scholarly journals STEM undergraduates’ perspectives of instructor and university responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256213
Author(s):  
Sherry Pagoto ◽  
Kathrine A. Lewis ◽  
Laurie Groshon ◽  
Lindsay Palmer ◽  
Molly E. Waring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Hybrid Instruction ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Remote Operations

Objectives We examined undergraduate STEM students’ experiences during Spring 2020 when universities switched to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we sought to understand actions by universities and instructors that students found effective or ineffective, as well as instructor behaviors that conveyed a sense of caring or not caring about their students’ success. Methods In July 2020 we conducted 16 focus groups with STEM undergraduate students enrolled in US colleges and universities (N = 59). Focus groups were stratified by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Content analyses were performed using a data-driven inductive approach. Results Participants (N = 59; 51% female) were racially/ethnically diverse (76% race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white) and from 32 colleges and universities. The most common effective instructor strategies mentioned included hybrid instruction (35%) and use of multiple tools for learning and student engagement (27%). The most common ineffective strategies mentioned were increasing the course workload or difficulty level (18%) and use of pre-recorded lectures (15%). The most common behaviors cited as making students feel the instructor cared about their success were exhibiting leniency and/or flexibility regarding course policies or assessments (29%) and being responsive and accessible to students (25%). The most common behaviors cited as conveying the instructors did not care included poor communication skills (28%) and increasing the difficulty of the course (15%). University actions students found helpful included flexible policies (41%) and moving key services online (e.g., tutoring, counseling; 24%). Students felt universities should have created policies for faculty and departments to increase consistency (26%) and ensured communication strategies were honest, prompt, and transparent (23%). Conclusions To be prepared for future emergencies, universities should devise evidence-based policies for remote operations and all instructors should be trained in best practices for remote instruction. Research is needed to identify and ameliorate negative impacts of the pandemic on STEM education.

scholarly journals STEM undergraduates’ perspectives of instructor and university responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherry L. Pagoto ◽  
Kathrine A. Lewis ◽  
Laurie Groshon ◽  
Lindsay Palmer ◽  
Molly E. Waring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Hybrid Instruction ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Remote Operations

Objectives: We examined undergraduate STEM students’ experiences during Spring 2020 when universities switched to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we sought to understand actions by universities and instructors that students found effective or ineffective, as well as instructor behaviors that conveyed a sense of caring or not caring about their students’ success. Methods: In July 2020 we conducted 16 focus groups with STEM undergraduate students enrolled in US colleges and universities (N=59). Focus groups were stratified by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Thematic analyses were conducted on the data. Results: Participants (N=59; 51% female) were racially/ethnically diverse (76% race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white) and from 32 colleges and universities. The most common effective instructor strategies mentioned included hybrid instruction (35%) and use of multiple tools for learning and student engagement (27%). The most common ineffective strategies mentioned were increasing the course workload or difficulty level (18%) and use of pre-recorded lectures (15%). The most common behaviors cited as making students feel the instructor cared about their success were exhibiting leniency and/or flexibility regarding course policies or assessments (29%) and being responsive and accessible to students (25%). The most common behaviors cited as conveying the instructors did not care included poor communication skills (28%) and increasing the difficulty of the course (15%). University actions students found helpful included flexible policies (41%) and moving key services online (e.g., tutoring, counseling; 24%). Students felt universities should have created policies for faculty and departments to increase consistency (26%) and ensured communication strategies were honest, prompt, and transparent (23%). Conclusions: To be prepared for future emergencies, universities should devise evidence-based policies for remote operations and all instructors should be trained in best practices for remote instruction. Research is needed to identify and ameliorate negative impacts of the pandemic on STEM education.

scholarly journals The Impacts of Testing Cadence, Mode of Instruction, and Student Density on Fall 2020 COVID-19 Rates On Campus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Stubbs ◽  
Michael Springer ◽  
Tasha S. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Infection Rate ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Instructional Methodology ◽  
Hybrid Instruction ◽  
Cumulative Rate ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
Lower Infection ◽  
Mode Of Instruction

