Popularization of remote sensing education and general course construction in undergraduate education

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jing'ai; Sheng, Zhongyao; Yu, Han

2014-01-01

The construction of a course focused on remote sensing is important because it cultivates college students' geographic abilities and popularizes remote sensing technology. Using internet datasets, this article compares data from general undergraduate courses at almost 100 universities located in the United States and China with 3 years of experimental teaching data from the general undergraduate ''Remote sensing Region'' course at Beijing Normal University. The comparison focuses on curricular concepts, course content, website construction and the popularity of the remote sensing topic. Our research shows that the ''remote sensing region'' course can promote the geographic abilities of college students by popularizing remote sensing observation technology. The course can improve the overall quality of college students by breaking major barriers, and it can promote global and national consciousness by presenting material with global and regional relevancy. Remote sensing imaging has become known as the third most intuitive geographic language after text and maps. The general remote sensing course have the three following developmental qualities: interdisciplinarity, popularization and internationalization

Active Learning by Design: An Undergraduate Introductory Public Health Course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin eYeatts

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Principles of active learning were used to design and implement an introductory public health course. Students were introduced to the breadth and practice of public health through team and individual-based activities. Team assignments covered topics in epidemiology, biostatistics, health behavior, nutrition, maternal and child health, environment, and health policy. Students developed an appreciation of the population perspective through an experience trip and related intervention project in a public health area of their choice. Students experienced several key critical component elements of a public health undergraduate major; they cover key public health domains, experience public health practice, and integrated concepts with their assignments. In this paper, course assignments, lessons learned, and student successes are described. Given the increased growth in the undergraduate public health major, these active learning assignments may be of interest to undergraduate public health programs at both liberal arts colleges and research universities.

Predictors of Enrolling in Online Courses: An Exploratory Study of Students in Undergraduate Marketing Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Fontenot, Renée J.; Mathisen, Richard E.; Carley, Susan S.; Stuart, Randy S.

2015-01-01

An exploratory study of undergraduate students enrolled in marketing courses at a Southeastern regional university was conducted to determine the motivations and characteristics of marketing students who plan to be online learners and examined for differences between those who have taken and those who have not taken online classes. An online…

An Undergraduate Nanotechnology Engineering Laboratory Course on Atomic Force Microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, D.; Fagan, R. D.; Hesjedal, T.

2011-01-01

The University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, is home to North America's first undergraduate program in nanotechnology. As part of the Nanotechnology Engineering degree program, a scanning probe microscopy (SPM)-based laboratory has been developed for students in their fourth year. The one-term laboratory course "Nanoprobing and…

A mathematics content course and teaching efficacy beliefs of undergraduate majors in education.

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Alkhateeb, Haitham M; Abed, Adnan S

2003-10-01

This study was designed to assess the mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of undergraduates in elementary education through a manipulative-based course in mathematics. Responses of 106 university undergraduates to the 21-item Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs administered as pre- and posttest without a control group showed a significant immediate postcourse change in their efficacy beliefs using dependent t test.

An Evaluation of HigherEd 2.0 Technologies in Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Courses

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Orange, Amy; Heinecke, Walter; Berger, Edward; Krousgrill, Charles; Mikic, Borjana; Quinn, Dane

2012-01-01

Between 2006 and 2010, sophomore engineering students at four universities were exposed to technologies designed to increase their learning in undergraduate engineering courses. Our findings suggest that students at all sites found the technologies integrated into their courses useful to their learning. Video solutions received the most positive…

Lessons Learned from Undergraduate Students in Designing a Science-Based Course in Bioethics

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Loike, John D.; Rush, Brittany S.; Schweber, Adam; Fischbach, Ruth L.

2013-01-01

Columbia University offers two innovative undergraduate science-based bioethics courses for student majoring in biosciences and pre-health studies. The goals of these courses are to introduce future scientists and healthcare professionals to the ethical questions they will confront in their professional lives, thus enabling them to strategically…

Establishing Common Course Objectives for Undergraduate Exercise Physiology

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Simonson, Shawn R.

2015-01-01

Undergraduate exercise physiology is a ubiquitous course in undergraduate kinesiology/exercise science programs with a broad scope and depth of topics. It is valuable to explore what is taught within this course. The purpose of the present study was to facilitate an understanding of what instructors teach in undergraduate exercise physiology, how…

Reactor laboratory course for students majoring in nuclear engineering with the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishihara, H.; Shiroya, S.; Kanda, K.

1996-01-01

With the use of the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA), a joint reactor laboratory course of graduate level is offered every summer since 1975 by nine associated Japanese universities (Hokkaido University, Tohoku University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Musashi Institute of Technology, Tokai University, Nagoya University, Osaka University, Kobe University of Mercantile Marine and Kyushu University) in addition to a reactor laboratory course of undergraduate level for Kyoto University. These courses are opened for three weeks (two weeks for the joint course and one week for the undergraduate course) to students majoring in nuclear engineering and a total of 1,360 students have taken the course in the last 21 years. The joint course has been institutionalized with the background that it is extremely difficult for a single university in Japan to have her own research or training reactor. By their effort, the united faculty team of the joint course have succeeded in giving an effective, unique one-week course, taking advantage of their collaboration. Last year, an enquete (questionnaire survey) was conducted to survey the needs for the educational experiments of graduate level and precious data have been obtained for promoting reactor laboratory courses. (author)

A Portable Bioinformatics Course for Upper-Division Undergraduate Curriculum in Sciences

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Floraino, Wely B.

2008-01-01

This article discusses the challenges that bioinformatics education is facing and describes a bioinformatics course that is successfully taught at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to the fourth year undergraduate students in biological sciences, chemistry, and computer science. Information on lecture and computer practice…

Design Choices in a Compiler Course or How to Make Undergraduates Love Formal Notation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwartzbach, Michael Ignatieff

2008-01-01

The undergraduate compiler course offers a unique opportunity to combine many aspects of the Computer Science curriculum. We discuss the many design choices that are available for the instructor and present the current compiler course at the University of Aarhus, the design of which displays at l...

Analysis of undergraduate cell biology contents in Brazilian public universities.

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Mermelstein, Claudia; Costa, Manoel Luis

2017-04-01

The enormous amount of information available in cell biology has created a challenge in selecting the core concepts we should be teaching our undergraduates. One way to define a set of essential core ideas in cell biology is to analyze what a specific cell biology community is teaching their students. Our main objective was to analyze the cell biology content currently being taught in Brazilian universities. We collected the syllabi of cell biology courses from public universities in Brazil and analyzed the frequency of cell biology topics in each course. We also compared the Brazilian data with the contents of a major cell biology textbook. Our analysis showed that while some cell biology topics such as plasma membrane and cytoskeleton was present in ∼100% of the Brazilian curricula analyzed others such as cell signaling and cell differentiation were present in only ∼35%. The average cell biology content taught in the Brazilian universities is quite different from what is presented in the textbook. We discuss several possible explanations for these observations. We also suggest a list with essential cell biology topics for any biological or biomedical undergraduate course. The comparative discussion of cell biology topics presented here could be valuable in other educational contexts. © 2017 The Authors. Cell Biology International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Cell Biology.

A Model for Collaborative Learning in Undergraduate Climate Change Courses

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Teranes, J. L.

2008-12-01

Like several colleges and universities across the nation, the University of California, San Diego, has introduced climate change topics into many existing and new undergraduate courses. I have administered a program in this area at UCSD and have also developed and taught a new lower-division UCSD course entitled "Climate Change and Society", a general education course for non-majors. This class covers the basics of climate change, such as the science that explains it, the causes of climate change, climate change impacts, and mitigation strategies. The teaching methods for this course stress interdisciplinary approaches. I find that inquiry-based and collaborative modes of learning are particularly effective when applied to science-based climate, environmental and sustainability topics. Undergraduate education is often dominated by a competitive and individualistic approach to learning. In this approach, individual success is frequently perceived as contingent on others being less successful. Such a model is at odds with commonly stated goals of teaching climate change and sustainability, which are to equip students to contribute to the debate on global environmental change and societal adaptation strategies; and to help students become better informed citizens and decision makers. I present classroom-tested strategies for developing collaborative forms of learning in climate change and environmental courses, including team projects, group presentations and group assessment exercises. I show how critical thinking skills and long-term retention of information can benefit in the collaborative mode of learning. I find that a collaborative learning model is especially appropriate to general education courses in which the enrolled student body represents a wide diversity of majors, class level and expertise. I also connect collaborative coursework in interdisciplinary environmental topics directly to applications in the field, where so much "real-world" achievement in

A Study of Creative Reasoning Opportunities in Assessments in Undergraduate Calculus Courses

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Mac an Bhaird, Ciarán; Nolan, Brien C.; O'Shea, Ann; Pfeiffer, Kirsten

2017-01-01

In this article we present the findings of a research study which investigated the opportunities for creative reasoning (CR) made available to first year undergraduate students in assessments. We compared three first year calculus courses across two Irish universities using Lithner's framework. This framework sets apart imitative reasoning (IR)…

Peer Learning and Support of Technology in an Undergraduate Biology Course to Enhance Deep Learning

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Tsaushu, Masha; Tal, Tali; Sagy, Ornit; Kali, Yael; Gepstein, Shimon; Zilberstein, Dan

2012-01-01

This study offers an innovative and sustainable instructional model for an introductory undergraduate course. The model was gradually implemented during 3 yr in a research university in a large-lecture biology course that enrolled biology majors and nonmajors. It gives priority to sources not used enough to enhance active learning in higher…

Sample Undergraduate Linguistics Courses. Linguistics in the Undergraduate Curriculum, Appendix 5.

Science.gov (United States)

Linguistic Society of America, Washington, DC.

Thirty-six nontraditional undergraduate courses in linguistics are described. Course topics include: animal communication, bilingualism, sociolinguistics, introductory linguistics, language and formal reasoning, language and human conflict, language and power, language and sex, language and the brain, language planning, language typology and…

Librarian involvement in a nutrition undergraduate research course: preparing nutrition students for evidence-based practice.

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Smith, Susan C; Penumetcha, Meera

2010-01-01

Given the foundational importance of literature searching skills to later stages of research and, ultimately, evidence-based practice, the authors wanted to assess a unique strategy for teaching such skills. This pilot study describes the results of an undergraduate nutrition research course in which a librarian lead several class sessions. The goal of this study was to assess students' perceptions, attitudes and use of research literature and resources before and after a course partially taught by a librarian. Twenty-seven students enrolled in an undergraduate Introduction to Research course at Georgia State University were given pre- and post-test questionnaires at the beginning and end of a course that included three librarian-led class sessions. Most of the results indicate that the repeated involvement of a librarian enriched this particular undergraduate research course. By the end of the course, students were more comfortable in libraries and with using library resources; they used the campus library more frequently; they were more confident in their ability to find high-quality information on nutrition-related topics and identify strengths and weaknesses of different information sources; and they felt they gained skills that will help them achieve their educational and career goals.

Anticipation of Personal Genomics Data Enhances Interest and Learning Environment in Genomics and Molecular Biology Undergraduate Courses.

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Weber, K Scott; Jensen, Jamie L; Johnson, Steven M

2015-01-01

An important discussion at colleges is centered on determining more effective models for teaching undergraduates. As personalized genomics has become more common, we hypothesized it could be a valuable tool to make science education more hands on, personal, and engaging for college undergraduates. We hypothesized that providing students with personal genome testing kits would enhance the learning experience of students in two undergraduate courses at Brigham Young University: Advanced Molecular Biology and Genomics. These courses have an emphasis on personal genomics the last two weeks of the semester. Students taking these courses were given the option to receive personal genomics kits in 2014, whereas in 2015 they were not. Students sent their personal genomics samples in on their own and received the data after the course ended. We surveyed students in these courses before and after the two-week emphasis on personal genomics to collect data on whether anticipation of obtaining their own personal genomic data impacted undergraduate student learning. We also tested to see if specific personal genomic assignments improved the learning experience by analyzing the data from the undergraduate students who completed both the pre- and post-course surveys. Anticipation of personal genomic data significantly enhanced student interest and the learning environment based on the time students spent researching personal genomic material and their self-reported attitudes compared to those who did not anticipate getting their own data. Personal genomics homework assignments significantly enhanced the undergraduate student interest and learning based on the same criteria and a personal genomics quiz. We found that for the undergraduate students in both molecular biology and genomics courses, incorporation of personal genomic testing can be an effective educational tool in undergraduate science education.

Hybrid Lecture-Online Format Increases Student Grades in an Undergraduate Exercise Physiology Course at a Large Urban University

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McFarlin, Brian K.

2008-01-01

Hybrid courses allow students additional exposure to course content that is not possible in a traditional classroom environment. This exposure may lead to an improvement in academic performance. In this report, I describe the transition of a large undergraduate exercise physiology course from a traditional lecture format to a hybrid…

Quality evaluation in distance undergraduate courses in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Netto

2015-01-01

of distance-run undergraduate courses (D.Ed.. The data from the instruments were then processed according to Discourse Textual Analysis (DTA. The evaluation process for undergraduate distance education courses in the USA was evaluated by identifying those quality indicators adopted by international accreditation agencies. Based on the analysis of the evaluation process of distance undergraduate courses in Brazil, a further study was carried out about the results and impacts of the Brazilian system, especially the indicators used and the level of confidence that existed when measuring the quality of distance-based undergraduate courses. As a result of this research, our researchers observed there was a real need to establish a quality assurance benchmark in Brazil along these conceptual lines, namely one that represents quality in D.Ed. and includes the usage of indicators that reflect the excellence of the degree course that are offered. This level of excellence is assessed on the basis of the training, experience, knowledge and skills of the evaluators, as well as on clear, precise and transparent criteria for measuring the quality-based distance degree courses. On the other hand, it is also necessary to be equipped with a Bank of Evaluators – not only for those who work in this field, but also for a group of experts that is large enough to implement the Brazilian evaluation system in distance education programs.

Student Performance in and Perceptions of a High Structure Undergraduate Human Anatomy Course

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Shaffer, Justin F.

2016-01-01

Human anatomy has usually been taught in a didactic fashion in colleges and universities. However, recent calls from United States governmental agencies have called for the transformation of undergraduate life sciences education to include active learning in the classroom. In addition, high structure courses have been shown to increase student…

Francophone Courses in United States Colleges and Universities

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Abdellatif Attafi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In undergraduate programs in the U.S, Francophone literature and culture courses are generating more and more interest among students courses are offered in more institutions than in the past but when these courses are offered, they are often optional and rarely mandatory. In order to examine how many Francophone literature and culture courses are offered and required for students, we reviewed 63 French department course catalogs from 63 different sized universities—both public and private—from a variety of geographic regions. The discussion of the results is preceded by a brief synopsis of Francophone history, from the birth of the concept to the present. In the analysis of the results, the importanc of Francophone literature and culture courses for both students and universities is stressed.

The Effect of Face-to-Face Teaching on Student Knowledge and Satisfaction in an Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Course

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Whillier, Stephney; Lystad, Reidar P.

2013-01-01

The total number of anatomy teaching hours has declined in medical courses worldwide. Conversely, face-to-face teaching in undergraduate neuroanatomy at Macquarie University increased by 50% in 2011. Our aim was to investigate whether this influenced student performance and overall satisfaction with the course. One hundred eighty-one students…

An Evaluation of Research Ethics in Undergraduate Health Science Research Methodology Programs at a South African University.

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Coetzee, Tanya; Hoffmann, Willem A; de Roubaix, Malcolm

2015-10-01

The amended research ethics policy at a South African University required the ethics review of undergraduate research projects, prompting the need to explore the content and teaching approach of research ethics education in health science undergraduate programs. Two qualitative data collection strategies were used: document analysis (syllabi and study guides) and semi-structured interviews with research methodology coordinators. Five main themes emerged: (a) timing of research ethics courses, (b) research ethics course content, (c) sub-optimal use of creative classroom activities to facilitate research ethics lectures, (d) understanding the need for undergraduate project research ethics review, and (e) research ethics capacity training for research methodology lecturers and undergraduate project supervisors. © The Author(s) 2015.

Personal microbiome analysis improves student engagement and interest in Immunology, Molecular Biology, and Genomics undergraduate courses

Science.gov (United States)

Bridgewater, Laura C.; Jensen, Jamie L.; Breakwell, Donald P.; Nielsen, Brent L.; Johnson, Steven M.

2018-01-01

A critical area of emphasis for science educators is the identification of effective means of teaching and engaging undergraduate students. Personal microbiome analysis is a means of identifying the microbial communities found on or in our body. We hypothesized the use of personal microbiome analysis in the classroom could improve science education by making courses more applied and engaging for undergraduate students. We determined to test this prediction in three Brigham Young University undergraduate courses: Immunology, Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory, and Genomics. These three courses have a two-week microbiome unit and students during the 2016 semester students could submit their own personal microbiome kit or use the demo data, whereas during the 2017 semester students were given access to microbiome data from an anonymous individual. The students were surveyed before, during, and after the human microbiome unit to determine whether analyzing their own personal microbiome data, compared to analyzing demo microbiome data, impacted student engagement and interest. We found that personal microbiome analysis significantly enhanced the engagement and interest of students while completing microbiome assignments, the self-reported time students spent researching the microbiome during the two week microbiome unit, and the attitudes of students regarding the course overall. Thus, we found that integrating personal microbiome analysis in the classroom was a powerful means of improving student engagement and interest in undergraduate science courses. PMID:29641525

Applicability of Online Education to Large Undergraduate Engineering Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Bir, Devayan Debashis

With the increase in undergraduate engineering enrollment, many universities have chosen to teach introductory engineering courses such as Statics of Engineering and Mechanics of Materials in large classes due to budget limitations. With the overwhelming literature against traditionally taught large classes, this study aims to see the effects of the trending online pedagogy. Online courses are the latest trend in education due to the flexibility they provide to students in terms of schedule and pace of learning with the added advantage of being less expensive for the university over a period. In this research, the effects of online lectures on engineering students' course performances and students' attitudes towards online learning were examined. Specifically, the academic performances of students enrolled in a traditionally taught, lecture format Mechanics of Materials course with the performance of students in an online Mechanics of Materials course in summer 2016 were compared. To see the effect of the two different teaching approaches across student types, students were categorized by gender, enrollment status, nationality, and by the grades students obtained for Statics, one of the prerequisite courses for Mechanics of Materials. Student attitudes towards the online course will help to keep the process of continuously improving the online course, specifically, to provide quality education through the online medium in terms of course content and delivery. The findings of the study show that the online pedagogy negatively affects student academic performance when compared to the traditional face-to-face pedagogy across all categories, except for the high scoring students. Student attitudes reveal that while they enjoyed the flexibility schedule and control over their pace of studying, they faced issues with self-regulation and face-to-face interaction.

Comparative analysis of the biochemistry undergraduate courses in Brazil

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P. A. Granjeiro

2014-08-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The economic and social development of Brazil during the recent decades has contributed to the installation of several new undergraduate and graduate study programs, as is the case of the undergraduate biochemistry programs at UFV, UFSJ and UEM. The new biochemical professionals are being prepared to work mainly in Industries, research Institutes, government agencies and Universities in all fields that involve Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the courses in Biochemistry in Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Comparative analysis of the course units of the UFV, UFSJ and UEM programs, centered on the curricula contents and organization and on the profiles of the students in terms of parameters such as the number of admissions and the graduation completion rates. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The UFV and UEM programs present a very similar distribution of workload over the biological, exact sciences, humanities, biochemical specialties and technological applications. The UFSJ program presents higher workloads in the areas of biological sciences and technological applications. No significant differences in the distribution of the workloads of mandatory and optional disciplines, complementary activities and supervised activities were detected. Over the past five years there was a decrease in the number of students that abandoned the programs, despite the increased retention time in the three courses. Most graduated students at both UFV and UFSJ continue their academic career toward the Master or Doctor degrees. CONCLUSION: Little difference between the study programs analyzed. This is somewhat surprising if one considers the fact that individual conception of each program was based on different local conditions and needs, which indeed justify small differences. The similarity of the programs, on the other hand, reflects the universality of the biochemical sciences and their broad

Integrating Hands-On Undergraduate Research in an Applied Spatial Science Senior Level Capstone Course

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Kulhavy, David L.; Unger, Daniel R.; Hung, I-Kuai; Douglass, David

2015-01-01

A senior within a spatial science Ecological Planning capstone course designed an undergraduate research project to increase his spatial science expertise and to assess the hands-on instruction methodology employed within the Bachelor of Science in Spatial Science program at Stephen F Austin State University. The height of 30 building features…

Radiochemistry course in the undergraduate nuclear science program at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarmani, S.B.; Yahaya, R.B.; Yasir, M.S.; Majid, A.Ab.; Khoo, K.S.; Rahman, I.A.; Mohamed, F.

2015-01-01

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia offered an undergraduate degree program in Nuclear Science since 1980 and the programme has undergone several modifications due to changes in national policy and priority. The programme covers nuclear sub-disciplines such as nuclear physics, radiobiology, radiochemistry, radiation chemistry and radiation safety. The radiochemistry component consists of radiochemistry, chemistry in nuclear industry, radiochemical analysis laboratory, radiopharmaceutical chemistry subjects and mini research project in radiochemistry. (author)

Georgetown University and Hampton University Prostate Cancer Undergraduate Fellowship Program

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

goals. The first goal was to integrate upper level undergraduate students from Hampton University into the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer...upper level undergraduate Biology and Biochemistry Majors from Hampton University to work throughout the summer participating in prostate cancer...Dominican Republic summer 2017 Marissa Willis HU-GU Fellow Summer 2016 (Notario lab) Biology Major Hampton University, class of 2018, Math and

Evaluation of undergraduate nursing students' attitudes towards statistics courses, before and after a course in applied statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagen, Brad; Awosoga, Olu; Kellett, Peter; Dei, Samuel Ofori

2013-09-01

Undergraduate nursing students must often take a course in statistics, yet there is scant research to inform teaching pedagogy. The objectives of this study were to assess nursing students' overall attitudes towards statistics courses - including (among other things) overall fear and anxiety, preferred learning and teaching styles, and the perceived utility and benefit of taking a statistics course - before and after taking a mandatory course in applied statistics. The authors used a pre-experimental research design (a one-group pre-test/post-test research design), by administering a survey to nursing students at the beginning and end of the course. The study was conducted at a University in Western Canada that offers an undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing degree. Participants included 104 nursing students, in the third year of a four-year nursing program, taking a course in statistics. Although students only reported moderate anxiety towards statistics, student anxiety about statistics had dropped by approximately 40% by the end of the course. Students also reported a considerable and positive change in their attitudes towards learning in groups by the end of the course, a potential reflection of the team-based learning that was used. Students identified preferred learning and teaching approaches, including the use of real-life examples, visual teaching aids, clear explanations, timely feedback, and a well-paced course. Students also identified preferred instructor characteristics, such as patience, approachability, in-depth knowledge of statistics, and a sense of humor. Unfortunately, students only indicated moderate agreement with the idea that statistics would be useful and relevant to their careers, even by the end of the course. Our findings validate anecdotal reports on statistics teaching pedagogy, although more research is clearly needed, particularly on how to increase students' perceptions of the benefit and utility of statistics courses for their nursing

Instructional Design Changes in an Undergraduate A&P Course to Facilitate Student Engagement and Interest

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Hurtt, Barbekka; Bryant, Jennifer

2016-01-01

We describe changes in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology (A&P) curriculum designed to address educational goals at a private, comprehensive university. Educational goals included making course material more relevant to students' future career interests, exposing students to professionals in their careers of interest, and incorporating…

Can One Undergraduate Course Increase Cross-Cultural Competence?

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Spitzer, Lois

2015-01-01

The majority of students who took this general education undergraduate course in developing cross-cultural understanding at a state college in the northeastern United States reported that their level of cross-cultural competence and global awareness increased by the end of the course. The primary course objective was to help students better…

Online Distance Teaching of Undergraduate Finance: A case for Musashi University and Konan University, Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keiichi Kubota

2007-03-01

Full Text Available We implemented a synchronous distance course entitled: Introductory Finance designed for undergraduate students. This course was held between two Japanese universities. Stable Internet connections allowing minimum delay and minimum interruptions of the audio-video streaming signals were used. Students were equipped with their own PCs with pre-loaded learning materials and Microsoft Excel exercises. These accompanying course and exercise materials helped students comprehend the mathematical equations and statistical numerical exercises that are indispensable to learning Introductory Finance effectively. The general tendency for students, not to raise questions during the class hours in Japan, however, was found to be a big obstacle. As such, motivational devices are needed and should ideally be combined to promote interaction between the e-classrooms.

The Applicability of Course Experience Questionnaire for a Malaysian University Context

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Thien, Lei Mee; Ong, Mei Yean

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the applicability of Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) in a Malaysian university context. Design/methodology/approach: The CEQ was translated into Malay language using rigorous cross-cultural adaptation procedures. The Malay version CEQ was administered to 190 undergraduate students in one…

A Green Marketing Course for Business Undergraduates

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Rudell, Fredrica

2011-01-01

Since the 1970s, periodic calls have been made for incorporation of sustainability issues into marketing and other business courses. Now more than ever, we need to prepare students for careers in the green economy. This article will describe the author's experience teaching a Green Marketing course to business undergraduates. A review of content,…

Learning physical biology via modeling and simulation: A new course and textbook for science and engineering undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Philip

To a large extent, undergraduate physical-science curricula remain firmly rooted in pencil-and-paper calculation, despite the fact that most research is done with computers. To a large extent, undergraduate life-science curricula remain firmly rooted in descriptive approaches, despite the fact that much current research involves quantitative modeling. Not only does our pedagogy not reflect current reality; it also creates a spurious barrier between the fields, reinforcing the narrow silos that prevent students from connecting them. I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in a broad range of science and engineering majors. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional undergraduate courses: •Basic modeling skills; •Probabilistic modeling skills; •Data analysis methods; •Computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python; •Pulling datasets from the Web for analysis; •Data visualization; •Dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. Partially supported by the NSF under Grants EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

Assessment of current undergraduate anesthesia course in a Saudi University.

Science.gov (United States)

Shams, Tarek; El-Masry, Ragaa; Al Wadani, Hamed; Amr, Mostafa

2013-04-01

The assessment of the anesthesia course in our university comprises Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), in conjunction with portfolio and multiple-choice questions (MCQ). The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of different forms of anesthesia course assessment among 5(th) year medical students in our university, as well as study the influence of gender on student performance in anesthesia. We examined the performance of 154, 5(th) year medical students through OSCE, portfolios, and MCQ. The score ranges in the portfolio, OSCE, and MCQs were 16-24, 4.2-28.9, and 15.5-44.5, respectively. There was highly significant difference in scores in relation to gender in all assessments other than the written one (P=0.000 for Portfolio, OSCE, and Total exam, whereas P=0.164 for written exam). In the generated linear regression model, OSCE alone could predict 86.4% of the total mark if used alone. In addition, if the score of the written examination is added, OSCE will drop to 57.2% and the written exam will be 56.8% of the total mark. This study demonstrates that different clinical methods used to assess medical students during their anesthesia course were consistent and integrated. The performance of female was superior to male in OSCE and portfolio. This information is the basis for improving educational and assessment standards in anesthesiology and for introducing a platform for developing modern learning media in countries with dearth of anesthesia personnel.

Global Interconnectedness and Multiculturalism in Undergraduate Sociology Courses in the USA

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Kyoung-Ho

2014-01-01

This study attempts to explain a process of inserting global transnational elements into an undergraduate sociology course. After a review of global themes covered in introductory sociology textbooks, the author administered two projects (Global Multiculturalism and Sociology of Wal-Mart) in an undergraduate sociology course. The current study…

How to Strengthen the Connection between Research and Teaching in Undergraduate University Education

Science.gov (United States)

Elsen, Mariken (G.MF.); Visser-Wijnveen, Gerda J.; Van Der Rijst, Roeland M.; Van Driel, Jan H.

2009-01-01

This paper explores how to strengthen the research-teaching nexus in university education, in particular, how to improve the relation between policy and practice. The focus is on courses and curricula for undergraduate students. From a review of policy documents and research literature, it appeared that the research-teaching nexus can be shaped…

Designing an undergraduate laboratory course in general chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vianna José F.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available From an analysis of a learning model based on the theory of information processing four hypothesis were developed for improving the design of laboratory courses. Three of these hypotheses concerned specific procedures to minimise the load on students' working memories (or working spaces and the fourth hypothesis was concerned with the value of mini-projects in enhancing meaningful learning of the knowledge and skills underpinning the set experiments. A three-year study of a first year undergraduate chemistry laboratory course at a Scottish university has been carried out to test these four hypotheses. This paper reports the results of the study relevant to the three hypotheses about the burden on students' working spaces. It was predicted from the learning model that the load on students working space should be reduced by appropriate changes to the written instructions and the laboratory organisation and by the introduction of prelab-work and prelab-training in laboratory techniques. It was concluded from research conducted over the three years period that all these hypothesised changes were effective both in reducing the load on students' working spaces and in improving their attitudes to the laboratory course.

A 10-Year Assessment of Information and Communication Technology Tasks Required in Undergraduate Agriculture Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Edgar, Leslie D.; Johnson, Donald M.; Cox, Casandra

2012-01-01

This study sought to assess required information and communication technology (ICT) tasks in selected undergraduate agriculture courses in a land-grant university during a 10-year period. Selected agriculture faculty members in the fall 1999 (n = 63), 2004 (n = 55), and 2009 (n = 64) semesters were surveyed to determine the ICT tasks they required…

Trends in Alcohol Consumption among Undergraduate Students at a Northeastern Public University, 2002-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Bulmer, Sandra Minor; Irfan, Syed; Mugno, Raymond; Barton, Barbara; Ackerman, Louise

2010-01-01

Objective: This study examined alcohol consumption patterns and trends at a public university in the Northeast from 2002 to 2008. Participants: Stratified random sampling was used to select undergraduate students enrolled in courses during spring semesters in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. Methods: Data were collected during regularly scheduled…

Comparing the Impact of an Astronomy Course and a Science and Society Seminar on Undergraduate Students' Attitudes toward Science

Science.gov (United States)

Flohic, Hélène M. L. G.

2017-01-01

A common challenge among university professors is how to best design undergraduate courses to successfully enhance students' attitudes. To compare which curriculum was more efficient at fostering a positive attitude towards science in general, I studied the impact of two different general education science courses on the attitudes of college…

Learning Style versus Time Spent Studying and Career Choice: Which Is Associated with Success in a Combined Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Course?

Science.gov (United States)

Farkas, Gary J.; Mazurek, Ewa; Marone, Jane R.

2016-01-01

The VARK learning style is a pedagogical focus in health care education. This study examines relationships of course performance vs. VARK learning preference, study time, and career plan among students enrolled in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology course at a large urban university. Students (n?=?492) from the fall semester course completed…

Undergraduate Physics Course Innovations and Their Impact on Student Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Iverson, Heidi L.; Briggs, Derek C.; Ruiz-Primo, Maria A.; Talbot, Robert M.; Shepard, Lorrie A.

2009-11-01

This paper presents results of an NSF project in which the goal is to provide a synthesis of research on instructional innovations that have been implemented in undergraduate courses in physics. The research questions guiding the project are: What constitutes the range of principal course innovations that are being implemented in undergraduate physics courses? What are the effects of these course innovations on student learning? The paper describes: (1) the literature search procedures used to gather over 400 innovation-related journal articles, (2) the procedures followed to analyze the studies within these articles, (3) the characteristics of the studies reported, and (4) the results from synthesizing the quantitative results of those studies that met our criteria for inclusion.

Undergraduate Biology Lab Courses: Comparing the Impact of Traditionally Based "Cookbook" and Authentic Research-Based Courses on Student Lab Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Brownell, Sara E.; Kloser, Matthew J.; Fukami, Tadishi; Shavelson, Rich

2012-01-01

Over the past decade, several reports have recommended a shift in undergraduate biology laboratory courses from traditionally structured, often described as "cookbook," to authentic research-based experiences. This study compares a cookbook-type laboratory course to a research-based undergraduate biology laboratory course at a Research 1…

Targeting Future Customers: An Introductory Biobanking Course for Undergraduate Students of Life Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelhafiz, Ahmed Samir; Fouda, Merhan Ahmed; El-Jaafary, Shaimaa Ibrahim; Farghly, Maysa Ibrahim; Salem, Mazen; Tammam, Ahmed; Gabr, Hala

2017-08-01

Biobanking is a relatively new concept in the Arab region. Targeting different stakeholders to introduce the concept of biobanking and develop an acceptance of it among them is important for the growth of biobanking in the region. Undergraduate students of life sciences represent an important segment of stakeholders, since they constitute potential future biobank customers. Limited funding, lack of awareness of the existence of the term "biobanking" itself among these students, and questions regarding best marketing strategies presented challenges to planning for the most effective message delivery to this target group. A specific course was designed for undergraduate students of life sciences, which was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. The course was conducted twice in 2016 and included lectures covering biobanking, quality, ethics, information technology, and translational research. Facebook and word-of-mouth were used for marketing and advertising. A total number of 125 participants attended both courses cumulatively. Facebook appeared to have been an effective marketing outlet, especially when paid advertisements were used. Evaluation of knowledge, measured using a pretest and posttest, demonstrated some improvement in knowledge of participants. Evaluation forms filled after the course showed positive attitude toward content and message delivery by a majority of participants. Facebook was also used as an evaluation method through analysis of engagement with posts created after course completion. Biobanking education can be carried out effectively with limited resources. Understanding the needs of the target group and using appropriate methods of communication are essential prerequisites to a well-tailored curriculum and effective message delivery. Using Facebook appears to be an effective and affordable method of communication and advertising. Targeting undergraduate students of life sciences interested in research is a good

Known structure, unknown function: An inquiry?based undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course

OpenAIRE

Gray, Cynthia; Price, Carol W.; Lee, Christopher T.; Dewald, Alison H.; Cline, Matthew A.; McAnany, Charles E.; Columbus, Linda; Mura, Cameron

2015-01-01

Abstract Undergraduate biochemistry laboratory courses often do not provide students with an authentic research experience, particularly when the express purpose of the laboratory is purely instructional. However, an instructional laboratory course that is inquiry? and research?based could simultaneously impart scientific knowledge and foster a student's research expertise and confidence. We have developed a year?long undergraduate biochemistry laboratory curriculum wherein students determine...

The Motivation to Study: An Analysis of Undergraduate Engineering Students at a Caribbean University

Science.gov (United States)

Maharaj, Chris; Blair, Erik; Chin Yuen Kee, Sarah

2018-01-01

The link between motivation and success is well documented; however, there is still room to problematise motivation in regards to the individual and contextual levels. This study looks at motivation in relation to students studying undergraduate engineering courses at a Caribbean university and seeks to discover the factors that motivate them to…

Undergraduate Entrepreneurial Finance Course: Some Curriculum and Pedagogical Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Thapa, Samanta; Chan, Kam C.

2013-01-01

Using online survey, we document the opinions of finance professors as to what should be the core content of undergraduate entrepreneurial finance course and the approach to be taken to teach this course. On the core content of the course, the top five topics preferred by the respondents were: Identifying business opportunities and examining their…

Undergraduate Student Perceptions of the Pedagogy Used in a Leadership Course: A Qualitative Examination

Science.gov (United States)

Odom, Summer F.

2015-01-01

This exploratory, qualitative, descriptive study examined undergraduate student perspectives of pedagogy used in an undergraduate leadership elective course to describe how students view the effectiveness and impact of pedagogies used in the course. Undergraduate students (n = 28) reflected on the effectiveness of the pedagogies and the learning…

Teaching Culture and Improving Language Skills through a Cinematic Lens: A Course on Spanish Film in the Undergraduate Spanish Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, Julie L.

2001-01-01

Explores the role of a course on Spanish cinema in an undergraduate, university-level curriculum in terms of its potential to acquaint students with significant cultural issues and to develop language skills. (Author/VWL)

Investigating undergraduate students' ideas about the fate of the Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Conlon, Mallory; Coble, Kim; Bailey, Janelle M.; Cominsky, Lynn R.

2017-12-01

As astronomers further develop an understanding of the fate of the Universe, it is essential to study students' ideas on the fate of the Universe so that instructors can communicate the field's current status more effectively. In this study, we examine undergraduate students' preinstruction ideas of the fate of the Universe in ten semester-long introductory astronomy course sections (ASTRO 101) at three institutions. We also examine students' postinstruction ideas about the fate of the Universe in ASTRO 101 over five semester-long course sections at one institution. The data include precourse surveys given during the first week of instruction (N =264 ), postinstruction exam questions (N =59 ), and interviews. We find that, preinstruction, more than a quarter of ASTRO 101 students either do not respond or respond with "I don't know" when asked what the long-term fate of the Universe is. We also find that, though the term was not necessarily used, students tend to describe a "big chill" scenario in the preinstruction surveys, among a wide variety of other scenarios. A fraction of students describe the fate of smaller-scale systems, possibly due to confusion of the hierarchical nature of structure in the Universe. Preinstruction, students mention the Universe's expansion when describing how astronomers know the fate of the Universe but do not discuss how we know the Universe is expanding or the relationship between expansion and the fate of the Universe. Postinstruction, students' responses shift toward greater degrees of completeness and correctness.

Pre and Post Test Evaluations of Students in the Needs-Analysis Based EAP Course at Undergraduate Level

Science.gov (United States)

Nafissi, Zohreh; Rezaeipanah, Fariba; Monsefi, Roya

2017-01-01

Iran's education system is exam-based and to gain admission to universities at undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels, candidates have to sit a competitive examination. For this reason, developing an EAP course which prepares the candidates for these examinations is of crucial importance. The present study attempted to develop an EAP…

[Smoking among undergraduate university students].

Science.gov (United States)

Barra C, Lisseth; Fernández P, Paola; Granada G, Felipe; Ávila C, Paula; Mallea M, Javier; Rodríguez M, Yeniffer

2015-10-01

Smoking is one of the major Public Health problems worldwide. To study the frequency of tobacco smoking among undergraduate students of a Chilean university. An opinion survey was sent by e-mail to all undergraduate students of a university, registering gender, age, study years, study area, smoking behavior, motivation (reason for smoking), intention to quit and tobacco law perception. 1,008 (57% females) out of 11,679 surveys were answered back. Prevalence of active smoking among respondents was 36%, without association with gender, age or years of study. However, students from scientific areas had a lower prevalence. Seventy seven percent of smokers manifested the intention to quit the habit or have started quitting already. Ninety six percent were acquainted with the tobacco law and by 73% agreed with it. Smoking is highly prevalent among university students. It is necessary to develop strategies for smoking cessation within universities that may prevent or reduce tobacco smoking among students.

Reading competency of first-year undergraduate students at University of Botswana: A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beauty B. Ntereke

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The ability to read and interpret textbooks and other assigned material is a critical component of success at university level. Therefore, the aims of this study are twofold: to evaluate the reading levels of first-year students when they first enter the university to determine how adequately prepared they are for university reading. It is also to find out if there will be any significant improvement after going through the academic literacy course offered to first-year students. The participants were 51 first-year undergraduate humanities students enrolled in the Communication and Academic Literacy course at the University of Botswana. The data were collected through a reading test adopted from Zulu which was administered at the beginning of the first semester. The same test was administered at the end of the semester after the students had gone through the academic literacy course to see if there was any difference in performance. The findings of this study indicate that there is a mixed and wide variation of students reading competency levels when students first enter the university and that a significant number of first-year entrants are inadequately prepared for university reading.

