Synthesizing CeO2–NiTiO3/Attapulgite and Investigating the Conversion Rate of NOx, Sulfur Resistance, N2 Selectivity, and Stability of the Catalyst through Applied SCR by Upper-Level Undergraduate Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 1660-1665
Author(s):  
Aijuan Xie ◽  
Yuwei Tao ◽  
Wanqi Zhang ◽  
Xiaoxiao Duo ◽  
Jianing Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Conversion Rate ◽  
Sulfur Resistance ◽  
Upper Level

scholarly journals Snowflake Selfies: A Low-Cost, High-Impact Approach toward Student Engagement in Scientific Research (with Their Smartphones)

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. E917-E935
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Kumjian ◽  
Kevin A. Bowley ◽  
Paul M. Markowski ◽  
Kelly Lombardo ◽  
Zachary J. Lebo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
State University ◽  
Engaged Scholarship ◽  
Mesoscale Meteorology ◽  
Penn State ◽  
Atmospheric Thermodynamics ◽  
Term Paper ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Intensive Course

Abstract An engaged scholarship project called “Snowflake Selfies” was developed and implemented in an upper-level undergraduate course at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). During the project, students conducted research on snow using low-cost, low-tech instrumentation that may be readily implemented broadly and scaled as needed, particularly at institutions with limited resources. During intensive observing periods (IOPs), students measured snowfall accumulations, snow-to-liquid ratios, and took microscopic photographs of snow using their smartphones. These observations were placed in meteorological context using radar observations and thermodynamic soundings, helping to reinforce concepts from atmospheric thermodynamics, cloud physics, radar, and mesoscale meteorology courses. Students also prepared a term paper and presentation using their datasets/photographs to hone communication skills. Examples from IOPs are presented. The Snowflake Selfies project was well received by undergraduate students as part of the writing-intensive course at Penn State. Responses to survey questions highlight the project’s effectiveness at engaging students and increasing their enthusiasm for the semester-long project. The natural link to social media broadened engagement to the community level. Given the successes at Penn State, we encourage Snowflake Selfies or similar projects to be adapted or implemented at other institutions.

scholarly journals An Upper-Level Biology Course Designed to Develop Science Communication in STEM Majors by Examining the Biotechnology Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 389-393
Author(s):  
Laura T. Laranjo ◽  
Chloe C. Greppi ◽  
Melissa S. Kosinski-Collins
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Journal Club ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Science Careers ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Course Material ◽  
Upper Level

Many undergraduate students pursuing life science majors are not aware of job options outside of medicine and academic research, because many departments stress these as the only primary career pathways. In addition, biology students often do not have many opportunities to develop their science communication and presentation skills due to the rigorous course requirements inherent in these fields that would make them more competitive for careers in biotechnology. We developed a course using diverse pedagogies designed to introduce students to new careers in biotechnology, to help them understand the role of ethics in the drug development pipeline, and to incorporate more communication assignments, such as student presentations and journal-club-style paper discussions to more effectively prepare them for many STEM-based career possibilities. By the end of the course, students had broader knowledge of previously unknown science careers, had improved their scientific communication skills, and reported a greater understanding of course material as a result of the science communication assignments.

scholarly journals “When I saw my peers annotating”

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremiah Holden Kalir ◽  
Esteban Morales ◽  
Alice Fleerackers ◽  
Juan Pablo Alperin
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Perception ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Social Annotation ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Social annotation (SA) is a genre of learning technology that enables the annotation of digital resources for information sharing, social interaction and knowledge production. This study aims to examine the perceived value of SA as contributing to learning in multiple undergraduate courses. Design/methodology/approach In total, 59 students in 3 upper-level undergraduate courses at a Canadian university participated in SA-enabled learning activities during the winter 2019 semester. A survey was administered to measure how SA contributed to students’ perceptions of learning and sense of community. Findings A majority of students reported that SA supported their learning despite differences in course subject, how SA was incorporated and encouraged and how widely SA was used during course activities. While findings of the perceived value of SA as contributing to the course community were mixed, students reported that peer annotations aided comprehension of course content, confirmation of ideas and engagement with diverse perspectives. Research limitations/implications Studies about the relationships among SA, learning and student perception should continue to engage learners from multiple courses and from multiple disciplines, with indicators of perception measured using reliable instrumentation. Practical implications Researchers and faculty should carefully consider how the technical, instructional and social aspects of SA may be used to enable course-specific, personal and peer-supported learning. Originality/value This study found a greater variance in how undergraduate students perceived SA as contributing to the course community. Most students also perceived their own and peer annotations as productively contributing to learning. This study offers a more complete view of social factors that affect how SA is perceived by undergraduate students.

