Academic Experience Research Articles

Exploring the Life and Academic Experiences of International Students at the University of Jambi, Indonesia: A Case Study

The increasing number of international students in Indonesia's higher education sector urges institutions to improve the quality of their services, facilities, and education. The teaching and learning environment is critical, encompassing the effectiveness of instructional methods, classroom interactions, and the academic support systems provided by the university. Additionally, their socio-experiences, including integration into the campus community and interactions with peers, play a crucial role in their overall well-being and academic success. This study aims to explore the life and academic experiences of international students in undergraduate International Programs at the University of Jambi in Indonesia. This research employed a mixed-method approach, combining a questionnaire adapted from the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) and in-depth interviews, with a total of 13 international students from international classrooms participating in the study. The research highlights significant challenges for international students at the University of Jambi, including inadequate classroom and laboratory facilities, poor lighting, and insufficient resources, particularly in Animal Sciences and Agriculture. Language barriers due to Indonesian being the primary medium of instruction further hinder learning. Students express high dissatisfaction with services such as insurance, health facilities, extracurricular activities, and counseling, though library services are well-regarded. Recommendations include adopting English for instruction, providing bilingual training for lecturers, and improving infrastructure and student services to enhance the overall academic experience for international students

Assessment of the ‘students’ perceptions of education using Dundee Ready Environment Educational Measure (DREEM) inventory at Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia

BackgroundEducational settings in professional health education establishments significantly shape students' academic, social, and emotional experiences. These environments encompass physical, psychological, and social infrastructures of programs or institutions, which jointly influence learning and development. This study analyzed the educational environment at Prince Nora University in Saudi Arabia, a renowned institution in health education.AimThe primary aim of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of the educational environment among students at Prince Nora University using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) inventory. The DREEM inventory is a renowned and validated tool designed to gauge students' perceptions across various dimensions of their educational experience.MethodsEmploying a cross-sectional survey design, the research gathered data from a sample of 321 students enrolled in the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Prince Nord University. The DREEM inventory, which measures the academic, social, and emotional aspects of the learning environment from the student's perspective, was utilized to collect the information.ResultsThe findings from the study indicated a positive perception of the educational environment among the students, with an overall mean score of 113.84 out of 200 on the DREEM inventory. Analysis of the subscales revealed that the Student Perceptions of Atmosphere (SPoA) received the highest scores, indicating a favourable environment, while Student Social Self-Perceptions (SSSP) scored the lowest, suggesting areas that may require attention and improvement.ConclusionThe study successfully showed the utility of the DREEM inventory in assessing the educational environment at Prince Nora University, highlighting its effectiveness as a tool for understanding student perceptions. The positive overall score suggests a conducive learning atmosphere, though the disparity in subscale scores points to potential areas for enhancement. Recommendation: The research suggests that Saudi Arabian universities should implement the DREEM inventory to assess and enhance their educational settings, ultimately delivering a comprehensive and nurturing learning experience for students.

AML-045 Impact of COVID-19 on the Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Leukemias: An Academic Center Experience

AML-045 Impact of COVID-19 on the Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Leukemias: An Academic Center Experience

Invisible disabilities and college academic success: New evidence from a mediation analysis

Students with "invisible" disabilities-including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), learning disorders, and mental health conditions-make up an increasingly large share of college students in the United States. Despite these gains in access, students with invisible disabilities remain disadvantaged relative to their neurotypical and non-disabled peers in many parts of the college experience, including academically. Researchers have hypothesized that inequalities in pre-college academic preparation, barriers to social integration, and lower levels of engagement on college campuses may be at least partially to blame. We test this hypothesis using newly available survey data on college students in the state of Indiana (n=2728). Based on a series of decompositions, we show that students with invisible disabilities face a series of interrelated challenges, beginning with their academic preparation and extending into their social and academic experiences on college campuses. That these disadvantages feed into one another suggests the presence of a cumulative advantage/disadvantage process, in which early advantages and disadvantages compound as disabled and non-disabled students move through the educational system.

