scholarly journals A chronicle of just-in-time information: The secret to building first year university student wellbeing and resilience based on a three year initiative

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donnalee Taylor

<p class="Body"><em>To date, little has been published on the provision of student-driven just-in-time information to support first year students. This chronicle of just-in-time curricular and extra-curricular student support information was designed early in 2014 and successfully disseminated to first year biomedical science students over three years at James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In 2016, the information was redeveloped to make the support information electronically available to a much broader student audience. This article provides a dissemination template of what just-in-time curricular and extra-curricular information is required by first year university students. In addition, it outlines how students’ need for this information was determined and how information was successfully created and disseminated over these three years to assist the students in their transition to and through university. The intention of this article is to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on student resilience and wellbeing and to provide a guide for anyone interested in supporting their students in a similar manner.</em></p>

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-47
Author(s):  
Donnalee Taylor

To date, little has been published on the provision of student-driven just-in-time information to support first year students. This chronicle of just-in-time curricular and extra-curricular student support information was designed early in 2014 and successfully disseminated to first year biomedical science students over three years at James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In 2016, the information was redeveloped to make the support information electronically available to a much broader student audience. This article provides a dissemination template of what just-in-time curricular and extra-curricular information is required by first year university students. In addition, it outlines how students’ need for this information was determined and how information was successfully created and disseminated over these three years to assist the students in their transition to and through university. The intention of this article is to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on student resilience and wellbeing and to provide a guide for anyone interested in supporting their students in a similar manner.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donnalee B. Taylor ◽  
Glenn J. Harrison

The James Cook University (JCU) Biomedical Science students struggle with their first year and “second-choice-syndrome” as evidenced by high inter-degree transfer rates and low primary degree completions despite the cohort having high subject or unit grade point averages. This project evaluated the impact of two extracurricular support initiatives (email newsletters and themed luncheons) to deliver just-in-time information and support on student engagement and success. Students and academics rated the initiatives highly with positive support themes of networking, collegiality, belonging and engagement; there was no direct improvement in subject grades or degree satisfaction metrics. However, there was an increase in degree, college, and university student retention. It is becoming increasingly important to recognize and separate the classic academic measures of grades as an indication of success and that more personal or social support is required for students to thrive regardless of cohort demographics or career path. A student’s initial experience on campus is important and influences students’ persistence in higher education and their believed capabilities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Inês Teodoro ◽  
Hugo Torres ◽  
Nuno Venâncio ◽  
Guilhermina Moutinho ◽  
Maria Deolinda Auxtero

Cannabis is the illegal drug most used worldwide. Its long-term use increases the risk of depression and schizophrenia, causing a major public health problem. A validated questionnaire was applied to first year students of Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz to assess their intention regarding cannabis use. They do not consider cannabis to be much associated with well-being, they slightly consider the opinion of relatives, and they show a low intent to use the drug, believing themselves to have strong self-control. Scores are above average for 18-y.o. Portuguese students, except for belief in self-control.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (28) ◽  
pp. 57-64
Author(s):  
José Eduardo Molina Arriola ◽  
Victor Osiris Rodriguez Cervantes ◽  
Julio Cesar Lozano Flores ◽  
Luis Quintana Rivera ◽  
José Moncada Jimenez ◽  
...  

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la asociación entre la aptitud motriz de estudiantes universitarios de primer ingreso y su desempeño académico en los dos periodos lectivos de inicio de la carrera de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación. Participaron 83 voluntarios (Hombres = 60, Mujeres = 23) de la Universidad Veracruzana, México. La aptitud motriz se evaluó con ocho pruebas y el rendimiento académico se midió con el promedio ponderado de dos periodos consecutivos. Los análisis de regresión múltiple mostraron que el salto sin carrera (modelo 1), y gimnasia y encestes de baloncesto (modelo 2) predicen el rendimiento académico. En conclusión, la aptitud motriz predice parcialmente el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de primer ingreso.AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the association between the motor skills of first-year university students and their academic performance in the two initial academic terms of the Physical Education, Sports and Recreation degree. Eighty-three volunteers participated (Men = 60, Women = 23) from the Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. Motor skills were evaluated with eight tests and academic performance was measured with the weighted average of two consecutive terms. Multiple regression analyses showed that standing jumping (model 1), and gymnastics and effective basketball throws (model 2) predicted academic performance. In conclusion, motor skills partially predict academic performance in first-year students


2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Nicholas ◽  
Maria Damianova ◽  
Mzamo Ntantiso