Biochemistry of Neuromuscular Diseases: A Course for Undergraduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Ohlendieck, Kay

2002-01-01

This article outlines an undergraduate course focusing on supramolecular membrane protein complexes involved in the molecular pathogenesis of neuromuscular disorders. The emphasis of this course is to introduce students to the key elements involved in the ion regulation and membrane stabilization during muscle contraction and the role of these…

Iowa State University's undergraduate minor, online graduate certificate and resource center in NDE

Science.gov (United States)

Bowler, Nicola; Larson, Brian F.; Gray, Joseph N.

2014-02-01

Nondestructive evaluation is a `niche' subject that is not yet offered as an undergraduate or graduate major in the United States. The undergraduate minor in NDE offered within the College of Engineering at Iowa State University (ISU) provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate aspiring engineers to obtain a qualification in the multi-disciplinary subject of NDE. The minor requires 16 credits of course work within which a core course and laboratory in NDE are compulsory. The industrial sponsors of Iowa State's Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, and others, strongly support the NDE minor and actively recruit students from this pool. Since 2007 the program has graduated 10 students per year and enrollment is rising. In 2011, ISU's College of Engineering established an online graduate certificate in NDE, accessible not only to campus-based students but also to practicing engineers via the web. The certificate teaches the fundamentals of three major NDE techniques; eddy-current, ultrasonic and X-ray methods. This paper describes the structure of these programs and plans for development of an online, coursework-only, Master of Engineering in NDE and thesis-based Master of Science degrees in NDE.

Reactor Physics Experiments by Korean Under-Graduate Students in Kyoto University Critical Assembly Program (KUGSiKUCA Program)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyeon, Cheol Ho; Misawa, Tsuyoshi; Unesaki, Hironobu; Ichihara, Chihiro; Shiroya, Seiji; Whang, Joo Ho; Kim, Myung Hyun

2006-01-01

The Reactor Laboratory Course for Korean Under-Graduate Students in Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUGSiKUCA) program has been launched from 2003, as one of international collaboration programs of Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI). This program was suggested by Department of Nuclear Engineering, College of Advanced Technology, Kyunghee University (KHU), and was adopted by Ministry of Science and Technology of Korean Government as one of among Nuclear Human Resources Education and Training Programs. On the basis of her suggestion for KURRI, memorandum for academic corporation and exchange between KHU and KURRI was concluded on July 2003. The program has been based on the background that it is extremely difficult for any single university in Korea to have her own research or training reactor. Up to this 2006, total number of 61 Korean under-graduate school students, who have majored in nuclear engineering of Kyunghee University, Hanyang University, Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Chosun University and Cheju National University in all over the Korea, has taken part in this program. In all the period, two professors and one teaching assistant on the Korean side led the students and helped their successful experiments, reports and discussions. Due to their effort, the program has succeeded in giving an effective and unique course, taking advantage of their collaboration

An undergraduate course, and new textbook, on ``Physical Models of Living Systems''

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Philip

2015-03-01

I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The only prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in several science and engineering departments. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional courses, including: basic modeling skills, probabilistic modeling skills, data analysis methods, computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python, dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. These basic skills, which are relevant to nearly any field of science or engineering, are presented in the context of case studies from living systems, including: virus dynamics; bacterial genetics and evolution of drug resistance; statistical inference; superresolution microscopy; synthetic biology; naturally evolved cellular circuits. Publication of a new textbook by WH Freeman and Co. is scheduled for December 2014. Supported in part by EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

What Do Undergraduate Course Syllabi Say about Information Literacy?

Science.gov (United States)

McGowan, Britt; Gonzalez, Melissa; Stanny, Claudia J.

2016-01-01

Librarians seek opportunities to improve outreach to faculty and promote shared interests in information literacy. A comprehensive review of syllabi for all undergraduate courses offered during one academic term examined course-level learning outcomes and graded assignments to see how well they aligned with the five Association of College and…

Uncovering protein–protein interactions through a team-based undergraduate biochemistry course

Science.gov (United States)

Cookmeyer, David L.; Winesett, Emily S.; Kokona, Bashkim; Huff, Adam R.; Aliev, Sabina; Bloch, Noah B.; Bulos, Joshua A.; Evans, Irene L.; Fagre, Christian R.; Godbe, Kerilyn N.; Khromava, Maryna; Konstantinovsky, Daniel M.; Lafrance, Alexander E.; Lamacki, Alexandra J.; Parry, Robert C.; Quinn, Jeanne M.; Thurston, Alana M.; Tsai, Kathleen J. S.; Mollo, Aurelio; Cryle, Max J.; Fairman, Robert

2017-01-01

How can we provide fertile ground for students to simultaneously explore a breadth of foundational knowledge, develop cross-disciplinary problem-solving skills, gain resiliency, and learn to work as a member of a team? One way is to integrate original research in the context of an undergraduate biochemistry course. In this Community Page, we discuss the development and execution of an interdisciplinary and cross-departmental undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course. We present a template for how a similar course can be replicated at other institutions and provide pedagogical and research results from a sample module in which we challenged our students to study the binding interface between 2 important biosynthetic proteins. Finally, we address the community and invite others to join us in making a larger impact on undergraduate education and the field of biochemistry by coordinating efforts to integrate research and teaching across campuses. PMID:29091712

Uncovering protein-protein interactions through a team-based undergraduate biochemistry course.

Science.gov (United States)

Cookmeyer, David L; Winesett, Emily S; Kokona, Bashkim; Huff, Adam R; Aliev, Sabina; Bloch, Noah B; Bulos, Joshua A; Evans, Irene L; Fagre, Christian R; Godbe, Kerilyn N; Khromava, Maryna; Konstantinovsky, Daniel M; Lafrance, Alexander E; Lamacki, Alexandra J; Parry, Robert C; Quinn, Jeanne M; Thurston, Alana M; Tsai, Kathleen J S; Mollo, Aurelio; Cryle, Max J; Fairman, Robert; Charkoudian, Louise K

2017-11-01

How can we provide fertile ground for students to simultaneously explore a breadth of foundational knowledge, develop cross-disciplinary problem-solving skills, gain resiliency, and learn to work as a member of a team? One way is to integrate original research in the context of an undergraduate biochemistry course. In this Community Page, we discuss the development and execution of an interdisciplinary and cross-departmental undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course. We present a template for how a similar course can be replicated at other institutions and provide pedagogical and research results from a sample module in which we challenged our students to study the binding interface between 2 important biosynthetic proteins. Finally, we address the community and invite others to join us in making a larger impact on undergraduate education and the field of biochemistry by coordinating efforts to integrate research and teaching across campuses.

Uncovering protein-protein interactions through a team-based undergraduate biochemistry course.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David L Cookmeyer

2017-11-01

Full Text Available How can we provide fertile ground for students to simultaneously explore a breadth of foundational knowledge, develop cross-disciplinary problem-solving skills, gain resiliency, and learn to work as a member of a team? One way is to integrate original research in the context of an undergraduate biochemistry course. In this Community Page, we discuss the development and execution of an interdisciplinary and cross-departmental undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course. We present a template for how a similar course can be replicated at other institutions and provide pedagogical and research results from a sample module in which we challenged our students to study the binding interface between 2 important biosynthetic proteins. Finally, we address the community and invite others to join us in making a larger impact on undergraduate education and the field of biochemistry by coordinating efforts to integrate research and teaching across campuses.

Undergraduate Courses in Family Medicine in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordic Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jan-Helge

1993-01-01

Almen medicin, Family Medicine, undergraduate Courses, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Nordic Countries......Almen medicin, Family Medicine, undergraduate Courses, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Nordic Countries...

Pharmaceutical Biotechnology: A New Graduate Course at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreier, Hans; And Others

1990-01-01

The University of Florida's efforts to include aspects of genetically engineered drugs into undergraduate teaching and develop a graduate program focusing on the pharmaceutical aspects of technology are outlined, including constituent contributions, attendance, and evaluation. The program's current status and plans for a lab course are discussed.…

A Methods-Based Biotechnology Course for Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Chakrabarti, Debopam

2009-01-01

This new course in biotechnology for upper division undergraduates provides a comprehensive overview of the process of drug discovery that is relevant to biopharmaceutical industry. The laboratory exercises train students in both cell-free and cell-based assays. Oral presentations by the students delve into recent progress in drug discovery.…

Toward a Singleton Undergraduate Computer Graphics Course in Small and Medium-Sized Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Shesh, Amit

2013-01-01

This article discusses the evolution of a single undergraduate computer graphics course over five semesters, driven by a primary question: if one could offer only one undergraduate course in graphics, what would it include? This constraint is relevant to many small and medium-sized colleges that lack resources, adequate expertise, and enrollment…

Investigating undergraduate students’ ideas about the fate of the Universe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mallory Conlon

2017-11-01

Full Text Available As astronomers further develop an understanding of the fate of the Universe, it is essential to study students’ ideas on the fate of the Universe so that instructors can communicate the field’s current status more effectively. In this study, we examine undergraduate students’ preinstruction ideas of the fate of the Universe in ten semester-long introductory astronomy course sections (ASTRO 101 at three institutions. We also examine students’ postinstruction ideas about the fate of the Universe in ASTRO 101 over five semester-long course sections at one institution. The data include precourse surveys given during the first week of instruction (N=264, postinstruction exam questions (N=59, and interviews. We find that, preinstruction, more than a quarter of ASTRO 101 students either do not respond or respond with “I don’t know” when asked what the long-term fate of the Universe is. We also find that, though the term was not necessarily used, students tend to describe a “big chill” scenario in the preinstruction surveys, among a wide variety of other scenarios. A fraction of students describe the fate of smaller-scale systems, possibly due to confusion of the hierarchical nature of structure in the Universe. Preinstruction, students mention the Universe’s expansion when describing how astronomers know the fate of the Universe but do not discuss how we know the Universe is expanding or the relationship between expansion and the fate of the Universe. Postinstruction, students’ responses shift toward greater degrees of completeness and correctness.

English-assisted Teaching Pertaining to Pulp and Paper in Chinese Universities: An Undergraduate Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Shen

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Currently, about 20 universities in China offer undergraduate courses related to pulp and paper. This large number is congruent with the rapid development of the Chinese pulp and paper industry in the past several decades. In the context of ever-increasing internationalization and global cooperation, English-assisted teaching in Chinese universities has much potential. The wide-spread implementation of English-assisted teaching would promote the career development of students and help foster the advancement of the Chinese pulp and paper industry.

Reforming an Undergraduate Environmental Science Course for Nonscience Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Kazempour, Mahsa; Amirshokoohi, Aidin

2013-01-01

This article discusses the key components of a reform-based introductory undergraduate environmental science course for nonscience majors and elementary teacher candidates as well as the impact of such components on the participants. The main goals for the course were to actively engage the students in their learning and, in doing so, to enhance…

Comparing Effectiveness of Undergraduate Course Delivery: A Student Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, Robert J.

2009-01-01

Higher education students can and do take courses delivered in a variety of ways. But, to date, little research has been done on the effectiveness of different delivery modes. This study sought to fill that void by comparing the effectiveness of three undergraduate course delivery modes: classroom, online, and video conference at a technical…

Introducing the Microcomputer into Undergraduate Tax Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Dillaway, Manson P.; Savage, Allan H.

Although accountants have used computers for tax planning and tax return preparation for many years, tax education has been slow to reflect the increasing role of computers in tax accounting. The following are only some of the tasks that a business education department offering undergraduate tax courses for accounting majors should perform when…

Success of the Undergraduate Public Health Program At Tulane University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luann Ellis White

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM launched the Bachelors of Science in Public Health (BSPH in 2005. The BSPH has steadily grown and comprises one third of the total enrollment in the school. A review of the organizational structure demonstrates that direct responsibility for undergraduate education by a school of public health is advantageous to the success of the program. The competency and skills-based curriculum attracts students. Outcome measures show the enrollment is steadily increasing. The majority of the BSPH graduates continue onto competitive graduate and professional degree programs. Those who seek jobs find employment related to their public health education, but outside of the traditional governmental public health agencies. The combined BSPH/MPH degree is a pipeline for students to pursue a MPH and increases the likelihood students will pursue careers in public health. The range and depth of study in the bachelors program is continually examined. Topics once within the purview of graduate education are now being incorporated into undergraduate courses. Undergraduate public health is one of a number of factors that is influencing changes in the MPH degree.

Effectiveness of Analogy Instructional Strategy on Undergraduate Student's Acquisition of Organic Chemistry Concepts in Mutah University, Jordan

Science.gov (United States)

Samara, Nawaf Ahmad Hasan

2016-01-01

This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of analogy instructional strategy on undergraduate students' acquisition of organic chemistry concepts in Mutah University, Jordan. A quasi-experimental design was used in the study; Participants were 97 students who enrolled in organic chemistry course at the department of chemistry during the…

Professional Development as a critical course in an undergraduate geology curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Fredrick, K. C.

2015-12-01

In today's economy and job market, "workplace readiness" has become a popular buzzword applied to educational efficacy and worthiness. This additional attention to employment outcomes for undergraduate students adds pressure on faculty, as they come under greater scrutiny from administration and prospective students. It is an important marketing tool for programs to report their placement numbers. In our geology program at California University, even though we have had several years of successful placement of our graduates, we have struggled with student buy-in until they are seniors looking at an uncertain future. In recent years, it has become apparent that a greater proportion of our students are not prepared for university-level work when they enter college. They are unprepared for the rigors of critical thinking and quantitative analyses. A way to help them get more serious about their professional career at an earlier stage of education is to demonstrate to them what they do not know. Beginning this year, we have implemented a new, required course, Professional Development for Geologists. It is not a novel idea, in terms of design, but its application as a required course within the major and the students' option of taking it multiple times seems to be a new approach. The course is structured to work with students to develop their skills for the job market, graduate school, and improve general professionalism.

Promoting Learning by Inquiry Among Undergraduates in Soil Sciences: Scaffolding From Project-based Courses to Student-Staff Research Grants by the National Research Agency in Oman

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ismaily, Said; Kacimov, Anvar; Al-Maktoumi, Ali

2016-04-01

Three strategies in a soil science undergraduate programme with inquiry-based learning (IBL) principles at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, are presented. The first strategy scaffolds courses into three phases: with direct instructional guidance, structured IBL, and finally, guided to open IBL. The second strategy involves extra-curricular activities of undergraduates, viz. conducting workshops on soils for pupils in grades 7-9 with their teachers. The third strategy promotes the teaching-research nexus through collaboration between the undergraduates and faculty within a student-supporting, government-funded programme through 1-year long research grants of up to 5,500 US/project. The efficiency of the strategies was evaluated by students' evaluations of courses and instructors and questionnaire-based surveys. Statistics of students' responses in teaching evaluations of IBL courses showed a significantly higher level of satisfaction compared with regular courses taught in the department and college. In surveys of other constituencies of the program, viz. the secondary schools, more than 90% of respondents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they had learned new information/secrets about soils. The indicators of success in the third strategy are: winning a highly competitive grant and, moreover, earning an even more competitive annual national award for the best executed research project. The two top graduates of the IBL soil programme progressed into the MSc programme with the university and national scholarships. Key words: inquiry based learning, soil science undergraduate program, scaffold of courses, outreach activities, teaching-research nexus, evaluation of program's efficiency

A pharmacy student's role as a teaching assistant in an undergraduate medicinal chemistry course - Implementation, evaluation, and unexpected opportunities for educational outreach.

Science.gov (United States)

DellaVecchia, Matthew J; Claudio, Alyssa M; Fairclough, Jamie L

2017-11-01

To describe 1) a pharmacy student's teaching assistant (TA) role in an undergraduate medicinal chemistry course, 2) an active learning module co-developed by the TA and instructor, and 3) the unexpected opportunities for pharmacy educational outreach that resulted from this collaboration. Medicinal Chemistry (CHM3413) is an undergraduate course offered each fall at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA). As a TA for CHM3413, a pharmacy student from the Gregory School of Pharmacy (GSOP) at PBA co-developed and implemented an active learning module emphasizing foundational medicinal chemistry concepts as they pertain to performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Surveys assessed undergraduate students' perceived knowledge of medicinal chemistry concepts, PEDs, and TA involvement. Students' (total n = 60, three fall semesters) perceived confidence in knowledge of medicinal chemistry concepts and PEDs increased significantly (p medicinal chemistry course. An advanced pharmacy practice experience elective in sports pharmacy (based on Ambrose's model) begins Fall 2017. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Climate Literacy: Progress in Climate and Global Change Undergraduate Courses in Meteorology and Earth System Science Programs at Jackson State University

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, S. R.; Tuluri, F.; Fadavi, M.

2017-12-01

JSU Meteorology Program will be offering AMS Climate Studies undergraduate course under MET 210: Climatology in spring 2013. AMS Climate Studies is offered as a 3 credit hour laboratory course with 2 lectures and 1 lab sessions per week. Although this course places strong intellectual demands upon each student, the instructors' objective is to help each student to pass the course with an adequate understanding of the fundamentals and advanced and advanced courses. AMS Climate Studies is an introductory college-level course developed by the American Meteorological Society for implementation at undergraduate institutions nationwide. The course places students in a dynamic and highly motivational educational environment where they investigate Earth's climate system using real-world environmental data. The AMS Climate Studies course package consists of a textbook, investigations manual, course website, and course management system-compatible files. Instructors can use these resources in combinations that make for an exciting learning experience for their students. This is a content course in Earth Science. It introduces a new concept that views Earth as a synergistic physical system applied concepts of climatology, for him/her to understand basic atmospheric/climate processes, physical and dynamical climatology, regional climatology, past and future climates and statistical analysis using climate data and to be prepared to profit from studying more of interrelated phenomenon governed by complex processes involving the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and the solid Earth. The course emphasizes that the events that shape the physical, chemical, and biological processes of the Earth do not occur in isolation. Rather, there is a delicate relationship between the events that occur in the ocean, atmosphere, and the solid Earth. The course provides a multidimensional approach in solving scientific issues related to Earth-related sciences,

Perception of undergraduates of University of Port Harcourt towards ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: To assess the perception of undergraduates in University of Port Harcourt towards the use of condom. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey on the knowledge and use of condom among undergraduates of University of Port Harcourt. A systematic random sampling method was employed. Data collected was ...

Use of Concept Mapping in an Undergraduate Introductory Exercise Physiology Course

Science.gov (United States)

Henige, Kim

2012-01-01

Physiology is often considered a challenging course for students. It is up to teachers to structure courses and create learning opportunities that will increase the chance of student success. In an undergraduate exercise physiology course, concept maps are assigned to help students actively process and organize information into manageable and…

[Application of PBL combined with SP method in during-course practice of endodontics for undergraduate dental students].

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Li-Na; Qiu, Li-Hong; Zhan, Fu-Liang; Xue, Ming

2016-10-01

To apply problem-based learning (PBL) combined with standardized patients(SP) in during-course practice of endodontics for undergraduate dental students, in order to improve the teaching quality. One hundred and four undergraduate dental students of China Medical University School of Stomatology were randomly divided into 2 groups, 52 students in each group. One group were taught with PBL combined with SP while the other group with lecture-based learning (LBL) alone. The teaching effect was measured with examination and questionnaire survey. The data were analyzed by Student's t test using SPSS 11.5 software package. Students in PBL combined with SP group was better than LBL group in case analysis, didactic tests, practical tests and total scores, and there was significant difference between the two groups (Pendodontics to undergraduate dental students.

A Collaborative Disability Studies-based Undergraduate Art Project at Two Universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Derby

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In this manuscript, we discuss research findings from a collaborative visual arts curricular unit on ableism, which we implemented in non-Disability Studies undergraduate courses at two universities during the 2012-2013 academic year. Our project builds on previous research in which we (Derby, 2015, in press; Karr & Weida, 2013 began adding Disability Studies arts pedagogy to our undergraduate coursework. For this project, we developed a shared unit, which we implemented in a general freshman seminar course, an introductory art teaching methods course, and an upper level art education course on applied technology. Utilizing a pedagogy of transformation, we engaged students with shared resources, including lectures, readings, and videos on Disability Studies and ableism; the project culminated with each student producing and exhibiting both an artwork and an artist's statement. After reviewing the literature and describing the project and research methods, we provide a nuanced discussion of the data, especially the artwork. The data indicate that our students, who were previously unexposed to ableism, conceptualized ableism at least on an elementary level, with many students demonstrating advanced conceptualization of ableism in one or more of three categories. Our findings suggest that integrating Disability Studies into non-Disability Studies curricula on a small scale can be useful, but that results are limited by the complexities of disability. The success of the project indicates that incorporating Disability Studies into standard curricula through a pedagogy of transformation can reach typical college students who are unfamiliar with Disability Studies concepts.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences in molecular biosciences-patterns, trends, and faculty support.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jack T H

2017-08-15

Inquiry-driven learning, research internships and course-based undergraduate research experiences all represent mechanisms through which educators can engage undergraduate students in scientific research. In life sciences education, the benefits of undergraduate research have been thoroughly evaluated, but limitations in infrastructure and training can prevent widespread uptake of these practices. It is not clear how faculty members can integrate complex laboratory techniques and equipment into their unique context, while finding the time and resources to implement undergraduate research according to best practice guidelines. This review will go through the trends and patterns in inquiry-based undergraduate life science projects with particular emphasis on molecular biosciences-the research-aligned disciplines of biochemistry, molecular cell biology, microbiology, and genomics and bioinformatics. This will provide instructors with an overview of the model organisms, laboratory techniques and research questions that are adaptable for semester-long projects, and serve as starting guidelines for course-based undergraduate research. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assessing Student Attitudes Towards Science in an Adaptive Online Astrobiology Course: Comparing Online and On-Campus Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Buxner, S.; Perera, V.; Mead, C.; Horodyskyj, L.; Semken, S. C.; Lopatto, D.; Anbar, A. D.

2016-12-01

General-education Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses are considered essential to a college education, in part, to train students to think critically and to make informed decisions about complex scientific issues such as climate change and public health. Therefore, the goals of these STEM courses go beyond content knowledge to include generating positive attitudes towards science, developing competence in evaluating scientific information in everyday life, and understanding the nature of science. The Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) survey is frequently used to measure these attitudes, but it has not previously been used in an online, general education course. In this work, we administered the CURE survey for three semesters (N = 774) before and after completion of an online astrobiology course called Habitable Worlds. We compare students taking this course as part of fully-online degree programs (o-course) with those taking it as part of traditional undergraduate programs (i-course). More females and older students were among the o-course group, while overall the course had more white students than the Arizona State University average. Mean course grades were similar between the two groups but attitudes toward science differred significantly. O-course students began the course with more positive attitudes than i-course students, and o-course students also showed more positive changes at the end of the course. These differences suggest lesser intrinsic motivation among the i-course students. Additionally, pre-course attitudes correlated with final course grade for o-course students, but not for i-course students, which implies that success among o-course students is influenced by different factors than i-course students. Thus, effective student support strategies may differ for online-only students. Future work will include student interviews to better calibrate the CURE survey to online science courses.

Black Hole Thermodynamics in an Undergraduate Thermodynamics Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Barry R.; McLeod, Robert J.

1980-01-01

An analogy, which has been drawn between black hole physics and thermodynamics, is mathematically broadened in this article. Equations similar to the standard partial differential relations of thermodynamics are found for black holes. The results can be used to supplement an undergraduate thermodynamics course. (Author/SK)

Reinforcing Comprehensive Business Learning through an Undergraduate Retailing Course: A Prospectus

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Irfan

2009-01-01

Undergraduate programs in business are expected to provide a comprehensive learning for their students in order to prepare them to be able to deal with complex business problems in their jobs. Business schools attempt to provide this learning through various curricular design strategies. This paper proposes the use of an undergraduate course in…

Leveraging Online Learning Resources to Teach Core Research Skills to Undergraduates at a Diverse Research University.

Science.gov (United States)

McFARLIN, Brian K; Breslin, Whitney L; Carpenter, Katie C; Strohacker, Kelley; Weintraub, Randi J

2010-01-01

Today's students have unique learning needs and lack knowledge of core research skills. In this program report, we describe an online approach that we developed to teach core research skills to freshman and sophomore undergraduates. Specifically, we used two undergraduate kinesiology (KIN) courses designed to target students throughout campus (KIN1304: Public Health Issues in Physical Activity and Obesity) and specifically kinesiology majors (KIN1252: Foundations of Kinesiology). Our program was developed and validated at the 2 nd largest ethnically diverse research university in the United States, thus we believe that it would be effective in a variety of student populations.

Information Literacy Course Yields Mixed Effects on Undergraduate Acceptance of the University Library Portal Heather Coates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather Coates

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Objective – To determine the effects over time of a 3-credit semester-long undergraduate information literacy course on student perception and use of the library web portal. Design – Mixed methods, including a longitudinal survey and in-person interviews. Setting – Information literacy course at a comprehensive public research institution in the northeastern United States of America. Subjects – Undergraduates at all levels enrolled in a 3-credit general elective information literacy course titled “The Internet and Information Access.” Methods – A longitudinal survey was conducted by administering a questionnaire to students at three different points in time: prior to instruction, near the end of the course (after receiving instruction on the library portal, and three months after the course ended, during the academic year 2011-2012. The survey was created by borrowing questions from several existing instruments. It was tested and refined through pre-pilot and pilot studies conducted in the 2010-2011 academic year, for which results are reported. Participation was voluntary, though students were incentivized to participate through extra credit for completing the pre- and post-instruction questionnaire, and a monetary reward for completing the follow-up questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with a subset of 14 participants at a fourth point in time. Main Results – 239 of the 376 (63.6% students enrolled in the course completed the pre- and post-instruction questionnaire. Fewer than half of those participants (111 or 30% of students enrolled completed the follow-up questionnaire. Participants were primarily sophomores and juniors (32% each, with approximately one-quarter (26% freshman, and only 10% seniors. Student majors were concentrated in the social sciences (62%, with fewer students from science and technology (13%, business (13%, and the humanities (9%. The 14 participants interviewed were drawn from both high- and low

THE ACADEMIC MOBILITY CHALLENGES FOR THE UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT: A SURVEY WITH UDESC's UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

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Monique Raupp

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The internationalization of Brazilian higher education has attracted the attention of academic production, by investigating trends as increasing academic mobility in different countries, the adoption of transnational curriculum matrices and the consolidation of international networks of scientific research. At the University of the State of Santa Catarina (UDESC this process is in its early stages, creating the need to understand the impact of internationalization phenomenon in relation to university management. This study aims to identify the main challenges and difficulties encountered by undergraduate students of the School of Business and Management (ESAG, department of UDESC, to participate in an academic mobility program in foreign universities. A survey was conducted with 208 undergraduates between the years 2009 and 2013, using semi-structured interviews by digital means. The results indicate that the mobility experience is seen by the students, predominantly, as an opportunity for personal development, and the obstacles faced by the students are mostly bureaucratic, such as validating courses taken abroad and knowing the foreign documents necessary for the local registry. Regarding the university management, it is discussed the creation of a virtual instrument support with the objective of streamlining the service to students in mobility.

Unlocking the Gates: How and Why Leading Universities Are Opening up Access to Their Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Taylor

2011-01-01

Over the past decade, a small revolution has taken place at some of the world's leading universities, as they have started to provide free access to undergraduate course materials--including syllabi, assignments, and lectures--to anyone with an Internet connection. Yale offers high-quality audio and video recordings of a careful selection of…

Final Report: An Undergraduate Minor in Wind Energy at Iowa State University

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

James McCalley

2012-11-14

This report describes an undergraduate minor program in wind energy that has been developed at Iowa State University. The minor program targets engineering and meteorology students and was developed to provide interested students with focused technical expertise in wind energy science and engineering, to increase their employability and ultimate effectiveness in this growing industry. The report describes the requirements of the minor program and courses that fulfill those requirements. Five new courses directly addressing wind energy have been developed. Topical descriptions for these five courses are provided in this report. Six industry experts in various aspects of wind energy science and engineering reviewed the wind energy minor program and provided detailed comments on the program structure, the content of the courses, and the employability in the wind energy industry of students who complete the program. The general consensus is that the program is well structured, the course content is highly relevant, and students who complete it will be highly employable in the wind energy industry. The detailed comments of the reviewers are included in the report.

Relationship between Internet Addiction and Academic Performance among University Undergraduates

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Akhter, Noreen

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between Internet addiction and academic performance among university undergraduates. The study also focused to examine the gender differences among students on internet addiction. The sample comprised of 359 university undergraduates. Their responses to the "Internet Addiction…

Known Structure, Unknown Function: An Inquiry-Based Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory Course

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Cynthia; Price, Carol W.; Lee, Christopher T.; Dewald, Alison H.; Cline, Matthew A.; McAnany, Charles E.; Columbus, Linda; Mura, Cameron

2015-01-01

Undergraduate biochemistry laboratory courses often do not provide students with an authentic research experience, particularly when the express purpose of the laboratory is purely instructional. However, an instructional laboratory course that is inquiry- and research-based could simultaneously impart scientific knowledge and foster a student's…

Experiences in Developing an Experimental Robotics Course Program for Undergraduate Education

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Seul

2013-01-01

An interdisciplinary undergraduate-level robotics course offers students the chance to integrate their engineering knowledge learned throughout their college years by building a robotic system. Robotics is thus a core course in system and control-related engineering education. This paper summarizes the experience of developing robotics courses…

Undergraduates Discovering Folds in ''Flat'' Strata: An Unusual Undergraduate Geology Field Methods Course

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Abolins, Mark

2014-01-01

Undergraduates learned to measure, map, and interpret bedding plane attitudes during a semesterlong geology field methods course in a field area where strata dip less than 98. Despite the low dip of the strata, 2011 field course students discovered a half-kilometer-wide structural basin by using digital levels and Brunton pocket transits to…

Integration of NASA Research into Undergraduate Education in Math, Science, Engineering and Technology at North Carolina A&T State University

Science.gov (United States)

Monroe, Joseph; Kelkar, Ajit

2003-01-01

The NASA PAIR program incorporated the NASA-Sponsored research into the undergraduate environment at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. This program is designed to significantly improve undergraduate education in the areas of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology (MSET) by directly benefiting from the experiences of NASA field centers, affiliated industrial partners and academic institutions. The three basic goals of the program were enhancing core courses in MSET curriculum, upgrading core-engineering laboratories to compliment upgraded MSET curriculum, and conduct research training for undergraduates in MSET disciplines through a sophomore shadow program and through Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs. Since the inception of the program nine courses have been modified to include NASA related topics and research. These courses have impacted over 900 students in the first three years of the program. The Electrical Engineering circuit's lab is completely re-equipped to include Computer controlled and data acquisition equipment. The Physics lab is upgraded to implement better sensory data acquisition to enhance students understanding of course concepts. In addition a new instrumentation laboratory in the department of Mechanical Engineering is developed. Research training for A&T students was conducted through four different programs: Apprentice program, Developers program, Sophomore Shadow program and Independent Research program. These programs provided opportunities for an average of forty students per semester.

Current Status of Undergraduate, Nonprofessional Pharmacology Courses Taught in Colleges of Pharmacy

Science.gov (United States)

Gerald, Michael C.

1976-01-01

Of the 57 colleges of pharmacy surveyed, 33 are currently offering a total of 44 elective, undergraduate, nonprofessional pharmacology courses, and seven contemplate initiating such courses by 1977. The courses generally cover three areas: social and legal aspects of drug usage and nonprescription consumerism; pharmacology of the drugs of abuse;…

BioMEMS and Lab-on-a-Chip Course Education at West Virginia University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuxin Liu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available With the rapid growth of Biological/Biomedical MicroElectroMechanical Systems (BioMEMS and microfluidic-based lab-on-a-chip (LOC technology to biological and biomedical research and applications, demands for educated and trained researchers and technicians in these fields are rapidly expanding. Universities are expected to develop educational plans to address these specialized needs in BioMEMS, microfluidic and LOC science and technology. A course entitled BioMEMS and Lab-on-a-Chip was taught recently at the senior undergraduate and graduate levels in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at West Virginia University (WVU. The course focused on the basic principles and applications of BioMEMS and LOC technology to the areas of biomedicine, biology, and biotechnology. The course was well received and the enrolled students had diverse backgrounds in electrical engineering, material science, biology, mechanical engineering, and chemistry. Student feedback and a review of the course evaluations indicated that the course was effective in achieving its objectives. Student presentations at the end of the course were a highlight and a valuable experience for all involved. The course proved successful and will continue to be offered regularly. This paper provides an overview of the course as well as some development and future improvements.

Injuries and their probable causes in undergraduates of the Physical Education course at the State University of Maringá

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Alberto Saturno Madureira

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study to analyse the occurrence of injuries in undergraduates of the Physical Education Course at the State University of Maringá. Types of injuries were diagnosed, the opinion of students and professors with regard to their probable causes was taken and the factors that could render injuries less damaging were identified. Research was carried out in the second semester of 1991 when 231 students were regularly enlisted. Data were collected by means of questionnaires for professors and for students. Forty injury cases were verified, 13 with males and 27 with females. The most common type of injury was bruises (55% followed by strain (18%. The inferior members were the most affected region. Judo was the subject in which the greatest number of injuries occurred. Students stated that salient probable causes were: agressivity of colleages in practical exercises (33% and defective sports facilities (25%. In the professors opinion, however, the two chief causes were: students’ distraction (20% and physical inability (20%. The establishment of an Internal Commission for the Prevention of Accidents has been suggested made up of professors, under graduate students and personnel of the Physical Education Department at the State University of Maringá. Its aims are to carry out a following up of this situation, to promote the prevention of injuries and to suggest possible improvements in the premises.

How Do Students' Accounts of Sociology Change over the Course of Their Undergraduate Degrees?

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Ashwin, Paul; Abbas, Andrea; McLean, Monica

2014-01-01

In this article we examine how students' accounts of the discipline of sociology change over the course of their undergraduate degrees. Based on a phenomenographic analysis of 86 interviews with 32 sociology and criminology students over the course of their undergraduate degrees, we constituted five different ways of accounting for sociology.…

Blind Pretesting and Student Performance in an Undergraduate Corporate Finance Course

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-28

Blind Pretesting and Student Performance in an Undergraduate Corporate Finance Course Brian C. Paynea U.S. Air Force Academy Thomas C...testing effect can be applied to an introductory corporate finance course. Prior research on the testing effect has been used non-quantitative subject...80840. Email: thomas.omalley@usafa.edu. Tel: 719.333.8259. Fax: 713.333.9715. 1 INTRODUCTION Corporate finance courses have long

Incorporating Wiki Technology in a Traditional Biostatistics Course: Effects on University Students’ Collaborative Learning, Approaches to Learning and Course Performance

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Shirley S.M. Fong

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of incorporating wiki technology in an under-graduate biostatistics course for improving university students’ collaborative learning, approaches to learning, and course performance. Methodology: During a three year longitudinal study, twenty-one and twenty-four undergraduate students were recruited by convenience sampling and assigned to a wiki group (2014-2015 and a control group (2013-2014 and 2015-2016, respectively. The students in the wiki group attended face-to-face lectures and used a wiki (PBworks weekly for online- group discussion, and the students in the control group had no access to the wiki and interacted face-to-face only. The students’ collaborative learning, approaches to learning, and course performance were evaluated using the Group Process Questionnaire (GPQ, Revised Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F and course results, respectively, after testing. Findings: Multivariate analysis of variance results revealed that the R-SPQ-2F surface approach score, surface motive and strategy subscores were lower in the wiki group than in the control group (p < 0.05. The GPQ individual accountability and equal opportunity scores (components of collaboration were higher in the wiki group than in the control group (p < 0.001. No significant between-groups differences were found in any of the other outcome variables (i.e., overall course result, R-SPQ-2F deep approach score and subscores, GPQ positive interdependence score, social skills score, and composite score. Looking at the Wiki Questionnaire results, the subscale and composite scores we obtained were 31.5% to 37.7% lower than the norm. The wiki was used at a frequency of about 0.7 times per week per student. Recommendations for Practitioners: Using wiki technology in conjunction with the traditional face-to-face teaching method in a biostatistics course can enhance some aspects of undergraduate students’ collaborative learning

Bridging the gap between actual and required mathematics background at undergraduate university level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

courses of Medialogy, e.g. computer graphics programming. Moreover, this poor performance in mathematics is one of the main causes for dropout at university level. This paper presents our ongoing research aiming at tackling with this problem by developing dynamic and multimodal media for math- ematics...... teaching and learning which will make mathematics more at- tractive and easier to understand to undergraduate students. These tools realise an interactive educational method by giving mathematics learners opportunities to develop visualization skills, explore mathe- matical concepts, and obtain solutions...

Information fluency for undergraduate biology majors: applications of inquiry-based learning in a developmental biology course.

Science.gov (United States)

Gehring, Kathleen M; Eastman, Deborah A

2008-01-01

Many initiatives for the improvement of undergraduate science education call for inquiry-based learning that emphasizes investigative projects and reading of the primary literature. These approaches give students an understanding of science as a process and help them integrate content presented in courses. At the same time, general initiatives to promote information fluency are being promoted on many college and university campuses. Information fluency refers to discipline-specific processing of information, and it involves integration of gathered information with specific ideas to form logical conclusions. We have implemented the use of inquiry-based learning to enhance and study discipline-specific information fluency skills in an upper-level undergraduate Developmental Biology course. In this study, an information literacy tutorial and a set of linked assignments using primary literature analysis were integrated with two inquiry-based laboratory research projects. Quantitative analysis of student responses suggests that the abilities of students to identify and apply valid sources of information were enhanced. Qualitative assessment revealed a set of patterns by which students gather and apply information. Self-assessment responses indicated that students recognized the impact of the assignments on their abilities to gather and apply information and that they were more confident about these abilities for future biology courses and beyond.

A Quasi-Experimental Study of Moral Reasoning of Undergraduate Business Students Using an Ethical Decision-Making Framework in a Basic Accounting Course

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Wilhelm, William J.; Czyzewski, Alan B.

2006-01-01

This study was designed to identify classroom interventions that can be used by core business course instructors (as opposed to trained business ethicists) to positively affect levels of moral reasoning in undergraduate business students. The quasi-experimental study conducted at a Midwestern university, focused on determining if the utilization…

Entering research: A course that creates community and structure for beginning undergraduate researchers in the STEM disciplines.

Science.gov (United States)

Balster, Nicholas; Pfund, Christine; Rediske, Raelyn; Branchaw, Janet

2010-01-01

Undergraduate research experiences have been shown to enhance the educational experience and retention of college students, especially those from underrepresented populations. However, many challenges still exist relative to building community among students navigating large institutions. We developed a novel course called Entering Research that creates a learning community to support beginning undergraduate researchers and is designed to parallel the Entering Mentoring course for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty serving as mentors of undergraduate researchers. The course serves as a model that can be easily adapted for use across the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines using a readily available facilitator's manual. Course evaluations and rigorous assessment show that the Entering Research course helps students in many ways, including finding a mentor, understanding their place in a research community, and connecting their research to their course work in the biological and physical sciences. Students in the course reported statistically significant gains in their skills, knowledge, and confidence as researchers compared with a control group of students, who also were engaged in undergraduate research but not enrolled in this course. In addition, the faculty and staff members who served as facilitators of the Entering Research course described their experience as rewarding and one they would recommend to their colleagues.

