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.

Correlating entrance data and first year academic performance of students enrolled in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Porto

2021 ◽  
pp. 030641902110156
Author(s):  
TMGP Duarte ◽  
AM Lopes ◽  
LFM da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Institutional Factors ◽  
First Year ◽  
Female Type ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Over Time

Understanding how the academic performance of first year undergraduate students is influenced by home, personal and institutional factors is fundamental to delineate policies able to mitigate failure. This paper investigates possible correlations between the academic performance of students at the end of high school with their achievements at the end of first year university. Data for students in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering (MIEM) program within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto are analysed for the period 2016/2017 to 2019/2020. The students’ performance is measured by two metrics and the students are structured as a whole and by groups, according to their gender (Male/Female), type of secondary school (Public/Private), living place (Away/Home) and the rank of MIEM in their application list of options (Option 1/Option 2–6). The information is organized statistically and possible correlations between the data are investigated. The analysis reveals limited correlation between the two metrics, meaning that all students may exhibit good or poor results at the end of first year in MIEM, independent of their status at entrance. An unanticipated pattern is exhibited for the group Option 2–6, since it shows that, despite entering into MIEM without top application marks, the students in this group can perform as well as the others. This behavior is consistent over time.

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 Atomic orbitals and their representation: can 3-D computer graphics help conceptual understanding?

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-325
Author(s):  
Jorge Trindade ◽  
Carlos Fiolhais ◽  
Victor Gil
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Mechanics ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Visualization Techniques ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Partial Success

Quantum mechanics is a non-intuitive subject. For example, the concept of orbital seems too difficult to be mastered by students who are starting to study it. Various investigations have been done on student's difficulties in understanding basic quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, there are few attempts at probing how student's understanding is influenced by appropriate visualization techniques, which are known to help conceptual understanding. ''Virtual Water'' is a 3-D virtual environment we have designed and built to support the learning of Physics and Chemistry at final high school and first-year university levels. It focuses on the microscopic structure of water and explores, among others, atomic and molecular orbitals. Having asked a group of first-year students of Sciences and Engineering courses at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, to describe how they conceive electrons in atoms we found some common misconceptions. We have tried, with partial success, to overcome them by making students explore our virtual environment. The most relevant characteristics of the virtual environment which contributed to student's conceptual understanding were 3-D perception and navigation.

University Students' Adjustment Problems

1998 ◽  
Vol 82 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1135-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varghese Iepen Cherian ◽  
Lily Cherian
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
First Year ◽  
Adjustment Problems ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
The North ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
University Of The North

Considerable information is available on the adjustment problems of first-year university students in developed countries, but comparatively little is known about such problems in Asia and Africa. This study of a representative sample of 1257 first-year students conducted at the University of the North showed that 33 to 85% of the first-year students experienced various adjustment problems.

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.

scholarly journals EXPLORING FIRST YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ STATISTICAL LITERACY: A CASE ON DESCRIBING AND VISUALIZING DATA

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-448
Author(s):  
Ezra Putranda Setiawan ◽  
Heru Sukoco
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Data Visualization ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
First Year ◽  
Statistical Literacy ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Data Improvement ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University

Statistical literacy, which is the ability to use statistics in daily life, is an essential skill for facing society 5.0. This study aims to explore first-year university students’ ability to properly use simple descriptive statistics and data visualization. Qualitative data were collected using a set of questions from 39 undergraduate students. Many students were able to calculate various descriptive statistics, but some of them were still unable to determine suitable statistics to describe the data clearly. Related to data visualization, many students failed to provide a meaningful chart that effectively shows the difference between two groups of data. Students with higher statistical literacy tend to use comparison or variability reasoning to determine the usage of descriptive statistics, and use data-based reason in visualizing the data. Improvement in statistical teaching – both in the university and the secondary school – is needed so that the students can use descriptive statistics and data visualization correctly.