We analyzed the COVID-19 infection rate among undergraduate students at 9 colleges and Universities in the greater Boston area and 4 comparison schools elsewhere, from Fall 2020. We assessed whether the cumulative rate of infection is dependent on the mode of instruction (in-person, hybrid, or remote), on the number and density of dorm-resident undergraduates, and/or on COVID-19 testing cadence. We limited our analysis to institutions that have implemented at least weekly PCR testing of dormitory-resident undergraduates. Our primary conclusions are that (i) the fraction of students that succumbed to a COVID-19 infection up through Nov 22, 2020 shows no correlation with either the total number of students on campus, or the fractional occupancy of dormitories, (ii) remote instruction vs. hybrid instruction has no significant measurable impact on cumulative infection rate, and (iii) there is evidence that testing 2 or 3 times per week is correlated with lower infection rates than weekly testing. These data are consistent with a hypothesis of students predominantly acquiring infection off-campus, with little community transmission within dormitory housing. This implies good student compliance with face mask and social distancing protocols.Significance StatementWe review the incidence of COVID-19 infection among under-graduate students for selected colleges and universities that conducted at least weekly COVID-19 testing during the Fall of 2020. We analyzed the infection-rate dependence on number of students on campus, dormitory residential density, instructional methodology (remote vs. hybrid), and testing cadence. This compilation of outcomes can help inform policy decisions for congregate settings.

Psychological Predictors for Watching Television: The Role of Racial Representation

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110252
Author(s):  
Jennifer Archer ◽  
Kadie R. Rackley ◽  
Susan Broyles Sookram ◽  
Hien Nguyen ◽  
Germine H. Awad
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Racial Ideology ◽  
Psychological Predictors ◽  
Ethnic Representation ◽  
Racial Representation ◽  
Television Shows ◽  
Making Choices ◽  
Race Ethnicity

This study explored psychological predictors that may impact viewers’ decision to watch television shows on the basis of perceived racial or ethnic representation. 1998 undergraduate students selected from a list of motivations for watching television that included race-specific motivations such as “a character is of my race/ethnicity.” Participants also completed attitudinal measures of colorblind racial ideology, social dominance orientation, ethnic identity, and ethnic stigma consciousness. Analysis revealed that prejudicial beliefs predicted less salience for racial representation when making choices about television watching, while deeper connection to one’s ethnic group predicted greater salience for representation when making these choices.

Fostering Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Creating an Equitable Environment That Addresses the Needs of Undergraduate Students

2022 ◽  
pp. 152102512110735
Author(s):  
Jennifer Louten
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Real World ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics

Student retention is a critical issue for universities, and nearly half of the students who start degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not complete them. The current study tracks the progress of STEM students taking part in an entry-to-graduation program designed to build community, provide academic and social support, and promote engagement in academically purposeful activities. Although it had no effect on the number of students who changed their major, the program more than doubled the number of students who graduated in their original major. Black or Hispanic students taking part in the program also graduated at twice the rate of comparator students, largely attributable to the success of women in these groups. The results provide needed real-world insights into how to create an equitable environment that promotes the persistence and graduation of students, including those from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

scholarly journals University students’ perception toward the use of the mother tongue in the EFL classrooms

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1094-1110
Author(s):  
Siti Hawa ◽  
Suryani Suryani ◽  
Rini Susiani ◽  
Ema Dauyah ◽  
A. Halim Majid
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Private University ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Mixed Methods Design ◽  
Intermediate Students ◽  
Advanced Students ◽  
Negative Impacts

This study identified learners’ perceptions toward using the mother tongue and analyzed the function or occasions of its use in the EFL classroom. A mixed-methods design, employing classroom observation, questionnaire, and semi-structured interview as data collection methods, was used to pursue this study. The questionnaire items gained the students’ opinion on two categories, namely: students’ preference and occasion of mother tongue use. Twenty undergraduate students who took the Speaking course at a private university in Aceh were involved as the participant of the observation and questionnaire. Meanwhile, only three of them were chosen as the interviewee. The questionnaire data were analyzed quantitatively. In contrast, the observation and interview data were analyzed qualitatively. The results indicated that the use of mother tongue brought positive and negative impacts regarding the students’ perception based on their various English proficiency levels. The low level of English proficiency and intermediate students revealed a higher preference toward the mother tongue to understand the instructions, explain unfamiliar vocabularies, and understand the differences or similarities of English pronunciation and idioms. At the same time, the advanced students indicated a negative perception of mother tongue use. They chose to avoid using their mother tongue to improve their skill through maximum exposure to English as the target language in the speaking classroom atmosphere.

