Faculty Orientation Online Tool For First Year Science Students: Transitioning For Success

Author(s):  
Bijeta Kumar ◽  
Bibhya Sharma ◽  
Ajendra Prasad
Author(s):  
Rowan W. Hollingworth ◽  
Catherine McLoughlin

<span>Technology is increasingly being harnessed to improve the quality of learning in science subjects at university level. This article sets out, by incorporating notions drawn from constructivist and adult learning theory, a foundation for the design of an online environment for the acquisition of metacognitive problem solving skills. The capacity to solve problems is one of the generic skills now being promoted at tertiary level, yet for many learners problem-solving remains a difficulty. In addition, there are few instances of instructional design guidelines for developing learning environments to support the metacognitive skills for effective problem solving. In order to foster the processes of metacognitive skills explicitly in first year science students, we investigated areas where cognitive support was needed. The aim was to strengthen the metacognitive and reflective skills of students to assist them in adopting strategies and reflective processes that enabled them to define, plan and self monitor their thinking during problem solving. In tertiary science, both well-structured and ill-structured problems are encountered by students, thus a repertoire of skills must be fostered. A model for supporting metacognitive skills for problem solving is presented in the context of an online environment being developed at the University of New England.</span>


Author(s):  
Peter R. Johnston ◽  
Dianne J. Watters ◽  
Christopher L. Brown ◽  
Michael L. Williams ◽  
Wendy A. Loughlin

The Advisor ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Una L. DeChellis

Abstract Both the literature and personal experience show that attrition from prerequisite science courses for the health professions is significant. To examine one possible reason for that attrition, a study was designed to examine the relationship between the teaching approaches employed by college-level anatomy and physiology (A&P) instructors and the learning preferences of first-year health science (FYHS) students. Students and instructors of a first-year Anatomy and Physiology course at a small, private four year college in the Northeast participated in a combined quantitative and qualitative research protocol. Results showed that instructors’ teaching approaches met the participating FYHS students’ learning preferences in some areas but not all. The findings suggest that addressing the gap between FYHS students’ learning preferences and the teaching approaches of A&P instructors could lead to more successful academic outcomes.


Author(s):  
Juris Borzovs ◽  
Laila Niedrite ◽  
Darja Solodovnikova

The observed trend to lose from one-third to half of students in the first year of computing studies at the University of Latvia served as the motivation to explore the causes of dropout and to find methods, how to determine potential dropouts in advance. The study investigates students enrolled in the year 2013 using integrated data from surveys, management information system and e-learning environment. Several factors that could affect attrition were studied: admission score, compensative course in high school mathematics, intermediate grades for core courses, prior knowledge in programming. The research revealed that the trend of non-beginning studies might indicate the wrong choice of the study field and possible lack of understanding of what is programming by enrolled students. An action plan is proposed to reduce dropout, which is based on the activities already conducted at the Faculty of Computing and is supplemented by one of the existing programming aptitude tests.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
William T. McGahan ◽  
Hardy Ernst ◽  
Laurel Evelyn Dyson

There has been an increasing focus on student-generated multimedia assessment as a way of introducing the benefits of both visual literacy and peer-mediated learning into university courses. One such assessment was offered to first-year health science students but, contrary to expectations, led to poorer performance in their end-of-semester examinations. Following an analysis, the assignment was redesigned to offer students a choice of either a group-based animation task or an individual written task. Results showed improved performance on the assignment when students were offered a choice of assignments over when they were offered only the multimedia assignment. Student feedback indicated that students adopt deliberate individual learning strategies when offered choices in assessment. The study suggests that assumptions regarding the superiority of student-generated multimedia over more traditional assessments are not always correct, but that students' agency and individual preferences need to be recognized.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 302
Author(s):  
Kylie J. Mansfield ◽  
Gregory E. Peoples ◽  
Lyndal Parker-Newlyn ◽  
Danielle Skropeta

Graduate-entry, following a science degree, is the preferred pathway into many medical schools, however little is known about how the learning approaches of medical students compare to those of science students. This study compared the learning approaches and achievement orientations of science students with those aiming to enter graduate-entry medicine programs. The two factor study process questionnaire and the achievement goal orientation survey were used to compare students in; stage one: third year science students (n = 86) to graduate-entry medicine students (n = 158); stage two: applicants to graduate medicine (n = 84); stage three: first year science students (n = 363) to first year pre-medicine students (n = 68). Medical students and applicants to medicine demonstrated a greater preference for deep learning than third year science students (p < 0.0001). Pre-medicine students were similar to medical students. Medical students, applicants to medicine and pre-medicine students also all had a greater preference for a learning goal orientation. The preference for a deeper approach to learning and stronger learning goal orientation in students enrolled in medicine or aiming to gain entry to graduate medicine indicates a motivation towards the acquisition of knowledge. Medical educators need to ensure that students continue to develop positive and beneficial styles of learning to assist them to develop into life-long learners.


Author(s):  
Pieter Blignaut ◽  
Theo McDonald ◽  
Janse Tolmie

The attitude towards computer-related tasks, computer anxiety, and spatial visualization ability (SVA) of a group of first-year computer science students were measured just before their study commenced. The results were analyzed empirically based on two independent variables, i.e., culture and computer experience. It was found that African and European users generally have the same attitude towards computer use. Users’ attitudes improved after experience with computer-related tasks. African students experienced significantly higher levels of computer anxiety than their European counterparts with the same amount of experience. It was also found that African users generally have a lower SVA than European users. Users with higher SVA generally have a better attitude towards working with computers and experience a lower level of computer anxiety.


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