scholarly journals Reading competency of first-year undergraduate students at University of Botswana: A case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beauty B. Ntereke ◽  
Boitumelo T. Ramoroka
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Reading Levels ◽  
First Semester ◽  
University Of Botswana ◽  
Students First ◽  
Literacy Course ◽  
The University

The ability to read and interpret textbooks and other assigned material is a critical component of success at university level. Therefore, the aims of this study are twofold: to evaluate the reading levels of first-year students when they first enter the university to determine how adequately prepared they are for university reading. It is also to find out if there will be any significant improvement after going through the academic literacy course offered to first-year students. The participants were 51 first-year undergraduate humanities students enrolled in the Communication and Academic Literacy course at the University of Botswana. The data were collected through a reading test adopted from Zulu which was administered at the beginning of the first semester. The same test was administered at the end of the semester after the students had gone through the academic literacy course to see if there was any difference in performance. The findings of this study indicate that there is a mixed and wide variation of students reading competency levels when students first enter the university and that a significant number of first-year entrants are inadequately prepared for university reading.

scholarly journals Sense of belonging and first-year academic literacy

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-142
Author(s):  
Steve Marshall ◽  
Mingming Zhou ◽  
Ted Gervan ◽  
Sunita Wiebe
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
First Year ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Literacy Course ◽  
The University

In this article, we analyze a broad range of factors that affect the sense of belonging of undergraduate students taking a first-year academic literacy course (ALC) at a multicultural, multilingual university in Vancouver, Canada. Students who fail to meet the university’s language and literacy requirements are required to pass ALC before they can enrol in writing courses across the disciplines. Consequently, many of those students feel that they have yet to be accepted as fully legitimate members of the university community. We present data from a two-year, mixed-method study, which involved asking students in surveys and interviews about their sense of belonging, as well as analyzing their reflective writing samples for issues related to their sense of belonging. We found that the participants’ perceptions of sense of belonging are multilayered and context-dependent, relating to changes in time and space, classroom pedagogy, and other social, cultural, and linguistic factors. Implications for higher education are discussed.  

scholarly journals Bridging the Gap: Understanding the Differing Research Expectations of First-Year Students and Professor

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meg Raven
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Research Students ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Instruction Strategies ◽  
Research Instruction ◽  
The University

Objective: This study sought to better understand the research expectations of first-year students upon beginning university study, and how these expectations differed from those of their professors. Most academic librarians observe that the research expectations of these two groups differ considerably and being able to articulate where these differences are greatest may help us provided more focused instruction, and allow us to work more effectively with professors and student support services. Methods: 317 first-year undergraduate students and 75 professors at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS were surveyed to determine what they each expected of first-year student research. Students were surveyed on the first day of term so as to best understand their research expectations as they transitioned from high school to university. Results: The gulf between student and professor research expectations was found to be considerable, especially in areas such as time required for reading and research, and the resources necessary to do research. While students rated their preparedness for university as high, they also had high expectations related to their ability to use non-academic sources. Not unexpectedly, the majority of professors believed that students are not prepared to do university-level research, they do not take enough responsibility for their own learning, they should use more academic research sources, and read twice as much as students believe they should. Conclusions: By better understanding differing research expectations, students can be guided very early in their studies about appropriate academic research practices, and librarians and professors can provide students with improved research instruction. Strategies for working with students, professors and the university community are discussed.

scholarly journals Determinants of Cumulative GPA of First Year Widyatama University Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.34) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Farida Nursjanti ◽  
Indra Taruna ◽  
Shinta .
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽  
First Year ◽  
Exam Score ◽  
Prospective Students ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Entrance Exam ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Students First ◽  
The University

As a private college-oriented quality, Widyatama University has some quality commitments including receiving potential prospective students and giving priority to customer satisfaction. However, the university only uses entrance exam score, does not use previous academic performance such as national exam score to select potential prospective students. The aims of this research were to examine and to evaluate the factors which affect students’ First Year Cumulative GPA (FYCGPA) in Widyatama University. This research also investigated the determinants of students’ FYCGPA by the factors to explain variances in FYCGPA. This research used gender, major in high school, national exam score and entrance exam score as independent variables. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was carried out in this study. The result indicated that gender, entrance exam score, and major in high school have significant effect to FYCGPA. The model used in this study showed that 24.6% of the variances in FYCGPA can be explained by gender, entrance exam score, and major in high school. This results show that Widyatama University should consider more factors in selecting potential prospective students and providing services to first year students.  

scholarly journals Assessment in First Year University: A Model to Manage Transition

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
J. A. Taylor ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Education Students ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Engineering Computing

For most students assessment guides their study and learning practice. Yet in the literature associated with the first year of study at university, few have mobilised the power of assessment to develop and engage first year undergraduate students. This paper presents a model of assessment for first year students which separates the semester into three overlapping assessment phases: assessment for transition, assessment for development and assessment for achievement. The implementation and usefulness of the model is supported by examples from mathematics, engineering, computing, communication and nursing studies at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). Particular attention is paid to assessments for transition which occur early in the semester and are linked more closely with processes than specific content. Evidence is collated on the success of assessments in improving the participation of students, especially distance education students.

scholarly journals Treasure Hunt in the Library: An Exercise in Academic Literacy

