scholarly journals Observable and Unobservable Involvement Behaviours of a Climatology Course’s Undergraduate Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
T. M. Seixas ◽  
M. A. Salgueiro da silva
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
The University

This study investigated students’ observable and unobservable involvement behaviours and their possible relation with academic achievement in a Climatology course at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Portugal, in the Fall 2018/19. A structured online questionnaire titled “Observable and Unobservable Student Involvement Behaviours (OUSIB)” featuring a zero-centred 5-point Likert scale was used to collect the data. The OUSIB questionnaire comprised 20 multiple-choice questions, which were divided into two subscales: (1) Observable Involvement Behaviours; (2) Unobservable Involvement Behaviours; it was validated using Cronbach coefficient alpha. The collected data show that unobservable involvement behaviours are more frequent than the observable ones. This may reflect the difficulties that most students face in understanding the course contents, which likely triggers their introspective (unobservable) in detriment of their observable involvement behaviour. We notice that most of the Climatology syllabus consists of new subjects for which students generally have no prior knowledge or experience. It may constitute a great challenge for students being able to provide regular observable feedback during an entire problem-solving class. Moreover, there is a common tendency for high-grade students to prepare the classes in advance and involve less both observably and unobservably in classroom activities. We found no significant correlation between students’ final grades and their replies to the OUSIB questionnaire, which precludes any possible relationship between students’ academic achievement and their involvement behaviours in problem-solving classes.

TEXTILE CRAFT STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SUSTAINABLE CRAFTS

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-140
Author(s):  
Leena Vartiainen ◽  
Minna Kaipainen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Life Cycle Thinking ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Textile Design ◽  
Teacher Students ◽  
Purchasing Behaviour ◽  
The University ◽  
Eastern Finland

Future teachers have an important role in education for sustainable development. This article describes textile craft teacher students’ perceptions of sustainable textile craft. The data derives from a survey of craft teacher students of the University of Eastern Finland (N = 20). The questionnaire included open-ended and multiple choice questions about sustainability of textile craft education and the relevance of sustainability in the students’ lives. The study reveals textile craft teacher students’ conceptions as consumers, craft makers and future textile craft teachers. The open-ended questions were analyzed by content analysis and the multiple choice questions were analyzed with statistical methods. The results were reflected to Victor Papanek’s function complex. As consumers, students favour good quality products and recycling of textiles. They are concerned about workers’ work conditions and against child labour. Although values and perceptions related to sustainable consumerism are high, sometimes the actual purchasing behaviour differs from the values because of the students’ meagre budgets. As craft makers, availability of locally produced materials and materials made of natural fibres are important to students. As future textile craft teachers, students think that craft is an excellent way to teach sustainability and sustainable craft. They consider it is important to teach life-cycle thinking but also craft culture and skills. Key words: clothing and textile design, sustainable craft, textile craft teachers.

scholarly journals MEASURING STUDENTS’ PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS ON DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS WITH MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIONS

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 725-736
Author(s):  
Maria Dewati ◽  
A. Suparmi ◽  
Widha Sunarno ◽  
Sukarmin ◽  
C. Cari
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Physics Education ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Multiple Representations ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Multiple Representation ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Electrical Circuits ◽  
Physics Problems

Purpose of study: This study aims to measure the level of students' problem-solving skills, using assessment instruments in the form of multiple-choice tests based on the multiple representation approach on DC electrical circuits. Methodology: This research is a quantitative descriptive involving 46 students of physics education. Students are asked to solve the problem of DC electrical circuits on 12 multiple choice questions with open reasons, involving verbal, mathematical, and picture representations. Data were analyzed by determining means and standard deviations. Main findings: The results of the study showed that there were 3 levels of students' problem-solving skills, namely 7 (15%) students in the high category, 22 (48%) students in the medium category and 17 (37%) students in the low category. Applications of this study: The implication of this research is to continuously develop assessment instruments based on multiple representations in the form of various types of tests, to help students improve their conceptual understanding, so students can solve physics problems correctly. The novelty of this study: Researchers explain the right way to solve physics problems, 1) students are trained to focus on identifying problems, 2) students are accustomed to planning solutions using a clear approach, to build an understanding of concepts, 3) students are directed to solve problems accordingly with understanding the concepts they have built.

