WorldWideScience

Sample records for activities students explore

  1. Student-Produced Podcasts in Language Learning – Exploring Student Perceptions of Podcast Activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Birgit Phillips

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Podcasts are a useful tool for developing speaking skills in language acquisition settings, particularly within the context of the emerging Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL. While much research has emphasized the effectiveness of teacher-produced podcasts, this study seeks to address the gap in knowledge on student-generated podcasts in language learning. In addition to highlighting some of the main pedagogical considerations of using podcasts in language learning, this paper explores students’ perceptions of podcasts as a learning tool. To this end, this study describes the results of two surveys which were conducted with two different student cohorts over the course of two years. The surveys explored the students’ levels of acceptance and enjoyment of activities in which they had to produce their own podcasts, as well as the perceived learning benefits. The discussion section describes a range of positive learning outcomes and highlights the pedagogical implications of using podcasts in class. The paper concludes with some practical suggestions for the effective use of student-generated podcast activities in the language classroom.

  2. Exploring Meaning of Active Learning with Millennial Nursing Students: A Phenomenological Study

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    Szoka, Amy

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this interpretive, phenomenological study was to explore and understand how millennial nursing students perceived their lived experiences of being active learners in an associate degree program and how it affected student learning outcomes and/or program satisfaction. The research questions guiding this study were based on…

  3. Uncovering Students' Environmental Identity: An Exploration of Activities in an Environmental Science Course

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    Blatt, Erica

    2014-01-01

    This study at a public high school in the Northeastern United States explores how students' environmental identities are affected by various activities in an Environmental Science course. Data was collected as part of an ethnographic study involving an Environmental Science teacher and her tenth-twelfth grade students. The results focus on…

  4. Exploring the Effects of Active Learning on High School Students' Outcomes and Teachers' Perceptions of Biotechnology and Genetics Instruction

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    Mueller, Ashley L.; Knobloch, Neil A.; Orvis, Kathryn S.

    2015-01-01

    Active learning can engage high school students to learn science, yet there is limited understanding if active learning can help students learn challenging science concepts such as genetics and biotechnology. This quasi-experimental study explored the effects of active learning compared to passive learning regarding high school students'…

  5. The Musician as (In)Active Athlete?: Exploring the Association Between Physical Activity and Musculoskeletal Complaints in Music Students.

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    Baadjou, Vera A E; Verbunt, Jeanine A M C F; van Eijsden-Besseling, Marjon D F; Huysmans, Stephanie M D; Smeets, Rob J E M

    2015-12-01

    Musicians are often compared to athletes because of the physical exertion required to play music. The aim of this study was to explore the physical activity level of music students and to study its relationship with musculoskeletal complaints. A second goal was to assess associations between physical activity and pain, quality of life, and disability. This cross-sectional study among third- and fourth-year music students used an electronic survey including measures for physical activity (SQUASH-Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-enhancing physical activity), musculoskeletal complaints (DMQ-Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire), disability (DASH-Disability Arm, Shoulder, Hand questionnaire) and quality of life (Short Form-12). Students were classified as compliers or non-compliers with moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity recommendations. Statistical analysis was done using (non)parametric tests (t-test, Pearson chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test) and correlational testing. Participants were 132 students, 63.6% female, with a median age of 23 yrs (range 21.3-25.0). 67% reported musculoskeletal complaints in the past 7 days. Their median physical activity level was 6,390 MET-min/wk, and 62% and 10% of the students accomplished recommendations for moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activity levels, respectively. No significant differences were found in prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints between students who met moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity recommendations and students who did not. Physical activity level was not associated with musculoskeletal complaints (r=0.12, p=0.26). Higher pain intensity was associated with a lower quality of life (r=-0.53 pMusic students are mainly involved in light- to moderate-intensity physical activities and rarely in vigorous-intensity activities. No correlation was found between physical activity level in the past months and musculoskeletal complaints in music students.

  6. Focusing elementary students with active classrooms: exploring teachers’ perceptions of self-initiated practices

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    Christine A. Foran

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of our study was to explore the perceptions of elementary teachers who routinely prioritized physical activity in their classrooms. Researchers are reporting improved student academic test results following physical activity sessions, however, classroom teachers are challenged in balancing curricular and other expectations. Hence, teachers who voluntarily implement physical activity have views that are unique and important for promoting the practice to others. We interviewed seven teachers from grades 1-6, using the qualitative constructivist approach to grounded theory qualitative research. Teachers valued physical activity because it enhanced their students’ focus on classroom activities. Common attributes amongst the teachers were active lifestyles, previous employment experiencesusing physical activity, and a pedagogical approach prioritizing physical activity throughout the day. Additionally, the teachers perceived that belonging to schools with a culture of movement was important. Teachers view physical activity as a teaching asset when they perceive a positive impact on their students’ ability to focus. Specific teacher attributes and a school environment that embraces physical activity may predispose teachers to these views, and represent areas that should be further explored. Pre-service courses could be one way to provide teachers with experience and a repertoire of easy physical activities.

  7. College Student Environmental Activism: How Experiences and Identities Influence Environmental Activism Approaches

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    King, Laura A. H.

    2016-01-01

    College student environmental activism is one way students civically engage in addressing social issues. This study explores the environmental activism of twelve college students and how their experiences outside of college and in college influenced their activism. In addition, how students' identities influenced their approach to activism was…

  8. Self-Guided Field Explorations: Integrating Earth Science into Students' Lives

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    Kirkby, K. C.; Kirkby, S.

    2013-12-01

    Self-guided field explorations are a simple way to transform an earth science class into a more pedagogically effective experience. Previous experience demonstrated that self-guided student explorations of museum and aquarium exhibits were both extremely popular and remarkably effective. That success led our program to test an expansion of the concept to include self-guided student explorations in outdoor field settings. Preliminary assessment indicates these self-guided field explorations are nearly as popular with students as the museum and aquarium explorations and are as pedagogically effective. Student gains on post-instruction assessment match or exceed those seen in instructor-assisted, hands-on, small group laboratory activities and completely eclipse gains achieved by traditional lecture instruction. As importantly, self-guided field explorations provide a way to integrate field experiences into large enrollment courses where the sheer scale of class trips makes them logistically impossible. This expands course breadth, integrating new topics that could not be as effectively covered by the original class structure. Our introductory program assessed two models of self-guided field explorations. A walking/cycling exploration of the Saint Anthony Falls area, a mile from campus, focuses on the intersections of geological processes with human history. Students explore the geology behind the waterfalls' evolution as well as its subsequent social and economic impacts on human history. A second exploration focuses on the campus area geology, including its building stones as well as its landscape evolution. In both explorations, the goal was to integrate geology with the students' broader understanding of the world they live in. Although the explorations' creation requires a significant commitment, once developed, self-guided explorations are surprisingly low maintenance. These explorations provide a model of a simple, highly effective pedagogical tool that is

  9. Exploring whether Students' Use of Labelling Depends upon the Type of Activity

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    Bures, Eva Mary; Abrami, Philip C.; Schmid, Richard F.

    2010-01-01

    This paper explores a labelling feature designed to support higher-level online dialogue. It investigates whether students use labels less often during a structured online dialogue than during an unstructured one, and looks at students' reactions to labelling and to both types of tasks. Participants are from three successive course offerings of a…

  10. Exploring Dance Careers. A Student Guidebook.

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    Cornell, Richard; Hansen, Mary Lewis

    One of six student guidebooks in a series of 11 arts and humanities career exploration guides for grade 7-12 teachers, counselors, and students, this student book on exploration of dance careers presents information on specific occupations in both performance careers and dance education. An introductory section describes the four different dance…

  11. Exploring the daily activities associated with delayed bedtime of Japanese university students.

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    Asaoka, Shoichi; Komada, Yoko; Fukuda, Kazuhiko; Sugiura, Tatsuki; Inoue, Yuichi; Yamazaki, Katuo

    2010-07-01

    University students show delayed sleep-wake patterns, i.e., later bed- and rise-times, and this pattern is known to be associated with various malfunctions. There may be a variety of daily activities associated with their delayed sleep patterns, such as watching TV. However, it is unclear to what extent each activity possesses an impact on their sleep patterns. The purpose of this study was to determine the daily activities associated with delayed bedtime in Japanese university students who live with or without their families. Three hundred and thirty-one participants were required to record the timing and duration of their sleep and daily activities, and the data from the 275 students (160 men and 115 women; 19.01 +/- 1.66 years) who completely filled forms were used for analysis. The results of multiple regression analyses suggested that interpersonal communication late at night is one of the major factors leading to the delayed bedtime of students living away from home. Among those living with their families, indoor activities such as watching TV and using the Internet were related to their delayed bedtimes. Attending classes and having a morning meal were related to the earlier bedtimes of the students living away from home, but there were no activities associated with those of the students living with their families. These results suggest that ensuring attendance at morning classes and having appropriate mealtimes, as well as restricting the use of visual media and socializing activities at night, are necessary for preventing late bedtimes in university students.

  12. Simulated Job Samples: A Student-Centered Approach to Vocational Exploration and Evaluation.

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    Richter-Stein, Caryn; Stodden, Robert A.

    1981-01-01

    Incorporating simulated job samples into the junior high school curriculum can provide vocational exploration opportunities as well as assessment data on special needs students. Students can participate as active learners and decision makers. (CL)

  13. Staff and Student Experiences of Dialogue Days, a Student Engagement Activity

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    Asghar, Mandy

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports the findings from a descriptive phenomenological exploration of the lived experience of dialogue days, a student engagement activity, from the perspectives of staff and students. I suggest that dialogue days enhance the relational and emotional aspects of learning with the potential to impact on future student engagement and…

  14. Exploration of the Moon and Asteroids by Secondary Students

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    Shaner, A. J.; Bakerman, M. N.; Buxner, S.

    2016-12-01

    Since 2014, the Exploration of the Moon and Asteroids by Secondary Students, or ExMASS, program provides an opportunity for students to participate in authentic scientific research. The ExMASS program is an effort managed by the Center for Lunar Science and Exploration (CLSE). Led by the Lunar and Planetary Institute and Johnson Space Center, CLSE is one of nine teams comprising NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). Over the course of one academic year, 10 teams of U.S. high school students conduct their own scientific investigations of Earth's Moon, or asteroids, with guidance from a scientist advisor. The program includes two elements: 1) two guided-inquiry introductory research activities that builds student knowledge of current lunar/asteroid science and lunar/asteroid data, and 2) an open-inquiry research project in which the students apply their knowledge to a self-defined project. Because the research is student-driven, it is not necessarily original research; original research is therefore not required. However, one team's research has been published in a professional journal. At the end of the school year, teams submit an abstract and research poster which are scored by a panel a judges. The top four scoring teams gather virtually to give short presentations to the judges. After presentations and time for Q&A, the judges choose one team to present in person at the Exploration Science Forum (ESF). The posters of all finalist schools are displayed at the ESF. The ExMASS program is evaluated by collecting data on changes in students' lunar/asteroid content knowledge, student attitudes toward science and science careers, and student perceptions of the processes of science in which their team participated. Exit surveys for teachers, students, and advisors are also distributed at the end of each program year to gather general feedback about the program and its impact. Results of this data from the first two years of the Ex

  15. [Career consciousness among Japanese female students: relationships between vocational motivation and career exploration].

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    Adachi, Tomoko

    2008-04-01

    This questionnaire study investigated career consciousness among 348 Japanese female freshman and sophomore college students. Variables included career consciousness (belief in the idea of a best-fit vocation, passivity, and giving priority to personal interests), vocational motives (self-improvement, interpersonal, status), as well as career decision-making self-efficacy (self-appraisal, gathering occupational information) and career exploration (self and environmental exploration). The results of causal analyses showed that the belief in the idea of a best-fit vocation and passivity had effects on all three vocational motives, but giving priority to personal interests had an effect only on motivation for self-improvement. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models were constructed with career exploration as dependent variables, career consciousness as fixed factors, and career decision-making self-efficacy as covariates. The results of the analyses showed that students who had high career decision-making self-efficacy engaged in both self exploration and environmental exploration activities with a higher frequency. Students with a greater passive tendency toward their career engaged in both self and environmental exploration with a lower frequency. Belief in the idea of a best-fit vocation was associated only with differences in frequency of self exploration. Giving priority to personal interests did not produce differences in career exploration activities.

  16. Characterizing and Assessing Co-Curricular Activities for Graduate and Professional-School Students: Exploring the Value of Intentional Assessment Planning and Practice

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    Waryas, Diane E.

    2015-01-01

    This chapter explores the importance of systematic evaluation of co-curricular activities directed at graduate- and professional- school students. Approaches to assessment and benefits of sound practice are presented along with the critical role that institutional researchers can play.

  17. ExplorOcean H2O SOS: Help Heal the Ocean-Student Operated Solutions: Operation Climate Change

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    Weiss, N.; Wood, J. H.

    2016-12-01

    The ExplorOcean H2O SOS: Help Heal the Ocean—Student Operated Solutions: Operation Climate Change, teaches middle and high school students about ocean threats related to climate change through hands-on activities and learning experiences in the field. During each session (in-class or after-school as a club), students build an understanding about how climate change impacts our oceans using resources provided by ExplorOcean (hands-on activities, presentations, multi-media). Through a student leadership model, students present lessons to each other, interweaving a deep learning of science, 21st century technology, communication skills, and leadership. After participating in learning experiences and activities related to 6 key climate change concepts: 1) Introduction to climate change, 2) Increased sea temperatures, 3) Ocean acidification, 4) Sea level rise, 5) Feedback mechanisms, and 6) Innovative solutions. H2O SOS- Operation Climate change participants select one focus issue and use it to design a multi-pronged campaign to increase awareness about this issue in their local community. The campaign includes social media, an interactive activity, and a visual component. All participating clubs that meet participation and action goals earn a field trip to ExplorOcean where they dive deeper into their selected issue through hands-on activities, real-world investigations, and interviews or presentations with experts. In addition to self-selected opportunities to showcase their focus issue, teams will participate in one of several key events identified by ExplorOcean, including ExplorOcean's annual World Oceans Day Expo.

  18. Exploring Cultural Diversity with Business Students

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    Koponen, Jonna; Julkunen, Saara

    2017-01-01

    Courses: Business Communication, Intercultural Communication. Objectives: Students will demonstrate understanding of some of the effects of culture on business communication. Students will explore cultural diversity in customer-seller relationships.

  19. Spitzer - Hot & Colorful Student Activities

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

    2009-01-01

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

  20. An Exploration Of Engagement, Motiviation And Student-Centered Learning In Physical Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara WARNER

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This author examines the discrepancy between the known benefits of physical activity and the startling statistics of obesity in children between the ages of 12 and 17. She queries if it is time to look at educators as contributing to this problem and questions if our current teaching styles and curriculum are working for students. In addition, the author explores the question if by allowing our students autonomy, will this equate to engagement and motivation to continue to participate in physical activities? Through a discussion of her personal experiences and a literature review focusing on the areas of autonomy, engagement and motivation, the author shares input into how and why some students experience physical education in a negative manner, and some things that educators can do to improve student engagement and motivation. Her argument demonstrates that an autonomous, student-centered teaching approach will positively affect student engagement, which in turn causes motivation and a desire to participate in life-long physical activity.

  1. Student Views on Assessment Activities: Perspectives from Their Experience on an Undergraduate Programme

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    Healy, Margaret; McCutcheon, Maeve; Doran, John

    2014-01-01

    Research on assessment activities has considered student responses to specific initiatives, but broader concerns underlying these responses have not been fully explored. Using a survey methodology, this paper explores how students view assessment activities, from the perspective of their experience on a four-year undergraduate programme,…

  2. Exploring the potential of using stories about diverse scientists and reflective activities to enrich primary students' images of scientists and scientific work

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    Sharkawy, Azza

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the potential of using stories about diverse scientists to broaden primary students' images of scientists and scientific work. Stories featuring scientists from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds (i.e., physical ability, gender, ethnicity) were presented to 11 grade one students over a 15 -week period. My analysis of pre-and post audio-taped interview transcripts, draw-a-scientist-tests (Chambers 1983), participant observations and student work suggest that the stories about scientists and follow-up reflective activities provided resources for students that helped them: (a) acquire images of scientists from less dominant socio-cultural backgrounds; (b) enrich their views of scientific work from predominantly hands-on/activity-oriented views to ones that includes cognitive and positive affective dimensions. One of the limitations of using stories as a tool to extend students' thinking about science is highlighted in a case study of a student who expresses resistance to some of the counter-stereotypic images presented in the stories. I also present two additional case studies that illustrate how shifts in student' views of the nature of scientific work can change their interest in future participation in scientific work.

  3. Exploring Cultural Competence amongst OT Students.

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    Govender, Pragashnie; Mpanza, December M; Carey, Tarryn; Jiyane, Kwenzile; Andrews, Bicolé; Mashele, Sam

    2017-01-01

    Occupational therapy relies primarily on communication between the therapist and client for effective intervention. Adequate communication may be influenced by language and cultural differences between the therapist and client. Cultural competence in relation to language and culture is thus a vital part in practice. Limited research exists on cultural competence in occupational therapy students. This study thus aimed to explore the cultural competence of final year students and their perceptions of their own cultural competence, with respect to language and culture in their practice as students. An explorative qualitative study design was utilised with a nonprobability purposeful sample of 21 final year undergraduate students at a tertiary institute in South Africa. Three focus groups were conducted, comprising between 6 and 8 students in each group. Thematic analysis using inductive reasoning was undertaken in order to analyse the students' experiences and understanding of cultural competence. Findings of the study suggest that cultural competence, in relation to language and culture, influences the occupational therapy intervention process. It was shown to both positively and negatively influence intervention through supporting or hindering rapport building, client centeredness, and effective intervention.

  4. Exploring the Greenhouse Effect through Physics-Oriented Activities

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    Browne, Kerry P.; Laws, Priscilla W.

    2003-01-01

    We are developing a new activity-based unit on global warming and the environment as part of the "Explorations in Physics Curriculum." We describe the current status of this unit, which focuses on helping students understand the greenhouse effect and its relationship to global warming. We outline several problems encountered in testing the unit…

  5. Finance Students' Experiences of Lecture-Based Active Learning Tasks

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCullough, Kerry; Munro, Nicholas

    2018-01-01

    Consistent with current higher education concerns with student engagement and the student experience, this study explored third-year undergraduate Finance students' experiences of lecture-based active learning tasks. Finance students from the 2012 and 2014 cohorts from a South African university were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire…

  6. "Borrowing Happiness from the Future": Exploring College Students' Own Experiences on Health-Related Lifestyles

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    Chen, Hsin-Yu; Yarnal, Careen; Bram, Barry

    2017-01-01

    Combining the theory of emerging adulthood with self-authorship, the authors utilized students' reflection papers (n = 111) to explore their current lifestyles and reasons behind behavioral changes. Decreased physical activity, increased substance use, irregular sleep patterns, and unhealthy dietary habits emerged after students transitioned to…

  7. Exploring Formative Assessment Using Cultural Historical Activity Theory

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    Mandy Asghar

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Formative assessment is a pedagogic practice that has been the subject of much research and debate, as to how it can be used most effectively to deliver enhanced student learning in the higher education setting. Often described as a complex concept it embraces activities that range from facilitating students understanding of assessment standards, to providing formative feedback on their work; from very informal opportunities of engaging in conversations, to the very formal process of submitting drafts of work. This study aims to show how cultural historical activity theory can be used as a qualitative analysis framework to explore the complexities of formative assessment as it is used in higher education. The original data for the research was collected in 2008 by semi structured interviews and analysed using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. For this present paper three selected transcripts were re-examined, using a case study approach that sought to understand and compare the perceptions of five academic staff, from three distinct subject areas taught within a UK university. It is proposed that using activity theory can provide insight into the complexity of such experiences, about what teachers do and why, and the influence of the community in which they are situated. Individually the cases from each subject area were analysed using activity theory exploring how the mediating artefacts of formative assessment were used; the often implicit rules that governed their use and the roles of teachers and students within the local subject community. The analysis also considered the influence each aspect of the unit of activity had on the other in understanding formative assessment practice. Subsequently the three subject cases were compared and contrasted. The findings illuminate a variety of practices, including how students and staff engage together in formative assessment activities and for some, how dialogue is used as one of the key tools

  8. Exploring Cultural Competence amongst OT Students

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    Pragashnie Govender

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Occupational therapy relies primarily on communication between the therapist and client for effective intervention. Adequate communication may be influenced by language and cultural differences between the therapist and client. Cultural competence in relation to language and culture is thus a vital part in practice. Limited research exists on cultural competence in occupational therapy students. This study thus aimed to explore the cultural competence of final year students and their perceptions of their own cultural competence, with respect to language and culture in their practice as students. An explorative qualitative study design was utilised with a nonprobability purposeful sample of 21 final year undergraduate students at a tertiary institute in South Africa. Three focus groups were conducted, comprising between 6 and 8 students in each group. Thematic analysis using inductive reasoning was undertaken in order to analyse the students’ experiences and understanding of cultural competence. Findings of the study suggest that cultural competence, in relation to language and culture, influences the occupational therapy intervention process. It was shown to both positively and negatively influence intervention through supporting or hindering rapport building, client centeredness, and effective intervention.

  9. Exploring Students' Perceptions of Service-Learning Experiences in an Undergraduate Web Design Course

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    Lee, Sang Joon; Wilder, Charlie; Yu, Chien

    2018-01-01

    Service-learning is an experiential learning experience where students learn and develop through active participation in community service to meet the needs of a community. This study explored student learning experiences in a service-learning group project and their perceptions of service-learning in an undergraduate web design course. The data…

  10. Preparing Students for (Inter-)Action with Activity Theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bødker, Susanne; Klokmose, Clemens Nylandsted

    2012-01-01

    In this paper we explore recent developments in activity theoretical HCI with the purpose of preparing designers for action. The paper discusses two projects where students engaged in iterative design applying fundamental principles from Activity Theory. They had been introduced to these principles...

  11. EXPLORING THE TERTIARY EFL STUDENTS' ACADEMIC WRITING COMPETENCIES

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    Aunurrahman Aunurrahman

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available For tertiary English as a Foreign Language (EFL students, academic writing is not an easy task. It requires knowledge of the academic writing genres with their particular linguistic features. Moreover, academic writing demands good critical thinking. This research aims to explore the students' academic writing competencies that also focus on critical thinking. The research involved thirty-six first-year tertiary EFL students from a regular class of a private university in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The source for data collection was the students’ texts. Three texts were selected and the students were categorized into low, medium, and high levels of writing achievement. The text analysis utilized functional grammar rooted in systemic functional linguistics (Emilia, 2014. The analysis shows that the students, regardless of their levels of writing achievement, have little control over the schematic structure and linguistic features of an argumentative writing. The text analysis also shows that the students’ texts have some limitations as regards their critical thinking capacity. Still, a few examples of academic language were detected in the texts. The findings suggest that the lecturer should incorporate explicit teaching and cooperative learning activities to alleviate the students' difficulties and develop their academic writing and critical thinking capacity.

  12. A Case Study of International Students' Social Adjustment, Friendship Development, and Physical Activity

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    Li, Shuang; Zizzi, Sam

    2018-01-01

    Previous literature has focused on international student's social transition and monocultural and bicultural ties. Little research has explored international students' multicultural friendship development and the role that physical activity plays in their social interaction. The current case study explored a group of international students'…

  13. Career exploration behavior of Korean medical students.

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    An, Hyejin; Lee, Seung-Hee

    2017-09-01

    This study is to analyze the effects of medical students' social support and career barriers on career exploration behavior mediated by career decision-making self-efficacy. We applied the t-test to investigate the difference among the variables based on gender and admission types. Also, we performed path analysis to verify the effect of perceived career barriers and social support on career exploration behavior with career decision efficacy as a mediator. First, we noted statistically significant gender and admission type difference in social support, career barriers and career exploration behaviors. Second, social support and career barriers were found to influence career exploration behavior as a mediating variable for career decision-making self-efficacy. Social support and career barriers as perceived by medical students influenced their career exploration behavior, with their decision-making self-efficacy serving as a full mediator. Therefore, this study has educational implications for career program development and educational training for career decision-making self-efficacy.

  14. In real time: exploring nursing students' learning during an international experience.

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    Afriyie Asenso, Barbara; Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl; Astle, Barbara

    2013-10-11

    Abstract Nursing education has increasingly turned to international learning experiences to educate students who are globally minded and aware of social injustices in local and global communities. To date, research with international learning experiences has focused on the benefits for the students participating, after they have completed the international experience. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how nursing students learn during the international experience. The sample consisted of eight nursing students who enrolled in an international learning experience, and data were collected in "real time" in Zambia. The students were observed during learning activities and were interviewed three times. Three major themes emerged from the thematic analysis: expectations shaped students' learning, engagement facilitated learning, and critical reflection enhanced learning. Implications are discussed, related to disrupting media representations of Africa that shape students' expectations, and educational strategies for transformative learning and global citizenship.

  15. Perceptions of preclinical medical students towards extracurricular activities.

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    Almasry, Mazen; Kayali, Zeina; Alsaad, Rakan; Alhayaza, Ghada; Ahmad, Mohammad Sharique; Obeidat, Akef; Abu-Zaid, Ahmed

    2017-08-16

    To determine the percentage of students involved in extracurricular activities (EAs), explore relationships between participation in EAs and students' characteristics, and investigate students' perceptions (i.e., motives and barriers) towards participation in EAs. An online, anonymous, random, cross-sectional, self-rating survey was administered during spring 2015-2016 to second-year and third-year students (n=340). Chi-square test was used to explore relationships between participation in EAs and students' characteristics. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the mean 5-point Likert scale responses according to students' characteristics. Statistical significance was determined as pstudents participated in the survey (n=237/340, response rate: 69.7%). Only 143 students (60.3%, n=140/237) participated in EAs, and this percentage significantly differed by gender (χ 2 (1, N=237)=4.3205, pstudents regarding the following barrier: "affect academic performance negatively" (U=5389.5, psatisfactory, and positively related to students' characteristics of male gender, non-Saudi nationality and high cGPA. Medical schools should facilitate all potential motives and resolve all associated barriers towards participation in EAs.

  16. Instructor-Created Activities to Engage Undergraduate Nursing Research Students.

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    Pierce, Linda L; Reuille, Kristina M

    2018-03-01

    In flipped or blended classrooms, instruction intentionally shifts to a student-centered model for a problem-based learning approach, where class time explores topics in greater depth, creating meaningful learning opportunities. This article describes instructor-created activities focused on research processes linked to evidence-based practice that engage undergraduate nursing research students. In the classroom, these activities include individual and team work to foster critical thinking and stimulate student discussion of topic material. Six activities for small and large student groups are related to quantitative, qualitative, and both research processes, as well as applying research evidence to practice. Positive student outcomes included quantitative success on assignments and robust student topic discussions, along with instructor-noted overall group engagement and interest. Using these activities can result in class time for the construction of meaning, rather than primarily information transmission. Instructors may adopt these activities to involve and stimulate students' critical thinking about research and evidence-based practice. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(3):174-177.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  17. Hands-on Activities for Exploring the Solar System in K-14 Formal and Informal Education Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, J. S.; Tobola, K. W.

    2004-12-01

    Introduction: Activities developed by NASA scientists and teachers focus on integrating Planetary Science activities with existing Earth science, math, and language arts curriculum. Educators may choose activities that fit a particular concept or theme within their curriculum from activities that highlight missions and research pertaining to exploring the solar system. Most of the activities use simple, inexpensive techniques that help students understand the how and why of what scientists are learning about comets, asteroids, meteorites, moons and planets. The web sites for the activities contain current information so students experience recent mission information such as data from Mars rovers or the status of Stardust sample return. The Johnson Space Center Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science education team has compiled a variety of NASA solar system activities to produce an annotated thematic syllabus useful to classroom educators and informal educators as they teach space science. An important aspect of the syllabus is that it highlights appropriate science content information and key science and math concepts so educators can easily identify activities that will enhance curriculum development. The outline contains URLs for the activities and NASA educator guides as well as links to NASA mission science and technology. In the informal setting, educators can use solar system exploration activities to reinforce learning in association with thematic displays, planetarium programs, youth group gatherings, or community events. In both the informal and the primary education levels the activities are appropriately designed to excite interest, arouse curiosity and easily take the participants from pre-awareness to the awareness stage. Middle school educators will find activities that enhance thematic science and encourage students to think about the scientific process of investigation. Some of the activities offered may easily be adapted for the upper

  18. U.S. College Student Activism during an Era of Neoliberalism: A Qualitative Study of Students Against Sweatshops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dominguez, Rachel Fix

    2009-01-01

    This article sets out to examine the experiences of college student activists involved in Students Against Sweatshops on the Beautiful River University campus. Based on observation and interview fieldwork, the paper explores how students negotiate and understand their activism against the backdrop of neoliberalism. The paper concludes that being a…

  19. Who perceives they are smarter? Exploring the influence of student characteristics on student academic self-concept in physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Katelyn M; Krieg, Anna; Brownell, Sara E

    2018-06-01

    Academic self-concept is one's perception of his or her ability in an academic domain and is formed by comparing oneself to other students. As college biology classrooms transition from lecturing to active learning, students interact more with each other and are likely comparing themselves more to other students in the class. Student characteristics can impact students' academic self-concept; however, this has been unexplored in the context of undergraduate biology. In this study, we explored whether student characteristics can affect academic self-concept in the context of an active learning college physiology course. Using a survey, students self-reported how smart they perceived themselves to be in the context of physiology relative to the whole class and relative to their groupmate, the student with whom they worked most closely in class. Using linear regression, we found that men and native English speakers had significantly higher academic self-concept relative to the whole class compared with women and nonnative English speakers. Using logistic regression, we found that men had significantly higher academic self-concept relative to their groupmate compared with women. Using constant comparison methods, we identified nine factors that students reported influenced how they determined whether they were more or less smart than their groupmate. Finally, we found that students were more likely to report participating more than their groupmate if they had a higher academic self-concept. These findings suggest that student characteristics can influence students' academic self-concept, which in turn may influence their participation in small-group discussion and their academic achievement in active learning classes.

  20. Exploring Connections Between Earth Science and Biology - Interdisciplinary Science Activities for Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vd Flier-Keller, E.; Carolsfeld, C.; Bullard, T.

    2009-05-01

    To increase teaching of Earth science in schools, and to reflect the interdisciplinary nature and interrelatedness of science disciplines in today's world, we are exploring opportunities for linking Earth science and Biology through engaging and innovative hands-on science activities for the classroom. Through the NSERC-funded Pacific CRYSTAL project based at the University of Victoria, scientists, science educators, and teachers at all levels in the school system are collaborating to research ways of enriching the preparation of students in math and science, and improving the quality of science education from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Our primary foci are building authentic, engaging science experiences for students, and fostering teacher leadership through teacher professional development and training. Interdisciplinary science activities represent an important way of making student science experiences real, engaging and relevant, and provide opportunities to highlight Earth science related topics within other disciplines, and to expand the Earth science taught in schools. The Earth science and Biology interdisciplinary project builds on results and experiences of existing Earth science education activities, and the Seaquaria project. We are developing curriculum-linked activities and resource materials, and hosting teacher workshops, around two initial areas; soils, and marine life and the fossil record. An example activity for the latter is the hands-on examination of organisms occupying the nearshore marine environment using a saltwater aquarium and touch tank or beach fieldtrip, and relating this to a suite of marine fossils to facilitate student thinking about representation of life in the fossil record e.g. which life forms are typically preserved, and how are they preserved? Literacy activities such as fossil obituaries encourage exploration of paleoenvironments and life habits of fossil organisms. Activities and resources are being tested with teachers

  1. Exploring gender differences in attitudes of university students towards entrepreneurship

    OpenAIRE

    Dabić, M; Daim, T; Bayraktaroglu, E; Novak, I; Basic, M

    2012-01-01

    Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand gender differences in entrepreneurial intentions as measured by perceived feasibility and perceived desirability, and to explore gender differences in perceptions of entrepreneurship education needs - in terms of programmes, activities or projects - to succeed in an entrepreneurial career from the university students’ point of view. Design/Methodology/Approach - Using data gathered from 3420 university students in more than 10 countries, an...

  2. A Studi on High Plant Systems Course with Active Learning in Higher Education Through Outdoor Learning to Increase Student Learning Activities

    OpenAIRE

    Nur Rokhimah Hanik, Anwari Adi Nugroho

    2015-01-01

    Biology learning especially high plant system courses needs to be applied to active learning centered on the student (Active Learning In Higher Education) to enhance the students' learning activities so that the quality of learning for the better. Outdoor Learning is one of the active learning invites students to learn outside of the classroom by exploring the surrounding environment. This research aims to improve the students' learning activities in the course of high plant systems through t...

  3. Exploring intercultural competence through an intercultural extracurricular activity in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Kai Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study used interviews to explore how 10 Taiwanese college students' intercultural competence was developed after participating in an intercultural extracurricular activity designed with a purpose to facilitate foreign students’ study in Taiwan and to promote meaningful home-foreign student contacts. In-depth information and narratives from the interviews were collected as evidence of intercultural competence development. The results showed all the interviewees appreciated the experience and felt it to have been of value to them in terms of building international friendships, heightening their intercultural awareness and the benefits of intercultural competence, and having more appreciation and better understanding of Taiwanese culture. Students also realized that a lack of understanding of Taiwanese culture could exacerbate communication difficulties. Students thus became aware of the importance of describing Taiwanese cultural practices in English and realized that more language practice was necessary for smoother communication. Suggestions for both extracurricular activities and language programs improvement in the future were also provided in the conclusion.

  4. The Influence of the Characteristics of Mathematical Outdoor Activities in Mobile Environments on Students' Emotions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wajeeh M. Daher

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available This research attempted to find out how the characteristics of outdoor activities carried out with the mobile phone influence students' emotions. The research findings point at the following components related to the activity as influencing students' emotions: The activity novelty, the activity theme (related to everyday life, related to a new subject related to the students themselves or to an issue or a subject that the students like to do, etc., the activity conditions (its physical part is easy/uneasy to perform, resources are available, etc., the outer environment conditions (hot, warm, cold, etc., the roles which the activity enables (these roles may or may not satisfy a student, the learning method enabled in the activity (exploring mathematical ideas independently, exploring mathematics collaboratively, etc., the challenge or competition associated with the activity (it needs persistence, attention, etc.. These components show that taking care of students' leaning emotions in outdoor mathematical activities can be achieved through paying attention to different aspects of the activity which are outlined above.

  5. Exploring Non-Instructional Factors in Student Evaluations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Holi Ibrahim Holi; Al Ajmi, Ahmed Ali Saleh

    2013-01-01

    The use of student ratings to measure instructors' teaching performance and effectiveness in tertiary education has been an important but controversial tool in the improvement of teaching quality during the past few decades. This is an attempt to explore non-instructional factors of student evaluations by discussing and reviewing relevant…

  6. Exploring Elementary Student Perceptions of Writing Feedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marrs, Sarah; Zumbrunn, Sharon; McBride, Caitlin; Stringer, J. K.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this descriptive qualitative investigation was to explore elementary students' (N = 867) perceptions of the feedback they receive on their writing. After responding to the closed-ended question, "Do you like to receive feedback about your writing?" students were branched to the appropriate follow-up open-ended question,…

  7. High School Student Opinion Polling on Career Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitten, Leah Suzanne

    2011-01-01

    This study examines the use of student learning polls as indicators of student perceptions and influences on career exploration. No Child Left Behind requires schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years to develop continuous improvement plans. The concept of career preparation for students is included in these…

  8. Explor@ Advisory Agent: Tracing the Student's Trail.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundgren-Cayrol, Karin; Paquette, Gilbert; Miara, Alexis; Bergeron, Frederick; Rivard, Jacques; Rosca, Ioan

    This paper presents research and development of an adaptive World Wide Web-based system called Explor@ Advisory Agent, capable of tailoring advice to the individual student's needs, actions, and reactions toward pedagogical events, as well as according to diagnosis of content acquisition. Explor@ Advisory Agent consists of two sub-systems, the…

  9. Teaching medical students to express empathy by exploring patient emotions and experiences in standardized medical encounters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-Moral, Roger; Pérula de Torres, Luis; Monge, Diana; García Leonardo, Cristina; Caballero, Fernando

    2017-09-01

    To increase medical students' ability to detect contextual and emotional cues and to respond empathetically to patients. a training course in communication skills and patient-centered care with different teaching activities (didactic, reflective and interactive: workshops and encounters with simulated patients) was delivered to third-year medical students just before their clerkships. The program was evaluated by an external observer (OE) and simulated patients (SP) in 2 or 3 videotaped encounters. Students improved significantly from baseline to 3rd interview in all communicative skills and domains explored both in OE (32.4%) and SP (38.3%) measurement. At the end of the course students detected significantly more clues and made more empathetic expressions. The course seems to improve the ability of students to explore the illness experience, showing more empathy in a more genuine way. This was carried out in consultations lasting 10min. The program is effective and feasible to be applied as a regular formative activity. Further research is needed to assess whether this training program is applicable to students in more advanced educational levels and if it has any additional outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Teaching the Thrill of Discovery: Student Exploration of Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies with the NOAO Data Lab

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Knut; Walker, Constance E.; Smith, Blake; NOAO Data Lab Team

    2018-01-01

    We describe an activity aimed at teaching students how ultra-faint Milky Way dwarf galaxies are typically discovered: through filtering of optical photometric catalogs and cross-examination with deep images. The activity, which was developed as part of the Teen Astronomy Café program (https://teensciencecafe.org/cafes/az-teen-astronomy-cafe-tucson/), uses the NOAO Data Lab (http://datalab.noao.edu) and other professional-grade tools to lead high school students through exploration of the object catalog and images from the Survey of the Magellanic Stellar History (SMASH). The students are taught how to use images and color-magnitude diagrams to analyze and interpret stellar populations of increasing complexity, including those of star clusters and the Magellanic Clouds, and culminating with the discovery of the Hydra II ultra-faint dwarf galaxy. The tools and datasets presented allow the students to explore and discover other known stellar systems, as well as unknown candidate star clusters and dwarf galaxies. The ultimate goal of the activity is to give students insight into the methods of modern astronomical research and to allow them to participate in the thrill of discovery.

  11. Square Pegs, Round Holes: An Exploration of Teaching Methods and Learning Styles of Millennial College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Regina M.

    2012-01-01

    In an information-saturated world, today's college students desire to be engaged both in and out of their college classrooms. This mixed-methods study sought to explore how replacing traditional teaching methods with engaged learning activities affects millennial college student attitudes and perceptions about learning. The sub-questions…

  12. Moon 101: Introducing Students to Lunar Science and Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaner, A. J.; Shipp, S. S.; Allen, J. S.; Kring, D. A.

    2011-12-01

    Moon 101 is designed with the purpose of familiarizing students with lunar geology and exploration. Armed with guiding questions, students read articles covering various lunar science topics and browse images from past and current lunar missions to familiarize themselves with available lunar data sets. Moon 101 was originally created for high school students preparing to conduct open-inquiry, lunar research. Most high school students' knowledge of lunar science is limited to lunar phases and tides, and their knowledge of lunar exploration is close to non-existent. Moon 101 provides a summary of the state of knowledge of the Moon's formation and evolution, and the exploration that has helped inform the lunar science community. Though designed for high school students, Moon 101 is highly appropriate for the undergraduate classroom, especially at the introductory level where resources for teaching lunar science are scarce. Moon 101 is comprised of two sections covering lunar science (formation and geologic evolution of the Moon) and one section covering lunar exploration. Students read information on the formation and geologic evolution of the Moon from sources such as the Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) website and the USGS professional paper A Geologic History of the Moon by Wilhelms. While these resources are not peer-reviewed journals, the information is presented at a level more advanced than articles from newspapers and popular science magazines. This ensures that the language is accessible to students who do not have a strong lunar/planetary science background, or a strong science background in general. Formation readings include information on older and current formation hypotheses, including the Giant Impact Hypothesis, the Magma Ocean hypothesis, and the age of the lunar crust. Lunar evolution articles describe ideas such as the Late Heavy Bombardment and geologic processes such as volcanism and impact cratering. After reading the articles

  13. Participation Patterns of Korean Adolescents in School-Based Career Exploration Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rojewski, Jay W.; Lee, In Heok; Hill, Roger B.

    2014-01-01

    Variations in the school-based career exploration activities of Korean high school students were examined. Data represented 5,227 Korean adolescents in Grade 11 contained in the Korean Education Longitudinal Study of 2005, a nationally representative longitudinal database administered by the Korean Educational Development Institute. Latent class…

  14. University Student Agency, Representation, and Activism: A Case Study of Students Studying English at Universite Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Senegal)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stafford, Casey

    2012-01-01

    This study explores and interrogates dominant representations of African university students by examining how students conceptualize and act upon their own agency. Using a qualitative case-study approach, the author examines how students actively confront the ideological and material conditions presented by schooling. [The dissertation citations…

  15. Exploration of spatio-temporal patterns of students' movement in field trip by visualizing the log data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Nahye; Kang, Youngok

    2018-05-01

    A numerous log data in addition to user input data are being generated as mobile and web users continue to increase recently, and the studies in order to explore the patterns and meanings of various movement activities by making use of these log data are also rising rapidly. On the other hand, in the field of education, people have recognized the importance of field trip as the creative education is highlighted. Also, the examples which utilize the mobile devices in the field trip in accordance to the development of information technology are growing. In this study, we try to explore the patterns of student's activity by visualizing the log data generated from high school students' field trip with mobile device.

  16. Reflective Processes: A Qualitative Study Exploring Early Learning Student Teacher Mentoring Experiences in Student Teaching Practicums

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Michelle M.

    2013-01-01

    This doctoral thesis explored mentoring in early learning teacher preparation programs. This study explored the reflective processes embedded in the work between student teachers and their mentors during early learning student teacher experiences at Washington State community and technical colleges. Schon's (1987a) concepts of…

  17. Student Activity and Learning Outcomes in a Virtual Learning Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanov, Kalle; Nevgi, Anne

    2008-01-01

    The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between degree of participation and learning outcomes in an e-learning course on medical informatics. Overall activity in using course materials and degree of participation in the discussion forums of an online course were studied among 39 medical students. Students were able to utilise the…

  18. Being a young midwifery student: A qualitative exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenwick, J; Cullen, D; Gamble, J; Sidebotham, M

    2016-08-01

    undergraduate midwifery programmes offer opportunities for school leavers and young people (aged less than 21 years) to enter the profession. There is limited research exploring this age groups experience of their Bachelor of Midwifery programme. In order to retain these students we need to ensure that their experiences of undertaking a Bachelor of Midwifery program are positive and barriers and challenges are minimised. this study explored young midwifery students' experience of their Bachelor of Midwifery program. a descriptive exploratory qualitative approach was used to explore the experiences of eleven students aged 20 years or less on enrolment. Data was collected using face-to-face or telephone-recorded interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analysis the data set. three major themes described the young students' experiences. The first labelled 'The challenges of being young' presented a number of age related challenges including transport issues with on-call commitments as some students had not gained a driver's license. Students experienced some degree of prejudice relating to their age from their older student peers and some clinical staff during placements. 'Finding your way' was the second theme and described the strategies students used to build confidence and competence both in the university and clinical environment. The young students reported a strong commitment to the profession. They demonstrated high levels of connection with women and found the continuity of care experiences invaluable to their learning. The final theme 'Making the transition from teenager to midwife' demonstrated some unique insights into how studying to become a midwife impacted upon their personal and professional growth. the young students in this study encountered some unique issues related to their age. However as they progressed through the program they developed confidence in themselves and visualised themselves as having a long midwifery career. They were strongly

  19. Exploring hurdles to transfer : student experiences of applying knowledge across disciplines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lappalainen, Jouni; Rosqvist, Juho

    2015-04-01

    This paper explores the ways students perceive the transfer of learned knowledge to new situations - often a surprisingly difficult prospect. The novel aspect compared to the traditional transfer studies is that the learning phase is not a part of the experiment itself. The intention was only to activate acquired knowledge relevant to the transfer target using a short primer immediately prior to the situation where the knowledge was to be applied. Eight volunteer students from either mathematics or computer science curricula were given a task of designing an adder circuit using logic gates: a new context in which to apply knowledge of binary arithmetic and Boolean algebra. The results of a phenomenographic classification of the views presented by the students in their post-experiment interviews are reported. The degree to which the students were conscious of the acquired knowledge they employed and how they applied it in a new context emerged as the differentiating factors.

  20. Flipped Classroom with Problem Based Activities: Exploring Self-Regulated Learning in a Programming Language Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çakiroglu, Ünal; Öztürk, Mücahit

    2017-01-01

    This study intended to explore the development of self-regulation in a flipped classroom setting. Problem based learning activities were carried out in flipped classrooms to promote self-regulation. A total of 30 undergraduate students from Mechatronic department participated in the study. Self-regulation skills were discussed through students'…

  1. The Impact of Career Exploration upon the Success of Underrepresented Students in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blair, Elaine J.

