Student Experience Research Articles

Parent perceptions of social well-being in children with special educational needs during COVID-19: A mixed-methods analysis.

Children's educational experiences worldwide have been significantly impacted as a result of global school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic of Spring 2020. A growing number of studies aim to analyse impacts of these changes on social well-being, with limited studies placing an emphasis on the experiences of students with special educational needs (SENs). This article focusses on parent perspectives regarding impacts of school closures on social well-being in Canadian children with SEN. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, drawing from both qualitative and quantitative survey data from Spring/Summer 2020. Participants (n = 263) were eligible for participation if they were a parent/guardian of a child or adolescent with an SEN. We first conducted a descriptive analysis of the key variables, namely, social well-being, grade level of the child, internet and device availability, and the presence of other school-aged children in the home (single child vs. multiple children). Next, we explored the relationship between these using a bivariate correlation. Finally, open-ended responses were analysed using an inductive approach to qualitative thematic analysis. The majority of parents expressed concern for their child's social well-being during the Spring 2020 school closures, with increased concerns for younger children. According to parents, children experienced communication barriers to peer interaction and many experienced emotional difficulties as a result. Technology was described as critical for some in maintaining social connections. Parents raised concerns about the impact of limited peer interaction on broader social skill development, in the short and long term. A small number of participants noted feelings of relief and reduced anxiety among their children with SEN. Findings highlight parent views of the negative impact of the pandemic on social well-being and the critical role in-person schooling plays in supporting peer relationships for children with SEN.

JobEdKG: An uncertain knowledge graph-based approach for recommending online courses and predicting in-demand skills based on career choices

Modern job markets often require an intricate combination of multi-disciplinary skills or specialist and technical knowledge, even for entry-level positions. Such requirements pose increased pressure on students, new graduates, and job seekers to find suitable sources of information to enhance their employability. Unlike standard competence management systems, this paper presents JobEdKG, which helps job seekers from various backgrounds choose online courses based on their prospective careers in addition to predicting different skills that may be required in their chosen career path. While existing solutions focus on internal institutional data, such as previous student experiences and a fixed set of skills provided by curated datasets, JobEdKG considers external data, recommending online courses that best cover the knowledge and skills required by selected job roles, in addition to extracting and predicting skills of that particular job roles. To achieve this, we first extract skills from job postings and online courses. These skills are linked to job titles, online courses, and other concepts in order to create a knowledge graph (KG). We assign an uncertainty score to each fact in the KG based on the prevalence of the fact in the source data (i.e. job listings and online courses), which results in an uncertain KG (UKG). Finally, we model the constructed UKG in order to infer different relations between the different concepts. The code and the data are available on our GitHub repository (https://github.com/team611/JobEd) and a user interface to browse the KG is available at (http://jobed.datanets.org/).

Imposter syndrome as a student feeling

Introduction: What happens if we reconsider the concept of "imposter syndrome" as a student experience in academic work? What can we learn about who knows what, how, and about what from imposter syndrome? The term "imposter syndrome" refers to the ongoing feeling, despite one's accomplishments, of being a fraud, frequently accompanied by a fear of being discovered. Definition: Clance and Imes (1978: 241) coined the term imposter phenomenon to describe ‘an internal experience of intellectual phoniness’ among ‘high-achieving’ women who ‘persist in believing that they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise’ despite their achievements. Risk: academics students, professionals, underrepresented groups—women, members of ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities. Symptoms: Thoughts like "I feel like a fake," "I must not fail," or "I just got lucky", Fear of not succeeding, Undermining one's own accomplishments. Get rid of imposter syndrome: Education, Connect with mentors, Speak with experts,

“Career-Sync” Integrated Training and Placement Platform

Abstract: The suggested integrated training and placement platform provides a complete solution. This platform simplifies key processes during recruitment events, like selection of eligible candidates and keep students informed about their progress in the recruitment process. By digitizing student records, the system makes search operations and organization of information easier, boosts efficiency. It introduces a fresh method to handle time-consuming tasks in an organized way. The proposed platform aims to transform training and placement procedures by offering a user-friendly interface that streamlines operations, minimizes manual tasks, and guarantees a smooth experience for both students and placement officers.

