How an entry-level, interdisciplinary sustainability course revealed the benefits and challenges of a university-wide initiative for sustainability education

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 729-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas C Coops ◽  
Jean Marcus ◽  
Ileana Construt ◽  
Erica Frank ◽  
Ron Kellett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Early Entry ◽  
Informal Assessment ◽  
Ready Availability ◽  
Sustainability Curriculum

Purpose – Delivery of sustainability-related curriculum to undergraduate students can be problematic due to the traditional “siloing” of curriculum by faculties along disciplinary lines. In addition, while there is often a ready availability of courses focused on sustainability issues in the later years of students’ programs, few early entry-level courses focused on sustainability, broad enough to apply to all disciplines, are available to students in the first year of their program. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, we describe the development, and preliminary implementation, of an entry-level, interdisciplinary sustainability course. To do so, the authors describe the development of a university-wide initiative designed to bridge units on campus working and teaching in sustainability areas, and to promote and support sustainability curriculum development. Findings – The authors describe the conceptual framework for organising course content and delivery. The authors conclude with an informal assessment of the successes and challenges, and offer learning activities, student assessments and course administration recommendations for consideration when developing courses with similar learning goals. Originality/value – The positive and negative experiences gained through developing and offering a course of this nature, in a large research-focused university, offers knew insights into potential barriers for implementing first-year cross-cutting sustainability curriculum.

How Students in a First-Year Composition Course Respond to the Flipped Classroom

2016 ◽  
pp. 1405-1425
Author(s):  
Christina R. Grimsley
Keyword(s):  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
College Writing ◽  
First Year ◽  
Video Technology ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
First Year Composition ◽  
Composition Course ◽  
Writing Course

This qualitative pilot study investigated how 19 students enrolled in an entry-level college writing course responded to the use of video technology to supplement and flip class curriculum. Students were provided 10 video podcasts to augment course content and flip four class lessons. Collected through six student surveys and video download data, the results, including students' podcast viewership behaviors and attitudes toward the videos, are presented. The data revealed the college writing students involved in this study were generally satisfied with the flipped classroom and preferred it over the traditional lecture format. Download patterns indicated, however, less than half of the students watched the podcasts. Despite low viewership, the results suggest that the incorporation of video technology brings writing teachers opportunities to optimize class time by delving deeper into course content and by expanding the number of course 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.

Piping hot dogs: a case of a Malaysian franchise

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Sethela June ◽  
Asmat-Nizam Abdul-Talib
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Up ◽  
New Business ◽  
International Franchising

Subject area Internationalization, entrepreneurship, franchising, international marketing. Study level/applicability First year undergraduate students of Management courses. Case overview This case is about a newly established fast food company that expands very rapidly in Malaysia. Growing from merely a single pushcart, the company has evolved into one of the most successful purely-local food franchise businesses with almost 100 franchises throughout the country and abroad. The company keeps on looking at bigger expansion plans abroad and eyeing the Middle Eastern markets. Expected learning outcomes After carrying out this exercise, students are expected to be able: to understand how a new business start up grows; to provide a simple illustration on how internationalization of small firms can took place; to analyze the various factors of considerations prior to internationalization; to identify the basic issues of international franchising and how the system works. Supplementary materials Teaching note.

scholarly journals Fostering creativity understanding

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 574-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Boulocher-Passet ◽  
Peter Daly ◽  
Isabelle Sequeira
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hard Data ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Fostering Creativity ◽  
Survey Responses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to encourage initiatives to train large cohorts of undergraduate students for creativity understanding. The authors describe a case study of a creativity exercise developed within a corporate setting that accommodates a large cohort and discuss the results of empirical research on this teaching experience at a French Business School. The authors reflect on the transferability of this exercise by other educators to similar educational contexts and the usefulness of training future managers to a structured creativity methodology to be exploited in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach – A case study explains the features of the exercise. Hard data on students’ perceptions and motivation/satisfaction prior to and after the creativity exercise was collected through an internet self-completed survey instrument. In total, 245 pairs of survey responses from first-year students were analysed using prototypical analysis, paired samples t-test and content analysis. Findings – The exercise proved an effective tool to help large cohorts of undergraduates to better understand that creativity is a managerial competence that can be trained. The authors particularly underlined the need for fluidity in the organisation of the exercise; use of a clear creativity process and methodology; the necessity to involve an external creativity consultant; and the importance of the chosen topic being non art related. In the workplace, this understanding of creativity methodologies will enable future managers to support, promote and manage creativity endeavours. Originality/value – This paper encourages initiatives and provides insights into the difficulties of training large cohorts of undergraduate students for understanding the concept of creativity.