    2012-01-01

    Factors that contribute to college student success are multiple. Career exploration as a student success strategy was explored in this study. The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods study was to explore whether there was a relationship between career exploration and the success of underrepresented students in higher education. Quantitative…

  2. Nobody Says No: Student Self-Censorship in a Collaborative Knowledge Building Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Alan; Nason, Rod

    2011-01-01

    This paper explores student self-censorship within an online learning environment. Self-censorship in group activity can be seen as a two-edged sword. While it can be advantageous that a student censor personal frustration and angst when working with others, if the self-censorship impacts on the cognitive contribution a student makes then this may…

  3. Teaching the Thrill of Discovery: Student Exploration of the Large-Scale Structures of the Universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juneau, Stephanie; Dey, Arjun; Walker, Constance E.; NOAO Data Lab

    2018-01-01

    In collaboration with the Teen Astronomy Cafes program, the NOAO Data Lab is developing online Jupyter Notebooks as a free and publicly accessible tool for students and teachers. Each interactive activity teaches students simultaneously about coding and astronomy with a focus on large datasets. Therefore, students learn state-of-the-art techniques at the cross-section between astronomy and data science. During the activity entitled “Our Vast Universe”, students use real spectroscopic data to measure the distance to galaxies before moving on to a catalog with distances to over 100,000 galaxies. Exploring this dataset gives students an appreciation of the large number of galaxies in the universe (2 trillion!), and leads them to discover how galaxies are located in large and impressive filamentary structures. During the Teen Astronomy Cafes program, the notebook is supplemented with visual material conducive to discussion, and hands-on activities involving cubes representing model universes. These steps contribute to build the students’ physical intuition and give them a better grasp of the concepts before using software and coding. At the end of the activity, students have made their own measurements, and have experienced scientific research directly. More information is available online for the Teen Astronomy Cafes (teensciencecafe.org/cafes) and the NOAO Data Lab (datalab.noao.edu).

  4. Self-Regulated Learning and Perceived Health among University Students Participating in Physical Activity Classes

    Science.gov (United States)

    McBride, Ron E.; Altunsöz, Irmak Hürmeriç; Su, Xiaoxia; Xiang, Ping; Demirhan, Giyasettin

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore motivational indicators of self-regulated learning (SRL) and the relationship between self-regulation (SR) and perceived health among university students enrolled in physical activity (PA) classes. One hundred thirty-one Turkish students participating in physical education activity classes at two…

  5. Teacher-student contact : Exploring a basic but complicated concept

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Korthagen, Fred A J; Attema-Noordewier, Saskia; Zwart, Rosanne C.

    2014-01-01

    Contact is fundamental to teacher-student relationships, but empirical studies or theoretical frameworks on teacher-student contact are rare. This article describes a theoretical and empirical exploration aimed at building such a framework. In two studies using classroom observations and interviews

  6. The Effectiveness of WhatsApp Mobile Learning Activities Guided by Activity Theory on Students' Knowledge Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barhoumi, Chokri

    2015-01-01

    This research paper explores the effectiveness of using mobile technologies to support a blended learning course titled Scientific Research Methods in Information Science. Specifically, it discusses the effects of WhatsApp mobile learning activities guided by activity theory on students' knowledge Management (KM). During the 2014 academic year,…

  7. A Post-Intentional Exploration of Agnostic College Students' Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, Amanda

    2017-01-01

    Scholars have adapted college student identity development models to examine and highlight the unique, laborious, and varied experiences of marginalized populations. However, researchers have minimally explored the perspectives of nontheistic and nonreligious college students using poststructural methodologies. I followed a post-intentional…

  8. Career exploration behavior of Korean medical students

    OpenAIRE

    Hyejin An; Seung-Hee Lee

    2017-01-01

    Purpose This study is to analyze the effects of medical students? social support and career barriers on career exploration behavior mediated by career decision-making self-efficacy. Methods We applied the t-test to investigate the difference among the variables based on gender and admission types. Also, we performed path analysis to verify the effect of perceived career barriers and social support on career exploration behavior with career decision efficacy as a mediator. Results First, we no...

  9. Activating Metaphors: Exploring the Embodied Nature of Metaphorical Mapping in Political Discourse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giovanelli, Marcello

    2016-01-01

    Metaphor is generally understood as the process of understanding one thing in terms of another. The activity described here is designed to make use of the principles of embodied cognition and meaning, and specifically the embodied nature of metaphor, to explore political discourse and communication. With high-school junior or senior students in…

  10. Internship training in computer science: Exploring student satisfaction levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaradat, Ghaith M

    2017-08-01

    The requirement of employability in the job market prompted universities to conduct internship training as part of their study plans. There is a need to train students on important academic and professional skills related to the workplace with an IT component. This article describes a statistical study that measures satisfaction levels among students in the faculty of Information Technology and Computer Science in Jordan. The objective of this study is to explore factors that influence student satisfaction with regards to enrolling in an internship training program. The study was conducted to gather student perceptions, opinions, preferences and satisfaction levels related to the program. Data were collected via a mixed method survey (surveys and interviews) from student-respondents. The survey collects demographic and background information from students, including their perception of faculty performance in the training poised to prepare them for the job market. Findings from this study show that students expect internship training to improve their professional and personal skills as well as to increase their workplace-related satisfaction. It is concluded that improving the internship training is crucial among the students as it is expected to enrich their experiences, knowledge and skills in the personal and professional life. It is also expected to increase their level of confidence when it comes to exploring their future job opportunities in the Jordanian market. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Exploring the Drinking/Driving Behaviors and Attitudes of College Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geller, E. Scott

    While there is little research specifically dealing with college students and drunk driving, there is ample evidence of frequent, heavy drinking by students. A series of projects was undertaken to explore college students' drinking behavior and attitudes related to alcohol-impaired driving. These projects included: (1) analysis of behavioral…

  12. Exploring Language Awareness through Students' Engagement in Language Play

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, So-Yeon

    2016-01-01

    The present study explores Korean students' demonstration of language awareness through their engagement in language play. Grounded in the understanding of the relationship between language play and an "engagement with language" (EWL) perspective, this ethnographic and discourse analytic study investigates how Korean students aged 11-15…

  13. The Role of Classroom Characteristics for Students' Motivation and Career Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazarides, Rebecca; Rohowski, Susanne; Ohlemann, Svenja; Ittel, Angela

    2016-01-01

    This study focused on students enrolled in obligatory vocational education courses in German secondary schools that aim to support students' career exploration. The study examined the relations between student-perceived classroom characteristics (support for autonomy, competence and relatedness), students' intrinsic motivation and their career…

  14. Performances of Student Activism: Sound, Silence, Gender, and Dis/ability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasque, Penny A.; Vargas, Juanita Gamez

    2014-01-01

    This chapter explores the various performances of activism by students through sound, silence, gender, and dis/ability and how these performances connect to social change efforts around issues such as human trafficking, homeless children, hunger, and children with varying abilities.

  15. Exploring International Students' Food Choices Using Photovoice Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corcoran, Nova

    2018-01-01

    This study aimed to explore international student food choices in a semirural setting using participatory photovoice techniques. Eighteen international students took photographs over 7-10 days of a typical food week and then attended a workshop where they completed three photography display and captioning tasks. Ten themes emerged linked to the…

  16. K-12 Students' Perceptions of Scientists: Finding a Valid Measurement and Exploring Whether Exposure to Scientists Makes an Impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillman, Susan J.; Bloodsworth, Kylie H.; Tilburg, Charles E.; Zeeman, Stephan I.; List, Henrietta E.

    2014-01-01

    This study was launched from a National Science Foundation GK-12 grant in which graduate fellows in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are placed in classrooms to engage K-12 students in STEM activities. The investigation explored whether the STEM Fellows' presence impacted the K-12 students' stereotypical image of a…

  17. Exploring the extent to which ELT students utilise smartphones for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Zehra

    2015-11-09

    Nov 9, 2015 ... aimed to explore the extent to which English Language Teaching (ELT) students utilise ... Given the fact that almost all students have a personal smartphone, and use it ..... ears as a disadvantage for smartphones (Kétyi,.

  18. The influence of extracurricular activities on middle school students' science learning in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Danhui; Tang, Xing

    2017-07-01

    Informal science learning has been found to have effects on students' science learning. Through the use of secondary data from a national assessment of 7410 middle school students in China, this study explores the relationship among five types of extracurricular science activities, learning interests, academic self-concept, and science achievement. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the influence of students' self-chosen and school-organised extracurricular activities on science achievement through mediating interests and the academic self-concept. Chi-square tests were used to determine whether there was an opportunity gap in the student's engagement in extracurricular activities. The students' volunteer and school-organised participation in extracurricular science activities had a positive and indirect influence on their science achievement through the mediating variables of their learning interests and academic self-concept. However, there were opportunity gaps between different groups of students in terms of school location, family background, and especially the mother's education level. Students from urban areas with better-educated mothers or higher socioeconomic status are more likely to access diverse science-related extracurricular activities.

  19. Career exploration behavior of Korean medical students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyejin An

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose This study is to analyze the effects of medical students’ social support and career barriers on career exploration behavior mediated by career decision-making self-efficacy. Methods We applied the t-test to investigate the difference among the variables based on gender and admission types. Also, we performed path analysis to verify the effect of perceived career barriers and social support on career exploration behavior with career decision efficacy as a mediator. Results First, we noted statistically significant gender and admission type difference in social support, career barriers and career exploration behaviors. Second, social support and career barriers were found to influence career exploration behavior as a mediating variable for career decision-making self-efficacy. Conclusion Social support and career barriers as perceived by medical students influenced their career exploration behavior, with their decision-making self-efficacy serving as a full mediator. Therefore, this study has educational implications for career program development and educational training for career decision-making self-efficacy.

  20. The Influence of Extracurricular Activities on Middle School Students' Science Learning in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Danhui; Tang, Xing

    2017-01-01

    Informal science learning has been found to have effects on students' science learning. Through the use of secondary data from a national assessment of 7410 middle school students in China, this study explores the relationship among five types of extracurricular science activities, learning interests, academic self-concept, and science…

  1. Exploring students' patterns of reasoning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matloob Haghanikar, Mojgan

    As part of a collaborative study of the science preparation of elementary school teachers, we investigated the quality of students' reasoning and explored the relationship between sophistication of reasoning and the degree to which the courses were considered inquiry oriented. To probe students' reasoning, we developed open-ended written content questions with the distinguishing feature of applying recently learned concepts in a new context. We devised a protocol for developing written content questions that provided a common structure for probing and classifying students' sophistication level of reasoning. In designing our protocol, we considered several distinct criteria, and classified students' responses based on their performance for each criterion. First, we classified concepts into three types: Descriptive, Hypothetical, and Theoretical and categorized the abstraction levels of the responses in terms of the types of concepts and the inter-relationship between the concepts. Second, we devised a rubric based on Bloom's revised taxonomy with seven traits (both knowledge types and cognitive processes) and a defined set of criteria to evaluate each trait. Along with analyzing students' reasoning, we visited universities and observed the courses in which the students were enrolled. We used the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) to rank the courses with respect to characteristics that are valued for the inquiry courses. We conducted logistic regression for a sample of 18courses with about 900 students and reported the results for performing logistic regression to estimate the relationship between traits of reasoning and RTOP score. In addition, we analyzed conceptual structure of students' responses, based on conceptual classification schemes, and clustered students' responses into six categories. We derived regression model, to estimate the relationship between the sophistication of the categories of conceptual structure and RTOP scores. However, the

  2. Exploring the Use of Tablets for Student Teaching Supervision

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Joseph A.; Wesley, Whitney M.; Yerrick, Randy

    2016-01-01

    While research on the use of tablets in the field of education is emerging, existing research on the use of this tool for the purposes of student teaching supervision is very limited. This study aimed to explore the application of iPad tablets for student teacher supervision in a teacher preparation program at a large state university in the…

  3. Exploring student teachers' views of science process skills in their ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-08-18

    Aug 18, 2016 ... The purpose of this study was to explore the views of student teachers with regard to the importance they attach to these skills ... and purpose of practical work in science. .... students learn how to use some piece(s) of scientific.

  4. Exploring Native American Students' Perceptions of Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laubach, Timothy A.; Crofford, Geary Don; Marek, Edmund A.

    2012-07-01

    The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore Native American (NA) students' perceptions of scientists by using the Draw-A-Scientist Test and to determine if differences in these perceptions exist between grade level, gender, and level of cultural tradition. Data were collected for students in Grades 9-12 within a NA grant off-reservation boarding school. A total of 133 NA students were asked to draw a picture of a scientist at work and to provide a written explanation as to what the scientist was doing. A content analysis of the drawings indicated that the level of stereotype differed between all NA subgroups, but analysis of variance revealed that these differences were not significant between groups except for students who practised native cultural tradition at home compared to students who did not practise native cultural tradition at home (p educational and career science, technology, engineering, and mathematics paths in the future. The educational implication is that once initial perceptions are identified, researchers and teachers can provide meaningful experiences to combat the stereotypes.

  5. Career exploration in Mozambique : exploratory study with secondary students

    OpenAIRE

    Ussene, Camilo; Taveira, Maria do Céu

    2009-01-01

    This article is part of a larger research project on the evaluation of career intervention needs in Mozambique. It consists of an exploratory study of the career exploration process of Mozambican students attending the 12th grade. The results of the construct validity and clustering analyses of the responses to the Career Exploration Survey (CES; Stumpf, Colarelli, & Hartman, 1983) are discussed, in the light of the career exploration theory and empirical research, namely the cognitive-motiva...

  6. Exploring Nursing Students' Experiences of Learning Using Phenomenography: A Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, Sinead; Ward, Louise; Walter, Ruby

    2017-10-01

    The purpose of this extensive international and national literature review was to explore how phenomenography identifies nursing students' experiences of learning within preregistration (or prelicensure) nursing education. Data were collected utilizing a comprehensive search of electronic databases. Full text, peer-reviewed, and scholarly articles published in English using the search terms phenomengraph*, nurs*, student, education, and learning were reviewed. Two discreet themes emerged exploring students' experiences of learning within preregistration nursing education: (a) Phenomenography was a beneficial method to expose variation in students' understandings of a challenging concept or topic and (b) phenomenography was beneficial to evaluate teaching methods in attempt to improve student learning of challenging and complex concepts. On the basis of these findings, future research utilizing phenomenography within nursing education has potential to uncover variation in students' understandings of mental health, with future consideration of implications to nursing curriculum design and development. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(10):591-598.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  7. Social and Health Factors Associated with Physical Activity among Kuwaiti College Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Isa, Abdulwahab Naser; Campbell, Jennifer; Desapriya, Ediriweera; Wijesinghe, Namal

    2011-01-01

    Our aim was to explore the social and health factors that are associated with the level of physical activity among Kuwaiti college students. A random sample of 787 students (48% males and 52% females) was chosen and weight and height were measured to obtain body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)). Associated social and health factors were obtained using a questionnaire. Those reporting being physically inactive numbered 354 and the remaining 433 were active. Obesity among males was 13% and was 10.5% among females. The social and health factors that were found to be significantly associated with physical activity among the students were gender (P degree (P benefits of being physically active should be instituted to increase the practice of sports and other physical activities in order to control and decrease obesity-related morbidity and mortality.

  8. A mixed-methods study exploring student nurses’ understanding of futile CPR

    OpenAIRE

    Batty, Emma

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Background: Futile CPR has the potential to inflict significant, avoidable harms on dying patients. Futile CPR is widely debated in the literature, but there is little research into futile CPR in the context of nursing. There are no published studies exploring student nurses’ understanding of futile CPR. Aim: To explore student nurses’ understanding of futile CPR Methods: A mixed methods study, using questionnaires to establish background data and identify prominent issues. ...

  9. Engaging Students in a Bioinformatics Activity to Introduce Gene Structure and Function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara J. May

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Bioinformatics spans many fields of biological research and plays a vital role in mining and analyzing data. Therefore, there is an ever-increasing need for students to understand not only what can be learned from this data, but also how to use basic bioinformatics tools.  This activity is designed to provide secondary and undergraduate biology students to a hands-on activity meant to explore and understand gene structure with the use of basic bioinformatic tools.  Students are provided an “unknown” sequence from which they are asked to use a free online gene finder program to identify the gene. Students then predict the putative function of this gene with the use of additional online databases.

  10. Exploring the relationship between physical activity, life goals and health-related quality of life among high school students: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigvartsen, Julie; Gabrielsen, Leiv Einar; Abildsnes, Eirik; Stea, Tonje H; Omfjord, Christina Sandvand; Rohde, Gudrun

    2016-08-03

    Two models were developed to increase high school students' participation in physical education (PE): "motion enjoyment" and "sport enjoyment". The first model focuses on increasing knowledge about the health benefits of a physically active lifestyle and thereby promoting a positive attitude towards physical activity, whereas the second model focuses on techniques and practices for enhancing athletic performance. The aims of the present study are to investigate and understand the similarities and differences between students selecting "motion enjoyment" vs. "sport enjoyment" and to examine the extent to which life goals and reported physical activity are associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A total of 156 high school students (mean age, 16 years [standard deviation = 0.8], 123 girls and 33 boys) were included in this cross-sectional study. HRQOL and life goals were measured using KIDSCREEN-10 and the Adolescent Life Goal Profile Scale, respectively. Physical activity was measured using a self-reporting questionnaire intended to describe the students' leisure-time activity. Independent sample t-tests, chi-square, one-way analyses of variance and multiple regression analysis were applied. Self-reported physical activity level and HRQOL were higher among students in the "sport enjoyment" program, while the perceived importance of life goals was the same regardless of the preferred PE model. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the perceived importance of relations-oriented life goals (B = -5.61; 95 % confidence interval CI = -10.53 to -0.70; p = .026), perceived importance of generativity-oriented life goals (B = 4.14.; 95 % CI = 0.85 to 7.422; p = .014), perceived attainability of relations-oriented life goals (B = 7.28; 95 % CI = 2.49 to 12.07; p = .003), age (B = -7.29; 95 % CI = -11.38 to -3.20; p = .001) and gender, with boys as the reference group (B = -12.10; 95 % CI

  11. Digital Downsides: Exploring University Students' Negative Engagements with Digital Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selwyn, Neil

    2016-01-01

    Digital technologies are now an integral feature of university study. As such, academic research has tended to concentrate on the potential of digital technologies to support, extend and even "enhance" student learning. This paper, in contrast, explores the rather more messy realities of students' engagements with digital technology. In…

  12. Uranium reserves and exploration activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meehan, R.J.

    1975-01-01

    The strategy that ERDA plans to employ regarding resource appraisal is outlined. All types of uranium occurrences will be evaluated as sources of domestic ore reserves. Industry's exploration efforts will be compiled. These data will include information on land acquisition and costs, footage drilled and costs, estimates of exploration activities and expenditures, exploration for non-sandstone deposits, exploration in non-established areas, and foreign exploration plans and costs. Typical data in each of these areas are given

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

    OpenAIRE

    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 studen...

  14. Exploring pre-service science teachers' pedagogical capacity for formative assessment through analyses of student answers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydeniz, Mehmet; Dogan, Alev

    2016-05-01

    Background: There has been an increasing emphasis on empowering pre-service and in-service science teachers to attend student reasoning and use formative assessments to guide student learning in recent years. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore pre-service science teachers' pedagogical capacity for formative assessment. Sample: This study took place in Turkey. The participants include 53 pre-service science teachers in their final year of schooling. All but two of the participants are female. Design and methods: We used a mixed-methods methodology in pursing this inquiry. Participants analyzed 28 responses to seven two-tiered questions given by four students of different ability levels. We explored their ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses in students' answers. We paid particular attention to the things that the pre-service science teachers noticed in students' explanations, the types of inferences they made about students' conceptual understanding, and the affordances of pedagogical decisions they made. Results: The results show that the majority of participants made an evaluative judgment (i.e. the answer is correct or incorrect) in their analyses of students' answers. Similarly, the majority of the participants recognized the type of mistake that the students made. However, they failed to successfully elaborate on fallacies, limitations, or strengths in student reasoning. We also asked the participants to make pedagogical decisions related to what needs to be done next in order to help the students to achieve academic objectives. Results show that 8% of the recommended instructional strategies were of no affordance, 64% of low-affordance, and 28% were of high affordance in terms of helping students achieve the academic objectives. Conclusion: If our goal is to improve pre-service science teachers' noticing skills, and the affordance of feedback that they provide, engaging them in activities that asks them to attend to students' ideas

  15. Incorporating Student Activities into Climate Change Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steele, H.; Kelly, K.; Klein, D.; Cadavid, A. C.

    2013-12-01

    atmospheric circulation with applications of the Lorenz model, explored the land-sea breeze problem with the Dynamics and Thermodynamics Circulation Model (DTDM), and developed simple radiative transfer models. Class projects explored the effects of varying the content of CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere, as well as the properties of paleoclimates in atmospheric simulations using EdGCM. Initial assessment of student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors associated with these activities, particularly about climate change, was measured. Pre- and post-course surveys provided student perspectives about the courses and their learning about remote sensing and climate change concepts. Student performance on the tutorials and course projects evaluated students' ability to learn and apply their knowledge about climate change and skills with remote sensing to assigned problems or proposed projects of their choice. Survey and performance data illustrated that the exercises were successful in meeting their intended learning objectives as well as opportunities for further refinement and expansion.

  16. Exploring Physical Activity by Ethnicity and Gender in College Students Using Social Cognitive Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nehl, Eric J.; Blanchard, Chris M.; Kupperman, Janet; Sparling, Phillip; Rhodes, Ryan; Torabi, Mohammad R.; Courneya, Kerry S.

    2012-01-01

    Intervention;The psychological determinants of physical activity (PA) among college students may vary by ethnicity and gender, but few studies have considered these characteristics. This study tested constructs from Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) by ethnicity and gender to explain differences in PA. A total of 231 Blacks (70% female) and 218 White…

  17. Learning with peers, active citizenship and student engagement in Enabling Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nick Zepke

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines one specific question:  What support do students in Enabling Education need to learn the behaviours, knowledge and attitudes required to succeed in tertiary education, employment and life? Success appears in many guises. It can mean achieving officially desired outcomes such as retention, completion and employment. It can also mean achieving less measurable outcomes such as deep learning, wellbeing and active citizenship. The paper first introduces an overarching success framework before exploring how the widely used student engagement pedagogy can support learners to achieve both official and personal success outcomes. It then develops two specific constructs applicable to Enabling Education as found in student engagement: facilitated peer learning and active citizenship. Peer learning is here connected to tutor supported but peer facilitated mentoring; active citizenship to educational experiences in classrooms, institutions and workplaces that support flexibility, resilience, openness to change and diversity. The paper includes examples of how facilitated peer learning and active citizenship can build success in practice.

  18. Giving children space: A phenomenological exploration of student experiences in space science inquiry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horne, Christopher R.

    This study explores the experiences of 4th grade students in an inquiry-based space science classroom. At the heart of the study lies the essential question: What is the lived experience of children engaged in the process of space science inquiry? Through the methodology of phenomenological inquiry, the author investigates the essence of the lived experience of twenty 4th grade students as well as the reflections of two high school students looking back on their 4th grade space science experience. To open the phenomenon more deeply, the concept of space is explored as an overarching theme throughout the text. The writings of several philosophers including Martin Heidegger and Hans-Georg Gadamer are opened up to understand the existential aspects of phenomenology and the act of experiencing the classroom as a lived human experience. The methodological structure for the study is based largely on the work of Max van Manen (2003) in his seminal work, Researching Lived Experience, which describes a structure of human science research. A narrative based on classroom experiences, individual conversations, written reflections, and group discussion provides insight into the students' experiences. Their stories and thoughts reveal the themes of activity , interactivity, and "inquiractivity," each emerging as an essential element of the lived experience in the inquiry-based space science classroom. The metaphor of light brings illumination to the themes. Activity in the classroom is associated with light's constant and rapid motion throughout the Milky Way and beyond. Interactivity is seen through students' interactions just as light's reflective nature is seen through the illumination of the planets. Finally, inquiractivity is connected to questioning, the principal aspect of the inquiry-based classroom just as the sun is the essential source of light in our solar system. As the era of No Child Left Behind fades, and the next generation of science standards emerge, the

  19. Exploring the cultural competence of undergraduate nursing students in Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halabi, Jehad O; de Beer, Jennifer

    2018-03-01

    To explore the cultural competence of undergraduate nursing students at a college of nursing, Saudi Arabia. A descriptive exploratory design was used to explore the Saudi undergraduate nursing students' level of cultural competency. The convenience sample included 205 nursing students affiliated with a college of nursing at a health science university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence-Revised (IAPCC-R) consisting of 25 items. The tool reported acceptable reliability of Cronbach alpha 0.89. The majority of students were culturally aware and dealt with people from different cultures. One-third preferred to have training on culture over a period of time. Half the students preferred studying a special course related to working with people from different cultures. Cultural desire reported the highest mean while cultural knowledge scored the lowest among the cultural competence subscales despite students being exposed to some cultural knowledge content in their training. Implementing the guidelines for culturally competent care assure covering all aspects of care with consideration of cultural heritage as a main concept. Comparative study of nurses' and students' perception is further recommended. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haraldseid, Cecilie; Friberg, Febe; Aase, Karina

    2016-01-01

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

  1. Preparing Graduate Students for Solar System Science and Exploration Careers: Internships and Field Training Courses led by the Lunar and Planetary Institute

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaner, A. J.; Kring, D. A.

    2015-12-01

    To be competitive in 21st century science and exploration careers, graduate students in planetary science and related disciplines need mentorship and need to develop skills not always available at their home university, including fieldwork, mission planning, and communicating with others in the scientific and engineering communities in the U.S. and internationally. Programs offered by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) address these needs through summer internships and field training programs. From 2008-2012, LPI hosted the Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program. This special summer intern program evaluated possible landing sites for robotic and human exploration missions to the lunar surface. By the end of the 2012 program, a series of scientifically-rich landing sites emerged, some of which had never been considered before. Beginning in 2015 and building on the success of the lunar exploration program, a new Exploration Science Summer Intern Program is being implemented with a broader scope that includes both the Moon and near-Earth asteroids. Like its predecessor, the Exploration Science Summer Intern Program offers graduate students a unique opportunity to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. The program's activities may involve assessments and traverse plans for a particular destination or a more general assessment of a class of possible exploration targets. Details of the results of these programs will be discussed. Since 2010 graduate students have participated in field training and research programs at Barringer (Meteor) Crater and the Sudbury Impact Structure. Skills developed during these programs prepare students for their own thesis studies in impact-cratered terrains, whether they are on the Earth, the Moon, Mars, or other solar system planetary surface. Future field excursions will take place at these sites as well as the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field. Skills

  2. Teaching Reconsidered: Exploring the Teaching Experiences of Student Affairs Professionals in the College Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramona Meraz Lewis

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Aim/Purpose\tThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of student affairs professionals who teach in a variety of college classroom settings. Background\tIncreasingly, student affairs professionals are serving in teaching roles inside the college classroom; yet, there are few empirical studies that explore that teaching role or the impacts of that teaching experience. Because there are so few studies, we know little of the impacts of these experiences on the individual, the institution, or students. Methodology\tThis qualitative study explores the experiences of student affairs professionals who also teach in a variety of campus and classroom settings. The 12 participants from 11 different institutions ranged in years of service in the profession from six to 40 years. They taught an array of undergraduate and graduate courses including first-year experience and career courses, general education courses, and courses in higher education graduate programs. Participants share insights on how their training as student affairs professionals impacts them in their roles as college teachers. Findings\tThe findings are categorized into two broad themes: the impacts of practice on teaching and the impacts of teaching on practice. Additionally, participants share how their teaching experiences enhanced their awareness of the academic culture of the academy, enriched their understanding of students, and improved collaborations across their campuses. Future Research\tOur research addresses the gap in the literature by providing a number of considerations on how formal teaching and student affairs practice have a recursive relationship. Future research might explore how teaching at the undergraduate level may differ from teaching at the graduate level. Future research, should explore in what, if any, ways the number of years teaching influences how professionals approach teaching. Future research on teaching might also explore the experiences of

  3. Developing and Implementing Inquiry-Based, Water Quality Laboratory Experiments for High School Students to Explore Real Environmental Issues Using Analytical Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandler, Daphna; Blonder, Ron; Yayon, Malka; Mamlok-Naaman, Rachel; Hofstein, Avi

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the rationale and the implementation of five laboratory experiments; four of them, intended for high-school students, are inquiry-based activities that explore the quality of water. The context of water provides students with an opportunity to study the importance of analytical methods and how they influence our everyday…

  4. A career exploration assignment for first-year pharmacy students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sholy, Lydia; Zeenny, Rony

    2013-11-12

    To develop, implement, and assess student-learning outcomes from an assignment designed to expose first-year pharmacy students (P1) to a wide range of pharmacy career pathways. Students enrolled in a required Pharmacy Practice and Ethics course at the Lebanese American University chose 1 pharmacist career to investigate from a suggested list of 28 career pathways. Students completed a literature review on the selected career, interviewed a pharmacist practicing that career path in Lebanon, wrote a paper, and prepared and delivered a summary presentation to their classmates about the career pathway. Students peer evaluated their classmates after each presentation. More than 85% of the students scored ≥70% on the assignment based on their achievement of student learning outcomes. Responses on an anonymous questionnaire showed that more than 94.6% of students were satisfied with the extent to which the course allowed them to meet the established learning outcomes. A career exploration assignment provided pharmacy students with an opportunity to widen their knowledge and understanding of the different career pathways that are available for them.

  5. Effects of Implementing STEM-I Project-Based Learning Activities for Female High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lou, Shi-Jer; Tsai, Huei-Yin; Tseng, Kuo-Hung; Shih, Ru-Chu

    2014-01-01

    This study aims to explore the application of STEM-I (STEM-Imagination) project-based learning activities and its effects on the effectiveness, processes, and characteristics of STEM integrative knowledge learning and imagination development for female high school students. A total of 72 female high school students were divided into 18 teams.…

  6. Exploring the Potential of Using Stories about Diverse Scientists and Reflective Activities to Enrich Primary Students' Images of Scientists and Scientific Work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharkawy, Azza

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the potential of using stories about diverse scientists to broaden primary students' images of scientists and scientific work. Stories featuring scientists from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds (i.e., physical ability, gender, ethnicity) were presented to 11 grade one students over a 15-week…

  7. The International News Journal, Inc. Teacher Resource Manual [and] Student Activities. Second Edition. Exploring the Marketplace Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinke, Robert; McGuire, Margit; Reinke, Diane Wilcox

    This teacher resource manual and student activities economics education unit provides students with the opportunity to use economic content and related skills as they learn about the U.S. economic system and its relationship to the world economy. The lessons link to economic content and other subject areas traditionally taught in grades 5, 6, and…

  8. Exploring the Solar System Activities Outline: Hands-On Planetary Science for Formal Education K-14 and Informal Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, J. S.; Tobola, K. W.; Lindstrom, M. L.

    2003-01-01

    Activities by NASA scientists and teachers focus on integrating Planetary Science activities with existing Earth science, math, and language arts curriculum. The wealth of activities that highlight missions and research pertaining to the exploring the solar system allows educators to choose activities that fit a particular concept or theme within their curriculum. Most of the activities use simple, inexpensive techniques that help students understand the how and why of what scientists are learning about comets, asteroids, meteorites, moons and planets. With these NASA developed activities students experience recent mission information about our solar system such as Mars geology and the search for life using Mars meteorites and robotic data. The Johnson Space Center ARES Education team has compiled a variety of NASA solar system activities to produce an annotated thematic outline useful to classroom educators and informal educators as they teach space science. An important aspect of the outline annotation is that it highlights appropriate science content information and key science and math concepts so educators can easily identify activities that will enhance curriculum development. The outline contains URLs for the activities and NASA educator guides as well as links to NASA mission science and technology. In the informal setting educators can use solar system exploration activities to reinforce learning in association with thematic displays, planetarium programs, youth group gatherings, or community events. Within formal education at the primary level some of the activities are appropriately designed to excite interest and arouse curiosity. Middle school educators will find activities that enhance thematic science and encourage students to think about the scientific process of investigation. Some of the activities offered are appropriate for the upper levels of high school and early college in that they require students to use and analyze data.

  9. Exploring student teachers' perceptions of the influence of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rapid global technological developments have affected all facets of life, including the teaching and learning of mathematics. This qualitative study was designed to identify the ways in which technology was used and to explore the nature of this use by a group of 52 mathematics student teachers. The participants were ...

  10. Unlocking Resources: Self-Guided Student Explorations of Science Museum and Aquarium Exhibits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkby, K. C.; Phipps, M.; Hamilton, P.

    2010-12-01

    Remarkably few undergraduate programs take full advantage of the rich resources provided by science museums, aquariums and other informal science education institutions. This is not surprising considering the logistical hurdles of class trips, but an even more fundamental barrier is that these institutions’ exhibit text seldom explicitly convey their information at a level suitable for undergraduate curriculum. Traditionally, this left the burden of interpretation on individual instructors, who rarely have the time to undertake it. To overcome these hurdles, the University of Minnesota has partnered with the Science Museum of Minnesota and Underwater Adventures Aquarium to test the efficacy of self-guided student explorations in revealing the rich data encoded in museum and aquarium exhibits. An initial module at the Science Museum of Minnesota focused on interpreting animal designs, specifically exploring how differences in dinosaur skeletal features reflected variations in the animals’ lifestyles. Students learn to interpret diet and lifestyle not only from characteristics of the skull and teeth, but also from variations in vertebrae and rib design or the relative proportion of limb elements. A follow-up module, based on exhibits at Underwater Adventures Aquarium focuses on interpreting energy flow through ecosystems from the behavior of living organisms. Students explore the information on lifestyle and diet that is encoded in a sturgeon’s ceaseless glide or a muskellunge’s poised stillness. These modules proved to be immensely popular with students. In classes with up to 500 students, half to two-thirds of the students volunteered to complete the modules, despite the additional expense and distances of up to 13 miles between the University and partner institutions. More importantly, quantitative assessment with pre-instruction and post-instruction surveys demonstrate that these ungraded, self-guided explorations match or exceed the efficacy of

  11. Exploring multiliteracies, student voice, and scientific practices in two elementary classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allison, Elizabeth Rowland

    This study explored the voices of children in a changing world with evolving needs and new opportunities. The workplaces of rapidly moving capitalist societies value creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills which are of growing importance and manifesting themselves in modern K-12 science classroom cultures (Gee, 2000; New London Group, 2000). This study explored issues of multiliteracies and student voice set within the context of teaching and learning in 4th and 5th grade science classrooms. The purpose of the study was to ascertain what and how multiliteracies and scientific practices (NGSS Lead States, 2013c) are implemented, explore how multiliteracies influence students' voices, and investigate teacher and student perceptions of multiliteracies, student voice, and scientific practices. Grounded in a constructivist framework, a multiple case study was employed in two elementary classrooms. Through observations, student focus groups and interviews, and teacher interviews, a detailed narrative was created to describe a range of multiliteracies, student voice, and scientific practices that occurred with the science classroom context. Using grounded theory analysis, data were coded and analyzed to reveal emergent themes. Data analysis revealed that these two classrooms were enriched with multiliteracies that serve metaphorically as breeding grounds for student voice. In the modern classroom, defined as a space where information is instantly accessible through the Internet, multiliteracies can be developed through inquiry-based, collaborative, and technology-rich experiences. Scientific literacy, cultivated through student communication and collaboration, is arguably a multiliteracy that has not been considered in the literature, and should be, as an integral component of overall individual literacy in the 21st century. Findings revealed four themes. Three themes suggest that teachers address several modes of multiliteracies in science, but identify

  12. Exploring the Climate for Overweight and Obese Students in a Student Health Setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedersen, Peggy J.; Ketcham, Patricia L.

    2009-01-01

    Attitudes and beliefs of health care providers, in conjunction with a nonthreatening physical environment, are important components in establishing a constructive and supportive climate for care of overweight and obese students. Objective: The authors explored providers' attitudes about obesity and assessed the physical environment in a student…

  13. Exploring Plagiarism into Perspectives of Indonesian Academics and Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rina Agustina

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Plagiarism has been done by students from around the globes. There has been a heated discussion of finding reasons why plagiarism occurred in academic world and Eastern students in particular. This research wants to explore how actually students perceive plagiarism in their academic writing as well as how lecturers coped with plagiarism in the students’ assignments. The research participants were taken from 2 different majors, 32 English Education students and 10 Psychology students as well as 5 lecturers from English Education Department and 3 lecturers from Psychology Faculty in one of private universities in Central Java Province, Indonesia. Questionnaires were distributed to those respondents and also interviews were conducted to several lecturers and students. The results of questionnaire and interview showed that both students and lecturers knew and understand the essence of plagiarism, however, students admitted that they still plagiarised in their assignment. Lecturers, on the other hand, revealed that they could figure out when students plagiarised others’ works. However, it was limited to crossing over assignments between students. In other words, detecting plagiarism was done manually and restricted to students’ written works only. In conclusion, despite comprehending the meaning of plagiarism, student still plagiarised since there was not any real action from lecturers to encounter it.

  14. Exploring student teachers' perceptions of the influence of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    2015-11-11

    Nov 11, 2015 ... This qualitative study was designed to identify the ways in which technology was used and to explore the nature of ... The use of technology requires research and careful planning in order for it to .... Methodology .... teaching by the student teachers, the social inter- ..... and quantitative approaches (7th ed).

  15. Introducing Students to Career Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beutler, Steve

    2008-01-01

    Using a Web-based program he developed, one educator is helping students understand how their career and lifestyle choices are linked. MyLife, a Web-based life-planning program for young people, offers comprehensive budget activity in which participants develop simulations of their fantasy futures and calculate their future monthly…

  16. An exploration of student midwives' language to describe non-formal learning in professional practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finnerty, Gina; Pope, Rosemary

    2005-05-01

    The essence of non-formal learning in midwifery practice has not been previously explored. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the language of a sample of student midwives' descriptions of their practice learning in a range of clinical settings. The students submitted audio-diaries as part of a national study (Pope, R., Graham. L., Finnerty. G., Magnusson, C. 2003. An investigation of the preparation and assessment for midwifery practice within a range of settings. Project Report. University of Surrey). Participants detailed their learning activities and support obtained whilst working with their named mentors for approximately 10 days or shifts. The rich audio-diary data have been analysed using Discourse Analysis. A typology of non-formal learning (Eraut, M. 2000. Non-formal learning and implicit knowledge in professional work. British Journal of Educational Psychology 70, 113-136) has been used to provide a framework for the analysis. Non-formal learning is defined as any learning which does not take place within a formally organised learning programme (Eraut, M. 2000. Non-formal learning and implicit knowledge in professional work. British Journal of Educational Psychology 70, 113-136). Findings indicate that fear and ambiguity hindered students' learning. Recommendations include the protection of time by mentors within the clinical curriculum to guide and supervise students in both formal and non-formal elements of midwifery practice. This paper will explore the implications of the findings for practice-based education.

  17. Unpacking the Value of Writing: Exploring College Students' Perceptions of Writing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zumbrunn, Sharon; Carter, Yvette M.; Conklin, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    This study explored college students' beliefs about the value of writing, their past experiences with writing, and the relationship between students' prior experiences with writing and writing value beliefs. One hundred fourteen undergraduates from a public Southeastern university participated in the study. Using expectancy-value theory as a…

  18. Exploring the Differences of Undergraduate Students' Perceptual Learning Styles in International Business Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Ning; Lin, Wei

    2013-01-01

    More than 45,000 international students are now studying for bachelor programs in The Netherlands. The number of Asian students increased dramatically in the past decade. The current research aims at examining the differences between Western European and Asian students' perceptual learning styles, and exploring the relationships between students'…

  19. Exploring nutritional status, physical activity and body mass index of Pakistani teens

    OpenAIRE

    Kiran Khan; Nazia Jameel; Rehana Khalil; Saadia Gul

    2016-01-01

    Background: Obesity is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem in Pakistan, as it has in other developing countries. Childhood obesity poses high cost to the well-being and negatively affects children's health, causes chronic disease as children grow older. The aim of this study was to explore nutritional status, physical activity and body mass index (BMI) of school and college going students of mid and late adolescence age (14 to 19 years) studying in multi-ethnic city of Karachi, Pakista...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  1. Associations between Physical Activity and Reduced Rates of Hopelessness, Depression, and Suicidal Behavior among College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taliaferro, Lindsay A.; Rienzo, Barbara A.; Pigg, R. Morgan; Miller, M. David; Dodd, Virginia J.

    2009-01-01

    Objective: The authors explored associations among types of physical activity and hopelessness, depression, and suicidal behavior among college students. Participants: Participants included 43,499 college students aged 18 to 25 who completed the 2005 National College Health Assessment conducted by the American College Health Association. Methods:…

  2. The Binary System Laboratory Activities Based on Students Mental Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albaiti, A.; Liliasari, S.; Sumarna, O.; Martoprawiro, M. A.

    2017-09-01

    Generic science skills (GSS) are required to develop student conception in learning binary system. The aim of this research was to know the improvement of students GSS through the binary system labotoratory activities based on their mental model using hypothetical-deductive learning cycle. It was a mixed methods embedded experimental model research design. This research involved 15 students of a university in Papua, Indonesia. Essay test of 7 items was used to analyze the improvement of students GSS. Each items was designed to interconnect macroscopic, sub-microscopic and symbolic levels. Students worksheet was used to explore students mental model during investigation in laboratory. The increase of students GSS could be seen in their N-Gain of each GSS indicators. The results were then analyzed descriptively. Students mental model and GSS have been improved from this study. They were interconnect macroscopic and symbolic levels to explain binary systems phenomena. Furthermore, they reconstructed their mental model with interconnecting the three levels of representation in Physical Chemistry. It necessary to integrate the Physical Chemistry Laboratory into a Physical Chemistry course for effectiveness and efficiency.

  3. Exploring Student Perceptions of Audiovisual Feedback via Screencasting in Online Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathieson, Kathleen

    2012-01-01

    Using Moore's (1993) theory of transactional distance as a framework, this action research study explored students' perceptions of audiovisual feedback provided via screencasting as a supplement to text-only feedback. A crossover design was employed to ensure that all students experienced both text-only and text-plus-audiovisual feedback and to…

  4. Self-reported extracurricular activity, academic success, and quality of life in UK medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lumley, Sophie; Ward, Peter; Roberts, Lesley; Mann, Jake P

    2015-09-19

    To explore the relationship between academic performance, extracurricular activity, and quality of life at medical school in the UK to aid our understanding of students' work-life balance. A cross-sectional study, using an electronic questionnaire distributed to UK final year medical students across 20 medical schools (4478 students). Participants reported the hours of self-regulated learning and extracurricular activities undertaken each year at medical school; along with their academic decile (1 = highest, 10 = lowest). Self-reported quality of life (QoL) was assessed using an established screening tool (7 = highest, 1 = lowest). Seven hundred responses were obtained, across 20 participating medical schools, response rate 16% (700/4478). Factors associated with higher academic achievement were: graduate entry course students (2 deciles higher, p students attain higher decile scores despite similar self-reported duration of study.

  5. Exploring Students' Conceptions of Science Learning via Drawing: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Wen-Min; Tsai, Chin-Chung

    2017-01-01

    This cross-sectional study explored students' conceptions of science learning via drawing analysis. A total of 906 Taiwanese students in 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade were asked to use drawing to illustrate how they conceptualise science learning. Students' drawings were analysed using a coding checklist to determine the presence or absence…

  6. Burnout and its association with extracurricular activities among medical students in Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almalki, Sami A; Almojali, Abdullah I; Alothman, Ali S; Masuadi, Emad M; Alaqeel, Meshal K

    2017-04-26

    To assess levels of burnout in medical students, and to explore the influence of extracurricular activities on burnout at a medical school in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was conducted with first to fourth year medical students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Socio-demographic, burnout level (the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey, MBI-SS) and participation in extracurricular activities data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using the Pearson's chi-square test and binary logistic regression. From the 306 medical students approached, 249 (81.4%) completed the questionnaire. The level of high burnout was 67.1% (n=167). The study revealed that the majority (62.3%, n=155) of students had high levels of cynicism, 58.6% (n=146) had high levels of emotional exhaustion, and 60.2% (n=150) had low levels of professional efficacy. Most of the students (73.5%, n=183) participated in extracurricular activities, and 112 (45%) students were organizers of extracurricular activities. No significant association was found between burnout levels and the frequency of involvement in extracurricular activities (χ 2 =2.2, df=2, p=0.333). However, students who were organizing extracurricular activities were less likely to have low professional efficacy (OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.27- 0.96). High levels of burnout were reported at this medical school. Although the burnout level is not significantly associated with the frequency of involvement in extracurricular activities, leading and organizing extracurricular activities might result in lower levels of burnout. Therefore, improving the students' leadership skills should be considered in curriculum planning, and greater emphasis should be placed on the quality of involvement in extracurricular activities rather than the quantity.