scholarly journals The cognitive requirement in the multiple-choice exams in the university context and its relationship with learning approaches, self-regulation, teaching methods and academic performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-187
Author(s):  
Pilar Gandía Herrero ◽  
Agustín Romero Medina
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Approaches To Learning ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Academic Context ◽  
Predominant Type ◽  
Training Activities ◽  
The University

The quality of academic performance and learning outcomes depend on various factors, both psychological and contextual. The academic context includes the training activities and the type of evaluation or examination, which also influences cognitive and motivational factors, such as learning and study approaches and self-regulation. In our university context, the predominant type of exam is that of multiple-choice questions. The cognitive requirement of these questions may vary. From Bloom's typical taxonomy, it is considered that from lower to higher cognitive demand we have questions about factual, conceptual, application knowledge, etc. Normally, the teacher does not take these classifications into account when preparing this type of exam. We propose here an adaptation model of the multiple choice questions classification according to cognitive requirement (associative memorization, comprehension, application), putting it to the test analyzing an examination of a subject in Psychology Degree and relating the results with measures of learning approaches (ASSIST and R-SPQ-2F questionnaires) and self-regulation in a sample of 87 subjects. The results show differential academic performance according to "cognitive" types of questions and differences in approaches to learning and self-regulation. The convenience of taking into account these factors of cognitive requirement when elaborating multiple choice questions is underlined.

scholarly journals STEM and Non-STEM Library Users Have Increased Their Use of E-Books

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Krueger
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Research University ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Digital Rights Management ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stem Disciplines

A Review of: Carroll, A. J., Corlett-Rivera, K., Hackman, T., & Zou, J. (2016). E-book perceptions and use in STEM and non-STEM disciplines: A comparative follow-up study. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 16(1), 131-162. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2016.0002 Abstract Objective – To compile a set of usability and collection development suggestions and to examine a possible statistical correlation between visiting the physical library, online resource use, and e-book use. Design – Online questionnaire survey. Setting – Major public research university in Maryland, United States of America. Subjects – 47,209 faculty, students, and staff. Methods – This survey is a follow-up to a similar 2012 study at the same institution. Survey respondents completed 14 multiple-choice and up to 8 open-ended questions about academic e-book discovery, perception, and usage patterns for both STEM and non-STEM respondents using the Qualtrics online research platform. Seven of eight open-ended questions were conditional (i.e., dependent on answers to multiple-choice questions), thus the number of questions answered by respondents could vary. The survey was available from October 1 to November 22, 2014, and promoted across a variety of communication channels (email, library website, social media, print flyers and handouts). Incentives for completing the survey included one iPad Mini and eight U.S. $25 Amazon gift cards. Main Results – 1,911 (820 STEM and 1,091 non-STEM) self-selected students, faculty, and staff from a total campus population of 47,209 faculty, students, and staff (4.2% response rate) participated in the survey, excluding 277 additional responses representing library personnel (70) and individuals not affiliated with the institution (207). 64% of respondents indicated more e-book use than three years before, with only 21.9% of respondents noting they never use e-books for academic purposes compared to 31% in 2012. 32.5% of respondents noted daily or weekly use of e-books for scholarly pursuits, with undergraduates reporting the most frequent use: 38.6% daily/weekly use versus 37.2% for graduate students, 16.2% for faculty, and 14.2% for staff. 38% of respondents reporting daily/weekly use were from STEM disciplines; 31.3% were from non-STEM fields. Computers, not e-readers, were the primary devices used for accessing e-books: 72.5% of respondents reported using laptops or desktops to this end versus tablets, 37.9%; mobile phones, 36.7%; Kindles, 25.6%; Nooks, 5.9%; and other e-readers, 3.3%. Top “mixed device access” responses were tablet/mobile phone/computer (98 responses); mobile phone/computer (93 responses); and tablet/computer (81 responses). The top three discovery tools respondents reported using for finding e-books were commercial sites (35.9%), free websites (26.8%), and the library website (26.2%). A weak-positive Spearman’s rho rank correlation of 0.25 provides some evidence that respondents who visit the library often are likely to use online resources and e-books. 35% of respondents reported they use e-books online “most of the time,” and 67% of respondents indicated they print out e-book content for use. Responses to the question “What, if anything, would make you more likely to use e-books for academic purposes?” included easier access via the library website (48% of respondents), better functionality for highlighting/annotating (44%), reduced cost (43.2%), easier downloading (38.5%), more e-books in area of research interest (37.3%), more textbooks (37.2%), and ownership of a dedicated e-reader (35.6%). In 2012, 52% of respondents reported never having downloaded an e-book for offline use. This percentage dropped notably in this study, with only 11.5% of respondents indicating they had never downloaded for later use. Conclusion – While this study indicates both STEM and non-STEM respondents at this institution are increasingly using e-books, preferences for electronic versus print format varied according to content type and type of user (e.g., STEM or non-STEM, undergraduate or graduate, student/faculty/staff). Key recommendations for usability and collection development include: improving discovery and awareness mechanisms, purchasing some content (e.g., references works, style guides) in e-format while ensuring multiple simultaneous use, taking advantage of print plus electronic options to serve users with different format preferences, and encouraging vendors to allow digital rights management free downloading and printing.

