scholarly journals Students as partners in collaborative course design and educational research

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-80
Author(s):  
Cortney Hanna-Benson ◽  
Shayla Kroeze ◽  
Radhika Gandhi ◽  
Tom Haffie ◽  
Lindi M. Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Personal Agency ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Personal Reflections ◽  
The Impact

The impact of collaborative course design is explored in this qualitative, longitudinal study of an upper-year course in which 30-40 undergraduate students co-designed the course syllabus, including both course content and assessments. In addition, the research questions and methods were co-designed by a research team involving six undergraduate student partners, an educational developer, and two faculty members. Student written work and focus-group transcripts were coded and analyzed using longitudinal interpretive phenomenological analysis. The two major themes emerging from this analysis were (a) growth (i.e., the development of academic skills, reflective practice, and personal growth that extended beyond the course), and (b) awareness (of students as a community of learners, of instructors as partners in learning, and of personal agency in learning). Personal reflections on the impact of this partnership revealed broad benefits to both students and academic staff.

“Solvitur Ambulando” (It Is Solved by Walking): Learning Business Leadership on the Camino De Santiago

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-434
Author(s):  
Shannon Deer ◽  
Nancy Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Research University ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Camino De Santiago ◽  
Course Experience ◽  
Development Literature ◽  
The Impact

Undergraduate students enrolled in a large research university walked 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago (Camino) as a culminating experience of a course designed to foster high-impact learning, specifically learning about themselves as leaders and global citizens. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore undergraduate students’ perspectives about the impact of the experience on their leadership development. The course design incorporated leadership theory and high-impact learning practices to provide students with an innovative and in-depth learning experience unique from a classroom setting. A thematic analysis of student post-Camino metareflections gave insight as to how students perceived their development as leaders and what elements of the experience students perceived to be most impactful. Interpretation of the findings was informed by leadership development literature identifying the metacompetencies and competencies of a leader. Other business schools could incorporate the findings regarding leadership development and the effectiveness of the specific course experience to implement their own programs. We provide recommendations and outline resources other universities would need for structuring similar innovative, high-impact learning experiences designed to enhance students’ leadership competencies.

A Multi-Component and Multi-Disciplinary Student Design Project Within an International Academic and Industrial Collaboration

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friederike C. Mund ◽  
Anestis I. Kalfas ◽  
Reza S. Abhari ◽  
Yasemin Turcan ◽  
Jean Hourmouziadis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Aircraft Engine ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Student Interactions ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
Industrial Needs ◽  
The Impact

The design of modern aircraft engines increasingly involves highly sophisticated methodologies to match the current development pace. International company relations affect the collaboration between design offices all around the world. An important part of academic mission of modern engineering education is to produce graduates with skills compatible with industrial needs. Education may readjust accordingly to meet the higher requirements. However, a realistic scenario of the design process of an aircraft engine cannot possibly be transferred one-to-one into the student education process. A unique attempt to overcome this discrepancy was the International Gas Turbine Project. Within this project, undergraduate students have designed the cooling system of the HPT blades for a 30,000 lb thrust two-spool turbofan aeroengine. This project was collaboration between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of TU Berlin, the Turbomachinery Group of EC Lyon and the Turbomachinery Laboratory of ETH Zurich. It also involved mentoring industry professionals from Rolls-Royce Deutschland, MTU, SNECMA and Alstom Power. Similar to modern aeroengine company structures, the design tasks included multi-component, multi-disciplinary and international interfaces of different educational systems. The student teams considered various aerothermodynamic and mechanical integrity aspects of the design. Particular attention was paid to design of the compressor, the secondary air system and the HP turbine including blade cooling. The three Universities integrated the project differently into their education curriculum and approached the tasks with different levels of software involvement. In this paper, the technical details of the design process, and the different approaches adopted are presented. Besides the application of turbomachinery-related knowledge, the impact of student interactions on the technical aspects of the project is discussed. The interfaces, including information management and the involvement of industrial partners are also addressed. Team spirit developed between the students from an initial competitive behavior to a final feeling of sitting in the same boat. It was observed that increased effort was required from academic staff in comparison to the conventional academic instruction. Nevertheless, students greatly benefited from the social interaction and an early training-on-the-job tuned to current industrial needs.

