Experiences Of Undergraduate Students Research Articles

Exploring students’ learning from home under a health emergency: the experiences of undergraduate students and postgraduate students

Purpose The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the rise of online learning in Hong Kong. Online learning was identified as the only solution to meet students’ learning needs in the higher education sector during this chaotic period. This research aims to explore students’ perceptions of online teaching and learning from home under a health emergency via a comparison of undergraduate and postgraduate students’ experiences. Design/methodology/approach A total of 174 postgraduate students and 286 undergraduate students in various universities and colleges in Hong Kong were surveyed in this study. Findings The results show that postgraduate students generally gave more positive feedback on individual and environmental prerequisites, alongside pedagogical and institutional support, and were more motivated in online classes as compared to undergraduate students. Undergraduate students considered the shift to online education in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to be timely and rated their level of discipline with respect to online learning higher than did postgraduate students. Originality/value This study enables educators to better understand the first-hand experiences of students across different levels of study in Hong Kong, as well as to examine the possibility of establishing online education as a more prevalent mode of study in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic has educated us on the significance of being well-prepared to ensure quality education continues when emergencies and disturbances arise.

Undergraduate mentorship in science: A qualitative synthesis

ABSTRACT Mentoring is a common practice in higher education institutions and scientific fields. Undergraduates approach faculty members who are working on topics that match their research interests. We conducted a study to compile a qualitative synthesis of research on the mentorship experience of undergraduate science students with faculty mentors. We used the stages of meta-ethnography to guide our study. Meta-ethnography involves identifying concepts from qualitative studies to translate them into a line of argument. We screened 2,888 titles and abstracts, 71 full texts, and included 13 studies in the synthesis. We identified and organized nine conceptual categories into two themes: student success and engagement, and barriers to student progression. The findings show that faculty mentorship is key to supporting student retention and increasing the scientific pipeline.

“I can’t bear sitting in this class”: exploring Iranian undergraduate female student experiences of their college classrooms

“I can’t bear sitting in this class”: exploring Iranian undergraduate female student experiences of their college classrooms

Medical students experience in working in a public COVID-19 telehealth program: a descriptive study

BackgroundGiven the health and social needs generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais, Brazil, implemented a teleconsultation and telemonitoring program to assist patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, the TeleCOVID-MG program. The telemonitoring service was conducted by medical students, under the supervision of a physician. The main goal of this study was to analyze the experience of the students while collaborating on the aforementioned telemonitoring program.MethodsA questionnaire with 27 questions was developed to address the participation of the students in the telehealth program. The questionnaire included questions about the student’s profile, the system usability, and the satisfaction in participating in such a telehealth program. The questionnaire was generated on Google Forms® platform and sent via email to each student who was part of the telemonitoring team.ResultsSixty students were included in the analysis (median age 25 years-old [interquartile range 24–26], 70% women). Of those, 61.6% collaborated on the telehealth program for more than 6 months, 65.1% performed more than 100 telemonitoring calls, 95.2% reported difficulties in contacting the patient through phone calls; 60.3% believe some patients might have felt insecure about being approached by medical students and not by graduate professionals; and 39.6% reported eventual system instabilities. The main strengths reported by the students were related to the system usability and to the self-perception of the quality of healthcare delivered to the patients. Even though 68.3% of the students mentioned technical difficulties, 96.6% reported that they were promptly solved. Finally, 98.3% believed that the program was useful and would recommend it to an acquaintance.ConclusionThis study reports a successful experience of undergraduate medical students in a COVID-19 telemonitoring program. Overall, the medical students were satisfied with their participation, especially considering the continuity of clinical practice remotely during a period of classes suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic and their important role in the assistance of patients from low-income regions, which has minimized the health system burden in an emergency context.

