Academic Success Rates Research Articles

Saudi Mathematics Students’ Experiences and Challenges with Their Doctoral Supervisors in UK Universities

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the challenges Saudi doctoral students studying in UK universities face with their supervisors, shed light on their experiences, and examine the extent to which these experiences impact their ability to complete their thesis. Furthermore, the aim is to examine the aspects of supervision the students found to be effective during their studies. Background: The overall intention of this article is to provide more information about the experiences and challenges Saudi mathematics students face with their doctoral supervisors in UK universities. Therefore, overcoming these difficulties will enhance the academic success rates of Saudi students, and will help them to complete their studies on time when studying at UK universities. Methodology: This was a multi method project resulting in the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. It started with a questionnaire, which was administered to 300 Saudi doctoral students, 32 of whom subsequently agreed to be interviewed. The sample was randomly selected from doctoral students who were specializing in curricula and methods of teaching mathematics and other related areas. Contribution: This study added information to the literature on Saudi mathematics students’ experiences and challenges with their doctoral supervisors in UK universities. This also represents the first study to be context on this subject within Saudi Arabia. Findings: There are some positive and negative challenges experienced between doctoral students and their supervisors, which are comprised of four main dimensions: team supervision, the supervisory relationship, the elements of effective supervision in their current supervisors, and supervisors’ written feedback. Additionally, based on their experiences, the students stated the specific elements of supervision that were effective, including general knowledge of the research area and research methods, receiving continued support from the supervisory team, and the establishment of regular and realistic deadlines, friendliness, approachability and flexibility, the provision of detailed feedback on students’ work, joint meetings with both first and second supervisors, constructive criticism, and sufficient interest in their research. Recommendations for Practitioners: The stakeholders in Saudi Arabia should take advantage of the answers given by the participants to help those and future students. Furthermore, this study invites doctoral students to solve the challenges they face with their supervisors immediately, in order to be able to complete their thesis on time. Additionally, it is important that university and departmental administrative bodies consider tracking their study paths to better assist students. Furthermore, universities should be clear regarding the different roles and responsibilities of the students and their supervisors before the candidates commence their studies. Recommendation for Researchers: Further research is needed to explore supervisors’ views and experiences, as well as staff supporting and coordinating doctoral programs who may have a more holistic view of the supervisory process. Impact on Society: The study participants’ experiences of their doctoral studies could be highly beneficial for comprehending the problems that confront them when studying, which will enable better assistance to be provided. Future Research: Future studies could be extended to other areas of the education field. Furthermore, particular measures can be implemented to enhance supervision, which could be associated with satisfaction levels and/or the performance of students.

Investigating the Factors Affecting Students’ Smartphone Purchasing Behaviors in the Context of Mobile Learning

Since we are living in the information era, it is highly important that people can reach the desired knowledge whenever required. Mobile devices have become in-dispensable in the everyday lives of humans. The recent developments in the field of technology have affected all sectors as well as the education sector, and have thus increased the importance of mobile learning. However, in order to gain the maximum benefit from mobile learning, it is important to know the specifications of the mobile devices used by the students so that the teaching materials can be prepared accordingly. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the factors that affect students’ choices when they are making the decision to purchase a mobile phone. Differences are observed between countries, as there are differences be-tween students. In this context, when the literature is studied, it is seen that insufficient research has been conducted in many countries, particularly in Northern Cyprus. This study focuses on investigating the factors affecting university students’ mobile phone purchasing behaviors in North Cyprus. Data was collected from 472 voluntary students by using a survey research model. The factors affecting students’ mobile phone purchasing behaviors, such as brand image, price, product/application features, and peer group influence were considered in this study. Consequently, four hypotheses were proposed and only one of these hypotheses was not supported. In other words, brand image, product/application features, and peer group influence were found to be effective factors in students’ choice, while the price seemed not to be an important factor. The most important result of the study was that the smartphones occupy a very important place in students’ everyday lives and they were not affected by price considerations. Therefore, it is thought that these high demands of students for smartphones will be very advantageous in the transition of educational institutions to mobile learning, particularly from the perspective of teachers. It can be said that students’ familiarity with using mobile technologies will affect their motivation positively and this may also positively affect their academic success rates in mobile learning. Therefore, it is hoped that the results obtained in this study will guide teachers in developing countries to prepare their course materials and consequently revise their curriculum in the context of mobile learning.

