A Course-Based Teaching Experience for STEM Undergraduates Improves Student Perceptions of Teaching Self-Efficacy and Attitudes Toward Teaching Careers

In the Learn By Doing Lab, STEM majors teach hands-on science to third- through eighth-grade students visiting the campus. Participants develop confidence in their ability to teach science and a more positive view of the teaching profession. Participants recognize that the experience builds 21st-century competencies.

Global citizenship development in higher education institutions: A systematic review of the literature

Institutions of higher education continue to emphasize the need to create and develop global citizen graduates who will face challenging global issues in the workforce. A systematic literature review of empirical studies on global citizenship in higher education was conducted to understand the various ways this term is being studied, measured, and operationalized. The process of inclusion and exclusion criteria identified 57 studies. A content analysis revealed global citizenship is being included into higher education through scales of measurement, studying abroad, faculty and student perceptions, coursework, and university programs. The results are discussed in relation to the current literature on global citizenship along with future avenues of research.

Perception of 1 MBBS students about educational environment through ‘DREEM’ questionnaire

In an undergraduate (UG) medical education program, the educational environment is a critical factor of effective outcomes. Because it is a proven approach for this assessment in medical schools, the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was employed in this study.1. To assess the student’s perception of the educational environment using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire among 1st-year undergraduate medical students. 2. To identify the strengths and weaknesses in student’s educational environment.A cross-sectional study was carried out among first-year medical students. To obtain student perceptions of the educational environment, a widely accepted DREEM questionnaire was employed. The DREEM questionnaire is divided into five sections, each of which has 50 statements that are rated on a five-point Likert scale (0–4). The questionnaire was distributed to consented individuals (n=150) after receiving ethical approval. The filled questions were collected and statistically evaluated. The data were presented as mean and standard deviation, frequency, and percentages. The responses were analyzed and interpreted using McAleer and Roff's practical recommendations.There was a 100% response rate. The average DREEM score was 124.9 ± 50 (62.46%). Among the five DREEM dimensions, students' perceptions of learning received the highest score (65.63%), while students' perceptions of the environment received the lowest (59.31 %).Statements “I have good friends in this college”, “My social life is good” and “I am confident about passing this year” scored ≥ 3 of 4 points.“A more positive than negative perception,” according to the total mean DREEM score. Student confidence, social life, instructor knowledge, encouragement to participate in a teaching session, teacher preparedness, and having excellent friends on campus received the most positive answers. However, there is space for development in areas where there is a lack of expertise, such as student ennui and creative teaching.

Business employability for late millennials: exploring the perceptions of generation Z students and generation X faculty

Purpose The paper aims to explore employability in business as perceived by Generation Z (late millennials) business students and faculty. It focuses on perceptions regarding necessary employability skills from the diverse standpoints of two different groups of stakeholders within one Higher Education Institution. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a Mixed Qualitative Design approach including a core and a supplementary component; Generation Z student perceptions are initially identified through a thematic analysis of students’ research reports on employability. These perceptions are then further contextualized through findings from a series of personal interviews conducted with Generation X academics in the same institution. Findings The findings support the two basic dimensions of perceived employability, work readiness and employability skills, for which students and educators hold similar notions. Both stakeholders distinguish between “hard” and “soft” skills, but filter their relative importance through a generational lens. An emerging finding was the link between personality traits and perceived employability skills. Originality/value The paper examines the much-debated issue of perceived employability through the eyes of Generation Z students; research on employability perceptions of Generation Z is, to date, limited. The topic is timely, as Generation Z is the newest generation entering the business job market. In addition, the paper adds to the emerging contemporary stream of literature exploring employability in the field of business education.

