Engaging Undergraduates in Informal Learning Experiences

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 247-256
Author(s):  
Bruce J. MacFadden
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Informal Science Education ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Early Career ◽  
State Parks ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Nontraditional Careers ◽  
Classroom Laboratory

Undergraduate paleontology education typically consists of formal coursework involving the classroom, laboratory, and field trips. Other opportunities exist within informal science education (ISE) that can provide students with experiences to broaden their undergraduate education. ISE includes out-of-school, “free-choice,” and/or lifelong learning experiences in a variety of settings and media, including museums, science and nature centers, national and state parks, science cafes, as well as an evergrowing variety of web-based activities. This article discusses ISE as it pertains to university paleontology education and presents examples. Students can participate in the development and evaluation of exhibits as well as assist in the implementation of museum-related educational programs with paleontological content. They also can work or intern as explainers either “on the floor” of museums, or as interpreters at science-related parks. ISE-related activities can also provide opportunities to engage in citizen science and other outreach initiatives, e.g., with undergraduates assisting in fossil digs with public (volunteer) participation and giving talks to fossil clubs. During these activities, students have the opportunity to communicate about controversial topics such as evolution, which is neither well understood nor universally accepted by the general public. Engagement in these kinds of activities provides students with a combination of specialized STEM content (paleontology, geology) and ISE practice that may better position them to pursue nontraditional careers outside of the academic arena. Likewise, for students intending to pursue an academic career, ISE activities make undergraduate students better equipped to conduct Broader Impact activities as early career professionals.

scholarly journals Locate your soundscape: interacting with the acoustic environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Orio ◽  
Berardina De Carolis ◽  
Francesco Liotard
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Initial Experiment ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Entire Country ◽  
Interactive Map ◽  
Main Components ◽  
The City

AbstractAlthough overshadowed by visual information, sound plays a central role in how people perceive an environment. The effect of a landscape is enriched by its soundscape, that is, the stratification of all the acoustic sources that, often unconsciously, are heard. This paper presents a framework for archiving, browsing, and accessing soundscapes, either remotely or on-site. The framework is based on two main components: a web-based interface to upload and search the recordings of an acoustic environment, enriched by in- formation about geolocation, timing, and context of the recording; and a mobile app to browse and listen to the recordings, using an interactive map or GPS information. To populate the archive, we launched two crowdsourcing initiatives. An initial experiment examined the city of Padua’s soundscape through the participation of a group of undergraduate students. A broader experiment, which was proposed to all people in Italy, aimed at tracking how the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown was dramatically changing the soundscape of the entire country.

Career Goal Profiles of Early Career Scientists: A Person-Centered Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 089484532110172
Author(s):  
Ruth Noppeney ◽  
Anna M. Stertz ◽  
Bettina S. Wiese
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Career Goal ◽  
Transition Analysis ◽  
Flat Profile ◽  
Career Options ◽  
Person Centered Approach

Obtaining a doctorate offers various career options. This study takes a person-centered approach to identify interest profiles. Career goals (professorate, entrepreneur, etc.) were assessed at two time points (1-year interval) in a sample of doctoral students and doctorate holders from the STEM fields in German-speaking areas ( NT 1 = 2,077). Latent profile analysis revealed that a four-profile solution provided the best data fit: At T1, 33.0% of the participants aimed for a management position in industry, 16.9% pursued an academic career, 30.1% were interested in activities without leadership responsibilities, and 20.1% had a relatively flat career-goal profile. Latent transition analysis indicated that most changes occurred for those classified into the flat profile, while strong interest in a management career was very stable over time. Additionally, the attainment of the doctorate seemed to be a good predictor for profile membership: Doctorate holders were more likely to be clearly dedicated to an academic career.

