scholarly journals Measuring the Impact of a Weeklong Fall Break on Stress Physiology in First Year Engineering Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayesha Khan ◽  
Heather Poole ◽  
Elliott A Beaton
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
First Year ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Stress ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Lower Ratio ◽  
The Impact

Canadian post-secondary institutions are increasingly introducing a fall break into their term calendars, with the stated goal of reducing student stress and improving academic success. We conducted a pilot study around the time of this fall break during which we collected saliva samples to measure the ratio of two metabolic hormones (cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)) from first-year male engineering students in order to document possible changes in their stress levels before and after the break. Participants self-identified a particular day in the week prior to the break that they considered to be most stressful, followed by a day in the week after the break that was perceived to be equally stress-inducing. A control sample of student engineers was recruited from another university with equivalent academic rigour but without a fall break. Students who experienced the fall break exhibited a marginally lower ratio of cortisol to DHEA after the break than did those who did not experience the break indicating a difference in psychological stress. Since fall breaks are now increasing in popularity, we make the recommendation that it is imperative to empirically investigate their impact on student mental health. Un nombre de plus en plus grand d’établissements post-secondaires introduisent un congé d’automne dans leur calendrier, avec l’objectif déclaré de réduire le stress des étudiants et d’améliorer la réussite académique. Nous avons mené une étude pilote aux alentours de ce congé d’automne au cours duquel nous avons recueilli des échantillons de salive auprès d’étudiants mâles de première année en génie afin de mesurer le ratio de deux hormones métaboliques (le cortisol et la déhydroépiandrostérone - la DHEA)) et pour documenter les changements possibles dans leurs niveaux de stress avant et après le congé. Les participants ont identifié eux-mêmes un jour spécifique de la semaine avant le congé qu’ils considéraient comme étant le plus stressant, suivi par un jour particulier de la semaine après le congé qu’ils percevaient comme étant aussi stressant. Un échantillon témoin d’étudiants en génie a été recruté dans une autre université où la rigueur académique était équivalente mais où il n’y avait pas de congé d’automne. Les étudiants qui ont bénéficié d’un congé d’automne ont manifesté un ratio plus bas de cortisol par rapport à la DHEA après le congé par rapport aux étudiants qui n’avaient pas bénéficié d’un tel congé, ce qui indique une différence de stress psychologique. Étant donné que la popularité des congés d’automne est en augmentation, nous recommandons qu’il est impératif d’établir empiriquement leur impact sur la santé mentale des étudiants.

scholarly journals One Week, Many Ripples: Measuring the Impacts of the Fall Reading Week on Student Stress

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 163-172
Author(s):  
Heather Poole ◽  
Ayesha Khan ◽  
Michael Agnew
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Stress ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Complex Picture ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Lower Ratio

More and more Canadian post-secondary institutions are introducing a fall break into their term calendars. In 2015, a full week fall break was introduced at our university in order to enhance academic performance and improve mental health amongst students. Our interdisciplinary team surveyed undergraduate students at our university about their experience of the fall break, collected standardized measures of experienced stressors and perceptions of stress before and after the break, and hosted several focus groups to develop a detailed narrative of students’ experience. Stress can also be assessed through non-invasive hormone measures. We collected saliva samples to profile metabolic hormones, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), from first-year male engineering students in order to document possible changes in their stress levels before and after the week-long break. This group was compared to male engineering students at a similar university that does not hold a fall break. Students exhibited a lower ratio of cortisol to DHEA after a fall break than those that did not experience a break. Our survey results indicate that the majority of students thought the fall break was a positive experience. However, self-reports of stress show a more complex picture, with many students reporting increased perceived stress after the break. Additionally, a portion of students reported that the fall break was a negative experience. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first of its kind to use a mixed-methods approach to examine the impacts of a fall break.

scholarly journals Words Matter: The Impact of “Catchy” vs Conventional Course Titles on Student Interest

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Flaherty ◽  
Bruce G McAdams ◽  
Joshua E LeBlanc
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
First Year ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Preference ◽  
Premier Cycle ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Conventional Counterpart

