, Sally; Dismore, Harriet

    2018-01-01

    There are arguably many factors that affect the way a student learns. A recent report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) on student academic experience in the UK states that class size is an important factor in the quality of the student experience and that smaller class sizes provide greater…

  15. An Observational Study of Peer Learning for High School Students at a Cybersecurity Camp

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pittman, Jason M.; Pike, Ronald E.

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports on the design and implementation of a cybersecurity camp offered as a cybersecurity learning experience to a group of female and male high school students. Students ranged in grade level from freshmen to senior. Student demographics, including any existing pre-requisite knowledge, were unknown to camp designers prior to the…

  16. Classroom Learning Environment and Motivation towards Mathematics among Secondary School Students in Uganda

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Opolot-Okurut, Charles

    2010-01-01

    This article reports a study of secondary students' perceptions of mathematics classroom learning environment and their associations with their motivation towards mathematics. A sample of 81 students (19 male and 62 female) in two schools were used. Student perceptions of the classroom environment were assessed using a modified What Is Happening…

  17. Engaging Students as Co-Lecturers in Information Systems and Technology Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zheng, Jack G.; Li, Zhigang

    2016-01-01

    Engaging students in the learning process is critical to their learning experience. One common practice is to have students do the work and report it back in classroom as presentations. However, many of these presentations are solely presented by students and are crowded into specific presentation class sessions. This is suboptimal in achieving a…

  18. The Effects of Jigsaw Learning on Students' Attitudes in a Vietnamese Higher Education Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tran, Van Dat; Lewis, Ramon

    2012-01-01

    As a part of an experimental study on the effects of jigsaw learning on Vietnamese tertiary students' achievement and knowledge retention, students' attitudes towards six weeks of this kind of instruction were assessed. As noted in our previous report, students in the experimental group (N = 40), who perceived their instruction as more cooperative…

  19. Perceived Status and Value: The Student-Customer Relationship Inflected by the Inherent Challenges of University-Industry Collaboration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heikkinen, Juho; Isomöttönen, Ville

    2017-01-01

    This article examines how students in a multidisciplinary project-based learning course involving real customers perceive their interactions with their customers. The authors conducted a qualitative study and analysed students' learning reports by means of a thematic network analysis. The analysis shows how students perceive their status in…

  20. College Students' Cell Phone Use, Beliefs, and Effects on Their Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elder, Anastasia D.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore college students' self-reported cell phone use and beliefs and investigate the effect on student learning. Eighty-eight college students responded to a questionnaire about their use of cell phones during classes, studying, and driving and about their beliefs about how cell phones impact their schoolwork. In…

  1. Learning Alternatives and Strategies for Students Who Are Struggling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnston, Don C.

    2008-01-01

    Much of what happens in the learning process focuses on teaching to the average student, but the bell curve has deflated with fewer students in the middle, making the educational dilemma more about "how to connect" with students regardless of diverse abilities and various backgrounds. According to the "Twenty-Fourth Annual Report to Congress" by…

  2. Deeper Look at Student Learning of Quantum Mechanics: The Case of Tunneling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKagan, S. B.; Perkins, K. K.; Wieman, C. E.

    2008-01-01

    We report on a large-scale study of student learning of quantum tunneling in four traditional and four transformed modern physics courses. In the transformed courses, which were designed to address student difficulties found in previous research, students still struggle with many of the same issues found in other courses. However, the reasons for…

  3. The Learning Outcomes of Mentoring Library Science Students in Virtual World Reference: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Purpur, Geraldine; Morris, Jon Levi

    2015-01-01

    This article reports on the cognitive and affective development of students being mentored in virtual reference interview skills by professional librarians. The authors present a case study which examines the impact on student learning resulting from librarian mentor participation and collaboration with students on a course assignment. This study…

  4. The educational effects of mobile learning on students of medical sciences: A systematic review in experimental studies.

    PubMed

    Koohestani, Hamid Reza; Soltani Arabshahi, Seyed Kamran; Fata, Ladan; Ahmadi, Fazlollah

    2018-04-01

    The demand for mobile learning in the medical science educational program is increasing. The present review study gathers evidence highlighted by the experimental studies on the educational effects of mobile learning for medical science students. The study was carried out as a systematic literature search published from 2007 to July 2017 in the databases PubMed/Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Knowledge (Thomson Reuters) , Educational Resources and Information Center (ERIC), EMBASE (Elsevier), Cochrane library, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. To examine quality of the articles, a tool validated by the BEME Review was employed. Totally, 21 papers entered the study. Three main themes emerged from the content of papers: (1) improvement in student clinical competency and confidence, (2) acquisition and enhancing of students' theoretical knowledge, and (3) students' positive attitudes to and perception of mobile learning. Level 2B of Kirkpatrick hierarchy had been examined by all the papers and seven of them had reported two or more outcome levels, but level 4 was not reported in the papers. Our review showed that the students of medical sciences had positive response and attitudes to mobile learning. Moreover, implementation of mobile learning in medical sciences program might lead to valuable educational benefits and improve clinical competence and confidence along with theoretical knowledge, attitudes, and perception of mobile learning. The results indicated that mobile learning strategy in medical education can positively affect learning in all three domains of Bloom's Taxonomy.

  5. The effects of formative assessment on student self-regulation, motivational beliefs, and achievement in elementary science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, Melissa Digennaro

    Goals 2000 set forth a bold vision for U.S. students: they would be "first in the world in science and mathematics" by the year 2000. Performance indicators such as the TIMSS-R (1999) and NAEP (2000) reports suggest that U.S. students have not yet reached that goal. This study intended to learn how specific assessment strategies might contribute to improved student performance in science. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of formative assessment with reflection on students' motivational beliefs, self-regulatory skills, and achievement in elementary science. The study aimed to find out whether and how classroom applications of formative assessment during science instruction might influence fifth-grade students' attitudes and self-perceptions about science learning, self-regulatory learning behaviors, and achievement. To explore the effects of the assessment intervention, the study utilized a mixed methods approach involving quantitative and qualitative investigations of treatment and control groups during a four-week intervention period. Quantitative measures included student self-report surveys administered pre- and post-treatment and an end-of-unit science test. Qualitative measures included classroom observations, student interviews (post-treatment), and a teacher interview (post-treatment). Findings indicated that the fifth-grade students in this study had positive attitudes toward science and high levels of self-efficacy for science. Results suggested that these elementary students employed a wide variety of cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support science learning. Findings revealed that these fifth graders believed formative assessment with reflection was beneficial for science learning outcomes. Research results did not show that the formative assessment intervention contributed to significant differences between treatment and control groups. However, the data revealed different levels of academic achievement and self-regulation for students in specific instructional services subgroups (i.e., gifted, regular education, special education, and ESL). For example, high achieving students reported higher levels of self-regulatory learning behavior than other fifth grade students. Findings suggested that elementary science instruction that includes classroom applications of formative assessment with reflection may provide support for science learning and the development of self-regulatory learning behavior. However, widespread implementation of this practice in elementary science classrooms represents significant challenges for today's educators, due to time limitations and increasing accountability pressures in our nation's schools.

  6. 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.

  7. The flipped exam: creating an environment in which students discover for themselves the concepts and principles we want them to learn.

    PubMed

    Lujan, Heidi L; DiCarlo, Stephen E

    2014-12-01

    Students are naturally curious and inquisitive with powerful intrinsic motives to probe, learn, and understand their world. Accordingly, class activities must capitalize on this inherently energetic and curious nature so that learning becomes a lifelong activity where students take initiative for learning, are skilled in learning, and want to learn new things. This report describes a student-centered class activity, the "flipped exam," designed to achieve this goal. The flipped exam was a collaborative, group effort, and learning was interactive. It included a significant proportion (∼30-35%) of material not covered in class. This required students to actively search for content and context, dynamically making connections between what they knew and what they learned, grappling with complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity, and finally discovering answers to important questions. Accordingly, the need or desire to know was the catalyst for meaningful learning. Student assessment was determined by behavioral noncognitive parameters that were based on the observation of the student and the student's work as well as cognitive parameters (i.e., the student's score on the examination). It is our view that the flipped exam provided a student-centered activity in which students discovered, because of the need to know and opportunities for discussion, the important concepts and principles we wanted them to learn. Copyright © 2014 The American Physiological Society.

  8. Interactive Learning through Web-Mediated Peer Review of Student Science Reports

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trautmann, Nancy M.

    2009-01-01

    Two studies analyzed impacts of writing and receiving web-mediated peer reviews on revision of research reports by undergraduate science students. After conducting toxicology experiments, 77 students posted draft reports and exchanged double-blind reviews. The first study randomly assigned students to four groups representing full, partial, or no…

  9. Fantastic Learning Moments and Where to Find Them

    PubMed Central

    Sheng, Alexander Y.; Sullivan, Ryan; Kleber, Kara; Mitchell, Patricia M.; Liu, James H.; McGreevy, Jolion; McCabe, Kerry; Atema, Annemieke; Schneider, Jeffrey I.