Enhancing the effectiveness of flipped classroom in health science education: a state-of-the-art review

Background In a flipped classroom, students acquire knowledge before class and deepen and apply this knowledge during class. This way, lower-order learning goals are achieved before class and higher-order skills are reached during class. This study aims to provide an overview of the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the flipped classroom and how these factors can be stimulated. The effectiveness of the flipped classroom is conceptualized in this study as test scores, the achievement of higher learning goals, and student perceptions. Methods A state-of-the-art review was conducted. The databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were consulted. The timeframe is 2016 till 2020. The studies were qualitatively analyzed according to the grounded theory method. Results After screening the studies based on the inclusion-and exclusion criteria, 88 studies were included in this review. The qualitative analysis of these studies revealed six main factors that affect the effectiveness of the flipped classroom: student characteristics, teacher characteristics, implementation, task characteristics, out-of-class activities, and in-class activities. Mediating factors are, amongst other factors, the learner’s level of self-regulated learning, teacher’s role and motivation, assessment approach, and guidance during self-study by means of prompts or feedback. These factors can be positively stimulated by structuring the learning process and focusing the teacher training on competencies and learning-and teaching approaches that are essential for the flipped classroom. Conclusion This paper provides insight into the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the flipped classroom and how these factors could be stimulated. In order to stimulate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom, the positively and negatively affecting factors and mediating factors should be taken into account in the design of the flipped classroom. The interventions mentioned in this paper could also be used to enhance the effectiveness.

Students’ Perception of Cognitive Load in an Accelerated DPT Program with a Blended Curriculum

Administrators and educators in higher education are interested in how academic tutoring services and gender impact perceptions of cognitive load and, therefore, students’ academic success. However, a lack of evidence existed in the literature regarding physical therapy students’ perception of cognitive load in an accelerated Doctor of Physical Therapy program with blended learning. Participants in this quantitative, non-experimental study completed the adapted Cognitive Load Scale to indicate their perception of cognitive load, participation in academic tutoring services, gender, and age. The DPT students perceived high cognitive overload, but a t value of 0.37 and a p value of 0.71 indicated that their perception was not significantly related to gender. Further, a t value of -3.09 and a p value of 0.005 indicated that academic tutoring services played a vital role in minimizing the perception of cognitive overload. However, the p value of 0.11 of the parametric multiple linear regression analysis and the p value of 0.59 of the interaction term indicated no moderating relationship between academic tutoring services and gender. This evidence may assist physical therapy administrators and educators of DPT students in re-structuring blended learning programs and accelerated curricula to reduce student perceptions of cognitive overload.

Play in Three Acts

In some fields, written reflection is commonplace whereas in others it is uncommon. While athletic therapy education aims to produce reflective practitioners, written reflection is not a typical pedagogy employed. In 2014, the athletic therapy program at our institution began the implementation of a clinical presentation (CP) approach to facilitate competency-based curriculum requirements. This innovation to pedagogy required a reimagined approach to teaching, learning, and assessment. We describe one aspect of a larger SoTL study on this transformation, inquiring into the development of reflective practice through reflective writing. Students were asked to regularly reflect on their experiences in the clinic or field as part of their program. In this qualitative component of the study, we were able to gain insight into how students perceived the reflective process, how that evolved over their program, what were enablers and barriers to their reflection, and what was the role of feedback in their learning. The characteristics of student perceptions in each year, which followed a learning arc which we describe sequentially as “confused, conflicted, and convinced,” is explored, along with implications for pedagogy in assisting students to develope reflective professional practice.

Personal Technology in the Classroom

College instructors desiring classrooms free from learning distractions often enforce personal-technology-use policies to create what they think is an optimal learning environment, but students tend not to favor restrictive personal technology policies. Which type of personal technology classroom environment maximizes student satisfaction, learning, and attention? We surveyed 280 business communications students in two types of classrooms: a personal technology-restricted environment and a free-use environment. We evaluated student perceptions of cognitive learning, sustained attention, and satisfaction with the course as well as the technology policy governing their classrooms. Students believed they achieved greater cognitive learning in non-restricted personal technology classrooms and perceived no significant difference in sustained attention. Although students may be more satisfied with a free personal-technology-use policy in the classroom, overall satisfaction with the course did not significantly differ according to the classroom environment. We discuss the importance of sustained attention and policy satisfaction for enhancing student course satisfaction in classrooms with both technology policy types.