Supports and Recommendations for Pregnant and Newly Parenting Doctoral Students in Health Professions

ABSTRACTFemale doctoral students with children face significant barriers to successful program completion, leaving programs at higher rates than students without children. This qualitative study (N=28) explored female doctoral students’ experiences with institutional and programmatic supports during their pregnancy and transition to parenthood within social work (n=16) and other professional health care fields (n=12). Results highlight the availability of specific formal supports such as leave of absence, lactation space, and childcare as important. Due to a lack of formal supports, many used informal supports. Finally, recommendations for doctoral programs are provided. Addressing the needs of parenting students may result in beneficial outcomes for both students and institutions by increasing opportunities for academic success and lowering attrition rates.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES MANAGING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF A UNIVERSITY

The article highlights the results of the practical application of modern information and communication technologies in the management of institutions of higher education on the example of the Kyiv National University of Technology and Design (KNUTD). The constituents of the quality management system of educational activity are considered. The subsystems of the automated control system of educational activity of the university have been characterised and analysed. The key elements of the information systems use dare the following electronic databases: students and their academic performance; results of employment; students’ satisfaction with educational programs; distribution of the teaching load; teachers’ performance; learning and teaching resources, facilities, equipment and their cost; other indicators of university activity. In addition to the popular application packages, such as “iZETA”, "The System of Financially-Oriented Management of Higher Education Institutions", and "Anti-Plagiarism", the software products developed by KNUTD are described. Namely, the "Schedule" package allows one to form directories focused on the drawing up of class schedules which are accessible to all divisions. The software "Electronic Journal" provides monitoring of learning outcomes and prompt response to the failure of individual students; it serves for the formation of final control mark sheets, the evaluation of academic success rates of university students, etc. The electronic rating system "RTS rating" is used for the evaluation of research and teaching staff activity according to the results of their work in the reported year. The modular environment of the University's educational process, based on the Moodle distance learning platform, is described. It accumulates the teaching and methodological support necessary for conducting educational activities. The results of the research are of practical value since the implementation of the considered software products is capable of improving the quality and effectiveness of the management of educational activities of higher education institutions.

The Impact of Teaching the Subject “Pressure” with STEM Approach on the Academic Achievements of the Secondary School 7th Grade Students and Their Attitudes Towards STEM

The objective of this study is to determine the effect of a teaching module on the topic of pressure, developed with STEM approach, on the academic achievements of the students as well as on their attitudes towards STEM. The study employed the explanatory sequential design, as one of of mixed method research designs. On the quantitative aspect of the study, a pre-test and post-test control group, quasi-experimental design was used, while phenomenological design was utilized for qualitative aspects. The sample group of the research comprises of 33 7 th grade students studying in a village school located in a district of one of the metropolitan municipalities in Turkey for the Spring Semester of the 2017-2018 school year. A STEM education approach was used in the experimental group for teaching the subject of “Pressure” while utilizing the approach as stipulated in the curriculum for the control group. An academic achievement test, an attitude scale for STEM, semi-structured interviews, and the student diaries are the data collection tools used in the study. A significant difference was found between the experimental group and the control group, with the former showing increased academic achievement over the latter in the research. A significant difference was also found between the experimental group and the control group, with the former showing more positive attitudes towards STEM than were shown by the latter. The opinions of the students on STEM education were analyzed in order to study the results obtained from quantitative data. Five themes – feelings and opinions, positive aspects, skills gained, features and problems faced, and the learning process were obtained—as well as 26 codes—with the content analysis of semi-structured interviews and students’ diaries. It was concluded that involving STEM-based implementations in teaching the subject “Pressure” increased the academic success rate and attitude scores of students while helping the students to develop positive perceptions of STEM education. In future studies, certain influences of STEM education implementations, such as self-confidence of students, the ability to present creative solutions, communication skills, for example, may be studied.