Using High-Precision Specific Gravity Measurements to Study Minerals in Undergraduate Geoscience Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Brandriss, Mark E.

2010-01-01

This article describes ways to incorporate high-precision measurements of the specific gravities of minerals into undergraduate courses in mineralogy and physical geology. Most traditional undergraduate laboratory methods of measuring specific gravity are suitable only for unusually large samples, which severely limits their usefulness for student…

Implant dentistry curriculum in undergraduate education: part 2-program at the Albert-Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Kroeplin, Birgit S; Strub, Joerg R

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the didactic and clinical undergraduate implant dentistry program of the Albert-Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany, with emphasis on the clinical implant experience. A detailed description of the implant curriculum at Albert-Ludwigs University is given with documented exemplary cases and additional flow charts. All students participate in 28 hours of lectures and approximately 64 hours of seminars with hands-on courses and gain clinical experience. All undergraduate students are eligible to place and restore oral implants. Emphasis is placed on prosthetic-driven planning of implant positions, three-dimensional imaging, and computer-guided implant placement. Implant restorations performed by undergraduate students comprise single crowns and small multiunit fixed dental prostheses in partially edentulous posterior maxillae and anterior or posterior mandibles, implant-retained overdentures (snap attachment) in edentulous patients, and telescopic fixed-removable dental prostheses on remaining teeth and strategically placed additional implants. Over the past 2.5 years, 51 patients were treated with 97 dental implants placed by students in the undergraduate program. Seventy-one restorations were inserted: 60.6% single crowns, 7% fixed dental protheses, 21.1% overdentures, and 11.3% telescopic fixed-removable dental prostheses. The implant survival rate was 98.9%. Because survival rates for dental implants placed and restored by students are comparable to those of experienced dentists, oral implant dentistry should be implemented as part of the undergraduate dental curriculum.

Music Undergraduates' Usefulness and Importance Expectations: The Bologna Process from an Australian University Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, Dominic G; Davidson, Jane W; Nair, Chenicheri S

2016-01-01

The Bologna Process model of higher education has been introduced into some Australian universities since 2008. This model promoted university study through a liberal arts philosophy that advanced a worldview approach at the undergraduate level. The model generalized the student experience and eliminated undergraduate specialization. An interesting situation for music undergraduate study thus arose. Expertise and expert performance research has argued an opposing educational approach, namely: Extensive long-term commitment through focused practical engagement and specialized tuition as prerequisites to achieving musical mastery, especially in performance. Motivation research has shown that the majority of this specialized development in pre-university years would be accessed and reinforced predominantly through private music tuition. Drawing on this contextual literature, commencing university music undergraduates would have expectations of their prospective study founded from two historical influences. The first: How undergraduates had accessed pre-university music tuition. The second: How and in what ways undergraduates' pre-university musical activities were experienced and reinforced. Using usefulness and importance measures, the study observed the expectations of students about to commence music undergraduate studies at three representative Australian university music schools. One of these universities operated the Bologna styled model. No other known Australian study has investigated this implementation for any effects upon music undergraduate expectations. How much commencing music undergraduates would draw on their pre-university music instruction and experiences to predict their usefulness and importance expectations formed the basis for this investigation. Strong relationships between usefulness and importance were found across all units of study. Despite strong correlations across all units of study between usefulness and importance, there was a

Music Undergraduates' Usefulness and Importance Expectations: The Bologna Process from an Australian University Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, Dominic G.; Davidson, Jane W.; Nair, Chenicheri S.

2016-01-01

The Bologna Process model of higher education has been introduced into some Australian universities since 2008. This model promoted university study through a liberal arts philosophy that advanced a worldview approach at the undergraduate level. The model generalized the student experience and eliminated undergraduate specialization. An interesting situation for music undergraduate study thus arose. Expertise and expert performance research has argued an opposing educational approach, namely: Extensive long-term commitment through focused practical engagement and specialized tuition as prerequisites to achieving musical mastery, especially in performance. Motivation research has shown that the majority of this specialized development in pre-university years would be accessed and reinforced predominantly through private music tuition. Drawing on this contextual literature, commencing university music undergraduates would have expectations of their prospective study founded from two historical influences. The first: How undergraduates had accessed pre-university music tuition. The second: How and in what ways undergraduates' pre-university musical activities were experienced and reinforced. Using usefulness and importance measures, the study observed the expectations of students about to commence music undergraduate studies at three representative Australian university music schools. One of these universities operated the Bologna styled model. No other known Australian study has investigated this implementation for any effects upon music undergraduate expectations. How much commencing music undergraduates would draw on their pre-university music instruction and experiences to predict their usefulness and importance expectations formed the basis for this investigation. Strong relationships between usefulness and importance were found across all units of study. Despite strong correlations across all units of study between usefulness and importance, there was a

A new course and textbook on Physical Models of Living Systems, for science and engineering undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Philip

2015-03-01

I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The only prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in a broad range of science and engineering majors. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional courses: Basic modeling skills Probabilistic modeling skills Data analysis methods Computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python Dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. These basic skills, which are relevant to nearly any field of science or engineering, are presented in the context of case studies from living systems, including: Virus dynamics Bacterial genetics and evolution of drug resistance Statistical inference Superresolution microscopy Synthetic biology Naturally evolved cellular circuits. Work supported by NSF Grants EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

Green Chemistry and Sustainability: An Undergraduate Course for Science and Nonscience Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Erin M.

2013-01-01

An undergraduate lecture course in Green Chemistry and Sustainability has been developed and taught to a "multidisciplinary" group of science and nonscience majors. The course introduced students to the topics of green chemistry and sustainability and also immersed them in usage of the scientific literature. Through literature…

Transition from Traditional to ICT-Enhanced Learning Environments in Undergraduate Chemistry Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Barak, Miri

2007-01-01

This paper describes a three-year study conducted among chemistry instructors (professors and teaching assistants) at a post-secondary institution. The goal was to explore the integration process of information and communication technologies (ICT) into traditional teaching. Four undergraduate chemistry courses incorporated a course website, an…

The Benefits of Adding SETI to the University Curriculum and What We Have Learned from a SETI Course Recently Offered at UCLA

Science.gov (United States)

Lesyna, Larry; Margot, Jean-Luc; Greenberg, Adam; Shinde, Akshay; Alladi, Yashaswi; Prasad MN, Srinivas; Bowman, Oliver; Fisher, Callum; Gyalay, Szilard; McKibbin, William; Miles, Brittany E.; Nguyen, Donald; Power, Conor; Ramani, Namrata; Raviprasad, Rashmi; Santana, Jesse

2017-01-01

We advocate for the inclusion of a full-term course entirely devoted to SETI in the university curriculum. SETI usually warrants only a few lectures in a traditional astronomy or astrobiology course. SETI’s rich interdisciplinary character serves astronomy students by introducing them to scientific and technological concepts that will aid them in their dissertation research or later in their careers. SETI is also an exciting topic that draws students from other disciplines and teaches them astronomical concepts that they might otherwise never encounter in their university studies. We have composed syllabi that illustrate the breadth and depth that SETI courses provide for advanced undergraduate or graduate students. The syllabi can also be used as a guide for an effective SETI course taught at a descriptive level.After a pilot course in 2015, UCLA formally offered a course titled "EPSS C179/279 - Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and Applications" in Spring 2016. The course was designed for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students in the science, technical, engineering, and mathematical fields. In 2016, 9 undergraduate students and 5 graduate students took the course. Students designed an observing sequence for the Arecibo and Green Bank telescopes, observed known planetary systems remotely, wrote a sophisticated and modular data processing pipeline, analyzed the data, and presented the results. In the process, they learned radio astronomy fundamentals, software development, signal processing, and statistics. The instructor believes that the students were eager to learn because of the engrossing nature of SETI. The students rated the course highly, in part because of the observing experience and the teamwork approach. The next offering will be in Spring 2017.See lxltech.com and seti.ucla.edu

Undergraduate study in psychology: Curriculum and assessment.

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Norcross, John C; Hailstorks, Robin; Aiken, Leona S; Pfund, Rory A; Stamm, Karen E; Christidis, Peggy

2016-01-01

The undergraduate curriculum in psychology profoundly reflects and shapes the discipline. Yet, reliable information on the undergraduate psychology curriculum has been difficult to acquire due to insufficient research carried out on unrepresentative program samples with disparate methods. In 2014, APA launched the first systematic effort in a decade to gather national data on the psychology major and program outcomes. We surveyed a stratified random sample of department chairs/coordinators of accredited colleges and universities in the United States that offer undergraduate courses and programs in psychology. A total of 439 undergraduate psychology programs (45.2%) completed the survey. This article summarizes, for both associate and baccalaureate programs, the results of the Undergraduate Study in Psychology. Current practices concerning the introductory course, the courses offered, core requirements, the psychology minor, and tracks/concentrations are presented. The frequency of formal program reviews and program-level assessment methods are also addressed. By extending prior research on the undergraduate curriculum, we chronicle longitudinal changes in the psychology major over the past 20 years. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Undergraduate Mathematics Students' Emotional Experiences in Linear Algebra Courses

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Martínez-Sierra, Gustavo; García-González, María del Socorro

2016-01-01

Little is known about students' emotions in the field of Mathematics Education that go beyond students' emotions in problem solving. To start filling this gap this qualitative research has the aim to identify emotional experiences of undergraduate mathematics students in Linear Algebra courses. In order to obtain data, retrospective focus group…

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Use of Multimedia Case Studies in an Introductory Engineering Course at Two Southeastern Universities

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Huett, Kim C.; Kawulich, Barbara

2015-01-01

Collaborating at two universities to improve teaching and learning in undergraduate engineering, an interdisciplinary team of researchers, instructors, and evaluators planned and implemented the use of multimedia case studies with students enrolled in an introductory engineering course. This qualitative action evaluation study focuses on results…

Designing and Implementing a Computational Methods Course for Upper-level Undergraduates and Postgraduates in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

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Nelson, E.; L'Ecuyer, T. S.; Douglas, A.; Hansen, Z.

2017-12-01

In the modern computing age, scientists must utilize a wide variety of skills to carry out scientific research. Programming, including a focus on collaborative development, has become more prevalent in both academic and professional career paths. Faculty in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin—Madison recognized this need and recently approved a new course offering for undergraduates and postgraduates in computational methods that was first held in Spring 2017. Three programming languages were covered in the inaugural course semester and development themes such as modularization, data wrangling, and conceptual code models were woven into all of the sections. In this presentation, we will share successes and challenges in developing a research project-focused computational course that leverages hands-on computer laboratory learning and open-sourced course content. Improvements and changes in future iterations of the course based on the first offering will also be discussed.

Undergraduate physics course innovations and their impact on student learning

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Iverson, Heidi Louise

Over the last several decades, the efficacy of the traditional lecture-based instructional model for undergraduate physics courses has been challenged. As a result, a large number of reform-oriented instructional innovations have been developed, enacted, and studied in undergraduate physics courses around the globe---all with the intended purpose of improving student learning. This thesis satisfies the need for a comprehensive synthesis of the effectiveness of these course innovations by analyzing: (1) the types of innovations that have been enacted, (2) the impact of these innovations on student learning, and (3) the common features of effective innovations. An exhaustive literature search for studies published after 1990 on undergraduate physics course innovations yielded 432 articles which were then coded with respect to the characteristics of the innovations used as well as the methodological characteristics of the studies. These codes facilitated a descriptive analysis which characterized the features of the pool of studies. These studies were then meta-analyzed in order to evaluate the effect of innovations on student learning. Finally, a case-study analysis was conducted in order to identify the critical characteristics of effective innovations. Results indicate that most innovations focus on introductory mechanics and use some combination of conceptually oriented tasks, collaborative learning, and technology. The overall effect of course innovations has been positive, but with the caveat that a large number of studies suffer from poor methodological designs and potential threats to validity. In addition, over half of the studies had to be eliminated from the meta-analysis because they did not report the data necessary for an effect size to be calculated. Despite these limitations the results of the meta-analysis indicated that there was one innovation which had particularly high effect sizes---Workshop/Studio Physics---an innovation which involves an

Undergraduate Skills Laboratories at Sonoma State University

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Gill, Amandeep; Zack, K.; Mills, H.; Cunningham, B.; Jackowski, S.

2014-01-01

Due to the current economic climate, funding sources for many laboratory courses have been cut from university budgets. However, it is still necessary for undergraduates to master laboratory skills to be prepared and competitive applicants when entering the professional world and/or graduate school. In this context, student-led programs may be able to compensate for this lack of formal instruction and reinforce concepts from lecture by applying research techniques to develop hands-on comprehension. The Sonoma State University Chapter of Society of Physics Students has established a peer-led skills lab to teach research techniques in the fields of astronomy and physics. The goal is to alleviate the pressures of both independently learning and efficiently applying techniques to junior and senior-level research projects. These skill labs are especially valuable for nontraditional students who, due to work or family duties, may not get a chance to fully commit to research projects. For example, a topic such as Arduino programming has a multitude of applications in both astronomy and physics, but is not taught in traditional university courses. Although some programming and electronics skills are taught in (separate) classes, they are usually not applied to actual research projects, which combined expertise is needed. For example, in astronomy, there are many situations involving programming telescopes and taking data with electronic cameras. Often students will carry out research using these tools but when something goes wrong, the students will not have the skills to trouble shoot and fix the system. Another astronomical topic to be taught in the skills labs is the analysis of astronomical data, including running remote telescopes, analyzing photometric variability, and understanding the concepts of star magnitudes, flat fields, and biases. These workshops provide a setting in which the student teacher may strengthen his or her understanding of the topic by presenting

Influence of an Environmental Studies Course on Attitudes of Undergraduates at an Engineering University

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Kuo, Shih-Yun; Jackson, Nancy L.

2014-01-01

Studies suggest that at engineering universities, where the percentage of males and engineering majors is high, pro-environmental attitudes are likely to be weak and may not change. The 15-item New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale was used to measure differences in student attitudes before and after an environmental studies course. Results revealed…

Music undergraduates' usefulness and importance expectations: The Bologna Process from an Australian university perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominic Harvey

2016-07-01

Full Text Available AbstractThe Bologna Process model of higher education has been introduced into some Australian universities since 2008. This model promoted university study through a liberal arts philosophy that advanced a worldview approach at the undergraduate level. The model generalised the student experience and eliminated undergraduate specialisation. An interesting situation for music undergraduate study thus arose. Expertise and expert performance research has argued an opposing educational approach, namely: Extensive long-term commitment through focused practical engagement and specialised tuition as prerequisites to achieving musical mastery, especially in performance. Motivation research has shown that the majority of this specialised development in pre-university years would be accessed and reinforced predominantly through private music tuition. Drawing on this contextual literature, commencing university music undergraduates would have expectations of their prospective study founded from two historical influences. The first: How undergraduates had accessed pre-university music tuition. The second: How and in what ways undergraduates’ pre-university musical activities were experienced and reinforced. Using usefulness and importance measures, the study observed the expectations of students about to commence music undergraduate studies at three representative Australian university music schools. One of these universities operated the Bologna styled model. No other known Australian study has investigated this implementation for any effects upon music undergraduate expectations. How much commencing music undergraduates would draw on their pre-university music instruction and experiences to predict their usefulness and importance expectations formed the basis for this investigation. Strong relationships between usefulness and importance were found across all units of study. Despite strong correlations across all units of study between usefulness and

Preparing students for global citizenship: the effects of a Dutch undergraduate honors course

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schutte, Ingrid W.; Kamans, Elanor; Wolfensberger, Marca; Veugelers, Wiel

2017-01-01

Using a mixed method approach, this case study investigates effects on the participating students () of an undergraduate honors course in the Netherlands, aimed at global justice citizenship. Knowledge about effects of global citizenship courses is still limited. The Ethical Sensitivity Scale

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

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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…

Benefits and Limitations of Online Instruction in Natural Science Undergraduate Liberal Arts Courses

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Liddicoat, Joseph; Roberts, Godfrey; Liddicoat, Kendra; Porzecanski, Ana Luz; Mendez, Martin; McMullen, David

2013-04-01

Online courses in the Natural Sciences are taught three ways at New York University to undergraduate students majoring in the liberal arts and professional programs - synchronous courses in which students communicate online with the instructor and classmates in real time, asynchronous courses when faculty present course material for students to access and learn at their leisure, and hybrid or blended courses when part is taught asynchronously and part is taught face-to-face in a classroom with all students present. We have done online courses each way - Global Ecology (synchronous); Stars, Planets, and Life (synchronous and asynchronous); Darwin to DNA: An Overview of Evolution (asynchronous); Biodiversity Conservation (asynchronous); and Biology of Hunger and Population (blended). We will present the advantages and challenges we experienced teaching courses online in this fashion. Besides the advantages listed in the description for this session, another can be programmed learning that allows a set of sequential steps or a more complex branching of steps that allows students to repeat lessons multiple times to master the material. And from an academic standpoint, course content and assessment can be standardized, making it possible for each student to learn the same material. Challenges include resistance to online learning by a host of stakeholders who might be educators, students, parents, and the community. Equally challenging might be the readiness of instructors and students to teach and learn online. Student integrity issues such as plagiarism and cheating are a concern in a course taught online (Thormann and Zimmerman, 2012), so we will discuss our strategies to mitigate them.

Three S's of Undergraduate Course Architecture: Compatibilities of Setting, Style and Structure

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Robertson, Patricia R.; Wakeling, Victor

2018-01-01

Three separate baseline decisions are recommended when designing an undergraduate course prior to considering any course content. The "Three S" course design decisions include determining (1) the "setting" (on-campus, online or hybrid), (2) the learning "style" (passive or active), and (3) the learning…

Impact of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research in mathematics and biology on the development of a new course integrating five STEM disciplines.

Science.gov (United States)

Caudill, Lester; Hill, April; Hoke, Kathy; Lipan, Ovidiu

2010-01-01

Funded by innovative programs at the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Richmond faculty in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computer science teamed up to offer first- and second-year students the opportunity to contribute to vibrant, interdisciplinary research projects. The result was not only good science but also good science that motivated and informed course development. Here, we describe four recent undergraduate research projects involving students and faculty in biology, physics, mathematics, and computer science and how each contributed in significant ways to the conception and implementation of our new Integrated Quantitative Science course, a course for first-year students that integrates the material in the first course of the major in each of biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and physics.

Comparative assessment of university chemistry undergraduate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative analysis of the structure of undergraduate chemistry curricula of universities in the southwest of Nigeria with a view to establishing the relative proportion of the different areas of chemistry each curriculum accommodates. It is a qualitative research, involving content analysis with a partial quantitative analysis ...

Development of undergraduate nuclear security curriculum at College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional

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Hamid, Nasri A.; Mujaini, Madihah; Mohamed, Abdul Aziz

2017-01-01

The Center for Nuclear Energy (CNE), College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) has a great responsibility to undertake educational activities that promote developing human capital in the area of nuclear engineering and technology. Developing human capital in nuclear through education programs is necessary to support the implementation of nuclear power projects in Malaysia in the near future. In addition, the educational program must also meet the nuclear power industry needs and requirements. In developing a certain curriculum, the contents must comply with the university's Outcomes Based Education (OBE) philosophy. One of the important courses in the nuclear curriculum is in the area of nuclear security. Basically the nuclear security course covers the current issues of law, politics, military strategy, and technology with regard to weapons of mass destruction and related topics in international security, and review legal regulations and political relationship that determine the state of nuclear security at the moment. In addition, the course looks into all aspects of the nuclear safeguards, builds basic knowledge and understanding of nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear forensics and nuclear safeguards in general. The course also discusses tools used to combat nuclear proliferation such as treaties, institutions, multilateral arrangements and technology controls. In this paper, we elaborate the development of undergraduate nuclear security course at the College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional. Since the course is categorized as mechanical engineering subject, it must be developed in tandem with the program educational objectives (PEO) of the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering program. The course outcomes (CO) and transferrable skills are also identified. Furthermore, in aligning the CO with program outcomes (PO), the PO elements need to be emphasized through the CO-PO mapping. As such, all assessments and distribution of Bloom Taxonomy

Developing Professional Skills in a Third-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Course Offered in Western Australia

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Dunn, Jeffrey G.; Kagi, Robert I.; Phillips, David N.

1998-10-01

"This unit gave me a broad industrial view of the chemical world and I am grateful for the professional skills I gained." That is the response of one graduate several years after he had taken the "Chemistry and Technology" unit that we present in the third year of the undergraduate chemistry course at Western Australia's Curtin University of Technology. Students in tertiary education are effectively "cocooned from the real world". There is a growing need for a teaching that links students to situations they will encounter upon gaining employment. The Chemistry and Technology unit has been developed over a 12-year period and is presented in the final semester of the course. It comprises six modules and is taught by lecturers from industry and the staff of the School. The Professional Practice, Consumer Chemistry, and Environmental modules are ones that most teachers could consider in their course. The other three modules are specific to Western Australia's needs, but could be modified or replaced to cater to other employment circumstances. A survey of recent graduates yielded complimentary responses to the appropriateness of such a unit in the course.

Student Computer Use in Selected Undergraduate Agriculture Courses: An Examination of Required Tasks.

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Johnson, Donald M.; Ferguson, James A.; Vokins, Nancy W.; Lester, Melissa L.

2000-01-01

Over 50% of faculty teaching undergraduate agriculture courses (n=58) required use of word processing, Internet, and electronic mail; less than 50% required spreadsheets, databases, graphics, or specialized software. They planned to maintain or increase required computer tasks in their courses. (SK)

Development and Evaluation of a Positive Youth Development Course for University Students in Hong Kong

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Daniel T. L. Shek

2012-01-01

Full Text Available With higher education, university graduates are important elements of the labor force in knowledge-based economies. With reference to the mental health and developmental problems in university students, there is a need to review university’s role in nurturing holistic development of students. Based on the positive youth development approach, it is argued that promoting intrapersonal competencies is an important strategy to facilitate holistic development of young people in Hong Kong. In The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a course entitled Tomorrow’s Leader focusing on positive youth development constructs to promote student well-being will be offered on a compulsory basis starting from 2012/13 academic year under the new undergraduate curriculum structure. The proposed course was piloted in 2010/11 school year. Different evaluation strategies, including objective outcome evaluation, subjective outcome evaluation, process evaluation, and qualitative evaluation, are being carried out to evaluate the developed course. Preliminary evaluation findings based on the piloting experience in 2010/11 academic year are presented in this paper.

Making Sense of the Information Seeking Process of Undergraduates in a Specialised University: Revelations from Dialogue Journaling on WhatsApp Messenger

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Krubu, Dorcas Ejemeh; Zinn, Sandy; Hart, Genevieve

2017-01-01

Aim/Purpose: The research work investigated the information seeking process of undergraduates in a specialised university in Nigeria, in the course of a group assignment. Background: Kuhlthau's Information Search Process (ISP) model is used as lens to reveal how students interact with information in the affective, cognitive and physical realms.…

Targeting Critical Thinking Skills in a First-Year Undergraduate Research Course

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Susan Carson

2015-08-01

Full Text Available TH!NK is a new initiative at NC State University focused on enhancing students’ higher-order cognitive skills. As part of this initiative, I explicitly emphasized critical and creative thinking in an existing bacteriophagediscovery first-year research course. In addition to the typical activities associated with undergraduate research such as review of primary literature and writing research papers, another strategy employed to enhance students’ critical thinking skills was the use of discipline-specific, real-world scenarios. This paper outlines a general “formula” for writing scenarios, as well as several specific scenarios created for the described course. I also present how embedding aspects of the scenarios in reviews of the primary literature enriched the activity. I assessed student gains in critical thinking skills using a pre-/posttest model of the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT, developed by Tennessee Technological University. I observed apositive gain trend in most of the individual skills assessed in the CAT, with a statistically significant large effect on critical thinking skills overall in students in the test group. I also show that a higher level of criticalthinking skills was demonstrated in research papers written by students who participated in the scenarios compared with similar students who did not participate in the scenario activities. The scenario strategy described here can be modified for use in biology and other STEM disciplines, as well as in diverse disciplines in the social sciences and humanities.

Targeting Critical Thinking Skills in a First-Year Undergraduate Research Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Carson, Susan

2015-12-01

TH!NK is a new initiative at NC State University focused on enhancing students' higher-order cognitive skills. As part of this initiative, I explicitly emphasized critical and creative thinking in an existing bacteriophage discovery first-year research course. In addition to the typical activities associated with undergraduate research such as review of primary literature and writing research papers, another strategy employed to enhance students' critical thinking skills was the use of discipline-specific, real-world scenarios. This paper outlines a general "formula" for writing scenarios, as well as several specific scenarios created for the described course. I also present how embedding aspects of the scenarios in reviews of the primary literature enriched the activity. I assessed student gains in critical thinking skills using a pre-/posttest model of the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT), developed by Tennessee Technological University. I observed a positive gain trend in most of the individual skills assessed in the CAT, with a statistically significant large effect on critical thinking skills overall in students in the test group. I also show that a higher level of critical thinking skills was demonstrated in research papers written by students who participated in the scenarios compared with similar students who did not participate in the scenario activities. The scenario strategy described here can be modified for use in biology and other STEM disciplines, as well as in diverse disciplines in the social sciences and humanities.

10 Ways to Improve Instructor Effectiveness in an Undergraduate Exercise Physiology Course

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Acquaviva, John

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present a variety of teaching strategies in one of the most difficult courses undergraduates are required to take: exercise physiology. This course is unique because it challenges students to constantly recall and apply complex concepts to a variety of exercise modes, intensities, and conditions. Further, both the…

Effectiveness of an evidence-based practice (EBP) course on the EBP competence of undergraduate nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

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Ruzafa-Martínez, María; López-Iborra, Lidón; Armero Barranco, David; Ramos-Morcillo, Antonio Jesús

2016-03-01

International nursing institutions and experts recommend evidence-based practice (EBP) as a core component of the curriculum for nurses. However, the impact of EBP training on the competence of undergraduate nursing students remains unclear. To evaluate the effectiveness of an EBP course on the EBP competence undergraduate nursing students'. Quasi-experimental study carried out in non-randomized intervention and control groups. The study was conducted in a Spanish public university in 2010. Out of 420 second- and third-year nursing students, 75 were enrolled in the EBP course, forming the intervention group, and 73 were not enrolled in this course were recruited as controls. The educational intervention was a 15-week course designed to teach EBP competence. The EBP Competence Questionnaire (EBP-COQ) was administered before and after the intervention. Repeated-measure ANOVA was used to compare intervention and control group scores before and at two months after the 15-week intervention period. At 2months after the EBP course, mean EBP-COQ scores of the intervention group were significantly improved versus baseline in attitude (4.28 vs. 3.33), knowledge (3.92 vs. 2.82) and skills (4.01 vs. 2.75) dimensions, whereas little change was observed in control group scores over the same time period. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of Time ×Group interaction on global competence and all three EBP-COQ dimensions. Undergraduate nursing students experience positive changes in EBP competence, knowledge, skills, and attitude as the result of a 15-week educational intervention on EBP. This EBP course may provide nursing school educators and policymakers with a useful model for integrating EBP teaching within the nursing curriculum. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transitioning from Expository Laboratory Experiments to Course-Based Undergraduate Research in General Chemistry

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Clark, Ted M.; Ricciardo, Rebecca; Weaver, Tyler

2016-01-01

General chemistry courses predominantly use expository experiments that shape student expectations of what a laboratory activity entails. Shifting within a semester to course-based undergraduate research activities that include greater decision-making, collaborative work, and "messy" real-world data necessitates a change in student…

Correlates of Perceived Favorability of Online Courses for Quantitative versus Qualitative Undergraduate Business Majors

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Blau, Gary; Pred, Robert; Drennan, Rob B., Jr.; Kapanjie, Darin

2016-01-01

An online survey tested the association among background, technological, and course-related variables with perceived favorability of online courses for two independent samples of fall 2015 and spring 2016 business undergraduates taking at least one online or hybrid course. Results showed that perceived learning was a consistent positive correlate…

Supporting Upper-Level Undergraduate Students in Building a Systems Perspective in a Botany Course

Science.gov (United States)

Zangori, Laura; Koontz, Jason A.

2017-01-01

Undergraduate biology majors require biological literacy about the critical and dynamic relationships between plants and ecosystems and the effect human-made processes have on these systems. To support students in understanding systems relationships, we redesigned an undergraduate botany course using an ecological framework and embedded systems…

Using a Vaccine Proposal Assignment to Help Students Synthesize Topics Covered in an Undergraduate Immunology Course

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Rebecca L. Sparks-Thissen

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Undergraduate students often have difficulty keeping track of all the pieces of the immune response and how they relate to each other.  To help students synthesize the information in an upper-level, undergraduate immunology course, the students in my course investigate the immune response to pathogen of their choosing and then use that information to design a vaccine to that pathogen.

Components of a Flipped Classroom Influencing Student Success in an Undergraduate Business Statistics Course

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Shinaberger, Lee

2017-01-01

An instructor transformed an undergraduate business statistics course over 10 semesters from a traditional lecture course to a flipped classroom course. The researcher used a linear mixed model to explore the effectiveness of the evolution on student success as measured by exam performance. The results provide guidance to successfully implement a…

Perceived Learning and Timely Graduation for Business Undergraduates Taking an Online or Hybrid Course

Science.gov (United States)

Blau, Gary; Drennan, Rob B.; Hochner, Arthur; Kapanjie, Darin

2016-01-01

An online survey tested the impact of background, technological, and course-related variables on perceived learning and timely graduation for a complete data sample of 263 business undergraduates taking at least one online or hybrid course in the fall of 2015. Hierarchical regression results showed that course-related variables (instructor…

Impact of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research in Mathematics and Biology on the Development of a New Course Integrating Five STEM Disciplines

OpenAIRE

Caudill, Lester; Hill, April; Hoke, Kathy; Lipan, Ovidiu

2010-01-01

Funded by innovative programs at the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Richmond faculty in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computer science teamed up to offer first- and second-year students the opportunity to contribute to vibrant, interdisciplinary research projects. The result was not only good science but also good science that motivated and informed course development. Here, we describe four recent undergraduate research proj...

Ways to Improve Undergraduate Education Sought by New Alliance of State Universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Heller, Scott

1987-01-01

Representatives from 12 state universities have formed the Alliance for Undergraduate Education to prove that attention is being paid to undergraduates on their campuses. Participants expect to discuss how to avoid the depersonalization of large campuses and packed undergraduate classrooms. (MLW)

Promoting Climate And Data Literacy: University Courses Engaging Students In Effective Teaching, Learning, Communication And Outreach Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Halversen, C.; McDonnell, J. D.; Apple, J. K.; Weiss, E. L.

2016-02-01

. The Promoting Climate Literacy course is focused on graduate and undergraduate science students interested in learning how to more effectively communicate climate science, while participating in outreach opportunities with the public. The course has been disseminated through a workshop for faculty at 17 universities.

Clarity in Teaching and Active Learning in Undergraduate Microbiology Course for Non-Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Marbach-Ad, Gili; McGinnis, J. Randy; Pease, Rebecca; Dai, Amy H.; Schalk, Kelly A.; Benson, Spencer

2010-01-01

We investigated a pedagogical innovation in an undergraduate microbiology course (Microbes and Society) for non-majors and education majors. The goals of the curriculum and pedagogical transformation were to promote active learning and concentrate on clarity in teaching. This course was part of a longitudinal project (Project Nexus) which…

Student Perceptions of an Upper-Level, Undergraduate Human Anatomy Laboratory Course without Cadavers

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Shirley J.

2012-01-01

Several programs in health professional education require or are considering requiring upper-level human anatomy as prerequisite for their applicants. Undergraduate students are confronted with few institutions offering such a course, in part because of the expense and logistical issues associated with a cadaver-based human anatomy course. This…

38 CFR 21.7670 - Measurement of courses leading to a standard, undergraduate college degree.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Measurement of courses leading to a standard, undergraduate college degree. 21.7670 Section 21.7670 Pensions, Bonuses, and... leading to a standard, undergraduate college degree. Except as provided in § 21.7672, VA will measure a...

Neck Pain Occurrence and Characteristics in Nigerian University Undergraduates

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Olufunke Patience Iroko

2010-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: University students seem to be a high risk group for neck pain which often leads to diminished concentration and academic performance among them. This study examined the occurrence and characteristics of neck pain in undergraduate students from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. METHOD: One thousand and sixty nine (512 male and 557 female undergraduate students with the mean age of 23.49 ± 2.54 years responded in this cross-sectional survey. An adapted questionnaire that sought information on demographics, occurrence, characteristics and the consequence of neck pain on activities of daily living served as the survey instrument. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence and current frequency of neck pain among the respondents was 34.9% and 9.8% respectively. Female students had a higher preponderance of lifetime neck pain prevalence than their male counterparts (52.8 vs. 47.2%. There was higher frequency of neck pain after admission into the university than before (68.6 vs. 28.7%. Neck pain increased according to level of study and commoner among clinical students. 20% of the respondents reported chronic neck pain and was commoner in males than females (13% vs. 7% females. Seats without back supports used during lectures (48.0%, long reading hours (31.4%, poor self perpetuating posture (16.6%, and types of pillow used when sleeping (14.2% were the most implicated predisposing factors to neck pain. Reading (49.7% and concentration on school work (27.9% were the most limited activities of daily living. CONCLUSION: Neck pain is common among Nigerian university undergraduate students and affects females than males. The prevalence increased with higher level of study and commoner among clinical students. Neck pain mostly affects reading and concentration on school work among university undergraduate students. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2010; 9(3.000: 167-174

[Health education from the perspective of nursing undergraduate students].

Science.gov (United States)

Colomé, Juliana Silveira; de Oliveira, Dora Lucia Leidens Corrêa

2008-09-01

In the field of health practices, there are different models of health education. The objective of this article was to identify undergraduates' concepts of health education. This descriptive exploratory study used a qualitative approach. It was developed in the Undergraduate Nursing Courses of the Federal University of Santa Maria and Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Subjects were undergraduate students of the last semester before graduation. Data were collected using a semistructured interview, and submitted to thematic content analysis. The results suggest that the undergraduate nursing students' training as health educators is permeated by concepts that are a mixture of traditional and modern assumptions on health education.

Graduate Attribute Attainment in a Multi-Level Undergraduate Geography Course

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Mager, Sarah; Spronken-Smith, Rachel

2014-01-01

We investigated students' perceptions of graduate attributes in a multi-level (second and third year) geography course. A case study with mixed methodology was employed, with data collected through focus groups and a survey. We found that undergraduate geography students can identify the skills, knowledge and attributes that are developed through…

Student Opinions and Perceptions of Undergraduate Thermodynamics Courses in Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Ugursal, V. Ismet; Cruickshank, Cynthia A.

2015-01-01

Thermodynamics is a fundamental foundation of all engineering disciplines. A vast majority of engineering undergraduate programmes contain one or more courses on thermodynamics, and many engineers use thermodynamics every day to analyse or design energy systems. However, there is extensive anecdotal evidence as well as a wide range of published…

Research articles as a didatic tool in undergraduate chemistry teaching

OpenAIRE

Massi, Luciana; Santos, Gelson Ribeiro dos; Ferreira, Jerino Queiroz; Queiroz, Salete Linhares

2009-01-01

Chemistry teachers increasingly use research articles in their undergraduate courses. This trend arises from current pedagogical emphasis on active learning and scientific process. In this paper, we describe some educational experiences on the use of research articles in chemistry higher education. Additionally, we present our own conclusions on the use of such methodology applied to a scientific communication course offered to undergraduate chemistry students at the University of São Paulo, ...

Undergraduate Students' Experiences in Programming: Difficulties and Obstacles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Büşra Özmen

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Programming courses become prominent as one of the courses in which undergraduate students are unsuccessful especially in departments which offer computer education. Students often state that these courses are quite difficult compared to other courses. Therefore, a qualitative phenomenological approach was used to reveal the reasons of the failures of the undergraduate students in programming courses and to examine the difficulties they confronted with programming. In this scope, the laboratory practices of the Internet Programming course were observed in fall term of the 2013-2014 academic year in a university at central Anatolia. Interviews were made with 12 undergraduate students taking this course. Finally, the difficulties students experienced in the programming were determined as programming knowledge, programming skills, understanding semantics of the program, and debugging. Students emphasized that the biggest causes of failure in programming languages are lack of practice, not using algorithms and lack of knowledge. In addition, it was seen that the students who had high programming experience possess higher programming success and self-efficacy related to programming

Brownfield Action Online - An Interactive Undergraduate Science Course in Environmental Forensics

Science.gov (United States)

Liddicoat, Joseph; Bower, Peter

2014-05-01

Brownfield Action (BA) is a web-based, interactive, three dimensional digital space and learning simulation in which students form geotechnical consulting companies and work collectively to explore problems in environmental forensics. Created at Barnard College (BC) in conjunction with the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning at Columbia University, BA has a 12-year history at BC of use in one semester of a two-semester Introduction to Environmental Science course that is taken by more than 100 female undergraduate non-science majors to satisfy their science requirement. The pedagogical methods and design of the BA model are grounded in a substantial research literature focused on the design, use, and effectiveness of games and simulation in education. The successful use of the BA simulation at BC and 14 other institutions in the U.S. is described in Bower et al. (2011 and 2014). Soon to be taught online to non-traditional undergraduate students, BA has 15 modules that include a reconnaissance survey; scale; topographic, bedrock, and water table maps; oral and written reports from residents and the municipal government; porosity and permeability measurements of the regolith (sand) in the area of interest; hydrocarbon chemistry; direction and velocity of groundwater flow; and methods of geophysical exploration (soil gas, ground penetrating radar, magnetic metal detection, excavation, and drilling). Student performance is assessed by weekly exercises and a semester ending Environmental Site Assessment Phase I Report that summarizes the individual and collective discoveries about a contaminated subsurface plume that emanates from a leaking underground storage tank at a gasoline station upgrade from the water well that serves the surrounding community. Texts for the course are Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, which are accompanied by questions that direct the reading.

Matrix groups for undergraduates

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Tapp, Kristopher

2016-01-01

Matrix groups touch an enormous spectrum of the mathematical arena. This textbook brings them into the undergraduate curriculum. It makes an excellent one-semester course for students familiar with linear and abstract algebra and prepares them for a graduate course on Lie groups. Matrix Groups for Undergraduates is concrete and example-driven, with geometric motivation and rigorous proofs. The story begins and ends with the rotations of a globe. In between, the author combines rigor and intuition to describe the basic objects of Lie theory: Lie algebras, matrix exponentiation, Lie brackets, maximal tori, homogeneous spaces, and roots. This second edition includes two new chapters that allow for an easier transition to the general theory of Lie groups. From reviews of the First Edition: This book could be used as an excellent textbook for a one semester course at university and it will prepare students for a graduate course on Lie groups, Lie algebras, etc. … The book combines an intuitive style of writing w...