This study investigated the personal, career and learning skill needs of first-year university students, their preferred counselling sources, and compared South African and international students. Respondents completed a structured questionnaire (N = 567) with more than half reporting a moderate to high need for assistance with their concerns. Women had a significantly greater need for assistance with the bulk of listed concerns than men. International students had a significantly greater need for assistance than South African students and were particularly concerned about xenophobia. These results may assist administrators and counsellors to develop strategies to address identified student needs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
Annsilla Nyar

While all students are affected by the advent of the Covid‑19 pandemic, the first‑year student population remains a special category of vulnerability for higher education. This is on account of the way the Covid‑19 pandemic has disrupted their transition into university and complicated the nature of their entry into and through the formal academic cycle. This article uses the notion of a ‘double transition’ as a framework for positioning and locating the first‑year student transition within the context of the prevailing Covid‑19 pandemic. ‘Double transition’ refers to an additional transition coupled with that of the first‑year transition, with regard to the extraordinary situation of students navigating their entry into the unfamiliar terrain of academia while simultaneously navigating the Covid‑19 pandemic. The article provides a circumscribed summary of the effects of Covid‑19 on university students and looks to describe and explain the nature and shape of first‑year transitions in relation to the transition necessitated by the Covid‑19 pandemic. It concludes with four key strategies for supporting first‑year students as the pandemic continues.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelvin Mukolo Kayombo ◽  
Steve Carter

This study was the second phase of a larger research project that was designed to identify and measure a higher education institution’s brand in Zambia in order to ascertain areas for strengthening the brand’s competitive position. The objectives of this conjoint study were twofold: firstly, to identify the current position of the ZCAS brand as a case study and secondly, to establish the current position of the ZCAS brand relative to its higher education (HE) competitors in Zambia. This quantitative study involved administering a conjoint questionnaire to 110 first year students in ZCAS and 280 first year students in seven universities in the country. The 19 branding elements identified in the initial qualitative stage of the project were aggregated into five principal branding factors using Atlas.ti’s co-occurrence tools to facilitate this conjoint study. These five principal branding attributes are teaching quality, fees, course availability, learning environment and employability. The study revealed that ZCAS has a fairly strong brand position in the Zambian HE sector because the most important elements in its brand model, i.e. course availability, teaching quality and facilities are also the premier brand dimensions in the market. The study also revealed that ZCAS needs to reposition itself away from the competition in order to occupy a more favorable position in the minds of its prospective and existing customers. Accordingly, the study recommends that ZCAS increases its course offerings and collaborates with universities in the region. ZCAS should also consider setting up a quality assurance unit to foster quality in the institution. This study adds to the increasing body of knowledge on HE branding, particularly in developing countries, by developing and then testing a brand orientation model for the Zambian HE market.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
J. A. Taylor ◽  

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.


Author(s):  
Jelena Jermolajeva ◽  
◽  
Svetlana Silchenkova ◽  
Larissa Turusheva ◽  
◽  
...  

The demand for tertiary education among young people is growing worldwide. However, in the first months of the studies, freshmen face increasing difficulties, which sometimes negatively affect their learning motivation. For the successful pedagogical process, teachers need to study the motivation of students of the first study year, monitor it and take into account its peculiarities while developing learning materials and choosing educational strategies. The article presents the results of an international study of freshmen’s motivation. The study aim to compare the motivation of the first-year students at the universities of Riga and Smolensk, to identify prevailing motives and to assess the impact of the psychological atmosphere in the student group on their motivation. In the survey carried out in December 2019, 129 students from two universities in Riga (Latvia) and Smolensk (Russia) participated. The tools for collecting information were the technique of diagnostics of learning motivation by 7 content scales and the technique of measuring the psychological climate in the collective by 10 bipolar scales. For data processing, descriptive statistics, analysis of statistical indicators, and Spearman correlation analysis were used. In both national samples, professional motives for learning prevail over other motives, while prestige motives and avoidance motives take the penultimate and last place relatively. The importance of other groups of learning motives is assessed somewhat differently. For the Smolensk sample of students it was found out that their motivation to learn depends on the psychological atmosphere in the group, especially on the overall atmosphere of success in the group. However a similar correlation has not been revealed in the survey of the Riga sample of students. The study shows that a few months after the start of studying, the first-year students’ overall motivation has not dropped below the critical level. However, for more successful training, it could and should be improved. Some ways to increase freshmen’s motivation for learning are proposed in the article.


After entering university and starting their studies, a person changes the routine rhythm of their life. Their social environment changes and they become subject to new requirements in connection with the features of the educational process. Consequently, these changes affect a first-year student's personal time and their psychophysiological state. The process of preparation for professional activities involves not only the acquisition of a certain body of knowledge and skills but also the acquisition of a system of values and attitudes governing the life of society. Speed and degree of adaptation influence the success of training, psychological comfort and satisfaction with the career choice.


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