scholarly journals A New Method of Assessing the Effects of a Service-Learning Class on Engineering Undergraduate Students

2014 ◽  
pp. 29-47
Author(s):  
Patricia Maloney ◽  
Lauren Dent ◽  
Tanja Karp
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Interpersonal Skills ◽  
State University ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Assessment Of Student Learning ◽  
Growth Assessment

Increases in engineering service learning courses and enrolled undergraduates necessitate further research and recommendations concerning the assessment of student learning and growth. Assessment of such growth may be difficult in service learning courses because of the types of skills it fosters: interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and other professional skills not easily tested for in a classroom. Some previous attempts at assessment were predominantly standards-based and designed to measure what researchers thought students should gain from the course, rather than being based in what students thought. In this paper, we first ask students what skills they learned in service learning, determine their thoughts about the usefulness of different kinds of assessment, and then use their words to construct a naturalistic assessment that can serve as a pre- and post-test to measure growth in engineering service learning courses. The data come from 96 students and three semesters of a service learning section of a large Introduction to Engineering course at a large state university. Overall, we conclude that students perceive that they have grown at statistically significant levels in communication skills, teamwork, leadership, time management, and other engineering skills noted below. We argue that student perceptions of growth matter for their persistence in engineering and resilience after professional or academic setbacks.

scholarly journals Time Management Skills of University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-147
Author(s):  
Muhammet İbrahim Akyürek
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
State Universities ◽  
State University ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Medium Level ◽  
Time Planning

The purpose of this study is to determine university students' perceptions of their time management skills. The research sample is composed of 384 undergraduate students studying in state universities located in various Turkish cities during the 2016-2017 academic year. The Time Management Questionnaire (TMQ) was used in the collection of the data, which was developed by Britton and Tesser (1991) and adapted to Turkish by Alay and Koçak (2002). It was found that students rated their time management skills as being at the "medium-level". In addition, it was concluded that there was no significant gender-related difference in their perceptions of their skill level in time management. While their perceptions of "time-attitudes" and "time-wasters" differed by gender, no such difference was found regarding their perceptions of "time planning". The study included only state university students as the research group. Similar studies regarding time management skills can be conducted with students or educators in different types of educational settings and levels of education. Furthermore, this study analyzed student perceptions of their own time management skills only by the gender variable. However, their perception of these skills can also be analyzed by other demographic variables such as socio-economic status, age, and department of study.

scholarly journals Kilimanjaro: A Case of Meaningful Adventure And Service Learning Abroad

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 420-433
Author(s):  
Cathy Cavanaugh ◽  
Ewa Gajer ◽  
John Mayberry ◽  
Brendan O’Connor ◽  
Jace Hargis
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Meaningful Learning ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Mount Kilimanjaro ◽  
The World

This qualitative evaluation explored how female undergraduate students developed an understanding of themselves and the broader world as a result of an adventure and service learning experience in Tanzania, Africa. The project built upon theoretical frameworks regarding meaningful learning—active, constructive, intentional, and authentic—and applied activity theory as a framework for interpreting outcomes. The study included multi-faceted examination of student perceptions of the effects of the year-long experience that culminated in a ten day trip to Tanzania, including a climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Students’ reflections on the impacts of the trip focused on wanting, doing, reflecting, and relating. Thus, the experience catalyzed change in students’ understanding of the world that strongly indicates a meaningful learning experience.

Teaching About America's Fiscal Future in the University's Core Curriculum

2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (02) ◽  
pp. 323-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Galatas ◽  
Cindy Pressley
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Civic Education ◽  
Budget Deficit ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
State University ◽  
Curriculum Instruction ◽  
Assessment Of Student Learning ◽  
The University

Civic engagement is increasingly recognized as a significant function of public universities. The university provides a variety of opportunities for civic engagement, including co-curricular activities, service learning opportunities, and specific majors and minors. This article reviews the attempt to embed civic engagement and civic education about the national debt and budget deficit issues in a university core curriculum course at Stephen F. Austin State University. We focus on specific issues of curriculum instruction and assessment of student learning of knowledge regarding the debt and deficit issues.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Modifications to a Service-Learning Project Designed to Prepare Special Education Students to Be Effective Participants in Transdisciplinary Collaborations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Doody ◽  
Katrina Fulcher ◽  
Pamela Schueltze
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Early Childhood Settings

This research study examined the impact of COVID-19 on university students’ perceptions about the effectiveness of a community-based service-learning project designed to prepare graduate students in special education and undergraduate students in psychology and speech-language pathology to work in transdisciplinary teams in early childhood settings. Students were placed into transdisciplinary teams and assigned to one of two community-based early childhood programs to administer a universal screening tool that assessed young children in several domains. The project was in its sixth year when the country stood still because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was re-envisioned, mid-course, to provide an equitable and rigorous assignment for students who were unable to complete the original assignment due to the lockdown. Student perceptions were compared, pre and post COVID; subsequent results are discussed in alignment with the original four goals of the project. Additionally, suggestions are posed to position this service-learning assignment for remote delivery should the pandemic persist to disrupt higher education.

scholarly journals Meeting Learning Objectives through Service-Learning: A Pomology Case Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-125
Author(s):  
Lauren C. Garner
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
State University ◽  
School Students ◽  
San Luis