Anecdotal evidence suggests that post-secondary institutions in Canada and beyond are experimenting with the practice of substituting conventional, discipline-centred course titles with more creatively phrased, learner-centred titles. However, we could find no scholarly research to affirm, challenge or guide this practice. This study represents a preliminary foray into that research. We surveyed 368 business undergraduate and graduate students at a mid-sized Canadian university to address, and explore the implications of, this question: "Does a catchy course title elicit more student interest than its conventional counterpart?" Our findings provide some, but not unqualified, support for the practice of using catchy course titles as a way of attracting student interest. We found the most significant influence on student preference toward conventional or catchy course titles to be year of registration (first year and fourth year students showed the most interest in catchy course titles; graduate students and those registered in second and third year showed a preference for conventional course titles). Implications regarding marketing and pedagogy are discussed, as is the need for further research. Des preuves non scientifiques sembleraient suggérer que les établissements d’enseignement supérieur du Canada et au-delà sont en train d’essayer de substituer les titres de cours conventionnels centrés sur la discipline par des titres centrés sur l’apprenant et formulés de façon plus créatrice. Toutefois, nous n’avons trouvé aucune recherche savante qui pourrait affirmer, mettre au défi ou guider cette pratique. Cette étude représente une expérience préliminaire dans cette recherche. Nous avons fait un sondage auprès de 368 étudiants de premier cycle et de cycles supérieurs en administration des affaires dans une université canadienne de taille moyenne afin d’explorer les implications de la question suivante : « Est-ce qu’un titre de cours accrocheur attire davantage l’intérêt des étudiants qu’un titre plus conventionnel? » Nos résultats présentent un certain soutien non qualifié à cette pratique qui consiste à utiliser des titres de cours accrocheurs dans le but d’attirer l’intérêt des étudiants. Nous avons trouvé que l’influence la plus significative sur la préférence des étudiants entre les titres conventionnels et les titres accrocheurs était l’année d’inscription (les étudiants de première et de quatrième année étaient davantage attirés par les titres de cours accrocheurs; les étudiants des cycles supérieurs et ceux inscrits en deuxième et troisième année semblaient préférer les titres de cours conventionnels). Les implications en matière de marketing et de pédagogie sont discutées, ainsi que la nécessité de faire des recherches plus avancées sur la question.

Assessing the enterprising tendencies of Arab female undergraduate engineering students in the Sultanate of Oman

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 429-439
Author(s):  
Naveed Yasin ◽  
Zeinab Khansari ◽  
Taimur Sharif
Keyword(s):  
Risk Taking ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Chemical Engineering ◽  
Boot Camp ◽  
First Year ◽  
Need For Achievement ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Extended Duration ◽  
The Impact

This study assesses the enterprising characteristics of first-year undergraduate Omani female chemical engineering students in Muscat, Oman. Pre and post surveys were conducted with 27 respondents from an entrepreneurship boot camp module mandated by the Oman Ministry of Higher Education. The variables, measured on a 10-point Likert scale, included need for achievement, need for autonomy, creativity, risk-taking, and locus of control. Statistical analysis was performed on the integrated data to measure the impact of student learning using a t-test approach and comparing mean averages. This was followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews that were examined using thematic analysis. The comparison of students’ enterprise tendencies before and after the module indicates minor to moderate improvements in their entrepreneurial abilities and their understanding of entrepreneurial behavior. The most noticeable impact was on students’ risk-taking abilities, followed by their creativity, need for achievement, need for control, and, lastly, their need for autonomy. The findings illustrate that students perceived entrepreneurship positively but were concerned about the scheduling of the module and its integration into their core program of study. Students may have benefited further from a module of extended duration as opposed to the block delivery “boot camp” mode of learning. Due to the limited number of participants and the focus on female students only, the results of the study cannot be generalized. However, the article presents an initial exploration of and offers insights into enterprising characteristics among an empirically underexplored demographic and nonbusiness group.