Internationalization at home program significantly increases the self-efficacy of nursing students: A pre-post study

Internationalization at home strategies seek to achieve a more inclusive and equitable higher education. Evidence about the impact of these strategies on students' self-efficacy is still scarce, even though this psychological construct is essential for the performance and well-being of nursing students. The Global Nursing Care program was designed to provide nursing students with an internationalization at home experience, combining a virtual exchange and international clinical simulation. To determine the impact of the Global Nursing Care program on nursing students' self-efficacy. A quasi-experimental, analytic, and longitudinal study was conducted. The virtual module was carried out online, and the international simulations were developed in the Simulation Centers of the San Juan de Dios School of Nursing and Physiotherapy (Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Spain) and the West Coast University (USA). Seventy students participated in the program and 57 completed the pre-post questionnaire. Data were collected using an online survey that included a sociodemographic questionnaire and the General Self-efficacy Scale. IBM's SPSS (version 28.0.1.1) was used to analyze data. Differences between self-efficacy levels were measured before and after the program, and according to sociodemographic characteristics. General self-efficacy was significantly augmented following program participation (pre-intervention: mean=32.39, SD=3.87; post-intervention: mean=34.44, SD=3.86; p<0.001). No differences based on nationality, previous international academic experience or academic year were found. An internationalization at home program based on virtual exchange and simulation improves nursing students' general self-efficacy. Future research can explore to what extent this effect persists over time.

Diagnostic Evaluation of the Contribution of Complementary Training Subjects in the Self-Perception of Competencies in Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability in Engineering Students

Higher education institutions, as organizations that transform society, have a responsibility to contribute to the construction of a sustainable and resilient world that is aware of the collateral effects of technological advances. This is the initial phase of a research that aims to determine whether subjects in the complementary training area have a significant effect on ethical, social responsibility, and sustainability (ERS) competencies in engineering students at a public higher education institution (HEI). To this end, a quantitative approach was used, adopting a descriptive comparative cross-sectional design and applying a self-perception instrument to a population of 418 students in the first and last semesters of engineering undergraduate programs. As a result, it was found that students that took subjects in the complementary area did not show significant development in social responsibility and sustainability competencies but did in ethical dimensions. Furthermore, in the triad of ERS competencies, there was a significant difference in students over 36 years of age, suggesting that time and academic experience contribute to a greater understanding and application of ethical and moral principles. These results support the idea that ethics and social responsibility are the pillars of sustainability. The findings highlight the importance of intervening in these subjects and complementing them with educational strategies that promote the continuous development of ERS competencies throughout the entire training itinerary, not only in complementary subjects, but as cross-cutting components of all specific engineering discipline subjects.

CEMPRI, a primary cementing software for vertical onshore wells as a tool for petroleum engineering education

The use of simulation software applicable to the various stages of petroleum engineering facilitates decision-making and, at the same time, minimizes possible failures, problems, and incidents during each well intervention. In addition, a computer tool provides the user with instant and accurate results that can be used during personnel training and higher education. The objective of the present work was to develop an open-source computational tool with a graphical, numerical, and schematic interface to facilitate the teaching and learning of operations related to primary cementing. The tool considers four sections: (a) wellbore diagram, (b) identification of the relation between volumetry and the geometric design of the well, (c) integration of the mechanical state with the number of intervals, slurry design, and operating characteristics of the pumps, and (d) the wellbore diagram integrated by drilling, displacement and slurry fluids, according to each of the cementing stages. Among the results, it was combined programming with specialized technical and scientific material, considering academic and field experience characteristics. The program is a versatile tool that integrates the general mechanical state and each of the five stages with a maximum depth of 5,000 m.

