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Sample records for project involves students

  1. Undergraduate Research Involving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Interdisciplinary Science Projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Todd Pagano

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Scientific undergraduate research in higher education often yields positive outcomes for student and faculty member participants alike, with underrepresented students often showing even more substantial gains (academic, professional, and personal as a result of the experience. Significant success can be realized when involving deaf and hard-of-hearing (d/hh undergraduate students, who are also vastly underrepresented in the sciences, in interdisciplinary research projects. Even d/hh Associate degree level students and those in the first two years of their postsecondary careers can contribute to, and benefit from, the research process when faculty mentors properly plan/design projects. We discuss strategies, including the dissemination/communication of research results, for involving these students in research groups with different communication dynamics and share both findings of our research program and examples of successful chemical and biological research projects that have involved d/hh undergraduate students. We hope to stimulate a renewed interest in encouraging diversity and involving students with disabilities into higher education research experiences globally and across multiple scientific disciplines, thus strengthening the education and career pipeline of these students.

  2. Students in a School Environment: A Project Focused on Family Involvement of At-Risk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denney, Pat

    2011-01-01

    This project examined family involvement of at risk students in mid-west communities. The purpose of this project was to study the affect of family involvement on at-risk student achievement. The redefining of the perception of America has resulted in a crisis of academic performance in the traditionally slow-changing education systems. This topic…

  3. Ten Projects to Involve Your Students Directly in French.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Lent, Peter C.

    1981-01-01

    Proposes 10 activities to provide French classes of all levels with a broad spectrum of language projects involving direct and active use of French including students polling each other, skits based on television commercials, geographical "show and tell," cooking French dishes, writing a monthly newspaper, and field trips. (BK)

  4. Lights! Camera! Action Projects! Engaging Psychopharmacology Students in Service-based Action Projects Focusing on Student Alcohol Abuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Alcohol abuse continues to be an issue of major concern for the health and well-being of college students. Estimates are that over 80% of college students are involved in the campus "alcohol culture." Annually, close to 2000 students die in the United States due to alcohol-related accidents, with another 600,000 sustaining injury due to alcohol-related incidents (NIAAA, 2013). Students enrolled in a Psychopharmacology course engaged in action projects (community outreach) focused on alcohol abuse on our campus. Research has indicated that these types of projects can increase student engagement in course material and foster important skills, including working with peers and developing involvement in one's community. This paper describes the structure and requirements of five student outreach projects and the final projects designed by the students, summarizes the grading and assessment of the projects, and discusses the rewards and challenges of incorporating such projects into a course.

  5. Participatory action research: involving students in parent education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, Cathrine; Wu, Cynthia; Lam, Winsome

    2014-01-01

    Competition for scarce clinical placements has increased requiring new and innovative models to be developed to meet the growing need. A participatory action research project was used to provide a community nursing clinical experience of involvement in parent education. Nine Hong Kong nursing students self-selected to participate in the project to implement a parenting program called Parenting Young Children in a Digital World. Three project cycles were used: needs identification, skills development and program implementation. Students were fully involved in each cycle's planning, action and reflection phase. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected to inform the project. The overall outcome of the project was the provision of a rich and viable clinical placement experience that created significant learning opportunities for the students and researchers. This paper will explore the student's participation in this PAR project as an innovative clinical practice opportunity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Students enabling students in a Student Partnership Project: A case study emerging from the OLT Transforming Practice Project on Student Partnerships

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan Kek

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This emerging initiative stemmed from an Office for Learning and Teaching Project (OLT project, Transforming Practice Programme 2016: Student Engagement: Students as Partners in Teaching and Learning. The initiative, trialed in semester two, 2016, involved the selection and training of two experienced students to be leaders of a Closed Facebook ‘students-only’ community which provided advice and triaged queries to appropriate channels. The evaluative processes comprised a participatory action research methodology. Two student leaders who facilitated the Closed Facebook and four academic staff of the project were the participants. The findings demonstrate that the Closed Facebook students-only site provided a safe space, outside the formal learning/classroom environment, where student participants were able to ask and share knowledge. The informal student-for-student learning community complemented the formal structure by facilitating the opportunity for students to become ‘experts’ as university students as they move-through their learning journey.

  7. Student design projects in applied acoustics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bös, Joachim; Moritz, Karsten; Skowronek, Adam; Thyes, Christian; Tschesche, Johannes; Hanselka, Holger

    2012-03-01

    This paper describes a series of student projects which are intended to complement theoretical education in acoustics and engineering noise control with practical experience. The projects are also intended to enhance the students' ability to work in a team, to manage a project, and to present their results. The projects are carried out in close cooperation with industrial partners so that the students can get a taste of the professional life of noise control engineers. The organization of such a project, its execution, and some of the results from the most recent student project are presented as a demonstrative example. This latest project involved the creation of noise maps of a production hall, the acoustic analysis of a packaging machine, and the acoustic analysis of a spiral vibratory conveyor. Upon completion of the analysis, students then designed, applied, and verified some simple preliminary noise reduction measures to demonstrate the potential of these techniques. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America

  8. Particulate Air Contamination in Puerto Rico: A Student Involvement Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckert, Richard R.

    1979-01-01

    Describes a research project undertaken by physics undergraduate students to monitor particulate air contamination in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and to determine the meteorological factors which contribute to it. (GA)

  9. Learning effects of active involvement of secondary school students in scientific research within the Sparkling Science project "FlussAu:WOW!"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poppe, Michaela; Zitek, Andreas; Scheikl, Sigrid; Heidenreich, Andrea; Kurz, Roman; Schrittwieser, Martin; Muhar, Susanne

    2014-05-01

    Due to immense technological and economic developments, human activities producing greenhouse gases, destructing ecosystems, changing landscapes and societies are influencing the world to such a degree, that the environment and human well-being are significantly affected. This results in a need to educate citizens towards a scientific understanding of complex socio-environmental systems. The OECD programme for international student assessment (PISA - http://www.pisa.oecd.org) investigated in detail the science competencies of 15-year-old students in 2006. The report documented that teenagers in OECD countries are mostly well aware of environmental issues but often know little about their causes or options to tackle these challenges in the future. For the integration of science with school learning and involving young people actively into scientific research Sparkling Science projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Science and Research in Austria. Within the Sparkling Science Project "FlussAu:WOW!" (http://www.sparklingscience.at/de/projekte/574-flussau-wow-/) scientists work together with 15 to 18-year-old students of two Austrian High Schools over two years to assess the functions and processes in near natural and anthropogenically changed river floodplains. Within the first year of collaboration students, teachers and scientists elaborated on abiotic, biotic and spatial indicators for assessing and evaluating the ecological functionality of riverine systems. After a theoretical introduction students formulated research questions, hypotheses and planned and conducted field work in two different floodplain areas in Lower Austria. From the second year on, students are going to develop qualitative models on processes in river floodplain systems by means of the learning software "DynaLearn". The "DynaLearn" software is an engaging, interactive, hierarchically structured learning environment that was developed within the EU-FP7 project "DynaLearn" (http

  10. Integrating Community into the Classroom: Community Gardening, Community Involvement, and Project-Based Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langhout, Regina Day; Rappaport, Julian; Simmons, Doretha

    2002-01-01

    Culturally relevant, ongoing project-based learning was facilitated in a predominantly African American urban elementary school via a community garden project. The project involved teachers, students, university members, and community members. This article evaluates the project through two classroom-community collaboration models, noting common…

  11. Creating a Project-Based Learning Environment to Improve Project Management Skills of Graduate Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arantes do Amaral, Joao Alberto; Gonçalves, Paulo; Hess, Aurélio

    2015-01-01

    This article describes the project-based learning environment created to support project management graduate courses. The paper will focus on the learning context and procedures followed for 13 years, in 47 project-based learning MBA courses, involving approximately 1,400 students and 34 community partners.

  12. Development of a student engagement approach to alcohol prevention: the Pragmatics Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buettner, Cynthia K; Andrews, David W; Glassman, Michael

    2009-01-01

    Significant involvement of students in the development and implementation of college alcohol prevention strategies is largely untested, despite recommendations by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and others. The purpose of the Pragmatics Project was to test a student engagement model for developing and implementing alcohol intervention strategies. The Pragmatics Project involved 89 undergraduate students on a large Midwestern university campus in the design and implementation of projects focused on reducing harm associated with high-risk drinking and off-campus parties. The engagement model used an innovative course piloted in the Human Development and Family Science department. The course successfully involved both students and the community in addressing local alcohol issues. The course design described would fit well into a Master of Public Health, Community Psychology, Health Psychology, or interdisciplinary curricula as well as the service learning model, and it is applicable in addressing other health risk behaviors.

  13. A Project in Thermal Physics Involving a Car Parked in Direct Sunlight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Wei; Gilley, Heidi L.; Caris, Joshua B.

    1997-05-01

    A research project for introductory physics students, involving an estimate of the surface temperature of the Sun using a parked car, was carried out in the Summer 1995 Research Apprenticeships in Science Program, sponsored by Edison Industrial Systems Center, for local-area high school students. This activity entails both outdoor quantitative observations and theoretical analysis, and yields a result within 12 percent of the accepted value. It was demonstrated that the use of everyday materials and outdoor observations, such as those in this project, is not only educational but also intriguing. The success of this experiment as a summer research project will be discussed.

  14. The involvement of student teachers in the development of language learning tasks. Lessons from the ETALAGE project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koet, T.; Žogla, I.; Rutka, L.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper I report a small experiment about the involvement of student teachers as well as experienced professionals in the development of language learning tasks. I argue that involving student teachers as well as experienced professionals may yield better results than involving experienced

  15. Midwifery students experience of teamwork projects involving mark-related peer feedback.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hastie, Carolyn R; Fahy, Kathleen M; Parratt, Jenny A; Grace, Sandra

    2016-06-01

    Lack of teamwork skills among health care professionals endangers patients and enables workplace bullying. Individual teamwork skills are increasingly being assessed in the undergraduate health courses but rarely defined, made explicit or taught. To remedy these deficiencies we introduced a longitudinal educational strategy across all three years of the Bachelor of Midwifery program. To report on students' experiences of engaging in team based assignments which involved mark-related peer feedback. Stories of midwifery students' experiences were collected from 17 participants across the three years of the degree. These were transcribed and analysed thematically and interpreted using feminist collaborative conversations. Most participants reported being in well-functioning teams and enjoyed the experience; they spoke of 'we' and said 'Everyone was on Board'. Students in poorly functioning teams spoke of 'I' and 'they'. These students complained about the poor performance of others but they didn't speak up because they 'didn't want to make waves' and they didn't have the skills to be able to confidently manage conflict. All participants agreed 'Peer-related marks cause mayhem'. Teamwork skills should be specifically taught and assessed. These skills take time to develop. Students, therefore, should be engaged in a teamwork assignment in each semester of the entire program. Peer feedback should be moderated by the teacher and not directly related to marks. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Teaching American Politics through Student Projects: Electoral Reform Issues and Political Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alper, Donald K.; Hogan, Eugene

    1979-01-01

    Describes two projects which involve college students in political science courses on American politics in doing research and giving class reports on proposals for reforming the electoral college and the electoral process. Findings indicate that students participating in the projects become more aware of political realities and learn how to use…

  17. Radiologic science students' perceptions of parental involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DuBose, Cheryl; Barymon, Deanna; Vanderford, Virginia; Hensley, Chad; Shaver, Gary

    2014-01-01

    A new generation of students is in the classroom, and they are not always alone. Helicopter parents, those who hover around the student and attempt to ease life's challenges, are accompanying the students to radiologic science programs across the nation. To determine radiologic science students' perception regarding their parents' level of involvement in their lives. A survey focused on student perceptions of parental involvement inside and outside of the academic setting was completed by 121 radiologic science students at 4 institutional settings. The analysis demonstrates statistically significant relationships between student sex, age, marital status, and perceived level of parental involvement. In addition, as financial support increases, students' perception of the level of parental involvement also increases. Radiologic science students want their parents to be involved in their higher education decisions. Research indicates that students with involved parents are more successful, and faculty should be prepared for increased parental involvement in the future. Radiologic science students perceive their parents to be involved in their academic careers. Ninety-five percent of respondents believe that the financial support of their parent or parents contributes to their academic success. Sixty-five percent of participants are content with their parents' current level of involvement, while 11% wish their parents were more involved in their academic careers.

  18. Which Type of Inquiry Project Do High School Biology Students Prefer: Open or Guided?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadeh, Irit; Zion, Michal

    2012-10-01

    In teaching inquiry to high school students, educators differ on which method of teaching inquiry is more effective: Guided or open inquiry? This paper examines the influence of these two different inquiry learning approaches on the attitudes of Israeli high school biology students toward their inquiry project. The results showed significant differences between the two groups: Open inquiry students were more satisfied and felt they gained benefits from implementing the project to a greater extent than guided inquiry students. On the other hand, regarding documentation throughout the project, guided inquiry students believed that they conducted more documentation, as compared to their open inquiry peers. No significant differences were found regarding `the investment of time', but significant differences were found in the time invested and difficulties which arose concerning the different stages of the inquiry process: Open inquiry students believed they spent more time in the first stages of the project, while guided inquiry students believed they spent more time in writing the final paper. In addition, other differences were found: Open inquiry students felt more involved in their project, and felt a greater sense of cooperation with others, in comparison to guided inquiry students. These findings may help teachers who hesitate to teach open inquiry to implement this method of inquiry; or at least provide their students with the opportunity to be more involved in inquiry projects, and ultimately provide their students with more autonomy, high-order thinking, and a deeper understanding in performing science.

  19. Student experiences with an international public health exchange project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Critchley, Kim A; Richardson, Eileen; Aarts, Clara; Campbell, Barbara; Hemmingway, Ann; Koskinen, Liisa; Mitchell, Maureen P; Nordstrom, Pam

    2009-01-01

    With growing interconnectivity of healthcare systems worldwide and increased immigration, inappropriate cultural and role assumptions are often seen when cultures clash within a country or when there is practice across country boundaries in times of disaster and during international travel. To increase students' multicultural awareness and work experiences abroad, the authors describe a 7-school, 5-country international student exchange project. The authors also share the students' evaluations of their experiences as they are challenged to erase boundaries and embrace nursing across countries. Participating faculty describe the process, challenges, and keys to success found in creating and living this international project. Students involved in the exchange process evaluate the learning opportunities and challenges and the joy of coming together as newfound colleagues and friends.

  20. Student-Designed Service-Learning Projects in an Undergraduate Neurobiology Course

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharine V. Northcutt

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available One of the challenges in teaching a service-learning course is obtaining student buy-in from all students in the course. To circumvent this problem, I have let students in my undergraduate Neurobiology course design their own service-learning projects at the beginning of the semester. Although this can be chaotic because it requires last-minute planning, I have made it successful through facilitating student communication in the classroom, requiring thorough project proposals, meeting with students regularly, and monitoring group progress through written reflection papers. Most of my students have strong opinions about the types of projects that they want to carry out, and many students have used connections that they have already made with local organizations. Almost all projects that students have designed to this point involve teaching basic concepts of neurobiology to children of various ages while simultaneously sparking their interest in science. Through taking ownership of the project and designing it such that it works well with their strengths, interests, and weekly schedule, students have become more engaged in service learning and view it as a valuable experience. Despite some class time being shifted away from more traditional assignments, students have performed equally well in the course, and they are more eager to talk with others about course concepts. Furthermore, the feedback that I have received from community partners has been excellent, and some students have maintained their work with the organizations.

  1. Enhancing the Student Learning Experience in Software Engineering Project Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marques, Maira; Ochoa, Sergio F.; Bastarrica, Maria Cecilia; Gutierrez, Francisco J.

    2018-01-01

    Carrying out real-world software projects in their academic studies helps students to understand what they will face in industry, and to experience first-hand the challenges involved when working collaboratively. Most of the instructional strategies used to help students take advantage of these activities focus on supporting agile programming,…

  2. Student-Teacher Collaboration: A Skateboard Project that Really Rocks!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Tim

    2005-01-01

    As a teacher, the author gets his biggest charge from seeing students' eyes light up when he asks them a question related to a topic on which they are the experts and he is the novice. Skateboarding provides a prime example. Since most of his students have a personal interest and involvement in skateboarding, he introduced a skateboard project to…

  3. A Discussion Project on High School Adolescents' Perceptions of the Relationship between Students and Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Ronald J.

    1976-01-01

    Describes a small group discussion project involving students and teachers in two large white suburban high schools. The project's intention was to focus discussion on the social quality of the relationship between students and teachers, and to assess the impact of the discussions on student perceptions. (Author/RK)

  4. Writing throughout the biochemistry curriculum: Synergistic inquiry-based writing projects for biochemistry students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mertz, Pamela; Streu, Craig

    2015-01-01

    This article describes a synergistic two-semester writing sequence for biochemistry courses. In the first semester, students select a putative protein and are tasked with researching their protein largely through bioinformatics resources. In the second semester, students develop original ideas and present them in the form of a research grant proposal. Both projects involve multiple drafts and peer review. The complementarity of the projects increases student exposure to bioinformatics and literature resources, fosters higher-order thinking skills, and develops teamwork and communication skills. Student feedback and responses on perception surveys demonstrated that the students viewed both projects as favorable learning experiences. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  5. Teaching accuracy and reliability for student projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Nick

    2002-09-01

    Physics students at Rugby School follow the Salters Horners A-level course, which involves working on a two-week practical project of their own choosing. Pupils often misunderstand the concepts of accuracy and reliability, believing, for example, that repeating readings makes them more accurate and more reliable, whereas all it does is help to check repeatability. The course emphasizes the ideas of checking anomalous points, improving accuracy and making readings more sensitive. This article describes how we teach pupils in preparation for their projects. Based on many years of running such projects, much of this material is from a short booklet that we give out to pupils, when we train them in practical project skills.

  6. Hispanic/Latino College Student Involvement in Student Organization Leadership Roles

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinney, Barry Slade

    2009-01-01

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

  7. Conceptualizing the role of multidisciplinarity and student perceptions of university-industry collaboration in project-based learning

    OpenAIRE

    Heikkinen, Juho

    2017-01-01

    Project-based learning has a long history, especially in the disciplines of computer science and engineering. This approach is used to offer students a realistic view of their discipline, and this experience can be enhanced with industrial involvement as companies bring their real world problems to projects. One recent trend in project-based learning is utilizing multidisciplinary teams, enabling students to contrast their skills and experience with students from other discipli...

  8. University of Colorado CubeSat Student Projects as Successful Model for Teaching Students about Engineering Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palo, S. E.; Li, X.; Woods, T. N.; Kohnert, R.

    2014-12-01

    There is a long history of cooperation between students at the University of Colorado, Boulder and professional engineers and scientists at LASP, which has led to many successful space missions with direct student involvement. The recent student-led missions include the Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE, 1998 - 2002), the Student Dust Counter (SDC) on New Horizons (2006 - present), the Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment (CSSWE), being a very successful NSF CubeSat that launched in September 2012, and the NASA Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSat (launch will be in early 2015). Students are involved in all aspects of the design, and they experience the full scope of the mission process from concept, to fabrication and test, and mission operations. A significant part of the student involvement in the CubeSat projects is gained by using the CubeSat development as a focal point for an existing two-semester course sequence in CU's Aerospace Engineering Sciences (AES) Department: the Space Hardware Design section of Graduate Projects I & II (ASEN 5018 & ASEN 6028). The goal of these courses is to teach graduate students how to design and build systems using a requirement-based approach and fundamental systems engineering practices. The two-semester sequence takes teams of about 15 students from requirements definition and preliminary design through manufacturing, integration, and testing. In addition to the design process, students learn key professional skills such as working effectively in groups, finding solutions to open-ended problems, and actually building a system to their own set of specifications. The partnership between AES and LASP allows us to include engineering professionals in the mix, thus more effectively training science and engineering students for future roles in the civilian or commercial space industry. The mentoring process with LASP engineers helps to mitigate risk of the inexperience of the students and ensures consistent

  9. Student-to-Scientist (S2S) via the PACA Project: Connecting Astronomers, Educators and Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanamandra-Fisher, P. A.

    2015-12-01

    Student to Scientist (S2S), provides pathways for observational and research tools for K-12 and undergraduate students to improve science proficiency through conducting real scientific observations. Our approach lies in the integration of professional and amateur astronomers, educators, students, and communicators to identify multiple paths for the student to become a scientist. I report on the ensuing project, also known as the PACA Project, which is an ecosystem of various activities that take advantage of the social media and immediate connectivity amongst amateur astronomers worldwide and that can be galvanized to participate in a given observing campaign. The PACA Project has participated in organized campaigns such as NASA Comet ISON Observing Campaign in 2013; NASA Comet Integrated Observations Campaign to observe Comet Siding Spring as it flew by very close to Mars on 19 October 2014. Currently the PACA Project is involved in the Ground-based Amateur campaign to observer ESA/Rosetta mission's target, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (CG) that is en route to its perihelion on 13 August 2015 (at the time of abstract submission). The PACA Project provides access to the professional community and the student/educator and informal/public communities via various social media like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Pinterest, Vimeo, Google+. With the popularity of mobile platforms and instant connections with other peers globally, the multi-faceted social universe has become a vital part of engagement of multiple communities. The PACA project currently has initiated a Comet Tails and Disconnection Events campaign to relate to the changing solar wind conditions. Other PACA projects include Saturn Solstice 2017 and outreach projects with Astroproject (India). These and other citizen-science enabled activities and their integration with S2S project will be discussed.

  10. The Voices Project: Reducing White Students' Racism in Introduction to Psychology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordstrom, Alicia H.

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the impact of an assignment involving intergroup contact (The Voices Project [TVP]) on student racism toward Muslims, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics in Introduction to Psychology. TVP students interviewed members from racial groups and wrote autobiographical memoirs of their lives. A faculty-writing team integrated…

  11. Mathematics authentic assessment on statistics learning: the case for student mini projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fauziah, D.; Mardiyana; Saputro, D. R. S.

    2018-03-01

    Mathematics authentic assessment is a form of meaningful measurement of student learning outcomes for the sphere of attitude, skill and knowledge in mathematics. The construction of attitude, skill and knowledge achieved through the fulfilment of tasks which involve active and creative role of the students. One type of authentic assessment is student mini projects, started from planning, data collecting, organizing, processing, analysing and presenting the data. The purpose of this research is to learn the process of using authentic assessments on statistics learning which is conducted by teachers and to discuss specifically the use of mini projects to improving students’ learning in the school of Surakarta. This research is an action research, where the data collected through the results of the assessments rubric of student mini projects. The result of data analysis shows that the average score of rubric of student mini projects result is 82 with 96% classical completeness. This study shows that the application of authentic assessment can improve students’ mathematics learning outcomes. Findings showed that teachers and students participate actively during teaching and learning process, both inside and outside of the school. Student mini projects also provide opportunities to interact with other people in the real context while collecting information and giving presentation to the community. Additionally, students are able to exceed more on the process of statistics learning using authentic assessment.

  12. Fundraising Strategies Developed by MBA Students in Project-Based Learning Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arantes do Amaral, Joao Alberto; Petroni, Liége Mariel; Hess, Aurélio

    2016-01-01

    The ability to raise funds is a skill that most modern project managers need. While a good deal of literature exists on the strategies NGOs employ to raise funds for their operations, less attention has been paid to the strategies used by students involved in Project-Based Learning courses that often partner with NGOs. Fundraising is an important…

  13. What Do College Students, Young Families, and Empty Nesters Want in a Car? A Market Segmentation and Marketing Mix Project for Introduction to Marketing Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bristow, Dennis; Gulati, Rajesh; Schneider, Kenneth C.

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the details of a student project used in introduction to marketing courses. The project is designed to involve students in the application of survey research to generate data used to make a series of marketing management decisions. Students collect data from three different segments of the car buying market and make product,…

  14. Occupational risk involving students of health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Éder Oliveira Rocha

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the social representations of occupational risks involving students in the area of health. Method: Exploratory research with 160 students from nursing, medicine and dentistry, through interviews. The data were processed in ALCESTE 4.8 and lexical analysis done by descending hierarchical classification. Results: In four semantic classes, namely: occupational risks involving students in the area of health, the work environment and occupational risks, exposure to accidents with sharps and adoption of standard precautions as biosecurity measures. Conclusion: Students healthcare represent occupational risks, such as a concern for the prevention of cross infection in the workplace, should both professionals and students of health, adopt standard precautions and biosecurity measures in the environment work.

  15. A Project-Based Learning Approach to Teaching Physics for Pre-Service Elementary School Teacher Education Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein, Olzan

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes the impact of the project-based learning (PBL) approach on learning and teaching physics from the perspective of pre-service elementary school teacher education students and an instructor. This approach promoted meaningful learning (mainly in the scope of projects), higher motivation, and active involvement of students in…

  16. Influence of Involvement in Sports on Students' Involvement in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study was carried out to establish whether students' involvement in sports activities affected their involvement in academic activities. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analysed using percentages and means. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to test the hypotheses that guided ...

  17. Health Advocacy Project: Evaluating the Benefits of Service Learning to Nursing Students and Low Income Individuals Involved in a Community-Based Mental Health Promotion Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samuels-Dennis, Joan; Xia, Liudi; Secord, Sandra; Raiger, Amelia

    2016-10-08

    Poverty, along with other factors such as unemployment, work and life stressors, interpersonal violence, and lack of access to high quality health and/or social services all play a role in determining who develops a mental illness and for whom those symptoms persist or worsen. Senior nursing student preparing to enter the field and working in a service learning capacity may be able to influence early recovery and symptom abatement among those most vulnerable to mental illness. A consortium of community stakeholders and researchers collaboratively designed a 10-week mental health promotion project called the Health Advocacy Project (HAP). The project combines case management and system navigation support delivered by trained and highly supervised nursing students to individuals experiencing major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this article, we present the findings of a qualitative fidelity evaluation that examines the effectiveness of nursing students in delivering the health advocacy intervention at the level and with the intensity originally intended. The findings demonstrate how the services of senior nursing students may be optimized to benefit our healthcare system and populations most at risk for developing MDD and PTSD.

  18. Involving International Student Teams in GPS and GRS Surveys to Study Cryospheric Change in Greenland and the Colorado Front Range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herzfeld, U. C.; Mayer, H.

    2009-12-01

    In the course of research programs to develop a methodology for the study of microtopography of ice and snow surfaces, we placed a strong emphasis on the involvement of students. This project provided the opportunity to engage students in every step from building the instrument through development of the data processing, the actual field measurements, processing of the resultant data, their evaluation and interpretation to the final publication in scientific journals. The development of the Glacier Roughness Sensor (GRS) incorporating Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and the fieldwork on the Greenland Inland Ice were particularly fascinating and instructive for students. In a related snow-hydrological research project on Niwot Ridge in the Colorado Front Range, we involved students in two season-long measurement campaigns in a high alpine environment. Students from the Universität Trier, Germany, and the University of Colorado Boulder participated in this project to learn about the value of international collaboration in science. Funding was provided by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Antarctic and Arctic Program) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (Hydrological Sciences Program). Students participated in preparatory classes and field camps, selected their own research projects and received university credit towards their degrees in geography or environmental sciences. All student participants in the MICROTOP projects have gone on to higher university education and become professionally exceptionally successful. Students setting up camp on the Greenland Ice Sheet during expedition MICROTOP 99.

  19. Fundraising Strategies Developed by MBA students in Project-Based Learning Courses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joao Alberto Arantes do Amaral

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The ability to raise funds is a skill that most modern project managers need. While a good deal of literature exists on the strategies NGOs employ to raise funds for their operations, less attention has been paid to the strategies used by students involved in Project-Based Learning courses that often partner with NGOs. Fundraising is an important skill that not only provides students with opportunities for creativity, but also helps them develop the communication skills they will need in the work they do after they graduate.In this paper, we discuss the fundraising strategies developed by MBA students in 204 social projects completed between 2002 and 2014. The projects were done in partnership with 39 community partners in Sao Paulo, Brazil (NGOs and Public Institutions. In our study, we followed quantitative and qualitative research methods, analyzing data and documents from the projects’ databases. We identified six different fundraising strategies: organizing raffles, soliciting donations from private corporations, organizing paying events, utilizing online social networks developing crowdfunding, and soliciting individual donations.

  20. Undergraduate Student Involvement in International Research - The IRES Program at MAX-lab, Sweden

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briscoe, William; O'Rielly, Grant; Fissum, Kevin

    2014-03-01

    Undergraduate students associated with The George Washington University and UMass Dartmouth have had the opportunity to participate in nuclear physics research as a part of the PIONS@MAXLAB Collaboration performing experiments at MAX-lab at Lund University in Sweden. This project has supported thirteen undergraduate students during 2009 - 2011. The student researchers are involved with all aspects of the experiments performed at the laboratory, from set-up to analysis and presentation at national conferences. These experiments investigate the dynamics responsible for the internal structure of the nucleon through the study of pion photoproduction off the nucleon and high-energy Compton scattering. Along with the US and Swedish project leaders, members of the collaboration (from four different countries) have contributed to the training and mentoring of these students. This program provides students with international research experiences that prepare them to operate successfully in a global environment and encourages them to stay in areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that are crucial for our modern, technology-dependent society. We will present the history, goals and outcomes in both physics results and student success that have come from this program. This work supported by NSF OISE/IRES award 0553467.

  1. Student Learning Projects in Electric Vehicle Engineering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ritchie, Ewen; Leban, Krisztina Monika

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents the didactic problem based learning method in general use at Aalborg University as applied to Electric Mobility. Advantage is taken of this method to link student learning to current research projects. This offers advantages to the students and the researchers. The paper...... introduces the subject, presents the research of the Department of Energy Technology and describes the relevant syllabus. It continues to present a range of titles of previous research linked student project projects, and to fill in some of the detail, an example of such a student project. The paper...

  2. The Effect of Environmental Science Projects on Students' Environmental Knowledge and Science Attitudes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Balushi, Sulaiman M.; Al-Aamri, Shamsa S.

    2014-01-01

    The current study explores the effectiveness of involving students in environmental science projects for their environmental knowledge and attitudes towards science. The study design is a quasi-experimental pre-post control group design. The sample was 62 11th-grade female students studying at a public school in Oman. The sample was divided into…

  3. Homework Involvement and Academic Achievement of Native and Immigrant Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suárez, Natalia; Regueiro, Bibiana; Epstein, Joyce L; Piñeiro, Isabel; Díaz, Sara M; Valle, Antonio

    2016-01-01

    Homework is a debated issue in society and its relationship with academic achievement has been deeply studied in the last years. Nowadays, schools are multicultural stages in which students from different cultures and ethnicities work together. In this sense, the present study aims to compare homework involvement and academic achievement in a sample of native and immigrant students, as well as to study immigrant students' relationship between homework involvement and Math achievement. The sample included 1328 students, 10-16 years old from Spanish families (85.6%) or immigrant students or students of immigrant origin (14.4%) from South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The study was developed considering three informants: elementary and secondary students, their parents and their teachers. Results showed higher involvement in homework in native students than in immigrant. Between immigrants students, those who are more involved in homework have better academic achievement in Math at secondary grades. There weren't found gender differences on homework involvement, but age differences were reported. Immigrant students are less involved in homework at secondary grades that students in elementary grades. The study highlights the relevance of homework involvement in academic achievement in immigrant students.

  4. Social Involvement and Commuter Students: The First-Year Student Voice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krause, Kerri-Lee D.

    2007-01-01

    This qualitative study explores the nature of undergraduate commuter students' social involvement with peers during the transitional first six months of their university experience. Focus group interviews with 46 participants provided a student perspective of the role of social interactions in students' transition to university life. Findings…

  5. Examining Thai high school students' developing STEM projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teenoi, Kultida; Siripun, Kulpatsorn; Yuenyong, Chokchai

    2018-01-01

    Like others, Thailand education strongly focused on STEM education. This paper aimed to examine existing Thai high school students' integrated knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their developing science project. The participants included 49 high school students were studying the subject of individual study (IS) in Khon Kaen wittayayon school, Khon Kaen, Thailand. The IS was provided to gradually enhance students to know how to do science project starting from getting start to do science projects, They enrolled to study the individual study of science project for three year in roll. Methodology was qualitative research. Views of students' integrated knowledge about STEM were interpreted through participant observation, interview, and students' science projects. The first author as participant observation has taught this group of students for 3 years. It found that 16 science projects were developed. Views of students' integrated knowledge about STEM could be categorized into three categories. These included (1) completely indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, (2) partial indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and (3) no integration. The findings revealed that majority of science projects could be categorized as completely indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The paper suggested some ideas of enhancing students to applying STEM for developing science projects.

  6. Student Attitudes Towards and Impressions of Project Citizen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Winstead FRY

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Project Citizen is a civic education curriculum used across the United States and internationally, yet research about its impact on students is lacking in the literature. This article reports the results of a preliminary study designed to answer the following questions: What are students’ attitudes toward and perceptions of Project Citizen? How do their attitudes and perceptions compare to those of students who completed senior projects? Tenhigh school students and 23 first-year college students completed a questionnaire designed for this study. Our findings indicate that the high school students had positive perceptions of Project Citizen, and they self-reported anunderstanding and high levels of efficacy regarding civic responsibility. In contrast, the first-year college students had lower levels of efficacy regarding civic responsibility. Our findings suggest the importance of specific learning experiences to help students develop civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and indicate the need for further research into civic programs such as Project Citizen

  7. Student Project and Curriculum Based on Light at Night Data Collection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craine, Erin M.; DeBenedetti, Jennifer C.

    2012-05-01

    There is a growing movement in the educational field to promote science, technology, engineering and math studies, stemming from a concern about waning understanding and interest among K-12 students in these topics. STEM Laboratory, Inc. (STEM) has developed a Sky Brightness Meter (SBM) that can be used with ease yet produces complex information relating to light at night monitoring. STEM sees the SBM and its corresponding data archive as a means to involve students in projects that relate to scientific method exploration, makes science more accessible, and encourages a life long appreciation and understanding of scientific endeavors. In this paper we present an example of a project template that could be used by students studying effects of artificial light on sky brightness. STEM has developed several outreach lessons aligned with the National Common Core Curriculum, Systems Thinking concepts and local standards to be implemented in classrooms or independent youth organizations.

  8. Campus Community Involvement in an Experimental Food Research Project Increases Students' Motivation and Improves Perceived Learning Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goto, K.; Bianco-Simeral, S.

    2009-01-01

    Although the effects of pedagogical strategies using collaborative learning on students' perceived learning outcomes have been studied, little has been examined about possible benefits and challenges in collaborating with the campus community in a food science research project conducted by nutrition majors. We examined the effects of involving…

  9. Parental Involvement and Academic Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin, Sarah Christine

    2015-01-01

    This research study examined the correlation between student achievement and parent's perceptions of their involvement in their child's schooling. Parent participants completed the Parent Involvement Project Parent Questionnaire. Results slightly indicated parents of students with higher level of achievement perceived less demand or invitations…

  10. Student and Faculty Outcomes of Undergraduate Science Research Projects by Geographically Dispersed Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lawton Shaw

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Senior undergraduate research projects are important components of most undergraduate science degrees. The delivery of such projects in a distance education format is challenging. Athabasca University (AU science project courses allow distance education students to complete research project courses by working with research supervisors in their local area, coordinated at a distance by AU faculty. This paper presents demographics and course performance for 155 students over five years. Pass rates were similar to other distance education courses. Research students were surveyed by questionnaire, and external supervisors and AU faculty were interviewed, to examine the outcomes of these project courses for each group. Students reported high levels of satisfaction with the course, local supervisors, and faculty coordinators. Students also reported that the experience increased their interest in research, and the probability that they would pursue graduate or additional certification. Local supervisors and faculty affirmed that the purposes of project courses are to introduce the student to research, provide opportunity for students to use their cumulative knowledge, develop cognitive abilities, and independent thinking. The advantages and challenges associated with this course model are discussed.

  11. Students Perceptions of Excellence in Landscape Architecture Studio Projects: A UNSW Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda Corkery

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes an action-research project undertaken to explore teaching and learning in the design studio in the Faculty of the Built Environment (FBE, University of New South Wales, Sydney. The research project involved three undergraduate design programmes (architecture, interior architecture and landscape architecture within the FBE, however this paper will focus only on the findings related to the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLArch programme. The studio is at the core of the design-based curriculum for the landscape architecture degree. This setting nurtures and encourages students to demonstrate a range of capabilities and attributes expected in professional practice. Design projects are complex, integrated assessment tasks. While design teachers use criteria to assess knowledge and skills, students often feel the judgement of overall design project excellence is based on subjective interpretation. There is also concern about the effectiveness of design teaching across the studios. Specifically, the study identified students' perceptions of what constitutes the mark of High Distinction (HD and characteristics of the ideal design teacher. This paper does not present a discourse analysis of the theoretical framework and concepts of the research project. That material is presented in previous and subsequent publications (Corkery et al, 2003.

  12. The Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) - building the STEM workforce by providing exciting, multi-disciplinary, student-led suborbital flight projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dingwall, B. J.

    2015-12-01

    NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) recognizes that suborbital carriers play a vital role in training our country's future science and technology leaders. SMD created the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) to offer students the opportunity to design, build, and fly instruments on NASA's unique suborbital research platforms. This paper explores the projects, the impact, and the lessons learned of USIP. USIP required undergraduate teams to design, build, and fly a scientific instrument in 18 months or less. Students were required to form collaborative multidisciplinary teams to design, develop and build their instrument. Teams quickly learned that success required skills often overlooked in an academic environment. Teams quickly learned to share technical information in a clear and concise manner that could be understood by other disciplines. The aggressive schedule required team members to hold each other accountable for progress while maintaining team unity. Unanticipated problems and technical issues led students to a deeper understanding of the need for schedule and cost reserves. Students exited the program with a far deeper understanding of project management and team dynamics. Through the process of designing and building an instrument that will enable new research transforms students from textbook learners to developers of new knowledge. The initial USIP project funded 10 undergraduate teams that flew a broad range of scientific instruments on scientific balloons, sounding rockets, commercial rockets and aircraft. Students were required to prepare for and conduct the major reviews that are an integral part of systems development. Each project conducted a Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review and Mission Readiness review for NASA officials and flight platform providers. By preparing and presenting their designs to technical experts, the students developed a deeper understanding of the technical and programmatic project pieces that

  13. Student Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeske, Lanny A.

    1998-01-01

    Numerous FY1998 student research projects were sponsored by the Mississippi State University Center for Air Sea Technology. This technical note describes these projects which include research on: (1) Graphical User Interfaces, (2) Master Environmental Library, (3) Database Management Systems, (4) Naval Interactive Data Analysis System, (5) Relocatable Modeling Environment, (6) Tidal Models, (7) Book Inventories, (8) System Analysis, (9) World Wide Web Development, (10) Virtual Data Warehouse, (11) Enterprise Information Explorer, (12) Equipment Inventories, (13) COADS, and (14) JavaScript Technology.

  14. Comenius Project: Are e-Learning Collaborations of High School Students across Europe in Maths Possible?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simonovits, Reinhard; McElroy, Jim; O'Loughlin, James; Townsend, Colin

    2013-01-01

    The overall aim of the project is to allow for the collaboration of high school students of different European countries on small, selected maths topics. This involves the use of technology, student mobility and English language competency. Benefits are also expected to accrue to teachers of mathematics by providing the opportunity to work with…

  15. Using Student Learning and Development Outcomes to Evaluate a First-Year Undergraduate Group Video Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Murray; Mattheis, Allison; Johnson, Brady

    2012-01-01

    Students in an interdisciplinary undergraduate introductory course were required to complete a group video project focused on nutrition and healthy eating. A mixed-methods approach to data collection involved observing and rating video footage of group work sessions and individual and focus group interviews. These data were analyzed and used to evaluate the effectiveness of the assignment in light of two student learning outcomes and two student development outcomes at the University of Minnesota. Positive results support the continued inclusion of the project within the course, and recommend the assignment to other programs as a viable means of promoting both content learning and affective behavioral objectives. PMID:22383619

  16. Enhancing Teacher and Student Engagement and Understanding of Marine Science Through Classroom Citizen Science Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodale, T. A.

    2016-02-01

    Overview This paper presentation shares findings from a granted funded project that sought to expand teacher content knowledge and pedagogy within the fields of marine science and coastal resource management through the implementation of classroom citizen science projects. A secondary goal was to increase middle and high school student interest and participation in marine science and natural resources research. Background A local science & engineering fair has seen a rapid decline in secondary student participants in the past four years. Research has demonstrated that when students are a part of a system of knowledge production (citizen science) they become much more aware, involved and conscious of scientific concepts compared to traditional school laboratory and nature of science activities. This project's primary objectives were to: (a) enhance teacher content expertise in marine science, (b) enrich teacher professional learning, (c) support citizen science classroom projects and inspire student activism and marine science engagement. Methods Project goals were addressed through classroom and meaningful outdoor educational experiences that put content knowledge into field based practices. Teachers learned to apply thier expanded content knowlege through classroom citizen science projects that focus on marine resource conservation issues such as fisheries management, water quality, turtle nesting and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. These projects would eventually become potential topics of citizen science research topics for their students to pursue. Upon completion of their professional development, participants were urged to establish student Marine Science clubs with the goal of mentoring student submissions into the local science fair. Supplemental awards were possible for the students of project participants. Findings Based on project measures participants significantly increased their knowledge and awareness of presented material marine science and

  17. Project-based fieldwork: perspectives of graduate entry students and project sponsors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortune, Tracy; McKinstry, Carol

    2012-08-01

    This article builds on an earlier viewpoint regarding the need for project-focussed fieldwork. It presents the findings of an evaluative study into the value of project placements undertaken by final year graduate entry master's students as part of a capstone subject. The authors argue that provision of project placements enable impending graduates to develop and implement macro level strategies to develop prevention, resource and service development skills often required of contemporary occupational therapy practitioners. A qualitative approach is adopted. Student cohorts from 2005 and 2006 completed open-ended, written questionnaires, and agency project sponsors were interviewed to obtain their perspectives of the project placement experience. Despite some concern that project placements might be undertaken at the expense of 'clinical' placements these findings reveal that projects managed by students were perceived by services to add great value enabling them to advance important priorities. Students and sponsors highlighted a range of positive learning outcomes, including the ability to work collaboratively with supervisors and develop advanced communication skills and political acumen. The success of such placements depends on supportive supervision from academic staff. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: The findings promote project placements as a highly authentic aspect of work integrated learning enabling learners to draw together a range of attributes that support the ability to manage complex issues that have occupational relevance at a macro level. In addition, such experiences help learners to develop agency and political acumen both increasingly important capabilities for the contemporary workplace. © 2012 The Authors Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2012 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  18. Parent Involvement and Student Performance: The Influence of School Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeal, Ralph B., Jr.

    2015-01-01

    Researchers focusing on parent involvement continue to concentrate their efforts on the relationship between involvement and student performance in isolation of the school context in which involvement occurs. This research outlines an ecology of involvement and how this social context affects parent involvement and student performance. Relying on…

  19. Involving Students in Residence Halls in Hong Kong

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ting, S. Raymond; Chan, Rebecca; Lee, Esther

    2016-01-01

    This article reports a study based on A. W. Astin's (1984) involvement theory applied in residence halls at a public university in Hong Kong, China. The resident students who were involved as participants or student leaders in this study were found to be better developed in terms of leadership, career development, multicultural experience,…

  20. Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning in Engineering and Medicine: Determinants of Students' Engagement and Persistence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bédard, Denis; Lison, Christelle; Dalle, Daniel; Côté, Daniel; Boutin, Noël

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents results of a study conducted with undergraduate students involved in either problem- or project-based curricula (Medicine and Engineering, respectively) at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. The objective of the present research was to measure the impact of these innovative curricula on students' engagement and persistence…

  1. Medical student involvement in website development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbaum, Benjamin P; Gorrindo, Tristan L; Patel, Sanjay G; McTigue, Michael P; Rodgers, Scott M; Miller, Bonnie M

    2009-07-01

    The digital management of educational resources and information is becoming an important part of medical education. At Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, two medical students sought to create a website for all medical students to act as each student's individual homepage. Using widely available software and database technology, a highly customized Web portal, known as the VMS Portal, was created for medical students. Access to course material, evaluations, academic information, and community assets were customized for individual users. Modular features were added over the course of a year in response to student requests, monitoring of usage habits, and solicitation of direct student feedback. During the first 742 days of the VMS Portal's release, there were 209,460 student login sessions (282 average daily). Of 348 medical students surveyed (71% response rate), 84% agreed or strongly agreed that 'consolidated student resources made their lives easier' and 82% agreed or strongly agreed that their needs were represented by having medical students design and create the VMS Portal. In the VMS Portal project, medical students were uniquely positioned to help consolidate, integrate, and develop Web resources for peers. As other medical schools create and expand digital resources, the valuable input and perspective of medical students should be solicited.

