Academic literacy diagnostic assessment in the first semester of first year at university

First year is a delicate time for students. Many have little idea what to expect of university, and their sense of identity as tertiary students is fragile. A diagnostic assessment early in first semester may reassure students that they have chosen the right path. However, some academics, particularly in engineering, argue that this early assessment should be very demanding – so tough, in fact, that some students fail - in order to alert students to the hard work required to pass the course. This study uses a mixed methods design (weekly surveys and in-depth interviews) to explore the effects of a purposefully tough early assessment on first year engineering students at an Australian university. We find that, across the cohort, the high failure rate was not associated with a significant slump or spike in motivation. Although some students were initially dismayed by their results, most went on to address their study with resilience, and appreciated the “kick up the bum”, as they described it.

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First year students’ perceptions of academic literacies preparedness and embedded diagnostic assessment

Student Success ◽

10.5204/ssj.v9i2.417 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 49-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lorinda Palmer ◽

Tracy Levett-Jones ◽

Rosalind Smith

Keyword(s):

Nursing Students ◽

Academic Literacy ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Diagnostic Assessment ◽

First Year ◽

Academic Literacies ◽

First Year Students ◽

Second Stage ◽

Study Experience ◽

Potential Benefits

This paper reports findings from the second stage of a mixed-methods study of embedded academic literacies and diagnostic assessment—specifically first-year nursing students’ perceptions of the MASUS procedure. We found overwhelming support from participants (85%) in favour of embedded diagnostic assessment. The main reasons for this were receiving constructive, individualised feedback and insights into expectations and requirements. This was important as over a quarter of participants said they had “no idea” about the academic literacy requirements of university when they commenced their program and 60% had not formally studied for at least seven years. Those without recent study experience or with prior poor academic performance expressed high levels of anxiety about academic literacy requirements and lacked confidence in their writing abilities. These findings indicate how stressful the process of mastering academic literacies is for many first-year students’ and highlight the potential benefits of embedding for retention and engagement.

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

Reading & Writing ◽

10.4102/rw.v8i1.123 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 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.

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A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Academic and Social Integration and Commitment on Retention

NASPA Journal ◽

10.2202/0027-6014.1094 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Cheryl Beil ◽

Carol A. Reisen ◽

Maria Cecilia Zea ◽

Robert C. Caplan

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Social Integration ◽

Academic Integration ◽

Research University ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

First Semester ◽

Academic And Social Integration ◽

Private Research

This longitudinal study predicted retention from academic integration, social integration, and commitment to remain in college in a sample of first-year students at a residential, private research university. When assessed separately, first-semester reports of commitment mediated the effects of both academic and social integration on retention six semesters later.

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Deep learning for intelligent diagnosis in thyroid scintigraphy

Journal of International Medical Research ◽

10.1177/0300060520982842 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 030006052098284

Author(s):

Tingting Qiao ◽

Simin Liu ◽

Zhijun Cui ◽

Xiaqing Yu ◽

Haidong Cai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Deep Learning ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

Kappa Coefficient ◽

Diagnostic Assessment ◽

First Year ◽

Thyroid Scintigraphy ◽

Diagnostic Ability ◽

The Third ◽

Classification Time ◽

Better Than

Objective To construct deep learning (DL) models to improve the accuracy and efficiency of thyroid disease diagnosis by thyroid scintigraphy. Methods We constructed DL models with AlexNet, VGGNet, and ResNet. The models were trained separately with transfer learning. We measured each model’s performance with six indicators: recall, precision, negative predictive value (NPV), specificity, accuracy, and F1-score. We also compared the diagnostic performances of first- and third-year nuclear medicine (NM) residents with assistance from the best-performing DL-based model. The Kappa coefficient and average classification time of each model were compared with those of two NM residents. Results The recall, precision, NPV, specificity, accuracy, and F1-score of the three models ranged from 73.33% to 97.00%. The Kappa coefficient of all three models was >0.710. All models performed better than the first-year NM resident but not as well as the third-year NM resident in terms of diagnostic ability. However, the ResNet model provided “diagnostic assistance” to the NM residents. The models provided results at speeds 400 to 600 times faster than the NM residents. Conclusion DL-based models perform well in diagnostic assessment by thyroid scintigraphy. These models may serve as tools for NM residents in the diagnosis of Graves’ disease and subacute thyroiditis.