The Development of GENE 101 – A ‘Strategies and Skills for Academic Success’ Course for First Year Engineering Students at Waterloo

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
William S. Owen ◽  
Maria Barichello ◽  
Andrea Prier
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Engineering Faculty ◽  
Success Course ◽  
Transition From High School ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

As a way to help ease the struggles thatstudents face in the transition from high school intouniversity, the Engineering Faculty at the University ofWaterloo started a reduced load program in 2010. Duringtheir first term at Waterloo, engineering students who arein academic jeopardy after midterms can drop twoprescribed courses to give the students an opportunity tofinish the term on a successful note. The two droppedcourses are taken during the following spring term alongwith a third course, GENE 101 – Strategies and Skills forAcademic Success. After successfully completing thereduced load terms, the students return to a full load.GENE 101 is considered a foundational success course.This paper will look at the curriculum and structure of thecourse and the impact it has had on engineering students.At the time of this writing, two groups of students who tookGENE 101 and the reduced load program have graduatedfrom Waterloo as engineers.

scholarly journals Inquiry-based learning to improve student engagement in a large first year topic

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masha Smallhorn ◽  
Jeanne Young ◽  
Narelle Hunter ◽  
Karen Burke da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Multiple Choice Exam ◽  
The Impact

Increasing the opportunity for students to be involved in inquiry-based activities can improve engagement with content and assist in the development of analysis and critical thinking skills. The science laboratory has traditionally been used as a platform to apply the content gained through the lecture series. These activities have exposed students to experiments which test the concepts taught but which often result in a predicted outcome. To improve the engagement and learning outcomes of our large first year biology cohort, the laboratories were redeveloped. Superlabs were run with 100 students attending weekly sessions increasing the amount of contact time from previous years. Laboratories were redeveloped into guided-inquiry and educators facilitated teams of students to design and carry out an experiment. To analyse the impact of the redevelopment on student satisfaction and learning outcomes, students were surveyed and multiple choice exam data was compared before and after the redevelopment. Results suggest high levels of student satisfaction and a significant improvement in student learning outcomes. All disciplines should consider including inquiry-based activities as a methodology to improve student engagement and learning outcome as it fosters the development of independent learners. 

scholarly journals "I didn't know it was normal": How student stress, anxiety, and confidence during COVID-19 influence student wellbeing

He Rourou ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-50
Author(s):  
Jeska Martin
Keyword(s):  
Student Voice ◽  
Teacher Practice ◽  
First Year ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Safe Spaces ◽  
Know How ◽  
Student Stress ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
The Impact

Students in 2020 experienced unprecedented levels of anxiety and stress as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic affected not only students’ experiences of academic achievement in their first year of NCEA assessments, but also their wellbeing. This action research project, which was conducted with 23 female Pasifika Year 11 students, looked at the drivers of stress and anxiety in students, and investigated methods of minimising and managing these stressors. Another focus was the impact confidence has on agency and expectations of achievement in Level 1 NCEA. Data was collected through student voice, using small-group talanoa, one-on-one conversations, surveys, and conversations with staff. My research findings indicate that students are not aware of the prevalence, nor normalcy, of anxiety and stress experienced by people in daily life. Conversations are presented confirming that students struggle to know how to manage achievement-related anxiety or cope in a learning environment when it becomes overwhelming. This work finds that students would appreciate teachers and adults being more transparent and vulnerable about their own anxieties, and that teacher practice would improve in turn. It suggests that classrooms that serve as safe spaces for mutual sharing about anxiety allow for the sharing and construction of healthy methods for dealing with achievement-related anxiety.

Progression to intermediate level courses; is a “pass” enough?