scholarly journals Sexual Violence on Religious Campuses

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Vanderwoerd ◽  
Albert Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Christian Colleges ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Exploratory Investigation ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Religious Colleges ◽  
Public Colleges And Universities ◽  
Unwanted Sexual Contact

Religious colleges and universities make up a substantial segment of the higher education landscape in North America, but the incidence of sexual violence on these campuses remains understudied. This study estimates the incidence of sexual violence on independent Christian campuses using a sample of part-time and full-time undergraduate students (N = 668) from eight private Christian colleges in Ontario, Canada. Using two widely used measures of sexual violence enabled comparisons with studies of self-reported incidents at secular and public colleges and universities. The findings show that 18% of women at religious colleges reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact within the past year, compared to studies of self-reported rates on secular campuses ranging from 21.4% to 31.4%. Exploratory investigation of factors related to victimization suggests that religious colleges may provide a “moral community” that could reduce the risk of sexual violence.  

scholarly journals Unmasking Inequality: STEM Course Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Means ◽  
Julie Neisler
Keyword(s):  
General Pattern ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Internet Connectivity ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Class Meetings ◽  
Course Experience ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Better Than

This report describes the experiences of over 600 undergraduates who were taking STEM courses with in-person class meetings that had to shift to remote instruction in spring 2020 because of COVID-19. Internet connectivity issues were serious enough to interfere with students’ ability to attend or participate in their STEM course at least occasionally for 46% of students, with 15% of students experiencing such problems often or very often. A large majority of survey respondents reported some difficulty with staying motivated to work on their STEM courses after they moved online, with 45% characterizing motivation as a major problem. A majority of STEM students also reported having problems knowing where to get help with the course content after it went online, finding a quiet place to work on the course, and fitting the course in with other family or home responsibilities. Overall, students who reported experiencing a greater number of major challenges with continuing their course after it went online expressed lower levels of satisfaction with their course after COVID-19. An exception to this general pattern, though, was found for students from minoritized race/ethnicity groups, females, and lower-income students. Despite experiencing more challenges than other students did with respect to continuing their STEM courses remotely, these students were more likely to rate the quality of their experiences when their STEM course was online as just as good as, or even better than, when the course was meeting in person.

scholarly journals Interactive key (Lucid) for identification of fungi in vegetable seeds

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
Caroline Geraldi Pierozzi ◽  
Ricardo Toshio Fujihara ◽  
Efrain de Santana Souza ◽  
Marília Pizetta ◽  
Maria Márcia Pereira Sartori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Identification Accuracy ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Identification System ◽  
Correct Identification

ABSTRACT Interactive keys are tools that aid research and technical work since identification of organisms has become increasingly present in the scientific and academic context. An interactive key was developed with the software Lucid v. 3.3 for the identification of eleven fungal species associated with onion, carrot, pepper and tomato seeds. It was based on a matrix composed of six features: crop, conidium, conidiophore, color of long conidiophore, color of mycelium and presence of setae, besides 21 character states. In addition, descriptions, illustrations and high-resolution photographs of the morphological characters and states were made available to aid in the correct identification of fungal species. Validation of the interactive key was performed by distinct groups of volunteers: (i) graduate students with prior knowledge and using the interactive key; (ii) undergraduate students with little prior knowledge and using the interactive key, and (iii) undergraduate students with little prior knowledge and using the conventional identification system such as the printed manuals used in seed pathology laboratories. We analyzed the time spent by each volunteer to evaluate 25 seeds infected with the fungal species in the key, as well as the percentage of success and the difficulty level for each participant. The high percentage of correct answers with the use of the interactive key and the ease of use by the volunteers confirmed its efficiency because there was an increase in the identification accuracy when compared to the conventional system. Furthermore, the rate of success and the difficulty level presented low variability within groups (i) and (ii). These results are a consequence of the interaction of the user with characteristics of the developed tool, such as high-resolution photographs, which faithfully reproduce the fungal characteristics observed in the seeds under a stereomicroscope. Thus, the interactive key presented here can aid in teaching, institutional and commercial research, inspection and certification of seeds, making diagnosis safer and more accurate. The key is available for free at https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/seed_fungi/.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document