  7. Addiction Studies: Exploring Students' Attitudes toward Research in a Graduate Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Raven; Simons, Lori

    2011-01-01

    An exploratory study was conducted to compare addiction studies and community counseling students' attitudes toward research. A survey of 66 addiction studies and 17 community counseling students in graduate programs was used to explore interest and self-efficacy in research and the research training environment. A pre/post test design was used to…

  8. Exploring Gender through Education Abroad Programs: A Graduate Student Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Squire, Dian D.; Williams, Terry E.; Cartwright, Matthew; Jourian, T. J.; Monter, Marie; Weatherford, Amy

    2015-01-01

    This case study explores how graduate students who attended a short-term education abroad program understood gender as a result of participation in the trip. Findings reveal that students' understandings of gender are influenced by in and out of class contexts. Implications for faculty and education abroad practitioners are shared to deepen and…

  9. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Physical Activity in Nursing and Midwifery Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazem Hosseinzadeh

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background There are some mediators that affect physical activity such as knowledge and attitude. Some barriers such as lack of time, bad environments may impede doing physical activities. It sounds that lack of time is a common barrier to do physical activity in nursing and midwifery students. Since they encounter some factors that affect their health, this knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP study may be helpful to maintain and improve their health. Objectives The current study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice related to physical activity in nursing and midwifery students. Patients and Methods By simple randomized sampling method, 200 subjects were enrolled in the study. Based on the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ, a standard checklist was used to gather the related data. Then, the data were analyzed by SPSS software in 95% confidence interval (CI. Results Mean and standard deviation of subjects’ attitude was 5.9 ± 3.1 (minimum: -3, maximum: 14, median: 6. There was no significant difference in the means of knowledge and attitude between genders, and also between nursing and midwifery students. There was significant difference only regarding walking (P = 0.017, stretching (P = 0.050 and body building (P = 0.040 between the students in 95% CI. Conclusions Based on the current study finding, planning is needed to increase KAP of the students regarding physical activity. Some types of physical activity are more attractive than others for males and females separately, yet it is important to encourage the nursing and midwifery students to examine a variety of physical activities and help them find suitable activities.

  10. One-Two Punch: Utilizing Teacher Research Experiences and Related Classroom Activities to Increase Student Interest in STEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wold-Brennon, R.; Cooper, S. K.

    2014-12-01

    Through collaborations between scientists and educators, the Consortium for Ocean Leadership developed a series of marine geosciences classroom activities and lesson plans -- including the Adopt-a-Microbe project, a collection of hands-on science lessons that use the sub-seafloor microbiology topics to provide engaging pathways for K-12 students to learn about the world around them. The goal of these activities has been to introduce youth to deep ocean exploration, inspire interest in microbial oceanography, and foster higher education goals and career paths in related sciences for our youth. From the beginning, these lessons were developed in close working relationships between scientists and educators, and the lessons geared towards middle school have been recently piloted with the intent to maximize sustained student interest in STEM topics. While teaching these units, educators used surveys, polls, group discussions, and interviews to shed light on correlations between student interest in STEM and their close proximity to exemplary and enthusiastic educators and student leaders who are active in STEM activities such as research projects and expeditions. Educators continue to use Adopt-a-Microbe and related expedition science-based lessons to explore the broader impacts of their professional development in the Geosciences on their students' professed interest in STEM.

  11. Physical active rest in education of active personality of students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zaycev V.P.

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Meaningfulness of physical recreation is rotined in education of active personality of students. Research material is literary sources on this issue. Factors which influence on an educate function of personality of students are considered. Application of physical recreation is grounded for education of active personality of students. It is marked that physical recreation in pedagogical process decides educate, educational, health and social tasks. It positively influences on education of active personality of students. It is rotined that in education of active personality of students an important role is played by their research activity.

  12. Exploring Erasmus student mobility in Ukraine: A case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yevhen Baranchenko

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available In the context of increasing interest in the internationalisation of education, the Erasmus programme of student mobility led by the European Commission is perceived as a highly desirable by many stakeholders.  Despite the high demand emanating from Ukrainian students for Erasmus programme participation, the inward student mobility of EU nationals to Ukraine remains exceptionally low at the undergraduate level. The main aim of the current study is to explore the inward Erasmus student mobility mechanism in Ukraine through application of the single case study approach.  The data were collected through participant observation, two rounds of interviews and the analysis of the participant diary.  The research outcomes shed light on how the inward Erasmus student mobility programme in Ukraine can be arranged more effectively. We identified four broad areas by means of thematic analysis, which includes transparency of the process; communication; living conditions; learning process and facilities.

  13. Exploring the Changes in Students' Understanding of the Scientific Method Using Word Associations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulacar, Ozcan; Sinan, Olcay; Bowman, Charles R.; Yildirim, Yetkin

    2015-01-01

    A study is presented that explores how students' knowledge structures, as related to the scientific method, compare at different student ages. A word association test comprised of ten total stimulus words, among them "experiment," "science fair," and "hypothesis," is used to probe the students' knowledge structures.…

  14. Peer learning partnerships: exploring the experience of pre-registration nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christiansen, Angela; Bell, Amelia

    2010-03-01

    This paper explores the impact of a peer learning initiative developed to facilitate, purposefully, mutually supportive learning relationships between student nurses in the practice setting. Finding effective strategies to support learning in the practice setting has been the focus of professional concern for a considerable time. In the UK clinical mentorship is seen as pivotal to ensuring fitness to practice; however, recent debate on the nature of learning has revealed the clinical workplace as a rich learning environment where learning occurs not only through hierarchical relationships, but also from a network of peer relationships. Formalising peer relationships through peer assisted learning is increasingly suggested as a strategy to support workplace learning and support novice students' transition to the clinical setting. Despite the developing literature in this field there is limited understanding about how students experience facilitated peer relationships. An interpretive qualitative design. Focus group interviews were used to collect interactive and situated discourse from nursing students who had recently participated in peer learning partnerships (n = 54). Narrative data were analysed thematically. Findings suggest that active support from a fellow student reduced the feelings of social isolation experienced by novice students in initial clinical placements, helping them to deal more effectively with the challenges faced and reducing the factors that have an impact on attrition. In addition, the reciprocity of the peer learning partnerships facilitated understanding of mentorship and created a heightened sense of readiness for registration and professional practice. Peer learning partnerships facilitated by mentors in clinical practice can support the transition to nursing for first year students and can help more experienced students gain a confidence and a heightened readiness for mentorship and registered practice. Facilitated peer learning

  15. The Effect of Activating Metacognitive Strategies on the Listening Performance and Metacognitive Awareness of EFL Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahimirad, Maryam; Shams, Mohammad Reza

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the effect of activating metacognitive strategies on the listening performance of English as a foreign language (EFL) university students and explores the impact of such strategies on their metacognitive awareness of the listening task. The participants were N = 50 students of English literature at the state university of…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-01-01

    Students' understandings of foundational concepts such as noncovalent interactions, pH and pK[subscript a] are crucial for success in undergraduate biochemistry courses. We developed a guided-inquiry activity to aid students in making connections between noncovalent interactions and pH/pK[subscript a]. Students explore these concepts by examining…

  17. Exploring Different Patterns of Love Attitudes among Chinese College Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Xianglong; Pan, Yiqin; Zhou, Han; Yu, Shi; Liu, Xiangping

    2016-01-01

    Individual differences in love attitudes and the relationship between love attitudes and other variables in Asian culture lack in-depth exploration. This study conducted cluster analysis with data regarding love attitudes obtained from 389 college students in mainland China. The result of cluster analysis based on love-attitude scales distinguished four types of students: game players, rational lovers, emotional lovers, and absence lovers. These four groups of students showed significant differences in sexual attitudes and personality traits of deliberation and dutifulness but not self-discipline. The study's implications for future studies on love attitudes in certain cultural groups were also discussed.

  18. RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND BODY EXERCISE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

    OpenAIRE

    Olaitan; Olukunmi ‘Lanre; Bakinde; Surajudeen Tosho; Ibraheem; Tajudeen Olanrewaju

    2012-01-01

    This paper investigated the influence of recreational activities and body exercise among secondary school students in Kwara State. This paper explores types of exercise, benefits of physical exercise, risk of physical exercise and well as health and recreation. Four research questions and four research hypotheses were raised and generated to guide the study.This researcher employed a descriptive research survey method. The population consists of all secondary school students in Kwara State. T...

  19. Exploring Sound with Insects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Laura; Meyer, John R.

    2010-01-01

    Differences in insect morphology and movement during singing provide a fascinating opportunity for students to investigate insects while learning about the characteristics of sound. In the activities described here, students use a free online computer software program to explore the songs of the major singing insects and experiment with making…

  20. Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aarti Raja

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K–12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach.

  1. Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raja, Aarti; Lavin, Emily Schmitt; Gali, Tamara; Donovan, Kaitlin

    2016-05-01

    A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K-12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach.

  2. Active student participation and citizenship education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veugelers, W.

    2009-01-01

    What are the possibilities for active student participation in citizenship education and how are students involved in the school as a community? We researched active student participation in schools and in out-of-school learning activities: students’ own lessons, their own school, their own

  3. Challenging nurse student selection policy: Using a lifeworld approach to explore the link between care experience and student values.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scammell, Janet; Tait, Desiree; White, Sara; Tait, Michael

    2017-10-01

    This study uses a lifeworld perspective to explore beginning students' values about nursing. Internationally, increasing care demand, a focus on targets and evidence of dehumanized care cultures have resulted in scrutiny of practitioner values. In England, selection policy dictates that prospective nursing students demonstrate person-centred values and care work experience. However, there is limited recent evidence exploring values at programme commencement or the effect of care experience on values. Mixed method study. A total of 161 undergraduate nursing students were recruited in 2013 from one English university. Thematic content analysis and frequency distribution to reveal descriptive statistics were used. Statistical analysis indicated that most of the values identified in student responses were not significantly affected by paid care experience. Five themes were identified: How I want care to be; Making a difference; The value of learning; Perceived characteristics of a nurse; and Respecting our humanity. Students readily drew on their experience of living to identify person-centred values about nursing.

  4. Active Citizens, Good Citizens, and Insouciant Bystanders: The Educational Implications of Chinese University Students' Civic Participation via Social Networking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ke, Lin; Starkey, Hugh

    2014-01-01

    This virtual ethnographic study explores how Chinese university students use social network sites (SNSs) to participate in civic activities. An ideal of "active" citizens is contrasted with good citizens (Crick) and insouciant bystanders. We find that students engage with the civic issues embedded in everyday life; their online civic…

  5. Social and Health Factors Associated with Physical Activity among Kuwaiti College Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdulwahab Naser Al-Isa

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Our aim was to explore the social and health factors that are associated with the level of physical activity among Kuwaiti college students. A random sample of 787 students (48% males and 52% females was chosen and weight and height were measured to obtain body mass index (BMI, kg/m2. Associated social and health factors were obtained using a questionnaire. Those reporting being physically inactive numbered 354 and the remaining 433 were active. Obesity among males was 13% and was 10.5% among females. The social and health factors that were found to be significantly associated with physical activity among the students were gender (P<.001, marital status (P<.05, BMI category (obese or nonobese (P<.05, last dental and health checkup (P<.01, desiring a higher degree (P<.001, and countries preferred for visiting (P<.01. Males significantly exceeded females in the practice of physical activity. In conclusion, behavioural modifications, intervention studies, and health education touting the benefits of being physically active should be instituted to increase the practice of sports and other physical activities in order to control and decrease obesity-related morbidity and mortality.

  6. Exploration of the lived experiences of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics minority students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snead-McDaniel, Kimberly

    An expanding ethnicity gap exists in the number of students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers in the United States. The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering revealed that the number of minorities pursuing STEM degrees and careers has declined over the past few years. The specific origins of this trend are not quite evident; one variable to consider is that undergraduate minority students are failing in STEM disciplines at various levels of education from elementary to postsecondary. The failure of female and minority students to enter STEM disciplines in higher education have led various initiatives to establish programs to promote STEM disciplines among these groups. Additional funding for minority STEM programs have led to a increase in undergraduate minority students entering STEM disciplines, but the minority students' graduation rate in STEM disciplines is approximately 7% lower than the graduation of nonminority students in STEM disciplines. This phenomenological qualitative research study explores the lived experiences of underrepresented minority undergraduate college students participating in an undergraduate minority-mentoring program. The following nine themes emerged from the study: (a) competitiveness, (b) public perception, (c) dedication, (d) self-perception, (e) program activities, (f) time management, (g) exposure to career and graduate opportunities, (h) rigor in the curriculum, and (i) peer mentoring. The themes provided answers and outcomes to better support a stronger minority representation in STEM disciplines.

  7. Exploring Uyghur University Students' Identities Constructed through Multilingual Practices in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xiaoyan; Gu, Mingyue

    2018-01-01

    This article explores how a cohort of tertiary-level Uyghur students contested and negotiated their identities through multilingual practices in the receiving community. Drawing upon interview data from fieldwork, this study indicates that these students experienced essentialist understandings and negative views in the host society. Participants…

  8. Alienated and Disaffected Students: Exploring the Civic Capacity of "Outsiders" in Asian Societies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuang, Xiaoxue; Kennedy, Kerry John

    2018-01-01

    As an important group of students, the alienated and disaffected students are often overlooked in more general studies of civic education. Based on data from the International Civics and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2009), the study investigated alienated and disaffected students in Asia and explored the development of their civic attitudes.…

  9. Ways optimization physical activity students

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    Vasilij Sutula

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: on the basis of the analysis of results of poll of students, first, to define structure and the importance of the factors influencing formation of motivation at them to sports and sports activity, secondly, to allocate possible subjects for extension of the maintenance of theoretical and methodical-practical components of sports formation of student's youth. Material and Methods: the study involved students of first and second courses of the Institute for training bodies and the Faculty of Law of the National University №9 Yaroslav the Wise and the students of the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts and Zhytomyr State University named after Ivan Franko. Results: it is established that during training at national law university interests of students concerning factors which motivate them to sports and sports activity significantly change. The analyses data testify that a key factor which prevents students to be engaged in sports and sports activity, lack of free time is. It is proved that students consider necessary to receive information on the physical state. Conclusions: results of research allowed allocating the most significant factors which motivate students to be engaged in sports and sports activity. It is established subjects of theoretical and methodical and practical components of sports education which interest students of NLU and KNUCA and ZSU. It is shown that for students of Law University of importance topic of theoretical and methodological and practical components of physical education strongly depends on the year of their training.

  10. Using Photo-Elicitation with Native American Students to Explore Perceptions of the Physical Library

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen Neurohr

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective – This research project explored Native American students’ perceptions of the Edmon Low Library at Oklahoma State University (OSU. The study sought to understand how Native American students perceived the role of the academic library in their lives, and which elements of the library students depicted and described as holding meaning for them. Methods – Photo-elicitation, a form of visual research and a participatory research method, was the primary method chosen to explore students’ perceptions of the library. To qualify for this study, students self-identified as Native American and as frequent library users. They also had completed three or more semesters of study at OSU. Five students followed a photo prompt for taking at least fifteen pictures of the library, then participated in two separate interviews with the primary researcher. Participants also completed a demographic/questionnaire form, answered semi-structured questions, and ranked the photos they took. Results – This study produced several emergent findings. First, students expressed uncertainty about the library’s books. Second, functional library tools such as express printers and library signage played a valuable role for facilitating student work. Third, the method of photo-elicitation was enjoyable for students and served as library discovery. Fourth, Native American resources and exhibits in the library had varied salience for students. Conclusion – Limited research focuses on Native American students in academic libraries, particularly on how students use and experience the library. Exploring how individual students who identify as Native American perceive the university library enhanced our understanding of how libraries in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs can best serve and support students. This study provided insight into the method of photo-elicitation interviews. This research also provided practical benefits for student

  11. Exploring Service Learning Outcomes in Students: A Mixed Methods Study for Nursing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, John F.

    2017-01-01

    This mixed methods study exploring student outcomes of service learning experiences is inter-disciplinary, near the intersection of higher education research, moral development, and nursing. The specific problem examined in this study is that service learning among university students is utilized by educators, but largely without a full…

  12. Exploring Different Patterns of Love Attitudes among Chinese College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Xianglong; Pan, Yiqin; Zhou, Han; Yu, Shi; Liu, Xiangping

    2016-01-01

    Individual differences in love attitudes and the relationship between love attitudes and other variables in Asian culture lack in-depth exploration. This study conducted cluster analysis with data regarding love attitudes obtained from 389 college students in mainland China. The result of cluster analysis based on love-attitude scales distinguished four types of students: game players, rational lovers, emotional lovers, and absence lovers. These four groups of students showed significant differences in sexual attitudes and personality traits of deliberation and dutifulness but not self-discipline. The study’s implications for future studies on love attitudes in certain cultural groups were also discussed. PMID:27851784

  13. Exploring Different Patterns of Love Attitudes among Chinese College Students.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianglong Zeng

    Full Text Available Individual differences in love attitudes and the relationship between love attitudes and other variables in Asian culture lack in-depth exploration. This study conducted cluster analysis with data regarding love attitudes obtained from 389 college students in mainland China. The result of cluster analysis based on love-attitude scales distinguished four types of students: game players, rational lovers, emotional lovers, and absence lovers. These four groups of students showed significant differences in sexual attitudes and personality traits of deliberation and dutifulness but not self-discipline. The study's implications for future studies on love attitudes in certain cultural groups were also discussed.

  14. Making connections: Exploring student agency in a science classroom in India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Ajay

    India has been a free country for more than half a century now. In this time, the state has succeeded to a large extent in providing universal access to at least elementary education to all the citizens. However, the quality of education provided in state-run schools remains far removed from the ideals endorsed in policy documents. The vast majority of Indian poor, especially in rural areas, depend upon state-run schools for access to education. However, the low quality of education provided in these schools militates against their hopes and efforts for securing a better future through education. Undergirded by concerns over the raw deal students of government run schools get in rural India, this study is an ethnographic exploration of science learning in a rural middle school classroom in India. The study was conducted in the government middle school at the village Rajkheda, in the Hoshangabad district of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The study focused on the nature and scope of student participation in a middle school science classroom of rural school in India. Taking a socio-cultural perspective, it explored student participation in science classroom as engagement in a socioculturally mediated dialogue with the natural and the social world. Thus, two parallel yet intersecting themes run through the narrative this study presents. On one hand, it focuses on students' efforts to both learn and survive science as taught in that school. While on the other, it details the nature of their engagement with and knowledge of their immediate material world. The study shows that through active engagement with their local material and social world, students of the 8th grade had acquired an extensive, useful and situated funds of experiential knowledge that enabled them to enact their agency in the material world around them. This knowledge revealed itself differently in different contexts. Their knowledge representations about school science and the material world were

  15. Exploring Students' Understanding of Ordinary Differential Equations Using Computer Algebraic System (CAS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maat, Siti Mistima; Zakaria, Effandi

    2011-01-01

    Ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are one of the important topics in engineering mathematics that lead to the understanding of technical concepts among students. This study was conducted to explore the students' understanding of ODEs when they solve ODE questions using a traditional method as well as a computer algebraic system, particularly…

  16. Markov Processes: Exploring the Use of Dynamic Visualizations to Enhance Student Understanding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfannkuch, Maxine; Budgett, Stephanie

    2016-01-01

    Finding ways to enhance introductory students' understanding of probability ideas and theory is a goal of many first-year probability courses. In this article, we explore the potential of a prototype tool for Markov processes using dynamic visualizations to develop in students a deeper understanding of the equilibrium and hitting times…

  17. Clinical placements and nursing students' career planning: a qualitative exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Lisa; McCall, Louise; Wray, Natalie

    2010-04-01

    Many nursing students enter undergraduate programmes with preconceived ideas about their future nursing careers, and intend to practice in particular areas such as midwifery or paediatrics. Through clinical placements, students are exposed to different clinical areas and professional socialization is facilitated. However, little is known about the influence of clinical placements on students' career intentions. This paper reports nursing findings drawn from a large qualitative study conducted in Victoria, Australia that sought to explore the influence of health professional students' clinical placements on their future career intentions. Participants were invited to be involved in either face-to-face or focus group interviews depending upon their own preference. Thematic data analysis revealed three main themes: 're-affirming career choice', 'working in a particular area' and 'work location'. Findings from the study add to our understanding of factors influencing nursing students' planning for their future careers including the impact of clinical placements.

  18. Comparing Primary Student Teachers' Attitudes, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge Needs in a Physics Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Jane; Ahtee, Maija

    2006-01-01

    This research explores and compares primary student teachers' attitudes, subject knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in physics in two institutions in England and Finland, using a practical physics activity and questionnaire. Teaching of physics activities was rated unpopular both in Finland and England, although English students…

  19. Exploring the challenges faced by polytechnic students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matore, Mohd Effendi @ Ewan Mohd; Khairani, Ahmad Zamri

    2015-02-01

    This study aims to identify other challenges besides those already faced by students, in seven polytechnics in Malaysia as a continuation to the previous research that had identified 52 main challenges faced by students using the Rasch Model. The explorative study focuses on the challenges that are not included in the Mooney Problem Checklist (MPCL). A total of 121 polytechnic students submitted 183 written responses through the open questions provided. Two hundred fifty two students had responded from a students' perspective on the dichotomous questions regarding their view on the challenges faced. The data was analysed qualitatively using the NVivo 8.0. The findings showed that students from Politeknik Seberang Perai (PSP) gave the highest response, which was 56 (30.6%) and Politeknik Metro Kuala Lumpur (PMKL) had the lowest response of 2 (1.09%). Five dominant challenges were identified, which were the English language (32, 17.5%), learning (14, 7.7%), vehicles (13, 7.1%), information technology and communication (ICT) (13, 7.1%), and peers (11, 6.0%). This article, however, focus on three apparent challenges, namely, English language, vehicles, as well as computer and ICT, as the challenges of learning and peers had been analysed in the previous MPCL. The challenge of English language that had been raised was regarding the weakness in commanding the aspects of speech and fluency. The computer and ICT challenge covered the weakness in mastering ICT and computers, as well as computer breakdowns and low-performance computers. The challenge of vehicles emphasized the unavailability of vehicles to attend lectures and go elsewhere, lack of transportation service in the polytechnic and not having a valid driving license. These challenges are very relevant and need to be discussed in an effort to prepare polytechnics in facing the transformational process of polytechnics.

  20. Dysmenorrhea Management and Coping among Students in Ghana: A Qualitative Exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aziato, Lydia; Dedey, Florence; Clegg-Lamptey, Joe Nat A

    2015-06-01

    The study sought to gain an in-depth understanding of primary dysmenorrhea management and coping strategies for dysmenorrhea among adolescents and young adults who were in school. The study adopted a qualitative exploratory approach using a descriptive phenomenology to explore the phenomenon of interest. The study was conducted in two educational institutions in Accra, Ghana: a Senior High School (SHS) and a University. Sixteen participants were purposively recruited (8 SHS and 8 University students) through snowball sampling. Individual interviews were conducted in English, audio-taped, transcribed and analysed using content analysis procedures. Informed consent was obtained from all participants and rigor was ensured through prolonged engagement and member checking. Participants employed both pharmacologic (orthodox and herbal) and nonpharmacologic approaches such as warm compress, exercise, and water and diet therapy for their dysmenorrhea. Students' dysmenorrhea was managed at the school clinic and the hospital. Health professionals demonstrated negative attitudes towards dysmenorrhea management. Students coped with dysmenorrhea by planning activities before the onset of pain, receiving social and spiritual support, and developing a mind-set to bear pain. Individualized approaches should be employed to enhance dysmenorrhea management. Health professionals should be educated on dysmenorrhea to improve their attitude and skills for dysmenorrhea management. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Exploring Race, Culture, and Family in the Identities of Mixed Heritage Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston-Guerrero, Marc P.; Pecero, Veronica

    2016-01-01

    Family plays an integral role in racial and cultural socialization, yet how mixed heritage students understand the concepts of race and culture in relation to family is unclear. This qualitative study explored the interplay of race, culture, and family in the identity constructions of 25 mixed heritage students. Findings suggest the centrality of…

  2. Influence of a health-related physical fitness model on students' physical activity, perceived competence, and enjoyment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, You; Gao, Zan; Hannon, James; Shultz, Barry; Newton, Maria; Sibthorp, Jim

    2013-12-01

    This study was designed to explore the effects of a health-related physical fitness physical education model on students' physical activity, perceived competence, and enjoyment. 61 students (25 boys, 36 girls; M age = 12.6 yr., SD = 0.6) were assigned to two groups (health-related physical fitness physical education group, and traditional physical education group), and participated in one 50-min. weekly basketball class for 6 wk. Students' in-class physical activity was assessed using NL-1000 pedometers. The physical subscale of the Perceived Competence Scale for Children was employed to assess perceived competence, and children's enjoyment was measured using the Sport Enjoyment Scale. The findings suggest that students in the intervention group increased their perceived competence, enjoyment, and physical activity over a 6-wk. intervention, while the comparison group simply increased physical activity over time. Children in the intervention group had significantly greater enjoyment.

  3. Exploring Size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brand, Judith, Ed.

    1995-01-01

    "Exploring" is a magazine of science, art, and human perception that communicates ideas museum exhibits cannot demonstrate easily by using experiments and activities for the classroom. This issue concentrates on size, examining it from a variety of viewpoints. The focus allows students to investigate and discuss interconnections among…

  4. The role of students' activities in Indonesian realistic mathematics education in primary schools of Aceh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zubainur, Cut Morina; Veloo, Arsaythamby; Khalid, Rozalina

    2015-05-01

    This study aims to explore the implementation of the Indonesian Realistic Mathematics Education (PMRI) in Aceh primary schools, Indonesia. This study investigates the students' mathematics activities involved in the implementation of PMRI and for this purpose; students' mathematics activities in the classroom were observed. Students were observed three times within five weeks during mathematics class, based on PMRI. A total of 25 year five students from a public school participated in this study. Observation check list was used in this study based on ten items. The observation conducted was based on two different time periods which were 105 minutes for group A and 70 minutes for group B. The observation was conducted every 5 minutes. The results show that PMRI is being practised in Aceh, but not completely. This study shows that mathematics activities for those who were taught using PMRI are higher than for those using the traditional approach. Overall, the findings showed that the number of student activities undertaken in PMRI achieved 90.56%. The higher percentage of activities suggests that the Aceh Education Office expands the implementation of PMRI in all primary schools so that learning of mathematics is more effective. This indirectly increases the mathematics achievement of students in Aceh to a higher level on par with Indonesia's national achievement.

  5. A Simple, Student-Built Spectrometer to Explore Infrared Radiation and Greenhouse Gases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce, Mitchell R. M.; Wilson, Tiffany A.; Bruce, Alice E.; Bessey, S. Max; Flood, Virginia J.

    2016-01-01

    In this experiment, students build a spectrometer to explore infrared radiation and greenhouse gases in an inquiry-based investigation to introduce climate science in a general chemistry lab course. The lab is based on the exploration of the thermal effects of molecular absorption of infrared radiation by greenhouse and non-greenhouse gases. A…

  6. Exploring the perspectives of 10-, 11-, and 12-year-old primary school students on physical activity engagement-"'Cause you can't just be sitting at a desk all the time!"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, J; Pearson, E S; Sanzo, P; Lennon, A E

    2018-05-01

    Research indicates that 91% of Canadian children are not engaging in enough physical activity (PA) to achieve health benefits. Physical education (PE) classes have been identified as a way to improve child health by facilitating engagement in movement-based activities. The daily physical activity (DPA) initiative was created with similar intentions and requires that students participate in at least 20 min of PA daily via PE classes and/or during instructional time for other subjects. Despite recommendations that 150 min of exercise/play be incurred weekly through either avenue, nearly half of Canadian schools fail to achieve this goal. The disconnect between PA-related school policies and low reported participation rates suggests that additional research is warranted. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of primary students regarding the facilitators, barriers, and recommendations for PA engagement at their schools. Researchers conducted nine group interviews with 53 children aged 10-12, representing six primary schools in Northwestern Ontario using a semi-structured interview format. Sessions were analysed using inductive content analysis. Participants discussed several facilitators of PA including enjoying activities (alleviating boredom and participating with others), accomplishment (skill building and enhanced self-image), and benefits in the classroom (thinking clearly and enhanced readiness to learn). Barriers to PA participation included school rules and culture (PA/PE restrictions, heavy workload, and "no work, no PA"), personal struggles (physical challenges and varied skill levels), and technology (being addictive and a replacement for being active). Recommendations for enhancing engagement that were outlined by the children centred around PE and daily physical activity (increase opportunities and involve students in planning/delivery) and recess-based themes (decrease focus on safety and make equipment more available). These

  7. The Role of Student Burnout in Predicting Future Burnout: Exploring the Transition from University to the Workplace

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robins, Tamara G.; Roberts, Rachel M.; Sarris, Aspa

    2018-01-01

    Burnout is a significant problem in the workplace and recent research suggests burnout is also a growing concern for students. This study aimed to explore the transition from study to work, including exploring the impact of student burnout on work burnout. Australian health profession students (T1, n = 86; T2, n = 86; T3, n = 57) from the…

  8. Student-Faculty Partnership in Explorations of Pedagogical Practice: A Threshold Concept in Academic Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook-Sather, Alison

    2014-01-01

    Student-faculty partnerships position students as informants, participants, and change agents in collaboration with faculty members. Enacting one form of such collaboration, Bryn Mawr College's SaLT program pairs faculty members and undergraduate students in explorations of pedagogical practice. The program provides both context and case study for…

  9. Asian American Student Engagement in Student Leadership and Activism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manzano, Lester J.; Poon, OiYan A.; Na, Vanessa S.

    2017-01-01

    Conceptual models for understanding the ways in which Asian American students engage in leadership and activism are interrogated. The chapter provides a discussion of implications for student affairs professionals working with Asian American student leaders and activists.

  10. Exploring the transition from student to practitioner in diagnostic radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naylor, S.; Ferris, C.; Burton, M.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: This study explores the expectations and experiences of newly qualified diagnostic radiographers during their transition into practice. Methods: This was a longitudinal study using interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology. Data were gathered from four students who participated in a focus group. This informed semi structured interviews with a further eight students who were interviewed prior to starting work and three times over the following twelve months. Results: Themes generated from the data included; experience, fitting in, and identity. Conclusion: This study brings to light the experiences of newly qualified diagnostic radiographers. The findings are open to theoretical generalizability and raise issues that may be used by academic staff in the preparation of students and managers who support newly qualified staff members. - Highlights: • Diagnostic radiographers are well prepared for most clinical practice. • Clinical education cannot fully prepare students for the reality of practice. • Being familiar with a hospital, and staff, reduces the stress of starting work. • Newly qualified radiographers struggle taking responsibility for students. • Professional identity is a key issue in the transition from student to practitioner.

  11. Is There a Relationship between the Usage of Active and Collaborative Learning Techniques and International Students' Study Anxiety?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khoshlessan, Rezvan

    2013-01-01

    This study was designed to explore the relationships between the international students' perception of professors' instructional practices (the usage of active and collaborative learning techniques in class) and the international students' study anxiety. The dominant goal of this research was to investigate whether the professors' usage of active…

  12. Exploring and Improving Student Engagement in an Accelerated Undergraduate Nursing Program through a Mentoring Partnership: An Action Research Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bramble, Marguerite; Maxwell, Hazel; Einboden, Rochelle; Farington, Sally; Say, Richard; Beh, Chin Liang; Stankiewicz, Grace; Munro, Graham; Marembo, Esther; Rickard, Greg

    2018-05-30

    This Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aimed to engage students from an accelerated 'fast track' nursing program in a mentoring collaboration, using an interdisciplinary partnership intervention with a group of academics. Student participants represented the disciplines of nursing and paramedicine with a high proportion of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students. Nine student mentors were recruited and paired with academics for a three-month 'mentorship partnership' intervention. Data from two pre-intervention workshops and a post-intervention workshop were coded in NVivo11 using thematic analysis. Drawing on social inclusion theory, a qualitative analysis explored an iteration of themes across each action cycle. Emergent themes were: 1) 'building relationships for active engagement', 2) 'voicing cultural and social hierarchies', and 3) 'enacting collegiate community'. The study offers insights into issues for contemporary accelerated course delivery with a diverse student population and highlights future strategies to foster effective student engagement.

  13. Student Needs and Motives When Attending a University: Exploring the Syrian Case

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Fattal, Anas; Ayoubi, Rami

    2013-01-01

    This paper aims at exploring student needs and motives to pursue higher education in Syria. Based on the model of student buyer behavior developed by Kotler and Fox in 1995, the study focuses on the first step of this model, so-called motives. The study results are based on qualitative data collected by means of semi-structured styles of…

  14. Do International Students Appreciate Active Learning in Lectures?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauricio Marrone

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Active learning has been linked with increased student motivation, engagement and understanding of course material. It promotes deep learning, helping to develop critical thinking and writing skills in students. Less well understood, however, are the responses of international students to active learning. Using social constructivist theory, the purpose of this study is to examine domestic and international student perceptions of active learning introduced into large undergraduate Accounting Information Systems lectures. Several active learning strategies were implemented over one semester and examined through the use of semi-structured interviews as well as pre- and post- implementation surveys. Our results suggest broad improvements for international students in student engagement and understanding of unit material when implementing active learning strategies. Other key implications include international student preference for active learning compared with passive learning styles, and that international students may receive greater benefits from active learning strategies than domestic students due to social factors. Based on these findings this paper proposes that educators should seek to implement active learning to better assist and integrate students of diverse backgrounds.

  15. Supporting Human Activities - Exploring Activity-Centered Computing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Henrik Bærbak; Bardram, Jakob

    2002-01-01

    In this paper we explore an activity-centered computing paradigm that is aimed at supporting work processes that are radically different from the ones known from office work. Our main inspiration is healthcare work that is characterized by an extreme degree of mobility, many interruptions, ad-hoc...

  16. Student Learning through Participation in Inquiry Activities: Two Case Studies in Teacher and Computer Engineering Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damsa, Crina I.; Nerland, Monika

    2016-01-01

    The two case studies reported in this article contribute to a better understanding of how inquiry tasks and activities are employed as resourceful means for learning in higher professional education. An observation-based approach was used to explore characteristics of and challenges in students' participation in collaborative inquiry activities in…

  17. Horticulture Therapy Activities for Exceptional Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Airhart, Douglas L.; And Others

    1988-01-01

    The Tennessee Technological University's Program of Special Education sponsors a "Super Saturday" of enrichment activities for gifted and talented students as well as students with learning disabilities. A session on horticulture was planned and arranged by students in a class on horticultural therapy who designed learning activities of…

  18. Exploring the Views of Students on the Use of Facebook in University Teaching and Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donlan, Leah

    2014-01-01

    Facebook use among students is almost ubiquitous; however, its use for formal academic purposes remains contested. Through an online survey monitoring student use of module Facebook pages and focus groups, this study explores students' current academic uses of Facebook and their views on using Facebook within university modules. Students reported…

  19. Social Cognitive Career Theory and Middle School Student Career Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sickinger, Pamela H.

    2013-01-01

    Within the framework of social cognitive career theory, social cognitive career variables, demographic variables, and the contextual variable, parent support, were examined to determine their predictive value for eighth-grade students' career exploration behavior. Results suggest that the social cognitive career variable, intentions/goals,…

  20. TexTile Math: Multicultural Explorations through Patterns. Grades 3-6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franco, Betsy

    This book features 34 reproducible student activities exploring textile design through a combination of mathematics, art, and multicultural education. Using colorful squares and triangles, students explore geometry, numbers, area, fractions, logic, and discrete mathematics, while incorporating multicultural themes in the study. The teacher page…

  1. Exploring Regional and Institutional Factors of International Students' Dropout: The South Korea Case

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Jisun; Kim, Yangson

    2018-01-01

    With an increasing number of international students in South Korea, the issue of retaining these students and reducing their dropout rates has become important. This study explores the multilevel factors that affect the institutional dropout rate among international students in Korea. The research questions are as follows: (a) to what extent do…

  2. Exploring lecturers' views of first-year health science students' misconceptions in biomedical domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badenhorst, Elmi; Mamede, Sílvia; Hartman, Nadia; Schmidt, Henk G

    2015-05-01

    Research has indicated that misconceptions hamper the process of knowledge construction. Misconceptions are defined as persistent ideas not supported by current scientific views. Few studies have explored how misconceptions develop when first year health students conceptually move between anatomy and physiology to construct coherent knowledge about the human body. This explorative study analysed lecturers' perceptions of first-year health science students' misconceptions in anatomy and physiology to gain a deeper understanding of how and why misconceptions could potentially arise, by attempting to link sources of misconceptions with four schools of thought, namely theories on concept formation, complexity, constructivism and conceptual change. This was a qualitative study where ten lecturers involved in teaching anatomy and physiology in the health science curricula at the University of Cape Town were interviewed to explore perceptions of students' misconceptions. Analytical induction was used to uncover categories within the interview data by using a coding system. A deeper analysis was done to identify emerging themes that begins to explore a theoretical understanding of why and how misconceptions arise. Nine sources of misconceptions were identified, including misconceptions related to language, perception, three dimensional thinking, causal reasoning, curricula design, learning styles and moving between macro and micro levels. The sources of misconceptions were then grouped together to assist educators with finding educational interventions to overcome potential misconceptions. This explorative study is an attempt in theory building to understand what is at the core of biomedical misconceptions. Misconceptions identified in this study hold implications for educators as not all students have the required building blocks and cognitive skills to successfully navigate their way through biomedical courses. Theoretical insight into the sources of misconceptions can

  3. Exploring Old Growth Forests: A Teacher's Manual.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemieux, Chris; Powers, Jennene; Quinby, Peter; Schultz, Caroline; Stabb, Mark

    "Exploring Old Growth Forests" is an Ontario (Canada) program that provides secondary students with hands-on experiences in old growth forests. Activity-based and student-centered, the program aims to develop student awareness of the importance of old growth forests and the need to conserve them. This manual provides teachers with…

  4. Exploring Marine Ecosystems with Elementary School Portuguese Children: Inquiry-Based Project Activities Focused on "Real-Life" Contexts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guilherme, Elsa; Faria, Cláudia; Boaventura, Diana

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate how young students engage in an inquiry-based project driven by real-life contexts. Elementary school children were engaged in a small inquiry project centred on marine biodiversity and species adaptations. All activities included the exploration of an out-of-school setting as a learning context. A total…

  5. Using Technology to Increase Physical Activity in Health Profession Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mary Ann Stark

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Health profession students may need help establishing and maintaining positive health behaviors when they are in college. This study explored the effectiveness of text messaging as an innovative method for promoting an increase in daily physical activity. A convenience sample (N = 134 was recruited from students at a college of Health and Human Services in Michigan. The participants were randomized into an intervention or control group (n = 67 each. The intervention group received daily affective text messages encouraging more physical activity by taking more steps. The control group received only messages reminding them to report their number of steps. All of the participants received a pedometer, completed a demographics and daily habits questionnaire, and completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS. There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in their number of daily steps. However, the most inactive participants had a significant increase in steps during the study period. Health profession students’ lifestyle behaviors have consequences, as they become caregivers in our dynamic, demanding health-care system. For those with the greatest need for physical activity, encouraging such activity via text messaging may improve their ability to care for themselves and their clients.

  6. Getting into the GROOVE: How Building Effective Education Partnerships and Promoting Authentic Student Research through the Girls' Remotely Operated Ocean Vehicle Exploration (GROOVE) Workshop.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelz, M.; Heesemann, M.; Hoeberechts, M.

    2017-12-01

    This presentation outlines the pilot year of Girls' Remotely Operated Ocean Vehicle Exploration or GROOVE, a hands-on learning program created collaboratively with education partners Ocean Networks Canada and St. Margaret's School (Victoria, BC, Canada). The program features student-led activities, authentic student experiences, clearly outlined learning outcomes, teacher and student self-assessment tools, and curriculum-aligned content. Presented through the lens of STEM, students build a modified Seaperch ROV and explore and research thematic scientific concepts such as buoyancy, electronic circuitry, and deep-sea exploration. Further, students learn engineering skills such as isotropic scaling, soldering, and assembly as they build their ROV. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), an initiative of the University of Victoria, develops, operates, and maintains cabled ocean observatory systems. These include technologies developed on the world-leading NEPTUNE and VENUS observatories and the ever-expanding network of community observatories in the Arctic and coastal British Columbia. These observatories, large and small, enable communities, users, scientists, teachers, and students to monitor real-time and historical data from the local marine environment from anywhere on the globe. GROOVE, Girls' Remotely Operated Ocean Vehicle Exploration, is ONC's newest educational program and is related to their foundational program K-12 Ocean Sense educational program. This presentation will share our experiences developing, refining, and assessing our efforts to implement GROOVE using a train-the-trainer model aimed at formal and informal K-12 educators. We will highlight lessons learned from multiple perspectives (students, participants, developers, and mentors) with the intent of informing future education and outreach initiatives.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  8. Exploring the Relationship between Academic Dishonesty and Moral Development in Law School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmondson, Macey Lynd

    2013-01-01

    This mixed methods study explored whether a relationship existed between moral development and dishonest academic behaviors in law students. The quantitative portion of the study utilized a survey adapted from James Rest's Defining Issues Test and Donald McCabe's Academic Integrity Survey. Law students were solicited by email from two public…

  9. Exploring the Limitations of Measures of Students' Socioeconomic Status (SES)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickinson, Emily R.; Adelson, Jill L.

    2014-01-01

    This study uses a nationally representative student dataset to explore the limitations of commonly used measures of socioeconomic status (SES). Among the identified limitations are patterns of missing data that conflate the traditional conceptualization of SES with differences in family structure that have emerged in recent years and a lack of…

  10. Exploring Work Values: Helping Students Articulate Their Good (Work) Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlstrom, Aaron H.; Hughey, Kenneth F.

    2014-01-01

    The current article builds on "Living the Good (Work) Life: Implications of General Values for Work Values" (Carlstrom, 2011) by presenting ways to address work values in career advising. The following questions are addressed in the current article: When should students explore work values in career advising? What career development and…

  11. Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    The session "Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration" included the following reports:Training Informal Educators Provides Leverage for Space Science Education and Public Outreach; Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education: K-12 Teacher Retention, Renewal, and Involvement in Professional Science; Telling the Tale of Two Deserts: Teacher Training and Utilization of a New Standards-based, Bilingual E/PO Product; Lindstrom M. M. Tobola K. W. Stocco K. Henry M. Allen J. S. McReynolds J. Porter T. T. Veile J. Space Rocks Tell Their Secrets: Space Science Applications of Physics and Chemistry for High School and College Classes -- Update; Utilizing Mars Data in Education: Delivering Standards-based Content by Exposing Educators and Students to Authentic Scientific Opportunities and Curriculum; K. E. Little Elementary School and the Young Astronaut Robotics Program; Integrated Solar System Exploration Education and Public Outreach: Theme, Products and Activities; and Online Access to the NEAR Image Collection: A Resource for Educators and Scientists.

  12. Research with School Students: Four Innovative Methods Used to Explore Effective Teaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica Faye Heal

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This article outlines four research methods we’ve employed to enhance how students from low-income backgrounds engage in research exploring effective teaching. It firstly outlines the need to be innovative, drawing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and then moves on to explain two methods that scaffold a semi-structured interview, one child-led classroom tour and finally a creative ‘draw and tell’ approach. It argues that these methods are successful because they disrupt the researcher-participant power imbalance using the following techniques: Familiarity to the student, empowering the student to be an expert, and giving the student choice.

  13. An exploration of Early Childhood Education students’ knowledge and preparation to facilitate physical activity for preschoolers: a cross-sectional study

    OpenAIRE

    Martyniuk, Olivia JM; Tucker, Patricia

    2014-01-01

    Background Early childhood educators play an important role in influencing preschoolers’ physical activity levels. The current study sought to explore Early Childhood Education (ECE) students’ physical activity-related knowledge and educational experience during their formal training in Ontario. Methods A total of 1,113 ECE students from 20 Ontario Colleges completed the study survey (online or on paper), which examined students’ physical activity course content; awareness of physical activit...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ly, Hieu

    2016-01-01

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

  15. A Physics MOSAIC: Scientific Skills and Explorations for Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, S.; Clements, C.; Erickson, P. J.; Rogers, A.

