Classroom Experience For Students Research Articles

Assessing Effects of Government Funding on University Policy- An Institutional Theory Perspective

Over the past 80 years’ university administrators have exhibited flexibility in their responses to evolving government funding patterns. One possible factor in these changes is the consequences of policy decisions at the federal and state government levels that have resulted in institution wide policy decisions in colleges and universities. These policy decisions have affected department policies and faculty member behaviors. Utilizing institutional Theory allows a discussion of the effect that government policy decisions have on responses within the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In this manner, Institutional Theory can be used to discuss how university administrative decisions have affected instruction in the United States—a case that can illuminate on policy and governance in HEIs across the globe and the implications these issues have on infusing critical thinking in higher education pedagogy. In the case of the US presented in this study, government funding patterns of the past 60 years have resulted in university policy decisions that have adversely affected the classroom experiences of students and created environments that do not elicit the same level of thinking from students. Being aware of the cascading effects of these patterns can help key stakeholders in universities to adjust policies to improve instruction and student thinking patterns.

Incorporating a REIT Module to an Undergraduate Capstone Course: An Experiential Education Approach

This paper describes the pedagogical approach of incorporating a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) module in an undergraduate finance major capstone course at Florida Gulf Coast University, a regional comprehensive 4-year university. The module consists of two class periods and requires research of publicly-traded REITs using industry accepted sources of data, empirical and qualitative data analysis, and preparation of written and oral presentations that receive academic and practitioner feedback. The assignment aligns with experiential learning theory and the constructivism learning theory found in research in that it incorporates experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and active learning combined with the participation of guest speakers and judges who serve as external validators enhancing the student classroom experience.

Capturing Dis/Comfort and Navigating Transformation in the Gender Studies Classroom

Creating a positive classroom experience for students can be a challenge, especially when teaching a contested topic such as gender studies. Teaching and learning gender is teaching and learning against the grain, which can lead to feelings of comfort and discomfort among students. The objective is to capture different manifestations of dis/comfort and transformation within the classroom by presenting a case based on gender studies. The study builds on course evaluations collected between 2009 and 2019. The findings reveal three appearances of dis/comfort: inexplicit manifestations, explicit manifestations, and a transformation stage in which the experienced dis/comfort operates as a steppingstone leading to possible change through affective dissonance. We suggest that discomfort can be mitigated by openly discussing resistance and by giving students more autonomy over course assessment and lecture content but without watering down the curricula. Thus, it is possible to navigate transformation and reduce compliancy with the ruling regime.

The Prospect and Introspection of Technology Educational Innovation

The development and popularization of online classroom is an inevitable trend given the tremendous progress of science and technology and the advent of 5G information era. In this special period, if possible, most of the offline classes are converted to online classes, using tablets or computers for online classes. Online classes are divided into video class and live class, which provides convenience and security. However, online classroom is limited by factors, such as low efficiency and the fact thar teachers can’t supervise students’ actual situation. Thus, the gradual popularization of virtual reality (VR) classroom has slowly improved the immersive classroom experience of students and teachers. This paper attempts to analyze the problems existing in students’ online classroom learning in the special period, and whether the interaction between teachers and students can improve the classroom efficiency. VR classroom provides more benefits, and at the same time, this new teaching mode comes with improved basic equipment required by VR classroom. Traditionally, library is the obvious choice for students to look for additional information and references, which is however not a convenient option at present. The emergence of mobile online library has undoubtedly made learning easier. The research may help to study the influence of the development of science and technology on the real education mode.

Impact of Digitized Instructional Materials in Teaching Phonology in the New Normal

Audio-visual learning materials can be considered effective tools in enriching the classroom experience for students by giving them the complete experience of observing the situations and processes in a speech class. The study attempts to determine the utilization of digitized instructional materials on students’ speaking skills. Specifically, it aims to assess the level of mastery of the students’ speaking skill in terms of vowel and consonant sounds and speaking patterns, analyze the problems encountered by the respondents during the utilization of Digitized Instructional Material in speech class, and prepare digitized instructional material in order to improve the speaking skill of the students. The descriptive research method was used to gather the needed data for the study. The results of the study revealed that the majority of the respondents displayed a good performance in the production of vowel and consonant sounds. The production of rhythm and intonation patterns were classified in the mastery level. It showed that the DIM had a great impact on the speech production of the respondent as they were classified in the mastery level. As recommended, the Digitized Instructional Material in speech class is highly recommended to be used by the learners as production of correct sounds in English classes sometimes is not anymore observed.