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First-Year Engineering Students’ Conceptualization of Entrepreneurial Mindset

Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy ◽

10.1177/25151274211029207 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 251512742110292

Author(s):

Darby R. Riley ◽

Hayley M. Shuster ◽

Courtney A. LeMasney ◽

Carla E. Silvestri ◽

Kaitlin E. Mallouk

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

College Student ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Educational Experiences ◽

Multidisciplinary Design ◽

First Year ◽

First Semester ◽

First Year College ◽

Starting Point ◽

Reflection Prompts

This study was conducted to examine how first-year engineering students conceptualize the Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM) and how that conceptualization changes over the course of their first semester of college, using the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN)’s 3Cs as a starting point. Students enrolled in an introductory, multidisciplinary design course responded to biweekly reflection prompts on their educational experiences (either in high school or as a first-year college student) and related this experience to one of the 3Cs of EM: Curiosity, Connections, or Creating Value. Results indicate that students’ conceptualization of the 3Cs often align with definitions of EM from KEEN, as well as foundational works in the entrepreneurship field, and that their interpretation of each of the 3Cs does change during their first semester in college. For instance, students were less likely to write about curiosity and more likely to write about creating value at the end of the semester compared to the beginning.

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First-year students’ math anxiety predicts STEM avoidance and underperformance throughout university, independently of math ability

npj Science of Learning ◽

10.1038/s41539-021-00095-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Richard J. Daker ◽

Sylvia U. Gattas ◽

H. Moriah Sokolowski ◽

Adam E. Green ◽

Ian M. Lyons

Keyword(s):

Math Anxiety ◽

First Year ◽

Math Skills ◽

First Year Students ◽

First Semester ◽

Math Ability ◽

Current Thinking ◽

Attitudes Toward Math ◽

Show Evidence ◽

Stem Outcomes

AbstractMath anxiety is widely considered a potential barrier to success in STEM. Current thinking holds that math anxiety is directly linked to avoidance of and underperformance in STEM domains. However, past evidence supporting these claims is limited in important ways. Perhaps most crucially, it is possible that math anxiety predicts STEM outcomes merely as a proxy for poor math skills. Here, we tested the link between math anxiety and subsequent STEM outcomes by measuring math anxiety, math ability, and several covariates in 183 first-semester university students. We then tracked students’ STEM avoidance and achievement through four years at university via official academic transcripts. Results showed that math anxiety predicted both a reduction in how many STEM courses students took and, separately (i.e., controlling for one another), lower STEM grades. Crucially, these associations held after controlling for math ability (and other covariates). That math anxiety predicts math-related academic achievement independently of Math Ability suggests that, contrary to current thinking, math anxiety’s effects on academic performance likely operate via mechanisms other than negatively affecting math ability. Beyond this, we show evidence that math anxiety can account for associations between math ability and STEM outcomes, suggesting that past links between math ability and real-world outcomes may, in fact, be at least partially explainable by attitudes toward math. These findings provide clear impetus for developing and testing interventions that target math anxiety specifically and suggest that focusing on math ability without additional attention to math anxiety may fail to optimally boost STEM outcomes.

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The Students’ Speaking Skill Analaysis on Local Wisdom- Based Topics (A Study at the First Year Grade of Mathematics Department of Unswagati)

Academic Journal Perspective Education Language and Literature ◽

10.33603/perspective.v5i2.822 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 143

Author(s):

Devi Siti Afiah

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Method ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

First Semester ◽

Wh Questions ◽

Speaking Skill ◽

Math Students ◽

Academic Year ◽

Local Materials ◽

Mathematics Department

The goals of this research are (1) to know what students’ responses toward WH question tehnique; (2) to know whether the WH Question can improve students’ math in English. This research used the descriptive qualitative method. The writer described and analyzed the students’ mistakes in speaking skill using local materials. The research was carried out at the first year students of math department in 2016/2017 academic year. It was strated from September 2016 to January 2017. The population was the first semester students of math department in academic year of 2016/2017. The number of population were 21 students. The results of this research were (1) the tudents gave good responses toward the WH Questions learning, and (2) the WH questions improved the Math students’ ability in learning English. Keywords: Speaking, Local-wisdom, WH-questions