scholarly journals Growing a growth mindset: characterizing how and why undergraduate students’ mindsets change

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa B. Limeri ◽  
Nathan T. Carter ◽  
Jun Choe ◽  
Hannah G. Harper ◽  
Hannah R. Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Growth Mindset ◽  
Academic Experiences ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Survey Responses

Abstract Background The extent to which students view their intelligence as improvable (i.e., their “mindset”) influences students’ thoughts, behaviors, and ultimately their academic success. Thus, understanding the development of students’ mindsets is of great interest to education scholars working to understand and promote student success. Recent evidence suggests that students’ mindsets continue to develop and change during their first year of college. We built on this work by characterizing how mindsets change and identifying the factors that may be influencing this change among upper-level STEM students. We surveyed 875 students in an organic chemistry course at four points throughout the semester and interviewed a subset of students about their mindsets and academic experiences. Results Latent growth modeling revealed that students tended to shift towards viewing intelligence as a stable trait (i.e., shifted towards a stronger fixed mindset and a weaker growth mindset). This trend was particularly strong for students who persistently struggled in the course. From qualitative analysis of students’ written survey responses and interview transcripts, we determined that students attribute their beliefs about intelligence to five factors: academic experiences, observing peers, deducing logically, taking societal cues, and formal learning. Conclusions Extensive prior research has focused on the influence of mindset on academic performance. Our results corroborate this relationship and further suggest that academic performance influences students’ mindsets. Thus, our results imply that mindset and academic performance constitute a positive feedback loop. Additionally, we identified factors that influence undergraduates’ mindset beliefs, which could be leveraged by researchers and practitioners to design more persuasive and effective mindset interventions to promote student success.

Research consultation effectiveness for freshman and senior undergraduate students

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Faix ◽  
Amanda MacDonald ◽  
Brooke Taxakis
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Class Rank ◽  
Composition Course ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Freshman Students ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Senior Students ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of library research consultations for freshmen and senior undergraduate students, to determine if freshmen or seniors benefit more from these sessions. Design/methodology/approach – This study looks at the results of a survey conducted with students enrolled in a senior level capstone research course and in a freshman level composition course who were required to attend library research consultations. Findings – The study finds that freshman students can be overwhelmed by the amount of resources a research consultation may help them locate, and research consultations for freshmen should be conducted with this in mind. Research limitations/implications – Because the size of our study was small, further research with a larger sample size should also be conducted. Practical implications – If librarians experience high demand for required research consultations, and have difficulty scheduling sessions, then they may take into consideration that senior students benefit more from consultations than freshmen. Research consultations should also be designed to take student class rank into account. Originality/value – This study shows that upper-level students benefit more from research consultation than freshman students. Librarians should take this research into consideration when consulting with faculty about the most effective methods of instruction for students.

scholarly journals Open problem-based instruction impacts understanding of physiological concepts differently in undergraduate students

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon M. Franklin ◽  
Lin Xiang ◽  
Jason A. Collett ◽  
Megan K. Rhoads ◽  
Jeffrey L. Osborn
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Open Problem ◽  
Instructional Methods ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Short Answer ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Multiple Choice Exam

Student populations are diverse such that different types of learners struggle with traditional didactic instruction. Problem-based learning has existed for several decades, but there is still controversy regarding the optimal mode of instruction to ensure success at all levels of students' past achievement. The present study addressed this problem by dividing students into the following three instructional groups for an upper-level course in animal physiology: traditional lecture-style instruction (LI), guided problem-based instruction (GPBI), and open problem-based instruction (OPBI). Student performance was measured by three summative assessments consisting of 50% multiple-choice questions and 50% short-answer questions as well as a final overall course assessment. The present study also examined how students of different academic achievement histories performed under each instructional method. When student achievement levels were not considered, the effects of instructional methods on student outcomes were modest; OPBI students performed moderately better on short-answer exam questions than both LI and GPBI groups. High-achieving students showed no difference in performance for any of the instructional methods on any metric examined. In students with low-achieving academic histories, OPBI students largely outperformed LI students on all metrics (short-answer exam: P < 0.05, d = 1.865; multiple-choice question exam: P < 0.05, d = 1.166; and final score: P < 0.05, d = 1.265). They also outperformed GPBI students on short-answer exam questions ( P < 0.05, d = 1.109) but not multiple-choice exam questions ( P = 0.071, d = 0.716) or final course outcome ( P = 0.328, d = 0.513). These findings strongly suggest that typically low-achieving students perform at a higher level under OPBI as long as the proper support systems (formative assessment and scaffolding) are provided to encourage student success.

