Student Evaluation Research Articles

Attitudes Towards Parents with a Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder in Child Protection Settings

BackgroundParents diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have high rates of child protection involvement. Research has shown that this diagnosis carries a significant amount of stigma. In the absence of standardised procedures for parenting capacity assessments within the child protection sector, the risk of stigma contributing to the decision-making process is high. ObjectiveThis study examined if there were differences in how students and practitioners rated parenting capacity based on parenting scenarios where a parent had a diagnosis of BPD compared to a parent diagnosed with postnatal depression. Participants and settingThe sample included 122 current, past, and prospective child protection workers who were recruited via social media and a local University. MethodsParticipants completed an online survey which included demographic questions and rated parenting capacity based on two vignettes involving two scenarios (one where a parent had a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and post-natal depression in the other), along with general attitudes towards people with a diagnosis of BPD. ResultsThe parent in the borderline personality disorder vignette was assessed as having poorer parenting capacity compared to the parent in the postnatal depression scenario. Interestingly, there was no significant association between the assessment of parenting capacity and participants general attitudes and skills towards people with a diagnosis of BPD. Differences between the ratings of professionals and students are described. ConclusionsFurther training providing psychoeducation BPD is recommended to reduce the potential impact of stigma on decision-making, particularly for professionals within child protection settings.

Cleft Lip Scar Appearance is Associated With Speech Outcomes After Primary Palatoplasty.

This study aims to investigate the correlation between the quality of cleft lip scar and velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Clinical photographs from 56 patients with repaired cleft lip and palate (CLP) were collected and anonymized by cropping the image to the region of interest around the lip and nose. A survey displaying each cleft lip scar image with five associated scar quality features, including scar color, thickness, width, lip shortening, and overall appearance, was distributed. Surveys were distributed using Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), an online crowdsourcing platform, to obtain ratings from 330 laypeople. The same surveys were also distributed to 45 medical students. Hypernasality was used as the primary speech outcome measure. Ordinal logistic regression was used to compare the ratings for each of the five scar quality categories with the patients' CAPS-A-AM hypernasality rating for both MTurk and medical student raters. Significance was set at α = 0.05. For medical student ratings', ordinal logistic regression showed a statistically significant relationship between lip shortening (P=0.019) and overall appearance (P=0.044) with CAPS-A-AM hypernasality score, whereas the other scar categories showed no significant association. There was no statistically significant relationship between MTurk ratings and hypernasality for any of the scar categories. The association found between lip shortening and overall scar appearance, thought by the authors to indicate scar contracture, and hypernasality, an indicator of VPI severity, provides an interesting insight into how to potentially identify patients who may be at increased risk for developing VPI.

Sentiment analysis of student evaluation feedback using transformer-based language models

Sentiment analysis of student evaluation feedback using transformer-based language models

Implementing Core Entrustable Professional Activities in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Psychometric Study.

This study examines the feasibility and psychometric results of an assessment of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) as a core component of the clinical program of assessment in undergraduate medical education, assesses the learning curves for each EPA, explores the time to entrustment, and investigates the dependability of the EPA data based on generalizability theory (G theory) analysis. Third-year medical students from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 7 required clerkships from May 2022 through April 2023 were assessed. Students were required to obtain at least 4 EPA assessments per week on average from clinical faculty, residents supervising the students, or assessment and coaching experts. Student ratings were depicted as curves describing their performance over time; regression models were used to fit the curves. The complete class of 240 (138 women [58.0%] and 102 men [42.0%]) third-year medical students at the University of Minnesota Medical School (mean [SD] age at matriculation, 24.2 [2.7] years) participated. There were 32,614 EPA-based assessments (mean [SD], 136 [29.6] assessments per student). Reliability analysis using G theory found that an overall score dependability of 0.75 (range, 0-1) was achieved with 4 assessors on 4 occasions. The desired level of entrustment by academic year end was met by all 240 students (100%) for EPAs 1, 6, and 7, 237 (98.8%), 236 (98.3%), and 218 (90.8%) students for EPAs 2, 5, and 9, respectively, 197 students (82.1%) for EPA 3, 178 students (74.2%) for EPA 4, and 145 students (60.4%) for EPA 12. The most rapid growth was for EPA 2 (β0 = .286), followed by EPA 1 (β0 = .240), EPA 4 (β0 = .236), and EPA 10 (β0 = .230). The study findings suggest that EPA ratings provide reliable and dependable data to make entrustment decisions about students' performance.