    2010-12-01

    MOSAIC unit begins with a series of activities and lessons designed to take advantage of the large data sets MOSAIC is collecting all the time to teach students about measurement, uncertainty, and data analysis. The curriculum develops an intuitive approach to thinking about numbers in science, focusing on both implicit and explicit expressions of uncertainty. Our teaching unit concludes with a final research project to provide students with the opportunity to pursue an area of interest within mesospheric ozone. This project is conceived in such a way that it can be as self-directed as a teacher or student needs. Given current concern for the state of our atmosphere and ozone, MOSAIC provides a unique opportunity for student engagement in an area of scientific research that has not been extensively explored. MOSAIC data can be compared with online resources for other atmospheric, astronomical, or geophysical data, and have been analyzed for the effects of such variables as seasonal and solar flux variations, lunar phases, shuttle and rocket launches, and sudden stratospheric warming events.

  16. Engaging Students in Online Activities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egendal, Jeppe Michael

    This study investegates how the educational design of online study activities affects students’ social and academic engagement in connection to their study? The study uses a hermenutical approach, using recordings of online sessions of student collaborations and interviews with students as methods...... for understanding student engagement...

  17. Titanic: A Statistical Exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takis, Sandra L.

    1999-01-01

    Uses the available data about the Titanic's passengers to interest students in exploring categorical data and the chi-square distribution. Describes activities incorporated into a statistics class and gives additional resources for collecting information about the Titanic. (ASK)

  18. Influence of Career Exploration Process Behaviors on Agriculture Students' Level of Career Certainty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esters, Levon T.

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which career exploration process behaviors influence the level of career certainty of agriculture students. Data were gathered from 181 freshmen and 131 senior students enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. Career certainty was assessed using…

  19. Exploring the relationship between physical activity, life goals and health-related quality of life among high school students: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie Sigvartsen

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Two models were developed to increase high school students’ participation in physical education (PE: “motion enjoyment” and “sport enjoyment”. The first model focuses on increasing knowledge about the health benefits of a physically active lifestyle and thereby promoting a positive attitude towards physical activity, whereas the second model focuses on techniques and practices for enhancing athletic performance. The aims of the present study are to investigate and understand the similarities and differences between students selecting “motion enjoyment” vs. “sport enjoyment” and to examine the extent to which life goals and reported physical activity are associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL. Method A total of 156 high school students (mean age, 16 years [standard deviation = 0.8], 123 girls and 33 boys were included in this cross-sectional study. HRQOL and life goals were measured using KIDSCREEN-10 and the Adolescent Life Goal Profile Scale, respectively. Physical activity was measured using a self-reporting questionnaire intended to describe the students’ leisure-time activity. Independent sample t-tests, chi-square, one-way analyses of variance and multiple regression analysis were applied. Results Self-reported physical activity level and HRQOL were higher among students in the “sport enjoyment” program, while the perceived importance of life goals was the same regardless of the preferred PE model. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the perceived importance of relations-oriented life goals (B = −5.61; 95 % confidence interval CI = −10.53 to −0.70; p = .026, perceived importance of generativity-oriented life goals (B = 4.14.; 95 % CI = 0.85 to 7.422; p = .014, perceived attainability of relations-oriented life goals (B = 7.28; 95 % CI = 2.49 to 12.07; p = .003, age (B = −7.29; 95 % CI = −11.38 to −3.20; p

  20. Exploring perceptions of the educational environment among undergraduate physiotherapy students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmgren, Per J; Lindquist, Ingrid; Sundberg, Tobias; Nilsson, Gunnar H; Laksov, Klara B

    2014-07-19

    The aim of this study was to explore areas of strength and weakness in the educational environment as perceived by undergraduate physiotherapy students and to investigate these areas in relation to the respondents' demographic characteristics. This study utilized a cross-sectional study design and employed the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure, a 50-item, self-administered inventory relating to a variety of topics directly pertinent to educational environments. Convenience sampling was used, and the scores were compared across demographic variables. All undergraduate physiotherapy students in their first five terms of the programme in a major Swedish university were invited to participate in the study. A total of 222 students (80%) completed the inventory. With an overall score of 150/200 (75%), the students rated the educational environment in this institution as "more positive than negative". Two items consistently received deprived scores - authoritarian teachers and teaching with an overemphasis on factual learning. Students in term 4 differed significantly from others, and students with earlier university education experience perceived the atmosphere more negatively than their counterparts. There were no significant differences with regards to other demographic variables. This study provides valuable insight into how undergraduate physiotherapy students perceive their educational environment. In general, students perceived that their educational programme fostered a sound educational environment. However, some areas require remedial measures in order to enhance the educational experience.

  1. Exploring and Leveraging Chinese International Students' Strengths for Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Ye; Hutson, Bryant

    2018-01-01

    This study used an Appreciative Education framework to explore the strengths of Chinese international students and to identify areas where support is needed during their transition to U.S. higher education settings. Using a convergent mixed methods design with data collected from surveys, interviews and focus groups, the complex nature of the…

  2. Making Meaning of Student Activism: Student Activist and Administrator Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Laura M.; Mather, Peter C.

    2017-01-01

    College campuses have experienced a recent resurgence of student activism, particularly in response to some of President Donald Trump's executive orders as well as controversial speakers like Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulous. Student activism presents both challenges and opportunities for higher education leaders seeking to engage productively…

  3. Exploring the views of students on the use of Facebook in university teaching and learning

    OpenAIRE

    Donlan, Leah

    2012-01-01

    Facebook use among students is almost ubiquitous; however, its use for formal academic purposes remains contested. Through an online survey monitoring student use of module Facebook pages and focus groups, this study explores students' current academic uses of Facebook and their views on using Facebook within university modules. Students reported using Facebook for academic purposes, notably peer-peer communication around group work and assessment - a use not always conceptualised by students...

  4. Towards the Ethical or the Unethical Side?: An Explorative Research of Greek Business Students' Attitudes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karassavidou, Eleonora; Glaveli, Niki

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the ethical orientations of undergraduate business students in Greece by exploring the relations among students' internalized code of ethics, anomia and students' judgment related to ethical problem situations within classroom as well as business context. Design/methodology/approach: A…

  5. Learning Activities That Combine Science Magic Activities with the 5E Instructional Model to Influence Secondary-School Students' Attitudes to Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jang-Long; Cheng, Meng-Fei; Chang, Ying-Chi; Li, Hsiao-Wen; Chang, Jih-Yuan; Lin, Deng-Min

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how learning materials based on Science Magic activities affect student attitudes to science. A quasi-experimental design was conducted to explore the combination of Science Magic with the 5E Instructional Model to develop learning materials for teaching a science unit about friction. The participants…

  6. Exploring the Self-Reported ICT Skill Levels of Undergraduate Science Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jef C. Verhoeven

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Computers have taken an important place in the training of science students and in the professional life of scientists. It is often taken for granted that most students have mastered basic Information and Communication Technologies (ICT skills; however, it has been shown that not all students are equally proficient in this regard. Starting from theories of socialization and technology acceptance we report how we constructed a structural equation model (SEM to explore the variance in the basic ICT skill levels of science students. We also present the results of a test of this model with university bachelor’s science students. Basic ICT skills were measured using a new, elaborate instrument allowing students to rate their skills in detail. Our results show that science students score high on basic ICT skills and that our SEM explains a large part of the variation in the ICT skill levels of these students. The most explanatory power is coming from four variables: the perceived ease of use and the perceived usefulness of a personal computer, the anxiety for using a personal computer, and students’ belief that ICT is necessary for scientific research.

  7. Using art and story to explore how primary school students in rural Tanzania understand planetary health: a qualitative analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth VanWormer, PhD

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: The global planetary health community increasingly recognises the need to prepare students to investigate and address connections between environmental change and human health. As we strive to support education on planetary health themes for students of all ages, understanding students' concepts of linkages between the health of people and animals, and their shared environments might advance educational approaches. Children living in villages bordering Ruaha National Park in Iringa Region, Tanzania, have direct experience of these connections as they share a water-stressed but biodiverse environment with domestic animals and wildlife. Livelihoods in these villages depend predominantly on crop and livestock production, including extensive pastoralist livestock keeping. Through qualitative research, we aim to explore and describe Tanzanian primary school students' understanding of connections between human health and the environment. Methods: Working with 26 village primary schools in Iringa Rural District, Tanzania, we adapted an art and story outreach activity to explore student perceptions of planetary health concepts. Following a standardised training session, a lead teacher at each primary school helped students aged 12–15 years form small teams to independently develop and illustrate a story centred on themes of how human health depends on water sources, wildlife, livestock, climate, and forest or grassland resources. Students were encouraged to discuss these themes with their teachers, peers, and families while developing their stories to gain broader as well as historical perspectives. The students generated stories that incorporated solutions to challenges within these themes. Written materials and illustrations were collected from each school along with data on sex and tribe of the group members. We translated all stories from Swahili to English for analysis. The primary outcomes of interest in analysing the students

  8. Exploring whether student nurses report poor practice they have witnessed on placements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellefontaine, Nerys

    While literature suggests that nurses report incidents or potentially unsafe care delivery, there is little evidence on student nurses' practice in this area. To explore the factors that influence student in reporting concerns about practice. A qualitative study was carried out using a phenomenological approach, based on semi-structured interviews with six student nurses. Student nurses said they do not always report potentially unsafe practice they have witnessed. Four main themes were identified: the student-mentor relationship in clinical placement; actual or potential support provided by both the practice area and university; students' own personal confidence and professional knowledge base; and fear of failing clinical placements. The nursing profession needs to take stock of current organisational culture and practice, and address issues around reporting in practice. Recommendations are made to improve mentorship, nurse training and for further research.

  9. Exploring differences among illegal activities in the Ugalla Game ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Exploring differences among illegal activities in the Ugalla Game Reserve of ... This study aimed to explore the differences among various illegal activities occurring in Ugalla Game Reserve, western Tanzania. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  10. Privileged Pursuits of Social Justice: Exploring Privileged College Students' Motivation for Engaging in Social Justice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Adam

    2011-01-01

    The author of this article explores the motivation factors that lead privileged college students to be involved in social justice efforts. The students participating in this study identified multiple reasons for their initial and continued involvement in social justice work, but all students identified three main sources of motivation: responding…

  11. Participation Motivation and Student's Physical Activity among Sport Students in Three Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondric, Miran; Sindik, Joško; Furjan-Mandic, Gordana; Schiefler, Bernd

    2013-01-01

    The main aim of this study was to examine the differences in motivation to participate in sport activities among sports students from three different countries. On a sample of 390 sports students from Slovenia, Croatia and Germany we studied what motivates an interest in being sports active. The sample was stratified across the choice to attend table tennis lessons at all three institutions and all students have completed the Participation Motivation Questionnaire (PMQ). The results revealed that the latent structure of the types of sports students' motives consisted of six factors (sport action with friend, popularity, fitness & health, social status, sports events, relaxation through sports). We also found significant sex differences in motivation to participate in sport activities for all sports students from the three different countries. We did not find relevant age-based differences among the students, and this is the only initial hypothesis that we can reject. Key pointsThe potential implications of the result can be in better understanding the relationship between different motivational orientations - in particular, extrinsic motivation - and sport motivation among school-aged individuals.In the context of Self Determination Theory, students can be encouraged in developing more autonomous orientations for sport activity, rather than controlled and impersonal, especially in certain countries.Significant factors of differences have been found in motivation to participate in sport activities among sports students from three different countries and also some significant sex differences have been found in motivation to participate in sport activities for all sports students.

  12. An Exploration of Secondary Students' Mental States When Learning about Acids and Bases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chia-Ju; Hou, I-Lin; Chiu, Houn-Lin; Treagust, David F.

    2014-01-01

    This study explored factors of students' mental states, including emotion, intention, internal mental representation, and external mental representation, which can affect their learning performance. In evaluating students' mental states during the science learning process and the relationship between mental states and learning…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-02-01

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

  14. Relations between the school physical environment and school social capital with student physical activity levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Button, Brenton; Trites, Stephen; Janssen, Ian

    2013-12-17

    The physical and social environments at schools are related to students' moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels. The purpose of this study was to explore the interactive effects of the school physical environment and school social capital on the MVPA of students while at school. Data from 18,875 grade 6-10 students from 331 schools who participated in the 2009/10 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey were analyzed using multi-level regression. Students answered questions on the amount of time they spend in MVPA at school and on their school's social capital. Administrator reports were used to create a physical activity related physical environment score. The school physical environment score was positively associated with student MVPA at school (β = 0.040, p < .005). The association between the school social capital and MVPA was also positive (β = 0.074, p < .001). The difference in physical environments equated to about 20 minutes/week of MVPA for students attending schools with the lowest number of physical environment features and about 40 minutes/week for students attending schools with the lowest school social capital scores by comparison to students attending schools with the highest scores. The findings suggest that school social capital may be a more important factor in increasing students MVPA than the school physical environment. The results of this study may help inform interventions aimed at increasing student physical activity levels.

  15. Combining traditional anatomy lectures with e-learning activities: how do students perceive their learning experience?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lochner, Lukas; Wieser, Heike; Waldboth, Simone; Mischo-Kelling, Maria

    2016-02-21

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceived their learning experience when combining traditional anatomy lectures with preparatory e-learning activities that consisted of fill-in-the-blank assignments, videos, and multiple-choice quizzes. A qualitative study was conducted to explore changes in study behaviour and perception of learning. Three group interviews with students were conducted and thematically analysed. Data was categorized into four themes: 1. Approaching the course material, 2. Understanding the material, 3. Consolidating the material, and 4. Perceived learning outcome. Students appreciated the clear structure of the course, and reported that online activities encouraged them towards a first engagement with the material. They felt that they were more active during in-class sessions, described self-study before the end-of-term exam as easier, and believed that contents would remain in their memories for a longer time. By adjusting already existing resources, lectures can be combined fairly easily and cost-effectively with preparatory e-learning activities. The creation of online components promote well-structured courses, can help minimize 'student passivity' as a characteristic element of lectures, and can support students in distributing their studies throughout the term, thus suggesting enhanced learning. Further research work should be designed to confirm the afore-mentioned findings through objective measurements of student learning outcomes.

  16. Combining traditional anatomy lectures with e-learning activities: how do students perceive their learning experience?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieser, Heike; Waldboth, Simone; Mischo-Kelling, Maria

    2016-01-01

    Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceived their learning experience when combining traditional anatomy lectures with preparatory e-learning activities that consisted of fill-in-the-blank assignments, videos, and multiple-choice quizzes. Methods A qualitative study was conducted to explore changes in study behaviour and perception of learning. Three group interviews with students were conducted and thematically analysed. Results Data was categorized into four themes: 1. Approaching the course material, 2. Understanding the material, 3. Consolidating the material, and 4. Perceived learning outcome.  Students appreciated the clear structure of the course, and reported that online activities encouraged them towards a first engagement with the material. They felt that they were more active during in-class sessions, described self-study before the end-of-term exam as easier, and believed that contents would remain in their memories for a longer time. Conclusions By adjusting already existing resources, lectures can be combined fairly easily and cost-effectively with preparatory e-learning activities. The creation of online components promote well-structured courses, can help minimize ‘student passivity’ as a characteristic element of lectures, and can support students in distributing their studies throughout the term, thus suggesting enhanced learning. Further research work should be designed to confirm the afore-mentioned findings through objective measurements of student learning outcomes. PMID:26897012

  17. Exploring Science Through Polar Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfirman, S. L.; Bell, R. E.; Zadoff, L.; Kelsey, R.

    2003-12-01

    Exploring the Poles is a First Year Seminar course taught at Barnard College, Columbia University. First Year Seminars are required of incoming students and are designed to encourage critical analysis in a small class setting with focused discussion. The class links historical polar exploration with current research in order to: introduce non-scientists to the value of environmental science through polar literature; discuss issues related to venturing into the unknown that are of relevance to any discipline: self-reliance, leadership, preparation, decisions under uncertainty; show students the human face of science; change attitudes about science and scientists; use data to engage students in exploring/understanding the environment and help them learn to draw conclusions from data; integrate research and education. These goals are met by bringing analysis of early exploration efforts together with a modern understanding of the polar environment. To date to class has followed the efforts of Nansen in the Fram, Scott and Amundsen in their race to the pole, and Shackleton's Endurance. As students read turn-of-the-century expedition journals, expedition progress is progressively revealed on an interactive map showing the environmental context. To bring the exploration process to life, students are assigned to expedition teams for specific years and the fates of the student "expeditions" are based on their own decisions. For example, in the Arctic, they navigate coastal sea ice and become frozen into the ice north of Siberia, re-creating Nansen's polar drift. Fates of the teams varied tremendously: some safely emerged at Fram Strait in 4 years, while others nearly became hopelessly lost in the Beaufort Gyre. Students thus learn about variability in the current polar environment through first hand experience, enabling them to appreciate the experiences, decisions, and, in some cases, the luck, of polar explorers. Evaluation by the Columbia Center for New Media, Teaching

  18. Barriers to Physical Activity on University Student

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jajat; Sultoni, K.; Suherman, A.

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of the research is to analyze the factors that become barriers to physical activity in university students based on physical activity level. An internet-based survey was conducted. The participants were 158 University students from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. Barriers to Physical Activity Quiz (BPAQ) were used to assessed the factors that become barriers to physical activity in university students. IPAQ (short form) were used to assessed physical activity level. The results show there was no differences BPAQ based on IPAQ level. But when analyzed further based on seven factors barriers there are differences in factors “social influence and lack of willpower” based IPAQ level. Based on this it was concluded that the “influence from other and lack of willpower” an inhibiting factor on students to perform physical activity.

  19. Using Activity Theory to Examine How Teachers' Lesson Plans Meet Students' Learning Needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chizhik, Estella Williams; Chizhik, Alexander Williams

    2018-01-01

    How is lesson planning useful? This research study used Cultural Historical Activity Theory and intersubjectivity to answer this questions. This research explored to what extent teacher candidates' lesson plans (i.e., alignment among objectives, assessment, and instruction), and analyses of assessment data mediate their thinking about students'…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-02-28

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

  1. Students as Virtual Scientists: An exploration of students' and teachers' perceived realness of a remote electron microscopy investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Childers, Gina; Jones, M. Gail

    2015-10-01

    Remote access technologies enable students to investigate science by utilizing scientific tools and communicating in real-time with scientists and researchers with only a computer and an Internet connection. Very little is known about student perceptions of how real remote investigations are and how immersed the students are in the experience. This study, conducted with high school students and their teachers, explored the impact of students' perception of ownership and virtual presence during a remote investigation using a scanning electron microscope. Students were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: students able to select their own insect to use during the remote investigation, and students that did not select their own insects to view during the remote investigation. The results of this study showed that students in the experimental group who had choice and ownership of their insect reported being more present (less distracted) during the remote investigation than students in the control group, whereas students in the control group reported controlling the technology was easier than the experimental group. Students indicated the remote investigation was very real; however, the teachers of these students were less likely to describe the investigation as being real. The results of this study have practical implications for designing remote learning environments.

  2. Active Play: Exploring the Influences on Children's School Playground Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyndman, Brendon; Benson, Amanda; Telford, Amanda

    2016-01-01

    Because children spend so much of their time in schools, their playgrounds offer a good setting for promoting active play in young lives. Teachers, instead of considering active play a taxing demand on their busy day, have begun to develop an informal curriculum for it. The authors review the research on children's active play and explores its…

  3. The Complex Dynamics of Student Engagement in Novel Engineering Design Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormick, Mary

    In engineering design, making sense of "messy," design situations is at the heart of the discipline (Schon, 1983); engineers in practice bring structure to design situations by organizing, negotiating, and coordinating multiple aspects (Bucciarelli, 1994; Stevens, Johri, & O'Connor, 2014). In classroom settings, however, students are more often given well-defined, content-focused engineering tasks (Jonassen, 2014). These tasks are based on the assumption that elementary students are unable to grapple with the complexity or open-endedness of engineering design (Crismond & Adams, 2012). The data I present in this dissertation suggest the opposite. I show that students are not only able to make sense of, or frame (Goffman, 1974), complex design situations, but that their framings dynamically involve their nascent abilities for engineering design. The context of this work is Novel Engineering, a larger research project that explores using children's literature as an access point for engineering design. Novel Engineering activities are inherently messy: there are characters with needs, settings with implicit constraints, and rich design situations. In a series of three studies, I show how students' framings of Novel Engineering design activities involve their reasoning and acting as beginning engineers. In the first study, I show two students whose caring for the story characters contributes to their stability in framing the task: they identify the needs of their fictional clients and iteratively design a solution to meet their clients' needs. In the second, I show how students' shifting and negotiating framings influence their engineering assumptions and evaluation criteria. In the third, I show how students' coordinating framings involve navigating a design process to meet clients' needs, classroom expectations, and technical requirements. Collectively, these studies contribute to literature by documenting students' productive beginnings in engineering design. The

  4. Exploring Student Self-Plagiarism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halupa, Colleen M.

    2014-01-01

    Student self-plagiarism is a confusing issue for both faculty and students alike. This problem is compounded because both groups perceive the concept very differently. Recent literature regarding these perceptions is reviewed and some brief preliminary results of an exploratory multi-university study of student perceptions of self-plagiarism are…

  5. Do Israeli health promoting schools contribute to students' healthy eating and physical activity habits?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayek, Samah; Tessler, Riki; Bord, Shiran; Endevelt, Ronit; Satran, Carmit; Livne, Irit; Khatib, Mohammed; Harel-Fisch, Yosi; Baron-Epel, Orna

    2017-10-04

    The Israeli Health Promoting School Network (HPSN) is actively committed to enhancing a healthy lifestyle for the entire school population. This study aimed to explore the contribution of school participation in the HPSN and students' individual characteristics to healthy eating and physical activity habits among Israeli school children aged 10-12 years. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 4166 students in grades 4-6 from 28 schools. The schools were selected from a sample of HPSN affiliated and non-HPSN schools. The contribution of individual characteristics (grade, gender and subjective self-reported health education activities at school) and school characteristics (school type, population group, deprivation score) to healthy eating and physical activity habits was analyzed using multi-level hierarchical models. Multi-level analysis indicated that student's individual characteristic was significantly associated with healthy eating and physical activity habits. The subjective self-reported health education received at school was statistically significant factor associated with students' health behaviors. The school's affiliation with the HPSN was not associated with higher healthy eating and physical activity scores after adjusting for individual factors. These findings suggest that Israeli HPSN schools do not contribute to children's health behaviors more than other schools. Therefore, health promoting activities in HPSN schools need to be improved to justify their recognition as members of the HPS network and to fulfill their mission. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Exploring a Relational Cultural Group Trainee Model for Master's Level Counseling Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Brenda S.; Harper, Irene; Korcuska, James

    2018-01-01

    We explored students' experiences of a graduate level group course infused with components of the Relational Cultural Theory (RCT). During the didactic and experiential aspects of 2 semester-long group courses, the faculty instructors and students focused on creating an environment of safety, connection, and empowerment. The instructor and…

  7. Relationship Between Age, Experience, and Student Preference for Types of Learning Activities in Online Courses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas A. Simonds

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In this study, two researchers explored student learning preferences in online courses. They used the scholarship of teaching and learning process as a research model, and embedded a web-based survey and online focus groups in the online courses they were teaching. After collecting data, the researchers conducted multiple logistic regression analyses to test their hypothesis that a relationship existed between some student factors and student preferences for types of online learning activities. The results of the data analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between student age and student preference for certain types of online learning activities. Older students in the study indicated a much stronger preference for videos of the professor lecturing, while younger students tended to prefer more interactive learning strategies. Focus group comments from the older students provide insights into some of the reasons why they found watching video lectures to be helpful for their learning, and comments from younger students illustrate how they learn best in online courses. The researchers offer suggestions for online instructors based on the findings of this study, and they explain why online instructors may find the scholarship of teaching and learning research process especially helpful for both teaching and research efforts.

  8. Activation of Students with Various Teaching Methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Shuang Ma

    2011-01-01

    A group of teaching methodes to active engineer students have been tried out. The methodes are developed based on the Pedagogical Cyclic Workflow (PCW). Comparing with earlier evaluation, positive feedback is achieved among the students.......A group of teaching methodes to active engineer students have been tried out. The methodes are developed based on the Pedagogical Cyclic Workflow (PCW). Comparing with earlier evaluation, positive feedback is achieved among the students....

  9. Exploring the factors influencing clinical students' self-regulated learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berkhout, Joris J; Helmich, Esther; Teunissen, Pim W; van den Berg, Joost W; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Jaarsma, A Debbie C

    2015-06-01

    The importance of self-regulated learning (SRL) has been broadly recognised by medical education institutions and regulatory bodies. Supporting the development of SRL skills has proven difficult because self-regulation is a complex interactive process and we know relatively little about the factors influencing this process in real practice settings. The aim of our study was therefore to identify factors that support or hamper medical students' SRL in a clinical context. We conducted a constructivist grounded theory study using semi-structured interviews with 17 medical students from two universities enrolled in clerkships. Participants were purposively sampled to ensure variety in age, gender, experience and current clerkship. The Day Reconstruction Method was used to help participants remember their activities of the previous day. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed iteratively using constant comparison and open, axial and interpretive coding. Self-regulated learning by students in the clinical environment was influenced by the specific goals perceived by students, the autonomy they experienced, the learning opportunities they were given or created themselves, and the anticipated outcomes of an activity. All of these factors were affected by personal, contextual and social attributes. Self-regulated learning of medical students in the clinical environment is different for every individual. The factors influencing this process are affected by personal, social and contextual attributes. Some of these are similar to those known from previous research in classroom settings, but others are unique to the clinical environment and include the facilities available, the role of patients, and social relationships pertaining to peers and other hospital staff. To better support students' SRL, we believe it is important to increase students' metacognitive awareness and to offer students more tailored learning opportunities. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. The Impact of Career Exploration on Career Development among Hong Kong Chinese University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Raysen; Arnold, John

    2014-01-01

    Career exploration is widely believed to produce positive career development outcomes among college and university students. Some research has supported this belief, but there is little information about exactly which outcomes it affects and whether any benefits of career exploration can be observed beyond individualistic western cultures. We…

  11. An Exploration into the Impact of Blogs on Students' Learning: Case Studies in Postgraduate Business Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansouri, S. Afshin; Piki, Andriani

    2016-01-01

    The research draws from four case studies to investigate the impact of using blogs within postgraduate education. The study explores how postgraduate business students engage with blogs, whether students' learning preferences correlate with their degree of contribution and how student participation relates with overall achievement. A mixed…

  12. The efficacy of video monitoring-supported student self-evaluation of dental explorer skills in dental hygiene education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tano, R; Takaku, S; Ozaki, T

    2017-11-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate whether having dental hygiene students monitor video recordings of their dental explorer skills is an effective means of proper self-evaluation in dental hygiene education. The study participants comprised students of a dental hygiene training school who had completed a module on explorer skills using models, and a dental hygiene instructor who was in charge of lessons. Questions regarding 'posture', 'grip', 'finger rest' and 'operation' were set to evaluate explorer skills. Participants rated each item on a two-point scale: 'competent (1)' or 'not competent (0)'. The total score was calculated for each evaluation item in evaluations by students with and without video monitoring, and in evaluations by the instructor with video monitoring. Mean scores for students with and without video monitoring were compared using a t-test, while intraclass correlation coefficients were found by reliability analysis of student and instructor evaluations. A total of 37 students and one instructor were subject to analysis. The mean score for evaluations with and without video monitoring differed significantly for posture (P Dental Hygiene Published by John Wiley& Sons Ltd.

  13. Implementing the Flipped Classroom: An Exploration of Study Behaviour and Student Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boevé, Anja J.; Meijer, Rob R.; Bosker, Roel J.; Vugteveen, Jorien; Hoekstra, Rink; Albers, Casper J.

    2017-01-01

    The flipped classroom is becoming more popular as a means to support student learning in higher education by requiring students to prepare before lectures and actively engaging students during lectures. While some research has been conducted into student performance in the flipped classroom, students' study behaviour throughout a flipped course…

  14. Success and Motivation among College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schweinle, Amy; Helming, Luralyn M.

    2011-01-01

    The present research explores college students' explanations of their success and failure in challenging activities and how it relates to students' efficacy, value, and engagement. The results suggest most students hold one primary reason for success during the challenging activity, including grade/extrinsic, mastery/intrinsic,…

  15. Extracurricular research activities among senior medical students in Kuwait: experiences, attitudes, and barriers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Al-Halabi B

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Becher Al-Halabi,1 Yousef Marwan,2 Mohammad Hasan,3 Sulaiman Alkhadhari41Department of Surgery, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait; 2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Al-Razi Hospital, Al-Sabah Medical Area, Ministry of Health, Kuwait; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, Kuwait Cancer Control Center, Al-Sabah Medical Area, Ministry of Health, Kuwait; 4Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University, KuwaitBackground: Research is the foundation of scientific advancement and improvement in quality of health care, which ensures the good health of the community. The aim of this study is to explore experiences, attitudes, and barriers of medical students in Kuwait University (KU in regards to extracurricular research.Methods: A questionnaire about extracurricular research activities (ie, any research activity that is not part of the required undergraduate curriculum, such as publishing a paper, research elective, etc was distributed to 175 senior medical students (years 6 and 7. Descriptive and chi-square analyses were used to analyze the responses, considering a P-value of <0.05 as the cut-off level for significance. The main outcome was defined as taking part in any of the extracurricular research activities.Results: Of the 150 participants (response rate = 85.7%, 26 (17.3%, 68 (45.3%, 52 (34.7%, and 17 (11.3% had published their required medical school research, presented abstracts in conferences, conducted extracurricular research, and completed a research elective/course, respectively; 99 (66.0% took part in any of these activities. Participants who read medical journals regularly (81; 54% reported higher participation in extracurricular research activities than those who did not read journals (P=0.003. Improving the availability of mentors for students' extracurricular research was ranked by the participants as the most important factor to improve their participation in

  16. An active-learning assignment requiring pharmacy students to write medicinal chemistry examination questions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolluru, Srikanth

    2012-08-10

    To implement and assess the effectiveness of an assignment requiring doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students to write examination questions for the medicinal chemistry sections of a pharmacotherapeutics course. Students were divided into groups of 5-6 and given detailed instructions and grading rubrics for writing multiple-choice examination questions on medicinal chemistry topics. The compiled student-written questions for each examination were provided to the entire class as a study aid. Approximately 5% of the student-written questions were used in course examinations. Student appreciation of and performance in the medicinal chemistry portion of the course was significantly better than that of the previous year's class. Also, students' responses on a qualitative survey instrument indicated that the assignment provided students' guidance on which concepts to focus on, helped them retain knowledge better, and fostered personal exploration of the content, which led to better performance on examinations. Adding an active-learning assignment in which students write examination questions for the medicinal chemistry portion of a pharmacotherapeutics course was an effective means of increasing students engagement in the class and knowledge of the course material.

  17. Implementing the Flipped Classroom : An exploration of study behaviour and student performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boevé, Anna J.; Meijer, Rob R.; Bosker, Roel J.; Vugteveen, Jorien; Hoekstra, Rink; Albers, Casper J.

    2017-01-01

    The flipped classroom is becoming more popular as a means to support student learning in higher education by requiring students to prepare before lectures and actively engaging students during lectures. While some research has been conducted into student performance in the flipped classroom,

  18. 25 CFR 36.43 - Standard XVI-Student activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... § 36.43 Standard XVI—Student activities. All schools shall provide and maintain a well-balanced student..., and planned types of fund-raising activities. (c) School may participate in interscholastic sports and... sanctioned by the school. (g) All student activities involved only in fund raising are required to establish...

  19. Problematic Internet Use among Turkish University Students: A Multidimensional Investigation Based on Demographics and Internet Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tekinarslan, Erkan; Gurer, Melih Derya

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the Turkish undergraduate university students' problematic Internet use (PIU) levels on different dimensions based on demographics (e.g., gender, Internet use by time of day), and Internet activities (e.g., chat, entertainment, social networking, information searching, etc.). Moreover, the study explored some predictors of…

  20. What Makes a "Good Group"? Exploring the Characteristics and Performance of Undergraduate Student Groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Channon, S. B.; Davis, R. C.; Goode, N. T.; May, S. A.

    2017-01-01

    Group work forms the foundation for much of student learning within higher education, and has many educational, social and professional benefits. This study aimed to explore the determinants of success or failure for undergraduate student teams and to define a "good group" through considering three aspects of group success: the task, the…

  1. Measuring Teacher Effectiveness through Hierarchical Linear Models: Exploring Predictors of Student Achievement and Truancy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subedi, Bidya Raj; Reese, Nancy; Powell, Randy

    2015-01-01

    This study explored significant predictors of student's Grade Point Average (GPA) and truancy (days absent), and also determined teacher effectiveness based on proportion of variance explained at teacher level model. We employed a two-level hierarchical linear model (HLM) with student and teacher data at level-1 and level-2 models, respectively.…

  2. Role Performance of Social Institutions in Student Activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helen R. Lara

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The study was conducted to determine the influence of social institutions on the involvement of students in school activities. The descriptive method of research was used. Purposive sampling was utilized which involved 30 Presidents of all accredited student organizations. The study specifically determined the degree of involvement of students in school activities; and identified the roles of social institutions and the extent of their influence on the involvement of students in college activities. Interviews, documentary analysis and a survey using a questionnaire-checklist were utilized to gather data and information. The study revealed that family and school have a strong influence on the participation of students in school activities. This was so because student leaders are often in direct contact with people who provide support and spend a long time with them. The Church and community are revealed as moderate influences. The moderate influence of social institutions is because students are not exposed to a variety of activities that are equally important in the development of their abilities and skills. It was found that students had limited involvement in church and community undertakings because of the demands put upon them by their academic and non-academic school activities. There is a need to improve students’ participation in the Church and community activities that have moderate influence in order to strengthen their roles

  3. Exploring Racism through Photography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fey, Cass; Shin, Ryan; Cinquemani, Shana; Marino, Catherine

    2010-01-01

    Photography is a powerful medium with which to explore social issues and concerns through the intersection of artistic form and concept. Through the discussions of images and suggested activities, students will understand various ways photographers have documented and addressed racism and discrimination. This Instructional Resource presents a…

  4. The Use of Group Activities in Introductory Biology Supports Learning Gains and Uniquely Benefits High-Achieving Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gili Marbach-Ad

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This study describes the implementation and effectiveness of small-group active engagement (GAE exercises in an introductory biology course (BSCI207 taught in a large auditorium setting. BSCI207 (Principles of Biology III—Organismal Biology is the third introductory core course for Biological Sciences majors. In fall 2014, the instructors redesigned one section to include GAE activities to supplement lecture content. One section (n = 198 employed three lectures per week. The other section (n = 136 replaced one lecture per week with a GAE class. We explored the benefits and challenges associated with implementing GAE exercises and their relative effectiveness for unique student groups (e.g., minority students, high- and low-grade point average [GPA] students. Our findings show that undergraduates in the GAE class exhibited greater improvement in learning outcomes than undergraduates in the traditional class. Findings also indicate that high-achieving students experienced the greatest benefit from GAE activities. Some at-risk student groups (e.g., two-year transfer students showed comparably low learning gains in the course, despite the additional support that may have been afforded by active learning. Collectively, these findings provide valuable feedback that may assist other instructors who wish to revise their courses and recommendations for institutions regarding prerequisite coursework approval policies.

  5. Exploring students' learning effectiveness and attitude in Group Scribbles-supported collaborative reading activities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lin, C. P.; Lin, Chih-Cheng; Chen, W.

    2014-01-01

    Improving students' reading comprehension is of significance. In this study, collaborative learning supported by Group Scribbles (GS), a networked technology, was integrated into a primary reading class. Forty-seven 10-year-old students from two 4th grade classes participated in the study...

  6. Exploring the Writing Process of Indonesian EFL Students: The Effectiveness of Think-Aloud Protocol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abas, Imelda Hermilinda; Aziz, Noor Hashima Abd

    2016-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to explore the writing process of the Indonesian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students and to find out the effectiveness of using think-aloud protocol to understand the writing process. The data were obtained from six proficient EFL students who were doing Postgraduate English Language Studies Program in…

  7. Exploring Individual Factors Affecting Business Students' Willingness to Study Abroad: A Case Study from the Caribbean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Díaz, Arleen; Fernández-Morales, Leticia M.; Vega-Vilca, José C.; Córdova-Claudio, Mario

    2016-01-01

    Despite a low rate of student participation in study abroad programs in the Caribbean, there is insufficient research about the individual factors that help determine business students' willingness to study or to participate in internship programs abroad. This study aims to explore business students' attitudes toward study abroad. The positive…

  8. Enhancing learning with the social media: student teachers’ perceptions on Twitter in a debate activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gemma Tur

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents research focused on the educational experience of students using the microblogging platform Twitter for debate activities in three groups in different teacher education programmes at the University of the Balearic Islands, Spain. The implementation of this technology-based task in a face-to-face class was introduced as an innovative experience as a way of enhancing student learning and fostering participation in the context of formal learning. The educational objectives of these activities, besides working on the topics of the debate, were to empower student teachers’ Personal Learning Environments, engage student participation and enhance their use of social media and mobile devices for learning. Student perceptions were assessed by means of a questionnaire completed by them at the end of the courses. Tweets related to the debate were also collected in order to obtain some statistical data on student participation. Data collected allowed the researchers to observe student teacher engagement with the use of Twitter for the debate activity and its impact on their learning and understanding of the debate topic. Results also showed positive perceptions towards the use of social media in education and students’ willingness for future use, learning opportunities from Twitter and the use of mobile technology were also envisioned. Finally, conclusions argue the implications for practice of the current study and highlight some issues for further research, such as the exploration of new and innovative uses for teachers’ professional development and the empowerment of new activities and habits in learning on the move.

  9. A Course Exploration: Guiding Instruction to Prepare Students as Change Agents in Educational Reform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathy L. Church, EdD

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available This article explores the premise of teacher identity development through course experiences directed at inquiry and social awareness. The course exploration examines the use of various strategies used to help promote educators as change agents. Pre-service students enrolled in a one-year master’s program with teaching credential participated in a yearlong course designed to engage them in guided inquiry while making connections between theory and practice. Evaluation of the projects and student perceptions of their work suggest that guided inquiry into educational issues builds critical thinking skills and a sense of purpose, leadership, and service through shaping teacher identity.

  10. Propelling Students into Active Grammar Participation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurhill, Dennis A.

    2011-01-01

    "O! this learning, what a thing it is." -W. Shakespeare, "The Taming of the Shrew." The aim of this action research was to find out if active grammar involvement amongst students might lead to better results. My approach was to activate my students during grammar instruction by using cooperative learning: that is a form of…

  11. Exploring Chinese Students' Experience of Curriculum Internationalisation: A Comparative Study of Scotland and Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Ming; Adekola, Olalekan Adeban; Shah, Mahsood; Valyrakis, Manousos

    2018-01-01

    Increasing enrolment of Chinese students has become a key feature of internationalisation for Western universities, but there is limited research into how curriculum internationalisation affects Chinese students' learning experiences. Using the typologies of curriculum internationalisation as a framework, this paper explores and compares how…

  12. Exploring Students' Perceptions about English Learning in a Public University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez, Patricia Kim

    2018-01-01

    This manuscript reports the final findings of an exploratory, descriptive case study that aimed at exploring the perceptions of a group of English as a foreign language students in a public university regarding their English learning and the commitment level through the process. A questionnaire, a survey, and the teacher's diary were the…

  13. Interactions among Future Study Abroad Students: Exploring Potential Intercultural Learning Sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borghetti, C.; Beaven, A.; Pugliese, R.

    2015-01-01

    The study presented in this article aims to explore if and how intercultural learning may take place in students' class interaction. It is grounded in the assumption that interculturality is not a clear-cut feature inherent to interactions occurring when individuals with presumed different linguistic and cultural/national backgrounds talk to each…

  14. Exploring the Concern about Food Allergies among Secondary School and University Students in Ontario, Canada: A Descriptive Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majowicz, Shannon E; Jung, James K H; Courtney, Sarah M; Harrington, Daniel W

    2017-01-01

    Our objective was to explore the perceived risk of food allergies among students in Ontario, Canada. We analyzed blinding questions ("I am concerned about food allergies"; "food allergies are currently a big threat to my health") from three existing food safety surveys, given to high school and university undergraduate students ( n = 3,451) circa February 2015, using descriptive analysis, and explored how concern related to demographics and self-reported cooking ability using linear regression. Overall, high school students were neutral in their concern, although Food and Nutrition students specifically were significantly less concerned ( p = 0.002) than high school students overall. University undergraduates were moderately unconcerned about food allergies. Concern was highest in younger students, decreasing between 13 and 18 years of age and plateauing between 19 and 23 years. Among students aged 13-18 years, concern was higher among those who worked or volunteered in a daycare and who had previously taken a food preparation course. Among students aged 19-23 years, concern was higher among females and those with less advanced cooking abilities. Concern was significantly correlated with perceiving food allergies as a personal threat. This study offers a first exploration of perceived risk of food allergies among this demographic and can guide future, more rigorous assessments.

  15. PARTICIPATION MOTIVATION AND STUDENT'S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG SPORT STUDENTS IN THREE COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miran Kondric

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The main aim of this study was to examine the differences in motivation to participate in sport activities among sports students from three different countries. On a sample of 390 sports students from Slovenia, Croatia and Germany we studied what motivates an interest in being sports active. The sample was stratified across the choice to attend table tennis lessons at all three institutions and all students have completed the Participation Motivation Questionnaire (PMQ. The results revealed that the latent structure of the types of sports students' motives consisted of six factors (sport action with friend, popularity, fitness & health, social status, sports events, relaxation through sports. We also found significant sex differences in motivation to participate in sport activities for all sports students from the three different countries. We did not find relevant age-based differences among the students, and this is the only initial hypothesis that we can reject.

  16. Volunteering as Students significant social activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. A. Zaitseva

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article examines the involvement of students in volunteer activities, examines the organization of students volunteer activities and volunteer projects realization at the university. The potential of volunteerism as an effective mechanism for addressing the urgent social problems is revealed.Theauthorstudiesexperience of volunteer services organization the I.A. Bunin State University in Yelets.

  17. Tobacco abuse and physical activity among medical students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gawlikowska-Sroka A

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective This lifestyle is mainly determined during childhood and connected with poor public prophylactic health policy. The aim of this study was to estimate physical activity and level of tobacco abuse, as well as knowledge about health behaviours, among medical students. Methods Questionnaires were completed by Polish (243 and foreign medical students (80. Results It was stated that about 20% of the students smoked cigarettes. Female students from Norway took up smoking significantly more often than other participants, whereas there were more smokers among those from Poland. There was a significantly larger percentage of smoking males from Norway than among male Polish students. The same students presented a low level of physical activity. The smallest level of physical activity was characteristic of the Polish women. Conclusion This situation requires an intensification of activities aimed at supporting pro-health lifestyles and the elimination of unfavourable effects, especially among medical students.

  18. An exploration of alcohol use amongst undergraduate female psychology students at a South African university

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Indiran Govender

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Alcohol use amongst tertiary education students, particularly female undergraduates, is increasing. Heavy alcohol use by tertiary students leads to a variety of alcohol-related problems such as damage to property, poor academic performance, problematic peer relationships, high dropout rates, unprotected sexual activity, physical injuries, date rape and suicide. Abuse of alcohol is attributed to curiosity and experimentation, peer pressure, low self-esteem, enjoyment, parental modelling, socio-cultural influences, stress and life events, self-medication and concerns about weight and appearance. Our study explores alcohol use and the reasons behind it amongst undergraduate female psychology students at the University of Limpopo. The findings will be important, as these students represent many future psychologists who are going to advise others on harms related to alcohol use. Methods: This was a descriptive survey, and the qualitative results are presented. The sample consists of 700 undergraduate female psychology students. A self-administered questionnaire included five open-ended questions which elicited the thoughts and experiences of these students about alcohol use. Responses to these questions were analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: The themes that arose were as follows: fun and enjoyment, socio-cultural influences, alcohol use leads to negative behaviour(s, peer influence, destress, concerns about weight and appearance, abstinence from alcohol and it improves self-esteem. Conclusion: The themes were reasons that female students gave for consuming alcohol. The majority of participants reported responsible drinking behaviour, but a notable proportion of female students’ drinking behaviours (across all year levels are cause for concern in terms of negative impact at both social and academic levels.

  19. Age-related impairments in active learning and strategic visual exploration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly L Brandstatt

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Old age could impair memory by disrupting learning strategies used by younger individuals. We tested this possibility by manipulating the ability to use visual-exploration strategies during learning. Subjects controlled visual exploration during active learning, thus permitting the use of strategies, whereas strategies were limited during passive learning via predetermined exploration patterns. Performance on tests of object recognition and object-location recall was matched for younger and older subjects for objects studied passively, when learning strategies were restricted. Active learning improved object recognition similarly for younger and older subjects. However, active learning improved object-location recall for younger subjects, but not older subjects. Exploration patterns were used to identify a learning strategy involving repeat viewing. Older subjects used this strategy less frequently and it provided less memory benefit compared to younger subjects. In previous experiments, we linked hippocampal-prefrontal co-activation to improvements in object-location recall from active learning and to the exploration strategy. Collectively, these findings suggest that age-related memory problems result partly from impaired strategies during learning, potentially due to reduced hippocampal-prefrontal co-engagement.

