scholarly journals I Scratch and Sense But Can I Program?

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. K. Simpkins
Keyword(s):  
Programming Language ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Visual Environment ◽  
Central Aspect ◽  
Programming Skills

This article reports an investigation into undergraduate student experiences and views of a visual or ‘blocks' based programming language and its environment. An additional and central aspect of this enquiry is to substantiate the perceived degree of transferability of programming skills learnt within the visual environment to a typical mainstream textual language. Undergraduate students were given programming activities and examples covering four basic programming concepts based on the Sense programming language which is intended to simplify programming. Sense programming statements are represented by blocks which only fit together in ways that produce a meaningful syntactic outcome, which may lower the cognitive barrier to learning. Students were also presented with concepts represented using an equivalent textual construct and asked to consider their understanding of these based on the graphical cases. They were finally asked to complete a short online survey. This paper presents the programming activities, the survey and an analysis of the results.

An Analysis on the State of Wellness of Engineering Undergraduate Students

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quentin Golsteyn ◽  
Diana Nino
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The State ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
The University

This paper describes a study performed to gather an overall understanding of the state of wellness inthe engineering undergraduate student population at the University of British Columbia. The study consisted of conducting an anonymous online survey asking students to respond on areas related to their physical and mental health, levels of stress, and belonging and inclusivity in their community. The results indicate discrepancies in perceived mental health, stress levels and sense of belonging between genders and year levels.

scholarly journals Exploring Faculty Insights Into Why Undergraduate College Students Leave STEM Fields of Study- A Three-Part Organizational Self-Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Araceli Martinez Ortiz ◽  
Vederaman Sriraman
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Fields Of Study ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Stem Fields Of Study

An institutional self-study at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) explored factors thought to impact students’ decisions to persist in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields of study. This self-study is presented as a model first step for Institutions of Higher Education interested in launching efforts to improve STEM education and STEM student success and persistence. A methodology combining qualitative and quantitative analysis approaches was used to examine different aspects of the overarching research question, “Why do undergraduate students leave college STEM fields of study?” A quantitative review of institutional data was used to identify four particular gaps in student persistence and success in STEM fields of study at Texas State University. An online survey and a focus group guide were developed based on existing but more broadly focused instruments and used to collect faculty insights regarding faculty and student experiences and possible reasons for student attrition in STEM. A review of retention theories was undertaken to better inform the process of generating remedies to the STEM persistence issue. Data were collected and analyzed separately for each component to produce two sets of findings. Findings indicated that there were retention issues in regard to STEM majors in general and underrepresented student groups in particular. Underrepresented students do not pursue STEM degrees percentage wise in comparison to other degrees. The self-study and retention theories suggest the following remedial measures: supporting faculty to transform their teaching, providing supplemental instruction in math and science and including discipline specific introductory courses and early internship experiences. 

scholarly journals The experience of teaching introductory programming skills to bioscientists in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. e1009534
Author(s):  
Luíza Zuvanov ◽  
Ana Letycia Basso Garcia ◽  
Fernando Henrique Correr ◽  
Rodolfo Bizarria ◽  
Ailton Pereira da Costa Filho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Programming Language ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Workshop Model ◽  
Computer Scientists ◽  
Programming Skills ◽  
Online Format

Computational biology has gained traction as an independent scientific discipline over the last years in South America. However, there is still a growing need for bioscientists, from different backgrounds, with different levels, to acquire programming skills, which could reduce the time from data to insights and bridge communication between life scientists and computer scientists. Python is a programming language extensively used in bioinformatics and data science, which is particularly suitable for beginners. Here, we describe the conception, organization, and implementation of the Brazilian Python Workshop for Biological Data. This workshop has been organized by graduate and undergraduate students and supported, mostly in administrative matters, by experienced faculty members since 2017. The workshop was conceived for teaching bioscientists, mainly students in Brazil, on how to program in a biological context. The goal of this article was to share our experience with the 2020 edition of the workshop in its virtual format due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to compare and contrast this year’s experience with the previous in-person editions. We described a hands-on and live coding workshop model for teaching introductory Python programming. We also highlighted the adaptations made from in-person to online format in 2020, the participants’ assessment of learning progression, and general workshop management. Lastly, we provided a summary and reflections from our personal experiences from the workshops of the last 4 years. Our takeaways included the benefits of the learning from learners’ feedback (LLF) that allowed us to improve the workshop in real time, in the short, and likely in the long term. We concluded that the Brazilian Python Workshop for Biological Data is a highly effective workshop model for teaching a programming language that allows bioscientists to go beyond an initial exploration of programming skills for data analysis in the medium to long term.

Does Dispositional Mindfulness Predict the Development of Grit?

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buaphrao Raphiphatthana ◽  
Paul Jose ◽  
Karen Salmon
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Dispositional Mindfulness ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
Acting With Awareness ◽  
Mindfulness Facets

Abstract. Grit, that is, perseverance and passion for long-term goals, is a novel construct that has gained attention in recent years ( Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007 ). To date, little research has been performed with the goal of identifying the antecedents of grit. Thus, in order to fill this gap in the literature, self-report data were collected to examine whether mindfulness, a mindset of being-in-the-present in a nonjudgmental way, plays a role in fostering grittiness. Three hundred and forty-three undergraduate students completed an online survey once in a cross-sectional study, and of these, 74 students completed the survey again 4.5 months later. Although the cross-sectional analyses identified a number of positive associations between mindfulness and grit, the longitudinal analysis revealed that the mindfulness facets of acting with awareness and non-judging were the most important positive predictors of grit 4.5 months later. This set of findings offers implications for future grit interventions.

scholarly journals Remote learning and students’ mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: A mixed-method enquiry

Prospects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Lischer ◽  
Netkey Safi ◽  
Cheryl Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
Learning Conditions ◽  
Support Students

AbstractThe disruption caused by Covid-19 in the educational sector may last longer than originally predicted. To better understand the current situation, this article analyses the mental health status of university students during the pandemic and investigates the learning conditions needed to support students. The sample included 557 undergraduate students who took part in an online survey. Overall, the students reported coping well during lockdown but indicated that lecturers were challenged by distance teaching, which created some stress for the students.