Undergraduate students enrolled in the introductory pomology course at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, from 2007 to 2010, participated in a service-learning project. Students helped the community organization, the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG), teach grafting skills to San Louis Obispo County high school students and community members. At the end of each quarter, pomology students completed evaluations of their experience. Results of these evaluations were used to improve teaching methodology and the experience in which the students participated. Self-reported and instructor evaluations of the service-learning project demonstrated that students increased their grafting knowledge and skills, their confidence in learning new skills, and their interest in fruit science and community involvement. The service-learning project enabled students to meet course learning objectives of understanding and becoming experienced in horticultural techniques, such as grafting, and to meet university learning objectives of developing critical thinking and communication skills and increasing community involvement.

scholarly journals Chemistry Student Perceptions of Transferable & Workplace Skills Development

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan P Williams ◽  
Sandeep Handa
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Workplace Skills ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Perceived Importance

The perceptions of transferable and workplace skills development of year one and two chemistry undergraduate students at the University of Leicester were measured using two questionnaires. This group of students is taught be a variety of approaches including Problem and Context Based Learning (C/PBL). Over 60% of respondents agreed that all discipline specific and transferable skills included in the first questionnaire were important skills for chemistry graduates to have. The perceived importance of most skills does not vary between year groups but there are small increases in perceived importance for most transferable skills. In a separate questionnaire, first year students were asked to rate their skills development following a series of Context and Problem Based Learning (C/PBL) activities. "problem solving", "time management", "working in a team“ and "oral communication" were the most developed skills based on student responses. This element of the study also provided evidence to suggest that students believe the “real-world”, authentic nature of C/PBL problems may be an important factor in determining the extent of skills development.Keywords: Transferable skills, Workplace skills, Employability, Chemistry education

Using iPad Technologies To Support Teaching and Learning in CSD

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-21
Author(s):  
Jennifer C. Friberg
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Language Intervention ◽  
Learning Orientation ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Academic Service Learning ◽  
Ipad Applications

In a clinical project, 37 undergraduate students in a language disorders course with an academic service learning orientation reviewed iPad applications for use in language intervention activities. In this paper, I outline the process for implementing the project, as well as student perceptions of how their involvement in the project affected mastery of course-specific information.

Experiential Learning in Sport Sales: Student Perceptions of Sport Sales Expectations, Skills and Preparation

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Pierce ◽  
Jeffrey C. Petersen
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Sport Management ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Program Completion ◽  
Learning Assessment ◽  
Realistic Job Preview ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Assessment Of Student Learning ◽  
Management Curriculum

Experiential learning within sport sales is a growing component of the sport management curriculum. Assessment of student learning outcomes within these experiences is important in quantifying the effectiveness of the learning experience. This study utilized a survey to examine the change in students’ perceptions of sport sales as a result of completing an experiential, client-based sport sales program. The methodology included development and analysis of a survey instrument and application of that survey with enrolled and non-enrolled groups with pre- and post-test experiential learning assessment. Student expectations of a career in sport sales significantly decreased after program completion (t(56) = 2.33, p < .05), while their perception of skill level and preparation for a sport sales employment did not significantly change for the experimental group. These findings relate this learning experience to a realistic job preview for the students, which typically decrease an individual’s expectations toward a particular job (Premack & Wanous, 1985).

scholarly journals Perceptions of Undergraduate Engineering Students about Learning Objectives of Undergraduate Laboratories

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimia Moozeh ◽  
Deborah Tihanyi ◽  
Jennifer Farmer ◽  
Greg Evans
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Chemical Engineering ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Affective Domains

Abstract –The paper presents student perceptions about learning objectives of laboratories. Three focus group sessions were conducted with chemical engineering undergraduate students at UofT as part of a larger project to enhance the learning outcomes of laboratories. In this study, thirteen laboratory learning objectives developed at the ABET colloquy in 2002, were used as a framework to determine the strengths and limitations of the laboratories. These learning objectives cover cognition, psychomotor and affective domains of knowledge. The results indicate that improvements are needed with respect to providing opportunities for students to be creative, devise their own procedures, repeat experiments and improve communication skills. In addition, ethics in the lab and safety need more emphasis.  

Lessons learned from The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: Student perspectives on how cultural differences can lead to health disparities

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-81
Author(s):  
Tricia Uy ◽  
Christian Dimaano
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Usa

Objective: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman is a critically acclaimed book describing the importance of understanding cultural influence on health care and health outcomes. Although this book has been incorporated into standard curriculum in the university and medical school training settings, consideration of how The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down might change undergraduate student perceptions on health disparities, specifically among students at a minority-serving institution in the USA, has yet to be explored. Method: A qualitative, thematic analysis, using a pre-/post-test study design, assessed undergraduate students’ perceptions of topics of health disparities, spirituality and trust in healthcare providers. A total of 43 student responses characterising their perceptions on these topics were used to define themes both before and after a course utilising Fadiman’s book as a teaching tool. Results: Changes within the themes present in the post-test data showed that students had a deeper understanding of the need for communication with healthcare providers, as well as the need to build bridges between traditional spirituality and faith with modern medicine, in the context of respecting one’s culture, to effectively promote health outcomes in a multicultural society. Conclusion: An undergraduate course with directed lesson plans taken from The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down afforded undergraduate students at a US minority-serving institution with a way to contextualise why and how cultural differences can lead to health disparities.

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