Patterns of Undergraduates' Use of Scholarly Databases in a Large Research University

Science.gov (United States)

Mbabu, Loyd Gitari; Bertram, Albert; Varnum, Ken

2013-01-01

Authentication data was utilized to explore undergraduate usage of subscription electronic databases. These usage patterns were linked to the information literacy curriculum of the library. The data showed that out of the 26,208 enrolled undergraduate students, 42% of them accessed a scholarly database at least once in the course of the entire…

The Views of Undergraduates about Problem-Based Learning Applications in a Biochemistry Course

Science.gov (United States)

Tarhan, Leman; Ayyildiz, Yildizay

2015-01-01

The effect of problem-based learning (PBL) applications in an undergraduate biochemistry course on students' interest in this course was investigated through four modules during one semester. Students' views about active learning and improvement in social skills were also collected and evaluated. We conducted the study with 36 senior students from…

When Theory Meets Practice: A New Approach for Teaching Undergraduate Sales Management Courses

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O'Reilly, Kelley A.

2015-01-01

Most sales management undergraduate courses teach students about sales management rather than how to successfully manage a sales team. A desire to change this paradigm resulted in a newly designed hands-on, skill-based sales management course that uses business case studies in combination with students developing, practicing, and performing the…

Teaching Spatial Thinking in Undergraduate Geology Courses Using Tools and Strategies from Cognitive Science Research

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Ormand, C. J.; Shipley, T. F.; Dutrow, B. L.; Goodwin, L. B.; Hickson, T. A.; Tikoff, B.; Atit, K.; Gagnier, K. M.; Resnick, I.

2015-12-01

Spatial visualization is an essential skill in the STEM disciplines, including the geological sciences. Undergraduate students, including geoscience majors in upper-level courses, bring a wide range of spatial skill levels to the classroom. Students with weak spatial skills may struggle to understand fundamental concepts and to solve geological problems with a spatial component. However, spatial thinking skills are malleable. Using strategies that have emerged from cognitive science research, we developed a set of curricular materials that improve undergraduate geology majors' abilities to reason about 3D concepts and to solve spatially complex geological problems. Cognitive science research on spatial thinking demonstrates that predictive sketching, making visual comparisons, gesturing, and the use of analogy can be used to develop students' spatial thinking skills. We conducted a three-year study of the efficacy of these strategies in strengthening the spatial skills of students in core geology courses at three universities. Our methodology is a quasi-experimental quantitative design, utilizing pre- and post-tests of spatial thinking skills, assessments of spatial problem-solving skills, and a control group comprised of students not exposed to our new curricular materials. Students taught using the new curricular materials show improvement in spatial thinking skills. Further analysis of our data, to be completed prior to AGU, will answer additional questions about the relationship between spatial skills and academic performance, spatial skills and gender, spatial skills and confidence, and the impact of our curricular materials on students who are struggling academically. Teaching spatial thinking in the context of discipline-based exercises has the potential to transform undergraduate education in the geological sciences by removing one significant barrier to success.

Undergraduate Research or Research-Based Courses: Which Is Most Beneficial for Science Students?

Science.gov (United States)

Olivares-Donoso, Ruby; González, Carlos

2017-06-01

Over the last 25 years, both research literature and practice-oriented reports have claimed the need for improving the quality of undergraduate science education through linking research and teaching. Two manners of doing this are reported: undergraduate research and research-based courses. Although there are studies reporting benefits of participating in these experiences, few synthesize their findings. In this article, we present a literature review aimed at synthesizing and comparing results of the impact of participating in these research experiences to establish which approach is most beneficial for students to develop as scientists. Twenty studies on student participation in undergraduate research and research-based courses were reviewed. Results show that both types of experiences have positive effects on students. These results have implications for both practice and research. Regarding practice, we propose ideas for designing and implementing experiences that combine both types of experiences. Concerning research, we identify some methodological limitations that should be addressed in further studies.

A Writing-Intensive Course Improves Biology Undergraduates' Perception and Confidence of Their Abilities to Read Scientific Literature and Communicate Science

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Brownell, Sara E.; Price, Jordan V.; Steinman, Lawrence

2013-01-01

Most scientists agree that comprehension of primary scientific papers and communication of scientific concepts are two of the most important skills that we can teach, but few undergraduate biology courses make these explicit course goals. We designed an undergraduate neuroimmunology course that uses a writing-intensive format. Using a mixture of…

How much is too much assessment? Insight into assessment-driven student learning gains in large-scale undergraduate microbiology courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jack T H; Schembri, Mark A; Hall, Roy A

2013-01-01

Designing and implementing assessment tasks in large-scale undergraduate science courses is a labor-intensive process subject to increasing scrutiny from students and quality assurance authorities alike. Recent pedagogical research has provided conceptual frameworks for teaching introductory undergraduate microbiology, but has yet to define best-practice assessment guidelines. This study assessed the applicability of Biggs' theory of constructive alignment in designing consistent learning objectives, activities, and assessment items that aligned with the American Society for Microbiology's concept-based microbiology curriculum in MICR2000, an introductory microbiology course offered at the University of Queensland, Australia. By improving the internal consistency in assessment criteria and increasing the number of assessment items explicitly aligned to the course learning objectives, the teaching team was able to efficiently provide adequate feedback on numerous assessment tasks throughout the semester, which contributed to improved student performance and learning gains. When comparing the constructively aligned 2011 offering of MICR2000 with its 2010 counterpart, students obtained higher marks in both coursework assignments and examinations as the semester progressed. Students also valued the additional feedback provided, as student rankings for course feedback provision increased in 2011 and assessment and feedback was identified as a key strength of MICR2000. By designing MICR2000 using constructive alignment and iterative assessment tasks that followed a common set of learning outcomes, the teaching team was able to effectively deliver detailed and timely feedback in a large introductory microbiology course. This study serves as a case study for how constructive alignment can be integrated into modern teaching practices for large-scale courses.

Designing Student Feedback System within the Course Evaluation Process: Dokuz Eylül University Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammet DAMAR

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The Bologna Process at National Higher Education Programs initiated a series of studies regarding the assessment and evaluation of quality in higher education. Dokuz Eylül University has taken this initiation into a primary concern to develop a methodology for the measurement of quality in undergraduate education. Besides the existing systems on this subject at Dokuz Eylül University, substantial progress was recently made by developing innovative sub-systems aiming further improvements. As one of the most important stakeholders, the feedback from students about the quality of the courses was selected as the major concern and a Student Course Feedback System was developed for this purpose. As an exemplary case study, this reveals how the Student Course Feedback System was designed, the process, the technologies used, the problems and constraints encountered, and the roadmap that can be followed by other universities. Dokuz Eylül University has interiorized this process as a corporate culture by directing instructors to make improvements in the courses with respect to the outputs of the evaluation forms, including questions about learning outcomes, instructors, and physical conditions. The integrated design of the Student Course Feedback System with the existing information systems has enabled management to implement a course evaluation system comprising the trilogy of students, instructors, and courses as a whole. The existence of such an assessment process supports the principles of continuous improvement and helps to establish the factual decision making process as an important milestone on the roadmap for a living quality assurance system.

Heat Exchanger Lab for Chemical Engineering Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Rajala, Jonathan W.; Evans, Edward A.; Chase, George G.

2015-01-01

Third year chemical engineering undergraduate students at The University of Akron designed and fabricated a heat exchanger for a stirred tank as part of a Chemical Engineering Laboratory course. The heat exchanger portion of this course was three weeks of the fifteen week long semester. Students applied concepts of scale-up and dimensional…

Academic Resourcefulness, Coping Strategies and Doubting in University Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Xuereb, Sharon

2015-01-01

This study hypothesised that academic resourcefulness and coping strategies would predict doubting amongst university undergraduates. Doubting refers to the serious consideration of prematurely withdrawing from university. It was predicted that mature students would report higher levels of academic resourcefulness and adaptive coping strategies,…

Investigation of Undergraduate Students’ Environmental Attitudes

OpenAIRE

Sacit KÖSE; Ayse SAVRAN GENCER; Kudret GEZER; Gül Hanım EROL; Kadir BİLEN

2011-01-01

Environmental education has been viewed as an important way to educate students about environmental issues beginning from pre-school to higher education. This study is a part of this field- namely, undergraduate environmental education. The purpose of the study is to explore undergraduate students’ attitudes towards environment after the course “Environment, Human, and Society”. In direction of this basic aim, environmental attitudes of university students were e...

a Matter of Confidence: Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Engaging in Lab and Course Work in Undergraduate Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Micari, Marina; Pazos, Pilar; Hartmann, Mitra J. Z.

Although there has been a great deal of research on women's experiences in engineering study, there has been little attempt to connect experiential factors to performance in both course and lab. This two-phase study investigated gender differences in undergraduates' experiences in a fluid mechanics course as well as the relationship between experiential factors and student performance in that course. One hundred forty-seven students at a Midwestern research university completed questionnaires related to course experience and perceived engagement. Data were also collected on final grade for 89 students in the second round of data collection. Relative to men, women reported less confidence that they could avoid mistakes in the lab, less experience with mechanical items, less perceived ability in engineering relative to classmates, and less perceived skill in tasks requiring navigation or maneuvering through space. Feelings of engagement were related to grade, but no gender differences were found in either engagement or grade.

Undergraduate, Nonprofessional Pharmacology: Status of Courses Taught by North American Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerald, Michael C.

1989-01-01

A study assessed and compared the current status of undergraduate, nonprofessional pharmacology courses as taught in the U. S. and Canadian colleges of pharmacy and medicine; courses offered by veterinary medicine are also noted. Pharmacy courses seek to increase general drug knowledge and promote rational drug use. (Author/MLW)

Known structure, unknown function: An inquiry‐based undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Cynthia; Price, Carol W.; Lee, Christopher T.; Dewald, Alison H.; Cline, Matthew A.; McAnany, Charles E.

2015-01-01

Abstract Undergraduate biochemistry laboratory courses often do not provide students with an authentic research experience, particularly when the express purpose of the laboratory is purely instructional. However, an instructional laboratory course that is inquiry‐ and research‐based could simultaneously impart scientific knowledge and foster a student's research expertise and confidence. We have developed a year‐long undergraduate biochemistry laboratory curriculum wherein students determine, via experiment and computation, the function of a protein of known three‐dimensional structure. The first half of the course is inquiry‐based and modular in design; students learn general biochemical techniques while gaining preparation for research experiments in the second semester. Having learned standard biochemical methods in the first semester, students independently pursue their own (original) research projects in the second semester. This new curriculum has yielded an improvement in student performance and confidence as assessed by various metrics. To disseminate teaching resources to students and instructors alike, a freely accessible Biochemistry Laboratory Education resource is available at http://biochemlab.org. © 2015 The Authors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 43(4):245–262, 2015. PMID:26148241

Known structure, unknown function: An inquiry-based undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Cynthia; Price, Carol W; Lee, Christopher T; Dewald, Alison H; Cline, Matthew A; McAnany, Charles E; Columbus, Linda; Mura, Cameron

2015-01-01

Undergraduate biochemistry laboratory courses often do not provide students with an authentic research experience, particularly when the express purpose of the laboratory is purely instructional. However, an instructional laboratory course that is inquiry- and research-based could simultaneously impart scientific knowledge and foster a student's research expertise and confidence. We have developed a year-long undergraduate biochemistry laboratory curriculum wherein students determine, via experiment and computation, the function of a protein of known three-dimensional structure. The first half of the course is inquiry-based and modular in design; students learn general biochemical techniques while gaining preparation for research experiments in the second semester. Having learned standard biochemical methods in the first semester, students independently pursue their own (original) research projects in the second semester. This new curriculum has yielded an improvement in student performance and confidence as assessed by various metrics. To disseminate teaching resources to students and instructors alike, a freely accessible Biochemistry Laboratory Education resource is available at http://biochemlab.org. © 2015 The Authors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Construction of Meaning of the Undergraduate Course in Business Administration by High and Low Income Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo de Rezende Pinto

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the results of an empirical study undertaken with a sample of 368 undergraduate business administration students from five private universities in a large Brazilian city. The objective was to analyze the differences in perceptions of the course by students from high and low income backgrounds regarding the following issues: the cultural and symbolic elements involving higher education; the relevance of higher education in consumer priorities and the influence on consumption behavior of students; the appropriateness of the course to their reality; and the expected benefits of obtaining a degree. The data were analyzed using the Grade of Membership (GoM and t-test statistical techniques. The results, which were compared with the theoretical framework on consumption in a cultural and symbolic perspective, signaled there is a difference in meaning between the two groups of students.

Targeting Critical Thinking Skills in a First-Year Undergraduate Research Course †

Science.gov (United States)

Carson, Susan

2015-01-01

TH!NK is a new initiative at NC State University focused on enhancing students’ higher-order cognitive skills. As part of this initiative, I explicitly emphasized critical and creative thinking in an existing bacteriophage discovery first-year research course. In addition to the typical activities associated with undergraduate research such as review of primary literature and writing research papers, another strategy employed to enhance students’ critical thinking skills was the use of discipline-specific, real-world scenarios. This paper outlines a general “formula” for writing scenarios, as well as several specific scenarios created for the described course. I also present how embedding aspects of the scenarios in reviews of the primary literature enriched the activity. I assessed student gains in critical thinking skills using a pre-/posttest model of the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT), developed by Tennessee Technological University. I observed a positive gain trend in most of the individual skills assessed in the CAT, with a statistically significant large effect on critical thinking skills overall in students in the test group. I also show that a higher level of critical thinking skills was demonstrated in research papers written by students who participated in the scenarios compared with similar students who did not participate in the scenario activities. The scenario strategy described here can be modified for use in biology and other STEM disciplines, as well as in diverse disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. PMID:26753022

Enhancing undergraduate students’ communications skills

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Merete; Witt, Klaus; Fridorff-Jens, Peter Kindt

2014-01-01

,Monika Bullinger,Matthias Rose, Sylke Andreas.Enhancing medical students' communication skills: development and evaluation of an undergraduate training program.Published online 2012 March 24. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-12-16 2.William T. Branch, Jr, MD; David Kern, MD; Paul Haidet, MD, MPH; Peter Weissmann, MD......19729 Abstract Title: Enhancing undergraduate students communications skills Abstract Authors: •Merete Jorgensen, Copenhagen University , Family Medicine , Copenhagen •Klaus Witt, Research Unit , Family Medicine , Copenhagen •Peter Kindt Fridorff-Jens, Copenhagen University , IT-unit , Copenhagen...... Abstract Presenter(s): •Merete Jorgensen, Copenhagen University , Family Medicine , Øster Farigmagsgade 5 , 1014 , K , Denmark , mejor@sund.ku.dk Abstract: Background Being teachers in Clinical Course of Family Medicine since 1995, we have developed two schemes for communication analysing purposes called...

Religion and mythology in a sample of undergraduate psychology of women courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Christina J; Galasso, Rosemarie

2008-10-01

The coverage of religion and mythology in undergraduate courses in the Psychology of Women was explored by (a) surveying a sample of undergraduate instructors (N=72); and (b) examining coverage in textbooks on the Psychology of Women (N=95). 48.6% of teachers said they include some coverage, while 43.1% said they never do. The total percentage of coverage in textbooks is small, ranging from a mean of 2.0% in the 1970s to 1.1% in the current decade.

Students' conceptions of evidence during a university introductory forensic science course

Science.gov (United States)

Yeshion, Theodore Elliot

Students' Conceptions of Science, Scientific Evidence, and Forensic Evidence during a University Introductory Forensic Science Course This study was designed to examine and understand what conceptions undergraduate students taking an introductory forensic science course had about scientific evidence. Because the relationships between the nature of science, the nature of evidence, and the nature of forensic evidence are not well understood in the science education literature, this study sought to understand how these concepts interact and affect students' understanding of scientific evidence. Four participants were purposefully selected for this study from among 89 students enrolled in two sections of an introductory forensic science course taught during the fall 2005 semester. Of the 89 students, 84 were criminal justice majors with minimal science background and five were chemistry majors with academic backgrounds in the natural and physical sciences. All 89 students completed a biographical data sheet and a pre-instruction Likert scale survey consisting of twenty questions relating to the nature of scientific evidence. An evaluation of these two documents resulted in a purposeful selection of four varied student participants, each of whom was interviewed three times throughout the semester about the nature of science, the nature of evidence, and the nature of forensic evidence. The same survey was administered to the participants again at the end of the semester-long course. This study examined students' assumptions, prior knowledge, their understanding of scientific inference, scientific theory, and methodology. Examination of the data found few differences with regard to how the criminal justice majors and the chemistry majors responded to interview questions about forensic evidence. There were qualitative differences, however, when the same participants answered interview questions relating to traditional scientific evidence. Furthermore, suggestions are

Teaching the Scientific Study of International Relations to Undergraduates.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, D. Scott

2002-01-01

Discusses how theory and science are integrated into "Introduction to International Relations" and "International Relations Theory", two undergraduate courses at Pennsylvania State University (University Park). Highlights five issues that are used in the author's approach to teaching theory and science. (CMK)

Instructors' Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Teaching Undergraduate Physical Education Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Filho, Paulo Jose Barbosa Gutierres; Monteiro, Maria Dolores Alves Ferreira; da Silva, Rudney; Hodge, Samuel R.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze adapted physical education instructors' views about the application of the theory of planned behavior (TpB) in teaching physical education undergraduate courses. Participants ("n" = 17) were instructors of adapted physical activity courses from twelve randomly selected institutions of higher…

Factors Influencing Achievement in Undergraduate Social Science Research Methods Courses: A Mixed Methods Analysis

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Markle, Gail

2017-01-01

Undergraduate social science research methods courses tend to have higher than average rates of failure and withdrawal. Lack of success in these courses impedes students' progression through their degree programs and negatively impacts institutional retention and graduation rates. Grounded in adult learning theory, this mixed methods study…

University Undergraduate Students, Perceptions of The Wireless ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study focused on Uni versity Undergraduate students' perceptions of the use of the wireless internet of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria. Using emperical and new field data, this exploratory study investigated the students' perceptions of internet use in relation to library use. The study adopted a ...

Determinants of Happiness in Undergraduate University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Deborah M.; MacLeod, Stephanie

2015-01-01

This study explored the relationship between happiness, and six other life domains: Academic Success, Financial Security, Familial Support, Living Environment, Self-Image and Social Relations. Participants were one hundred and ninety- two students from a small undergraduate university. The purpose of the study was to determine which life domain…

Capstone Senior Research Course in Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ishuan; Simonson, Robert

2016-01-01

In this article, the authors describe the structure and assessment of a capstone course in economics. The outcomes are noteworthy for three reasons. First, among cited evidence to date, this is the only undergraduate economics program from a nonselective public university reporting similar achievements in undergraduate research paper publications.…

Methods of teaching the physics of climate change in undergraduate physics courses

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, Michael

2015-04-01

Although anthropogenic climate change is generally accepted in the scientific community, there is considerable skepticism among the general population and, therefore, in undergraduate students of all majors. Students are often asked by their peers, family members, and others, whether they ``believe'' climate change is occurring and what should be done about it (if anything). I will present my experiences and recommendations for teaching the physics of climate change to both physics and non-science majors. For non-science majors, the basic approach is to try to develop an appreciation for the scientific method (particularly peer-reviewed research) in a course on energy and the environment. For physics majors, the pertinent material is normally covered in their undergraduate courses in modern physics and thermodynamics. Nevertheless, it helps to review the basics, e.g. introductory quantum mechanics (discrete energy levels of atomic systems), molecular spectroscopy, and blackbody radiation. I have done this in a separate elective topics course, titled ``Physics of Climate Change,'' to help the students see how their knowledge gives them insight into a topic that is very volatile (socially and politically).

Attitude to the subject of chemistry in undergraduate nursing students at Fiji National University and Federation University, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Stephen; Wakeling, Lara; Peck, Blake; Naiker, Mani; Hill, Dolores; Naidu, Keshni

2015-01-01

Attitude to the subject of chemistry was quantified in first-year undergraduate nursing students, at two geographically distinct universities. A purpose-designed diagnostic instrument (ASCI) was given to students at Federation University, Australia (n= 114), and at Fiji National University, Fiji (n=160). Affective and cognitive sub-scales within ASCI showed reasonable internal consistency. Cronbach's alpha for the cognitive sub-scale was 0.786 and 0.630, and 0.787 and 0.788 for affective sub-scale for the Federation University and Fiji National University students, respectively. Mean (SD) score for the cognitive sub-scale was 10.5 (5.6) and 15.2 (4.1) for students at Federation University and Fiji National University, respectively (PFiji National University, respectively (P < 0.001, t-test). An exploratory factor analysis (n=274) confirmed a two-factor solution consistent with affective and cognitive sub-scales, each with good internal consistency. Quantifying attitude to chemistry in undergraduate nursing students using ASCI may have utility in assessing the impact of novel teaching strategies used in the education of nursing students in areas of bioscience and chemistry. However, geographically distinct populations of undergraduate nurses may show very different attitudes to chemistry.

Making developmental biology relevant to undergraduates in an era of economic rationalism in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Key, Brian; Nurcombe, Victor

2003-01-01

This report describes the road map we followed at our university to accommodate three main factors: financial pressure within the university system; desire to enhance the learning experience of undergraduates; and motivation to increase the prominence of the discipline of developmental biology in our university. We engineered a novel, multi-year undergraduate developmental biology program which was "student-oriented," ensuring that students were continually exposed to the underlying principles and philosophy of this discipline throughout their undergraduate career. Among its key features are introductory lectures in core courses in the first year, which emphasize the relevance of developmental biology to tissue engineering, reproductive medicine, therapeutic approaches in medicine, agriculture and aquaculture. State-of-the-art animated computer graphics and images of high visual impact are also used. In addition, students are streamed into the developmental biology track in the second year, using courses like human embryology and courses shared with cell biology, which include practicals based on modern experimental approaches. Finally, fully dedicated third-year courses in developmental biology are undertaken in conjunction with stand-alone practical courses where students experiencefirst-hand work in a research laboratory. Our philosophy is a "cradle-to-grave" approach to the education of undergraduates so as to prepare highly motivated, enthusiastic and well-educated developmental biologists for entry into graduate programs and ultimately post-doctoral research.

A broadly implementable research course in phage discovery and genomics for first-year undergraduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Tuajuanda C; Burnett, Sandra H; Carson, Susan; Caruso, Steven M; Clase, Kari; DeJong, Randall J; Dennehy, John J; Denver, Dee R; Dunbar, David; Elgin, Sarah C R; Findley, Ann M; Gissendanner, Chris R; Golebiewska, Urszula P; Guild, Nancy; Hartzog, Grant A; Grillo, Wendy H; Hollowell, Gail P; Hughes, Lee E; Johnson, Allison; King, Rodney A; Lewis, Lynn O; Li, Wei; Rosenzweig, Frank; Rubin, Michael R; Saha, Margaret S; Sandoz, James; Shaffer, Christopher D; Taylor, Barbara; Temple, Louise; Vazquez, Edwin; Ware, Vassie C; Barker, Lucia P; Bradley, Kevin W; Jacobs-Sera, Deborah; Pope, Welkin H; Russell, Daniel A; Cresawn, Steven G; Lopatto, David; Bailey, Cheryl P; Hatfull, Graham F

2014-02-04

Engaging large numbers of undergraduates in authentic scientific discovery is desirable but difficult to achieve. We have developed a general model in which faculty and teaching assistants from diverse academic institutions are trained to teach a research course for first-year undergraduate students focused on bacteriophage discovery and genomics. The course is situated within a broader scientific context aimed at understanding viral diversity, such that faculty and students are collaborators with established researchers in the field. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) course has been widely implemented and has been taken by over 4,800 students at 73 institutions. We show here that this alliance-sourced model not only substantially advances the field of phage genomics but also stimulates students' interest in science, positively influences academic achievement, and enhances persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Broad application of this model by integrating other research areas with large numbers of early-career undergraduate students has the potential to be transformative in science education and research training. Engagement of undergraduate students in scientific research at early stages in their careers presents an opportunity to excite students about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and promote continued interests in these areas. Many excellent course-based undergraduate research experiences have been developed, but scaling these to a broader impact with larger numbers of students is challenging. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunting Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program takes advantage of the huge size and diversity of the bacteriophage population to engage students in discovery of new viruses, genome

Hybrid orbitals notation: Some misconceptions in an undergraduate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This work reports a study performed involving 26 students of an undergraduate basic chemistry course class at Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The study was performed in order to evaluate the misconceptions about hybridization that students bring from high school courses and how to overcame such ...

Bridging the gap between university and industry: experiences with a senior level undergraduate supply chain course

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenhuis, H.J.; de Bruijn, E.J.

2005-01-01

Teaching operations and supply chain management courses can be challenging especially because textbook materials and “real” life experiences don’t always coincide. At Eastern Washington University a new approach has been introduced with a heavy emphasis on practical knowledge, i.e. oriented towards

Teaching Resources and Instructor Professional Development for Integrating Laser Scanning, Structure from Motion, and GPS Surveying into Undergraduate Field Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt-Sitaula, B.; Charlevoix, D. J.; Douglas, B. J.; Crosby, B. T.; Crosby, C. J.; Lauer, I. H.; Shervais, K.

2017-12-01

Field experiences have long been considered an integral part of geoscience learning. However, as data acquisition technologies evolve, undergraduate field courses need to keep pace so students gain exposure to new technologies relevant to the modern workforce. Maintaining expertise on new technologies is also challenging to established field education programs. Professional development and vetted curriculum present an opportunity to advance student exposure to new geoscience data acquisition technology. The GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) Field Collection, funded by NSF's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program, addresses these needs in geodesy field education. Geodesy is the science of accurately measuring Earth's size, shape, orientation, mass distribution and the variations of these with time. Modern field geodesy methods include terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), kinematic and static GPS/GNSS surveying (global positioning system/global navigation satellite system), and structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry. The GETSI Field Collection is a collaborative project between UNAVCO, Indiana University, and Idaho State University. The project is provides curriculum modules and instructor training (in the form of short courses) to facilitate the inclusion of SfM, TLS, and GPS surveying into geoscience courses with field components. The first module - Analyzing High Resolution Topography with TLS and SfM - is available via SERC; (serc.carleton.edu/getsi/teaching_materials/high-rez-topo) the second module - "High Precision Positioning with Static and Kinematic GPS/GNSS" - will be published in 2018. The module development and assessment follows the standards of the InTeGrate Project (an NSF STEP Center)previously tested on geodesy content in the GETSI classroom collection (serc.carleton.edu/getsi). This model emphasizes use of best practices in STEM education, including situating learning in the context of societal importance. Analysis of student work

Dynamic Undergraduate Climate Change Affinity Program: University of Delaware Climate Program for Undergraduates (CPUG)

Science.gov (United States)

Merrill, J.

2017-12-01

Multidisciplinary undergraduate climate change education is critical for students entering any sector of the workforce. The University of Delaware has developed a new interdisciplinary affinity program—UD Climate Program for Undergraduates (CPUG)—open to undergraduate students of all majors to provide a comprehensive educational experience designed to educate skilled climate change problem-solvers for a wide range of professional careers. The program is designed to fulfill all General Education requirements, and includes a residential community commitment and experiential learning in community outreach and problem solving. Seminars will introduce current popular press and research materials and provide practice in confirming source credibility, communications training, and psychological support, as well as team building. As undergraduates, members of the UD CPUG team will define, describe, and develop a solution or solutions for a pressing local climate challenge that has the potential for global impact. The choice of a challenge and approach to addressing it will be guided by the student's advisor. Students are expected to develop a practical, multidisciplinary solution to address the challenge as defined, using their educational and experiential training. Solutions will be presented to the UD community during the spring semester of their senior year, as a collaborative team solution, with enhancement through individual portfolios from each team member. The logic model, structure, curricular and co-curricular supports for the CPUG will be provided. Mechanisms of support available through University administration will also be discussed.

A systematic review of factors influencing student ratings in undergraduate medical education course evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiekirka, Sarah; Raupach, Tobias

2015-03-05

Student ratings are a popular source of course evaluations in undergraduate medical education. Data on the reliability and validity of such ratings have mostly been derived from studies unrelated to medical education. Since medical education differs considerably from other higher education settings, an analysis of factors influencing overall student ratings with a specific focus on medical education was needed. For the purpose of this systematic review, online databases (PubMed, PsycInfo and Web of Science) were searched up to August 1st, 2013. Original research articles on the use of student ratings in course evaluations in undergraduate medical education were eligible for inclusion. Included studies considered the format of evaluation tools and assessed the association of independent and dependent (i.e., overall course ratings) variables. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were checked by two independent reviewers, and results were synthesised in a narrative review. Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Qualitative research (2 studies) indicated that overall course ratings are mainly influenced by student satisfaction with teaching and exam difficulty rather than objective determinants of high quality teaching. Quantitative research (23 studies) yielded various influencing factors related to four categories: student characteristics, exposure to teaching, satisfaction with examinations and the evaluation process itself. Female gender, greater initial interest in course content, higher exam scores and higher satisfaction with exams were associated with more positive overall course ratings. Due to the heterogeneity and methodological limitations of included studies, results must be interpreted with caution. Medical educators need to be aware of various influences on student ratings when developing data collection instruments and interpreting evaluation results. More research into the reliability and validity of overall course ratings as typically used in the

Undergraduate courses for enhancing design ability in naval architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyu-Yeul Lee

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Contemporary lectures in undergraduate engineering courses typically focus on teaching major technical knowledge-based theories in a limited time. Therefore, most lectures do not allow the students to gain understanding of how the theories are applied, especially in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering departments. Shipyards require students to acquire practical ship design skills in undergraduate courses. To meet this requirement, two lectures are organized by the authors; namely, “Planning Procedure of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering” (PNAOE and “Innovative Ship Design” (ISD. The concept of project-based and collaborative learning is applied in these two lectures. In the PNAOE lecture, sophomores receive instruction in the designing and building of model ships, and the students' work is evaluated in a model ship contest. This curriculum enables students to understand the concepts of ship design and production. In the ISD lecture, seniors learn how to develop their creative ideas about ship design and communicate with members of group. They are encouraged to cooperate with others and understand the ship design process. In the capstone design course, students receive guidance to facilitate understanding of how the knowledge from their sophomore or junior classes, such as fluid mechanics, statics, and dynamics, can be applied to practical ship design. Students are also encouraged to compete in the ship design contest organized by the Society of Naval Architects of Korea. Moreover, the effectiveness of project-based and collaborative learning for enhancing interest in the shipbuilding Industry and understanding the ship design process is demonstrated by citing the PNAOE and ISD lectures as examples.

Athabasca University: Conversion from Traditional Distance Education to Online Courses, Programs and Services

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Alan Davis

2001-01-01

Full Text Available In its 30 years of operation, Athabasca University has witnessed the full impact of the growth of online distance education. Its conversion from mixed media course production and telephone/ mail tutoring to a variety of electronic information and communication technologies has been heterogeneous across disciplines and programs. Undergraduate programs in business, computing, and some social science programs have largely led the conversion, and all graduate programs have, since their inception, employed various features of online delivery. The parallel conversion of student services has been equally important to the effectiveness of these processes. The implications of this approach for the quality of offerings, support systems, costing, and the primary mandate of the University (which is to remove barriers, not create them are discussed.

An Evaluation of a Course That Introduces Undergraduate Students to Authentic Aerospace Engineering Research

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Mena, Irene B.; Schmitz, Sven; McLaughlin, Dennis

2015-01-01

This paper describes the implementation and assessment of an aerospace engineering course in which undergraduate students worked on research projects with graduate research mentors. The course was created using the principles from cooperative learning and project-based learning, and consisted of students working in small groups on a complex,…

Undergraduate Engineering Students' Attitudes and Perceptions towards "Professional Ethics" Course: A Case Study of India

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Sethy, Satya Sundar

2017-01-01

"Professional Ethics" has been offered as a compulsory course to undergraduate engineering students in a premier engineering institution of India. It was noticed that students' perceptions and attitudes were frivolous and ornamental towards this course. Course instructors and institution authorities were motivated to find out the factors…

The Trouble with Online Undergraduate Business Degrees In Traditional Regional Universities

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Wright, M. Keith

2014-01-01

Because of the surging demand for undergraduate business degrees and the increasing availability of effective online educational content, many traditional regional universities have added, or are now considering adding, online undergraduate business degree programs to their classroom programs. Through a review of the literature bearing on that…

A Study of the Vocational Education Preferences and Interests of the Indian Undergraduate Students

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P.A. Reddy

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The study identifies the priorities of vocational educational courses and interests of the Indian undergraduate students. The study was conducted in S.V. University area covering 300 undergraduate students of Arts, Commerce and Science streams. The study identified the more prominent, prominent and less prominent vocational educational courses. Further, studies the association between vocational education interests and the background of the students (sex, caste, stream of study, year of study and area. The difference between various groups of students belonging to above groups in their vocational education interests of the undergraduate students was also identified. The study provided a suggestive list of vocational educational courses for undergraduate students for enhancing their employability.

Evaluation of the Undergraduate Physics Programme at Indira Gandhi National Open University: A Case Study

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Arundhati Mishra

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The undergraduate science programme was launched at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU in 1991-92 with an enrolment of 1,210 students. The programme was well received, and enrolments increased over the years. However, the success rates have not kept pace with enrolment.In this paper, the authors report the results of an evaluation of the undergraduate Physics programme at IGNOU. The evaluation, the first of its type for this programme, adapted the major tenets of the CIPP model. The findings are based on the responses from a randomly chosen sample of 509 learners across India. The methods employed for the study include records, document, and database analysis, surveys, and case studies.Although the University has enhanced access to higher science education, the attrition rate is high (73%, and the success rate is low. The authors recommend that the University review and reorient its strategies for providing good quality, learner-centred higher education in science subjects. The programme should address the concerns of the learners about the effectiveness of the student support systems, the difficulty level, and the learner-friendliness of study materials with the goal of achieving long-term sustainability while maintaining parity with the conventional system. The need for improving the presentation of the courses and simplifying the mathematical details is emphasised.

Portuguese as a Minority Language: Attitudes of Undergraduate Students Studying Portuguese Literature

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Reis, Sonia Maria Nunes

2011-01-01

The differences between European Portuguese (EP) and Brazilian Portuguese (BP) raise some interesting issues that are well worth considering through undergraduate university students' perceptions and attitudes. Instructors of undergraduate courses in Portuguese literature suggest that in terms of curriculum design, curriculum delivery, and…

Effectiveness of Inquiry-Based Learning in an Undergraduate Exercise Physiology Course

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Nybo, Lars; May, Michael

2015-01-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of changing a laboratory physiology course for undergraduate students from a traditional step-by-step guided structure to an inquiry-based approach. With this aim in mind, quantitative and qualitative evaluations of learning outcomes (individual subject-specific tests and group interviews)…

International infectious diseases teaching to undergraduate medical students: A successful European collaborative experience.

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Charlier, Caroline; Johannessen, Ingólfur; Mackintosh, Claire L; Wilks, David; Cauda, Roberto; Wolf, Federica I; Le Jeunne, Claire

2017-09-01

The emerging global-health paradigm requires medical teaching to be continuously redefined and updated; to this end, transnational approaches should be encouraged and medical training harmonized. Infectious diseases (ID) teaching in the current context of emerging infections, fast-increasing bacterial resistance and large-scale human migration, was chosen to develop a common international course. We report the successful implementation of a joint European undergraduate course aiming to (i) develop a common ID core curriculum among European medical schools; (ii) promote mobility among teachers and students (iii) promote international cooperation among European teachers. The course was built around teachers' mobility. It was delivered in English by a team of European medical educators from Paris Descartes University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome and the University of Edinburgh to groups of 25-30 undergraduate medical students at each university. Partner Institutions officially recognized the course as substitutive of or additive to the regular curriculum. The course has been running for 3 years and received excellent satisfaction scores by students and staff as regards to scientific content, pedagogy and international exchanges. This cooperative approach demonstrates the feasibility of a harmonized European undergraduate medical education, having ID as a test experiment for future developments.

[Digital educational materials in nursing: assessment by professors from an undergraduate course].

Science.gov (United States)

Cogo, Ana Luísa Petersen; Pedro, Eva Néri Rubim; da Silva, Ana Paula Scheffer Schell; Schatkoski, Aline Modelski; Catalan, Vanessa Menezes; Alves, Rosa Helena Kreutz

2009-06-01

This study addresses the use of digital learning materials in the format of hypertext, educational games and simulations about oxygen therapy with professors of an Undergraduate Nursing Course. It is a cross-sectional exploratory study that was carried out at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in 2006 with 10 intentionally selected professors. Data collection was performed by means of a questionnaire, using a Likert scale to assess the suitability of the content, visual presentation and use of learning materials. Descriptive statistics was used to organize and process the data. Results showed that the professors approved of the presentation of educational materials, they agreed with the suitability of the contents presented and with using the materials with the content regarding oxygen therapy. There was no significant relation between the professors' opinion and their age group, nor with their computer technology knowledge, their time in teaching and the addressed contents.

Science Academies' Refresher Course in Experimental Physics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-12-18

Dec 18, 2017 ... A Refresher Course in Experimental Physics will be held at the Department of Physics, Panjab. University, Chandigarh held from 18 December 2017 to 2 January 2018 for the benefit of faculty involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The Course aims to familiarize the teachers with a ...

Benchmarking and Accreditation Goals Support the Value of an Undergraduate Business Law Core Course

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O'Brien, Christine Neylon; Powers, Richard E.; Wesner, Thomas L.

2018-01-01

This article provides information about the value of a core course in business law and why it remains essential to business education. It goes on to identify highly ranked undergraduate business programs that require one or more business law courses. Using "Business Week" and "US News and World Report" to identify top…

Undergraduate Research Opportunities in OSS

Science.gov (United States)

Boldyreff, Cornelia; Capiluppi, Andrea; Knowles, Thomas; Munro, James

Using Open Source Software (OSS) in undergraduate teaching in universities is now commonplace. Students use OSS applications and systems in their courses on programming, operating systems, DBMS, web development to name but a few. Studying OSS projects from both a product and a process view also forms part of the software engineering curriculum at various universities. Many students have taken part in OSS projects as well as developers.

Student Performance in an Introductory Business Statistics Course: Does Delivery Mode Matter?

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Haughton, Jonathan; Kelly, Alison

2015-01-01

Approximately 600 undergraduates completed an introductory business statistics course in 2013 in one of two learning environments at Suffolk University, a mid-sized private university in Boston, Massachusetts. The comparison group completed the course in a traditional classroom-based environment, whereas the treatment group completed the course in…

The Relevance of Sport and Exercise Psychology in Undergraduate Course Curriculum

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Stanley, Christopher T.; Robbins, Jamie E.