  20. Age-related impairments in active learning and strategic visual exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandstatt, Kelly L; Voss, Joel L

    2014-01-01

    Old age could impair memory by disrupting learning strategies used by younger individuals. We tested this possibility by manipulating the ability to use visual-exploration strategies during learning. Subjects controlled visual exploration during active learning, thus permitting the use of strategies, whereas strategies were limited during passive learning via predetermined exploration patterns. Performance on tests of object recognition and object-location recall was matched for younger and older subjects for objects studied passively, when learning strategies were restricted. Active learning improved object recognition similarly for younger and older subjects. However, active learning improved object-location recall for younger subjects, but not older subjects. Exploration patterns were used to identify a learning strategy involving repeat viewing. Older subjects used this strategy less frequently and it provided less memory benefit compared to younger subjects. In previous experiments, we linked hippocampal-prefrontal co-activation to improvements in object-location recall from active learning and to the exploration strategy. Collectively, these findings suggest that age-related memory problems result partly from impaired strategies during learning, potentially due to reduced hippocampal-prefrontal co-engagement.

  1. What's the Point?: An Exploration of Students' Motivation to Learn in a First-Year Seminar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jessup-Anger, Jody E.

    2011-01-01

    This qualitative case study explores how undergraduate students and their instructor made meaning of students' motivation to learn in a one-credit, pass/fail first-year seminar. The findings point to the importance of addressing structural motivational barriers and ensuring that instructors possess the instructional, motivational, and…

  2. Don't Waste My Time; Exploring the Reflective Journaling Requirement in the Student Teaching Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiker, Amy

    2014-01-01

    For many years reflective journaling has been a required component of the student teaching experience at the University of Wyoming. Through action research, Amy Spiker, an instructor at the University of Wyoming, set out to explore the perceived disconnect between what faculty desires for and from student teachers and what student teachers view as…

  3. A Mixed-Method Study of Mobile Devices and Student Self-Directed Learning and Achievement During a Middle School STEM Activity

    OpenAIRE

    Bartholomew, Scott

    2016-01-01

    The increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile devices among K-12 students has led many to argue for and against the inclusion of mobile devices in K-12 classrooms. Some have conjectured that access to mobile devices may enable student self-directed learning. This research used a mixed-method approach to explore the relationships between mobile devices and student achievement and self-directed learning during a Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) activity in a middle schoo...

  4. Pro-Social Behavior Amongst Students of Tertiary Institutions: An Explorative and a Quantitative Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quain, Samuel; Yidana, Xiaaba Dantallah; Ambotumah, Bernard Baba; Mensah-Livivnstone, Ike Joe Nii Annang

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this paper was to explore antecedents of pro-social behavior amongst university students, using a private university as a case study. Following an explorative research, the study was guided by some theories relating to the phenomenon, focusing on gender and location factors. A quantitative approach was used in the follow up to the…

  5. Developing Self-Efficacy: Exploring Preservice Coursework, Student Teaching, and Professional Development Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKim, Aaron J.; Velez, Jonathan J.

    2017-01-01

    To extend current understanding of school-based agriculture teacher development, this study explored the relationship between teacher development experiences and the self-efficacy of early career agriculture teachers. Three teacher development experiences were of interest: (a) preservice coursework, (b) student teaching, and (c) professional…

  6. Using peer-mediated instruction to support communication involving a student with autism during mathematics activities: A case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Paulo; Alant, Erna

    2018-01-01

    This study employed an A-B singled subject design to explore the extent to which a peer-mediated intervention supported a first-grade student with autism's usage both in purpose and frequency of a speech-generating device (SGD) during mathematics activities. The intervention involved teaching a peer without a disability to encourage the student with autism to use the SGD during partnered mathematics activities. Our analysis involved visual and descriptive examination of trends and patterns over time, and comparison of means between and within phases. We found during the course of this study that (1) the student with autism's level of overall communication, which included the relevancy of these communicative behaviors, increased; (2) the student with autism's level of spontaneous communication acts increased; and (3) the peer became more independent with supporting the student with autism's communication. Implications for future research and practice are provided.

  7. `Hard science': a career option for socially and societally interested students? Grade 12 students' vocational interest gap explored

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struyf, Annemie; Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle; Van Petegem, Peter

    2017-11-01

    A key theme in science education research concerns the decline in young peoples' interest in science and the need for professionals in hard science. Goal Congruity Theory posits that an important aspect of the decision whether to pursue hard science for study or as a career is the perception that hard science careers do not fulfil social (working with people) and societal (serving or helping others) interests. In this qualitative study, we explore grade 12 students' perceptions about the social and societal orientation of hard science careers. Furthermore, we investigate the variation in students' social and societal interests. Six focus groups were conducted with 58 grade 12 students in Flanders. Our results indicate that a number of students hold stereotypical views about hard science careers' social orientation, while others believe cooperation with others is an important aspect of hard science careers nowadays. Furthermore, our results show that students believe hard science careers can be societally oriented in the sense that they often associate them with innovation or societal progress. Finally, our results indicate that students may differentiate direct versus indirect societal orientation. These findings contribute to literature regarding social and societal interests and students' perceptions of hard science careers.

  8. Earth Exploration Toolbook Workshops: Helping Teachers and Students Analyze Web-based Scientific Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAuliffe, C.; Ledley, T.; Dahlman, L.; Haddad, N.

    2007-12-01

    One of the challenges faced by Earth science teachers, particularly in K-12 settings, is that of connecting scientific research to classroom experiences. Helping teachers and students analyze Web-based scientific data is one way to bring scientific research to the classroom. The Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) was developed as an online resource to accomplish precisely that. The EET consists of chapters containing step-by-step instructions for accessing Web-based scientific data and for using a software analysis tool to explore issues or concepts in science, technology, and mathematics. For example, in one EET chapter, users download Earthquake data from the USGS and bring it into a geographic information system (GIS), analyzing factors affecting the distribution of earthquakes. The goal of the EET Workshops project is to provide professional development that enables teachers to incorporate Web-based scientific data and analysis tools in ways that meet their curricular needs. In the EET Workshops project, Earth science teachers participate in a pair of workshops that are conducted in a combined teleconference and Web-conference format. In the first workshop, the EET Data Analysis Workshop, participants are introduced to the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE). They also walk through an Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) chapter and discuss ways to use Earth science datasets and tools with their students. In a follow-up second workshop, the EET Implementation Workshop, teachers share how they used these materials in the classroom by describing the projects and activities that they carried out with students. The EET Workshops project offers unique and effective professional development. Participants work at their own Internet-connected computers, and dial into a toll-free group teleconference for step-by-step facilitation and interaction. They also receive support via Elluminate, a Web

  9. `Opening up' a science task: an exploration of shifting embodied participation of a multilingual primary student

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez Fernández, Roberto; Siry, Christina

    2018-05-01

    Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students have different home languages and cultures from many of their peers, In our context, these students suffer from higher school drop-out rates than their peers and are far behind their peers in sciences. This study investigates the interactions of a nine-year-old child whose home language is Portuguese and who learns science in this specific case in a diglossic environment in the Luxembourgish school system, in which his teacher used German for written tasks and Luxembourgish for oral communication. We examine, moment-by-moment, the interactions around a task regarding environmental protection. The role of this Lusoburguês (Luxembourgish and Portuguese identities and nationalities combined) student and his embodiment and participation changes when his group is confronted with an activity that requires an increased amount of manipulation. His identity evolves in interaction, as he becomes the leader in his group, and through a playful stance, manages to open the task so that his peers can further explore. Implications include the value of including more open-ended investigations in the teaching and learning of science as well as implications for further study concerning practice-based approaches in science classrooms with CLD students, particularly in increasingly multilingual/cultural and/or diglossic or heteroglossic school contexts.

  10. Astronomy Student Activities Using Stellarium Software

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benge, Raymond D.; Tuttle, S. R.

    2012-01-01

    Planetarium programs can be used to provide a valuable learning experience for introductory astronomy students. Educational activities can be designed to utilize the capabilities of the software to display the sky, coordinates, motions in the sky, etc., in order to learn basic astronomical concepts. Most of the major textbook publishers have an option of bundling planetarium software and even laboratory activities using such software with textbooks. However, commercial planetarium software often is updated on a different schedule from the textbook revision and new edition schedule. The software updates also sometimes occur out of sync with college textbook adoption deadlines. Changes in software and activity curriculum often translate into increases costs for students and the college. To provide stability to the process, faculty at Tarrant County College have developed a set of laboratory exercises, entitled Distant Nature, using free open source Stellarium software. Stellarium is a simple, yet powerful, program that is available in formats that run on a variety of operating systems (Windows, Apple, linux). A web site was developed for the Distant Nature activities having a set version of Stellarium that students can download and install on their own computers. Also on the web site, students can access the instructions and worksheets associated with the various Stellarium based activities. A variety of activities are available to support two semesters of introductory astronomy. The Distant Nature web site has been used for one year with Tarrant County College astronomy students and is now available for use by other institutions. The Distant Nature web site is http://www.stuttle1.com/DN_Astro/index.html .

  11. Exploring Graduate Students' Perspectives towards Using Gamification Techniques in Online Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniah ALABBASI

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Teachers and educational institutions are attempting to find an appropriate strategy to motivate as well as engage students in the learning process. Institutions are encouraging the use of gamification in education for the purpose of improving the intrinsic motivation as well as engagement. However, the students’ perspective of the issue is under-investigated. The purpose of this research study was to explore graduate students’ perspectives toward the use of gamification techniques in online learning. The study used exploratory research and survey as the data collection tool. Forty-seven graduate students (n = 47 enrolled in an instructional technology program studied in a learning management system that supports gamification (TalentLMS. The average total percentages were calculated for each survey section to compose the final perspective of the included students. The results showed a positive perception toward the use of gamification tools in online learning among graduate students. Students require effort-demanding, challenging, sophisticated learning systems that increase competency, enhance recall memory, concentration, attentiveness, commitment, and social interaction. Limitations of the study are identified, which highlights the need for further research on the subject matter.

  12. EXPLORING THE RELATIONS BETWEEN STUDENT CYNICISM AND STUDENT BURNOUT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Xueyan; Wang, Rongrong; Macdonald, Elizabeth

    2015-08-01

    Research on the negative effects of student cynicism has been limited, especially regarding its relation to student burnout. This study examined the relations among student cynicism (policy cynicism, academic cynicism, social cynicism, and institutional cynicism) and student burnout, as evidenced by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, in a sample of 276 Chinese undergraduates. Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that four aspects of student cynicism together explained substantial variance in student burnout. Policy cynicism was the strongest contributor to emotional exhaustion. Social cynicism was the primary contributor to depersonalization, and also to reduced personal accomplishment. Student cynicism overall had the strongest relationship with reduced sense of personal achievement. The findings outline the negative functional relations between student cynicism and student burnout.

  13. Successfully Educating Our African-American Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moncree-Moffett, Kareem

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this empirical study was to explore the lived experiences of African American retired female teachers who have prior experience with educating urban African American students in public schools. Also explored are the experiences of active African American female teachers of urban African American students and comparisons are…

  14. The Activities of Students in Leisure Time in Sisak-Moslavina County (Republic of Croatia)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ðuranovic, Marina; Opic, Siniša

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to explore the prevalence of activities in leisure time of the young. A survey was conducted on 1062 students in 8 primary (n = 505; 47,6%) and high schools (n = 557; 52,4%) in Sisak-Moslavina County in the Republic of Croatia. The questionnaire of spending leisure time used was made up of 30 variables on a five-degree…

  15. Behaviour of medical students in seeking mental and physical health care: exploration and comparison with psychology students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brimstone, Renee; Thistlethwaite, Jill E; Quirk, Frances

    2007-01-01

    Doctors are often reluctant to seek health care through the usual channels and tend to self-diagnose and prescribe. Medical students learn attitudes and values from clinician role models and may also adopt behaviour patterns that lead them to seek help for physical and mental health problems from informal sources. This study aimed to explore the behaviour of students in seeking health care for physical and mental health problems, comparing medical with psychology students, and to understand what barriers to conventional routes of seeking health care may affect this. We administered a questionnaire asking for demographic details and responses to 2 vignettes in which a student from the respondent's discipline was experiencing firstly symptoms of a mental health problem and secondly symptoms of a physical health problem. Data were analysed with spss and univariate anovas to examine differences between respondents. A total of 172 students at the psychology and medical schools at James Cook University in Australia participated. We identified a number of barriers affecting student behaviour in seeking help, which included worries about knowing the doctor they could consult at the university health centre or having future dealings with him or her, and cost of treatment. There were differences between the 2 groups of students. There are several barriers for both psychology and medical students to accessing appropriate professional mental health care. Medical students also experience barriers to attaining appropriate physical health care when needed. Psychology and medical students were more likely to seek advice informally from friends and/or family with regard to mental health care.

  16. I'm Not the Gingerbread Man! Exploring the Experiences of College Students Diagnosed with ADHD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Susan N.; Franklin, Kathy K.

    2006-01-01

    This study explored how undergraduate students diagnosed with AD/HD remain in college. Using a qualitative research design from a grounded theory perspective, the researchers captured the personal stories of 10 college students from two universities similar in location, size, and liberal arts tradition. The findings included themes related to…

  17. Curricular Activities that Promote Metacognitive Skills Impact Lower-Performing Students in an Introductory Biology Course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dang, Nathan V; Chiang, Jacob C; Brown, Heather M; McDonald, Kelly K

    2018-01-01

    This study explores the impacts of repeated curricular activities designed to promote metacognitive skills development and academic achievement on students in an introductory biology course. Prior to this study, the course curriculum was enhanced with pre-assignments containing comprehension monitoring and self-evaluation questions, exam review assignments with reflective questions related to study habits, and an optional opportunity for students to explore metacognition and deep versus surface learning. We used a mixed-methods study design and collected data over two semesters. Self-evaluation, a component of metacognition, was measured via exam score postdictions, in which students estimated their exam scores after completing their exam. Metacognitive awareness was assessed using the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) and a reflective essay designed to gauge students' perceptions of their metacognitive skills and study habits. In both semesters, more students over-predicted their Exam 1 scores than under-predicted, and statistical tests revealed significantly lower mean exam scores for the over-predictors. By Exam 3, under-predictors still scored significantly higher on the exam, but they outnumbered the over-predictors. Lower-performing students also displayed a significant increase in exam postdiction accuracy by Exam 3. While there was no significant difference in students' MAI scores from the beginning to the end of the semester, qualitative analysis of reflective essays indicated that students benefitted from the assignments and could articulate clear action plans to improve their learning and performance. Our findings suggest that assignments designed to promote metacognition can have an impact on students over the course of one semester and may provide the greatest benefits to lower-performing students.

  18. Exploring Marine Biodiversity through Inquiry with Primary School Students: A Successful Journey?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jesus-Leibovitz, Luísa; Faria, Cláudia; Baioa, Ana Margarida; Borges, Rita

    2017-01-01

    In this work, we present a marine ecology inquiry-based activity, implemented with 164 primary school students. The main goal was to evaluate the activity's impact on students' understanding about biodiversity and scientific procedures. We also aimed to analyse the potential use of personal meaning maps (PMMs) to assess the impact of the activity…

  19. Qualitative exploration of the career aspirations of rural origin health science students in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diab, Paula N; Flack, Penny S; Mabuza, Langalibalele H; Reid, Stephen J Y

    2012-01-01

    There is evidence in the literature that rural background significantly encourages eventual rural practice. Given the shortage of healthcare providers in rural areas, we need to explore ways of ensuring throughput and success of rural-origin students in health sciences. It is therefore important to understand who these students are, what motivates them and the factors involved in the formation of their career choices. The aim of this study is to understand the aspirations of undergraduate health science students of rural origin with regard to their future career plans. The objectives of the study include to explore and identify the key issues facing rural-origin students with regard to their future career plans. Individual interviews were conducted with 15 health science students from two South African universities. Transcriptions were analyzed with the aid of Nvivo v8 (www.qsrinternational.com). The findings suggest health science students of rural origin studying at universities in the South African context face specific challenges related to the nature of the contrast between rural and urban life, in addition to the more generic adaptations that confront all students on entering tertiary education. In order to support rural students in their studies, academic, financial, emotional and social stressors need to be addressed. Universities should strengthen existing support structures as well as aid the development of further support that may be required.Key words: career plan, health science, rural background, South Africa.

  20. Use of emergency contraception in Nigeria: An exploration of related factors among sexually active female university students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abiodun, Olumide

    2016-03-01

    Unsafe abortions account for nearly one-third of maternal deaths among young people. Women who have an induced abortion are usually literate and less than 30 years old; usually undergraduates with unintended pregnancies. Many of these pregnancies could have been prevented by contraception. The aim of this study was to determine the correlates of uptake of emergency contraception among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1328 sexually active, never married female university students. Self-administered questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, perception and practice of emergency contraception. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of emergency contraception. Majority of the participants were aware of emergency contraception (72.6%), had good knowledge (56.0%), and had the perception that it is effective (74.6%) and easy to use (72.4%). The main sources of information about emergency contraception were friends (32.9%) and the media (20.0%). About 52.0% of the participants had unprotected sex in the preceding six months, while 718 (54.1%) had ever used emergency contraception. The main sources of the commodities were sexual partners (46.2%) and medicine stores (35.4%). The uptake of emergency contraception was predicted by being ≤19 years (AOR = 3.193), rural dwelling (AOR = 4.247), perceptions that it is effective (AOR = 2.229E11) and easy to use (AOR = 6.680E8). Use of contraception among sexually active female Nigerian university students is predicted by the perception about its effectiveness and ease of use. Sexual and reproductive health programmes should focus on improving knowledge and addressing misconception in order to improve perception about emergency contraception. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. GeoMapApp Learning Activities: A Virtual Lab Environment for Student-Centred Engagement with Geoscience Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kluge, S.; Goodwillie, A. M.

    2012-12-01

    As STEM learning requirements enter the mainstream, there is benefit to providing the tools necessary for students to engage with research-quality geoscience data in a cutting-edge, easy-to-use map-based interface. Funded with an NSF GeoEd award, GeoMapApp Learning Activities ( http://serc.carleton.edu/geomapapp/collection.html ) are being created to help in that endeavour. GeoMapApp Learning Activities offer step-by-step instructions within a guided inquiry approach that enables students to dictate the pace of learning. Based upon GeoMapApp (http://www.geomapapp.org), a free, easy-to-use map-based data exploration and visualisation tool, each activity furnishes the educator with an efficient package of downloadable documents. This includes step-by-step student instructions and answer sheet; an educator's annotated worksheet containing teaching tips, additional content and suggestions for further work; and, quizzes for use before and after the activity to assess learning. Examples of activities so far created involve calculation and analysis of the rate of seafloor spreading; compilation of present-day evidence for huge ancient landslides on the seafloor around the Hawaiian islands; a study of radiometrically-dated volcanic rocks to help understand the concept of hotspots; and, the optimisation of contours as a means to aid visualisation of 3-D data sets on a computer screen. The activities are designed for students at the introductory undergraduate, community college and high school levels, and present a virtual lab-like environment to expose students to content and concepts typically found in those educational settings. The activities can be used in the classroom or out of class, and their guided nature means that the requirement for teacher intervention is reduced thus allowing students to spend more time analysing and understanding geoscience data, content and concepts. Each activity is freely available through the SERC-Carleton web site.

  2. Hospitality Services. Student Activity Book.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock. Home Economics Curriculum Center.

    This student activity book contains pencil-and-paper activities for use in a hospitality services course focusing on the food and lodging segments of the hospitality and tourism industry. The activities are organized into 29 chapters on the following topics: hospitality services industry; professional ethics; organization/management structures in…

  3. Educational Debt in the Context of Career Planning: A Qualitative Exploration of Medical Student Perceptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Julie P; Wilbanks, Deana M; Salinas, Diana F; Doberneck, Diane M

    2016-01-01

    Phenomenon: Medical students in the United States face increasing educational debt because medical education costs have risen while public investment in higher education has declined. Contemporary students borrow more money and accumulate debt far surpassing that of previous generations of physicians, and both interest rates and terms of loan repayment have changed significantly in the last decade. As a result, the experiences of medical students differ from the experiences of physician educators. Little is known about how contemporary medical students view their debt in the context of career planning. Understanding contemporary U.S. medical students' lived experiences of educational debt is important, because high debt levels may affect medical students' well-being and professional development. The study's purpose was to explore contemporary students' views of their debt in the context of career planning. In 2012, 2nd-year medical students enrolled in a health policy course at one medical school were invited to write an essay about how debt influences their career choices. The authors analyzed 132 essays using immersion and crystallization and iterative, team-based coding. Code-recode strategies, member checking, and reflexivity ensured validity and rigor. Three themes emerged about the meaning of debt: debt symbolizes lack of social investment, debt reinforces a sense of entitlement, and debt is a collective experience. Four approaches to debt management emerged: anticipation, avoidance, acceptance, and disempowerment. Insights: Medical students' views of debt are more complex than previously reported. Medical educators should recognize that many students experience debt as a stressor, acknowledge students' emotions about debt, and invite discussion about the culture of entitlement in medical education and how this culture affects students' professionalism. At the same time, educators should emphasize that students have many repayment options and that regardless

  4. Exploring Multiplication: Three-in-a-Row Lucky Numbers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russo, James A.

    2018-01-01

    Three-in-a-Row Lucky Numbers is an engaging, enjoyable, mathematically meaningful, game-based activity involving dice and a hundred chart, which can be used to introduce students to multiplication. The game provides a mechanism for students to explore the structure of multiplication, experiment with the distributive property, and begin to…

  5. DEVELOPING STUDENT SOCIALIZATION THROUGH MOTOR ACTIVITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioan Sabin SOPA

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available : Starting from the assumption that motor activities are the perfect environment for socialization, communication and social integration of young people, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of these activities in improving intergroup relations at the university level. In this research, the samples were composed of two groups, the experimental group (n = 25 with students from the Physical Education specialization and control group B (n = 25, composed of students from the Faculty of Sciences. The sociological survey applied on the two samples aimed to analyze the level of socialization, communication and social integration of students. The findings showed that the experimental group is more united, having a higher level of socialization and communication, compared to the control group B, proving once again the socializing effects of motor activities.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2011-09-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-10-01

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

  8. Exploring Elementary-School Students' Engagement Patterns in a Game-Based Learning Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Ya-Hui; Lin, Yi-Chun; Hou, Huei-Tse

    2015-01-01

    Unlike most research, which has primarily examined the players' interest in or attitude toward game-based learning through questionnaires, the purpose of this empirical study is to explore students' engagement patterns by qualitative observation and sequential analysis to visualize and better understand their game-based learning process. We…

  9. Appraising the Qualities of Social Work Students' Theoretical Knowledge: A Qualitative Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Bommel, Marijke; Boshuizen, Henny P. A.; Kwakman, Kitty

    2012-01-01

    Higher professional education aims to prepare students for entering practice with an adequate theoretical body of knowledge. In constructivist programmes, authentic learning contexts and self-directed learning are assumed to support knowledge learning and the transition from education to practice. Through an in-depth exploration, this case study…

  10. Culturally and linguistically diverse students in health professional programs: an exploration of concerns and needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilligan, C; Outram, S

    2012-07-01

    Cultural diversity among students in tertiary institutions in Australia and globally has increased rapidly in the last decade, and is continuing to do so. Focus groups were held at the University of Newcastle, NSW to: (1) examine the specific needs of international students in the Master of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Nursing programs in relation to language and cultural considerations and (2) to understand the attitudes of domestic students to the cultural issues faced among their peers. The project explored these issues with the intention to inform curricula changes to accommodate the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. The key themes emerging from international students were: difficulties in spoken language, differences in professional roles and expectations, differences in methods of learning, inadequate social interaction outside the classroom and acceptance of differences in cultural and religious practices. The domestic student views reinforced the comments from international students both in regard to social interaction and in regard to participation in class discussions. Although local students were interested in learning from international students about their culture and religious beliefs, there were limited initiatives from both sides. There is a need for tertiary institutions that benefit economically from increasing the numbers of international students to help them to study and live in a new environment. Assistance needs to go beyond learning the English language to helping students understand its use in a professional context (health terminology and slang used by patients), the nuances of the health professional disciplines in a western society, the approach to study and problem-based learning styles and skills to assist with social interaction. The results of the present exploration have led to a series of proposed actions for the University of Newcastle. These recommendations are applicable to any "Western

  11. Learning experiences on role-emerging placements: an exploration from the students' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dancza, Karina; Warren, Alison; Copley, Jodie; Rodger, Sylvia; Moran, Monica; McKay, Elizabeth; Taylor, Ann

    2013-12-01

    Occupational therapy educators are challenged to provide students with practical experiences which prepare them for ever changing health-care contexts on graduation. Role-emerging placements have been widely used internationally to help meet this challenge, but research into the learning experiences of students during these innovative placements is limited. This research investigated the enablers and barriers to learning from the perspectives of students on such placements from two European universities. Two separate qualitative studies tracked 10 final year students. Interviews explored their learning experiences prior to, during and after an eight- or 10-week role-emerging placement in a range of settings. Four themes emerged, which were (1) adapting to less doing, more thinking and planning; (2) understanding the complexity of collaboration and making it work; (3) emotional extremes; and (4) realising and using the occupational therapy perspective. These placements presented a 'roller coaster' of authentic learning experiences which created the opportunity for students to use occupation in practice and develop skills for collaborative working in an interprofessional environment. Whereas students viewed their role-emerging placement experiences positively, challenges included the emotional responses of students and placement pace. Findings suggest the need for supportive student placement experiences in both established and role-emerging areas to prepare students for a range of opportunities in an uncertain future. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  12. Students as Non-Standard Employees. Exploring Work Related Issues in Students’ Perceptions on their Term-time Job

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winkler, Ingo

    2008-01-01

    The article presents the results of an explorative study that aimed at exploring work related issues in students’ perceptions of their job as atypical employees. An individual picture of the experienced work reality of students is drawn according to work task, flexible working hours, instructions...... and training opportunities, students’ relations to other employees, and social integration. By adopting a qualitative design, I was able to emphasize the subjective perspective of students describing their very own experiences as flexible workers. The study revealed various perceptions of students working...... as flexible employees and related this picture to current empirical and theoretical research in the field of non-standard employment....

  13. [Study on relationship between outdoor activities and self-reported myopia among middle school students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, L L; Wu, X Y; Xu, S J; Wan, Y H; Zhang, S C; Xu, L; Liu, W; Ma, S S; Zhang, H; Tao, F B

    2017-09-06

    Objective: To examine the relationship between the prevalence of self-reported myopia and outdoor activities among middle school students and to explore the influence factors of the self-reported myopia. Methods: A total of 12 979 participants were recruited from junior and senior middle school students in in Shenzhen, Nanchang, Zhengzhou and Shenyang by random cluster sampling method between December 2015 and March 2016. All participants completed an anonymous questionnaire to collect the information of demographic characteristics, self-reported myopia, outdoor activities, etc. 12 603 out of 12 979 copies of questionnaire were valid. The prevalence of self-reported myopia was compared among middle school students with different characteristics. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between myopia and outdoor activities. Results: The prevalence of self-reported myopia among middle school students was 69.6% (8 766/12 603); which was separately 52.1% (1 216/2 335) in seventh grader, 61.6% (1 459/2 369) in eighth grader, 69.0%(1 470/2 129) in ninth grader, 80.0% (1 812/2 265) in freshmen, 79.4% (1 622/2 042) in sophomore, and 81.1%(1 187/1 463) in junior. The prevalence of self-reported myopia showed an increasing trend with the increase of grade (χ(2)=639.67, Pmiddle school students ( OR= 1.58, 95 %CI: 1.36-1.82). The risk of self-reported myopia were significantly decreased by always physical exercise and recreational activities after school among middle school students: the ORs were separately 0.67 (95 %CI: 0.57-0.78) for physical exercise and 0.77 (95 %CI: 0.64-0.92) for recreational activities. After stratified analysis by the parents' myopia status, in non-myopic parents group, exercise and recreational activities after school among middle school students decreased the risk of myopia: the ORs were separately 0.68 (95 %CI: 0.55-0.82) for physical exercise and 0.76 (95 %CI: 0.61-0.95) for recreational activities; in either myopic parent

  14. Exploring Learners' Conceptual Resources: Singapore a Level Students' Explanations in the Topic of Ionisation Energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taber, Keith S.; Tan, Kim Chwee Daniel

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes findings from a study to explore Singapore A-level (Grades 11 and 12, 16-19 yr old) students' understanding of ionisation energy, an abstract and complex topic that is featured in school chemistry courses. Previous research had reported that students in the United Kingdom commonly use alternative notions based on the perceived…

  15. College Students and Financial Distress: Exploring Debt, Financial Satisfaction, and Financial Anxiety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Archuleta, Kristy L.; Dale, Anita; Spann, Scott M.

    2013-01-01

    The impact of financial concerns on overall mental health has become a popular topic among researchers and practitioners. In this exploratory study, possible associations of financial anxiety were explored using a sample of 180 college students who sought services at a university peer financial counseling center in a Midwestern state. Of…

  16. Student Perceptions of Social Justice and Social Justice Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres-Harding, Susan R.; Steele, Cheronda; Schulz, Erica; Taha, Farah; Pico, Chantal

    2014-01-01

    Encouraging students to engage in activities that actively seek to promote social justice is a goal of many educators. This study analyzed college student perceptions around social justice and related activities in a medium-sized, urban university in the United States. Students' open-ended responses to questions assessing their perceptions of…

  17. Exploring the relationship between premarital sex and cigarette/alcohol use among college students in Taiwan: a cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiao Chi

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cigarette/alcohol use and premarital sex, and their subsequent consequences on the well-being of college students, are international health promotion issues. However, little is known about the temporal relationship of these risk behaviors among Taiwanese college students. Methods This study utilizes data from the Taiwan Youth Project, a cohort sample of 20-year-olds (N = 2,119 with a 2-year follow-up, to explore the relationship between adolescent cigarette/alcohol use, and subsequent premarital sex. To incorporate the Taiwanese context where the normative value of abstinence until marriage remains strong, multivariate logistic regression models included data on premarital sex attitudes, stressful life events, peer influence, as well as family and individual factors which might influence this relationship. Results The sample consists of 49% male and 51% female college students. About 16% of the sample report having had premarital sex by age 20. After excluding sexually active youth, 20% of males and 13% of females report engaging in premarital sex in the 2-year follow-up interview. Multivariate logistic regression analyses reveal adolescent alcohol use is significantly associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in premarital sex for both genders; adolescent smoking is significantly associated with premarital sexual activity among males, but not females. Our results indicate liberal premarital sexual attitudes and stressful personal events are also significantly associated with premarital sexual activity. Conclusions These findings suggest health promotion programs for college students need to take developmental and gender perspectives into account. Future research to incorporate a broader, multi-cultural context into risk reduction materials is recommended.

  18. Student nurses' experiences of community-based practice placement learning: a qualitative exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baglin, M R; Rugg, Sue

    2010-05-01

    United Kingdom (UK) health policy has adopted an increasing community and primary care focus over recent years (Department of Health, 1997; Department of Health, 1999. Making a Difference: Strengthening the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visitor Contribution to Health and Health Care. Department of Health, London; Department of Health, 2004. The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF). Department of Health, London). Nursing practice, education and workforce planning are called upon to adapt accordingly (Department of Health, 2004. The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF). Department of Health, London; Kenyon, V., Smith, E., Hefty, L., Bell, M., Martaus, T., 1990. Clinical competencies for community health nursing. Public Health Nursing 7(1), 33-39; United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, 1986. Project 2000: A New Preparation for Practice. UKCC, London). Such changes have major implications for pre-registration nursing education, including its practice placement element. From an educational perspective, the need for increased community nursing capacity must be balanced with adequate support for student nurses' learning needs during community-based placements. This qualitative study explored six second year student nurses' experiences of 12 week community-based practice placements and the extent to which these placements were seen to meet their perceived learning needs. The data came from contemporaneous reflective diaries, completed by participants to reflect their 'lived experience' during their practice placements (Landeen, J., Byrne, Brown, B., 1995. Exploring the lived experiences of psychiatric nursing students through self-reflective journals. Journal of Advanced Nursing 21(5), 878-885; Kok, J., Chabeli, M.M., 2002. Reflective journal writing: how it promotes reflective thinking in clinical nursing education: a students' perspective. Curationis 25(3), 35-42; Löfmark, A., Wikblad, K., 2001. Facilitating and

  19. Who Perceives They Are Smarter? Exploring the Influence of Student Characteristics on Student Academic Self-Concept in Physiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Katelyn M.; Krieg, Anna; Brownell, Sara E.

    2018-01-01

    Academic self-concept is one's perception of his or her ability in an academic domain and is formed by comparing oneself to other students. As college biology classrooms transition from lecturing to active learning, students interact more with each other and are likely comparing themselves more to other students in the class. Student…

  20. Dynamic geometry as a context for exploring conjectures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wares, Arsalan

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to provide examples of 'non-traditional' proof-related activities that can explored in a dynamic geometry environment by university and high school students of mathematics. These propositions were encountered in the dynamic geometry environment. The author believes that teachers can ask their students to construct proofs for these propositions.

  1. Exploring Seafloor Volcanoes in Cyberspace: NOAA's "Ocean Explorer" Inspires Inquiry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hjelm, Elizabeth

    2011-01-01

    Seafloor exploration being done by scientists is an ideal way to introduce students to technology as a tool for inquiry. The same technology that allows scientists to share data in near real time can also provide students the tools to become researchers. NOAA's Ocean Explorer Explorations website is a rich research data bank that can be used by…

  2. Exploring Students' E-Learning Effectiveness through the Use of Line Chat Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limsuthiwanpoom, Tassaneenart; Kanthawongs, Penjira; Kanthawongs, Penjuree; Suwandee, Sasithorn

    2016-01-01

    This study explores the impact of motivational goals for using social networking sites (SNS) usage and computer self-efficacy towards e-learning effectiveness of the 155 students from different schools at a private university, in Pathum Thani province, Thailand during April to May of academic year 2015/2016. Social dimension and human interaction…

  3. Physical activity and quality of life among university students: exploring self-efficacy, self-esteem, and affect as potential mediators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph, Rodney P; Royse, Kathryn E; Benitez, Tanya J; Pekmezi, Dorothy W

    2014-03-01

    Physical activity (PA) has been shown to enhance quality of life (QOL) in older adults. Findings from these studies indicate that the relationship between PA and QOL is indirect and likely mediated by variables such as physical self-esteem, exercise self-efficacy, and affect. As PA varies greatly by age, the purpose of the current study is to extend this area of research to young adults and explore the complex relationship between PA and QOL in this target population. Data were collected via anonymous questionnaire from N = 590 undergraduate students. PA was assessed with the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire, and QOL was assessed by the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Path analysis was used to test the relationship between PA and QOL, with mediators of exercise self-efficacy, physical self-esteem, and affect. The PA model (RMSEA = .03, CFI = .99) accounted for 25 % of the variance in QOL. PA had positive direct effects on exercise self-efficacy (β = .28, P physical self-esteem (β = .10, P positive affect (β = .10, P affect (β = .08, P Physical self-esteem was found to be the most powerful mediating variable on QOL (β = .30, P positive affect (β = .27, P affect (β = .14, P Physical self-esteem and, to a lesser extent, positive affect emerged as integral components in the link between PA and QOL. Findings suggest that health education programs designed to promote regular PA and increase physical self-esteem may be effective in improving QOL in young adults.

  4. Lack of facilities rather than sociocultural factors as the primary barrier to physical activity among female Saudi university students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samara, Anastasia; Nistrup, Anne; Al-Rammah, Tamader Y; Aro, Arja R

    2015-01-01

    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is experiencing a dramatic increase in physical inactivity, with women having higher levels of inactivity than men among all age groups. It is assumed that factors such as dress codes, restrictions on going outdoors, and conservative norms are the main reasons for women's low physical activity. Our aim was to explore the different parameters related to physical activity, including self-efficacy, as well as the perceived barriers to and benefits of physical activity in young Saudi females. Ninety-four first-year female Saudi university students in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, participated in the present study in 2014. The students were from eight bachelor's programs in health and well-being, and each completed a questionnaire with questions divided into five parts as follows: 1) socioeconomic status, 2) physical activity, 3) self-efficacy 4) social factors, and 5) barriers and facilitators related to physical activity. The students exercised at home and alone, and there was low self-efficacy for physical activity (mean score =42±14). Among social factors, attending university was the only factor that hindered physical activity (32%). Physical activity was positively perceived overall (mean score =131±10). Students showed awareness of the benefits of physical activity for health and well-being. The most important barrier was the lack of designated areas available for physical activity. Students disagreed that family or the Islamic community were barriers to physical activity. The lack of facilities and lack of encouragement from the university, but not a lack of knowledge (a high level of knowledge is to be expected given their health and well-being studies backgrounds) and/or restrictions from families and society, seem to hinder female students' physical activity, at least young Saudi students.

  5. How we created a peer-designed specialty-specific selective for medical student career exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keating, Elizabeth M; O'Donnell, Erin P; Starr, Stephanie R

    2013-01-01

    In recent years, medical students have recognized and advocated for opportunities to explore various specialties earlier in their medical education. A brief literature review, however, reveals little consensus on the best approach to introduce students to different fields during their preclinical years. We present one of the first reports of a student-led effort to design and implement a preclinical specialty-specific elective. At Mayo Medical School, for two consecutive years the student president of the Pediatric Interest Group has created a peer-designed weeklong group elective ("selective") experience consisting of workshops, faculty and resident panel discussions, and clinical shadowing experiences based on a student needs assessment. Each year, more than 25% of the first- and second-year medical student body participated. The majority of students who completed the selective agreed that this experience heightened their interests and expanded their knowledge about pediatrics. The pediatric group selective has provided students with important resources for their medical education and future careers. Students found the group selective beneficial to their learning experience and recommend continuing to offer it in the future.

  6. Brief report: Exploring the benefits of a peer-tutored physical education programme among high school students with intellectual disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gobbi, Erica; Greguol, Márcia; Carraro, Attilio

    2018-01-29

    The purpose of this study was to explore possible benefits of a peer-tutored physical education programme (PTPE) in comparison with school physical education (SPE) in high school students with intellectual disability. Nineteen students with intellectual disabilities (15 boys, mean age 17.4 ± 1.7 years) were monitored during three PTPE and three SPE classes. A factorial RM-ANOVA was used to test differences on objective measured physical activity (PA), enjoyment and exertion during the two conditions, considering participants' weight condition as independent factor. During PTPE, participants reported higher light intensity PA, enjoyment and exertion than during SPE. Participants with overweight showed less inactive time and higher light intensity PA during PTPE than during SPE. The peer-tutored programme was beneficial for adolescents with intellectual disability, particularly for those in overweight condition. The higher enjoyment found during PTPE may encourage exercise participation of students with intellectual disability. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Curricular Activities that Promote Metacognitive Skills Impact Lower-Performing Students in an Introductory Biology Course†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dang, Nathan V.; Chiang, Jacob C.; Brown, Heather M.

    2018-01-01

    This study explores the impacts of repeated curricular activities designed to promote metacognitive skills development and academic achievement on students in an introductory biology course. Prior to this study, the course curriculum was enhanced with pre-assignments containing comprehension monitoring and self-evaluation questions, exam review assignments with reflective questions related to study habits, and an optional opportunity for students to explore metacognition and deep versus surface learning. We used a mixed-methods study design and collected data over two semesters. Self-evaluation, a component of metacognition, was measured via exam score postdictions, in which students estimated their exam scores after completing their exam. Metacognitive awareness was assessed using the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) and a reflective essay designed to gauge students’ perceptions of their metacognitive skills and study habits. In both semesters, more students over-predicted their Exam 1 scores than under-predicted, and statistical tests revealed significantly lower mean exam scores for the over-predictors. By Exam 3, under-predictors still scored significantly higher on the exam, but they outnumbered the over-predictors. Lower-performing students also displayed a significant increase in exam postdiction accuracy by Exam 3. While there was no significant difference in students’ MAI scores from the beginning to the end of the semester, qualitative analysis of reflective essays indicated that students benefitted from the assignments and could articulate clear action plans to improve their learning and performance. Our findings suggest that assignments designed to promote metacognition can have an impact on students over the course of one semester and may provide the greatest benefits to lower-performing students. PMID:29904551

  8. An Exploration of the Attitude and Learning Effectiveness of Business College Students towards Game Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Chiung-Sui; Huang, Ya-Ping; Chien, Fei-Ling

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to explore the attitude and learning effectiveness in game based simulations from college students' perspective. The participants included 189 business college students in Taiwan. The main instrument employed in this study was McDonald's video game. Additionally, participant selection, data collection and analysis, and results…

  9. Dress Codes Blues: An Exploration of Urban Students' Reactions to a Public High School Uniform Policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    DaCosta, Kneia

    2006-01-01

    This qualitative investigation explores the responses of 22 U.S. urban public high school students when confronted with their newly imposed school uniform policy. Specifically, the study assessed students' appraisals of the policy along with compliance and academic performance. Guided by ecological human development perspectives and grounded in…

  10. Exploring Student Characteristics of Retention That Lead to Graduation in Higher Education Using Data Mining Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raju, Dheeraj; Schumacker, Randall

    2015-01-01

    The study used earliest available student data from a flagship university in the southeast United States to build data mining models like logistic regression with different variable selection methods, decision trees, and neural networks to explore important student characteristics associated with retention leading to graduation. The decision tree…

  11. Development of student self-study activities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kvols, Anja Madsen; Kim, Won-Chung; Christensen, Dorthe Ansine

    2015-01-01

    of the teacher education and will aim at strengthening students' motivation for choosing self-initiated activities. The motivation should for example be based on students´ perception of relevance and quality of their own initiatives and the possibility of guidance in self-selected activities. This paper...... the possibility of developing educational theories for the teachers’ education in an effort to develop independence as a study skill. Keywords: studieaktivitetsmodellen, selvstændige studieaktiviteter, kortlægning af studieaktiviteter...

  12. Exploring student learning profiles in algebra-based studio physics: A person-centered approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pond, Jarrad W. T.; Chini, Jacquelyn J.

    2017-06-01

    In this study, we explore the strategic self-regulatory and motivational characteristics of students in studio-mode physics courses at three universities with varying student populations and varying levels of success in their studio-mode courses. We survey students using questions compiled from several existing questionnaires designed to measure students' study strategies, attitudes toward and motivations for learning physics, organization of scientific knowledge, experiences outside the classroom, and demographics. Using a person-centered approach, we utilize cluster analysis methods to group students into learning profiles based on their individual responses to better understand the strategies and motives of algebra-based studio physics students. Previous studies have identified five distinct learning profiles across several student populations using similar methods. We present results from first-semester and second-semester studio-mode introductory physics courses across three universities. We identify these five distinct learning profiles found in previous studies to be present within our population of introductory physics students. In addition, we investigate interactions between these learning profiles and student demographics. We find significant interactions between a student's learning profile and their experience with high school physics, major, gender, grade expectation, and institution. Ultimately, we aim to use this method of analysis to take the characteristics of students into account in the investigation of successful strategies for using studio methods of physics instruction within and across institutions.

  13. The New Student Activism: Supporting Students as Agents of Social Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacoby, Barbara

    2017-01-01

    The "new student activism," as it is often called, is a hot topic in higher education as well as in the popular press and social media. As a college student in the late '60s and early '70s, a long-time student affairs professional, a scholar and practitioner of service-learning, and an academic teaching a course on social change, the…

  14. Panorama 2009 - Exploration-production activities and markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    After four years of heavy activity, growth on the upstream service and supply markets is slowing. At the end of 2008, the oil and gas price fell subsequent to the decline in demand for petroleum products. This is an indication that exploration-production activity will slow in 2009 and that the price of services - hence sales at service and supply companies - will drop

  15. Exploring Lecturers' Views of First-Year Health Science Students' Misconceptions in Biomedical Domains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badenhorst, Elmi; Mamede, Sílvia; Hartman, Nadia; Schmidt, Henk G.

    2015-01-01

    Research has indicated that misconceptions hamper the process of knowledge construction. Misconceptions are defined as persistent ideas not supported by current scientific views. Few studies have explored how misconceptions develop when first year health students conceptually move between anatomy and physiology to construct coherent knowledge…

  16. Young Scientists Explore an Encyclopedia of Energy Activities. Book 8--Intermediate Level. A Good Apple Activity Book.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeBruin, Jerry

    Designed to develop creativity in young learners, this book contains interdisciplinary activities which focus on the theme of energy. Activity pages are provided that can serve as front and back covers of a student booklet and the suggested activities can be duplicated for insertion between the covers resulting in a booklet for each student. A…

  17. Taiwanese Medical Students' Narratives of Intercultural Professionalism Dilemmas: Exploring Tensions between Western Medicine and Taiwanese Culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Ming-Jung; Gosselin, Katherine; Chandratilake, Madawa; Monrouxe, Lynn V.; Rees, Charlotte E.