Behavioral cultural intelligence's role in academic adaptation: mediation by academic self-efficacy using PLS-SEM

Behavioral cultural intelligence's role in academic adaptation: mediation by academic self-efficacy using PLS-SEM

“I am afflicted with the evil eye!” How Islamic cultural beliefs influence college students’ perceptions of their academic experience

PurposeIslamic culture believes the evil eye can cause distress, mental illness, physical illness and even death through envious glances. However, the gap was highlighted about the influence of college students’ religious beliefs, particularly those of the evil eyes, on their academic failures. Based on this notion, this study aims to explore how evil eye beliefs affect students’ academic experiences with failures in a culturally diverse educational environment.Design/methodology/approachThis study included 18 female Sunni-Muslim students from Kuwait University by using Heidegger’s phenomenological framework. The study conducted 18 face-to-face interviews over four weeks and analyzed the data using NVivo 14 with thematic analysis and phenomenological assumptions.FindingsThis in-depth study shows how the pervasive belief in the evil eye in academic settings challenges students. The study found how this cultural belief affects students’ mental health, academic performance and social interactions. The study also explored cultural sensitivity’s wider implications, how educational institutions face the psychological stress this belief causes, cultural effects on academic failure and student coping mechanisms.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the study was qualitative and exploratory, the findings provide depth rather than breadth of understanding about students’ evil eye perceptions. The study does not consider the possibility that “evil eye” beliefs might be psychological delusions, complicating cultural beliefs and mental health symptoms. This oversight makes it challenging to select participants who have genuinely experienced evil eye effects. Teachers interviewed students who might withhold private information or alter their responses due to power dynamics or a desire to appear positive. This setting might bias data, reducing its authenticity and depth.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that academic institutions should address cultural beliefs to support students’ education and academic performance rather than promoting hate, evil eye and oppression.Originality/valueThis study highlights the need for academic environments to address and mitigate the evil eye belief’s unique challenges, creating a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.

A Recommendation System Based on Early Academic Performance Prediction and Student Classification: Utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Mobile-Based Application

In this paper, we explore the idea that categorizing students according to their early academic results can effectively prevent academic failure and enhance success in schools. Our objective is to offer appropriate educational strategies, learning methods, and resources. We introduce a method designed to improve student learning experiences and increase their high school success. For validation, we gathered a dataset from the School Life Management Software, containing data on the personal information and academic performance of 840 students from 2018 to 2021. Using this data, we developed a predictive model. We then compared the academic outcomes forecasted by our model with the actual results of the students for the 2021–2022 academic year. This comparison showed that our model can accurately predict early student academic performance and outcomes. Integrating our predictive model with a student classification system allows us to suggest effective strategies for enhancing student performance and avoiding academic failure, thereby improving the overall academic experience. In addition to the predictive model, we have developed a mobile application that operationalizes our findings. This application serves as a tool for students and educators, utilizing the predictive model to provide real-time academic performance forecasts. The app not only predicts outcomes but also suggests personalized strategies and resources to support students’ learning journeys.

International research collaborations: A comparative study on the lived‐experience of academics in Iran and Türkiye

AbstractDecades of research form an extensive body of knowledge on International Collaboration in Research (IRC). However, experiential perspectives of the operative core (the academics) in research collaboration, remained relatively uninvestigated. Besides, explorations on how academics in peripheral countries accomplish IRC are still very limited. Finally, the representation of social sciences is also limited compared to natural sciences and engineering. The current study aims to explore the factors facilitating and inhibiting IRC from the lived experiences of academics in Iran and Türkiye comparatively. The study was designed as a dual phenomenology, one study in each country. In each of the countries, 20 academics in social sciences participated in the study. The results suggest that similar generic forces motivate the researchers for IRC in Türkiye and Iran at the individual level, parallel to international literature. However, macro‐level factors surrounding higher education ecologies including national‐level support schemes, geopolitical dynamics, and the country's foreign policy play an important role in determining the IRC cluster to connect with and the mode of collaboration in these two peripheral countries. The role of macro‐level political factors in IRC patterns suggests that although individual researchers intend to attach to the core cluster (USA, UK, Germany, France) of IRC at the global level, macro‐level factors push researchers in the periphery for more periphery‐periphery collaboration, which may strengthen the growing regionalization in IRC.