  2. psycho-social correlates of students' involvement in secret cults

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    PROF EKWUEME

    as constituting general threat to peace in institutions of higher learning. (Fawole ... involvement in secret cults, and to investigate if peer group do influence students involvement in secret cults. .... be of benefit to students, teachers, parents,.

  3. The nuclear weapons inheritance project: student-to-student dialogues and interactive peer education in disarmament activism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhmann, Caecilie Böck

    2007-01-01

    The Nuclear Weapons Inheritance Project is a student run and student initiated project founded in 2001 with the purpose of increasing awareness of health effects of nuclear policies and empowering university students to take action in a local and international context. The project uses dialogues to discuss nuclear disarmament with university students and a method of interactive peer education to train new trainers. The project has met more than 1500 students in nuclear weapon states in dialogue and trained about 400 students from all over the world. This article describes the methods and results of the project and discuss how the experience of the project can be used in other projects seeking to increase awareness of a topic and to initiate action on social injustice.

  4. Voices from the Field: Developing Employability Skills for Archaeological Students Using a Project Based Learning Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Gaynor

    2016-01-01

    Graduate employment statistics are receiving considerable attention in UK universities. This paper looks at how a wide range of employability attributes can be developed with students, through the innovative use of the Project Based Learning (PjBL) approach. The case study discussed here involves a group of archaeology students from the University…

  5. Summer Student Report - Project Kryolize

    CERN Document Server

    Drozdowski, Pawel

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to describe the work and results obtained by the author during his summer student internship at CERN. The author of this document was attached to the project Kryolize as a software developer, overtaking the job from a recently departed technical student.

  6. 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…

  7. The Pulsar Search Collaboratory: Involving High School Students in Astronomical Research -- A Progress Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosen, Rachel; Heatherly, S.; McLauglin, M.; Lorimer, D.

    2010-01-01

    The National Science Foundation funded "Pulsar Search Collaboratory” project is a collaboration between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, WV and West Virginia University aimed at provoking interest in Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) careers and increasing scientific and information technology literacy among high-school students within the state and region. Over the initial three-year phase of this program, 60 high-school teachers at schools throughout region and over 300 students will be involved in the search for new pulsars and transient objects by analyzing over 30 TB of data collected by the Green Bank Telescope in 2007. Although training is provided to teachers and student leaders via a summer workshop, additional students may join the program, learning from their peers how to conduct the data analysis. We are now in the second year of the PSC and we present a progress report from the first year of the PSC. We will summarize our approaches to implementing this challenging project, including the use of online tools to communicate with and sustain interest among the student teams, and the development of a unique graphical database through which students access and analyze pulsar plots. We will present the student results including one astronomical discovery as well as statistics on the plots that students have analyzed, including distribution among schools, number of known pulsars found, and RFI detection. Finally we will present evaluation results and lessons learned from the first year of the PSC. These include results from pre/post testing of teachers and students that show changes in student interest in STEM careers resulting from the PSC, and statistics on student participation.

  8. The effectiveness of student involvement in decision- making and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    universities in South-West Nigeria.1The research findings indicate that there is a significant relationship ... the management-student relationship and teaching effectiveness. .... involvement to accomplish the university's mission through its strategic plan. ..... Students should remain in the classroom and not get involved in the.

  9. Public involvement in multi-objective water level regulation development projects-evaluating the applicability of public involvement methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaentaenen, Ari; Marttunen, Mika

    2005-01-01

    Public involvement is a process that involves the public in the decision making of an organization, for example a municipality or a corporation. It has developed into a widely accepted and recommended policy in environment altering projects. The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) took force in 2000 and stresses the importance of public involvement in composing river basin management plans. Therefore, the need to develop public involvement methods for different situations and circumstances is evident. This paper describes how various public involvement methods have been applied in a development project involving the most heavily regulated lake in Finland. The objective of the project was to assess the positive and negative impacts of regulation and to find possibilities for alleviating the adverse impacts on recreational use and the aquatic ecosystem. An exceptional effort was made towards public involvement, which was closely connected to planning and decision making. The applied methods were (1) steering group work, (2) survey, (3) dialogue, (4) theme interviews, (5) public meeting and (6) workshops. The information gathered using these methods was utilized in different stages of the project, e.g., in identifying the regulation impacts, comparing alternatives and compiling the recommendations for regulation development. After describing our case and the results from the applied public involvement methods, we will discuss our experiences and the feedback from the public. We will also critically evaluate our own success in coping with public involvement challenges. In addition to that, we present general recommendations for dealing with these problematic issues based on our experiences, which provide new insights for applying various public involvement methods in multi-objective decision making projects

  10. Student Involvement in Learning and School Achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Lorin W.

    The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between selected student characteristics, student involvement in learning, and achievement. Both naturalistic (n = 28, 27) and experimental studies were conducted. In the experimental study, two classes (n = 29, 26) learned a sequence of matrix arithmetic by mastery learning strategies.…

  11. Student involvement and research for the nuclear industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ginniff, M.E.

    1980-01-01

    Nuclear engineering is one of the modern and rapidly advancing technologies. Those already involved in it are continually updating their knowledge to keep abreast of the developments. Of course the sound basic principles of engineering still apply but the scene of application can be transformed in a few years. In fact, because of this, many engineers from more traditional industries often express the view that presently the total range of nuclear engineering is research and development. How can students be trained for such a rapidly advancing technology. Is not the answer early involvement. Effective early involvement for students can only come about by the close co-operation and involvement of the staff of universities and industry. The theme is developed. (author)

  12. INVOLVING STUDENTS IN RESEARCH AS A FORM OF INTEGRATION OF ENGINEERING WITH MATHEMATICAL EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viktor M. Fedoseyev

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: questions of integration of mathematical with engineering training in educational process of higher education institution are explored. The existing technologies of the integrated training are analyzed, and the project-oriented direction is distinguished. Research involving students as an organisational and methodical form of training bachelors of the technical speciali sations is discussed. Materials and Methods: results of article are based on researches of tendencies of development of technical and mathematical education, works on the theory and methodology of pedagogical integration, methodology of mathematics and technical science. Methods of historical and pedagogical research, analytical, a method of mathematical modeling were used. Results: the main content of the paper is to make discussion of experience in developing and using integrated educational tasks in real educational process. Discussion is based on a specific technological assignment including a number of mathematical tasks used as a subject of research for students. In the assignment a special place is allocated to the questions reflecting the interplay of a technical task with a mathematical method of research highlighting the objective significance of mathematics as a method to solve engineering problems. Discussion and Conclusions: the paper gives reasons to conditions for using research work with students as an organisational and methodical form of integrated training in mathematics. In realisation of educational technology it is logical to apply the method of projects. It is necessary to formulate a task as an engineering project: to set an engineering objective of research, to formulate specifications; to differentiate between engineering and mathematical tasks of the project, to make actual interrelations between them; the mathematical part of the project has to be a body of research; assessment of the project must be carried out not only accounting for

  13. The Relationship Among Teaching Methods, Student Characteristics, and Student Involvement in Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Lorin W.; Soctt, Corinne C.

    1978-01-01

    Individual students tend to benefit differently from different teaching methods; however, when little or nothing is known of the entering students' characteristics regarding learning involvement, the high school teacher would be wise to use the classroom discourse method of teaching. (JD)

  14. Project Management in Real Time: A Service-Learning Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Erik; Drexler, John A., Jr.

    2010-01-01

    This article describes a service-learning assignment for a project management course. It is designed to facilitate hands-on student learning of both the technical and the interpersonal aspects of project management, and it involves student engagement with real customers and real stakeholders in the creation of real events with real outcomes. As…

  15. The Impact of Student-Directed Projects in Introductory Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spence, Dianna J.; Bailey, Brad; Sharp, Julia L.

    2017-01-01

    A multi-year study investigated the impact of incorporating student-directed discovery projects into introductory statistics courses. Pilot instructors at institutions across the United States taught statistics implementing student-directed projects with the help of a common set of instructional materials designed to facilitate such projects.…

  16. Student Research Projects Inhibiting Factors from the Students Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laila Nikrooz

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Background & Objective: Identifying the research barriers and assess the ability of students to use the university services and facilities is crucial to promote research activities. Present study was carried out to determine the inhibiting factors influencing the student's research projects from the view point of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences students in 2008. Materials & Methods: In this cross sectional study 96 students of Yasuj Medical University were selected by stratified random sampling. The data were collected by validate & reliable questionnaire, containing demographic information, inhibiting factors related to students (personal and organization. The data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: The mean scores against the personal barriers and the organizational barriers questions were 43.23±12.96 and 62.58±12.08 respectively. There was a significant difference between personal and organizational barriers (P<0.001 and personal barriers were more important. According to the results, the student's inadequate skills & knowledge of research methodology and lack of awareness of research topics were the most prevalent personal barriers. The most prevalent organizational barriers were unavailability of research consulters, inadequate research skills of consulter, insufficient facilities & equipment and lack of motivating staff & faculties. Other variables such as gender, subject of study and research experience are mentioned in the full text. Conclusion: This study showed that the personal barriers were more important than organizational barriers which interfere with the student's research projects. This can be corrected and controlled by teachers, faculty members, university officials and students, themselves.

  17. Teacher and Student Intrinsic Motivation in Project-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Shui-fong; Cheng, Rebecca Wing-yi; Ma, William Y. K.

    2009-01-01

    In this study we examined the relationship between teacher and student intrinsic motivation in project-based learning. The participants were 126 Hong Kong secondary school teachers and their 631 students who completed evaluation questionnaires after a semester-long project-based learning program. Both teachers and students were asked to indicate…

  18. Using Medical Student Quality Improvement Projects to Promote Evidence-Based Care in the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, Michael W; Bean, Eric W; Miller, Andrew C; Templer, Suzanne J; Mackenzie, Richard S; Richardson, David M; Bresnan, Kristin A; Greenberg, Marna R

    2018-01-01

    The Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) initiative for Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency includes as an element of Entrustable Professional Activity 13 to "identify system failures and contribute to a culture of safety and improvement." We set out to determine the feasibility of using medical students' action learning projects (ALPs) to expedite implementation of evidence-based pathways for three common patient diagnoses in the emergency department (ED) setting (Atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and pulmonary embolism). These prospective quality improvement (QI) initiatives were performed over six months in three Northeastern PA hospitals. Emergency physician mentors were recruited to facilitate a QI experience for third-year medical students for each project. Six students were assigned to each mentor and given class time and network infrastructure support (information technology, consultant experts in lean management) to work on their projects. Students had access to background network data that revealed potential for improvement in disposition (home) for patients. Under the leadership of their mentors, students accomplished standard QI processes such as performing the background literature search and assessing key stakeholders' positions that were involved in the respective patient's care. Students effectively developed flow diagrams, computer aids for clinicians and educational programs, and participated in recruiting champions for the new practice standard. They met with other departmental clinicians to determine barriers to implementation and used this feedback to help set specific parameters to make clinicians more comfortable with the changes in practice that were recommended. All three clinical practice guidelines were initiated at consummation of the students' projects. After implementation, 86% (38/44) of queried ED providers felt comfortable with medical students being a part of future ED QI

  19. Improving Technological Competency in Nursing Students: The Passport Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie Edwards

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Integration of informatics competency into a nursing curriculum is important to ensure success throughout the education and career of contemporary nursing students. As enrollment in nursing programs increases, the diverse population of students from many different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds presents a challenge for faculty in addressing unique learning needs. Competency in informatics will allow the beginning nursing student to navigate the on-line teaching software used by colleges. With rigorous expectations in nursing programs, students may feel overwhelmed with assignments, organization, and time management. Frustration may build when students struggle with basic informatics competency, often leaving them unable to navigate instructional websites or work with necessary on-line learning content. The purpose of this project, Passport Project for Nursing Success, was to assess the skills, knowledge, and informatics comfort level of students, while providing computer training and teaching for beginning nursing students in an undergraduate nursing program in Central Illinois. The community college encompassed students from a ten county area, with 20 percent of the student population enrolled in the Applied Science curriculum. Initial implementation occurred prior to the students' first nursing course and emphasized basic skills necessary to navigate on-line learning software, library search engines, and electronic communication. The greatest barrier to successful implementation was faculty resistance and academic support during completion of the initial implementation of the Passport Project. Post- project surveys indicated overwhelming student support for the education received and improved retention rates of first semester nursing students.

  20. MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS FOR SECOND YEAR CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARWAN M. SHAMEL

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In the second semester of the second year of a Mechanical Engineering course, students are supposed to take a Module Outside the Main Discipline (MOMD. This module is chosen to be “Product Design Exercise” a module that is offered to Chemical Engineering students at the same stage. The aim was to expose students from both disciplines to an environment in which they are encouraged to interact with and engage team members with a relatively different background. The students were divided into eight groups all comprised of Chemical and Mechanical Engineering students, and they were offered different open-ended projects that were selected to exploit the knowledge developed by the students thus far and they were slightly skewed towards Chemical Engineering. The students demonstrated a high level of cooperation and motivation throughout the period of the project. Effective communication and closing of knowledge gaps were prevalent. At the end of the project period, students produced a journal paper in lieu of the project report.

  1. Practicing Professional Values: Factors Influencing Involvement in Social Work Student Organizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martindale, Dorothy; Olate, René; Anderson, Keith A.

    2017-01-01

    One of the most promising avenues for the development of professional values is involvement in professional student organizations. A convenience sample of baccalaureate social work students (n = 482) was drawn from 15 institutions. Regression analyses revealed several predictors of involvement in social work student organizations, including…

  2. Developing Critical Thinking through Student Consulting Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canziani, Bonnie; Tullar, William L.

    2017-01-01

    The authors present survey results from faculty at 44 universities on the role of student consulting projects in developing business students' critical thinking. They conclude that students can improve critical thinking by engaging in guided primary and secondary research to inform their business assumptions that underpin business planning and…

  3. Student perceptions of writing projects in a university differential-equations course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latulippe, Christine; Latulippe, Joe

    2014-01-01

    This qualitative study surveyed 102 differential-equations students in order to investigate how students participating in writing projects in university-level mathematics courses perceive the benefits of writing in the mathematics classroom. Based on previous literature on writing in mathematics, students were asked specifically about the benefits of writing projects as a means to explore practical uses of mathematics, deepen content knowledge, and strengthen communication. Student responses indicated an awareness of these benefits, supporting justifications commonly cited by instructors assigning writing projects. Open-ended survey responses highlighted additional themes which students associated with writing in mathematics, including using software programs and technology, working in groups, and stimulating interest in mathematics. This study provides student feedback to support the use of writing projects in mathematics, as well as student input, which can be utilized to strengthen the impact of writing projects in mathematics.

  4. CPL - a way to increase student's commitment, involvement and collaboration?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Velling, Louise Ærthøj; Larsen, Mette Yde

    students and lecturers indicated that CPL as didactics is difficult directly to adapt in teaching in higher educational level. However, the evaluation indicated that some elements from CPL contributed in a positive way by increasing student’s involvement and commitment. Also a better collaboration between...... the students was indicated as well as a strengthened social environment in the class. Based on the experiment, our hypothesis is that the chosen 3 CPL activities will increase the students commitment and involvement in the lectures as well as provide the students with better collaborative competencies....

  5. Interdisciplinary project-based learning: technology for improving student cognition

    OpenAIRE

    Natalia Stozhko; Boris Bortnik; Ludmila Mironova; Albina Tchernysheva; Ekaterina Podshivalova

    2015-01-01

    The article studies a way of enhancing student cognition by using interdisciplinary project-based learning (IPBL) in a higher education institution. IPBL is a creative pedagogic approach allowing students of one area of specialisation to develop projects for students with different academic profiles. The application of this approach in the Ural State University of Economics resulted in a computer-assisted learning system (CALS) designed by IT students. The CALS was used in an analytical chemi...

  6. Can Instructional Reform in Urban Middle Schools Help Students Narrow the Mathematics Performance Gap? Some Evidence from the QUASAR Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silver, Edward A.; Lane, Suzanne

    1995-01-01

    Compared mathematical performance of middle school students in low-income communities involved in the QUASAR project to those of a demographically similar school and of a nationally representative sample. QUASAR mathematics instruction emphasizes reasoning, problem-solving, and understanding. Quasar students outperformed NAEP's disadvantaged urban…

  7. Student Projects as a Funding Source

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henson, Kerry L.

    2010-01-01

    Prompted by restricted funding for a lab which supported student software development work on real-world projects, a contribution program was established to facilitate monetary support from the external clients. The paper explores the relationships between instructor, students and client and how a funding component can affect these ties.…

  8. Student experiences of the adolescent diversion project: a community-based exemplar in the pedagogy of service-learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, William S; Jimenez, Tiffeny R; Onifade, Eyitayo; Hankins, Sean S

    2010-12-01

    Service-learning partnerships between universities and surrounding communities striving to create systems-level change must consider an emphasis in critical community service; a community centered paradigm where students are taught to work with communities to better understand contexts surrounding a social problem, as opposed to merely volunteering to provide a service to a community. The Adolescent Diversion Project (ADP), which has been operating for over 30 years, demonstrates critical community service through the type of relationship built between students and the local community. This article describes: a qualitative study with ADP students, the historical context of ADP, what and how students learned through their involvement in ADP, and reframes the work of this project as a form of service-learning pedagogy. Inductive content analysis was employed to identify underlying themes across participants related to their personal experiences of ADP and its impact in their lives. Findings were compared with service-learning outcomes and other quantitative studies conducted with past ADP cohorts from the literature. Consistent with past studies, ADP students become more negative toward social systems involved with their youth. This finding may explain an increase in feelings of political commitment following involvement in ADP. Consistent with service-learning outcomes, results demonstrate that ADP should be further documented as not only an effective community-based program but also as an exemplar in the pedagogy of service-learning. This study highlights why service-learning opportunities for students are not just one way to teach students, they are opportunities to bridge relationships within communities, bring life to theoretical concepts, and build the foundations necessary for educated citizens that will one day take lead roles in our society.

  9. Project PEACH at UCLH: Student Projects in Healthcare Computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramachandran, Navin; Mohamedally, Dean; Taylor, Paul

    2017-01-01

    A collaboration between clinicians at UCLH and the Dept of Computer Science at UCL is giving students of computer science the opportunity to undertake real healthcare computing projects as part of their education. This is enabling the creation of a significant research computing platform within the Trust, based on open source components and hosted in the cloud, while providing a large group of students with experience of the specific challenges of health IT.

  10. Students in Action: Engaging Students with Destination Stakeholders

    OpenAIRE

    Craggs, Ruth; Gorman, Catherine; Griffin, Kevin; mottiar, ziene; Quinn, Deirdre; Quinn, Bernadette; Ryan, Theresa

    2015-01-01

    The Students in Action Project in the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism was established in 2012 as a way of engaging students and working with stakeholders in a destination. The overall aim of the project was to immerse students in an active collaborative learning environment within the destination to identify ways in which tourism could be enhanced. In the 2014/2015 academic year the project involved over 300 students from a variety of programmes and modules working with local sta...

  11. A school and inquiry based project with Nordic student teachers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stougaard, Birgitte

    Álka is a framework involving teacher education institutions in the Nordic counties. This study describes the design of a module aiming at the establishment of a stronger nexus between research (theory) and teaching of science (practice) and to explore an issue relevant for the student teachers...... future professional life. The theme that was used for the research based project was: Nordic Children’s ideas about living things in the sea. Oral presentation at The 10th Nordic Research Symposium on Science Education (NFSUN), Linköbing, Sweden, June 2011....

  12. Family involvement in medical decision-making: Perceptions of nursing and psychology students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itzhaki, Michal; Hildesheimer, Galya; Barnoy, Sivia; Katz, Michael

    2016-05-01

    Family members often rely on health care professionals to guide and support them through the decision-making process. Although family involvement in medical decisions should be included in the preservice curriculum for the health care professions, perceptions of students in caring professions on family involvement in medical decision-making have not yet been examined. To examine the perceptions of nursing and psychology students on family involvement in medical decision-making for seriously ill patients. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. First year undergraduate nursing and psychology students studying for their Bachelor of Arts degree were recruited. Perceptions were assessed with a questionnaire constructed based on the Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), which examines decision-maker preferences. The questionnaire consisted of two parts referring to the respondent once as the patient and then as the family caregiver. Questionnaires were completed by 116 nursing students and 156 psychology students. Most were of the opinion that family involvement in decision-making is appropriate, especially when the patient is incapable of making decisions. Nursing students were more inclined than psychology students to think that financial, emotional, and value-based considerations should be part of the family's involvement in decision-making. Both groups of students perceived the emotional consideration as most acceptable, whereas the financial consideration was considered the least acceptable. Nursing and psychology students perceive family involvement in medical decision-making as appropriate. In order to train students to support families in the process of decision-making, further research should examine Shared Decision-Making (SDM) programs, which involve patient and clinician collaboration in health care decisions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. [Drug use and involvement in risky driving styles in a sample of university students. The uniHcos project].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez-Mejías, Eladio; Medina-García, Miguel Ángel; Martínez-Ruiz, Virginia; Pulido-Manzanero, José; Fernández-Villa, Tania

    2015-09-01

    Drug and alcohol use are known to increase the risk of traffic accidents, especially among youth. However, the association between habitual drug use and the adoption of risky driving behavior is not well known. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the association between habitual drug use and involvement in risky driving practices overall and by gender among university students. A cross sectional study was conducted. The study population was composed of 559 car drivers younger than 31 years who completed an online questionnaire during the 2011-2012 academic year. Among other factors, the questionnaire assessed the following items: habitual drug consumption (20 or more days) during the last year and involvement in other risky driving practices during the last month. A total of 27.7% of students reported they had used drugs regularly during the last year. Drug use was associated with a higher frequency of involvement in risky driving practices. In men, the factors most strongly associated with drug consumption were speeding, driving under influence of alcohol, and feeling drowsy while driving. In women, drug consumption was mainly associated with smoking while driving, drunk driving, and driving without rest. The results of our study support the hypothesis that habitual drug use is associated with an increased frequency of risky driving behavior. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  14. Graduate Student Project: Operations Management Product Plan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fish, Lynn

    2007-01-01

    An operations management product project is an effective instructional technique that fills a void in current operations management literature in product planning. More than 94.1% of 286 graduates favored the project as a learning tool, and results demonstrate the significant impact the project had in predicting student performance. The author…

  15. The Effect of STEM Learning through the Project of Designing Boat Model toward Student STEM Literacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tati, T.; Firman, H.; Riandi, R.

    2017-09-01

    STEM Learning focusses on development of STEM-literate society, the research about implementation of STEM learning to develope students’ STEM literacy is still limited. This study is aimed to examine the effect of implementation STEM learning through the project of designing boat model on students STEM literacy in energy topic. The method of this study was a quasi-experiment with non-randomized pretest-posttest control group design. There were two classes involved, the experiment class used Project Based Learning with STEM approach and control class used Project-Based Learning without STEM approach. A STEM Literacy test instrument was developed to measure students STEM literacy which consists of science literacy, mathematics literacy, and technology-engineering literacy. The analysis showed that there were significant differences on improvement science literacy, mathematics technology-engineering between experiment class and control class with effect size more than 0.8 (large effect). The difference of improvement of STEM literacy between experiment class and control class is caused by the existence of design engineering activity which required students to apply the knowledge from every field of STEM. The challenge that was faced in STEM learning through design engineering activity was how to give the students practice to integrate STEM field in solving the problems. In additional, most of the students gave positive response toward implementation of STEM learning through design boat model project.

  16. Evaluating the Impact of Two Globalization Projects on College Students' Cultural Competence and Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes-Murphy, Solange A.

    2013-01-01

    Cultural competence and CQ involve awareness of cultural similarities and differences, knowledge of differences in cultural values, and intercultural encounters. To assess college students' cultural competence and cultural intelligence gains, this experimental study evaluated the impact of two globalization projects on these two constructs. The…

  17. DTUsat the Ideal CDIO project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fléron, René

    2016-01-01

    -disciplinary collaboration and all the devils buried in the details of realizing any theoretical project is barely touched upon. The CDIO approach aims to simulate this and thereby prepare the students to meet the challenges of an engineering job. Whereas the standard student project at DTU involves one to three students...

  18. An Innovative, Experiential-Learning Project for Sales Management and Professional Selling Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapman, Joseph; Schetzsle, Stacey; Wahlers, Russell

    2016-01-01

    This article presents an innovative, experiential-learning project that incorporates students from two different courses: sales management and professional selling. Sales management students actually manage sales students on an outside sales project. Students apply classroom knowledge to a real-life sales project for a local community…

  19. Homework Involvement among Hong Kong Primary School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tam, Vicky C. W.

    2009-01-01

    One component of the curriculum reform in Hong Kong focuses on the use of homework in consolidating learning, deepening understanding and constructing knowledge. This study examines the profile of Hong Kong primary school students' homework involvement, and investigates the relationships between time involvement and academic attributes, namely…

  20. QUEST for Quality for Students: A Student Quality Concept. Volume 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galán Palomares, Fernando Miguel; Todorovski, Blazhe; Kažoka, Asnate; Saarela, Henni

    2013-01-01

    This is the final publication of the QUEST for Quality for Students (QUEST) project, run by the European Students' Union. The QUEST project has managed to analyse students' views on the quality of higher education to identify areas in which students can become increasingly involved in quality assurance and enhancement processes. This publication…

  1. CERN Summer Student Project Report

    CERN Document Server

    Parton, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    My Summer Student project was divided between two areas: work on Thin Gap Chamber (TGC) Level-1 muon triggers for the ATLAS experiment, and data acquisition (DAQ) for an RPC muon detector at the Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF++)

  2. Assessing student understanding of sound waves and trigonometric reasoning in a technology-rich, project-enhanced environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilhelm, Jennifer Anne

    This case study examined what student content understanding could occur in an inner city Industrial Electronics classroom located at Tree High School where project-based instruction, enhanced with technology, was implemented for the first time. Students participated in a project implementation unit involving sound waves and trigonometric reasoning. The unit was designed to foster common content learning (via benchmark lessons) by all students in the class, and to help students gain a deeper conceptual understanding of a sub-set of the larger content unit (via group project research). The objective goal of the implementation design unit was to have students gain conceptual understanding of sound waves, such as what actually waves in a wave, how waves interfere with one another, and what affects the speed of a wave. This design unit also intended for students to develop trigonometric reasoning associated with sinusoidal curves and superposition of sinusoidal waves. Project criteria within this design included implementation features, such as the need for the student to have a driving research question and focus, the need for benchmark lessons to help foster and scaffold content knowledge and understanding, and the need for project milestones to complete throughout the implementation unit to allow students the time for feedback and revision. The Industrial Electronics class at Tree High School consisted of nine students who met daily during double class periods giving 100 minutes of class time per day. The class teacher had been teaching for 18 years (mathematics, physics, and computer science). He had a background in engineering and experience teaching at the college level. Benchmark activities during implementation were used to scaffold fundamental ideas and terminology needed to investigate characteristics of sound and waves. Students participating in benchmark activities analyzed motion and musical waveforms using probeware, and explored wave phenomena using waves

  3. Student-Involved Data Use: Establishing the Evidence Base

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jimerson, Jo Beth; Reames, Ellen

    2015-01-01

    In this conceptual paper, we map the research terrain on what we term "student-involved data use" (SIDU)--that is, the practice of having students track, chart, and analyze their own data in formal and structured ways. Drawing on peer-reviewed research as well as practitioner-oriented literature, social media, and district websites, we…

  4. Implementation of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) through One Man One Tree to Improve Students' Attitude and Behavior to Support "Sekolah Adiwiyata"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Risnani; Sumarmi; Astina, I. Komang

    2017-01-01

    The attitude and behavior of the students of class XI-6 in relation to environmental awareness is very low. It proves that there is no student involvement in environmental conservation. The purpose of this study is to increase students' attitude and behavior related to environmental conservation using "One Man One Tree" Project Based…

  5. Student and Faculty Outcomes of Undergraduate Science Research Projects by Geographically Dispersed Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Lawton; Kennepohl, Dietmar

    2013-01-01

    Senior undergraduate research projects are important components of most undergraduate science degrees. The delivery of such projects in a distance education format is challenging. Athabasca University (AU) science project courses allow distance education students to complete research project courses by working with research supervisors in their…

  6. Experiences with project-oriented research in graduate engineering education

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miley, G.H.

    1976-01-01

    Two examples of project-oriented research that involve the conceptual design of fusion systems are described. One of these projects involved close collaboration with workers in a national laboratory while the second was formally organized as a cooperative effort with two other laboratories. An important educational aspect of such research is that the students are involved in a design team composed of both students and professionals facing a realistic problem. In retrospect, it appears that both students and faculty profited from the experience. Several students have taken jobs in related areas, and additional research has resulted at the University from new insight gained during the projects

  7. Inspiring students through an authentic polar science expedition: the RESEt Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cattadori, Matteo

    2016-04-01

    RESEt (Research and Education Svalbard Experience www.resetsvalbard.it) is an ongoing educational project focusing mainly on polar and climate system topics. It started in 2014 and will end in 2017 with the high school diploma of the 22 students (16 y. o.) making the participant class. This class attend a school (Liceo Filzi, Rovereto, Trento. Italy) with a primary focus on disciplines like philosophy and education, rather then STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Nevertheless their science curricula include climate topics that are rather challenging to grasp and, at the same time, crucial for their scientific citizenship. Some questions arise: How to foster their interest in geosciences topics? How to engage them in authentic scientific knowledge? How to increase their interest in scientific university courses during their post-secondary career? RESEt project will attempt to answer these questions through the development of integrated activities distributed over the last three years of their high school cycle. The most important moment will be an educational scientific expedition at the Svalbard, an archipelago located in the Arctic. The expedition be entirely organized, planned, and directed by students. In Svalbard, students will visit the main scientific facilities devoted to climate studies including those of Italian CNR (National Research Council) and they will perform some environmental measurement using data-loggers. Students are even involved in the fundraising process to raise more than ten thousand Euros needed to for travel expenses. This work is aimed mainly at presenting some of the preliminary data collected during the RESEt project, including the fundraising aspects. The management of the RESEt project strongly relies on the experience and network gained by the abstract author during the participation to the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program of International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2009 as well as the support of Polar

  8. Project Magnify: Increasing Reading Skills in Students with Low Vision

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farmer, Jeanie; Morse, Stephen E.

    2007-01-01

    Modeled after Project PAVE (Corn et al., 2003) in Tennessee, Project Magnify is designed to test the idea that students with low vision who use individually prescribed magnification devices for reading will perform as well as or better than students with low vision who use large-print reading materials. Sixteen students with low vision were…

  9. Involvement of Students in E-Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Ya, Marwa; Aziz, Sheikha A.; Mohyuddin, Muhammad Raheel; Al Balushi, Nabila

    2017-01-01

    The involvement of E-learning activities for students in the classroom play an important role in the teaching and learning process. In this paper, the authors describe how we collected information from 3-different Colleges/Universities in Oman forming an online study with regard to the use of internet, e-library, online book access, and…

  10. A Large Scale Problem Based Learning inter-European Student Satellite Construction Project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jens Frederik Dalsgaard; Alminde, Lars; Bisgaard, Morten

    2006-01-01

    that electronic communication technology was vital within the project. Additionally the SSETI EXPRESS project implied the following problems it didn’t fit to a standard semester - 18 months for the satellite project compared to 5/6 months for a “normal” semester project. difficulties in integrating the tasks......A LARGE SCALE PROBLEM BASED LEARNING INTER-EUROPEAN STUDENT SATELLITE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT This paper describes the pedagogical outcome of a large scale PBL experiment. ESA (European Space Agency) Education Office launched January 2004 an ambitious project: Let students from all over Europe build....... The satellite was successfully launched on October 27th 2005 (http://www.express.space.aau.dk). The project was a student driven project with student project responsibility adding at lot of international experiences and project management skills to the outcome of more traditional one semester, single group...

  11. An exploration of service user involvement in the assessment of students

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naylor, S.; Harcus, J.; Elkington, M.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: This paper is an exploration of service user involvement in assessing first year diagnostic radiography students' ability to practise and interact with the public safely prior to attending placement. Service users took the role of patients during a simulation exercise undertaken in a general X-ray room. In recent years the importance of involving service users in all aspects of healthcare has been promoted; this includes being involved in the education of healthcare workers. The evaluation of service user involvement in the education of healthcare workers is limited, as is any literature about service user involvement outside nursing, mental health, and social work. Method: Feedback was obtained via email and face to face via a focus group from academic staff, service users and students using open questions. Results: The benefits of service user involvement were that it made the exercise more relevant and meaningful. It was perceived as a valuable exercise for the students to interact with service users in terms of developing, and for assessing, patient care, communication and positioning skills. The service users valued the experience. Issues highlighted include travel to the venue and the physical demands on the service user. Concerns highlighted by previous authors of preparation of the service users for their role, and remuneration had been addressed prior to the exercise. Conclusion: There is increasing diversity in the ways in which service users are involved in education. Service user involvement as patients in a simulation exercise for student assessment was deemed successful in this setting. - Highlights: • There is limited literature about service user involvement outside nursing, mental health and social work. • There are benefits to involving service users in the assessment of student diagnostic radiographers. • There are challenges to involving service users in the assessment of student diagnostic radiographers

  12. Engaging students in astronomy and spectroscopy through Project SPECTRA!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, E. L.

    2011-12-01

    Computer simulations for minds-on learning with "Project Spectra!" How do we gain information about the Sun? How do we know Mars has CO2 or that Enceladus has H2O geysers? How do we use light in astronomy? These concepts are something students and educators struggle with because they are abstract. Using simulations and computer interactives (games) where students experience and manipulate the information makes concepts accessible. Visualizing lessons with multi-media solidifies understanding and retention of knowledge and is completely unlike its paper-and-pencil counterpart. Visualizations also enable teachers to forgo purchasing expensive laboratory equipment. "Project Spectra!" is a science and engineering program that uses computer-based Flash interactives to expose students to astronomical spectroscopy and actual data in a way that is not possible with traditional in-class activities. To engage students in "Project Spectra!", students are given a mission, which connects them with the research at hand. Missions range from exploring remote planetary atmospheres and surfaces, experimenting with the Sun using different filters, or analyzing the soil of a remote planet. Additionally, students have an opportunity to learn about NASA missions, view movies, and see images connected with their mission, which is something that is not practical to do during a typical paper-and-pencil activity. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. These interactives complement in-class Project SPECTRA! activities exploring applications of the electromagnetic spectrum.

  13. Supporting research projects via student workshops

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marschall, Max; Schmeck, Michel; Gengnagel, Christoph

    2016-01-01

    As part of a joint research project between the Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) and te Department for Structural Design and Technology (KET), a one week student workshop was organised at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK) in Copenhagen. This paper outlines...... the teaching methods applied to reach maximum insight from student interaction, despite the unfamiliarity the students had with the research matter: physical and numeric form-finding for lightweight hybrid structures. Hybrid structures are defined here as combining different components of low stiffness...

  14. Using Medical Student Quality Improvement Projects to Promote Evidence-Based Care in the Emergency Department

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael W. Manning

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction The Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC initiative for Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency includes as an element of Entrustable Professional Activity 13 to “identify system failures and contribute to a culture of safety and improvement.” We set out to determine the feasibility of using medical students’ action learning projects (ALPs to expedite implementation of evidence-based pathways for three common patient diagnoses in the emergency department (ED setting (Atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and pulmonary embolism. Methods These prospective quality improvement (QI initiatives were performed over six months in three Northeastern PA hospitals. Emergency physician mentors were recruited to facilitate a QI experience for third-year medical students for each project. Six students were assigned to each mentor and given class time and network infrastructure support (information technology, consultant experts in lean management to work on their projects. Students had access to background network data that revealed potential for improvement in disposition (home for patients. Results Under the leadership of their mentors, students accomplished standard QI processes such as performing the background literature search and assessing key stakeholders’ positions that were involved in the respective patient’s care. Students effectively developed flow diagrams, computer aids for clinicians and educational programs, and participated in recruiting champions for the new practice standard. They met with other departmental clinicians to determine barriers to implementation and used this feedback to help set specific parameters to make clinicians more comfortable with the changes in practice that were recommended. All three clinical practice guidelines were initiated at consummation of the students’ projects. After implementation, 86% (38/44 of queried ED providers felt comfortable

  15. Microbial Murders Crime Scene Investigation: An Active Team-Based Learning Project that Enhances Student Enthusiasm and Comprehension of Clinical Microbial Pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steel, J Jordan

    2017-01-01

    Microbial disease knowledge is a critical component of microbiology courses and is beneficial for many students' future careers. Microbiology courses traditionally cover core concepts through lectures and labs, but specific instruction on microbial diseases varies greatly depending on the instructor and course. A common project involves students researching and presenting a disease to the class. This method alone is not very effective, and course evaluations have consistently indicated that students felt they lacked adequate disease knowledge; therefore, a more hands-on and interactive disease project was developed called Microbial Murders. For this team-based project, a group of students chooses a pathogen, researches the disease, creates a "mugshot" of the pathogen, and develops a corresponding "crime scene," where a hypothetical patient has died from the microbe. Each group gives a presentation introducing the microbial pathogen, signs/symptoms, treatments, and overall characteristics. The students then visit each other's crime scenes to match the pathogen with the correct crime scene by critically thinking through the clues. This project has shown remarkable success. Surveys indicate that 73% of students thought the project helped them understand the material and 84% said it was worth their time. Student participation, excitement, understanding, and application of microbial disease knowledge have increased and are evident through an increase in course evaluations and in student assessment scores. This project is easy to implement and can be used in a wide variety of biology, microbiology, or health classes for any level (middle school through college).

  16. From Local to EXtreme Environments (FLEXE) Student-Scientist Online Forums: hypothesis-based research examining ways to involve scientists in effective science education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goehring, L.; Carlsen, W.; Fisher, C. R.; Kerlin, S.; Trautmann, N.; Petersen, W.

    2011-12-01

    Science education reform since the mid-1990's has called for a "new way of teaching and learning about science that reflects how science itself is done, emphasizing inquiry as a way of achieving knowledge and understanding about the world" (NRC, 1996). Scientists and engineers, experts in inquiry thinking, have been called to help model these practices for students and demonstrate scientific habits of mind. The question, however, is "how best to involve these experts?" given the very real challenges of limited availability of scientists, varying experience with effective pedagogy, widespread geographic distribution of schools, and the sheer number of students involved. Technology offers partial solutions to enable Student-Scientist Interactions (SSI). The FLEXE Project has developed online FLEXE Forums to support efficient, effective SSIs, making use of web-based and database technology to facilitate communication between students and scientists. More importantly, the FLEXE project has approached this question of "how best to do this?" scientifically, combining program evaluation with hypothesis-based research explicitly testing the effects of such SSIs on student learning and attitudes towards science. FLEXE Forums are designed to showcase scientific practices and habits of mind through facilitated interaction between students and scientists. Through these Forums, students "meet" working scientists and learn about their research and the environments in which they work. Scientists provide students with intriguing "real-life" datasets and challenge students to analyze and interpret the data through guiding questions. Students submit their analyses to the Forum, and scientists provide feedback and connect the instructional activity with real-life practice, showcasing their activities in the field. In the FLEXE project, Forums are embedded within inquiry-based instructional units focused on essential learning concepts, and feature the deep-sea environment in contrast

  17. The Impact of Motivation to Lead on College Students' Cocurricular Involvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pepper, Robert C.

    2009-01-01

    This exploratory research examined the impact of motivation to lead on college students' cocurricular involvement. The question driving this research was: Is motivation to lead a predictor of cocurricular student involvement? A 52-item questionnaire that included the Motivation to Lead Self-Report Questionnaire (Chan & Drasgow, 2001) was used to…

  18. A Phenomenological Study of Parental Involvement and the Undergraduate College Student Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrison, David Michael

    2013-01-01

    Parents highly involved in the academic lives of their college-going children have become increasingly common and yet the effect of such involvement on students is poorly understood by student services administrators and faculty. The purpose of this study was to better define the phenomenon of parental involvement in college through an…

  19. Project-Based Learning and Design-Focused Projects to Motivate Secondary Mathematics Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remijan, Kelly W.

    2017-01-01

    This article illustrates how mathematics teachers can develop design-focused projects, related to project-based learning, to motivate secondary mathematics students. With first-hand experience as a secondary mathematics teacher, I provide a series of steps related to the engineering design process, which are helpful to teachers in developing…

  20. Authentic research projects: Students' perspectives on the process, ownership, and benefits of doing research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernard, Warren

    2005-11-01

    Authentic research projects are one type of inquiry activity as defined by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993) and are a core component in science education reform movements. The purpose of this study was to examine high school students' perspectives of an authentic research project. The context for this study was a local Science and Engineering Fair (SEF) that involved students from a Metro-Atlanta public high school. This study provided information about this type of activity from the student's perspective, an emic viewpoint. In this qualitative study, demographic information was used for the purposeful selection of fourteen students making up the study sample. In this descriptive ethnography, data were collected via an open-ended survey, three individual interviews, a web log, and a group interview. Interviews were audio taped and conducted according to the protocol established by Lincoln and Guba (1998). Transcripts of the interviews, web logs, and survey responses were coded and analyzed by the constant comparative method as described by Glaser and Strauss (1965). Reliability and validity were achieved through member checks and triangulation. Using Gowin's Vee diagram (1981) as a theoretical framework for analysis, themes emerged describing the students' research experience. The themes included the students' initial reactions, difficulty getting started, accepting ownership of their project, growing interest, acknowledged benefits of the research experience, and a reflective look back at their experience. Overall, students described the authentic research experience as a worthwhile activity. The implications of the study are two-fold. At the practitioner level, teachers should engage students in research, but should do so in a manner that maximizes authenticity. Examples may include having students present a formal prospectus and work with a scientist mentor. For Science Educators in teacher preparation programs, there should be an

  1. 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.

  2. "Know Your Well" A Groundwater Quality Project to Inform Students and Well-Owners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, C.; Snow, D.; Samal, A.; Ray, C.; Kreifels, M.

    2017-12-01

    Over 15 million U.S. households rely on private, household wells for drinking water, and these sources are not protected under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Data on private well water quality is slowly being collected and evaluated from a number of different agencies, sources and projects. A new project is designed both for training high school students and to help assess the quality of water from rural domestic wells in Nebraska. This "crowd sourced" program engaging high school agricultural education programs, FFA chapters, and science classes with students sampling and testing water sampling from rural domestic wells from 12 districts across the state. Students and teachers from selected school were trained through multiple school visits, both in the classroom and in the field. Classroom visits were used to introduce topics such as water quality and groundwater, and testing methods for specific analytes. During the field visit, students were exposed to field techniques, the importance of accuracy in data collection, and what factors might influence the water in sampled wells. High school students learn to sample and test water independently. Leadership and initiative is developed through the program, and many experience the enlightenment that comes with citizen science. A customized mobile app was developed for ease of data entry and visualization, and data uploaded to a secure website where information was stored and compared to laboratory tests of the same measurements. General water quality parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity, major anions are tested in the field and laboratory, as well as environmental contaminants such as arsenic, uranium, pesticides, bacteria. Test kits provided to each class were used by the students to measure selected parameters, and then duplicate water samples were analyzed at a university laboratory. Five high schools are involved in the project during its first year. Nitrate, bacteria and pesticides represent major

  3. The Inspiring Science Education project and the resources for HEP analysis by university students

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fassouliotis, Dimitris; Kourkoumelis, Christine; Vourakis, Stylianos

    2016-01-01

    The Inspiring Science Education outreach project has been running for more than two years, creating a large number of inquiry based educational resources for high-school teachers and students. Its goal is the promotion of science education in schools though new methods built on the inquiry based education techniques, involving large consortia of European partners and implementation of large-scale pilots in schools. Recent hands-on activities, developing and testing the above mentioned innovative applications are reviewed. In general, there is a lack for educational scenaria and laboratory courses earmarked for more advanced, namely university, students. At the University of Athens for the last four years, the HYPATIA on-line event analysis tool has been used as a lab course for fourth year undergraduate physics students, majoring in HEP. Up to now, the course was limited to visual inspection of a few tens of ATLAS events. Recently the course was enriched with additional analysis exercises, which involve large samples of events. The students through a user friendly interface can analyse the samples and optimize the cut selection in order to search for new physics. The implementation of this analysis is described

  4. The Impact of Socio-environmental Projects of Jewish and Bedouin Youth in Israel on Students' Local Knowledge and Views of Each Other

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkaher, Iris; Tal, Tali

    2014-02-01

    This study is part of a first study of collaborative socio-environmental projects that engage Jewish and Arab students in Israel in learning about their local environment and about each other through outdoor learning and environmental action. We used ideas of social learning and environmental citizenship to frame our research. We investigated students' knowledge regarding their local environment and their knowledge of each other's community. We also studied the participants' views regarding their project-partners'environmental knowledge, awareness and behaviour in comparison to their own. Initially, differences were found regarding various aspects of the students' socio-environmental knowledge and in students' views of their counterparts' environmentalism. At the end of the projects, students showed better understanding of local socio-environmental issues and demonstrated changes in their original views towards the environmental awareness and behaviour of their counterparts. These findings suggest that projects which involve students from segregated communities not only promote environmental awareness but contribute to a reduction in mutual prejudices. We suggest that the differences we found are not related to ethnicity, but rather to students' socioeconomic status and experience in environmental education programmes.