Rapid, iterative application of the co-create, build, engage (CBE) framework: development of Blurred Minds Vaping and the Environment module

Purpose The number of young people using e-cigarettes (commonly referred to as vaping) has grown at an alarming rate, creating the need for urgent action. This paper demonstrates rapid step-by-step iterative application of the Co-create, Build and Engage (CBE) framework to showcase how marketing was applied in response to emerging trends that have negative health and environmental consequences. This paper aims to demonstrate how CBE is applied iteratively, ensuring student feedback leads module development. Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, a pure seven-step co-design implementation, 19 high school students were invited to co-design a vaping prevention approach that would work for them and other people like them. During the sensitisation phase of co-design, students completed one Blurred Minds Vaping module. Feedback grids were provided, with students identifying likes, dislikes and ideas. This likeability data was used, together with input from technical experts and pedagogical best practice, in a 12-week research and development project that aimed to develop a new online learning module focused on vaping and their environmental impacts for the Blurred Minds Academy. The new module was tested with 20 high school students. Feedback grids were provided once again, allowing a comparison of results. Findings Examination of feedback grid data demonstrates that the newly developed Vaping and the Environment module was improved. Considerations taken on board in the new module design (e.g. increased variability within the module) overcame criticisms expressed previously (e.g. it was boring and too long). Other criticisms remained evident, albeit at a much lower proportion suggesting the new Vaping and the Environment module, and future Blurred Minds module development, would benefit from iterative CBE application. Originality/value Conduit et al. (2022) note that marketing academia has been criticised for having an increasingly less relevant managerial agenda. This paper outlines a rapid step-by-step application of marketing in response to one of society’s most pressing health challenges – vaping. The iterative application of CBE is outlined, demonstrating that the student experience can be enhanced when marketing’s continual improvement mindset is used. This is the first vaping prevention programme that has included substantive information around the negative impacts of vaping on the environment.

Using augmented reality in molecular case studies to enhance biomolecular structure-function explorations in undergraduate classrooms.

Molecular case studies (MCSs) are open educational resources that use a storytelling approach to engage students in biomolecular structure-function explorations, at the interface of biology and chemistry. Although MCSs are developed for a particular target audience with specific learning goals, they are suitable for implementation in multiple disciplinary course contexts. Detailed teaching notes included in the case study help instructors plan and prepare for their implementation in diverse contexts. A newly developed MCS was simultaneously implemented in a biochemistry and a molecular parasitology course at two different institutions. Instructors participating in this cross-institutional and multidisciplinary implementation collaboratively identified the need for quick and effective ways to bridge the gap between the MCS authors' vision and the implementing instructor's interpretation of the case-related molecular structure-function discussions. Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive and engaging experience that has been used effectively in teaching molecular sciences. Its accessibility and ease-of-use with smart devices (e.g., phones and tablets) make it an attractive option for expediting and improving both instructor preparation and classroom implementation of MCSs. In this work, we report the incorporation of ready-to-use AR objects as checkpoints in the MCS. Interacting with these AR objects facilitated instructor preparation, reduced students' cognitive load, and provided clear expectations for their learning. Based on our classroom observations, we propose that the incorporation of AR in MCSs can facilitate its successful implementation, improve the classroom experience for educators and students, and make MCSs more broadly accessible in diverse curricular settings.

The OECD’s New Discourse of Curriculum Reform: Student Agency, Competency, Colonisation, and Translation

Abstract The OECD global governance of education has been gradually increasing. Its field of interest is currently expanding from educational evaluation through PISA to curriculum reform through the Education 2030 project. Here, it is interesting to note that the nature of the terms the OECD has been creating reveals a ‘humanistic turn’. This shows up well in the frequent occurrence of terms such as ‘well-being’, ‘attitudes and values’, ‘inclusiveness’, ‘responsibility’, and ‘sustainability’ in the ongoing Education 2030 project. Perhaps this new humanistic discourse increases the likelihood of the smooth adoption of the OECD’s proposed curriculum redesign in more countries. If the OECD’s new discourse captures and transforms contemporary people's ways of thought and practice about education, then this is related to the problem of colonialism in our era. It is also worth noting that language plays a vital role in colonization. In particular, the need for translation between different languages serves as a useful means for colonization. Conversely, it is also seen as having a potential decolonizing power. In this context, I would like to examine the new language the OECD has adopted, specifically regarding student experience and the nature of knowing. Next, I shall attempt to criticize the underlying educational assumptions in the OECD’s pronouncements. Following this, I shall explore how the OECD’s new discourse has been translated in South Korea, taking this as an example of wider experience in the East Asian context and possibly elsewhere. Finally, I shall conclude by considering the direction of curriculum decolonization in terms of translation.