MICHAEL GOVE’S HERITAGE: SCHOOL GOVERNANCE REFORM

This article examines the nature and effects of the radical reforms to English school governance since 2010, the year in which a Coalition Government, led by the Conservative Party, came to power in the UK, and Michael Gove was ­appointed Secretary of State for Education for England, a post he occupied for four formative years of Education reform. These governance reforms were part of a much wider programme of change, arguably fundamental in the sense that they have affected the classroom experiences of students directly. This programme encompassed changes to the curriculum, the assessment of children (and, by proxy, teachers and schools), the initial training and assessment of teachers and, eventually, school inspection, with the most recent revised Ofsted Inspection Framework governing inspections in use from September 2019 (Ofsted 2019).
 Nevertheless, governance changes provide the framework through which all educational change in the future can be conceived, considered, interpreted, implemented and realised with students. So although all the above changes are identified with Gove, the changes to governance, often still badged as ‘academisation’, may be argued to be the most fundamental and the basis for considering future change and, indeed, Gove’s heritage. No one policy maker controls the complete process of change and its development, of course, one of the features of ‘complexity’, and it is argued here that the methods of realising governance reform in England have severely constrained future choices of direction.

Connecting with STEM and Immunology in the Classroom – the importance of Role Modelling

Abstract Connecting young people with STEM and Immunology within the classroom setting can be a challenge. Outreach education and knowledge translation efforts can be supported by appropriate Role Modelling and Contextualisation for students and young people. The purpose of this work was to support improved interest and engagement by young Pacific students within a STEM related context, within the classroom setting using an Immunology based in-class teaching focus. Pacific students remain underrepresented in STEM and health related subjects and courses. An outreach education STEM based knowledge translational programme was specifically designed for Pacific students aged 10–12 years (Year 7 & 8) by an external organisation, and included an outreach activity contribution by a female Pacific Biomedical Scientist. Context specific STEM related Immunology content was shared with the Pacific students in the form of cancer related research work and was targeted to the 10–12 year age group. The growing burden of cancer remains a significant concern for Pacific Peoples living in New Zealand and the Pacific Region. Student feedback in verbal and written form indicated this in-class session was very well received. Students engaged well with the in-class question and answer session involving the Pacific Biomedical Scientist and expressed interest in considering STEM as possible subject options. The importance of appropriate Role Modelling and Contextualization of STEM associated Immunology based teaching in the Classroom in supporting positive and constructive classroom experiences for students, was reinforced by the feedback and interactions outlined in this work.

Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition by Vincent Tinto

Reviewed by: Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition by Vincent Tinto John M. Braxton Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition Vincent Tinto Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1993, 312 pages $28.99 (softcover) Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition by Vincent Tinto holds the stature as a fundamental text of the college student experience. Such a stature springs from two primary sources. The first source pertains to the importance of the problem of college student departure to understanding the college student experience. A window on the academic and social experiences of college students springs forth from an understanding of college student departure (Braxton, Sullivan, & Johnson, 1997). Moreover, students who depart from college fail to experience growth and development in the ways that transpire because of college attendance as documented in How College Affects Students (Volume 3): 21st Century Evidence That Higher Education Works (2016) by Matthew J. Mayhew, Alyssa N. Rockenbach, Nicholas A. Bowman, Tricia A. Seifert, and Gregory C. Wolniak with Ernest T. Pascarella and Patrick T. Terenzini. The other source emanates from the profound and pervasive influence of this fundamental text on both the scholarly and practice communities that hold an interest in the problem of college student departure. DESCRIPTION OF THE VOLUME The 1993 publication of Leaving College stands as a second edition to the edition published in 1987 by The University of Chicago Press. In his review published by The Journal of Higher Education, John P. Bean stated: “This book appears to be the best compilation of ideas about understanding student departure from college written to date” (1988, p. 708). Bean noted that the purpose of this book centers on the revision of Tinto’s 1975 model published in The Review of Educational Research to more fully account for the longitudinal process of student departure. Bean also stated that this book was intended to assist institutional leaders in the use of the revised model of student departure to guide institutional practices to increase student retention and to steer future research on student departure. This book has made some noteworthy contributions, such as Tinto’s contention that scholars and practitioners should use the word departure rather than drop out to characterize students who leave their initial college or university of enrollment (Bean, 1988). Bean noted that Tinto views departure as an interaction between the individual student and their institution. Another contribution is Tinto’s extension of van Gennep’s (1960) stages of rites of passage—separation, transition, and incorporation—to explain the process of integration into the college community. Bean called this extension “a brilliant addition to retention theory development” (p. 709). Moreover, this volume contributed to the further development of theory by offering a revision of Tinto’s 1975 model to include two additional concepts: intentions and external commitments. Bean asserted that this book also contributes to practice by describing six principles of institutional action to foster student retention. He noted that Tinto also discussed how adherence to each of these principles serves [End Page 129] as a guide to the development of institutional efforts to improve student retention. The status of Leaving College as the second edition raises the question of the ways in which it differs from the first edition published in 1987. In addition to the inclusion of important research conducted since 1987, Tinto revised and extended the first edition in two significant ways. First, Tinto described the various ways his theory of student departure can be applied to students of color and to adult students. He also discussed its application to 4-year commuter colleges and universities and to 2-year colleges. Second, he outlined the important relationship between the classroom experiences of students and student persistence and learning. In doing so, Tinto demonstrated the relationship between the student’s experiences with the community of the classroom and other communities of the college. An important set of formulations centered on the college as an interactive system comprised of academic and social informal and formal dimensions constitutes an additional contribution of both the first and second editions of Leaving College. These formulations posited academic and social integration as important factors...

