scholarly journals The university campus and a sense of belonging: what do students think?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilda Mary Mulrooney ◽  
Alison Faith Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
University Campus ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The physical configuration of the university campus impacts upon student learning and experience, and can be used to signal institutional priorities. The extent to which campus, particularly in post 92 institutions, is designed as opposed to evolving as older buildings are repurposed or replaced is variable. Student experiences and perceptions of the campus physical space are also unclear. This study aimed to explore student perceptions using qualitative methods. Data were collected during 8 focus groups from 37 participants. The majority were young and female, with considerable ethnic diversity. Six major themes were identified, many of which did not directly relate to the physical space itself. Rather the impact upon students’ emotional experience and engagement with the institution was emphasised. ‘Belonging’ was the most common theme; indicating that the nature of the physical space on campus is not neutral, but can affect the extent to which students can form attachments with each other and academic staff. ‘Nature’ was the second most commonly mentioned theme. Green space has therapeutic potential in stress management, important given mental health concerns in young people including students. The ideal campus as described by participants would include green non-smoking spaces with an emphasis on health promotion. Opportunities to include nature on campus should be taken, and future proposals to design the campus should canvas student views.

scholarly journals Group Identity and Groupness: Student Experiences at University

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-134
Author(s):  
Florian Elliker ◽  
P. Conrad Kotze ◽  
Jan K. Coetzee
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Cultural Themes ◽  
The University ◽  
Transformation Processes

One of the key transformations South African universities have undergone in the past two decades is the increase of racial and ethnic diversity of their student bodies and academic staff. In this study, we seek to contribute to a better understanding of these transformation processes by presenting students’ narratives of how they experience the interracial integration of student residences. We first address the potential groupist and essential underpinnings of ethno-racial identifications by situating our categories of analysis in a social-constructivist framework, underlining the situational and processual character of identifying and establishing “groupness,” while simultaneously considering the obdurate quality habitualized ways of identifying may generate. We then present an overview of our sensitizing themes as they are discussed in the literature on race and ethnicity with a focus on South Africa and student experiences. Thirdly, the article introduces the reader to the institutional context of the case study, namely, the campus of the University of the Free State and its student residences. Based on focus group discussions and thematic analyses, we present our findings in the form of the cultural themes that are central to the students’ narrations of their experiences. These themes include the salience of racial and ethnic identifications, tolerant distance, confusion, fairness, neutrality, ethnolinguistic recognition, regional public arenas, rural-urban divides, as well as socio-economic divides.

scholarly journals Connecting Activity Implementation Characteristics to Student Buy-In Toward and Utilization of Formative Assessments Within Undergraduate Biology Courses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen R. Brazeal ◽  
Tanya L. Brown ◽  
Brian A. Couch
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Formative Assessments ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Biology Courses ◽  
The Impact

AbstractWhile formative assessments (FAs) can facilitate learning within undergraduate STEM courses, their impact likely depends on many factors, including how instructors implement them, whether students buy-in to them, and how students utilize them. FAs have many different implementation characteristics, including what kinds of questions are asked, whether questions are asked before or after covering the material in class, how feedback is provided, how students are graded, and other logistical considerations. We conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with students from eight undergraduate biology courses to explore how various implementation characteristics of in-class and out-of-class FAs can influence student perceptions and behaviors. We also interviewed course instructors to provide context for understanding student experiences. Using thematic analysis, we outlined various FA implementation characteristics, characterized the range of FA utilization behaviors reported by students, and identified emergent themes regarding the impact of certain implementation characteristics on student buy-in and utilization. Furthermore, we found that implementation characteristics have combined effects on student engagement and that students will tolerate a degree of “acceptable discomfort” with implementation features that contradict their learning preferences. These results can aid instructor reflection and guide future research on the complex connections between activity implementation and student engagement within STEM disciplines.

