scholarly journals MOTIVATION BEHIND INTERNATIONAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS CHOOSING ENGINEERING

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Abelló ◽  
Alys Avalos-Rivera ◽  
Gabriel Potvin ◽  
Saloome Motavas ◽  
Vladan Prodanovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Family Influence ◽  
First Year ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Expectancy Value ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Utility Cost ◽  
The University ◽  
Program Data ◽  
Relevant Factors

This paper reports on a pilot study that investigated what motivated a group of first-year international students in the Vantage College program at the University of British Columbia (UBC) to pursue a degree in engineering. The study also sought to examine whether students report changes in their motivation as a result of completing their first year in our program. Data were collected through an open-ended survey provided to our cohort of 69 students, from which we received 66 responses. The results were analyzed qualitatively based on an expectancy value theoretical framework (focused on interest, utility, cost, and attainment.) The findings showed strong agreement with interest and utility as motivating factors, little agreement with attainment and cost as relevant factors, and the presence of additional motivators not present in our initial framework. The strongest among the latter group was family influence, with ability also appearing, yet to a lower degree. Our results suggest that interest and utility are the strongest motivators (over one third of students), with family influence (about one quarter) and ability (about one eight) being less important. We found few instances of cost (about one tenth) and no significant instances of attainment; this may be because engineering identity is developed as a student progresses through the undergraduate program.

scholarly journals Implementation of an Open Science Instruction Program for Undergraduates

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-161
Author(s):  
Sharon Hanna ◽  
Jason Pither ◽  
Mathew Vis-Dunbar
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Open Science ◽  
First Year ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Research Cycle ◽  
The World ◽  
Attitudinal Survey ◽  
The University

The scientific, social, and economic advantages that accrue from Open Science (OS) practices—ways of doing research that emphasize reproducibility, transparency, and accessibility at all stages of the research cycle—are now widely recognized in nations around the world and by international bodies such as the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. However, program wide or coordinated instruction of undergraduate students in OS practices remains uncommon. At the University of British Columbia in Canada, we have started to develop a comprehensive undergraduate OS program that can be adapted to and woven into diverse subject curricula. We report on the context and planning of the pilot module of the program, “Open Science 101”, its implementation in first-year Biology in Fall 2019, and qualitative results of an attitudinal survey of students following their course.

scholarly journals Implementation of an Open Science Instruction Program for Undergraduates

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Hanna ◽  
Jason Pither ◽  
Mathew Vis-Dunbar
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Open Science ◽  
First Year ◽  
Science Program ◽  
Science Practices ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Research Cycle ◽  
The World ◽  
Attitudinal Survey ◽  
The University

Submitted to Data Intelligence on August 15, 2020. The scientific, social, and economic advantages that accrue from Open Science practices—ways of doing research that emphasize reproducibility, transparency and accessibility at all stages of the research cycle—are now widely recognized in nations around the world and by international bodies such as the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. However, program wide or coordinated instruction of undergraduate students in Open Science practices remains uncommon. At the University of British Columbia in Canada, we have started to develop a comprehensive undergraduate Open Science program that can be adapted to and woven into diverse subject curricula. We report on the context and planning of the pilot module of the program, “Open Science 101”, its implementation in first-year Biology in Fall 2019, and qualitative results of an attitudinal survey of students following their course.

scholarly journals A FRAMEWORK FOR EXPLORING ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN A FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING COURSE

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol P. Jaeger ◽  
Peter M. Ostafichuk
Keyword(s):  
Student Development ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Student Feedback ◽  
First Year ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Profession ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
The University

Abstract A module on professionalism and ethics was developed and introduced in a recent redesign of the first year engineering curriculum at The University of British Columbia (UBC). Motivating factors for including this content in first year included providing students with a fuller understanding of the engineering profession, introducing content to support student development in multiple Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) graduate attributes, and providing education and support for students in the responsible use of peer review.  Additionally, feedback from senior engineering students indicated that students would benefit from inclusion of professionalism and ethics content earlier in the curriculum. In this paper, the structure and content of the module specifically related to ethics will be described, student feedback for the module will be presented, and key learnings will be discussed.

