Impact of an Optional Experiential Learning Opportunity on Student Engagement and Performance in Undergraduate Nutrition Courses

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Szeto ◽  
Jess Haines ◽  
Andrea C. Buchholz
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Satisfaction Survey ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Body Composition Assessment ◽  
Percentile Rank ◽  
Final Exams ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

We examined the impact of an optional experiential learning activity (ELA) on student engagement and performance in 2 undergraduate nutrition courses. The ELA involved completion of a 3-day food record, research lab tour, body composition assessment, and reflective take-home assignment. Of the 808 students in the 2 courses (1 first-year and 1 second-year course), 172 (21%) participated. Engagement was assessed by the Classroom Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE), and performance was assessed by percentile rank on midterm and final exams. Students’ perceived learning was assessed using a satisfaction survey. Paired-samples t tests examined change in CLASSE scores and percentile rank from baseline to follow-up. Frequencies and thematic analysis were used to examine responses to Likert scale and open-ended questions on the satisfaction survey, respectively. There was an 11%–22% increase (P < 0.05) in the 3 dimensions of student engagement and a greater increase in percentile rank between the midterm and final exams among participants (7.63 ± 21.9) versus nonparticipants (−1.80 ± 22.4, P < 0.001). The majority of participants indicated the ELA enhanced their interest and learning in both their personal health and the course. Findings suggest ELAs related to personal health may improve interest, engagement, and performance among undergraduate students.

scholarly journals Simulating 2008: A Mock Presidential Election's Impact on Civic Engagement

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (04) ◽  
pp. 743-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna L. Deitz ◽  
Keith Boeckelman
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Political Knowledge ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractYoung adults have particularly low levels of civic engagement. Incorporating experiential learning activities as part of the political science curriculum shows promise to reverse this trend. We analyze the impact of a mock presidential election simulation on the civic engagement of college-aged students. Exit surveys of student participants and a one-year follow-up survey confirm that this experiential learning activity had a positive effect on participants' levels of political knowledge, their interest in public life, and their attitudes about government in general.

scholarly journals The impact of task difficulty and performance scores on student engagement and progression

2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Lynch ◽  
James Vincent Patten ◽  
Jennifer Hennessy
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Experiential Learning in STEM for a Diverse Student Population at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Through the Implementation of the UDC Rover Project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giancarlo D'Orazio ◽  
Jiajun Xu ◽  
Sasan Haghani
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
District Of Columbia ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Diverse Student ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The University ◽  
Human Powered ◽  
Human Exploration

Abstract In 2018, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) participated in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge for the first time in the school’s history. An interdisciplinary team of students designed and fabricated a two-person, human-powered rover which competed against 100 other colleges and universities. Based on their success, in 2019 UDC again formed a team to participate in the challenge, improving on the 2018 rover design and performance. This paper reports the process of implementing this experiential learning activity and how this project has contributed to the STEM curriculum at UDC, and recruitment and participation of underrepresented STEM students. Lessons learned from implementing this project is also shared and discussed in this paper.

scholarly journals The Impact of a Technology Ban on Students’ Perceptions and Performance in Introduction to Psychology

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Hutcheon ◽  
Aileen Lian ◽  
Anna Richard
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
The Other ◽  
Final Grade ◽  
Personal Technology ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Grade Performance ◽  
The Impact

To test the impact of the implementation of technology bans on students’ experience within a course, we collected data from four sections of Introduction to Psychology at a small liberal arts college in the northeast. In two sections, students were banned from using personal technology devices during lecture. In the other two sections, students were permitted to use personal technology devices freely during lecture. We found a significant reduction in student engagement but not in reported interest in psychology or perceived professor–student rapport for students in the technology-ban condition relative to students in the technology-permitted condition. In contrast to previous studies, we found no difference in final grade performance across condition. Although further research is needed, these results suggest that instructors should consider the composition of students in their course prior to implementing a technology ban in the classroom.

scholarly journals “The Fact That the Author Was Male Instead of Female Provided for an Objective Opinion”

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 44-60
Author(s):  
Julia Ferrara Waity ◽  
Jennifer Vanderminden ◽  
Kristin Robeson
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Gender Wage Gap ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Implicit Bias ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Course Materials ◽  
Female Author ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents an audit-style experiential learning activity intended to gauge students' perceptions of objectivity based on author gender, encourage students to apply the concept of bias to their own learning, and participate in a research study. In this activity, students were unknowingly randomly assigned the same reading on the gender wage gap with either a “male” or “female” author. Although the differences were not statistically significant, student numerical ratings of objectivity were higher when they believed the author was male. The discussion and reflection assignments demonstrated that this exercise provided students with a unique opportunity to evaluate their own biases, engage in discussion about bias, and apply course materials. Written rationale for ratings supported this perception that male authors were more objective. This activity is useful for students in thinking about and discussing the impact of implicit bias.