The impact of mentoring and pedagogy on mitigation of library stress of undergraduate students

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 628-654
Author(s):  
Huwayah M. Alazemi ◽  
Awadh Alharbi
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Educational Psychology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Higher Order Learning ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to justify the relevance of student-centred teaching – learning in influencing their motivation to shed library fear, source resources, attain higher-order learning, garner intellectual prowess and invent new theories. Design/methodology/approach To assess the validity of association between guidance, pedagogy, library access and intellectual prowess, a close-ended questionnaire is used. This questionnaire was administered on 350 undergraduate students in Kuwait. The step helped to gather their responses and initiate correlation analysis. Also, correlation analysis was used to review the association between the items selected in the questionnaire, interpret outcomes and draw valid inferences. Findings The outcome highlights that such students show keen interest to learn when faculty members give credence to educational psychology, teaching-learning quality, knowledge transfer and their transformation into knowledge seekers. The realization of such scholastic capabilities makes it possible for them to shed library fear and search disappointments, circumvent procedural complexities and pay least importance to size of library structure. Such mental state heightens their desire to use library services optimally, learn and contribute to new knowledge. Originality/value Few attempts have been made to study the impact of mentoring and pedagogy on mitigation of library stress undergraduate students.

scholarly journals Increasing Student Awareness and Understanding of Food Security by Integrating a Service-learning Project into an Undergraduate Hydroponic Food Production Course

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-547
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Currey ◽  
Ann Marie VanDerZanden ◽  
Joshua J. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Community Benefits ◽  
Food Quantity ◽  
The Impact

Food security is a growing global concern. To meet the needs of an ever-growing population, food production practices will need to evolve to maximize food quantity and quality. Controlled-environment food production has increased significantly in the United States over the past 5 years, and a component of that production includes hydroponic food crops. In an effort to better prepare a workforce with knowledge of hydroponic crop production, a new course was added to an existing greenhouse curriculum. A service-learning project was integrated in the course that allowed students to experience both growing crops hydroponically and volunteering at a local food bank with a free meal program. Self-assessment showed a significant increase in student confidence in understanding food security by the end of the course. There was also a significant knowledge gained in defining terminology, factors, and the impact of food security in a community. The three guided reflections students completed during the course identified four common themes relative to the course content and service-learning project including the following: community benefits, value of volunteering, local and global effects of food insecurity, and personal growth.

scholarly journals Service-Learning in an Undergraduate Abnormal Psychology Course: What Do Students Learn?

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Christina Michaelson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Abnormal Psychology ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Personal Strengths ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
The Impact

In my Abnormal Psychology course students reported that their service-learning work at mental health related organizations in the community helped them connect course content to life experiences, increase their understanding of the impact of mental illness on people’s lives, and examine their attitudes about people with psychological disorders. They also developed increased empathy, greater understandings of cultural and racial differences, and more awareness of their personal strengths. They felt useful to others, that their service made a difference, and that they were more likely to volunteer in the future. These results are consistent with previous research that service-learners increase their understanding of course content and experience personal growth. The present study provides a more focused perspective on how Abnormal Psychology students are affected specifically by their experiential understanding of psychological disorders and reflection on their attitudes about mental illness.

Mentoring Faculty Through the Glass Ceiling at HBCUs

2018 ◽  
pp. 58-78
Author(s):  
Audrey McCrary Quarles
Keyword(s):  
Glass Ceiling ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Environment

The mission of this chapter is to discuss the glass ceiling and the contributing factors that seem to impact faculty members at HBCUs continuously; provide insight on effective strategies to avoid pitfalls, and to provide helpful recommendations to advance to new grounds once the glass ceiling becomes unbreakable. While steps have been made to examine the impact of a positive environment, the individual is ultimately responsible for personal growth in their chosen environment.

scholarly journals Linking entrepreneurship education and training with students and graduates entrepreneurial intention

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 274-288
Author(s):  
Michael Asamani Pobbi ◽  
Eunice Antiaye
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intention ◽  
Entrepreneurship Training ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Entrepreneurial Characteristics ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Entrepreneurial Training ◽  
Graduate Unemployment ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Impact