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Experiential learning is crucial for the development of all learners. Literature exploring how and where experiential learning happens in the modern clinical learning environment is sparse. We created a novel, web-based educational tool called “Learning Moment” (LM) to foster experiential learning among our learners. We used data captured by LM as a research database to determine where learning experiences were occuring within our emergency department (ED). We hypothesized that these moments would occur more frequently at the physician workstations as opposed to the bedside. Methods We implemented LM at a single ED’s medical student clerkship. The platform captured demographic data including the student’s intended specialty and year of training as well as “learning moments,” defined as logs of learner self-selected learning experiences that included the clinical “pearl,” clinical scenario, and location where the “learning moment” occurred. We presented data using descriptive statistics with frequencies and percentages. Locations of learning experiences were stratified by specialty and training level. Results A total of 323 “learning moments” were logged by 42 registered medical students (29 fourth-year medical students (MS 4) and 13 MS 3 over a six-month period. Over half (52.4%) intended to enter the field of emergency medicine (EM). Of these “learning moments,” 266 included optional location data. The most frequently reported location was patient rooms (135 “learning moments”, 50.8%). Physician workstations hosted the second most frequent “learning moments” (67, 25.2%). EM-bound students reported 43.7% of “learning moments” happening in patient rooms, followed by workstations (32.8%). On the other hand, non EM-bound students reported that 66.3% of “learning moments” occurred in patient rooms and only 8.4% at workstations (p<0.001). Conclusion LM was implemented within our ED as an innovative, web-based tool to fulfill and optimize the experiential learning cycle for our learners. In our environment, patient rooms represented the most frequent location of “learning moments,” followed by physician workstations. EM-bound students were considerably more likely to document “learning moments” occurring at the workstation and less likely in patient rooms than their non EM-bound colleagues. PMID:29383057

  10. Empowering Students with Special Needs through Service-Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karayan, Silva; Gathercoal, Paul

    This paper reports on a qualitative and quantitative study in which the service learning projects of college students in special education teacher training were analyzed using elements of quality service learning as criteria. The study used the "portraiture" method of analysis, which attempts to combine empirical and aesthetic description and…

  11. Afterschool Programs: Inspiring Students with a Connected Learning Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Afterschool Alliance, 2015

    2015-01-01

    Afterschool programs have been among the pioneers in applying a connected learning approach-creating a learning environment for students that builds on their interests; introduces them to new passions; provides mentors and a supportive peer network; and links this engagement to academics, careers and civic participation. This report, discusses the…

  12. Traditional versus Contemporary Goals and Methods in Accounting Education: Bridging the Gap with Cooperative Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindquist, Tim M.

    1995-01-01

    In groups, 49 accounting students completed a 5-week analysis of audit reporting issues using cooperative learning. Positive student reactions and achievement suggested that contemporary active learning approaches are compatible with the traditional accounting goal of preparing for the Certified Public Accountants examination. (SK)

  13. Language Learning Strategies and English Proficiency: Interpretations from Information-Processing Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rao, Zhenhui

    2016-01-01

    The research reported here investigated the relationship between students' use of language learning strategies and their English proficiency, and then interpreted the data from two models in information-processing theory. Results showed that the students' English proficiency significantly affected their use of learning strategies, with high-level…

  14. On (Un)common Ground: Transforming from Dissonance to Commitment in a Service Learning Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naudé, Luzelle

    2015-01-01

    Through the lenses of transformative and experiential learning theory, this article describes South African psychology students' transformational journey while doing service-learning in a rural community. The reflection reports of five cohort groups (2006 to 2010), capturing students meaning making experiences and interpretations during community…

  15. Academic Learning Teams in Accelerated Adult Programs: Online and On-Campus Students' Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Favor, Judy K.; Kulp, Amanda M.

    2015-01-01

    This article reports adult students' (N = 632) perceptions of long-functioning academic learning teams in accelerated online and on-campus business cohort groups in six constructs: attraction to team, performance expectation alignment, workload distribution, intra-team conflict, preference for teamwork, and impact on learning. Comparisons between…

  16. Flipping the Classroom: An Empirical Study Examining Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sparks, Roland J.

    2013-01-01

    Flipping the classroom is the latest reported teaching technique to improve student learning at all levels. Prior studies showed significant increases in learning by employing this technique. However, an examination of the previous studies indicates significant flaws in the testing procedure controls. Moreover, most studies were based on anecdotal…

  17. Psychometric Validation of the "Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire" with Mexican University Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramirez-Dorantes, Maria del Carmen; Canto y Rodriguez, Jose Enrique; Bueno-Alvarez, Jose Antonio; Echazarreta-Moreno, Alejandro

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: The "Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire" (MSLQ) is a self-report instrument designed to assess students' motivation and learning strategies (cognitive, meta-cognitive, and resource management). In the present study, we focused on translate, adapt and validate the MSLQ to Mexican educational context. Method: The…

  18. Cognitive Styles, Dynamic Geometry and Measurement Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pitta-Pantazi, Demetra; Christou, Constantinos

    2009-01-01

    This paper reports the outcomes of an empirical study undertaken to investigate the effect of students' cognitive styles on achievement in measurement tasks in a dynamic geometry learning environment, and to explore the ability of dynamic geometry learning in accommodating different cognitive styles and enhancing students' learning. A total of 49…

  19. Evaluating Active Learning: A New Initiative for a General Chemistry Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Sullivan, Daniel W.; Copper, Christine L.

    2003-01-01

    Explains the results of an effort to introduce active learning strategies into the general chemistry curriculum at the United States Naval Academy. Reports that students in an active learning classroom showed significant improvement in performance compared to students in a lecture-based course. (Author/YDS)

  20. Exploring Online Learning Data Using Fractal Dimensions. Research Report. ETS RR-17-15

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guo, Hongwen

    2017-01-01

    Data collected from online learning and tutoring systems for individual students showed strong autocorrelation or dependence because of content connection, knowledge-based dependency, or persistence of learning behavior. When the response data show little dependence or negative autocorrelations for individual students, it is suspected that…

  1. Interactive Videos Enhance Learning about Socio-Ecological Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smithwick, Erica; Baxter, Emily; Kim, Kyung; Edel-Malizia, Stephanie; Rocco, Stevie; Blackstock, Dean

    2018-01-01

    Two forms of interactive video were assessed in an online course focused on conservation. The hypothesis was that interactive video enhances student perceptions about learning and improves mental models of social-ecological systems. Results showed that students reported greater learning and attitudes toward the subject following interactive video.…

  2. Students with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors in Jordan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abu-Hamour, Bashir

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports the findings of a study which aimed to explore the learning and behavioral characteristics of students with Learning Disabilities (LDs) in Jordan. Specifically, variables that related to challenging behaviors, school's type, and gender differences were investigated. Four resource room teachers in public and private schools were…

  3. The Ecology of Learning: A Comparison of Alternative Elementary School Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoaglund, Mary; And Others

    This paper is the first-year report of a three-year project in Edina, Minnesota, developing a system for measuring differences among classroom environments and organizational patterns. Dimensions measured include teacher preferences for classroom structure, student perceptions of learning environments and classmate behavior, student attitudes,…

  4. Cooperative Learning and Gifted Students: Report on Five Case Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coleman, Mary Ruth; And Others

    This study examined cooperative learning (CL) programs that were successfully meeting the needs of gifted students and identified factors critical to this success. Of 19 programs nominated as models of cooperative learning, 5 sites were selected and visited: Wilton Public Schools, Connecticut; Glenville Elementary School, Connecticut; Mary Taylor…

  5. Medical students' experiences learning intimate physical examination skills: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Dabson, Andra M; Magin, Parker J; Heading, Gaynor; Pond, Dimity

    2014-02-28

    Intimate physical examination skills are essential skills for any medical graduate to have mastered to an appropriate level for the safety of his or her future patients. Medical schools are entrusted with the complex task of teaching and assessing these skills for their students. The objectives of this study were to explore a range of medical students' experiences of learning intimate physical examination skills and to explore their perceptions of factors which impede or promote the learning of these skills. Individual semi-structured interviews (N = 16) were conducted with medical students in years two to five from the University of Newcastle, as part of a larger research project investigating how medical students develop their attitudes to gender and health. This was a self-selected sample of the entire cohort who were all invited to participate. A thematic analysis of the transcribed data was performed. Students reported differing levels of discomfort with their learning experiences in the area of intimate physical examination and differing beliefs about the helpfulness of these experiences. The factors associated with levels of discomfort and the helpfulness of the experience for learning were: satisfaction with teaching techniques, dealing with an uncomfortable situation and perceived individual characteristics in both the patients and the students. The examination causing the greatest reported discomfort was the female pelvic examination by male students. Student discomfort with the experience of learning intimate physical examination skills may be common and has ongoing repercussions for students and patients. Recommendations are made of ways to modify teaching technique to more closely match students' perceived needs.

  6. Strategies for service-learning assessment in dental hygiene education.

    PubMed

    Burch, Sharlee

    2013-10-01

    A large body of literature exists on the instructional pedagogy known as service-learning. Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach characterized by the dental hygiene student's practical application of academic studies and occurs within a community setting, to the benefit of both the student and community. Dental hygiene educators use service-learning to enhance student knowledge and application of oral health curriculum. This manuscript reports on the importance of service-learning assessment to the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda as well as the future of the profession of dental hygiene and the successful strategies in service-learning evaluation available for utilization by dental hygiene educators.