An exploration of the relationship between undergraduate students’ library book borrowing and academic achievement

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yakup Çetin ◽  
Vivian Howard
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Circulation Patterns ◽  
Undergraduate University Students ◽  
Library Book ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

This exploratory study examines book circulation patterns among undergraduate university students at an English-language University in Istanbul, Turkey, in order to investigate the relationship between students’ academic achievement and discipline of study, gender and book borrowing habits. Overall, this study supports the important role of the academic library’s print book collection in supporting and contributing to student success and demonstrates a significant positive correlation between undergraduate students’ level of academic achievement and the number of books they borrowed from the university library. This positive correlation was found for students in all faculties and fields of study, but was strongest for students studying qualitative disciplines and was particularly strong for students enrolled in English as a foreign language programmes.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Socio-Demographic, Academic, Health and Lifestyle Predictors of Illicit Drug/s Use among University Undergraduate Students in Finland

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (14) ◽  
pp. 5094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walid El Ansari ◽  
Abdul Salam ◽  
Sakari Suominen
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Alcohol Dependency ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Students At Risk ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
The University

Illicit drug/s use (IDU) among university students is a public health concern. We assessed the associations between socio-demographic, academic, and health and lifestyle characteristics (independent variables) and regular, occasional or never IDU (dependent variables). Data were collected across seven faculties (1177 students) at the University of Turku (Finland) via an online questionnaire. About 1.5% of the sample had regular IDU, 19% occasional IDU, and 79% never IDU. Independent predictors of ever (lifetime) IDU included males [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.82, P = 0.001], not living with parents (AOR 2.59, P < 0.001), singles (AOR 0.51, P < 0.001), lower religiosity (AOR 1.49, P = 0.022), better self-rated general health (AOR 0.41, P = 0.003), higher health awareness (AOR 1.93, P = 0.014), more depressive symptoms (AOR 1.82, P = 0.004), daily smokers (AOR 3.69, P < 0.001), heavy episodic drinking (AOR 2.38, P < 0.001) and possible alcohol dependency (AOR 2.55, P < 0.001). We observed no independent associations between ever IDU with age, study discipline, perceived stress or academic performance. The 20.5% ever IDU is concerning. The compelling independent predictors of ever IDU included not living with parents, lower religiosity, daily smokers, heavy episodic drinking and possible alcohol dependency (AOR range 2.38–3.69). Education and prevention need to emphasize the negative consequences to reinforce abstinence from IDU. Health promotion could focus on beliefs and expectations about IDU and target students at risk for successful efforts.

scholarly journals Open problem-based instruction impacts understanding of physiological concepts differently in undergraduate students

