A study on the improvement of basic general mathematics according to changes in the basic mathematical ability of first-year college students in the fields of science and engineering

The objective of this study is to examine changes in the Mathematics Curriculum and the College Scholastic Ability Test that affect the changes in the Basic Mathematical Ability of students enrolled in Science and Engineering departments and to compare and analyze the educational contents of basic general mathematics completed by first-year students in science and engineering fields in order to provide improvement plans for basic general mathematics. In Korea, whenever the mathematics curriculum is revised, the content covered in the previous curriculum is deleted or weakened in order to optimize the educational content, and ‘Calculus’ and ‘Geometry’ are required for science and engineering students to choose in the college scholastic ability test. Thus, the basic academic ability of mathematics is lowered, and it is difficult to complete the basic general mathematics taught in the first year of university. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to analyze the mathematics and curriculum to include deleted or weakened contents in the university's basic general mathematics, to understand the students' basic academic ability in mathematics, and to operate basic general mathematics by level or operate basic mathematics courses. In addition, when revising the mathematics both in curriculum and the university scholastic ability test, the opinions of professors in charge of basic general mathematics education at universities should be sufficiently reflected to minimize changes in key factors for students to complete basic general mathematics, and it is necessary to provide policy support at the national level for the development and operation of the curriculum for general mathematics education at a college level.

Real-time Online College Writing Teaching Methods to Promote Interaction Between Class Members －Based on the results of analyzing the needs of college students

The purpose of this study is to construct and propose real-time online college writing teaching methods to promote interaction between class members (instructor-learner, learner-learner). Through surveys and interviews with learners who hadn’t experienced real-time, online college writing education, we confirmed that the main perceptions and demands of learners for real-time online classes were as follows: First, the learners’ reluctance to show oneself in such a class and the demand for interaction with minimal online exposure. Second, the burden of writing in an isolated environment and the demand for detailed assistance of instructor’s in the writing process. Third, the reluctance to show the learner’s written text and the demand for receiving sufficient feedback anonymously. Therefore, this study proposed the following three teaching methods: First, a method to ensure learner anonymity to allow learners to participate in classes using a “sub-character” rather than their real names. Second, to conduct a short [lecture-practice-feedback] method, instead of a one-time [lecture-practice] method, was implemented several times in one class. Thirdly, to simultaneously share the learners' practice results through chat windows and to provide multiple types of feedback. This study confirmed that the proposed methods promote interaction between members in an online writing education environment and generate positive teaching and learning effects by reviewing specific class application cases and the learners' responses to these classes.

A Study on the Development of Evaluation Criteria for Quality Management of General Education Curriculum

This study was conducted to develop evaluation criteria to manage and improve the quality of the university's General Education curriculum. To this end, the evaluation area and evaluation criteria for the management of the quality of education were first derived through literature research. The evaluation tool obtained feasibility of feasibility verification and research results through two revised Delphi surveys (N=10). as well as through meetings with practitioners(N=7) in charge of quality management of the liberal curriculum. The results are as follows. First, this study developed a systematic evaluation criteria for the entire curriculum, such as curriculum development, support, operation, performance and improvement, rather than fragmenting the curriculum based on the CIPP evaluation model. Second, this study applied modified Delphi techniques to manage the quality of the General Education curriculum to derive a total of seven sub-items and 17 evaluation criteria. Also, the content feasibility (CVI) and inter-evaluator agreement(IRA) results developed evaluation criteria with a validity score above 0.80. Based on these findings, the university presented measures and implications for managing the quality of the liberal arts curriculum.

A Case Study on the Self-directed English Learning Experiences of Korean College Students Using Self-coaching

The purpose of this study is to analyze the English learning experience of college students using Colaizzi's method, which is one of the qualitative research methods, using self-coaching technology as a tool to improve self-directed learning ability. In-depth interview were conducted to collect data, and 9 significant statements, 4 theme clusters, and 2 categories were derived. The results are as follows. First, it showed that the participants clearly set the reasons and goals for learning English. Second, it was confirmed that they had time to return to the positive motivation they experienced in the past and strengthened their will to overcome difficulties caused by self-coaching. Third, it was reported that they had a valuable experience of asking the questions presented for the first time, and they recollected the feelings of when they happily learned English, thereby gaining new vitality for learning English. Finally, it also showed that they experienced risk factors such as a desire to procrastinate, a desire to give up, and a rush to complete a task due to difficulty in self-control, which could lead to poor learning. Based on these results, it was suggested that self-coaching contributed to the improvement of learning English, the importance of questions, necessary factors when expanding to regular classes, and the expansion of coaching research.