scholarly journals OUTCOME BASED LEARNING: A PANACEA FOR QUALITY EDUCATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 8-23
Author(s):  
Prashant Thote ◽  
Gowri S
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Redox Reaction ◽  
Retention Test ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Text Book ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact

            The curriculum framework asserts learner to debate, dissent form individual opinion on ideas, systems, practices by nurturing skills to think and reason independently.  Participatory learning activity is envisioned as a process whereby learners construct concept through assimilation, absorption, interaction and reflection.  In the present paper experiential learning activity are designed to ensure that the students are encouraged to seek out knowledge from their hands-on activity than the text book in their own experiences. In the present paper attempt is made to investigate the impact of conventional method of teaching and experiential learning activities on attainment of knowledge and retention of knowledge in learning redox reaction.  Data is collected by using pre-test, post-test and retention test.  Instrument is validated by experts.  Stratified random method is applied to draw the sample.  Totally 50 students participate in the study.  Sample is separated into two: control and the study group. Control group is exposed to the conventional chalk and talk method while the students from the study group are exposed to Experiential Learning Activities.  The result of the study reveals that there is noteworthy difference in the mean score in learning redox reaction in the scores of pre-test, post-test and retention test between the study group and the control group.

scholarly journals Measuring the Impact of an Interdisciplinary Experiential-learning Activity on Student Learning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie Nickel ◽  
Jennifer Farrell ◽  
Alicia Domack ◽  
Gina Mazzone
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
The Impact

The Impact of Specially Designed Digital Games-Based Learning in Undergraduate Pathology and Medical Education

2011 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rani Kanthan ◽  
Jenna-Lynn Senger
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Satisfaction Survey ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Final Examination ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Context—The rapid advances of computer technologies have created a new e-learner generation of “Homo-zappien” students that think and learn differently. Digital gaming is an effective, fun, active, and encouraging way of learning, providing immediate feedback and measurable process. Within the context of ongoing reforms in medical education, specially designed digital games, a form of active learning, are effective, complementary e-teaching/learning resources. Objective—To examine the effectiveness of the use of specially designed digital games for student satisfaction and for measurable academic improvement. Design—One hundred fourteen students registered in first-year pathology Medicine 102 had 8 of 16 lecture sessions reviewed in specially designed content-relevant digital games. Performance scores to relevant content sessions were analyzed at midterm and final examinations. Seventy-one students who registered in second-year pathology Medicine 202 were exposed to the games only during the final examination, with the midterm examination serving as an internal matched-control group. Outcome measures included performance at midterm and final examinations. Paired 2-tailed t test statistics compared means. A satisfaction survey questionnaire of yes or no responses analyzed student engagement and their perceptions to digital game-based learning. Results—Questions relevant to the game-play sessions had the highest success rate in both examinations among 114 first-year students. In the 71 second-year students, the examination scores at the end of the final examination were significantly higher than the scores on the midterm examination. Positive satisfaction survey noted increased student engagement, enhanced personal learning, and reduced student stress. Conclusions—Specially constructed digital games-based learning in undergraduate pathology courses showed improved academic performance as measured by examination test scores with increased student satisfaction and engagement.

Learning commercial computerised accounting programmes

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-332
Author(s):  
Ali Yaftian ◽  
Soheila Mirshekary ◽  
Dessalegn Getie Mihret
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assessment Task ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Assessment Tasks ◽  
Student Motivations ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Practical accountving skills such as the ability to use commercial computerised accounting programmes (CCAP) is increasingly becoming expected of accounting graduates. To understand the impact of CCAP on learning, this paper aims to examine students’ motivations for and perceptions about learning CCAP in two accounting subjects trialled in an Australian university. Design/methodology/approach A survey of students who completed the course was conducted twice, before training and assessment using CCAP and after completing the CCAP-based learning activity and the associated assessment task. Findings The results show that students demonstrate strong positive attitudes towards learning CCAP, and using CCAP elicits active student engagement in the learning processes. The findings also show room for further enhancement of student engagement by integrating CCAP learning tasks with teamwork and developing CCAP-based learning and assessment tasks suitable for higher-order learning outcomes. Research limitations/implications The survey respondents in this study are drawn from only one higher education institution in Australia and are predominantly an international cohort. This makes the conclusions of the study exploratory in nature and thus further studies are needed before generalising the conclusions. Originality/value By providing insights into student motivations to and perceptions about the use of CCAP in accounting curricula, the study sheds light on the potential of CCAP to enhance learning and aspects of consolidating the role of CCAP as a learning tool.

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