  7. The Role of Subjective Task Value in Service-Learning Engagement among Chinese College Students

    PubMed Central

    Li, Yulan; Guo, Fangfang; Yao, Meilin; Wang, Cong; Yan, Wenfan

    2016-01-01

    Most service-learning studies in higher education focused on its effects on students’ development. The dynamic processes and mechanisms of students’ development during service-learning, however, have not been explored thoroughly. Student engagement in service-learning may affect service-learning outcomes and be affected by subjective task value at the same time. The present study aimed to explore the effect of subjective task value on Chinese college student engagement during service-learning. Fifty-four Chinese college students participated in a 9-weeks service-learning program of interacting with children with special needs. Students’ engagement and subjective task value were assessed via self-report questionnaires and 433 weekly reflective journals. The results indicated that the cognitive, emotional and behavioral engagement of Chinese college students demonstrated different developmental trends during service-learning process. Subjective task value played an essential role in student engagement in service-learning activities. However, the role of subjective task value varied with different stages. Finally, the implications for implementing service-learning in Chinese education were discussed. PMID:27445919

  8. Comparison of the perceived relevance of oral biology reported by students and interns of a Pakistani dental college.

    PubMed

    Farooq, I; Ali, S

    2014-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyse and compare the perceived relevance of oral biology with dentistry as reported by dental students and interns and to investigate the most popular teaching approach and learning resource. A questionnaire aiming to ask about the relevance of oral biology to dentistry, most popular teaching method and learning resource was utilised in this study. Study groups encompassed second-year dental students who had completed their course and dental interns. The data were obtained and analysed statistically. The overall response rate for both groups was 60%. Both groups reported high relevance of oral biology to dentistry. Perception of dental interns regarding the relevance of oral biology to dentistry was higher than that of students. Both groups identified student presentations as the most important teaching method. Amongst the most important learning resources, textbooks were considered most imperative by interns, whereas lecture handouts received the highest importance score by students. Dental students and interns considered oral biology to be relevant to dentistry, although greater relevance was reported by interns. Year-wise advancement in dental education and training improves the perception of the students about the relevance of oral biology to dentistry. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. A Review of the Literature on Social and Emotional Learning for Students Ages 3-8: Implementation Strategies and State and District Support Policies (Part 2 of 4). REL 2017-246

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Conner, Rosemarie; De Feyter, Jessica; Carr, Alyssa; Luo, Jia Lisa; Romm, Helen

    2017-01-01

    Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This is the second in a series of four related reports about what is known about SEL programs for students ages 3-8. The report series addresses four issues raised…

  10. You're not to dance with the girls: oral history, changing perception and practice.

    PubMed

    Mee, Steve

    2010-03-01

    The learning disability nursing course at the University of Cumbria features people with a learning disability presenting an oral history of their past in a long-stay institution. These are powerful stories which frequently portray very negative life experiences. Student feedback suggests that the resulting learning is profound, possibly transformative and offering a different type of learning to a 'traditional' lesson. Students report that they experience different and more positive perceptions of people with a learning disability. They have a new respect for people who have survived these experiences. This change of perception may, in part, be due to observing people with a learning disability in positive roles such as storyteller, teacher and carer. The students reported that in subsequent placements their professional practice changed as a result of these insights. These changes include being more outspoken against bad practice and being able to listen more effectively.

  11. Nursing students' assessment of the learning environment in different clinical settings.

    PubMed

    Bisholt, Birgitta; Ohlsson, Ulla; Engström, Agneta Kullén; Johansson, Annelie Sundler; Gustafsson, Margareta

    2014-05-01

    Nursing students perform their clinical practice in different types of clinical settings. The clinical learning environment is important for students to be able to achieve desired learning outcomes. Knowledge is lacking about the learning environment in different clinical settings. The aim was to compare the learning environment in different clinical settings from the perspective of the nursing students. A cross-sectional study with comparative design was conducted. Data was collected from 185 nursing students at three universities by means of a questionnaire involving the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher (CLES + T) evaluation scale. An open-ended question was added in order to ascertain reasons for dissatisfaction with the clinical placement. The nursing students' satisfaction with the placement did not differ between clinical settings. However, those with clinical placement in hospital departments agreed more strongly that sufficient meaningful learning situations occurred and that learning situations were multi-dimensional. Some students reported that the character of the clinical setting made it difficult to achieve the learning objectives. In the planning of the clinical placement, attention must be paid to whether the setting offers the student a meaningful learning situation where the appropriate learning outcome may be achieved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Data Literacy: Real-World Learning through Problem-Solving with Data Sets

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erwin, Robin W., Jr.

    2015-01-01

    The achievement of deep learning by secondary students requires teaching approaches that draw students into task commitment, integrated curricula, and analytical thinking. By using real-world data sets in project based instructional units, teachers can guide students in analyzing, interpreting, and reporting quantitative data. Working with…

  13. Summer School Teaching and Learning: Some Thoughts from Undergraduate Business Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ho, Henry; Karagiannidis, Vanaja

    2007-01-01

    This paper analyses summer teaching and learning from an undergraduate business student's perception. The survey reported here was designed to investigate how undergraduate business students perceived a marketing subject--Introduction to Marketing-- during summer school. At the same time, this research investigates the duration of study, the…

  14. African-American Students and Foreign Language Learning. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, James J.

    The performance and attitudes of African-American students of foreign languages are discussed in this digest. Three major areas are reported: (1) Black English and foreign language learning, including theories of language deficiency, sociolinguistic research, phonology and syntax; (2) research on the performance of African-American students of…

  15. The Student Experience of Learning Using Networked Technologies: An Emergent Progression of Expanding Awareness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cutajar, Maria

    2017-01-01

    This article reports on phenomenographic research which explored the qualitative differences in post-secondary students' accounts of their networked learning experiences. Data was generated using semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of participants. Phenomenographic analysis led to a configuration of variation in students' accounts…

  16. Karmic Assessment: Evidence from Business Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pio, Edwina

    2004-01-01

    This paper reports the results of assessment as an embedded learning opportunity through evidence from a course on Management and Spirituality for business students offered in 2002 and 2003 in the USA and Europe. It discusses how assessment can be strategically used to nudge students' minds through learning experiences that expand current mental…

  17. Approaches to Learning Information Literacy: A Phenomenographic Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Diehm, Rae-Anne; Lupton, Mandy

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on an empirical study that explores the ways students approach learning to find and use information. Based on interviews with 15 education students in an Australian university, this study uses phenomenography as its methodological and theoretical basis. The study reveals that students use three main strategies for learning…

  18. Keystone Method: A Learning Paradigm in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siadat, M. Vali; Musial, Paul M.; Sagher, Yoram

    2008-01-01

    This study reports the effects of an integrated instructional program (the Keystone Method) on the students' performance in mathematics and reading, and tracks students' persistence and retention. The subject of the study was a large group of students in remedial mathematics classes at the college, willing to learn but lacking basic educational…

  19. Student Sensemaking with Science Diagrams in a Computer-Based Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furberg, Anniken; Kluge, Anders; Ludvigsen, Sten

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports on a study of students' conceptual sensemaking with science diagrams within a computer-based learning environment aimed at supporting collaborative learning. Through the microanalysis of students' interactions in a project about energy and heat transfer, we demonstrate "how" representations become productive social and cognitive…

  20. Exploratory Evaluation of Audio Email Technology in Formative Assessment Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Macgregor, George; Spiers, Alex; Taylor, Chris

    2011-01-01

    Formative assessment generates feedback on students' performance, thereby accelerating and improving student learning. Anecdotal evidence gathered by a number of evaluations has hypothesised that audio feedback may be capable of enhancing student learning more than other approaches. In this paper we report on the preliminary findings of a…

  1. Comparison of Student Learning about Diffusion and Osmosis in Constructivist and Traditional Classrooms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christianson, Roger G.; Fisher, Kathleen M.

    1999-01-01

    Reports on the effects of constructivist versus traditional teaching approaches on university students' learning about osmosis and diffusion. Students understood diffusion and osmosis more deeply in the constructivist-informed classroom, which used small discussion groups rather than traditional large lecture groups. Suggests ways to improve…

  2. Teaching and Learning Strategies for Serving Underrepresented Students: A Collection of Resource Documents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grosz, Karen S., Comp.

    Designed as a resource on teaching and learning strategies geared specifically toward underrepresented community college students, this collection of articles and reports includes the following: (1) "Successful Teaching Strategies: Instruction for Black and Hispanic Students in the California Community Colleges," by Olivia Mercado, Cheryl Fong,…

  3. Student Attitudes toward Accelerated Reader: "Thanks for Asking!"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Amy; Westberg, Karen

    2011-01-01

    The Accelerated Reader program was designed by Renaissance Learning to increase students' motivation to read and students' achievement in reading; however, a review of the literature reveals inconsistent findings about its outcomes. The Renaissance Learning company reports several research studies on their website that suggest the program is…

  4. Understanding Mathematics and Science Matters. Studies in Mathematical Thinking and Learning Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Romberg, Thomas A., Ed.; Carpenter, Thomas P., Ed.; Dremock, Fae, Ed.

    2005-01-01

    The research reported in this book provides reliable evidence on and knowledge about mathematics and science instruction that emphasizes student understanding--instruction consistent with the needs of students who will be citizens in an increasingly demanding technological world. The National Center for Improving Student Learning in Mathematics…

  5. Challenges for Collaborative Blended Learning in Undergraduate Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Monteiro, Elisa; Morrison, Keith

    2014-01-01

    This study reports a quasi-experiment in collaborative blended learning (CBL) with undergraduate students who, despite being in a world-leading, enriched digital environment, were new to collaboration and CBL. The mixed-methods research found that only small improvements to students' CBL took place over time, and explanations for this are…

  6. Development of Science Simulations for Mildly Mentally Retarded or Learning Disabled Students. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Macro Systems, Inc., Silver Spring, MD.