The effectiveness of gamification technique for higher education students engagement in polytechnic Muadzam Shah Pahang, Malaysia

In recent years, gamification is becoming popular in education development to enrich students experience in classroom. However, there is still lack of awareness among educators and the concern of whether the gamification technique is acceptable by students. This paper presents the effectiveness of gamification technique to improve students’ engagement in Database Design subject at Polytechnic Muadzam Shah Pahang, Malaysia. A framework to implement the gamification technique in higher education is also described. As for the evaluation, an empirical investigation method is adapted and data was collected based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Student Course Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ). The evaluation results indicate that the students positively inclined towards gamification caused by the ease of the platform used rather than the benefits that they can obtain from the gamification, concluding that Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) is a better indicator for students’ attitude towards gamification.

Assessment as Critical Programmatic Reflection

Abstract This article argues that general education assessment is an opportunity for engaging faculty and the general education program as a whole in critical reflection on the practices and pedagogies that affect the entire undergraduate body. Through intentional assessment practices tied to learning outcomes, pedagogical expectations, and faculty and student classroom experience, an assessment program can meet accreditation expectations while serving as a rich location for critical reflection and continuous improvement. To illustrate, this article takes the reader through a year in the life of University Studies' assessment at Portland State University. It provides details about the individual elements of our assessment program (e.g., review of student ePortfolios, mid-term feedback, and course evaluations) and how these each provide opportunities for faculty and programmatic critical reflection. It describes both long-standing practices as well as new or experimental elements that arise from the current programmatic context, providing examples of the ways in which we continually evolve our practices. Finally, it weaves the elements together and identifies the strengths and challenges of our approach, as well as opportunities for deeper, increasingly impactful critical practice in the future.

The experience of deaf students in secondary mainstream classrooms

Aim:This article aims to explore the classroom experience of students of secondary age who are deaf and who are being educated in mainstream secondary schools in England. In this approach, there is considerable emphasis on hearing the authentic voice of the students separate from the influence of their teachers and parents.Method:In-depth interviews were conducted in the students’ homes. Recordings of the interviews were transcribed and employed to identify themes in the data, adopting a ‘Grounded Theory’ approach. Further analysis of the themes led to a consideration of what implications there may be for the students, for the adults who support their learning, including educational psychologists, and for policymakers.Findings:The findings indicate that both the medical and social models of disability may need to be reappraised in terms of the framework they provide for guiding schools in educating their students. An alternative model, the risk and resilience model, is considered, which recognises the importance of the active contribution which the students may make in maintaining their placement in their schools.Conclusions:The evidence arising from this investigation suggests that the learning outcomes for deaf students in mainstream classrooms are finely balanced. Not to learn from the students about their experience would be to overlook a rich source of information on how schools and teaching might be improved and the underperformance of deaf children addressed.