Correlating entrance data and first year academic performance of students enrolled in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Porto

2021 ◽  
pp. 030641902110156
Author(s):  
TMGP Duarte ◽  
AM Lopes ◽  
LFM da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Institutional Factors ◽  
First Year ◽  
Female Type ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Over Time

Understanding how the academic performance of first year undergraduate students is influenced by home, personal and institutional factors is fundamental to delineate policies able to mitigate failure. This paper investigates possible correlations between the academic performance of students at the end of high school with their achievements at the end of first year university. Data for students in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering (MIEM) program within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto are analysed for the period 2016/2017 to 2019/2020. The students’ performance is measured by two metrics and the students are structured as a whole and by groups, according to their gender (Male/Female), type of secondary school (Public/Private), living place (Away/Home) and the rank of MIEM in their application list of options (Option 1/Option 2–6). The information is organized statistically and possible correlations between the data are investigated. The analysis reveals limited correlation between the two metrics, meaning that all students may exhibit good or poor results at the end of first year in MIEM, independent of their status at entrance. An unanticipated pattern is exhibited for the group Option 2–6, since it shows that, despite entering into MIEM without top application marks, the students in this group can perform as well as the others. This behavior is consistent over time.

scholarly journals Bridging the Gap: Understanding the Differing Research Expectations of First-Year Students and Professor

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meg Raven
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Research Students ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Instruction Strategies ◽  
Research Instruction ◽  
The University

Objective: This study sought to better understand the research expectations of first-year students upon beginning university study, and how these expectations differed from those of their professors. Most academic librarians observe that the research expectations of these two groups differ considerably and being able to articulate where these differences are greatest may help us provided more focused instruction, and allow us to work more effectively with professors and student support services. Methods: 317 first-year undergraduate students and 75 professors at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS were surveyed to determine what they each expected of first-year student research. Students were surveyed on the first day of term so as to best understand their research expectations as they transitioned from high school to university. Results: The gulf between student and professor research expectations was found to be considerable, especially in areas such as time required for reading and research, and the resources necessary to do research. While students rated their preparedness for university as high, they also had high expectations related to their ability to use non-academic sources. Not unexpectedly, the majority of professors believed that students are not prepared to do university-level research, they do not take enough responsibility for their own learning, they should use more academic research sources, and read twice as much as students believe they should. Conclusions: By better understanding differing research expectations, students can be guided very early in their studies about appropriate academic research practices, and librarians and professors can provide students with improved research instruction. Strategies for working with students, professors and the university community are discussed.

scholarly journals Repeated Negative Teaching Evaluations: A Form of Habitual Behaviour?

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 298-321
Author(s):  
J Paul Grayson
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Generational Status ◽  
First Year ◽  
Not Given ◽  
Campus Engagement ◽  
Teaching Evaluations ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Mcgill University ◽  
The University ◽  
Do So

Teaching evaluations have become part of life on Canadian campuses; however, there is no agreement among researchers as to their validity. In this article, comparisons were made between first- and third-year collective evaluations of professors’ performance at the University of British Columbia, York University, and McGill University. Overall, it was found that students who provided low evaluations in their first year were also likely to do so in their third year. This effect held independent of degree of campus engagement, sex, student status (domestic or international), and generational status (students who were the first in their families to attend university, compared to those who were not). Given that over the course of their studies, students likely would have been exposed to a range of different behaviours on the part of their professors, it is argued that the propensity of a large number of students to give consistently low evaluations was a form of “habitual behaviour.”  

scholarly journals Teacher to Researcher: Reflections on a New Action Research Program for University EFL Teachers

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Burns ◽  
Anne Westmacott
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
First Year ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Research Publication ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
The University ◽  
Relevant Factors

One of the current challenges facing many universities is how to support teachers in becoming researchers. This article discusses the experiences at a small private Chilean university of a new action research programme that was developed as a vehicle for helping teachers to become involved in research and write a research publication for peer-reviewed journals. We present findings from research into similar programmes about relevant factors for their success, describe the programme developed at the university with five English as a Foreign Language teachers in 2016, and discuss some reflections on this first year of the programme.