scholarly journals 434 Using Distance Technology: Inter-institutional Development and Delivery of a Course in Plant Nutrition

HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 519B-519
Author(s):  
Kim Williams ◽  
Ellen T. Paparozzi ◽  
Jerry Maranville
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Plant Nutrition ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chat Room ◽  
Compressed Video ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Graduate Curriculum ◽  
Upper Level

As universities are required to “right-size,” faculty resources of time and expertise are strained as the institution must cater to undergraduate students while providing a complete graduate curriculum. Thus, many institutions are offering more team taught courses. For a new upper-level undergraduate and lower-level graduate course offering in Plant Nutrition and Nutrient Management, the team consists of faculty from two institutions who each bring different expertise into the classroom. The course utilized weekly chat room discussions to bring students into contact with experts from around the United States and the world. Two-way compressed video was used to allow for synchronous lecture delivery and discussion across sites. A Web site was created to facilitate student interaction and provide chat room access. Multiple student evaluations were conducted to separate learning objectives with the effectiveness of using technology. A flow-chart will be presented which details the steps and problems/accomplishments encountered in successfully delivering this course via distance technologies, including: funding procurement, determining technological compatibility across institutions, delineation of course content, Web page development, and course evaluations.

scholarly journals Helium Nanodroplet Isolation Spectroscopy in an Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Raston
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Teaching ◽  
Helium Nanodroplets ◽  
Teaching Laboratory ◽  
Undergraduate Chemistry ◽  
Infrared Spectral ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
First Time

<div><p>A home-built helium nanodroplet isolation spectrometer has been utilized by undergraduate students in course-based experiments to investigate the rovibrational dynamics of small molecules. Helium nanodroplets are well known to simplify the spectroscopy of embedded molecules owing to their low temperature (0.4 K) and weakly interacting nature. In the infrared spectral region, this results in a small number of rotationally resolved lines that can often be collected and analyzed in several lab periods. We demonstrate the advantages of using this technique in an upper-level undergraduate chemistry course for which the laser spectroscopy of helium solvated <sup>13</sup>C-labelled formic acid was investigated for the first time.</p></div>

Multidisciplinary NanoScience Concentration Certificate Program at UTB: Activities and Lessons Learned

2013 ◽  
Vol 1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen S. Martirosyan
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Certificate Program ◽  
Credit Hours ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
Instructional Technique ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Comprehensive Curriculum ◽  
Undergraduate Programs

ABSTRACTThe development of a novel multidisciplinary Nanoscience Concentration Certificate Program (NCCP) at University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) is reported. The NCCP intended to prepare undergraduate students to emerging nanotechnology markets, industry trends, cutting edge research and technology developments. The rationale for the NCCP is to integrate and expand nanotechnology-relevant courses within a comprehensive curriculum. The established certificate program includes the following seven new upper level undergraduate courses: (i) Introduction to Nanoscience, (ii) Engineering of Nanomaterials, (iii) Nanofabrication and Nanoelectronics, (iv) Introduction to Bio-Nanotechnology, (v) Environmental Nanotechnology, (vi) NanoOptics, (vii) Capstone Design. This program is designed to address the needs for a multidisciplinary undergraduate education at the UTB, which extends beyond traditional courses within science and engineering disciplines. The designed courses will expose students to the nanotechnology areas as part of integration of nanoscience in UTB’s undergraduate programs. To complete the NCCP and receive a Certificate in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, students must complete 12 credit-hours of NCCP courses. Our ultimate goal is to establish and maintain at UTB a practical, modular, scalable, transferrable and implementable educational STEM platform in nano-sciences, engineering and nanotechnology. The goal of this paper is to examine an instructional technique for Introduction to Nanoscience course as an example for promoting student understanding of scientific concepts and explanations by using combines teaching learning activities and research oriented strategies.

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