scholarly journals Evaluating Web Sites through the use of Focus Group Interviews

EDIS ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 2003 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy-Lin Bartels ◽  
Marshall Breeze ◽  
Nancy Peterson

This publication was produced by the Center for Natural Resources at the University of Florida. CNR 14 is part of a Program Summary Series. First published: 11/25/2002, Minor revision: March 2003.   

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-28
Author(s):  
Hilde Kjelsrud ◽  
Hilde Kjelsrud

The purpose of this article is to examine what driving teacher students think they learn from the learning activity pedagogical observation and what factors concerning this activity they think are important for their learning outcome. At a driving school connected to a university, driving teacher students give driving lessons to student drivers with a peer driving teacher student—a pedagogical observer—in the back seat. Focus group interviews involving eight driving teacher students were conducted to explore what they think they learn through pedagogical observation, and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. The focus group interviews revealed that driving teacher students think they (1) strengthen their driving teacher role, (2) strengthen their peer guidance role, (3) increase their subject knowledge (4) and learn to interact with student drivers. For this learning outcome to occur, driving teacher students point to these factors: 1) the need for a focused plan; 2) establishing a definite agreement; 3) having a committed attitude; 4) providing constructive feedback; and 5) possessing appropriate knowledge. This study contributes to the sparse research on cooperation among driving teacher students in the practical field at the university level. It shows that the learning activity of pedagogical observation enables driving teacher students to learn from each other during driving lessons as a two-way reciprocal learning activity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 162 (25) ◽  
pp. 978-987
Author(s):  
Nóra Faubl ◽  
Zsuzsanna Pótó ◽  
Erika Marek ◽  
Béla Birkás ◽  
Zsuzsanna Füzesi ◽  
...  

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: A 21. századra a multikulturális társadalmi közegben az interkulturális tudás, mint készség, fokozott mértékben válik kulcskompetenciává. E társadalmi kompetencia elsajátításának egyik lehetséges területe a nemzetközi hallgatói mobilitás, mely világszerte, így hazánkban is, egyre nagyobb jelentőségű. Célkitűzés: Magyar és külföldi hallgatók körében folytatott vizsgálatunk fókuszában a beilleszkedési folyamatoknak, valamint az interkulturális kompetencia és érzékenység kialakulásának és fejlődésének vizsgálata állt, a Pécsre érkező mintegy 60 különböző kultúra, valamint a magyar befogadó közeg vonatkozásában egyaránt. Kutatásunk során többek között arra kerestünk választ, hogy az eredeti és a befogadó kultúra közötti különbségek mely területeken nyilvánulnak meg a leginkább, illetve egy másik kultúrához történő alkalmazkodás során milyen beilleszkedést lassító vagy támogató tényezők tárhatók fel. Módszer: Kutatásunkban kvantitatív és kvalitatív módszereket alkalmaztunk, önkitöltéses kérdőíves felmérés, valamint fókuszcsoportos interjúk formájában. A PTE ÁOK német, angol és magyar nyelvű általánosorvos-képzésében részt vevő hallgatókat a 2010 és 2018 közötti időszak tavaszi szemesztereiben saját fejlesztésű, anonim, önkéntesen kitölthető kérdőívvel kerestük meg (a kitöltött kérdőívek száma: n = 13 084 kérdőív). A kérdőíveket három tanévben hét, félig strukturált fókuszcsoportos interjúval egészítettük ki (n = 92 fő). Eredmények: A hazánkba érkező külföldi orvostanhallgatók számára a befogadó közeghez való alkalmazkodást tekintve a kapcsolódás elsősorban a szocializációs, nyelvi, kommunikációs különbségek miatt bizonyult kihívásnak. Megállapítható azonban, hogy a képzési idő előrehaladtával a különbözőségekből fakadó nehézségek csökkentek, így a hallgatók egyre inkább képessé váltak az etnorelatív irányba történő elmozdulásra, valamint a multikulturális közeg pozitív aspektusainak értékelésére. Következtetések: A multikulturális környezetben folytatott tanulmányok alatt a kultúraközi kapcsolódási pontok és együttműködések kialakulása és fejlődése lehetővé teszi és támogatja az interkulturális kompetencia elsajátítását, annak minden résztvevője számára, akár az egyetemi képzésen túlmutatóan, a későbbi orvosi pályát tekintve is. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(25): 978–987. Summary. Introduction: In the increasingly multicultural social environment of the 21st century, intercultural knowledge as a social skill is gradually becoming a key competence. One of the possible areas of acquiring this competence is international student mobility, which is of increasing importance worldwide, including Hungary. Objective: The focus of our study was to examine integration processes and the development and improvement of intercultural competence and sensitivity among Hungarian and international students, both in relation to the approximately 60 different cultures arriving in Pécs and in relation to the Hungarian host environment. In the course of our research, we sought – among other factors – areas, in which the differences between the original and the host culture are the most prominent, and we aimed at identifying those factors that are slowing down or supporting the integration during the adaptation period to another culture. Method: In our research, we used both quantitative and qualitative methods, in the form of a self-administered questionnaire and focus group interviews. General medical students of the University of Pécs studying in the German-, English- and Hungarian-language programmes participated in the survey during the spring semesters of the academic years between 2010 and 2018. We used our self-developed questionnaires (number of completed questionnaires: n = 13 084), which were filled in on a voluntary basis and anonymity was ensured. The questionnaires were supplemented with seven semi-structured focus group interviews over three academic years (n = 92 students). Results: Regarding the adaptation to the host environment of foreign medical students studying in Hungary, relationship building arising from socialization, language and communication differences, proved to be a challenge. However, it can be stated that as the training time progressed, the difficulties arising from the differences decreased, so that the students gradually became more able to move towards an ethno-relative direction and evaluated the positive aspects of the multicultural environment. Conclusion: During studies in a multicultural university environment, the emergence and development of intercultural connections and collaborations enable and support the acquisition of intercultural competence for all of the students, which will be of great benefit for them, even beyond the university, in their future medical career. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(25): 978–987.


