Analysis Of Course Evaluations Research Articles

Educating future managers for a culturally diverse workspace: Using course as a living laboratory

Society is increasingly becoming multicultural, with more pressure to improve the quality of intercultural interactions. Higher education institutions are experiencing internationalization through increased mobility of students and faculty, which creates the need to manage diversity with the imperative of smoothing communication, reducing stress and making studying and working in a multicultural environment more efficient. Employers also dictate a need to educate culturally competent professionals, who are capable of succeeding in a globalized environment characterized by increased workforce mobility and international assignments. Intercultural competences discourse has a long track with researchers and practitioners, without any agreement on its definition or measurement, but with a clear message that cultural diversity will not result in increased intercultural competences. In this paper, intercultural competences are viewed as a transversal learning outcome, considering the increasing internationalization of higher education institutions. The research is qualitative in nature, based on the analysis of course evaluations and an open-ended survey. This study used a purposeful sample of current and former students who have been exposed to a diverse intercultural environment while studying at an international business school in Sweden. Based on the findings, a course design is suggested where exposure to cultural diversity is guided and facilitated by bringing students to collaborate in an assignment-driven context, with a culturally diverse group composition. Lecture-based components of the course are balanced with the addition of a component of self-reflection assignment, providing both culturally specific and general knowledge, thus contributing to the ability to extrapolate the experience on future intercultural encounters.

Implementation and evaluation of a longitudinal multisession interprofessional education course designed for foundational learners

Abstract Implementation of introductory IPE learning experiences can be designed to develop a basic understanding of IPE using a variety of learning experiences that can nurture shared values for health professionals. The aim of this paper is to describe the development, implementation and evaluation of a longitudinal, multisession introductory IPE course designed for learners from multiple professions. Evaluation of the longitudinal multiple-session course was conducted using the Interprofessional Collaboration Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) and annual student and facilitator evaluations. Analysis of course evaluations suggested attainment of course objectives, and the ICCAS on average showed a significant increase from pre-to-post self-assessment. This longitudinal, multiple-day, interprofessional foundational course met the course objectives and students gained a greater appreciation of IPE for over 1000 first-year students. Key lessons learned in this implementation include the importance of designing a curriculum based on real-world examples involving activities rather than simply discussion and of facilitator preparation and selection. Sustainability over seven-years has been achieved by embedding the curriculum into existing uni-professional curriculum and through on-going engagement and shared ownership by the participating programs.

Integrated Gross Anatomy and Histology (GRISTO): Benefits and Challenges for Students and Faculty Integrating Anatomical Sciences within a Traditional Curriculum Structure

Health professional programs often employ integration as a tool for emphasizing connections between disciplines and enhancing transfer of learned information. At the course level, integration provides unique opportunities for instructors to teach collaboratively and target learning objectives at the intersection of different disciplinary areas. This study describes our experiences and outcomes building and managing course‐level integration in a discipline‐based curriculum structure.In 2012, we started a new model of teaching Gross Anatomy and Histology for dental students at the University of Iowa. After many years of teaching these two courses separately we resolved to integrate them with the goals of: 1) Reducing intellectual burden for students by teaching related content together in time, 2) Decreasing student contact hours in an over‐full curriculum, 3) Alleviating assessment stress/fatigue by combining examinations, and 4) Enhancing our students' ability to observe anatomy holistically at the macro and micro levels and empowering them to do this in their daily lives and chosen careers.To achieve this, several curriculum innovations were employed. These included rotating dissection/peer teaching, virtual histology lab experiences, frequent low‐stakes assessment, computerized examinations, and skilled use of the online learning management system.Furthermore, both courses were fully resequenced to maximize opportunities for integration between subjects. We will discuss topics that are challenging to integrate and topics which benefit particularly from a combined Anatomy/Histology presentation.Results of this multi‐year study include analysis of course evaluations, student surveys and examination outcomes. Students were strongly in favor of this change, commenting specifically on how the integrated course had positively impacted their daily schedule by substantially reducing hours per student over the semester. Ninety‐five percent of students indicated that they preferred the organizational structure of the integrated course compared to their experiences in other non‐integrated courses. This positive student satisfaction result was coupled with unchanged or improved course performance. Faculty reflection yielded many additional observations including benefits to our teaching team members who have grown from their single disciplines into a second area of expertise.The process of integrating these subjects was difficult and not all outcomes were strongly positive. In particular, delivering this type of course in a very traditional curriculum structure was challenging and required long‐term cooperation with the curriculum committee before, during and after the course change. Developing students' abilities to organize their time and thoughts for a large combined course also should not be overlooked. Finally, finding the balance between these two demanding disciplines is an ongoing process with small refinements necessary each year.This presentation will demonstrate best‐practices for integration within the anatomical sciences, with specific recommendations for dentistry and when working within the confines of a non‐integrated curriculum structure.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Looking Outside Health Care to Teach Innovation in Physical Therapy Business Practice: Use of Harvard Business School Cases at Emory University