    This final report describes the development of eight computer based science simulations designed for use with middle school mainstreamed students having learning disabilities or mild mental retardation. The total program includes software, a teacher's manual, 3 videos, and a set of 30 activity worksheets. Special features of the software for…

  7. Student Supports: A McREL Report Prepared for Stupski Foundation's Learning System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Laurie; Rease, David; Barker, Jane

    2009-01-01

    This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. This document synthesizes recent research and theoretical literature on effective strategies for supporting urban, underserved students'…

  8. Changing Practice in Malaysian Primary Schools: Learning from Student Teachers' Reports of Using Action, Reflection and Modelling (ARM)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dickerson, Claire; Thomas, Kit; Jarvis, Joy; Levy, Roger

    2018-01-01

    Curricular and pedagogical reforms are complex inter-linked processes such that curricular reform can only be enacted through teachers teaching differently. This article reports the perspective of emergent Malaysian primary teachers who were expected to implement a Government reform that promoted active learning. The 120 student teachers were…

  9. Learning English through Automotive Electronics (Project LETAE), Final Evaluation Report, 1992-93. OREA Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment.

    Learning Through Automotive Electronics (Project LETAE) was a federally funded program serving 77 limited-English-proficient (LEP) students and 5 English-proficient students in an automotive computer electronics course in 1992-93, its third year of operation. The program provided instruction in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL), native language…

  10. Teachers' Initial Orchestration of Students' Dynamic Geometry Software Use: Consequences for Students' Opportunities to Learn Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erfjord, Ingvald

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports from a case study with teachers at two schools in Norway participating in developmental projects aiming for inquiry communities in mathematics teaching and learning. In the reported case study, the teachers participated in one of the developmental projects focusing on implementation and use of computer software in mathematics…

  11. Dataset on the learning performance of ECDL digital skills of undergraduate students for comparing educational gaming, gamification and social networking.

    PubMed

    de-Marcos, Luis; García-López, Eva; García-Cabot, Antonio

    2017-04-01

    This paper reports data about the learning performance of students using four different motivational tools: an educational game, a gamified plugin, a social networking website and a gamified social networking website. It also reports a control group. The data pertain to 379 students of an undergraduate course that covers basic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills in Spain. Data corresponds to different learning modules of the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) initiative. The data include variables of four pre-test scores, four post-test scores and a final examination. It was gathered using a quasi-experimental research design during 2014. Data reported here refers to the research paper in (de-Marcos et al., 2016) [1].

  12. Do You Hear What I Hear? The Impact of a Hearing Voices Simulation on Affective Domain Attributes in Nursing Students.

    PubMed

    Ward, Terry D

    2015-01-01

    Affective domain teaching and learning can facilitate the reduction of stigmatization of clients with mental illness in nursing students. Experiential learning activities such as simulation are regarded as an effective method for facilitating student learning in the affective domain. The project reported here measured the impact of a simulation experience, "Hearing Voices Which Are Distressing," on attitudes, values, and beliefs of accelerated baccalaureate students caring for clients with mental illness who experienced hearing voices.

  13. New Ways of Learning to Fight Fires? Learning Processes and Contradictions in Distance and On-Campus Firefighter Training in Sweden

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holmgren, Robert

    2015-01-01

    This article reports on findings from a comparative study on firefighter students' learning processes in a technology-supported distance training course and a traditional campus training course in Sweden. Based on student interviews and observations of exercises, the article aims to describe and analyse the impact on learning processes when…

  14. Ways of Experiencing the Act of Learning to Program: A Phenomenographic Study of Introductory Programming Students at University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruce, Christine; Buckingham, Lawrence; Hynd, John; McMahon, Camille; Roggenkamp, Mike; Stoodley, Ian

    2004-01-01

    The research reported here investigates variation in first year university students' early experiences of learning to program, with a particular focus on revealing differences in how they go about learning to program. A phenomenographic research approach was used to reveal variation in how the act of learning to program may be constituted amongst…

  15. Effects of Cooperative Learning on Learning Achievement and Group Working Behavior of Junior Students in Modern French Literature Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orprayoon, Soudaya

    2014-01-01

    This study reported on the results of a quasi-experimental research to explore the effectiveness of using a cooperative learning method on students' academic achievement, their group working behavior and their perception and opinions towards cooperative learning in a Modern French Literature course. The sample included twelve junior students…

  16. Training the Brain or Tending a Garden? Students' Metaphors of Learning Predict Self-Reported Learning Patterns

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wegner, Elisabeth; Nückles, Matthias

    2015-01-01

    Conceptions of learning are seen as an important factor in shaping students' patterns of learning. However, conceptions are often implicit and difficult to assess. Metaphors have been proposed as a method to assess conceptions, because metaphors are closely linked to the conceptual system. Therefore, in our study we assessed which conceptions of…

  17. Drivers of Learning Management System Use in a South African Open and Distance Learning Institution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Venter, Peet; van Rensburg, Mari Jansen; Davis, Annemarie

    2012-01-01

    The study on which this article reports examined the determinants of usage of an online learning management system (LMS) by fourth level business students at a South African open and distance learning university using an extension of the widely used technology acceptance model (TAM) as a theoretical basis. A survey was conducted among students at…

  18. Using a Learning Management System to Personalise Learning for Primary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edmunds, Bronwyn; Hartnett, Maggie

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on one aspect of a descriptive multiple-case study which set out to explore the role of a learning management system (LMS) in personalising learning for students from the perspective of three teachers in one primary school in New Zealand. The intention was to provide insight into the role the LMS could play in classrooms when…

  19. Determinants of Perceived Learning and Satisfaction in Online Business Courses: An Extension to Evaluate Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eastman, Jacqueline K.; Aviles, Maria; Hanna, Mark D.

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the determinants of perceived learning and satisfaction in online courses and the moderating effect of course type. For perceived learning outcomes, those students who perceive a higher level of interaction and those students who are satisfied will report higher levels of learning outcomes. There were significant differences…

  20. An Investigation into the Impact of Facebook Group Usage on Students' Affect in Language Learning in a Thai Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tananuraksakul, Noparat

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports on the way in which Facebook Group used as a learning management system can enhance Thai students' effective language learning (positive attitude and motivation) in a private university in the vicinity of Bangkok. These two variables are seen to influence learners' achievement in language learning, and they also interdependently…

  1. The Effect of 7E Learning Cycle on Learning in Science Teaching: A Meta-Analysis Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balta, Nuri; Sarac, Hakan

    2016-01-01

    This article reports the results of a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of 7E learning cycle in science teaching. Totally 35 different effect sizes from 24 experimental studies, comprising 2918 students were included in the meta-analysis. The results confirmed that 7E learning cycle have a positive effect on students' achievement. The overall…

  2. Learning to Design and Implement Educational Web Sites within Pre-Service Training: a Project-Based Learning Environment and its Impact on Student Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Papastergiou, Marina

    2005-01-01

    This paper reports on a project-based learning (PBL) environment targeted towards introducing student teachers to the design and development of educational web sites. The participants were 46 student teachers who constructed 16 web sites for primary school. A survey of their views, before and after the projects, and an evaluation of the web sites…

  3. Learning to Design and Implement Educational Web Sites within Pre-Service Training: A Project-Based Learning Environment and Its Impact on Student Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Papastergiou, Marina

    2005-01-01

    This paper reports on a project-based learning (PBL) environment targeted towards introducing student teachers to the design and development of educational web sites. The participants were 46 student teachers who constructed 16 web sites for primary school. A survey of their views, before and after the projects, and an evaluation of the web sites…

  4. "I Did Think It Was a Bit Strange Taking Outdoor Education Online": Exploration of Initial Teacher Education Students' Online Learning Experiences in a Tertiary Outdoor Education Unit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dyment, Janet; Downing, Jillian; Hill, Allen; Smith, Heidi

    2018-01-01

    With a view to attracting more students and offering flexible learning opportunities, online teaching and learning is becoming increasingly wide-spread across the higher education sector. This research reports on the experiences of eight initial teacher education students who studied an outdoor education unit in the online space. Using a…

  5. Using Academic Journals to Help Students Learn Subject Matter Content, Develop and Practice Critical Reasoning Skills, and Reflect on Personal Values in Food Science and Human Nutrition Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iwaoka, Wayne T.; Crosetti, Lea M.

    2008-01-01

    It has been reported that students learn best when they use a wide variety of techniques to understand the information of the discipline, be it visual, auditory, discussion with others, metacognition, hands-on activities, or writing about the subject. We report in this article the use of academic journals not only as an aid for students to learn…

  6. Can blended learning and the flipped classroom improve student learning and satisfaction in Saudi Arabia?

    PubMed Central

    Sajid, Muhammad R.; Abothenain, Fayha; Salam, Yezan; AlJayar, Dina; Obeidat, Akef

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To evaluate student academic performance and perception towards blended learning and flipped classrooms in comparison to traditional teaching. Methods This study was conducted during the hematology block on year three students. Five lectures were delivered online only. Asynchronous discussion boards were created where students could interact with colleagues and instructors. A flipped classroom was introduced with application exercises. Summative assessment results were compared with previous year results as a historical control for statistical significance. Student feedback regarding their blended learning experience was collected. Results A total of 127 responses were obtained. Approximately 22.8% students felt all lectures should be delivered through didactic lecturing, while almost 35% felt that 20% of total lectures should be given online. Students expressed satisfaction with blended learning as a new and effective learning approach. The majority of students reported blended learning was helpful for exam preparation and concept clarification. However, a comparison of grades did not show a statistically significant increase in the academic performance of students taught via the blended learning method. Conclusions Learning experiences can be enriched by adopting a blended method of instruction at various stages of undergraduate and postgraduate education. Our results suggest that blended learning, a relatively new concept in Saudi Arabia, shows promising results with higher student satisfaction. Flipped classrooms replace passive lecturing with active student-centered learning that enhances critical thinking and application, including information retention.  PMID:27591930

  7. The learning environment in the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship: an exploratory study of students' perceptions before and after the clerkship.