A/R/Tographic Investigation into Artistic Development Processes of Painting and Drawing Teacher Education Undergraduate Students

This study is a qualitative study designed to investigate the artistic development processes of undergraduate art education students a/r/tographically and to determine the role of portfolio preparation in this process. The present research was conducted in the workshop course of the 4th-grade students of the Department of Art and Art Education of a medium-sized university in the academic year 2022-2023 with the participation of 10 volunteer workshop students. The study group of this research was selected through criterion (purposive) sampling. The collection of the data of the research consisted of student educational development files (portfolio) prepared during the inquiry process, the question pool created, a/r/tograph opinions collected through a semi-structured interview form prepared by taking the opinions of field experts, peer opinions, expert opinions and student artistic products that emerged at the end of the process. Qualitative data analysis was used to analyse the data related to the a/r/tographic process, which is an art-based research method. Accordingly, content analysis was used in student, peer and expert evaluations of educational development files (portfolio). Students' artistic processes and a/r/tographic questioning processes were analysed using descriptive analysis. It was seen that the students were satisfied with the educational development files (portfolio) that they examined by making self-evaluation. Peers and experts who examined the educational development files (portfolio) stated that the files could generally be improved. It was observed that the students were involved in the a/r/tographic process in a determined or accidental way and that they continued the process by making inquiries. It was observed that students developed different perspectives with their artist identities and expressed themselves with process-oriented products that they reflected themselves.

Collaborative Advising

This article describes a novel approach of integrating writing center professionals into online EdD dissertation committees to enhance student success and writing proficiency. Departing from the traditional “master-apprentice” model of doctoral studies, the study explores the rationale behind restructuring dissertation committees to better align with evolving programmatic outcomes and the diverse career trajectories of doctoral students. Drawing on existing scholarship and theoretical foundations, it clarifies the ambiguity surrounding the roles of committee members beyond the dissertation advisor and advocates for a coalition of experts approach to dissertation committees. We describe the establishment and functions of a Research and Writing Development Center (RWDC), highlighting its role in supporting students throughout the dissertation process. Emphasizing close collaboration between faculty advisors and RWDC professionals, the article shares the successful relationship forged to provide comprehensive feedback and guidance to scholarly practitioners writing dissertations of practice. Programmatic overviews and outcomes underscore the efficacy of this collaborative advising model in enhancing student completion rates and addressing the evolving landscape of EdD programs. This study offers valuable insight into reimagining dissertation committees to foster the holistic development of scholarly practitioners in EdD programs.

Pandemic to Endemic: Changing Learning Styles as Coping Mechanism

Professional accountancy students face challenges as examinations are conducted by professional bodies separate from their learning institutions. As COVID19 enters the endemic stage, the transition from online distance learning (ODL) back to traditional face-to-face learning raises learning behaviours and preferences issues. This quantitative research on professional accounting students at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), aims to provide a perspective and critical evaluation of students' learning preferences and its implications on the appropriate teaching and learning pedagogy. The Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), a multivariate method, is used to find path models with latent constructs to identify the influencing factors of ACCA students’ examination performances. It is found that ODL classes do not significantly change students’ learning style. It can be deduced that students are comfortable with ODL and traditional classes. Generally, the learning profile of the student population in this study indicates that the ability to adapt is still lacking and this may be a localised scenario. In Malaysia, to address this may require a comprehensive review of the education system that can develop students to become independent and active learners with high self-motivation.

The longitudinal retention of STEM students through a multifaceted mentoring and tutoring program

ABSTRACT This 4-year longitudinal study identified the impact of a multifaceted mentoring and tutoring program on the retention and graduation rates of a diverse body of undergraduate college students enrolled in high-risk science courses. Findings revealed that the program was successful in increasing the retention and graduation rates of students who participated in the program. All student cohorts tutored through the program demonstrated significantly higher survival rates when they increased their usage of tutoring, threby demonstrating greater survival to retention. Notably, cohorts with high as well as those with low academic competencies achieved the highest 4-year retention survival probabilities when they participated in six or more tutoring sessions. Additionally, through further analysis, a predictive model derived from this research offers a valuable tool that can be strategically utilized to improve retention and/or graducation outcomes of at-risk populations and underrepresented populations in STEM education.

