scholarly journals The trilayer approach of teaching physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology concepts in a first-year pharmacy course: the TLAT model

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed A. Islam ◽  
Gauri Sabnis ◽  
Fred Farris
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Class Group ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Pharmacy Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
Traditional Lectures ◽  
Active Learning Strategies

This paper describes the development, implementation, and students’ perceptions of a new trilayer approach of teaching (TLAT). The TLAT model involved blending lecture, in-class group activities, and out-of-class assignments on selected content areas and was implemented initially in a first-year integrated pharmacy course. Course contents were either delivered by traditional lectures or by the TLAT. A survey instrument was distributed by SurveyMonkey to determine students’ perceptions of the TLAT model. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Students’ performance in a total of 225 examination and quiz questions was analyzed to evaluate whether the TLAT model improved students’ learning. Students’ ( n = 98) performance scores for TLAT-based and lecture-based questions were 83.3 ± 10.2 and 79.5 ± 14.0, respectively ( P < 0.05). Ninety-three percent of students believed that in-class group activities enhanced conceptual understanding of course materials, helped them take responsibility of their own learning, and enhanced their overall learning experiences. More than 80% of respondents felt that solving cases and developing concept maps helped them sharpen creative and critical thinking skills. In addition, 90% of the respondents indicated that the homework throughout the semester helped them stay up to date and focused with the progress of the course. The use of the TLAT model led to an improvement in student learning of complex concepts. Moreover, the results suggest that this model improves students’ self-reliance and attitudes toward learning. Our findings should serve as an impetus for inclusion of diverse active learning strategies in pharmacy education.

scholarly journals Use Of Clinical Visitations As A Medium To Develop Critical Thinking Skills In Health Science Students

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-10
Author(s):  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Catherine Maher
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Health Science Student ◽  
Learning Technique ◽  
Active Learning Strategies ◽  
Future Work

The results of this study suggests that students have positive perceptions regarding Class Supported Clinical Visitation (CSCV) as a learning technique that may promote active learning and critical thinking. While the data obtained from this limited educational experience cannot be generalized, it does offer some insight into the usefulness of the CSCV learning technique.  Based upon these findings further work can begin to explore student’s perceptions of its usefulness in a larger diverse health science student population. Second, future work must assess if CSCV is truly effective in developing a student’s ability to think critically. Finally, one must ask is CSCV more effective than other active learning strategies currently used to promote critical thinking.

scholarly journals Developing critical thinking skills towards biology course using two active learning strategies

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-237
Author(s):  
Raghad Shaher Alsarayreh
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Tenth Grade ◽  
Active Learning Strategies ◽  
Biology Courses ◽  
Experimental Group

This study aimed to identify the impact of teaching critical thinking skills on the attitude towards biology courses among female students of tenth grade in Jordan using two active learning strategies. To achieve this, the Critical Thinking Scale and the Attitude towards Biology Scale was used, and its validity and consistency were verified. The sample of the study wad (90) female students from the tenth grade in Southern Mazar Directorate in the academic year (2019-2020). The sample of this study was randomly assigned to three groups: the first was experimental group which consisted of (31) students who studied the genetics unit using the directed investigation strategy. The second was the experimental group which consisted of (29) students who studied the genetics unit using the discussion strategy, but the control group consisted of (30) students who studied the genetics unit in the usual way. Data were collected and analyzed after implementing the experiment, which lasted for two months. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in performance on the Critical Thinking Scale and the Attitude towards Biology Scale in favor of the two experimental groups. The study recommended adopting active learning strategies in teaching science courses in general and biology courses, in addition to conducting more studies on active learning strategies with other variables and classrooms.   Keywords: active learning, investigation, discussion, critical thinking, attitude towards biology

A Compass During the Storm: Offering Students Critical Rigor for Polarizing Times

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Wender ◽  
Valerie J. D’Erman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Learning Objective ◽  
First Year

ABSTRACT Teaching and learning in higher education is occurring, unavoidably, within the broader civic context of today’s extraordinarily polarizing political times. We seek to help students situate themselves with respect to and, above all, thoughtfully assess others’ as well as their own perspectives on issues of profound contention, without contributing to exacerbated polarization ourselves. Specifically, we offer students in our first-year exploratory political science course a vital tool—critical rigor—for navigating but not being inundated by the storm. This article discusses our experiences in teaching the course titled, “The Worlds of Politics,” as we attempt to help students deeply engage in cognitive processes of critical thinking and analysis, without undue infringement from their own—and least of all our own—personal political biases. Our focal learning objective is the cultivation of critical-thinking skills that promote students’ drawing of distinctions between advocacy and analysis, as well as their discerning civic engagement.