    PubMed

    Baecher-Lind, Laura E; Chang, Katherine; Blanco, Maria A

    2015-01-01

    For reasons that remain not entirely clear, Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn) clerkships often exhibit comparatively higher rates of medical student mistreatment. To explore perceptions of our local learning environment, focus groups were held with students yet to start (pre-students) and students having completed (post-students) their Ob/Gyn clerkship. Topics of discussion included learning expectations and experiences, perceptions of mistreatment, and suggestions for improving the learning environment and student treatment. Using a naturalistic approach, we conducted a conventional content analysis to identify emergent themes. Nine pre-students and nine post-students participated. While pre-students anticipated being actively engaged, they also expected - based on peer accounts - to be subject to an unwelcoming learning environment on the Ob/Gyn clerkship, despite working hard to become team members. Due to patient advocacy and protection concerns, post-students reported low levels of student involvement and, subsequently, an overall passive learning experience. Students from both groups offered valuable suggestions for improving the learning environment and student treatment. The sensitive nature of Ob/Gyn clinical encounters may lead to overprotective behaviors that contribute to students feeling mistreated and excluded from patient care and team membership. Students' experiences during Ob/Gyn clerkships could be improved by better balancing patient advocacy and student involvement. Practical implications to address these issues are offered.

  8. Figure analysis: A teaching technique to promote visual literacy and active Learning.

    PubMed

    Wiles, Amy M

    2016-07-08

    Learning often improves when active learning techniques are used in place of traditional lectures. For many of these techniques, however, students are expected to apply concepts that they have already grasped. A challenge, therefore, is how to incorporate active learning into the classroom of courses with heavy content, such as molecular-based biology courses. An additional challenge is that visual literacy is often overlooked in undergraduate science education. To address both of these challenges, a technique called figure analysis was developed and implemented in three different levels of undergraduate biology courses. Here, students learn content while gaining practice in interpreting visual information by discussing figures with their peers. Student groups also make connections between new and previously learned concepts on their own while in class. The instructor summarizes the material for the class only after students grapple with it in small groups. Students reported a preference for learning by figure analysis over traditional lecture, and female students in particular reported increased confidence in their analytical abilities. There is not a technology requirement for this technique; therefore, it may be utilized both in classrooms and in nontraditional spaces. Additionally, the amount of preparation required is comparable to that of a traditional lecture. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):336-344, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  9. Acceptance of e-learning devices by dental students.

    PubMed

    Schulz, Peter; Sagheb, Keyvan; Affeldt, Harald; Klumpp, Hannah; Taylor, Kathy; Walter, Christian; Al-Nawas, Bilal

    2013-01-01

    E-Learning programs and their corresponding devices are increasingly employed to educate dental students during their clinical training. Recent progress made in the development of e-learning software as well as in hardware (computers, tablet PCs, smartphones) caused us to more closely investigate into the habits of dental students in dealing with these learning techniques. Dental students during their clinical training attended a survey compiled in cooperation with biostatisticians. The questionnaire probands were asked to complete based on previous surveys of similar subjects, allowing single as well as multiple answers. The data, which were obtained with respect to the learning devices students commonly employ, were compared with their internet learning activities. The e-learning devices utilized are of heterogeneous brands. Each student has access to at least one hardware type suitable for e-learning. All students held mobile devices, about 90 percent employed laptops, and about 60 percent possess smartphones. Unexceptional all participants of the survey acknowledged an unlimited internet access. In contrast, only 16 percent of students utilized tablet PCs. A detailed analysis of the survey outcome reveals that an increasing use of mobile devices (tablet PC, smartphone) facilitates internet learning activities while at the same time utilization of computers (desktop, laptop) declines. Dental students overwhelmingly accept e-learning during their clinical training. Students report outstanding preconditions to conduct e-learning as both their access to hardware and to the internet is excellent. Less satisfying is the outcome of our survey regarding the utilization of e-learning programs. Depending of the hardware employed only one-third to barely one-half of students comprise learning programs.

  10. Influence of an interprofessional HIV/AIDS education program on role perception, attitudes and teamwork skills of undergraduate health sciences students.

    PubMed

    Curran, Vernon R; Mugford, J Gerry; Law, Rebecca M T; MacDonald, Sandra

    2005-03-01

    An evaluation study of an undergraduate HIV/AIDS interprofessional education program for medical, nursing and pharmacy students was undertaken to assess changes in role perception, attitudes towards collaboration, self-reported teamwork skills and satisfaction with a shared learning experience. A combined one group pretest-posttest and time-series study design was used. Several survey instruments and observation checklists were completed by students and tutors before, during and after the educational program. Students reported greater awareness of roles and the continuous exposure to interprofessional learning led to improved attitudes towards teamwork. Standardized patients were effective in fostering an experience of realism and motivating collaboration between students. A problem-based learning approach combined with standardized patients was effective in enhancing HIV/AIDS interprofessional role perception, enhancing attitudes towards collaboration and interprofessional approaches to HIV/AIDS care and fostering confidence in teamwork skills among pre-licensure health sciences students.

  11. Service-learning's impact on dental students' attitude towards community service.

    PubMed

    Coe, J M; Best, A M; Warren, J J; McQuistan, M R; Kolker, J L; Isringhausen, K T

    2015-08-01

    This study evaluated service-learning programme's impact on senior dental students' attitude towards community service at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Dentistry. Experience gained through service-learning in dental school may positively impact dental students' attitude towards community service that will eventually lead into providing care to the underserved. Two surveys (pre- and post-test) were administered to 105 senior dental students. For the first survey (post-test), seventy-six students of 105 responded and reported their attitude towards community service immediately after the service-learning programme completion. Three weeks later, 56 students of the 76 responded to the second survey (retrospective pre-test) and reported their recalled attitude prior to the programme retrospectively. A repeated-measure mixed-model analysis indicated that overall there was improvement between pre-test and post-test. Scales of connectedness, normative helping behaviour, benefits, career benefits and intention showed a significant pre-test and post-test difference. An association between attitude towards community service and student characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity and volunteer activity was also examined. Only ethnicity showed an overall significant difference. White dental students appear to have a differing perception of the costs of community service. The service-learning programme at VCU School of Dentistry has positively impacted senior dental students' attitude towards community service. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Service-learning in nursing education: its impact on leadership and social justice.

    PubMed

    Groh, Carla J; Stallwood, Lynda G; Daniels, John J

    2011-01-01

    Although studies suggest that service-learning is positive for students, findings reported are primarily qualitative. A convenience sample of 306 senior-level nursing students completed the Service-Learning Self-Evaluation Tool (SLSET) pre- and post-service-learning experience over a six-year span. The constructs measured were leadership skills and social justice. Paired t-tests were calculated. Statistically significant differences were noted between pre- and post-service-learning experience, with students rating themselves higher on leadership and social justice items after the experience. Cronbach's alpha for leadership and social justice were greater than 0.80. Service-learning as an educational methodology that combines community service with academic learning objectives is a viable strategy for facilitating leadership skills and increased awareness of social justice issues in nursing students.

  13. A qualitative evaluation of the impact of a palliative care course on preregistration nursing students' practice in Cameroon.

    PubMed

    Bassah, Nahyeni; Cox, Karen; Seymour, Jane

    2016-03-31

    Current evidence suggests that palliative care education can improve preregistration nursing students' competencies in palliative care. However, it is not known whether these competencies are translated into students' practice in the care of patients who are approaching the end of life. This paper seeks to contribute to the palliative care evidence base by examining how nursing students in receipt of education report transfer of learning to practice, and what the barriers and facilitators may be, in a resource-poor country. We utilised focus groups and individual critical incident interviews to explore nursing students' palliative care learning transfer. Three focus groups, consisting of 23 participants and 10 individual critical incident interviews were conducted with preregistration nursing student who had attended a palliative care course in Cameroon and had experience caring for a patient approaching the end of life. Data was analysed thematically, using the framework approach. The results suggest that nursing students in receipt of palliative care education can transfer their learning to practice. Students reported recognizing patients with palliative care needs, providing patients with physical, psychosocial and spiritual support and communicating patient information to the wider care team. They did however perceive some barriers to this transfer which were either related to themselves, qualified nurses, the practice setting or family caregivers and patients. The findings from this study suggest that nursing student in receipt of palliative care education can use their learning in practice to provide care to patients and their families approaching the end of life. Nevertheless, these findings need to be treated with some caution given the self-reported nature of the data. Demonstrating the link between preregistration palliative care education and patient care is vital to ensuring that newly acquired knowledge and skills are translated and embedded into clinical practice. This study also has implications for advocating for palliative care policies and adequately preparing clinical placement sites for students' learning and transfer of learning.

  14. Antibiotic exposure and bacterial resistance in human and veterinary medicine: a problem-based learning topic for Master's students.

