Course-based Learning Research Articles

Student Perceptions of Engineering Service Experiences as a Source of Learning Technical and Professional Skills

A dramatic increase in engineering student participation during the last decade indicates heightened student and faculty interest in engineering service experiences. The first step towards understanding why students are drawn to such opportunities is to examine how students perceive engineering service experiences as an important source of learning technical and professional skills involved in the engineering disciplines. The following study investigates how students compare their service experience with their traditional coursework experience as a source of learning professional and technical skills in engineering. Students’ perception of where they learned professional and technical knowledge or skills provides an insight into the potential impact service-based interventions creates. This study compares service experiences with traditional coursework-based learning to examine the impact of service on students’ perception of learning sources. Students participating in an eclectic and large variety of engineering service experiences were surveyed. Engineering students on average identified that 45% of what they have learned about technical skills and 62% of what they have learned about professional skills was gained through their engineering service experience. Female students credited service experiences as their source of both professional and technical skills significantly higher than male students, and were consistent across academic years. Engineering students’ perceive service-based learning experiences, relative to their traditional course-based learning, to significantly impact what they know about technical and professional engineering outcomes.

Design and Implement a Knowledge Management System to Support Web-based Learning in Higher Education

Today most colleges have web-based learning system to keep a large number of course resources during higher education process. However, these systems aiming to display course resources often neglect users’ knowledge management requirement. Traditional course-based learning confines knowledge to one course. But both teachers and learners often require extracting useful knowledge from course for themselves. Besides, with development of mobile technology, learning with convenient devices was required by college students. Lack of knowledge services and limited clients constrict the development of web-based learning. Taking Tsinghua University as a typical case and according to the knowledge management theory, this paper designed and implemented a knowledge management system (KMS-THU) to support knowledge service for Tsinghua Web School (THU-WS), which is a web-based learning platform of Tsinghua. KMS-THU focuses on knowledge management by people and also abstracts distinctive knowledge services for courses. With campus cloud service and varies mobile clients, it brings a ubiquitous learning style to optimize the learning experience. Besides illustrating design of knowledge service and framework of KMS for web-based learning, this paper set forth the technical details for KMS-THU implementation.

Course‐Based Learning Outcomes as the Foundation for Assessment of Graduate Attributes

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 are considering how to meet the CEAB requirements, this paper provides details on the approach taken by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University and, in particular, the development of course-based learning outcomes.

Continuing professional development: The missing link

Attending formal course-based learning forms a major part of continuing professional development for physiotherapists. There is a vast array of formal courses available to physiotherapists each holding the tantalising prospect of improving knowledrge, skills and patient outcomes. However, educational evidence suggests that, while participation in traditionally organised workshops and conferences improves knowledge and practice behaviours of the individual attendee, there is no corollary improvement in patient outcomes. This paper discusses reasons why formal course-based learning has yet to be successful at improving the patient outcomes of those who participate. Suggestions and strategies for reconceptualising this aspect of continuing professional development are provided.

A WORKSHOP ON LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR ENGINEERING FACULTY MEMBERS

As an initial step in preparing faculty members for the new outcomes-based accreditation process introduced by the CEAB, a pilot workshop on creating learning objectives was developed for engineering professors at the University of Toronto. As the Graduate Attributes will be mapped to individual courses within engineering programs, the need for course-based learning objectives is even more critical; although research already supports the development and use of learning objectives as an effective educational practice. . This paper will describe the process of developing the workshop, facilitating it for the first time, and the lessons learned that were used in developing a second iteration of the workshop.

Continuing Professional Development of physiotherapists based in community primary care trusts: a qualitative study investigating perceptions, experiences and outcomes

Objective To provide an insight into individual physiotherapists’ experiences of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and to gain an understanding of the challenges of undertaking CPD in a geographically dispersed primary healthcare setting. Design A qualitative phenomenological methodology using a one-to-one semi-structured interview technique to achieve an in-depth exploration of this complex area of study. Data analysis was conducted by data transcription, immersion, coding and generation of themes using a pragmatic five-step process. Participants Eleven participants were identified from a study population of physiotherapists working in two local primary care trusts following the principle of maximum variation sampling. Results Four main themes emerged: CPD processes; motivation for undertaking CPD; enabling CPD; and outcomes of CPD. Participants felt that CPD should include a range of activities and learning behaviours. However, there was a preference for active learning styles and formal course-based learning. Engagement in reflective practice and portfolio keeping was generally poor, with participants identifying lack of skills in these areas. Factors motivating CPD engagement included a strong sense of professional obligation and wishing to provide the best possible service to patients. There was frustration over the impact of external issues including political and organisational change on CPD, and anxiety over forthcoming regulatory changes affecting physiotherapy. The study also identified issues around CPD planning and needs identification. There was evidence of change in individuals’ practice and internal perceptions as outcomes of CPD, although issues around the application and maintenance of change were identified. Conclusions There is evidence that CPD has an effect on clinical practice in this small group of physiotherapists working in community National Health Service settings. Significantly, undertaking CPD improves confidence as well as competence, enabling individuals to form effective therapeutic relationships with patients and other members of their teams.

Effective course-based learning outcome assessment for ABET accreditation of computing programs

Recent changes in accreditation criteria of computing programs require effective learning outcome assessment with a vigorous process, well documented results, broad faculty participation, and a com...

Pathology teaching in the twenty-first century

Has pathology teaching been so dumbed-down that it is virtually extinct? Doctors of the future will have a poor knowledge of pathology terminology In the ideal world, pathologists should ‘teach’ pathology Some students like the rigidity and structure of course-based learning Can pathology really be learnt from images in a book? Resources are more important than course design

Using a phenomenological research technique to examine student nurses' understandings of experiential teaching and learning: a critical review of methodological issues.

This paper provides a report of the usage of a phenomenological research methodology to investigate the influence on clinical practice of pre- and post-registration nurse education which makes explicit use of experiential teaching and learning approaches. The primary aim of the research was to explore the use of a phenomenological research methodology to examine the students' understanding of experiential teaching and learning. The claims made for the use of experiential teaching and learning approaches in both pre- and post-registration nurse courses and how clinical practice is influenced by the experiential learning elements of pre- and post-registration nurse education were also examined. The first stage of the enquiry involved focused non-directive interviews with members of BSc Nursing Studies and MSc Mental Health Branch programmes. Both programmes claim to make use of experiential teaching and learning. The data were analysed using a technique developed by Giorgi. Previous experiences of experiential teaching and learning were probed, student interpretations differentiated, and the relationship between course-based learning using experiential approaches and the implications for it's influence on practice were examined. The second stage of the enquiry has followed up the initial findings, exploring the students' experience of experiential approaches on their courses both in the classroom and in work-based learning situations. The findings are presented and discussed in the context of other studies from both nurse and higher education. Throughout the paper methodological concerns arising are discussed. The paper concludes with the identification of methodological problems arising from the research strategy: the implications of the power nexus created when teachers research students, and issues relating to the use of a phenomenological methodology in a longitudinal study.