Relationship of adaptive expertise of health professions educators with age, experience, academic rank, and their work performance during an altered academic environment

BackgroundHealth professionals and health professions educators (HPEs) worldwide were confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted standard practice and forced HPEs to develop creative, alternative modes of training and education. The ability of people to work successfully and efficiently in non-standard situations can be called adaptive expertise in which people quickly overcome changes in work requirements using their expert knowledge in novel ways. The objectives of the current study were to investigate how the adaptive expertise of a group of HPEs influenced perceived work performance in a non-standard situation and to see whether there were relationships between the level of adaptive expertise and academic ranking and work experience of HPEs.MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional, single-site study was conducted using a self-reported study tool about adaptive expertise developed by Carbonell et al. (2016), and three questions were asked about participants’ perceptions of work performance, amount of work done, and teaching quality. The sample consisted of HPEs from the University of Twente, Netherlands.ResultsAmong 123 eligible participants, 40 individuals completed the survey. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity indicated the adequacy of the sample size (KMO = 0.633, P < 0.0001). Participants were lecturers, senior lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors and full professors. The average adaptive expertise score of the sample was 4.18 ± 0.57 on a scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high). The domain and innovative skills are the principal distinct dimensions of adaptive expertise among HPEs. Professors showed higher adaptive expertise scores than the other ranks. Statistically significant correlations were found between scores of adaptive expertise and perceived work performance (r = 0.41, p < 0.05 and academic ranking (r = 0.42, p < 0.05). Adaptive expertise scores were not associated with work experience or HPEs’ age.ConclusionsOur finding of a lack of relationships between self-reported level of adaptive expertise and experience and age but significant relationships with work performance and academic ranking of HPEs suggests that adaptive expertise is not auto-generated or acquired with seniority and experience but is a ‘mastery’ that should be developed deliberately.

Academia’s Support of Community Pharmacy in This Time of Transformation

Community pharmacy is currently experiencing significant changes that will likely transform practice in unpredictable ways. With student interest in pursuing community pharmacy practice postgraduation on the decline, the Academy needs to ensure that a sufficient number of students passionate in community practice enter the workforce to guide this transformation in a positive manner for the profession and patients. This commentary reviews the ways that pharmacy faculty may promote community pharmacy during the students' academic experiences. These include being mindful of the messages we send our students, promotion of community pharmacy postgraduate training, optimization of community-focused adjunct faculty relationships, and reviewing curricula to ensure contemporary community aspects.

Hidden in plain sight: the covering of patients’ eyes and a microethics of medical photography

This article uses the author’s experience of researching historical photographs of facial injury and surgical reconstruction to think through the ethics of writing about and publishing images of patients anonymised...

The role of career and technology dual enrollment programs in facilitating student postsecondary transition

AbstractStates have introduced a range of strategies and legislative policies aimed at increasing college matriculation through readiness strategies and initiatives that offer strong collaboration between secondary and postsecondary education. Early college high school (ECHS) models are one‐way that colleges, primarily community colleges, can serve underrepresented students in their journey to postsecondary opportunities. Additionally, pathways in technology (P‐TECH) models further connect students' academic experience to workforce opportunities and the acquisition of relevant skills. This article highlights the benefits connected to dual enrollment, the design of ECHS and P‐TECH models, and provides recommendations for strategy considerations when implementing these opportunities for students.

Policy and perspective on outpatient programs for autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation and immune-effector cell therapy administration.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AutoHCT) has long been an integral treatment modality for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Over the past 25 years, numerous institutions have shifted this practice from requiring hospitalization to one that can be performed in an ambulatory setting, resulting in cost savings and improved quality of life for patients. The recent advent immune-effector cell (IEC) therapies and expansion of their indications is changing the treatment landscape for hematologic and non-hematologic malignancies. However, current financial models and reimbursement structures threaten the viability and sustainability of this treatment modality should it continue to require inpatient administration and management. This threat is leading institutions to develop outpatient IEC programs based off the outpatient AutoHCT templates. Integral to the success of both is a cohesive program with outpatient-specific standard operating protocols, highly-trained providers and staff with expertise specific in these treatment modalities, evidenced-based supportive care and prophylaxis plans, extensive caregiver vetting and education, and the infrastructure to support all individuals involved. In this policy and practice review we provide an overview of the guidelines and published academic experiences, give a perspective-based description of the roles and responsibilities of the individuals involved in this process at our institution, and highlight actionable recommendations that could allow for the dissemination and implementation of outpatient AutoHCT and IEC programs more broadly.