대학 재학생들의 중도탈락 패턴 분석 및 이탈 예측: H 대학교를 중심으로

This study was conducted to analyze dropout patterns of H University students and construct a prediction model for churning of students. Keeping a high enrollment rate of students in a local university is very important for its sustainability and survival, which forced us to develop a good explainable predictive model for dropout probabilities of each student. We applied a mixed effect logistic regression model in order to predict a dropout probability based on 11 explanatory variables such as admission type of processes, first semester grades, total admission scores, category of high schools, and departments of application, etc. The constructed model tells us that department of application is a significant variable as a random effect on which fixed effects for total admission scores and first semester grades should be interpreted differently. The main finding is that in each department the proposed model was able to discriminate a high-probabilistic dropout student although they have showed a good performance in total admission scores and first semester grades. It is highly expected that our model can be effectively applied to manage the dropout rates and enhance the enrollment rates of the students.

Analysis of University Students Liberal Arts Curriculum Perception and Needs

This purpose of this study is to analyze the perceptions and needs of students at University C regarding ‘liberal arts education’ and to draw implications for the reorganization and operation of the liberal arts curriculum. To this end, a survey was conducted on the perceptions and needs of the monitoring group of University C, and in-depth interviews and data analysis were conducted. A total of 91 students participated in the survey, responding to their perceptions of liberal arts education in general and their needs, and the researchers reviewed and analyzed 40 final reports submitted by the liberal arts education monitoring group. Five students, three from the humanities/social sciences and two from the natural sciences/ engineering, who were excellent members of the Liberal Arts Monitoring Group, were interviewed in-depth, focusing on information that could not be found in the survey and final reports nor could be confirmed through interviews. The analysis revealed the following perceptions and needs for liberal arts education.</br>First, students at College C perceived that liberal arts education was necessary overall, but tended to perceive it as less important than education involving their majors. Second, students perceived that the liberal arts curriculum at College C was below average in reflecting their needs. Third, while the survey showed a strong preference for lecture-style classes, the data analysis and in-depth interviews showed that the curriculum should be improved with more interactive teaching and learning methods. Fourth, students at University C felt burdened and fatigued by the relative evaluation method centered on memorization and written evaluation, and demanded a change to an evaluation system that focuses more on the meaning of learning.</br>Based on these findings, the university's dedicated organization for liberal arts education needs to make efforts to change the students' perceptions of the importance and value of liberal arts education and key information for academic guidance. In addition, efforts should be made to reflect student needs in the reorganization and operation of the liberal arts curriculum by establishing and operating student organizations such as student liberal arts curriculum committees and student liberal arts education monitoring groups, or even through competitions. In addition, the dedicated organization for liberal arts education should support liberal arts instructors and share teaching and learning methods that are more in line with liberal arts education through regular seminars for dedicated faculty members. Finally, it is necessary for educators to improve the evaluation system that focuses on students' learning activities in the student evaluation process, and to increase the satisfaction level of liberal arts courses through ‘clarity of evaluation criteria’ and ‘instructor feedback on grades’, and to improve instructors' awareness of student evaluations and to foster their evaluation expertise.

Impact of rubrics on students’ self-assessment and overall performance in an EAP writing course

This study investigates the impact of rubric use on students’ self-assessment and overall performance in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing course. Recognizing the complexity of academic writing, which requires substantial guidance and effort, the research examines how rubrics can help align students’ self-assessments with instructor’s and / or program expectations. The study involved six students from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds who participated in multiple rounds of rubric-related assessments and following reflective activities. The findings suggest that consistent use of rubrics can significantly enhance students’ understanding of writing criteria, improve the correlation between student and instructor evaluations, and consequently lead to better writing outcomes. However, certain challenges such as lower proficiency levels, time constraints, or lack of interest / motivation may limit students’ ability to fully comprehend and utilize rubrics effectively while performing a writing task. The research highlights the need for clear and measurable rubric descriptors to support students’ comprehension, additionally to providing multiple writing samples for reference and allowing adequate practice time. These insights contribute to the ongoing discussion on rubric effectiveness in General English Language Teaching (General ELT) and EAP settings, offering practical suggestions how to improve academic writing instruction and bridge the gap between students’ performance and instructor’s and/ or program expectations.

Evaluation of dental students' learning curve in intraligamentary anesthesia using different syringe systems: A prospective crossover study.