Background and Purpose. With profound changes in health care and the need for innovation to deliver exceptional value to patients receiving physical therapy, it is incumbent that students are prepared to look outside health care to adopt business practices from other industries and foster innovation as they begin to practice physical therapy. The purpose of this paper is to describe how the case-based analysis of Harvard Business School (HBS) cases from a variety of industries was implemented to teach business disciplines and promote innovative thinking in Doctor of Physical Therapy students at Emory University. Method/Model Description and Evaluation. The process for developing the course including course content and objectives, pedagogical, methods, student assessment including course evaluation and alumni survey at Emory University is described in this study. In addition, quantitative and qualitative analysis of students' course evaluation outcomes has been described in this paper. Outcomes. A total of 57 students participated in the elective course over the past 4 academic years. Class participation, written assignments, and quantitative analysis of course evaluations indicate that students agree the course objectives were met. Qualitative analysis of anonymous student comments revealed core themes of innovative course format and innovative learning, showing that the course instilled an innovation mindset in our students. Finally, 94% of course alumni survey respondents agreed that the course created an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset that impacted their practice of physical therapy. Discussion and Conclusion. We successfully introduced a course in a physical therapist education program to include training in innovation using HBS cases. To deliver exceptional value to patients receiving physical therapy, we must innovate. Thus, preparation of physical therapist practitioners who can innovate is critical to achieve our vision of optimizing movement to improve human experience and thereby transform society.

Embedded Peer Inquiry Specialists: A Gateway to Information Literacy

Peer-assisted learning has been embraced by higher education as a way to boost student success. At the same time, academic librarians have found embedded librarianship to be an effective way to develop students' information literacy skills. The embedded librarianship model, however, is difficult to scale. The UCLA Library is testing a program that combines embedded librarianship with peer learning to solve some of the challenges associated with those models.The program works by embedding a student who has completed a General Education (GE) lecture course back into the current year's course to help students with research and writing assignments. The embedded student, called an "Inquiry Specialist,” is nominated by that course's faculty. The program launched in 2015 in five courses that serve a total of 830 students. Assessment is ongoing and includes: 1. IRB-approved study that will compare data (grades, retention, first-generation status, etc.) from students who connected with an Inquiry Specialist with those who did not; 2. Information literacy pre- and post-assessments; 3. Analysis of course evaluations; 4. Student survey.Results indicate that the combined model is an effective and scalable gateway to information literacy. During the first six weeks of Fall, 830 students (15% of the freshman class) attended a 40-minute library orientation. Approximately 20% of the 830 students subsequently sought additional help from the Inquiry Specialists. An analysis of course evaluations demonstrated that students in courses with an Inquiry Specialist rated their improvement in library and research skills 25% and 19% higher, respectfully, than students in courses without an Inquiry Specialist. Student scores on the information literacy quiz increased by an average of 9%. When surveyed, 68% of students said the Inquiry Specialists were “Very Helpful” (36%) or “Helpful” (34%). Plans are underway to double the size of the program in the 2016-17 academic year.