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon M. Franklin ◽  
Lin Xiang ◽  
Jason A. Collett ◽  
Megan K. Rhoads ◽  
Jeffrey L. Osborn
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Open Problem ◽  
Instructional Methods ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Short Answer ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Multiple Choice Exam

Student populations are diverse such that different types of learners struggle with traditional didactic instruction. Problem-based learning has existed for several decades, but there is still controversy regarding the optimal mode of instruction to ensure success at all levels of students' past achievement. The present study addressed this problem by dividing students into the following three instructional groups for an upper-level course in animal physiology: traditional lecture-style instruction (LI), guided problem-based instruction (GPBI), and open problem-based instruction (OPBI). Student performance was measured by three summative assessments consisting of 50% multiple-choice questions and 50% short-answer questions as well as a final overall course assessment. The present study also examined how students of different academic achievement histories performed under each instructional method. When student achievement levels were not considered, the effects of instructional methods on student outcomes were modest; OPBI students performed moderately better on short-answer exam questions than both LI and GPBI groups. High-achieving students showed no difference in performance for any of the instructional methods on any metric examined. In students with low-achieving academic histories, OPBI students largely outperformed LI students on all metrics (short-answer exam: P < 0.05, d = 1.865; multiple-choice question exam: P < 0.05, d = 1.166; and final score: P < 0.05, d = 1.265). They also outperformed GPBI students on short-answer exam questions ( P < 0.05, d = 1.109) but not multiple-choice exam questions ( P = 0.071, d = 0.716) or final course outcome ( P = 0.328, d = 0.513). These findings strongly suggest that typically low-achieving students perform at a higher level under OPBI as long as the proper support systems (formative assessment and scaffolding) are provided to encourage student success.

scholarly journals Use of Student-generated Multiple Choice Questions to Enhance Team-based Learning of Anatomy at the University of Rwanda

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
ISAIE SIBOMANA ◽  
Irenee David Karenzi ◽  
Irenee Niyongombwa ◽  
Jean Claude Byiringiro ◽  
Julien Gashegu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Human Anatomy ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Team Based Learning ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The University ◽  
Anatomy Teaching

Abstract Introduction: Teaching of human anatomy has undergone significant changes in last 3 decades. At the University of Rwanda, anatomy is being taught using team-based learning (TBL). While student generated multiple choice questions (MCQs) stimulate deeper thinking of a given topic, their impact on anatomy learning is not known. This study aimed to improve anatomy teaching and student satisfaction by combining both models. Methods: It was a comparative interventional study where two similar chapters of anatomy were selected and one taught using team based learning while the other one, in addition to TBL, student were encouraged to set MCQs while studying. Pre- and post-test scores were analysed using SPSS 23 and student t-test was used to compare the mean score obtained. Results: 31 medical students were recruited. Pre-test mean scores in both chapters were 25.10 and 25.19 over 50 for chapter 1 and chapter 2 respectively. Although the students’ post-test scores improved after teaching for each chapter, it was much more for chapter 2 than chapter one with mean score of 39.97 and 32.45 over 50 respectively (P<0.05). Despite such improvement, setting MCQs was not easy in almost a half of students. Conclusion: This study has found that student generated MCQs can be used as a simple and cost effective tool to enhance TBL learning of anatomy. Keywords: Anatomy, teaching, MCQs, TBL, University of Rwanda

scholarly journals Perceptions and Unmet Expectations of Undergraduate Students on the Role of Counselling in Academic Achievement: Implication for Academic Development Program Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Okoh Iyeke ◽  
Lucky Chukwunalu Onyema ◽  
Ezekiel Uba Nwose
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Academic Development ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Unmet Expectation ◽  
Counselling Needs ◽  
The University ◽  
Descriptive Survey

This study aimed at evaluating the perceptions of students about the role of counselling and unmet expectation ofundergraduate students. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The participants (N=150) recruited from firstand second year students of Institute of Education in the University. Over 81% of students are aware of counsellingservices and affirm the relevance to academic achievement. However, 69% cannot affirm provision of roadshows toenhance awareness. The proportion of students disagreeing on provision of roadshows to enhance awareness mayimply non-utilization of available academic development program and unmet counselling needs that calls for areview.

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