Recognising the relevance of entrepreneurship, most African universities have made significant input into delivering Entrepreneurial Education in Higher Educational Institutions. However, the rising number of graduate unemployment raises concerns with regard to quality of educational content, and programmes. This study sought to investigate the impact of entrepreneurship course content on entrepreneurial intention and the mediation of individual entrepreneurial characteristics and also to investigate if graduates’ exposure to extra entrepreneurship training and university programme type does account for differences in individual entrepreneurial characteristics. A context-specific framework that explains entrepreneurial intention as a function of course content, programmes type, and extra entrepreneurial training is tested based on data from 400 undergraduate students and 400 graduates from eight Ghanaian universities. Evidence from the model reveals that entrepreneurial course content did impact entrepreneur Intention, however, this impact is partially mediated by the attitudes, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms of Ghanaian students and graduates. Again, while it was found that extra entrepreneurial training did account for differences in individual entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial intention of graduates, the difference due to programme type was not significant. Theoretical, policy and practical implications findings of this study are discussed.

scholarly journals Bir Devlet Üniversitesindeki (Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi) Personel ve Öğrenciler Arasında Farklı Etlik Piliç Barınma ve Besleme Sistemlerinin Tüketici Tercihi ve Algısı

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 1643-1649
Author(s):  
Canan Kop Bozbay
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Chicken Meat ◽  
Feed Additives ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Broiler Meat ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Fish Meat ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
The Impact

In this study, an investigation of the preference and perception of the different broiler housing and feeding systems among staff and students of Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey was undertaken. A structured questionnaire was administered with a face-to-face to 790 randomly selected respondents [257 academic staff (academicians), 166 non-academic staff (worker with a secondary school national graduate diploma) and 367 undergraduate students (students)]. Most respondents preferred chicken (63.3%) and beef (32.0%) meats to fish meat (4.7%). The number of academicians preferred broiler meat (16.8%) was lower than those of students (52.6%) and workers (30.6%). There were significant differences among respondents in terms of preference and perception of different production sources of chicken meat. The proportion of academicians who preferred conventional broiler meat (68.2%) was higher than students (25.4%) and workers (6.4%). The impact of mediatic information (disinformation) about broiler meat relating to ingredients and/or feed additives used in broiler nutrition was higher on academics and students compared to workers. The results of the study indicated that as the level of education increases, the negative perception increased due to false media reports about chicken meat production and subsequently, the preference for chicken meat decreased.

scholarly journals Maths Sparks: Investigating the impact of outreach on pupil’s attitudes towards mathematics

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Anthony Gerard Cronin ◽  
Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain ◽  
Emily Lewanowski-Breen ◽  
Christopher Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes Towards Mathematics ◽  
Outreach Programme ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

In this article, we examine the impact of participating in a series of mathematics workshops on secondary-school pupils’ attitudes towards mathematics. A six-week program, entitled ‘Maths Sparks’, was run by a team of lecturers and students at a research-intensive university in the Republic of Ireland. The outreach series aimed to promote mathematics to pupils from schools designated as socio-economically disadvantaged (DEIS - Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), who are less likely to study mathematics at higher level than their non-DEIS counterparts (Smyth et al. 2015). Sixty-two pupils participated in the research and data was generated through pre-post questionnaires based on the Fennema-Sherman (1976) framework of Attitudes to Mathematics. Findings suggest that while male students initially had more positive attitudes towards mathematics, there was a narrowing in this gender gap across several factors on the Fennema-Sherman scale as a result of participation in the programme. The most prominent of these features were: ‘Attitudes towards success in mathematics’ and ‘Motivation towards mathematics’. Findings suggest that the construct and delivery of this Mathematics outreach programme, involving undergraduate students and academic staff, may provide a useful structure in benefitting pupils’ attitudes towards mathematics and encouraging their study of the subject.

scholarly journals Student Development and Service- Learning: A Three-Phased Model for Course Design

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-62
Author(s):  
Carrie Williams Howe ◽  
Kimberly Coleman ◽  
Kelly Hamshaw ◽  
Katherine Westdijk
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Adult Development ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Student Development Theory ◽  
Development Outcomes ◽  
Key Resources ◽  
The Impact

Many key resources in service-learning literature offer tools and advice to faculty members for designing effective service-learning courses; these materials typically focus on integrating service-learning effectively into a syllabus, fostering reciprocal partnerships, and using reflection to analyze experience. In addition, a number of research studies have explored the impact of participation in service-learning on student development outcomes. However, very few resources “flip” this equation—that is, there is less information in the literature on how student development theory can inform the effective design of service-learning courses and curricula. This article utilizes an extensive review of student/adult development and learning theory to propose a three-phased model for service-learning course design. Informed by the authors’ experiences working with faculty members and departments, the article provides examples illustrating the potential impact of this approach for individual courses or sequential curricula.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document