  5. Graduate Student Project: Employer Operations Management Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fish, Lynn A.

    2008-01-01

    Part-time graduate students at an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-accredited college complete a unique project by applying operations management concepts to their current employer. More than 92% of 368 graduates indicated that this experiential project was a positive learning experience, and results show a positive impact on…

  6. Debunking Myths: The B.C. Student Transitions Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaber, Devron; Heslop, Joanne

    2009-01-01

    British Colombia's Student Transitions Project (STP) is challenging long-held myths about the movement of students through the education system in that province and may become a catalyst for re-examining commonly held ideas about students' transition to post-secondary education across the country. The STP is a collaborative effort among B.C.'s…

  7. Factors Responsible for Students' Involvement in Internet Fraud as ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Internet fraud is one of the most rapidly increasing forms of cybercrime. It has become rampant among students generally because they make use of different Internet devices in schools. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors responsible for students' involvement in Internet fraud as expressed by tertiary ...

  8. Cinemeducation: A pilot student project using movies to help students learn medical professionalism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lumlertgul, Nuttha; Kijpaisalratana, Naruchorn; Pityaratstian, Nuttorn; Wangsaturaka, Danai

    2009-07-01

    Using movies has been accepted worldwide as a tool to help students learn medical professionalism. In the second year, a group of medical students conducted the "Cinemeducation" project to promote professionalism in the "Medical Ethics and Critical Thinking" course. Five movies with professionalism issues were screened with 20-30 students attending each session. After the show, participants then were asked to reflect on what they had learned in terms of professionalism. Two students led group discussion emphasizing questioning and argumentation for 60 min. Additional learning issues emerging from each session were also explored in more depth and arranged into a report. In the Cinemeducation Project, medical students have learned five main ethical issues in each film, which were the doctor-patient relationship, informed consent and clinical trials in patients, management of genetic disorders, patient management, and brain death and organ transplantation. In addition to issues of professionalism, they also developed critical thinking and moral reasoning skills. Using a case-based scenario in movies has proven to be an effective and entertaining method of facilitating students with learning on professionalism.

  9. Students' Perceptions of Life Skill Development in Project-Based Learning Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Kimberly; Wurdinger, Scott

    2016-01-01

    This research aimed to examine students' perceptions of their life skills while attending project-based learning (PBL) schools. The study focused on three questions including: (1) What are students' perceptions of their development of life skills in project-based learning schools?; (2) In what ways, if any, do students perceive an increase in…

  10. Students' Involvement in Faculty Research: Ethical and Methodological Issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda M. Ferguson

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Faculty who engage students as participants in their qualitative research often encounter methodological and ethical problems. Ethical issues arise from the fiduciary relationship between faculty and their students, and violations of that relationship occur when the educator has a dual role as researcher with those students. Methodological issues arise from research designs to address these ethical issues. This conflict is particularly evident in faculty research on pedagogy in their own disciplines, for which students are necessary as participants but are captive in the relationship. In this article, the authors explore the issues of double agency when faculty involve students as participants in their research.

  11. Project SAIL: An Evaluation of a Dropout Prevention Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, John L.; And Others

    Project SAIL (Student Advocates Inspire Learning) is a Title IV-C Project located in Hopkins, Minnesota, designed to prevent students from dropping out of school by keeping them successfully involved in the mainstream environment. This study presents a review of other dropout prevention approaches, describes the intervention strategies involved in…

  12. Urban High School Student Engagement through CincySTEM iTEST Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckett, Gulbahar H.; Hemmings, Annette; Maltbie, Catherine; Wright, Kathy; Sherman, Melissa; Sersion, Brian

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on the notable heightening of underrepresented students' engagement in STEM education through project-based learning CincySTEM iTEST projects. The projects, funded by an iTEST NSF grant, were designed and facilitated by teachers at a new STEM urban public high school serving low-income African-American students. Student…

  13. Parent Educational Involvement in Middle School: Longitudinal Influences on Student Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garbacz, S Andrew; Zerr, Argero A; Dishion, Thomas J; Seeley, John R; Stormshak, Elizabeth A

    2018-05-01

    The present study examined influences of 6 th grade student-reported parent educational involvement on early adolescent peer group affiliations at 7 th and 8 th grade. In addition, student gender and ethnicity were explored as possible moderators. Drawn from a large effectiveness trial, participants in this study were 5,802 early adolescents across twenty middle schools in the Northwest region of the United States. Findings suggested that specifically parent's educational involvement in 6 th grade predicted increases in positive peer affiliation, when controlling for a general score of parent monitoring practices. The relation between parent educational involvement and peer affiliation varied by student ethnicity but not by gender. Findings suggest the social benefits of parent's engagement with the school context on early adolescent development.

  14. University-Level Research Projects for High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    McConnell, Mark L.

    2000-01-01

    The goal of this project was to provide an opportunity for high school students to participate in university-level research projects. In this case, students from Pinkerton Academy (Derry, New Hampshire) were invited to participate in efforts to catalog data from the COMPTEL experiment on NASA's Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO). These activities were part of a senior level honors course at Pinkerton. Although the success of this particular program was rather limited, we feel that the general concept is a sound one. In principle, the concept of partnerships between local schools and university researchers is one that could be especially attractive to soft money researchers. Programs can be carefully designed to benefit both the students and the research program.

  15. The evolution of a doctor of nursing practice capstone process: programmatic revisions to improve the quality of student projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Joan M; Cook, Paul F; Raterink, Ginger

    2013-01-01

    The past several years have seen explosive growth in the number of doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree programs offered by colleges of nursing in the United States. Through a process of trial and error since 2005, the faculty at the University of Colorado, College of Nursing, have revised the course structure and procedures related to the DNP capstone project to improve the quality and usefulness of these student projects. Efforts have focused on educating and involving all nursing faculty in the DNP capstone process, distinguishing between competencies for our PhD and DNP projects, clearly aligning the DNP capstone project with quality improvement methods rather than with research, working with our campus institutional review board to clarify regulatory review requirements for quality improvement studies, developing a review committee to oversee DNP students' projects, and structuring our sequential course requirements to encourage students' professional presentations and publications. Our current capstone process reflects 7 years of iterative work, which we summarize in this article in hopes that it will help institutions currently in the process of developing a DNP program. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Student Involvement in Wellness Policies: A Study of Pennsylvania Local Education Agencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jomaa, Lamis H.; McDonnell, Elaine; Weirich, Elaine; Hartman, Terryl; Jensen, Leif; Probart, Claudia

    2010-01-01

    Objective: Explore student-involvement goals in local wellness policies (LWPs) of local education agencies (LEAs) in Pennsylvania (PA) and investigate associations with LEA characteristics. Design: An observational study that helped examine student-involvement goals. Setting: Public PA LEAs. Participants: LWPs submitted by 539 PA public LEAs. Main…

  17. Students in Action Initiative

    OpenAIRE

    Ryan, Theresa; Mottiar, Ziene; Quinn, Bernadette; Gorman, Catherine; Griffin, Kevin; Craggs, Ruth; Quinn, Deirdre

    2015-01-01

    The Students in Action Project in the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism was established in 2012 as a way of engaging students and working with stakeholders in a destination. The overall aim of the project was to immerse students in an active collaborative learning environment within the destination to identify ways in which tourism could be enhanced. In the 2014/2015 academic year the project involved over 300 students from a variety of programmes and modules working with local sta...

  18. Using UAVs to Conduct Student-led Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olds, S. E.; Lewis, P. M., Jr.

    2016-12-01

    Recreational drones can inspire students to initiate research projects. These "toys" have a low cost (Arduino board, SABEL collects temperature, humidity, and GPS position. This presentation will provide examples of student-led investigations, instructions for building the SABEL sensor package, and the status of the new e-book compilation of student-focused activities using recreational drones to pursue science, math, engineering, and technology research investigations.

  19. Summary of student scenarios: 2020 Vision project, fiscal year 1997

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gordon, K.W.; Munoz, A.; Scott, K.P.; Rinne, R.

    1997-11-01

    The Strategic Issues Thinking: 2020 Vision project introduces students and teaches to national security issues through the techniques of scenario building, and engages them in an interactive process of creating scenarios relevant to the Department of Energy, Defense Programs (DOE/DP). Starting with the world as it is today, teams of students develop a series of scenarios on international developments over the next 25 years under various circumstances. This report identifies recurrent themes in the student`s scenarios, lists creative ways the students presented their scenarios, compares and contrasts the program`s FY97 results with FY96 results, identifies the benefits of the program, and offers a glimpse of Sandia`s future plans for the 2020 Vision project.

  20. Gender and legitimacy in student project groups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Gerd

    also found that some of the positive and negative characteristics were linked to the students due to their gender. Through the argument that female students talk too much or are having difficulty in coping with criticism, male students refused to cooperate with the female students. Conversely, the male...... students, who were few in the educations I studied, were quite in demand. For me it was very surprising to find these stereotypical perceptions and reasoning among young people in contemporary (and quite progressive) Danish educations. And the question is what it means for the students’ possibilities...... of completing their education. In my presentation I will unfold and discuss the ways in which the students attributed and disclaimed legitimacy to each other qua gender and thus how gender was linked to the relationship between inclusion and exclusion in the student project groups....

  1. An Interdisciplinary Team Project: Psychology and Computer Science Students Create Online Cognitive Tasks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flannery, Kathleen A.; Malita, Mihaela

    2014-01-01

    We present our case study of an interdisciplinary team project for students taking either a psychology or computer science (CS) course. The project required psychology and CS students to combine their knowledge and skills to create an online cognitive task. Each interdisciplinary project team included two psychology students who conducted library…

  2. Parent Educational Involvement in Middle School: Longitudinal Influences on Student Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garbacz, S. Andrew; Zerr, Argero A.; Dishion, Thomas J.; Seeley, John R.; Stormshak, Elizabeth A.

    2017-01-01

    The present study examined influences of 6th grade student-reported parent educational involvement on early adolescent peer group affiliations at 7th and 8th grade. In addition, student gender and ethnicity were explored as possible moderators. Drawn from a large effectiveness trial, participants in this study were 5,802 early adolescents across twenty middle schools in the Northwest region of the United States. Findings suggested that specifically parent’s educational involvement in 6th grade predicted increases in positive peer affiliation, when controlling for a general score of parent monitoring practices. The relation between parent educational involvement and peer affiliation varied by student ethnicity but not by gender. Findings suggest the social benefits of parent’s engagement with the school context on early adolescent development. PMID:29731534

  3. Student Perceptions on Live-Case Projects: Undergraduate Marketing Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gundala, Raghava Rao; Singh, Mandeep; Baldwin, Andrew

    2014-01-01

    This paper is an investigation into undergraduate students' perceptions on use of live projects as a teaching pedagogy in marketing research courses. Students in undergraduate marketing research courses from fall 2009 to spring 2013 completed an online questionnaire consisting of 17 items. The results suggested that student understanding of…

  4. Introducing an Innovative Project Management Framework for First Year StudentsProject Work in a PBL Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, Lise B.; Møller, Michael Labovic

    2010-01-01

    Students at Aalborg University (AAU) in Denmark are educated according to the Aalborg Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach which entails working in groups and completing a project each semester. In accordance with this approach students are offered a course – Co-operation, Learning and Project...... in general acknowledge the benefits of thorough project plans and schedules, they often experience difficulties developing them and abiding by them. These experienced difficulties are caused by lack of motivation and competence within this particular area of project management. This paper describes how a new...

  5. A longitudinal online interprofessional education experience involving family nurse practitioner students and pharmacy students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Andrea; Broeseker, Amy; Cunningham, Jill; Cortes, Cyndi; Beall, Jennifer; Bigham, Amy; Chang, Jongwha

    2017-03-01

    Interprofessional education (IPE) continues to gain traction worldwide. Challenges integrating IPE into health profession programmes include finding convenient times, meeting spaces, and level-appropriate assignments for each profession. This article describes the implementation of a 21-month prospective cohort study pilot programme for the Master of Science in nursing family nurse practitioner (FNP) and doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students at a private university in the United States. This IPE experience utilised a blended approach for the learning activities; these students had initial and final sessions where they met face-to-face, with asynchronous online activities between these two sessions. The online assignments, discussions, and quizzes during the pilot programme involved topics such as antimicrobial stewardship, hormone replacement therapy, human papilloma virus vaccination, prenatal counselling, emergency contraception, and effects of the Affordable Care Act on practice. The results suggested that the FNP students held more favourable attitudes about online IPE and that the PharmD students reported having a clearer understanding of their own roles and those of the other participating healthcare students. However, the students also reported wanting more face-to-face interaction during their online IPE experience. Implications from this study suggest that effective online IPE can be supported by ensuring educational parity between students regarding the various topics discussed and a consistent approach of the required involvement for all student groups is needed. In addition, given the students desire for more face-to-face interaction, it may be beneficial to offer online IPE activities for a shorter time period. It is anticipated that this study may inform other programmes that are exploring innovative approaches to provide IPE to promote effective collaboration in patient care.

  6. Reaping the harvest: nursing student service involvement with a campus gardening project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahonen, Kathleen; Lee, Carolyn; Daker, Emily

    2012-01-01

    The authors describe the development and incorporation of a multidisciplinary community garden as a service project in a baccalaureate nursing cohort in an urban university. The concepts of professional ethics and service, application of nutritional theory to a community cohort, and competencies in community health nursing are briefly discussed and applied to this service project.

  7. A series of student design projects for improving and modernizing safety helmets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beurden, van K.M.M. (Karin); Boer, de J. (Johannes); Stilma, M. (Margot); Teeuw, W.B. (Wouter)

    2014-01-01

    The Saxion Research Centre for Design and Technology employs many students during research projects. This paper discusses a series of student design projects on safety helmets in the Safety@Work project. At construction sites workers are required to wear personal protective equipment during their

  8. Playing Goffman's Information Game: A Classroom Activity Involving Student Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCoy, Charles Allan

    2017-01-01

    Goffman's dramaturgical approach is frequently used to introduce undergraduate students to the sociological understanding of human interaction. While a number of scholars have designed engaging student activities that highlight Goffman's approach, most of these activities tend to involve atypical embarrassing interactions or norm-breaking…

  9. The Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beichner, Robert J.

    2011-04-01

    How do you keep a classroom of 100 undergraduates actively learning? Can students practice communication and teamwork skills in a large class? How do you boost the performance of underrepresented groups? The Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) Project has addressed these concerns. Because of their inclusion in a leading introductory physics textbook, project materials are used by more than 1/3 of all science, math, and engineering majors nationwide. The room design and pedagogy have been adopted at more than 100 leading institutions across the country. Physics, chemistry, math, astronomy, biology, engineering, earth sciences, and even literature classes are currently being taught this way. Educational research indicates that students should collaborate on interesting tasks and be deeply involved with the material they are studying. We promote active learning in a redesigned classroom for 100 students or more. (Of course, smaller classes can also benefit.) Class time is spent primarily on "tangibles" and "ponderables"--hands-on activities, simulations, and interesting questions. Nine students sit in three teams at round tables. Instructors circulate and engage in Socratic dialogues. The setting looks like a banquet hall, with lively interactions nearly all the time. Hundreds of hours of classroom video and audio recordings, transcripts of numerous interviews and focus groups, data from conceptual learning assessments (using widely-recognized instruments in a pretest/posttest protocol), and collected portfolios of student work are part of our rigorous assessment effort. Our findings (based on data from over 16,000 students collected over five years as well as replications at adopting sites) can be summarized as the following: 1) Female failure rate is 1/5 of previous levels, even though more is demanded of students. 2) Minority failure rate is 1/4 that seen in traditionally taught courses. 3) At-risk students are more

  10. Mathematics in Student-­Centred Inquiry Learning: Student Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calder, Nigel

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines how mathematical understandings might be facilitated through student-centred inquiry. Data is drawn from a research project on student-centred inquiry learning that situated mathematics within authentic problem-solving contexts and involved students in a collaboratively constructed curriculum. A contemporary interpretive frame…

  11. NASA's Student Launch Projects: A Government Education Program for Science and Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepherd, Christena C.

    2009-01-01

    Among the many NASA education activities, the Student Launch projects are examples of how one agency has been working with students to inspire math, science and engineering interest. There are two Student Launch projects: Student Launch Initiative (SLI) for middle and high school students and the University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) for college students. The programs are described and website links are provided for further information. This document presents an example of how an agency can work with its unique resources in partnership with schools and communities to bring excitement to the classroom.

  12. Project Career: A qualitative examination of five college students with traumatic brain injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nardone, Amanda; Sampson, Elaine; Stauffer, Callista; Leopold, Anne; Jacobs, Karen; Hendricks, Deborah J; Elias, Eileen; Chen, Hui; Rumrill, Phillip

    2015-01-01

    Project Career is an interprofessional five-year development project designed to improve the employment success of undergraduate college and university students with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The case study information was collected and synthesized by the project's Technology and Employment Coordinators (TECs) at each of the project's three university sites. The project's evaluation is occurring independently through JBS International, Inc. Five case studies are presented to provide an understanding of student participants' experiences within Project Career. Each case study includes background on the student, engagement with technology, vocational supports, and interactions with his/her respective TEC. A qualitative analysis from the student's case notes is provided within each case study, along with a discussion of the overall qualitative analysis. Across all five students, the theme Positive Outcomes was mentioned most often in the case notes. Of all the different type of challenges, Cognitive Challenges were most often mentioned during meetings with the TECs, followed by Psychological Challenges, Physical Challenges, Other Challenges, and Academic Challenges, respectively. Project Career is providing academic enrichment and career enhancement that may substantially improve the unsatisfactory employment outcomes that presently await students with TBI following graduation.

  13. Online Lab Books for Supervision of Project Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badge, J. L.; Badge, R. M.

    2009-01-01

    In this article, the authors report a case study where Blackboard's wiki function was used to create electronic lab books for the supervision of undergraduate students completing laboratory based research projects. This successful experiment in supervision using electronic notebooks provided a searchable record of student work and a permanent…

  14. Motivations for Involvement: An Empirical Test of Parents of Students with Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fishman, Callen E.

    2011-01-01

    Parents of students in special education have greater barriers to parent involvement than parents of students in general education. Little is known, however, about the factors that facilitate or impede involvement practices for this group. This study investigated the extent to which the motivational factors from Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's (2005)…

  15. Strategies for involving undergraduates in mentored research (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marin-Spiotta, E.

    2013-12-01

    Early engagement in research can transform the undergraduate experience and has a positive effect on minority student recruitment to graduate school. Multiple strategies used to involve undergraduates in research at a large R1 university are presented. During my first four years as an assistant professor, my lab has hosted 14 undergraduates, 9 of them women and 4 of them Hispanic. Institutional support has been critical for undergraduate student involvement. UW supports a research program for incoming underrepresented students. An advantage of this program is very early research participation, with the opportunity for long-term training. One disadvantage is that many first year students have not yet identified their interests. The Biology major also requires students to complete an independent project, which culminates in a research symposium. Competitive research fellowships and grants are available for students to conduct work under faculty mentorship. We have been successful at keeping students on even when their majors are very different from our research discipline, mainly by providing flexibility and a welcoming lab environment. This mentoring culture is strongly fostered by graduate student interest and involvement with all undergraduates as well as active mentor training. By offering multiple pathways for involvement, we can accommodate students' changing schedules and priorities as well as changing lab needs. Students can volunteer, receive course credit, conduct an independent project or honors thesis, contribute to an existing project, do lab work or write a literature review, work with one mentor or on multiple projects. We often provide employment over the summer and subsequent semesters for continuing students. Some will increase their commitment over time and work more closely with me. Others reduce down to a few hours a week as they gain experience elsewhere. Most students stay multiple semesters and multiple years because they 'enjoy being in the

  16. Educational Benefits From the AAU-cubesat Student Satellite Project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alminde, Lars

    2003-01-01

    In September 2001 Aalborg university started the AAU-cubesat project that reached it climax when the student built satellite was launched into space on the 30th of June 2003 on top of a former Russian ICBM. AAU-cubesat was among the first five satellites to be launched that are built within the c......-satellite designs will be given. In addition as the project has been carried through by students then the educational value will be addressed as well....

  17. Using Service-Learning to Educate Students about Stakeholder Involvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beth Walter Honadle

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Using Lee’s definition of service-learning as “an instructional method in which students learn course content by actively participating in thoughtfully organized service experiences related to that content”, this article offers a case of action-oriented service- learning. It shows one way to combine traditional teaching methods with an action-oriented approach to service-learning that benefits both the community and imparts critical know-how into the education of planning students. Through service-learning students acquire valuable skills and also increase their competence as practitioners and increase their confidence in their field in a way that nurtures their abilities and provides minimal risk to the clientele because the students are working under the guidance of faculty. As previous research from diverse fields have shown, service-learning benefits the students and the groups they encounter through their projects. KEYWORDSservice-learning, civic engagement, community development

  18. 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.

  19. Implementing a Student-Designed Green Chemistry Laboratory Project in Organic Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Kate J.; Jones, T. Nicholas; Schaller, Chris P.; McIntee, Edward J.

    2014-01-01

    A multiweek organic chemistry laboratory project is described that emphasizes sustainable practices in experimental design. An emphasis on student-driven development of the project is meant to mirror the independent nature of research. Students propose environmentally friendly modifications of several reactions. With instructor feedback, students…

  20. The Acadia Learning Project: Lessons Learned from Engaging High School Teachers and Students in Citizen Science Supporting National Parks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, S. J.; Zoellick, B.; Davis, Y.; Lindsey, E.

    2009-12-01

    In 2007 the authors initiated a citizen science research project, supported with funding from the Maine Department of Education, designed to extend research at Acadia National Park to a broader geographic area while also providing high school students and teachers with an opportunity to engage in authentic research in cooperation with working scientists. The scientific focus of the work has been on providing information about the mercury burden of organisms at different trophic levels across different geographic and environmental settings. The pedagogical focus has been on providing students with immersion in a substantial, field-based project, including background research, hypothesis formulation, data collection and analysis, and presentation of research findings. Starting work with 6 teachers in two schools the first year, the project expanded to involve more than 20 teachers and 350 students in a dozen schools in its second year. In coming years, with support from NOAA and cooperation from other National Parks in the region, the project will expand to include work in other states along the coast of the Gulf of Maine. In this paper the authors describe evolution in the use of the Internet over the first two years of the project, a sharpened focus on professional development for teachers, survey results regarding student views of the nature of science, the importance of focusing on rigorous, useful data collection from an educational perspective, success in establishing that samples collected by students are useful in research, the disjuncture between scientific and pedagogical outcomes, an assessment of the value of student poster presentations, and lessons learned about preparation and use of curriculum support materials. The authors also describe future directions, which include an increased focus on professional development and student work with graphs, a narrower focus in sample collection, and increased use of the Internet to provide participating teachers

  1. EDITORIAL: Student undergraduate laboratory and project work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schumacher, Dieter

    2007-05-01

    During the last decade 'labwork' courses at university level have changed significantly. The beginning of this development was indicated and partly initiated by the EU-project 'Labwork in Science Education' funded by the European Community (1999-2001). The present special issue of the European Journal of Physics focuses on a multitude of different aspects of this process. The aim of this publication is to improve the exchange of experience and to promote this important trend. In physics research labs a silent revolution has taken place. Today the personal computer is omnipresent. It controls the experiment via stepping motors, piezo-microdrives etc, it monitors all parameters and collects the experimental data with the help of smart sensors. In particular, computer-based modern scanning and imaging techniques open the possibility of creating really new types of experiments. The computer allows data storage and processing on the one hand and simulation and modelling on the other. These processes occur in parallel or may even be interwoven. The web plays an important role in modern science for inquiry, communication, cooperation and publication. Traditional labwork courses do not prepare students for the many resulting demands. Therefore it is necessary to redefine the learning targets and to reconsider the learning methods. Two contributions show exemplarily how modern experimental devices could find their way into students' labs. In the article 'Infrared thermal imaging as a tool in university physics education' by Klaus-Peter Möllmann and Michael Vollmer we can see that infrared thermal imaging is a valuable tool in physics education at university level. It can help to visualize and thereby enhance understanding of physical phenomena of mechanics, thermal physics, electromagnetism, optics and radiation physics. The contribution 'Using Peltier cells to study solid-liquid-vapor transitions and supercooling' by Giacomo Torzo, Isabella Soletta and Mario Branca proves

  2. Pan-American teletandem language exchange project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aurora Castillo-Scott

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a TeleTandem language exchange project between English speaking Spanish students at Georgia College, USA, and Spanish speaking English students at Universidad de Concepción, Chile. The aim of the project was to promote linguistic skills and intercultural competence through a TeleTandem exchange. Students used Skype and Google Hangouts for monthly synchronous conversations where they interviewed each other, and exchanged information about their lives and cultures. The project also involved a monthly blog and a video report where students talked about their TeleTandem partner and reflected on their learning experience.

  3. Project-Based Learning and Student Knowledge Construction during Asynchronous Online Discussion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Joyce Hwee Ling; Herring, Susan C.; Hew, Khe Foon

    2010-01-01

    Project-based learning engages students in problem solving through artefact design. However, previous studies of online project-based learning have focused primarily on the dynamics of online collaboration; students' knowledge construction throughout this process has not been examined thoroughly. This case study analyzed the relationship between…

  4. Challenges of the Administrative Consultation Wiki Research Project as a Learning and Competences Development Method for MPA Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovac, Polonca; Stare, Janez

    2015-01-01

    Administrative Consultation Wiki (ACW) is a project run under the auspices of the Faculty of Administration and the Ministry of Public Administration in Slovenia since 2009. A crucial component thereof is the involvement of students of Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree programs to offer them an opportunity to develop competences in…

  5. Project Aprendizaje. Final Evaluation Report 1992-93.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Andrew

    This report provides evaluative information regarding the effectiveness of Project Aprendizaje, a New York City program that served 269 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP). The project promoted parent and community involvement by sponsoring cultural events, such as a large Latin American festival. Students developed…

  6. The Lifestyle Project: Challenging Students to Redefine their Approach to Resource Use (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirk, K.

    2009-12-01

    The Lifestyle Project is a way for students to learn about environmental impacts by changing their own lifestyles. It is a three-week exercise during which students reduce their energy use, waste output and water use by changing the way they live from day to day. The project has fairly rigid parameters, allowing students to achieve a gradual but definitive change in their everyday habits. Students begin by taking baseline measurements of their resource use, and then they select three different areas in which they are interested in reducing their environmental impact. Within each area there are clearly defined rules that provide a structured means for achieving significant changes. Each week the project becomes more rigorous, because students will have to meet the requirements more frequently. They write about their experiences in journals, which are incredibly insightful and illustrate just how profoundly the project affects them. The Lifestyle Project has been used across several campuses and in many educational settings such as traditional courses, online courses and in informal settings. Its strength lies in allowing students to quantify and modify their own use of resources, then compare their personal reductions to what could be applied in a larger population. This helps them apply and personalize many of the concepts addressed in courses about environmental geology, climate change, or energy resources. The incremental nature of the project allows students several opportunities to practice new behaviors, so that they become adept at using far fewer resources than they thought would be possible. Results from the Lifestyle Project indicate that students save significant amounts of energy, on the order of 1 to 2 million BTUs per day. Journal reflections illustrate a corresponding shift in students’ personal awareness of their use of resources and the repercussions of their daily decisions. Although many students find the project frustrating at first, after

  7. Educational Benefits from the AAU-Cubesat Student Satellite Project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alminde, Lars

    2003-01-01

    In September 2001 Aalborg university started the AAU-cubesat project that reached it climax when the student built satellite was launched into space on the 30th of June 2003 on top of a former Russian ICBM. AAU-cubesat was among the first five satellites to be launched that are built within the c...... on pico-satellite designs will be given. In addition as the project has been carried through by students then the educational value will be addressed as well....

  8. Master's Thesis Projects: Student Perceptions of Supervisor Feedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Kleijn, Renske A. M.; Mainhard, M. Tim; Meijer, Paulien C.; Brekelmans, Mieke; Pilot, Albert

    2013-01-01

    A growing body of research has investigated student perceptions of written feedback in higher education coursework, but few studies have considered feedback perceptions in one-on-one and face-to-face contexts such as master's thesis projects. In this article, student perceptions of feedback are explored in the context of the supervision of…

  9. Examining student conceptions of the nature of science from two project-based classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moss, David M.

    -based instruction was sometimes a factor. Conceptual change theory provides a framework by which these changes can be understood. These findings demonstrate that merely involving students in science-related projects will not always foster an improved understanding of the nature of science. Implications for science teaching include making the nature of science explicit throughout instruction.

  10. Student involvement as a vehicle for empowerment: a case study of the student platform for engineering education development

    KAUST Repository

    Delaine, David A.

    2010-08-01

    This paper examines the mission, structure and outputs of one organisation, the Student Platform for Engineering Education Development (SPEED), as a case study for how student-led organisations can use student involvement to promote and sustain student self-efficacy in an academic field. SPEED attracts young people to engineering through student participation in engineering education (EE). SPEED is a global, non-profit student organisation that functions as an interdisciplinary network to diversify dialogue, stimulate change and impact the development of EE and its effect on society. SPEED is directly attracting young people to engineering in various ways: the organisation of its keynote event, the Global Student Forum; facilitating interactions between globally minded, socially inclined engineers with aspirations to change the world; and through the global dissemination of SPEED\\'s work and practices through broad and relevant channels. Short-term outcomes are highlighted here. This case study can serve as a model for student engagement and involvement in other disciplines. © 2010 SEFI.

  11. Student involvement as a vehicle for empowerment: a case study of the student platform for engineering education development

    KAUST Repository

    Delaine, David A.; Seif-Naraghi, Sonya B.; Al-Haque, Shahed; Wojewoda, Nicolò ; Meninato, Yvonne; DeBoer, Jennifer

    2010-01-01

    This paper examines the mission, structure and outputs of one organisation, the Student Platform for Engineering Education Development (SPEED), as a case study for how student-led organisations can use student involvement to promote and sustain

  12. Enhancing College Students' Life Skills through Project Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wurdinger, Scott; Qureshi, Mariam

    2015-01-01

    This study examined whether life skills could be developed in a Project Based Learning (PBL) course. The participants were students enrolled in a graduate level PBL course. The same 35-question survey was given to students at the beginning and end of the course, and students were asked to rank their life skills using a Likert scale. Additionally,…

  13. Using Contests to Provide Business Students Project-Based Learning in Humanitarian Logistics: PSAid Example

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özpolat, Koray; Chen, Yuwen; Hales, Doug; Yu, Degan; Yalcin, Mehmet G.

    2014-01-01

    Business students appreciate working on classroom projects that are both enjoyable and useful in preparing them for future careers. Promoting competition among project teams is also used as a method to motivate students. The Humanitarian Logistics Project (HLP) teaches undergraduate students the logistical implications of unsolicited material…

  14. Cross-disciplinary, authentic student research projects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heck, A.; Uylings, P.; Kędzierska, E.; Ellermeijer, T.

    2010-01-01

    In the Dutch secondary education system, students must carry out at the end of their school career a rather large research or design project to demonstrate their ability to apply acquired knowledge and skills while pursuing a research question or design goal in some depth. They are encouraged to

  15. Exploring the experiences of female students in introductory project-based engineering courses at two- and four-year institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swan, Amy K.

    2011-12-01

    This qualitative study explored the experiential and contextual factors that shaped female students' pathways into introductory project-based engineering classes at two community colleges and one four-year institution, as well as female students' experiences within and outside of these classes. The study was framed by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) (Lent, Brown & Hackett, 1996) and Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory. Findings were based on analyses of data gathered through multiple methods: observations; individual interviews with female students; focus group interviews with project teams; and document collection. The findings of this study revealed that while positive experiences with math or science were a likely pre-cursor to engineering interest, experiential learning appeared to be a more powerful force in fostering students' engineering interest. Specifically, participants developed an interest in engineering through academic, professional, and extracurricular engineering- and design-related activities that familiarized them with the tasks and skills involved in engineering work and helped them develop a sense of selfefficacy with regard to this work. Interest and self-efficacy, in turn, played a role in students' postsecondary educational decision-making processes, as did contextual factors including families and finances. This study's findings also showed that participants' project teams were a critically important microsystem within participants' ecological environments. Within this sometimes "chilly" microsystem, female students negotiated intrateam processes, which were in some cases affected by gender norms. Intrateam processes that influenced female students' project-based learning experiences included: interpersonal dynamics; leadership; and division of labor. This study also identified several ways in which the lived experiences of participants at the community colleges were different from, or similar to, those of participants

  16. International Group Heterogeneity and Students' Business Project Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Ning; Bosker, Roel J.; Xu, Xiaoyan; Rugers, Lucie; van Heugten, Petra PAM

    2015-01-01

    In business higher education, group project work plays an essential role. The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between the group heterogeneity of students' business project groups and their academic achievements at both group and individual levels. The sample consists of 536 freshmen from an International Business School…

  17. Extending the Pathway: Building on a National Science Foundation Workforce Development Project for Underserved k-12 Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slattery, W.; Smith, T.

    2014-12-01

    With new career openings in the geosciences expected and a large number of presently employed geoscientists retiring in the next decade there is a critical need for a new cadre of geoscientists to fill these positions. A project funded by the National Science Foundation titled K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career involving Wright State University and the Ripley, Lewis, Union, Huntington k-12 school district in Appalachian Ohio took led to dozens of seventh and eighth grade students traveling to Sandy Hook, New Jersey for a one week field experience to study oceanography with staff of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Teachers, parent chaperones, administrators and university faculty accompanied the students in the field. Teachers worked alongside their students in targeted professional development during the weeklong field experience. During the two academic years of the project, both middle school and high school teachers received professional development in Earth system science so that all students, not just those that were on the summer field experience could receive enhanced science learning. All ninth grade high school students were given the opportunity to take a high school/college dual credit Earth system science course. Community outreach provided widespread knowledge of the project and interest among parents to have their children participate. In addition, ninth grade students raised money themselves to fund a trip to the International Field Studies Forfar Field Station on Andros Island, Bahamas to study a tropical aquatic system. Students who before this project had never traveled outside of Ohio are currently discussing ways that they can continue on the pathway to a geoscience career by applying for internships for the summer between their junior and senior years. These are positive steps towards taking charge of their

  18. Interaction as 'involvement' in writing for students: a corpus linguistic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Interaction as 'involvement' in writing for students: a corpus linguistic analysis of a key readability feature. E Hilton Hubbard. Abstract. The rapid change in the demographics of South Africa's tertiary level student population over the last decade — and most specifically the huge increase in those who have to study at a ...

  19. Parent involvement and student academic performance: a multiple mediational analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Topor, David R; Keane, Susan P; Shelton, Terri L; Calkins, Susan D

    2010-01-01

    Parent involvement in a child's education is consistently found to be positively associated with a child's academic performance. However, there has been little investigation of the mechanisms that explain this association. The present study examines two potential mechanisms of this association: the child's perception of cognitive competence and the quality of the student-teacher relationship. This study used a sample of 158 seven-year-old participants, their mothers, and their teachers. Results indicated a statistically significant association between parent involvement and a child's academic performance, over and above the impact of the child's intelligence. A multiple mediation model indicated that the child's perception of cognitive competence fully mediated the relation between parent involvement and the child's performance on a standardized achievement test. The quality of the student-teacher relationship fully mediated the relation between parent involvement and teacher ratings of the child's classroom academic performance. Limitations, future research directions, and implications for public policy initiatives are discussed.

  20. A Method of Documentary Photography and its Application in a Student Project of Acculturation in Bali

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aristarchus Pranayama Kuntjara

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available I have devised a methodical research outline for students’ final projects that involve photography as their main medium. The method accommodates the two major kinds of photographic project characteristics. The first is the conceptual or the commercial type, and second is the observational or the photo story type. This article focuses on a photo story type project by a student who has followed the method closely. Osel Gunarso focused his study on documenting a unique acculturation between Christian tradition and Balinese customs in the village of Blimbingsari in Jembrana County, Bali. Through ethnography and qualitative analysis, Gunarso achieved visual discourse for understanding a cultural phenomenon. Although he had beautifully exhibited his documentary project, it also projected several problems and issues that would be important to consider in future projects with similar conditions, especially undergraduate final projects that are confined to a single semester. Technical and non-technical issues in documentary photography become significant and therefore must be addressed in advance along with the methodology.

  1. Leadership, management and teamwork learning through an extra-curricular project for medical students: descriptive study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorge, Maria Lucia da Silva Germano; Coelho, Izabel Cristina Meister; Paraizo, Mariana Martins; Paciornik, Ester Fogel

    2014-01-01

    Professionalism in medicine requires preparation for the globalized world. Our objective was to describe a project that introduces medical students to the community, hospital and laboratory activities, thereby allowing them to gain experience in people management, leadership and teamwork. Descriptive study of the process applied at a philanthropic medical school in Curitiba, Paraná. Inclusion of management and leadership practices as part of the medical degree program. The study groups consisted of fifteen students. After six months, any of the participants could be elected as a subcoordinator, with responsibility for managing tasks and representing the team in hospital departments and the community. The activities required increasing levels of responsibility. In medical schools, students' involvement in practical activities is often limited to observation. They are not required to take responsibilities or to interact with other students and stakeholders. However, they will become accountable, which thus has an adverse effect on all involved. The learning space described here aims to fill this gap by bringing students closer to the daily lives and experiences of healthcare professionals. Being a physician requires not only management and leadership, but also transferrable competencies, communication and critical thinking. These attributes can be acquired through experience of teamwork, under qualified supervision from teaching staff. Students are thus expected to develop skills to deal with and resolve conflicts, learn to share leadership, prepare others to help and replace them, adopt an approach based on mutual responsibility and discuss their performance.

  2. How do the Polytechnic Students Cope with the Difficulties in Composing Abstracts for Their Final Projects?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niswatin, C.; Latief, M. A.; Suharyadi, S.

    2018-02-01

    This research aims to uncover the fact about engineering students in dealing with composing abstracts for their final projects. The research applies a descriptive qualitative quantitative design. The data were collected through questioners involving 104 engineering students, including the alumni at Politeknik Kota Malang, Indonesia. Furthermore, interviews were carried out to explain the details where necessary to support the primary data. It is found that the common problems faced by engineering students include 1) combining words into sentences, 2) identifying the most appropriate technical terms in engineering, and 3) applying grammar in context. To cope with those difficulties they demanded translation application machines, supported by peer-proofreaders. In addition, they considerably engaged personal tutoring with the lectures more than three times.

  3. The Willed Body Donor Interview Project: Medical Student and Donor Expectations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohl, Michael; Holman, Alexis; Mueller, Dean A.; Gruppen, Larry D.; Hildebrandt, Sabine

    2013-01-01

    The Anatomical Donations Program at the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) has begun a multiphase project wherein interviews of donors will be recorded and later shown to medical students who participate in the anatomical dissection course. The first phase of this project included surveys of both current UMMS medical students and donors…

  4. Project-Based Learning in Programmable Logic Controller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seke, F. R.; Sumilat, J. M.; Kembuan, D. R. E.; Kewas, J. C.; Muchtar, H.; Ibrahim, N.

    2018-02-01

    Project-based learning is a learning method that uses project activities as the core of learning and requires student creativity in completing the project. The aims of this study is to investigate the influence of project-based learning methods on students with a high level of creativity in learning the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). This study used experimental methods with experimental class and control class consisting of 24 students, with 12 students of high creativity and 12 students of low creativity. The application of project-based learning methods into the PLC courses combined with the level of student creativity enables the students to be directly involved in the work of the PLC project which gives them experience in utilizing PLCs for the benefit of the industry. Therefore, it’s concluded that project-based learning method is one of the superior learning methods to apply on highly creative students to PLC courses. This method can be used as an effort to improve student learning outcomes and student creativity as well as to educate prospective teachers to become reliable educators in theory and practice which will be tasked to create qualified human resources candidates in order to meet future industry needs.

  5. The influence of peer affiliation and student activities on adolescent drug involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, J E

    1996-01-01

    This study examined the importance of students' academic performance level and extracurricular activities as predictors of drug involvement relative to peer influence. Social development theory provided the theoretical rational for the study. Data were obtained from 2,229 randomly selected students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades from seventeen school districts in northeastern Ohio. At all three grade levels, involvement in extracurricular activities and academic level were significantly correlated with students' gateway and hard drug use. Consistent with prior research, the strongest correlate of gateway and hard drug use across all grade levels was affiliation with drug-using friends. Having a job after school was marginally related to self-reported gateway drug use at grade level ten. Multiple regression analysis revealed that extracurricular involvement and academic performance level make small, but unique contributions to the prediction of adolescents' gateway drug use beyond affiliation with drug-using peers at all three grade levels. The findings of this study suggest that students' academic performance and extracurricular involvements are significantly related to adolescent gateway and hard drug use, but have less predictive significance relative to peer relationships.

  6. UNH Project SMART 2017: Space Science for High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, C. W.; Broad, L.; Goelzer, S.; Levergood, R.; Lugaz, N.; Moebius, E.

    2017-12-01

    Every summer for the past 26 years the University of New Hampshire (UNH) has run a month-long, residential outreach program for high school students considering careers in mathematics, science, or engineering. Space science is one of the modules. Students work directly with UNH faculty performing original work with real spacecraft data and hardware and present the results of that effort at the end of the program. This year the student research projects used data from the Messenger, STEREO, and Triana missions. In addition, the students build and fly a high-altitude balloon payload with instruments of their own construction. Students learn circuit design and construction, microcontroller programming, and core atmospheric and space science along with fundamental concepts in space physics and engineering. Our payload design has evolved significantly since the first flight of a simple rectangular box and now involves a stable descent vehicle that does not require a parachute. Our flight hardware includes an on-board flight control computer, in-flight autonomous control and data acquisition of multiple student-built instruments, and real-time camera images sent to ground. This year we developed, built and flew a successful line cutter based on GPS location information that prevents our payload from falling into the ocean while also separating the payload from the balloon remains for a cleaner descent. We will describe that new line cutter design and implementation along with the shielded Geiger counters that we flew as part of our cosmic ray air shower experiment. This is a program that can be used as a model for other schools to follow and that high schools can initiate. More information can be found at .

  7. Science and students: Yucca Mountain project's education outreach program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gil, A.V.; Larkin, E.L.; Reilly, B.; Austin, P.

    1992-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is very concerned about the lack of understanding of basic science. Increasingly, critical decisions regarding the use of energy, technology, and the environment are being made. A well-educated and science-literate public is vital to the success of these decisions. Science education and school instruction are integral parts of the DOE's public outreach program on the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP). Project staff and scientists speak to elementary, junior high, high school, and university students, accepting all speaking invitations. The objectives of this outreach program include the following: (1) educating Nevada students about the concept of a high-level nuclear waste repository; (2) increasing awareness of energy and environmental issues; (3) helping students understand basic concepts of earth science and geology in relation to siting a potential repository; and (4) giving students information about careers in science and engineering

  8. Profile of Students' Creative Thinking Skills on Quantitative Project-Based Protein Testing using Local Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. K. Sari

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to obtain a profile of students’ creative thinking skills on quantitative project-based protein testing using local materials. Implementation of the research is using quasi-experimental method pre-test post-test control group design with 40 students involved in Biochemistry lab. The research instrument is pre-test and post-test using creative thinking skills in the form of description and students’ questionnaire. The analysis was performed with SPSS 22.0 program to see the significance normality, U Mann-Whitney test for nonparametric statistics, N-Gain score, and the percentage of student responses to the practicum performed. The research result shows that the pretest rate in the experimental group is 8.25 while in the control group is 6.90. After attending a project-based practicum with local materials, the experimental group obtained the mean of posttest is 37.55 while in control class is 11.18. The students’ improvement on creative thinking skills can be seen from the average of N-Gain in the experimental class with 0.32 (medium category and in the control category with 0.05 (low category. The experimental and control class have different creative thinking skills significantly different fluency, flexibility, novelty, and detail. It can be concluded that quantitative project-based protein testing using local materials can improve students’ creative thinking skills. 71% of total students feel that quantitative project-based protein testing using local materials make them more creative in doing a practicum in the laboratory.