scholarly journals The Impact of Embedded iPad Use on Student Perceptions of Their Digital Capabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Elphick
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Key Skills ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Digital capabilities are recognized as key skills that students must possess to learn and work in our increasingly digital world and have been the subject of a growing focus over recent years. Similarly, smartphones and, to a lesser degree, tablets are now ubiquitous within the student body, and many academics are beginning to leverage these devices for the purposes of learning and teaching in higher education. To further explore the possibilities of mobile technology, the iPilot project was created to explore the effects that embedded iPad use had on undergraduate students’ creativity, ability to collaborate with their peers and their perception of their digital capabilities. Focusing on the digital capabilities aspect of the project, this paper explores the results gathered. While the results are mixed, when combined with data taken from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Digital Experience Tracker, it does appear that using iPads in the university classroom can have a positive impact on certain digital behaviors and students’ perceptions of their digital skills.

scholarly journals Diversity and safety on campus @ Western: Heterosexism and cissexism in higher education

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole L. Asquith ◽  
Tania Ferfolia ◽  
Brooke Brady ◽  
Benjamin Hanckel
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Diverse Students ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
Sexuality And Gender ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Discrimination, harassment and violence can vitiate staff and students’ experiences of education and work. Although there is increasing knowledge about these experiences in primary and secondary education, very little is known about them in higher education. This paper draws from landmark research that examines the interpersonal, educational and socio-cultural perspectives that prevail about sexuality and gender diversity on an Australian university campus. In this paper we focus on three aspects of the broader research findings: the heterosexism and cissexism experienced by sexuality and gender diverse students and staff at the university; their actions and responses to these experiences; and the impact of these experiences on victims. The research demonstrates that although the university is generally safe, sexuality and gender diverse students and staff experience heterosexist and cissexist discrimination, which can have negative ramifications on their workplace and learning experiences.

scholarly journals The Role of Trust in Student Perceptions of University Sexual Assault Policies and Services

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-53
Author(s):  
Olga Marques ◽  
Amanda Couture-Carron ◽  
Tyler Frederick ◽  
Hannah Scott
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Trust ◽  
The Government ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
The University ◽  
Do So

Many post-secondary institutions are developing policies and programs aimed at improving responses to sexual assault experienced by students. In some areas, such as Ontario, Canada, the government has mandated post-secondary institutions to do so. However significant these initiatives, they are predicated on the assumption that students trust, and want to engage with, the university following sexual violence. This study explores students’ perceptions of sexual assault policies and services on one mid-size university campus focusing specifically on how trust factors into reporting sexual victimization and using services. Findings show that students believe that sexual assault policies and programs exist, but this does not meanstudents are willing to use such resources or that they even trust that their university has students’ needs and interests at the fore. This paper discusses policy and programmatic considerations for building student trust in their post-secondary institutions to encourage student use of campus support.

The University of Groningen in the World

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaas Berkel ◽  
Guus Termeer
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of The University ◽  
International University ◽  
Religious Reasons ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

The University of Groningen has been an international university since its foundation in 1614. The first professors formed a rich international community, and many students came from outside the Netherlands, especially from areas now belonging to Germany. Internationalization, a popular slogan nowadays, is therefore nothing new, but its meaning has changed over time. How did the University of Groningen grow from a provincial institution established for religious reasons into a top-100 university with 36,000 students, of whom 25% come from abroad and almost half of the academic staff is of foreign descent? What is the identity of this four-century-old university that is still strongly anchored in the northern part of the Netherlands but that also has a mind that is open to the world? The history of the university, as told by Klaas van Berkel and Guus Termeer, ends with a short paragraph on the impact of the corona crisis.

scholarly journals The next frontier: using space as management strategy - an exploratory study

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-229
Author(s):  
Pia Storvang ◽  
Bang Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Organizational Strategy ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Setting ◽  
Cell Organization ◽  
A Cell ◽  
The University

