University Classroom Setting Research Articles

The Impact of Interior Plants in University Classrooms on Student Course Performance and on Student Perceptions of the Course and Instructor

The main objective of this research was to investigate the impact of plants within a university classroom setting on course performance and on student perceptions of the course and instructor. The study was designed to include a minimum of two classes of the same coursework taught by the same professor in the same room during one semester. Three sets of two classes each and 385 students were included within the study. Throughout the semester, the experimental class of students was treated by including an assortment of tropical plants within the classroom. Plants were not present in the control classroom of the study. The official university course and instructor evaluation survey was administered at the end of the semester. Additionally, each student provided demographic data, including class rank, gender, and ethnicity. To measure course performance, the professor for each course reported each student's grade for the course. No statistically significant differences were found in comparisons of grades/student course performance (P = 0.192). However, statistically significant differences were found in comparisons of overall course and instructor evaluation scores of treatment and control groups (P = 0.065). Statistically significant differences were found in comparisons of the individual courses/classrooms between control and treatment groups on statements in subsections of the course and instructor evaluation survey, including the areas of “learning,” “enthusiasm (of instructor),” and “organization (of instructor).” In these comparisons of the treatment and control groups, the differences that were most apparent were in students who had class in the classroom that was windowless and stark. The plants appeared to have the greatest impact on students in the room that was void of other natural elements.

The distracting effects of a ringing cell phone: An investigation of the laboratory and the classroom setting

The detrimental effects of a ringing phone on cognitive performance were investigated in four experiments. In Experiments 1 and 2, the effects of different types of sounds (a standard cell phone ring, irrelevant tones and an instrumental song commonly encountered by participants) on performance were examined. In Experiment 1, slower responses were observed in all auditory groups relative to a silence condition, but participants in the ring and song conditions recovered more slowly. In Experiment 2, participants who were warned about the potential for distraction recovered more quickly, suggesting a benefit of this prior knowledge. This investigation continued in a college classroom setting (Experiments 3a and 3b); students were exposed to a ringing cell phone during the lecture. Performance on a surprise quiz revealed low accuracy rates on material presented while the phone was ringing. These findings offer insight into top-down cognitive processes that moderate involuntary orienting responses associated with a common stimulus encountered in the environment.

The Medium and the Message: Oral History, New Media, and a Grassroots History of Working Women

In the Spring of 2000, Ruth Meyerowitz and Christine Zinni began collaborative efforts—inside and outside of academia—to enhance a course on The History of Working Women at SUNY Buffalo. Videotaping the oral histories of women labor leaders, they later teamed up with Michael Frisch and Randforce Associates—a research group at SUNY at Buffalo's technology incubator—staff at the Educational Technology Center, and The Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research and Education, Inc. to input and present diverse voices of working women into a new media program called Interclipper. To the group's knowledge, this was the first attempt to apply this new software technology in a university classroom setting for a course on labor history. Rendering oral histories as primary sources of service in the classroom, the new media format provided students with an alternative lens on working women's experiences—perspectives not normally gained in traditional text-based history courses. In the following narrative dialogue, Meyerowitz and Zinni trace the process and progress of their experiences with these technological applications for oral history use over 7 years time. Strengthening collaborative and decentralized aspects of classroom activities by allowing for more personal choices, involvement with the material(s) and active learning, the authors submit a multi-media, multi-perspectival approach to oral history intensified emergent and dialogical qualities of classroom interactions for students, instructors, and interviewees alike.

The Impact Of Business Faculty Attire On Student Perceptions And Engagement

Certainly not a new phenomenon, professors continue to strive to discover the magic elixir that will cause all students to become active participants in the learning process. It seems logical that if students find a topic interesting or pertinent to their career objectives, they will tend to take a more active role in a course. Perhaps as reasonable to assume, if instructors are engaging and have the respect of the class, students will naturally put forth more effort to master the material. Prior studies have also shown that certain pedagogical devices and innovations, such as the usage of presentation technology, can positively impact student motivation. This study explored whether something as basic as the professor’s attire could also have a motivating effect on student perceptions and behavior in a college classroom setting. This paper summarizes the results of a survey pertaining to faculty dress that was administered to students enrolled in selected business courses at a mid-sized Midwestern university. Students were asked their opinion of whether the professional or unprofessional dress of the instructor would conceivably impact their own learning and effort. The survey results show that, in general, students perceive professional dress positively, and adjust their behavior accordingly.