    2017-01-01

    In an era of globalization, cultural competence is necessary for the provision of quality healthcare. Although this topic has been well explored in non-Western cultures within Western contexts, the authors explore how Taiwanese medical students trained in Western medicine address intercultural professionalism dilemmas related to tensions between…

  18. Exploring the Relationships among Race, Class, Gender, and Middle School Students' Perceptions of School Racial Climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watkins, Natasha D.; Aber, Mark S.

    2009-01-01

    Although school climate has been thought to be especially important for racial minority and poor students (Booker, 2006; Haynes, Emmons, & Ben-Avie, 1997), little research has explored the significance of racial climate for these students. Furthermore, research in the area has tended to treat race, socioeconomic class, and gender separately,…

  19. Using association rules to explore interdependencies in vacation portfolios and co-variates: the case of students

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grigolon, A.B.; Kemperman, A.D.A.M.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

    2012-01-01

    The goal of this paper was to explore the vacation histories of a sample of young adults, mostly students, as part of a larger study on vacation planning of this segment of the population. The student segment represents an interesting and highly relevant subject of study. Over a relative short

  20. Ethical Development through Student Activities Programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brock, Carol S.

    1991-01-01

    Student activities programing, viewed as essential to the college experience, is defended by outlining some of the values and growth opportunities it provides for students. Several specific programing strategies useful as catalysts in values development are described, including values clarification exercises, multicultural programing, and…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-11-01

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

  2. Asthma in the community: Designing instruction to help students explore scientific dilemmas that impact their lives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tate, Erika Dawn

    School science instruction that connects to students' diverse home, cultural, or linguistic experiences can encourage lifelong participation in the scientific dilemmas that impact students' lives. This dissertation seeks effective ways to support high school students as they learn complex science topics and use their knowledge to transform their personal and community environments. Applying the knowledge integration perspective, I collaborated with education, science, and community partners to design a technology enhanced science module, Improving Your Community's Asthma Problem. This exemplar community science curriculum afforded students the opportunity to (a) investigate a local community health issue, (b) interact with relevant evidence related to physiology, clinical management, and environmental risks, and (c) construct an integrated understanding of the asthma problem in their community. To identify effective instructional scaffolds that engage students in the knowledge integration process and prepare them to participate in community science, I conducted 2 years of research that included 5 schools, 10 teachers, and over 500 students. This dissertation reports on four studies that analyzed student responses on pre-, post-, and embedded assessments. Researching across four design stages, the iterative design study investigated how to best embed the visualizations of the physiological processes breathing, asthma attack, and the allergic immune response in an inquiry activity and informed evidence-based revisions to the module. The evaluation study investigated the impact of this revised Asthma module across multiple classrooms and differences in students' prior knowledge. Combining evidence of student learning from the iterative and evaluation studies with classroom observations and teacher interviews, the longitudinal study explored the impact of teacher practices on student learning in years 1 and 2. In the final chapter, I studied how the Asthma module and

  3. Using complexity theory to develop a student-directed interprofessional learning activity for 1220 healthcare students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorm, Christine; Nisbet, Gillian; Roberts, Chris; Gordon, Christopher; Gentilcore, Stacey; Chen, Timothy F

    2016-08-08

    More and better interprofessional practice is predicated to be necessary to deliver good care to the patients of the future. However, universities struggle to create authentic learning activities that enable students to experience the dynamic interprofessional interactions common in healthcare and that can accommodate large interprofessional student cohorts. We investigated a large-scale mandatory interprofessional learning (IPL) activity for health professional students designed to promote social learning. A mixed methods research approach determined feasibility, acceptability and the extent to which student IPL outcomes were met. We developed an IPL activity founded in complexity theory to prepare students for future practice by engaging them in a self-directed (self-organised) learning activity with a diverse team, whose assessable products would be emergent creations. Complicated but authentic clinical cases (n = 12) were developed to challenge student teams (n = 5 or 6). Assessment consisted of a written management plan (academically marked) and a five-minute video (peer marked) designed to assess creative collaboration as well as provide evidence of integrated collective knowledge; the cohesive patient-centred management plan. All students (including the disciplines of diagnostic radiology, exercise physiology, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physiotherapy and speech pathology), completed all tasks successfully. Of the 26 % of students who completed the evaluation survey, 70 % agreed or strongly agreed that the IPL activity was worthwhile, and 87 % agreed or strongly agreed that their case study was relevant. Thematic analysis found overarching themes of engagement and collaboration-in-action suggesting that the IPL activity enabled students to achieve the intended learning objectives. Students recognised the contribution of others and described negotiation, collaboration and creation of new collective knowledge after working

  4. Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development: Exploring the Student Teachers’ Views

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gisela Cebrián

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In the context of higher education, over 100 universities have signed international declarations and have committed to embed sustainability within their operations, outreach, education and research. However, despite the declaration of good intentions and policy developments at the national, regional and international level, little has been achieved in terms of embedding education for sustainable development holistically in the curriculum. To date, a number of research studies have focused on the perceptions and views of university students in relation to sustainable development knowledge, skills and competencies; however, few studies have focused on student teachers’ perceptions of education for sustainable development. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and views of a group of thirty-two student teachers in relation to education for sustainable development competencies. The research instrument used was a questionnaire. This study provides evidence on the education for sustainable development (ESD competencies that student teachers would prioritize in a school project related to ESD: acquisition of knowledge and practical skills related to nature and natural sciences, to the detriment of other types of learning, such as the promotion of ethical values, positive attitudes towards sustainability and the management of emotions among their future primary school students. Existing ESD theoretical frameworks need to become more alive and integrated within the existing teacher education curriculum to promote the awareness and development of ESD competencies amongst student teachers.

  5. Cultural activities in primary school students' spare time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikanović Brane

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Culture is a form of creative expression of a human being through which he reshapes the world, acts on it adding it value and creating new, cultural values. A human being is able to create a product of culture only when he is free and able to express himself. A contemporary man can incorporate various cultural activities into his spare time. They are especially important when they concern children and young people: regardless of whether they are used in institutional settings or in spare time. The authors conducted an empirical research of students' assumptions and beliefs concerning cultural activities in their free time. The sample comprised 233 fifth grade students. The findings show that in their spare time fifth graders: engage in various cultural activities; that students who live in urban areas attend more cultural events; that students have the opportunity to engage in extra-curricular activities in the area of culture - join cultural and artistic groups and associations and engage in various creative pursuits at different levels of participation (as consumers, full participants; and that students' attitudes concerning the influence of parents and teachers on the selection of cultural activities to be pursued do not vary greatly by gender, location or school achievement. Cultural activities do play a significant part in the free time of primary school students. This is why it is important that guidance provided in school and in spare time should be brought in greaer harmony.

  6. laboratory activities and students practical performance

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    unesco

    as necessary and important, very little justification was given for their .... Chemistry laboratory activities refer to the practical activities which students ..... equations, formulae, definitions, terminology, physical properties, hazards or disposal.

  7. Island Explorations: Discovering Effects of Environmental Research-Based Lab Activities on Analytical Chemistry Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomasik, Janice Hall; LeCaptain, Dale; Murphy, Sarah; Martin, Mary; Knight, Rachel M.; Harke, Maureen A.; Burke, Ryan; Beck, Kara; Acevedo-Polakovich, I. David

    2014-01-01

    Motivating students in analytical chemistry can be challenging, in part because of the complexity and breadth of topics involved. Some methods that help encourage students and convey real-world relevancy of the material include incorporating environmental issues, research-based lab experiments, and service learning projects. In this paper, we…

  8. Exploring simple assessment methods for lighting quality with architecture and design students

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Merete

    2006-01-01

    that cannot be assessed by simple equations or rules-of-thumb. Balancing the many an often contradictory aspects of energy efficiency and high quality lighting design is a complex undertaking not just for students. The work described in this paper is one result of an academic staff exchange between...... the Schools of Architecture in Copenhagen and Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand). The authors explore two approaches to teaching students simple assessment methods that can contribute to making more informed decisions about the luminous environment and its quality. One approach deals...... with the assessment of luminance ratios in relation to computer work and presents in that context some results from an experiment undertaken to introduce the concept of luminance ratios and preferred luminance ranges to architeture students. In the other approach a Danish method for assissing the luminance...

  9. Exploring relativity: a workbook for undergraduate students (undergraduate lecture notes in physics)

    CERN Document Server

    Lorimer, Dunan

    2013-01-01

    Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity are explored graphically and quantitatively using elementary algebra through a series of fifteen interactive lectures designed for undergraduate physics majors.  Topics covered include:  space-time diagrams, special relativity, the equivalence principle, general relativity, and black holes.  The goal of this book is to provide the student with a sound, conceptual understanding of both the special and the general theories of relativity, so the student will gain insight into how astrophysicists are using these theories to study black holes in the universe.  At the end of each chapter, there is a set of exercises to further facilitate the student’s understanding of the material. The ultimate goal of the book is for students to continue to use it as a preferred reference during and after their undergraduate career.

  10. Using a Combined Approach of Guided Inquiry & Direct Instruction to Explore How Physiology Affects Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machtinger, Erika T.

    2014-01-01

    Hands-on activities with live organisms allow students to actively explore scientific investigation. Here, I present activities that combine guided inquiry with direct instruction and relate how nutrition affects the physiology and behavior of the common housefly. These experiments encourage student involvement in the formulation of experimental…

  11. What's Up in the Atmosphere? Exploring How Aerosols Impact Sky Color Through Hands-on Activities with Elementary GLOBE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damadeo, K.; Taylor, J.

    2015-12-01

    What color is the sky today? The GLOBE Kids - Anita, Simon, and Dennis want to know why the sky isn't always the same shade of blue and sometimes isn't even blue. Through the new Elementary GLOBE Aerosols Storybook and Learning Activities, the GLOBE Kids learn that there's a lot more than air in the atmosphere, which can affect the colors we see in the sky. There are four hands-on activities in this unit: 1) Sky Observers - Students make observations of the sky, record their findings and share their observation reports with their peers. The activity promotes active observation and recording skills to help students observe sky color, and recognize that sky color changes; 2) Why (Not) So Blue? - Students make predictions about how drops of milk will affect color and visibility in cups of water representing the atmosphere to help them understand that aerosols in the atmosphere have an effect on sky conditions, including sky color and visibility. The activity also introduces the classification categories for daytime sky color and visibility; 3) See the Light - Students use prisms and glue sticks to explore the properties of light. The activity demonstrates that white light is made up of seven colors that represent different wavelengths, and illustrates why the sky is blue during the day and red at sunset; 4) Up in the Air - Students work in groups to make an aerosol sampler, a simple adhesive tool that allows students to collect data and estimate the extent of aerosols present at their school, understanding that, in fact, there are particles in the air we breathe. NGSS Alignment includes: Disciplinary Core Ideas- ESS2.D: Weather and Climate, ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems, PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation, ESS3.A: Natural Resources; Science and Engineering Practices- Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Planning and Carrying Out an Investigation, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Engaging in Argument from Evidence, Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating

  12. Multilevel Analysis Exploring the Links between Stress, Depression, and Sleep Problems among Two-Year College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Deshira D.; Boynton, Marcella H.; Lytle, Leslie A.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: This study explored the association of stress and depression with a multidimensional sleep problems construct in a sample of 2-year college students. Participants: The sample consisted of 440 students enrolled in 2-year study from Fall 2011 to Fall 2013. Methods: Participants in an obesity prevention study completed surveys assessing…

  13. Interprofessional pharmacy observation activity for third-year dental students.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-09-01

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

  14. Student Engagement in the Caribbean Region: Exploring Its Role in the Motivation and Achievement of Jamaican Middle School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Tamica G.; Martin, Andrew J.; Evans, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Using an expectancy-value framework, the present investigation is the first to explore the generality of this theorizing and research in the emerging regional context of the Caribbean. Given high underachievement in the Caribbean region, we addressed the need to better understand the role of engagement in students' academic motivation and…

  15. Students' Performance in Investigative Activity and Their Understanding of Activity Aims

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Alessandro Damasio Trani; Borges, A. Tarciso; Justi, Rosaria

    2008-01-01

    This study investigates the relationship between the students' understanding of the aims of an investigative activity and their performance when conducting it. One hundred and eighty-one year nine students from a public middle school in Brazil took part in the study. Students working in pairs were asked to investigate two problems using a…

  16. Student representation and activism in universities in Kenya

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Higher education; student politics; student activism; student unionism; university governance; ..... These titles may differ from one university to another, but ..... Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and .... Doctoral thesis.

  17. Student Perceptions of Active Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lumpkin, Angela; Achen, Rebecca M.; Dodd, Regan K.

    2015-01-01

    A paradigm shift from lecture-based courses to interactive classes punctuated with engaging, student-centered learning activities has begun to characterize the work of some teachers in higher education. Convinced through the literature of the values of using active learning strategies, we assessed through an action research project in five college…

  18. Quartet cards as the media of career exploration for lower-grade primary school students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulia Ayriza

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A career developed through the optimization of one’s potentials will irrevocably play a role in the development of self-identity as well as the psychological well-being of the individual. When children are introduced and allowed to explore as many career options as possible during their developmental stage, they are more likely to have a fruitful career development in the future. The preceding study showed that the career interests and knowledge of lower-grade primary students fit the Holland Career Categories: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional (RIASEC. It was also found that the students’ career interest and knowledge levels varied, with most in the low level. This second-year study aims to expand the results of the previous study by developing the use of Quartet cards as the media of career exploration for lower-grade primary students. By using the research and development method, this study develops Quartet Career Cards into three difficulty levels: low, medium, and high. The Quartet cards media have undergone feasibility tests conducted by experts in theory and media, as well as a series of field testing consisting of preliminary, main, and operational stages among a total of 266 primary students of grades 1, 2, and 3. A revision was made on several components including the images, information, colors, font sizes, illustration styles, and card sizes. The findings show that Quartet Career Cards meet the feasibility standards for the media of career exploration

  19. Object texture recognition by dynamic tactile sensing using active exploration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Drimus, Alin; Børlum Petersen, Mikkel; Bilberg, Arne

    with a dynamic tactile transducer based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric film. Different test surfaces are actively explored and the signal from the sensor is used for feature extraction, which is subsequently used for classification. A comparison between the significance of different extracted......For both humans and robots, tactile sensing is important for interaction with the environment: it is the core sensing used for exploration and manipulation of objects. In this paper, we present a method for determining object texture by active exploration with a robotic fingertip equipped...

  20. Exploring Factors That Promote Online Learning Experiences and Academic Self-Concept of Minority High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumi-Yeboah, Alex; Dogbey, James; Yuan, Guangji

    2018-01-01

    The rapid growth of online education at the K-12 level in recent years presents the need to explore issues that influence the academic experiences of students choosing this method of learning. In this study, we examined factors that promote/hinder the learning experiences and academic self-concept of minority students attending an online high…

  1. Quantitative critical thinking: Student activities using Bayesian updating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warren, Aaron R.

    2018-05-01

    One of the central roles of physics education is the development of students' ability to evaluate proposed hypotheses and models. This ability is important not just for students' understanding of physics but also to prepare students for future learning beyond physics. In particular, it is often hoped that students will better understand the manner in which physicists leverage the availability of prior knowledge to guide and constrain the construction of new knowledge. Here, we discuss how the use of Bayes' Theorem to update the estimated likelihood of hypotheses and models can help achieve these educational goals through its integration with evaluative activities that use hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Several types of classroom and laboratory activities are presented that engage students in the practice of Bayesian likelihood updating on the basis of either consistency with experimental data or consistency with pre-established principles and models. This approach is sufficiently simple for introductory physics students while offering a robust mechanism to guide relatively sophisticated student reflection concerning models, hypotheses, and problem-solutions. A quasi-experimental study utilizing algebra-based introductory courses is presented to assess the impact of these activities on student epistemological development. The results indicate gains on the Epistemological Beliefs Assessment for Physical Science (EBAPS) at a minimal cost of class-time.

  2. An Exploration of the Readiness, Challenges and Expected Support for Their Overseas Study of Chinese Business and Management Programme Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chengbo; Li, Xiaomei; Ou, Xuan; O'Kane, James; Mao, Zhaofang; Zhang, Wenquan

    2015-01-01

    Chinese students are the largest international student cohort in the higher education institutions of English-speaking developed countries. The paper explores strategies to enhance the Chinese students' learning efficacy in overseas institutions. This research differs from other research focusing on international students already in…

  3. What Do Students Want? Making Sense of Student Preferences in Technology-Enhanced Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pechenkina, Ekaterina; Aeschliman, Carol

    2017-01-01

    This article, with its focus on university students as intended recipients and users of technological innovations in education, explores student preferences across three dimensions of technology-enhanced learning: mode of instruction; communication; and educational technology tools embedded in learning and teaching activities. The article draws on…

  4. An Empirical Exploration of Metacognitive Assessment Activities in a Third-Year Civil Engineering Hydraulics Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Jan H. F.; Knight, David B.; Callaghan, David P.; Baldock, Tom E.

    2015-01-01

    Threshold concepts are transformative, integrative, and provocative; understanding these difficult concepts allows students to be capable of solving advanced problems. This investigation and evaluation of a metacognitive curricular approach explore variation in students' and teachers' discernment of structural complexity of concepts and its…

  5. Psychological Attributes in Foreign Language Reading: An Explorative Study of Japanese College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikami, Hitoshi; Leung, Chi Yui; Yoshikawa, Lisa

    2016-01-01

    This study explores the internal structure of psychological attributes (i.e., motivation, belief and emotion) related to foreign language reading (FLR) (hereafter FLR attributes) and checks the utility of existing FLR attribute measurements for the specific learner group (i.e., Japanese university students studying English as their foreign…

  6. Exploring Attitude Transformation: A Grounded Theory Study of Romanian Teachers of Roma Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Laura Estella

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study was to explore the process of change in teacher attitudes toward including Roma ("Gypsy") students in non-segregated schools in Romania. The theories guiding this study included Mezirow's (1991, 2000) theory of transformation, Gay's (2002, 2013) theory of culturally responsive…

  7. Exploring Students' Computational Thinking Skills in Modeling and Simulation Projects: : A Pilot Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grgurina, Natasa; van Veen, Klaas; Barendsen, Erik; Zwaneveld, Bert; Suhre, Cor; Gal-Ezer, Judith; Sentance, Sue; Vahrenhold, Jan

    2015-01-01

    Computational Thinking (CT) is gaining a lot of attention in education. We explored how to discern the occurrences of CT in the projects of 12th grade high school students in the computer science (CS) course. Within the projects, they constructed models and ran simulations of phenomena from other

  8. Creating Student Engagement Through Immersion: Exploring the MT6 Shipwreck in Puget Sound via Submersible, Using a Team Challenge Format

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarason, C. P.; Hartzler, R.; Anderson, A.

    2016-02-01

    Educational literature has many stories describing the "aha" moment that teachers are privileged to observe: a student who suddenly grasps a concept (ding!), dives into an activity (whee!) or works tirelessly to complete a complicated project (wow!). Designing moments like these for students can be one of the great joys of teaching. Experiencing such a moment can have a lasting impact on student engagement and motivation, and is the underlying rationale for the importance of creating a wide array of outreach efforts, from field work to telepresence activities.During the spring of 2015, OceanGate Foundation and Seattle Central College partnered on a pilot program to design a program that had this kind of impact and created the Open The Oceans Challenge. Student teams responded to our Request for Proposal (RFP), which was centered around the exploration of a shipwreck in 150 meters of water just off the Seattle waterfront, the MT-6. Students spent a significant amount of time crafting their proposals and reported that they enjoyed the process of writing the proposal as a team. The two winning teams accompanied us on a series of submersible dives performed by OceanGate, Inc. and worked up the results afterward. In addition to researching the MT-6 wreck and documenting what they found, students were able to do basic observational research on the wreck, providing sonar and photographic data that will help form the basis of future expeditions to this site.We report on lessons learned from this pilot — the impact for the small set of students involved in this project was profound, but how can we expand the reach of such activities? Results from this experience suggest that providing a highly engaging topic and expedition may not be enough to inspire an "aha" moment that creates lasting engagement; the scaffolding and mentorship that surrounds a rich experience is also critical.

  9. Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavanagh, Andrew J.; Aragón, Oriana R.; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I.; Graham, Mark J.

    2016-01-01

    The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure–persuasion–identification–commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students’ course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student engagement and other student outcomes. These findings are particularly salient in course contexts featuring active learning, which encourage active student participation in the learning process. PMID:27909026

  10. Status of Co-Curricular and Extra Class Activities of Student Organizations from Selected Tertiary Institutions in the Philippines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rowena R. Abrea

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the co-curricular and extra class activities of selected Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs in Batangas Province and the impact of these activities to students’ development. The descriptive method of research was utilized with the use of a questionnaire as the main data gathering instrument, supplemented by documentary analysis, interview and focus group discussion. Respondents of the study were 16 administrators, 96 faculty members and 494 student officers from nine selected colleges in the province. Frequency, percentage, ranking, weighted mean, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA or F-test were the statistical tools used in the study. Results of the study revealed that all the colleges have recognized student organizations, and its membership except in student government was based on students’ interests. The goals were in line with the vision and mission of the institution and membership fee was the primary source of fund. The respondents assessed that there was an extensive participation of students in co-curricular and extra class activities. The strategies applied were effective and delivery systems were frequently used by the students’ organization. It was found out that the administration was supportive in student activities specifically in the use of physical facilities. The findings revealed that the identified activities contributed to a great extent to students’ mental, social, physical, behavioral and moral development. The strengths of the activities were evident, however, weaknesses were sometimes observed. A management guide on co-curricular and extra class activities was the output of the study.

  11. Away from Home: A Qualitative Exploration of Health Experiences of Nigerian Students in a U.K. University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alloh, Folashade T.; Tait, Desiree; Taylor, Clare

    2018-01-01

    This study explored the factors that contribute to the health experience of Nigerian students in the United Kingdom. Challenges faced by international students include dietary issues, isolation, stress, depression, and others. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted combination of purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques were…

  12. "Forbidden Narratives": Exploring the Use of Student Narratives of Self in a Graduate Sport Sociology Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liberti, Rita

    2004-01-01

    This essay highlights three graduate student papers in an effort to explore the use of a relatively new methodology in the social sciences known as narratives of self. The seminar, in which the student papers were written, was formulated on the tenets of critical pedagogy and cultural studies. This paper positions the use of narratives of self…

  13. Developing Curriculum to Help Students Explore the Geosciences' Cultural Relevance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, G.; Schoof, J. T.; Therrell, M. D.

    2011-12-01

    Even though climate change and an unhealthy environment have a disproportionate affect on persons of color, there is a poor record of diversity in geoscience-related fields where researchers are investigating ways to improve the quality of the environment and human health. This low percentage of representation in the geosciences is equally troubling at the university where we are beginning the third and final year of a project funded through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Opportunities to Enhance Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG). The purpose of this project is to explore a novel approach to using the social sciences to help students, specifically underrepresented minorities, discover the geosciences' cultural relevance and consider a career in the earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences. To date, over 800 college freshmen have participated in a design study to evaluate the curriculum efficacy of a geoscience reader. Over half of these participants are students of color. The reader we designed allows students to analyze multiple, and sometimes conflicting, sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles, political cartoons, and newspaper articles. The topic for investigation in the reader is the 1995 Chicago Heat Wave, a tragic event that killed over 700 residents. Students use this reader in a core university course required for entering freshmen with low reading comprehension scores on standardized tests. To support students' comprehension, evaluation, and corroboration of these sources, we incorporated instructional supports aligned with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), reciprocal teaching, historical reasoning, media literacy, and quantitative reasoning. Using a digital format allows students to access multiple versions of the sources they are analyzing and definitions of challenging vocabulary and scientific concepts. Qualitative and quantitative data collected from participating students and their instructors included focus

  14. Assessing Student Behaviors and Motivation for Actively Learning Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Michael Edward

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

  15. A Model of Flexible Learning: Exploring Interdependent Relationships Between Students, Lecturers, Resources and Contexts in Virtual Spaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Raymond Bostock

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In flexible and open models of education students and lecturers experience a virtual sense of separation that is caused by more than physical distance between students and lecturers. Transactional distance is “a psychological and communications gap, a space of potential misunderstanding between the inputs of lecturer and those of the student” created in part by the physical distance inherent to online learning (Moore 1991, p. 2. a large transactional distance such as that between geographically dispersed students and lecturers in an asynchronous, text-based, online learning environment may contribute to students’ feelings of isolation and disconnectedness, which can lead to reduced levels of motivation and engagement and consequently attrition. When designing e-learning experiences lecturers must consider two variables that affect transactional distance: structure and dialogue. Structure refers to the flexibility or rigidity of the pedagogical methods and strategies used in an e-learning experience. Dialogue refers to the interaction between the lecturer and student during an e-learning experience. Moore does not suggest that either structure or dialogue are inherently good things. Each may be appropriate in different circumstances and a typical educational event such as a conventional lecture will, at a micro-level, move constantly between the two. Another dimension of the theory suggests that more autonomous students, being self-directed, are better able to cope with more structure while less autonomous students benefit more from greater dialogue. This paper explores a proposed model of flexible learning which attempts to inform practitioners of the fluid, interdependent relationships between students, resources, contexts and lecturers. This helps explain and justify a reconceptualisation of the role of the lecturer and suggests how social activity is also pivotal in successful learning outcomes for students.

  16. Contemporary Student Activism Context as a Vehicle for Leader Identity Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivester, Stephen B.

    2013-01-01

    Contemporary college student activism efforts are growing. Little research has been conducted on student activism and leadership development. As student affairs educators consider leadership an important part of an undergraduate education it is important to consider how the context of activism actually influences student leader identity…

  17. Exploring scientific creativity of eleventh-grade students in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jia-Chi

    2002-04-01

    Although most researchers focus on scientists' creativity, students' scientific creativity should be considered, especially for high school and college students. It is generally assumed that most professional creators in science emerge from amateur creators. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between students' scientific creativity and selected variables including creativity, problem finding, formulating hypotheses, science achievement, the nature of science, and attitudes toward science for finding significant predictors of eleventh grade students' scientific creativity. A total of 130 male eleventh-grade students in three biology classes participated in this study. The main instruments included the Test of Divergent Thinking (TDT) for creativity measurement, the Creativity Rating Scale (CRS) and the Creative Activities and Accomplishments Check Lists (CAACL ) for measurement of scientific creativity, the Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS) for measurement of the nature of science, and the Science Attitude Inventory II (SAI II) for measurement of attitudes toward science. In addition, two instruments on measuring students' abilities of problem finding and abilities of formulating hypotheses were developed by the researcher in this study. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, and stepwise multiple regressions. The major findings suggested the following: (1) students' scientific creativity significantly correlated with some of selected variables such as attitudes toward science, problem finding, formulating hypotheses, the nature of science, resistance to closure, originality, and elaboration; (2) four significant predictors including attitudes toward science, problem finding, resistance to closure, and originality accounted for 48% of the variance of students' scientific creativity; (3) there were big differences between students with a higher and a lower degree of scientific

  18. Exploring the Work/Life/Study Balance: The Experience of Higher Education Students in a Scottish Further Education College

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, Janet; Gayle, Vernon

    2007-01-01

    This study explores the dimensions of the work/life/study balance and its influence on student participation in higher education, through a case study of the experience of higher education students, studying both full time and part time, in a Scottish further education college. The experience of the students and the work/life/study challenges that…

  19. Implementation of Guidelines for Effective Fieldwork Designs: Exploring Learning Activities, Learning Processes, and Student Engagement in the Classroom and the Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remmen, Kari Beate; Frøyland, Merethe

    2014-01-01

    Teachers find the implementation of fieldwork challenging. Therefore, this study investigates two teachers' implementation of theoretical guidelines for student-centered fieldwork activities, following their participation in a professional development course focusing on earth science fieldwork pedagogy. Video observation and instructional…

  20. Doctoral Student Learning Patterns: Learning about Active Knowledge Creation or Passive Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vekkaila, Jenna; Pyhältö, Kirsi

    2016-01-01

    Doctoral studies are about learning to create new knowledge and to become a researcher. Yet surprisingly little is known about the individual learning patterns of doctoral students. The study aims to explore learning patterns among natural science doctoral students. The participants included 19 doctoral students from a top-level natural science…

  1. From Phenotype to Genotype: Exploring Middle School Students' Understanding of Genetic Inheritance in a Web-Based Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Michelle; Montgomery, Beronda L.; Manokore, Viola

    2012-01-01

    Research shows that students face challenges as they learn about genetic inheritance. The challenges could emanate from the fact that genetic inheritance involves unseen processes at different organizational levels. We explored students' understanding of heredity and related concepts such as cells and reproduction using a Web-based Science Inquiry…

  2. An Exploration of Support Factors Available to Higher Education Students with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutherford, Emily N.

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative phenomenological research study used narrative inquiry to explore the support factors available to students with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome in higher education that contribute to their success as perceived by the students. Creswell's (2009) six step method for analyzing phenomenological studies was used to…

  3. The academic journey of university students on Facebook: an analysis of informal academic-related activity over a semester

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca Vivian

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on an observation of 70 university students’ use of their personal social network site (SNS, Facebook, over a 22-week university study period. The study sought to determine the extent that university students use their personal SNSs to support learning by exploring frequencies of academic-related content and topics being discussed. The findings reported in the paper reveal that students used their personal SNSs to discuss academic-related topics, particularly to share experiences about doing work or procrastinating, course content and grades. Mapping academic-related activity frequencies over the 22 weeks illustrated that around certain points in the academic calendar, particularly times when students’ assignments or exams were nearing, academic activity increased, suggesting that SNSs may play an important role in a students’ academic experience.The findings suggest that many students today may be leaving traces of their academic journey online and that academics should be aware that these interactions may also exist in their own students’ online social spaces. This study offers opportunities for future research, particularly research which seeks to determine differences between individuals' academic activity, the extent that intensive SNSs use supports or distracts students from learning, as well as the extent to which universities should or can harness SNSs to improve the student experience.

  4. Promoting Physical Activity through Student Life and Academics

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDaniel, Tyler; Melton, Bridget F.; Langdon, Jody

    2014-01-01

    Objective: A physical activity passport (PAP) was developed to increase student's physical activity through the collaboration of student life and academics. The purpose was to measure the effectiveness of the PAP. Design: The research design used was a quantitative, descriptive, quasi-experimental design with experimental and control groups.…

  5. Assessing High School Student Learning on Science Outreach Lab Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Courtney L.

    2012-01-01

    The effect of hands-on laboratory activities on secondary student learning was examined. Assessment was conducted over a two-year period, with 262 students participating the first year and 264 students the second year. Students took a prequiz, performed a laboratory activity (gas chromatography of alcohols, or photosynthesis and respiration), and…

  6. Medical students' note-taking in a medical biochemistry course: an initial exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, Elizabeth H; McLaughlin, Calvin; Rucker, Lloyd

    2002-04-01

    Beginning medical students spend numerous hours every week attending basic science lectures and taking notes. Medical faculty often wonder whether they should give students pre-printed instructors' notes before lectures. Proponents of this strategy argue that provided notes enhance learning by facilitating the accurate transmission of information, while opponents counter that provided notes inhibit students' cognitive processing or even discourage students from attending lectures. Little if any research has directly addressed medical students' note-taking or the value of providing instructors' notes. The educational literature does suggest that taking lecture notes enhances university students' learning. University students perform best on post-lecture testing if they review a combination of provided notes and their own personal notes, particularly if the provided notes follow a 'skeletal' format that encourages active note-taking.

  7. GeoMapApp Learning Activities: Grab-and-go inquiry-based geoscience activities that bring cutting-edge technology to the classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwillie, A. M.; Kluge, S.

    2011-12-01

    NSF-funded GeoMapApp Learning Activities (http://serc.carleton.edu/geomapapp) provide self-contained learning opportunities that are centred around the principles of guided inquiry. The activities allow students to interact with and analyse research-quality geoscience data to explore and enhance student understanding of underlying geoscience content and concepts. Each activity offers ready-to-use step-by-step student instructions and answer sheets that can be downloaded from the web page. Also provided are annotated teacher versions of the worksheets that include teaching tips, additional content and suggestions for further work. Downloadable pre- and post- quizzes tied to each activity help educators gauge the learning progression of their students. Short multimedia tutorials and details on content alignment with state and national teaching standards round out the package of material that comprises each "grab-and-go" activity. GeoMapApp Learning Activities expose students to content and concepts typically found at the community college, high school and introductory undergraduate levels. The activities are based upon GeoMapApp (http://www.geomapapp.org), a free, easy-to-use map-based data exploration and visualisation tool that allows students to access a wide range of geoscience data sets in a virtual lab-like environment. Activities that have so far been created under this project include student exploration of seafloor spreading rates, a study of mass wasting as revealed through geomorphological evidence, and an analysis of plate motion and hotspot traces. The step-by-step instructions and guided inquiry approach lead students through each activity, thus reducing the need for teacher intervention whilst also boosting the time that students can spend on productive exploration and learning. The activities can be used, for example, in a classroom lab with the educator present and as self-paced assignments in an out-of-class setting. GeoMapApp Learning Activities

  8. Student Voice Initiative: Exploring Implementation Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Blaine G.

    2017-01-01

    Student voice is the process of allowing students to work collaboratively with adults to produce a learning culture that is conducive for optimum growth in every student. In a traditional setting, the adults make the decisions and the students are passive observers in the learning process. Data has shown that this traditional culture is not…

  9. Teaching and Learning Science through Song: Exploring the Experiences of Students and Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Governor, Donna; Hall, Jori; Jackson, David

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative, multi-case study explored the use of science-content music for teaching and learning in six middle school science classrooms. The researcher sought to understand how teachers made use of content-rich songs for teaching science, how they impacted student engagement and learning, and what the experiences of these teachers and…

  10. Uranium exploration in Egypt past, current and future activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farag, N.

    2014-01-01

    The Egyptian Nuclear Materials Authority (NMA), is the government body responsible for exploration of the nuclear raw materials in the country. The early NMA U-exploration activities has included training of exploration teams, conduction of airborne, ground follow up and preliminary geological mapping as well as execution of limited exploration drilling. A number of TC projects and expert missions were mainly executed in collaboration with the IAEA for this purpose. These efforts have resulted in the discovery of seven U-potential prospects. NMA has also exercised limited heap leaching on experimental scale and obtained small amounts of U-concentrates, utilized for R & D purposes. However, the exploration activities remained in the preliminary phases and did not succeed to reach either reliable evaluation of the discovered uranium resources or running productive U-exploitation. By the end of the last decade, Egypt has declared the intention to adopt a peaceful program for electric power generation; this implied NMA to implement a twofold plan as described hereafter. Regarding the conventional U-resources, occurring in the Eastern Desert, NMA focus the exploration activities on the younger granites of Pan African type, and the associated inter-mountain basins. The activities will be restricted to the evaluation of U-reserves in at least three of the most promising uranium prospects that still require extensive exploration drilling programs. NMA is now implementing an international bid announcement seeking for partnership of an experienced international firm, to assess the uranium resources in these sites, in addition to receiving relevant IAEA/TC programs. Regarding non-conventional resources, the black sand project is mainly a resource of a titanium and zirconium minerals; however, NMA is now trying to process monazite to obtain mainly Th and minor U by-products. NMA has successfully completed an exploration study and. the Government of Egypt has recently

  11. Enhancing Student Self-Study Attitude and Activity with Motivational Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kent Rhoads

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Research has shown that students will exhibit a positive attitude towards self-study, but that they will often fail to complete self-study activities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate positive instructor interactions and motivation of students to complete self- study activities and students’ attitudes towards self-study. Six English instructors at the University of Shizuoka created a one-semester self-access study log for use in the university self-access language laboratory in order to find out how many students would complete the log. One of the six instructors applied motivational techniques in the classroom in an effort to engender greater student self-study. Later a questionnaire was administered to 465 student participants to determine their self-study attitudes and activities. The data collected from the questionnaire and the high participation in the self- study activities suggest the positive impact the motivational actions employed by the instructor had on his students' attitudes towards self-study activities.

  12. Activism or Slacktivism? The Potential and Pitfalls of Social Media in Contemporary Student Activism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabrera, Nolan L.; Matias, Cheryl E.; Montoya, Roberto

    2017-01-01

    The emergence of social media has greatly influenced 21st-century student activism. It has also given rise to the birth of "slacktivism," an online form of self-aggrandizing, politically ineffective activism. This theoretical article delves into the conceptualizations of what constitutes student activism versus slacktivism in a digital…

  13. Mobile Phone Harassment: An Exploration of Students' Perceptions of Intrusive Texting Behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emma Short

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Limited research has explored the link between mobile phone use and harassment behaviors. This paper details the findings from a preliminary study that examined perceptions of unwanted communication, with one focus group (7 participants and two vignettes presented to 145 students. The vignette participants were asked to respond to hypothetical questions about continued and unwanted contact being maintained as if they were both a sender and recipient of the contact and if they had actually been harassed. Response options allowed for intended behavior to be measured against generally agreed thresholds of duration and frequency used to identify harassment. Findings indicated that harassment by text is more prevalent than other forms of off-line stalking and, despite recipients reporting being distressed, there was still a higher level of acceptance of this form of harassment than other forms. Furthermore, responses to text harassment were associated with a high frequency of behaviors perceived as not actively discouraging further texts, therefore having the effect of prolonging unwanted contact. These results are discussed in relation to intervention strategies and future research.

  14. Medical students' preparedness for professional activities in early clerkships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosch, Josefin; Maaz, Asja; Hitzblech, Tanja; Holzhausen, Ylva; Peters, Harm

    2017-08-22

    Sufficient preparedness is important for transitions to workplace participation and learning in clinical settings. This study aims to analyse medical students' preparedness for early clerkships using a three-dimensional, socio-cognitive, theory-based model of preparedness anchored in specific professional activities and their supervision level. Medical students from a competency-based undergraduate curriculum were surveyed about preparedness for 21 professional activities and level of perceived supervision during their early clerkships via an online questionnaire. Preparedness was operationalized by the three dimensions of confidence to carry out clerkship activities, being prepared through university teaching and coping with failure by seeking support. Factors influencing preparedness and perceived stress as outcomes were analysed through step-wise regression. Professional activities carried out by the students (n = 147; 19.0%) and their supervision levels varied. While most students reported high confidence to perform the tasks, the activity-specific analysis revealed important gaps in preparation through university teaching. Students regularly searched for support in case of difficulty. One quarter of the variance of each preparedness dimension was explained by self-efficacy, supervision quality, amount of prior clerkship experience and nature of professional activities. Preparedness contributed to predicting perceived stress. The applied three-dimensional concept of preparedness and the task-specific approach provided a detailed and meaningful view on medical students' workplace participation and experiences in early clerkships.

  15. Exploring mathematics outside the classroom with the help of GPS-enabled mobile phone application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cahyono, A. N.; Ludwig, M.

    2018-03-01

    The aim of the study is to explore the potential of the mobile app-supported math trail program in promoting students’ intrinsic motivation for the engagement in mathematics and the opportunities of mathematical outdoor activity in particular. Explorative design research was conducted on nine secondary schools in the city of Semarang, Indonesia, with 272 students and nine teachers. Data were gathered using participatory observation, interviews, questionnaires, and student worksheets. The findings indicate that students were highly intrinsically motivated to be involved in mathematics learning. They found it easy to engage in the activities and gain relevant mathematical experiences. Students indicated they learned to use advanced technology for outdoor activity and to do the mathematization. The study suggests that school and public can take advantage of the result of this study. Further research in other places is needed to exploit its potential and future development.

  16. Student profiling on university co-curricular activities using cluster analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajenthran, Hemabegai A./P.; Shaharanee, Izwan Nizal Mohd; Jamil, Jastini Mohd.

    2017-11-01

    In higher learning institutions, the co-curricular programs are needed for the graduation besides the standard academic programs. By actively participating in co-curricular, students can attain many of soft skills and proficiencies besides learning and adopting campus environment, community and traditions. Co-curricular activities are implemented by universities mainly for the refinement of the academic achievement along with the social development. This studies aimed to analyse the academic profile of the co-curricular students among uniform units. The main objective of study is to develop a profile of student co-curricular activities in uniform units. Additionally, several variables has been selected to serve as the characteristics for student co-curricular profile. The findings of this study demonstrate the practicality of clustering technique to investigate student's profiles and allow for a better understanding of student's behavior and co-curriculum activities.

  17. Self-Organization Activities of College Students: Challenges and Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shmurygina, Natalia; Bazhenova, Natalia; Bazhenov, Ruslan; Nikolaeva, Natalia; Tcytcarev, Andrey

    2016-01-01

    The article provides the analysis of self-organization activities of college students related to their participation in youth associations activities. The purpose of research is to disclose a degree of students' activities demonstration based on self-organization processes, assessment of existing self-organization practices of the youth,…

  18. Assessing student clinical learning experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nehyba, Katrine; Miller, Susan; Connaughton, Joanne; Singer, Barbara

    2017-08-01

    This article describes the use of an activity worksheet and questionnaire to investigate the learning experience of students on clinical placement. The worksheet measures the amount of time students spend in different learning activities, and the questionnaire explores student satisfaction and preferred learning activities. An activity worksheet and questionnaire … investigate[d] the learning experiences of students on clinical placement METHODS: The activity worksheet and questionnaire were used in a cohort pilot study of physiotherapy students on clinical placement. The activity worksheet provides details of the amount of time students engage in a range of clinical and non-clinical tasks while on placement, such as time spent treating patients, working individually, working with their peers and engaging in reflective practice. In combination with the questionnaire results, it allows clinicians to gain an understanding of the clinical learning environment experienced by their students. The data collected using these tools provide a description of the students' activities while undertaking the clinical placement. This information may guide the refinement of the clinical experience, and offers an opportunity to individualise learning activities to match students' needs and preferences. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  19. Exploring the use of student perspectives to inform topics in teacher education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katy Arnett

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract As FSL teacher educators look to respond to teachers’ concerns about the increasingly diverse student population in K-12 settings, empirical research may not always hold the answers—simply because there has not been much research on the topic. In an attempt to at least identify issues worthy of such empirical consideration and discussion within teacher education programs, this article explores the views of seven Grade 8 core French students who were members of an effective inclusive classroom. Drawing on the individual and focus group interview data from a larger case study of their teacher’s classroom, this article will identify two key themes that the students described as instrumental in the teacher’s attempts to be an effective, inclusive core French teacher. It is the goal of this article that these themes will help inform the decisions FSL teacher educators make about this topic within their programs.

  20. Exploring the Etiology of Ethnic Self-Hatred: Internalized Racism in Chicana/o and Latina/o College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hipolito-Delgado, Carlos P.

    2010-01-01

    Internalized racism is rarely discussed in student affairs. Despite the negative effects of internalized racism on the mental health and identity development of college students of color, little is known about its etiology. Based on theoretical conceptions, the author explores if perceived racism and/or U.S. acculturation act as predictors of…

  1. Affirming independence: Exploring mechanisms underlying a values affirmation intervention for first-generation students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tibbetts, Yoi; Harackiewicz, Judith M; Canning, Elizabeth A; Boston, Jilana S; Priniski, Stacy J; Hyde, Janet S

    2016-05-01

    First-generation college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year college degree) earn lower grades and worry more about whether they belong in college, compared with continuing-generation students (who have at least 1 parent with a 4-year college degree). We conducted a longitudinal follow-up of participants from a study in which a values-affirmation intervention improved performance in a biology course for first-generation college students, and found that the treatment effect on grades persisted 3 years later. First-generation students in the treatment condition obtained a GPA that was, on average, .18 points higher than first-generation students in the control condition, 3 years after values affirmation was implemented (Study 1A). We explored mechanisms by testing whether the values-affirmation effects were predicated on first-generation students reflecting on interdependent values (thus affirming their values that are consistent with working-class culture) or independent values (thus affirming their values that are consistent with the culture of higher education). We found that when first-generation students wrote about their independence, they obtained higher grades (both in the semester in which values affirmation was implemented and in subsequent semesters) and felt less concerned about their background. In a separate laboratory experiment (Study 2) we manipulated the extent to which participants wrote about independence and found that encouraging first-generation students to write more about their independence improved their performance on a math test. These studies highlight the potential of having FG students focus on their own independence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawn Bennett

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Students often complain that they cannot see the relevance of what they are being taught in foundation physics classes. While revising and adjusting the curriculum and teaching are important, this study suggests it might also be useful to help students view their learning in relation to their future career aspirations. This paper reports on a study conducted with first-year students enrolled in a compulsory foundation physics unit with a history of low pass rates. Working within a “possible selves” framework, activities were designed to help students position their learning in relation to possible future lives and careers. Two cohorts of students (N=93 engaged in an intensive workshop comprising multiple activities relating to self and career. Self-reflection worksheets were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that students experience immediate benefits from these activities through self-reflection on the current self, future possible professional selves, and the role of current studies in narrowing the gap between the two.