How Do Operating Room Nurse Students Experience the Learning Environment in the Operating Room?

Please note this article was first published in Norwegian. You can read the Norwegian article here. Background: There is little research-based knowledge about how operating room nursing students experience the learning environment in an operating room. Results from international studies indicate that structural challenges such as time pressure, high demands for efficiency, and a minimum of time delegated to guidance are all characteristic of the learning environment. More insight into how operating room nursing students experience an operating room is an important element for improving the quality of practice studies in a high-tech and time-efficient environment. Aim: The purpose of the study is to describe operating room nursing students’ experiences of their learning environment in operating rooms. Method: The study has a qualitative and descriptive research design, utilizing systematic text condensation as an analytical method. Data was gathered through conducting focus-group interviews with operating room nursing students in their final semester of the nursing education study program. Results: Three main categories were brought up repeatedly by these students: 1) The significance of having supervisors, 2) The unclear responsibility with respect to formal and informal guidance in a multidisciplinary learning environment, and 3) The situation of learning in a complex and unpredictable learning environment. Conclusion: The results provide further insight into operating room nursing students’ experiences of their learning environment in authentic practice studies. The results can be utilized in further improving the learning environment for operating room nursing students.

Ungrading in organic chemistry: students assessing themselves and reflecting on their learning

The focus on grades has diminished the focus on learning. One strategy that aims to return students’ attention to what they are actually learning (and not just earning) is ungrading. Ungrading is thought of as any strategy in which instructors do not assign a number or letter grade to students’ assignments and assessments. Instead, faculty may (1) provide thorough feedback and engage in dialogue with students about their work, and perhaps, (2) allow students to assign their own grade. Whichever style of ungrading they choose, the scholars that have been forging the path for ungrading come from a variety of fields and perspectives, including STEM instructors in more recent years. The focus on incorporating ungrading practices into the organic chemistry curriculum provided here is adapted from a variety of practitioners, and especially the foundational work of chemistry professor Clarissa Sorensen-Unruh. In addition to discussing the current ungrading practices in various fields, we will use this perspective article to share our own experience with and lessons learned from beginning to incorporate ungrading in the undergraduate organic chemistry curriculum, both as it relates to the implementation of the practice and our own perceptions of the student experience and learning outcomes. Ultimately, the goal is to allow students to see the significance of the process of learning and to engage in some metacognitive work that they can apply to different assignments, whether in our class or not. If we want students to focus on learning, perhaps they should do the grading themselves.

Enhancing students' learning achievements, self‐efficacy, and motivation using mobile augmented reality

AbstractBackgroundThis paper examines the use of augmented reality (AR) as a concept‐association tool in schools, with the aim of enhancing primary school students' learning outcomes and engagement. Conflicting findings exist in previous studies regarding the cognitive load of AR‐enriched learning, with some reporting reduced load and others indicating increased demand and poorer performance. Understanding these implications is essential for effectively leveraging AR in education. The study offers a fresh perspective on the potential of AR technology in improving educational experiences.ObjectivesThe primary goal of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of an AR‐assisted concept‐association strategy for improving essential knowledge acquisition and skills outcomes, increasing cognitive load, and increasing self‐efficacy and learning motivation among primary school students.MethodsA quasi‐experimental design with a control group was employed to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention.Results and ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that the implementation of the AR‐assisted concept‐association strategy effectively enhanced essential knowledge acquisition and skills outcomes, increased cognitive load, and increased self‐efficacy and learning motivation among primary school students. These findings highlight the potential of AR technology to improve the learning experience and engagement of primary school students. The study contributes to the existing literature on the effectiveness of AR technology in education, suggesting future research directions. Ultimately, it offers a practical solution for improving the learning experience by presenting a new approach for teaching using AR technology.