Code-switching and L2 students in the university: bilingualism as an enriching resource

This paper discusses pedagogical and conversational functions of Estonian-Russian codeswitching (henceforth CS) in the university classroom setting. Based on the data from university classroom bilingual interactions, this study will contribute to the current discussion of CS in the classroom and fill an important gap in existing research, as well as to the understanding of its conversational roles. The students and the teacher in this study are speakers of Russian as L1 and of Estonian as L2. However, the former have a more limited knowledge of the Estonian language. Thus, the interactions are characterized by varying levels of Estonian mastery by the participants. A switch to L1, whether initiated by the teacher or the student, aims to increase the efficacy of information conveyance. Short switches help to bridge a gap in the discourse. The results show that during lectures or seminars students use Russian as the language with which they feel most comfortable and in which they enjoy greater competence.

Teaching Instructional Design: An Action Learning Approach

Many theorists and practitioners are calling for more authentically based teaching approaches in the preparation of instructional designers and performance technologists to address the complexity of the field's practice. Although many innovative methods have been incorporated into the study of instructional design and development and human performance technology, including case studies and applied experiences with collaborative groups, among others, the majority of teaching approaches are limited to the time constraints and format of the traditional university classroom setting. This paper discusses an alternative teaching approach that incorporates action learning principles along with authentic project-based methods into the full-time study of instructional design. The paper reviews action learning principles and highlights the commonalties between these principles and the application of the practice and teaching of the instructional design process in an authentic manner. Finally, the implementation of action learning principles within a graduate program in instructional technology is described. Action learning principles may be applied to many content areas; however, the highly complementary nature of this specific methodology to the teaching and practice of instructional design may have the potential to improve greatly our preparation of professionals in the complex work environments characteristic of this and related disciplines. As a valuable component of performance technology skills, training in instructional design methods based on an action learning approach may have broad implications for both the preparation of instructional designers and performance technologists.

8: Stereotype Threat and Ten Things We Can Do to Remove the Threat in the Air

The purpose of this chapter is to present an overview of the literature related to stereotype threat in an effort to provide faculty members and instructional developers with a better understanding of what the phenomenon is and what can be done about it in college classroom settings. To this end, we reviewed several of the major studies published on the subject between 1995 and 2005 and compiled a list of strategies that reflected both the major empirical findings on stereotype threat and our own research and experiences with faculty and students in college settings. Given the enormity of the subject, we focused heavily on the features of stereotype threat that relate specifically to race but acknowledged that the complexity of the subject required attention to other aspects of identity that may function to lessen, or in some cases increase, the intensity of stereotype threat. The overall findings suggested that there are several ways in which faculty and instructional developers can help to create learning environments that serve to mitigate the impact of stereotype threat, and that more work needs to be done to examine the ways in which faculty and instructional developers can strive to create environments that improve the quality of students' perceptions and academic performances.

Distance Learning In Accounting Courses From The Students Perspective (1999-2006)