    PubMed

    Eveillard, Matthieu; Pouliquen, Hervé; Ruvoen, Nathalie; Couvreur, Sébastien; Krempf, Michel; Magras, Catherine; Lepelletier, Didier

    2017-03-01

    This report describes a problem-based learning activity concerning antibiotic exposure and bacterial resistance in human and veterinary medicine. In addition, learning outcomes and satisfaction of students were recorded by the supervisors of the activity. The students all participated actively in the group work and considered that the small size of the group facilitated interpersonal communication. They believed that working in an interdisciplinary group helped them learn better than if they were following specific courses. They also reported that their mid-term meeting with one of the supervisors was a catalyst for the initiation of a real work group. Concerning the evaluation of the activity itself, the supervisors considered that the group provided a relevant analysis of the issue. These characteristics should encourage teachers to test this method of learning certain aspects of microbiology and infectious diseases with their students. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Methods of learning in statistical education: Design and analysis of a randomized trial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boyd, Felicity Turner

    Background. Recent psychological and technological advances suggest that active learning may enhance understanding and retention of statistical principles. A randomized trial was designed to evaluate the addition of innovative instructional methods within didactic biostatistics courses for public health professionals. Aims. The primary objectives were to evaluate and compare the addition of two active learning methods (cooperative and internet) on students' performance; assess their impact on performance after adjusting for differences in students' learning style; and examine the influence of learning style on trial participation. Methods. Consenting students enrolled in a graduate introductory biostatistics course were randomized to cooperative learning, internet learning, or control after completing a pretest survey. The cooperative learning group participated in eight small group active learning sessions on key statistical concepts, while the internet learning group accessed interactive mini-applications on the same concepts. Controls received no intervention. Students completed evaluations after each session and a post-test survey. Study outcome was performance quantified by examination scores. Intervention effects were analyzed by generalized linear models using intent-to-treat analysis and marginal structural models accounting for reported participation. Results. Of 376 enrolled students, 265 (70%) consented to randomization; 69, 100, and 96 students were randomized to the cooperative, internet, and control groups, respectively. Intent-to-treat analysis showed no differences between study groups; however, 51% of students in the intervention groups had dropped out after the second session. After accounting for reported participation, expected examination scores were 2.6 points higher (of 100 points) after completing one cooperative learning session (95% CI: 0.3, 4.9) and 2.4 points higher after one internet learning session (95% CI: 0.0, 4.7), versus nonparticipants or controls, adjusting for other performance predictors. Students who preferred learning by reflective observation and active experimentation experienced improved performance through internet learning (5.9 points, 95% CI: 1.2, 10.6) and cooperative learning (2.9 points, 95% CI: 0.6, 5.2), respectively. Learning style did not influence study participation. Conclusions. No performance differences by group were observed by intent-to-treat analysis. Participation in active learning appears to improve student performance in an introductory biostatistics course and provides opportunities for enhancing understanding beyond that attained in traditional didactic classrooms.

  16. Faculty professional development in emergent pedagogies for instructional innovation in dental education.

    PubMed

    Zheng, M; Bender, D; Nadershahi, N

    2017-05-01

    Innovative pedagogies have significantly impacted health professions' education, dental education included. In this context, faculty, defined in this study as instructor in higher education, has been increasingly required to hone their instructional skills. The purpose of this exploratory study was to share the design, implementation and preliminary outcomes of two programmes to enhance dental faculty's instructional skills, the Teaching and Learning Seminar Series and the Course Director Orientation. Data sources included faculty and student surveys developed and administered by the researchers; data extracted from the learning management system; reports from the learning analytics tool; and classroom observations. Participants' satisfaction, self-reported learning, instructional behavioural change, and impact on student learning behaviours and institutional practice were assessed borrowing from Kirkpatrick's 4-level model of evaluation of professional development effectiveness. Initial findings showed that faculty in both programmes reported positive learning experiences. Participants reported that the programmes motivated them to improve instructional practice and improved their knowledge of instructional innovation. Some faculty reported implementation of new instructional strategies and tools, which helped create an active and interactive learning environment that was welcomed by their students. The study contributes to literature and best practice in health sciences faculty development in pedagogy and may guide other dental schools in designing professional development programmes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Assessing Postgraduate Student Perceptions and Measures of Learning in a Peer Review Feedback Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simpson, Genevieve; Clifton, Julian

    2016-01-01

    Peer review feedback, developed to assist students with increasing the quality of group reports and developing peer review skills, was added to a master's level Climate Change Policy and Planning unit. A pre- and post-survey was conducted to determine whether students found the process a valuable learning opportunity: 87% of students responding to…

  18. Exploring the Relationship between Professor/Student Rapport and Students' Expectancy for Success and Values/Goals in College of Agriculture Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Estepp, Christopher M.; Roberts, T. Grady

    2013-01-01

    Recent reports have indicated that many undergraduate students have become unmotivated and unengaged in the learning process. As a result, calls have been made for instructors in higher education to implement classroom interventions to help better engage students in the learning process. Research has shown that creating a hospitable learning…

  19. Performance of Hispanic Educable Mentally Retarded, Learning Disabled, and Nonclassified Students on the WISC-RM, SOMPA, and S-KABC: Short-Term Study One. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rueda, Robert; And Others

    The study examined performance of limited-English proficient Hispanic students on a battery of psychometric instruments designed to appropriately assess linguistic minority students. Subjects consisted of three groups: 44 nonhandicapped, 45 learning-disabled, and 39 mildly mentally retarded elementary-level students. Instruments included the…

  20. Investigating 10-Year Trends of Learning Outcomes at Community Colleges. Research Report. ETS RR-13-34

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Ou Lydia; Roohr, Katrina Crotts

    2013-01-01

    Community colleges currently enroll about 44% of the undergraduate students in the United States and are rapidly expanding. It is of critical importance to obtain direct evidence of student learning to see if students receive adequate training at community colleges. This study investigated the 10-year trends of community college students' (n =…

  1. Using the Technology of Closed-Captioned Television To Teach Reading to Handicapped Students. Performance Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koskinen, Patricia S.; And Others

    This project investigated the effectiveness of using closed-captioned television in the teaching of reading to learning-disabled and hearing-impared students. Seven teachers of learning disabled students, and 45 students ranging in age from 8 to 13 years, from a large Maryland public school system participated in this study. The first two of nine…

  2. Why Engaging in Mathematical Practices May Explain Stronger Outcomes in Affect and Engagement: Comparing Student-Driven with Highly Guided Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sengupta-Irving, Tesha; Enyedy, Noel

    2015-01-01

    This article investigates why students reported liking a student-driven learning design better than a highly guided design despite equivalent gains in knowledge assessments in both conditions. We created two learning designs based on the distinction in the literature between student-driven and teacher-led approaches. One teacher assigned each of…

  3. Exploring University Students' Expectations and Beliefs about Physics and Physics Learning in a Problem-Based Learning Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahin, Mehmet

    2009-01-01

    This paper reports the results of an exploratory study aimed to determine university students' expectations and beliefs in a problem-based introductory physics course, how those expectations compare to that of students in other universities, and change as a result of one semester of instruction. In total, 264 freshmen engineering students of Dokuz…

  4. Assessing College Student Use of Anti-Citizenship Classroom Behavior: Types, Reasons, and Association with Learning Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Myers, Scott A.; Goldman, Zachary W.; Ball, Hannah; Carton, Shannon T.; Atkinson, Jordan; Tindage, Melissa F.; Anderson, Amena O.

    2015-01-01

    This assessment examined the presence of anti-citizenship behavior (ACB) in the college classroom by (1) identifying the types of ACB college students use in their classes, (2) identifying the reasons why students use ACB, and (3) exploring the link between ACB and student learning outcomes. The results indicated that (1) participants report four…

  5. An online app platform enhances collaborative medical student group learning and classroom management.

    PubMed

    Peacock, Justin G; Grande, Joseph P

    2016-01-01

    The authors presented their results in effectively using a free and widely-accessible online app platform to manage and teach a first-year pathology course at Mayo Medical School. The authors utilized the Google "Blogger", "Forms", "Flubaroo", "Sheets", "Docs", and "Slides" apps to effectively build a collaborative classroom teaching and management system. Students were surveyed on the use of the app platform in the classroom, and 44 (94%) students responded. Thirty-two (73%) of the students reported that "Blogger" was an effective place for online discussion of pathology topics and questions. 43 (98%) of the students reported that the "Forms/Flubaroo" grade-reporting system was helpful. 40 (91%) of the students used the remote, collaborative features of "Slides" to create team-based learning presentations, and 39 (89%) of the students found those collaborative features helpful. "Docs" helped teaching assistants to collaboratively create study guides or grading rubrics. Overall, 41 (93%) of the students found that the app platform was helpful in establishing a collaborative, online classroom environment. The online app platform allowed faculty to build an efficient and effective classroom teaching and management system. The ease of accessibility and opportunity for collaboration allowed for collaborative learning, grading, and teaching.

  6. Child sexual abuse and mandatory reporting intervention preservice content preferred by student teachers.

    PubMed

    Goldman, Juliette D G; Grimbeek, Peter

    2014-01-01

    The importance of preservice university teacher training about child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting intervention is addressed in educational literature, although very little is known about student teachers' learning interests and preferences in this area. In this article, student teachers refer to students in university who are training to become teachers whose training includes teaching experiences in schools. This study examines the content about child sexual abuse and its intervention that student teachers believe they should learn. Results based on quantitative analyses show the relative importance of gender in determining responses to questions about university training and, to a lesser extent, the importance of a previous acquaintance with victims of sexual abuse, previous employment, and the length of the university course. Results based on qualitative data show that content knowledge preferred by elementary/primary and secondary school student teachers includes the teacher's role in mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse and signs, experiences, and responses to student disclosure. Student teachers prefer content examples of school professionals' responses and procedures after disclosure and prefer direct learning content from intervening school professionals. These outcomes could usefully guide teachers and educators who design intervention curricula on child sexual abuse for preservice teachers.