Purpose More and more companies use physical space as a way to enhance creativity, create change and stimulate interaction. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how space affects this interrelationship and explores how space can support organizational strategy. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, this study explores three cases from an educational, a cultural and an industrial setting to illustrate how space can be used to support an organization’s policy and help its strategic intentions. Findings The findings demonstrate how space can be used to enhance organizational strategy and demonstrate how closely the creation of space can be related to the development of that strategy. Specifically, the study finds that the “’space-organizational strategy’ link has three uses: “Space as an organizational meeting place” in the University campus, (2) “Space as a network organization” in the culture and production center and (3) “Space as a cell organization” in the private manufacturing company. Originality/value The study will show that the design and operationalization of spaces can influence management and organizational strategy because space influences relations between people and that organizations can use space to support their strategic intentions seems to have been overlooked in the literature.

scholarly journals Student Perceptions of a Trial of Electronic Text Matching Software: A Preliminary Investigation

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 31-43
Author(s):  
D. Green ◽  
◽  
I. Lindemann ◽  
K. Marshall ◽  
G. Wilkinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

It is accepted that using electronic detection methods has benefits within an overall strategy to promote academic integrity in an institution. Little attention has been paid to obtaining student perceptions to evaluate the cost/benefit of using such methods. This study reports on the evaluation of a trial of Turnitin software. 728 students responded to a survey about their thoughts on plagiarism and being involved in the trial. This study found that students were generally unsure about the benefits and whether the university should use the software. In particular, two groups of students showed significant differences to the rest of the students sampled. While Non English Speaking Background (NESB) students reported higher levels of perceived usefulness of the software, they also reported higher levels of anxiety about the impact on them. Law students reported lower levels of perceived usefulness of the software and higher levels of concern and mistrust. The impact of such perceptions on the learning environment needs to be investigated. Special attention may be needed in introducing such software to different groups of students in order to limit possible deleterious effects and enhance potential benefits.

scholarly journals The Impact of UTAUT Model and ICT Theoretical Framework on University Academic Staff: Focus on Adamawa State University, Nigeria.

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oye Nathaniel David ◽  
A. Iahad N. ◽  
Nor Zairah Ab.Rahim
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intention ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
P Value ◽  
State University ◽  
Utaut Model ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

This paper examined the impact of UTAUT model and ICT theoretical framework on university academicians. The UTAUT model theory was verified using multiple regressions of the four constructs on behavioral intention to accept and use ICT by the Adamawa State University (ADSU) academic staff. The ICT theoretical framework reveals the connectivity between education and the independent variables, use of ICT, ICT infrastructure, staff development and ICT available tools as it brings transformation in education. We have verified the influence of the four UTAUT constructs on the behavioral intention of the university academicians towards the acceptance and use of ICT for teaching and learning. The UTAUT constructs significantly correlated with behavioral intention to use ICT. These are the factors associated with ICT acceptance and usage in Adamawa State University. According to our results Perceived Usefulness (PU) has R2 = .181 and significant with p-value .047(model 1), and Perceived ease of use (PEOU), has R2 = .270, significant with p-vale .000 (model 10). This has answered objective 1, which is to examine the factors associated with ICT acceptance and usage in (ADSU). The study confirms that the most influential UTAUT constructs influencing the behavioral intention of the academic staff to accept and use ICT is Effort expectancy (EE) in (ADSU)(model 10), with R= .519 and R2 = .270 ( Answered Objective 2). This study confirms the validity of the UTAUT model in the field context of a developing country‟s educational system. Knowledge gained from the study is beneficial to both the university academic staff and the ICT policy makers in developing countries.

scholarly journals Engaging academic staff with reading lists

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Allie Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Online Reading ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Reading List ◽  
Library Use ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Following the implementation of online reading list software, Library Services at the University of Worcester (UW) encouraged academic staff to consider the reading list as a learning tool. Using an interactive teaching session timetabled as part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, lecturers are asked to consider how they can maximise the impact of their reading lists and increase library use. The pedagogy of reading lists and student engagement with reading are examined. Participants also discuss the type of content reading lists typically contain and question whether this accurately reflects what the students should be reading. It draws on best practice from academic colleagues at UW, examining (among other things) the effect of list length, structure and lecturer voice and presence.

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