Course-based Learning Research Articles

Dynamic Opportunities for Medical Students to Assume the Roles of “Medical Teacher”

Abstract The traditional undergraduate medical education curriculum focuses on bolstering knowledge for practice and building clinical skills. However, as future clinicians, medical students will be tasked with teaching throughout their careers, first as residents and then as attendings. Here, we describe teaching opportunities for students that foster their development as future teachers and potential clinician educators. These offerings are diverse in their focus and duration and are offered across various levels of the curriculum — including course-based learning, longitudinal electives, and extra-curricular opportunities for medical students who have a passion for teaching.

Influencing factors of students’ small private online course-based learning adaptability in a higher vocational college in China

ABSTRACT Recently, universities and colleges have gradually shifted from face-to-face teaching to small private online course-based teaching, which integrates massive open online courses with physical classroom teaching. However, learners often experience adjustment problems within this relatively new environment. This survey-based study evaluated the status of college students’ learning adaptability and clarified the relationships between the factors influencing small private online course-based blended learning. With 3,050 participants from a Higher Vocational College in China, the researchers conducted an in-depth study using correlation analysis, regression analysis, and path analysis. The results revealed that students’ learning adaptability was generally at the upper-middle level with females scoring higher than males, and there was no significant difference in learning adaptability based on the students’ ages, grades, or Internet age. Regarding the impact of interest variables on learning adaptability, teaching support, learning platform, and curriculum setting had a significant positive effect; whereas learning attitude, autonomous learning, teaching methods, and learning environment did not have a significant positive effect. The teaching management had no significant impact either. Our findings have some implications for improving the efficacy of small private online course-based learning in educational institutions in China and elsewhere.

Comparing the use of flipped classroom in combination with problem-based learning or with case-based learning for improving academic performance and satisfaction

Active learning methodologies, such as flipped classroom (FC), generate a higher level of student engagement, greater dynamism in learning and more significant interactions with course content. Some other active methodologies used in the academic environment are problem-based learning (PBL) and case study (CS). There are few studies that analyse FC combined with PBL class activities or with course-based learning (CBL) activities, however, in fact, there are no studies that analyse which combination of activities would lead to better academic performance and student satisfaction. The main aim of this study is to comparate FC methodology, combined with PBL activities or with CBL activities, in improving the academic performance of undergraduate social work students. This work also intends to analyse the level of satisfaction with the course and the methodology used. A class level randomisation study was performed. Both groups in the study used an FC active methodology, but group 1 applied this methodology with PBL, whereas group 2 applied it in conjunction with a CBL methodology. The students also had to do activities at home that were related to the PBL or CS methodology. There were significant differences in both categorical and quantitative exam scores, with the group that had applied the FC + PBL methodology achieving a higher grade in the exam and containing a higher percentage of students who passed or received merit and outstanding grades. In general, there was a good level of satisfaction in both groups and there were no significant differences across all items asked, except for ‘It helps critical thinking’ and ‘It helps to apply theory to assessment’, which were evaluated more favourably by the FC + CBL students.

How aspiring principals applied course-based learning to develop school improvement plans

PurposeSchool improvement planning and implementation is one organizational process by which principals may positively impact school and student outcomes. Limited research, however, has explored how principal preparation programs prepare aspiring leaders for this common school leadership activity. This study examined aspiring principals engaged in the school improvement process by evaluating what they included in their school improvement plans (SIPs) that were developed as part of their field experience.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examined SIPs aspiring principals collaboratively developed as part of their field experience. Using an abductive analysis method, combining both deductive and inductive coding methods, authors examined 77 SIPs in which aspiring principals used school level data in planning.FindingsEach aspiring principal's SIP was contextually specific. No two plans were identical relative to who was targeted for improvement and how the plan was to be implemented, indicating aspiring principals can apply course-based learning and implement important data-driven decision-making skills in field-based school improvement projects.Research limitations/implicationsFindings are exploratory and limited to SIPs developed by aspiring principals in one university program in one large urban school district context. The findings that specific requirements and program structures affected the aspiring principal's school improvement planning process as did the overall school context adds to current understandings of how course-based learning is applied. However, further investigations are needed.Practical implicationsFindings provide evidence of how school leadership preparation programs may impact leadership development relative to skills associated with school improvement planning. The findings also suggest the importance of detailed analysis of aspiring principals school improvement planning as a program evaluation process.Originality/valueThis study was the first to document the content of aspiring principals' field-based SIPS and how skills in data-driven decision-making were applied in a SIP field-based activity.