scholarly journals A MODEL TO DEVELOP PEER FEEDBACK SKILLS IN FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING STUDENTS

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Mattucci ◽  
Jim Sibley ◽  
Jonathan Nakane ◽  
Peter Ostafichuk
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Professional Communication ◽  
First Year ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Feedback Model ◽  
Poster Presentations ◽  
The University ◽  
Proper Interpretation

Abstract – Giving and receiving feedback is a necessary, but often difficult skill for young engineers to acquire. We developed and piloted the delivery of a feedback model as part of the first-year engineering experience at the University of British Columbia. The approach is based on recognizing feedback as a form of professional communication, and that it requires practice to improve. We wove different aspects of communication skill development through two large newly-designed first-year introduction to engineering courses, building towards face-to-face feedback through a staged series of communication experiences. The full feedback model highlighted the nuances of face-to-face communication, and was called the "3×3", since it includes the three components involved in face-to-face feedback (sender, message, and receiver), each with three associated aspects. The sender uses appropriate words and body language, ensures proper interpretation, and is empathetic; the message is objective and non-judgmental, sufficiently detailed, and contains suggestions for improvement; and the receiver remains open and listening, acknowledges to the sender that they are listening, and clarifies to ensure understanding. Students applied what they had learned through an activity reviewing poster presentations from a major course design project. In the activity, they each had an opportunity to craft a feedback message before delivering the message face-to-face to a peer. Students then reflected on the feedback they received by summarizing the message, recognizing how the sender delivered the feedback, and identifying why the feedback was helpful. Student reflections were analyzed for themes from the 3×3 model. Students found feedback from peers particularly helpful when it was delivered in an appropriate and courteous manner, checked for proper interpretation, provided clear suggestions for improvement, and was coupled with praise of something that was done well. Providing students with a structured model allows them to follow a process in both providing effective face-to-face feedback, but also better appreciate why receiving feedback is beneficial in helping them improve.  

scholarly journals Academic Misconduct: An Investigation into Male Students’ Perceptions, Experiences & Attitudes towards Cheating and Plagiarism in a Middle Eastern University Context

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal M. Tayan
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Dishonesty ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Academic Misconduct ◽  
The Internet ◽  
First Year ◽  
Male Undergraduate ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The University

Academic misconduct in many educational institutions in the Middle East is an inherent problem. This has been particularly true amongst the university student population. The proliferation of the Internet and the ownership of mobile and electronic devices, have, in part, witnessed rates of cheating, plagiarism and academic misconduct cases steadily increase across higher education contexts. Though the growth of the Internet as an information source and gateway to knowledge has increased substantially in recent years, it has, however, opened up a plethora of varying forms and rates of academic dishonesty. This study was conducted through an online Likert scale questionnaire. Its purpose was to investigate first year male undergraduate students’ attitudes, experiences and perceptions towards plagiarism and cheating in a university located in Saudi Arabia. The study aimed at addressing themes in relation to the meaning, forms, source, frequency and reasons of cheating and plagiarism. The study indicates that cheating and plagiarism is common among students, while a need to address student awareness and clarify student expectations towards academic integrity was also identified. The study also proposes several recommendations to alleviate the levels of academic misconduct, be it cheating in exams or plagiarising content, in the Saudi university context.

Developing e-learning for interprofessional education

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 102-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tunde Varga-Atkins ◽  
Helen Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
First Year ◽  
Team Working ◽  
Content Development ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Development Evaluation ◽  
Online Format ◽  
The University

An evidence-based, interprofessional educational course involving first-year undergraduate students studying medicine, nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy has been piloted at the University of Liverpool. Part of the content was developed in an online format. To capture the development process and the e-learning writing experience, a focus group was arranged for the content writers. The session was audio-recorded and tapes were transcribed. All the data were subjected to thematic analysis. Twenty-three sub-themes were identified in the 72 comments. These were grouped under six themes, corresponding to the developmental stages of e-learning. The highest number of comments fell under the theme of preparation, followed by content development, evaluation, general design and structure, and finally delivery. Team working contributed to the success of the writing process, reflecting the theme of working interprofessionally.

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