A Study on Performance Diagnosis of College English Courses in General Education after Core Competency-Based Reform －The Case of I University

This study conducted a basic learning performance diagnosis for each College English course falling under the purview of basic general education. In line with the five core competencies of I University, the area of foreign language in basic general education focused on communication competency. This study explored the reactions of students taking College English courses to examine whether each course matched the core competency focused on communication, especially the basic learning competence for English communication skills and experiences acquired through the knowledge provided and what changes were needed in the curriculum to improve students’ English communication competence. Through a survey, educational improvements recognized by students who participated in College English I (reading), College English II (listening), and College English III (speaking) classes were compared and analyzed. The performance diagnosis for the study aimed to measure learning performance obtained through each course and utilize it as a basic mean for improving curricula for College English courses. For performance diagnosis, the Learning Performance Diagnosis Tool developed by the Korea National Institute for General Education’s General Education Standards in 2016 was selected. Diagnosis questions from the areas of “basic learning competency” and “knowledge and experience” were selected, and each question was measured using a 5-point Likert scale. The performance diagnosis survey involved 1,366 of 2,063 students (66.2%) in all three courses. Based on the analysis result, students reported that their English communication competency had improved in each course. This result could be interpreted as indicating that the core competency pursed in the area of foreign language at I University and the direction of education pursued in College English courses were appropriate. However, slightly different from basic learning competence area, the performance indicators relating to class activities questions in knowledge and experience area were found to be lower than that of other questions. During the semester, online and offline classes had been conducted depending on the COVID-19 situation, and it can be assumed that this situation resulted in many inconveniences in terms of utilizing effective class activities where students could interact with the professor and classmates. It also seemed urgent to develop effective non-face-to-face or online class activities to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic era.

A study on untact online class operation －Focusing on 〈Inference and Argumentation〉 classes at University B

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the majority of universities in Korea to switch to untact classes. However, we now expect that untact classes will expand even into the post-coronavirus era. Online learning has advantages when it comes to convenience, connectivity, and accessibility. In addition, many of the students who have experienced untact online classes expect to expand online classes if the qual-ity of the classes is guaranteed. Considering these points, it is necessary for us to seek qualitative improvements in the operation of untact classes.This study examines practical educational strategies and their effects in untact situations using the <Inference and Argumentation> course at University B in Bus-an as an example. The course consisted of pre-recorded video and real-time video classes in parallel every other week. In the pre-video class, students take in theo-retical explanations and conduct example solving activities, and assignments are required. The real-time class consists of the students solving the assignments tog-ether, so that prior learning and the real-time classes are organically linked. In the real-time class, students' problem solving was checked through chatting, enab-ling learners to understand and reinforce their understanding of learning. The eff-ectiveness of this untact class operation is checked through a questionnaire. In the questionnaire, not only the level of improvement in critical and logical thinking skills before and after learning were measured, but also their understanding of pre-recorded video classes. Although this is subjective survey, it is possible for us to gauge how much the learners' academic achievement has improved, as well as the educational efficacy they feel through the untact operation of the course.

Korean University Students' Usage, Awareness and Attitudes Toward ELF

Based on a survey conducted among 77 Korean university students, this article examined their usage and awareness of ELF (English as a Lingua Franca), and observed if problems which previous researches have claimed appeared among them. By analyzing data gathered via 2 simple questions and 4 descriptive questions, this study found that the respondents appreciated English as a basic medium for global communication. The respondents also reported various domestic and foreign situations in which they used English to communicate with different interlocutors who spoke different native languages. However, critical issues, such as ownership of English, idealized attitudes toward Standard English, and bias against the varieties of English spoken, all of which have been reported in several empirical researches, were also detected. As globalization extends throughout all areas of our life, and as L2 speakers excel L1 speakers in number as a result, this article calls for more effort to discuss ELF issues in general English education for university students. It also calls for the development of new pedagogical practices. The findings of this study could provide for a meaningful start in that it looked into the real life situations of the students.