This prospective crossover preclinical trial aimed to evaluate the learning curve of dental students in successfully administering intraligamentary anesthesia (ILA) using three different syringe systems. Dental students performed ILA using three devices in two separate sessions, each targeting mandibular and/or maxillary premolars. The devices included two manual systems (pistol-type and lever-based) and one computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system (CCLAD). The primary research parameter was the success rate of anesthesia, defined as the percentage of successful ILA administrations confirmed by a negative response to a cold test. Secondary parameters included pain experienced during needle penetration and injection, students' self-reported levels of mental tension and handling of the syringes, and any potential side effects. A total of 110 students performed ILA on 599 teeth during the study period. When comparing the CCLAD system to the manual syringes, the CCLAD system exhibited a significantly higher overall success rate in the first session (92.5% vs. 77.4%; p<0.001), potentially due to its precise control of anesthetic flow and pressure, which likely facilitated more effective anesthetic delivery. However, when examining the individual manual techniques, no significant difference was found between the pistol-type manual and the CCLAD system (p=0.66). All techniques' success rate increased from the first to the second session (80.4% vs. 86.9%; p=0.0357). Additionally, penetration pain demonstrated a significant decrease across all techniques (p<0.01). Notably, students' anxiety levels decreased, and self-assurance increased significantly over the sessions. Undesired reversible side effects were documented in 10.9% of cases. These findings suggest that repeated practice of ILA, particularly with different syringe systems, enhances anesthetic success and psychological readiness for patient interaction. Additional training sessions may further improve proficiency.

Implementation of Active Learning Methods in Islamic Religious Education to Improve Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Schools

This research aims to examine the effectiveness of implementing active learning methods in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) as an effort to improve students' critical thinking skills at school. This research uses a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, involving students from several secondary schools as samples. Data was collected through critical thinking skills tests before and after implementing active learning methods. The research results show that the application of active learning methods significantly improves students' critical thinking skills in the PAI context. These findings indicate that this method is effective in creating a learning environment that supports the development of students' analytical, evaluation and reflection skills on religious values, as well as their relevance in everyday life.

On the relationship between students’ overall satisfaction with higher education STEM courses, and university teachers’ didactical practice. An empirical analysis

In this article, we discuss the relationship between students' overall satisfaction with higher education STEM courses (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and the teachers' didactical practice. We analyzed student feedback from 4,683 digital course evaluations which spanned the period from fall 2020 to fall 2021 at the Faculty of Science and Technology (TN-faculty), University of Stavanger (UiS). Additionally, we collected 1854 open-ended written responses in spring and fall 2022, and conducted two focus group interviews in spring 2023 with eight students from the same population. We raise the research questions: What is the connection between students´ overall satisfaction with STEM courses, found in an institutional student evaluation procedure at UiS, and the university teachers’ didactical practice? And what can we learn from students´ evaluations and feedback that is relevant to how we perceive and strive for teaching and educational quality enhancement in higher education? Our analysis shows that there are strong correlations between students´ overall satisfaction, the evaluation questions, and how they understand what being prepared for teaching means.

A Case Study of an Antibiotic Discovery Laboratory Autonomous Learning Assignment—An Evaluation of Undergraduate Students’ Disciplinary Bias

Current higher education trends are moving towards interdisciplinary curricula to provide new tools for solving complex issues. However, course design and learning tracks still create divisions between scientific disciplines. This study aimed to evaluate the disciplinary bias of second-year undergraduate students of biotechnology engineering in the organic chemistry laboratory class through a laboratory setting involving blended disciplines. An experiment on antibiotic discovery that integrates parallel and combinatorial organic chemistry syntheses with microbiology techniques was chosen. As a part of an activity, students had free choice in designing the arrangement of the organic compounds and the two bacterial species by setting up the layout for a 96-well plate. The study visually analyzed students’ plate layouts (N = 74) according to discipline classification and the spatial arrangements of organic compounds (e.g., products and libraries). The results identified four themes that are suggested to reflect students’ vertical, lateral, and interdisciplinary thinking, as most were found to be in the procedural knowledge range and between Bloom’s application and analysis dimensions. Using this study’s thematic analysis methodology in chemistry and related educational fields can provide a pedagogical reflective tool and advance personalized teaching and interdisciplinarity.

Development of augmented reality media based on Assemblr Edu to enhance the learning outcomes

This study focuses on the development and evaluation of augmented reality (AR) learning media based on the Assemblr Edu application, aimed at enhancing the learning experience of fifth-grade students at SDN Tambaharjo 01. The AR media covers the subject of Community Economic Conditions and Natural Resources and Supporting Factors for Community Economic Activities. The research process included designing the AR content, validating it with experts, and conducting small and large group trials. This study investigates the development and effectiveness of AR learning media based on the Assemblr Edu application to improve learning outcomes in Natural Science and Social Studies for fifth-grade students at SD Negeri Tambaharjo 01. The research employs a quantitative approach with a Research and Development (R&amp;D) method, utilizing the ADDIE development model to create and assess the learning media. The study addresses low student performance in Natural Science and Social Studies by integrating interactive AR technology to make learning more engaging and effective.The developed AR media, which includes 3D and 2D interactive content, was validated by material and media experts, yielding a high validity score of 90.31%. Small and large group trials were conducted, showing significant improvements in student learning outcomes. Pretest and posttest results demonstrated an average score increase from 50 to 85, with a student response rate of 88.46% indicating the media's feasibility. Teachers also rated the AR media highly, with a response score of 91.34%, confirming its practical application in educational settings. The study concludes that the Assemblr Edu-based AR learning media is highly feasible and effective in enhancing student learning outcomes in Natural Science and Social Studies.