Black Students’ Experiences and Perceptions of the Library at a Predominately White Institution

abstract: In this study, researchers investigated the library experiences of Black undergraduate students at Penn State in University Park, a predominately white institution. Their goal was to improve services and spaces and to highlight and validate experiences with race, racism, and microaggressions on campus and in the library. Twenty undergraduate students were interviewed and asked to talk about their experiences and how these affected their perception of the University Libraries. Using the lens of critical race theory, which sees race as a socially constructed category used to oppress people of color, this study seeks to present a counternarrative to the prevailing dominant view of the library as a neutral space. Several consistent themes were identified. The themes included, but were not limited to, a low awareness of library services, lack of Black representation in the University Libraries, and a general lack of comfort within the library space.

Analysis of the university experience of undergraduate students of Education degrees

The evaluation of the university experience of students is an increasingly frequent field of analysis among the academic community, as they represent one of the most important groups in universities and it is essential to know their opinion and satisfaction with the different services and resources that the university institution makes available to them. In this sense, the two objectives of the study were the following: 1) To analyse the undergraduate university experience of the different groups of students (graduates, students, drop-outs). 2) To identify which aspects of the academic training received predict each of the student groups. To this end, a study was carried out specifically aimed at undergraduate education students at the University of Granada (Spain), distinguishing between graduates, students, and those who had dropped out of their studies. A total of 292 students participated (82 female and 210 male), of whom 123 were graduates, 98 were still students and 71 were drop-outs. After the application of three questionnaires, it was found that the three aforementioned groups of participants coincided in particularly valuing characteristic dimensions of the formal teaching-learning scenario in the university experience. In addition, the linear regression analysis carried out identified the personalised attention factor as having the highest predictive value as regards student type. Thus, the results of the study point to an assessment of academic training focused on the need on the part of all three groups of participants for teacher support and individualised guidance. The study may be useful in providing universities with new data to help improve the teaching performance of Education degree teaching staff concerning students; for example, by encouraging their participation in tutorial action programmes.

Experiential learning as community engagement: Exploring the experiences of undergraduate students in an African university

Experiential learning as community engagement: Exploring the experiences of undergraduate students in an African university

Case-based learning in undergraduate orthodontic education: A cross sectional study

Introduction Student centric learning approaches have been reported to be effective in introducing higher order cognitive skills required by the health professionals. However, learners’ perceptions must be constructively aligned with new learning interventions to achieve a positive impact on their learning. The aim of this study was to explore the learning experiences of undergraduate dental students with case-based learning in orthodontics. Methods A case-based learning model was introduced on orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning for final year students on a Bachelor of Dentistry programme toward the end of their academic year. A survey was conducted to explore the perceptions and experiences of the participants. The research instrument was based on a previously validated questionnaire and included information on demographics and consisted of 12 items aimed at evaluating the benefits and challenges of cased based learning. Results All 67 students in the final-year cohort participated in study, yielding a response rate of 100 percent. Participants across the board perceived CBL to be an effective strategy to learn the subject content and helpful in improving the students’ skills in orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning and team-working. CBL did not pose any significant challenges or barriers to student learning. Conclusion Participants reported high acceptance of CBL in orthodontic teaching and learning and a positive impact on their educational experiences. CBL was perceived to be an appropriate strategy to enhance the diagnostic, treatment planning and team-working skills of dental students.

Bringing Global Ecological Research to Undergraduate Students Through Citizen Science

Bringing Global Ecological Research to Undergraduate Students Through Citizen Science

Perceptions and Challenges of Online Group Work Among Emirati Female Undergraduates

This study investigates the experiences of female undergraduate students at a federal university in the UAE with online group work. Using a questionnaire, the attitudes and perceptions of 32 female Emirati students were analyzed. Results indicate a generally positive attitude towards online group projects, highlighting the development of skills such as time management, teamwork, and leadership. Despite these benefits, challenges such as low contribution and poor communication were noted. The study recommends the careful design of online group assignments to ensure meaningful participation. Further research is suggested to explore faculty perspectives and conflict management in online group settings.