2015-01-01

Given the growth of Sport and Exercise Psychology (SEP) in recent decades, and the interdisciplinary nature of research and practice in the field, it may be particularly relevant in undergraduate courses and textbooks. However, no studies to date have examined the relative presence of the field. Accordingly, a primary aim of the study described in…

The Domains of Undergraduate International Business and International Management Courses in Accredited Schools of Business

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Adams, Janet S.; Veliyath, Rajaram

2003-01-01

This study compared undergraduate international business and international management course syllabi from 190 management departments at accredited U.S. business schools. Comparisons revealed considerable overlap in topic areas in the two courses. The findings indicate the need for greater domain clarity and differentiation in objectives, topic…

Introducing Problem-Based Learning to Undergraduate IT Service Management Course: Student Satisfaction and Work Performance

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Anicic, Katarina Pažur; Mekovec, Renata

2016-01-01

This paper describes the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) principles in an undergraduate IT service management course, followed by the results about student satisfaction and work performance. The results indicate the students' general satisfaction with the course implementation, as well as some challenges regarding the…

Bibliometric analysis of undergraduate final research projects in Nutrition courses in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

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Taiana Brito MENÊZES

2016-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the profile of academic production of undergraduates in Nutrition courses in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Methods: The bibliometric study was conducted with undergraduate final research projects from five courses in Nutrition in the state of Rio Grande do Norte during 2013 and 2014. The following variables were collected: institution, title of project, number of authors, academic degree of the advisor, study design, area of study interest, type of study, study setting, submission to the ethics committee, and keywords. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to assess the variable area of study interest with a significance level at p≤0.05 and 95% confidence interval. Results: Of the 195 projects analyzed, 79.0% were developed at universities. We found a higher frequency of academic articles (68.2% developed by a single student (65.6%, advised by a professor with a Masters degree (57.9%, with a cross-sectional study design (48.2%, and without submission to the research ethics committee (49.2%. The mean adequacy of keywords was 50.0%. Conclusion: The quantitative approach was the most predominant characteristic of the final research projects and the most frequently researched area of knowledge was public health. The methodological approaches of the research projects were considered weak, which suggests the need to improve the quality of scientific methodology during undergraduate studies, considering the important benefits derive from researches as an active methodology.

Science Café Course: An Innovative Means of Improving Communication Skills of Undergraduate Biology Majors

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Anna Goldina

2013-12-01

Full Text Available To help bridge the increasing gap between scientists and the public, we developed an innovative two-semester course, called Science Café. In this course undergraduate biology majors learn to develop communication skills to be better able to explain science concepts and current developments in science to non-scientists. Students develop and host outreach events on various topics relevant to the community, thereby increasing interactions between budding scientists and the public. Such a Science Cafe course emphasizes development of science communication skills early, at the undergraduate level and empowers students to use their science knowledge in every day interactions with the public to increase science literacy, get involved in the local community and engage the public in a dialogue on various pressing science issues. We believe that undergraduate science majors can be great ambassadors for science and are often overlooked since many aspire to go on to medical/veterinary/pharmacy schools. However, science communication skills are especially important for these types of students because when they become healthcare professionals, they will interact with the public as part of their everyday jobs and can thus be great representatives for the field.

Promoting Undergraduate Surgical Education: Current Evidence and Students' Views on ESMSC International Wet Lab Course.

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Sideris, Michail; Papalois, Apostolos; Theodoraki, Korina; Dimitropoulos, Ioannis; Johnson, Elizabeth O; Georgopoulou, Efstratia-Maria; Staikoglou, Nikolaos; Paparoidamis, Georgios; Pantelidis, Panteleimon; Tsagkaraki, Ismini; Karamaroudis, Stefanos; Potoupnis, Michael E; Tsiridis, Eleftherios; Dedeilias, Panagiotis; Papagrigoriadis, Savvas; Papalois, Vassilios; Zografos, Georgios; Triantafyllou, Aggeliki; Tsoulfas, Georgios

2017-04-01

Undergraduate Surgical Education is becoming an essential element in the training of the future generation of safe and efficient surgeons. Essential Skills in the Management of Surgical Cases (ESMSC), is an international, joint applied surgical science and simulation-based learning wet lab course. We performed a review of the existing literature on the topic of undergraduate surgical education. Following that, we analyzed the feedback questionnaire received 480 from 2 recent series of ESMSC courses (May 2015, n = 49 and November 2015, n = 40), in order to evaluate European Union students' (UK, Germany, Greece) views on the ESMSC course, as well as on the undergraduate surgical education. Results Using a 10 point graded scale, the overall ESMSC concept was positively evaluated, with a mean score of 9.41 ± 0.72 (range: 8-10) and 8.94 ± 1.1 (range: 7-10). The majority of delegates from both series [9.86 ± 0.43 (range: 8-10) and 9.58 ± 0.91 (range: 6-10), respectively] believed that ESMSC should be incorporated in the undergraduate surgical curriculum. Comparison of responses from the UK to the Greek Medical Student, as well as the findings from the third and fourth year versus the fifth and sixth year Medical Students, revealed no statistically significant differences pertaining to any of the questions (p > 0.05). Current evidence in the literature supports the enhancement of surgical education through the systematic use of various modalities that provide Simulation-Based Training (SBT) hands-on experience, starting from the early undergraduate level. The findings of the present study are in agreement with these previous reports.

"On the job" learning: A bioinformatics course incorporating undergraduates in actual research projects and manuscript submissions.

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Smith, Jason T; Harris, Justine C; Lopez, Oscar J; Valverde, Laura; Borchert, Glen M

2015-01-01

The sequencing of whole genomes and the analysis of genetic information continues to fundamentally change biological and medical research. Unfortunately, the people best suited to interpret this data (biologically trained researchers) are commonly discouraged by their own perceived computational limitations. To address this, we developed a course to help alleviate this constraint. Remarkably, in addition to equipping our undergraduates with an informatic toolset, we found our course design helped prepare our students for collaborative research careers in unexpected ways. Instead of simply offering a traditional lecture- or laboratory-based course, we chose a guided inquiry method, where an instructor-selected research question is examined by students in a collaborative analysis with students contributing to experimental design, data collection, and manuscript reporting. While students learn the skills needed to conduct bioinformatic research throughout all sections of the course, importantly, students also gain experience in working as a team and develop important communication skills through working with their partner and the class as a whole, and by contributing to an original research article. Remarkably, in its first three semesters, this novel computational genetics course has generated 45 undergraduate authorships across three peer-reviewed articles. More importantly, the students that took this course acquired a positive research experience, newfound informatics technical proficiency, unprecedented familiarity with manuscript preparation, and an earned sense of achievement. Although this course deals with analyses of genetic systems, we suggest the basic concept of integrating actual research projects into a 16-week undergraduate course could be applied to numerous other research-active academic fields. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

An ideal teaching program of nuclear chemistry in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uenak, T.

2009-01-01

It is well known that several reports on the common educational problems of nuclear chemistry have been prepared by certain groups of experts from time to time. According to very important statements in these reports, nuclear chemistry and related courses generally do not take sufficient importance in undergraduate chemistry curricula and it was generally proposed that nuclear chemistry and related courses should be introduced into undergraduate chemistry curricula at universities worldwide. Starting from these statements, an ideal program in an undergraduate chemistry curriculum was proposed to be introduced into the undergraduate chemistry program at the Department of Chemistry, Ege University, in Izmir, Turkey during the regular updating of the chemistry curriculum. Thus, it has been believed that this Department of Chemistry has recently gained an ideal teaching program in the field of nuclear chemistry and its applications in scientific, industrial, and medical sectors. In this contribution, the details of this program will be discussed. (author)

Utilization of Oral Health Care Services by University Undergraduates in Lagos, Nigeria.

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Makanjuola, J O; Uti, O G; Sofola, O O

2015-01-01

Data on the utilization of the available oral health facilities by university undergraduates is scarce in Nigeria. To determine the level of utilization of oral health care services and to identify the barriers to seeking treatment among University of Lagos students. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among University of Lagos undergraduates. Systematic sampling was used to select participants after randomly selecting a male and female hostel. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to participants and collected immediately. The data was analyzed using Epi info version 6.04 software. Statistical significance was evaluated with chi square test and p-value facilities.

Tracheobronchial Cast Production and Use in an Undergraduate Human Anatomy Course

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Cope, Lee Anne

2008-01-01

Silastic E RTV silicone was used to produce tracheobronchial cast for use in an undergraduate human anatomy course. Following air-drying, the trachea and lungs were injected with E RTV silicone and allowed to cure for 24 hr. The parenchyma was then removed from the tracheobronchial cast by maceration and boiling and then whitened in a 10% solution…

Incorporating online teaching in an introductory pharmaceutical practice course: a study of student perceptions within an Australian University.

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Benino, Diana; Girardi, Antonia; Czarniak, Petra

2011-10-01

To examine student perceptions regarding online lectures and quizzes undertaken during a pharmaceutical practice course for first year undergraduate students enrolled in the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at an Australian University. The University uses a standard instrument to collect feedback from students regarding unit satisfaction. Data were collected for three different teaching modalities: traditional face-to-face, online and partially online. Descriptive statistics support that, from a student's perspective, partial online delivery is the preferred teaching methodology for an introductory pharmaceutical practice unit. This study has served to highlight that while there are a few points of significant difference between traditional and online teaching and learning, a combination of the two provides a reasonable avenue for teaching exploration. This result has implications for teaching practice generally, and within the pharmacy discipline, specifically.

An Investigation of Academic Dishonesty among Undergraduates at Kansas State University

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Walton, Candace Lynne Thompson

2010-01-01

This study investigated the differences in own behavior and perception of peer behavior among undergraduates among gender, age, race/ethnicity and major. The participants were part of a census of undergraduate students at a Midwestern land grant university. There were 2,759 useable responses to a survey using McCabe's Academic Integrity Scale. The…

Effectiveness, Teaching, and Assessments: Survey Evidence from Finance Courses

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Lai, Ming Ming; Kwan, Jing Hui; Kadir, Hazlina Abdul; Abdullah, Mahdhir; Yap, Voon Choong

2010-01-01

The present article examines the effectiveness, teaching, assessment methods, and the importance of finance concepts in three undergraduate finance courses in a private university in Malaysia. Approximately 224 undergraduates (finance majors) were surveyed and demonstrated positive attitudes toward the effectiveness of the finance subjects. The…

A systemic analysis of cheating in an undergraduate engineering mechanics course.

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Bertram Gallant, Tricia; Van Den Einde, Lelli; Ouellette, Scott; Lee, Sam

2014-03-01

Cheating in the undergraduate classroom is not a new problem, and it is recognized as one that is endemic to the education system. This paper examines the highly normative behavior of using unauthorized assistance (e.g., a solutions manual or a friend) on an individual assignment within the context of an upper division undergraduate course in engineering mechanics. The findings indicate that there are varying levels of accepting responsibility among the students (from denial to tempered to full) and that acceptance of responsibility can lead to identification of learning and necessary behavioral changes. The findings have implications for institutions and engineering faculty, in particular the need for consistent academic integrity education and the teaching of professional integrity and ethics.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Values Clarification Activity for a Large Undergraduate Human Sexuality Course

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Lederer, Alyssa M.

2016-01-01

Values clarification is an important tool that helps individuals to clarify their beliefs about sexuality-related issues. This lesson plan provides instructions for a 1-hour values clarification activity for a large undergraduate human sexuality course that serves as an introduction to course content and tone, stimulates students' initial thinking…

Strategies for Using Peer-Assisted Learning Effectively in an Undergraduate Bioinformatics Course

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Shapiro, Casey; Ayon, Carlos; Moberg-Parker, Jordan; Levis-Fitzgerald, Marc; Sanders, Erin R.

2013-01-01

This study used a mixed methods approach to evaluate hybrid peer-assisted learning approaches incorporated into a bioinformatics tutorial for a genome annotation research project. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from undergraduates who enrolled in a research-based laboratory course during two different academic terms at UCLA.…

Assessment Practices in Undergraduate Accounting Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Lusher, Anna L.

2010-01-01

This study examined accounting program assessment plans at 102 colleges and universities in the United States. The research focused on identifying assessment practices in undergraduate accounting programs by examining the skills and competencies assessed and determining the methods of assessment used. The study also investigated what course and/or…

Blogging in the Communication Technology Course

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Platt, Carrie Anne

2011-01-01

This article describes an assignment that was developed for an undergraduate course on communication technologies taught at a public university in the Upper Midwest. The course focuses on the impact of new media technologies on traditional media industries and contemporary culture, and is taken by students majoring in journalism, public relations,…

Tracking Undergraduate Student Achievement in a First-Year Physiology Course Using a Cluster Analysis Approach

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Brown, S. J.; White, S.; Power, N.

2015-01-01

A cluster analysis data classification technique was used on assessment scores from 157 undergraduate nursing students who passed 2 successive compulsory courses in human anatomy and physiology. Student scores in five summative assessment tasks, taken in each of the courses, were used as inputs for a cluster analysis procedure. We aimed to group…

The Pattern of History of Psychology Teaching on British Undergraduate Psychology Courses

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Richards, Graham

2005-01-01

Teaching of History of Psychology is likely to become increasingly important as the British Psychological Society's 2002 guidelines for approved undergraduate courses are implemented. Results of a survey of History of Psychology teaching during the academic year 1999-2000 are summarised and discussed in the light of these new requirements. While…

Using Literature Study Groups to Construct Meaning in an Undergraduate Reading Course.

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Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth

1998-01-01

Examines the effectiveness of adding a literature-study-group component to an undergraduate reading diagnosis and remediation course for preservice teachers. Group members read nonfiction works related to literacy, periodically meet to discuss the book and their responses, and share with their classmates. The paper explains how to conduct such…

Attrition of undergraduate nursing students at selected South African universities

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Erna Roos

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: The nursing profession forms the backbone of many healthcare systems. It therefore needs a consistent supply of registered nurses to deliver continuous and safe quality healthcare, and to replace the nurses leaving or retiring from the profession. Attrition actively occurs among nursing students in South Africa and threatens the future supply of registered nurses. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the attrition rate at selected South African universities and the factors influencing undergraduate nursing students to discontinue their nursing studies at these universities. Method: A quantitative descriptive design was followed. Heads of the nursing departments at the selected universities captured data with a specifically designed questionnaire. Thereafter their former nursing students provided information via a structured telephonic interview on the reasons why they discontinued the nursing programme. Results: The study revealed that attrition of undergraduate nursing students for three intake years (2007, 2008 and 2009 at the participating universities was between 39.3% and 58.7%. Academic and financial reasons as well as poor wellness and health were the main causes for attrition. Another factor was failure to cope with the demands of the clinical environment. Conclusion: Attrition might not occur immediately when a nursing student is challenged, as the student might exploit the various types of support offered. Although some nursing students do benefit from the offered support, a large number of nursing students still discontinue the undergraduate nursing programme.

Students Helping Students: Evaluating a Pilot Program of Peer Teaching for an Undergraduate Course in Human Anatomy

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Bruno, Paul A.; Love Green, Jennifer K.; Illerbrun, Sara L.; Holness, Duncan A.; Illerbrun, Samantha J.; Haus, Kara A.; Poirier, Sylvianne M.; Sveinson, Katherine L.

2016-01-01

The educational literature generally suggests that supplemental instruction (SI) is effective in improving academic performance in traditionally difficult courses. A pilot program of peer teaching based on the SI model was implemented for an undergraduate course in human anatomy. Students in the course were stratified into three groups based on…

Entrepreneurial Intentions of University Students: A Study of Design Undergraduates in Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Ubierna, Francisco; Arranz, Nieves; Fdez de Arroyabe, J. C.

2014-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of the entrepreneurial intentions of university undergraduate students, with particular regard to those studying design. Attitudinal, social and capabilities variables are analysed in order to determine the profile of an entrepreneur. Using a sample of 521 undergraduate students, the findings show that design…

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Collaborative Computer-Intensive Projects in an Undergraduate Psychometrics Course

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Barchard, Kimberly A.; Pace, Larry A.

2010-01-01

Undergraduate psychometrics classes often use computer-intensive active learning projects. However, little research has examined active learning or computer-intensive projects in psychometrics courses. We describe two computer-intensive collaborative learning projects used to teach the design and evaluation of psychological tests. Course…

Pedagogy and Content in Sexuality Education Courses in US Colleges and Universities

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Oswalt, Sara B.; Wagner, Laurie M.; Eastman-Mueller, Heather P.; Nevers, Joleen M.

2015-01-01

Most research on sexuality courses in US higher education was conducted in the 1980s and 1990s. Less is known about what is being taught in undergraduate sexuality courses today; this study sought to fill that gap. Reviewing content based on 161 courses (provided by 150 different instructors) from all regions of the USA, this study examined…

Collaboration and Community Building in Summer Undergraduate Research Programs in the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University

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Nevle, R. J.; Watson Nelson, T.; Harris, J. M.; Klemperer, S. L.

2012-12-01

In 2012, the School of Earth Sciences (SES) at Stanford University sponsored two summer undergraduate research programs. Here we describe these programs and efforts to build a cohesive research cohort among the programs' diverse participants. The two programs, the Stanford School of Earth Sciences Undergraduate Research (SESUR) Program and Stanford School of Earth Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering (SURGE) Program, serve different undergraduate populations and have somewhat different objectives, but both provide students with opportunities to work on strongly mentored yet individualized research projects. In addition to research, enrichment activities co-sponsored by both programs support the development of community within the combined SES summer undergraduate research cohort. Over the course of 6 to 9 months, the SESUR Program engages Stanford undergraduates, primarily rising sophomores and juniors, with opportunities to deeply explore Earth sciences research while learning about diverse areas of inquiry within SES. Now in its eleventh year, the SESUR experience incorporates the breadth of the scientific endeavor: finding an advisor, proposal writing, obtaining funding, conducting research, and presenting results. Goals of the SESUR program include (1) providing a challenging and rewarding research experience for undergraduates who wish to explore the Earth sciences; (2) fostering interdisciplinary study in the Earth sciences among the undergraduate population; and (3) encouraging students to major or minor in the Earth sciences and/or to complete advanced undergraduate research in one of the departments or programs within SES. The SURGE Program, now in its second year, draws high performing students, primarily rising juniors and seniors, from 14 colleges and universities nationwide, including Stanford. Seventy percent of SURGE students are from racial/ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields, and approximately one

Expansion of undergraduate courses in nursing: dilemmas and contradictions facing the labor market

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Kenia Lara Silva

2013-10-01

Full Text Available We sought to analyze, from the perspective of professors and students, the reasons and consequences of the expansion of undergraduate courses in nursing, discussing the dilemmas and the contradictions confronting the labor market. It was a qualitative study with data obtained from focus groups, conducted in 18 undergraduate nursing courses in the state of Minas Gerais, during the period of February to October of 2011. The narratives were submitted to critical discourse analysis. The results indicated that the education of the nurse was permeated by insecurity as to the future integration into the labor market. The insecurity translates into dilemmas that referred to employability and the precariousness of the working conditions. In this context, employment in the family health strategy emerges as a mirage. One glimpses the need for a political agenda with the purpose of discussion about education, the labor market and the determinants of these processes.

Pilot undergraduate course teaches students about chronic illness in children: an educational intervention study.

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Montenegro, Roberto E; Birnie, Krista D; Fisher, Paul Graham; Dahl, Gary V; Binkley, John; Schiffman, Joshua D

2014-01-01

Recent data question whether medical education adequately prepares physicians to care for the growing number of children with chronic medical conditions. We describe a 10-week course designed to provide undergraduate students with the knowledge and skills required to understand and care for children with chronic or catastrophic illnesses. The course presented the illness experience from the child's perspective and thus presented information in a manner that was efficient, conducive, and memorable. The curriculum was designed like a graduate-level seminar that included workshops, lectures, readings, writing, and lively discussions. This is an educational intervention study that used survey data to assess changes in attitudes among and between participants completing this course versus students not exposed to this course. We used Somers' D test and Fisher's z-transformation to perform both pre- and post-nonparametric comparisons. Course participants were more likely to change their attitudes and agree that chronically ill children "feel comfortable talking with their peers about their condition" (P=0.003) and less likely to agree that these children "want to be treated differently," "want more sympathy," or "care less about romantic relationships" (P = 0.003, 0.002 and 0.02, respectively). Controls were more likely to continue to agree that chronically ill children "want to be treated differently" (P = 0.009) and "care less about romantic relationships" (P = 0.02), and less likely to agree that these children "talk openly" or "feel comfortable talking with their peers about their condition" (P = 0.04). This classroom-based course serves as a feasible and cost-effective model for universities and medical schools to aid in improving student attitudes toward treating chronically ill children. The course provides the unique opportunity to learn directly from those who care for and those who have lived with chronic illness.

Faculty Satisfaction with Distance Education: A Comparative Analysis on Effectiveness of Undergraduate Course Delivery Modes

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Koenig, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Higher education faculty can and do teach courses delivered in a variety of ways. But, to date, little research has been done on the effectiveness of different delivery modes. This study sought to fill that void by comparing the effectiveness of three undergraduate course delivery modes: classroom, online, and video conference at a technical…

Science Academies Seventy-Fifth Refresher Course in Experimental ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

A Refresher Course in Experimental Physics will be held at Goa University, Goa from 10 to 25 May 2016 for the benefit of faculty involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Participants in this course will gain hands on experience with about twenty five out of forty experiments, with a low cost kit ...

Investigating Undergraduate Students' Ideas about the Fate of the Universe

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Conlon, Mallory; Coble, Kim; Bailey, Janelle M.; Cominsky, Lynn R.

2017-01-01

As astronomers further develop an understanding of the fate of the Universe, it is essential to study students' ideas on the fate of the Universe so that instructors can communicate the field's current status more effectively. In this study, we examine undergraduate students' preinstruction ideas of the fate of the Universe in ten semester-long…

Initial Results of On-Line Earth System Science Course Offerings at the University of Nebraska-Omaha Through the Earth System Science Education Alliance

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Shuster, R. D.; Grandgenett, N. F.; Schnase, W. L.; Hamersky, S.; Moshman, R.

2008-12-01

The University of Nebraska at Omaha has been offering on-line Earth System Science coursework to teachers in Nebraska since 2002. UNO was one of the initial members in the Earth Systems Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) and has offered three different ESSEA courses, with nearly 200 students having taken ESSEA courses at UNO for graduate credit. Our experiences in delivering this coursework have involved both teachers who have received a stipend to take the course and those who have paid their own tuition and fees and received graduate credit for the course. We will report on the online behavior of teachers from both populations and also discuss pros and cons of each approach. UNO has also experimented with different approaches in the support and management of the course, including using undergraduate majors as content experts. This improves access of teachers to content-related feedback and is a positive experience for the undergraduate major. Feedback surveys from earlier ESSEA offerings indicate a strongly positive perception of the courses by the teachers enrolled in the coursework. Project impact has been documented in teacher projects, quotes, and lessons associated with the coursework activities. We will also describe online course modules being developed within the UNO online course efforts, including one focusing on the global amphibian crisis.

Food safety knowledge of undergraduate students at a Canadian university: results of an online survey

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Sarah M. Courtney

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Foodborne diseases are an important public health issue, and young adults are an important demographic to target with food safety education. Our objective was to assess the food safety knowledge of undergraduate students at a Canadian university, to identify potential areas for such education. Methods In February 2015, we conducted an online survey of 485 undergraduate students at a university in Ontario, Canada. We assessed various food-related factors, including cooking frequency and prior food handling or preparation education. We then modeled the relationship between ‘overall knowledge score’ and the demographic and food skills/cooking experience predictors using multivariable log-binomial regression, to determine factors associated with relatively higher proportions of correct responses. Results Respondents were, on average, 20.5 years old, and the majority (64.8 % lived off campus. Students cooked from basic ingredients infrequently, with 3 in 4 doing so a few times a year to never. Students averaged 6.2 correct answers to the 11 knowledge questions. Adjusting for other important covariates, older age and being a current food handler were associated with relatively higher knowledge, whereas working/volunteering in a hospital and infrequent cooking were associated with relatively lower knowledge. Males in the Faculty of Science had relatively higher knowledge than females in the Faculty of Science, both of whom had relatively higher knowledge than all students in other Faculties. Among students who had never taken a food preparation course, knowledge increased with self-reported cooking ability; however, among students who had taken such a course, knowledge was highest among those with low self-reported cooking ability. Conclusions Consistent with other similar studies, students in Faculties outside of the Faculty of Science, younger students, and those who cook infrequently could benefit from food safety education

Food safety knowledge of undergraduate students at a Canadian university: results of an online survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Courtney, Sarah M; Majowicz, Shannon E; Dubin, Joel A

2016-11-09

Foodborne diseases are an important public health issue, and young adults are an important demographic to target with food safety education. Our objective was to assess the food safety knowledge of undergraduate students at a Canadian university, to identify potential areas for such education. In February 2015, we conducted an online survey of 485 undergraduate students at a university in Ontario, Canada. We assessed various food-related factors, including cooking frequency and prior food handling or preparation education. We then modeled the relationship between 'overall knowledge score' and the demographic and food skills/cooking experience predictors using multivariable log-binomial regression, to determine factors associated with relatively higher proportions of correct responses. Respondents were, on average, 20.5 years old, and the majority (64.8 %) lived off campus. Students cooked from basic ingredients infrequently, with 3 in 4 doing so a few times a year to never. Students averaged 6.2 correct answers to the 11 knowledge questions. Adjusting for other important covariates, older age and being a current food handler were associated with relatively higher knowledge, whereas working/volunteering in a hospital and infrequent cooking were associated with relatively lower knowledge. Males in the Faculty of Science had relatively higher knowledge than females in the Faculty of Science, both of whom had relatively higher knowledge than all students in other Faculties. Among students who had never taken a food preparation course, knowledge increased with self-reported cooking ability; however, among students who had taken such a course, knowledge was highest among those with low self-reported cooking ability. Consistent with other similar studies, students in Faculties outside of the Faculty of Science, younger students, and those who cook infrequently could benefit from food safety education. Supporting improved hand hygiene, in particular clarifying hand

A Spoonful of Success: Undergraduate Tutor-Tutee Interactions and Performance

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Marx, Jonathan; Wolf, Michelle G.; Howard, Kimberly

2016-01-01

We explore how the dynamics of the tutor-tutee relationship influence students' self-reliance and, ultimately, course performance. We examine 333 tutor and tutee pairs at a student success center at a public, comprehensive, university attended by approximately 5,000 undergraduates enrolled in more than 60 courses during spring 2015. The results…

Incorporating online teaching in an introductory pharmaceutical practice course: a study of student perceptions within an Australian University

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Benino D

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To examine student perceptions regarding online lectures and quizzes undertaken during a pharmaceutical practice course for first year undergraduate students enrolled in the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at an Australian University.Methods: The University uses a standard instrument to collect feedback from students regarding unit satisfaction. Data were collected for three different teaching modalities: traditional face-to-face, online and partially online. Results: Descriptive statistics support that, from a student's perspective, partial online delivery is the preferred teaching methodology for an introductory pharmaceutical practice unit. Conclusion: This study has served to highlight that while there are a few points of significant difference between traditional and online teaching and learning, a combination of the two provides a reasonable avenue for teaching exploration. This result has implications for teaching practice generally, and within the pharmacy discipline, specifically.

The home care teaching and learning process in undergraduate health care degree courses.

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Hermann, Ana Paula; Lacerda, Maria Ribeiro; Maftum, Mariluci Alves; Bernardino, Elizabeth; Mello, Ana Lúcia Schaefer Ferreira de

2017-07-01

Home care, one of the services provided by the health system, requires health practitioners who are capable of understanding its specificities. This study aimed to build a substantive theory that describes experiences of home care teaching and learning during undergraduate degree courses in nursing, pharmacy, medicine, nutrition, dentistry and occupational therapy. A qualitative analysis was performed using the grounded theory approach based on the results of 63 semistructured interviews conducted with final year students, professors who taught subjects related to home care, and recent graduates working with home care, all participants in the above courses. The data was analyzed in three stages - open coding, axial coding and selective coding - resulting in the phenomenon Experiences of home care teaching and learning during the undergraduate health care degree courses. Its causes were described in the category Articulating knowledge of home care, strategies in the category Experiencing the unique nature of home care, intervening conditions in the category Understanding the multidimensional characteristics of home care, consequences in the category Changing thinking about home care training, and context in the category Understanding home care in the health system. Home care contributes towards the decentralization of hospital care.

Evasão do curso de química da Universidade de Brasília: a interpretação do aluno evadido Dropping out of the Chemistry course at the University of Brasilia: students reasons to leave the course

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Aparecida Miranda Cunha

2001-04-01

Full Text Available This study aimed the investigation of the reasons that led undergraduate students of the Chemistry course at Universidade de Brasília to abandon the course before its conclusion. From the former students' point of view, the reasons that led them to leave the course were related to aspects of their academic life prior to university entrance, expectations which failed to be met by the course, the intricate nature of the academic system, personal and social experiences. Abandonment is a consequence of the problems he encounters during the course and takes on a connotation of protest, more than of failure.

Developing Digital Technologies for Undergraduate University Mathematics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

2013-01-01

Our research effort presented in this paper relates with developing digital tools for mathematics education at undergraduate university level. It focuses specifically on studies where mathematics is not a core subject but it is very important in order to cope with core subjects. For our design, we...... requirements for the development of digital tools that support mathematics teaching and learning at university level....... during lectures and exercise time. During these observations we were able to investigate how the applets were used in practice but also to get insight in the challenges that the students face during mathematics learning. These findings together with student feedback inspire the next round of design...

Development of a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience to Introduce Drug-Receptor Concepts

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Hollie I. Swanson

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Course-based research experiences (CUREs are currently of high interest due to their potential for engaging undergraduate students in authentic research and maintaining their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM majors. As part of a campus-wide initiative called STEMCats , which is a living learning program offered to freshman STEM majors at the University of Kentucky funded by a grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute, we have developed a CURE for freshmen interested in pursuing health care careers. Our course, entitled “Drug–Drug Interactions in Breast Cancer,” utilized a semester-long, in-class authentic research project and instructor-led discussions to engage students in a full spectrum of research activities, ranging from developing hypotheses and experimental design to generating original data, collaboratively interpreting results and presenting a poster at a campus-wide symposium. Student's feedback indicated a positive impact on scientific understanding and skills, enhanced teamwork and communication skills, as well as high student engagement, motivation, and STEM belonging. STEM belonging is defined as the extent to which a student may view the STEM fields as places where they belong. The results obtained from this pilot study, while preliminary, will be useful for guiding design revisions and generating appropriate objective evaluations of future pharmacological-based CUREs.

Desegregating undergraduate mathematics and biology--interdisciplinary instruction with emphasis on ongoing biomedical research.

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Robeva, Raina

2009-01-01

The remarkable advances in the field of biology in the last decade, specifically in the areas of biochemistry, genetics, genomics, proteomics, and systems biology, have demonstrated how critically important mathematical models and methods are in addressing questions of vital importance for these disciplines. There is little doubt that the need for utilizing and developing mathematical methods for biology research will only grow in the future. The rapidly increasing demand for scientists with appropriate interdisciplinary skills and knowledge, however, is not being reflected in the way undergraduate mathematics and biology courses are structured and taught in most colleges and universities nationwide. While a number of institutions have stepped forward and addressed this need by creating and offering interdisciplinary courses at the juncture of mathematics and biology, there are still many others at which there is little, if any, interdisciplinary interaction between the curricula. This chapter describes an interdisciplinary course and a textbook in mathematical biology developed collaboratively by faculty from Sweet Briar College and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. The course and textbook are designed to provide a bridge between the mathematical and biological sciences at the lower undergraduate level. The course is developed for and is being taught in a liberal arts setting at Sweet Briar College, Virginia, but some of the advanced modules are used in a course at the University of Virginia for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. The individual modules are relatively independent and can be used as stand-alone projects in conventional mathematics and biology courses. Except for the introductory material, the course and textbook topics are based on current biomedical research.

Tsinghua-Johns Hopkins Joint Center for Biomedical Engineering Research: scientific and cultural exchange in undergraduate engineering.

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Wisneski, Andrew D; Huang, Lixia; Hong, Bo; Wang, Xiaoqin

2011-01-01

A model for an international undergraduate biomedical engineering research exchange program is outlined. In 2008, the Johns Hopkins University in collaboration with Tsinghua University in Beijing, China established the Tsinghua-Johns Hopkins Joint Center for Biomedical Engineering Research. Undergraduate biomedical engineering students from both universities are offered the opportunity to participate in research at the overseas institution. Programs such as these will not only provide research experiences for undergraduates but valuable cultural exchange and enrichment as well. Currently, strict course scheduling and rigorous curricula in most biomedical engineering programs may present obstacles for students to partake in study abroad opportunities. Universities are encouraged to harbor abroad opportunities for undergraduate engineering students, for which this particular program can serve as a model.

Green Fluorescent Protein-Focused Bioinformatics Laboratory Experiment Suitable for Undergraduates in Biochemistry Courses

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Rowe, Laura

2017-01-01

An introductory bioinformatics laboratory experiment focused on protein analysis has been developed that is suitable for undergraduate students in introductory biochemistry courses. The laboratory experiment is designed to be potentially used as a "stand-alone" activity in which students are introduced to basic bioinformatics tools and…

Analysis of the Experience of a Virtual Learning Environment Integration Into a Biochemistry Course Offered to Undergraduate Students

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M.B. Espíndola

2009-05-01

Full Text Available As Information and Communication Technology (ICT becomes available in educational contexts, it is important that educators experiment different ways to deal with ICT tools in the teaching -learning process at the University basic sciences level. The challenge is to integrate ICT throughout the learning subjects in order to improve the quality of the learning process to students. This paper presents the results of an experience using a Virtual Learning Management System (VLMS, named Constructore, applied in the Biochemistry discipline at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ for undergraduate medical students. Using Constructore, we developed a learning environment intended for integrating online activities and traditional course content. The course was focused on the integration of energy-yielding metabolism, exploring  metabolic adaptations in different physiological or pathological states such as starvation, diabetes and exercise. The course environment was structured with three modules, each of them presenting problem-based exercises to be answered after retrieving rele vant information in original scientific articles. Based on the analysis of  a semi-open questionnaire, the results provided evidence that the virtual environment stimulated students to critically read relevant scientific articles and to acquire skills to build and to integrate their knowledge through content association.

Extreme Apprenticeship – Emphasising conceptual understanding in undergraduate mathematics

OpenAIRE

Rämö , Johanna; Oinonen , Lotta; Vikberg , Thomas

2015-01-01

International audience; Extreme Apprenticeship (XA) is an educational method that has been used in teaching undergraduate mathematics in the University of Helsinki. In this paper, we analyse the course assignments and exam questions of a certain lecture course that has recently been reformed to an XA-based course. The results show that the XA method has made it possible to move the emphasis from rote learning towards understanding the concepts behind the procedures.

Curricular intersections of university extension and teaching in Physical Therapy programs

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Shamyr Sulyvan de Castro

Full Text Available Introduction University extension can be a vehicle for social change and aid in the education of university students; however, it is important to study how it is inserted in university programs so that educational actions and policies can be planned more adequately. Objectives To study the insertion of extension activities in undergraduate physical therapy curricula in Brazilian federal universities. Method Documentary research conducted by accessing files available on the Internet. Data were analyzed quantitatively in the form of numbers and percentages. We examined documents from 22 of the 29 federal universities that offered physical therapy programs. Results University extension takes the form of complementary academic activities together with other options such as participating in conferences, specific training courses and working as a teaching assistant. Undergraduate physical therapy courses have a 4,000h to 4,925h course load, of which 0.72% to 8.9% are dedicated to extension activities. Conclusion The data indicate that the insertion of extension activities in undergraduate physical therapy programs offered by Brazilian federal universities needs to be reassessed according to recommended policies and guidelines.

Project- versus Lecture-Based Courses: Assessing the Role of Course Structure on Perceived Utility, Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Satisfaction in the Undergraduate Research Methods Course

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Rubenking, Bridget; Dodd, Melissa

2018-01-01

Previous research suggests that undergraduate research methods students doubt the utility of course content and experience math and research anxiety. Research also suggests involving students in hands-on, applied research activities, although empirical data on the scope and nature of these activities are lacking. This study compared academic…

Awareness of Climate Change and Sustainable Development among Undergraduates from Two Selected Universities in Oyo State, Nigeria

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Agboola, Omowunmi Sola; Emmanuel, Michael

2016-01-01

This study investigated awareness of climate change and sustainable development among undergraduates in two universities: University of Ibadan, Ibadan and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso in Oyo State of Nigeria. This was aimed at increasing the knowledge of undergraduates on climate change and sustainable development. The study…

Incorporating Domestic Violence Awareness through an Undergraduate Reading Course Focused on Children's Literature

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Lelli, Colleen M.

2010-01-01

This mixed methods study examined preservice teachers' awareness of domestic violence through an undergraduate reading course which focused on children's literature. Pre and post surveys were administered to preservice teachers to determine whether their knowledge and skills in recognizing signs of domestic violence in behaviors of the elementary…

Learning style versus time spent studying and career choice: Which is associated with success in a combined undergraduate anatomy and physiology course?

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Farkas, Gary J; Mazurek, Ewa; Marone, Jane R

2016-01-01

The VARK learning style is a pedagogical focus in health care education. This study examines relationships of course performance vs. VARK learning preference, study time, and career plan among students enrolled in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology course at a large urban university. Students (n = 492) from the fall semester course completed a survey consisting of the VARK questionnaire, gender, academic year, career plans, and estimated hours spent per week in combined classroom and study time. Seventy-eight percent of students reported spending 15 or fewer hours per week studying. Study time and overall course score correlated significantly for the class as a whole (r = 0.111, P = 0.013), which was mainly due to lecture (r = 0.118, P = 0.009) performance. No significant differences were found among students grouped by learning styles. When corrected for academic year, overall course scores (mean ± SEM) for students planning to enter dentistry, medicine, optometry or pharmacy (79.89 ± 0.88%) were significantly higher than those of students planning to enter physical or occupational therapies (74.53 ± 1.15%; P = 0.033), as well as nurse/physician assistant programs (73.60 ± 1.3%; P = 0.040). Time spent studying was not significantly associated with either learning style or career choice. Our findings suggest that specific career goals and study time, not learning preferences, are associated with better performance among a diverse group of students in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology course. However, the extent to which prior academic preparation, cultural norms, and socioeconomic factors influenced these results requires further investigation. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Evaluative Indices Assigned to Contraceptive Methods by University Undergraduates

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McDermott, Robert J.; Malo, Teri L.; Dodd, Virginia J.; Daley, Ellen M.; Mayer, Alyssa B.

2011-01-01

Background: Preordinate attitudes and beliefs about contraception may influence acceptance or rejection of a particular method. Purpose: We examined the attitudes about contraception methods held by undergraduate students (N=792) at two large southeastern universities in the United States. Methods: Twelve methods were rated on 40 semantic…

Teaching Hybrid Principles of Finance to Undergraduate Business Students--Can It Work?

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Letterman, Denise

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between course design and predictor variables: motivation, satisfaction, and success for students enrolled in the hybrid Principles of Finance course. The participants for this research project were 117 undergraduate students (encompassing 6 semesters) at Robert Morris University,…

Undergraduate cancer education in Spain: The debate, the opportunities and the initiatives of the University Forum of the Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology (SEOR).