  3. Exploring high school science students' perceptions of parental involvement in their education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mji, Andile; Mbinda, Zoleka

    2005-08-01

    This exploratory study describes high school students' perceptions of their parents' involvement in their education and in relation to school achievement. A new 12-item Parental Involvement Scale was used to measure parents' involvement in curricular and extracurricular activities and using exploratory analyses to estimate the scale's properties. Exploratory analysis resulted in the reduction of the 12 items to 8, with an internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) .82. Grade 12 science students indicated that their less educated parents were involved in activities pertaining to their learning; however, high perceived parental involvement in curricular activities was related to low achievement. It is recommended that further exploratory analyses be undertaken to examine the reported two-dimensional model of the Parental Involvement Scale.

  4. STUDENT CLUBS AS A FORM OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irina Vasilievna Tolstoukhova

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The students as a specific stratum of young people actively involved in various associations, movements. Today, more than ever need the support of positive student associations from universities. This paper considers the extracurricular activities of students, and in particular the creation and development of a student club that promotes self-learning, self-education and self-development of students.Purpose: to develop the author a mechanism for the development of activities of the student club «Studio».Methodology: a theoretical analysis of the pedagogical literature on the problems of students ‘ extracurricular activities.Results: the experience of the Tyumen oil and gas University on the organization and management of extracurricular educational work with students. The basis of this system became the tradition and the experience of the music club «Studio». Lists the sessions conducted with students for career mobility, career advancement. In conclusion traces the development of motivation of students, who are members of a student club. The paper presents information from the personal experience of the authors.

  5. An Exploration of Elementary School Counselors' Perceptions of Students' Exposure to Violent Video Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woody, Tammy Lynn

    2010-01-01

    This study explored elementary school counselors' perceptions of working with students exposed to violent video games. Certified elementary school counselors participated in both an online survey and individual interviews, revealing their observations regarding elementary school children and the phenomenon of gaming. An emphasis was placed on…

  6. Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes and Abuse Concerning Doping in Sport among Syrian Pharmacy Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mazen El-Hammadi

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to assess pharmacy students’ knowledge about doping substances used in sport, explore their attitudes toward doping and investigate their misuse of doping drugs. A questionnaire was developed and employed to collect data from bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm students at the International University for Science and Technology (IUST. Two-hundred and eighty students participated in this self-administrated, paper-based survey. Around 90% of the students did not appear to know that narcotics, β-blockers and diuretics were used in sport as doping agents. Additionally, proportions between 60% and 80% considered vitamins, energy drinks and amino acids as substances that possess performance-enhancing effects. The main reason for doping, based on students’ response, was to improve muscular body appearance. The vast majority of students agreed that pharmacists should play a major role in promoting awareness about risks of doping. While students showed negative attitudes toward doping, approximately 15% of them, primarily males, had already tried a doping drug or might do so in the future. More than 60% of the students believed that sports-mates and friends are the most influential in encouraging them to take a doping agent. The study highlights the need to provide pharmacy students with advanced theoretical background and practical training concerning doping. This can be achieved by adopting simple, but essential, changes to the current curricula.

  7. Self-Assessment of Physical Activity and Health Capacity of Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Plavina Liana

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The compulsory part of the individual life is physical activity. The physical activity is important for maintenance health capacity. Physical activity includes various kinds of components: physical activity during the leisure time (during the week days and weekend days, physical activity at home and in working place and physical activity during the transference from home to other place. Intensity of the physical activity could also be various from low to moderate and till high. Respondent of study groups were partly time students from Riga Medical College (RMC, n = 41, and from Riga Teacher Training and Education Management Academy (RTTEMA, n = 37. Respondents were students of both genders aged from 19 years till 53 years. We have provided the assessment of the principal anthropometric characteristics (height and body mass as well the anthropometric indices (body mass index (BMI and physical activity level questionnaire for students. Analysis of the data of physical activity questionnaire revealed that the average physical activity for students from RMC corresponded to low level of physical activity. The respondents from RRTEMA have moderate level of physical activity.

  8. An investigation of the impact of selected prereading activities on student content learning through laboratory activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kass, Jesse (Shaya)

    This study investigated whether two prereading activities impacted student learning from hands-on science activities. The study was based on constructivist learning theory. Based on the work of Piaget, it was hypothesized that students who activated prior knowledge would learn more from the activities. Based on the work of Vygotsky it was hypothesized that students who talk more and write more would learn more from the activity. The K-W-L chart and anticipation guide strategies were used with eighth grade students at Graves Middle School in Whittier, California before learning about levers and convection currents. D. M. Ogle (1986) created the three-column K-W-L chart to have students activate prior knowledge. In the first column, the students write what they already know about a subject, in the second column, the students write what they want to know about the subject, and the students complete the third column after learning about a subject by writing answers to the questions that they asked in the second column. Duffelmeyer (1994) created the anticipation guide based on Herber's (1978) reasoning guide. In the anticipation guide, the teacher creates three or four sentences that convey the major ideas of the topic and the students either agree or disagree with the statements. After learning about the topic, students revisit their answers and decide if they were correct or incorrect and they must defend their choices. This research used the Solomon (1947) four-square design and compared both the experimental groups to a control group that simply discussed the concepts before completing the activity. The research showed no significant difference between the control group and either of the treatment groups. The reasons for the lack of significant differences are considered. It was hypothesized that since the students were unfamiliar with the prereading activities and did not have much experience with using either writing-to-learn or talking-to-learn strategies, the

  9. Exploring students learning approaches in MOOCs

    OpenAIRE

    Faucon, Louis Pierre

    2017-01-01

    This study aims at understanding different students approaches for solving assignments in MOOCs. It makes use of a large dataset of logs from students interaction with the MOOC platform Coursera on a course about functional programming with Scala. In total more than 10.000 students participated in the assignments. Learning approaches are divided in two categories: starting with video lectures (V) and start- ing with the assignment (A); and students are divided in three groups: those applying ...

  10. Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavanagh, Andrew J; Aragón, Oriana R; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I; Graham, Mark J

    2016-01-01

    The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure-persuasion-identification-commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students' course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student engagement and other student outcomes. These findings are particularly salient in course contexts featuring active learning, which encourage active student participation in the learning process. © 2016 A. J. Cavanagh et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-02-14

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

  12. Active Learning Promoting Student Teachers' Professional Competences in Finland and Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niemi, Hannele; Nevgi, Anne; Aksit, Fisun

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates student teachers' active learning experiences in teacher education (TE) in Finnish and Turkish contexts and attempts to determine how active learning methods' impact student teachers' professional competences. Student teachers (N = 728) assessed their active learning experiences and the professional competences they…

  13. Teaching and Learning Science Through Song: Exploring the experiences of students and teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Governor, Donna; Hall, Jori; Jackson, David

    2013-12-01

    This qualitative, multi-case study explored the use of science-content music for teaching and learning in six middle school science classrooms. The researcher sought to understand how teachers made use of content-rich songs for teaching science, how they impacted student engagement and learning, and what the experiences of these teachers and students suggested about using songs for middle school classroom science instruction. Data gathered included three teacher interviews, one classroom observation and a student focus-group discussion from each of six cases. The data from each unit of analysis were examined independently and then synthesized in a multi-case analysis, resulting in a number of merged findings, or assertions, about the experience. The results of this study indicated that teachers used content-rich music to enhance student understanding of concepts in science by developing content-based vocabulary, providing students with alternative examples and explanations of concepts, and as a sense-making experience to help build conceptual understanding. The use of science-content songs engaged students by providing both situational and personal interest, and provided a mnemonic device for remembering key concepts in science. The use of songs has relevance from a constructivist approach as they were used to help students build meaning; from a socio-cultural perspective in terms of student engagement; and from a cognitive viewpoint in that in these cases they helped students make connections in learning. The results of this research have implications for science teachers and the science education community in developing new instructional strategies for the middle school science classroom.

  14. Young Scientists Explore Animals. Book 2--Intermediate Level. A Good Apple Activity Book.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeBruin, Jerry

    Designed to develop creativity in young learners, this book contains interdisciplinary activities which focus on the theme of animals. Activity pages are provided that can serve as front and back covers of a student booklet and the suggested activities can be duplicated for insertion between the covers resulting in a booklet for each student. A…

  15. Young Scientists Explore Nature. Book 10--Intermediate Level. A Good Apple Activity Book.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeBruin, Jerry

    Designed to develop creativity in young learners, this book contains interdisciplinary activities which focus on the theme of nature. Activity pages are provided that can serve as front and back covers of a student booklet and the suggested activities can be duplicated for insertion between the covers resulting in a booklet for each student. A…

  16. Snapshots of Student Thinking: An Exploration of Video Cases for Extending Prospective Teachers' Knowledge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitts Bannister, Vanessa R.; Mariano, Gina J.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to explore the relationships between prospective teachers' content knowledge, student understanding, and pedagogy using video cases. The emphasis was on the extent to which the participants utilized constructs of Technology Pedagogy And Content Knowledge. Ten prospective teachers viewed video cases of students…

  17. An Exploration of the Effect of Servicescape on Student Institution Choice in UK Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winter, Emma; Chapleo, Chris

    2017-01-01

    In recent years there has been increased discussion of the subjective, emotional and sociological factors influencing student choice of university. However, there is a dearth of information exploring what constitutes these feelings. This exploratory paper uses the conceptual model of the servicescape to provide insight into the emotional factors…

  18. College Students' Experiences and Perceptions of Harassment on Campus: An Exploration of Gender Differences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reason, Robert D.; Rankin, Susan R.

    2006-01-01

    Using a campus climate assessment instrument developed by Rankin (1998), we surveyed students (N = 7,347) from 10 campuses to explore the different experiences with harassment and campus climates reported by men and women. Both men and women reported experiencing harassment, although women experienced harassment at statistically significantly…

  19. Creating Student Engagement: The Kickstarter Active Learning Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manzon, Elliott

    2017-01-01

    Students can become disengaged from marketing material if they cannot see the direct application. Marketing material needs to be applied to a meaningful business task to engage and motivate students. This article introduces the Kickstarter Active Learning Project--an innovative semester-long project in which students create a Kickstarter…

  20. Emotionally Intense Science Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

    Science activities that evoke positive emotional responses make a difference to students' emotional experience of science. In this study, we explored 8th Grade students' discrete emotions expressed during science activities in a unit on Energy. Multiple data sources including classroom videos, interviews and emotion diaries completed at the end of…

  1. Active Learning and Self-Regulation Enhance Student Teachers’ Professional Competences

    OpenAIRE

    Virtanen, Päivi; Niemi, Hannele M.; Nevgi, Anne

    2017-01-01

    The study identifies the relationships between active learning, student teachers’ self-regulated learning and professional competences. Further, the aim is to investigate how active learning promotes professional competences of student teachers with different self-regulation profiles. Responses from 422 student teachers to an electronic survey were analysed using statistical methods. It was found that the use of active learning methods, such as goal-oriented and intentional learning as well a...

  2. Exploring the Relationship between Time Management Skills and the Academic Achievement of African Engineering Students--A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swart, Arthur James; Lombard, Kobus; de Jager, Henk

    2010-01-01

    Poor academic success by African engineering students is currently experienced in many higher educational institutions, contributing to lower financial subsidies by local governments. One of the contributing factors to this low academic success may be the poor time management skills of these students. This article endeavours to explore this…

  3. Robust and Fragile Mathematical Identities: A Framework for Exploring Racialized Experiences and High Achievement among Black College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGee, Ebony O.

    2015-01-01

    I introduce the construct of fragile and robust identities for the purpose of exploring the experiences that influenced the mathematical and racial identities of high-achieving Black college students in mathematics and engineering. These students maintained high levels of academic achievement in these fields while enduring marginalization,…

  4. Exploring the Relationship between Experienced Students' Preference for Open- and Closed-Book Examinations, Approaches to Learning and Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karagiannopoulou, Evangelia; Milienos, Fotios S.

    2013-01-01

    The relationship between university students' approaches to learning and preference for the open- and closed-book examinations was investigated for 144 Greek undergraduate (56 third- and 88 fourth-year) students attending a Philosophy, Education and Psychology Department. The approaches were explored by the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory…

  5. International students' experience of a western medical school: a mixed methods study exploring the early years in the context of cultural and social adjustment compared to students from the host country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGarvey, A; Brugha, R; Conroy, R M; Clarke, E; Byrne, E

    2015-07-02

    Few studies have addressed the challenges associated with international students as they adapt to studying medicine in a new host country. Higher level institutions have increasing numbers of international students commencing programmes. This paper explores the experiences of a cohort of students in the early years of medical school in Ireland, where a considerable cohort are from an international background. A mixed exploratory sequential study design was carried out with medical students in the preclinical component of a five year undergraduate programme. Data for the qualitative phase was collected through 29 semi-structured interviews using the peer interview method. Thematic analysis from this phase was incorporated to develop an online questionnaire combined with components of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire and Student Integration Questionnaire. First year students were anonymously surveyed online. The Mokken Scaling procedure was used to investigate the students' experiences, both positive and negative. Three main themes are identified; social adjustment, social alienation and cultural alienation. The response rate for the survey was 49% (467 Respondents). The Mokken Scaling method identified the following scales (i) Positive experience of student life; (ii) Social alienation, which comprised of negative items about feeling lonely, not fitting in, being homesick and (iii) Cultural alienation, which included the items of being uncomfortable around cultural norms of dress and contact between the sexes. With the threshold set to H = 0.4. Subscales of the positive experiences of student life scale are explored further. Overall student adjustment to a western third level college was good. Students from regions where cultural distance is greatest reported more difficulties in adjusting. Students from these regions also demonstrate very good adaptation. Some students from the host country and more similar cultural backgrounds were also

  6. Take a Selfie of Life: A Qualitative Exploration of College Students' Self-Reflections on Free Time Use and Personal Values

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hsin-Yu; Yarnal, Careen; Hustad, John T. P.; Sims, Damon

    2016-01-01

    Adopting a qualitative approach, this study explores college students' self-reflections on free time use and personal values. Data were collected from 111 students' final reflection papers for a class entitled "Leisure and Human Behavior." The findings suggest that leisure education may empower students with fundamental knowledge about…

  7. Acculturation orientations and Chinese student Sojourners’ career adaptability : the roles of career exploration and cultural distance.

    OpenAIRE

    Guan, Y.; Liu, S.; Guo, M.J.; Li, M.; Wu, M.; Chen, S.X.; Xu, S.X.; Tian, L.

    2018-01-01

    Drawing on career construction theory and Berry's acculturation model, this study examined how student sojourners' acculturation orientations predicted their career exploration and career adaptability. We conducted a survey study among Chinese student sojourners (N = 222) and the results showed that after the effects of big-five personality and approach/avoidance traits were controlled, both host culture orientation and home culture orientation had positive indirect effects on career adaptabi...

  8. Exploring the Relationship Between Students with Accommodations and Instructor Self-Efficacy in Complying with Accommodations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna M. Wright

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The willingness and flexibility of university instructors to comply with and provide accommodations for students with disabilities is critical to academic success. The authors examine how communication between students needing accommodations and university instructors impacts instructor self-efficacy, or instructors’ perception that they can meet the accommodation. Specifically, the authors’ explored the relationship between student self-disclosure of a disability and instructor empathy, flexibility, and self-efficacy in meeting student accommodation needs. Results revealed that the more a student self-discloses about a needed accommodation, the more self-efficacy an instructor has in making that accommodation. For the low-disclosure condition, empathy and flexibility were both significant predictors of self-efficacy, whereas, for the high-disclosure condition, only flexibility was a significant predictor of self-efficacy. Finally, instructors’ levels of empathy and flexibility both decreased after reading both the high and low self-disclosure scenarios.

  9. What Does "Active Citizenship" Mean for Erasmus Students?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golubeva, Irina; Gómez Parra, Ma. Elena; Espejo Mohedano, Roberto

    2018-01-01

    Since ERASMUS (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) was launched there has been a constant debate about the civic significance of this mobility programme. The purpose of this article is to analyse the understanding of "active citizenship" by Erasmus students. In order to discover Erasmus students'…

  10. Dual peer mentoring program for undergraduate medical students: exploring the perceptions of mentors and mentees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdolalizadeh, Parya; Pourhassan, Saeed; Gandomkar, Roghayeh; Heidari, Farrokh; Sohrabpour, Amir Ali

    2017-01-01

    Background: Despite the advantages of dual peer mentoring, there are a few reports of implementing and evaluating such programs for medical students. This study aimed at exploring the perceptions of mentors and mentees about the dual peer mentoring program for the first year undergraduate medical students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted at the end of the first year of implementing the mentoring program. All mentees and mentors were invited to participate in focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Results: All mentors ( n= 12 ) and a group of mentees ( n= 21 ) participated in focus group discussion sessions. We provided a variety of supports for the mentees including academic and psychosocial support and positive relationship; as a result, some developments occurred to the mentors We also explored participants' views on some unique aspects of the program such as student-authorized, dual mentoring, and role model sessions. Conclusion: Our participants found the mentoring program beneficial in various academic achievements and psychosocial supports for both the mentors and the mentees. Dual peer mentoring program can be an alternative to school administered programs.

  11. Social media as a student response system: new evidence on learning impact

    OpenAIRE

    Chelsea Liu

    2018-01-01

    The ubiquitousness of social media renders it a potentially powerful tool in higher education. This study explores the use of Twitter as a tool to enhance active learning and improve feedback during large-sized lectures. Students in a final-year undergraduate accounting course at an Australian university engaged in Twitter-based synchronous activities, including answering in-lecture quizzes and posting questions. This study explores two key questions: (1) ‘what encourages students to actively...

  12. Are You Teaching Your Students about Stem Cells?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Concannon, James; Brown, Patrick L.; Brandt, Trisha

    2009-01-01

    This activity targets students' misconceptions about embryonic and adult stem cells while also addressing an important grades 9-12 science content standard. The authors designed the activity to provide students an opportunity to explore differences between embryonic and adult stem cells prior to formal explanation. The overarching goal of this…

  13. Exploring Social Dynamics in School Science Context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet C. Ayar

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore the socio-cultural practices and interactions of learning science in a science classroom within the concept of communities of practice. Our qualitative data were collected through observing, taking field notes, and conducting interviews in a public science classroom during an entire school year. The study occurred in a seventh-grade classroom with a veteran physical science teacher, with more than 10 years teaching experience, and 22 students. For this article, we presented two classroom vignettes that reflect a sample of the participation, practice, and community that was observed in the science classroom on a daily basis. The first vignette illustrated a typical formula of Initiation–Response–Feedback (I-R-F that transfers knowledge to students through a teacher-led discussion with the entire class. The second vignette described a laboratory activity designed to allow students to apply or discover knowledge through practical experience, while taking responsibility for their learning through small-group work. The normative practices and routine behaviors of the science classroom are highlighted through the description of material resources, and different modes of participation accompanied by assigned roles and responsibilities. What we observed was that laboratory activities reproduced the epistemic authority of the I-R-F rather than creating collective cognitive responsibility where students have the independence to explore and create authentic science experiences.

  14. Active Gaming Among High School Students--United States, 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, MinKyoung; Carroll, Dianna D; Lee, Sarah M; Fulton, Janet E

    2015-08-01

    Our study is the first to describe the prevalence and correlates (demographics, body mass index [BMI], sedentary behaviors, and physical activity) of high school youth who report active videogame playing (active gaming) in a U.S. representative sample. The National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study of 2010 provided data for this study. Active gaming was assessed as the number of days in the 7 days prior to the survey that students in grades 9-12 (14-18 years of age) reported participating in active videogames (e.g., "Wii™ Fit" [Nintendo, Kyoto, Japan], "Dance Dance Revolution" [Konami, Osaka, Japan]). Students reporting ≥1 days were classified as active gamers. Logistic regression was used to examine the association among active gaming and demographic characteristics, BMI, sedentary behaviors, and physical activity. Among 9125 U.S. high school students in grades 9-12 surveyed, 39.9 percent (95 percent confidence interval=37.9 percent, 42.0 percent) reported active gaming. Adjusting for covariates, the following characteristics were positively associated (Pblack, non-Hispanic race/ethnicity; being overweight or obese; watching DVDs >0 hours/day; watching TV >0 hours/day; and meeting guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity. Four out of 10 U.S. high school students report participating in active gaming. Active gamers tend to spend more time watching DVDs or TV, meet guidelines for physical activity, and/or be overweight or obese compared with nonactive gamers. These findings may serve to provide a baseline to track active gaming in U.S. youth and inform interventions that target sedentary behaviors and/or physical activity.

  15. Exploring the transition of undergraduate medical students into a clinical clerkship using organizational socialization theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atherley, Anique E; Hambleton, Ian R; Unwin, Nigel; George, Colette; Lashley, Paula M; Taylor, Charles G

    2016-04-01

    Transitions in medical education are emotionally and socially dynamic; this may affect learning. Students transitioning from preclinical to clinical training may experience negative consequences. Less is understood about students' experiences during transitions within clinical training and influential factors. The authors used organizational socialization theory to explore a transition within the clinical years. Final-year medical students experienced a nine-week internal medicine clerkship; willing students participated. Students (n = 101; 97 %) completed a questionnaire with open-ended questions at the beginning and end of the clerkship and participated in six consecutive focus groups, until data saturation occurred (n = 37). Data were thematically analyzed. Socialization was challenging. Many students experienced difficulty developing relationships with team members. Students with a positive attitude experienced a smoother transition. Many students were uncertain of their roles, concerned about the workload and desired guidance to meet clerkship demands. This transition resulted in varied outcomes from enjoyment, increased confidence and student development through to disinterest. Transitions within clinical training are complex. Faculty should focus on adequate socialization in a new clerkship as this may facilitate a smoother transition. This may necessitate orientations, staff training, and formal student support. Further research is needed on the impact of these recommendations on learning and well-being.

  16. Exploring Kuwaiti mathematics: student-teachers' beliefs toward using Logo and mathematics education

    OpenAIRE

    Sulaiman, NAJ

    2011-01-01

    The main objective of this study is to explore the effect of one taught course, a Logo module, on Kuwaiti elementary mathematics student-teachers’ beliefs about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Logo. The Logo module incorporated ICT, in particular the Logo programming language, as a cognitive tool, that supports the constructivist perspective for mathematics instruction. The Logo module comprised of 24-sessions (deducted from the hours of the Methods of Teaching Mathematics ...

  17. An Exploration of Relationships between Leadership and Student Citizenship Outcomes in Cyprus Middle Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savvides, Vassos; Pashiardis, Petros

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to explore direct and indirect relationships between Leadership and Student Citizenship Outcomes in Cyprus middle schools. In the case of indirect effects the mediating role of School Academic Optimism and Instructional Quality was examined. Method: The specific study adopted a value-added quantitative…

  18. A Preliminary Exploration of Uppercase Letter-Name Knowledge among Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greer, Claire W.; Erickson, Karen A.

    2018-01-01

    There are several factors known to impact the alphabet knowledge of young children without disabilities. The impact of these factors on the alphabet knowledge of students with significant cognitive disabilities is unknown. The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to explore the impact of three factors that might influence uppercase…

  19. A Qualitative Exploration of Former College Student-Athletes’ Wellness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warehime Shane

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available College student-athletes (SAs may experience difficulties while transitioning from college, which could reduce their overall wellness. However, it is essential to understand positive transition experiences and outcomes, as this can guide future research and intervention efforts. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that led to higher levels of wellness in former SAs. Semi-structured interviews guided by the Indivisible Self Model were completed with former SAs (n = 12. Overall, participants displayed high levels of wellness - most prominently in terms of work and exercise. Many SAs perceived their current wellness was equal, if not better compared to when they were SAs. These results illustrate examples of successful transitions of former SAs, which can guide future research and interventions.

  20. Motivational predictors of physical education students' effort, exercise intentions, and leisure-time physical activity: a multilevel linear growth analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Ian M; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Standage, Martyn; Spray, Christopher M

    2010-02-01

    Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000), the current study explored whether physical education (PE) students' psychological needs and their motivational regulations toward PE predicted mean differences and changes in effort in PE, exercise intentions, and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) over the course of one UK school trimester. One hundred and seventy-eight students (69% male) aged between 11 and 16 years completed a multisection questionnaire at the beginning, middle, and end of a school trimester. Multilevel growth models revealed that students' perceived competence and self-determined regulations were the most consistent predictors of the outcome variables at the within- and between-person levels. The results of this work add to the extant SDT-based literature by examining change in PE students' motivational regulations and psychological needs, as well as underscoring the importance of disaggregating within- and between-student effects.

  1. Measuring of physical activity of UK FTVS and Palestra students using IPAQ

    OpenAIRE

    Hronková, Ilona

    2011-01-01

    Title: Measuring of physical activity of UK FTVS and Palestra students using IPAQ Aims: - find out the range of physical activity of students from schools mentioned above - compare the results with each other and also with other researches - confirm or disconfirm hypotheses - set down conclusions Methods: questionnaire Results: - students of both schools are highly physically active (in comparison with ordinary population) - UK FTVS students are more active in all kinds of physical activity p...

  2. Exploring the Contribution of Teaching and Learning Processes in the Construction of Students' Gender Identity in Early Year Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baig, Amina

    2014-01-01

    The present study explores how gender identity construction takes place in a single gender classroom in early years. Qualitative research guided the study design which was conducted in two public sector single gender schools. The data were collected through observations of the teacher-student interaction, student-student interaction, focused group…

  3. Exploring the Use of Interactive Digital Storytelling Video: Promoting Student Engagement and Learning in a University Hybrid Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shelton, Catharyn C.; Warren, Annie E.; Archambault, Leanna M.

    2016-01-01

    This study explores interactive digital storytelling in a university hybrid course. Digital stories leverage imagery and narrative-based content to explore concepts, while appealing to millennials. When digital storytelling is used as the main source of course content, tensions arise regarding how to engage and support student learning while…

  4. "Womanhood does not reside in documentation": Queer and feminist student activism for transgender women's inclusion at women's colleges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Shannon

    2016-01-01

    This article considers queer-driven student activism at Smith College, as well as admissions policy shifts at a number of prominent U.S. women's colleges for transgender women's inclusion. The author illustrates how student attempts to dismantle the transmisogyny at Smith as a purportedly feminist "women's" space, as well as some women's colleges' shifts in admissions policy, challenge divisions between transgender and cisgender women. This paradigmatic shift reflects the campuses as comparative havens for gender and sexual exploration, the influence of postmodern gender theory in understanding identity, and the growth of "queer" as an all-encompassing signifier for sexual and gender transgression.

  5. The influence of activities and nutrition status to university students' achievements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fathonah, Siti

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this research is to analyse the influence of activity and nutrition status to the achievement of students from Engineering Faculty of UNNES. The subject of this research is the students of Engineering Faculty of UNNES. Using proportional random sampling, there are 5% (214 students of 2015 batch) taken as the samples of the research. The methods of collecting the data were using documentation from akademik.unnes.ac.id on students' achievement, questionnaire to ask upon students' activity, and BMI measurement for nutrition status. The data analysis was using percentage description, chi-square analysis, and regression. The data obtained that the average grade points of engineering students are satisfying in the level of 3.29 with light activities with the energy of 2.220 kkal. The average sleeping time of the students were 5.68 hours, whereas the total of their studying and private activity were 18.18 hours. The status of students' nutrition is Normal weight with the details of 64.2% of students are Normal weight, 23.5% of them are wasting, 4.0% are overweight, and 5.2% are obesity. The activity and nutrition status were proven not significantly influencing students grade point of achievements. The suggestions proposed by the researcher are 1) the students need to increase their sleeping time to be 6-9 hours, and they need to habituate themselves in working out at least 3 times a week in 30 - 45 minutes, and 2) further research on nutrition status and students' achievements can focus on the influence of food consumption and students' clean lifestyle.

  6. Hierarchies and learning in the conservatoire : exploring what students learn through the lens of Bourdieu

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burt-Perkins, Rosie

    2013-01-01

    This article explores the intersection between institutional hierarchies and learning at a UK conservatoire. Conceptualizing learning as a social practice situated in a hierarchical social space, the article draws on the theorization of Bourdieu to understand how students are positioned in the

  7. Exploring factors affecting undergraduate medical students' study strategies in the clinical years: a qualitative study.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Al Kadri, H.M.; Al-Moamary, M.S.; Elzubair, M.; Magzoub, M.E.; AlMutairi, A.; Roberts, C.; Vleuten, C.P.M. van der

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study is to explore the effects of clinical supervision, and assessment characteristics on the study strategies used by undergraduate medical students during their clinical rotations. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health

  8. Panorama 2011: Exploration-production: activities and markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saniere, A.; Serbutoviez, S.

    2011-01-01

    After a year of economic crisis in 2009, oil companies saw renewed demand and are reporting increased investment in 2010. Exploration-production activity is resuming, at a pace that varies by sector, but prices for goods and services remain depressed as a result of existing over-capacity. In particular, developments in Brazil and Iraq and growth in unconventional gas are helping to maintain the level of activity. Meanwhile, the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is leading to tighter regulations and safety standards in offshore drilling. (author)

  9. It's A Gassy World: Middle School Students Investigate Climate Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, C.

    2016-12-01

    When middle school students are asked about our changing earth system, their responses likely include terms like global warming, climate change, and greenhouse gases. However, many students struggle to understand how it all fits together, and sometimes they hear conflicting information or myths about climate change. This activity allows students to explore the impacts of warming oceans and oceans' absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) through a student planned and carried out investigation that begins with a pre-laboratory engagement and exploration piece, includes a laboratory component, and concludes with an explanation where students analyze their data and interpret their results through the claim-evidence-reasoning framework. It's a Gassy World was developed with three-dimensional instruction in mind to introduce middle school students to the relationship between warming oceans and changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption in the oceans. Students explore disciplinary core ideas in the Earth and Space Sciences discipline of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) using crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices. Specifically, students study CO2 as a greenhouse gas and the effect of increased atmospheric CO2 levels on global climate change by planning and carrying out their own investigations. We structured this activity in a 5E format that can take place in four to five days during a climate change unit. After piloting this activity in over 20 formal classrooms and with 5 informal education groups, we have seen how It's a Gassy World helps support inquiry in the classroom and allows students to experience crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices in NGSS. We found that students were engaged and actively learning throughout the activity. Student work and pilot teacher feedback indicated that, through this activity, many students increased their understanding of CO2 as a greenhouse gas and recognized that warmer oceans will

  10. Explore Your Future: Careers in the Natural Gas Industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    American Gas Association, Arlington, VA. Educational Services.

    This career awareness booklet provides information and activities to help youth prepare for career and explore jobs in the natural gas industry. Students are exposed to career planning ideas and activities; they learn about a wide variety of industry jobs, what workers say about their jobs, and how the industry operates. Five sections are…

  11. Effects of image-based and text-based active learning exercises on student examination performance in a musculoskeletal anatomy course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, M Melissa; Wright, Mary C; Anderson, Olivia S

    2017-09-01

    Research on the benefits of visual learning has relied primarily on lecture-based pedagogy, but the potential benefits of combining active learning strategies with visual and verbal materials on learning anatomy has not yet been explored. In this study, the differential effects of text-based and image-based active learning exercises on examination performance were investigated in a functional anatomy course. Each class session was punctuated with an average of 12 text-based and image-based active learning exercises. Participation data from 231 students were compared with their examination performance on 262 questions associated with the in-class exercises. Students also rated the helpfulness and difficulty of the in-class exercises on a survey. Participation in the active learning exercises was positively correlated with examination performance (r = 0.63, P active learning exercises were helpful for seeing images of key ideas (94%) and clarifying key course concepts (80%), and that the image-based exercises were significantly less demanding, less hard and required less effort than text-based exercises (P active learning strategies on student learning, and suggest that integrating them may be especially beneficial for learning anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 10: 444-455. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

  12. Transitioning in Higher Education: An Exploration of Psychological and Contextual Factors Affecting Student Satisfaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pennington, Charlotte R.; Bates, Elizabeth A.; Kaye, Linda K.; Bolam, Lauren T.

    2018-01-01

    In view of recent changes in the higher education sector, such as increased tuition fees, a greater focus has been placed on widening participation initiatives and monitoring student satisfaction. The aims of the current study were twofold: (1) to explore whether pre-entry programmes foster successful transition to higher education, and (2) to…

  13. Synergy and Students' Explanations: Exploring the Role of Generic and Content-Specific Scaffolds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delen, Ibrahim; Krajcik, Joseph

    2018-01-01

    In this study, we explored how a teacher used a new mobile application that enables students to collect data inside and outside the classroom, and then use the data to create scientific explanations by using claim-evidence-reasoning framework. Previous technologies designed to support scientific explanations focused on how these programs improve…

  14. Predicting Change over Time in Career Planning and Career Exploration for High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Creed, Peter A.; Patton, Wendy; Prideaux, Lee-Ann

    2007-01-01

    This study assessed 166 high school students in Grade 8 and again in Grade 10. Four models were tested: (a) whether the T1 predictor variables (career knowledge, indecision, decision-making selfefficacy, self-esteem, demographics) predicted the outcome variable (career planning/exploration) at T1; (b) whether the T1 predictor variables predicted…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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…

  16. An Exploration of Language Anxiety in L2 Academic Context for Chinese International Students in U.S. Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Qing

    2013-01-01

    This mix-methods study examined the language anxiety levels that the Chinese international students perceived in second language (L2) academic context at four universities in the northeastern region of the United States of America; it explored the impact of language anxiety that these students perceived on their academic learning; it also…

  17. Strategies for Adapting WebQuests for Students with Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skylar, Ashley A.; Higgins, Kyle; Boone, Randall

    2007-01-01

    WebQuests are gaining popularity as teachers explore using the Internet for guided learning activities. A WebQuest involves students working on a task that is broken down into clearly defined steps. Students often work in groups to actively conduct the research. This article suggests a variety of methods for adapting WebQuests for students with…

  18. Hazards in the Solar System: Out-of-School Time Student Activities Focused on Engineering Protective Space Gloves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, R. G.; Meyer, N.; Anderson, R. B.; Sokol, K.; Nolan, B.; Edgar, L. A.; Gaither, T. A.; Milazzo, M. P.; Clark, J.

    2017-12-01

    "In Good Hands: Engineering Space Gloves" is a new Engineering Adventures® curriculum unit created for students in grades 3-5 in out-of-school time programs. It was designed and created by the Engineering is Elementary® team at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA, in collaboration with subject matter experts at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and teacher professional development experts at Northern Arizona University's Center for Science Teaching and Learning. As part of the NASA-funded PLANETS (Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science) project, the goals for this unit are to introduce students to some of the potential hazards that would be faced by astronauts exploring planetary bodies in the solar system, and to engage students in thinking about how to engineer solutions to these challenges. Potential human health hazards in planetary exploration include: little to no breathable oxygen, exposure to extreme temperatures and pressures, radiation, dusty or toxic environments, and/or high velocity debris. First, students experiment with gloves made of different materials to accomplish tasks like picking up paper clips, entering numbers on a calculator, and using simple tools, while also testing for insulating properties, protection from crushing forces, and resistance to dust contamination. Students explore the trade-offs between form and multiple desired functions, and gain an introduction to materials engineering. Students are then presented with three different missions. Mission 1 is to collect and return a sample from Saturn's moon, Titan; Mission 2 is mining asteroids for useful minerals; and Mission 3 is to build a radio tower on the far side of Earth's moon. Each of these missions exhibits different potential hazards. Based on their previous experiments with different types of glove materials, students develop and test glove designs that will protect astronauts from mission-specific hazards, while still

  19. Self-Efficacy, Perceptions of Barriers, Vocational Identity, and the Career Exploration Behavior of Latino/a High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gushue, George V.; Clarke, Christine P.; Pantzer, Karen M.; Scanlan, Kolone R. L.

    2006-01-01

    This study explored the potential relationship between the social cognitive variables of career decision making self-efficacy and perceptions of barriers and the outcome variables of vocational identity and career exploration behaviors in a sample of 128 urban Latino/a high school students. The results indicated that higher levels of career…

  20. Engineers' Responsibilities for Global Electronic Waste: Exploring Engineering Student Writing Through a Care Ethics Lens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Ryan C; Wilson, Denise

    2017-04-01

    This paper provides an empirically informed perspective on the notion of responsibility using an ethical framework that has received little attention in the engineering-related literature to date: ethics of care. In this work, we ground conceptual explorations of engineering responsibility in empirical findings from engineering student's writing on the human health and environmental impacts of "backyard" electronic waste recycling/disposal. Our findings, from a purposefully diverse sample of engineering students in an introductory electrical engineering course, indicate that most of these engineers of tomorrow associated engineers with responsibility for the electronic waste (e-waste) problem in some way. However, a number of responses suggested attempts to deflect responsibility away from engineers towards, for example, the government or the companies for whom engineers work. Still other students associated both engineers and non-engineers with responsibility, demonstrating the distributed/collective nature of responsibility that will be required to achieve a solution to the global problem of excessive e-waste. Building upon one element of a framework for care ethics adopted from the wider literature, these empirical findings are used to facilitate a preliminary, conceptual exploration of care-ethical responsibility within the context of engineering and e-waste recycling/disposal. The objective of this exploration is to provide a first step toward understanding how care-ethical responsibility applies to engineering. We also hope to seed dialogue within the engineering community about its ethical responsibilities on the issue. We conclude the paper with a discussion of its implications for engineering education and engineering ethics that suggests changes for educational policy and the practice of engineering.

  1. Exploring the Sociopolitical Dimensions of Global Warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadler, Troy D.; Klosterman, Michelle L.

    2009-01-01

    The authors present an activity to help high school students conceptualize the sociopolitical complexity of global warming through an exploration of varied perspectives on the issue. They argue that socioscientific issues such as global warming present important contexts for learning science and that the social and political dimensions of these…

  2. Active Exploration for Robust Object Detection

    OpenAIRE

    Velez, Javier J.; Hemann, Garrett A.; Huang, Albert S.; Posner, Ingmar; Roy, Nicholas

    2011-01-01

    Today, mobile robots are increasingly expected to operate in ever more complex and dynamic environments. In order to carry out many of the higher-level tasks envisioned a semantic understanding of a workspace is pivotal. Here our field has benefited significantly from successes in machine learning and vision: applications in robotics of off-the-shelf object detectors are plentiful. This paper outlines an online, any-time planning framework enabling the active exploration of such detections. O...

  3. Exploring the Relationship between Students' Understanding of Conventional Time and Deep (Geologic) Time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheek, Kim A.

    2013-07-01

    Many geologic processes occur in the context of geologic or deep time. Students of all ages demonstrate difficulty grasping this fundamental concept which impacts their ability to acquire other geoscience concepts. A concept of deep time requires the ability to sequence events on an immense temporal scale (succession) and to judge the durations of geologic processes based on the rates at which they occur. The twin concepts of succession and duration are the same ideas that underlie a concept of conventional time. If deep time is an extension of conventional time and not qualitatively different from it, students should display similar reasoning patterns when dealing with analogous tasks over disparate temporal periods. Thirty-five US students aged 13-24 years participated in individual task-based interviews to ascertain how they thought about succession and duration in conventional and deep time. This is the first attempt to explore this relationship in the same study in over 30 years. Most students successfully completed temporal succession tasks, but there was greater variability in responses on duration tasks. Conventional time concepts appear to impact how students reason about deep time. The application of spatial reasoning to temporal tasks sometimes leads to correct responses but in other instances does not. Implications for future research and teaching strategies are discussed.

  4. Report on geologic exploration activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breslin, J.; Laughon, R.B.; Hall, R.J.; Voss, J.W.

    1980-01-01

    This report provides an overview of the geological exploration activities being carried out as part of the National Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) Program, which has been established by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop the technology and provide the facilities for the safe, environmentally acceptable isolation of civilian high-level and transuranic nuclear wastes, including spent fuel elements, for which the Federal government is responsible. The principal programmatic emphasis is on disposal in mined geologic repositories. Explorations are being conducted or planned in various parts of the country to identify potential sites for such repositories. The work is being undertaken by three separate but coordinated NWTS project elements. Under the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP), basalt formations underlying DOE's Hanford Reservation are being investigated. Granite, tuff, and shale formations at the DOE Nevada Test Site (NTS) are being similarly studied in the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI). The Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) is investigating domed salt formations in several Gulf Coast states and bedded salt formations in Utah and Texas. The ONWI siting studies are being expanded to include areas overlying crystalline rocks, shales, and other geohydrologic systems. The current status of these NWTS efforts, including the projected budgets for FY 1981, is summarized, and the criteria and methodology being employed in the explorations are described. The consistency of the overall effort with the recommendations presented in the Report to the President by the Interagency Review Group on Nuclear Waste Management (IRG), as well as with documents representing the national technical consensus, is discussed

  5. Report on geologic exploration activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    This report provides an overview of the geological exploration activities being carried out as part of the National Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) Program, which has been established by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop the technology and provide the facilities for the safe, environmentally acceptable isolation of civilian high-level and transuranic nuclear wastes, including spent fuel elements, for which the Federal government is reponsible. The principal programmatic emphasis is on disposal in mined geologic repositories. Explorations are being conducted or planned in various parts of the country to identify potential sites for such repositories. The work is being undertaken by three separate but coordinated NWTS project elements. Under the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP), basalt formations underlying DOE's Hanford Reservation are being investigated. Granite, tuff, and shale formations at the DOE Nevada Test Site (NTS) are being similarly studied in the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI). The Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) is investigating domed salt formations in several Gulf Coast states and bedded salt formations in Utah and Texas. Th ONWI siting studies are being expanded to include areas overlying crystalline rocks, shales, and other geohydrologic systems. The current status of these NWTS efforts, including the projected budgets for FY 1981, is summarized, and the criteria and methodology being employed in the explorations are described. The consistency of the overall effort with the recommendations presented in the Report to the President by the Interagency Review Group on Nuclear Waste Management (IRG), as well as with documents representing the national technical consensus, is discussed

  6. Correlation between physical activity and self-efficacy in Chinese university students

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Hao

    2017-01-01

    Physical inactivity is becoming increasingly prevalent in Chinese university students. This study aims to assess the leisure-time physical activity level of the Chinese university students and to examine the correlation between the physical activity level and the self-efficacy to overcome barriers to physical activity. Five hundred and thirty Chinese university students participated in the study voluntarily. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ, Chinese Short version) and t...

  7. Physical Activity among Community College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

    This exploratory study provides insight into the perceived physical activity levels of students attending a Midwestern 2-year community college. Over 60% of respondents were classified as overweight or obese based on a BMI measurement. The majority of respondents were not participating regularly in physical activity to gain any health benefits,…

  8. Exploring midwifery students' views and experiences of caseload midwifery: A cross-sectional survey conducted in Victoria, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, Kate; Newton, Michelle; Forster, Della; McLachlan, Helen

    2015-02-01

    in Australia, models of maternity care that offer women continuity of care with a known midwife have been promoted. Little is known about the intentions of the future midwifery workforce to work in such models. This study aimed to explore midwifery students' views and experiences of caseload midwifery and their work intentions in relation to the caseload model following graduation. cross-sectional survey. Victoria, Australia. 129 midwifery students representing all midwifery course pathways (Post Graduate Diploma, Bachelor of Midwifery, Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery) in Victoria. midwifery students from all course pathways considered that continuity of care is important to women and indicated that exposure to continuity models during their course was very positive. Two-thirds of the students (67%) considered that the continuity experiences made them want to work in a caseload model; only 5% reported that their experiences had discouraged them from continuity of care work in the future. Most wanted a period of consolidation to gain experience as a midwife prior to commencing in the caseload model. Perceived barriers to caseload work were being on-call, and challenges in regard to work/life balance and family commitments. midwifery students in this study were very positive about caseload midwifery and most would consider working in caseload after a period of consolidation. Continuity of care experiences during students' midwifery education programmes appeared to provide students with insight and understanding of continuity of care for both women and midwives. Further research should explore what factors influence students' future midwifery work, whether or not their plans are fulfilled, and whether or not the caseload midwifery workforce can be sustained. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Exploration the conception of prospective students teacher about limit of function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usman, Juniati, Dwi; Siswono, Tatag Yuli Eko

    2017-08-01

    The purpose of this research is to explore the conception of prospective students teacher that highly skilled on mathematical ability about limit function, especially in the aspects of understanding, representation, mental image and proposition. This study was conducted by a qualitative exploratory method. The subject was one of the students in the mathematics education of Syiahkuala University which being chosen according to the expected criteria.. The research instrument was divided into main and supporting instrument. The data was analyzed by reducing, presenting, interpreting and concluding. The analyzing data results obtained the subject's conception about limit function were elaborated the meaning of limit function with representation verbal, graphic, symbol, and logical explanation, expressing the limit function definition with verbal representation, graphic, table and symbol. The subject defined the correlation of limit function by imaging, revealing, and using one-sided the limit of function. They expanded the propositions by symbols, explained logically, and proved using a formal definition.