The Pransky interview: Dr Yoky Matsuoka, Vice President Technology, Nest Labs

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 481-486
Author(s):  
Joanne Pransky
Keyword(s):  
Computer Science ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Industrial Robot ◽  
Vice President ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Smoke Detector ◽  
Foundation Engineering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University

Purpose – This article is a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry engineer-turned entrepreneur regarding the evolution, commercialization and challenges of bringing a technological invention to market. Design/methodology/approach – The interviewee is Dr Yoky Matsuoka, the Vice President of Nest Labs. Matsuoka describes her career journey that led her from a semi-professional tennis player who wanted to build a robot tennis buddy, to a pioneer of neurobotics who then applied her multidisciplinary research in academia to the development of a mass-produced intelligent home automation device. Findings – Dr Matsuoka received a BS degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MS and PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was also a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT and in Mechanical Engineering at Harvard University. Dr Matsuoka was formerly the Torode Family Endowed Career Development Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington (UW), Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering and Ana Loomis McCandless Professor of Robotics and Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2010, she joined Google X as one of its three founding members. She then joined Nest as VP of Technology. Originality/value – Dr Matsuoka built advanced robotic prosthetic devices and designed complementary rehabilitation strategies that enhanced the mobility of people with manipulation disabilities. Her novel work has made significant scientific and engineering contributions in the combined fields of mechanical engineering, neuroscience, bioengineering, robotics and computer science. Dr Matsuoka was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in which she used the Genius Award money to establish a nonprofit corporation, YokyWorks, to continue developing engineering solutions for humans with physical disabilities. Other awards include the Emerging Inventor of the Year, UW Medicine; IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Early Academic Career Award; Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers; and numerous others. She leads the development of the learning and control technology for the Nest smoke detector and Thermostat, which has saved the USA hundreds of billions of dollars in energy expenses. Nest was sold to Google in 2013 for a record $3.2 billion dollars in cash.

BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: AN APPROACH TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’S LEARNING EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE SCHOOL (LEOS)

2021 ◽  
pp. 121-134
Author(s):  
Sandhya Devi Coll ◽  
David Treagust
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Collaboration And Communication

This paper reports on blended learning environment approach to help enhance students’ learning out comes in science during Learning Experiences Outside School (LEOS). This inquiry took the nature of an ethnographic case study (Lincoln & Guba 1985; Merriam, 1988), and sought to establish ways of enhancing students’ LEOS. The context of the inquiry was a private rural religious secondary school in New Zealand. The New Zealand Science Curriculum is based on a constructivist-based view of learning which provides opportunities for a number of possible learning experiences for science, including LEOS, to enrich student experiences, motivate them to learn science, encourage life-long learning, and provide exposure to future careers (Hofstein & Rosenfeld,1996; Tal, 2012). However, to make the most of these learning experiences outside the school, it is important that adequate preparation is done, before, during and after these visits. Sadly, the last two decades of research suggest that activities outside school such as field trips have not necessarily been used as a means to improveschool-basedlearning (Rennie & McClafferty, 1996). This inquiry utilised an integrated online learning model, using Moodle, as a means to increase student collaboration and communication where students become self-directed, negotiate their own goals, express meaningful ideas and display a strong sense of collective ownership (Scanlon, Jones & Waycott, 2005; Willett, 2007). The digital space provided by Moodle allows students significant autonomy which encourages social interactions and this promotes learning and social construction of knowledge (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989; Lewin, 2004).

Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up interactive bi-lingual resources to support the delivery of sex and relationships education for students aged 5 to 12 years

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Initial Evaluation ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers And Students

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of new interactive, bi-lingual Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) resources called Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up, suitable for students aged between five and 12 years. It also discusses the evidence used to support the development of the resources, the support provided for teachers and parents and an initial evaluation following their use. Design/methodology/approach – Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up are interactive bi-lingual (Welsh and English) SRE teaching resources for primary schools suitable for students aged five to 12 years. These resources comprise of two components, an interactive electronic web-based programme and a floor mat illustrating a naked boy and girl. The electronic web-based programme is used to introduce puberty changes, loving relationships, conception, pregnancy and birth and is suitable for students aged nine to 12 years. The floor mat is suitable to be used with students aged between five and 12 years. Teaching activities can include naming body parts, discussing gender differences, personal safety, distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate touching, discussing puberty changes and other health promotion activities as well as delivering aspects of the National Curriculum for Wales. Findings – The results from the initial evaluation undertaken with year six students and teachers demonstrates how the resources have impacted on the teaching and learning experiences of primary teachers and students. It also demonstrates how the teacher training sessions and using the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up resources have increased teachers’ confidence in delivering SRE. Practical implications – The learning experiences of students and their enjoyment of using the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up resources were significantly high. The implementation of teacher training improved teaching practice and increased teachers’ confidence in the subject. The resources have facilitated the delivery of effective whole school comprehensive SRE programmes for primary schools. These factors confirm the value of the investment given to their development. The resources could easily be customised in line with diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious requirements. Originality/value – This paper demonstrates how the Tyfu i Fyny/Growing Up interactive SRE resources have influenced the teaching and learning experiences of primary school teachers and students.