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Lara, Pedro; Calvo, Felipe A; Guedea, Ferran; Bilbao, Pedro; Biete, Alberto

2013-11-09

Most medical schools in Spain (80%) offer undergraduate training in oncology. This education is highly variable in terms of content (theory and practical training), number of credits, and the medical specialty and departmental affiliation of the professors. Much of this variability is due to university traditions in the configuration of credits and programmes, and also to the structure of the hospital-based practical training. Undergraduate medical students deserve a more coherent and modern approach to education with a strong emphasis on clinical practice. Oncology is an interdisciplinary science that requires the input of professors from multiple specialties to provide the primary body of knowledge and skills needed to obtain both a theoretical and clinical understanding of cancer. Clinical skills should be a key focus due to their importance in the current model of integrated medical management and care. Clinical radiation oncology is a traditional and comprehensive hospital-based platform for undergraduate education in oncology. In Spain, a significant number (n = 80) of radiation oncology specialists have a contractual relationship to teach university courses. Most Spanish universities (80%) have a radiation oncologist on staff, some of whom are department chairs and many others are full professors who have been hired and promoted under competitive conditions of evaluation as established by the National Agency for Quality Evaluation. The Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology (SEOR) has identified new opportunities to improve undergraduate education in oncology. In this article, we discuss proposals related to theoretical (20 items) and practical clinical training (9 items). We also describe the SEOR University Forum, which is an initiative to develop a strategic plan to implement and organize cancer education at the undergraduate level in an interdisciplinary teaching spirit and with a strong contribution from radiation oncologists.

Effectiveness of inquiry-based learning in an undergraduate exercise physiology course.

Science.gov (United States)

Nybo, Lars; May, Michael

2015-06-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of changing a laboratory physiology course for undergraduate students from a traditional step-by-step guided structure to an inquiry-based approach. With this aim in mind, quantitative and qualitative evaluations of learning outcomes (individual subject-specific tests and group interviews) were performed for a laboratory course in cardiorespiratory exercise physiology that was conducted in one year with a traditional step-by-step guided manual (traditional course) and the next year completed with an inquiry-based structure (I-based course). The I-based course was a guided inquiry course where students had to design the experimental protocol and conduct their own study on the basis of certain predefined criteria (i.e., they should evaluate respiratory responses to submaximal and maximal exercise and provide indirect and direct measures of aerobic exercise capacity). The results indicated that the overall time spent on the experimental course as well as self-evaluated learning outcomes were similar across groups. However, students in the I-based course used more time in preparation (102 ± 5 min) than students in the traditional course (42 ± 3 min, P traditional course. Furthermore, students in the I-based course achieved a higher (P traditional course (31 ± 4%). Although students were unfamiliar with cardiorespiratory exercise physiology and the experimental methods before the course, it appears that an inquiry-based approach rather than one that provides students with step-by-step instructions may benefit learning outcomes in a laboratory physiology course. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

Enhancing the Communication and Speaking Skills of Mathematics Undergraduates

OpenAIRE

Groves, James

2012-01-01

In June 2011, the University of Lancaster delivered a substantially-enhanced course in Communication and Presentation Skills to 108 second-year undergraduate mathematicians. The course was delivered jointly by staff in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and CETAD, the Centre for Training and Development at Lancaster. Funding for the course and its increased staffing requirement came from an MSOR HE Curriculum Innovation Fund grant of £5,000. CETAD is a specialist unit which focuses ...

Perception of Undergraduates about Computer and Internet Ethics ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Computer and internet has brought innovative changes in education all over the world. In the universities of Pakistan, computer and IT related courses have recently been included as compulsory subjects in all disciplines at undergraduate level. Therefore, it was important to know the perceptual understanding and ...

Automatic, Multiple Assessment Options in Undergraduate Meteorology Education

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Kahl, Jonathan D. W.

2017-01-01

Since 2008, automatic, multiple assessment options have been utilised in selected undergraduate meteorology courses at the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. Motivated by a desire to reduce stress among students, the assessment methodology includes examination-heavy and homework-heavy alternatives, differing by an adjustable 15% of the overall…

A course of mathematics for engineerings and scientists

CERN Document Server

Chirgwin, Brian H

1984-01-01

A Course of Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists, Volume 2 continues the course of pure and applied mathematics for undergraduate science and engineering students. It contains further examples and exercises from examination papers from Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the University of London. The topics covered in this book include differential equations, linear equations, matrices and determinants, vector algebra and coordinate geometry, and differentiation and integration of functions of two or more variables. This book is intended as a reference for students taking science

Medical students perception of undergraduate ophthalmology training in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus.

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Onyekwe, L O; Nwosu, S N N

2006-12-01

To determine the perception and aspiration of medical students towards ophthalmology. Information for the study was obtained through forced-choice questionnaire set to 102 medical students in 2000/2001 graduating class in Nnamdi Azikiwe University. One hundred questionnaires were completed. As a specialty of choice ophthalmology ranked fourth {16.0%} as a first choice; second {21.0%} as a second choice and first {26.0%} as a third choice. Ninety-five of respondents found ophthalmology training useful. This cohort of medical students considered ophthalmic training in this institution essential and adequate. Undergraduate ophthalmic course should ensure an understanding of the basic principles of ophthalmology and should be designed to motivate the interest and confidence of the medical students in the specialty. Training period should be at least 4 weeks. With appropriate training ophthalmology can attract reasonable interest as a choice for specification.

Assessment of a Competency-Based Undergraduate Course on Genetic and Genomics.

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Kronk, Rebecca; Colbert, Alison; Lengetti, Evelyn

2017-08-24

In response to new demands in the nursing profession, an innovative undergraduate genetics course was designed based on the Essential Nursing Competencies and Curricula Guidelines for Genetics and Genomics. Reflective journaling and storytelling were used as major pedagogies, alongside more traditional approaches. Thematic content analysis of student reflections revealed transformational learning as the major theme emerging from genomic and genetic knowledge acquisition. Quantitative analyses of precourse/postcourse student self-assessments of competencies revealed significant findings.

A Guide to Undergraduate Science Course and Laboratory Improvements.

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Straumanis, Joan, Ed.; Watson, Robert F., Ed.

Reported are activities carried out at colleges and universities during 1976-1980 with support from the National Science Foundation's Local Course Improvement (LOCI) and Instructional Scientific Equipment Program (ISEP). It is intended as a reference for persons interested in current course and laboratory developments in the sciences at the…

An Analysis of Economic Learning among Undergraduates in Introductory Economics Courses in Germany

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Happ, Roland; Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Olga; Schmidt, Susanne

2016-01-01

In this article, the authors present the findings of a pretest-posttest measurement of the economic knowledge of students in introductory economics courses in undergraduate study programs in Germany. The responses of 403 students to 14 items selected from the "Test of Economic Literacy" (Soper and Walstad 1987) were analyzed to identify…

A Systematic Approach to Educating the Emerging Adult Learner in Undergraduate Management Courses

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Dachner, Alison M.; Polin, Beth

2016-01-01

Management education research has provided educators with new instructional tools to improve course design and update the methods used in the classroom. In an effort to provide the typical undergraduate management student with the best possible learning experience and outcomes, it is important to recognize how and why these new activities benefit…

Enhancing an Undergraduate Business Statistics Course: Linking Teaching and Learning with Assessment Issues

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Fairfield-Sonn, James W.; Kolluri, Bharat; Rogers, Annette; Singamsetti, Rao

2009-01-01

This paper examines several ways in which teaching effectiveness and student learning in an undergraduate Business Statistics course can be enhanced. First, we review some key concepts in Business Statistics that are often challenging to teach and show how using real data sets assist students in developing deeper understanding of the concepts.…

An Undergraduate Course in Adult Development: When the Virtual Adult Is an Adult

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Williams, Robert B.

2014-01-01

An aspect of an undergraduate psychology course on adult development was the preparation of case records on adults who consented to be studied. Participants (1) developed their abilities to observe and accurately record adult behavior across a variety of ages and contexts; (2) withheld judgments about behavior when evidence was lacking; (3)…

Centrifugal Pump Experiment for Chemical Engineering Undergraduates

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Vanderslice, Nicholas; Oberto, Richard; Marrero, Thomas R.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe a Centrifugal Pump Experiment that provided an experiential learning experience to chemical engineering undergraduates at the University of Missouri in the spring of 2010 in the Unit Operations Laboratory course. Lab equipment was used by senior students with computer-based data and control technology. In…

Quantitative Literacy Courses as a Space for Fusing Literacies

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Tunstall, Samuel Luke; Matz, Rebecca L.; Craig, Jeffrey C.

2016-01-01

In this article, we examine how students in a general education quantitative literacy course reason with public issues when unprompted to use quantitative reasoning. Michigan State University, like many institutions, not only has a quantitative literacy requirement for all undergraduates but also offers two courses specifically for meeting the…

Integrating Clinical Neuropsychology into the Undergraduate Curriculum.

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Puente, Antonio E.; And Others

1991-01-01

Claims little information exists in undergraduate education about clinical neuropsychology. Outlines an undergraduate neuropsychology course and proposes ways to integrate the subject into existing undergraduate psychology courses. Suggests developing specialized audio-visual materials for telecourses or existing courses. (NL)

A new model in teaching undergraduate research: A collaborative approach and learning cooperatives.

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O'Neal, Pamela V; McClellan, Lynx Carlton; Jarosinski, Judith M

2016-05-01

Forming new, innovative collaborative approaches and cooperative learning methods between universities and hospitals maximize learning for undergraduate nursing students in a research course and provide professional development for nurses on the unit. The purpose of this Collaborative Approach and Learning Cooperatives (CALC) Model is to foster working relations between faculty and hospital administrators, maximize small group learning of undergraduate nursing students, and promote onsite knowledge of evidence based care for unit nurses. A quality improvement study using the CALC Model was implemented in an undergraduate nursing research course at a southern university. Hospital administrators provided a list of clinical concerns based on national performance outcome measures. Undergraduate junior nursing student teams chose a clinical question, gathered evidence from the literature, synthesized results, demonstrated practice application, and developed practice recommendations. The student teams developed posters, which were evaluated by hospital administrators. The administrators selected several posters to display on hospital units for continuing education opportunity. This CALC Model is a systematic, calculated approach and an economically feasible plan to maximize personnel and financial resources to optimize collaboration and cooperative learning. Universities and hospital administrators, nurses, and students benefit from working together and learning from each other. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using RUFDATA to guide a logic model for a quality assurance process in an undergraduate university program.

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Sherman, Paul David

2016-04-01

This article presents a framework to identify key mechanisms for developing a logic model blueprint that can be used for an impending comprehensive evaluation of an undergraduate degree program in a Canadian university. The evaluation is a requirement of a comprehensive quality assurance process mandated by the university. A modified RUFDATA (Saunders, 2000) evaluation model is applied as an initiating framework to assist in decision making to provide a guide for conceptualizing a logic model for the quality assurance process. This article will show how an educational evaluation is strengthened by employing a RUFDATA reflective process in exploring key elements of the evaluation process, and then translating this information into a logic model format that could serve to offer a more focussed pathway for the quality assurance activities. Using preliminary program evaluation data from two key stakeholders of the undergraduate program as well as an audit of the curriculum's course syllabi, a case is made for, (1) the importance of inclusivity of key stakeholders participation in the design of the evaluation process to enrich the authenticity and accuracy of program participants' feedback, and (2) the diversification of data collection methods to ensure that stakeholders' narrative feedback is given ample exposure. It is suggested that the modified RUFDATA/logic model framework be applied to all academic programs at the university undergoing the quality assurance process at the same time so that economies of scale may be realized. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching Synthetic Biology, Bioinformatics and Engineering to Undergraduates: The Interdisciplinary Build-a-Genome Course

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Dymond, Jessica S.; Scheifele, Lisa Z.; Richardson, Sarah; Lee, Pablo; Chandrasegaran, Srinivasan; Bader, Joel S.; Boeke, Jef D.

2009-01-01

A major challenge in undergraduate life science curricula is the continual evaluation and development of courses that reflect the constantly shifting face of contemporary biological research. Synthetic biology offers an excellent framework within which students may participate in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and is therefore an attractive addition to the undergraduate biology curriculum. This new discipline offers the promise of a deeper understanding of gene function, gene order, and chromosome structure through the de novo synthesis of genetic information, much as synthetic approaches informed organic chemistry. While considerable progress has been achieved in the synthesis of entire viral and prokaryotic genomes, fabrication of eukaryotic genomes requires synthesis on a scale that is orders of magnitude higher. These high-throughput but labor-intensive projects serve as an ideal way to introduce undergraduates to hands-on synthetic biology research. We are pursuing synthesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes in an undergraduate laboratory setting, the Build-a-Genome course, thereby exposing students to the engineering of biology on a genomewide scale while focusing on a limited region of the genome. A synthetic chromosome III sequence was designed, ordered from commercial suppliers in the form of oligonucleotides, and subsequently assembled by students into ∼750-bp fragments. Once trained in assembly of such DNA “building blocks” by PCR, the students accomplish high-yield gene synthesis, becoming not only technically proficient but also constructively critical and capable of adapting their protocols as independent researchers. Regular “lab meeting” sessions help prepare them for future roles in laboratory science. PMID:19015540

Qualitative assessment of a blended learning intervention in an undergraduate nursing course.

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Hsu, Li-Ling

2012-12-01

Nurses are experiencing new ethical issues because of global developments and changes in the healthcare environment. Blended learning is one of the various methods used to deliver meaningful learning experiences. Well-designed, properly administered nursing ethics education is essential for nursing students to visualize the role of professional nurses. However, a literature review shows that only a few existing studies have touched on the subject of nursing student experiences with blended learning in a nursing ethics course. This study examines how undergraduate nursing students respond to a blended learning approach in a nursing ethics course and how blended learning affects the learning process. We used a qualitative research design with in-depth interviews. Participants included 28 female undergraduate nursing students who had completed the nursing ethics course. Each interview lasted 50-100 minutes. The researcher conducted all interviews in 2009. The researcher identified six major themes and 13 subthemes from the data. The six themes included (a) enhancing thinking ability, (b) improving problem-solving skills, (c) reflecting in and on practice, (d) perceiving added workload, (e) encouraging active learning, and (f) identifying the value of nursing. Participants felt that the blended learning experience was a generally positive experience. Most participants appreciated the opportunity to take a more active role in the learning process, think about issues profoundly and critically, and exercise metacognitive powers in the thinking and decision-making process. Study findings may suggest productive ideas for fine-tuning blended learning models.

Incorporating Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences into Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Curricula

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Kerr, Melissa A.; Yan, Fei

2016-01-01

A continuous effort within an undergraduate university setting is to improve students' learning outcomes and thus improve students' attitudes about a particular field of study. This is undoubtedly relevant within a chemistry laboratory. This paper reports the results of an effort to introduce a problem-based learning strategy into the analytical…

Simulation in an Undergraduate Nursing Pharmacology Course: A Pilot Study.

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Tinnon, Elizabeth; Newton, Rebecca

This study examined the effectiveness of simulation as a method of teaching pharmacological concepts to nursing students; perceptions of satisfaction with simulation as a teaching strategy were also evaluated. Second-semester juniors participated in three simulations and completed the National League for Nursing Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Questionnaire and the Student Evaluation of Educational Quality Survey; a control group received traditional lectures. A unit exam on anticoagulant therapy content was administered to measure effectiveness. Findings support that simulation is as effective as traditional lecture for an undergraduate pharmacology course.

The Recruitment and Retention of Hispanic Undergraduate Students in Public Universities in the United States, 2000-2006

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Montalvo, Edris J.

2013-01-01

In many public U.S. universities, Hispanic undergraduates are underrepresented in terms of enrollment and graduation. This mixed-method geographical study investigated whether some public universities outperform others in recruiting and retaining Hispanic undergraduates. The quantitative findings showed that the effect of financial aid and…

Awareness and Practices of Oral Hygiene among Female Undergraduates in a Malaysian University

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Waheed, Zarina; Saeed, Munazza; Jameel, Rafey Ahmad

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the extent of awareness and practices of oral hygiene among undergraduate female students in a residential college of a university at Malaysia and to assess the need for awareness programs about oral hygiene. The study was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire. Hundred undergraduate female Malay…

Implementation of an innovative teaching project in a Chemical Process Design course at the University of Cantabria, Spain

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Galan, Berta; Muñoz, Iciar; Viguri, Javier R.

2016-09-01

This paper shows the planning, the teaching activities and the evaluation of the learning and teaching process implemented in the Chemical Process Design course at the University of Cantabria, Spain. Educational methods to address the knowledge, skills and attitudes that students who complete the course are expected to acquire are proposed and discussed. Undergraduate and graduate engineers' perceptions of the methodology used are evaluated by means of a questionnaire. Results of the teaching activities and the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed case study are discussed in relation to the course characteristics. The findings of the empirical evaluation shows that the excessive time students had to dedicate to the case study project and dealing with limited information are the most negative aspects obtained, whereas an increase in the students' self-confidence and the practical application of the methodology are the most positive aspects. Finally, improvements are discussed in order to extend the application of the methodology to other courses offered as part of the chemical engineering degree.

Body-art practices among undergraduate medical university students in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, 2014

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Chacha Emmanuel Chacha

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Body-art practices are increasing among adolescents and young adults. Although substantial data are available in developed countries, little has been documented about body-art practices in developing countries. Objective: To determine the magnitude, types and reasons for practicing body-art practices among undergraduate medical University students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducteed among undergraduate University students in Dar es Salaam involving 536 respondents from two Universities. We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data. Analyses were based on summary measures and bivariate analyses. Results: While 7.5% of undergraduate students reported having tattoos, 20% reported having body puncturing or piercing. Body piercing is reported more among female university undergraduate students than their male counterparts. Reported main reasons for undergoing body-art include "a mark of beauty," 24%, "just wanted one," 18% and "a mark of femininity or masculinity," 17%. The majority (98% of students were aware that unsafe body-art practices may lead to contracting HIV and more than half (52% reported awareness of the risk of Hepatitis B infection. Conclusions: Despite high awareness of the potential risks involved in unsafe body arts that include tattoo and piercing, these practices are increasing among adolescents and young adults. There is need to have educational and counseling efforts so as to minimize associated health risks.

Body-art practices among undergraduate medical university students in dar es salaam, Tanzania, 2014.

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Chacha, Chacha Emmanuel; Kazaura, Method R

2015-01-01

Body-art practices are increasing among adolescents and young adults. Although substantial data are available in developed countries, little has been documented about body-art practices in developing countries. To determine the magnitude, types and reasons for practicing body-art practices among undergraduate medical University students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducteed among undergraduate University students in Dar es Salaam involving 536 respondents from two Universities. We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data. Analyses were based on summary measures and bivariate analyses. While 7.5% of undergraduate students reported having tattoos, 20% reported having body puncturing or piercing. Body piercing is reported more among female university undergraduate students than their male counterparts. Reported main reasons for undergoing body-art include "a mark of beauty," 24%, "just wanted one," 18% and "a mark of femininity or masculinity," 17%. The majority (98%) of students were aware that unsafe body-art practices may lead to contracting HIV and more than half (52%) reported awareness of the risk of Hepatitis B infection. Despite high awareness of the potential risks involved in unsafe body arts that include tattoo and piercing, these practices are increasing among adolescents and young adults. There is need to have educational and counseling efforts so as to minimize associated health risks.

Assessing Attitudes Towards Science During an Adaptive Online Astrobiology Course: Comparing Online and On-Campus Undergraduates

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Perera, Viranga; Mead, Chris; Buxner, Sanlyn; Horodyskyj, Lev; Semken, Steven; Lopatto, David; Anbar, Ariel

2016-10-01

General-education Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses are accepted as essential to a college education. An often cited reason is to train a scientifically literate populace who can think critically and make informed decisions about complex issues such as climate change, health care, and atomic energy. Goals of these STEM courses, therefore, go beyond content knowledge to include generating positive attitudes towards science, developing competence in evaluating scientific information in everyday life and understanding the nature of science. To gauge if such non-content learning outcomes are being met in our course, an online astrobiology course called Habitable Worlds, we administered the Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) survey to students. The survey was administered before and after completion of the course for three semesters starting with the Fall 2014 semester and ending with the Fall 2015 semester (N = 774). A factor analysis indicated three factors on attitudes: toward science education, toward the interconnectedness of science with non-science fields, and toward the nature of science. Here we present some differences between students enrolled in online degree programs (o-course) and those enrolled in traditional undergraduate programs (i-course). While mean course grades were similar, changes in attitudes toward science differ significantly between o-course and i-course students. The o-course students began the course with more positive attitudes across all three factors than the i-course students. Their attitudes toward science education improved during the course, while the i-course students showed no change. Attitudes toward the other two factors declined in both populations during the course, but declines were smaller among o-course students. These differences may indicate lesser intrinsic motivation among the i-course students. The CURE survey has not been used before in an online course; therefore, we will

Building a Metrics-Enabled Marketing Curriculum: The Cornerstone Course

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Pilling, Bruce K.; Rigdon, Edward E.; Brightman, Harvey J.

2012-01-01

The lack of analytical preparation of marketing students was a key concern at a large, public university in southeastern United States, leading to the decision to create a new required undergraduate marketing metrics course. This article describes the development of that course, designed specifically to strengthen analytical skills across the…

Using concept maps to describe undergraduate students’ mental model in microbiology course

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Hamdiyati, Y.; Sudargo, F.; Redjeki, S.; Fitriani, A.

2018-05-01

The purpose of this research was to describe students’ mental model in a mental model based-microbiology course using concept map as assessment tool. Respondents were 5th semester of undergraduate students of Biology Education of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. The mental modelling instrument used was concept maps. Data were taken on Bacteria sub subject. A concept map rubric was subsequently developed with a maximum score of 4. Quantitative data was converted into a qualitative one to determine mental model level, namely: emergent = score 1, transitional = score 2, close to extended = score 3, and extended = score 4. The results showed that mental model level on bacteria sub subject before the implementation of mental model based-microbiology course was at the transitional level. After implementation of mental model based-microbiology course, mental model was at transitional level, close to extended, and extended. This indicated an increase in the level of students’ mental model after the implementation of mental model based-microbiology course using concept map as assessment tool.

Teaching Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Undergraduate Psychology Students

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Ryan, Tracey Ellen; Blau, Shawn; Grozeva, Dima

2011-01-01

This article describes an experimental undergraduate psychology course that ran for two semesters during the 2009 academic year at a private, urban university in the United States. Students learned the techniques and strategies of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) with a focus on the practical elements…

Teaching undergraduate astrophysics with PIRATE

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Brodeur, M. S.; Kolb, U.; Minocha, S.; Braithwaite, N.

2014-12-01

PIRATE is a 0.43m semi-autonomous research and teaching observatory owned by The Open University, UK. Since 2010, it has been reserved for several months of each year for teaching astronomy in the OU's undergraduate programme. As students in these courses operate PIRATE remotely rather than travelling to the observatory itself, we chose to investigate whether effective learning was adversely affected by the absence of a more traditional `hands on' experience. We discuss student perspectives on the technologies employed (i.e., remote and virtual investigations), the impact these had on perceived course outcomes, and consider implications for future teaching and outreach.

Investigating the Use of a Digital Library in an Inquiry-Based Undergraduate Geology Course

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Apedoe, Xornam S.

2007-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative research study designed to investigate the opportunities and obstacles presented by a digital library for supporting teaching and learning in an inquiry-based undergraduate geology course. Data for this study included classroom observations and field-notes of classroom practices, questionnaires, and…

Online Video Tutorials Increase Learning of Difficult Concepts in an Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Course

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He, Yi; Swenson, Sandra; Lents, Nathan

2012-01-01

Educational technology has enhanced, even revolutionized, pedagogy in many areas of higher education. This study examines the incorporation of video tutorials as a supplement to learning in an undergraduate analytical chemistry course. The concepts and problems in which students faced difficulty were first identified by assessing students'…

Coping Strategies for Stress Adopted by Undergraduate Students of Private Universities in Himachal Pradesh, India

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Bishwas Acharya; Gokul Pathak; Hoshiar Singh Chauhan

2016-01-01

Background: Stress affects the health and academic career of students. Students adopt different coping methods and strategies to deal with stress. Objective: To assess the coping strategies adopted by the undergraduate students of private universities in Himachal Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 422 undergraduate students of two selected private universities in Himachal Pradesh in March-April using self administered questionnaire. Brief cope...

The Effect of Peer Teaching on Mathematics Academic Achievement of the Undergraduate Students in Oman

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Abdelkarim, Ra'ed; Abuiyada, Reem

2016-01-01

This study explored the effects of peer teaching on mathematics academic achievement of the undergraduate students in Oman. The sample of this study composed of (32) undergraduate female students enrolled in the course, "Mathematics for Social Sciences I" in Mathematics and Sciences Unit in Dhofar University in spring semester 2014-2015.…

Understanding the Experience of Women in Undergraduate Engineering Programs at Public Universities

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Perez, Jessica Ohanian

2017-01-01

Women earn bachelor's degrees in engineering at a rate of less than 17% at public universities in California. The purpose of this study was to understand how women experience undergraduate engineering programs at public universities. To understand this lack of attainment, a qualitative methodology and Feminist Poststructuralist perspective were…

Forensic odontology education:from undergraduate to PhD - a Brazilian experience.

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Dietrichkeit Pereira, J G; Frontanilla Recalde, T S; Barreto Costa, P; Jacometti, V; Vigorito Magalhães, L; Alves Da Silva, R H

2017-12-01

Forensic Odontology is a topic present in the majority of Dental Schools in Brazil, and due to this reality, some universities develop activities related to undergraduate and graduate students, from the Dentistry course until the Ph.D. degree. To present the education experience related to Forensic Odontology at School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto (USP - University of São Paulo), showing the strategies and activities in the different degrees (Dental course, Forensic Odontology Specialization Program, Specific Professional Training, Master, and Ph.D.). To the undergraduate students, many activities are developed in order to demonstrate all the possibilities that Forensic Dentistry allow, including theoretical and practical activities; in the Forensic Odontology Specialization Program, the dentists are trained to act as Forensic Odontologists in all its amplitude; in the Specific Professional Training, some courses are available, related to specific topics as DVI, Forensic Facial Reconstruction, Auditor in Dental Care Insurance and others; and in the Master and Ph.D. Programs, the professionals receive training in skills like teaching, research, student's guidance and others. In Brazil, Forensic Odontology is a well-known field in Dentistry and universities develop an important role in training a qualified workforce.

An undergraduate course to bridge the gap between textbooks and scientific research.

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Wiegant, Fred; Scager, Karin; Boonstra, Johannes

2011-01-01

This article reports on a one-semester Advanced Cell Biology course that endeavors to bridge the gap between gaining basic textbook knowledge about cell biology and learning to think and work as a researcher. The key elements of this course are 1) learning to work with primary articles in order to get acquainted with the field of choice, to learn scientific reasoning, and to identify gaps in our current knowledge that represent opportunities for further research; 2) formulating a research project with fellow students; 3) gaining thorough knowledge of relevant methodology and technologies used within the field of cell biology; 4) developing cooperation and leadership skills; and 5) presenting and defending research projects before a jury of experts. The course activities were student centered and focused on designing a genuine research program. Our 5-yr experience with this course demonstrates that 1) undergraduate students are capable of delivering high-quality research designs that meet professional standards, and 2) the authenticity of the learning environment in this course strongly engages students to become self-directed and critical thinkers. We hope to provide colleagues with an example of a course that encourages and stimulates students to develop essential research thinking skills.

Applying Universal Instructional Design to Course Websites by Using Course Evaluations

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Carter, Irene; Leslie, Donald; Kwan, Denise

2012-01-01

The authors explore their use of learner-centred teaching strategies and Universal Instructional Design (UID) on course websites. UID is based on universal design, the design of products and environments intended to be usable by all people to the greatest extent possible (Burgstahler & Cory, 2008). UID applies universal design to instructional…

Promoting Research in an Undergraduate Shakespeare Course

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Fike, Matthew A.

2011-01-01

This essay concerns the methods I use in my 300-level Shakespeare course at Winthrop University to foster research worthy of frequent conference presentation and occasional publication. In short, my approach is to provide suitable topics and to require multiple stages in the composition and research process. The results, I have discovered, are…

The use of writing assignments to help students synthesize content in upper-level undergraduate biology courses.

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Sparks-Thissen, Rebecca L

2017-02-01

Biology education is undergoing a transformation toward a more student-centered, inquiry-driven classroom. Many educators have designed engaging assignments that are designed to help undergraduate students gain exposure to the scientific process and data analysis. One of these types of assignments is use of a grant proposal assignment. Many instructors have used these assignments in lecture-based courses to help students process information in the literature and apply that information to a novel problem such as design of an antiviral drug or a vaccine. These assignments have been helpful in engaging students in the scientific process in the absence of an inquiry-driven laboratory. This commentary discusses the application of these grant proposal writing assignments to undergraduate biology courses. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Using a College Human Sexuality Course to Combat Homophobia

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Rogers, Anissa; McRee, Nick; Arntz, Diana L.

2009-01-01

The present study seeks to identify factors among university students that may be associated with homophobic attitudes and whether homophobia may be reduced by educational interventions, such as knowledge-based curricula found in college sexuality courses. Participants were 128 undergraduate students attending a small, private university in the…

The Importance of Attendance in an Introductory Textile Science Course

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Marcketti, Sara B.; Wang, Xinxin; Greder, Kate

2013-01-01

At Iowa State University, the introductory textile science course is a required 4-credit class for all undergraduate students enrolled in the Apparel, Merchandising, and Design Program. Frustrated by a perceived gap between students who easily comprehended course material and those who complained and struggled, the instructor implemented an…

Where Adults Go: A Multiple Case Study of Adult Serving Undergraduate Colleges and Universities

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Dixon-Williams, Shelley B.

2010-01-01

This research is an exploratory multiple case study of adult serving undergraduate colleges and universities. Using the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Principles of Effective Practice for Serving Adult Learners, this study examines the differences of adult serving undergraduate colleges across the three sectors of higher…

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

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

2018-01-01

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

Self-regulated learning of aural skills in undergraduate music courses: a case study

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Pablo da Silva Gusmão

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Aural Skills classes, which are required and collective, present some particular issues at the Brazilian universities, such as the diverse student’s proficiency levels, motivational issues and lack of autonomy for learning. This paper present the results of a research that investigated the relationships between the psychological constructs involved in the self- regulation of aural skills learning in Undergraduate music students. Through semi-structured interviews, the objective was to understand the interaction of the processes described in Zimmerman (2002 in the three student’s narratives. In this initial research, it was possible to see a relationship between the achievement in Aural Skill courses and the utilization of self- regulatory process, particularly goal-setting and efficient time management, as well as the lack of strategies related to the division of goals into proximal and specific sub-goals, and to the definition of self-evaluation standards. The investigation of strategies for intervention on cognitive processes involved with self-regulated learning of aural skills may help students to become more motivated and autonomous in their academic study.

Implementation of case studies in undergraduate didactic nursing courses: a qualitative study.

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Dutra, Danette K

2013-07-04

The implementation of unfolding scenario-based case studies in the didactic classroom is associated with learner-centered education. The utilization of learner-centered pedagogies, such as case studies, removes the focus from the instructor and instead places it on the student. Learner-centered pedagogies are believed to improve students' levels of cognition. The purpose of this study was to examine how nurse educators are implementing the pedagogies of case studies in their undergraduate didactic courses. The goal was to examine, document, report, and, ultimately, implement the strategies. Purposeful sampling was utilized in this qualitative, multisite-designed study. For each of the four participants, three separate site visits were completed. Observations and post-observational interviews took place at each site visit. Transcribed data from interviews, observations, and course documents were imported into the computer program Nvivo8. Repetitive comparative analysis was utilized to complete the data coding process. The guiding research question of this study sought to investigate the implementation strategies of case studies in didactic nursing courses. The implementation of case studies by the participants reflected two primary patterns: Formal Implementation (FI) and Informal Implementation (II) of case studies. The FI of case studies was further divided into two subcategories: Formal Implementation of case studies used Inside the Classroom setting (FIIC) and Formal Implementation of cases studies used Outside of the Classroom (FIOC). Results of this investigation have led to an increased understanding of implementation strategies of unfolding scenario-based case studies in undergraduate nursing didactic courses. Data collected were rich in the description of specific methodologies for utilization of case studies and may serve as a resource for faculty in development of creative strategies to enhance the didactic classroom experience.

Utilization of E-Counseling in Career Information Dissemination Among Undergraduates of Federal Universities in South East Nigeria

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Joachim Chinweike Omeje

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This descriptive survey study was designed to find out the utilization of e-counseling in career information dissemination among the undergraduates of the federal universities in South East Nigeria. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study consisted of 36 guidance counselors and 64,997 undergraduates of the federal universities in South East Nigeria. The sample consisted of 1,036 participants. This is made up of all the 36 guidance counselors in the federal universities in South East Nigeria, and 1,000 undergraduates randomly selected from the various universities. In each university, 200 undergraduates made up of 100 males and 100 females were randomly selected using balloting by replacement. All the guidance counselors were used due to smallness in number. The instrument for data collection was the E-Counselling Career Information Dissemination Questionnaire (E-CCIDQ. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach’s alpha statistical analysis, and reliability indices of .91, .85, and .84 were obtained for the three clusters. Data for the research questions were answered using percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while the null hypotheses were analyzed using t test statistics tested at the .05 level of significance. The research findings revealed that the universities in South East of Nigeria have e-counseling facilities and the students are very aware of e-counseling opportunities in the universities. Also, the counselors and undergraduates to a high extent utilize e-counseling in career information dissemination. Based on findings, discussions and some recommendations were made.

Comparisons Between Science Knowledge, Interest, and Information Literacy of Learners in Introductory Astronomy Courses

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Buxner, Sanlyn; Impey, Chris David; Formanek, Martin; Wenger, Matthew

2018-01-01

Introductory astronomy courses are exciting opportunities to engage non-major students in scientific issues, new discoveries, and scientific thinking. Many undergraduate students take these courses to complete their general education requirements. Many free-choice learners also take these courses, but for their own interest. We report on a study comparing the basic science knowledge, interest in science, and information literacy of undergraduate students and free choice learners enrolled in introductory astronomy courses run by the University of Arizona. Undergraduate students take both in-person and online courses for college credit. Free choice learners enroll in massive open online courses (MOOCs), through commercial platforms, that can earn them a certificate (although most do not take advantage of that opportunity). In general, we find that undergraduate students outperform the general public on basic science knowledge and that learners in our astronomy MOOCs outperform the undergraduate students in the study. Learners in the MOOC have higher interest in science in general. Overall, learners in both groups report getting information about science from online sources. Additionally, learners’ judgement of the reliability of different sources of information is weakly related to their basic science knowledge and more strongly related to how they describe what it means to study something scientifically. We discuss the implications of our findings for both undergraduate students and free-choice learners as well as instructors of these types of courses.

Bioinformatics for Undergraduates: Steps toward a Quantitative Bioscience Curriculum

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Chapman, Barbara S.; Christmann, James L.; Thatcher, Eileen F.

2006-01-01

We describe an innovative bioinformatics course developed under grants from the National Science Foundation and the California State University Program in Research and Education in Biotechnology for undergraduate biology students. The project has been part of a continuing effort to offer students classroom experiences focused on principles and…

Introducing Programmable Logic to Undergraduate Engineering Students in a Digital Electronics Course

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Todorovich, E.; Marone, J. A.; Vazquez, M.

2012-01-01

Due to significant technological advances and industry requirements, many universities have introduced programmable logic and hardware description languages into undergraduate engineering curricula. This has led to a number of logistical and didactical challenges, in particular for computer science students. In this paper, the integration of some…

A Survey of Undergraduate Marketing Programs: An Empirical Analysis of Knowledge Areas and Metaskills

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Finch, David; Nadeau, John; O'Reilly, Norm

2018-01-01

Scholars suggest that the dynamic nature of marketing has put both the marketing profession and marketing education at a crossroads. This study is an analysis of marketing programs by conceptual knowledge and metaskills. In a content analysis of course descriptions for 523 undergraduate marketing courses in Canada from 40 universities, the…

Molecular Modeling as a Self-Taught Component of a Conventional Undergraduate Chemical Reaction Engineering Course

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Rothe, Erhard W.; Zygmunt, William E.

2016-01-01

We inserted a self-taught molecular modeling project into an otherwise conventional undergraduate chemical-reaction-engineering course. Our objectives were that students should (a) learn with minimal instructor intervention, (b) gain an appreciation for the relationship between molecular structure and, first, macroscopic state functions in…

Incorporating Case Studies into a World Food and Population Course

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Econopouly, Bethany F.; Byrne, Patrick F.; Johnson, Marc A.

2010-01-01

The use of case studies in college courses can increase student engagement with the subject matter and improve analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. Case studies were introduced in a relatively large (54 students) undergraduate world food and population course at Colorado State University in the spring semester of 2008 and…

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.

Systematic Changes in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum Progam Award and Course and Curriculum Development Program Awards

Science.gov (United States)

1996-06-01

Eight awards in chemistry curriculum development for FY1996 have been announced. One award, to a consortium centered at the University of California-Los Angeles, represents the fifth award in the Systemic Changes in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum program. Although no proposals will be accepted in this program for either planning or full grants for FY1997, it is anticipated that proposals will be accepted in June of 1997 for projects that would adapt and adopt materials developed by the five funded consortia: Molecular Science centered at the University of California-Los Angeles; ChemLinks centered at Beloit College; MolecularChem Consortium centered at the University of California-Berkeley; Workshop Chemistry centered at CUNY City College; and New Traditions centered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Seven awards have been made in the Course and Curriculum Development program. This ongoing program continues to accept proposals in chemistry as usual. Systemic Changes in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum Program Award. Molecular Science. Orville L. Chapman University of California-Los Angeles DUE 9555605 FY96 725,000 FY97 575,000, FY98 575,000 FY99 275,000, FY00 275,000 The UCLA-CSUF-Community College Alliance (24 area community colleges that have worked together for more than 15 years) proposes a sweeping restructuring of the lower division chemistry curriculum and the auxiliary learning and assessment processes. In forming our new curriculum, we reject the positivist approach to science education in favor of a constructivist approach that emphasizes problem solving and exploratory learning. We make this change in order to focus on the developing key skills, traits, and abilities of our students. Our new curriculum, the Molecular Science Curriculum, cuts across departments and disciplines to embrace all activities that involve the study of atoms and molecules. In particular, environmental science, materials science, and molecular life science have

Peer Learning and Support of Technology in an Undergraduate Biology Course to Enhance Deep Learning

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Tsaushu, Masha; Tal, Tali; Sagy, Ornit; Kali, Yael; Gepstein, Shimon; Zilberstein, Dan

2012-01-01

This study offers an innovative and sustainable instructional model for an introductory undergraduate course. The model was gradually implemented during 3 yr in a research university in a large-lecture biology course that enrolled biology majors and nonmajors. It gives priority to sources not used enough to enhance active learning in higher education: technology and the students themselves. Most of the lectures were replaced with continuous individual learning and 1-mo group learning of one topic, both supported by an interactive online tutorial. Assessment included open-ended complex questions requiring higher-order thinking skills that were added to the traditional multiple-choice (MC) exam. Analysis of students’ outcomes indicates no significant difference among the three intervention versions in the MC questions of the exam, while students who took part in active-learning groups at the advanced version of the model had significantly higher scores in the more demanding open-ended questions compared with their counterparts. We believe that social-constructivist learning of one topic during 1 mo has significantly contributed to student deep learning across topics. It developed a biological discourse, which is more typical to advanced stages of learning biology, and changed the image of instructors from “knowledge transmitters” to “role model scientists.” PMID:23222836

Peer learning and support of technology in an undergraduate biology course to enhance deep learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsaushu, Masha; Tal, Tali; Sagy, Ornit; Kali, Yael; Gepstein, Shimon; Zilberstein, Dan

2012-01-01

This study offers an innovative and sustainable instructional model for an introductory undergraduate course. The model was gradually implemented during 3 yr in a research university in a large-lecture biology course that enrolled biology majors and nonmajors. It gives priority to sources not used enough to enhance active learning in higher education: technology and the students themselves. Most of the lectures were replaced with continuous individual learning and 1-mo group learning of one topic, both supported by an interactive online tutorial. Assessment included open-ended complex questions requiring higher-order thinking skills that were added to the traditional multiple-choice (MC) exam. Analysis of students' outcomes indicates no significant difference among the three intervention versions in the MC questions of the exam, while students who took part in active-learning groups at the advanced version of the model had significantly higher scores in the more demanding open-ended questions compared with their counterparts. We believe that social-constructivist learning of one topic during 1 mo has significantly contributed to student deep learning across topics. It developed a biological discourse, which is more typical to advanced stages of learning biology, and changed the image of instructors from "knowledge transmitters" to "role model scientists."