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Transforming the Learning Environment of Undergraduate Physics Laboratories to Enhance Physics Inquiry Processes

Scientia in educatione ◽

10.14712/18047106.754 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Gregory P. Thomas ◽

Al Meldrum ◽

John Beamish

Keyword(s):

Learning Environment ◽

Early Years ◽

First Year ◽

First Semester ◽

Physics Laboratory ◽

Physics Classes ◽

Mixed Method Design ◽

Physics Laboratories ◽

First Time ◽

Academic Year

Concerns persist regarding the lack of promotion of students’ scientific inquiry processes in undergraduate physics laboratories. The consensus in the literature is that, especially in the early years of undergraduate physics programs, students’ laboratory work is characterized by recipe type, step-by-step instructions for activities where the aim is often confirmation of an already well-established physics principle or concept. In response to evidence reflecting these concerns at their university, the authors successfully secured funding for this study. A mixed-method design was employed. In the 2011/2012 academic year baseline data were collected. A quantitative survey, the Undergraduate Physics Laboratory Learning Environment Scale (UPLLES) was developed, validated, and used to explore students’ perceptions of their physics laboratory environments. Analysis of data from the UPLLES and from interviews confirmed the concerns evident in the literature and in a previous evaluation of laboratories undertaken in 2002. To address these concerns the activities that students were to perform in the laboratory section of the course/s were re/designed to engage students in more inquiry oriented thinking and activity. In Fall 2012, the newly developed laboratory activities and tutorials, were implemented for the first time in PHYS124; a first year course. These changes were accompanied by structured training of teaching assistants and changes to the structure of the evaluation of students’ laboratory performance. At the end of that term the UPLLES was administered (n = 266) and interviews with students conducted (n = 16) to explore their perceptions of their laboratory environments. Statistically significant differences (p<.001) between the students in the PHYS 124 classes of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 across all dimensions were found. Effect sizes of 0.82 to 1.3, between the views of students in the first semester physics classes of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, were also calculated suggesting positive changes in the laboratory inquiry orientation. In their interviews, students confirmed and detailed these positive changes while still noting areas for future improvement.

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Entering Higher Professional Education: Unveiling First-Year Students’ Key Academic Experiences and Their Occurrence Over Time

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.577388 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jonas Willems ◽

Liesje Coertjens ◽

Vincent Donche

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Professional Education ◽

Critical Incident ◽

Transition Process ◽

Academic Experiences ◽

First Year ◽

Study Program ◽

First Year Students ◽

Academic Transition ◽

First Semester

To date, little understanding exists of how first-year students in professionally oriented higher-education (HE) programs (i.e., those that provide vocational education to prepare students for a particular occupation) experience their academic transition process. In the present study, we first argued how the constructs of academic adjustment and academic integration can provide complementary perspectives on the academic transition of first-year students in (professional) HE. Next, we examined what first-year students in professional HE contexts perceive to be the most important experiences associated with their academic transition process in the first semester of their first year of higher education (FYHE). To this end, we adopted the fundamentals of the critical incident technique and asked 104 students in a Flemish (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) university college (which offers professional HE programs, such as nursing) to complete “reflective logs” with open questions at the start of the second semester of their FYHE, wherein they reflected on three critical academic experiences during their first semester. An inductive, cross-case content analysis of the collected narratives showed that students reported on nine themes of academic experiences, which relate to five adjustment themes (dealing with the organization of the study program, organizing study work, committing to the study, following class and taking notes, and processing learning content outside class) and four integration themes (feeling competent, feeling stressed, feeling prepared, and feeling supported). Further analyses showed that although some of the nine themes of academic experiences appear to be more important at different times in the first semester, they all seem to be meaningful throughout the whole semester.

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