Do You Trust Broken Mirrors? Confronting Structural Inequalities in Student Evaluations of Teaching in Higher Education

ABSTRACT In recent years, the presence of foreign-born female academics (FBFA) in U.S. higher education has noticeably increased. Despite this progress in inclusion and diversity, they continue to face significant challenges related to race and gender biases in education. These challenges are evident when student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are the mechanism that evaluates the effectiveness of their teaching. Adopting a duo-ethnography methodology, researchers examined the effects of SETs in their professional lives, exploring the intersections of their experiences in their academic roles. Results highlight the potential biases in SETs, emphasizing the need to question the trustworthiness of these measures.

Utilization of Watermelon Rind Puree as an Enhancer of Chips

This study was conducted to improve or develop food products and processing technologies specifically that will help in value-adding, creating new marketable forms that out from the watermelon rind that is usually thrown away or discarded. The study used experimental research using a completely randomized design with four treatments replicated thrice. Different measurements of watermelon rind puree were used to represent the treatments of the study. The products were evaluated by 50 respondents composed of ten (10) trained faculty on sensory evaluation of products; 35 student evaluators who know food preparation and evaluation of products and five (5) selected bakery owners from the Municipality of Sta. Maria Ilocos Sur. Results showed that T3 (400ml of watermelon rind puree) was best in all sensory evaluations and had the highest return on investment. Analysis of variance manifests that there is a significant difference between treatments. Based on the study, the watermelon cookies are considered healthy, acceptable, and nutritious. It contained ash of 1.12g, moisture content 12.96g, crude fat 11.0g, and 10.37g per 100 g of crude protein per 100 grams of the product. The technology should be subjected to further testing on shelf-life tests and physio-chemical tests. This study also recommends the use of watermelon rind as an enhancer in making pastry products like chips, marmalade, jams/jellies and other products.

Canva-Based Animation Comic Video Media in Informatics Learning

This study aims to develop Canva-based animated comic video learning media that are valid, practical, and effective for Informatics in Grade VIII at SMP N 14 Padang. The research adopts a Research and Development (R&amp;D) approach, applying the 4D model—Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. Primary data were collected from validators, teachers, and students, with descriptive and inferential analysis used to evaluate media validity, practicality, and effectiveness. Results show the media to be valid, scoring 0.963 for media and 0.975 for material aspects. The media is also highly practical, with teacher ratings at 97.04% and student ratings at 93.14%. Effectiveness is indicated by a Gain Score of 0.69 (medium category) and a significant improvement in student learning outcomes, as confirmed by t-test results (Sig. 2-tailed = 0.000; tcount &gt; ttable). The findings confirm that Canva-based animated comic videos significantly enhance student learning outcomes over conventional methods.

Admission Results and Ratings of Academic Performance of Professional Subjects of the Bachelor of Science in Midwifery Students at GSDMSFI

This study determined the correlation between the academic performance of Midwifery students in their professional subjects and the admission examination during the freshmen academic year. The study determines if there is a significant relationship between admission results and academic performance in different professional subjects. It determines recommendations and interventions that can be made based on the results gathered. The quantitative method was used to emphasize the descriptive-correlational design employed in the research project. The results of 23 students who took the admission test from AY 2017-2023 are the following: most students belong to Stanine 3 which is 11 out of 23. There were no students enrolled with Stanine 5 to Stanine 9. In the frequency distribution of academic performance ratings from AY 2017-2023 of the professional subject M100 course, most students' performance ratings were 2.25, 2.27, and 3.0 which is interpreted as satisfactory and passed. Hence, in the M 101 course most students also a satisfactory rating on the other hand 1 student got the highest grades of 1.5 and 1.75. Additionally, in M102 course had passing and least satisfactory ratings. Likewise in M103, PHC 1 , and PHC 11 wherein most of the students also had a satisfactory passing rate. Using the Spearman’s rank and the p-value , the correlation result between the admission and academic performance rating of BSM students indicates moderately significant.