A política de reestruturação das universidades federais e a instituição de modelos formativos inovadores

No ano de 2007 foi instituído no Brasil, por meio do Decreto nº 6.096, o Programa de Apoio aos Planos de Reestruturação e Expansão das Universidades Federais brasileiras, conhecido como REUNI. Entre seus principais objetivos estavam os de expandir o número de vagas no ensino superior público, elevar as taxas de conclusão e diminuir a evasão dos cursos. Um pouco antes do REUNI, a Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp) já tinha dado início a um processo de expansão e posteriormente aderiu ao programa, ampliando ainda mais o número de cursos, vagas e campi.Paralelamente aos cursos que tradicionalmente oferecia, a universidade implantou novos e com distintos modelos formativos, dentre eles, os chamados bacharelados interdisciplinares (BI). Tendo em vista esse panorama, este artigo analisa os diferentes modelos formativos da Unifesp a fim de compreender em que medida favorecem a permanência e a conclusão de seus estudantes. Para tanto, foram analisados dados referentes à matrícula, coeficiente de rendimento, taxa de evasão e taxa de sucesso acadêmico nos diferentes modelos formativos. A análise mostra que modelos alternativos por si sós não ampliam a permanência e a conclusão e não melhoram os rendimentos acadêmicos dos estudantes, inclusive nos BI. Ao fim, recomenda-se conhecer melhor o perfil e atender de forma mais adequada às necessidades básicas dos novos estudantes.

Assessing academic success rate and related factors among the students.

INTRODUCTION:One of the main criteria for students’ merit in their study process and reaching the graduation step, is academic success. Therefore, identifying related factors can help the improvement of academic success rate. The aim of this study was to examine the academic success and related factors among the students of University of Tehran.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This cross-sectional study was done on 384 students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Samples were selected through stratified sampling method. Data were collected through questionnaires of academic success scale 39 that reliability and validity of that were confirmed. Data analysis was done through SPSS18 software. Descriptive statistics and independent t-test, and correlation coefficient were performed at significance level of 0.05.RESULTS:The mean academic success was 108.87 (standard deviation [SD] = 10.63) (69.78% of total score). The mean academic success in male was 110.04 (SD = 11.75) and in female was 108.20 (SD = 9.91). Independent t-test results indicate that there is a significant statistical relationship between marital status and the academic success (P < 0.05). The Pearson correlation test results showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between average with academic success (r = 0.17, P = 0.001).CONCLUSION:Considering the effect of demographic variables on the academic success rate, academic success rate can be improved by planning to improve these factors.

Perception of Teacher Support by Students in Vocational Education and Its Associations with Career Adaptability and Other Variables

Background. Children and adolescents currently spend a great deal of time at school and teachers are viewed as a source of social support in different areas of their personal development, such as their career adaptability. Objective. To provide insight into the way students in secondary vocational education perceive teacher support and to explore the association between perceived teacher support, career adaptability, and other demographic and academic variables. Design. A questionnaire battery with two main tools, the Teacher Support Scale and the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, was the data collection method. Subjects were students in the last year of full-time study at public secondary vocational schools and vocational upper-secondary schools. The sample comprised 3,028 participants aged 18–26. Result. Students perceived the support of their teachers quite positively, with the difference between boys and girls not being statistically significant. The satisfaction of the student with the field of study, academic performance, and satisfaction with the academic success rate predict the perception of teacher support. The level of perceived teacher support positively correlates with students’ overall career adaptability, as well as with all the dimensions of career adaptability, and is also a significant predictor. Conclusion. Both key concepts, teacher support and career adaptability, have the potential to attract the attention of psychologists working in the educational system.

Analysis of factors potentially associated with nursing students' academic outcomes: A thirteen-year retrospective multi-cohort study