  9. Preparing Hispanic Students for the Real World: Benefits of Problem-Based Service Learning Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Jean Jaymes; Simmons, Donna

    2012-01-01

    Student learning is enriched by problem-based service learning (PBSL) projects. For Hispanic students, the learning that takes place in PBSL projects may be even more significant, although the research published in academic journals about client-based projects for Hispanic students is limited. This article begins to advance an understanding of how…

  10. Shaping Students' Civic Commitments: The Influence of College Cocurricular Involvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trolian, Teniell L.; Barnhardt, Cassie L.

    2017-01-01

    Drawing on social capital theory, this study examines the extent to which several college cocurricular involvement experiences during college contribute to students' civic commitments toward social and political involvement at the end of college. Results are based on longitudinal data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education and…

  11. Effect of scaffolding on helping introductory physics students solve quantitative problems involving strong alternative conceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shih-Yin; Singh, Chandralekha

    2015-12-01

    It is well known that introductory physics students often have alternative conceptions that are inconsistent with established physical principles and concepts. Invoking alternative conceptions in the quantitative problem-solving process can derail the entire process. In order to help students solve quantitative problems involving strong alternative conceptions correctly, appropriate scaffolding support can be helpful. The goal of this study is to examine how different scaffolding supports involving analogical problem-solving influence introductory physics students' performance on a target quantitative problem in a situation where many students' solution process is derailed due to alternative conceptions. Three different scaffolding supports were designed and implemented in calculus-based and algebra-based introductory physics courses involving 410 students to evaluate the level of scaffolding needed to help students learn from an analogical problem that is similar in the underlying principles involved but for which the problem-solving process is not derailed by alternative conceptions. We found that for the quantitative problem involving strong alternative conceptions, simply guiding students to work through the solution of the analogical problem first was not enough to help most students discern the similarity between the two problems. However, if additional scaffolding supports that directly helped students examine and repair their knowledge elements involving alternative conceptions were provided, e.g., by guiding students to contemplate related issues and asking them to solve the targeted problem on their own first before learning from the analogical problem provided, students were more likely to discern the underlying similarities between the problems and avoid getting derailed by alternative conceptions when solving the targeted problem. We also found that some scaffolding supports were more effective in the calculus-based course than in the algebra

  12. Partners in projects: preparing for public involvement in health and social care research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkes, Jacqueline H; Pyer, Michelle; Wray, Paula; Taylor, Jane

    2014-09-01

    In recent years, several UK and, international funders of health and social care related research have adopted the policy of requiring explicit evidence of the 'public' voice in all aspects of project design. For many academic researchers engaged within research, evaluations or audit projects, this formal requirement to actively engage members of the public will present them with both benefits and challenges to securing knowledgeable, skilled, and confident lay representation onto project teams. This could potentially lead to the exploitation of those individuals who are available, appropriately informed, and adequately prepared for such activities. Currently, much of the preparation of patients or members of the public for research involvement tends to be aligned to specific projects; however, with the call for greater active and meaningful involvement of lay representatives in future national and international funding applications, there is clearly a growing need to 'train' sufficient numbers of confident and competent representatives to meet this growing demand. This paper describes the development of a specifically designed research awareness training programme and underpinning theoretical model, which has been specifically designed to support active and meaningful lay involvement in research, evaluations and audit projects. Developed over a four year period, the course is a culmination of learning extracted from a series of four completed research projects, which have incorporated an element of public and patient involvement (PPI) training in their overall design. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. An Architecture Design Project: "Building" Understanding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bush, Sarah B.; Albanese, Judith; Karp, Karen S.; Karp, Matthew

    2017-01-01

    Middle school students need relevant, meaningful contexts to apply emerging mathematical ideas. In this project, through the context of an architecture investigation, seventh-grade students engaged in mathematics involving area, surface area, volume, ratios and proportional thinking, number sense, and technology integration. Students, working in…

  14. A Service-Learning Project Using Crowdfunding Strategy: Students' Experience and Reflection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mat-jizat, Jessnor Elmy; Khalid, Khalizul

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore students' experience and reflection in doing a Service Learning project as part of their course work. The Service Learning project allows the students to practice their knowledge of raising capital through crowdfunding, and at the same time situates them in an environment where they could learn from the…

  15. Building Bridges: Using the Office Consultation Project to Connect Students to Theory and Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wawrzynski, Korine Steinke; Jessup-Anger, Jody E.

    2014-01-01

    The Office Consultation Project is an innovative capstone project that partners graduate students in student affairs preparation programs with academic and student affairs practitioners. It provides an opportunity for students to apply research and scholarship to practical settings, while giving practitioners new insight into their units,…

  16. Students' Perceptions of Parental and Teacher Academic Involvement: Consequences on Achievement Goals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regner, Isabelle; Loose, Florence; Dumas, Florence

    2009-01-01

    The present study examined whether students' perceptions of two major facets of parental and teacher academic involvement (i.e., academic support and academic monitoring), contribute to the process of students' achievement goals adoption. French junior high-school students completed two questionnaires assessing first their perceptions of parental…

  17. Comparative Study of Parental Involvement and Private Tuition regarding Educational Attainment of Students

    OpenAIRE

    Malik Amer Atta; Shabnam Razzaq Khan; Shehla Sheikh; Fahmida Akbar

    2014-01-01

    This research work was focused on the “comparative study of parental involvement and private tuition regarding educational attainments of students at secondary school level”. A sample of 80 students of 10th class from ten different secondary schools was taken. To analyze the results t-test was used. In this comparison it was conducted that parental involvement turn out significant effect on student educational attainments as compared to private tuition. On the bases of results researcher has ...

  18. Extradyadic Involvement, Narcissism, and Callousness in College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crass, Suzanne L.; Terranova, Andrew M.

    2018-01-01

    The relationship between narcissism, callousness, and extradyadic involvement (EDI), has been understudied. It was anticipated that callousness and narcissism would be associated with increased likelihood of engaging in an EDI and less distress about having engaged in the EDI. Participants (268 college students; 75% female; mean age of 20 years…

  19. Project families: A new concept for student thesis activities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goltermann, Per; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup

    2017-01-01

    The students’ activities during their final thesis work have been organised in project families, i.e. a group of individual student project organized in a shared learning environment. The aim is more efficient supervision and support, simultaneously to improved learning. DTU Byg have now tested...

  20. STEM-related, Student-led Service Learning / Community Engagement Projects: Examples and Benefits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swap, R. J.; Wayland, K.

    2015-12-01

    Field-based, STEM-related service learning / community engagement projects present an opportunity for undergraduate students to demonstrate proficiencies related to the process of inquiry. These proficiencies include: appreciation of the larger project context, articulation of an informed question/hypothesis, project proposal development, interdisciplinary collaboration, project management (including planning, implementation reconfiguration and synthesis) and lastly the generation and handing off of acquired knowledge. Calls for these types of proficiencies have been expressed by governmental, non-governmental as well as the private sector. Accordingly, institutions of higher learning have viewed such activities as opportunities for enriching the learning experience for undergraduate students and for making such students more marketable, especially those from STEM-related fields. This institutional interest has provided an opportunity to support and expand field-based learning. Here we present examples of student-led/faculty-mentored international service learning and community engagement projects along the arc of preparation, implementation and post-field process. Representative examples that draw upon environmental science and engineering knowledge have been selected from more than 20 international undergraduate student projects over past decade and include: slow-sand water filtration, rainwater harvesting, methane biodigesters, water reticulation schemes and development and implementation of rocket stoves for communal cooking. We discuss these efforts in terms of the development of the aforementioned proficiencies, the utility of such proficiencies to the larger enterprise of STEM and the potential for transformative student learning outcomes. We share these experiences and lessons learned with the hope that others may intelligently borrow from our approach in a manner appropriate for their particular context.

  1. The Nordwrite Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evensen, Lars, Sigfred

    A planned 3-year joint project of the Nordic research council for the humanities that focuses on writing development in school-age children is described. Four Nordic countries are involved in the project: Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. In the study, discourse-level performance analyses of student writing in English as a Second Language are…

  2. Implementation of Service Learning and Civic Engagement for Students of Computer Information Systems through a Course Project at the Hashemite University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Khasawneh, Ahmad; Hammad, Bashar K.

    2015-01-01

    Service learning methodologies provide students of information systems with the opportunity to create and implement systems in real-world, public service-oriented social contexts. This paper presents a case study which involves integrating a service learning project into an undergraduate Computer Information Systems course entitled…

  3. Speeding up development activities in student projects with time boxing and scrum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ovesen, Nis; Eriksen, Kaare; Tollestrup, Christian

    2011-01-01

    This research project investigates how procedures from agile software development can be of benefit to development activities in projects of design engineering students. The agile methods Scrum and Time boxing are evaluated through a student workshop focusing on near-future concepts for design...... competitions. Scrum meetings within the student design teams are conducted and video documented each hour throughout the workshop activities as a structured process evaluation tool. Based on a subsequent student survey it is argued that scrum and time boxing are strengthening the focus, communication...

  4. Learning by Doing: the Progressive Novella Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conroy, Michael G.

    1996-01-01

    States that the Progressive Novella Project for high school students involves the collaborative writing of a 35-50 page novella. Explains that prior to the actual writing process, students are educated in the basic elements of fiction writing. Describes the division of labor into groups. Comments that the results of the project are invariably…

  5. Teaching Cell Biology to Dental Students with a Project-Based Learning Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa-Silva, Daniela; Côrtes, Juliana A; Bachinski, Rober F; Spiegel, Carolina N; Alves, Gutemberg G

    2018-03-01

    Although the discipline of cell biology (CB) is part of the curricula of predoctoral dental schools, students often fail to recognize its practical relevance. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a practical-theoretical project-based course in closing the gaps among CB, scientific research, and dentistry for dental students. A project-based learning course was developed with nine sequential lessons to evaluate 108 undergraduate dental students enrolled in CB classes of a Brazilian school of dentistry during 2013-16. To highlight the relevance of in vitro studies in the preclinical evaluation of dental materials at the cellular level, the students were challenged to complete the process of drafting a protocol and performing a cytocompatibility assay for a bone substitute used in dentistry. Class activities included small group discussions, scientific database search and article presentations, protocol development, lab experimentation, and writing of a final scientific report. A control group of 31 students attended only one laboratory class on the same theme, and the final reports were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the project-based learning students had superior outcomes in acknowledging the relevance of in vitro methods during biocompatibility testing. Moreover, they produced scientifically sound reports with more content on methodological issues, the relationship with dentistry, and the scientific literature than the control group (p<0.05). The project-based learning students also recognized a higher relevance of scientific research and CB to dental practice. These results suggest that a project-based approach can help contextualize scientific research in dental curricula.

  6. Student and Staff Perceptions of Key Aspects of Computer Science Engineering Capstone Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olarte, Juan José; Dominguez, César; Jaime, Arturo; Garcia-Izquierdo, Francisco José

    2016-01-01

    In carrying out their capstone projects, students use knowledge and skills acquired throughout their degree program to create a product or provide a technical service. An assigned advisor guides the students and supervises the work, and a committee assesses the projects. This study compares student and staff perceptions of key aspects of…

  7. Project SAIL: A Summer Program Brings History Alive for Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollingsworth, Patricia

    2001-01-01

    This project describes Project SAIL (Schools for Active Interdisciplinary Learning), a federally funded project providing in-depth staff development during a 3-week summer program for teachers, parents, and their gifted/talented economically disadvantaged students. The program theme, "Searching for Patterns in History," has been used with students…

  8. [Project HRANAFINA--Croatian anatomical and physiological terminology].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vodanović, Marin

    2012-01-01

    HRANAFINA--Croatian Anatomical and Physiological Terminology is a project of the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. It is performed in cooperation with other Croatian universities with medical schools. This project has a two-pronged aim: firstly, building of Croatian anatomical and physiological terminology and secondly, Croatian anatomical and physiological terminology usage popularization between health professionals, medical students, scientists and translators. Internationally recognized experts from Croatian universities with medical faculties and linguistics experts are involved in the project. All project activities are coordinated in agreement with the National Coordinator for Development of Croatian Professional Terminology. The project enhances Croatian professional terminology and Croatian language in general, increases competitiveness of Croatian scientists on international level and facilitates the involvement of Croatian scientists, health care providers and medical students in European projects.

  9. 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

  10. Student projects in medicine: a lesson in science and ethics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Sarah J L

    2009-11-01

    Regulation of biomedical research is the subject of considerable debate in the bioethics and health policy worlds. The ethics and governance of medical student projects is becoming an increasingly important topic in its own right, especially in the U.K., where there are periodic calls to change it. My main claim is that there seems to be no good reason for treating student projects differently from projects led by qualified and more experienced scientists and hence no good grounds for changing the current system of ethics review. I first suggest that the educational objectives cannot be met without laying down standards of good science, whatever they may be. Weak science is unnecessary for educational purposes, and it is, in any case, unlikely to produce good researchers in the future. Furthermore, it is curious to want to change the system of ethics review specifically for students when it is the science that is at stake, and when the science now falls largely outside the ethics remit. I further show that ethics review is nevertheless important since students carry a new potential conflict of interests that warrants independent oversight which supervisory support does not offer. This potential conflict may become more morally troublesome the greater the risks to the subjects of the research, and students may impose greater risks on their subjects (relative to professional researchers) by virtue of being inexperienced, whatever the nature of the project. Pragmatic concerns may finally be allayed by organizing the current system more efficiently at critical times of the university calendar.

  11. Development and Assessment of Service Learning Projects in General Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felzien, Lisa; Salem, Laura

    2008-01-01

    Service learning involves providing service to the community while requiring students to meet learning goals in a specific course. A service learning project was implemented in a general biology course at Rockhurst University to involve students in promoting scientific education in conjunction with community partner educators. Students were…

  12. Soil and its selected properties on the example of an individual project for the grade 1 students of upper secondary school

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krzeczkowska, Małgorzata

    2014-05-01

    According to the requirements of the new core curriculum for Chemistry, students shall acquire knowledge through research and use the acquired chemical knowledge in their everyday life. However, in the recommended conditions and mode of implementation of the curriculum it is confirmed, that students' autonomous observation constitutes a basis for experiencing, inferences, analysis, and generalisations of phenomena [1]. It is obvious that teachers should create proper didactic situations, during which school students have a possibility to develop attitudes, skills and competences. More about competences we can find in the recommendations of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning [2]. The detailed content of the core curriculum for the subject of chemistry at the fourth stage of education (basic level), we read: "4. Chemistry of soil. Student: 1) explains what the sorption properties of the soil are; plans and performs .... study of the sorption properties of the soil. " In the school year 2012/2013 chemistry teachers decided to offer students of a first-class to be involved in the project "Soil in the chemist's eye." It was considered that the method of the project is known from lower secondary school level and the teacher will have an opportunity to recognize students, who in the future, will choose the class with advanced chemistry program and determine the level of their skills, in particular the research skills. What we can offer to students does not necessarily take place in a well-equipped chemical laboratory. On the contrary, this process should be based on the well-known school subjects items, articles, objects and phenomena, which students meet in everyday life. The well-chosen methodologies and ways of showing the world will be, more understandable and skills will become a permanent part of the students, knowledge. Project characterization: a) The proposed project is problem-oriented, in

  13. Parental Involvement in Middle School Predicting College Attendance for First-Generation Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bui, Khanh; Rush, Ryan A.

    2016-01-01

    Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, this report examined the relationship between parental involvement in eighth grade and college attendance by eight years after high school for students whose parents have no college education (i.e., first-generation students; n = 1,358) in comparison to students whose parents have some…

  14. Leadership, management and teamwork learning through an extra-curricular project for medical students: descriptive study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Lucia da Silva Germano Jorge

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Professionalism in medicine requires preparation for the globalized world. Our objective was to describe a project that introduces medical students to the community, hospital and laboratory activities, thereby allowing them to gain experience in people management, leadership and teamwork.DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive study of the process applied at a philanthropic medical school in Curitiba, Paraná.METHOD: Inclusion of management and leadership practices as part of the medical degree program.RESULTS: The study groups consisted of fifteen students. After six months, any of the participants could be elected as a subcoordinator, with responsibility for managing tasks and representing the team in hospital departments and the community. The activities required increasing levels of responsibility. In medical schools, students' involvement in practical activities is often limited to observation. They are not required to take responsibilities or to interact with other students and stakeholders. However, they will become accountable, which thus has an adverse effect on all involved. The learning space described here aims to fill this gap by bringing students closer to the daily lives and experiences of healthcare professionals.CONCLUSION: Being a physician requires not only management and leadership, but also transferrable competencies, communication and critical thinking. These attributes can be acquired through experience of teamwork, under qualified supervision from teaching staff. Students are thus expected to develop skills to deal with and resolve conflicts, learn to share leadership, prepare others to help and replace them, adopt an approach based on mutual responsibility and discuss their performance.

  15. Navigating Evidence-Based Practice Projects: The Faculty Role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moch, Susan D; Quinn-Lee, Lisa; Gallegos, Cara; Sortedahl, Charlotte K

    : An innovative way to facilitate evidence-based practice (EBP) learning and to get evidence into practice is through academic-clinical agency projects involving faculty, undergraduate students, and agency staff. The central role of the faculty is key to successful academic-clinical agency partnerships. Faculty navigate the often difficult process of focusing students and engaging busy staff through initiating, maintaining, and evaluating projects. Students learn valuable EBP skills, staff become engaged in EBP, and the projects are rated highly by agency administrators.

  16. Facilitating Students' Conceptual Change and Scientific Reasoning Involving the Unit of Combustion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chin-Quen; She, Hsiao-Ching

    2010-01-01

    This article reports research from a 3 year digital learning project to unite conceptual change and scientific reasoning in the learning unit of combustion. One group of students had completed the course combining conceptual change and scientific reasoning. The other group of students received conventional instruction. In addition to the…

  17. The Empty Shops Project: Developing Rural Students' Sociological Insight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willis, Evan; Burns, Edgar

    2011-01-01

    An informal research project with high local relevance was developed for a first-year sociology course at an Australian rural university campus. The project developed students' sociological insight by challenging them to investigate "truths" about their own region, rather than immediately pushing them to comprehend new and different…

  18. Characterization of the Unusual Product from the Reaction between Cobalt(II) Chloride, Ethane-1,2-diamine, and Hydrochloric Acid: An Undergraduate Project Involving an Unknown Metal Complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curtis, Neil F.; And Others

    1986-01-01

    Discusses the need for student research-type chemistry projects based upon "unknown" metal complexes. Describes an experiment involving the product from the reaction between cobalt(II) chloride, ethane-1,2-diamine (en) and concentrated hydrochloric acid. Outlines the preparation of the cobalt complex, along with procedure, results and…

  19. Portfolio Assessment of an Undergraduate Group Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuisma, Raija

    2007-01-01

    Students in the Physiotherapy Programme carried out a group project in their final year of studies. The objectives of the project were that the students learn and appreciate the process and activities involved in research, acquire deeper understanding of a topic in their professional interest, learn to work as a team, manage their own time,…

  20. The Critical Purchase of Genealogy: Critiquing Student Participation Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Anna

    2015-01-01

    Until recently the dominant critique of "student participation" projects was one based on the theoretical assumptions of critical theory in the form of critical pedagogy. Over the last decade, we have witnessed the emergence of a critical education discourse that theorises and critically analyses such projects using Foucault's notion of…

  1. Associate Degree Nursing: Model Prerequisites Validation Study. California Community College Associate Degree Programs by The Center for Student Success, A Health Care Initiative Sponsored Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Brad C.; Spurling, Steven; Armstrong, William A.

    California faces a severe nursing shortage, with the number of registered nurses far below what is required to avert a potential state health care crisis. The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Project is a joint project involving scholars, educational researchers, and analysts from the Center for Student Success (CSS) housed at City College of San…

  2. 7 CFR 210.12 - Student, parent and community involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM Requirements for School Food Authority Participation § 210.12 Student, parent and community involvement. (a) General... general community in activities to enhance the Program. (b) Food service management companies. School food...

  3. Comparing International and American Students: Involvement in College Life and Overall Satisfaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ji; Cole, Darnell

    2017-01-01

    Using longitudinal survey data, this study compares 191 international and 409 American students' involvement in college life, the extent to which the involvement is influenced by race/ethnicity, gender, and language background, and the extent to which the involvement influences overall satisfaction. Major findings include: International and…

  4. Cultivation of students' engineering designing ability based on optoelectronic system course project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Danhua; Wu, Yubin; Li, Jingping

    2017-08-01

    We carry out teaching based on optoelectronic related course group, aiming at junior students majored in Optoelectronic Information Science and Engineering. " Optoelectronic System Course Project " is product-designing-oriented and lasts for a whole semester. It provides a chance for students to experience the whole process of product designing, and improve their abilities to search literature, proof schemes, design and implement their schemes. In teaching process, each project topic is carefully selected and repeatedly refined to guarantee the projects with the knowledge integrity, engineering meanings and enjoyment. Moreover, we set up a top team with professional and experienced teachers, and build up learning community. Meanwhile, the communication between students and teachers as well as the interaction among students are taken seriously in order to improve their team-work ability and communicational skills. Therefore, students are not only able to have a chance to review the knowledge hierarchy of optics, electronics, and computer sciences, but also are able to improve their engineering mindset and innovation consciousness.

  5. Secret Message Decryption: Group Consulting Projects Using Matrices and Linear Programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurski, Katharine F.

    2009-01-01

    We describe two short group projects for finite mathematics students that incorporate matrices and linear programming into fictional consulting requests presented as a letter to the students. The students are required to use mathematics to decrypt secret messages in one project involving matrix multiplication and inversion. The second project…

  6. Campus Eco Tours: An Integrative & Interactive Field Project for Undergraduate Biology Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boes, Katie E.

    2013-01-01

    Outdoor areas within or near college campuses offer an opportunity for biology students to observe the natural world and apply concepts from class. Here, I describe an engaging and integrative project where undergraduate non-major biology students work in teams to develop and present professional "eco tours." This project takes place over multiple…

  7. Research Attitudes and Involvement among Medical Students and Students of Allied Health Occupations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delin, Catherine R.

    1994-01-01

    Medicine has a long research tradition, whereas allied health areas have only recently become involved in research. A questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the attitudes to research of a total of 314 students of medicine, dentistry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and nursing courses on the city campuses of two South Australian…

  8. Measuring Student Career Interest within the Context of Technology-Enhanced STEM Projects: A Cross-Project Comparison Study Based on the Career Interest Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterman, Karen; Kermish-Allen, Ruth; Knezek, Gerald; Christensen, Rhonda; Tyler-Wood, Tandra

    2016-12-01

    This article describes Energy for ME and Going Green! Middle Schoolers Out to Save the World, two Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education programs with the common goal of improving students' attitudes about scientific careers. The authors represent two project teams, each with funding from the National Science Foundation's ITEST program. Using different approaches and technology, both projects challenged students to use electricity monitoring system data to create action plans for conserving energy in their homes and communities. The impact of each project on students' career interests was assessed via a multi-method evaluation that included the Career Interest Questionnaire (CIQ), a measure that was validated within the context of ITEST projects and has since become one of the instruments used most commonly across the ITEST community. This article explores the extent to which the CIQ can be used to document the effects of technology-enhanced STEM educational experiences on students' career attitudes and intentions in different environments. The results indicate that the CIQ, and the Intent subscale in particular, served as significant predictors of students' self-reported STEM career aspirations across project context. Results from each project also demonstrated content gains by students and demonstrated the impact of project participation and gender on student outcomes. The authors conclude that the CIQ is a useful tool for providing empirical evidence to document the impact of technology-enhanced science education programs, particularly with regard to Intent to purse a STEM career. The need for additional cross-project comparison studies is also discussed.

  9. Involvement of school students in fights with weapons: prevalence and associated factors in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alice Cristina Medeiros Melo

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Violence, as well as other behaviors, is often intensified during adolescence and early adulthood. The objective of this study is estimate the prevalence of Brazilian school students involvement in fights with weapons and to analyze the associated factors. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using data from the National School Student Health Survey conducted in 2012 with 9th grade elementary school students attending 2842 schools in all 27 Brazilian Federative Units. The outcome studied was involvement in fights with firearms and/or cold weapons in the 30 days prior to the interview. Poisson regression was used to estimate the prevalence ratios and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI. The analyses were stratified by sex. Results Fifty seven thousand and eighty nine female students and 52,015 male students were included; the prevalence of their involvement in fights with weapons was 7.2 (95 % CI 6.9–7.5 and 13.8 (95 % CI 13.4–14.3, respectively. In the adjusted analysis the factors associated with male student involvement in fights with weapons were: being older, working, having smoked a cigarette, consumed alcoholic beverages and illicit drugs recently, insomnia, not having any close friends, skipping classes without parental supervision, having suffered aggression from a family member, reporting feeling unsafe on the way to or from school and/or at school. The same associated factors were found among female students in addition to not living with their father and/or mother and having suffered bullying. There was no association with type of school in either sex. Conclusion Involvement in fights with weapons was greater among older male students. Health-risk behaviors, mental health characteristics, parental supervision and context of violence also showed association with the outcomes.

  10. Are We Ready to Go Live with Our Team Projects?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janice Whatley

    2016-05-01

    Over the three years that the Live Projects have been running, feedback indicates that the students gain employability skills from the projects, and the organisations involved develop links with the university and benefit from output from the projects. A number of suggestions for improving the administration of the Live Projects were suggested, such as providing clients with information on timescales and providing students with more guidance on managing the projects.

  11. The Development of an Instrument to Measure the Project Competences of College Students in Online Project-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chien-Liang

    2018-02-01

    This study sought to develop a self-report instrument to be used in the assessment of the project competences of college students engaged in online project-based learning. Three scales of the KIPSSE instrument developed for this study, namely, the knowledge integration, project skills, and self-efficacy scales, were based on related theories and the analysis results of three project advisor interviews. Those items of knowledge integration and project skill scales focused on the integration of different disciplines and technological skills separately. Two samples of data were collected from information technology-related courses taught with an online project-based learning strategy over different semesters at a college in southern Taiwan. The validity and reliability of the KIPSSE instrument were confirmed through item analysis and confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling of two samples of students' online response sets separately. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for the entire instrument was 0.931; for each scale, the alpha ranged from 0.832 to 0.907. There was also a significant correlation ( r = 0.55, p < 0.01) between the KIPSSE instrument results and the students' product evaluation scores. The findings of this study confirmed the validity and reliability of the KIPSSE instrument. The confirmation process and related implications are also discussed.

  12. Incorporating Gaming in Software Engineering Projects: Case of RMU Monopoly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sushil Acharya

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available A major challenge in engineering education is retaining student interest in the engineering discipline. Active student involvement in engineering projects is one way of retaining student interest. Such involvement can only be realized if project inception comes entirely from the student. This paper presents a software game, RMU Monopoly, developed as a project requirement for a software engineering course and describes the challenges and gains of implementing such a project. The RMU Monopoly was proposed by three junior software engineering students. The game is a multi-platform software program that allows up to eight players and implements the rules of the Monopoly board game. To ensure agility the game was developed using the spiral software development model. The Software Requirements Specification (SRS document was finalized through an iterative procedure. Standard Unified Modeling Language (UML diagrams were used for product design. A Risk Mitigation, Monitoring, and Management Plan (RMMM was developed to ensure proactive risk management. Gantt chart, weekly progress meetings and weekly scrum meetings were used to track project progress. C# and Sub- Version were used in a client-server architecture to develop the software. The project was successful in retaining student interest in the software engineering discipline

  13. Using "Petites Projects" to Further Engage Students in Geography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Richard

    2013-01-01

    The challenge of teaching AP Human Geography to high school students is to make geography relevant, engaging and "real world." Often the pace of teaching AP classes constrains the ability of teachers to do creative projects and truly engage students until after the exam is over in May. In this lesson plan, the author suggests using "Petites…

  14. Student Perceptions of Writing Projects in a University Differential-Equations Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latulippe, Christine; Latulippe, Joe

    2014-01-01

    This qualitative study surveyed 102 differential-equations students in order to investigate how students participating in writing projects in university-level mathematics courses perceive the benefits of writing in the mathematics classroom. Based on previous literature on writing in mathematics, students were asked specifically about the benefits…

  15. Ergonomics work assessment in rural industrial settings: a student occupational therapy project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowman, Peter J

    2012-01-01

    This case study describes a student occupational therapy (OT) program, the creation of a worksite assessment project as a part of a Community Connections: Partners for Learning and Service grant funded by Health Resources and Services Administration. The primary goals were to design occupation-based community learning experiences in a variety of rural community settings, so that students might benefit from participating in the community based learning and: based on the results, embed occupation-based learning into existing occupational therapy curriculum. The components of the project and the ergonomics content of the OT education program are described; details of the work assessment are presented with analysis of data from the student evaluation of this project.

  16. Communication and Stakeholder Involvement in Environmental Remediation Projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    The way in which members of the public perceive a contamination situation and an approach to the remediation of contaminated land will influence the decision making process in a variety of ways. Through communication between experts, decision makers and members of stakeholder communities, participatory processes and negotiation between different interest groups can sometimes be used effectively as mechanisms for improving the overall decision making process. The intention is to ensure a technically sound and socially acceptable decision that meets norms of adequacy or satisfactory performance in relation to a whole range of different concerns. Good communication strategies will encourage cooperation and understanding between different interested parties in remediation projects. Involvement of affected or interested persons can prevent fear driven reactions, which potentially damage public response and create undue expectations or unnecessary anxiety. For all environmental remediation (ER) cases, there is a risk that the process will fail if it does not respect social, environmental, political and economic dimensions. This requires open, clear and mutually agreed lines of communication among stakeholders within a well defined legal framework. A general recommendation is to involve them from a very early point in the process. This publication presents ER in plain language in such a way that implementers and regulators can communicate the motives and objectives of remediation projects to a variety of stakeholder communities in order to improve mutual understanding and facilitate dialogue between interested parties. ER is considered from two perspectives: technical and non-technical. A section that gives general ideas on the strategies to deal with stakeholder involvement and which discusses different aspects of the communication approaches in ER is then included. It is recognized that social, cultural and political situations are very diverse in different countries in

  17. Communication and Stakeholder Involvement in Environmental Remediation Projects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2014-05-15

    The way in which members of the public perceive a contamination situation and an approach to the remediation of contaminated land will influence the decision making process in a variety of ways. Through communication between experts, decision makers and members of stakeholder communities, participatory processes and negotiation between different interest groups can sometimes be used effectively as mechanisms for improving the overall decision making process. The intention is to ensure a technically sound and socially acceptable decision that meets norms of adequacy or satisfactory performance in relation to a whole range of different concerns. Good communication strategies will encourage cooperation and understanding between different interested parties in remediation projects. Involvement of affected or interested persons can prevent fear driven reactions, which potentially damage public response and create undue expectations or unnecessary anxiety. For all environmental remediation (ER) cases, there is a risk that the process will fail if it does not respect social, environmental, political and economic dimensions. This requires open, clear and mutually agreed lines of communication among stakeholders within a well defined legal framework. A general recommendation is to involve them from a very early point in the process. This publication presents ER in plain language in such a way that implementers and regulators can communicate the motives and objectives of remediation projects to a variety of stakeholder communities in order to improve mutual understanding and facilitate dialogue between interested parties. ER is considered from two perspectives: technical and non-technical. A section that gives general ideas on the strategies to deal with stakeholder involvement and which discusses different aspects of the communication approaches in ER is then included. It is recognized that social, cultural and political situations are very diverse in different countries in

  18. Universitarios y Voluntariado: Análisis del Involucramiento en Acciones Filantrópicas de los Alumnos de la PUC University Students and Volunteering: Analysis of the Involvement in Philanthropic Actions of PUC Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    René Ríos

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available El artículo describe el involucramiento de los estudiantes universitarios en actividades voluntarias de filantropía (ayuda a terceros, culturales, de causas y campañas, asociatividad estudiantil (centros de alumnos y movimientos u organizaciones políticas. Se explica el involucramiento por: a la estructura familiar que establecería disposiciones para involucrase, incluyendo variables como el nivel socio económico y educacional de los padres y las variables que actúan como estabilizadores de la disposición, fundamentalmente el proyecto educativo escolar; y b la religión y vivencia de la religiosidad. Se extraen consecuencias referidas al proyecto educativo de la propia universidad, en particular los referidos a la adquisición de competencias y habilidades crecientemente demandadas por la profesionalización de las organizaciones del tercer sector.This article describes university students' involvement in philanthropic help to others, cultural activities, campaigns, student associations and political movements and organizations. Involvement is explained by: a the family structure that establishes basal dispositions towards involvement, including variables such a parental socio economic and educational level and variables that act as stabilizers of the involvement disposition, in particular the educational project of the high school; b religion and experience of religiosity. From the interpretation several consequences are drawn for the university's educational project, in particular those referred to the acquisition of abilities and competencies increasingly demanded by the professionalization of third sector organizations.

  19. Counselling needs of students involved in indiscipline as expressed ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study therefore examined the counselling needs of students involved in indiscipline as expressed by teachers. The descriptive research design was adopted and a simple random sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents for the study. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive and inferential ...

  20. Using Sales Management Students to Manage Professional Selling Students in an Innovative Active Learning Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Joyce A.; Hawes, Jon M.

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes an application of active learning within two different courses: professional selling and sales management. Students assumed the roles of sales representatives and sales managers for an actual fund-raiser--a golf outing--sponsored by a student chapter of the American Marketing Association. The sales project encompassed an…

  1. A Correlational Study of Extracurricular Involvement and Homework Performance of Third Grade Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Rachel; Moulden, Ryan

    2011-01-01

    There are many opportunities for students to participate in nonacademic activities. These activities can include: sports, clubs, private lessons, and religious activities. Participation in these activities enriches students' lives by encouraging social skills. Yet, if students are involved in activities requiring many hours of participation, does…

  2. Student Belief and Involvement in the Paranormal and Performance in Introductory Psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messer, Wayne S.; Griggs, Richard A.

    1989-01-01

    Assesses student belief and involvement in 10 paranormal phenomena. Findings show 99 percent of the sample expressed belief in at least one. Students expressing these beliefs achieved significantly lower course grades. Discusses instructor's role in combating unfounded beliefs and fostering critical thinking. (NL)

  3. Student ownership of projects in an upper-division optics laboratory course: A multiple case study of successful experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dounas-Frazer, Dimitri R.; Stanley, Jacob T.; Lewandowski, H. J.

    2017-12-01

    We investigate students' sense of ownership of multiweek final projects in an upper-division optics lab course. Using a multiple case study approach, we describe three student projects in detail. Within-case analyses focused on identifying key issues in each project, and constructing chronological descriptions of those events. Cross-case analysis focused on identifying emergent themes with respect to five dimensions of project ownership: student agency, instructor mentorship, peer collaboration, interest and value, and affective responses. Our within- and cross-case analyses yielded three major findings. First, coupling division of labor with collective brainstorming can help balance student agency, instructor mentorship, and peer collaboration. Second, students' interest in the project and perceptions of its value can increase over time; initial student interest in the project topic is not a necessary condition for student ownership of the project. Third, student ownership is characterized by a wide range of emotions that fluctuate as students alternate between extended periods of struggle and moments of success while working on their projects. These findings not only extend the literature on student ownership into a new educational domain—namely, upper-division physics labs—they also have concrete implications for the design of experimental physics projects in courses for which student ownership is a desired learning outcome. We describe the course and projects in sufficient detail that others can adapt our results to their particular contexts.

  4. A Classroom-Based Distributed Workflow Initiative for the Early Involvement of Undergraduate Students in Scientific Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedrich, Jon M.

    2014-01-01

    Engaging freshman and sophomore students in meaningful scientific research is challenging because of their developing skill set and their necessary time commitments to regular classwork. A project called the Chondrule Analysis Project was initiated to engage first- and second-year students in an initial research experience and also accomplish…

  5. NASA rocket launches student project into space

    OpenAIRE

    Crumbley, Liz

    2005-01-01

    A project that began in 2002 will culminate at sunrise on Tuesday, March 15, when a team of Virginia Tech engineering students watch a payload section they designed lift off aboard a sounding rocket from a launch pad at NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility and travel 59 miles into space.

  6. Mathematical Modeling Projects: Success for All Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shelton, Therese

    2018-01-01

    Mathematical modeling allows flexibility for a project-based experience. We share details of our regular capstone course, successful for virtually 100% of our math majors for almost two decades. Our research-like approach in this course accommodates a variety of student backgrounds and interests, and has produced some award-winning student…

  7. Enhancing Student Learning through Scaffolded Client Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomlinson, Elizabeth

    2017-01-01

    This article reports on the current status of client projects (CPs) in business communication courses, provides a scaffolded model for implementing CP, and assesses student learning in CPs. Using a longitudinal mixed method research design, survey data and qualitative materials from six semesters are presented. The instructor survey indicated need…

  8. Communicating Research Through Student Involvement in Phenological Investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparrow, E. B.; Kopplin, M.; Gazal, R. M.; Robin, J. H.; Boger, R. A.

    2011-12-01

    Phenology plays a key role in the environment and ecosystem. Primary and secondary students around the world have been collecting vegetation phenology data and contributing to ongoing scientific investigations. They have increased research capacity by increasing spatial coverage of ground observations that can be useful for validation of remotely sensed data. The green-up and green-down phenology measurement protocols developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) as part of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program, have been used in more than 250 schools in over 20 countries. In addition to contributing their data, students have conducted their own investigations and presented them at science fairs and symposiums, and international conferences. An elementary school student in Alaska conducted a comprehensive study on the green-down rates of native and introduced trees and shrubs. Her project earned her a one-year college scholarship at UAF. Students from the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D. C. and from the Indiana School for the Deaf collaborated on a comparative green-up study, and were chosen to present at an international conference where students from more than 20 countries participated. Similarly, students in Thailand presented at national conferences, their studies such as "The Relationship between Environmental Conditions and Green-down of Teak Trees (Tectona grandis L.)" at Roong Aroon School, Bangkok and "The Comparison of Budburst and Green-up of Leab Trees (Ficus infectoria Roxb.) at Rob Wiang and Mae Khao Tom Sub-district in Chiang Rai Province". Some challenges in engaging students in phenological studies include the mismatch in timing of the start and end of the plant growing season with that of the school year in northern latitudes and the need for scientists and teachers to work with students to ensure accurate measurements. However these are outweighed by benefits to the scientists

  9. Education projects: an opportunity for student fieldwork in global health academic programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fyfe, Molly V

    2012-01-01

    Universities, especially in higher-income countries, increasingly offer programs in global health. These programs provide different types of fieldwork projects, at home and abroad, including: epidemiological research, community health, and clinical electives. I illustrate how and why education projects offer distinct learning opportunities for global health program fieldwork. As University of California students, we partnered in Tanzania with students from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS) to assist MUHAS faculty with a curricular project. We attended classes, clinical rounds, and community outreach sessions together, where we observed teaching, materials used, and the learning environment; and interviewed and gathered data from current students, alumni, and health professionals during a nationwide survey. We learned together about education of health professionals and health systems in our respective institutions. On the basis of this experience, I suggest some factors that contribute to the productivity of educational projects as global health fieldwork.

  10. Project WEST: Fostering Scientific Inquiry and Collaborations From K Through Gray

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godsey, H. S.; Chapman, D. S.

    2007-12-01

    WEST (Water, the Environment, Science and Teaching) is a science education and outreach program at the University of Utah. WEST partners graduate students in the sciences with K-12 teachers to enhance inquiry- based science teaching in the Salt Lake City urban area. WEST has capitalized on the expertise of faculty and graduate students, scientists from state and federal agencies, local advocacy groups, and K-12 teachers to develop several placed-based scientific field projects for K-12 students. University members provide science content and ideas; state and federal researchers provide practical application and, often times, financial support; advocacy groups provide a tie to the community, and teachers provide a conduit for translating complex science concepts to students. These collaborations are built around a mutual interest in science education and anthropogenic influences on the quality and quantity of water resources critical to life in the arid West. Participants are relied upon to bring their unique perspective to each of the projects in order to meet a number of criteria: 1) projects should involve students in the entire scientific process from developing a hypothesis, making observations, data collection and analysis, 2) projects should be place-based and address interactions of water, the environment and society, and 3) projects should be directly tied to state education standards at appropriate grade levels. Examples of these projects include a water-quality study of Great Salt Lake where students participated in a research project on the lake. Students learned about navigation tools, collected and examined brine shrimp, and measured sulfide and chlorophyll concentrations as indicators of anthropogenic influences to Great Salt Lake. Hydrologists from the University of Utah and U.S. Geological Survey helped design this project and the Utah Dept. of Environmental Quality provided critical funds and supplies. In another project, students were involved in

  11. Interdisciplinary Service-Learning: Building Student Competencies through the Cross-Cultural Parent Groups Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele Belliveau

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Changing demographics and an emphasis on competency-based social work education call for innovative approaches to the delivery of curricular content. In an effort to introduce BSW students to the socio-political issues facing the local Latino immigrant community, a service-learning project was developed in collaboration with the Spanish Language Department and a local middle school. An analysis of outcomes from social work student evaluations showed that students engaged with the community and issues in new and unexpected ways. Through their engagement in a cross-cultural group project, students developed greater cultural competency, honed their group practice skills in an unfamiliar context, provided a needed service to the community, and raised their awareness about the working conditions of new immigrants as part of a developing framework for social action. Details and implications of the project as a means to build student competencies are described.

  12. Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of service-learning through a school-based community project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassi, Sherry

    2011-01-01

    Service-learning (SL) is an experiential teaching method that combines instruction with community service, with the aim of enriching students' academic learning, interpersonal skills and sense of responsibility while making meaningful contributions to the community. However, measuring outcomes of service-learning projects is difficult. This article reports on the perceptions of 18 third-year undergraduate nursing students who took part in a pilot service-learning project targeting tobacco use in a local elementary school. Faculty members evaluated the program's outcomes by engaging students in structured reflection on the program about its relevance to their future careers as practicing professionals, especially in community-based settings. The students' perceptions were elicited through three sets of reflective assignments following the project. Findings from the reflective assignments suggest that the pilot program was successful in enhancing the students' academic, social, and personal development while building a partnership between the school of nursing and key players in the community, including school-based nurses, teachers, administrators, families, and community leaders. The author suggests that service-learning projects can help nursing students accomplish key developmental tasks of the college years (such as building their competence, autonomy, and integrity), while helping impart the skills and values they will need as they graduate and seek professional nursing roles.

  13. Assessing Teacher and Student Effects of the Research Goes to School Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kararo, Alex T.

    There have been calls by the Federal government and policymakers for improvements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education through the development of excellent teachers with the content knowledge and skills to teach and motivate students. A shared goal among teacher professional development (PD) programs is to improve students' learning outcomes through changes in teachers' classroom practices. One way to address classroom practice is by studying pedagogical content knowledge and skill (PCK&S), which is the way teachers incorporate both subject matter and teaching strategies to transform the way they teach content to support student learning. PCK&S includes the knowledge and planning as well as the act of teaching. The NSF-funded Research Goes to School (RGS) project sought to impact teachers' PCK&S through the introduction of a current scientific research topic simultaneously with an evidence-based teaching strategy. As part of the RGS project, high-school STEM teachers from Indiana applied to attend summer PD workshops. At these workshops, aspects of nanoscience taken from the Big Ideas of Nanoscale Science and Engineering book and project-based learning (PjBL) were taught. Nanoscience was chosen due to the rapid growth of this field and the call by scientists and policymakers for the development of standards and curricula focused on nanoscience within K-12 education. Introduction of fundamental nanoscience concepts can expose students to current research within what is considered the next industrial revolution. PjBL was chosen since within this teaching strategy, scientific processes are used to address unstructured authentic problems. As part of PjBL, the students are required to synthesize ideas, collect and analyze data, and work with peers to develop an answer to the authentic question. Teachers who attended the workshops developed a nanoscience-based PjBL unit that aligned with Indiana state standards and implemented these units

  14. Developing an online support tool to assist students in higher education with project proposals

    OpenAIRE

    Haji Suhaili, Wida Susanty

    2015-01-01

    The research presented in this thesis investigates ways to assist students with writing their project proposals. There is limited literature on the problems students have when writing project proposals in Higher Education. Particularly most of the literature has concentrated on the writing aspects, rhetorical aspects and structure of a scientific article. Even though various studies on assessment of undergraduate individual and group project works have been done, the project pr...

