scholarly journals Letter from the Editors-in-Chief

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Haldoupis ◽  
Caitilin Terfloth
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Low Dose Aspirin ◽  
Student Volunteers ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Academic Year

As issue 2.2 comes together, we reflect on the growth of USURJ over just a few short years. To date, USURJ has received 213 submissions and published 41. It has provided feedback to researchers and worked with them to improve their writing. In addition, 64 student volunteers from the University of Saskatchewan have now gained editorial experience and learned about the inner workings of a peer reviewed, academic publication, and many have worked with the journal for two years or more. This year, we analyzed 17 multidisciplinary undergraduate research journals from across North America, and found that the number of student editors on our USURJ team far surpasses all but three: the Harvard Undergraduate Research Journal, the Lethbridge Undergraduate Research Journal, and the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal.Thanks to an increasing number of submissions, we are able to release, for the first time, two issues in one academic year. We sincerely value our volunteer editors, who have once again pulled together to make USURJ happen. It is gratifying to be able to not only help make these experiences happen, but also to provide a venue for undergraduates to share their research—and do they ever have some great ideas to share! In this issue, one engaged student approaches and interviews cyclists using Saskatoon’s 23rd Street Bicycle Boulevard to inform his analysis of that infrastructure. One researcher discusses the importance of conservation strategies that look at the impact of an endangered animal’s decline, and the impact of conservation on its ecosystem. Another evaluates whether or not low dose aspirin reduces occurrences of myocardial infarction (a type of coronary heart disease) and provides recommendations for nurses. Another student calls attention to a food crisis affecting northern Canadian communities, evaluates the measures currently in place to help to solve this issue, and provides suggestions and possible amendments to these measures.Once again, University of Saskatchewan undergraduate students have proven the importance of disseminating their research, not only taking it outside of the classroom to the institution, but also to the international stage.Happy reading! Nicole Haldoupis & Caitilin Terfloth Graduate and Undergraduate Editors-in-Chief

scholarly journals UTILIZING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH TO INFORM COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR OLDER ADULTS: A SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S537-S538
Author(s):  
Amanda E Barnett ◽  
Sara Olinger
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Home Visitor ◽  
Aging Societies ◽  
Theory Research ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Engaging undergraduate students with aging-focused community resources is critical for preparing students to work with older adults and make positive contributions to aging societies. During the fall, 2018 semester, undergraduate students in a human development course on middle and late adulthood partnered with a county aging and disability resource center (ADRC) in Wisconsin to evaluate and update several of their existing programs and resources using empirical research. Upon completion of this project, students synthesized course material to meet all course learning objectives such as: (1) critically analyze physical, psychological, and sociological processes of aging across categories of difference (e.g. cultural, ethnic, class); (2) evaluate social policies and their multigenerational implications for midlife and older adults; and (3) construct a personal position on aging that integrates theory, research, and policy to demonstrate a sensitive and competent approach to working with midlife and older adults. Students researched, wrote reports, and presented to ADRC staff on the impact of social isolation on older adults, best practices for home visitor and transportation programs serving older adults, cognitive competency tools and best practices for utilizing memory assessments, grief supports and groups for family caregivers, and best practices for supporting veterans as they age. The outcome of these projects are research-based recommendations for any ADRC to consider when developing and implementing related programs. All stakeholders (students, professor, and ADRC staff) were satisfied with the process and outcomes of the project. Strengths and challenges of carrying out such a collaborative project will be reviewed.

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 Evaluating undergraduate research conferences as vehicles for novice researcher development