  7. Teaching and Learning about Force with a Representational Focus: Pedagogy and Teacher Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hubber, Peter; Tytler, Russell; Haslam, Filocha

    2010-01-01

    A large body of research in the conceptual change tradition has shown the difficulty of learning fundamental science concepts, yet conceptual change schemes have failed to convincingly demonstrate improvements in supporting significant student learning. Recent work in cognitive science has challenged this purely conceptual view of learning, emphasising the role of language, and the importance of personal and contextual aspects of understanding science. The research described in this paper is designed around the notion that learning involves the recognition and development of students’ representational resources. In particular, we argue that conceptual difficulties with the concept of force are fundamentally representational in nature. This paper describes a classroom sequence in force that focuses on representations and their negotiation, and reports on the effectiveness of this perspective in guiding teaching, and in providing insight into student learning. Classroom sequences involving three teachers were videotaped using a combined focus on the teacher and groups of students. Video analysis software was used to capture the variety of representations used, and sequences of representational negotiation. Stimulated recall interviews were conducted with teachers and students. The paper reports on the nature of the pedagogies developed as part of this representational focus, its effectiveness in supporting student learning, and on the pedagogical and epistemological challenges negotiated by teachers in implementing this approach.

  8. Comparing Student Learning in the Team-Based Learning Classroom with Different Team Reporting Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Staci Neas

    2017-01-01

    The increase in classroom technology has resulted in the use of clickers and other audience response systems (ARS) for simultaneous reporting of choices in the teambased learning (TBL) classroom. A variety of techniques and practices using ARS technology in TBL courses has been noted. Learning gains in the TBL classroom with ARS reporting has not…

  9. Dentistry students' perceptions of learning management systems.

    PubMed

    Handal, B; Groenlund, C; Gerzina, T

    2010-02-01

    This paper reports an exploratory survey study about students' perceptions of learning management systems (LMS) at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney. Two hundred and fifty-four students enrolled in the Bachelor of Dentistry and the Bachelor of Oral Health programmes participated in an online survey aimed at exploring their beliefs and attitudes as well as their preferences for eLearning tools. Results indicated a strong preference of students for using LMSs as resource repositories rather than for higher-order learning activities such as online discussion forums. This finding holds importance for consideration of the development of the educational resources modalities that support development of essential graduate attributes such as information literacy and collaborative learning.

  10. Differences in students' perceptions of learning compulsory foundation biochemistry in the health sciences professions.

    PubMed

    Minasian-Batmanian, Laura C; Lingard, Jennifer; Prosser, Michael

    2005-11-01

    Student approaches to learning vary from surface approaches to meaningful, deep learning practices. Differences in approach may be related to students' conceptions of the subject, perceptions of the learning environment, prior study experiences and performance on assessment. This study aims to explore entering students' conceptions of the unit they are about to study and how they intend to approach their studies. It involved a survey of 203 (of 250) first year students in a cross disciplinary unit in the Faculty of Health Sciences. They were asked to complete an open-ended response survey, including questions on what they thought they needed to do to learn biochemistry and what they thought the study of biochemistry was about. A phenomenographic methodology was used to identify categories of description for the questions. The paper will describe the categories in detail, the structural relationship between the categories and the distribution of responses within categories. The study reports a relationship between conception of the topic and approaches to learning. Students with more complex and coherent conceptions of the topic report that they were more likely to adopt deeper approaches to study than those with more fragmented conceptions. However, compared to previous studies, a surprisingly high proportion of students with more cohesive conceptions still intended to adopt more surface approaches. This may reflect the particular context of their learning, namely in a compulsory unit involving material for which most students have minimal background and difficulty seeing its relevance. Implications for teaching such foundation material are discussed.

  11. Support groups: an empowering, experiential strategy.

    PubMed

    Heinrich, K T; Robinson, C M; Scales, M E

    1998-01-01

    The authors describe a student-facilitated support group experience initiated at student request and designed for RN-BSN students. Students report they emerged enlightened about group theory, empowered to share their knowledge of groups, and energized to initiate groups in their work settings. If educators make the learning experience safe, practice letting go and being vigilant, and celebrate group successes, students learn how to initiate, facilitate, and terminate small groups.

  12. Biotechnology by Design: An Introductory Level, Project-Based, Synthetic Biology Laboratory Program for Undergraduate Students.

    PubMed

    Beach, Dale L; Alvarez, Consuelo J

    2015-12-01

    Synthetic biology offers an ideal opportunity to promote undergraduate laboratory courses with research-style projects, immersing students in an inquiry-based program that enhances the experience of the scientific process. We designed a semester-long, project-based laboratory curriculum using synthetic biology principles to develop a novel sensory device. Students develop subject matter knowledge of molecular genetics and practical skills relevant to molecular biology, recombinant DNA techniques, and information literacy. During the spring semesters of 2014 and 2015, the Synthetic Biology Laboratory Project was delivered to sophomore genetics courses. Using a cloning strategy based on standardized BioBrick genetic "parts," students construct a "reporter plasmid" expressing a reporter gene (GFP) controlled by a hybrid promoter regulated by the lac-repressor protein (lacI). In combination with a "sensor plasmid," the production of the reporter phenotype is inhibited in the presence of a target environmental agent, arabinose. When arabinose is absent, constitutive GFP expression makes cells glow green. But the presence of arabinose activates a second promoter (pBAD) to produce a lac-repressor protein that will inhibit GFP production. Student learning was assessed relative to five learning objectives, using a student survey administered at the beginning (pre-survey) and end (post-survey) of the course, and an additional 15 open-ended questions from five graded Progress Report assignments collected throughout the course. Students demonstrated significant learning gains (p < 0.05) for all learning outcomes. Ninety percent of students indicated that the Synthetic Biology Laboratory Project enhanced their understanding of molecular genetics. The laboratory project is highly adaptable for both introductory and advanced courses.

  13. Integrating practice-based learning and improvement into medical student learning: evaluating complex curricular innovations.

    PubMed

    Ogrinc, Greg; West, Alan; Eliassen, M Scottie; Liuw, Stephen; Schiffman, Jennifer; Cochran, Nan

    2007-01-01

    Because practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) is a core competency for residents, the fundamentals of PBLI should be developed in medical school. Evaluate the effects of a PBLI module for 1st-year students at Dartmouth Medical School in 2004-05. Design. Randomized two-group trial (early and late intervention). Intervention. One half of students received the standard curriculum--reviewing student-patient-preceptor reports with their small-group facilitator and student colleagues. The other half received the PBLI-DMEDS module--reviewing student-patient-preceptor reports and applying PBLI methods to history and physical exam skills. The module was assessed on (a) core learning of PBLI (pre- and postmodule); (b) student self-assessed proficiency in PBLI (pre- and postmodule); (c) student, faculty, and course leaders' satisfaction; and (d) time costs. Pretest PBLI knowledge scores were similar in both groups; intervention students scored significantly higher after the PBLI-DMEDS module. satisfaction of students, faculty, and course leaders was mixed. the time cost required to implement the module was excessive. The intervention effectively taught the basics of PBLI but did not integrate well into the core curriculum. Our multifaceted evaluation approach allowed us to amplify aspects of the intervention that worked well and discard those that did not.

  14. Trust, Growth Mindset, and Student Commitment to Active Learning in a College Science Course.

    PubMed

    Cavanagh, Andrew J; Chen, Xinnian; Bathgate, Meghan; Frederick, Jennifer; Hanauer, David I; Graham, Mark J

    2018-01-01

    There is growing consensus regarding the effectiveness of active-learning pedagogies in college science courses. Less is known about ways that student-level factors contribute to positive outcomes in these contexts. The present study examines students' ( N = 245) trust in the instructor-defined as perceptions of their instructor's understanding, acceptance, and care-and students' attitudes toward learning within an anatomy and physiology course featuring active learning. Analyses indicate that student trust of instructor and students' views of their own intelligence are both associated with student commitment to, and engagement in, active learning. Student-reported trust of the instructor corresponded to final grade, while students' views of their own intelligence did not. In an active-learning context in which students are more fully engaged in the learning process, student trust of the instructor was an important contributor to desired student outcomes. © 2018 A. J. Cavanagh et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2018 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).

  15. Mathematics Learning Styles of Chinese Immigrant Students. Final Research Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsang, Sau-Lim

    Major revision in the U.S. mathematics curriculum since the 1960s have led to significant differences between the mathematics curriculum of the United States and those of many other countries. This study explored how eight Chinese immigrant students, with different cultural backgrounds, mathematics knowledge, and learning styles, learned in an…

  16. The Relevance of Workplace Learning in Guiding Student and Curriculum Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nduna, N. J.

    2012-01-01

    In an attempt to demonstrate the relevance of workplace learning (previously known as "cooperative education") in guiding student and curriculum development, this article presents findings from a research project on the current practice of workplace learning, drawn from an analysis of evaluation reports in a university of technology.…

  17. Placement and Achievement of Urban Hispanic Middle Schoolers with Specific Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrocas, Lisa; Cramer, Elizabeth D.

    2014-01-01

    This study examined achievement gains in reading and math for Hispanic middle school students with specific learning disabilities in inclusive versus segregated settings in a large urban school district. The authors report learning gains for students with and without disabilities in inclusive versus segregated settings. Results indicate no…

  18. Student Learning Networks on Residential Field Courses: Does Size Matter?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langan, A. Mark; Cullen, W. Rod; Shuker, David M.