STEM Diversity in Advising: Ethnicity and Its Impact on Academic Advisor Value at U.S. Higher Education

This study aims to investigate how student ethnicity influences the perceived value of academic advising in STEM fields at college. The research method employed a correlational, non-experimental approach and collected data from STEM undergraduates through a survey. The survey’s primary goal is to analyze how students from diverse ethnic backgrounds rate their academic advisors’ effectiveness and importance. The analysis focuses on variables such as satisfaction with advising, advisor accessibility, and their perceived impact on academic success. It aims to identify significant correlations between ethnicity and students’ perceptions of their advisors’ value. The preliminary results demonstrate noticeable discrepancies in the perceived value of advising among different ethnic groups, with underrepresented minorities reporting different expectations and experiences compared to their peers. These findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive advising practices that cater to the diverse needs of the student body to improve the general academic experience and retention in STEM fields. The study also suggests implementing targeted advisor training programs that prioritize cultural awareness for further research.

Supporting Latinx First-Generation Professionals

Institutions must adequately support Latinx first-generation professionals if we are to make significant progress in our racial equity work. While in the Educational Leadership doctoral program (CANDEL) at the University of California, Davis, my personal and academic experiences led me to conduct qualitative research on the experiences of Latinx first-generation professionals in student affairs. I sought to understand how institutional norms influenced their self-efficacy and how Latino and Latina professionals experienced them differently. Among the findings was the pervasiveness of professional invalidation and how Latina participants viewed their perceived shortcomings as personality traits, compared to Latino participants who viewed them externally and more skills based (Fuentes, 2021). These are critical findings that colleges and universities need to assess to understand how workplace norms contribute negatively to their experiences. As higher education institutions continue to work towards better serving Latinx first-generation students, Latinx-first generation professionals must not be ignored or taken for granted.

Is ChatGPT Enhancing Youth’s Learning, Engagement and Satisfaction?

ABSTRACT Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational practices necessitates the understanding of the influence of tools such as ChatGPT. Self-determination Theory (SDT) has been used to examine the impact of ChatGPT usage by students for the improvement of perceived learning, engagement and satisfaction. The moderating role of students’ AI literacy between ChatGPT and the antecedents of intrinsic motivation, autonomy, competence and relatedness. The data was collected through questionnaire from 481 students and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The findings of the study shows that ChatGPT usage impacts students’ perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness, enhancing intrinsic motivation. Also, there is a moderation of AI literacy between ChatGPT usage and these psychological needs. This study extends SDT to student interactions with ChatGPT and underscores the pivotal role of AI literacy. The findings contribute to the discourse on AI and education, offering valuable perspectives on students’ use of ChatGPT and its effect on their academic experience.

Developing the future academic workforce: A descriptive cross-sectional study of the experiences of early career academics from registered health and social care professions

Healthcare academics are generally recruited for their expertise as practitioners, however this may not always convert into expertise in higher education. Investigate experiences of academics who transitioned from clinical roles by: DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional survey. 122 survey responses; 103 females, 89.3% UK participants, 65.6% nurses. Average years as clinician was 14.49 (SD 8.44), average age at time of transition was 39.99 (SD 8.28), average length of time in academia was 4.36years (SD 6.51) and most were currently employed as a senior lecturer (36.9%) or lecturer (28.7%). An electronic survey using an amended version of the Career Transition Inventory (CTI), the HEXACO personality trait measure, and open questions for elaboration. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed on statistical data and open questions were analysed thematically. 73% of participants agreed they felt like a novice again and were overwhelmed in their first year of academia. Most felt they received support from their line manager and the transition was the right decision. Higher levels of extraversion were associated with a positive transition, and those open to new experiences were more likely to feel ready and confident in their career transition. The qualitative data identified four themes: the need to do something different, expectations not reflecting reality, levels of support, and it being a transformative experience. Reasons for transitioning from clinical to academic roles are multifaceted. There is a lack of prior understanding around the complexities of the role, and expectations rarely reflect reality. Academic roles require extensive support and development, and time to transition into the role effectively.