Universities throughout the nation are faced with the reality of an increase in demand from placebound, adult working students who live and work in locations that may be hundreds of miles from traditional college campuses, and require a less centralized mode of course instruction. At the same time technological advances are now available that provide universities with a wide range of instructional modes of instruction that include interactive television (ITV) with real time audio and visual at a number of decentralized classroom sites, live and remote. Distance learning/distance education (DE) technologies currently allow an instructor to deliver university course instruction to several remote sites in real time via live ITV, while teaching a class to students in a traditional university classroom setting. While there are a growing number of studies on distance education, there are relatively few research studies on student satisfaction, with existing research showing mixed results (Anderson, Banks and Leary, 2002, Beaghan, 2006), and very little research on the effect of two-way ITV on university accounting and business course instruction (Arndt and Lafollette, 1991, Pirrong and Lathen, 1990, Seay and Milkman, 1994). University accounting course instruction may involve a number of different modes of instruction that include live instruction, online instruction and distance education. This research study looks at differences in student perception of value and satisfaction with quantitatively oriented courses delivered via ITV between groups of students in accounting courses taught between 1999 and 2006. Specifically this study looks at differences in attitudes between two groups of students, live and remote, and whether students who receive course instruction at remote sites via ITV perceive the same degree of value and satisfaction as do students receiving the same course instruction live and in real time.

Practical PowerPoint group projects for the EFL classroom

Using PowerPoint for student-created group projects can be motivating and enjoyable for both students and instructors while fostering a sense of student self-reliance and autonomy . After a brief review of the benefits of cooperative group work and scaffolding in second language learning, this paper highlights three different methods for using PowerPoint in a university classroom setting. The first method involves student construction of picture stories, the second describes making travel plans, and the third demonstrates guidelines for outside class group work on simple research projects, such as surveys of fellow students’ opinions . Finally, the authors give examples of peer and instructor assessment forms and offer possible future directions for research and implementation of PowerPoint projects in second language classrooms .

The Aesthetics of Asian Art: The Study of Montien Boonma in the Undergraduate Education Classroom

The Aesthetics of Asian Art:The Study of Montien Boonma in the Undergraduate Education Classroom Mary Ann Maslak (bio) John Dewey, in his Experience and Nature, expounds on the developmental nature of human experience premised on the concept of qualitative propinquity—the integration and harmonization with the environment exemplifies the essence of experience. This principal line of reasoning shapes his fundamental argument in Art as Experience, one of Dewey's most significant educational works used today.1 In it he argues that the roots of experience lie in the commonplace occurrences in the course of human life. The integration of the meaning and value drawn from previous and present circumstances results in an "experience," which, in turn, constitutes a foundation of learning for the individual. Dewey's ideas are not only appropriate but also useful in the field of education. In what ways may future teachers experience art? How does the experiential process of examining art contribute to future teachers' pedagogical tools that can be used to incorporate art into the elementary school classroom? This article demonstrates how an experiential study of a work of art in an undergraduate education course—part of the St. John's University/Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education (LCIAE) Higher Education Collaborative program in New York City—contributes to the pedagogical repertoire of process-based learning for teachers and their future students. The article begins by providing a theoretical background for the work, followed by the definitions of three concepts that are pertinent to this piece: aesthetic education, the experiential approach to learning, and process-based instruction.2 The article then focuses on the specific aims of the university's arts course, the LCIAE Partnership Program, and data and analyses from the process-based aesthetic learning for the students enrolled in the course. It ends with conclusions about aesthetic education. [End Page 67] Theoretical Background Assuming the sociocultural nature of learning suggested by Dewey demands consideration of the layers of experience, it is necessary to discern the learners' emerging thoughts in light of various experiences. As a teacher, I subscribe to this belief and wanted to note how I could employ scaffolding practices to the aesthetic education learning experience for my undergraduate students. I aimed to accomplish this goal by scaffolding aesthetic experiences for students from their personal points of understanding, the university's classroom setting, and the context of museum exhibitions. Scaffolding instruction has a lengthy and persuasive history that provided the underpinning for my approach to the course.3 The intent of scaffolding is to help a learner undertake a task or goal that is beyond the learner's present level.4 Effective scaffolding encompasses a number of key features within cognitive and emotional domains.5 Cognitive elements include (1) selecting challenging activities for students; (2) monitoring their efforts; (3) using guiding questions to develop self-regulation; and (4) using indirect questioning strategies to extend and enhance the learning experience. Emotional support includes (1) structuring experiences to discourage frustration and encourage confidence; and (2) creating an atmosphere of comfort. While not all these features are applicable to scaffolding activities in an art education course of a university's teacher education program, I was mindful of their importance in structuring this course. Given that this course was my undergraduate students' initial exposure to aesthetic education, scaffolding served as an appropriate systematic pedagogical approach. In the words of Maxine Greene, aesthetic education is an intentional experience "designed to nurture appreciative, reflective, cultural, participatory engagements with the arts" by enabling the student to observe, analyze, and interpret meaning.6 In other words, it is the interactive study of the nature and expression of beauty. It seeks to enhance perception and affect, cognitive development, and personal growth by assuming that works of art provide an inexhaustible resource for exploration and reflection by the learner and an understanding based on the cultural context in which the artwork was created. Greene's philosophy, developed from the work of Dewey, posits that understanding a work of art is based on the active connection to and association with the piece. Therefore, the approach to its study is of the utmost importance. The experiential approach to learning is a...