Economics applicants in the UK labour market

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Drydakis
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate whether job applicants who have obtained a BSc in economics from 15 UK universities face different labour market prospects. The author examines whether university entry standards and Russell Group membership affect UK economics applicants’ occupational access and entry-level annual salaries when unobserved heterogeneities, such as ability, motivation, family characteristics and networks, are minimized. Design/methodology/approach – The author evaluate the research question by recording the job search processes of 90 British economics applicants from randomly selected universities. The key elements of the approach are as follows: third-year undergraduate students apply for early career jobs that are relevant to their studies. Applications are closely matched in terms of age, ethnicity, experience and other core characteristics. Differential treatment in the access to vacancies and entry-level annual salaries per university applicant are systematically measured. Findings – By observing as much information as a firm does, the estimations suggest that both entry standards and Russell Group membership positively affect applicants’ labour market prospects. Although the firms cannot evaluate by themselves whether graduates from highly reputable universities are more or less capable and motivated than graduates from less reputable universities, it appears that the university attended affects firms’ recruitment policies. Importantly, valuable variables that capture firms’ and jobs’ heterogeneities, such as occupational variation, regions, workplace size, establishment age, and the existence of trade unions and human resources, are also considered and provide new results. Practical implications – Understanding the impact of entry standards and university reputation on students’ labour market outcomes is critical to understanding the role of human capital and screening strategies. In addition, obtaining accurate estimates of the payoff of attending a university with a high entry threshold and reputation is of great importance not only to the parents of prospective students who foot tuition bills but also to the students themselves. Furthermore, universities will be interested in the patterns estimated by this study, which will allow recent UK economists to evaluate the current employment environment. In addition, universities should be keen to know how their own graduates have fared in the labour market compared with graduates of other universities. Originality/value – In the current study, the author attempt to solve the problem of firms’ seeing more information than econometricians by looking at an outcome that is determined before firms see any unobservable characteristics. In the current study, ability, motivation, family characteristics and networks cannot affect applicants’ access to vacancies and entry-level salaries. The current study can estimate the effect of university enrolment on applicants’ occupational access and entry-level salaries, controlling for unobserved characteristics that would themselves affect subsequent outcomes in the labour market.

Exploring undergraduate student experiences with information literacy

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-251
Author(s):  
Kate Zoellner
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
National Level ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
First Year ◽  
Local Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Senior Students

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences between first-year and senior undergraduate students’ information literacy behaviors and experiences as measured by the National Survey of Student Engagement Experiences with Information Literacy module. Design/methodology/approach Publically available data resulting from the 2014 and 2015 module was analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to compare group percentages and inferential statistics to discriminate the statistical significance of enrollment status. Findings Statistically significant differences between first-year and senior students were identified for the majority of survey items in both 2014 and 2015. Survey items with the highest effect sizes showed senior students were more likely to: complete an assignment that used the library’s electronic collections, be required to employ practices of a specific major of field, and indicate their institution contributed to their effective use of information. The least frequently exhibited behaviors for both groups were those that require higher-order thinking. Research limitations/implications Limitations of the study include the granularity of publicly available data and the applicability of the results to specific institutions and beyond the USA. Practical implications This study points to areas for further investigation at the national level and offers an approach for colleges and universities to take with their local data. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the analysis of a recently launched information literacy survey.