Technology and Early Science Education: Examining Generalist Primary School Teachers’ Views on Tacit Knowledge Assessment Tools

For some time a central issue has occupied early science education discussions – primary student classroom experiences and the resulting attitudes towards science. This has in part been linked to generalist teachers’ own knowledge of science topics and pedagogical confidence. Recent research in cognitive development has examined the role of so-called tacit knowledge and its potential benefits for supporting conceptual development in children. However, the incorporation of such tools would depend on teachers’ willingness to use it. Taking a qualitative approach through interviews, the present study examined 12 generalist primary school teachers’ views on science education and their perceptions of tacit knowledge assessment as an approach to facilitating conceptual change. The overall results indicate positive attitudes embedded within a model centred on trust and responsibility of learning. These findings support the use of relevant software for teaching children by emphasising the willingness of teachers to use such technology, which has further consequences for continuing professional development of classroom teachers who do not have formal science backgrounds, which in turn should promote science achievements among students.

Student Engagement as a General Factor of Classroom Experience: Associations with Student Practices and Educational Outcomes in a University Gateway Course.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a model for considering general and specific elements of student experience in a gateway course in undergraduate Financial Accounting in a large university on the East Coast, USA. Specifically, the study evaluated a bifactor analytic strategy including a general factor of student classroom experience, conceptualized as student engagement as rooted in flow theory, as well as factors representing specific dimensions of experience. The study further evaluated the association between these general and specific factors and both student classroom practices and educational outcomes. The sample of students (N = 407) in two cohorts of the undergraduate financial accounting course participated in the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) measuring students' classroom practices, perceptions, engagement, and perceived learning throughout the one-semester course. Course grade information was also collected. Results showed that a two-level bifactor model fit the data better than two traditional (i.e., non-bifactor) models and also avoided significant multicollinearity of the traditional models. In addition to student engagement (general factor), specific dimensions of classroom experience in the bifactor model at the within-student level included intrinsic motivation, academic intensity, salience, and classroom self-esteem. At the between-student level, specific aspects included work orientation, learning orientation, classroom self-esteem, and disengagement. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM) demonstrated that sitting in the front of the classroom (compared to the sitting in the back), taking notes, active listening, and working on problems during class had a positive effect on within-student variation in student engagement and attention. Engagement, in turn, predicted perceived learning. With respect to between-student effects, the tendency to sit in front seats had a significant effect on student engagement, which in turn had a significant effect on perceived learning and course grades. A significant indirect relationship of seating and active learning strategies on learning and course grade as mediated by student engagement was found. Support for the general aspect of student classroom experience was interpreted with flow theory and suggested the need for additional research. Findings also suggested that active learning strategies are associated with positive learning outcomes even in educational environments where possibilities for action are relatively constrained.

Cooperating Across Classrooms: Cooperative–Experiential Learning Through Design and Implementation of Health Campaign Messages

The objective of this article is twofold: (a) demonstrate the utility of cooperative–experiential learning within the health sciences curriculum and (b) diversify student classroom experiences through a health campaigns project that challenged students to creatively and strategically develop health messages. Cooperative–experiential learning is a hybrid pedagogy that exposes students to many of the complexities they can expect to face within their career, thus bridging the gap between the classroom and workplace. The health campaigns project used to appraise the value of cooperative–experiential learning in this article tasked upper-level undergraduate student groups from two unique college courses (Health Promotion and Visual Communication) to design, launch, and analyze health-relevant campaigns on the authors’ college campus. At two points throughout the semester, students independently completed reviews (cooperation reports) of their group dynamics and progress—these reports became the data set for our analysis of cooperative–experiential learning. Using a grounded theory approach (open, axial, and selective coding), the results that emerged from our analysis point to four significant themes of cooperative–experiential learning: development of communication skills, problem solving and critical thinking through cooperation, workplace preparedness, and student satisfaction. Student quotes are used to help extrapolate these four outcomes. Suggestions are offered for how to effectively incorporate cooperative–experiential learning into curriculum.

TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD: A GIRARDIAN RECOMMENDATION FOR AUDITING PEDAGOGY

This essay considers the current state of the pedagogical auditing literature using a theoretical lens proposed by philosopher and literary critic René Girard. In extant pedagogical auditing cases that are based on historical events, auditors are often portrayed as villains. Presently, there are few pedagogical cases in which auditors are depicted as heroes. Appending the current literature with real world illustrations and accounts of auditors behaving virtuously would help balance the literature and improve the classroom experience for students. Moreover, these positive accounts should be memorialized in the auditing profession's history.

An Instructional Model of Team-Teaching in a University General English Program

The purpose of this study is to illustrate a general collaborative model of team-teaching in a university general English program. While positive effects of team-teaching and some suggestions for teamteaching practices have been reported previously, there has been less attention paid to an instructional model where native teachers and Korean teachers collaborate with each other for the best classroom experience for students. A qualitative research guided the design. Twenty teachers’ team-teaching classes were observed and video-taped for analysis. The findings showed that the two teachers’ constant negotiations of meanings in any stage of the lessons and in classes with diverse linguistic goals was helpful to the students’ understanding. Also, in the stage of presenting particular language expressions (duringlesson), complimenting each other with native teachers’ intuition and Korean teachers’ analytic skills was suggested as an important instructional move. When activities were introduced, modeling by the two teachers and bridging roles by the Korean teachers were a tremendous contribution and recommended for model collaborations. An instructional model and educational implications have been suggested.

Changing the Learning Environment in the College of Engineering and Applied Science Using Challenge Based Learning

Over the past 20 years there have been many changes to the primary and secondary educational system that have impacted students, teachers, and post-secondary institutions across the United States of America. One of the most important is the large number of standardized tests students are required to take to show adequate performance in school. Students think differently because they are taught differently due to this focus on standardized testing, thus changing the skill sets students acquire in secondary school. This presents a critical problem for colleges and universities, as they now are using practices for and have expectations of these students that are unrealistic for the changing times. High dropout rates in the colleges of engineering have been attributed to the cultural atmosphere of the institution. Students have reported a low sense of belonging and low relatability to course material. To reduce negative experiences and increase motivation, Challenge Based Learning (CBL) was introduced in an undergraduate Basic Electric Circuits (BEC) course. CBL is a structured model for course content with a foundation in problem-based learning. CBL offers general concepts from which students derive the challenges they will address. Results show an improved classroom experience for students who were taught with CBL.

A study of the relationship between learning styles and cognitive abilities in engineering students

Learning preferences have been indirectly linked to student success in engineering programmes, without a significant body of research to connect learning preferences with cognitive abilities. A better understanding of the relationship between learning styles and cognitive abilities will allow educators to optimise the classroom experience for students. The goal of this study was to determine whether relationships exist between student learning styles, as determined by the Felder-Soloman Inventory of Learning Styles (FSILS), and their cognitive performance. Three tests were used to assess student's cognitive abilities: a matrix reasoning task, a Tower of London task, and a mental rotation task. Statistical t-tests and correlation coefficients were used to quantify the results. Results indicated that the global–sequential, active–referential, and visual–verbal FSILS learning styles scales are related to performance on cognitive tasks. Most of these relationships were found in response times, not accuracy. Differences in task performance between gender groups (male and female) were more notable than differences between learning styles groups.

Kindle in the Writing Classroom

Abstract The authors, two librarians and one English department faculty member, received a grant to purchase of a set of e-book readers, Amazon's Kindle 3.0, to be used as an integral part of the writing classroom experience for students. In a literature and composition class held in the spring of 2011, students were loaned Kindles to read all of their class texts. Students’ attitudes towards technology and their experience with the Kindle was assessed through three online surveys and a focus group to track any changes over time to discover what effect if any, using a Kindle had on their reading, writing, and class discussion experience. The instructor also contributed his thoughts on how using the Kindle in the classroom changed his pedagogical approach. A concurrent program to lend Kindles at the library is briefly described.

Enhancing student success: Taking the classroom success seriously

Professor Vincent Tinto opens this issue of the International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education by highlighting the importance of paying attention to students' experiences in the classroom. With the classroom experience of students in the United States college system firmly in mind, Tinto draws attention to what he calls the of effective classrooms. The classroom attributes he describes, such as clear expectations, timely support, feedback on assessment, engaging pedagogies and enhancing teaching skills, though drawn from the United States experience, are universal and as such are transferrable across national boundaries and applicable to higher education educators, leaders and policy makers globally. You can assess this universality by relating Tinto's criteria to your teaching environment.