  10. Political activism and mental health among Black and Latinx college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hope, Elan C; Velez, Gabriel; Offidani-Bertrand, Carly; Keels, Micere; Durkee, Myles I

    2018-01-01

    The current study investigates the utility of political activism as a protective factor against experiences of racial/ethnic (R/E) discrimination that negatively affect stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among Black and Latinx college freshmen at predominately White institutions. Data come from the Minority College Cohort Study, a longitudinal investigation of Black and Latinx college students (N = 504; 44% Black). We conducted multiple regression analyses for each mental health indicator and tested for interaction effects. For Black and Latinx students, the relationship between R/E microaggressions and end of freshman year stress varied by political activism. For Black students, the relationship between R/E microaggressions and end of the year anxiety varied by political activism. There was a significant interaction effect for depressive symptoms among Latinx students. Political activism serves as a protective factor to mitigate the negative effect of R/E discrimination on stress and depressive symptoms for Latinx students. For Black students, higher levels of political activism may exacerbate experiences of R/E microaggressions and relate to more stress and anxiety compared with Black students who are less politically involved. Findings point to the need for a deeper understanding of phenomenological variation in experiences of microaggressions among R/E minorities and how students leverage political activism as an adaptive coping strategy to mitigate race-related stress during college. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Student Engagement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Conduit, Jodie; Karpen, Ingo; Farrelly, Francis

    2017-01-01

    system (the university), the narrow service system (the course), and the individual dyadic level of engagement (the student-lecturer interaction). These findings could be further considered and empirically tested in other engagement contexts (e.g. employee engagement, customer engagement).......Universities are seeking to actively and strategically manage student engagement through providing opportunities for students to interact and engage with the institution on a range of levels and in different ways. However, this increasingly complex and multi-layered nature of student engagement...... within a tertiary education environment is not well understood. Through qualitative focus groups and a series of interviews with undergraduate and postgraduate students, this study explores and articulates the cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social dimensions of engagement that depict the nature...

  12. "Inhloso Kanye Bizo": Exploring South African University Students' Conceptions and Enactment of Purpose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mason, Henry D.

    2017-01-01

    This article reports a qualitative study that explored South African conceptions and enactment of life purpose. Data collected using semi-structured interviews with 25 first-year university students (female = 56%, age range = 18-25) offer a unique insight into African young adults' conceptions of life purpose. From a phenomenological analysis…

  13. Exploring Democracy: Nordic Music Teachers' Approaches to the Development of Immigrant Students' Musical Agency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karlsen, Sidsel

    2014-01-01

    In this article, a multi-sited ethnographic study was taken as a point of departure for exploring how Nordic music teachers, who work in multicultural environments, understand the development of their students' musical agency. The study was based on theories developed within general sociology and the sociology of music, as well as in previous…

  14. The Effect of Inquiry-Based Explorations in a Dynamic Geometry Environment on Sixth Grade Students' Achievements in Polygons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erbas, Ayhan Kursat; Yenmez, Arzu Aydogan

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using a dynamic geometry environment (DGE) together with inquiry-based explorations on the sixth grade students' achievements in polygons and congruency and similarity of polygons. Two groups of sixth grade students were selected for this study: an experimental group composed of 66…

  15. Student Behavior and Epistemological Framing: Examples from Collaborative Active-Learning Activities in Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherr, Rachel E.; Hammer, David

    2009-01-01

    The concept of framing from anthropology and sociolinguistics is useful for understanding student reasoning. For example, a student may frame a learning activity as an opportunity for sensemaking or as an assignment to fill out a worksheet. The student's framing affects what she notices, what knowledge she accesses, and how she thinks to act. We…

  16. Student profiling on university co-curriculum activities using data visualization tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamil, Jastini Mohd.; Shaharanee, Izwan Nizal Mohd

    2017-11-01

    Co-curricular activities are playing a vital role in the development of a holistic student. Co-curriculum can be described as an extension of the formal learning experiences in a course or academic program. There are many co-curriculum activities such as students' participation in sports, volunteerism, leadership, entrepreneurship, uniform body, student council, and other social events. The number of student involves in co-curriculum activities are large, thus creating an enormous volume of data including their demographic facts, academic performance and co-curriculum types. The task for discovering and analyzing these information becomes increasingly difficult and hard to comprehend. Data visualization offer a better ways in handling with large volume of information. The need for an understanding of these various co-curriculum activities and their effect towards student performance are essential. Visualizing these information can help related stakeholders to become aware of hidden and interesting information from large amount of data drowning in their student data. The main objective of this study is to provide a clearer understanding of the different trends hidden in the student co-curriculum activities data with related to their activities and academic performances. The data visualization software was used to help visualize the data extracted from the database.

  17. Tying knots: an activity theory analysis of student learning goals in clinical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Douglas P; Wesevich, Austin; Lichtenfeld, Jana; Artino, Antony R; Brydges, Ryan; Varpio, Lara

    2017-07-01

    Learning goal programmes are often created to help students develop self-regulated learning skills; however, these programmes do not necessarily consider the social contexts surrounding learning goals or how they fit into daily educational practice. We investigated a high-frequency learning goal programme in which students generated and shared weekly learning goals with their clinical teams in core Year 3 clerkships. Our study explores: (i) how learning goals were incorporated into the clinical work, and (ii) the factors that influenced the use of students' learning goals in work-based learning. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 students and 14 supervisors (attending physicians and residents) sampled from all participating core clerkships. Interviews were coded for emerging themes. Using cultural historical activity theory and knotworking as theoretical lenses, we developed a model of the factors that influenced students' learning goal usage in a work-based learning context. Students and supervisors often faced the challenge of reconciling contradictions that arose when the desired outcomes of student skill development, grading and patient care were not aligned. Learning goals could function as tools for developing new ways of acting that overcame those contradictions by facilitating collaborative effort between students and their supervisors. However, for new collaborations to take place, both students and supervisors had to engage with the goals, and the necessary patients needed to be present. When any one part of the system did not converge around the learning goals, the impact of the learning goals programme was limited. Learning goals are potentially powerful tools to mediate interactions between students, supervisors and patients, and to reconcile contradictions in work-based learning environments. Learning goals provide a means to develop not only learners, but also learning systems. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the

  18. Exploring an Agenda of Accommodation and Support at a Disabilities Service Center for College Students with Psychiatric Disabilities

    OpenAIRE

    松田, 康子

    2016-01-01

    How useful are disability services in the current higher education for college students with psychiatric disabilities? The purpose of this research paper is to answer this question by exploring an agenda of accommodation and support at a disabilities service center for college students with psychiatric disabilities. Two studies were conducted using questionnaires to collect data from students (study 1) and staffs (teaching and clerical staff) (study 2) in higher education. The ...

  19. Using patients as educators for communication skills: Exploring dental students' and patients' views.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coelho, C; Pooler, J; Lloyd, H

    2018-05-01

    A qualitative study to explore the issues for patients and students when giving feedback on the communication of dental students. The Department of Health and National Institute for Health Research are committed to involving patients in improving clinical education, research and service delivery. Yet, there is a limited body of evidence on the perceptions of patients when asked to be involved in this way, and specifically when asked to provide feedback on the communication skills of dental students. This study seeks to address this gap and heighten the understanding of the issues faced by patients when asked to be involved in clinical education. Data were collected using focus groups with dental students (n=10) and patients (n=8) being treated by these students. Both groups were asked about their thoughts, feelings and beliefs about patients being asked to provide feedback on the communication skills of dental students. Data analysis involved inductive thematic analysis of transcribed audio recordings. Four themes emerged from the data: "legitimacy," "co-educators," "maintaining the equilibrium of the patient-student relationship" and the "timing of patient feedback." Support for involving patients in giving feedback on students' communication skills was established, with patients considering they were best placed to comment on the communication skills of dental students. Patients and students do not want to provide feedback alone and want support to assist them, especially if feedback was negative. Issues of anonymity, confidentiality and ownership of the feedback process were worrisome, and the positioning of patient feedback in the programme was seen as critical. Patients and students are willing to engage in patient feedback on students' communication skills, and with support and training, the concerns around this are not insurmountable and the benefits could potentially profit both groups. These findings have resonance with other healthcare educators when

  20. Exploring the Integration of Disability Awareness into Tertiary Teaching and Learning Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hale, Leigh; van der Meer, Jacques; Rutherford, Gill; Clay, Lynne; Janssen, Jessie; Powell, Denise

    2013-01-01

    A desire to have every student attending our University be aware of, and reflect on, disability in their studies and future careers, initiated our project to explore how to enhance disability awareness within all our University's papers. In this project we systematically reviewed pertinent literature and ran an action research workshop for staff.…

  1. Student Interactions in Technology-Rich Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonkert, Karen L.

    2010-01-01

    Students are more likely to develop a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics when they interact with and discuss their thoughts with others. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (1989, 2000) has recommended that students be active learners--communicating with one another, conjecturing, exploring, and justifying claims by…

  2. Self-organization via active exploration in robotic applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogmen, H.; Prakash, R. V.

    1992-01-01

    We describe a neural network based robotic system. Unlike traditional robotic systems, our approach focussed on non-stationary problems. We indicate that self-organization capability is necessary for any system to operate successfully in a non-stationary environment. We suggest that self-organization should be based on an active exploration process. We investigated neural architectures having novelty sensitivity, selective attention, reinforcement learning, habit formation, flexible criteria categorization properties and analyzed the resulting behavior (consisting of an intelligent initiation of exploration) by computer simulations. While various computer vision researchers acknowledged recently the importance of active processes (Swain and Stricker, 1991), the proposed approaches within the new framework still suffer from a lack of self-organization (Aloimonos and Bandyopadhyay, 1987; Bajcsy, 1988). A self-organizing, neural network based robot (MAVIN) has been recently proposed (Baloch and Waxman, 1991). This robot has the capability of position, size rotation invariant pattern categorization, recognition and pavlovian conditioning. Our robot does not have initially invariant processing properties. The reason for this is the emphasis we put on active exploration. We maintain the point of view that such invariant properties emerge from an internalization of exploratory sensory-motor activity. Rather than coding the equilibria of such mental capabilities, we are seeking to capture its dynamics to understand on the one hand how the emergence of such invariances is possible and on the other hand the dynamics that lead to these invariances. The second point is crucial for an adaptive robot to acquire new invariances in non-stationary environments, as demonstrated by the inverting glass experiments of Helmholtz. We will introduce Pavlovian conditioning circuits in our future work for the precise objective of achieving the generation, coordination, and internalization

  3. PETE Students' Perceptions of a Healthy and Active Lifestyle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Carol; Pennington, Todd; Barney, David; Lockhart, Barbara; Hager, Ron; Prusak, Keven

    2014-01-01

    Participants were male and female students (n = 12) in a physical education teacher education (PETE) program with a healthy and active lifestyle management (HALM) focus, at a university in the Intermountain West. The purpose of the study was to examine PETE students' perceptions of a healthy and active lifestyle (HAL). Following inductive content…

  4. Activities for education at work for Medical students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirna León Acebo

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: the growing demands of a health professional that combines study and work, school with life and teaching-learning in primary and secondary health care constitute a current social problem for the country.Objective: to design a set of activities for education at work for first year medical students, from the family doctor's office, to contribute to health promotion and disease prevention in the community, favoring the integral formation of future doctors.Methods: the program was designed in work areas for the integrated teaching of biomedical disciplines for contributing to health promotion and disease prevention in "Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima” polyclinic in Las Tunas. It carried out the historic and graphical analysis of the problem; students’,  professors’ and community members’ behaviors were observed; interviews and surveys were applied to explore knowledge and experiences of students and health professionals on the promotion of health education at work; workshops on critical opinion and collective elaboration were carried out and permitted to  socialize with other teachers and health professionals the proposed program for its redesign based on collective criticism.Results: the shortcomings caused by the fragmentation of subject contents and biomedical disciplines in education at work were characterized and the plan to help to eliminate the inadequacies that occur in education at work was designed by work areas and determined by the general guidelines for its implementation, without specific indications.Conclusions: the clinical method was applied its pedagogical dimension, allowing the coordination between the traditional methods of teaching-learning and for diagnosing, to contribute to eliminate the spontaneous character in the development of education in the workplace. The program of activities was designed by work areas.

  5. Engaging Students, Teachers, and the Public with NASA Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Assets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graff, P. V.; Foxworth, S.; Kascak, A.; Luckey, M. K.; Mcinturff, B.; Runco, S.; Willis, K. J.

    2016-01-01

    Engaging students, teachers, and the public with NASA Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) assets, including Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) experts and NASA curation astromaterial samples, provides an extraordinary opportunity to connect citizens with authentic aspects unique to our nation's space program. Effective engagement can occur through both virtual connections such as webcasts and in-person connections at educator workshops and public outreach events. Access to NASA ARES assets combined with adaptable resources and techniques that engage and promote scientific thinking helps translate the science and research being facilitated through NASA exploration, elicits a curiosity that aims to carry over even after a given engagement, and prepares our next generation of scientific explorers.

  6. Exploration and production activities and market - Panorama 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    Following two banner years for the oil service and supply sector, marked by strong activity and a substantial increase in prices, the Exploration and Production market continued at a frenetic pace in 2007, although certain local markets retreated. In 2008, activity should stay high and prices should start stabilizing. With services in short supply, companies in the sector have been able to shift the balance of power with oil firms in their favor

  7. Kinesthetic Activities for the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mylott, Elliot; Dunlap, Justin; Lampert, Lester; Widenhorn, Ralf

    2014-01-01

    Educators have found that kinesthetic involvement in an experiment or demonstration can engage students in a powerful way. With that as our goal, we developed three activities that allow students to connect with and quantitatively explore key physics principles from mechanics with three fun physical challenges. By presenting these activities as…

  8. The Development of Gamified Learning Activities to Increase Student Engagement in Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poondej, Chanut; Lerdpornkulrat, Thanita

    2016-01-01

    In the literature, the potential efficacy of the gamification of education has been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of applying gamification techniques to increase student engagement in learning. The quasi-experimental nonequivalent-control group design was used with 577 undergraduate students from six classes. The…

  9. "Should We Kill the Grey Squirrels?" A Study Exploring Students' Justifications and Decision-Making

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evagorou, Maria; Jimenez-Aleixandre, Maria Pilar; Osborne, Jonathan

    2012-01-01

    A problem that is still unexplored in the field of socioscientific issues (SSI) and that was explored in this study is how different students decide upon a SSI they are discussing, how their justifications change during the instruction and how they use (or not) the evidence from the learning environment to support their justifications. For the…

  10. Evaluation of active transition, a website-delivered physical activity intervention for university students: pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwan, Matthew; Faulkner, Guy; Bray, Steven

    2013-04-29

    While physical activity in individuals tends to decline steadily with age, there are certain periods where this decline occurs more rapidly, such as during early adulthood. Interventions aimed at attenuating the declines in physical activity during this transition period appear warranted. The purpose of the study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of a theoretically informed, website-delivered physical activity intervention aimed at students entering university. Using a quasi-experimental design, 65 participants (44 females; mean age 18.51, SD 0.91) were assigned to either an intervention (receiving website access plus weekly prompts) or comparison condition (receiving unprompted website access only), completing questionnaires at baseline and follow-up 8 weeks later. The intervention website, "Active Transition", was specifically designed to target students' physical activity cognitions and self-regulatory skills. Intervention usage was low, with only 47% (18/38) of participants assigned to the intervention condition logging into the website 2 or more times. Among the broader student sample, there were significant declines in students' physical activity behaviors (F1,63=18.10, Pusers (29/65, individuals logging in 2 or more times) and non-users (36/65, individuals logging in once or not at all), there was a significant interaction effect for intervention usage and time on perceived behavioral control (F1,62=5.13, P=.03). Poor intervention usage suggests that future efforts need to incorporate innovative strategies to increase intervention uptake and better engage the student population. The findings, however, suggest that a website-delivered intervention aimed at this critical life stage may have positive impact on students' physical activity cognitions. Future studies with more rigorous sampling designs are required.

  11. Assessing Student Behaviors and Motivation for Actively Learning Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Michael Edward

    2017-01-01

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

  12. Active Learning and Self-Regulation Enhance Student Teachers' Professional Competences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virtanen, Päivi; Niemi, Hannele M.; Nevgi, Anne

    2017-01-01

    The study identifies the relationships between active learning, student teachers' self-regulated learning and professional competences. Further, the aim is to investigate how active learning promotes professional competences of student teachers with different self-regulation profiles. Responses from 422 student teachers to an electronic survey…

  13. Applying Student Team Achievement Divisions (STAD) Model on Material of Basic Programme Branch Control Structure to Increase Activity and Student Result

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akhrian Syahidi, Aulia; Asyikin, Arifin Noor; Asy’ari

    2018-04-01

    Based on my experience of teaching the material of branch control structure, it is found that the condition of the students is less active causing the low activity of the students on the attitude assessment during the learning process on the material of the branch control structure i.e. 2 students 6.45% percentage of good activity and 29 students percentage 93.55% enough and less activity. Then from the low activity resulted in low student learning outcomes based on a daily re-examination of branch control material, only 8 students 26% percentage reached KKM and 23 students 74% percent did not reach KKM. The purpose of this research is to increase the activity and learning outcomes of students of class X TKJ B SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Banjarmasin after applying STAD type cooperative learning model on the material of branch control structure. The research method used is Classroom Action Research. The study was conducted two cycles with six meetings. The subjects of this study were students of class X TKJ B with a total of 31 students consisting of 23 men and 8 women. The object of this study is the activity and student learning outcomes. Data collection techniques used are test and observation techniques. Data analysis technique used is a percentage and mean. The results of this study indicate that: an increase in activity and learning outcomes of students on the basic programming learning material branch control structure after applying STAD type cooperative learning model.

  14. Lack of facilities rather than sociocultural factors as the primary barrier to physical activity among female Saudi university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samara A

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Anastasia Samara,1 Anne Nistrup,1 Tamader Y AL-Rammah,2 Arja R Aro11Unit for Health Promotion and Research, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark; 2Faculty of Rehabilitation and Health Sciences, Princess Nora Bint Abdul Rahman University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaPurpose: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is experiencing a dramatic increase in physical inactivity, with women having higher levels of inactivity than men among all age groups. It is assumed that factors such as dress codes, restrictions on going outdoors, and conservative norms are the main reasons for women’s low physical activity. Our aim was to explore the different parameters related to physical activity, including self-efficacy, as well as the perceived barriers to and benefits of physical activity in young Saudi females.Patients and methods: Ninety-four first-year female Saudi university students in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, participated in the present study in 2014. The students were from eight bachelor’s programs in health and well-being, and each completed a questionnaire with questions divided into five parts as follows: 1 socioeconomic status, 2 physical activity, 3 self-efficacy 4 social factors, and 5 barriers and facilitators related to physical activity.Results: The students exercised at home and alone, and there was low self-efficacy for physical activity (mean score =42±14. Among social factors, attending university was the only factor that hindered physical activity (32%. Physical activity was positively perceived overall (mean score =131±10. Students showed awareness of the benefits of physical activity for health and well-being. The most important barrier was the lack of designated areas available for physical activity. Students disagreed that family or the Islamic community were barriers to physical activity.Conclusion: The lack of facilities and lack of encouragement from the university, but not a lack of knowledge (a high level of

  15. Students interest in learning science through fieldwork activity encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills among UPSI pre-university students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamil, Siti Zaheera Muhamad; Khairuddin, Raja Farhana Raja

    2017-05-01

    Graduates with good critical thinking and problem solving (CTPS) skills are likely to boost their employability to live in 21st century. The demands of graduates to be equipped with CTPS skills have shifted our education system in focusing on these elements in all levels of education, from primary, the secondary, and up to the tertiary education, by fostering interesting teaching and learning activities such as fieldwork activity in science classes. Despite the importance of the CTPS skills, little is known about whether students' interests in teaching and learning activities, such as fieldwork activity, have any influence on the students CTPS skills. Therefore, in this investigation, firstly to examine students interests in learning science through fieldwork activity. Secondly, this study examined whether the students' interest in learning science through fieldwork activity have affect on how the students employ CTPS skills. About 100 Diploma of Science students in Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) were randomly chosen to participate in this study. All of the participants completed a survey on how they find the fieldwork activity implemented in their science classes and it relevents towards their CTPS skills development. From our findings, majority of the students (91%) find that fieldwork activity is interesting and helpful in increasing their interest in learning science (learning factor) and accommodate their learning process (utility). Results suggest that students' interest on the fieldwork activity in science classes does have some influence on the students development of CTPS skills. The findings could be used as an initial guideline by incorporating students' interest on other teaching and learning activities that being implemented in science classes in order to know the impacts of these learning activities in enhancing their CTPS skills.

  16. Mars Exploration Student Data Teams: Building Foundations and Influencing Students to Pursue STEM Careers through Experiences with Authentic Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turney, D.; Grigsby, B.; Murchie, S. L.; Buczkowski, D.; Seelos, K. D.; Nair, H.; McGovern, A.; Morgan, F.; Viviano, C. E.; Goudge, T. A.; Thompson, D.

    2013-12-01

    The Mars Exploration Student Data Teams (MESDT) immerses diverse teams of high school and undergraduate students in an authentic research Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based experience and allows students to be direct participants in the scientific process by working with scientists to analyze data sets from NASA's Mars program, specifically from the CRISM instrument. MESDT was created by Arizona State University's Mars Education Program, and is funded through NASA's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars or CRISM, an instrument onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Students work with teacher mentors and CRISM team members to analyze data, develop hypotheses, conduct research, submit proposals, critique and revise work. All students begin the program with basic Mars curriculum lessons developed by the MESDT education team. This foundation enables the program to be inclusive of all students. Teachers have reported that populations of students with diverse academic needs and abilities have been successful in this program. The use of technology in the classroom allows the MESDT program to successfully reach a nationwide audience and funding provided by NASA's CRISM instrument allows students to participate free of charge. Recent changes to the program incorporate a partnership with United States Geological Survey (USGS) and a CRISM sponsored competitive scholarship for two teams of students to present their work at the annual USGS Planetary Mappers Meeting. Returning MESDT teachers have attributed an increase in student enrollment and interest to this scholarship opportunity. The 2013 USGS Planetary Mappers Meeting was held in Washington DC which provided an opportunity for the students to meet with their Senators at the US Capitol to explain the science work they had done throughout the year as well as the impact that the program had had on their goals for the future. This opportunity extended to the students by the

  17. Active commuting and sociodemographic factors among university students in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-García, Javier; Sallis, James F; Castillo, Isabel

    2014-02-01

    Commuting to university represents an opportunity to incorporate physical activity (walking or biking) into students' daily routines. There are few studies that analyze patterns of transport in university populations. This cross-sectional study estimated energy expenditure from active commuting to university (ACU) and examined sociodemographic differences in findings. The sample included 518 students with a mean age of 22.4 years (59.7% female) from 2 urban universities in Valencia, Spain. Time spent in each mode of transport to university and sociodemographic factors was assessed by self-report. Nearly 35% of the students reported walking or biking as their main mode of transport. ACU (min/wk) were highest for walkers (168) and cyclists (137) and lowest for motorbike riders (0.0) and car drivers (16). Public transport users, younger students, low socioeconomic status students, and those living ≤ 2 km from the university had higher energy expenditure from active commuting than comparison groups. Biking was highest among those living 2-5 km from the university. Our findings suggest that active commuting and public transit use generated substantial weekly energy expenditure, contributed to meeting physical activity recommendations, and may aid in obesity prevention.

  18. ICT in higher education: increased student engagement.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zweekhorst, M.B.M.; Maas, J.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose – In general, active participation increases learning outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to explore how: information and communication technologies (ICT) can be used to improve the participation of students during lectures and the effect of ICT on the learning outcomes of students.

  19. Integrative Student Learning: An Effective Team Learning Activity in a Learner-Centered Paradigm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Karimi, RPh, PhD

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: An Integrative Student Learning (ISL activity was developed with the intent to enhance the dynamic of student teamwork and enhance student learning by fostering critical-thinking skills, self-directed learning skills, and active learning. Case Study: The ISL activity consists of three portions: teambuilding, teamwork, and a facilitator driven “closing the loop” feedback discussion. For teambuilding, a set of clue sheets or manufacturer‘s drug containers were distributed among student pairs who applied their pharmaceutical knowledge to identify two more student pairs with similar clues or drugs, thus building a team of six. For teamwork, each team completed online exams, composed of integrated pharmaceutical science questions with clinical correlates, using only selected online library resources. For the feedback discussion, facilitators evaluated student impressions, opened a discussion about the ISL activity, and provided feedback to teams’ impressions and questions. This study describes three different ISL activities developed and implemented over three days with first year pharmacy students. Facilitators’ interactions with students and three surveys indicated a majority of students preferred ISL over traditional team activities and over 90% agreed ISL activities promoted active learning, critical-thinking, self-directed learning, teamwork, and student confidence in online library searches. Conclusions: The ISL activity has proven to be an effective learning activity that promotes teamwork and integration of didactic pharmaceutical sciences to enhance student learning of didactic materials and confidence in searching online library resources. It was found that all of this can be accomplished in a short amount of class time with a very reasonable amount of preparation.

  20. Integrative Student Learning: An Effective Team Learning Activity in a Learner-Centered Paradigm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Karimi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: An Integrative Student Learning (ISL activity was developed with the intent to enhance the dynamic of student teamwork and enhance student learning by fostering critical-thinking skills, self-directed learning skills, and active learning. Case Study: The ISL activity consists of three portions: teambuilding, teamwork, and a facilitator driven "closing the loop" feedback discussion. For teambuilding, a set of clue sheets or manufacturer's drug containers were distributed among student pairs who applied their pharmaceutical knowledge to identify two more student pairs with similar clues or drugs, thus building a team of six. For teamwork, each team completed online exams, composed of integrated pharmaceutical science questions with clinical correlates, using only selected online library resources. For the feedback discussion, facilitators evaluated student impressions, opened a discussion about the ISL activity, and provided feedback to teams' impressions and questions. This study describes three different ISL activities developed and implemented over three days with first year pharmacy students. Facilitators' interactions with students and three surveys indicated a majority of students preferred ISL over traditional team activities and over 90% agreed ISL activities promoted active learning, critical-thinking, self-directed learning, teamwork, and student confidence in online library searches. Conclusions: The ISL activity has proven to be an effective learning activity that promotes teamwork and integration of didactic pharmaceutical sciences to enhance student learning of didactic materials and confidence in searching online library resources. It was found that all of this can be accomplished in a short amount of class time with a very reasonable amount of preparation.   Type: Case Study

  1. Social media as a student response system: new evidence on learning impact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chelsea Liu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The ubiquitousness of social media renders it a potentially powerful tool in higher education. This study explores the use of Twitter as a tool to enhance active learning and improve feedback during large-sized lectures. Students in a final-year undergraduate accounting course at an Australian university engaged in Twitter-based synchronous activities, including answering in-lecture quizzes and posting questions. This study explores two key questions: (1 ‘what encourages students to actively utilise social media in their learning process?’ and (2 ‘what pedagogical advantages are offered by social media in enhancing students’ learning experiences?’ Results of a student survey administered at the end of the course show that (1 students are more likely to participate in in-lecture Twitter activities if they are familiar with the technology, (2 Twitter activities encourage students to participate in active learning, (3 Twitter provides a platform enabling two-way student–instructor communication and (4 students find Twitter activities helpful regardless of whether they attend the lecture in real time or view online lecture recordings. These findings deepen our understanding of the pedagogical benefits of using Twitter as a student response system, which will assist educators to better harness the power of social media in the learning–teaching process.

  2. Student learning styles in anatomy and physiology courses: Meeting the needs of nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, A N B; Hamill, J; Barton, M J; Baldwin, S; Percival, J; Williams-Pritchard, G; Salvage-Jones, J; Todorovic, M

    2015-11-01

    Anatomy and Physiology is a core course in pre-registration nursing programs, yet many students have difficulty successfully negotiating the large volume of content and the complex concepts in these bioscience courses. Typically students perform poorly in these 'threshold' courses', despite multiple interventions to support student engagement. Investigation of the shortcomings in these courses, based on feedback from students indicated several key areas of difficulty in the course, especially focused around a relative lack of hands-on 'concrete' activities in laboratories and tutorials. To attempt to address this, academic and technical staff developed activities for students that promoted discussion and allowed students to interact easily and repetitively with content. Interactive tables and posters that needed to be labelled or 'filled-in' using pre-prepared Velcro dots, as well as pre-prepared flash cards to promote group work, were some examples of the activities used to enhance student experiences and promote hands-on learning. Over the academic year of 2013 these activities were introduced into the laboratory and tutorial classes for first year Bachelor of Nursing anatomy and physiology students. Staff and student participants positively rated implementation of these new activities on surveys, as they allowed them to explore the difficult aspects of anatomy and physiology, utilising various learning styles that may have been neglected in the past. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Medical Student Perspectives of Active Learning: A Focus Group Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walling, Anne; Istas, Kathryn; Bonaminio, Giulia A; Paolo, Anthony M; Fontes, Joseph D; Davis, Nancy; Berardo, Benito A

    2017-01-01

    Phenomenon: Medical student perspectives were sought about active learning, including concerns, challenges, perceived advantages and disadvantages, and appropriate role in the educational process. Focus groups were conducted with students from all years and campuses of a large U.S. state medical school. Students had considerable experience with active learning prior to medical school and conveyed accurate understanding of the concept and its major strategies. They appreciated the potential of active learning to deepen and broaden learning and its value for long-term professional development but had significant concerns about the efficiency of the process, the clarity of expectations provided, and the importance of receiving preparatory materials. Most significantly, active learning experiences were perceived as disconnected from grading and even as impeding preparation for school and national examinations. Insights: Medical students understand the concepts of active learning and have considerable experience in several formats prior to medical school. They are generally supportive of active learning concepts but frustrated by perceived inefficiencies and lack of contribution to the urgencies of achieving optimal grades and passing United States Medical Licensing Examinations, especially Step 1.

  4. Dual Enrollment for Low-Income Students: Exploring Student Perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felder, Theresa B.

    2017-01-01

    Most educators are keenly aware that a high socioeconomic status (SES) equates to better academic preparation than a low SES and high SES students are more likely to attain a college degree. One strategy for closing the higher education equity gap is to provide college-level courses to students while in high school through dual enrollment…

  5. Risk assessment and level of physical activity of students in Poland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jolanta Grażyna Zuzda

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Aim . The aim of the study was to determine the risks of activity by using Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q and describe the PA profile using the short-version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF among selected groups of sport science students. Material and methods The study covered 99 students - 61 females aged 21.08 ± 1.43 and 38 males aged 21.24 ± 1.22 y. In order to asses and stratify the risk of PA the Polish short version of the IPAQ-SF was used. Results. The total level of physical activity of the male students was 3460.039±2502.207 MET- min/week and was higher than in the case of female students (3388,107±2204,290 MET- min/week. The dominant type physical activity of female and male students was intensive effort. Among 22 men and 39 women, risk factors for cardiac events, pulmonary and musculoskeletal injuries were reported. The relationship between PAR-Q results and the on the IPAQ-SF results was no statistically significant. Conclusions This study demonstrates that students achieve the level of physical activity recommended by experts for the prevention of chronic diseases. This research allows sports science students to understand their own health issues through self-assessments of personal risk factors for cardiac events, pulmonary and musculoskeletal injury.

  6. Exploring Issues of Implementation, Equity, and Student Achievement With Educational Software in the DC Public Schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    June Ahn

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we present analyses from a researcher-practitioner partnership in the District of Columbia Public Schools, where we are exploring the impact of educational software on students’ academic achievement. We analyze a unique data set that combines student-level information from the district with data of student usage of a mathematics game platform: First in Math (FIM. These data offer a window into long-standing issues in the educational technology literature around implementation, equity, and student achievement. We show that time spent in FIM was correlated with improved future performance on standardized math assessments for students in Grades 4–8. However, student time spent using FIM was highly related to factors such as race, gender, and prior achievement. Such observations from data are helpful for school districts and researchers to inform equitable implementation of new technologies and maximize benefits to learners.

  7. Exploring Non-Traditional Adult Undergraduate Student Persistence and Non-Persistence in Higher Education: A Stress and Coping Model Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maroney, Barbara R.

    2010-01-01

    This study explores persistence and non-persistence among adult undergraduate students with particular focus on these students' lives, their stressors, their coping resources including academic supports, and their styles of coping. The study approaches the issue of non-persistence not as a personal failure but rather as a consequence of multiple…

  8. Young Scientists Explore the Moon. Book 3--Intermediate Level. A Good Apple Activity Book.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeBruin, Jerry

    Designed to develop creativity in young learners, this book contains interdisciplinary activities which focus on the theme of the moon. Activity pages are provided that can serve as front and back covers of a student booklet and the suggested activities can be duplicated for insertion between the covers resulting in a booklet for each student. A…

  9. Young Scientists Explore the Weather. Book 5--Intermediate Level. A Good Apple Activity Book.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeBruin, Jerry

    Designed to develop creativity in young learners, this book contains interdisciplinary activities which focus on the theme of the weather. Activity pages are provided that can serve as front and back covers of a student booklet and the suggested activities can be duplicated for insertion between the covers resulting in a booklet for each student.…

  10. Perceiving Promotion Activities İn Politic Marketing By Gazi University’ Students

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    Ahmet ÇATLI

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Political parties determine the marketing strategies about affecting electors, who have customer property. What, when and how do they want? After they can meet these wantings, needs and can subordinate other parties. Promotion activities also can be defined as election drive, is an mix of marketing. But as the seen changing of electors' wantings also in politic marketing, kinds and variations of promotion activities, especially in our technological age are more important than classic promotions. With this project inquiry work that consists of 9 parts also has done to know about how the university students are affected and which promotion activities affect the students more. İnquiry appliers are students in University of Gazi TTEF. In the inquiry, questioned to students that students' gender, incomes, the place they live, their enroling in political parties, being affected by promotion activities, if they are affected, by which promotion activity and how much they are affected, advertsement, public relations,personal marketing and marketing development.

  11. Learning global health: a pilot study of an online collaborative intercultural peer group activity involving medical students in Australia and Indonesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrose, Mark; Murray, Linda; Handoyo, Nicholas E; Tunggal, Deif; Cooling, Nick

    2017-01-13

    There is limited research to inform effective pedagogies for teaching global health to undergraduate medical students. Theoretically, using a combination of teaching pedagogies typically used in 'international classrooms' may prove to be an effective way of learning global health. This pilot study aimed to explore the experiences of medical students in Australia and Indonesia who participated in a reciprocal intercultural participatory peer e-learning activity (RIPPLE) in global health. Seventy-one third year medical students (49 from Australia and 22 from Indonesia) from the University of Tasmania (Australia) and the University of Nusa Cendana (Indonesia) participated in the RIPPLE activity. Participants were randomly distributed into 11 intercultural 'virtual' groups. The groups collaborated online over two weeks to study a global health topic of their choice, and each group produced a structured research abstract. Pre- and post-RIPPLE questionnaires were used to capture students' experiences of the activity. Descriptive quantitative data were analysed with Microsoft Excel and qualitative data were thematically analysed. Students' motivation to volunteer for this activity included: curiosity about the innovative approach to learning; wanting to expand knowledge of global health; hoping to build personal and professional relationships; and a desire to be part of an intercultural experience. Afer completing the RIPPLE program, participants reported on global health knowledge acquisition, the development of peer relationships, and insight into another culture. Barriers to achieving the learning outcomes associated with RIPPLE included problems with establishing consistent online communication, and effectively managing time to simultaneously complete RIPPLE and other curricula activities. Medical students from both countries found benefits in working together in small virtual groups to complement existing teaching in global health. However, our pilot study

  12. Crabby Interactions: Fifth Graders Explore Human Impact on the Blue Crab Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffery, Tonya D.; McCollough, Cherie A.; Moore, Kim

    2016-01-01

    This article describes a two-day lesson in which fifth-grade students took on the role of marine biology scientists, using their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to explore human impact on the blue crab ecosystem. The purpose of "Crabby Interactions" was to help students understand the impact of human activities on the local…

  13. Exploring the difference between Turkish and Bosnian students in Triangular Love scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selvira Draganović

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Numerous studies show that different cultures experience emotions. Some cultures tend to express emotions without restrictions while some others try to suppress the expression of emotions. These differences are particularly more manifest when Eastern and Western cultures are compared. The fact that definition of love differs between different cultures makes it difficult to determine cultural differences in the concept of love. This might serve as a basis of prejudices about some nations in relation to how they perceive love. The main aim of this study is to explore differences between Turkish and Bosnian students on love scale. The term love is operationalized by Sternberg's triangular theory of love scale which includes intimacy, passion and commitment component of love. Using quasi-experimental design we tested gender differences, the length of current relationship and correlation between them on overall scale and individual subscales. The sample consisted of 87 Turkish (22 males and 65 females and 64 Bosnian students (23 males and 41 females total 151 students (N=151. Results of the study show statistically significant differences between Turkish and Bosnian students on two dimensions in Sternberg triangular love scale intimacy and passion. Bosnian students scored higher on these subscales. Study results suggest that there is no statistically significant differences between males and females in any subscale. The length of love relationship is positively correlated with intimacy, which indicates that the length of connections weakly associated with intimacy, and that is not associated with the passion and the decision of commitment, suggesting longer relationship does not mean more romantic relationship, and vice versa

  14. Hierarchies and Learning in the Conservatoire: Exploring What Students Learn through the Lens of Bourdieu

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkins, Rosie

    2013-01-01

    This article explores the intersection between institutional hierarchies and learning at a UK conservatoire. Conceptualizing learning as a social practice situated in a hierarchical social space, the article draws on the theorization of Bourdieu to understand how students are positioned in the conservatoire field and what this means in terms of…

  15. Physical activity and mental well-being in student nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawker, Clare L

    2012-04-01

    There is strong evidence that suggests physical activity can enhance mental well-being. However, this relationship has not been widely investigated in student nurses. A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between physical activity and mental well-being in undergraduate student nurses (n=215). Physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Other outcomes included self-esteem, anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, outcome expectations and self-efficacy. Almost, a quarter (23.8%) of the total sample, were meeting the Department of Health's physical activity guideline. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.0 with 40% being in the overweight to morbidly obese category. Self-esteem was significantly positively correlated with total physical activity (r=0.16, p=0.038) and moderate intensity activity (r=0.17, p=0.021). No other significant relationships were found between anxiety, depression and satisfaction with life and physical activity. Outcome expectations for exercise and self-efficacy were significantly positively correlated with moderate (r=0.17, p=0.019) and vigorous (r=0.28, p=0.000) intensity activity and total physical activity (r=0.29, p=0.000). BMI was significantly positively correlated with age (r=0.242, p=0.001), significantly negatively correlated with self-efficacy for exercise (r=0.257, p=0.000) and satisfaction with life (r=-0.144, p=0.041). Regression analysis showed that low self efficacy for exercise and increasing age were significant predictors of BMI with a small effect size r(2)=0.126, adjusted r(2)=0.112. BMI and physical activity variables collectively explained only 2% of the variance for anxiety, 4% for depression, 5% for self esteem and 6% for satisfaction with life. BMI was a significant predictor of satisfaction with life (Beta=-0.171, p=0.027). Participation in physical activity may be influential in improving mental well-being in student nurses. Promoting physical

  16. Exploring Self - Confidence Level of High School Students Doing Sport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurullah Emir Ekinci

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate self-confidence levels of high school students, who do sport, in the extent of their gender, sport branch (individual/team sports and aim for participating in sport (professional/amateur. 185 active high school students from Kutahya voluntarily participated for the study. In the study as data gathering tool self-confidence scale was used. In the evaluation of the data as a hypothesis test Mann Whitney U non parametric test was used. As a result self-confidence levels of participants showed significant differences according to their gender and sport branch but there was no significant difference according to aim for participating in sport.

  17. Engaging Students in Early Exploration of Nanoscience Topics Using Hands-On Activities and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furlan, Ping Y.

    2009-01-01

    This manuscript reports on efforts to introduce beginning college students to the modern nanoscience field. These include: implementing selected experiments into sequencing core first-year and second-year chemistry laboratory courses; providing students with a first research experience; and engaging them in service learning and outreach programs…

  18. Health status, physical activity, and orthorexia nervosa: A comparison between exercise science students and business students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malmborg, Julia; Bremander, Ann; Olsson, M Charlotte; Bergman, Stefan

    2017-02-01

    Orthorexia nervosa is described as an exaggerated fixation on healthy food. It is unclear whether students in health-oriented academic programs, highly focused on physical exercise, are more prone to develop orthorexia nervosa than students in other educational areas. The aim was to compare health status, physical activity, and frequency of orthorexia nervosa between university students enrolled in an exercise science program (n = 118) or a business program (n = 89). The students completed the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and ORTO-15, which defines orthorexia nervosa as a sensitive and obsessive behavior towards healthy nutrition. The SF-36 showed that exercise science students scored worse than business students regarding bodily pain (72.8 vs. 82.5; p = 0.001), but better regarding general health (83.1 vs. 77.1; p = 0.006). Of 188 students, 144 (76.6%) had an ORTO-15 score indicating orthorexia nervosa, with a higher proportion in exercise science students than in business students (84.5% vs. 65.4%; p = 0.002). Orthorexia nervosa in combination with a high level of physical activity was most often seen in men in exercise science studies and less often in women in business studies (45.1% vs. 8.3%; p orthorexia nervosa in exercise science students may cause problems in the future, since they are expected to coach others in healthy living. Our findings may be valuable in the development of health-oriented academic programs and within student healthcare services. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Contemporary practice education: Exploring student perceptions of an industrial radiography placement for final year diagnostic radiography students

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wareing, A.K.; Henderson, I.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: There is a paucity of evidence in diagnostic radiography evaluating a career path into industrial imaging despite several higher education institutes stating this route as a career option on graduation. The link between a career in industrial radiography and diagnostic routes is unknown although there are anecdotal examples of individuals transferring between the two. Successfully obtaining a first post job following graduation in diagnostic radiography can be challenging in the current financial climate. A partnership was formed with an energy sector company that offered non-destructive testing/non-destructive evaluation (NDT/NDE) employing industrial radiographic technicians. Method: As an initial pilot, 5 (n = 5) final year diagnostic radiography students visited an industrial radiography site and underwent theoretical and practical training. Following this placement they engaged in a focus group and the student perceptions/responses were explored and recorded. Results: Common themes were identified and categorised via a thematic analysis. These were; radiation safety, physics and technology, widening access, graduate attributes/transferable skill sets and working conditions. Conclusion: Student discussion focussed around the benefits of working conditions in healthcare, the value of technology, safety and physics education in alternative placements and the transferability of skills into other/industrial sectors (e.g. NDT/NDE). Contemporary practice placements are a useful pedagogical approach to develop complex conceptual theoretical constructs, such as radiation physics. An in depth evaluation between the two industries skill sets is postulated. Additionally, this could offer alternative/emerging roles to interested diagnostic radiographers potentially meeting the skill shortage in industrial radiography. - Highlights: • Research in this area is novel. No evidence could be found to evaluate the links. • Students had theoretical

  20. An exploration of students' perceptions and attitudes towards creativity in engineering education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waller, David R.

    This study used a mixed methods approach to develop a broad and deep understanding of students’ perceptions towards creativity in engineering education. Studies have shown that students’ attitudes can have an impact on their motivation to engage in creative behavior. Using an ex-post facto independent factorial design, attitudes of value towards creativity, time for creativity, and creativity stereotypes were measured and compared across gender, year of study, engineering discipline, preference for open-ended problem solving, and confidence in creative abilities. Participants were undergraduate engineering students at Queen’s University from all years of study. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was adopted to study students’ understandings and experiences with engineering creativity. Eleven students participated in oneon- one interviews that provided depth and insight into how students experience and define engineering creativity, and the survey included open-ended items developed using the 10 Maxims of Creativity in Education as a guiding framework. The findings from the survey suggested that students had high value for creativity, however students in fourth year or higher had less value than those in other years. Those with preference for open-ended problem solving and high confidence valued creative more than their counterparts. Students who preferred open-ended problem solving and students with high confidence reported that time was less of a hindrance to their creativity. Males identified more with creativity stereotypes than females, however overall they were both low. Open-ended survey and interview results indicated that students felt they experienced creativity in engineering design activities. Engineering creativity definitions had two elements: creative action and creative characteristic. Creative actions were associated with designing, and creative characteristics were predominantly associated with novelty. Other barriers that emerged