Research Trends in College English Education in Korea －A Topic Analysis Using LDA Topic Modeling

This study investigated the research trends of college English education in Korea from 2001 to 2020. The data was collected using a Biblio data collector and a total of 313 papers were analyzed. For research purposes, the data were analyzed using frequency analysis, LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation), and time series analysis. The summary of the findings is as follows: In the first instance, the number of research papers regarding college English education has increased significantly in quantity for 20 years. Secondly, in analyzing the topics of the chosen papers, a total of 10 topics in college English education were found. The topics were “curriculum and level-differentiated programs (T1)”, “learners’ affective factors (T2)”, “assesment and learning strategies (T3)”, “teachers’ factors (T4)”, “English vocabulary, grammar and writing (T5)”, “English for specific purposes (T6)”, “teaching and learning methods (T7)”, “web-based learning (T8)”, “learner-centered education (T9)”, and “textbook analysis etc. (T10).” Among these topics, the three that were identified as topics increasing in popularity were “learners’ affective factors (T2)”, “English for specific purposes (T6)”, and “learner-centered education (T9).” The topics increasing in popularity shared one key characteristic: the topics were related to learners’ factors such as the learners’ motivation, the learners’ goals, and the learners’ activities in class. This study is meaningful in that it collected a wide range of data related to college English education in Korea and produced more reliable results by using big data-based LDA topic modeling techniques.

The Necessity and Method of Death Education as a Liberal Arts Subject

The purpose of this essay is to create and promote a discourse on how to develop and operate convergence education within the liberal arts. Currently, the liberal arts curriculum is suffering from considerable difficulties caused by the logic of capital that has penetrated into universities. In such a crisis situation, death education can be an important motive for restoring the value of liberal arts. Students must one day face their own death. In the face of existential and ontological death, students are forced to ask the most valuable and meaningful questions in life, and these questions contain the classic essence of the liberal arts.Death has a very complex and multi-layered nature that can not be dealt with only by a single major subject. In order to fully and deeply deal with death, convergence education is needed. As death is a mirror that reflects life as a whole, it is necessary for us to review carefully the various and opposing views and positions on death together. Therefore, rather than having one professor in charge of death education, it is much more effective for many professors with different majors to participate in the lecture as possible. Seen in this light, a lecture on ‘Life and Death’ as an example of convergence education in the liberal arts is presented. By participating in free and open discussion about the problems of life and death without trying to provide only one right answer, students can gain a broader perspective on human beings and the world, as well as have an opportunity to reflect on their own lives and make independent decisions.

A Study on the Strategy of Non-face-to-face Writing Lectures in the Post-Corona Era －Based on PBL-based Thinking and Expression

The liberal arts lecture called “thinking and expression” aims to provide a foundation for improving basic and professional communication skills to be used in universities and societies. However, it is true that “thinking and expression” is being developed as a writing-oriented lecture at each university, and online lectures in the current non-face-to-face situation expose various limitations due to the nature of writing. As a result, the following conclusions were obtained by reviewing the PBL lecture module of K University. First, theory-oriented writing classes do not stimulate students' interest in non-face-to-face situations, and existing writing textbooks also need to be extensively supplemented suitable for non-face-to-face situations. In non-face-to-face situations, writing lectures face contradictions that have no choice but to return to theory rather than practice, so it is imperative to develop online writing lecture modules in the university itself to improve the quality of lectures. Second, discussion classes based on PBLs are a priority to forestall various problems that can occur in non-face-to-face classes. It is important to consider using the video conference platform to facilitate communication between students in non-face-to-face situations as much as possible, but to encourage direct conversation to build intimacy rather than chatting. In order to become a PBL differentiated from the existing group learning, we pay more attention to the problem-solving process itself, and lead cooperative learning to more actively respond to social problems and find practical solutions through the ‘living lab’ method. Third, in non-face-to-face writing, the interaction between students and professors is absolute, and the process of writing and correcting together is important to form communication. Along with real-time lectures using video conferencing platforms, it is very important for professors to continue to show interest in students' writings and feedback them one by one.