Evaluating an instruction program with various assessment measures

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah R. Gewirtz
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Effectiveness ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Peer Feedback ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Student Feedback ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Learning And Teaching

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how the author's library was able to enhance the collaborative learning and teaching environment, with secondary goals to improve teaching effectiveness and increase sharing among librarians of ideas and techniques used in first-year student sessions. Design/methodology/approach – This paper describes the various measures of assessment (peer-to-peer, student feedback and self-reflection) that the College of St Benedict (CSB) and St John's University (SJU) Libraries implemented in 2011. The methods were used to improve teaching by listening to peers, getting feedback from students, and by also doing self-reflection. Many librarians were able to make changes that were beneficial to their teaching sessions. Findings – The outcome allowed librarians to incorporate new ideas into their own instruction sessions; re-evaluate teaching methods based on student feedback; and, to realize that self-assessment was beneficial. More importantly, it led to the development of Learning Goals for First Year Students. Originality/value – This is a significant contribution to the field of librarianship due to the lack of publications on the observations of peers. Articles about peer-to-peer feedback for librarians whose employment duties entail library instruction were difficult to find. Much of the literature focuses on faculty (who are not librarians) who go through peer-to-peer observations for their tenure files. This article focuses not only on peer-to-peer feedback but student assessment of librarians and self-reflections.

scholarly journals STRATEGIES FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS: AN EARLY INTERVENTION APPROACH FOR BUILDING METACOGNITIVE SKILLS IN FIRST-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Liepins ◽  
Carrie Hanson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
First Year ◽  
Metacognitive Skills ◽  
Strategies For Academic Success ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Support Students

Strategies for Academic Success is a co-curricular workshop for first-year undergraduates on metacognitive skills and learning strategies that aims to support students’ achievement of their learning goals. After multiple iterations, self-reported data has been collected, which allows us to examine and reflect on the learning strategies and habits that students have put into practice as a result of participating in the session, as well as whether the timing of session plays a role in determining the impacts of the content of study habits in students. In sum, we have found that certain strategies resonate more strongly with students based on whether they are entering university or have had at least one semester of university learning experience. Whereas there are broad applications for the strategies, knowing which strategies students gravitate toward relative to the student life cycle is useful for instructors and student success practitioners more generally.

Addressing the AICPA core competencies through the usage of the monopoly™ board game

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-180
Author(s):  
Rania Mousa
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Accounting Education ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Board Game ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Computer Knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the learning outcomes of students enrolled in an introductory financial accounting course through their experience of playing the Monopoly™ board game and map those outcomes to a selected number of individual competency types addressed in the AICPA Core Competency Framework. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal qualitative analysis was performed to analyze self-reported learning outcomes collected from undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory financial accounting course. Content analysis and participant observations were utilized to inform the analysis process and derive research findings. Findings The findings reveal a connection between the learning outcomes and a selected number of individual competency types addressed in the AICPA Framework. The findings also reemphasize the importance of utilizing some of the basic functions and features of Excel to augment foundational financial accounting knowledge and enhance professional skills. Originality/value Although the use of board games in accounting education was examined in prior research, this paper provides an empirical evidence on the alignment of self-reported learning outcomes of a popular board game to a notable profession-driven framework. In addition to bridging a potential gap between the accounting education and profession, this study informs academics as to the implications of engaging students in a class activity that applies basic financial accounting and computer knowledge.

Contrasting first and final year undergraduate students' plagiarism perceptions to investigate anti-plagiarism measures

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syeda Tuba Javaid ◽  
Sameera Sultan ◽  
John Fitzgerald Ehrich
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Rasch Analysis ◽  
Academic Misconduct ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
First Year ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Commission ◽  
The University

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate students toward plagiarism and its change (if any) during their four-year study at a Pakistani university.Design/methodology/approachThe students who participated were majoring in electrical engineering; there were 106 first-year students and 127 final-year students. The students were asked to complete a plagiarism attitude scale (Harris, 2011) survey and reveal their attitudes toward plagiarism.FindingsRasch analysis was conducted on the scale to optimize its measurement qualities. Analysis indicated no significant changes in the attitude of the students, which remained very lenient and soft toward plagiarism despite the strict policy of the higher education commission of Pakistan and the university. These results indicate that the students lacked an understanding of what constitutes as plagiarism. Therefore, more awareness toward the ethical aspects of plagiarism is needed to reduce academic misconduct.Originality/valuePlagiarism is an academic offense yet very few studies have been conducted to understand the perceptions of the students in order to minimize it.

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