    2008-01-01

    This article describes learner and tutor reports of a learning network that formed during the completion of investigative projects on a residential field course. Staff and students recorded project-related interactions, who they were with and how long they lasted over four phases during the field course. An enquiry based learning format challenged…

  19. Exemplary Worksite Learning Programs: Preparing Students for the 21st Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Kippy; Souders, Amy

    This report provides information on three Exemplary Worksite Learning Award winning programs in which students learn by participating in hands-on classroom activities and by taking part in worksite experiences. Three sections provide a brief description of each winner. The first provides information on the Breithaupt Career and Technical Center…

  20. Learning English with an Invisible Teacher: An Experimental Video Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisenstein, Miriam; And Others

    1987-01-01

    Reports on an experimental teaching approach, based on an innovative video series, used in an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) class for beginning learners. The tapes, which focused on students as they learned (with the viewers learning along with them), showed generally favorable results for ESL students. (Author/CB)

  1. Equitable Access by Design. A Conceptual Framework for Integrated Student Supports within Linked Learning Pathways

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Velasco, Jorge Ruiz; Newman, Elizabeth; Borsato, Graciela

    2016-01-01

    This report proposes a conceptual framework for defining and implementing a system of integrated student supports that provides equitable access to college and career readiness via Linked Learning pathways in high schools. The framework emphasizes the central commitment of the Linked Learning approach to challenge prevailing norms of…

  2. Supporting Student Outcomes through Expanded Learning Opportunities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Little, Priscilla M.

    2009-01-01

    This purpose of this report is to examine the role of after school and summer learning programs in supporting student success and to help bridge the divide between out-of-school time programs and schools by offering research-derived principles for effective expanded learning partnership efforts. Discussion points include: (1) Benefits of expanded…

  3. Research Committee Issues Brief: Professional Development for Virtual Schooling and Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Niki; Rose, Ray

    2007-01-01

    This report examines the types of professional development necessary to implement successful online learning initiatives. The potential for schools utilizing online learning is tremendous: schools can develop new distribution methods to enable equity and access for all students, they can provide high quality content for all students and they can…

  4. Enhancing Integrative Motivation: The Japanese-American Collaborative Learning Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kato, Fumie

    2016-01-01

    The Collaborative Learning Project is a language exchange program in which American and Japanese university students have the opportunity to interact with native speakers over the course of a three-week period. This paper reports the outcomes of the Collaborative Learning Project in terms of its effectiveness in fulfilling student expectations and…

  5. Cooperative Learning: Exploring Its Effectiveness in the Physics Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ho, Fui Fong; Boo, Hong Kwen

    2007-01-01

    This paper reports on the results of an action research to explore the effectiveness of using cooperative learning strategies on students' academic achievement, their understanding of physics concepts and their motivation to learn in the physics classroom. The study involved a secondary four express physics class of 41 students in a neighbourhood…

  6. Self-Regulated Learning Procedure for University Students: The "Meaningful Text-Reading" Strategy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roman Sanchez, Jose Maria

    2004-01-01

    Introduction: Experimental validation of a self-regulated learning procedure for university students, i.e. the "meaningful text-reading" strategy, is reported in this paper. The strategy's theoretical framework is the "ACRA Model" of learning strategies. The strategy consists of a flexible, recurring sequence of five mental operations of written…

  7. Relating Theory and Practice in Laboratory Work: A Variation Theoretical Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eckerdal, Anna

    2015-01-01

    Computer programming education has practice-oriented as well as theory-oriented learning goals. Here, lab work plays an important role in students' learning. It is however widely reported that many students face great difficulties in learning theory as well as practice. This paper investigates the important but problematic relation between the…

  8. Multiple Perspectives on Student Learning, Engagement, and Motivation in High School Biology Labs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shumow, Lee; Schmidt, Jennifer A.; Zaleski, Diana J.

    2013-01-01

    We present three studies pertaining to learning, engagement and motivation during laboratory lessons in three high school biology classrooms. In the first, quantitative methods are used to compare students' in-the-moment reports of learning, engagement, and motivation during laboratory with other classroom activities. Data were collected with the…

  9. Knowledgeable Learning and Conceptual Change: Value Adding to Teacher Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeigh, Tony

    2013-01-01

    This report concerns the use of pre and post responses to an online questionnaire as evidence of knowledgeable learning by education students at a regional Australian university. Factor analysis was used to reveal conceptual changes in the students' thinking about classroom management across a unit of learning they had undertaken. These changes…

  10. Experiential Learning for Engaging Nutrition Undergraduates with Sustainability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maher, Judith; Burkhart, Sarah

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe students' self-reported learning from engaging in an experiential learning task designed to develop their understanding of sustainable food systems and dietary practices. Design/methodology/approach: In all, 143 first-year students enrolled in an entry level food and nutrition subject undertook a…

  11. "Dear Fresher …"--How Online Questionnaires Can Improve Learning and Teaching Statistics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bebermeier, Sarah; Nussbeck, Fridtjof W.; Ontrup, Greta

    2015-01-01

    Lecturers teaching statistics are faced with several challenges supporting students' learning in appropriate ways. A variety of methods and tools exist to facilitate students' learning on statistics courses. The online questionnaires presented in this report are a new, slightly different computer-based tool: the central aim was to support students…

  12. Designing an Online Writing System: Learning with Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuo, Chih-Hua

    2008-01-01

    The potential of online language learning has received much attention recently. This paper reports the design of an online writing system featuring learning support for non-native students during their writing process. The central premise is that in the online writing situation, students are in great need of writing aids. The proposed system…

  13. 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…

  14. Learner Perspectives of Online Problem-Based Learning and Applications from Cognitive Load Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Ruth

    2016-01-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) courses have historically been situated in physical classrooms involving in-person interactions. As online learning is embraced in higher education, programs that use PBL can integrate online platforms to support curriculum delivery and facilitate student engagement. This report describes student perspectives of the…

  15. Students' Learning in Asynchronous Discussion Forums: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martono, Fkipuntan; Salam, Urai

    2017-01-01

    Asynchronous discussion forums are among the most preferred tools chosen to foster learning opportunities and knowledge construction. To reveal the cognitive engagement evidenced in the transcripts of the discussion forums, this study presents 51 papers. 17 papers reported research on students' attitude toward the use of ICT for learning, 16…

  16. Impeding Phenomena Emerging from Students' Constructivist Online Game-Based Learning Process: Implications for the Importance of Teacher Facilitation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jong, Morris Siu-yung; Shang, Junjie

    2015-01-01

    "Virtual Interactive Student-Oriented Learning Environment" ("VISOLE") is a pedagogical approach to integrating constructivist online game-based learning (COGBLe) into formal teaching in school education. This paper reports a qualitative case study on the implementation of VISOLE (in secondary Geography education) in which we…

  17. Using Blended Learning Design to Enhance Learning Experience in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhou, Mingming; Chua, Bee Leng

    2016-01-01

    This study examined students' views on a blended learning environment designed for 29 in-service teachers in Singapore enrolled in an educational research method course. Their self-report data highlighted that students' prior knowledge and the amount and difficulty of content covered in the course affected the effectiveness of blended learning…

  18. Online Learning Tools for Middle School Science: Lessons Learned from a Design-Based Research Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Knox, Carolyn; Strycker, Lisa A.; Walden, Emily D.

    2017-01-01

    This article reports on how design-based research methodology was used to guide a line of intervention research that developed, implemented, revised, and evaluated online learning science curricula for middle school students, including general education students and English language learners (primarily of Hispanic origin). The iterative,…

  19. A Study of the School to Work Transition for Learning Disabled Students and the Learning Disabled Adult in Society in the Netherlands and Denmark. Final Report, April 14, 1984 to May 26, 1984.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerber, Paul Jay

    The report summarizes findings of 6 weeks spent in the Netherlands and Denmark to study services provided to learning disabled (LD) young adults and adults. The school to work transition for LD students is examined along with the LD adult in society, and comparisons are made between Dutch and Danish approaches. The Dutch system, highly structured…

  20. The effects of inquiry instruction on student learning in technology-based undergraduate chemistry laboratories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meade, Karen Marie

    The purpose of this study was to identify conceptual and attitudinal effects of inquiry learning in technology-based undergraduate chemistry laboratories. There were 428 participants who were registered in general chemistry laboratory at the University of Iowa in the Spring of 2002. Conceptual and attitudinal pretest and posttest results were quantitative in nature. Qualitative results were collected from questionnaires and focus groups. Quantitative data were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance to identify differences between treatment groups. A high-inquiry treatment group was open-ended and required student decisions regarding data collection, data representation, and interpretation. The low-inquiry treatment involved collaboration and traditional learning strategies. Major findings of this study were: (1) Pretest to posttest conceptual gains were significant for both treatment groups. Low-inquiry students performed significantly better on exploration questions than high-inquiry students. (2) Process skills developed at higher levels for high-inquiry students than low-inquiry students. (3) Positive attitudes decreased significantly for all students from pretest to posttest. More favorable attitudes toward science enjoyment and the ability to do well in science were found for high-inquiry students. More favorable attitudes toward science enjoyment and the ability to do well in science were found for low-inquiry males and high-inquiry females. (4) More favorable attitudes toward the nature of science caused by use of the learning cycle were reported by high-inquiry students. (5) Low-inquiry students reported more favorable attitudes toward technologies in the laboratory than did high-inquiry students. Favorable attitudes toward the use of infrared spectrometers and unfavorable attitudes toward the use of pH meters were reported by both treatment groups. (6) More formal reasoning skills were reported by high-inquiry students. Both groups reported that looking for patterns was a common theme in the laboratories. Hypotheses were reported as rarely used by both treatment groups. These findings are significant because they indicate that inquiry activities positively affect attitudes toward science, gender equality, and contribute to the development of formal reasoning skills and process skills.

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