10.28945/3092 ◽  
2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy Langley
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
World View ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Literacy Course ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents an Academic Literacy course designed for first year students in our department. The course is based on a set of relevant reading materials and covers knowledge levels and classification systems, logical and physical library organization principles, physical and virtual search for publications, bibliographic citations and referencing methods and purposes. The paper describes two, out-of-class, activities related to the academic and public libraries in the information age. The first activity, the “Book Hunt”, organizes the students’ conceptions of the variety of functions being served and the impact of information technology on retrieving academic publications. Students’ response to a reflective assignment dealing with concepts and impressions is described. The second activity “Visiting a public library”, involves interviewing the librarian and writing a report on the structure and functions of the library. The paper discusses features of students’ reports and indicates the contribution of the activities to the students’ academic world view.

scholarly journals Decolonising an Academic Literacy curriculum at the University of the Free State with creative writing: challenges and opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-103
Author(s):  
Peet van Aardt
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
First Year ◽  
Literacy Curriculum ◽  
African Students ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Literacy Course ◽  
Graded Readers ◽  
The University ◽  
Local Narratives

As part of the first year Academic Literacy course at the UFS, students are required to study graded readers. The booklets are abridged versions of Western fiction, therefore these narratives reinforce the colonial presence in our curriculum. But South African students need to read local narratives in order to learn about each other – from each other. By taking part in the Initiative for Creative African Narratives (iCAN) students improve our curriculum by writing their own short stories so that they become contributors of material that will be graded and tested to form part of the UFS Academic Literacy curriculum. Thereby, students contribute to larger bodies of knowledge through their lived experiences. This paper reflects on the challenges and opportunities within the iCAN process.

Trauma and Coping among University Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
Asanka Bulathwatta
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
University Education ◽  
Academic Life ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Students First ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The University

University education is an important stage of students’ academic life. Therefore, all students need to develop their competencies to attain the goal of passing examinations and also to developing their wisdom related to scientific knowledge they gathered through their academic life. Life in universities is a critical period for individuals as it is a foot step to acquiring the emotional and social qualities in their social life. There are many adolescents who have been affected by traumatic events during their life span but have not been identified or treated. More specifically, there are numerous burning issues within first year university students, namely, ragging done by seniors to juniors, bullying, invalidation and issues related to attitudes changes and orientation. Those factors can be traumatic for both their academic and day to day life style. Identifying the students who are with emotional damages and their resiliency afterwards the traumas and effective rehabilitation from the traumatic events is immensely needed in order to facilitate university students for their academic achievements and social life within the University education. This study tries to figure out the role of Emotional Intelligence for developing coping strategies among adolescents who face traumatic events. Late adolescence students recently enrolled at University (Bachelor students/ first year students) will be selected as sample. The study is to be conducted in a cross cultural manner comparing 100 students each from Germany and Sri Lanka.

Loneliness and the Development of Social Relationships in Malaysian University Students

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Intan H. M. Hashim ◽  
Siamak Khodarahimi
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
University Students ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University

In this study we investigated loneliness and how social relationships develop in university students. Participants were 67 first-year students beginning their first semester in a university in northern Malaysia. We collected information regarding respondents' background, their descriptions of the social network at the university, and their level of loneliness. The study was conducted in 2 parts over a 10-week period; at 4 weeks after their registration and then at 14 weeks after their registration. Findings suggest development of friendship was still in progress and loneliness had increased at Time 2.

scholarly journals The role of guidance in student engagement with chemistry studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piia Valto ◽  
Piia Nuora
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Orientation Course ◽  
Students First ◽  
Extensive Effort ◽  
The University

During recent years, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Jyväskylä has made an extensive effort to support chemistry students’ first study year. The first-year curriculum includes enhanced study counselling course, intensive orientation course and support for academic study skills via a specific course.  In this study, the effects of the revisions were studied by exploring the chemistry students study continuation and what factors contributed to it.  In 2015 to 2017, data were collected from first-year chemistry students (n = 106), who completed a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of their first semester. The results show that the percentage of dropout rates after the first year decreased. Students’ current challenges are different than they have been previously, thus putting new demands on their guidance. The results of the study indicate that students value guidance and study counselling especially at the beginning of their studies.

scholarly journals Relationship between Learning Motivation and Reflection in Undergraduate Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 97-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.S. Tikhomirova ◽  
N.V. Kochetkov
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Motivation ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Motivation For Learning ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

This article aims to study the relationship between personal reflection and the intensity of motivation for learning in a university.In order to achieve this goal, the following techniques were employed: A.V.Karpov and V.V.Ponomaryova’s technique for identifying the individual level of reflectivity, and T.I.Ilyina’s technique for assessing learning motivation in university students.The empirical study involved 143 subjects.The obtained data indicate that for the first-year students the meaning of the ‘mastering the profession’ motive is directly connected with their reflections on the present and future activities, while the meaning of the ‘getting a diploma’ motive is inversely correlated with the reflection of communication.In the second year, the intensity of the ‘gaining knowledge’ motive correlates with the reflection of communication, and the meaning of the ‘mastering the profession’ motive has an inverse relationship with the reflection of future activity.In the third year, the values of the motive for acquiring knowledge correlate with the integral indicator of reflection, whereas in the fourth year none of the reflection components are interconnected with the components of the motivation for learning in the university.

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