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Kneale ◽  
Andrew Edwards-Jones ◽  
Helen Walkington ◽  
Jennifer Hill
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Conference ◽  
Researcher Development ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to focus on the undergraduate research conference as its sphere of study and investigate the impact of significance of participation and socialisation in such activities on student attitudes and professional development. Using situated learning to theoretically position the undergraduate research conference as an authentic learning context, connection is also made with the concept of graduate attributes. Design/methodology/approach The Vitae (2014) Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is used to provide a template for charting the experiences and development of undergraduate students as researchers. This can be applied to short-term activities and programmes and to long-term career plans. The insights from 90 undergraduate students participating in three national undergraduate research conferences were obtained through interviews, and thematically analysed to map the students’ skills development against the RDF criteria. Findings Three main aspects of undergraduate research conference participation were considered particularly important by the students: the value of paper presentations, the value of poster presentations and the value of the overall conference experience. Within these themes, participants identified a wide range of skills and attributes they felt they had developed as a result of either preparing for or participating in the conferences. The majority of these skills and attributes could be mapped against the different domains of the RDF, using a public engagement lens for comparing actual with expected developmental areas. Research limitations/implications This research helps undergraduate research conference organisers construct programme content and form it in such a way that students’ skill development can be maximised prior to, and during, the course of an event. Learning developers can also use these findings to help understand the support needs of students preparing to deliver papers at such conferences. So far, little empirical research has examined students’ skills development within the undergraduate research conference arena. Originality/value The outcomes of this study show the diversity of the skills that students developed and the value of the conference format for offering networking practice and enhancing the communication skills which employers value.

An Introduction to the Impact Behaviour of Polymer Composites Using Simplified Beam Models

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. W. Mines
Keyword(s):  
Composite Materials ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Progressive Collapse ◽  
Structural Response ◽  
Sandwich Beams ◽  
Three Point Bending ◽  
The Past ◽  
Structural Case ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The paper describes a final-year undergraduate course that has been taught at the University of Liverpool for the past three years. The main aims of the course are to introduce the student to the design of structures using multi-component (composite) materials and to the performance of such structures under impact loading. Given the complexity of generalized composite behaviour and of structural crashworthiness, a simple structural case is considered, namely, a beam subject to three-point bending. A feature of the course is that not only is linear structural response considered but also non-linear (progressive) structural collapse is covered. The course is split into four parts, namely: (i) analysis of composite laminae, (ii) analysis of laminated beams, (iii) local and global effects in sandwich beams, and (iv) post-failure and progressive collapse of sandwich beams. Static and impact loadings are considered. Comments are made on how the theories are simplified and communicated to the undergraduate students.

scholarly journals The Academic Freedom among the Students at the Hashemite University: الحرية الأكاديمية لدى طلبة الجامعة الهاشمية

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (30) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abd AlKhaleq Muhammad Al-Zyoud
Keyword(s):  
Academic Freedom ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Study Results ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University ◽  
Hashemite University ◽  
Senior Students ◽  
Academic Year

This study aimed at exploring the level of academic freedom at the Hashemite University in Jordan from the perspective of the undergraduate students, and whether there are impacts of the students’ gender, academic level, or specialization. The sample consisted of (376) undergraduate students (111 male, 265 female), who are registered at the university for the first semester of the academic year 2019/2020, from all faculties of the Hashemite University. The results showed that 25.5% of participants perceived a high level of academic freedom, 57.2% of participants perceived a moderate level, and 17.3% of them perceived a low level. Significant differences were found due to academic level; academic freedom perceived level among senior students was higher than all other years (freshmen, sophomores and juniors), but no significant differences were found due to students’ gender, or specialization. In light of the study results, the researcher recommends a number of recommendations such as: raising the awareness about the academic freedom among the students, faculty members, and the staff the Jordanian universities, conducting survey studies that measure the level of academic freedom among the students at various Jordanian universities, Supporting the academic freedom of the students at the institutions of higher education through deliberate and planned initiatives.

Irrational happiness beliefs and subjective well-being of undergraduate students: A longitudinal study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-72
Author(s):  
Murat Yıldırım
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Affective Components ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Over Time

Identifying factors that influence well-being are fruitful for improving the knowledge held about the correlates and predictors of well-being in both practice and theory. This research for the first time aimed to investigate whether irrational happiness beliefs, a newly presented construct, contribute to the affective components of subjective well-being over time. The sample included 103 undergraduate students (88 females and 15 males) whose ages varied from 18 to 29 years (M = 19.39 ±1.62). Participants completed measures of irrational happiness beliefs, positive affect, and negative affect both at Time 1 and Time 2 over three months apart. The findings showed that irrational happiness beliefs were significantly negatively related to positive affect only at Time 1. However, the research failed to provide evidence regarding the value of irrational happiness beliefs in predicting positive and negative affect over time. The results suggest that the impact of irrational happiness beliefs upon well-being may occur momentarily not over time. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed and directions for future studies are provided.