Bringing Relevance, Applicability and Engagement into 1st Year B.Com Curricula

Most B.Com degrees, recognising the fundamental role of information and communication technology (ICT) in business and society, require students to take an introductory course in Information Systems (IS). Most IS courses offered to first year B.Com students are simply introductory courses originally designed for intended IS majors. These provide a broad, but arguably superficial introduction to the various elements of ICT, failing to situate technology within the modern business world or everyday life of the average B.Com student. Students inevitably treat the course simply as a requirement for graduation, and take little of value with them either into their university or working life. Taking accessibility of content, relevance and real world application as a departure point, an introductory IS course was radically redesigned, moving away from chapter-based textbook coverage. Instead, an integrated theme-based approach guiding students from engaged reflection on personal information systems towards an understanding of the impact of ICT in business and society has been developed. With typical enrolment ranging between 550 and 750 students, a learning management system with forum participation and online quizzes, small group tutorials, guided self-study tasks and informal social networking was central to the redesign. This paper examines the motivation and rationale behind the course redesign. Preliminary data analysis of course evaluations, lecturer interviews and focus groups from the first action research cycle is presented. Early results and anecdotal evidence suggest higher levels of student participation, deeper engagement with concepts and content, and increased interest in IS as a major.

An evaluation of the Team‐Teach behaviour support training programme in New Zealand

This study examines the perceptions of teachers and other professionals of Team‐Teach behaviour support training in New Zealand. Analysis of course evaluations, questionnaires, interviews and documents provide the findings. Comparisons are made with Team‐Teach training in the UK and similarities and differences between New Zealand training providers are reported. The article concludes with some recommendations for improving Team‐Teach training in New Zealand.

A winning merger: when entry-level and continuing education courses get together

In this short report the viability of providing the same course to entry-level and continuing education students is examined. The analysis of course evaluations, responses to a survey six months later, and the instructor's narrative indicated that the course was successful for both sets of students. Survey responses from the seven students and 11 practitioners revealed that both groups benefited from the combined format, and suggested methods for improvement in delivery. As demands for continuing education to meet the college's regulatory requirements increase and university budgets decrease, the potential to provide enhanced learning in this format is worthy of further research. Copyright © 2000 Whurr Publishers Ltd.

The grid that bridges the gap

Since the introduction of the Diploma in Higher Education in Nursing Studies (Dip HE NS) at this Faculty, course evaluations have consistently reported students’ fears and apprehensions which result from their perceived lack of practical ability. Their experiences are supported by accounts from other nursing faculty (Elkan et al. 1993, Jowett & Walton 1994). In 1994, following analysis of course evaluations and a review of the literature on skill acquisition, experiential skills teaching was resumed within the faculty setting. This was after a period in the late 1980s when the cultural thinking was that ‘practice suites’ were to be frowned upon, and that skills were best taught in practice placements. Despite rigorous literature reviews (Love et al. 1989, Knight 1996) there appears to be no research to support the dismantling of practice suites.A structured approach to teaching skills now takes place in a purpose built Skills Centre. The approach used is based on a model by Gentile (1972), which is founded upon the theoretical principles of skill acquisition. It provides a blueprint for the teaching and transference of skills, and implicit in the model is the use of skill analysis. This involves demonstration of a skill by the facilitator, followed by analysis of it by the student into its component parts; this is followed by practise.The authors were concerned, however, that the use of skill analysis to teach skills should not be reduced to a presentation of a succession of isolated tasks. The authors were also aware that a nursing skill often has a tendency to be viewed purely within the psychomotor domain, with little attention paid to the knowledge base which underpins the skill. This viewpoint may contribute to the notion of a theory–practice gap.In response to these concerns, the authors have developed the Skill Grid. The grid incorporates skill analysis with Carper’s theoretical framework: Fundamental Ways of Knowing (Carper 1975). The authors believe that knowledge which exemplifies nursing practice has many dimensions, and that it is crucial for students to explore the derivation of knowledge from an ontological perspective. Carper’s framework will enable consideration of knowledge originating not only from empirical, but also aesthetic, personal and ethical sources. An essential feature of the grid is the attempt to link knowledge with practice by demonstrating how Carper’s framework, which identifies sources of knowledge, can form the basis for the acquisition of skill. The authors have also incorporated problem-based learning into their teaching, so that the skills are practised within a patient/client orientated situation.