An in-depth analysis of undergraduate students experiences in the transition from F2F learning to online learning

PurposeThis research aimed to capture undergraduate students' experiences in the transition from face-to-face (F2F) learning to online learning. This study explored their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of online learning in their academic lives, challenges encountered and suggestions for enhancing online learning in the post-COVID-19 era.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a concurrent mixed-methods research design and selected 118 undergraduate students using a multistage random sampling technique from four colleges in Assam. Standardized questionnaires and open-ended interview schedules were used.FindingsUndergraduate students reported a positive attitude and satisfaction with online learning, valuing its adaptability to their schedules, its role as a motivating factor for self-learning, its effect on making them more technically proficient and enhancing their communication skills to articulate their thoughts. However, the challenges identified by the students have the potential to overshadow the promises of online learning. This research provided more constructive suggestions under the themes of “content delivery”, “systemic and infrastructural issues”, “pedagogy” and “capacity building” to enhance their experiences with online learning.Practical implicationsOur research findings would assist educational institutions in adopting innovative approaches for simpler and more efficient online learning experiences post-COVID-19 pandemic. Institutions should prepare themselves and design dual-mode courses for F2F and online learning.Originality/valueThe paper addressed a relevant topic in this era of online learning by examining undergraduate students’ viewpoints that added complementary information to the current body of literature on online learning in rural India. The insights gleaned from their experiences would be beneficial for the development of best practices for online learning in the coming decades.

How students learn to lead in pre- and early-career experiences.

This study illuminates the leadership experiences of undergraduate business students undertaking a 1-year work placement. Semi-structured interviews and reflective journals were used to explore the students' leadership experiences before and during their placement. Through reflection on these experiences, students were able to make sense of their own leadership learning as well as develop their leadership identity. A main contribution of this study has been the formulation of a theoretical model that fully acknowledges prior lived experience, and the multi-layered and complex process of leadership identity development.

University students facilitating hip hop in a community engagement project: experiences and perceptions

ABSTRACT Hip hop is the most popular music in the US and remains on the fringes of the music education profession as both under-integrated, researched, and utilised. The purpose of this project was to investigate the experiences and perceptions of undergraduate music students who facilitated a hip hop project with hip hop experts in a local youth arts organisation located in the southeastern region of the US. As a qualitative investigation, analysis of these data revealed four themes associated with undergraduate music student experiences, which included (1) adaptability, (2) connection, (3) discomfort, and (4) impact. These data suggest direct influences on participant understandings related to hip hop with implications for the field of music education to include hip hop experiences in democratic and learner-led classrooms.

Using the perceptions of online university students to improve the pedagogy and practice of distance educators

This paper reports on the findings of an investigation into the experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate distance education students from one higher education institution, Avondale College of Higher Education. All of the institution’s current students who were enrolled in a distance course or who had previously completed a distance component of their course were surveyed using an online questionnaire. A subgroup of this population also contributed to focus group discussions. Findings from an analysis of the combined data gathered from the online questionnaire and the focus groups were used to inform the institution’s professional development (PD) program that supports lecturers to design and teach online courses. Results of the study are outlined in terms of distance students’ perceptions about the institution’s distance education program, specifically in relation to course structure, interaction and communication, presentation of materials, use of media and design consistency. The paper concludes with recommendations for addressing the weaknesses of online learning programs including both curriculum design and PD strategies.