EDIS ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 2003 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Center For Natural Resources

This publication was produced by the Center for Natural Resources at the University of Florida. CNR 15 is part of a Program Summary Series. First published: 3/26/2002. Minor revision: March 2003.


EDIS ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 2003 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Center For Natural Resources

This publication was produced by the Center for Natural Resources at the University of Florida. CNR 6 is part of a Program Summary Series. First published: September 2000. Minor revision: March 2003. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cr006


EDIS ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 2003 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Center For Natural Resources

Biodiversity or biological diversity is a relatively new term in ecology. It became popular in the 1980s and is not yet properly understood by all non-ecologists. Biodiversity refers to the variety and richness among living organisms and the ecological systems and processes of which they are a part. There are three levels of biodiversity: habitat or ecosystem diversity, genetic diversity, and species diversity. This publication was produced by the Center for Natural Resources at the University of Florida. CNR 4 is part of a Program Summary Series. First published: September 2000. Minor revision: March 2003.  https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cr004


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Starr Roxanne Hiltz ◽  
Peter Shea ◽  
Eunhee Kim

What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching in online environments? And what are the specific kinds of experiences that underlie and explain the importance of these factors? One goal of this study was to add to the understanding of these issues, but the primary purpose of this study is determining how well these questions can be answered using the method of structured focus groups. This paper describes the methods and results of a pilot study conducted using four focus group interviews of faculty experienced in teaching using “Asynchronous Learning Networks” (ALN) at one university, and a single focus group at a second university in order to explore generalizability. For the university at which four group interviews were conducted, the rank orders of leading motivators and demotivators were quite consistent. Leading motivators include the flexibility allowed by being able to teach “anytime/anywhere;” better/more personal interaction and community building supported by the medium; the technical and creativity challenges offered by this mode of teaching; being able to reach more (and more diverse) students; and better course management. Major sources of dissatisfaction are more work, medium limitations, lack of adequate support and policies for teaching online, and the fact that the medium is not a good fit for some students. Very similar results were found through the replication focus group conducted at a different institution.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Louise Sarauw ◽  
Simon Madsen ◽  
Simon Madsen

In Greek mythology, the hero Odysseus receives a gift of the world’s wind in a carefully tied sack. Only one favorable tailwind was free to blow his ship safely home. But in the course of the night, the other winds are released with catastrophic consequences for Odysseus’ fleet, resulting in multiple wrecks. In the article we take the myth about Odysseus and the winds as a picture of students’ educational navigation after the Danish Study progress reform (2013). We show how the reform was initially characterized by an unambiguous belief that it is possible to tether and align the various motives and reasons for studying (winds), all while in practice the students translate the reform’s demand for quick completion in a number of unforeseeable ways. With the concept of “risk translation” we show how the students’ navigations is not just a question of fast completion, but also of protecting a number of often enjoyable, study activities, constituting  a good study life. The analysis in this article is built upon a country-wide questionnaire among approximately 4500 university students (2015), along with a series of focus group interviews with students at the University of Copenhagen (2013-2016).


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Starr Roxanne Hiltz ◽  
Peter Shea ◽  
Eunhee Kim

What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching in online environments? And what are the specific kinds of experiences that underlie and explain the importance of these factors? One goal of this study was to add to the understanding of these issues, but the primary purpose of this study is determining how well these questions can be answered using the method of structured focus groups. This paper describes the methods and results of a pilot study conducted using four focus group interviews of faculty experienced in teaching using “Asynchronous Learning Networks” (ALN) at one university, and a single focus group at a second university in order to explore generalizability. For the university at which four group interviews were conducted, the rank orders of leading motivators and demotivators were quite consistent. Leading motivators include the flexibility allowed by being able to teach “anytime/anywhere;” better/more personal interaction and community building supported by the medium; the technical and creativity challenges offered by this mode of teaching; being able to reach more (and more diverse) students; and better course management. Major sources of dissatisfaction are more work, medium limitations, lack of adequate support and policies for teaching online, and the fact that the medium is not a good fit for some students. Very similar results were found through the replication focus group conducted at a different institution.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 71-106
Author(s):  
Rukiye Çorlu ◽  
Hakan Gülerce

The number of Syrian students in higher education in Turkey is increasing every year. In the 2019-2020 academic year, this number has reached 37,236. During this period, Harran University ranks first among 209 universities with 2,677 Syrian students, with the highest number of Syrian students studying in the university. One of the most fundamental facts inherent in migration is the human encounter experienced by the migrants and host communities. Both communities are affected by this encounter in various ways. In this study, social inclusion problems faced by Syrian asylum seeker higher education students throughout their education and daily life have been highlighted, and an evaluation has been made on the social experiences and problems faced by Syrian students studying at Harran University. For this purpose, two focus group meetings were held, each with six participants. The data obtained from focus group interviews were analyzed within the framework of various basic problems such as acceptance, social interaction, uncertainty, foreignness, stigmatization, and marginalization. The main problem of this study is that Syrian students have a high desire to participate in society and live together, but they continue to experience problems such as marginalization, exclusion, and deprivation of psycho-social support in different ways.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document