BackgroundLow academic success rates lead to fewer than the required number of nurses entering the national health systems, impacting on the supply of nurses and with negative consequences for global health care since low nurse-to-patient ratios are associated with an increase of patients' adverse outcomes. ObjectivesThis study was mainly aimed at documenting any of the academic outcomes' potential predictors among Nursing Degree Program (NDP) students' characteristics. DesignA retrospective multi-cohort study was conducted. Participants and SettingTen cohorts of nursing students enrolled in a central Italy university were involved. MethodsQualitative and quantitative data on entry characteristics and academic outcomes were retrieved, observing retrospectively 10 cohorts of Italian nursing students for 13 academic years (2004–2017).Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess if potential predictors reporting a p-value < 0.05 in univariate analyses were independently related to academic outcomes. ResultsA total of 2278 students were enrolled in this study. Multivariate analyses showed that ‘female gender’, ‘having attended classical or scientific upper-secondary school’, and ‘having higher upper-secondary diploma grade’ were associated both with the qualitative outcomes (graduation within the legal duration of NDP) and the quantitative ones (final degree exam grade). The weight of the ‘admission-test score’ in explaining the variance of academic performances was very low (β = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.05) compared to the ‘upper-secondary diploma grade’ (β = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.12 to 0.16). ConclusionsThis evidence should lead to a reflection on the entry-selection methods for NDP, especially in those countries such as Italy, where these methods are essentially based on the entry-test, which in this study was shown to have a very low predictive power for academic outcomes.

Learning and Study Strategies among First-Year Students at a South African University: A Mixed Methods Study

South African higher education is plagued by low academic success rates. Academic development and support units can play an important role in addressing low academic success rates by assisting students in developing appropriate learning and study strategies. Limited information is available on students’ learning and study strategy profiles and their needs regarding intervention programmes. This article reports on a mixed methods study that investigated learning and study strategies among a sample of first-year students enrolled at a South African university. Quantitative data, collected using the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) from a sample of first-year students, pointed to an urgent need for learning and study strategy intervention programmes to be provided. The qualitative data offered a more in-depth understanding of participants’ needs regarding learning and study strategy intervention programmes. Implications for practice and avenues for further research are discussed.

An Assessment of the Academic Impact of Shock Society Members.

Professional society membership enhances career development and productivity by offering opportunities for networking and learning about recent advances in the field. The quality and contribution of such societies can be measured in part through the academic productivity, career status, and funding success rates of their members. Here, using Scopus, NIH RePORTER, and departmental websites, we compare characteristics of the Shock Society membership to those of the top 55 NIH-funded American university and hospital-based departments of surgery. Shock Society members' mean number of publications, citations and H-indices were all significantly higher than those of non-members in surgery departments (P < 0.001). A higher percentage of members also have received funding from the NIH (42.5% vs. 18.5%, P < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated that members were more likely to have NIH funding compared with non-members (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.12-1.916). Trauma surgeons belonging to the Shock Society had a higher number of publications and greater NIH funding than those who did not (130.4 vs. 42.7, P < 0.001; 40.4% vs. 8.5%, P < 0.001). Aggregate academic metrics from the Shock Society were superior to those of the Association for Academic Surgery and generally for the Society of University Surgeons as well. These data indicate that the Shock Society represents a highly academic and productive group of investigators. For surgery faculty, membership is associated with greater academic productivity and career advancement. While it is difficult to ascribe causation, certainly the Shock Society might positively influence careers for its members.

Transitioning From On-Campus to Online in a Master of Science Nursing Program: a Comparative Study of Academic Success

ABSTRACTThis comparative study examined the academic success rates of online graduate nursing students by comparing final grades to the on-campus cohort of graduate nursing students prior to the program transitioning online. Analysis was conducted by identifying and comparing final course grades in 4 required Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) courses over a period of 6 years. Five key themes related to online student success are discussed, including the need for graduate nursing MSN programs to transition to an online format, barriers to online learning, comprehensive program evaluation of an online degree program, online student retention approaches, and exploration of whether online students have been shown to be as academically successful as on-campus students. Results reveal that both cohorts of course delivery modes yield academically successful MSN students and both course delivery modes are providing the MSN program with almost equal pass rates by the students taking the required core courses.

A multi-method assessment of study strategies in higher education students with an autism spectrum disorder

Recent research shows that the number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attending higher education (HE) is increasing. However, their academic success rates and chances of graduating are lower than reported for typically developing peers. Combining a self-report study- attitude and -strategies inventory and empirical think-aloud protocols, this study is the first to use a multi-method design to try and explain these differences in first-year undergraduates with and without ASD.It was investigated whether, compared to typical controls, HE students with ASD find it more difficult to glean relevant information from their study material, have poorer academic-planning and purposeful-acting skills and are metacognitively less proficient.No group differences were found for motivation, fear of failure or time management. The undergraduates with ASD did have more problems selecting relevant information from study materials than their typical peers and knew and used fewer relevant study strategies.The results presented relate to the three dominant explanatory models of ASD. They contribute to the available evidence and to a profile of HE students with ASD detailing their academic strengths and weaknesses, allowing student guidance protocols to be tailored to their specific needs. Recommendations for such protocols are given.