Knowledge and Attitude Toward Emergency Contraceptive Pills Among First-Year Undergraduate Students in Southern Thailand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siranee Yongpraderm ◽  
Suriyon Uitrakul
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Emergency Contraceptive Pills ◽  
Contraceptive Pills ◽  
Emergency Contraceptive ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude ◽  
The University

Abstract Background: The objective of this study was to investigation of the knowledge and attitude towards emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) among first-year undergraduate students in a university in Thailand.Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was performed using the developed questionnaires that was validated by four experts. The questionnaires were distributed to all the first-year students in the university via an online platform. The characteristic data were descriptively analyzed and the knowledge data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and one-way ANOVA.Results: A total of 335 students who responded to the questionnaires and met the eligible criteria for the study was analyzed. The mean knowledge score of all respondents was 7.76±0.15 out of 15. The most correct-answered questions were the questions relating to efficacy and safety of ECPs in pregnant women (78.5% and 72.2% corrected, respectively). On the contrary, the least correct-answered questions were about the ECP regimens and using ECPs instead of combined oral contraception (COC) (30.4% and 34.9%, respectively). In addition, the results indicated that experience in using ECPs and in ECP education were significant factors in high scores of knowledge. Moreover, most respondents trusted and would like to receive the information on ECPs from health professionals in hospitals, academic institutions, or pharmacies.Discussion: The average knowledge of ECPs of first-year students in a university in Thailand was at a moderate level. More knowledge about the regimens of the drug and using ECPs instead of COC should be advised to students, particularly at the university or pharmacies, and should be done by healthcare staff.

Mobile Botany

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
pp. 699-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. I. Harper ◽  
Geoffrey E. Burrows ◽  
J. Sergio Moroni ◽  
Rosanne Quinnell
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Learning Objects ◽  
First Year ◽  
Residential School ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Plant Identification ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
Second Year ◽  
First Year University

In our first-year university botany classes at Charles Sturt University, we noticed that in laboratory class, students were taking photographs of their specimens with the dissecting and compound microscopes using their mobile phones. Student-generated images as “learning objects” were used to enhance the engagement of all students, including Distance Education students who used images provided by the on-campus students. The Distance Education students did all the laboratory work at an intensive residential school, and they were encouraged to take images; these were shared with on-campus students, making them aware of the laboratory practical work they were yet to do. In other cases, images from students were incorporated into lectures and tutorials, preparing students for the lab exam. Botany students have shared their photomicrographs with their friends and family via social media. We saw interesting examples of students excitedly describing their images to non-science friends, teaching them what they were learning! In the second year, students were also encouraged to use their phones to capture their own images of plant specimens to help them master plant identification. Although we do not have any quantitative evidence of these activities enhancing student learning, it was evident that those students who took and shared their own images were more engaged in the learning process.

scholarly journals The effectiveness of an online grammar study scheme for Chinese undergraduate students

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan John Windsor
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Resource ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Grammar Learning ◽  
The University

AbstractThis paper outlines and describes the effectiveness of a virtual learning environment (VLE) as a grammar learning resource for first year students at a university in southern China over two academic years. The resource, named the Independent Grammar Study Scheme (IGSS), offered short grammar exercises that were completed over a 14-week period by two cohorts of year one students. The results of this study suggest that IGSS was successful in raising the grammar test scores of participants in both 2018 and 2019; that IGSS was more beneficial to students with lower English proficiency in 2018 but not in 2019; and that the VLE has been of great benefit to the university and to around one thousand students thus far.

Contrasting first and final year undergraduate students' plagiarism perceptions to investigate anti-plagiarism measures

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syeda Tuba Javaid ◽  
Sameera Sultan ◽  
John Fitzgerald Ehrich
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Rasch Analysis ◽  
Academic Misconduct ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
First Year ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Commission ◽  
The University

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate students toward plagiarism and its change (if any) during their four-year study at a Pakistani university.Design/methodology/approachThe students who participated were majoring in electrical engineering; there were 106 first-year students and 127 final-year students. The students were asked to complete a plagiarism attitude scale (Harris, 2011) survey and reveal their attitudes toward plagiarism.FindingsRasch analysis was conducted on the scale to optimize its measurement qualities. Analysis indicated no significant changes in the attitude of the students, which remained very lenient and soft toward plagiarism despite the strict policy of the higher education commission of Pakistan and the university. These results indicate that the students lacked an understanding of what constitutes as plagiarism. Therefore, more awareness toward the ethical aspects of plagiarism is needed to reduce academic misconduct.Originality/valuePlagiarism is an academic offense yet very few studies have been conducted to understand the perceptions of the students in order to minimize it.

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