  15. Increasing Prediction the Original Final Year Project of Student Using Genetic Algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saragih, Rijois Iboy Erwin; Turnip, Mardi; Sitanggang, Delima; Aritonang, Mendarissan; Harianja, Eva

    2018-04-01

    Final year project is very important forgraduation study of a student. Unfortunately, many students are not seriouslydidtheir final projects. Many of studentsask for someone to do it for them. In this paper, an application of genetic algorithms to predict the original final year project of a studentis proposed. In the simulation, the data of the final project for the last 5 years is collected. The genetic algorithm has several operators namely population, selection, crossover, and mutation. The result suggest that genetic algorithm can do better prediction than other comparable model. Experimental results of predicting showed that 70% was more accurate than the previous researched.

  16. Using technology-enhanced, cooperative, group-project learning for student comprehension and academic performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tlhoaele, Malefyane; Suhre, Cor; Hofman, Adriaan

    2016-05-01

    Cooperative learning may improve students' motivation, understanding of course concepts, and academic performance. This study therefore enhanced a cooperative, group-project learning technique with technology resources to determine whether doing so improved students' deep learning and performance. A sample of 118 engineering students, randomly divided into two groups, participated in this study and provided data through questionnaires issued before and after the experiment. The results, obtained through analyses of variance and structural equation modelling, reveal that technology-enhanced, cooperative, group-project learning improves students' comprehension and academic performance.

  17. Motivating Students to Develop Satellites in a Problem and Project-Based Learning Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard; Nielsen, Jens Frederik Dalsgaard; Zhou, Chunfang

    2013-01-01

    During the last decade, a total of three student satellites have been developed by engineering students in a Problem and Project-Based Learning (PBL) environment at Aalborg University (AAU), Denmark. As solving such a complex project, we emphasize that a high level of motivation is needed for the...

  18. Interprofessional practice in health care: an educational project with four learning sequences for students from six study programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowak, Anna Christina; Klimke-Jung, Kathrin; Schäfer, Thorsten; Reif, Karl

    2016-01-01

    In response to demographic changes and the growing complexity of healthcare demands, national and international organizations are requiring greater cooperation among the health professions. Implementation of interprofessional learning programs within study programs in medicine, midwifery, nursing, and therapy is still rare. The first projects are currently underway in Germany. This paper presents the experience gathered by the organizers as interprofessional courses for six study programs were implemented. As part of the collaborative project "Interprofessional Practice in Health Care" between the Medical School at the Ruhr University in Bochum and the Department for Applied Health Sciences at the Hochschule für Gesundheit, interprofessional curricular units were developed, taught and evaluated with the aim of establishing permanent and joint curricular structures at the two German universities. Imparting communication skills, knowledge of and appreciation for the work performed by the other health professions, as well as having students reflect on their own professional roles and responsibilities, were the focus of four curricular units. Students worked together in small interprofessional groups. A total of 220 students enrolled in occupational therapy, midwifery, speech therapy, medicine, nursing, and physiotherapy participated in small-group seminars. When conducting and implementing the seminars, administrative and methodological challenges became apparent, and this should be taken into consideration in regard to any future development of interprofessional courses. Integration into existing curricula, along with finding time in the various schedules and appropriate classroom space for small groups, were among the challenges faced. For over 86% of the students it was important that students from all six of the degree programs involved participated in the project. A detailed analysis of the content and evaluation will follow. The value of the project's aim to

  19. Students' perceptions of a community-based service-learning project related to aging in place.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oakes, Claudia E; Sheehan, Nancy W

    2014-01-01

    This article describes a service-learning project that was designed to help undergraduate health professions students understand the complexities related to aging in place. The service-learning project also incorporated a research component to expose the students to the research process. Students' reflections regarding the benefits that they derived from the experience suggest that they value learning about older adults through one-on-one interactions more than they value the opportunity to participate in the research project. Implications for undergraduate health professional education are discussed.

  20. NORSTAR Project: Norfolk public schools student team for acoustical research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortunato, Ronald C.

    1987-01-01

    Development of the NORSTAR (Norfolk Public Student Team for Acoustical Research) Project includes the definition, design, fabrication, testing, analysis, and publishing the results of an acoustical experiment. The student-run program is based on a space flight organization similar to the Viking Project. The experiment will measure the scattering transfer of momentum from a sound field to spheres in a liquid medium. It is hoped that the experimental results will shed light on a difficult physics problem - the difference in scattering cross section (the overall effect of the sound wave scattering) for solid spheres and hollow spheres of differing wall thicknesses.

  1. Student project of optical system analysis API-library development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanova, Tatiana; Zhukova, Tatiana; Dantcaranov, Ruslan; Romanova, Maria; Zhadin, Alexander; Ivanov, Vyacheslav; Kalinkina, Olga

    2017-08-01

    In the paper API-library software developed by students of Applied and Computer Optics Department (ITMO University) for optical system design is presented. The library performs paraxial and real ray tracing, calculates 3d order (Seidel) aberration and real ray aberration of axis and non-axis beams (wave, lateral, longitudinal, coma, distortion etc.) and finally, approximate wave aberration by Zernike polynomials. Real aperture can be calculated by considering of real rays tracing failure on each surface. So far we assume optical system is centered, with spherical or 2d order aspherical surfaces. Optical glasses can be set directly by refraction index or by dispersion coefficients. The library can be used for education or research purposes in optical system design area. It provides ready to use software functions for optical system simulation and analysis that developer can simply plug into their software development for different purposes, for example for some specific synthesis tasks or investigation of new optimization modes. In the paper we present an example of using the library for development of cemented doublet synthesis software based on Slusarev's methodology. The library is used in optical system optimization recipes course for deep studying of optimization model and its application for optical system design. Development of such software is an excellent experience for students and help to understanding optical image modeling and quality analysis. This development is organized as student group joint project. We try to organize it as a group in real research and development project, so each student has his own role in the project and then use whole library functionality in his own master or bachelor thesis. Working in such group gives students useful experience and opportunity to work as research and development engineer of scientific software in the future.

  2. Relationship between Students' Scores on Research Methods and Statistics, and Undergraduate Project Scores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ossai, Peter Agbadobi Uloku

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between students' scores on Research Methods and statistics, and undergraduate project at the final year. The purpose was to find out whether students matched knowledge of research with project-writing skill. The study adopted an expost facto correlational design. Scores on Research Methods and Statistics for…

  3. The use of public participation and economic appraisal for public involvement in large-scale hydropower projects: Case study of the Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirumachi, Naho; Torriti, Jacopo

    2012-01-01

    Gaining public acceptance is one of the main issues with large-scale low-carbon projects such as hydropower development. It has been recommended by the World Commission on Dams that to gain public acceptance, public involvement is necessary in the decision-making process (). As financially-significant actors in the planning and implementation of large-scale hydropower projects in developing country contexts, the paper examines the ways in which public involvement may be influenced by international financial institutions. Using the case study of the Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project in Laos, the paper analyses how public involvement facilitated by the Asian Development Bank had a bearing on procedural and distributional justice. The paper analyses the extent of public participation and the assessment of full social and environmental costs of the project in the Cost-Benefit Analysis conducted during the project appraisal stage. It is argued that while efforts were made to involve the public, there were several factors that influenced procedural and distributional justice: the late contribution of the Asian Development Bank in the project appraisal stage; and the issue of non-market values and discount rate to calculate the full social and environmental costs. - Highlights: ► Public acceptance in large-scale hydropower projects is examined. ► Both procedural and distributional justice are important for public acceptance. ► International Financial Institutions can influence the level of public involvement. ► Public involvement benefits consideration of non-market values and discount rates.

  4. On Student Motivation in a Problem and Project-Based Satellite Development and Learning Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard; Nielsen, Jens Frederik Dalsgaard; Zhou, Chunfang

    2013-01-01

    During the past decade, students at Aalborg University have had the possibility to participate in the cross disciplinary, and cross semester project of building and launching a cubesat. However, as such a project easily can last from three to five years, from the initial development to the launch...... of the satellite, it is important to consider how to keep the different student groups, who have participated in the project motivated in further developing of their respective subsystems, as well as engage actively in knowledge transfer to new student groups....

  5. Factors Influencing the Private Involvement in Urban Rail Public-Private Partnership Projects in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongjian Ke

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Private investors have been encouraged to participate in the development and operation of urban rail projects in China through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs, given the fact that subnational governments are suffering from urgent development demands and severe fiscal pressure. However, there is no formal assessment to determine the private involvement in a PPP project. This problem is particularly critical in the sector of urban rail, in which the huge investment cannot rely on the private sector alone. This study hence aimed to uncover and identify the influencing factors. Multiple research methods, including content analysis, case study and focus group discussion were adopted to achieve the research purpose. Seven types of influencing factors were identified, including project financial model, government fiscal commitment, risk allocation, public accountability, efficiency considerations, policy and regulations, and organisational marketing strategies. The findings add to the current knowledge base by uncovering the drivers behind private involvement in a PPP project. They are also beneficial for industry practitioners as a basis/checklist to determine the private involvement.

  6. Calculus Limits Involving Infinity: The Role of Students' Informal Dynamic Reasoning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Steven R.

    2015-01-01

    Few studies on calculus limits have centred their focus on student understanding of limits at infinity or infinite limits that involve continuous functions (as opposed to discrete sequences). This study examines student understanding of these types of limits using both pure mathematics and applied-science functions and formulas. Seven calculus…

  7. THE ‘MOON MAPPING’ PROJECT TO PROMOTE COOPERATION BETWEEN STUDENTS OF ITALY AND CHINA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Scaioni

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The research project ‘Moon Mapping’ has been established in 2014 between the Italian and Chinese Governments to promote cooperation and exchange between undergraduate students from both countries. The operational phase of the project started in early 2015, and will end in 2017, for a total length of three years. The main aim is to train new scholars to be able to work on different kinds of remotely-sensed data collected over the Moon surface by the Chinese space missions Chang’E-1/2. The project coordination has been assigned to the Italian Space Agency for the Italian side and to the Center of Space Exploration, China Ministry of Education, for the Chinese side. Several Chinese universities and Italian national research institutes and universities have been officially involved in this project. Six main research topics have been identified: (1 map of the solar wind ion; (2 geomorphological map of the Moon; (3 data preprocessing of Chang’E-1 mission; (4 map of element distribution; (5 establishment of 3D digital visualization system; and (6 compilation and publication of a tutorial on joint lunar mapping.

  8. The enhancement of environmental literacy of High School students within the Sparkling Science project "Traisen w3"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poppe, Michaela; Zitek, Andreas; Böck, Kerstin; Scheikl, Sigrid; Heidenreich, Andrea; Kurz-Aigner, Roman; Schrittwieser, Martin; Muhar, Susanne

    2015-04-01

    Environmental literacy is the knowledge necessary to understand the environment as an ecological system. It comprises the insight in the impact of human behaviour on the natural world and the disposition and motivation to apply ones knowledge, skills and insight in order to make environmentally beneficial decisions as rational citizen. The United Nations Environmental Programme states that young people will face major challenges in providing sufficient water and food, generating energy and adapting to climate change in future. Dealing with these challenges will require a major contribution from science and technology. But even more important, it is an issue of education to transfer the required system understanding as a basis to take informed decisions. In this way an education towards environmental literacy contributes significantly to the personal, social, and professional lives of young people, plays therefore a central role in young person`s "preparedness for life", and is a major prerequisite for sustainable development. For the purpose of developing new and engaging forms of learning, "Sparkling Science" projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy in Austria. These projects target at integrating science with school learning by involving young people into scientific research. Within the Sparkling Science Projects "FlussAu:WOW" and" "Traisen.w3" scientists work together with 15-18-year-old students of an Austrian High School over four years. The projects aim to assess and evaluate crucial functions and processes of riverine landscapes particularly considering the floodplain area in near natural and anthropogenically changed landscapes. Within the first project "FlussAu:WOW" (2012-2014), students and scientists elaborated on indicators for assessing and evaluating the ecological functionality of floodplains and rivers. In a case study in the "Traisen.w3" project (2014-2016), scientists and students will focus at the catchment

  9. Attitudes towards the Human Genome Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahroudi, Julie; Shaw, Geraldine

    Attitudes concerning the Human Genome Project were reported by faculty (N=40) and students (N=66) from a liberal arts college. Positive attitudes toward the project involved privacy, insurance and health, economic purposes, reproductive purposes, genetic counseling, religion and overall opinions. Negative attitudes were expressed regarding…

  10. Analysis of pharmacy student motivators and deterrents for professional organization involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Erin; Wascher, Molly; Kier, Karen

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine motivators and deterrents impacting a student pharmacist's decision to join professional organizations. The goal was to create a list of meaningful factors that organizations can use for membership recruitment. This descriptive study utilized a blinded electronic survey sent to eight accredited pharmacy schools in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. The survey assessed motivating and hindering factors, as well as demographic data. Eight-hundred fifty-six students completed the survey, a 15.05% participation rate. Professional development and networking were the top two endorsed motivational factors, selected as significant by 88.0% and 87.5% respectively. Upon chi-square analysis, networking (pmotivating factors with which membership was found to be significantly influenced. Networking and involvement opportunities were more significant for members while scholarships were a greater motivator among nonmembers. Time required for involvement and cost were the most commonly selected hindrances with 78% and 76% respectively identifying these as significant barriers. The hindering factor found to be significantly different between active members and nonmembers was bylaws/rules of the organization (p=0.032), with non-members rating this as a greater consideration than current members. Multiple factors contribute to a student's decision to join a professional organization. Those active members find greater significance in networking involvement opportunities. Non-member students found scholarships more motivating and recognize bylaws as a consideration for membership more than current members. These results emphasize the multifactorial nature of membership and may direct future membership initiatives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Integrating Social and Traditional Media in the Client Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melton, James; Hicks, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    Based on a client project assigned to students in two undergraduate business classes, this article argues that social media learning is best done in a context that mixes social media with more traditional kinds of media. Ideally, this approach will involve teams of students who are working on different aspects of a larger client project. This…

  12. The Development of an Instrument to Measure the Project Competences of College Students in Online Project-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chien-Liang

    2018-01-01

    This study sought to develop a self-report instrument to be used in the assessment of the project competences of college students engaged in online project-based learning. Three scales of the KIPSSE instrument developed for this study, namely, the knowledge integration, project skills, and self-efficacy scales, were based on related theories and…

  13. Improving patient care through student leadership in team quality improvement projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tschannen, Dana; Aebersold, Michelle; Kocan, Mary Jo; Lundy, Francene; Potempa, Kathleen

    2015-01-01

    In partnership with a major medical center, senior-level nursing students completed a root cause analysis and implementation plan to address a unit-specific quality issue. To evaluate the project, unit leaders were asked their perceptions of the value of the projects and impact on patient care, as well as to provide exemplars depicting how the student root cause analysis work resulted in improved patient outcome and/or unit processes. Liaisons noted benefits of having an RCA team, with positive impact on patient outcomes and care processes.

  14. Family Involvement and Parent-Teacher Relationships for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garbacz, S. Andrew; McIntyre, Laura Lee; Santiago, Rachel T.

    2016-01-01

    Family educational involvement and parent--teacher relationships are important for supporting student outcomes and have unique implications for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little research has examined child and family characteristics among families of children with ASD as predictors of family involvement and…

  15. Student ownership of projects in an upper-division optics laboratory course: A multiple case study of successful experiences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available We investigate students’ sense of ownership of multiweek final projects in an upper-division optics lab course. Using a multiple case study approach, we describe three student projects in detail. Within-case analyses focused on identifying key issues in each project, and constructing chronological descriptions of those events. Cross-case analysis focused on identifying emergent themes with respect to five dimensions of project ownership: student agency, instructor mentorship, peer collaboration, interest and value, and affective responses. Our within- and cross-case analyses yielded three major findings. First, coupling division of labor with collective brainstorming can help balance student agency, instructor mentorship, and peer collaboration. Second, students’ interest in the project and perceptions of its value can increase over time; initial student interest in the project topic is not a necessary condition for student ownership of the project. Third, student ownership is characterized by a wide range of emotions that fluctuate as students alternate between extended periods of struggle and moments of success while working on their projects. These findings not only extend the literature on student ownership into a new educational domain—namely, upper-division physics labs—they also have concrete implications for the design of experimental physics projects in courses for which student ownership is a desired learning outcome. We describe the course and projects in sufficient detail that others can adapt our results to their particular contexts.

  16. The ATLAS project: The effects of a constructionist digital laboratory project on undergraduate laboratory performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoepe, Todd C; Cavedon, Dana K; Derian, Joseph M; Levy, Celine S; Morales, Amy

    2015-01-01

    Anatomical education is a dynamic field where developments in the implementation of constructive, situated-learning show promise in improving student achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an individualized, technology heavy project in promoting student performance in a combined anatomy and physiology laboratory course. Mixed-methods research was used to compare two cohorts of anatomy laboratories separated by the adoption of a new laboratory atlas project, which were defined as preceding (PRE) and following the adoption of the Anatomical Teaching and Learning Assessment Study (ATLAS; POST). The ATLAS project required the creation of a student-generated, photographic atlas via acquisition of specimen images taken with tablet technology and digital microscope cameras throughout the semester. Images were transferred to laptops, digitally labeled and photo edited weekly, and compiled into a digital book using Internet publishing freeware for final project submission. An analysis of covariance confirmed that student final examination scores were improved (P project (PRE, n = 75; POST, n = 90; means ± SE; 74.9 ± 0.9 versus 78.1 ± 0.8, respectively) after controlling for cumulative student grade point average. Analysis of questionnaires collected (n = 68) from the post group suggested students identified with atlas objectives, appreciated the comprehensive value in final examination preparation, and the constructionism involved, but recommended alterations in assignment logistics and the format of the final version. Constructionist, comprehensive term-projects utilizing student-preferred technologies could be used to improve performance toward student learning outcomes. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

  17. Health Activities Project (HAP): Breathing Fitness Module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buller, Dave; And Others

    Contained within this Health Activities Project (HAP) learning packet are activities for children in grades 5-8. Design of the activities centers around the idea that students can control their own health and safety. Within this module are teacher and student folios describing four activities which involve students in learning how to measure their…

  18. Solidarity Projects in Norwegian Schools: Students' Motivation and School Leaders' Rationale

    OpenAIRE

    Brustad, Maja Rosvold

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Each year thousands of Norwegian students spend one day of their education to collect money for different aid projects. These projects aim at giving youth in developing countries the opportunity to education and are referred to as Solidarity Projects. The projects are organized by different NGO s. The first organizations that started offering solidarity projects were Operation Day´s Work. This organization was founded in 1964, and is run for, by and with youth. Participation in solid...

  19. Coupled rolling motion: a student project in non-holonomic mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janova, Jitka; Musilova, Jana; Bartos, JirI

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents an original undergraduate student project in theoretical mechanics: a demonstration of theory and experiment agreement inspired by a recently theoretically treated mechanical problem of coupled rolling motion of two cylinders. The problem of a mechanical system subjected to non-holonomic constraints is theoretically and numerically solved. Subsequently, the solution is quantitatively verified by a simple and inexpensive experiment, originally proposed and constructed by the authors. The comparison of results of the theoretical study with experimental output shows that there are instruments to directly verify rather abstract mathematical theories even on the undergraduate level. Moreover, combining the theoretical description of the problem with an appropriate laboratory experiment and computational procedures gives students a more complex view of the physical problem as a whole. This paper can be used by physics teachers on the undergraduate university level as an inspiration for an interesting student project. Moreover, the theoretical part of this paper itself can be used by interested intermediate students themselves as a good exercise in theoretical mechanics.

  20. Enhancement of students’ creative thinking skills on mixture separation topic using project based student worksheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurisalfah, R.; Fadiawati, N.; Jalmo, T.

    2018-05-01

    The aim of this study is to describe the effectiveness of project based student worksheet in improving students' creative thinking skills. The research method is using quasi experiment with the matching only pre-test post-test control group design. The population in this research is all students of class VII SMP N 2 Belitang Madang Raya with class VII1 as control class and class VII4 as experiment class. The sample of this research is obtaining by purposive sampling technique. The effectiveness of project based student worksheet is based on significant post-test differences between the control class and the experiment class as well as the effect size. The results show that the using of project based student worksheet is effective in improving students' creative thinking skills on mixture separation topic.

  1. Open Source Projects in Software Engineering Education: A Mapping Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nascimento, Debora M. C.; Almeida Bittencourt, Roberto; Chavez, Christina

    2015-01-01

    Context: It is common practice in academia to have students work with "toy" projects in software engineering (SE) courses. One way to make such courses more realistic and reduce the gap between academic courses and industry needs is getting students involved in open source projects (OSP) with faculty supervision. Objective: This study…

  2. Predictors and Outcomes of Parental Involvement with High School Students in Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shumow, Lee; Lyutykh, Elena; Schmidt, Jennifer A.

    2011-01-01

    Demographic and psychological predictors of parent involvement with their children's science education both at home and at school were examined during high school. Associations between both types of parent involvement and numerous academic outcomes were tested. Data were collected from 244 high school students in 12 different science classrooms…

  3. Students' Involvement in Social Networking and Attitudes towards Its Integration into Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umoh, Ukeme Ekpedeme; Etuk, Etuk Nssien

    2016-01-01

    The study examined Students' Involvement in Social Networking and attitudes towards its Integration into Teaching. The study was carried out in the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The population of the study consisted of 17,618 undergraduate students enrolled into full time degree programmes in the University of Uyo for 2014/2015…

  4. Teaching as Improvisational Experience: Student Music Teachers' Reflections on Learning during an Intercultural Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westerlund, Heidi; Partti, Heidi; Karlsen, Sidsel

    2015-01-01

    This qualitative instrumental case study explores Finnish student music teachers' experiences of teaching and learning as participants in an intercultural project in Cambodia. The Multicultural Music University project aimed at increasing master's level music education students' intercultural competencies by providing experiences of teaching and…

  5. Framing the Undergraduate Research Experience: Discovery Involvement in Retailing Undergraduate Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sternquist, Brenda; Huddleston, Patricia; Fairhurst, Ann

    2018-01-01

    We provide an overview of ways to involve undergraduate business and retailing students in faculty research projects and discuss advantages of these student-faculty collaborations. We use Kolb's experiential learning cycle to provide a framework for creating an effective and engaging undergraduate research experience and use it to classify types…

  6. Heterosexual and nonheterosexual young university students' involvement in traditional and cyber forms of bullying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wensley, Kate; Campbell, Marilyn

    2012-12-01

    Research has consistently found that school students who do not identify as self-declared completely heterosexual are at increased risk of victimization by bullying from peers. This study examined heterosexual and nonheterosexual university students' involvement in both traditional and cyber forms of bullying, as either bullies or victims. Five hundred twenty-eight first-year university students (M=19.52 years old) were surveyed about their sexual orientation and their bullying experiences over the previous 12 months. The results showed that nonheterosexual young people reported higher levels of involvement in traditional bullying, both as victims and perpetrators, in comparison to heterosexual students. In contrast, cyberbullying trends were generally found to be similar for heterosexual and nonheterosexual young people. Gender differences were also found. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of intervention and prevention of the victimization of nonheterosexual university students.

  7. Involving Students in a Collaborative Project to Help Discover Inexpensive, Stable Materials for Solar Photoelectrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anunson, Paige N.; Winkler, Gates R.; Winkler, Jay R.; Parkinson, Bruce A.; Christus, Jennifer D. Schuttlefield

    2013-01-01

    In general, laboratory experiments focus on traditional chemical disciplines. While this approach allows students the ability to learn and explore fundamental concepts in a specific area, it does not always encourage students to explore interdisciplinary science. Often little transfer of knowledge from one area to another is observed, as students…

  8. The Relationship of Student Involvement in Political Organizations to Self-Reported Capacities for Socially Responsible Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogendorp, Melanie Beth

    2012-01-01

    This research investigated the relationship between college students' political involvement and their capacities for socially responsible leadership, including which student characteristics, precollege experiences, and collegiate experiences contributed to these capacities. Political involvement was defined as participation in co-curricular,…

  9. Educational Designs Supporting Student Engagement Through Network Project Studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jørgen Lerche

    2016-01-01

    Internationally, new pedagogical approaches emphasizing collaboration or learning in networks have been developed following the introduction of new technologies, especially the spread of social media. It is interesting to see such pedagogical developments in relation to similar approaches......, developed from the traditions of organizing university studies through student-driven project work and problem-driven learning approaches, which have been developed at the Danish universities of Roskilde and Aalborg as early as from the beginning of the 1970s. Specific educational designs integrating...... digital media are discussed, especially focusing on student engagement and the implications of organizing the pedagogical practice as networked project work. The discussions are based on the author’s experiences during 16 years of teaching and supervising at the Danish Master’s Program of ICT and Learning...

  10. Recruiting first generation college students into the Geosciences: Alaska's EDGE project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakash, A.; Connor, C.

    2008-12-01

    Funded in 2005-2008, by the National Science Foundation's Geoscience Education Division, the Experiential Discoveries in Geoscience Education (EDGE) project was designed to use glacier and watershed field experiences as venues for geospatial data collected by Alaska's grade 6-12 middle and high school teachers and their students. EDGE participants were trained in GIS and learned to analyze geospatial data to answer questions about the warming Alaska environment and to determine rates of ongoing glacier recession. Important emphasis of the program was the recruitment of Alaska Native students of Inupiat, Yup'ik, Athabascan, and Tlingit populations, living in both rural and urban areas around the state. Twelve of Alaska's 55 school districts have participated in the EDGE program. To engage EDGE students in the practice of scientific inquiry, each was required to carry out a semester scale research project using georeferenced data, guided by their EDGE teacher and mentor. Across Alaska students investigated several Earth systems processes including freezing conditions of lake ice; the changes in water quality in storm drains after rainfall events; movements of moose, bears, and bison across Alaskan landscapes; changes in permafrost depth in western Alaska; and the response of migrating waterfowl to these permafrost changes. Students correlated the substrate beneath their schools with known earthquake intensities; measured cutbank and coastal erosion on northern rivers and southeastern shorelines; tracked salmon infiltration of flooded logging roads; noted the changing behavior of eagles during late winter salmon runs; located good areas for the use of tidal power for energy production; tracked the extent and range of invasive plant species with warming; and the change of forests following deglaciation. Each cohort of EDGE students and teachers finished the program by attended a 3-day EDGE symposium at which students presented their research projects first in a

  11. Substance use by college students: the role of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation for athletic involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockafellow, Bradley D; Saules, Karen K

    2006-09-01

    Certain types of athletic involvement may confer risk for substance use by college students. This study investigated whether motivational factors play a role in the relationship between athletic involvement and substance use. Intercollegiate athletes (n=98) and exercisers (n=120) were surveyed about substance use and motivation for athletic involvement. Athletes and exercisers who were extrinsically motivated had significantly higher rates of alcohol use than their intrinsically motivated counterparts. Results suggest that college students who are extrinsically motivated for involvement in physical activity/athletics--particularly those involved in team sports--may be in need of targeted prevention efforts. ((c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. EXAMINATION OF ACHIEVEMENT RELATIONS AND MOTIVATION OF 7th GRADE STUDENTS FOR INVOLVEMENT IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragoljub Višnjić

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The relations of students achievement and motivation for involvement in PE classes were examined in a sample of 247 seventh-grade elementary school students of both sexes. The independent variables in the study were: sex, general success of the previous grade, PE grade, students’ opinion on sufficiency of knowledge acquired through instruction process, students’ involvement in sport. The scale for measurement of motivation consisted of 29 items obtained by adaptation of the Scale for measurement of motives of sports’ achievement. Correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis and chi square test were preformed. It was established that male students manifested higher motivation that the females. The assumptions: that females will have better PE grades that the male students; that students’ success was negatively related to involvement in sport; that PE grade was connected to involvement in sport; that general success was negatively related to students’ involvement in PE and that PE grade is positively related to students’ motivation for involvement in instruction, were not confirmed.

  13. Insights into the use and affordances of social and collaborative applications for student projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omolola Ola Bankole

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The use of social and collaborative computing has the potential of assisting learning and improving the ability to work together as part of a team. Team work is a graduate attribute that students need to acquire before transitioning from university into the workplace. The aim of this exploratory research was to provide insights into the use of social and collaborative applications by Computer Science students, and the emergent affordances student project teams have created with the use of these applications. It answers the questions: What elearning platforms or applications do students use to collaborate for team projects? What technology affordance draws students to use these applications? This study adopts affordance theory as the theoretical framework. Two types of content analysis: conventional content analysis and summative content analysis were used to analyse the data. Data was gathered using a pre-designed questionnaire with the teams during the first semester of 2016. Findings show that the university’s elearning platform is utilised for some of their courses; however students seem to prefer free and open source platforms. Student project teams used applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Docs, as well as email messages, to work jointly, and were successfully able to complete their team projects. Four types of technology affordances: communicative-affordance, document share-affordance, course resource-affordance, and integrity-affordance, were identified as being relevant.

  14. Sparking Passion: Engaging Student Voice through Project-Based Learning in Learning Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ball, Christy L.

    2016-01-01

    How do we confront entrenched educational practices in higher education that lead to student demotivation, poor retention, and low persistence? This article argues that project-based learning that situates student voice and capacity at the center of culturally-responsive curriculum has the potential to spark student passion for problem-solving…

  15. Literacy and students' interest on Geosciences - Findings and results of GEOschools project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fermeli, Georgia; Steininger, Fritz; Dermitzakis, Michael; Meléndez, Guillermo; Page, Kevin

    2014-05-01

    GEOschools is a European project supported by the Lifelong Learning Programme. Among the main aims of the project were to investigate the interest secondary school students have on geosciences and the teaching strategies used. Also, the development of a guide for Geosciences Literacy at a European level (Fermeli et al., 2011). GEOschools' literacy framework proposal is based on a comparative analysis of geoscience curricula in the partner countries (Austria, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal). Results of an "Interest Research" survey involved around 1750 students and 60 teachers from partner countries, combined with specific proposals by the project partners (Calonge et al., 2011). Results of the GEOschools "Interest research" survey evidence students show a higher interest in those topics which have a potentially higher social impact, such as mass extinctions, dinosaurs, geological hazards and disasters and origin and evolution of life (including human evolution). These results provide an evidence base to justify why curriculum content and teaching strategies can be made more effective through focusing mainly on such "interest topics", instead of trying to follow an excessively rigid, or academic, development of teaching programs (Fermeli et al., 2013). GEOschools literacy framework is summarized in 14 separate chapters, each including a brief description of the main themes of each subject, the intended learning outcomes as well as keywords and a bibliography. More particularly, the chapters of the framework describe what students should know and do, and how they should relate, as European citizens, to the geosciences. To face the challenges of the present and the future, modern citizens should be literate in natural sciences and, within the context of the geosciences, be able to: • Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of basic principles, models, laws and terminology of Geosciences. • Know how and where to find and access scientifically reliable

  16. Teachers' tendencies to promote student-led science projects: Associations with their views about science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bencze, J. Lawrence; Bowen, G. Michael; Alsop, Steve

    2006-05-01

    School science students can benefit greatly from participation in student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects. For various possible reasons, however, students tend not to be engaged in such inquiries. Among factors that may limit their opportunities to engage in open-ended inquiries of their design are teachers' conceptions about science. To explore possible relationships between teachers' conceptions about science and the types of inquiry activities in which they engage students, instrumental case studies of five secondary science teachers were developed, using field notes, repertory grids, samples of lesson plans and student activities, and semistructured interviews. Based on constructivist grounded theory analysis, participating teachers' tendencies to promote student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects seemed to correspond with positions about the nature of science to which they indicated adherence. A tendency to encourage and enable students to carry out student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects appeared to be associated with adherence to social constructivist views about science. Teachers who opposed social constructivist views tended to prefer tight control of student knowledge building procedures and conclusions. We suggest that these results can be explained with reference to human psychological factors, including those associated with teachers' self-esteem and their relationships with knowledge-building processes in the discipline of their teaching.

  17. A Multilevel, Statewide Investigation of School District Anti-Bullying Policy Quality and Student Bullying Involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gower, Amy L; Cousin, Molly; Borowsky, Iris W

    2017-03-01

    Although nearly all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, little research examines the effect of these policies on student bullying and health. Using a statewide sample, we investigated associations between the quality of school district anti-bullying policies and student bullying involvement and adjustment. School district anti-bullying policies (N = 208) were coded for their quality based on established criteria. District-level data were combined with student reports of bullying involvement, emotional distress, and school connectedness from a state surveillance survey of 6th, 9th, and 12th grade students (N = 93,437). Results indicated that policy quality was positively related to bullying victimization. Furthermore, students reporting frequent perpetration/victimization who also attended districts with high-quality policies reported more emotional distress and less school connectedness compared with students attending districts with low quality policies. Although statistically significant, the magnitude of these associations was small. Having a high-quality school district anti-bullying policy is not sufficient to reduce bullying and protect bullying-involved young people. Future studies examining policy implementation will inform best practices in bullying prevention. © 2017, American School Health Association.

  18. ORGANIZATION OF INDEPENDENT WORK STUDENTS OF MASTER OF TELECOMMUNICATION TRAINING PROJECT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Perminova

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The article explains the need to implement active learning of students in the practice of the organization їh homework. In particular, the author proved the rationality of the use of telecommunications projects and use the web in quest of independent study students graduate.

  19. Health Activities Project (HAP): Sight and Sound Module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buller, Dave; And Others

    Contained within this Health Activities Project (HAP) learning packet are activities for children in grades 5-8. Design of the activities centers around the idea that students can control their own health and safety. Within this module are teacher and student folios describing six activities which involve students in restricting their vision by…

  20. The effects of topic choice in project-based instruction on undergraduate physical science students' interest, ownership, and motivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milner-Bolotin, Marina

    2001-07-01

    Motivating nonscience majors in science and mathematics studies became one of the most interesting and important challenges in contemporary science and mathematics education. Therefore, designing and studying a learning environment, which enhances students' motivation, is an important task. This experimental study sought to explore the implications of student autonomy in topic choice in a project-based Physical Science Course for nonscience majors' on students' motivational orientation. It also suggested and tested a model explaining motivational outcomes of project-based learning environment through increased student ownership of science projects. A project, How Things Work, was designed and implemented in this study. The focus of the project was application of physical science concepts learned in the classroom to everyday life situations. Participants of the study (N = 59) were students enrolled in three selected sections of a Physical Science Course, designed to fulfill science requirements for nonscience majors. These sections were taught by the same instructor over a period of an entire 16-week semester at a large public research university. The study focused on four main variables: student autonomy in choosing a project topic, their motivational orientation, student ownership of the project, and the interest in the project topic. Achievement Goal Orientation theory became the theoretical framework for the study. Student motivational orientation, defined as mastery or performance goal orientation, was measured by an Achievement Goal Orientation Questionnaire. Student ownership was measured using an original instrument, Ownership Measurement Questionnaire, designed and tested by the researchers. Repeated measures yoked design, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and multivariate regression analysis were implemented in the study. Qualitative analysis was used to complement and verify quantitative results. It has been found that student autonomy in the project choice did not make a

  1. Parental involvement and bullying among middle-school students in North Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdirahman, H; Fleming, L C; Jacobsen, K H

    2013-03-01

    Bullying, especially in developing countries, has not been much examined, especially the influence of parents on the risk of being bullied. The aim of this study was to determine whether active parenting is associated with reduced peer victimization among middle-school students in North Africa. A secondary analysis of data from more than 13,000 middle-school students who participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) in Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia between 2006 and 2008, was conducted using multiple logistic regression models. About 60% of students in Egypt and one-third of students in Libya, Morocco and Tunisia reported having been bullied in the past month. In all 4 countries, boys reported more peer victimization than girls. In Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, students who reported that their parents checked their homework, were understanding, and knew how the student spent free time had a reduced likelihood of peer victimization but this association was not significant in Libya. Interventions for reducing bullying should consider the positive impact of involved parents.

  2. projecting pARTicles, a STEAM project

    CERN Document Server

    Goldfarb, Steven; The ATLAS collaboration

    2016-01-01

    Agnes Chavez is a media artist based in the US (New Mexico) and involved in STEM Art Labs. An informal partnership initiated with some ATLAS physicists will develop further in 2016 through a series of workshops where Virtual Visits, Master Class material and the presence of a physicist will be gradually integrated. The project can be seen as an illustration of constructive and long term collaboration between artists, students and scientists.

  3. Homework Involvement and Functions: Perceptions of Hong Kong Chinese Primary School Students and Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tam, Vicky C. W.; Chan, Raymond M. C.

    2011-01-01

    This study examines the perceptions of Chinese students and parents in Hong Kong on homework involvement, assignment type and homework functions. The relationships of homework perceptions to student and parent attributes are also assessed. The sample includes 1393 pairs of students and their parents from 36 primary schools in Hong Kong. Findings…

  4. Psycho-social correlates of students' involvement in secret cults and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study focuses on the premise of incessant havoc being perpetrated by adherents of secret cults in the country's institution of higher learning. These cult groups terrorize fellow students, intimidate members of campus communities in various ways and are often involved in crimes like rape, burglary, thuggery, stealing, ...

  5. Why parents and children consent to become involved in medical student teaching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinnock, Ralph; Weller, Jennifer; Shulruf, Boaz; Jones, Rhys; Reed, Peter; Mizutani, Satomi

    2011-04-01

    Clinical experience in paediatrics is essential for medical undergraduates. This is the first study, of which we are aware, to examine why children of different ages admitted acutely to hospital and their parents agree to become involved in medical student teaching. We wanted to establish whether they considered that they needed to give consent before seeing medical students, whether this was routinely sought and what influenced their decisions. Data were collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews of parents and children. Questionnaires were completed by 105 parents of children less than 6 years old, and 34 children between 10 years and 15 years old and their parents. Interviews were conducted with 32 children between the ages of 6 and 10 years and their parents. Most parents and children consider that they have a responsibility to teaching but must always be asked for consent. They were motivated by altruism, but fear of emotional distress or pain can lead them to refuse. Younger children may not be able to give reasons for not wanting to see a medical student but sometimes have firm views, which must be respected. Having seen a medical student previously did influence children's or parents' opinions. Most children who have seen a medical student were prepared to see students again. Medical students can be reassured that parents and children admitted acutely to a children's hospital have a positive attitude to student involvement and are prepared to help them learn clinical skills, but consent must always be obtained and the child's perspective must always be considered. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2011 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  6. The AAU-cubesat Student Satellite Project: Architectual Overview and Lessons Learnt

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Kasper Zinck; Alminde, Lars; Bisgaard, Morten

    satellite like the AAU-cubesat. Results from the operation phase will be stated, and recommendations on further work on pico-satellite designs will be given. In addition as the project has been carried through by students, the educational value of the project will be addressed as well....

  7. An Internet-Based Accounting Information Systems Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Louise

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes a student project assignment used in an accounting information systems course. We are now truly immersed in the internet age, and while many required accounting information systems courses and textbooks introduce database design, accounting software development, cloud computing, and internet security, projects involving the…

  8. Ten-Structure as Strategy of Addition 1-20 by Involving Spatial Structuring Ability for First Grade Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salmah, Ummy; Putri, Ratu Ilma Indra; Somakim

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to design learning activities that can support students to develop strategies for the addition of number 1 to 20 in the first grade by involving students' spatial structuring ability. This study was conducted in Indonesia by involving 27 students. In this paper, one of three activities is discussed namely ten-box activity.…

  9. The effectiveness of Family Science and Technology Workshops on parental involvement, student achievement, and student curiosity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosten, Lora Bechard

    The literature suggests that parental involvement in schools results in positive changes in students and that schools need to provide opportunities for parents to share in the learning process. Workshops are an effective method of engaging parents in the education of their children. This dissertation studies the effects of voluntary Family Science and Technology Workshops on elementary children's science interest and achievement, as well as on parents' collaboration in their child's education. The study involved 35 second and third-grade students and their parents who volunteered to participate. The parental volunteers were randomly assigned to either the control group (children attending the workshops without a parent) or the treatment group (children attending the workshops with a parent). The study was conducted in the Fall of 1995 over a four-week period. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine the effects of the workshops on children's science achievement and science curiosity, as well as on parents' involvement with their child's education. The study revealed that there was no significant statistical difference at the.05 level between the treatment/control groups in children's science achievement or science curiosity, or in parent's involvement with their children's education. However, the study did focus parental attention on effective education and points the way to more extensive research in this critical learning area. This dual study, that is, the effects of teaching basic technology to young students with the support of their parents, reflects the focus of the Salve Regina University Ph.D. program in which technology is examined in its effects on humans. In essence, this program investigates what it means to be human in an age of advanced technology.

  10. Involving Minority High School Students in Cutting Edge Research through C-DEBI, an NSF-National Science and Technology Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, E.; Edwards, K. J.

    2012-12-01

    The Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) was established as a National Science and Technology Center (NTC) funded by NSF in 2009. Its mission is to explore life beneath the seafloor and make transformative discoveries that advance science, benefit society, and inspire people of all ages and origins. Thanks to the multi-institutional character of C-DEBI, the Center has not only started a collaborative framework for experimental and exploratory research, but also targets education programs at the K-12, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels involving biogeochemists, microbiologists, geochemists and geologists. An example for this is the introduction of deep biosphere research into the K-12 classroom. In this context, C-DEBI has collaborated with teachers from the Animo Leadership High School in Inglewood, which is ranked 27th within California and has a total minority enrollment of 99%, to adapt Marine Biology classes and introduce latest Deep Biosphere Science discoveries. Three high school students participated in a pilot project over 6 months to gain hands-on experience in an ongoing study in a Marine Microbiology laboratory at University of Southern California. Graduate and postdoctoral students from the Departments of Biological and Earth Sciences supervised theory, praxis and project design, which was aimed at culturing strains of Marinobacter, one of the most ubiquitous marine microbial genera, and preparing extracted DNA for sequencing using the latest Ion Torrent Technology. Students learned about the interdisciplinary global context of the study and gained experience in laboratory procedures, including basic aseptical techniques, molecular biology methods, and cutting-edge sequencing Technology, as well as problem-solving and creative thinking in project preparation and conduction. This hands-on training included discussions about the 'Whys' and 'Hows' in today's research with respect to their specific project, but also from a

  11. [Implementation of the eLearning project NESTOR. A network for students in traumatology and orthopedics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Back, D A; Haberstroh, N; Hoff, E; Plener, J; Haas, N P; Perka, C; Schmidmaier, G

    2012-01-01

    Modern internet-based information technologies offer great possibilities to create and improve teaching methods for students. The eLearning tool NESTOR (Network for Students in Traumatology and Orthopedics) presented here was designed to complement the existing clinical teaching in orthopedics and traumatology at the Charité, University Medicine Berlin. Using a learning management system, videos, podcasts, X-ray diagnosis, virtual patients, tests and further tools for learning and study information were combined. After implementation the eLearning project was evaluated by students. The NESTOR project offers various possibilities for knowledge acquisition. Students using the program voluntarily showed a high acceptance whereby 82.4% were very satisfied with the contents offered and 95.3% supported the idea of a future use of NESTOR in teaching. The blended learning approach was positively evaluated by 93.5% of the students. The project received the eLearning seal of quality of the Charité University Medicine Berlin. Using complex eLearning tools, such as the NESTOR project represents a contemporary teaching approach in the teaching of traumatology and orthopedics and should be offered in a blended learning context as they are well accepted by students.