Apparel shopping styles of Ghanaian female young adults

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dora Appiadu ◽  
Mercy Kuma-Kpobee ◽  
Efua Vandyck
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Apparel Shopping ◽  
Shopping Orientation ◽  
The University ◽  
University Of Ghana ◽  
First Time

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to identify the apparel shopping styles of Ghanaian female young adults and to assess the applicability of the consumer styles inventory (CSI) within the Ghanaian context.Design/methodology/approachA multistage random sampling technique was used to select 405 Ghanaian female undergraduate students aged 18–25 years from the University of Ghana. The CSI was used to collect data and these were analyzed using principal component analysis.FindingsThe results showed that the subjects adopted multiple shopping styles when scouting for stores and selecting apparel for managing their appearance. Seven of the CSI dimensions were confirmed (perfectionism, brand consciousness, novelty-fashion consciousness, confused by over-choice, impulsive carelessness, recreational hedonism and habitual brand loyalty). A new shopping style, indifference shopping orientation was identified.Practical implicationsMarket segmentation, product development and marketing strategies should be tailored to the shopping styles of female young consumers in Ghana.Originality/valueThis study, for the first time, uses the consumer characteristic approach and the CSI to identify the apparel decision-making styles of young adult female Ghanaians. This fulfils the need for the study of shopping styles, which is vital for producers and marketers to enable them to make informed decisions to meet specific needs and expectations of these cohorts of consumers.

“Should I Go to Ireland or Mexico?”

2018 ◽  
pp. 1868-1885
Author(s):  
Scott L. Roberts ◽  
Kristina Rouech
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
University Professors ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Further Development

This chapter presents and discusses the experience of two university professors' participation in two different study abroad programs. Within the first two years of employment at the university, one professor went to Oaxaca and the other went to Ireland with groups of pre-student teachers. The chapter discusses previous literature and the impact of study abroad programs on teacher education, program basics from the authors' university, the authors' personal experiences travelling with students for the first time, commonalities and differences among the two programs, benefits from their experiences, and ideas for further development of effective study abroad programs for education students.

Industry-Academia Computer Aided Engineering Undergraduate Research Projects

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Schonning ◽  
Daniel Cox
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
National Science Foundation ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Computer Aided Engineering ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Resource Center ◽  
Manufacturing Innovation ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
National Science ◽  
The University

Florida’s First Coast Manufacturing Innovation Partnership (MIP), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), promotes collaboration between academia and local industry members by providing a shared resource center. The local industry provides the university with research opportunities for its undergraduate students in areas of mechanical engineering design, manufacturing, and analysis and the university provides the local industry with technical resources. This paper outlines how this collaborative effort is structured, what types of projects are undertaken, and what the benefits are to academia, industry, and society in general. In particular, the paper describes three computer aided engineering (CAE) projects, addresses how these industry-academia projects help achieve the goals of the MIP program, and how these projects help improve the CAE skills of the future workforce.

scholarly journals Design, implementation, and assessment of an interactive simulation to teach undergraduate immunology students hemolytic disease of the newborn

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-306
Author(s):  
Maurizio Costabile
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Interactive Simulation ◽  
Hemolytic Disease ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Interactive Simulations ◽  
Blood Grouping

Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) is a potentially fatal condition caused by a Rhesus (Rh) antigen incompatibility between a mother and fetus. As a result, determining the Rh status of expectant parents is a routine clinical assessment. Both the physiological and immunological basis of this condition are taught to undergraduate students. At the University of South Australia, some undergraduate immunology students find this topic challenging. The author designed, implemented, and assessed the impact of an interactive simulation to facilitate student learning of HDN. The students were actively engaged in determining the blood grouping and Rh status of an expectant mother and father and then determining the possibility of developing HDN. The simulation was found to take only 15 min to complete yet led to a significant increase in student performance in an end of semester exam question. Student perceived understanding was found to significantly improve following the introduction of the simulation, even though the content had been covered in a formal lecture. Student feedback was highly positive of this learning approach. In conclusion, short, interactive simulations can be used effectively to enhance student learning of challenging concepts.

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