Academic Internships: To Take or Not to Take? Students’ Assessments of Public Health Fieldwork

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara L. Crowell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Major ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
Critical Components

While academic internships can play irreplaceable roles by providing students hands-on learning opportunities, allowing them to collaborate with faculty, and strengthening ties between colleges and their communities, continued assessment of these experiences is still imperative. An academic internship has been described as a three-way partnership among a college or university, the internship site, and the student, but the role the institution plays can differ significantly. Several years ago, the Association of Schools of Public Health included field experience (such as internships) as a Critical Components Element of an Undergraduate Major in Public Health. Hence, this study investigates not only how Public Health students evaluate their internship site but also their experience with their school during the internship process. Survey data from 219 undergraduate students, on completion of their internships from Fall 2012 to Spring 2016, were collected. Results posit that public health students report the academic institution provided support and guidance, while their internship site provided a valuable learning experience both interpersonally and professionally. Also, students recommend this experience and provide valuable feedback for future internship partnerships. Considering internships are integral parts of many preprofessional degree programs, it is imperative that programs develop and implement systematic ways to assess these programs. This study provides valuable insight into this process along with identifying students’ perceptions of the academic internship and the role that both the site and the institution played in facilitating their learning.

Formative Assessment in Hands-On STEM Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 165-193
Author(s):  
Bryanne Peterson ◽  
Britton T. Hipple
Keyword(s):  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Elementary Level ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Development Of Students ◽  
Better Than

This chapter serves as an introduction to transdisciplinary learning, Integrative STEM Education, and current methods for infusing formative assessment into hands-on instruction at the elementary level. Subscribing to the approach that formative assessment is a process that takes place in the classroom to enable learning, the chapter discusses the use of engineering notebooks, competency-based assessment, and qualitative assessment (rubrics and portfolios) in the context of formative assessment while facilitating hands-on learning opportunities. In addition to introducing each of these topics from a research and literature perspective, examples are provided and discussed from a practical perspective. No one formative assessment is better than another, however, one type may be more practical due to the teacher's willingness to try new things, development of students, standards teacher is measuring, type of lesson/unit, time, available resources, and associated costs.

scholarly journals TEACHING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Woods ◽  
Natalie Mazur ◽  
John Gales
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Experimental Testing ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Reinforced Concrete Beam ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
Engineering Materials

This study presents an overview of a civil engineering materials course curriculum at Carleton University developed by the authors. The curriculum aims to move away from traditional civil engineering materials courses, which focus heavily on concepts related to material science, and instead concentrate on concepts that are more relevant to today’s practicing civil engineers. The rationale, application, and analysis of the integration of these concepts through an advanced application of case-based and experiential learning is discussed. Central to this new course curriculum is a hands-on experiential learning activity on the construction and experimental testing of reinforced concrete beam specimens in lab sections of approximately 25 students. The goal of the lab is to provide students with a hands-on learning experience and use this as a tool to cover advanced topics related to civil engineering; for example, environmental sustainability and resilience. The assessment of the students’ understanding of the concepts taught in class were performed through the use of an anonymous questionnaire distributed at the end of the course and through traditional examination and assignments. Results of the survey were compared between classes who engaged in the advanced experiential learning laboratory and those who did not. The results demonstrate that after introducing experiential learning into the course curriculum, students were more likely to form an educated opinion on the potential sustainability of a material. Experiential learning is shown to be a valuable tool for engineering education that, when used efficiently, can seamlessly incorporate newly emerging engineering concepts to ensure that graduating students are equipped with the knowledge and tools they require to be competitive in the job market. The relation of the course to contemporary accreditation of Graduate attributes is discussed at length along with critical information regarding the effectiveness of balancing student engagement in STEM subjects.

scholarly journals Re-orientation of Science and Mathematics Teachers Instructional Strategies for Information Communication Technology Integration

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1338-1346
Author(s):  
Rose Atieno Mutende
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
Service Training ◽  
Ict Infrastructure ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Science And Mathematics Teachers

This article reports on a study which explored teachers re-conceptualization and re-orientation process during their in-service training for ICT-pedagogy integration in teaching and learning. The qualitative research design was used for the study. It was found that there was a limited ICT infrastructure as well as inadequate technological access and reliability, the participating teachers were engaged in authentic hands-on learning experience and that the teachers engagement in the learning activities demonstrated they had not developed expertise in ICT usage for teaching and learning. It was therefore recommended that opportunities to acquire professional ICT integration skills for both teachers and trainers be expanded. 

Developing Leadership Skills and a Commitment to Civic Engagement During an Undergraduate Community-Based Service Learning Class

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim C. Graber ◽  
Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko ◽  
Jamie A. O’Connor ◽  
Jenny M. Linker
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Carnegie Classifications ◽  
Community Data

Civic engagement and service learning opportunities provide students with unique real-world experiences they are unable to acquire in a traditional in-class setting. Students develop a commitment to the community in which they live, exposure to other populations, leadership abilities, skills to work successfully within a team, and a chance to learn from failure. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized the importance of such opportunities and has added the Community Engagement Classification to the restructured Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis of the literature that addresses civic engagement and service learning opportunities and to describe a university class that was designed to provide undergraduate students with a capstone service learning experience promoting wellness for older adults in the community. Data that were collected to evaluate the success of the class are also described.

Structure and Delivery for Mobile Learning Experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh Kellam
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Effective Feedback ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
Informal Structure ◽  
And Control

The purpose of this article was to identify, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of best practices from the mobile learning literature for the structure and delivery of mobile learning. Mobile learning activities were deployed in a videoconference equipment training course which was accessed by physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals at medical organizations across Ontario. With regards to mobile learning delivery, user flexibility and control were identified as critical when utilizing a mobile learning experience to apply knowledge in a specific learning context. Avatar hosts were also identified as effective feedback and guidance mechanisms. The informal structure of mobile learning proved to be ideal for contextual, hands-on learning of specific workplace skills, supported by the baseline and summative knowledge provided by the online learning course. This study found that the structure and delivery of mobile learning must be considered during the instructional design stage in order to provide practical learning experiences and reliable learning outcomes.

scholarly journals Hands-on Research Reaching across Disciplines

2019 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 412-415
Author(s):  
Miryam Z. Wahrman ◽  
Corey H. Basch
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research Project ◽  
Mobile Food Vendors

We describe an interdisciplinary research project for undergraduate students involving microbiology and public health. Students designed and carried out two research studies on hand hygiene and the use of gloves by mobile food vendors in New York City and in a New Jersey mall. Students received training in aseptic techniques and survey methodology to carry out the multifaceted study. We discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and research in the context of its value in preparing professionals in the fields of biology and public health.

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