  12. Cooperative Learning in Graduate Student Projects: Comparing Synchronous versus Asynchronous Collaboration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strang, Kenneth

    2013-01-01

    Cooperative learning was applied in a graduate project management course to compare the effectiveness of asynchronous versus synchronous online team meetings. An experiment was constructed to allocate students to project teams while ensuring there was a balance of requisite skills, namely systems analysis and design along with HTML/Javascript…

  13. Parent Involvement Practices of High-Achieving Elementary Science Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waller, Samara Susan

    This study addressed a prevalence of low achievement in science courses in an urban school district in Georgia. National leaders and educators have identified the improvement of science proficiency as critical to the future of American industry. The purpose of this study was to examine parent involvement in this school district and its contribution to the academic achievement of successful science students. Social capital theory guided this study by suggesting that students achieve best when investments are made into their academic and social development. A collective case study qualitative research design was used to interview 9 parent participants at 2 elementary schools whose children scored in the exceeds category on the Science CRCT. The research questions focused on what these parents did at home to support their children's academic achievement. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview protocol and analyzed through the categorical aggregation of transcribed interviews. Key findings revealed that the parents invested time and resources in 3 practices: communicating high expectations, supporting and developing key skills, and communicating with teachers. These findings contribute to social change at both the local and community level by creating a starting point for teachers, principals, and district leaders to reexamine the value of parent input in the educational process, and by providing data to support the revision of current parent involvement policies. Possibilities for further study building upon the findings of this study may focus on student perceptions of their parents' parenting as it relates to their science achievement.

  14. Students Development of Food and Health-Related Action Competence - Upscaling LOMA Project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ruge, Dorte; Nielsen, Morten Kromann; Jensen, Kirsten

    , based on preliminary results from LOMA I project, there are indications, that students at the whole school develop healthier eating habits and experience comensality, Sense of Coherence and QOL, when they participate in LOMA educational activities. The evaluation of LOMA II will apply a mixed methods......, that encompass participation from both teachers, pedagogs and students (8-15 years) and teacher-students.The evaluation of LOMA II will apply a mixed methods design, that facilitates a 'realist' (Pawson and Tilley 1998; Carlsson and Simovska 2012) approach to data collection and analysis. Apart from more...... mainstream methods of measurement, action research strategies (Checkland 2000) will be applied at certain stages of the evaluation, e.g. during pilot-projets and in relation to students participation in the 'mid-term-seminar' of the project in 2016. Expected Outcomes It is expected, that LOMA II...

  15. An Opportunity to Lead Sustainably: The Benefits and Considerations of Student-Led Green Revolving Fund Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kononenko, Kevin

    2012-01-01

    In recent years, energy- and resource-reduction projects have compelled student leaders to create sustainability projects on campuses across the country. This paper examines the role that students play in green revolving funds, including identification, approval, and management. After speaking with numerous students on a variety of campuses, it is…

  16. Students' and teachers' perceptions: initial achievements of a Project-Based Engineering School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terrón-López, María-José; Velasco-Quintana, Paloma-Julia; García-García, María-José; Ocampo, Jared R.

    2017-11-01

    A unified academic model based on the project-based learning (PBL) methodology was implemented, in the 2012-2013 period, in the School of Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether teachers and students participating in the capstone projects feel that the objectives for which this methodology was designed for are being achieved. The data were collected through interviews to participants at the end of the PBL experience. The results are encouraging, as students seem to be more motivated, and they say that they are experiencing deeper learning, and have developed key competitive skills required for their professional lives. Findings also suggest that teachers face positively the PBL as a learning approach since they perceive that students obtain a deeper learning, develop transversal skills with the projects and are more engaged with their studies. Implications and recommendations for the future of the model are also discussed.

  17. Using Technology-Enhanced, Cooperative, Group-Project Learning for Student Comprehension and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tlhoaele, Malefyane; Suhre, Cor; Hofman, Adriaan

    2016-01-01

    Cooperative learning may improve students' motivation, understanding of course concepts, and academic performance. This study therefore enhanced a cooperative, group-project learning technique with technology resources to determine whether doing so improved students' deep learning and performance. A sample of 118 engineering students, randomly…

  18. Empowering Students through Project-Based Learning: Perceptions of Instructors and Students in Vocational Education Institutes in Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tongsakul, Anuvat; Jitgarun, Kalayanee; Chaokumnerd, Weerachai

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify and compare instructors' and students' perceptions of factors that contribute to the effective use of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in Thailand. The sample for the study consisted of 247 electrical technology instructors from Thai vocational education institutes and 161 students who were electrical power…

  19. A Reliable Sounding Board: Parent Involvement in Students' Academic and Career Decision Making

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmons, Andrew N.

    2008-01-01

    With concern over parental involvement in students' academic lives on the rise, research is needed to provide guidance for advisors and parents. In this article, student-parent interactions about academic and career decisions are examined. Data come from the Brown University Office of Institutional Research and semi-structured interviews with…

  20. USE Efficiency -- Universities and Students for Energy Efficiency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Melandri, Daniela

    2010-09-15

    Universities and Student for Energy Efficiency is a European Project within the Intelligent Energy Programme. It intends to create a common stream for energy efficiency systems in university buildings. Universities and students are proposed as shining examples for energy efficiency solutions and behaviour. The Project involves 10 countries and has the aim to improve energy efficiency in university buildings. Students are the main actors of the project together with professors and technicians. To act on students means to act on direct future market players in diffusion of public opinions. A strong communication action supports the succeeding of the action.

  1. Research and Mapping for MCEECDYA Project: Student Academic Engagement. Report 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ure, Christine; Gray, Jan

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the Research and Mapping for MCEECDYA Project: Student Academic Engagement was to examine the characteristics of schools with a low Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) from all jurisdictions that were identified to be making a difference to student academic and to identify the key drivers and characteristics of…

  2. Social Network Project for IDEAL in CS5604

    OpenAIRE

    Harb, Islam; Jin, Yilong; Cedeno, Vanessa; Mallampati, Sai Ravi Kiran; Bulusu, Bhaskara Srinivasa Bharadwaj

    2015-01-01

    The IDEAL (Integrated Digital Event Archiving and Library) project involves VT faculty, staff, and students, along with collaborators around the world, in archiving important events and integrating the digital library, and archiving approaches to support the Research and Development related to important events. An objective of the CS5604 (Information Retrieval), Spring 2015 course, was to build a state-of-the-art information retrieval system, in support of the IDEAL project. Students were di...

  3. Integrating Project-Based Service-Learning into an Advanced Environmental Chemistry Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Draper, Alison J.

    2004-02-01

    In an advanced environmental chemistry course, the inclusion of semester-long scientific service projects successfully integrated the research process with course content. Each project involved a unique community-based environmental analysis in which students assessed an aspect of environmental health. The projects were due in small pieces at even intervals, and students worked independently or in pairs. Initially, students wrote a project proposal in which they chose and justified a project. Following a literature review of their topic, they drafted sampling and analysis plans using methods in the literature. Samples were collected and analyzed, and all students assembled scientific posters describing the results of their study. In the last week of the semester, the class traveled to a regional professional meeting to present the posters. In all, students found the experience valuable. They learned to be professional environmental chemists and learned the value of the discipline to community health. Students not only learned about their own project in depth, but they were inspired to learn textbook material, not for an exam, but because it helped them understand their own project. Finally, having a community to answer to at the end of the project motivated students to do careful work.

  4. Student cognition and motivation during the Classroom BirdWatch citizen science project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomasek, Terry Morton

    The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the ways various stakeholders (CBW project developer/coordinator, elementary and middle school teachers, and 5th through 8th grade students) envisioned, implemented and engaged in the citizen science project, eBird/Classroom BirdWatch. A multiple case study mixed-methods research design was used to examine student engagement in the cognitive processes associated with scientific inquiry as part of citizen science participation. Student engagement was described based on a sense of autonomy, competence, relatedness and intrinsic motivation. A goal of this study was to expand the taxonomy of differences between authentic scientific inquiry and simple inquiry to include those inquiry tasks associated with participation in citizen science by describing how students engaged in this type of science. This research study built upon the existing framework of cognitive processes associated with scientific inquiry described by Chinn and Malhotra (2002). This research provides a systematic analysis of the scientific processes and related reasoning tasks associated with the citizen science project eBird and the corresponding curriculum Classroom BirdWatch . Data consisted of responses to surveys, focus group interviews, document analysis and individual interviews. I suggest that citizen science could be an additional form of classroom-based science inquiry that can promote more authentic features of scientific inquiry and engage students in meaningful ways.

  5. Final Year Faculty of Education Students' Views Concerning Parent Involvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindberg, E. Nihal

    2014-01-01

    This study has aimed to determine the knowledge, skills, and views held by pre-service teachers attending different teacher training programs about parent involvement. A total of 520 4th year students receiving education in primary school teaching and in branch teaching programs participated in the study. Data were collected by the "Parent…

  6. A Project-Based Course on Newton's Laws for Talented Junior High-School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langbeheim, Elon

    2015-01-01

    Research has shown that project-based learning promotes student interest in science and improves understanding of scientific content. Fostering student motivation is particularly important in accelerated science and technology programmes for talented students, which are often demanding and time-consuming. Current texts provide little guidance on…

  7. Early Involvement and Integration in Construction Projects: The Benefits of DfX in Elimination of Wastes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heikki Halttula

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Typical construction processes provide waste: material waste but especially process-related waste. The majority of this waste can be avoided with efficient planning in the front end of projects. The main aim is to describe how the concept of Design for Excellence (DfX can reduce the most severe waste in construction projects. Based on a literature review of waste and requirements that aid early involvement and integration, we created a survey for analyzing and prioritizing types of waste in the construction industry. We describe how DFX reduces this waste, especially through the use of early involvement and integration. When applied, DfX creates incentives for project stakeholders to eliminate waste automatically through early involvement and integration.

  8. The university extension as a process of digital and social inclusion: Literacy Project in Informatics - PAI applied to the students of the Esperidião Marques State School, Cáceres, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiago Luís de Andrade

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This article presents the results of a digital inclusion extension project using free tools carried out in the city of Cáceres, State of Mato Grosso, in 2016. The project was implemented through practical training courses in basic computer science, internet and social networks aiming to encourage the use of computers and free softwares installed in the teaching-learning process. The target audience was elementary school students - grades 6 to 9 – and had the participation of 72 students from the four classes of the school. The results show the importance of the project in the insertion of the students in the computer usage as a technological resource in the day to day of the involved people, and encourage them to use this instrument for the construction and transmission of knowledge. Such resource favored digital and social inclusion, and the pluralization of knowledge, as well as have generated a positive view of the institutions involved with the local community.

  9. The Power Plant Mapping Student Project: Bringing Citizen Science to Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tayne, K.; Oda, T.; Gurney, K. R.; O'Keeffe, D.; Petron, G.; Tans, P. P.; Frost, G. J.

    2014-12-01

    An emission inventory (EI) is a conventional tool to quantify and monitor anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants into the atmosphere. Gridded EI can visually show geographical patterns of emissions and their changes over time. These patterns, when available, are often determined using location data collected by regional governments, industries, and researchers. Datasets such as Carbon Monitoring and Action (CARMA, www.carma.org) are particularly useful for mapping emissions from large point sources and have been widely used in the EI community. The EI community is aware of potentially significant errors in the geographical locations of point sources, including power plants. The big challenge, however, is to review tens of thousands of power plant locations around the world and correct them where needed. The Power Plant Mapping Student Project (PPMSP) is a platform designed for students in 4th through 12th grade to improve the geographical location of power plants indicated in existing datasets to benefit international EI research. In PPMSP, we use VENTUS, a web-based platform (http://ventus.project.asu.edu/) that invites citizens to contribute power plant location data. Using VENTUS, students view scenes in the vicinity of reported power plant coordinates on Google Maps. Students either verify the location of a power plant or search for it within a designated radius using various indicators, an e-guide, and a power plant photo gallery for assistance. If the power plant cannot be found, students mark the plant as unverified. To assure quality for research use, the project contains multiple checkpoints and levels of review. While participating in meaningful research that directly benefits the EI research community, students are engaged in relevant science curricula designed to meet each grade level's Next Generation Science Standards. Students study energy, climate change, the atmosphere, and geographical information systems. The curricula is

  10. Health Activities Project (HAP): Heart Fitness and Action Module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buller, Dave; And Others

    Contained within this Health Activities Project (HAP) learning packet are activities for children in grades 5-8. Design of the activities centers around the idea that students can control their own health and safety. Within the Heart Fitness and Action Module are teacher and student folios describing five activities which involve students in…

  11. Second Differences: A Mathematical Bridge between Two Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Joyce; Wayment, Stanley; Johnson, Christopher

    2010-01-01

    Making connections is one of the most important foundations involved in learning mathematics. Two projects are presented in this article: one involving Newton's Second Law of Motion and the other involving the determination of star numbers, a type of figurate number. The two invoke seemingly different modalities for students at different levels of…

  12. Student-Identified Strengths and Challenges of Using Blackboard for Group Projects in a Social Work Course

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa B. Littlefield

    2002-05-01

    Full Text Available Blackboard (TM provides social work educators integrated online communication tools that they can employ to facilitate student learning through features such as e-mail, discussion forums, file exchange, virtual classroom, and links to online resources. This study describes students’ experiences using Blackboard (TM to support a group project assignment. The majority of students found it easy to use and useful for the project, and indicated that they would like to use it in other courses. In addition, students gained technical skills as a result of the group project. Students’ group project grades and final course grades were comparable to those in other sections of the same course taught by this investigator. The findings of this study suggest that online technology can be used to facilitate group assignments for MSW students. The benefits include increased efficiency of group functioning and increased accountability of group members. The challenges include technical problems and student resistance to using the technology.

  13. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: A Classroom Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nijman, Jan; Hill, A. David

    1991-01-01

    Presents a classroom project dealing with tropical deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Addresses environmental consequences and economic, social, and political causes. Involves both lectures and individual research and reports by student groups on deforestation causes. Includes a note-playing activity in which students make recommendations for…

  14. High school students' posttraumatic symptoms, substance abuse and involvement in violence in the aftermath of war.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiff, Miriam; Pat-Horenczyk, Ruth; Benbenishty, Rami; Brom, Danny; Baum, Naomi; Astor, Ron Avi

    2012-10-01

    This study examined one-year after effects of exposure to war events on adolescents' Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTS) and risk behaviors (substance use and involvement in school violence). In addition, it addressed two potential vulnerability factors: at the micro level, it examined whether childhood trauma raised the vulnerability of Israeli adolescents to PTS and risk behaviors when exposed to war events. At the macro level, we explored whether ethnicity, i.e., being an Israeli Arab, is a vulnerability factor to PTS and risk behaviors. We used a representative sample of 7th to 11th grade students from the north of Israel that included 4151 students: 1800 Jewish (54.4% boys) and 2351 Arab (41.5% boys). We assessed exposure to war events and childhood traumatic events, PTS and PTSD, substance use (alcohol, cannabis, Ecstasy) and involvement in school violence. The findings revealed extensive exposure to war events among both Jewish and Arab students. A year after the war, its effects on adolescents were still manifested in PTS, and involvement in school violence and substance use. Exposure to child physical abuse was associated with higher levels of PTS symptoms, substance use and involvement in violence. Exposure to other traumatic events was also associated with greater PTS symptoms and involvement in violence but not with greater substance use. Arab students were a more vulnerable population. They reported higher PTS symptoms, more cannabis use and greater involvement in school violence than Jewish students. However, exposure to war events had similar effects on both Arab and Jewish students. We conclude that war effects include a broad range of psychological distress and risk behaviors that last long after the war ends, especially among youth who have experienced childhood trauma and high exposure to war-related stressors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project: Engaging High School and Undergraduate Students in Watershed Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, E.; McCabe, D.; Sheldon, S.; Jankowski, K.; Haselton, L.; Luck, M.; van Houten, J.

    2009-12-01

    The Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project engages a diverse group of undergraduates, high school students, and their teachers in hands-on water quality research and exposes them to the process of science. The project aims to (1) recruit students to science careers and (2) create a water quality database comprised of high-quality data collected by undergraduates and high school groups. The project is the training and outreach mechanism of the Complex Systems Modeling for Environmental Problem Solving research program, an NSF-funded program at the University of Vermont (UVM) that provides computational strategies and fresh approaches for understanding how natural and built environments interact. The Streams Project trains participants to collect and analyze data from streams throughout Vermont and at limited sites in Connecticut, New York, and Puerto Rico. Participants contribute their data to an online database and use it to complete individual research projects that focus on the effect of land use and precipitation patterns on selected measures of stream water quality. All undergraduates and some high school groups are paired with a mentor, who is either a graduate student or a faculty member at UVM or other college. Each year, undergraduate students and high school groups are trained to (1) collect water and macroinvertebrate samples from streams, (2) analyze water samples for total phosphorus, bacteria, and total suspended solids in an analytical laboratory, and/or (3) use geographic information systems (GIS) to assess landscape-level data for their watersheds. After training, high school groups collect samples from stream sites on a twice-monthly basis while undergraduates conduct semi-autonomous field and laboratory research. High school groups monitor sites in two watersheds with contrasting land uses. Undergraduate projects are shaped by the interests of students and their mentors. Contribution to a common database provides students with the option to expand the

  16. Collaborations between Multicultural Educators and Archivists: Engaging Students with Multicultural History through Archival Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, Natalia

    2016-01-01

    When multicultural educators and archivists collaborate to design projects that engage students with multicultural history through archival research, students can learn in-depth research skills with primary source documents, creatively share their knowledge, and, on a broader level, engage with their local community history. The projects shared in…

  17. CERN Summer Student Project Report – Simulation of the Micromegas Detector

    CERN Document Server

    Soares Ferreira Nunes Teixeira, Sofia Luisa

    2015-01-01

    My project during the Summer Student Programme at CERN consisted on simulations of the Micromegas (MM) detectors in order to test and characterize them in the presence of contamination by air of the gas mixture. The MM detectors were chosen for the upcoming upgrade of the ATLAS detector. The motivation for this project and the results obtained are here presented. Moreover, the work that should be carried out after this programme as a continuation of this project is also referred. To conclude, final considerations about the project are presented.

  18. The Proteomics Stock Market Project. A Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration in Biochemistry and Business Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Heath; Cox, James R.

    2004-04-01

    Students taking courses in different disciplines can work together to add unique elements to their educational experience. A model for this type of pedagogical approach has been established in the Proteomics Stock Market Project, a collaborative effort between instructors and students in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Management, Marketing, and Business Administration at Murray State University. Stage I involved biochemistry students investigating the topic of proteomics and choosing companies for potential investment based only on scientific investigation. Marketing and management students completed Stage II and provided an investment analysis on the companies selected in Stage I. In Stage III, the biochemistry students focused on a particular company and investigated a protein-based therapeutic product. Blackboard software was utilized in each stage of the project to facilitate the exchange of information and electronic documents. This project was designed to give biochemistry students an appreciation for the emerging field of proteomics and the marketing and management students a flavor for real-world applications of business principles. During the project, students were exposed to ideas and concepts not typically covered in their courses. With this involvement, the students had the opportunity to gain a broader perspective of course content compared to a more traditional curriculum.

  19. Parental involvement in homework: relations with parent and student achievement-related motivational beliefs and achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonida, Eleftheria N; Cortina, Kai S

    2014-09-01

    Parental involvement in homework is a home-based type of involvement in children's education. Research and theory suggest that it is beneficial for learning and achievement under certain conditions and for particular groups of individuals. The study examined whether different types of parents' involvement in homework (autonomy support, control, interference, cognitive engagement) (1) are predicted by their mastery and performance goals for their child and their beliefs of the child's academic efficacy, and (2) predict student achievement goal orientations, efficacy beliefs, and achievement. Grade-level differences were also investigated. The sample consisted of 282 elementary school (5th grade) and junior high school students (8th grade) and one of their parents. Surveys were used for data collection. Structural equation modelling was applied for data analysis. (1) Autonomy support during homework was predicted by parent mastery goal, parents' control and interference by their performance goal and perceptions of child efficacy, and cognitive engagement as supplementary to homework by parent perceptions of child efficacy. (2) Parental autonomy support, control, and interference were differentially associated with student mastery and performance goal orientations, whereas parent cognitive engagement was associated with student efficacy beliefs. (3) The structural model was the same for elementary and junior high school students but the latent means for a number of variables were different. Different types of parental involvement in homework were associated with different outcomes with parent autonomy support to be the most beneficial one. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  20. [Physical projects atelier: strategy for physical resources administration learning on nursing].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Draganov, Patricia Bover; Sanna, Maria Cristina

    2011-09-01

    The success of learning involves adequate strategies. Those inspired on andragogy, which is the science of teaching adults, seem to be ideal for the nursing undergraduate subject "projects", with a focus on the administration of physical resources for nursing. This study reports teaching strategies that try to estimulate the acquisition of competences that make the nurse capable of a dialogue on projects with a multiprofessional team. The strategy involved a workshop composed by four stages: reading of projects, health assistance institute (HAI) attributions, notions on physical scaling strategies and development of a glossary. The strategy, proposed by a graduate student in the subject "Strategies to the teaching of Administration", was tested through practical application, evaluated and approved by graduate students and teachers. The conditions for its implementation are working with few students, availability of proper classrooms and equipment, and partnership with HAIs.

  1. An Investigation of Student Involvement in IEP Meetings in Suffolk County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurgens, Matthew A.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the possible barriers as to why student involvement in IEP meetings has not been occurring in the past and to subsequently suggest further action and research as to how to potentially combat these barriers so students with disabilities in Suffolk County, Long Island can begin to be offered these kinds of…

  2. Project Chrysalis: The Evolution of a Community School.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrett, K.

    1996-01-01

    Describes the creation and operation of Project Chrysalis, a community, service-learning school transformed from row houses, where children can learn, work, and gain inspiration from artists and social entrepreneurs involved with Houston's Project Row Houses. Personal narratives of two teachers highlight the school's and students' accomplishments…

  3. Involvement in Transition Planning Meetings among High School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffin, Megan M.; Taylor, Julie Lounds; Urbano, Richard C.; Hodapp, Robert M.

    2014-01-01

    Although students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are least likely to attend and participate in transition planning meetings, little is known about factors related to their involvement. Using a national data set, we conducted regressions to identify predictors of the involvement of 320 youth with ASD. Attendance positively related to higher…

  4. ADHD Coaching with College Students: Exploring the Processes Involved in Motivation and Goal Completion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prevatt, Frances; Smith, Shannon M.; Diers, Sarah; Marshall, Diana; Coleman, Jennifer; Valler, Emilee; Miller, Nathan

    2017-01-01

    College students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience increased academic difficulties, which can negatively impact graduation rates, employment, self-esteem, and mental health. ADHD coaching assists students with ADHD to reduce such difficulties. The present study evaluated the processes involved in ADHD coaching…

  5. Project Lifescape | Initiatives | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Project Lifescape. This project is part of the Academy initiative to enhance the quality of science education. It is pursued in collaboration with the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science to spread biodiversity literacy, expecially within the high school and college student community, and to involve them ...

  6. Peer assessment of individual contributions to a group project: Student perceptions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kench, Peter L.; Field, Nikki; Agudera, Maila; Gill, Margo

    2009-01-01

    Group work has many benefits for a student's professional development but it is difficult to determine the individual contributions to the group assessment tasks. Peer assessment of an individual's contribution to group work can be used to encourage student participation. It is important that the method of peer assessment is fair and that the students' submissions be treated confidentially. A model for peer assessment of individual contributions to the group assessment is described. Students who did not participate adequately in the group were penalised resulting in a reduced individual grade. Perceptions of the peer assessment method are reported for students enrolled (n = 169) in the subject 'Medical Radiations Project'. The questionnaire showed a positive student response towards the peer assessment model.

  7. Project Earth Science

    CERN Document Server

    Holt, Geoff

    2011-01-01

    Project Earth Science: Astronomy, Revised 2nd Edition, involves students in activities that focus on Earth's position in our solar system. How do we measure astronomical distances? How can we look back in time as we gaze across vast distances in space? How would our planet be different without its particular atmosphere and distance to our star? What are the geometries among Earth, the Moon, and the Sun that yield lunar phases and seasons? Students explore these concepts and others in 11 teacher-tested activities.

  8. The Senegal Project: A Cultural Foods Unit for Middle School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Diane

    2011-01-01

    The Senegal Project is the culminating project in a unit on cultural foods in an 8th grade family and consumer sciences (FCS) course. Initially, students take a quick world tour by studying and cooking foods from Mexico, Italy, China, and India followed by a "more depth and less breadth" study of Senegal, a country with a culture vastly…

  9. How Teaching Science Using Project-Based Learning Strategies Affects the Classroom Learning Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hugerat, Muhamad

    2016-01-01

    This study involved 458 ninth-grade students from two different Arab middle schools in Israel. Half of the students learned science using project-based learning strategies and the other half learned using traditional methods (non-project-based). The classes were heterogeneous regarding their achievements in the sciences. The adapted questionnaire…

  10. High School Students' Reasons for Their Science Dispositions: Community-Based Innovative Technology-Embedded Environmental Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebenezer, Jazlin; Kaya, Osman Nafiz; Kasab, Dimma

    2018-05-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to qualitatively describe high school students' reasons for their science dispositions (attitude, perception, and self-confidence) based on their long-term experience with innovative technology-embedded environmental research projects. Students in small groups conducted research projects in and out of school with the help of their teachers and community experts (scientists and engineers). During the 3-year period of this nationally funded project, a total of 135 students from five schools in a mid-west State participated in research activities. Of the 135 students, 53 students were individually interviewed to explore reasons for their science dispositions. Students' reasons for each disposition were grouped into categories, and corresponding frequency was converted to a percentage. The categories of reasons were not only attributed to the use of innovative technologies in environmental research but also the contexts and events that surrounded it. The reasons that influenced students' science dispositions positively were because engaging in environmental research projects with technology contributed to easing fear and difficulty, building a research team, disseminating findings, communicating with the community, researching with scientists, training by teachers, and acknowledging teachers' knowledge. These results advanced how and why students develop science dispositions in the positive direction, which are as follows: building science teacher capacity, developing a community of inquirers, and committing to improve pedagogical practices.

  11. Implementation of a project-based engineering school: increasing student motivation and relevant learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terrón-López, María-José; García-García, María-José; Velasco-Quintana, Paloma-Julia; Ocampo, Jared; Vigil Montaño, María-Reyes; Gaya-López, María-Cruz

    2017-11-01

    The School of Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM) implemented, starting in the 2012-2013 period, a unified academic model based on project-based learning as the methodology used throughout the entire School. This model expects that every year, in each grade, all the students should participate in a capstone project integrating the contents and competencies of several courses. This paper presents the academic context under which this experience has been implemented, and a summary of the work done to design and implement the Project-Based Engineering School at the UEM. The steps followed, the structure used, some sample projects, as well as the difficulties and benefits of implementing the programme are discussed in this paper. The results are encouraging as students are more motivated and the initial set objectives were accomplished.

  12. Students' construction of a simple steam distillation apparatus and development of creative thinking skills: A project-based learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diawati, Chansyanah; Liliasari, Setiabudi, Agus; Buchari

    2017-05-01

    This project-based learning combined the chemistry of separation process using steam distillation with engineering design process in an undergraduate chemistry course. Students built upon their knowledge of phase changes, immiscible mixture, and the relationship between vapor pressure and boiling point to complete a project of modifications steam distillation apparatus. The research method is a qualitative case study, which aims to describe how (1) the creative thinking skills of students emerged during six weeks of theproject, (2) students built steam distillation apparatus characteristics as the project product and (3) students response to the project-based learning model. The results showed that the students had successfully constructed a steam distillation apparatus using plastic kettle as steam generator and distillation flask. A Plastic tubewas used to drain water vapor from steam generator to distillation flask and to drain steam containing essential oil to the condenser. A biscuit tin filled with ice was used as a condenser. The time required until resulting distillate was fifteen minutes. The production of essential was conductive qualitatively by a very strong smell typical of essential oil and two phases of distillate. Throughout the project, students formulated the relevant and varied problem, formulated the goals, proposed the ideas of the apparatus and materials, draw apparatus design, constructed apparatus, tested apparatus, evaluated, and reported the project. Student response was generally positive. They were pleased, interested, more understanding the concepts and work apparatus principles, also implemented new ideas. These results indicate that project-based learning can develop students' creative thinking skills. Based on these results, it is necessary to conduct research and implemented project-based learning to other concepts.

  13. Identifying College Students Likely to Participate in a Travel Abroad Volunteer Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nonis, Sarath A.; Relyea, Clint

    2014-01-01

    Foreign travel provides excellent opportunities for college students to broaden their global mindset. While empirical research focusing on variables that influence student participation in study abroad programs are available, there is a paucity of research that focuses on travel abroad programs relating to participating in volunteer projects.…

  14. Implementation of the first student-designed PV array in Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hadlock, C.; DeLoyde, J.; Dhir, T.

    2004-01-01

    This paper is a culmination of a 2-year project involving students, faculty, staff member, and private industry. Solar Technology Education Project (STEP) became the first student-led group to successfully install a 36-panel photovoltaic (PV) array on a Canadian University campus. The fundraising, design, and assembly of the PV array was entirely student driven. The project was completed in January 2004 with the installation of a 2 kW photovoltaic grid-tied array mounted to the roof of the University of Waterloo's Federation Hall, the largest student-run pub in North America. The photovoltaic array was a demonstration project to raise awareness about solar technology and the need for energy efficiency in buildings. It took two years to complete the project, which was implemented in three phases. The first phase was aimed at raising the required capital. The second phase included design and fabrication of the array. The third phase, still ongoing today, is the community outreach phase, which involves educating the surrounding communities about the project, solar technology, and the role of individuals in combating global warming. This paper examines the steps required for the implementation of a successful educational photovoltaic project, using the students' experience as a roadmap. A section highlighting what's next for STEP is also presented as the students attempt to build on the momentum from the project. The aim is to launch a solar thermal project on another University of Waterloo building to move one step closer to the ultimate goal of a sustainable campus

  15. Biotechnology by Design: An Introductory Level, Project-Based, Synthetic Biology Laboratory Program for Undergraduate Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beach, Dale L; Alvarez, Consuelo J

    2015-12-01

    Synthetic biology offers an ideal opportunity to promote undergraduate laboratory courses with research-style projects, immersing students in an inquiry-based program that enhances the experience of the scientific process. We designed a semester-long, project-based laboratory curriculum using synthetic biology principles to develop a novel sensory device. Students develop subject matter knowledge of molecular genetics and practical skills relevant to molecular biology, recombinant DNA techniques, and information literacy. During the spring semesters of 2014 and 2015, the Synthetic Biology Laboratory Project was delivered to sophomore genetics courses. Using a cloning strategy based on standardized BioBrick genetic "parts," students construct a "reporter plasmid" expressing a reporter gene (GFP) controlled by a hybrid promoter regulated by the lac-repressor protein (lacI). In combination with a "sensor plasmid," the production of the reporter phenotype is inhibited in the presence of a target environmental agent, arabinose. When arabinose is absent, constitutive GFP expression makes cells glow green. But the presence of arabinose activates a second promoter (pBAD) to produce a lac-repressor protein that will inhibit GFP production. Student learning was assessed relative to five learning objectives, using a student survey administered at the beginning (pre-survey) and end (post-survey) of the course, and an additional 15 open-ended questions from five graded Progress Report assignments collected throughout the course. Students demonstrated significant learning gains (p Biology Laboratory Project enhanced their understanding of molecular genetics. The laboratory project is highly adaptable for both introductory and advanced courses.

  16. Investigating Changes in Student Attitudes and Understanding of Science through Participation in Citizen Science Projects in College Coursework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardamone, Carolin; Cobb, Bethany E.

    2018-01-01

    Over the last decade, web-based “citizen science” projects such as the Zooniverse have allowed volunteers and professional scientists to work together for the advancement of science. While much attention has been paid to the benefits to science from these new projects, less attention has been paid to their impact on the participants and, in particular, to the projects’ potential to impact students who might engage in these projects through coursework. We report on a study engaging students in introductory astronomy classes at the George Washington University and Wheelock College in an assignment in which each student individually contributed to a “physics” or “space” citizen science project of their choice, and groups of students worked together to understand and articulate the scientific purpose of a citizen science project to which they all contributed. Over the course of approximately four weeks, the students kept logs of their individual contributions to the project, and recorded a brief reflection on each of their visits (noting, for example, interesting or confusing things they might encounter along the way). The project culminated with each group delivering a creative presentation that demonstrated their understanding of both the science goals of the project and the value of their own contributions to the project. In this talk, we report on the experience of the students with the project and on an assessment of the students’ attitudes toward science and knowledge of the process of science completed before the introduction of the assignment and again at its conclusion.

  17. Motivating Students for Project-based Learning for Application of Research Methodology Skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, Ranjana; Arya, Raj Kumar; Bansal, Manoj

    2017-12-01

    Project-based learning (PBL) is motivational for students to learn research methodology skills. It is a way to engage and give them ownership over their own learning. The aim of this study is to use PBL for application of research methodology skills for better learning by encouraging an all-inclusive approach in teaching and learning rather than an individualized tailored approach. The present study was carried out for MBBS 6 th - and 7 th -semester students of community medicine. Students and faculties were sensitized about PBL and components of research methodology skills. They worked in small groups. The students were asked to fill the student feedback Questionnaire and the faculty was also asked to fill the faculty feedback Questionnaire. Both the Questionnaires were assessed on a 5 point Likert scale. After submitted projects, document analysis was done. A total of 99 students of the 6 th and 7 th semester were participated in PBL. About 90.91% students agreed that there should be continuation of PBL in subsequent batches. 73.74% felt satisfied and motivated with PBL, whereas 76.77% felt that they would be able to use research methodology in the near future. PBL requires considerable knowledge, effort, persistence, and self-regulation on the part of the students. They need to devise plans, gather information evaluate both the findings, and their approach. Facilitator plays a critical role in helping students in the process by shaping opportunity for learning, guiding students, thinking, and helping them construct new understanding.

  18. Involving Medical Students in Informed Consent: A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiapponi, Costanza; Meyer, Frank; Jannasch, Olof; Arndt, Stephan; Stübs, Patrick; Bruns, Christiane J

    2015-09-01

    students taking part in this teaching unit found that this exercise represents a significant improvement of clinical teaching and recommended to introduce this teaching unit as a standard on the normal wards. Students teaching patients (SteP) appears to be an easy and cost-efficient tool to improve patients' education and students' learning. Students become aware of how difficult it is to explain surgical procedures and complications to patients and patients are better informed about their treatment. We plan to (i) introduce the STeP protocol as a standard teaching project in daily clinical routine and (ii) continue the pilot study to reach representative student and patient numbers for a possible final statement and derived recommendation.

  19. Established and outsider relations among students involved in a health promotion intervention in a Danish high school

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Stine Frydendal; Ottesen, Laila; Thing, Lone Friis

    2016-01-01

    The paper considers a study in a Danish high school in which students were involved in enhancing physical activity in their own school. International research points out that adolescents are not as physically active as recommended. Moreover, studies show that maintaining health promotion interven......The paper considers a study in a Danish high school in which students were involved in enhancing physical activity in their own school. International research points out that adolescents are not as physically active as recommended. Moreover, studies show that maintaining health promotion...... and the importance of theoretical pointers to insure that the researcher does not lose herself in the research field. Elias unfolds this methodological approach in “The Established and the Outsiders.” By applying this conceptualization, this study shows that some of the involved students found their role...... and their identity as “sports-students” difficult, and it compromised their social life in the school, which relates to aspects that does not always correspond with the current health norms. The paper discusses the relations between the involved students and the other students in the school, and what consequences...

  20. The Investigation of Research-Based Home Parental Involvement Practices, Parental Style, and Student Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colson, Myron Jamal

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship of home parental involvement practices, parental style and student achievement. Dimensions of parental involvement practices are parental instruction, parental reinforcement, parental modeling, and parental encouragement. Dimensions of parental style are authoritarian, permissive, and…

  1. Aeronautics and Aviation Science: Careers and Opportunities Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Texter, P. Cardie

    1998-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration funded project, Aeronautics and Aviation Science: Careers and Opportunities has been in operation since July, 1995. This project operated as a collaboration with Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications, the Federal Aviation Administration, Bridgewater State College and four targeted "core sites" in the greater Boston area. In its first and second years, a video series on aeronautics and aviation science was developed and broadcast via "live, interactive" satellite feed. Accompanying teacher and student supplementary instructional materials for grades 6-9 were produced and disseminated by the Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications (MCET). In the MCET grant application it states that project Take Off! in its initial phase would recruit and train teachers at "core" sites in the greater Boston area, as well as opening participation to other on-line users of MCET's satellite feeds. "Core site" classrooms would become equipped so that teachers and students might become engaged in an interactive format which aimed at not only involving the students during the "live" broadcast of the instructional video series, but which would encourage participation in electronic information gathering and sharing among participants. As a Take Off! project goal, four schools with a higher than average proportion of minority and underrepresented youth were invited to become involved with the project to give these students the opportunity to consider career exploration and development in the field of science aviation and aeronautics. The four sites chosen to participate in this project were: East Boston High School, Dorchester High School, Randolph Junior-Senior High School and Malden High School. In year 3 Dorchester was unable to continue to fully participate and exited out. Danvers was added to the "core site" list in year 3. In consideration of Goals 2000, the National Science Foundation

  2. Evaluating Students' Perceptions and Attitudes toward Computer-Mediated Project-Based Learning Environment: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seet, Ling Ying Britta; Quek, Choon Lang

    2010-01-01

    This research investigated 68 secondary school students' perceptions of their computer-mediated project-based learning environment and their attitudes towards Project Work (PW) using two instruments--Project Work Classroom Learning Environment Questionnaire (PWCLEQ) and Project Work Related Attitudes Instrument (PWRAI). In this project-based…

  3. Enhancing student perspectives of humanism in medicine: reflections from the Kalaupapa service learning project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Winona K; Harris, Chessa C D; Mortensen, Kawika A; Long, Linsey M; Sugimoto-Matsuda, Jeanelle

    2016-05-09

    Service learning is endorsed by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) as an integral part of U.S. medical school curricula for future physicians. Service learning has been shown to help physicians in training rediscover the altruistic reasons for pursuing medicine and has the potential to enhance students' perspectives of humanism in medicine. The Kalaupapa service learning project is a unique collaboration between disadvantaged post-baccalaureate students with an underserved rural community. This study was conducted to determine whether the Kalaupapa service learning curricula enhanced student perspectives of humanism in medicine at an early stage of their medical training. Program participants between 2008 and 2014 (n = 41) completed written reflections following the conclusion of the service learning project. Four prompts guided student responses. Reflections were thematically analyzed. Once all essays were read, team members compared their findings to condense or expand themes and assess levels of agreement. Emerging themes of resilience and unity were prominent throughout the student reflections. Students expressed respect and empathy for the patients' struggles and strengths, as well as those of their peers. The experience also reinforced students' commitment to service, particularly to populations in rural and underserved communities. Students also gained a deeper understanding of the patient experience and also of themselves as future physicians. To identify and address underserved and rural patients' health care needs, training programs must prepare an altruistic health care workforce that embraces the humanistic element of medicine. The Kalaupapa service learning project is a potential curricular model that can be used to enhance students' awareness and perspectives of humanism in medicine.

  4. Interactive Spherical Projection Presentations teach students about the Moon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, S. B.; Pilger, E.; James, B.; Au, C.; Lum, K.; Gillis-Davis, J. J.

    2011-12-01

    Using data from Clementine, Lunar Orbiter, Lunar Prospector, as well as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission we are creating multimedia applications for the Magic Planet (MP) and Science on a Sphere (SOS), spherical displays for digital media, for the Moon. Presenting the data on this innovative and stimulating medium captures the interest, stimulates curiosity, and inspires scientific learning in children, as well as general audiences. One such presentation is an interactive game where the audience uses "clickers" to vote on the location of their own lunar base determined by available resources, such as proximity to water ice, illumination (source of solar power), TiO,2, (oxygen production) and hydrogen abundances as well as local topography. The interactive nature accommodates a variety of knowledge levels and can be adapted in real-time accordingly. The clickers are used as an assessment tool as well as a means for audience to control the direction of the application. As an assessment tool audience members can make predictions and answer questions using the clicker. In addition, the audience can use the clickers to vote on what they want to do, see, or go next. Having control over the direction of the application increases the audiences' involvement and therefore interest in the activity. Both uses of the clickers engage the audience and they become active participants rather than passive observers. Undergraduates from the University of Hawaii and Leeward Community College, and a high school student from Moanalua High School, are actively involved in the design and execution of these applications. Their input help us to anticipate areas of interest, field test ease of use, and determine areas of potential confusion. In addition, their involvement in this project is intended to increase and foster their interest in planetary science, and/or another STEM related field, while at the same time gain practical experience. The applications are designed to run

  5. Parental Involvement in the Musical Education of Violin Students: Suzuki and "Traditional" Approaches Compared

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugeja, Clare

    2009-01-01

    This article investigates parental involvement in the musical education of violin students and the changing role of the parents' across the learning process. Two contexts were compared, one emphasising the Suzuki methodology and the other a "traditional" approach. Students learning "traditionally" are typically taught note reading from the…

  6. Introspecting into Deviance: Two Project Reports on Labeling Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posner, Judith

    1979-01-01

    Reports on two projects appropriate for undergraduate courses in the sociology of deviance, specifically courses emphasizing the labeling or symbolic interactionist perspective. The first project involves the use of confessional novels, and the second draws on the experiences of students regarding their own stigmas. (Author)

  7. AMIDST: Attracting Minorities to Geosciences Through Involved Digital Story Telling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakash, A.; Ohler, J.; Cooper, C.; McDermott, M.; Heinrich, J.; Johnson, R.; Leeper, L.; Polk, N.; Wimer, T.

    2009-12-01

    Attracting Minorities to Geosciences Through Involved Digital Story Telling (AMIDST) is a project funded by the Geoscience Directorate of the National Science Foundation through their program entitled Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in Geosciences. This project centers around the idea of integrating place-based geoscience education with culturally sensitive digital story telling, to engage and attract Alaska’s native and rural children from grades 3 through 5 to geosciences. In Spring 2008 we brought together a team 2 native elders, a group of scientists and technicians, an evaluator, 2 teachers and their 24 third grade students from Fairbanks (interior Alaska) to create computer-based digital stories around the geoscience themes of permafrost, and forest fires. These two to four minutes digital narratives consisted of a series of images accompanied by music and a voice-over narration by the children. In Fall 2008 we worked with a similar group from Nome (coastal town in western Alaska). The geoscience themes were climate change, and gold in Alaska. This time the students used the same kind of “green screen” editing so prevalent in science fiction movies. Students enacted and recorded their stories in front of a green screen and in post-production replaced the green background with photos, drawings and scientific illustrations related to their stories. Evaluation involved pre and post project tests for all participants, mid-term individual interviews and exit-interviews of selected participants. Project final assessment results from an independent education evaluator showed that both students and teachers improved their geo science content knowledge about permafrost, forest fires, gold mining, and sea ice changes. Teachers and students went through a very steep learning curve and gained experience and new understanding in digital storytelling in the context of geologic phenomena of local interest. Children took pride in being creators, directors and

  8. How Undergraduate Students Use Social Media Technologies to Support Group Project Work

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAliney, Peter J.

    2013-01-01

    Technology continues to evolve and become accessible to students in higher education. Concurrently, teamwork has become an important skill in academia and the workplace and students have adopted established technologies to support their learning in both individual and team project work. Given the emergence of social media technologies, I examined…

  9. Creative capstone computer projects for post-graduate students of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    With this in mind, the English Department at the University of Stellenbosch has designed a module in its Honours course that allows post-graduate students the opportunity to develop additional skills in the design and development of multimedia projects that effectively combine the knowledge they have gained during the ...

  10. An Empirical Study of Hospitality Management Student Attitudes toward Group Projects: Instructional Factors and Team Problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Youngsoo; Ro, Heejung

    2012-01-01

    The development of positive attitudes in team-based work is important in management education. This study investigates hospitality students' attitudes toward group projects by examining instructional factors and team problems. Specifically, we examine how the students' perceptions of project appropriateness, instructors' support, and evaluation…

  11. Art and Aging: Digital Projects for Individuals With Dementia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elyssa Twedt

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In action teaching, assignments are created that simultaneously benefit students and society by directly connecting classroom material to a community intervention. We designed an entire course rooted in the principles of action teaching in which students facilitated the positive effects of art, nature, and music on the well-being of individuals diagnosed with dementia. Groups of three students worked with a local elderly couple, one member of whom had dementia, to create multimedia digital projects (e.g., online scrapbooks, interactive DVDs involving experiences with art or nature tailored to the needs of their specific community partners. Students met weekly with their assigned couple to discuss their families’ interests, goals for the project, and to obtain feedback on the impact of their project on their families’ well-being. Through these weekly meetings, students took an iterative approach to designing and improving their final projects, applying material learned through classroom lectures to their projects. In this field experience, students went beyond traditional lecture learning by developing a customized project that promoted the well-being of someone experiencing dementia. This course fostered values of citizenship, developed students’ research skills, and highlighted the reciprocal nature between knowledge learned in the classroom and knowledge acquired through real-world experiences.