Student Experiences with Digital Citizenship: A Comparative Cultural Study

Libri ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Kammer ◽  
Kodjo Atiso ◽  
Edward Mensah Borteye
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cultural Study ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Ethical Aspects

Abstract This comparative cultural study examines differences in digital citizenship between undergraduate information literacy students at two different, but similar, universities across the globe from each other. Under the notion that the internet and prevalence of mobile devices allow students to participate online as digital citizens in ways that were impossible before, we use mixed methods to compare the attitudes and experiences of undergraduate students at a university in the midwestern United States (U.S.), with a university on the southwestern coast of Ghana. We also examine the policies related to technology use at these schools. The findings indicate that Ghanaian students had higher levels of digital citizenship. Other findings suggest that network issues are a problem for students in both schools, especially for Ghana, and ethical aspects of internet use, like cyberbullying, hacking, and fake news, deter students from participating online as much as they would like.

JUUL E-Cigarette Quit Attempts and Cessation Perceptions in College Student JUUL E-Cigarette Users

2020 ◽  
pp. 089011712098240
Author(s):  
Kim Pulvers ◽  
John B. Correa ◽  
Paul Krebs ◽  
Omar El Shahawy ◽  
Crystal Marez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Student ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Quit Attempt ◽  
Lower Confidence ◽  
Perceived Difficulty ◽  
Quit Attempts ◽  
History Of

Purpose: This study describes the frequency of JUUL e-cigarette (referred to as JUUL) quit attempts and identifies characteristics associated with confidence in quitting and perceived difficulty quitting JUUL. Design: Cross-sectional study from a self-administered online survey. Setting: Two public southern California universities. Participants: A total of 1,001 undergraduate students completed the survey from February to May 2019. Measures: Self-report measures about JUUL included use, history of quit attempts, time to first use, perceived difficulty with cessation/reduction, and confidence in quitting. Analysis: Binary logistic regressions were used to identify demographic and tobacco-related behavioral correlates of JUUL cessation-related perceptions and behaviors. Results: Nearly half of ever-JUUL users (47.8%) reported a JUUL quit attempt. Adjusting for demographic factors and other tobacco product use, shorter time to first JUUL use after waking was associated with lower confidence in quitting JUUL (aOR = 0.02, 0.00-0.13) and greater perceived difficulty in quitting JUUL (aOR = 8.08, 2.15-30.35). Previous JUUL quit attempt history was also associated with greater odds of perceived difficulty quitting JUUL (aOR = 5.97, 1.74-20.53). Conclusions: History of JUUL quit attempts among college students was common. Those who had previously tried quitting were more likely to perceive difficulty with cessation. Time to first JUUL use, a marker of dependence, was linked with greater perceived cessation difficulty and lower confidence in quitting. These findings suggest that there is a need for cessation and relapse prevention support for college student JUUL users.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON MENTAL HEALTH AND CONCERNS REGARDING CURRICULUM IN FINAL YEAR MBBS STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 11-13
Author(s):  
Mruthyunjaya N ◽  
Vaibhavi PS ◽  
Vinod Kulkarni G
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
P Value ◽  
Medical Undergraduate ◽  
Spss Software ◽  
Study Participants

Background: The current SARS CoV-2 pandemic has affected the mental health of various sectors of the country while it has also jeopardised the education system. In this background the present study was done to explore the mental health of the nal year medical undergraduate students and their concerns regarding the curriculum. Materials and Methods:An online survey was conducted among the nal year MBBS students in India and psychiatric morbidity was measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. A total of 83 complete responses out of 130 were received and the data was assessed using SPSS software. Results: Out of the 83 study participants, about 34.9% were depressed, about 39.5% and 32.9% were having anxiety and stress, respectively. Sleep disturbances were signicantly associated with depressive symptoms (p value - 0.0001) and those with stress (p value - 0.01) while change in appetite was also signicantly associated with stress (p value - 0.01). Conclusion: The current pandemic has led to growing concerns in the educational sector especially medical education where MBBS students are facing psychological distress along with newer challenges in their academics like distant education as against traditional bedside teaching for acquiring clinical skills.

Demonstration of the relationship between MSD and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kochu Therisa Karingada ◽  
Michael Sony
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Right ◽  
Almost All

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has caught many educational institutions by surprise and warranted an abrupt migration from offline to online learning. This has resulted in an education change, without any time for due consideration, as regards its impact on musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) on students. The purpose of this study is to investigate MSD related to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate students in India. In total, 261 students participated in this online survey.FindingsThe study finds that around 80% of students have reported some symptom in the head, neck and eyes since they started online learning. In total, 58% have reported MSD symptom in the right shoulder and 56% in the right hand fingers. Besides, more than 40 % of students experienced some MSD symptoms, in almost all the body parts studied, due to online learning. Correlation analysis is conducted between time spent on online learning per day and MSD symptoms.Originality/valueThis is the first study conducted on MSD and online learning during COVID-19 pandemic.

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