Experience of undergraduate nursing students participating in artificial intelligence + project task driven learning at different stages: a qualitative study

BackgroundArtificial intelligence is a growing phenomenon that will soon facilitate wide-scale changes in many professions, and is expected to play an important role in the field of medical education. This study explored the realistic feelings and experiences of nursing undergraduates participating in different stages of artificial intelligence + project task driven learning, and provide a basis for artificial intelligence participation in nursing teaching.MethodsWe conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with nursing undergraduates participating in Nursing Research Course which adopts artificial intelligence + project task driven learning from a medical university in Ningxia from September to November 2023, to understand their experience of using artificial intelligence for learning and the emotional changes at different stages. The interview guide included items about their personal experience and feelings of completing project tasks through dialogue with artificial intelligence, and suggestions for course content. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data. This study followed the COREQ checklist.ResultsAccording to the interview data, three themes were summarized. Undergraduate nursing students have different experiences in participating in artificial intelligence + project task driven learning at different stages, mainly manifested as diverse emotional experiences under initial knowledge deficiency, the individual growth supported by external forces during the adaptation period, and the expectations and suggestions after the birth of the results in the end period.ConclusionsNursing undergraduates can actively adapt to the integration of artificial intelligence into nursing teaching, dynamically observe students’ learning experience, strengthen positive guidance, and provide support for personalized teaching models, better leveraging the advantages of artificial intelligence participation in teaching.

Understanding Inclusivity in Online Learning from a Socio-material Lens

The global pandemic in 2020 has led to a recent rise of digital technologies in higher education internationally, which seems to make learning less restricted in terms of time and space (Oztok, 2019) and enhance inclusion and engagement in learning. However, it is necessary to distinguish the presence and interaction in online learning from true connectedness and inclusivity. Networked learning, as a concept being constantly explored by a small group of researchers since the 1990s and attracting increasing current attention, is built around the different kinds of connections between students and instructors, as well as human and non-humans (NLEC, 2021). This paper emphasizes the need to be aware of the dimension of connection constructed through the assemblage of humans, materials and discourses. Adopting a socio-material perspective, the assumed high accessibility of online learning and the neo-liberal discourse of a ‘good learner’ are challenged and care is proposed as an approach to improve inclusivity in online learning in higher education. This paper is drawn from the data of a comparative research study that explores the online learning experience of undergraduate students in one case study university in China and the UK respectively. The research consisted of qualitative interviews with students and academics in the case discipline Sociology. The findings suggest a mismatch between students’ and teachers’ perception of what makes effective engagement. Although the teachers recognise certain difficulties in online courses, such as technical issues for organizing small group discussions, arguably the implied neo-liberal message is that hard-working ‘good’ students will always participate, regardless of where or how they learn. However, interviews with students in both contexts show that the specific surroundings in formal and informal educational settings, the interaction and support from peers, and the way their status is recognised in the community concomitantly mediate their experience, in addition to their abilities or motivation. This research contributes by highlighting the potential of emergent forms of networked learning in terms of unveiling the issues of established discourses including neoliberalism. It provides suggestions for future practices by proposing the role of care, supported by the findings, in tackling disengagement and exclusion, and pivoting students around supportive learning. Further, it adopts a socio-material perspective that fills a gap created by the dominance of human-centred research, generating reflections on the use of online materials in higher education.

Exploring Attitude Change and Experiences of Undergraduate Students in a Goalball and Sitting Volleyball Focused Paralympic Skill Lab

ABSTRACT Rooted in contact theory, the Paralympic Skill Lab (PSL) program is designed to guide participants toward recognizing and understanding the experiences of disabled people to support new pathways of thought and changed attitudes. The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the experiences of college students in a goalball and sitting volleyball focused PSL program and their attitudes and perceptions about disability and disability sport. This study utilized an experiential qualitative approach. Participants were fifty-seven college students who took part in a PSL event. Data were collected via reflective writing responses. Written materials were analyzed inductively using a three-step process: immersion in the data, bracketing the data, and determining emergent themes. Analysis revealed three themes related to the participants’ experiences during the PSL event (a)“I realized that there was no need for having low expectations for Paralympic athletes:” Breaking down bias, ;(b) “It made them real people, with real thoughts and real beliefs:” Humanizing through contact, and (b) “My closed-minded thinking thought they all would have a prosthetic leg or have a mind disease:” Deconstructing assumptions. The findings support the value of PSL as a mechanism for learning and engagement through experience, with clear implications for practice. Future research should explore different types of Paralympic activities offered in the PSL program.