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-287
Author(s):  
Nicola J. Beatson ◽  
David A.G. Berg ◽  
Jeffrey K. Smith ◽  
Christine Smith-Han
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
First Year ◽  
Prior Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the impact of a rule that affects tertiary students progressing from an introductory level finance course to intermediate level. The rule restricted students from progressing until they achieved a higher grade than just a “pass” mark. Design/methodology/approach Archival data were gathered from 11 semesters regarding student performance pre and post the rule being introduced. Findings Results show that the rule was associated with an increase in the chances of success at intermediate level for those students enrolled after the rule was introduced. Practical implications This paper’s main contribution regards the evidence that increasing prior learning at an introductory level has a positive follow-on effect for students learning at intermediate level. This has a practical implication for educators, as the rule has shown to increase the chance of success for knowledge development in the first year of studies. Originality/value The setting for this paper is unique and could potentially be replicated elsewhere. In 1980, Schaffer and Calkins called for an evaluation of the pre-requisites necessary for finance education at the tertiary level, and this paper answer this call stating that pre-requisites can contribute to the academic success of finance students.

scholarly journals Makerspaces in First-Year Engineering Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Pooya Taheri ◽  
Philip Robbins ◽  
Sirine Maalej
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Applied Science ◽  
First Year ◽  
Maker Movement ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Group Project ◽  
Main Component ◽  
Diploma Program ◽  
The Impact

Langara College, as one of the leading undergraduate institutions in the province of British Columbia (BC), offers the “Applied Science for Engineering” two-year diploma program as well as the “Engineering Transfer” two-semester certificate program. Three project-based courses are offered as part of the two-year diploma program in Applied Science (APSC) and Computer Science (CPSC) departments: “APSC 1010—Engineering and Technology in Society”, “CPSC 1090—Engineering Graphics”, and “CPSC 1490—Applications of Microcontrollers”, with CPSC 1090 and CPSC 1490 also part of the Engineering Transfer curriculum. Although the goals, scopes, objectives, and evaluation criteria of these courses are different, the main component of all three courses is a group-based technical project. Engineering students have access to Langara College’s Makerspace for the hands-on component of their project. Makerspaces expand experiential learning opportunities and allows students to gain a skillset outside the traditional classroom. This paper begins with a detailed review of the maker movement and the impact of makerspace in higher education. Different forms of makerspace and the benefits of incorporating them on first-year students’ creativity, sense of community, self-confidence, and entrepreneurial skills are discussed. This paper introduces Langara’s engineering program and its project-based design courses. Langara’s interdisciplinary makerspace, its goals and objectives, equipment, and some sample projects are introduced in this paper in detail. We then explain how the group-project component of APSC 1010, CPSC 1090, and CPSC 1490 are managed and how using makerspace improves students’ performance in such projects. In conclusion, the paper describes the evaluation of learning outcomes via an anonymous student survey.

An Experimental Study on the Influence That Failure Number, Specialization, and Controls Have on Confidence in Predicting System Failures1

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Somaiah Thimmaiah ◽  
Keith Phelan ◽  
Joshua D. Summers
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
P Value ◽  
First Year ◽  
Psychology Class ◽  
Design Activities ◽  
Undergraduate Psychology ◽  
Domain Familiarity ◽  
The Impact

Design reviews are typically used for three types of design activities: (1) identifying errors, (2) assessing the impact of the errors, and (3) suggesting solutions for the errors. This experimental study focuses on understanding the second issue as it relates to the number of errors considered, the existence of controls, and the level of domain familiarity of the assessor. A set of design failures and associated controls developed for a completed industry sponsored project is used as the experimental design problem. Nondomain generalists (students from an undergraduate psychology class), domain generalists (first year engineering students), and domain specialists (graduate mechanical engineering students) are provided a set of failure modes and asked to provide their own opinion or confidence on whether the system would still successfully achieve the stated objectives. The confidence level for all domain populations decreased significantly as the number of design errors increased (largest p-value = 0.0793), and this decrease in confidence is more significant as the number of design errors increases. The impact on confidence is lower when solutions (controls) are provided to prevent the errors (largest p-value = 0.0334) as the confidence decreased faster for domain general engineers as compared to domain specialists (p = < 0.0001). The domain specialists showed higher confidence in making decisions than domain generalists and nondomain generalists as the design errors increase.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document