scholarly journals Enhancing Learning Through Reflection– A Case Study of SEEU

SEEU Review ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brikena Xhaferi ◽  
Gezim Xhaferi
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Good Tool ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Learning through reflection is one of the most interesting experiences that students might have. It is considered a very good tool for self-assessing learning. It is believed that “teachers who promote reflective classrooms ensure that students are fully engaged in the process of making meaning” (Costa and Kallick, 2008, para.5). Dewey (1991) was among the first researchers who based his work and research on the positive roles that reflection plays in fostering self-reflection and critical thinking. He has defined it as an active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief. Reflections give students opportunities to think and reflect about their learning and note down the obstacles they might face during this process. The present study aims to investigate the impact of journal writing in promoting critical-thinking skills, and its impact on enhancing learning. The study uses two instruments, a student refection journal and an interview. Also, Marzano’s New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives developed in 2000 was used in the third phase of the study. This Taxonomy contains Three Systems: the Self-system, the Metacognitive system and the Cognitive system. The overall study results show that reflection journals help students to become more independent learners, reflect on their learning experiences and identify the most useful learning strategies. Most importantly, all study participants hold positive attitudes towards reflection and they consider it as a valuable tool which can increase learning.

scholarly journals Inquiry-based learning to improve student engagement in a large first year topic

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masha Smallhorn ◽  
Jeanne Young ◽  
Narelle Hunter ◽  
Karen Burke da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Multiple Choice Exam ◽  
The Impact

Increasing the opportunity for students to be involved in inquiry-based activities can improve engagement with content and assist in the development of analysis and critical thinking skills. The science laboratory has traditionally been used as a platform to apply the content gained through the lecture series. These activities have exposed students to experiments which test the concepts taught but which often result in a predicted outcome. To improve the engagement and learning outcomes of our large first year biology cohort, the laboratories were redeveloped. Superlabs were run with 100 students attending weekly sessions increasing the amount of contact time from previous years. Laboratories were redeveloped into guided-inquiry and educators facilitated teams of students to design and carry out an experiment. To analyse the impact of the redevelopment on student satisfaction and learning outcomes, students were surveyed and multiple choice exam data was compared before and after the redevelopment. Results suggest high levels of student satisfaction and a significant improvement in student learning outcomes. All disciplines should consider including inquiry-based activities as a methodology to improve student engagement and learning outcome as it fosters the development of independent learners. 

The Role of Supplemental Instruction in the First Accounting Course

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jefferson P. Jones ◽  
Kent T. Fields
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Supplemental Instruction ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Accounting Education ◽  
Learning To Learn ◽  
Learning Techniques

This study investigates empirically the role of supplemental instruction (SI) as a means of enhancing student performance in the first accounting course. SI is a proactive educational intervention program that targets traditionally “high-risk” courses and employs collaborative learning techniques emphasizing learning strategies and critical-thinking skills. This emphasis on “learning to learn” has been advocated by the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC) as a goal of the first accounting course. ANCOVA-based results from 1,359 students in nine sessions of Principles of Accounting indicate that SI was effective at increasing academic performance; after controlling for self-selection bias, participation in both voluntary and mandatory SI sessions was found to be positively associated with the total points earned in the course. Additionally, a step pattern is observed in the increased performance for both the voluntary and mandatory attendance phases of the study, indicating that the level of SI attendance may play a role in the benefits obtained. The implications of this analysis for the accounting curriculum are addressed.

Fostering Critical Thinking Using Instructional Strategies in English Classes

2019 ◽  
pp. 299-316
Author(s):  
Şenol Orakcı ◽  
Mehmet Durnali ◽  
Osman Aktan
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
English Classes

The aim of the chapter is to provide both theoretical and practical ideas about critical thinking development within English language teaching contexts. Encouraging language learners to be critical thinkers is important in teaching English as a foreign language. However, achieving the goal remains a challenge. Using various strategies together seem to be effective when properly implemented. Therefore this chapter outlines these strategies which include communicative language tasks, using authentic meaningful texts, using critical literacy, being aware of whole-brain learning, adopting a reflective teaching, enabling students to become autonomous, using explicit instruction, teacher questioning, using active and cooperative learning strategies, using literature in English classes, using creative drama, and adopting self-assessment. Teachers can enable learners to have critical thinking skills and more efficient English lessons by combining these strategies in a new way or by designing critical thinking activities in the classroom.

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