Power Plays: Problems With Empowerment in a Critical Pedagogy

In response to a Critical Notice published in these pages by Roberts (Vol. 32/1,2001), this article notes several specific reservations with regard to Shor's model of empowerment as outlined in When Students Have Power (1996). The original book documents one critical educator's attempts at negotiating power in a college classroom setting. While respecting Shor's bold efforts to craft a liberatory pedagogy, the author draws attention to specific inconsistencies and shortfalls in both the theory and practice described. The article offers a critical examination of problematic features of Shor's classroom practices and research methodology, in addition to concerns with both substantive and stylistic elements of his written account.

(159) The Impact of Interior Houseplants in University Classrooms on Course Performance, Course Satisfaction, and Student Perceptions of the Course and Instructor

Many individuals and businesses enhance the central design of their homes or offices with living interior plants. While the aesthetic values of interior greenery are obvious, some research has suggested that interior living plants may offer some psychological and restorative values, such as reduced tension, better coping mechanisms, and increased concentration and attention. The main objective of this research was to investigate the impact of plants within a university classroom setting on course performance, course satisfaction, and student perceptions of the instructor. The study was designed to include a minimum of two classes of the same coursework, taught by the same professor in the same room. Three sets of two classes each, and ≈500 students were included within the study. Throughout the semester, the experimental class of students was treated by including an assortment of tropical plants within the classroom. Plants were not present in the control classroom of the study. A survey administered to each classroom of students at the end of the semester asked students to provide demographic data including class rank, gender, and grade point average. The professor for each course provided information on each student's grade for the course, as well as overall quantitative information on how well students were satisfied with the experience they had within the course. The results demonstrate value added to the classroom experience and help to justify consideration of the added expense of interior plants in meeting the goals of instructor and curriculum.

Moving between literacy theory and practice with preservice teachers: Listening to their voices

The purpose of this study was to investigate two research questions: What literacy learning did preservice teachers experience through a Penpal Project embedded in an early literacy course? What sense did preservice teachers make of the Penpal Project?—with an overarching focus on bridging literacy theory with practice. Data were gathered in a university classroom setting, situated in a small Western town, over a period of one school semester. Data methods and sources included videotaped participant observation during weekly penpal letter‐sharing, preservice teachers’ reflection journals, focus group interviews, and preservice teachers’ Penpal Project Summaries. Patterns emerged from the data and were conceptualized under three broad categories: discourse, discovery and dilemmas. In the discourse category, cultivating relationships and learning through collaboration emerged as themes. Discoveries included meaning‐ and skill‐centered interpretations and professional learning. With regard to dilemmas, preservice teachers reported feelings of inadequacy in decoding their penpals’ letters, in finding topics to pique their penpals’ interests, and in making logical speculations. Conclusions highlighted the importance of including field experiences in teacher education courses in order for preservice teachers to integrate early literacy theory and practice. A focus on forming relationships, working in collaboration with others, and acknowledging and solving challenges revealed added benefits for the preservice teachers, including a deeper understanding of young students’ early literacy development.