scholarly journals Perspectives on Marine Data Science as a Blueprint for Emerging Data Science Disciplines

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Theresia Verwega ◽  
Carola Trahms ◽  
Avan N. Antia ◽  
Thorsten Dickhaus ◽  
Enno Prigge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Science ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Heterogeneous Data ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Crucial Component ◽  
Interface Science ◽  
Marine Data ◽  
New Research

Earth System Sciences have been generating increasingly larger amounts of heterogeneous data in recent years. We identify the need to combine Earth System Sciences with Data Sciences, and give our perspective on how this could be accomplished within the sub-field of Marine Sciences. Marine data hold abundant information and insights that Data Science techniques can reveal. There is high demand and potential to combine skills and knowledge from Marine and Data Sciences to best take advantage of the vast amount of marine data. This can be accomplished by establishing Marine Data Science as a new research discipline. Marine Data Science is an interface science that applies Data Science tools to extract information, knowledge, and insights from the exponentially increasing body of marine data. Marine Data Scientists need to be trained Data Scientists with a broad basic understanding of Marine Sciences and expertise in knowledge transfer. Marine Data Science doctoral researchers need targeted training for these specific skills, a crucial component of which is co-supervision from both parental sciences. They also might face challenges of scientific recognition and lack of an established academic career path. In this paper, we, Marine and Data Scientists at different stages of their academic career, present perspectives to define Marine Data Science as a distinct discipline. We draw on experiences of a Doctoral Research School, MarDATA, dedicated to training a cohort of early career Marine Data Scientists. We characterize the methods of Marine Data Science as a toolbox including skills from their two parental sciences. All of these aim to analyze and interpret marine data, which build the foundation of Marine Data Science.

scholarly journals Measuring University Students’ Perceptions and Attitudes toward Sudden Transition to Online Learning and Academic Self- Efficacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Mona Saad Alamri
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Statistical Correlation ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Sudden Transition ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

Online learning has unquestionably shaped contemporary education. The emergence and spread in recent months of the COVID-19 virus, with the attendant preventative implementation of social distancing, has significantly enhanced online learning’s influence. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where strict social distancing precautions were implemented early in the pandemic, thousands of college students were rapidly shifted from conventional to online instructional environments. Now that these students have a semester of experience with online learning, the time is propitious to explore these students’ online learning experiences. One concept in connection with which students’ online learning experiences have not been extensively studied is that of academic self-efficacy. The present study seeks to investigate Jeddah University students’ experiences with online learning in light of their assessments of their academic self-efficacy. Employing a combined descriptive/correlational research design organized around a pair of survey instruments—one designed to query students’ online learning experiences and a second designed to measure their senses of their academic self-efficacy—the present study investigates attitudes of a population of 1,167 Jeddah University undergraduate students randomly selected from the available pool of 16,893 individuals. The study finds that student attitudes with respect to both online learning and self-efficacy are high. It shows, furthermore, significant statistical correlation between students’ highly positive experiences with online instruction and their high senses of their academic self-efficacy. By developing the understanding regarding student attitudes and self-efficacy, this research opens avenues for further research into the connections between online learning and students’ self-perceptions. Moreover, the study’s findings hold significant implications for bettering Saudi Arabian e-learning, an outcome fully in keeping with the policy goals outlined in the 2030 vision.

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