  12. Evaluating Types of Students' Interactions in a Wiki-Based Collaborative Learning Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prokofieva, Maria

    2013-01-01

    Wiki technology has been promoted as a collaborative software platform. This study investigates interactions that occur in a wiki-based collaborative learning project. The study draws on interaction literature and investigates the types of interactions with which students are engaged in wiki-based group projects, clusters that reflect online…

  13. Conscientious Consumerism Project in an Undergraduate Quality Management Class

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helms, Marilyn M.

    2014-01-01

    This article describes a "conscientious consumerism" project that involves the student as the consumer to either commend or complain to a company about a recent product or service experience. This activity and presentation helps students develop an understanding of the commendation/complaint management process within organizations while…

  14. Students Upgrading through Computer and Career Education System Services (Project SUCCESS). Final Evaluation Report 1993-94. OER Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greene, Judy

    Students Upgrading through Computer and Career Education System Services (Project SUCCESS) was an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its fourth year of operation. The project operated at two high schools in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan (New York). In the 1993-94 school year, the project served 393 students of…

  15. Medical students' creative projects on a third year pediatrics clerkship: a qualitative analysis of patient-centeredness and emotional connection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Johanna; Ortiz, Diane; Ree, You Ye; Sarwar, Minha

    2016-03-16

    Increasingly, medical educators are incorporating reflective writing and original creative work into educational practices with the goals of stimulating student self-awareness, appreciation of multiple perspectives, and comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty. This study investigated students' creative projects to assess the extent to which they adopted a patient/relationship-centered, emotionally connected position toward patients and families. Over a 10 year period, students on a required third year pediatrics clerkship individually or in groups completed either a reflection or an education project using a creative medium. 520 projects (representing 595 students, 74.7 % of total eligible students) were qualitatively analyzed according to various thematic and emotion-based dimensions. The majority of projects were personal narrative essays and poetry. The largest number of project themes related to the importance of patient/relationship-centered medicine with patients. The next largest number of projects focused on health education of parents, patients, or classmates. In telling their stories, students were more likely to use a personal voice representing either their or the patient's perspective than an objective, impersonal one. In terms of emotional tone, projects were more likely to be serious than humorous. The largest number of students' emotions expressed an empathic tone. Students identified a large number and wide range of both negative and positive feelings in themselves and their patients. The majority of student emotions were positive, while the majority of patient and family emotions were negative. Students' preference for patient-centered, relational themes, as well as their tendency to favor the first voice, empathic tone, and willingness to express a range of positive and negative emotions in presenting their projects, suggests that they valued emotional connection with patients and families during the pediatrics clerkship experience.

  16. Contribution of student involvement in production/service unit and experience of industry practices to entrepreneurial attitude and the impact entrepeneurship readiness of vocational high school students of great Malang

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukminna, Halimahtus; Isnandar, Muladi

    2017-09-01

    Purpose of this research was to determine the contribution of student involvement in production/ service unit (X1), experience of industry practices (X2), and entrepreneurial attitude (Y) towards readiness entrepreneurship (Z) of vocational student regional Malang. The design of the study using a quantitative approach. The samples used as many as 130 respondents. Instruments used for collecting data in the form of questionnaires. Data analysis included descriptive and test of hypothesis. The result showed: that the description of data on the level of student involvement in production/ service unit, experience of industry practices, entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurship readiness in the high category. The contribution student involvement in production/ service unit of entrepreneurial attitude of 10.6%. The contribution experience of industry practices of entrepreneurial attitude of 17.4%. The contribution student involvement in production/ service unit and experience of industry practices simultaneously to entrepreneurial attitude of 44.1%. The contribution student involvement in production/ service unit of readiness entrepreneurship of 4%. The contribution experience of industry practices of readiness entrepreneurship of 5%. The contribution entrepreneurial attitude of readiness entrepreneurship of 16%. Finally, the contribution student involvement in production/ service unit, experience of industry practices, and entrepreneurial attitude simultaneously to readiness entrepreneurship of 50.3%.

  17. Project-Based Learning in a STEM Academy: Student Engagement and Interest in STEM Careers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misher, Pamela Henry

    This case study explored the utilization of project-based learning (PBL) and how it affected student engagement and interest in STEM careers. Sixty-seven students and nine teachers participated in this case study. Three research questions addressed student engagement, perceptions, and challenges during PBL implementation. This study was designed to understand the experiences teachers and students had when they participated in a PBL environment. This research investigated how to develop a globally skilled workforce utilizing a PBL approach and the challenges teachers encountered during implementation. The survey data and informal focus-group sessions with staff and students were utilized, analyzed, and summarized in order to obtain insight on perceptions, challenges, and implementation of PBL. PBL is an instructional approach that was designed to encourage more engaged learning. This approach was built upon realistic learning activities that stimulated student interest and motivation. This research discovered that PBL did teach content and 21st century skills as students worked collaboratively toward a common goal while responding to a question or problem. This study revealed that rigorous projects were carefully planned to aid students in learning important academic content. This study displayed how PBL allowed students to reflect on their projects and ideas with the opportunity to voice their decisions and findings. This instructional approach provided opportunities for students to investigate and strengthen interest in future STEM careers. The driving force of America's future economy and maintaining the competitive edge will be through more innovation, mainly derived from advances in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers. As business and industry leaders stressed the importance of improving STEM education, there continued to be a need to better prepare students to fill STEM-related careers. This research adds to the current body of research

  18. Teaching about Consumption: The "Not Buying It" Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grauerholz, Liz; Bubriski-McKenzie, Anne

    2012-01-01

    This study presents an experiential exercise designed to heighten students' awareness of overconsumption in the United States and allow them to see how their own consumption habits are linked to larger social factors. Students engaged in the "Not Buying It" project--which involved refraining from purchasing all but essentials for a set…

  19. The Memory-Impairing Effects of Septal GABA Receptor Activation Involve GABAergic Septo-Hippocampal Projection Neurons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krebs-Kraft, Desiree L.; Wheeler, Marina G.; Parent, Marise B.

    2007-01-01

    Septal infusions of the [gamma]-aminobutyric acid (GABA)[subscript A] agonist muscimol impair memory, and the effect likely involves the hippocampus. GABA[subscript A] receptors are present on the perikarya of cholinergic and GABAergic septo-hippocampal (SH) projections. The current experiments determined whether GABAergic SH projections are…

  20. Group Projects in Social Work Education: The Influence of Group Characteristics and Moderators on Undergraduate Student Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Postlethwait, Ariana E.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the impact of group size, group formation, group conflict, and division of labor on student outcomes in a group project for a sample of 112 BSW research seminar students at a large university in the Midwest. Students completed surveys on their experiences with the group project at the end of the semester. Multiple regression…

  1. Infusing and sustaining aging content in social work education: findings from GeroRich projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hash, Kristina M; Gottlieb, Jody; Harper-Dorton, Karen V; Crawley-Woods, Geraldine; Shelek-Furbee, Katherine; Smith, John David; Brown, Rita

    2007-01-01

    This article presents findings from experiences of 67 projects involved in GeroRich, an initiative funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation designed to infuse, enrich and sustain aging content in BSW and MSW curricula. Thematic qualitative analysis was used to uncover themes in answers to open-ended questions contained in End-of-Year 2 project reports. Content areas addressed by open-ended answers were: (1) successes and innovations, and (2) challenges requiring responses. Primary successes and innovations identified were as follows: curriculum enrichment, faculty and student involvement, student-learning activities and community. Challenges to be responded to were identified as lack of faculty involvement, competing demands on faculty and programs, and sustainability of project efforts. Examples of strategies implemented to overcome these obstacles include providing teaching resources, instituting financial and other supports, and developing strategic plans for sustaining content infusion post-funding. Experiences of the GeroRich projects offer practical considerations for other social work programs that accept the challenge of attracting and preparing students to work with the increasing population of older adults.

  2. Students' Research Experiences during Consulting Projects: Three Themes Emerging from Case Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Carissa M. Holler

    2010-01-01

    Student consulting projects, an advanced form of problem-based learning, allow students to apply the skills developed in their classes on behalf of client organizations. A review of selected case studies in business education and other management education literature shows that research is an integral part of this consulting process. More than…

  3. Collegiate Diversity Experiences and Students' Views Regarding Social and Political Involvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Eugene T., III; Trolian, Teniell L.

    2015-01-01

    Using data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, this study examines the relationship between engagement in diversity experiences during college and student attitudes about the importance of being socially and politically involved at the end of their fourth year of college. Findings suggest a positive link between…

  4. A Modified Model of College Student Persistence: Exploring the Relationship between Astin's Theory of Involvement and Tinto's Theory of Student Departure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milem, Jeffrey F.; Berger, Joseph B.

    1997-01-01

    Provides insight into first-year undergraduate persistence by using behavioral measures--based on Alexander Astin's theory of involvement--to further understanding of Tinto's theory of student departure. Findings support the use of an integrated model in which student behaviors and perceptions interact to influence the development of academic and…

  5. Project Career: An individualized postsecondary approach to promoting independence, functioning, and employment success among students with traumatic brain injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minton, Deborah; Elias, Eileen; Rumrill, Phillip; Hendricks, Deborah J; Jacobs, Karen; Leopold, Anne; Nardone, Amanda; Sampson, Elaine; Scherer, Marcia; Gee Cormier, Aundrea; Taylor, Aiyana; DeLatte, Caitlin

    2017-09-14

    Project Career is a five-year interdisciplinary demonstration project funded by NIDILRR. It provides technology-driven supports, merging Cognitive Support Technology (CST) evidence-based practices and rehabilitation counseling, to improve postsecondary and employment outcomes for veteran and civilian undergraduate students with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Provide a technology-driven individualized support program to improve career and employment outcomes for students with TBI. Project staff provide assessments of students' needs relative to assistive technology, academic achievement, and career preparation; provide CST training to 150 students; match students with mentors; provide vocational case management; deliver job development and placement assistance; and maintain an electronic portal regarding accommodation and career resources. Participating students receive cognitive support technology training, academic enrichment, and career preparatory assistance from trained professionals at three implementation sites. Staff address cognitive challenges using the 'Matching Person with Technology' assessment to accommodate CST use (iPad and selected applications (apps)). JBS International (JBS) provides the project's evaluation. To date, 117 students participate with 63% report improved life quality and 75% report improved academic performance. Project Career provides a national model based on best practices for enabling postsecondary students with TBI to attain academic, employment, and career goals.

  6. Implementation of an education development project in pathology to improve student competency-lessons learnt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negi, Gita; Harsh, Meena; Chauhan, Vijendra D; Kalra, Vinita; Agarwal, Pradeep; Kusum, Anuradha

    2015-08-01

    Basic medical sciences and clinical teachings are not coordinated in the present medical education system. They are not taught keeping in mind the outcomes required at the time of actual handling of patients in the community. An educational development project was implemented in the Department of Pathology with the aim that it will result in the student learning to link the pathophysiology of the disease to clinical scenarios and become fully competent for lifelong medical practice. The pathology teaching of the second professional batch was modified by starting with defining the desired outcomes/competencies in the student's knowledge, skills, and attitude which were then addressed by lectures, demonstrations, practical classes and small group activities where case scenarios and laboratory reports were included. The outcome was assessed by Objectively Structured Clinical/Practical Examination and multiple choice questions. Force field analysis, faculty and student interviews, and questionnaires were used to assess the factors affecting its implementation and impact. Totally 80 students of the 2(nd) Professional MBBS were exposed to a competency-based education development project. It was found that the system was appreciated by faculty and students, especially the integration with clinical scenarios. There were many factors which influenced the execution of this program, including motivation level of students and faculty, time, logistics and meticulous planning. There was a significant improvement in student's performance and satisfaction. Many factors including prior planning were a major determinant for the success of this education development project.

  7. The use of student-driven video projects as an educational and outreach tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bamzai, A.; Farrell, W.; Klemm, T.

    2014-12-01

    With recent technological advances, the barriers to filmmaking have been lowered, and it is now possible to record and edit video footage with a smartphone or a handheld camera and free software. Students accustomed to documenting their every-day experiences for multimedia-rich social networking sites feel excited and creatively inspired when asked to take on ownership of more complex video projects. With a small amount of guidance on shooting primary and secondary footage and an overview of basic interview skills, students are self-motivated to identify the learning themes with which they resonate most strongly and record their footage in a way that is true to their own experience. The South Central Climate Science Center (SC-CSC) is one of eight regional centers formed by the U.S. Department of the Interior in order to provide decision makers with the science, tools, and information they need to address the impacts of climate variability and change on their areas of responsibility. An important component of this mission is to innovate in the areas of translational science and science communication. This presentation will highlight how the SC-CSC used student-driven video projects to document our Early Career Researcher Workshop and our Undergraduate Internship for Underrepresented Minorities. These projects equipped the students with critical thinking and project management skills, while also providing a finished product that the SC-CSC can use for future outreach purposes.

  8. Teaching/Research Project "Wheelmap"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gollenstede, Andreas

    2018-05-01

    In recent years new didactic concepts and approaches have been developed and evaluated at the universities. The concept for cartography lectures presented in this article is based on the close link of research and teaching/learning. The students are involved in all essential steps of a scientific project taking place during a series of lectures - beginning with the development of the scientific issues, followed by the choice and execution of the research methods and finally the presentation of the achieved outcomes. The specific project introduced here is based on self-experiments in which students took the perspective of wheelchair users entrusted with the task to map places, which are accessible for people with impairments. Among others, the goal set for the students was to develop an appropriate concept for the mobile acquisition of data and to visualise the final results by different methods of cartography.

  9. A Pre-Mobility eTandem Project for Incoming International Students at the University of Padua

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griggio, Lisa; Rózsavölgyi, Edit

    2016-01-01

    This study focuses on a strategic partnership with students from the University of Padua and international students coming to Padua mainly in the setting of Erasmus student mobility and exchange programs. The project is designed specifically for incoming international students to facilitate their integration into the Italian higher educational…

  10. Relations of Parenting Style and Parental Involvement with Ninth-Grade Students' Achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulson, Sharon E.

    1994-01-01

    Compared adolescents' and parents' perceptions of maternal and paternal demandingness, responsiveness, and parental involvement with schooling. Found that adolescents' reports of parenting correlated only moderately with parents' reports. Adolescents', but not parents', reports of parenting predicted students' achievement outcome, with parental…

  11. Relationship of creative projects in anatomy to medical student professionalism, test performance and stress: an exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Johanna; Nguyen, Vincent P; Mourra, Sarah; Boker, John R; Ross, Marianne; Thai, Trung M; Leonard, Robert J

    2009-11-03

    The anatomy course offers important opportunities to develop professionalism at an early stage in medical education. It is an academically significant course that also engenders stress in some students. Over a three-year period, 115 of 297 students completed creative projects. Thirty-four project completers and 47 non-completers consented to participate in the study. Projects were analyzed for professionalism themes using grounded theory. A subset of project completers and non-completers were interviewed to determine their views about the stress of anatomy and medical school, as well as the value of the creative projects. We also compared test performance of project completers and non-completers. Projects completed early in the course often expressed ambivalence about anatomy, whereas later projects showed more gratitude and sense of awe. Project completers tended to report greater stress than noncompleters, but stated that doing projects reduced stress and caused them to develop a richer appreciation for anatomy and medicine. Project completers performed significantly lower than non-completers on the first written exam (pre-project). Differences between groups on individual exams after both the first and second creative project were nonsignificant. For some students, creative projects may offer a useful way of reflecting on various aspects of professionalism while helping them to manage stress.

  12. Characterizing Parents’ and School Staff’s Involvement with Student Attendance from the Perspective of School Staff in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norimasa Itakura

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the relations between parents and various school staff involvement, and student attendance across time from the viewpoint of school staff in Japan. In addition, student attendance characteristics were classified to investigate potential differences among students related to time and involvement of parents and staff. The research participants were Japanese elementary, junior, and senior high school staff (N = 206 who consented to participate in the survey. All participants were sampled from various areas of Japan and recruited through a web-based survey. Data were collected by the polling organization Internet Research Service MELLINKS (Tokyo, Japan, through their web panel (see www.mellinks.co.jp. The results indicated that during the early period of support, there was no positive correlation between class teachers’ involvement and students’ attendance. However, during the late period of support, it had a positive correlation. Surprisingly, the school nurses’ involvement was critical even in the early periods. Furthermore, in the late period, the results of ANOVAs assessing difference among the student attendance categories showed that maintaining and recovery types had higher scores of parents’ and class teachers’ involvement than non-maintaining and declining types. This study suggests that flexibility of collaboration among parents and various school staff across time is an important component to support student attendance.

  13. DNA Fingerprinting of Trout Lilies: A High School Student Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vann, Carolyn N.; Saxon, Herbert L.; Brblic, Tom; Elliades, Stacie; Lambert, Scott; Shaw, Jake; Smith, Ryan; Inman, Megan

    1998-01-01

    Reports on a student's research project on the degree of genetic diversity within the trout lily species. Enables a rough prediction of the continuance of the species and provides insight into how to manage plants that might be endangered. Contains 16 references. (DDR)

  14. Involvement of school students in fights with weapons: prevalence and associated factors in Brazil

    OpenAIRE

    Melo, Alice Cristina Medeiros; Garcia, Leila Posenato

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background Violence, as well as other behaviors, is often intensified during adolescence and early adulthood. The objective of this study is estimate the prevalence of Brazilian school students involvement in fights with weapons and to analyze the associated factors. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using data from the National School Student Health Survey conducted in 2012 with 9th grade elementary school students attending 2842 schools in all 27 Brazilian Federative Units. T...

  15. Involving High School Students in Computational Physics University Research: Theory Calculations of Toluene Adsorbed on Graphene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ericsson, Jonas; Husmark, Teodor; Mathiesen, Christoffer; Sepahvand, Benjamin; Borck, Øyvind; Gunnarsson, Linda; Lydmark, Pär; Schröder, Elsebeth

    2016-01-01

    To increase public awareness of theoretical materials physics, a small group of high school students is invited to participate actively in a current research projects at Chalmers University of Technology. The Chalmers research group explores methods for filtrating hazardous and otherwise unwanted molecules from drinking water, for example by adsorption in active carbon filters. In this project, the students use graphene as an idealized model for active carbon, and estimate the energy of adsorption of the methylbenzene toluene on graphene with the help of the atomic-scale calculational method density functional theory. In this process the students develop an insight into applied quantum physics, a topic usually not taught at this educational level, and gain some experience with a couple of state-of-the-art calculational tools in materials research.

  16. Using the Student Research Project to Integrate Macroeconomics and Statistics in an Advanced Cost Accounting Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Mahamood M.; Schwartz, Bill N.

    2014-01-01

    This paper discusses a student research project that is part of an advanced cost accounting class. The project emphasizes active learning, integrates cost accounting with macroeconomics and statistics by "learning by doing" using real world data. Students analyze sales data for a publicly listed company by focusing on the company's…

  17. 32 CFR 37.220 - How involved should the Government program official be in the project?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... official be in the project? 37.220 Section 37.220 National Defense Department of Defense OFFICE OF THE... Technology Investment Agreements § 37.220 How involved should the Government program official be in the project? (a) TIAs are used to carry out cooperative relationships between the Federal Government and the...

  18. Students developing resources for students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearce, Michael; Evans, Darrell

    2012-06-01

    The development of new technologies has provided medical education with the ability to enhance the student learning experience and meet the needs of changing curricula. Students quickly adapt to using multimedia learning resources, but these need to be well designed, learner-centred and interactive for students to become significantly engaged. One way to ensure that students become committed users and that resources become distinct elements of the learning cycle is to involve students in resource design and production. Such an approach enables resources to accommodate student needs and preferences, but also provides opportunities for them to develop their own teaching and training skills. The aim of the medical student research project was to design and produce an electronic resource that was focused on a particular anatomical region. The views of other medical students were used to decide what features were suitable for inclusion and the resulting package contained basic principles and clinical relevance, and used a variety of approaches such as images of cadaveric material, living anatomy movies and quizzes. The completed package was assessed using a survey matrix and found to compare well with commercially available products. Given the ever-diversifying arena of multimedia instruction and the ability of students to be fully conversant with technology, this project demonstrates that students are ideal participants and creators of multimedia resources. It is hoped that such an approach will help to further develop the skill base of students, but will also provide an avenue of developing packages that are student user friendly, and that are focused towards particular curricula requirements. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  19. Beyond the Bake Sale: Fundraising and Professional Experience for Students Involved in an Information Systems Student Chapter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snyder, Johnny; Carpenter, Don; Slauson, Gayla Jo; Skinner, Joe; Nash, Cole

    2012-01-01

    Fundraising traditionally involves selling. This paper explores the merits of selling technology services provided by a technology oriented student club to members of a campus community. This club activity puts into practice learning theories presented in the literature. Beyond fundraising, this activity yields many additional benefits to the…

  20. Project to expand diversity in the nursing workforce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Georges, Catherine

    2012-05-01

    The Bronx, one of the five boroughs of New York City, has a diverse population, but the largest ethnic group is Hispanic, or Latino. More than half (53 per cent) of the students at Lehman College of the City University of New York are from this group, reflecting the population demographic of the borough, but in 2006 Hispanic students comprised just 8 per cent of those enrolled in the department of nursing. To address this disparity, the department undertook a project to increase recruitment, retention and graduation of Hispanic nursing students. The project involved several activities in collaboration with a Bronx high school, Lehman College's baccalaureate nursing programme, and a partner hospital that serves thousands of people of Hispanic origin. This article describes the project and the lessons learnt.

  1. What do medical students understand by research and research skills? Identifying research opportunities within undergraduate projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murdoch-Eaton, Deborah; Drewery, Sarah; Elton, Sarah; Emmerson, Catherine; Marshall, Michelle; Smith, John A; Stark, Patsy; Whittle, Sue

    2010-01-01

    Undergraduate research exposure leads to increased recruitment into academic medicine, enhanced employability and improved postgraduate research productivity. Uptake of undergraduate research opportunities is reported to be disappointing, and little is known about how students perceive research. To investigate opportunities for undergraduate participation in research, recognition of such opportunities, and associated skills development. A mixed method approach, incorporating student focus and study groups, and documentary analysis at five UK medical schools. Undergraduates recognised the benefits of acquiring research skills, but identified practical difficulties and disadvantages of participating. Analysis of 905 projects in four main research skill areas - (1) research methods; (2) information gathering; (3) critical analysis and review; (4) data processing - indicated 52% of projects provided opportunities for students to develop one or more skills, only 13% offered development in all areas. In 17%, project descriptions provided insufficient information to determine opportunities. Supplied with information from a representative sample of projects (n = 80), there was little consensus in identifying skills among students or between students and researchers. Consensus improved dramatically following guidance on how to identify skills. Undergraduates recognise the benefits of research experience but need a realistic understanding of the research process. Opportunities for research skill development may not be obvious. Undergraduates require training to recognise the skills required for research and enhanced transparency in potential project outcomes.

  2. UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. Quarterly report, July 1995--September 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-02-01

    In September, 1994, the U.S. Department of Energy (Nevada Operations Office) made a $199,708 grant (through the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Program), to the UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. The Project began in April, 1994, to develop and implement an innovative model of student outreach by San Jose State University (SJSU) to underserved, underrepresented student populations of the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD). The Project was formed by a consortium involving SJSU, ESUHSD, some 20 private sector organizations (foundations/corporations), numerous local community/professional organizations, and approximately 100 private funders. This proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy was to have the Department join this unique partnership to focus University outreach to underserved student populations to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and technology.

  3. UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. Quarterly report, September 1994--December 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-02-01

    In September, 1994, the U.S. Department of Energy (Nevada Operations Office) made a $199,708 grant (through the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Program), to the UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. The Project began in April, 1994, to develop and implement an innovative model of student outreach by San Jose State University (SJSU) to underserved, underrepresented student populations of the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD). The Project was formed by a consortium involving SJSU, ESUHSD, some 20 private sector organizations (foundations/corporations), numerous local community/professional organizations, and approximately 100 private funders. This proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy was to have the Department join this unique partnership to focus University outreach to underserved student populations to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and technology.

  4. UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. Quarterly report, April 1995--June 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-02-01

    In September, 1994, the U.S. Department of Energy (Nevada Operations Office) made a $199,708 grant (through the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Program), to the UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. The Project began in April, 1994 to develop and implement an innovative model of student outreach by San Jose State University (SJSU) to underserved, underrepresented student populations of the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD). The Project was formed by a consortium involving SJSU, ESUHSD, some 20 private sector organizations (foundations/corporations), numerous local community/professional organizations, and approximately 100 private funders. This proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy was to have the Department join this unique partnership to focus University outreach to underserved student populations to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and technology.

  5. Preparing TESOL Students for the ESOL Classroom: A Cross-Cultural Project in Intercultural Communication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina-López-Portillo, Adriana

    2014-01-01

    Intercultural communication classes for TESOL students give them a solid foundation for their work with their own ESOL students. This article presents the cross-cultural project that TESOL students have to complete in a required intercultural communication class at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the case study that was used to…

  6. A Study on the Evaluation of Science Projects of Primary School Students Based on Scientific Criteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gungor, Sema Nur; Ozer, Dilek Zeren; Ozkan, Muhlis

    2013-01-01

    This study re-evaluated 454 science projects that were prepared by primary school students between 2007 and 2011 within the scope of Science Projects Event for Primary School Students. Also, submitted to TUBITAK BIDEB Bursa regional science board by MNE regional work groups in accordance with scientific research methods and techniques, including…

  7. Impact of a Student Pharmacist Driven Medication Reconciliation and Antidepressant Treatment History Project at a Depression Clinic: A Pilot Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Stella S.; Jaward, Leanna; Ward, Kristen; Parikh, Sagar V.; Bostwick, Jolene R.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To improve treatment of patients with depression, a new pilot service project involving student pharmacists who would conduct medication reconciliation and review of antidepressant treatment history was created and evaluated. Experimental design A prospective study conducted at the University of Michigan Depression Center. Principal observations From an initial sample of 78 referrals, 41 subjects were reached by phone, with 34 completing medication reconciliation and antidepressant treatment history. Of the 34 patients, 25 (73.5%) had at least one discrepancy identified in their medication list, resulting in 164 medication changes in the electronic medical record (EMR). A total of 105 past antidepressant trials were documented in the 34 individuals, with 34 (32.4%) trials found to be inadequate. Thirteen (38.2%) patients reported failure to respond to two different antidepressants from different classes. All 34 patients participated well in the phone calls and were willing to consult a pharmacist at their upcoming clinic visit. Conclusions A student pharmacist pilot was feasible, identified many discrepancies in the medication record, and identified important medication treatment history in patients with depression in advance of the clinic visit. The project provides support for a specialized role for student pharmacists and demonstrates that interprofessional care can contribute to improved treatment of depression. PMID:28626270

  8. Contextual Student Learning through Authentic Asteroid Research Projects using a Robotic Telescope Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoette, Vivian L.; Puckett, Andrew W.; Linder, Tyler R.; Heatherly, Sue Ann; Rector, Travis A.; Haislip, Joshua B.; Meredith, Kate; Caughey, Austin L.; Brown, Johnny E.; McCarty, Cameron B.; Whitmore, Kevin T.

    2015-11-01

    Skynet is a worldwide robotic telescope network operated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with active observing sites on 3 continents. The queue-based observation request system is simple enough to be used by middle school students, but powerful enough to supply data for research scientists. The Skynet Junior Scholars program, funded by the NSF, has teamed up with professional astronomers to engage students from middle school to undergraduates in authentic research projects, from target selection through image analysis and publication of results. Asteroid research is a particularly fruitful area for youth collaboration that reinforces STEM education standards and can allow students to make real contributions to scientific knowledge, e.g., orbit refinement through astrometric submissions to the Minor Planet Center. We have created a set of projects for youth to: 1. Image an asteroid, make a movie, and post it to a gallery; 2. Measure the asteroid’s apparent motion using the Afterglow online image processor; and 3. Image asteroids from two or more telescopes simultaneously to demonstrate parallax. The apparent motion and parallax projects allow students to estimate the distance to their asteroid, as if they were the discoverer of a brand new object in the solar system. Older students may take on advanced projects, such as analyzing uncertainties in asteroid orbital parameters; studying impact probabilities of known objects; observing time-sensitive targets such as Near Earth Asteroids; and even discovering brand new objects in the solar system.Images are acquired from among seven Skynet telescopes in North Carolina, California, Wisconsin, Canada, Australia, and Chile, as well as collaborating observatories such as WestRock in Columbus, Georgia; Stone Edge in El Verano, California; and Astronomical Research Institute in Westfield, Illinois.

  9. Looking through the Lens: Adapting and Modifying Photovoice Projects for Active Learning and Engagement in Biology

    OpenAIRE

    Karobi Moitra

    2016-01-01

    Photovoice projects traditionally include original visual imagery and minimal text to tell a powerful story. Photovoice student projects have been utilized in the health and social sciences to involve students with the local community and also in community-based projects to help at-risk youth call attention to their community problems, such as disease and drug use. The tool of the photovoice can be used in the biology classroom to engage students in the active learning process through communi...

  10. Lessons Learned From Studying The Effects Of Forest Fires With High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanjorski, N.; Hall, M.; Sundberg, F.

    2005-12-01

    We evaluated the educational successes and challenges of a high school research project designed to assess the effects of a wildfire and subsequent logging on soil erosion during the 2004-2005 school year. The project is extra-curricular for students from Show Low High School in Arizona. Fieldwork is done on Saturdays and lab work is done during lunch periods and after school sessions. Using a silt fence, shovels, and brushes, students collect and measure erosion rates of unburned, burned, and burned and logged land. The project has involved 17 students, 3 female and 14 male students, and their two science teachers. A key goal of the project is to introduce a group of high school students to the process of scientific inquiry through fieldwork and scientific research. A core requirement of this project is that the students will be self-motivated and will lead all major field and laboratory efforts. Interviews of the students and teachers in the fall of 2004 and spring of 2005 are the primary source of the assessment of this project in addition to data collected by informal interviews during two field trips. Consistent student participation was a main challenge to this project in the first year. While most students continued with the program throughout the year, participation was sporadic and generally low during any one class or field session. This is partially due to not having a set schedule for activities and the challenge for students to self-motivate. Interestingly, despite their actual amount of involvement in the project, the students all consider themselves active members of the project and are generally proud of their efforts. To increase the consistency of student participation in the coming year a regular semester schedule has been set and student time and effort requirements have been increased and explicitly stated. Students have a great amount of choice in which role they will fulfill in the project, and which data gathering and analysis skills they

  11. Social Loafing on Group Projects: Structural Antecedents and Effect on Student Satisfaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, Praveen; O'Brien, Connie L.

    2008-01-01

    To respond to the expectations of the industry and business school accreditation bodies, marketing faculty have been making extensive use of group projects in their curricula. A common problem with the use of student groups, however, is that of social loafing. In this study, we identify some easy-to-implement project set-up factors and examine…

  12. Comparison between project-based learning and discovery learning toward students' metacognitive strategies on global warming concept

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tumewu, Widya Anjelia; Wulan, Ana Ratna; Sanjaya, Yayan

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to know comparing the effectiveness of learning using Project-based learning (PjBL) and Discovery Learning (DL) toward students metacognitive strategies on global warming concept. A quasi-experimental research design with a The Matching-Only Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design was used in this study. The subjects were students of two classes 7th grade of one of junior high school in Bandung City, West Java of 2015/2016 academic year. The study was conducted on two experimental class, that were project-based learning treatment on the experimental class I and discovery learning treatment was done on the experimental class II. The data was collected through questionnaire to know students metacognitive strategies. The statistical analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in students metacognitive strategies between project-based learning and discovery learning.

  13. Students Upgrading through Computer and Career Education System Services (Project SUCCESS). Final Evaluation Report 1992-93. OER Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Educational Research.

    Student Upgrading through Computer and Career Education System Services (Project SUCCESS) was an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its third year of operation. Project SUCCESS served 460 students of limited English proficiency at two high schools in Brooklyn and one high school in Manhattan (New York City).…

  14. Parental Involvement as a Mediator of Academic Performance among Special Education Middle School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores de Apodaca, Roberto; Gentling, Dana G.; Steinhaus, Joanna K.; Rosenberg, Elena A.

    2015-01-01

    This study examined parental involvement as a mediator of the academic performance of middle school students with special needs. The study built on the different types of parental involvement theorized by Epstein and colleagues (2002) and studied empirically by Fan and Chen (2001). Using a specially developed questionnaire, a sample of 82 parents…

  15. The Relationship between Parental Involvement and Student Achievement in the U.S. Virgin Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durand, Felix

    2014-01-01

    Although many studies have been conducted on the relationship between parental involvement and student achievement, the effect of parental involvement in the U.S. Virgin Islands had not been substantiated empirically. It should not be assumed that research conducted in the United States or other geographic areas will necessarily apply to the…

  16. The Role of Parental Involvement in the Autonomy Development of Traditional-Age College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullaty, Brian

    2011-01-01

    Increased parental involvement in higher education has led to a rise in the number of parent interactions with university faculty and staff. The purpose of this study was to explore how parental involvement influences the process of college student autonomy development and to examine the implications of this process for college administrators.…

  17. Students' Views of Assessment in Project-Led Engineering Education: Findings from a Case Study in Portugal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Sandra; Flores, Maria Assuncao; Lima, Rui Manuel

    2012-01-01

    According to the demands of the Bologna process, new educational methods and strategies are needed in order to enhance student-centred learning. Project work is one of those approaches. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of project-led education (PLE) on students' learning processes and outcomes, within the context of a first-year engineering…

  18. Relationships between Perceived Parental Involvement in Homework, Student Homework Behaviors, and Academic Achievement: Differences among Elementary, Junior High, and High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Núñez, J. C.; Suárez, N.; Rosário, P.; Vallejo, G.; Valle, A.; Epstein, J. L.

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to produce a deeper understanding of the relationship between perceived parental homework involvement (i.e., parental homework control and parental homework support), student homework behaviors (i.e., time spend on homework completion, time management, and amount of homework completed), and student academic achievement. Using…

  19. Vertical Integration: Results from a Cross-Course Student Collaboration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sloan, Thomas; Lewis, David

    2011-01-01

    The authors report the results of a cross-class project involving sophomore-level students in an Operations Analysis (OA) class with junior-level students in an Operations Management (OM) class. The students formed virtual teams and developed a simulation model of a call center. The OM students provided the management expertise, while the OA…

  20. An Investigation into the Involvement of California Central Valley High School Students with Disabilities in the IEP Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Cheryle Ann

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of California Central Valley high school students with disabilities in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process. Specifically, this study investigated the involvement of students with disabilities in the development of the IEP and IEP meetings. In addition, this study explored the…

  1. Transfer students in STEM majors at a Midwestern University: Academic and social involvement factors that influence student success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Carlos

    There is soon-to-be a shortage of qualified U.S. workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As a result, many science-related jobs are being filled by technically-skilled foreign workers. If the U.S wants to maintain its global economic leadership, then it must ensure a continuous growth of highly-trained individuals in STEM disciplines. Therefore, American institutions of higher education, including community colleges, must identify potential factors that contribute to the lack of interest in STEM majors, as well as the low rate of success of students who enter STEM majors but struggle to finish their degrees. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of community college transfer students who are pursuing bachelor degrees in STEM majors at Iowa State University (ISU). What were their transfer experiences and what influenced their academic success in STEM. Participants were encouraged to share their transfer experiences while at the community college as well as their experiences on the ISU campus. They were also asked about their level of academic involvement, their relationships with faculty, and their participation in peer group activities prior to and after transferring. The research design included both quantitative and qualitative components, which provided an in-depth look at the experiences of STEM non-engineering and engineering students. Quantitative data include students' background characteristics, demographic information, and college activities at the community college and ISU. Qualitative data were used to illuminate students' overall transfer experience and their successful journey in STEM fields. The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods allowed a better understanding of the strategies students put into practice once they transfer from a community college to a four-year institution in pursuit of a STEM bachelor's degree. The results of this study suggest that there is an association among the

  2. Authentic student research projects on physics and the human body

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heck, A.; Ellermeijer, T.; Kędzierska, E.

    2010-01-01

    Students in Dutch senior secondary education are obliged to perform their own research project of approximately 80 hours. They are stimulated to choose the topic themselves (preferably with relations to two subjects, like physics and mathematics) and have a lot of freedom in the design of the

  3. Relationship of creative projects in anatomy to medical student professionalism, test performance and stress: an exploratory study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thai Trung M

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The anatomy course offers important opportunities to develop professionalism at an early stage in medical education. It is an academically significant course that also engenders stress in some students. Methods Over a three-year period, 115 of 297 students completed creative projects. Thirty-four project completers and 47 non-completers consented to participate in the study. Projects were analyzed for professionalism themes using grounded theory. A subset of project completers and non-completers were interviewed to determine their views about the stress of anatomy and medical school, as well as the value of the creative projects. We also compared test performance of project completers and non-completers. Results Projects completed early in the course often expressed ambivalence about anatomy, whereas later projects showed more gratitude and sense of awe. Project completers tended to report greater stress than noncompleters, but stated that doing projects reduced stress and caused them to develop a richer appreciation for anatomy and medicine. Project completers performed significantly lower than non-completers on the first written exam (pre-project. Differences between groups on individual exams after both the first and second creative project were nonsignificant. Conclusion For some students, creative projects may offer a useful way of reflecting on various aspects of professionalism while helping them to manage stress.

  4. A systematic review of the evidence on service user involvement in interpersonal skills training of mental health students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, J; Watkins, M; Gilbert, A; Rawlinson, J

    2013-08-01

    Service user involvement has become a common feature of education programmes for mental health students. However, little is known about the effects of this type of education on the interpersonal skills of students taking part. This paper reports findings from a systematic review that formed part of a wider investigation into service user involvement in teaching interpersonal skills. The review aimed to locate and assess the quality of the published evidence relating to the effects of service user involvement on mental health students interpersonal skills and to synthesize results, using a definition of interpersonal skill that includes attitudes, empathy and skills as its key components. Results from this study indicate that the quality of evidence in this area is poor. However, sufficient synthesis of the evidence base was possible to allow conclusions and recommendations for both research and practice. Conclusions were that the involvement of service users in this area is both acceptable and valuable for students and had specific impacts on attitudes, empathy and skills. Some difficulties and reservations about the style of involvement are discussed. Recommendations for the conduct of future research are also made. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Peer Assessment in Engineering Group Projects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

    2014-01-01

    Peer review has proved to be beneficial in project-based environments by involving students in the process and encouraging them to take ownership of their learning. This article reviews how peer assessment has been employed within group work for different engineering programs. Since the administr...

  6. The image ofan ideal psychiatrist inthe eyes of medical students, patients and doctors involved inpsychiatric care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandra Margulska

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of the study was to determine differences in the image of ideal psychiatrist (IIP among patients, doctors involved in psychiatric care and medical students and also between individuals with different work experience (doctors vs. students. The psychiatrist’s personality seems an important factor in supporting therapeutic process; therefore it is worth searching for the patient’s needs. Materials and methods: Three groups participated in the study: patients of the psychiatric units, medical students of 6th year and psychiatrists. The Gough and Heilbrun ACL (Adjective Check List – based on Mur‑ ray’s theory of needs – was used to assess IIP. Results: Data analysis revealed statistically significant differences among patients, doctors and students involving five scales: Nurturance, Aggression, Change, Succorance and Deference. Patients had lower scores on Change scale than doctors and higher scores on the Nurturance, Succurance and Deference than stu‑ dents. Psychiatrists had higher scores on Nurturance and Deference scale and lower score on Aggression scale than students. Conclusions: The findings showed differences in the expectations of patients compared to those of students and doctors. The most significant difference that was observed involved the Change. It may indicate that patients prefer order, conventional approach and stability in psychiatrist’s personality traits more commonly than doctors. Study findings suggest that work experience has impact on IIP: with increasing work experience, opinion about IIP comes closer to patients’ expectations.

  7. Involvement of Working Memory in College Students' Sequential Pattern Learning and Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kundey, Shannon M. A.; De Los Reyes, Andres; Rowan, James D.; Lee, Bern; Delise, Justin; Molina, Sabrina; Cogdill, Lindsay

    2013-01-01

    When learning highly organized sequential patterns of information, humans and nonhuman animals learn rules regarding the hierarchical structures of these sequences. In three experiments, we explored the role of working memory in college students' sequential pattern learning and performance in a computerized task involving a sequential…

  8. Parent Involvement and the Impact on Student Achievement in Grades 2-5

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thurber, Yvonne Marie

    2013-01-01

    This quantitative research study examined the relationship between student achievement in reading and mathematics on the STAR (Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading and Mathematics) and parent involvement in specific character development activities. The research design was quantitative in nature and conducted in two similar elementary…

  9. Field classes: key to involve and attract students to soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muggler, Cristine Carole; Cardoso, Irene Maria; da Silva Lopes, Angelica

    2015-04-01

    Soil genesis is a subject taught to students of Agrarian Sciences and Geography at the Federal University of Viçosa in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Each semester 200 to 250 students inscribe for it. It is organized as the first 60 hours course on soils for 1st and 2nd year's students. The course has a distinct pedagogical approach, which is based on Paulo Freire's education principles, known as socio constructivism. In such approach, learning environments and materials are prepared to stimulate dialogues and exchange of knowledge between students themselves, strengthening that their role is crucial to their own learning. During the course, students have different types of practical classes: indoors, in a class room or at the Earth Sciences museum and outdoors, in the field. In the class room they have the opportunity to handle materials -minerals, rocks, soils and maps-, follow demonstrations and perform small experiments. The classes given in the museum intend a broadening of the subjects approached in theoretical and practical classes. In the field classes the students are organized in small groups with the task to investigate soil formation by observation and description of geology, landscape, land use, soil expositions and some of the soil properties. Attracting students to soils involves looking at meanings and perceptions related to soils they bring with themselves and follow this up to sensitize and create awareness about their importance. With this aim, it is also included, as part of the evaluation, a final voluntary presentation that many of the students do. The presentation can be a song, a poem, a sketch or whatever they propose and create. Many of the presentations bring topics related to the new perception about soils they get during the semester and to ideas or questions raised in the field classes. A survey with the students showed that field classes are by far the preferred classes and they are considered more dynamic. Since students have less and less

  10. Experiences with Designing a Team Project Module for Teaching Teamwork to Students

    OpenAIRE

    Bieliková, Mária

    2005-01-01

    Team projects play an important role in the education of engineers. This paper describes a team project module (called Team project) that is part of a postgraduate course in Informatics. Its main objective is to give students a hands-on experience with different aspects of working in team on a problem. We discuss several aspects that should be considered in designing such module as a part of a curriculum: team formation, team communication, team assessment, problem statement and assignment, d...

  11. Curricular Goals and Personal Goals in Master's Thesis Projects: Dutch Student-Supervisor Dyads

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Kleijn, Renske A. M.; Meijer, Paulien C.; Brekelmans, Mieke; Pilot, Albert

    2013-01-01

    To be effective, feedback should be goal-related. In order to better understand goal-related feedback in Master's thesis projects, the present study explores the goals of supervisors and students in supervision dyads and similarities and differences within and between these dyads. Twelve supervisors and students were interviewed, and their goals…

  12. Exploring Telecollaboration through the Lens of University Students: A Spanish-Cypriot Telecollaborative Exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolaou, Anna; Sevilla-Pavón, Ana

    2016-01-01

    This paper examines university students' views about a Cypriot-Spanish telecollaboration project through which participants used Google+ Communities for intercultural exchange over the course of one semester. The project was established through the UNICollaboration platform and it involved first-year students at the Cyprus University of Technology…

  13. A Longitudinal Study of Student Attitudes toward Computers: Resolving an Attitude Decay Paradox.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinnon, David H.; Nolan, C. J. Patrick; Sinclair, Kenneth E.