Homelessness From a Holistic Paradigm: Bridging Gaps in Curriculum Through Supplemental Education Opportunities

ABSTRACT In the following article we argue that social work education and research ought to approach homelessness from a holistic paradigm emphasizing individual resilience and autonomy. The current lack of explicit curriculum in many schools of social work necessitates creative strategies to integrate homeless content into social work education. We offer 3 diverse pedagogical strategies: course-based service learning, program evaluation, and graduate research assistantships. Students engaged in these activities acquire firsthand experiences with individuals experiencing homelessness in ways that humanize the issue, and critical reflection facilitates application of new knowledge. Additional, students’ work may impact homeless services positively by generating data to support service and policy reforms. Ultimately, schools of social work could formally offer courses on housing and homelessness.

Assessing the Development of Collaborative Knowledge Work Competence: Scales for Higher Education Course Contexts

ABSTRACT The necessity to learn competence for collaborative knowledge work during higher education (HE) is accepted widely, but continued work is required to explicate how to define and assess such competence. In this article, the development and validation of a questionnaire for assessing the development of collaborative knowledge work competence is based on object-bound collaborative knowledge creation practices. In total, 546 students responded to a questionnaire on Collaborative Knowledge Practices (CKP). The data were analysed for measurement invariance for two groups of HE students in media engineering and life sciences. Seven scales of the CKP were found to measure course-related learning of collaboration, integration of personal and collective efforts, development through feedback, persistent development of knowledge objects, understanding of different disciplines and related expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, and using digital technology. The CKP questionnaire scales can be used as a generic self-evaluation tool for students on course-based learning outcomes.

Workplace-integrated-learning: Preparing tomorrow's academic library workforce

In 2014, the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) in partnership with the University's Faculty of Information (FI) launched a new internship program, the Toronto Academic Libraries Internship program (TALint). The program is designed to provide iSchool students with the opportunity to participant in a two-year paid internship at one of the University's libraries. In the course of running our TALint program, some unanticipated questions arose that challenged our assumptions about who, among a diverse student body, is drawn to academic librarianship as a potential career, what skills and competencies library supervisors are looking for in today's hire, and how students and faculty leverage (or not) student workplace experiences as a means of enhancing course-based learning?. Additionally, the university's recent emphasis on the discourse of workplace-integrated-learning (WIL) placed novel demands on the program's design and delivery warranting critical research engagement. The purpose of the following paper is threefold: (1) to introduce the concept of Workplace-Integrated-Learning (WIL) into the academic library literature, (2) present a case study of a WIL-inspired internship program, and (3) reflect on the outcomes of that case study with respect to best practices, policy implications and suggestions for future research into the changing face of the professional academic library workforce.

Do Course-Based Service Learning Programs Offer More Benefits to Students than Non-Course-Based Programs? The Research Says “Yes”

This article examines the qualitative and quantitative differences between course-based service learning programs and non-course-based service programs at the post-secondary level. A review of the research to date reveals greater benefits for students who participate in course-based community service compared to participation in non-course-based service. The course-based model’s cognitive component of organized reflection appears to be the key contributing factor that produces benefits superior to the non course-based approach, both in number and quality. Based on these findings, post-secondary institutions using non-course-based service learning program should consider changing to the course-based model.