Yarning about cultural safety in midwifery practice for Aboriginal women

Rates of academic success of Indigenous students compared to other students continues to be significantly lower in many first world countries. Professional development activities for academics can be used to promote teaching, learning and support approaches that value Indigenous worldviews. However, there are few valid and reliable tools that measure the effect of academic development strategies on awareness of cultural safety.To develop and validate a self-report tool that aims to measure nursing and midwifery academics' awareness of cultural safety.This study followed a staged model for tool development. This included: generation of items, content validity testing and expert Indigenous cultural review, administration of items to a convenience sample of academics, and psychometric testing. An online survey consisting of demographic questions, Awareness of Cultural Safety Scale (ACSS), and awareness of racism items was completed by academics undertaking a professional development program on cultural safety.Ratings by experts revealed good content validity with an index score of 0.86. The 12-item scale demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha of 0.87). An evaluation of construct validity through factor analysis generated three factors with sound internal reliability: Factor 1 (Cultural Application, Cronbach's alpha = .85), Factor 2 (Cultural Support, Cronbach's alpha = .70) and Factor 3 (Cultural Acknowledgement, Cronbach's alpha = .85). The mean total scale score was 46.85 (SD 7.05, range 31–59 out of a possible 60). There was a significant correlation between scores on the Awareness of Cultural Safety Scale and awareness of racism scores (r = .461, p = .002).Awareness of cultural safety is underpinned by principles of respect, relationships, and responsibility. Results indicated the ACSS was valid and reliable. Completion of the scale aimed to foster purposeful consideration by nursing and midwifery academics about their perceptions and approaches to teaching in order to improve Indigenous student success.

Educação intercultural. Teorias, políticas e práticas de pluralismo cultural no sistema de ensino italiano

Resumo No contexto italiano, a pesquisa no âmbito da educação e a prática intercultural estão estruturadas, essencialmente, ao longo de dois eixos principais: a) em primeiro lugar, uma abordagem de educação intercultural visa identificar, planejar e experimentar as estratégias mais adequadas para promover uma inserção efetiva dos alunos estrangeiros na escola e na sociedade. Isso também exige a consecução das condições para assegurar que todos os indivíduos (autóctones e imigrantes) alcancem os mesmos níveis de sucesso escolar; b) em segundo lugar, uma vez que a educação intercultural se estende a todos e, especialmente, aos autóctones, assumir essa perspectiva significa atuar na tarefa fundamental de incentivar hábitos de acolhida entre os italianos. Isso pode e deve ter consequências na revisão e na reformulação do sistema educacional, que não deve estar voltado somente para a formação do cidadão italiano, mas, acima de tudo, do cidadão do mundo, que vive e trabalha em um contexto global interdependente.

The Effect of Active Learning Techniques on Class Teacher Candidates’ Success Rates and Attitudes toward their Museum Theory and Application Unit in their Visual Arts Course

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect that using active learning techniques during museum and gallery visits has on teacher candidates’ academic success rates in and attitudes toward their Visual Arts Course. In this study, the importance and requirement of education to take place in museums and art galleries is emphasized. The research was conducted during the fall term of 4th year students’ 2013-2014 academic in the Visual Arts Education course of Ataturk University’s Kazim Karabekir School of Education’s School Teaching Art Education Department. The present study had a semi-experimental design, included an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30), and used pretest and posttest measures. Semi-experimental pattern’s pretest – posttest test control group model were preferred in this study, realized by using a combined method research. In this study, realized by using a combined method research, semistructured interview forms were used to obtain the qualitative data. Sixty 4th year teacher candidates studying in the School Teaching Department participated in the research. As the result of the research, it was observed that museums and art galleries have positive effects on teacher candidates’ attitudes toward active learning.