Case-based learning in undergraduate orthodontic education: A cross sectional study

Introduction Student centric learning approaches have been reported to be effective in introducing higher order cognitive skills required by the health professionals. However, learners’ perceptions must be constructively aligned with new learning interventions to achieve a positive impact on their learning. The aim of this study was to explore the learning experiences of undergraduate dental students with case-based learning in orthodontics. Methods A case-based learning model was introduced on orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning for final year students on a Bachelor of Dentistry programme toward the end of their academic year. A survey was conducted to explore the perceptions and experiences of the participants. The research instrument was based on a previously validated questionnaire and included information on demographics and consisted of 12 items aimed at evaluating the benefits and challenges of cased based learning. Results All 67 students in the final-year cohort participated in study, yielding a response rate of 100 percent. Participants across the board perceived CBL to be an effective strategy to learn the subject content and helpful in improving the students’ skills in orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning and team-working. CBL did not pose any significant challenges or barriers to student learning. Discussion Participants reported high acceptance of CBL in orthodontic teaching and learning and a positive impact on their educational experiences. CBL was perceived to be an appropriate strategy to enhance the diagnostic, treatment planning and team-working skills of dental students.

Ensuring Student Mental Wellbeing whilst introducing Block Mode Intensive Learning and Teaching

As De Montfort University, a UK-based University, introduced block delivery across the undergraduate portfolio the University sought to maintain a continued focus on, and commitment to, an institution-wide approach to embedding mental wellbeing. With mental wellbeing relevant to the whole university community and recognising the power of transformational change to impact wellbeing, the university cross-examined student feedback to understand and ensure mental wellbeing. An intensive block model was introduced at De Montfort University (DMU) from the start of the academic session 2022-23. Undergraduate student experiences and learning from the initial months, focused on those in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media, are presented alongside an examination of the methods and impact of embedding mental wellbeing in this new intensive mode; ensuring the continued institutional approach to embedding mental wellbeing in the curriculum, providing inclusive support for all learners. The learning and impact identified from initial experiences indicate areas of strength and areas for development, enhancement and growth. This article presents educational practice implications for other providers exploring and implementing block delivery in intensive learning and teaching modes. The University’s HealthyDMU philosophy recognises mental wellbeing is relevant to all, informed by a social model of wellbeing, in which a student’s experience of mental wellbeing is directly related to their environment and experiences, based on the five ways to wellbeing (Aked, Marks, Cordon & Thompson, 2008). Embedding this throughout the curriculum reduces wellbeing barriers to facilitate student success, establishing pro-active approaches to mental wellbeing and a health promoting environment. This article provides a unique focus on student experience from the position of mental wellbeing embedded in curriculum design and delivery. This paper presents an exploration of student responses to the introduction of intensive delivery at undergraduate level within a UK university, positioned around support for mental wellbeing.

A Pilot Study of Supporting GTA Professional Development and Educator Identity in Engineering

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) significantly contribute to the learning and experiences of undergraduate students. Thus, supporting and enhancing GTA pedagogical knowledge and competencies can improve the learning experiences of undergraduates. Towards this goal, a discipline-specific pedagogical professional development program was created for GTAs in the Faculty of Engineering at a Canadian university. This case study explores the perspectives of participating GTAs, including how they engaged in learning about teaching, what they learned, their emerging educator identity formation, and the challenges they faced during the program. Situated learning theory informed the analysis of participant interviews and focus groups. Findings indicate that GTAs appreciated the situated and embedded nature of the program, reporting limited prior familiarity with pedagogical tools and practices and their application. Results also highlight the need to align GTA roles and responsibilities, providing opportunities to put their learning into practice with the pedagogical knowledge they developed in the program.