Bridging Theory and Practice in an Applied Retail Track

In this article, we present an educational approach that bridges theory and practice: an applied retail track. The track has been co-created by faculty and 10 partnering retail companies and runs in parallel with traditional courses during a 3-year bachelor’s degree program in retail management. The underlying pedagogical concept is to move retail education from simple dissemination of knowledge toward the production of learning by way of experiential, situated, and skill-based learning. Overall, we believe that this learning approach has helped to create a win-win-win situation for students, retailers, and faculty. Students gain unique insights from retail practice to complement their topically oriented course-based learning, thus enhancing their attractiveness to employers after graduation. Retailers gain in-depth knowledge about the competencies of young prospective employees, and faculty and retailers jointly benefit from exchanging ideas about contemporary challenges in retailing. This article describes the program’s main features and successes and offers recommendations for others seeking to implement all or some of its components.

Comparing US and Spanish student teachers’ perceptions on social media

This study investigated social media use for educational purposes in the contexts of two countries where social media is pervasive, many people manage multiple social media accounts, and the use of diverse services is relatively common. Student teachers (N=153) from two universities in the USA and Spain participated in course-based learning activities with social media, and subsequently were asked about their experiences with and perceptions of such educational social media use. Quantitative data were collected via an online survey featuring primarily Likert scale items, and complemented by qualitative data based on written reflections. Results show positive perceptions in general regarding educational uses of social media among studentteachers from both contexts, although some differences and nuances are observed between the two countries: for example,use of some services were only detected among US students, who at the same time showed more positive attitude towards Twitter and Pinterest. Conclusions reflect on the importance of considering and seeking to influence student teachers’ attitudes and beliefs regarding educational uses of social media. Keywords: Social media; teacher education; comparative study.

The Cognitive Dimension and Course Content Modeling: An Ontological Approach

The recent advances in web-based educational technology, is providing diverse needs of e-learner and revolutionized the process of learning. However, how to enrich the student’s understandability and stimulate the learning behavior towards cognitive learning beyond simple lookup is still remaining as open research issue. To facilitate the effective learning process the technology has numerous ways of providing pedagogical assistance. The course content description based on the dimensions of psychological factors and Bloom’s taxonomy can help in presenting course material so as to reduce cognitive load and to influence the effective learning style. This paper examines various cognitive strategies and resource description metadata in a course-based learning environment. Finally, the researcher proposed an ontology-based metadata for modeling the course contents of web-based learning environment that supports cognitive prerequisites of the learner.

The Assessment of Learning Outcomes in Australia

Since 2009 there has been increased interest in Australian universities’ ability to demonstrate that their students have acquired knowledge and skills as specified by them in the form of graduate attributes or institutional learning outcomes. This paper describes research undertaken in Australia to identify a comprehensive set of generalized learning outcomes for undergraduate study and a set of criterion-based standards to assist in grading of achievement of those outcomes. It was discovered that although Australian universities document institutional- and course-based learning outcomes for their programs, they generally do not assess students at this level. Instead, the majority of assessment of learning outcomes is at the subject level, and frequently these outcomes do not align well with the course- or institutional-based outcomes that have also been specified. In spite of this, it appears possible to identify generalized assessment tasks for subjects and use constructive alignment between subjects, course curriculum, and chosen course-based learning outcomes, which could be used to reliably measure course outcomes and compare results between universities. These developments are framed in terms of the assessment transparency framework, which provides insight into the current “as-is” situation as well as an indication of what is needed to move learning outcomes assessment toward a fully implemented “ideal” across the higher education sector.

Examining the landscape of teacher learning for data use: The case of Illinois

The use of data to inform instructional and educational decisions is an increasingly important facet of teachers’ professional practice. However, little is presently known about the best teacher learning mechanisms by which to promote data use. This study (N = 329) examined the nature and distribution of both Illinois public teacher data use practices and teacher learning for data use and how learning opportunities and other factors previously identified in the literature (e.g., leadership and teacher beliefs) relate to data use practices. Our study replicates the importance of specific teacher beliefs for data use practices, and contributes new evidence for the role of course-based learning opportunities.