Some Observations on Veterinary Undergraduate Training in Surgical Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Whittick, William G.

1978-01-01

The undergraduate surgery course of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, is described with focus on its experential method of teaching surgical techniques. Also discussed are the benefits of veterinary school cooperation with a large city Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). (JMD)

Evidence of The Importance of Philosophy of Science Course On Undergraduate Level

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Suyono

2018-01-01

This study aimed to describe academic impact of Philosophy of Science course in change of students’ conceptions on the Nature of science (NOS) before and after attending the course. This study followed one group pretest-posttest design. Treatment in this study was Philosophy of Science course for one semester. Misconception diagnostic tests of the NOS had been developed by Suyono et al. (2015) equipped with Certainty of Response Index (CRI). It consists of 15 concept questions about the NOS. The number of students who were tested on Chemistry Education Program (CEP) and Chemistry Program (CP) respectively 42 and 45 students. This study shows that after the learning of Philosophy of Science course happened: (1) the decrease of the number of misconception students on the NOS from 47.47 to 19.20% in CEP and from 47.47 to 18.18% in CP and (2) the decrease in the number of concepts that understood as misconception by the large number of students from 11 to 2 concepts on the CEP and from 10 to 2 concepts on CP. Therefore, the existence of Philosophy of Science course has a positive academic impact on students from both programs on undergraduate level.

A Study of an English for Academic Purposes Course

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Zohrabi, Mohammad; Shah, Parilah M.; Yunus, Melor M.

2012-01-01

English for General Purposes (EGP) is a foundation course which should be taken by all the undergraduate students at the University of Tabriz, Iran. However, the EGP course cannot meet the students' objectives and needs. Evidently, it has some shortcoming and the results of the study indicate that it not only has lost its credibility but also has…

Individual and Technological Factors Affecting Undergraduates' Use of Mobile Technology in University of Ilorin, Nigeria

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Olufunmilola Ogulande, Oyeronke; Oladimeji Olafare, Festus; Ayuba Sakaba, Dabo

2016-01-01

The proliferation and utilization of handheld mobile technology among undergraduates for mobile learning cannot be underestimated. This study was geared towards investigating individual and technological factors affecting the perceived usefulness of mobile technology by undergraduates in university of Ilorin, Nigeria. The study was a descriptive…

Predicting Performance in a First Engineering Calculus Course: Implications for Interventions

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Hieb, Jeffrey L.; Lyle, Keith B.; Ralston, Patricia A. S.; Chariker, Julia

2015-01-01

At the University of Louisville, a large, urban institution in the south-east United States, undergraduate engineering students take their mathematics courses from the school of engineering. In the fall of their freshman year, engineering students take "Engineering Analysis I," a calculus-based engineering analysis course. After the…

An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Space Physics Course: Understanding the Process of Science Through One Field's Colorful History

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Lopez, Ramon E.

1996-01-01

Science education in this country is in its greatest period of ferment since the post-Sputnik frenzy a generation ago. In that earlier time, however, educators' emphasis was on producing more scientists and engineers. Today we recognize that all Americans need a good science background. The ability to observe, measure, think quantitatively, and reach logical conclusions based on available evidence is a set of skills that everyone entering the workforce needs to acquire if our country is to be competitive in a global economy. Moreover, as public policy increasingly crystallizes around scientific issues, it is critical that citizens be educated in science so that they may provide informed debate and on these issues. In order to develop this idea more fully, I proposed to teach a historically based course about space physics as an honors course at the University of Maryland-College Park (UMCP). The honors program at UMCP was established to foster broad-based undergraduate courses that utilize innovative teaching techniques to provide exemplary education to a select group of students. I designed an introductory course that would have four basic goals: to acquaint students with geomagnetic and auroral phenomena and their relationship to the space environment; to examine issues related to the history of science using the evolution of the field as an example; to develop familiarity with basic skills such as describing and interpreting observations, analyzing scientific papers, and communicating the results of their own research; and to provide some understanding of basic physics, especially those aspect that play a role in the near-earth space environment.

Crossing the Atlantic: Integrating Cross-Cultural Experiences into Undergraduate Business Courses Using Virtual Communities Technology

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Luethge, Denise J.; Raska, David; Greer, Bertie M.; O'Connor, Christina

2016-01-01

Today's business school academics are tasked with pedagogy that offers students an understanding of the globalization of markets and the cross-cultural communication skills needed in today's business environment. The authors describe how a virtual cross-cultural experience was integrated into an undergraduate business course and used as an…

Can Personalized Nudges Improve Learning in Hybrid Classes? Experimental Evidence from an Introductory Undergraduate Course

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connell, Stephen D.; Lang, Guido

2018-01-01

A field experiment was conducted to investigate whether personalized e-mail reminders can improve study consistency and learning outcomes in an introductory-level undergraduate course. By randomly assigning whether nearly 300 students would receive occasional e-mail messages encouraging out-of-class study, we find that these reminders increased…

The Development of a Course Sequence in Real-Time Systems Design

Science.gov (United States)

1993-08-01

This project deals with the development of a senior level course sequence in software intensive real - time systems . The sequence consists of a course...for an engineering industrial career in real - time systems development. The course sequence emphasizes practical standards, techniques, and tools for...system development. Few universities include real - time systems development in their undergraduate Computer Engineering or Computer Science curriculum

Pluralism and heterogeneity as criticism: Undergraduate history and systems of psychology courses in Argentinian psychology education (1983-2017).

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Fierro, Catriel

2018-05-01

Multiple studies have analyzed the aims, resources, and approaches to undergraduate and graduate history of psychology education in several countries. Argentina is one of the countries with the highest historiographical production in Latin America. However, to date, there are no published studies on the collective debates among professionals, institutions, and associations that were instrumental in the development of the historiography of science becoming a mandatory part of the curriculum in Argentinian psychology programs. This study describes and analyzes the role of undergraduate history of psychology courses in official debates that took place during the last 30 years regarding Argentinian psychologists' training and education, in the context of regional and international historiography. Data was retrieved from several primary sources, such as minutes and official dossiers, working documents on accreditation standards, and nationwide curricular diagnoses on undergraduate psychology education, as well as individual scholars' ideas. Our findings suggest that, in line with regional and international historiography, history of psychology courses in Argentina have repeatedly been considered as core content in debates and discussions about psychology education, from the restoration of democracy in 1983 to the present day, in which they are currently considered to be mandatory minimum curricular content. Although throughout its history Argentinian psychology has largely been reduced to the teaching of Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, historical education has been perceived as a gateway toward a more plural and critical local psychology. We conclude by discussing some potential and actual concerns that pose a threat to Argentinian undergraduate history courses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

University of Houston Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Projects

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Bering, E. A., III; Talbot, R. W.; Hampton, D. L.; Molders, N.; Millan, R. M.; Halford, A. J.; Dunbar, B.; Morris, G. A.; Prince, J.; Gamblin, R.; Ehteshami, A.; Lehnen, J. N.; Greer, M.; Porat, I.; Alozie, M.; Behrend, C. C.; Bias, C.; Fenton, A.; Gunawan, B.; Harrison, W.; Martinez, A.; Mathur, S.; Medillin, M.; Nguyen, T.; Nguyen, T. V.; Nowling, M.; Perez, D.; Pham, M.; Pina, M.; Thomas, G.; Velasquez, B.; Victor, L.

2017-12-01

The Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) is a NASA program to engage undergraduate students in rigorous scientific research, for the purposes of innovation and developing the next generation of professionals for an array of fields. The program is student led and executed from initial ideation to research to the design and deployment of scientific payloads. The University of Houston has been selected twice to participate in the USIP programs. The first program (USIP_UH I) ran from 2013 to 2016. USIP_UH II started in January of 2016, with funding starting at the end of May. USIP_UH I (USIP_UH II) at the University of Houston was (is) composed of eight (seven) research teams developing six (seven), distinct, balloon-based scientific instruments. These instruments will contribute to a broad range of geophysical sciences from Very Low Frequency recording and Total Electron Content to exobiology and ozone profiling. USIP_UH I had 12 successful launches with 9 recoveries from Fairbanks, AK in March 2015, and 4 piggyback flights with BARREL 3 from Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden in August, 2015. USIP_UH II had 8 successful launches with 5 recoveries from Fairbanks, AK in March 2017, 3 piggyback flights with BARREL 4 from Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden in August, 2016, and 1 flight each from CSBF and UH. The great opportunity of this program is capitalizing on the proliferation of electronics miniaturization to create new generations of scientific instruments that are smaller and lighter than ever before. This situation allows experiments to be done more cheaply which ultimately allows many more experiments to be done.

"That's a Hard Question": Undergraduate Students Talk about Culture

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Montague-Winebarger, Caitlin N.

2012-01-01

In this project I examine the ability of undergraduate students to articulate a working definition of culture and cross-culture. The students were predominately elementary education majors, enrolled in one of two culture-based elective courses at the University of Alaska Fairbanks during the 2010-2011 school year. Through the use of…

P ersonal Attributes as Determinants of Sport Participation among Undergraduates in Selected Nigerian Universities

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Yomi AWOSIKA

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This study focuses on personal attributes of undergraduates as determinants of sport participation in selected Nigerian universities which include age, gender and marital status. The instrument for the study is a self - developed, validated questionnaire. The subjects of the study are undergraduates in selected Nigerian universities. Analysis is the use of percentages and inferential statistics of chi square X 2 at 0.05 level of significance. The results derived from the study reveal that students’ personal attributes significantly determine their sport participation. Among other recommendations made is that it is highly imperative for university authorities to make frantic efforts to develop modalities capable of enco uraging students’ sport participation since most of them have sport potentials as evident in their post - primary school sport records. This will enable our universities groom healthy and academically sound graduates.

Artificial Intelligence Is for Real: Undergraduate Students Should Know about It.

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Liebowitz, Jay

1988-01-01

Discussion of the possibilities of introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into the undergraduate curriculum highlights the introduction of AI in an introduction to information processing course for business students at George Washington University. Topics discussed include robotics, expert systems prototyping in class, and the interdisciplinary…

Preparing Students for Global Citizenship: The Effects of a Dutch Undergraduate Honors Course

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Ingrid W. Schutte

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Using a mixed method approach, this case study investigates effects on the participating students (N=25 of an undergraduate honors course in the Netherlands, aimed at global justice citizenship. Knowledge about effects of global citizenship courses is still limited. The Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire and the Global Citizenship Scale were used in a pre- and posttest design to measure possible development in the moral and civic domain among the participants of the course. In the qualitative part, deductive content analyses of students’ work and students’ written reflection on the course, utilizing the theory-based curriculum guidelines Global Justice Citizenship Education, were performed. In addition, a follow-up blog and interview were analyzed to learn students’ perception on the effects of the course after half a year. Quantitative results show increased ethical sensitivity as well as global civic engagement and global competence among the participants. Qualitative results point in the same direction and provide deeper insights in the content of students’ learning and the perceived impact of the course on their attitudes and behavior. Results are discussed in relation to theory on justice-oriented global citizenship and honors pedagogies.

Exploring the Dynamics of Directed Studies Courses: Student, Instructor, and Administrator Perspectives

OpenAIRE

Glen Hvenegaard; Anne-Marie L. Link; Sean E. Moore; Janet C. Wesselius

2013-01-01

North American universities are encouraged to increase opportunities for undergraduate research experiences (UREs). To this end, many universities offer directed studies courses (DSCs) which are 1-2 semester long courses involving one-on-one instruction, with a focus on student-led independent research. Building on the understanding of dynamics generally related to UREs, this paper seeks to compare the motivations, benefits, and barriers specifically related to DSCs from student, ...

Teaching evidence based practice and research through blended learning to undergraduate midwifery students from a practice based perspective.

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Mary, Sidebotham; Julie, Jomeen; Jennifer, Gamble

2014-03-01

The international world of higher education is changing with universities now offering students flexible delivery options that allow them to study away from campus and at a time convenient to them. Some students prefer on line learning while others prefer face to face contact offered through a traditional lecture and tutorial delivery modes. The response by many universities is to offer a blend of both. While online and blended mode of delivery may be suitable for some subjects there is little knowledge of the efficacy of blended learning models to teach evidence based practice and research (EBPR) to undergraduate midwifery students. EBPR is a challenging, threshold level subject upon which deeper knowledge and skills are built. This paper describes the design, delivery, and evaluation of an undergraduate EBPR course delivered in blended mode to first year midwifery students. Components of the blended learning innovation included: novel teaching strategies, engaging practical activities, role play, and e-learning strategies to maintain engagement. University-based course evaluation outcomes revealed very positive scores and the course was rated within the top ten percent of all courses offered within the Health Group at the host University. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Legal Environment v. Business Law Courses: A Distinction without a Difference?

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Miller, Carol J.; Crain, Susan J.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide a content analysis and statistics on the law-related core course requirements in colleges of business to assist professors and administrators in making curriculum decisions. It examines the name of "undergraduate" law-based course requirements in the business core in 404 universities accredited by the…

Development of a problem - based learning (PBL) and cooperative learning (CL) transportation engineering course For undergraduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-08-01

This study reports the findings of a project that was done during the implementation of a : problem-based learning (PBL) and cooperative learning (CL) elements into an : undergraduate transportation engineering course. The study procedure used the st...

Knowledge, aptitudes, and preferences in implant dentistry teaching/training among undergraduate dental students at the University of Barcelona

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Berástegui-Jimeno, Esther; Gay-Escoda, Cosme

2017-01-01

Background Oral implant rehabilitation should be considered a treatment option for any edentulous patient and Implant Dentistry is currently a discipline taught in the undergraduate formation. The level of knowledge acquired and how the students perceive the quality of training in Implant Dentistry could assess to know if it is necessary to improve the syllabus. Material and Methods A questionnaire was developed with 11 questions: Basic knowledge (7); Perception of training received (2); Ways in which students would receive training (2). To be responded anonymously and voluntarily for undergraduates students in the Faculty of Dentistry (University of Barcelona, Spain). Results One hundred and seven students, 76 third year (Group A) and 31 fourth year (Group B) answered the questionnaire. In Group A, 98.68% of students and in Group B 93.54% believed they were poorly informed; 100% of both groups would prefer to receive more training as part of the degree or as postgraduate training through modular courses imparted by experts (A: 71,05%, B: 70,96%) Training through postgraduate programs or training given by private businesses were the least desirable options (A: 42%, B: 64.51%). Questions about basic knowledge acquired received varying responses, which might indicate a certain level of confusion in this area. Conclusions The undergraduate syllabus must be revised to include sufficient content and training to allow the student to indicate implant-based treatments based on evidence. Students would prefer training to be included in the undergraduate syllabus. Key words:Dental implants, dental students, dental education, dental syllabus, implant dentistry. PMID:28578375

Clinical experiences of undergraduate dental students in pediatric dentistry at Cork University Dental School and Hospital, Ireland.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Stewart, Christopher J

2010-03-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the number and range of clinical procedures completed by undergraduate dental students in pediatric dentistry in Cork University Dental School and Hospital, Ireland, and to compare the number of procedures undertaken with the subsequent examination scores. The work comprised a retrospective audit of clinical logbooks for all of the undergraduate dental students in one cohort through their fourth and fifth clinical years between 2004 and 2006. Thirty-four quantitative logbooks were audited. Students had seen a total of 1,031 patients, and each student had completed a full course of dental treatment for an average of twenty-two children. Students completed means of 30.2 restorative procedures for children, fourteen in deciduous dentition (range six to twenty-eight), and seventeen in permanent dentition (range seven to twenty-eight). Continuity of education and care (measured through children having their treatment fully completed by the same student) was 72 percent. A moderate positive correlation between levels of clinical experience and exam score was identified. All students gained experience in management of child patients with students providing care for an average of thirty children and a minimum of nineteen.

Evaluation of structured oral examination format used in the assessment of undergraduate medical course (MBBS of the University of Dhaka

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Md Shah Alam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives of this cross sectional descriptive study was to evaluate critically the current status of structured oral examination (SOE format as practiced in the professional examination of undergraduate medical course (MBBS and views of the faculties regarding the concept of SOE as an assessment tool. The study was conducted in 9 medical college examination centers of Dhaka University in July 2007. There were 36 examiners in 18 SOE board, 26 of them were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire and SOE boards were observed with a checklist. A total of 2455 questions used in SOE to assess 123 students, were recorded and analyzed using another checklist. These questions were used to assess learning hierarchy and content coverage using forensic medicine as a reference subject. Analysis of the questions revealed majority (97% were of recall type, only 3% were interpretation and problem solving types. The questions for 119 (97% examinee did not address 10%-50% content area. About 38% examiners responded that they had no clear idea regarding learning objectives and none had idea regarding test blueprint.The examiners marked the domain of learning measured by SOE in favor of cognitive skill (61%, communication skill (38.5%, motor skill (11.5%, behavior and attitude (19%. No examiner prepared model answer of SOE questions by consensus with other examiner. Though more than 80% examiner agreed with the statement that pre-selection of accepted model answer is an important element for success of SOE. But no examiners of any SOE boards practiced it. Similarly, none of the examiners of SOE board kept records of individual question and the answer of the examinees. No boards maintained equal time for a candidate during SOE by using timer or stop watch. Examiners of 8 boards (44% did not use recommended rating scale to score individual response of examinee rather scored in traditional consolidated way at the end of the candidate’s examination

The Importance of Course Design on Classroom Performance of Marketing Students

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Black, Gregory S.; Daughtrey, Clayton L.; Lewis, Jeffrey S.

2014-01-01

The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of course design on marketing student outcomes by examining data gathered over several semesters from 563 undergraduate students enrolled in marketing classes at a major university. During this period of time, respondents were enrolled in one of four marketing courses, each of which…

Correlates of Academic Procrastination and Mathematics Achievement of University Undergraduate Students

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Akinsola, Mojeed Kolawole; Tella, Adedeji; Tella, Adeyinka

2007-01-01

Procrastination is now a common phenomenon among students, particularly those at the higher level. And this is doing more harm to their academic achievement than good. Therefore, this study examined the correlates between academic procrastination and mathematics achievement among the university mathematics undergraduate students. The study used a…

Course Management Systems: Traveling Beyond Powerpoint Slides Online

Science.gov (United States)

Gauthier, A. J.; Impey, C. D.

2004-12-01

Course management systems (CMS) like WebCT, Blackboard, Astronomica, etc., have reached and surpassed their tipping point in higher education. They are no longer a technology-trendy item to use in a course, but rather an expected supplement to undergraduate courses. There is a well known disconnect between the student population of ''digital natives'' (1) and higher education instructors, the ''digital immigrants'' (1). What expectations and technology skills do the new generations of undergraduates have? How can instructors easily meet their students' needs? What needs do instructors have and what resources are available to meet those needs? In the past, instructors would create their own HTML web pages to post class materials like PowerPoint slides, homework, and announcements. How does an instructor-created web resource differ from a secure university run CMS? How can you make your university or college's CMS system into a productive learning tool and not just a repository for class materials and grades? How can the astronomy instructor benefit from integrating a CMS into their course? What are common student attitudes regarding CMS usage in a course? How are instructors using CMSs in innovative ways? Where on your campus can you get free help designing and implementing a CMS resource for your students? This presentation aims to answer these questions. Extensive literature reviews, formal surveys, case study reports, and educational research from the instructional technology community inform our astronomy teaching community of the answers. Highlights from innovative systems and uses of CMSs in undergraduate Astro 101 classrooms will be presented. Resources and further references will be made available as handouts. (1) M. Prensky. ''Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants,'' On The Horizon, Vol.9, 2001.

Growth Patterns and E-Moderating Supports in Asynchronous Online Discussions in an Undergraduate Blended Course

Science.gov (United States)

Ghadirian, Hajar; Ayub, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd; Bakar, Kamariah Binti Abu; Hassanzadeh, Maryam

2016-01-01

This study presents a case study of asynchronous online discussions' (AOD) growth patterns in an undergraduate blended course to address the gap in our current understanding of how threads are developed in peer-moderated AODs. Building on a taxonomy of thread pattern proposed by Chan, Hew and Cheung (2009), growth patterns of thirty-six forums…

Effects of Discovery, Iteration, and Collaboration in Laboratory Courses on Undergraduates' Research Career Intentions Fully Mediated by Student Ownership.

Science.gov (United States)

Corwin, Lisa A; Runyon, Christopher R; Ghanem, Eman; Sandy, Moriah; Clark, Greg; Palmer, Gregory C; Reichler, Stuart; Rodenbusch, Stacia E; Dolan, Erin L

2018-06-01

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide a promising avenue to attract a larger and more diverse group of students into research careers. CUREs are thought to be distinctive in offering students opportunities to make discoveries, collaborate, engage in iterative work, and develop a sense of ownership of their lab course work. Yet how these elements affect students' intentions to pursue research-related careers remain unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we collected data on three design features thought to be distinctive of CUREs (discovery, iteration, collaboration) and on students' levels of ownership and career intentions from ∼800 undergraduates who had completed CURE or inquiry courses, including courses from the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI), which has a demonstrated positive effect on student retention in college and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We used structural equation modeling to test relationships among the design features and student ownership and career intentions. We found that discovery, iteration, and collaboration had small but significant effects on students' intentions; these effects were fully mediated by student ownership. Students in FRI courses reported significantly higher levels of discovery, iteration, and ownership than students in other CUREs. FRI research courses alone had a significant effect on students' career intentions.

Competence in the musculoskeletal system: assessing the progression of knowledge through an undergraduate medical course.

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Subhashis; Roberts, Chris; Newble, David I; Snaith, Michael

2004-12-01

Professional bodies have expressed concerns that medical students lack appropriate knowledge in musculoskeletal medicine despite its high prevalence of use within the community. Changes in curriculum and teaching strategies may be contributing factors to this. There is little evidence to evaluate the degree to which these concerns are justified. To design and evaluate an assessment procedure that tests the progress of medical students in achieving a core level of knowledge in musculoskeletal medicine during the course. A stratified sample of 136 volunteer students from all 5 years of the medical course at Sheffield University. The progress test concept was adapted to provide a cross-sectional view of student knowledge gain during each year of the course. A test was devised which aimed to provide an assessment of competence set at the standard required of the newly qualified doctor in understanding basic and clinical sciences relevant to musculoskeletal medicine. The test was blueprinted against internal and external guidelines. It comprised 40 multiple-choice and extended matching questions administered by computer. Six musculoskeletal practitioners set the standard using a modified Angoff procedure. Test reliability was 0.6 (Cronbach's alpha). Mean scores of students increased from 41% in Year 1 to 84% by the final year. Data suggest that, from a baseline score in Year 1, there is a disparate experience of learning in Year 2 that evens out in Year 3, with knowledge progression becoming more consistent thereafter. All final year participants scored above the standard predicted by the Angoff procedure. This short computer-based test was a feasible method of estimating student knowledge acquisition in musculoskeletal medicine across the undergraduate curriculum. Tested students appear to have acquired a satisfactory knowledge base by the end of the course. Knowledge gain seemed relatively independent of specialty-specific clinical training. Proposals from specialty

Development of a Teaching Methodology for Undergraduate Human Development in Psychology

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Rodriguez, Maria A.; Espinoza, José M.

2015-01-01

The development of a teaching methodology for the undergraduate Psychology course Human Development II in a private university in Lima, Peru is described. The theoretical framework consisted of an integration of Citizen Science and Service Learning, with the application of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), specifically Wikipedia and…

A constructivist approach to e-text design for use in undergraduate physiology courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Ashley E; Rozell, Timothy G

2015-09-01

Electronic textbooks, or e-texts, will have an increasingly important role in college science courses within the next few years due to the rising costs of traditional texts and the increasing availability of software allowing instructors to create their own e-text. However, few guidelines exist in the literature to aid instructors in the development and design specifically of e-texts using sound learning theories; this is especially true for undergraduate physiology e-texts. In this article, we describe why constructivism is a very important educational theory for e-text design and how it may be applied in e-text development by instructors. We also provide examples of two undergraduate physiology e-texts that were designed in accordance with this educational theory but for learners of quite different backgrounds and prior knowledge levels. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

Training the Next Generation: Developing Health Education Skills in Undergraduate Public Health Students at a Historically Black College and University

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Krista Mincey

2017-10-01

Full Text Available With the looming workforce crisis, undergraduate public health students could be an important link in filling this demand. As public health continues to face challenges in the future, it is important that the future workforce is not only diverse but also trained in a manner that exposes them to real-world experiences that give them an opportunity to apply coursework to solve problems. This article outlines how a health program planning course was taught at a Historically Black College and University using assignments that promote active learning. Students were assessed on their ability to plan and implement a health activity based on a developed metric. Student and instructor reflections were collected from final assessments of the health programs by both groups. All elements of the course are discussed from course design, structure, assignments, and outcomes along with student and instructor reflections and lessons learned. Results suggest that including assignments focused on active learning are beneficial to helping students learn course material. As public health continues to change, more work needs to focus on teaching pedagogies that better prepare students to address future public health issues.

University courses on radiation protection in Estonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Realo, Enn

1999-01-01

A brief overview is given on the educational courses containing topics in the field of radiation protection in the Tallinn Technical University and in the University of Tartu, Estonia. It follows from the analysis that at present there is no complete system for education or training of experts in the field. At the same time a significant deficit in specialists and experts is one of the major barriers in the development of an efficient radiation protection infrastructure in this country. A comparison of the course topics to the syllabus for the training of qualified experts recommended by EC and by IAEA demonstrates the items, which need a further development and an expanded coverage in the existing or in future courses. These items involve, e.g., operational radiation protection and its organisation, waste management, transport, quality assurance, etc. Upgrading of courses for the missing theoretical items is not difficult, but it is not sufficient. The largest void lies in the weakness / absence of an adequate basis for practical work or exercises for students. The examples of co-operation and help provided for the existing courses, especially by the Nordic countries, are encouraging. (au)

The work about the cybercrime and computer forensics course

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Tang Ling

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, along with the maturity and widespread of computer technology and Internet, cybercrime are worsening. Therefore, it not only brings harm to the society, but also brings problems to traditional forensics. So it is very important for the university to develop a related course and train students to deal with information crime and computer forensics. East China University of Politics and Law has set up a college course named cybercrime and computer forensics for undergraduate students for six years and done some researches. Both of them get great achievements.

Geoscience Education Research Project: Student Benefits and Effective Design of a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

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Kortz, Karen M.; van der Hoeven Kraft, Katrien J.

2016-01-01

Undergraduate research has been shown to be an effective practice for learning science. While this is a popular discussion topic, there are few full examples in the literature for introductory-level students. This paper describes the Geoscience Education Research Project, an innovative course-based research experience designed for…

Scaffolding Learner Autonomy in Online University Courses

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Ribbe, Elisa; Bezanilla, María José

2013-01-01

This paper deals with the question in what ways teachers and course designers can support the development and exertion of learner autonomy among online university students. It advocates that a greater attention to learner autonomy could help more students to complete their course successfully and thus contribute the decrease of the high dropout…

Teaching Development of Foundation Environmental Science Course Using Undergraduate Handbook of Buriram Rajabhat University

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Kuntida Thammamrat

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The present study is an attempt to apply the handbook as a tool for teaching foundation of environmental science. The aims of this investigation were 1 to develop a course handbook that fills the standard criteria of 80/80 2 to compare mean derived from pretest and posttest scores 3 to compare student’s attitude toward environmental science from the pretest and posttest scores and 4 to compare student’s environmental scientific skills prior to and after using a study handbook. The key informants were 56 students drawn from 1st- year students of Environmental Science Department of Buriram Rajabhat University in 2558 (B.E academic year. Four instruments of data collection were constructed including 1 the course handbook 2 test of student’s basic knowledge on environmental science, 3 the test of student’s attitude toward environmental science, and 4 the test of student’s environmental scientific skills. The statistics analysis in this study comprised frequency percentage, mean, standard deviation and dependent t – test, which were of used for examining the hypothesis. The findings of this investigation revealed that 1 the efficiency of the handbook entitled “Foundation of environmental science” met the criteria of 80/80 in all aspects with value 83.93/91.81 2 the scores derived from student’s posttest is higher than pretest with .05 statistical significant difference 3 teaching through the handbook enhanced the level of student attitude toward environmental science with .05 statistical significant difference and 4 the environmental scientific skills of the students learning through the handbook are significantly higher than before, at .05 level.

Changing the Face of Traditional Education: A Framework for Adapting a Large, Residential Course to the Web

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Maureen Ellis

2007-07-01

Full Text Available At large, research universities, a common approach for teaching hundreds of undergraduate students at one time is the traditional, large, lecture-based course. Trends indicate that over the next decade there will be an increase in the number of large, campus courses being offered as well as larger enrollments in courses currently offered. As universities investigate alternative means to accommodate more students and their learning needs, Web-based instruction provides an attractive delivery mode for teaching large, on-campus courses. This article explores a theoretical approach regarding how Web-based instruction can be designed and developed to provide quality education for traditional, on-campus, undergraduate students. The academic debate over the merit of Web-based instruction for traditional, on-campus students has not been resolved. This study identifies and discusses instructional design theory for adapting a large, lecture-based course to the Web.

Impact of sexual health course on Malaysian university students.

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Low, W Y

2004-10-01

A sexual health course was offered and taught by academic staff from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya during semester II of every year as a university elective course to other university students apart from medical students. The course covered a wide range of topics: adolescent sexuality, family planning and pregnancy, violence against women, alternative sexual behavior, physiology of sex, sex and the disabled, gender bias in sexuality, relationship and marriage, sexual dysfunctions, clarification of sexual attitudes and STDs and AIDS. The Sexual Knowledge and Attitude Test (SKAT-II) was used to measure students' pre- and post-course scores on sexual knowledge and attitudes. Fifty-four students who completed both the pre- and post-course tests showed a significant change in sexual knowledge and their attitudes towards sexual myths and autoeroticism. Sexual knowledge was also positively correlated with age, heterosexual relations, autoeroticism and sexual myths scores. However, sexual knowledge is negatively related to religiosity and the influence of religious beliefs on one's attitudes towards sexual matters. This study showed that the sexual health course offered does have a positive impact in increasing one's knowledge and changing one's attitudes towards sexual issues.

The influences and experiences of African American undergraduate science majors at predominately White universities

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Blockus, Linda Helen

The purpose of this study is to describe and explore some of the social and academic experiences of successful African American undergraduate science majors at predominately White universities with the expectation of conceptualizing emerging patterns for future study. The study surveyed 80 upperclass African Americans at 11 public research universities about their perceptions of the influences that affect their educational experiences and career interests in science. The mailed survey included the Persistence/ voluntary Dropout Decision Scale, the Cultural Congruity Scale and the University Environment Scale. A variety of potential influences were considered including family background, career goals, psychosocial development, academic and social connections with the university, faculty relationships, environmental fit, retention factors, validation, participation in mentored research projects and other experiences. The students' sources of influences, opportunities for connection, and cultural values were considered in the context of a research university environment and investigated for emerging themes and direction for future research. Results indicate that performance in coursework appears to be the most salient factor in African American students' experience as science majors. The mean college gpa was 3.01 for students in this study. Challenging content, time demands, study habits and concern with poor grades all serve to discourage students; however, for most of the students in this study, it has not dissuaded them from their educational and career plans. Positive course performance provided encouragement. Science faculty provide less influence than family members, and more students find faculty members discouraging than supportive. Measures of faculty relations were not associated with academic success. No evidence was provided to confirm the disadvantages of being female in a scientific discipline. Students were concerned with lack of minority role models

From Data to Policy: An Undergraduate Program in Research and Communication

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Fuoco, Rebecca; Blum, Arlene; Peaslee, Graham F.

2012-01-01

To bridge the gap between science and policy, future scientists should receive training that incorporates policy implications into the design, analysis, and communication of research. We present a student Science and Policy course for undergraduate science majors piloted at the University of California, Berkeley in the summer of 2011. During this…

Characteristics of Abductive Inquiry in Earth Science: An Undergraduate Case Study

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Oh, Phil Seok

2011-01-01

The goal of this case study was to describe characteristic features of abductive inquiry learning activities in the domain of earth science. Participants were undergraduate junior and senior students who were enrolled in an earth science education course offered for preservice secondary science teachers at a university in Korea. The undergraduate…

Student Perceptions of the Cell Biology Laboratory Learning Environment in Four Undergraduate Science Courses in Spain

Science.gov (United States)

De Juan, Joaquin; Pérez-Cañaveras, Rosa M.; Segovia, Yolanda; Girela, Jose Luis; Martínez-Ruiz, Noemi; Romero-Rameta, Alejandro; Gómez-Torres, Maria José; Vizcaya-Moreno, M. Flores

2016-01-01

Cell biology is an academic discipline that organises and coordinates the learning of the structure, function and molecular composition of cells in some undergraduate biomedical programs. Besides course content and teaching methodologies, the laboratory environment is considered a key element in the teaching of and learning of cell biology. The…

Using Mind Maps to Improve Medical Student Performance in a Pharmacology Course at Kunming Medical University.

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Ying, Guo; Jianping, Xie; Haiyun, Luo; Xia, Li; Jianyu, Yang; Qun, Xuan; Jianyun, Yu

2017-07-01

To determine whether students using mind maps would improve their performance in a final examination at the end of lecture-based pharmacology course. Aquasi-experimental study. Kunming Medical University, from September 2014 to January 2015. One hundred and twenty-two (122) third year undergraduate medical students, starting a 48-hour lecturebased pharmacology course, volunteered to use mind maps as one of their study strategies (intervention group), while the remaining 100 students in the class continued to use their usual study strategies (control group) over the duration of the course. The performance of both groups in the final course examination was compared. Students in the intervention group also completed a questionnaire on the usefulness of mind maps during the course and in preparation for the final examination. The students' performance of intervention group was superior to performance of the control group in all parts of a multi-modal final examination. For the multiple choice questions and comprehensive scores, average marks of 45.97 ±7.22 and 68.07 ±12.77, respectively were acquired by the control group, and 51.77 ±4.95 (pcontrol group, and were all significantly higher at 8.00 (4.00) (p=0.024), 10.00 (2.00) (pmind maps helped them to prepare more efficiently for the final exam; 90.91% believed that mind maps helped them to better understand all of pharmacology. Ninety-one percent also thought that mind maps would help them to better understand other disciplines, and 86.36% students would like the lecturers to utilize mind mapping as an alternative to conventional teaching formats, such as the use of Power Point. The addition of mind maps to students' study of pharmacology at Kunming Medical University improved their performance in all aspects of a multi-modal final examination.

Institutionalization of a Multidisciplinary Healthy Lifestyles Course

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Brookins-Fisher, Jodi; O'Boyle, Irene; Ivanitskaya, Lana

2010-01-01

The purpose of health education is to positively influence the health behavior of individuals and communities, as well as living and working conditions that affect health. The goal of a Healthy Lifestyles course that is offered to undergraduate students enrolled in a university general education program (e.g., liberal arts education, core…

Undergraduate engineering students' attitudes and perceptions towards `professional ethics' course: a case study of India

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Sethy, Satya Sundar

2017-11-01

'Professional Ethics' has been offered as a compulsory course to undergraduate engineering students in a premier engineering institution of India. It was noticed that students' perceptions and attitudes were frivolous and ornamental towards this course. Course instructors and institution authorities were motivated to find out the factors contributing to this awkwardness. For this purpose, a questionnaire was prepared and administrated to 336 students registered for the July-November 2014 semester. The study found two factors contributing to students' indifference towards the Professional Ethics course. First, most of the students did not have self-interest to join the engineering programme, and while pursuing their study, they decided to switch to a different field upon completion of their engineering study. Second, students who desired to be engineers in their future believed that engineering code of ethics is not really referred to in most of the engineering jobs, and therefore Professional Ethics course is only meant for classroom discussions.

University course timetabling and the requirements: Survey in several universities in the east-coast of Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Aziz, Nurul Liyana Abdul; Aizam, Nur Aidya Hanum

2017-08-01

Course timetabling problem receives the highlight at the beginning of every semester. The problem is mainly on assigning courses to timeslot, rooms and lecturers which involving a set of rules and policies constraints. Generally, researchers present different features to signify their own universities' timetable according to the structure and behavior of their institution. However, the gap between theory and real-world applications that can be seen in the resulted timetable is the lacking of acknowledging human preferences. As to overcome this, it is very important to consider all the demands and preferences from timetabling community. This research therefore tries to accommodate the problem by investigating through surveys to several universities in the east coast of Malaysia the demands and preferences of individuals involved directly. Results from the questionnaires will be analyzed by using SPSS and all current issues regarding the demands will be included into our existing general university course timetabling mathematical model. The new university course timetabling mathematical model could best represent universities and be useful, especially in universities in Malaysia.

Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Attitude Towards Examination of Undergraduates at University of Ilorin

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Lateef Omotosho Adegboyega

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Emotional intelligence is the basic construct out of which all motivation arises. People with high emotional intelligence have the characteristic of motivating themselves. Students differ in cognitive abilities, with some students being better prepared for the university environment than others. As such, scholars have attempted to find out if emotional intelligence determines students’ attitude toward their studies. The present study therefore, investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and attitude towards examination of undergraduates’ at the University of Ilorin. Correlational survey method was employed for the study. The study showed that there is low level of emotional intelligence among University of Ilorin undergraduates. Majority of the respondents have negative attitude towards examination. The result revealed that there was a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and attitude towards examination. Also, it revealed that emotional intelligence has significant correlation with gender (r = 0.203, p<0.05, which implies that gender plays a significant role in the emotional intelligence of undergraduates. Emotional intelligence also has a correlation with age (r = 0.073, p<0.05. This implies that age of undergraduates also plays a significant role in their emotional intelligence. Attitude towards examination had a correlation with age (r = 0.086, p<0.05. This implies that age of the undergraduates plays a significant role in influencing an individual’s attitude toward examinations. Based on these findings, it was recommended; among others, that counsellors and lecturers assist students in determining the appropriate emotional intelligence as this would help them to develop positive attitude towards examination

Forensics as a Gateway: Promoting Undergraduate Interest in Science, and Graduate Student Professional Development through a First-Year Seminar Course

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Charkoudian, Louise K.; Heymann, Jared J.; Adler, Marc J.; Haas, Kathryn L.; Mies, Kassy A.; Bonk, James F.