IMPACT OF A RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT GROUP ON STUDENTS INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS

Together with the increasing pace of modern society and technological improvements, it appears that students’ psychological needs, complaints and methods of communication have also changed. At the University of Pretoria (UP) between January and October 2012 the most frequent problems presented at Division Student Support (DSS) were stress, anxiety and depression relating to academic, personal and particularly interpersonal relationships. Unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships appeared to have a detrimental impact on academic performance, which could culminate in the termination of studies. This highlighted the need for more effective psychotherapeutic interventions to improve communication and interpersonal relationships. Traditional psychotherapeutic approaches no longer appeared to be as effective. Increasing numbers of students suggested group intervention as opposed to individual psychotherapy. It was postulated that a semi-structured relationships development group (RDG) grounded in the inter-psychic approach could address the contemporary needs of students. Such a group of seven UP students was formed in April 2013. Initial findings based on the feedback from these group members show the semi-structured RDG to be an impactful and effective short-term psychotherapeutic tool to improve the quality of communication and interpersonal relationships of students at South African institutions of higher education. This would allow students who may be at risk of academically underperforming to improve their academic results and in doing so improve the academic success and throughput rates at South African institutions of higher education. Further research is advocated to verify these findings at other South African institutions of higher education.

Sandwich Courses In Higher Education: From Transmitting Knowledge To Building Regional Brand—Lessons Learned From the Corsica-Region University-Sponsored Placements &amp; Careers Service [CFA UNIV] Experience

Long confined to early pre-tertiary school-leaver training and often synonymous with academic failure, sandwich training has experienced a remarkable turnaround, debunking common misconceptions and gaining ground in higher education. Sandwich training improves academic success rates and school-to-work transition prospects, making it both a pathway to excellence and a gateway into employment by keeping a clear tack in the face of social–economic headwinds—especially for young graduates. The factors involved are primarily educationdriven (academic success, best-in-class graduates, etc.), but where sandwich training really floats is in the job market, by co-potentializing both school-to-work transition and employability. The Corsica-region University-sponsored Placements & Apprenticeships Service [CFA UNIV], as regional leader in post-secondary sandwich placement (65% of sandwichplacement students in Corsica), is therefore structurally engaged as a facilitator of the islandwide economy, providing business and industry with a pipeline of core skillsets while readying them to rise to tomorrow’s economic and human resources challenges. This paper attempts to highlight this very real trajectory by reporting the lessons learned from Corsica-region CFA UNIV experience.

Prática desportiva e sucesso escolar de moças e rapazes no ensino secundário

The objective of the study was to identify the relationship between sport and academic success of young attending secondary school. A sample of 831 (9.5%) students were surveyed through a questionnaire, 490 girls (59%) and 341 boys (41%) of Madeira, Portugal. In general, the results show that girls have a higher academic achievement than boys. Female athletes have school failure rates significantly lower than boys, particularly at the federated sector. The academic success of young that play sports in school sector is no different from students who play sports in federated sector. The sports most practiced by young students were football, basketball and volleyball. However, the sport was not a variable that was associated with the change in rates of academic success of students.

A Learning Leverage: Peer Instruction

The general aim of our research is to develop a system and its underlying methodology to improve the academic success of undergraduate students. The system includes specific educational and social components. Therefore in this study we narrate a pilot study, which plays a crucial role in the accomplishment of our main goal. The pilot program is offered on voluntary basis as opposed to compulsory courses. The program is composed of a compact course besides scientific and cultural events. The program is run by undergraduate students, they also lecture, conduct problem solving sessions, laboratories and discussion hours. The course covers introductory calculus and physics as well as biology, chemistry and social sciences. The program is enriched by specifically chosen movies, which supports analytical and critical thinking skills. The follow up discussions held after selected movie screenings are designed to support the critical thinking faculties of the students. Several instruments that are used to measure the effectiveness of this study demonstrate a significant increase in academic success rate of participants. The comparative success analysis over three years reveals the increase in the academic success rate of the participants. According to evaluation exam of a compatible course, the passing rate of participants remains consistently in the 25% portion of the success chart. The involvement of students both in designing and executing the program is the main factor of success and we report that the utilization of such studies affect the academic success rates of undergraduate students.