Online versus Traditional Classroom Delivery of a Course in Manual Communication

Outcome measures for students enrolled in separate sections of a manual communication course taught by the same instructor were compared. One group received instruction in a traditional university classroom setting. The other group received instruction through asynchronous, videostreamed online delivery. No statistically significant differences in expressive manual communication skills, as well as content knowledge, were found. There was a significant difference in the receptive comprehension of manually communicated information, even though the difference was only 6%. Results are discussed in terms of potential for online instruction to aid in addressing the critical shortage of personnel needed to provide services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

The Relationship Between PDA Usage and Student Performance in an Introductory Engineering Course

AbstractThis research focuses on the development of a methodology to evaluate student attitudes towards technology in the classroom and the impact of this technology on student learning. A survey was developed and tested to evaluate the impact of introducing Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in a traditional college classroom setting. PDAs were introduced in an introductory course in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University. A reliable attitude assessment tool was developed as a result of this research. Initial results of this study also provide empirical data that engineering students respond favorably to the introduction of PDAs in a traditional classroom setting. Preliminary results also provide limited evidence that student attitudes may vary based on gender, age, and/or ethnicity. Standard student performance metrics (course assignment and exam scores) and student self‐evaluations were used to assess the impact on student learning and are discussed.

An active learning strategy for the classroom—“who wants to win … some mini chips ahoy?”

Abstract Skillfully presenting technical accounting material has been identified as an important dimension of effective teaching [Issues in Accounting Education (1993) 8(2), 436]. Faculty may more effectively present material by modifying the traditional lecture approach to incorporate visual-based instruction and increase student involvement through active learning exercises. One approach to presenting accounting material more effectively is described in this article. A “Who Wants to Win…?” game, similar to that seen on television, is constructed with the instructor in the role of master of ceremonies and one class member, a group, or the entire class in the role of contestants. The method described can be adapted and used to present a variety of accounting topics. Anecdotal evidence from two very different college classroom settings indicates a high level of student enjoyment, increased class participation, and an increased level of advance preparation on the part of the students. While a significant amount of material is presented in a concise, novel, and effective manner, the game provides a relaxed classroom atmosphere for the students and an enjoyable method of presentation for the instructor.

Designing digital resources for a physics course

A generic tool is described for creating an inexpensive yet powerful digital learning environment. Originally developed to supplement a modern physics course in a traditional large university classroom setting and based on a flexible database structure, it can be easily adapted to all fields of physics and indeed to all science courses. The integration of modern views on physics teaching and learning with information and communicatontechnology has resulted in a very positive response from both lecturers and students.

Fundamentally misunderstanding visual perception. Adults' belief in visual emissions.

The authors reviewed research about a profound misconception that is present among college students, namely, the belief that the process of vision includes emanations from the eyes, an idea that is consistent with the extramission theory of perception, which was originally professed by early Greek philosophers and which persisted in scholarly circles for centuries. The authors document the strength and breadth of this phenomenon and the object failure of traditional educational techniques to overcome this belief, and they reveal that students are leaving psychology courses with a flawed understanding of one of the most studied processes in the history of psychology--visual perception. Some suggestions are offered for overcoming this misconception in traditional college classroom settings.

Educating occupational therapy students about psychiatric rehabilitation: A qualitative evaluation

AbstractConcern about occupational therapy students' knowledge of and attitudes towards people with severe mental illness and their rehabilitation led to the development of a new course in the mental health curriculum. The course was designed to introduce the students to the philosophy, research and practices of psychiatric rehabilitation. The personal, instructional experience of using the training technology (learning and teaching modules) developed by the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University in a 7‐week fourth year course, over a period of 3 years, is described. As well, a selection of the written perspectives of the students on their exposure to the philosophy of psychiatric rehabilitation, the requisite skills of practitioners and the learning package materials (reference workbooks and audiovisual aids) is provided to illustrate the benefits of this very brief introduction to psychiatric rehabilitation in a university classroom setting.

Social Conflict and Social Cooperation: Simulating "The Tragedy of the Commons"

This article reports a design and the results of its implementation to simulate "the Tragedy of the Commons" in a college classroom setting. Interesting results and implications were found and discussed.