2008-01-01

A group of five graduate students and a faculty mentor used the cultural popularity of forensics to develop a first-year undergraduate seminar. This course fulfilled two main objectives: First, the graduate student instructors developed professionally through a two-year process of creating, instructing, and revising a course. Second, a variety of…

Correlation of Relationship between Course of Study and Academic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A hypothesis of whether the nature of course of study (COS) or interest in it affects the performance of engineering students (POES) was determined in this study. The data used were obtained through questionnaires administered to undergraduate engineering students selected from two Nigerian Federal Universities.

A systematic review of factors influencing student ratings in undergraduate medical education course evaluations

OpenAIRE

Schiekirka, Sarah; Raupach, Tobias

2015-01-01

Background Student ratings are a popular source of course evaluations in undergraduate medical education. Data on the reliability and validity of such ratings have mostly been derived from studies unrelated to medical education. Since medical education differs considerably from other higher education settings, an analysis of factors influencing overall student ratings with a specific focus on medical education was needed. Methods For the purpose of this systematic review, online databases (Pu...

Schooling Effects on Undergraduate Performance: Evidence from the University of Barcelona

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Mora, Toni; Escardibul, Josep-Oriol

2008-01-01

This study analyzes the effects of several factors related to high school, such as the kind of school (public or private), the type of education (general or vocational), school location and peers on undergraduate performance from students of the University of Barcelona (Spain). Particular attention is given to the functional form and to the…

Knowledge loss of medical students on first year basic science courses at the university of Saskatchewan

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D'Eon Marcel F

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many senior undergraduate students from the University of Saskatchewan indicated informally that they did not remember much from their first year courses and wondered why we were teaching content that did not seem relevant to later clinical work or studies. To determine the extent of the problem a course evaluation study that measured the knowledge loss of medical students on selected first year courses was conducted. This study replicates previous memory decrement studies with three first year medicine basic science courses, something that was not found in the literature. It was expected that some courses would show more and some courses would show less knowledge loss. Methods In the spring of 2004 over 20 students were recruited to retake questions from three first year courses: Immunology, physiology, and neuroanatomy. Student scores on the selected questions at the time of the final examination in May 2003 (the 'test' were compared with their scores on the questions 10 or 11 months later (the 're-test' using paired samples t -tests. A repeated-measures MANOVA was used to compare the test and re-test scores among the three courses. The re-test scores were matched with the overall student ratings of the courses and the student scores on the May 2003 examinations. Results A statistically significant main effect of knowledge loss (F = 297.385; p post hoc comparisons showed a significant difference between Neuroanatomy and Physiology (mean difference of 10.7, p = .004. Conclusion There was considerable knowledge loss among medical students in the three basic science courses tested and this loss was not uniform across courses. Knowledge loss does not seem to be related to the marks on the final examination or the assessment of course quality by the students.

Embedding Hands-On Mini Laboratory Experiences in a Core Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics Course: A Pilot Study

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Han, Duanduan; Ugaz, Victor

2017-01-01

Three self-contained mini-labs were integrated into a core undergraduate fluid mechanics course, with the goal of delivering hands-on content in a manner scalable to large class sizes. These mini-labs supported learning objectives involving friction loss in pipes, flow measurement, and centrifugal pump analysis. The hands-on experiments were…

Inter-Institutional Partnerships Propel A Successful Collaborative Undergraduate Degree Program In Chemistry.

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D'Souza, Malcolm J; Wang, Qiquan

2012-10-01

Small private liberal arts colleges are increasingly tuition-dependent and mainly attract students by creating student-centered learning communities. On the other hand, larger universities tend to be trendsetters where its faculty tend to seek intellectual independence and are involved in career focused cutting-edge research. The Institutional Development Awards (IDeA) and Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) are federal-state-university partnerships that builds basic research infrastructure and coax the state-wide higher education institutions to collaborate with each other in order to enhance their competitiveness. As a result in Delaware, Wesley College instituted curricular and operational changes to launch an undergraduate program in biological chemistry where its students take three upper division chemistry courses and can choose to participate in annual summer undergraduate internships at nearby Delaware State University.

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics Marine Geology and Geophysics Field Course

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Duncan, D.; Davis, M. B.; Goff, J. A.; Gulick, S. P. S.; McIntosh, K. D.; Saustrup, S., Sr.

2014-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, part of the Jackson School of Geosciences, annually offers a three-week marine geology and geophysics field course during the spring-summer intersession. The course provides hands-on instruction and training for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in high-resolution seismic reflection, CHIRP sub-bottom profiling, multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar, several types of sediment coring, grab sampling, and the sedimentology of resulting seabed samples. Students participate in an initial three days of classroom instruction designed to communicate geological context of the field area along with theoretical and technical background on each field method. The class then travels to the Gulf Coast for a week of at-sea field work. Our field sites at Port Aransas, and Galveston, TX, and Grand Isle, LA, provide ideal locations for students to investigate coastal processes of the Gulf Coast and continental shelf through application of geophysical techniques in an exploratory mode. At sea, students assist with survey design and instrumentation set up while learning about acquisition parameters, data quality control, trouble-shooting, and safe instrument deployment and retrieval. In teams of four, students work in onshore field labs preparing sediment samples for particle size analysis and data processing. During the course's final week, teams return to the classroom where they integrate, interpret, and visualize data in a final project using industry-standard software such as Echos, Landmark, Caris, and Fledermaus. The course concludes with a series of final presentations and discussions in which students examine geologic history and/or sedimentary processes represented by the Gulf Coast continental shelf with academic and industry supporters. Students report a greater understanding of marine geology and geophysics through the course's intensive, hands-on, team approach and low instructor to student ratio (sixteen

An Exploratory Study of the Relationship among Perceived Personal and Social Competence, Health Risk Behaviors, and Academic Achievement of Selected Undergraduate Students

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Rhodes, Darson L.

2009-01-01

A sample of 656 undergraduate students from multiple sections of an introductory nutrition course, a personal health course, and a physical fitness course at a large Midwestern University completed one of four surveys. Using matrix sampling, each participant completed a survey measuring one of four personal and social competence constructs; coping…

Implementing a Flipped Classroom Approach in a University Numerical Methods Mathematics Course

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Johnston, Barbara M.

2017-01-01

This paper describes and analyses the implementation of a "flipped classroom" approach, in an undergraduate mathematics course on numerical methods. The approach replaced all the lecture contents by instructor-made videos and was implemented in the consecutive years 2014 and 2015. The sequential case study presented here begins with an…

The Effect of "Clickers" on Attendance in an Introductory Statistics Course: An Action Research Study

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Amstelveen, Raoul H.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to design and implement a Classroom Response System, also known as a "clicker," to increase attendance in introductory statistics courses at an undergraduate university. Since 2010, non-attendance had been prevalent in introductory statistics courses. Moreover, non-attendance created undesirable classrooms…

Developing Food Science Core Competencies in Vietnam: The Role of Experience and Problem Solving in an Industry-Based Undergraduate Research Course

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LeGrand, Karen; Yamashita, Lina; Trexler, Cary J.; Vu, Thi Lam An; Young, Glenn M.

2017-01-01

Although many educators now recognize the value of problem-based learning and experiential learning, undergraduate-level food science courses that reflect these pedagogical approaches are still relatively novel, especially in East and Southeast Asia. Leveraging existing partnerships with farmers in Vietnam, a food science course for students at…

Advancing Kohlberg through Codes: Using Professional Codes To Reach the Moral Reasoning Objective in Undergraduate Ethics Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehouse, Ginny; Ingram, Michael T.

The development of moral reasoning as a key course objective in undergraduate communication ethics classes can be accomplished by the critical and deliberate introduction of professional codes of ethics and the internalization of values found in those codes. Notably, "fostering moral reasoning skills" and "surveying current ethical…

The Value Paradox--Inducting Undergraduate University Students in a Time of Austerity

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Jones, Tim; Upton, Penney; Wilkinson, Dean J.

2013-01-01

The challenges facing UK higher education are both well documented and controversial; however, pitted against this context is the requirement for psychology departments to provide an increasingly rich and diverse university experience for students, whilst ensuring progression and retention remain central to undergraduate provision. Despite the…

"On Course" for Supporting Expanded Participation and Improving Scientific Reasoning in Undergraduate Thesis Writing

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Dowd, Jason E.; Roy, Christopher P.; Thompson, Robert J., Jr.; Reynolds, Julie A.

2015-01-01

The Department of Chemistry at Duke University has endeavored to expand participation in undergraduate honors thesis research while maintaining the quality of the learning experience. Accomplishing this goal has been constrained by limited departmental resources (including faculty time) and increased diversity in students' preparation to engage in…

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

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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.

Undergraduate, Female, Nutrition Students' Perceptions of Curricular Influence on Attitudes toward Individuals with Obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwyer, John J M; Starr, Andrea; Mills, Christine; Haines, Jess

2016-12-01

This qualitative study, guided by a phenomenological approach, explored senior-level undergraduate, nutrition students' perceptions of how obesity and weight bias were addressed in the undergraduate curricula and how the curricula influenced their attitudes toward individuals with obesity. Twenty senior-level undergraduate, nutrition students from the University of Guelph participated in interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis entailed open, axial, and selective coding. Participants' sources of information about obesity in the curricula included nutrition courses, case studies, and non-nutrition courses. Regarding sources of information about weight bias in the curricula, they discussed nutrition courses, non-nutrition courses, and limited coverage of weight bias. Themes for curricular influence on attitudes toward people with obesity were increased knowledge of obesity, understanding the complexity of obesity, increased empathy toward individuals with obesity, and better ability to avoid stereotypes toward people with obesity. The perceptions among nutrition students varied regarding the amount and type of obesity and weight-bias information in the curricula, as well as the influence of the curricula on attitudes toward individuals with obesity, suggesting that obesity and weight bias warrant more coordinated coverage in the nutrition curricula.

QUALITY AND PROCESSES OF BANGLADESH OPEN UNIVERSITY COURSE MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT

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K. M. Rezanur RAHMAN

2006-04-01

Full Text Available A new member of the mega-Universities, Bangladesh Open University (BOU introduced a course team approach for developing effective course materials for distance students. BOU teaching media includes printed course books, study guides, radio and television broadcasts, audiocassettes and occasional face-to-face tutorials. Each course team comprises specialist course writer(s, editor, trained style editor, graphic designer,illustrator, audio-visual producer and anonymous referees. An editorial board or preview committee is responsible for the final approval for publishing or broadcasting materials for learners. This approach has been proved to be effective, but appeared to be complicated and time-consuming. This report focuses on the quality and processes of BOU course materials development taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of the current approach.

How to Assess Your CURE: A Practical Guide for Instructors of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin E. Shortlidge

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Integrating research experiences into undergraduate life sciences curricula in the form of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs can meet national calls for education reform by giving students the chance to “do science.” In this article, we provide a step-by-step practical guide to help instructors assess their CUREs using best practices in assessment. We recommend that instructors first identify their anticipated CURE learning outcomes, then work to identify an assessment instrument that aligns to those learning outcomes and critically evaluate the results from their course assessment. To aid instructors in becoming aware of what instruments have been developed, we have also synthesized a table of “off-the-shelf” assessment instruments that instructors could use to assess their own CUREs. However, we acknowledge that each CURE is unique and instructors may expect specific learning outcomes that cannot be assessed using existing assessment instruments, so we recommend that instructors consider developing their own assessments that are tightly aligned to the context of their CURE.

Astrobiology undergraduate education: students' knowledge and perceptions of the field.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Jamie S; Drew, Jennifer C

2009-04-01

With the field of astrobiology continually evolving, it has become increasingly important to develop and maintain an educational infrastructure for the next generation of astrobiologists. In addition to developing more courses and programs for students, it is essential to monitor the learning experiences and progress of students taking these astrobiology courses. At the University of Florida, a new pilot course in astrobiology was developed that targeted undergraduate students with a wide range of scientific backgrounds. Pre- and post-course surveys along with knowledge assessments were used to evaluate the students' perceived and actual learning experiences. The class incorporated a hybrid teaching platform that included traditional in-person and distance learning technologies. Results indicate that undergraduate students have little prior knowledge of key astrobiology concepts; however, post-course testing demonstrated significant improvements in the students' comprehension of astrobiology. Improvements were not limited to astrobiology knowledge. Assessments revealed that students developed confidence in science writing as well as reading and understanding astrobiology primary literature. Overall, student knowledge of and attitudes toward astrobiological research dramatically increased during this course, which demonstrates the ongoing need for additional astrobiology education programs as well as periodic evaluations of those programs currently underway. Together, these approaches serve to improve the overall learning experiences and perceptions of future astrobiology researchers.

Utilization of Electronic Information Resources by Undergraduate Students of University of Ibadan: A Case Study of Social Sciences and Education

Science.gov (United States)

Owolabi, Sola; Idowu, Oluwafemi A.; Okocha, Foluke; Ogundare, Atinuke Omotayo

2016-01-01

The study evaluated utilization of electronic information resources by undergraduates in the Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences in University of Ibadan. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a study population of 1872 undergraduates in the Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences in University of Ibadan, from which a…

Getting Vaccinated against HPV: Attitudes, Intentions and Perceived Barriers of Female Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Sloane C.; Vail-Smith, Karen; White, David M.; Baker, Elizabeth; Mitchell, Terri

2010-01-01

This study examines college women's intention to receive the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine and their perceived barriers to being vaccinated. The study reports findings from an online questionnaire completed by 856 undergraduate women enrolled in a required personal health course at a large (27,000 plus) southeastern university. The majority…

A Prototype Two-tier Mentoring Program for Undergraduate Summer Interns from Minority-Serving Institutions at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Science.gov (United States)

Gens, R.; Prakash, A.; Ozbay, G.; Sriharan, S.; Balazs, M. S.; Chittambakkam, A.; Starkenburg, D. P.; Waigl, C.; Cook, S.; Ferguson, A.; Foster, K.; Jones, E.; Kluge, A.; Stilson, K.

2013-12-01

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is partnering with Delaware State University, Virginia State University, Elizabeth City State University, Bethune-Cookman University, and Morgan State University on a U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Institute for Food and Agriculture funded grant for ';Enhancing Geographic Information System Education and Delivery through Collaboration: Curricula Design, Faculty, Staff, and Student Training and Development, and Extension Services'. As a part of this grant, in summer 2013, UAF hosted a week long workshop followed by an intense two week undergraduate internship program. Six undergraduate students from partnering Universities worked with UAF graduate students as their direct mentors. This cohort of undergraduate mentees and graduate student mentors were in-turn counseled by the two UAF principal investigators who served as ';super-mentors'. The role of each person in the two-tier mentoring system was well defined. The super-mentors ensured that there was consistency in the way the internship was setup and resources were allocated. They also ensured that there were no technical glitches in the research projects and that there was healthy communication and interaction among participants. Mentors worked with the mentees ahead of time in outlining a project that aligned with the mentees research interest, provided basic reading material to the interns to get oriented, prepared the datasets required to start the project, and guided the undergraduates throughout the internship. Undergraduates gained hands-on experience in geospatial data collection and application of tools in their projects related to mapping geomorphology, landcover, geothermal sites, fires, and meteorological conditions. Further, they shared their research results and experiences with a broad university-wide audience at the end of the internship period. All participants met at lunch-time for a daily science talk from external speakers. The program offered

Predictors of Student Satisfaction with University Psychology Courses: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Heather J.; Hood, Michelle; Neumann, David L.

2015-01-01

Student satisfaction at university is receiving increasing attention. While academic discipline has been associated with student satisfaction in many studies, we found no previous reviews of student satisfaction within psychology, a discipline with among the largest undergraduate enrolments. In this paper, we review the student satisfaction…

The CLEM Model: Path Analysis of the Mediating Effects of Attitudes and Motivational Beliefs on the Relationship between Perceived Learning Environment and Course Performance in an Undergraduate Non-Major Biology Course

Science.gov (United States)

Partin, Matthew L.; Haney, Jodi J.

2012-01-01

In this study, the following questions were addressed in an undergraduate non-major biology course using a large lecture format: Is there a relationship between students' perceptions of their learning environment and course performance, and what roles do motivation and attitudes play in mediating that relationship? The purpose of this study was to…

Undergraduate Education with the WIYN 0.9-m Telescope

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Pilachowski, Catherine A.

2017-01-01

Several models have been explored at Indiana University Bloomington for undergraduate student engagement in astronomy using the WIYN 0.9-m telescope at Kitt Peak. These models include individual student research projects using the telescope, student observations as part of an observational techniques course for majors, and enrichment activities for non-science majors in general education courses. Where possible, we arrange for students to travel to the telescope. More often, we are able to use simple online tools such as Skype and VNC viewers to give students an authentic observing experience. Experiences with the telescope motivate students to learn basic content in astronomy, including the celestial sphere, the electromagnetic spectrum, telescopes and detectors, the variety of astronomical objects, date reduction processes, image analysis, and color image creation and appreciation. The WIYN 0.9-m telescope is an essential tool for our program at all levels of undergraduate education

Students' Perceptions of an Applied Research Experience in an Undergraduate Exercise Science Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Regis C; Crandall, K Jason; Dispennette, Kathryn; Maples, Jill M

2017-01-01

Applied research experiences can provide numerous benefits to undergraduate students, however few studies have assessed the perceptions of Exercise Science (EXS) students to an applied research experience. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to describe the rationale and implementation of an applied research experience into an EXS curriculum and 2) to evaluate EXS undergraduate students' perceptions of an applied research experience. An EXS measurement course was chosen for implementation of an applied research experience. The applied research experience required groups of students to design, implement, and evaluate a student-led research project. Fourteen questions were constructed, tailored to EXS undergraduate students, to assess students' perceptions of the experience. Qualitative analysis was used for all applicable data, with repeated trends noted; quantitative data were collapsed to determine frequencies. There was an overall positive student perception of the experience and 85.7% of students agreed an applied research experience should be continued. 84.7% of students perceived the experience as educationally enriching, while 92.8% reported the experience was academically challenging. This experience allowed students to develop comprehensive solutions to problems that arose throughout the semester; while facilitating communication, collaboration, and problem solving. Students believed research experiences were beneficial, but could be time consuming when paired with other responsibilities. Results suggest an applied research experience has the potential to help further the development of EXS undergraduate students. Understanding student perceptions of an applied research experience may prove useful to faculty interested in engaging students in the research process.

Weaving the Web into Course Integrated Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallach, Ruth; McCann, Linda

In the fall 1995, a professor teaching an undergraduate course asked the Reference Center at the University of Southern California to conduct a research session on Dante related resources on the Internet, and to show her students how to search the Dartmouth Dante Project. A simple homepage was created for the class, which listed the course…

Exploring the Learning Problems and Resource Usage of Undergraduate Industrial Design Students in Design Studio Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wenzhi

2016-01-01

Design is a powerful weapon for modern companies so it is important to have excellent designers in the industry. The purpose of this study is to explore the learning problems and the resources that students use to overcome problems in undergraduate industrial design studio courses. A survey with open-type questions was conducted to collect data.…

Development of research paper writing skills of poultry science undergraduate students studying food microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Z R; Donalson, L M; Kim, W K; Li, X; Zabala Díaz, I; Landers, K L; Maciorowski, K G; Ricke, S C

2006-02-01

Because food and poultry industries are demanding an improvement in written communication skills among graduates, research paper writing should be an integral part of a senior undergraduate class. However, scientific writing assignments are often treated as secondary to developing the technical skills of the students. Scientific research paper writing has been emphasized in an undergraduate course on advanced food microbiology taught in the Poultry Science Department at Texas A& M University (College Station, TX). Students' opinions suggest that research paper writing as part of a senior course in Poultry Science provides students with scientific communication skills and useful training for their career, but more emphasis on reading and understanding scientific literature may be required.

Unexpected Benefits of Pre-University Skills Training for A-Level Students

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, H. L.; Gaskell, E. H.; Prendergast, J. R.; Bavage, A. D.

2017-01-01

First-year undergraduates can find the transition from the prescriptive learning environment at school to one of self-directed learning at university, a considerable challenge. A Pre-university Skills Course (PSC) was developed to address this issue by preparing sixth formers for the university learning style. It was piloted with students in the…

Impact of Facebook Usage on Undergraduate Students Performance in Irbid National University: Case Study

OpenAIRE

Altaany, Fawzi H.; Jassim, Firas A.

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the style of Facebook usage between undergraduate students and the impact on their academics performance. Also, this paper was evaluated in the view of student the using of Facebook. A questioner was design for collecting data from a sample of 480 undergraduate students in Irbid National University. The survey revealed that 77% of the students have an account on Facebook. One of the main findings is that there was a significant relationship between gend...

Impact of an undergraduate course on medical students’ self-perceived nutrition intake and self-efficacy to improve their health behaviours and counselling practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crowley J

2014-06-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Doctors are increasingly involved in the management of chronic disease and counsel patients about their lifestyle behaviours, including nutrition, to improve their health outcomes. AIM: This study aimed to assess the impact of a medical undergraduate course containing nutrition content on medical students’ self-perceived nutrition intake and self-efficacy to improve their health behaviours and counselling practices. METHODS: A total of 239 medical students enrolled in a 12-week nutrition-related course at The University of Auckland were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire before and after the course. The questionnaire was adapted from a previous evaluation of a preventive medicine and nutrition course at Harvard Medical School. RESULTS: Sixty-one medical students completed both pre- and post-course questionnaires (25.5%. At baseline, medical students described their eating habits to be more healthy than non-medical students (p=0.0261. Post-course, medical students reported a higher frequency of wholegrain food intake (p=0.0229. Medical students also reported being less comfortable making nutrition recommendations to family and friends post-course (p=0.008. Most medical students (63.9% perceived increased awareness of their own dietary choices, and some (15.3% reported an increased likelihood to counsel patients on lifestyle behaviour post-course. DISCUSSION: Students can increase awareness of their own nutrition behaviour after undertaking a course that includes nutrition in the initial phase of their medical degree. Further investigation of how medical students’ confidence to provide nutrition advice evolves throughout their training and in future practice is required.

University Course Timetabling using Constraint Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadi Shahmoradi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available University course timetabling problem is a challenging and time-consuming task on the overall structure of timetable in every academic environment. The problem deals with many factors such as the number of lessons, classes, teachers, students and working time, and these are influenced by some hard and soft constraints. The aim of solving this problem is to assign courses and classes to teachers and students, so that the restrictions are held. In this paper, a constraint programming method is proposed to satisfy maximum constraints and expectation, in order to address university timetabling problem. For minimizing the penalty of soft constraints, a cost function is introduced and AHP method is used for calculating its coefficients. The proposed model is tested on department of management, University of Isfahan dataset using OPL on the IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio platform. A statistical analysis has been conducted and shows the performance of the proposed approach in satisfying all hard constraints and also the satisfying degree of the soft constraints is on maximum desirable level. The running time of the model is less than 20 minutes that is significantly better than the non-automated ones.

Measuring Confidence Levels of Male and Female Students in Open Access Enabling Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Atherton, Mirella

2015-01-01

The study of confidence was undertaken at the University of Newcastle with students selecting science courses at two campuses. The students were enrolled in open access programs and aimed to gain access to undergraduate studies in various disciplines at University. The "third person effect" was used to measure the confidence levels of…

Geography, Resources, and Environment of Latin America: An Undergraduate Science Course focused on Attracting Hispanic students to Science and on Educating Non-Hispanics about Latin America.

Science.gov (United States)

Pujana, I.; Stern, R. J.; Ledbetter, C. E.

2004-12-01

With NSF-CCLI funding, we have developed, taught, and evaluated a new lower-division science course for non-majors, entitled "Geography, Resources, and Environment of Hispanic America" (GRELA). This is an adaptation of a similar course, "Geology and Development of Modern Africa" developed by Barbara Tewksbury (Hamilton College), to attract African American students to science by highlighting cultural ties with their ancestral lands. We think that a similar approach focusing on Latin America may attract Hispanic undergraduates, at the same time that it increases awareness among non-Hispanic students about challenges facing our neighbors to the south. GRELA is an interdisciplinary exploration of how the physical and biological environment of Mexico, Central America, and South America have influenced the people who live there. The course consists of 20 lectures and requires the student to present a report partnering with correspondents in Latin American universities. GRELA begins with an overview of Latin American physical and cultural geography and geologic evolution followed by a series of modules that relate the natural resources and environment of Latin America to the history, economy, and culture of the region. This is followed by an exploration of pre-Columbian cultures. The use of metals by pre-Columbian, colonial, and modern cultures is presented next. We then discuss hydrocarbon resources, geothermal energy, and natural hazards of volcanoes and earthquakes. The last half of the course focuses on Earth System Science themes, including El Nino, glaciers, the Amazon river and rainforest, and coral reefs. The final presentation concerns population growth and water resources along the US-Mexico border. Grades are based on two midterms, one final, and a project which requires that groups of students communicate with scientists in Latin America to explore some aspect of geography, natural resources, or the environment of a Latin American region of common interest

Developing Research Skills for Undergraduate Business Students: Experiential Learning on Introduction to Personnel Administration and Industrial Relations Course

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, Carmen I.; González, Cándida

2014-01-01

This paper reports on research into developing research skills in human resources management of apprentices through experiential learning. The target groups were undergraduate business students registered in the Introduction to Personnel and Industrial Relations course. The research identified the appreciation level of importance and satisfaction…

Learning analytics: Dataset for empirical evaluation of entry requirements into engineering undergraduate programs in a Nigerian university.

Science.gov (United States)

Odukoya, Jonathan A; Popoola, Segun I; Atayero, Aderemi A; Omole, David O; Badejo, Joke A; John, Temitope M; Olowo, Olalekan O

2018-04-01

In Nigerian universities, enrolment into any engineering undergraduate program requires that the minimum entry criteria established by the National Universities Commission (NUC) must be satisfied. Candidates seeking admission to study engineering discipline must have reached a predetermined entry age and met the cut-off marks set for Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and the post-UTME screening. However, limited effort has been made to show that these entry requirements eventually guarantee successful academic performance in engineering programs because the data required for such validation are not readily available. In this data article, a comprehensive dataset for empirical evaluation of entry requirements into engineering undergraduate programs in a Nigerian university is presented and carefully analyzed. A total sample of 1445 undergraduates that were admitted between 2005 and 2009 to study Chemical Engineering (CHE), Civil Engineering (CVE), Computer Engineering (CEN), Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Information and Communication Engineering (ICE), Mechanical Engineering (MEE), and Petroleum Engineering (PET) at Covenant University, Nigeria were randomly selected. Entry age, SSCE aggregate, UTME score, Covenant University Scholastic Aptitude Screening (CUSAS) score, and the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of the undergraduates were obtained from the Student Records and Academic Affairs unit. In order to facilitate evidence-based evaluation, the robust dataset is made publicly available in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file. On yearly basis, first-order descriptive statistics of the dataset are presented in tables. Box plot representations, frequency distribution plots, and scatter plots of the dataset are provided to enrich its value. Furthermore, correlation and linear regression analyses are performed to understand the relationship between the entry requirements and the

How diverse are physics instructors’ attitudes and approaches to teaching undergraduate level quantum mechanics?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddiqui, Shabnam; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-01-01

Understanding instructors’ attitudes and approaches to teaching undergraduate-level quantum mechanics can be helpful in developing effective instructional tools to help students learn quantum mechanics. Here we discuss the findings from a survey in which 12 university faculty members reflected on various issues related to undergraduate-level quantum mechanics teaching and learning. Topics included faculty members’ thoughts on the goals of a college quantum mechanics course, general challenges in teaching the subject matter, students’ preparation for the course, views about foundational issues and the difficulty in teaching certain topics, reflection on their own learning of quantum mechanics when they were students versus how they teach it to their students and the extent to which they incorporate contemporary topics into their courses. The findings related to instructors’ attitudes and approaches discussed here can be useful in improving teaching and learning of quantum mechanics. (paper)

Measuring Science Literacy in College Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Impey, Chris David; Buxner, S. R.; Antonellis, J.; King, C.; Johnson, E.; CATS

2010-01-01

Initial results from a major study of scientific literacy are presented, involving nearly 10,000 undergraduates in science classes at a large Southwestern Land Grant public university over a 20-year period. The science content questions overlap with those in the NSF's Science Indicators series. About 10% of all undergraduates in the US take a General Education astronomy course, and NSF data and the work of Jon Miller show that the number of college science courses taken is the strongest predictor of civic scientific literacy. Our data show that gains in knowledge on any particular item through the time students graduate are only 10-15%. Among students who have taken most or all of their science requirements, one-in-three think that antibiotics kill viruses as well as bacteria, one-in-four think lasers work by focusing sound waves, one-in-five think atoms are smaller than electrons, and the same fraction is unaware that humans evolved from earlier species of animals and that the Earth takes a year to go around the Sun. The fraction of undergraduates saying that astrology is "not at all” scientific increases from 17% to a still-low 34% as they move through the university. Equally worrying, half of all science majors say that astrology is "sort of” or "very” scientific. Education majors - the cohort of future teachers - perform worse than average on most individual questions and in terms of their overall scientific literacy. Assuming the study institution is representative of the nation's higher education institutions, our instruction is not raising students to the level we would expect for educated citizens who must vote on many issues that relate to science and technology. We acknowledge the NSF for funding under Award No. 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS) Program.

Increasing Student Success in Large Survey Science Courses via Supplemental Instruction in Learning Centers

Science.gov (United States)

Hooper, Eric Jon; Nossal, S.; Watson, L.; Timbie, P.

2010-05-01

Large introductory astronomy and physics survey courses can be very challenging and stressful. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Physics Learning Center (PLC) reaches about 10 percent of the students in four introductory physics courses, algebra and calculus based versions of both classical mechanics and electromagnetism. Participants include those potentially most vulnerable to experiencing isolation and hence to having difficulty finding study partners as well as students struggling with the course. They receive specially written tutorials, conceptual summaries, and practice problems; exam reviews; and most importantly, membership in small groups of 3 - 8 students which meet twice per week in a hybrid of traditional teaching and tutoring. Almost all students who regularly participate in the PLC earn at least a "C,” with many earning higher grades. The PLC works closely with other campus programs which seek to increase the participation and enhance the success of underrepresented minorities, first generation college students, and students from lower-income circumstances; and it is well received by students, departmental faculty, and University administration. The PLC staff includes physics education specialists and research scientists with a passion for education. However, the bulk of the teaching is conducted by undergraduates who are majoring in physics, astronomy, mathematics, engineering, and secondary science teaching (many have multiple majors). The staff train these enthusiastic students, denoted Peer Mentor Tutors (PMTs) in general pedagogy and mentoring strategies, as well as the specifics of teaching the physics covered in the course. The PMTs are among the best undergraduates at the university. While currently there is no UW-Madison learning center for astronomy courses, establishing one is a possible future direction. The introductory astronomy courses cater to non-science majors and consequently are less quantitative. However, the basic structure

Minimum Competencies in Undergraduate Motor Development. Guidance Document

Science.gov (United States)

National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004

2004-01-01

The minimum competency guidelines in Motor Development described herein at the undergraduate level may be gained in one or more motor development course(s) or through other courses provided in an undergraduate curriculum. The minimum guidelines include: (1) Formulation of a developmental perspective; (2) Knowledge of changes in motor behavior…

Combining Project-Based Learning and Community-Based Research in a Research Methodology Course: The Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Arantes do Amaral, João Alberto; Lino dos Santos, Rebeca Júlia Rodrigues

2018-01-01

In this article, we present our findings regarding the course "Research Methodology," offered to 22 first-year undergraduate students studying Administration at the Federal University of São Paulo, Osasco, Brazil. The course, which combined community-based research and project-based learning, was developed during the second semester of…

Thermodynamics a complete undergraduate course

CERN Document Server

Steane, Andrew M

2016-01-01

This is an undergraduate textbook in thermodynamics—the science of heat, work, temperature, and entropy. The text presents thermodynamics in and of itself, as an elegant and powerful set of ideas and methods. These methods open the way to understanding a very wide range of phenomena in physics, chemistry, engineering, and biology. Starting out from an introduction of concepts at first year undergraduate level, the roles of temperature, internal energy, and entropy are explained via the laws of thermodynamics. The text employs a combination of examples, exercises, and careful discussion, with a view to conveying the feel of the subject as well as avoiding common misunderstandings. The Feynman–Smuluchowski ratchet, Szilard’s engine, and Maxwell’s daemon are used to elucidate entropy and the second law. Free energy and thermodynamic potentials are discussed at length, with applications to solids as well as fluids and flow processes. Thermal radiation is discussed, and the main ideas significant to global...

Using GeoGebra for Mathematics Education at University Undergraduate Level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

Our research effort presented in this talk relates with developing digital tools for mathematics education at undergraduate university level. It focuses specifically on studies where mathematics is not a core subject but it is very important in order to cope with core subjects. For our design, we...... feedback inspire the next round of design requirements for the development of digital tools that support mathematics teaching and learning at university level....... conducted observations of teachers and students during lectures and exercise time. During these observations we were able to investigate how the applets were used in practice but also to get insight in the challenges that the students face during mathematics learning. These findings together with student...

Head and Neck Anatomy: Effect of Focussed Near-Peer Teaching on Anatomical Confidence in Undergraduate Medical Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Simon; Osborne, Max Sallis; Bowyer, Duncan

2018-05-11

To assess the effect of near-peer head and neck anatomy teaching on undergraduates and to quantify the benefit from a focussed teaching course. Near-peer teaching involves colleagues within close seniority and age proximity teaching one another on a specified topic. Small group teaching sessions were delivered to medical students on 3 key areas of ENT anatomy. Participants were given a precourse and postcourse questionnaire to determine the benefit attained from the course. An undergraduate anatomy course taking place at the University of Birmingham Medical School. A total of 30 medical students: 15 preclinical (years 1-2) and 15 clinical (years 3-5) medical students participated from a single institution. A total of 71% of students expressed inadequate teaching of head and neck anatomy in undergraduate curriculum. All students (n = 30) expressed benefit from the course, however the patterns of learning differed: preclinical students showed a significant improvement in both their ability to name anatomical structures and their application (p peer learning provides benefit to all medical undergraduates in the context of teaching anatomy which may make it a valuable teaching tool for the future of medical education. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictive factors of premedical student retention and degree completion within a private undergraduate university

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Frances E.

Undergraduate retention and eventual graduation is of paramount importance to universities globally. Approximately 58% of students who began their college career at a four-year institution with the intention of receiving a bachelor's degree actually received that degree in a 6-year timeframe, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) annual report The Condition of Education 2009 (Planty, 2009). In certain subgroups of the undergraduate population, this graduation rate is even lower. This dissertation presents research into the academic integration of students in premedical programs subgroup based on Vincent Tinto's Integrationist Model of Student Departure. Pre-entry factors of interest for this study included incoming high school grade point average (GPA), incoming SAT total test scores, while post-matriculation factors included grade in organic chemistry, and the initial calculus course taken. A sample of 519 students from a private coeducational institution in the southeastern United States was examined. A logistic regression was performed to determine the effect of high school GPA, SAT total scores, organic chemistry grades, and calculus-readiness on graduation. A significant regression equation was found. The findings suggest that of the four predictor variables, high school GPA and organic chemistry grade were the only variables that showed significant predictive ability based on a significance level of p < .05. Further research should involve the examination of additional indicators of academic integration as well as information on the social integration of the student. Additionally, institutional leaders should continue to evaluate the premedical curriculum based on potential changes in medical school requirements.

One semester course in wind energy for advanced undergraduate and graduate engineering students

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, K.

2006-01-01

The recent increase in energy consumption in India is resulting in high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Attempts to harness new renewable energy sources such as wind power is creating the need for trained manpower in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering. The course outline for a one semester course in wind energy for advanced undergraduate and graduate engineering students at the Indian Institute of Technology was presented in this paper. A history of wind energy was also presented along with the approaching global environmental crisis. International efforts and conventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were discussed. India's geography and relationship to wind resources were presented in terms of its latitude and geostrophic winds. The course outline also includes a section on measuring instruments (anemometers) and organization of wind data using Weibull distribution as well as the impacts of summer and monsoon winds. The aerodynamics of wind turbines including airfoils, airscrew theory, and its application to wind turbines were discussed. Rural and remote area usage of wind turbines as well as the structural design and construction of wind turbine blades using composite materials are also examined in the course. Last, the course presents a video cassette and a 16 mm film on wind energy and advises students that they are exposed to laboratory and field practices and encouraged to do practical projects. The course contains a discussion of policy issues such as reaching the common people, and industry-academia interaction. 8 refs., 10 figs

One semester course in wind energy for advanced undergraduate and graduate engineering students

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, K. [Indian Inst. of Technology, Kanpur (India). Aerospace Engineering Dept.

2006-07-01

The recent increase in energy consumption in India is resulting in high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Attempts to harness new renewable energy sources such as wind power is creating the need for trained manpower in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering. The course outline for a one semester course in wind energy for advanced undergraduate and graduate engineering students at the Indian Institute of Technology was presented in this paper. A history of wind energy was also presented along with the approaching global environmental crisis. International efforts and conventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were discussed. India's geography and relationship to wind resources were presented in terms of its latitude and geostrophic winds. The course outline also includes a section on measuring instruments (anemometers) and organization of wind data using Weibull distribution as well as the impacts of summer and monsoon winds. The aerodynamics of wind turbines including airfoils, airscrew theory, and its application to wind turbines were discussed. Rural and remote area usage of wind turbines as well as the structural design and construction of wind turbine blades using composite materials are also examined in the course. Last, the course presents a video cassette and a 16 mm film on wind energy and advises students that they are exposed to laboratory and field practices and encouraged to do practical projects. The course contains a discussion of policy issues such as reaching the common people, and industry-academia interaction. 8 refs., 10 figs.

What Makes a MOOC? Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCSs) Compared to Mainstream Online University Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Timothy C.

2014-01-01

A Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is a model for delivering learning content online to any person who wants to take a course, with no limit on attendance. The MOOC industry is growing rapidly, fueled by students interested in free higher-education learning, and the universities and venture capitalists willing to fund the courses. This paper…

Use of Reproductive Health Information among University Undergraduates in Ogun State, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Olu Adeyoyin

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Young adults bear a higher risk of reproductive health problems than adults. Cases of unwanted pregnancies and their attendant complications reportedly rank among the highest in Africa. This study therefore investigates reproductive health and use of health information among university undergraduates in Nigeria. Correlational research design was adopted using descriptive survey method. Questionnaire was designed and used as survey instrument. The study used 25% of 6,978 undergraduate students from government and private universities in Abeokuta, Ogun State between 16-24 years old from each of the 35 departments that made up 8 colleges in the two universities. A total number of 1,745 copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents out of which 1,500 copies were filled completely and retrieved making the response rate to be 86.95%. The findings of this study show that friends, parents and relatives were the closest sources of health information the respondents have used for reproductive health purposes. Utilisation of health information through information resources was effective. The study also concludes that cultural value, level of education and unfriendly attitude of health officials were parts of the major problems confronting effective utilization of reproductive health information among young adults in Nigeria.

Undergraduate otolaryngology education at the University of Toronto: a review using a curriculum mapping system.

Science.gov (United States)

Oyewumi, Modupe; Isaac, Kathryn; Schreiber, Martin; Campisi, Paolo

2012-02-01