    2000-01-01

    Describes results of an integrated curriculum project in New Zealand that generated paradoxical results regarding student motivation and attitudes toward computer use during junior high school, where attitudes became less positive. Examines implications for the design and implementation of curriculum projects involving student use of computer…

  14. Using Pamphlets to Teach Biochemistry: A Service-Learning Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Melinda A.; Dunbar, David; Lopatto, David

    2013-01-01

    A service-learning project appropriate for a biochemistry or advanced biochemistry course was designed and implemented. The project involved students partnering with a homeless shelter to design informational pamphlets to be displayed at the shelter for the clients' use. The pamphlet topics were based on diseases studied within the course.…

  15. 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

  16. The gender gap in student engagement: The role of teachers' autonomy support, structure, and involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lietaert, Sofie; Roorda, Debora; Laevers, Ferre; Verschueren, Karine; De Fraine, Bieke

    2015-12-01

    The gender gap in education in favour of girls is a widely known phenomenon. Boys generally have higher dropout rates, obtain lower grades, and show lower engagement. Insight into factors related to these academic outcomes could help to address the gender gap. This study investigated, for Dutch language classes, (1) how boys and girls differ in behavioural engagement, (2) which teacher support dimensions (autonomy support, structure, involvement) may explain gender differences in engagement (mediation hypothesis), and (3) whether and which of these teacher support dimensions matter more for boys' as opposed to girls' engagement (moderation or differential effects hypothesis). A total of 385 Grade 7 students and their 15 language teachers participated in this study. Teacher support was assessed through student reports. Student engagement was measured using student, teacher, and observer reports. By means of structural equation modelling, the mediating role of the teacher support dimensions for gender differences in behavioural engagement was tested. The potential differential role of the teacher support dimensions for boys' and girls' engagement was investigated through multigroup analysis. Boys were less engaged than girls and reported lower support from their teacher. Autonomy support and involvement partially mediated the relationship between gender and behavioural engagement. Autonomy support was demonstrated to be a protective factor for boys' engagement but not for girls'. Structure and involvement contributed equally to engagement for both sexes. Although involvement and autonomy support partly explained the gender gap in engagement (mediation hypothesis), more support was found for differential effects of autonomy support on boys' versus girls' engagement (differential effects hypothesis). © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  17. Facilitating students' application of the integral and the area under the curve concepts in physics problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Dong-Hai

    This research project investigates the difficulties students encounter when solving physics problems involving the integral and the area under the curve concepts and the strategies to facilitate students learning to solve those types of problems. The research contexts of this project are calculus-based physics courses covering mechanics and electromagnetism. In phase I of the project, individual teaching/learning interviews were conducted with 20 students in mechanics and 15 students from the same cohort in electromagnetism. The students were asked to solve problems on several topics of mechanics and electromagnetism. These problems involved calculating physical quantities (e.g. velocity, acceleration, work, electric field, electric resistance, electric current) by integrating or finding the area under the curve of functions of related quantities (e.g. position, velocity, force, charge density, resistivity, current density). Verbal hints were provided when students made an error or were unable to proceed. A total number of 140 one-hour interviews were conducted in this phase, which provided insights into students' difficulties when solving the problems involving the integral and the area under the curve concepts and the hints to help students overcome those difficulties. In phase II of the project, tutorials were created to facilitate students' learning to solve physics problems involving the integral and the area under the curve concepts. Each tutorial consisted of a set of exercises and a protocol that incorporated the helpful hints to target the difficulties that students expressed in phase I of the project. Focus group learning interviews were conducted to test the effectiveness of the tutorials in comparison with standard learning materials (i.e. textbook problems and solutions). Overall results indicated that students learning with our tutorials outperformed students learning with standard materials in applying the integral and the area under the curve

  18. Helping Students Understand Intersectionality: Reflections from a Dialogue Project in Residential Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claros, Sharon Chia; Garcia, Gina A.; Johnston-Guerrero, Marc P.; Mata, Christine

    2017-01-01

    In this chapter, the authors share insights from a dialogue project focused on intersectionality within a residential life setting and discuss additional strategies for helping students understand intersectionality.

  19. A Blended Learning Approach to Teaching Project Management: A Model for Active Participation and Involvement: Insights from Norway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bassam A. Hussein

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The paper demonstrates and evaluates the effectiveness of a blended learning approach to create a meaningful learning environment. We use the term blended learning approach in this paper to refer to the use of multiple or hybrid instructional methods that emphasize the role of learners as contributors to the learning process rather than recipients of learning. Contribution to learning is attained by using in class gaming as pathways that ensure active involvement of learners. Using a blended learning approach is important in order to be able to address different learning styles of the target group. The approach was also important in order to be able to demonstrate different types of challenges, issues and competences needed in project management. Student evaluations of the course confirmed that the use of multiple learning methods and, in particular, in class gaming was beneficial and contributed to a meaningful learning experience.

  20. Novice Supervisors' Practices and Dilemmatic Space in Supervision of Student Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vereijken, Mayke W. C.; van der Rijst, Roeland M.; van Driel, Jan H.; Dekker, Friedo W.

    2018-01-01

    Growing interest in student research projects in higher education has led to an emphasis on research supervision. We focus in this study on novice supervisors' approaches to research supervision as they explore their practices and experience difficulties supervising medical-students. Teacher noticing was used as a sensitising concept and relations…

  1. Reflections by a student and a faculty member on student-faculty collaborative geophysical field research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bank, C.; Rotzien, J.

    2007-12-01

    More and more students and faculty engage in collaborative research. Field geophysics provides a fascinating venue, as it always contributes to interpersonal relations, usually involves off-campus work, and often allows us to meet new people and explore a different culture. Tackling an authentic research problem keeps a faculty member excited about her/his discipline, while allowing a student to engage in the process of science, follow a researcher's thoughts and contribute to a real project. The exchange of ideas and the generation of new knowledge is rewarding to the student as it facilitates her/his academic growth. Despite the obvious advantages of including students in field-based research, few students are allowed such an opportunity because of the institutional commitment in time and money that is necessary for success. Other challenges in field-based geophysical research include steep learning curves related to the use of equipment, unknown outcomes (data that is often difficult to interpret), and a true commitment to the project on the student's part. The faculty member on the other hand faces additional challenges because of the responsibility for students in the field, scheduling constraints, limited funding, and students' diverse academic goals. This presentation will be given by a faculty member and a student who have engaged in various authentic research projects. Projects ranged from afternoon lab exercises on campus (eg, microgravity survey over a tunnel on campus), course projects connected to field trips (eg, magnetic study and subsequent potential field analysis), summer research projects (eg, georadar survey of Deboullie Lake rock glacier), to year-long undergraduate thesis projects (eg, potential field studies at igneous centres of the Navajo Volcanic Field). We will present highlights of these projects, examine their pedagogical merits, and discuss the advantages and rewards we earned as well as the challenges we faced. Despite all challenges

  2. Projects for calculus the language of change

    CERN Document Server

    Stroyan, Keith D

    1999-01-01

    Projects for Calculus is designed to add depth and meaning to any calculus course. The fifty-two projects presented in this text offer the opportunity to expand the use and understanding of mathematics. The wide range of topics will appeal to both instructors and students. Shorter, less demanding projects can be managed by the independent learner, while more involved, in-depth projects may be used for group learning. Each task draws on special mathematical topics and applications from subjects including medicine, engineering, economics, ecology, physics, and biology.Subjects including:* Medicine* Engineering* Economics* Ecology* Physics* Biology

  3. Analysis of Students' Participation Patterns and Learning Presence in a Wiki-Based Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roussinos, Dimitrios; Jimoyiannis, Athanassios

    2013-01-01

    The educational applications of wikis are becoming very popular among instructors and researchers and they have captured their attention and imagination. This paper reports on the investigation of a wiki project designed to support university students' collaborative authoring and learning. The design framework of the wiki-based project is outlined…

  4. Implementing Problem Based Learning through Engineers without Borders Student Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wittig, Ann

    2013-01-01

    Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB) is a nonprofit organization that partners student chapters with communities in fundamental need of potable water, clean air, sanitation, irrigation, energy, basic structures for schools and clinics, roads and bridges, etc. While EWB projects may vary in complexity, they are all realistic, ill-structured and…

  5. Science teachers' meaning-making when involved in a school-based professional development project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

    2012-01-01

    A group of teachers' meaning-making when they are collaboratively analyzing artifacts from practice in local science classrooms in a school-based professional development (PD) project is examined through repeated interviews and represented as meaning-makig maps. The interpretation of the teachers......' meaning-making includes both their reference to outcomes from the project and their expressed ideas about teaching and learning of science. All four teachers refer to experiences from experimenting in their classrooms and interpret the collected artifacts in relation to students' learning. Furthermore......, they all felt encouraged to continue collaboration around science. During the interviews, the teachers emphasize various elements apparently connected to concrete challenges they each experience in their professional work. Implications in relation to the design of PD are discussed....

  6. A research project with students of Information and Communication Technology in obligatory secondary education: virtual reconstruction of the thermal area of the roman villa of Balazote (Albacete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pilar Mediano Serrano

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The optional subject Information and Communication Technology (ICT in obligatory secondary education is fundamentally about how to use applications. The software related to this subject is based on: photo editing programs, 3D constructions, sound editing and video editing. These can be viewed in isolation and independently or as a part of a comprehensive project in which students have to handle all of them at once. This article will explain a project with students: the virtual reconstruction of the thermal area of the roman villa of Balazote (Albacete. The goal was to improve student motivation and get actively involved in their learning process. Students used computers and classes of the course to conduct such research. First, the necessary information was sought, and then, based on that information and using different software about virtual reconstruction and recording and editing films: Gimp, SketchUP, Movie Maker, etc., our film was made. The result of this work is a film consisting of a virtual tour inside the roman villa.

  7. Bringing the Maker Movement to School. Fourth Grade Students Create Projects to Illustrate the Transfer and Transformation of Energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Wendy; Smith, Brian C.

    2016-01-01

    The Maker Movement allows students to strengthen humanistic values through projects and experiences that require the use of their heads, hearts, and hands. Students are introduced to creative technologies that bridge the digital and physical worlds. Through whimsical projects, students take an interest in the concepts and ideas that might normally…

  8. The pedagogical value of a student-run community-based experiential learning project: The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Public Health Screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wee, Liang En; Yeo, Wei Xin; Tay, Clifton M; Lee, Jeannette J M; Koh, Gerald C H

    2010-09-01

    We assessed the pedagogical value of a student-led community-based experiential learning project called the Public Health Screening (PHS) run by medical and nursing students of the National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS YLLSoM). We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered anonymised questionnaire on medical and nursing students who participated in PHS using the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Survey Instrument. Participants also gave an overall score for their learning experience at the PHS. The participation rate was 93.1% (576/619) for medical students and 100% (37/37) for nursing students. All participants gave the PHS learning experience a high rating (median = 8 out of maximum of 10, inter-quartile range, 7 to 9). A majority of participants felt that PHS had helped them to improve across all domains surveyed. For medical students, those in preclinical years and females were independently more likely to feel that PHS had helped them to improve in communication skills, teamwork, ability to identify social issues, taking action, and gaining and applying their knowledge than those in clinical years and males. Improved ability to interact with patients (β=1.64, 95%CI, 1.01-2.27), appreciation of challenges to healthcare faced by Singaporeans from lower income groups (β=0.93, 95%CI, 0.49-1.37), thinking of others (β=0.70, 95%CI, 0.04-1.37) and tolerance of different people (β =0.63, 95%CI, 0.17-1.10) were strongly associated with the overall rating score. PHS was a positive learning experience in a wide range of domains for all students involved. This suggests that student-organised community-based experiential learning projects have potential educational value for both medical and nursing students.

  9. The Benefits of Peer-Mentoring in Undergraduate Group Research Projects at The University of Arizona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardegree-Ullman, Kevin; McGraw, A. M.; Towner, A. P.; Walker-LaFollette, A.; Robertson, A.; Smith, C.; Turner, J.; Biddle, L. I.; Thompson, R.

    2013-06-01

    According to the American Institute of Physics, the number of graduate students enrolled in astronomy programs in the US has been steadily increasing in the past 15 years. Research experience is one of the key factors graduate admissions committees look for when choosing students. The University of Arizona Astronomy Club is setting a new precedent in research by having students introduce other students to research. This eases the transition to research projects, and allows students to work in a comfortable setting without the sometimes-overwhelming cognitive disconnect between a professor and their students. The University of Arizona's research projects have many benefits to all students involved. It is well established that people learn a subject best when they have to teach it to others. Students leading the projects learn alongside their peers in a peer-mentoring setting. When project leaders move on in their academic career, other project members can easily take the lead. Students learn how to work in teams, practice effective communication skills, and begin the processes of conducting a full research project, which are essential skills for all budding scientists. These research projects also give students hands-on research experience that supplement and greatly expand on concepts taught in the classroom, and make them more attractive to graduate schools and REU programs.

  10. Academic dishonesty in higher education: students' perceptions and involvement in an African institution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saana, Sixtus Bieranye Bayaa Martin; Ablordeppey, Ephraim; Mensah, Napoleon Jackson; Karikari, Thomas K

    2016-04-25

    Integrity in academic work is a critical benchmark of every profession. For this reason, special attention should be devoted to addressing academic dishonesty (AD) in higher education to prevent the potential transfer of these practices to the workplace. In order to effectively address AD in Africa, further information about correlates of, and barriers to, the effectiveness of existing AD-controlling measures is needed. In Ghana, little is known about AD from the perspective of students. Here, we present a first report of Ghanaian undergraduate students' self-reported understanding of, and support for, institutional AD regulations, their involvement in specific dishonest behaviours, as well as their motivation factors. Approximately 92% of respondents said they were aware of institutional regulations on AD. However, only 31% rated their understanding as high. Respondents believed that their lecturers had better understanding of, and support for, these regulations than the students (p academic load and pressure to please family and guardians were the leading causes of AD. Cheating during examinations and inappropriately sharing answers in the preparation of assignments were some of the highly-occurring forms of AD. Respondents believed that copying colleagues' work without their permission was a serious offense but doing so with their permission was not. Our findings suggest that the sampled students consent to cheating-they believed that they committed no misconduct once the parties involved had agreed on the act. Considering these misconceptions, institutions should do more to help their students better understand the different forms of AD and how to avoid them.

  11. The Creation of Task-Based Differentiated Learning Materials for Students with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, Trevor; Jones, Sara; Britton, Carol; Messer, David

    This paper describes Horizon, a European-funded project designed to increase employment opportunities for students with disabilities or learning difficulties. The project established a working cafe/restaurant (Cafe Horizon) in East London staffed by students. Part of the project involved the creation of multimedia units linked directly to Level 1…

  12. Watershed Watch: Using undergraduate student-driven inquiry-based research projects as a means of engaging undeclared students in the biogeosciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rock, B. N.; Hale, S.; Graham, K.; Hayden, L. B.

    2009-12-01

    Watershed Watch (NSF 0525433) engages early undergraduate students from two-year and four-year colleges in student-driven full inquiry-based instruction in the biogeosciences. Program goals for Watershed Watch are to test if inquiry-rich student-driven projects sufficiently engage undeclared students (or noncommittal STEM majors) to declare a STEM major (or remain with their STEM major). The program is a partnership between two four-year campuses - the University of New Hampshire (UNH), and Elizabeth City State University (ECSU, in North Carolina); and two two-year campuses - Great Bay Community College (GBCC, in New Hampshire) and the College of the Albemarle (COA, in North Carolina). The program focuses on two watersheds: the Merrimack Ricer Watershed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and the Pasquotank River Watershed in Virginia and North Carolina. Both the terrestrial and aquatic components of both watersheds are evaluated using the student-driven projects. A significant component of this program is an intensive two-week Summer Research Institute (SRI), in which undeclared freshmen and sophomores investigate various aspects of their local watershed. Two Summer Research Institutes have been held on the UNH campus (2006 and 2008) and two on the ECSU campus (2007 and 2009). Students develop their own research questions and study design, collect and analyze data, and produce a scientific oral or poster presentation on the last day of the SRI. The course objectives, curriculum and schedule are presented as a model for dissemination for other institutions and programs seeking to develop inquiry-rich programs or courses designed to attract students into biogeoscience disciplines. Data from self-reported student feedback indicate the most important factors explaining high-levels of student motivation and research excellence in the program are: 1) working with committed, energetic, and enthusiastic faculty mentors, and 2) faculty mentors demonstrating high degrees of

  13. Modeling the Relations among Parental Involvement, School Engagement and Academic Performance of High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Alwan, Ahmed F.

    2014-01-01

    The author proposed a model to explain how parental involvement and school engagement related to academic performance. Participants were (671) 9th and 10th graders students who completed two scales of "parental involvement" and "school engagement" in their regular classrooms. Results of the path analysis suggested that the…

  14. School Belonging of Adolescents: The Role of Teacher-Student Relationships, Peer Relationships and Family Involvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uslu, Fatma; Gizir, Sidika

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the extent to which teacher-student relationships, peer relationships, and family involvement can be used to predict a sense of school belonging among adolescents, according to gender. The sample of the study consists of 815 students enrolled in nine state primary schools in the central districts of Mersin, Turkey. The data was…

  15. Effect of project work on secondary school students science process ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study investigated the effect of students' project work on secondary school science process skills acquisition in Biology. The study was carried out in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State. Three research questions guided the study and three null hypotheses were postulated and tested at 0.05 level of ...

  16. University Physics Students' Use of Models in Explanations of Phenomena Involving Interaction between Metals and Electromagnetic Radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redfors, Andreas; Ryder, Jim

    2001-01-01

    Examines third year university physics students' use of models when explaining familiar phenomena involving interaction between metals and electromagnetic radiation. Concludes that few students use a single model consistently. (Contains 27 references.) (DDR)

  17. 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.

  18. Virginia Demonstration Project Encouraging Middle School Students in Pursuing STEM Careers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachman, Jane T.; Kota, Dena H.; Kota, Aaron J.

    2011-01-01

    Encouraging students at all grade levels to consider pursuing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields i s a national focus. In 2005, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), a Department of Defense laboratory located in Da hlgren, Virginia, began work on the Virginia Demonstration Project (VDP) with the goal of increasing more student interest in STEM educatio n and pursuing STEM careers. This goal continues as the program enters its sixth year. This project has been successful through the partici pation of NSWCDD's scientists and engineers who are trained as mentor s to work in local middle school classrooms throughout the school year, As an extension of the in-class activities, several STEM summer aca demies have been conducted at NSWCDD, These academies are supported by the Navy through the VDP and the STEM Learning Module Project. These projects are part of more extensive outreach efforts offered by the National Defense Education Program (NDEP), sponsored by the Director, Defense Research and Engineering. The focus of this paper is on the types of activities conducted at the summer academy, an overview of the academy planning process, and recommendations to help support a nati onal plan of integrating modeling and simulation-based engineering and science into all grade levels. based upon the lessons learned

  19. EXAMINATION OF ACHIEVEMENT RELATIONS AND MOTIVATION OF 7th GRADE STUDENTS FOR INVOLVEMENT IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES

    OpenAIRE

    Dragoljub Višnjić; Dragan Martinović; Jelena Ilić; Živorad Marković

    2010-01-01

    The relations of students achievement and motivation for involvement in PE classes were examined in a sample of 247 seventh-grade elementary school students of both sexes. The independent variables in the study were: sex, general success of the previous grade, PE grade, students’ opinion on sufficiency of knowledge acquired through instruction process, students’ involvement in sport. The scale for measurement of motivation consisted of 29 items obtained by adaptation of the Scale for measurem...

  20. Project- Based Learning and Problem-Based Learning: Are They Effective to Improve Student's Thinking Skills?

    OpenAIRE

    Anazifa, R. D; Djukri, D

    2017-01-01

    The study aims at finding (1) the effect of project-based learning and problem-based learning on student's creativity and critical thinking and (2) the difference effect of project-based learning and problem-based learning on student's creativity and critical thinking. This study is quasi experiment using non-equivalent control-group design. Research population of this study was all classes in eleventh grade of mathematics and natural science program of SMA N 1 Temanggung. The participants we...

  1. Involving Students in Developing Math Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapke, Tina

    2017-01-01

    Many studies have claimed that traditional testing actually promotes students' use of superficial approaches to learning. When preparing to take tests, students typically memorize and cram rather than understanding the material and gaining new perspectives. This article describes how the author recast traditional tests by having students take a…

  2. Implementation of a Project-Based Engineering School: Increasing Student Motivation and Relevant Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terrón-López, María-José; García-García, María-José; Velasco-Quintana, Paloma-Julia; Ocampo, Jared; Vigil Montaño, María-Reyes; Gaya-López, María-Cruz

    2017-01-01

    The School of Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM) implemented, starting in the 2012-2013 period, a unified academic model based on project-based learning as the methodology used throughout the entire School. This model expects that every year, in each grade, all the students should participate in a capstone project integrating the…

  3. A Framework to Manage through Control and Automation a semester long student Project assignment in e-Learning Environment

    OpenAIRE

    Chaumun, Mamade Ajmal

    2013-01-01

    Managing semester-long project assignments is not always an easy task since teachers need to keep track of many elements of the project that will reflect in a proper assessment of the students’ work. Integrating an LMS into the educational process and therefore to assign, track, and assess the project may add to the complication, this can be very challenging and especially when students work in groups. Students expect support and guidance from teachers in all stages of the project...

  4. Students' Perceptions of a Project-Based Organic Chemistry Laboratory Environment: A Phenomenographic Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burrows, Nikita L.; Nowak, Montana K.; Mooring, Suazette R.

    2017-01-01

    Students can perceive the laboratory environment in a variety of ways that can affect what they take away from the laboratory course. This qualitative study characterizes undergraduate students' perspectives of a project-based Organic Chemistry laboratory using the theoretical framework of phenomenography. Eighteen participants were interviewed in…

  5. The Impact an Oratory Project generates to Primary School Students who live in Rural Areas of Cartago

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Gabriela Amador-Solano

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This article aims at showing the development and relevance of an extension project in seven rural schools located in “circuito 05” in the central area of Cartago. The main goal is to enhance oral commu­nication in elementary school students. The project was designed as a training workshop for the teach­ers in the chosen schools in order to be taught to students by implementing an oratory club. In each student´s dissertation, the researchers observed the enthusiasm that the project caused in the schools. Objectives, contents, activities, assessment and observations were designed in a didactic plan to be used upon needs of institutions.

  6. The effect of project-based learning on students' statistical literacy levels for data representation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koparan, Timur; Güven, Bülent

    2015-07-01

    The point of this study is to define the effect of project-based learning approach on 8th Grade secondary-school students' statistical literacy levels for data representation. To achieve this goal, a test which consists of 12 open-ended questions in accordance with the views of experts was developed. Seventy 8th grade secondary-school students, 35 in the experimental group and 35 in the control group, took this test twice, one before the application and one after the application. All the raw scores were turned into linear points by using the Winsteps 3.72 modelling program that makes the Rasch analysis and t-tests, and an ANCOVA analysis was carried out with the linear points. Depending on the findings, it was concluded that the project-based learning approach increases students' level of statistical literacy for data representation. Students' levels of statistical literacy before and after the application were shown through the obtained person-item maps.

  7. 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…

  8. Inquiry Based Projects Using Student Ozone Measurements and the Status of Using Plants as Bio-Indicators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ladd, I. H.; Fishman, J.; Pippin, M.; Sachs, S.; Skelly, J.; Chappelka, A.; Neufeld, H.; Burkey, K.

    2006-05-01

    Students around the world work cooperatively with their teachers and the scientific research community measuring local surface ozone levels using a hand-held optical scanner and ozone sensitive chemical strips. Through the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program, students measuring local ozone levels are connected with the chemistry of the air they breathe and how human activity impacts air quality. Educational tools have been developed and correlated with the National Science and Mathematics Standards to facilitate integrating the study of surface ozone with core curriculum. Ozone air pollution has been identified as the major pollutant causing foliar injury to plants when they are exposed to concentrations of surface ozone. The inclusion of native and agricultural plants with measuring surface ozone provides an Earth system approach to understanding surface ozone. An implementation guide for investigating ozone induced foliar injury has been developed and field tested. The guide, Using Sensitive Plants as Bio-Indicators of Ozone Pollution, provides: the background information and protocol for implementing an "Ozone Garden" with native and agricultural plants; and, a unique opportunity to involve students in a project that will develop and increase their awareness of surface ozone air pollution and its impact on plants.

  9. The Lichen-GIS Project, Teaching Students How to Use Bioindicator Species to Assess Environmental Quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen Wagner

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available A content-driven biology course for preservice, K-8 teachers has been developed. This course uses the constructivist approach, where instructors engage students by organizing information around concept-based problems. To this end a semester-long inquiry-based project was introduced where students studied lichen populations on trees located on their campus to monitor air quality. Data were incorporated into a geographical information systems (GIS database to demonstrate how it can be used to map communities. Student teams counted the number of each lichen type within a grid placed on each tree trunk sampled and entered this information into a GIS database. The students constructed maps of lichen populations at each sample site and wrote abstracts about their research. Student performance was assessed by preparation of these abstracts as well as scores on pre- and posttests of key content measures. Students also completed a survey to determine whether the project aided in their comprehension as well as their interest in incorporating this activity into their own curricula. The students’ pre- and posttest results showed an eightfold improvement in the total score after the semester project. Additionally, correct responses to each individual content measure increased by at least 35%. Total scores for the abstract ranged from 12 to 20 points out of 20 total points possible (60% to 100% with a mean score of 15.8 points (78%. These results indicate that this exercise provided an excellent vehicle to teach students about lichens and their use as bioindicators and the application of geospatial technologies to map environmental data.

  10. Integrated learning of mathematics, science and technology concepts through LEGO/Logo projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Lina

    This dissertation examined integrated learning in the domains of mathematics, science and technology based on Piaget's constructivism, Papert's constructionism, and project-based approach to education. Ten fifth grade students were involved in a two-month long after school program where they designed and built their own computer-controlled LEGO/Logo projects that required the use of gears, ratios and motion concepts. The design of this study centered on three notions of integrated learning: (1) integration in terms of what educational materials/settings provide, (2) integration in terms of students' use of those materials, and (3) integration in the psychological sense. In terms of the first notion, the results generally showed that the LEGO/Logo environment supported the integrated learning of math, science and technology concepts. Regarding the second notion, the students all completed impressive projects of their own design. They successfully combined gears, motors, and LEGO parts together to create motion and writing control commands to manipulate the motion. But contrary to my initial expectations, their successful designs did not require numerical reasoning about ratios in designing effective gear systems. When they did reason about gear relationships, they worked with "qualitative" ratios, e.g., "a larger driver gear with a smaller driven gear increases the speed." In terms of the third notion of integrated learning, there was evidence in all four case study students of the psychological processes involved in linking mathematical, scientific, and/or technological concepts together to achieve new conceptual units. The students not only made connections between ideas and experiences, but also recognized decisive patterns and relationships in their project work. The students with stronger overall project performances showed more evidence of synthesis than the students with relatively weaker performances did. The findings support the conclusion that all three

  11. Improving the Understanding of Research Methodology and Self-Regulated Learning Through Blog Project

    OpenAIRE

    Retnawati, Heri

    2017-01-01

    : This classroom action research seeks to improve self-regulated learning (SRL) and understanding of research methodology at the graduate school. Nineteen graduate school students were involved. Using project-based learning (PjBL), students were assigned to create online blogs as the main project. The blog was intended for representing their understanding of research methodology by writing review of research articles and submitting a research proposal. The classroom action research was based ...

  12. Organization of BSc and MSc projects in project families

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Goltermann, Per; Jensen, Pernille Erland

    2014-01-01

    This work reports organization of student thesis projects in project families, with the benefit to both teaching and learning. The project organization went from student projects broadly distributed on topics related to different research issues and individual supervision to project families with...

  13. Feminist Interruptions: Creating Care-ful and Collaborative Community-Based Research with Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly Concannon

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This article describes a feminist community-based research project involving faculty and student collaboration to evaluate a dating and domestic violence awareness initiative. Using a critical ethics of care that emphasizes relationships and allows for constant reflection about power dynamics, role, positionality, and emotions, the authors reflect on what was learned during the research process. Faculty and student researchers share their perspectives and offer suggestions for future feminist collaborative research projects. Significant lessons learned include ensuring that all are invested from the outset of the project, guaranteeing that student researchers understand why their role is so critical in community-based research, and acknowledging not just faculty power over students but student privilege as well.

  14. Proceedings of the topical session on stakeholder involvement in decommissioning projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santiago, Juan Luis; Chandler, Steve; Metcalfe, Doug; Le Bars, Yves

    2006-01-01

    Set up by the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC), the WPDD brings together senior representatives of national organisations who have a broad overview of Decommissioning and Dismantling (D and D) issues through their work as regulators, implementers, R and D experts or policy makers. These include representatives from regulatory authorities, industrial decommissioners from the NEA Co-operative Programme on Exchange of Scientific and Technical Information on Nuclear Installation Decommissioning Projects (CPD), and cross-representation from the other NEA Committees. The EC is a member of the WPDD and the IAEA is participating as an observer. This broad participation provides good possibilities for the co-ordination efforts amongst activities in the international programmes. At its sixth meeting, in Paris, 14-16 November 2005, the WPDD held a topical session on the 'Stakeholder Involvement in Decommissioning Projects'. The topical session was jointly planned and run with members of the NEA Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC). This report documents the topical session. The main text summarises the lessons learnt and includes the rapporteurs reports. Appendix 1 and 2 provide the agenda of the topical session and all contributed papers respectively. The Topical session also provided a stimuli to review all the contributions in the area of stakeholder involvement that the WPDD has received since its inception. A list of references is provided in Appendix 3. The topical session was meant to provide an exchange of information and experience on the following issues: - Views from Stakeholders Regarding Stakeholder Involvement and Their Own Role. - Case Studies on Stakeholders Confidence. At the end of each session time was allotted for a plenary discussion. The Rapporteur reviewed the main points and the lessons learnt at the end of the whole Topical Session. (authors)

  15. Features of adaptation of first-year students who participated in the project «Proryv»

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grishina A.V.

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available this article deals with the problem of adaptation of students to the university. Particular attention is drawn to the results of a pilot study to identify important psychological qualities of the person of the student who contributed to the effective adaptation of students in the framework of participation in All-Russian innovation project «Breakthrough».

  16. UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. Final report, September 30, 1994--September 29, 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-02-01

    In late 1994, the U.S. Department of Energy (Nevada Operations Office) made a $199,708 grant (through the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Program), to the UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. The Project began in April, 1994, to develop and implement an innovative model of student outreach by San Jose State University (SJSU) to underserved, underrepresented student populations of the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD). The Project was formed by a consortium involving SJSU, ESUHSD, some 20 private sector organizations (foundations/corporations), numerous local community/professional organizations, and approximately 100 private funders. This proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy was to have the Department join this unique partnership to focus University outreach to underserved student populations to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and technology.

  17. Lessons from implementation of ecohealth projects in Southern Africa: A principal investigator's perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chimbari, Moses John

    2017-11-01

    Ecohealth projects are designed to garner ownership among all stakeholders, such as researchers, communities, local leadership and policy makers. Ideally, designs should ensure that implementation goes smoothly and that findings from studies benefit the stakeholders, particularly bringing changes to the communities researched. Paradoxically, the process is fraught with challenges associated with implementation. Notwithstanding these challenges, evidence from projects implemented in southern Africa justify the need to invest in the subject of ecohealth. This paper describes and discusses a principal investigator's experience of leading ecohealth projects in Zimbabwe between 2002 and 2005, in Botswana between 2010 and 2014 and in South Africa (ongoing). The discourse is centred on issues of project management and leadership, transdisciplinarity, students' involvement, data management, community engagement, dissemination of research findings and the role of institutions in project management and implementation. The paper concludes that the ecohealth approach is valuable and should be encouraged making the following recommendations; 1) principal investigators must have a good understanding of socio-ecological systems, have excellent project management and writing skills, 2) more than one PI should be involved in the day-to-day running of the project in order to avoid disruption of project activities in the event that the PI leaves the project before it ends, 3) researchers should be trained in ecohealth principles and methodologies at the time of building the research teams, 4) full proposals should be developed with active participation of communities and stakeholders in order to develop a shared vision, 5) involvement of postdoctoral fellows and dedicated researchers with postgraduate students should be encouraged to avoid situations where some objectives are not fully addressed because of the narrow nature of students' work; and 6) citizen science should be

  18. [The supervisor has a crucial role in the medical student's degree projects. Experiences from seven semesters at Karolinska Institutet].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, Riitta; Shoshan, Maria; Ponzer, Sari

    2015-01-13

    In Sweden degree projects have a central role in evaluation of higher education, wherefore significant resources are spent on developing students' research competence. The undergraduate medical program at Karolinska Institutet introduced its degree project course in 2010. This paper gives an overview of the course and summarizes experiences from the first seven terms. In order to finalize their projects within one term, most students need substantial support. A highly structured course and frequent progress monitoring are advantageous. Other crucial factors are the quality of the supervision and students' verbal skills as well as support in scientific writing. In addition, increased awareness of the learning outcomes already at the beginning of the course may help students to achieve the expected results. Finally, students need to recognize their own responsibility for learning. 

  19. The Entrepreneur Fair: Fifth Grade Student Businesses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Teresa

    2010-01-01

    In twenty years of teaching, the author has never been involved in a project that sparked as much enthusiasm from students, parents, the administration, and other teachers as the Entrepreneur Fair. In an effort to challenge students to become entrepreneurs, the author developed a one-day market called the Entrepreneur Fair at Stonewall Elementary…

  20. DOE/Project SEED student scholars partnership. Final report, June 7, 1994--April 27, 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-06-13

    Project SEED is an innovative career development activity administered by ACS for economically disadvantaged high school students. SEED students spend 10 weeks during the summer in an academic, industrial, or governmental research laboratory working under the supervision of a researcher. Intent is to attempt to overcome obstacles which have excluded the economically disadvantaged from professional careers. Students are required to prepare a technical summary, give presentations to their sponsoring groups, and design and display a poster session. Each student also completed a pre- and post-program survey.

  1. Academic anxiety, academic procrastination, and parental involvement in students and their parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milgram, N; Toubiana, Y

    1999-09-01

    The study investigated the relationship between academic anxiety and procrastination in children and parents, and parents' direct involvement in their children's schoolwork. Children reported their current anxiety and procrastination and parents reported their anxiety and procrastination when they were children (a measure of indirect influence on their children's schoolwork habits), and on their current involvement in their children's schoolwork (a measure of direct influence). Self-report measures were administered to 354 Israeli adolescents (ages 13, 14, and 16) and their parents. Students were less anxious about homework than the other academic assignments. Older adolescents were less anxious about their schoolwork overall and procrastinated more than younger on homework. Parents of late adolescents were less involved in their children's schoolwork than parents of younger adolescents. Parents participated equally in school-related interactions that demanded high investment of time and effort, but mothers engaged more than fathers in low investment activities. These direct and indirect parental influences on their children's procrastination were of low magnitude overall, but appeared relatively stronger for mothers. The more students were anxious about preparing for examinations and writing papers, the more they procrastinated on these assignments, confirming the appraisal-anxiety avoidance (AAA) model. The inverse relationship of anxiety and procrastination with regard to homework led to our making a post hoc distinction between task-centred and consequence-centred anxiety.

  2. Parents' and Teachers' Perspectives Regarding Parental Involvement and Student Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Christi Nelson

    2017-01-01

    The U.S. government has stated in federal guidelines that parents must be involved in their children's education in order for student achievement to increase. For more than 5 years, a small rural middle school in Mississippi was designated a low-performing school due to its failure to achieve the required standards for quality distribution index…

  3. Community Connections to Enhance Undergraduate International Business Education: An Example of Business Consulting Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annavarjula, Madan; Trifts, Jack W.

    2012-01-01

    Practical project experience as a means of augmenting traditional classroom learning has long been viewed as a value adding curricular exercise. While students participating in the projects gain valuable skills that will enhance their personal marketability, successful projects also benefit the client companies involved and help enhance the image…

  4. How do we interest students in science?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, L.

    2016-02-01

    In today's world science literacy is now, more than ever, critical to society. However, today's technically savvy student tends to be bored by "cook-book" laboratory exercises and dated lecture style, which typifies the way that most science courses are taught. To enhance student interest in and understanding of the sciences, we developed two unique programs, in which teachers were provided with the tools and hands-on experience that enabled them to implement research- and inquiry-based projects with their students. The approach was based a framework that is student driven and enables active participation and innovation in the study of the environment. The framework involved selection of a theme and an activity that captured the interest of the participants, participant development of research or investigative questions based on the theme, experimentation to address the research questions, formulation of conclusions, and communication of these results. The projects consisted of two parts: a professional development institute for teachers and the classroom implementation of student research projects, both of which incorporated the framework process. The institutes focused on modeling the framework process, with teachers actively developing questions, researching the question, formulating results and conclusions. This method empowered teachers to be confident in the implementation of the process with their students. With support from project staff, teachers followed up by incorporating the method of teaching with their students. Evaluation results from the programs concluded that projects such as these can increase student interest in and understanding of the scientific process.

  5. Investigating the Linkage between Intrinsic Motivation and Project Team Satisfaction in Undergraduate Agricultural Leadership Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamm, Kevan W.; Carter, Hannah S.; Melendez, Marcus W.

    2014-01-01

    Organizations have increased the amount of work that is completed by project teams over the past several decades. This trend is projected to continue into the foreseeable future. In response to this trend, the academic community has increased the number of project team based learning experiences for students in classes. The challenge has been that…

  6. A Tri-Country Marketing Project--Preparing Students for the Realities of a Global Marketplace

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, Ina; Knight, Peter; Butt, Irfan

    2011-01-01

    With rapidly increasing globalization, business students are required to understand complex global markets and adapt to the rapid changes in the global landscape. This paper discusses a project where students from International Marketing courses in Pakistan, the United States, and France used an interactive platform as a base to jointly explore…

  7. Which Type of Inquiry Project Do High School Biology Students Prefer: Open or Guided?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadeh, Irit; Zion, Michal

    2012-01-01

    In teaching inquiry to high school students, educators differ on which method of teaching inquiry is more effective: Guided or open inquiry? This paper examines the influence of these two different inquiry learning approaches on the attitudes of Israeli high school biology students toward their inquiry project. The results showed significant…

  8. Clinical Application Projects (CAPs) for Health Science Students in Introductory Microbiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halyard, Rebecca A.

    Clinical Application Projects (CAPs) have been developed that allow dental hygiene and nursing students to apply introductory microbiology principles and skills learned in lecture and laboratory to a problem in an appropriate clinical situation. CAPs therefore substitute for the traditional study of "unknowns". Principles and processes emphasized…

  9. The Camouflaged At-Risk Student: White and Wealthy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metz, Elinor D.

    1993-01-01

    Argues that white, upper-middle-class adolescents are particularly vulnerable to depression, suicide, alcohol/substance abuse, date rape, anxiety, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. Discusses lack of parental involvement and the difficulties wealthy youth have in developing inner resources. Recommends involving students in service projects and…

  10. A One-year Case Study: Understanding the Rich Potential of Project-based Learning in a Virtual Reality Class for High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, Teresa M.; Bang, EunJin; Andre, Thomas

    2013-10-01

    This paper presents a qualitative case analysis of a new and unique, high school, student-directed, project-based learning (PBL), virtual reality (VR) class. In order to create projects, students learned, on an independent basis, how to program an industrial-level VR machine. A constraint was that students were required to produce at least one educational application of VR. This study incorporated in-depth classroom observations, interviews with students, analyses of student projects, and surveys of parents and teachers to examine the social and learning processes in the class, and the nature of content learning represented in student projects. The results demonstrated that PBL can be effective even with minimal teacher guidance. The findings substantiate an educational approach rich with promise, for at least some students, that deserves considerable additional study to maximize its powerful potentials for independent and peer-mentored learning.

  11. Student Teachers’ Proof Schemes on Proof Tasks Involving Inequality: Deductive or Inductive?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosyidi, A. H.; Kohar, A. W.

    2018-01-01

    Exploring student teachers’ proof ability is crucial as it is important for improving the quality of their learning process and help their future students learn how to construct a proof. Hence, this study aims at exploring at the proof schemes of student teachers in the beginning of their studies. Data were collected from 130 proofs resulted by 65 Indonesian student teachers on two proof tasks involving algebraic inequality. To analyse, the proofs were classified into the refined proof schemes level proposed by Lee (2016) ranging from inductive, which only provides irrelevant inferences, to deductive proofs, which consider addressing formal representation. Findings present several examples of each of Lee’s level on the student teachers’ proofs spanning from irrelevant inferences, novice use of examples or logical reasoning, strategic use examples for reasoning, deductive inferences with major and minor logical coherence, and deductive proof with informal and formal representation. Besides, it was also found that more than half of the students’ proofs coded as inductive schemes, which does not meet the requirement for doing the proof for the proof tasks examined in this study. This study suggests teacher educators in teacher colleges to reform the curriculum regarding proof learning which can accommodate the improvement of student teachers’ proving ability from inductive to deductive proof as well from informal to formal proof.

  12. Student Leadership Role for Environmental Protection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramona Isabel S. Ramirez

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The research focuses on the role of student organizations in the promotion of environmental education and protection. It assessed the student organizations’ initiatives and activities that address the environmental issues and problems. It determined whether student leadership can be an effective tool in addressing environmental concerns and promote environmental education. Descriptiveevaluative methods of research were used in the study. Documentary analysis was used to determine the programs, projects and activities conducted by the different student organizations along environmental education and protection. Interview and focused group discussions were employed to validate the secondary data and identify problems and constraints encountered by the organization. Results of the study showed that the University supports student leadership through the student organizations. Student organizations are empowered and given rights and privileges’ as stipulated in the student handbook. There were more than forty accredited student organizations in CBSUA. All of them initiated programs/projects and activities that are environment related as required by the university. Student leadership through student organizations is an effective tool in promoting environmental education and protection. Student empowerment through student organizations can promote student involvement in the most pressing concerns of environment protection.

  13. Evaluating the impact of a PBL-course for first-year engineering students learning through PBL-projects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mosgaard, Mette; Spliid, Claus Monrad

    2011-01-01

    The PBL-course for engineering students at Aalborg University provides support for student-groups' project-work and collaborative learning when planning and conducting scientific problem-based project with societal relevance. The results of a survey among some of the groups indicate that the limi...... that the limited experience with the Aalborg PBL Model clearly affects groups' perception of importance of using different PBL-tools. Development of process-competencies depends upon facilitation of reflection and experimentation....

  14. 34 CFR 647.4 - What activities and services may a project provide?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... PROGRAM General § 647.4 What activities and services may a project provide? A McNair project may provide... activities designed to prepare participants for doctoral study. (d) Tutoring. (e) Academic counseling. (f... programs. (g) Mentoring programs involving faculty members or students at institutions of higher education...

  15. Parent Involvement on School Committees as Social Capital to Improve Student Achievement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravik Karsidi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study explores how the participation of parents on school committees improves student achievement. In decentralized education systems like the one in Indonesia, parents’ participation has become a focal point for improving the quality of education. The data for this study were collected using questionnaires distributed to 250 students in state senior high schools, selected by quota-purposive sampling. The qualitative findings of this research are threefold: most parents participated in student learning only by providing material aspects, such as tuition and books; most parents had a misconception that it was the school that should solely be responsible for the education of their children; busy parents tended to ignore the progress of their children’s learning. In order to create social capital for their children, parents need to be active in the learning process, cooperate with school officials, and get involved in the planning of social activities.

  16. "Does Hope Change? Testing a Project-Based Health Intervention among Urban Students of Color"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zusevics, Kaija L.; Johnson, Sheri

    2014-01-01

    Hope is positively correlated with educational attainment and health. Interventions based on project-based learning (PBL) may increase youth hope. This study examined how a PBL intervention affected hope among urban students of color. Students in health classes were invited to participate. A PBL health class was implemented in four classrooms. The…

  17. 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.…

  18. Project work on wellbeing in multidisciplinary student teams : A triple testimonial on eps at artesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rohaert, S.; Baelus, C.; Lacko, D.

    2012-01-01

    The European Project Semester (EPS) programme offers an educational framework to support students to practice problem-and project-based cross-disciplinary product innovation and research, in small multidisciplinary and international teams. To explore the potential and the restrictions of this

  19. Project-Based Social Justice Mathematics: A Case Study of Five 6th Grade Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    McHugh, Maighread L.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how five sixth grade female students navigated the process of project-based learning as they designed and implemented their own project centered on mathematics while using a social justice lens. The theoretical frameworks of Authentic Intellectual Work and Social Justice…

  20. Extra! Extra! Read All about It! How to Construct a Newsletter: A Student Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renard, Monika; Tracy, Kay

    2011-01-01

    This article discusses a student project that highlights the value of printed employee newsletters as an internal communication tool for organizations. The project provides specific information and directions on how to develop an employee newsletter on human resource topics. Microsoft Word 2007 is used for newsletter formatting. The article also…