Using course opportunities for learning game design

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to share the authors’ perspectives as members of a research-based course project focused on learning game design and development. The authors provide important aspects of their findings as usable knowledge in the form of implications for potential use in new contexts. Design/methodology/approach – This is a case study of one instance of a course-based structured learning opportunity. The authors chose to interview each other about various aspects of the course structure and its affordances and constraints for creating an effective and supportive learning environment. Findings – The paper provides findings as implications for potential transfer to new contexts. As considerations for engendering the type of learning the authors promote, they share much of the interview responses in an effort to not only contextualize their perspectives but also identify important aspects for similar projects. Research limitations/implications – As a single case, the authors focus on ar...

Learning the Development of Community-Engaged Scholars Through Course-Based Learning: A Student Perspective

  This manuscript chronicles the development of three graduate students as community engaged scholars, from the perspective of one of the students. With the support of the course instructor, a student (Thomas) and the instructor (Leah) discuss students’ development during their enrollment in a graduate course in community-engaged scholarship (CES) at the University of Guelph, a large comprehensive university in southwestern Ontario. Drawing from students’ reflection papers and progress reports, this article highlights students’ thoughts on communities’ perceptions of scholars; differences and similarities between community-engaged scholarship and more traditional forms of social science research; and challenges and opportunities of collaboration. Data highlighting students’ experiences with power relations, understandings of the need for adaptability within their respective partnerships, and acknowledgement of differences between community and academic roles in community-engaged research projects are also presented. Finally, the effects of large groups and imbalanced stakes on projects, and the influence of class-oriented timelines are discussed. The manuscript is written by, and from the perspective of Thomas Armitage, one of the students in the graduate course, in collaboration Leah Levac, the course instructor.Â

Learning the Development of Community-Engaged Scholars Through Course-Based Learning: A Student Perspective

Learning the Development of Community-Engaged Scholars Through Course-Based Learning: A Student Perspective

Reflecting on Reflection as a Critical Component in Service Learning

Despite the popularity of service learning, it is sometimes criticized for its lack of academic rigor. This piece provides a counterpoint to that argument by describing a LIS service-learning course from the student’s perspective. I focus particularly on the role of reflection, a key component in service-learning courses that helps to differentiate service learning from other types of experiential learning. I describe how the structured reflection opportunities in this course acted as an essential learning catalyst, helping to forge not only course-based learning but also learning related to larger LIS theory.

169 Reflecting on Reflection as a Critical Component in Service Learning

Despite the popularity of service learning, it is sometimes criticized for its lack of academic rigor. This piece provides a counterpoint to that argument by describing a LIS service-learning course from the student’s perspective. I focus particularly on the role of reflection, a key component in service-learning courses that helps to differentiate service learning from other types of experiential learning. I describe how the structured reflection opportunities in this course acted as an essential learning catalyst, helping to forge not only course-based learning but also learning related to larger LIS theory.

Examinations in Universities of the Russian Empire in the First Half of the 19th Century

The first half of the 19th century witnessed the evolution of the university system in the Russian Empire, which ended in the reign of Nicholas I. Particularly, rules of organizing entrance, transfer and final examinations were developed. The Decree of 1819 on Awarding Academic Degrees consolidated the correlation between the academic degrees awarded to students and candidates and the grades of the Table of Ranks. (This Decree was also associated with introduction of course-based learning, which was later affirmed by the Decree of 1835.) While examinations had been a mere formality prior to this consolidation, from that moment success or failure in an exam meant earning or losing the degree that provided employment benefits. The system of student performance assessment that had been formed at that point was valid throughout a long period of time with minor changes only. Universities didn’t have any unified assessment system in the very beginning of the 19th century, so each professor would develop their own learning and student performance assessment criteria, giving marks depending on each specific student’s performance instead of boxing performance into a strict pattern of marks. It was then that the five-grade assessment scale was introduced and gained wide practice.

Course-Based Learning outcomes as the Foundation for Assessment of Graduate Attributes - an Update on the Progress of Memorial University

In 2010, the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) began reviewing programs for progress toward assessment of graduate attributes. This represented a significant change from traditional inputs-based to outcomes-based accreditation. As engineering schools across Canada implement various approaches to meeting the CEAB requirements, this paper provides an update on the course-based learning outcomes approach taken by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University.