Beyond whiteness: exploring pedagogical aspects of resistance to multicultural education

ABSTRACT Recently, there has been a focus on the experiences of students who belong to society’s dominant groups. One aspect of this focus is on the resistance to multicultural concepts. While some studies have explored cultural identity as a cause of this resistance, more explorations from a social-pedagogical perspective are needed. This qualitative case study examines the resistance to multicultural education expressed by Israeli Jewish undergraduate education students who were enrolled in an academic course on multiculturalism. Using Critical Whiteness Studies as a theoretical lens, the study shows how students from this privileged group oppose multiculturalism through pedagogical aspects of teaching. This approach to resistance highlights the role of social positionality in critiquing this field without directly engaging with its core ideas. Therefore, pedagogy is presented as a crucial concept to be considered.

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.

Perceptions and experiences of undergraduate medical students regarding social accountability: a cross-sectional study at a Subsaharan African medical school

BackgroundMedical schools are called to be socially accountable by medical education and healthcare system stakeholders. Social accountability is a feature of excellent medical education. Medical students are essential to the development of socially accountable medical schools. Therefore, understanding the perceptions and experiences of medical students regarding social accountability is critical for efforts to improve social accountability practices and outcomes.MethodsThis cross-sectional online questionnaire-based survey used Google Forms and involved medical students in their fourth and fifth years of study at the Makerere University School of Medicine. The survey was conducted between September 2022 and October 2023. We used a study questionnaire and a validated toolkit designed by students as part of The Training for Health Equity Collaborative to gauge a school’s progress towards social accountability in medical schools to collect data on demographics, perceptions and experiences and evaluate social accountability.ResultsOut of 555 eligible medical students, 426 responded to the online questionnaire. The response rate was 77%. The mean age of the students was 25.24 ± 4.4 years. Almost three fourths of the students were male (71.3%), and slightly less than two thirds were in their fourth year of study (65%). Almost half of the students (48.1%%) evaluated the school as doing well with regard to social accountability. The evaluation items referring to community-based research and positive impact on the community had the highest mean scores. Only 6 (3.6%) students who reported hearing of social accountability had a clear understanding of social accountability. Students receiving career guidance in secondary school was associated with evaluating social accountability in the medical school as strong (p-0.003).ConclusionsMedical students evaluated the medical school favorably forsocial accountability despite lacking a clear understanding of social accountability. Receiving career guidance in secondary school was significantly associated with a positive evaluation of social accountability.

The impact of using an authentic patient video on health professional students’ attitudes toward interprofessional and person-centered care

ABSTRACT Authentic patient activities in an interprofessional education (IPE) setting can develop collaborative, practice ready health professionals who have the skills to work within and across teams with patients at the center of their care. In this qualitative study, the student experience of a novel interprofessional case study activity, with lived experience content delivered via an authentic patient video was explored. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and identified three major themes: (a) from disease-centered to person-centered care, (b) reflecting on roles in interprofessional collaborative practice, and (c) teamwork and lived experience facilitates learning. When considered within the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) framework, the student experience suggested positive change in all four core competencies: interprofessional communication, values and ethics, roles and responsibilities and teamwork. In addition, students highly valued the interprofessional learning experience, and the patient video created a more realistic case study by reducing clinical assumptions. In conclusion, a short, single exposure to a written case followed by an authentic patient video in an IPE setting had an immediate positive impact on entry-level student health professionals. This simple methodology is a viable way of bringing the authentic patient voice into the classroom with additional benefit from the interprofessional format.

Livestreaming clinical experience to remotely located learners: A critical narrative review.

Medical education relies on real patient learning (RPL) to provide medical students with essential clinical experience. However, growing demand for clinical placements continues to be a challenge in providing sufficient RPL opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic forced academic institutions to rethink the delivery of traditional clinical training and innovations in online clinical learning experiences, specifically livestreamed clinical experiences, have emerged which show promise in addressing the capacity limitations of traditional placements. Although previous reviews have explored the use of livestreamed clinical experiences during the pandemic, there is a lack of rigorous theoretical framing to support these innovations. The aim of this review is two-fold: to examine the effectiveness of livestreamed clinical experiences through an experience-based learning (ExBL) theory perspective and to provide practical recommendations to optimise and implement these innovations. A review of literature was conducted to identify journal articles published between September 2019 and January 2023 reporting on innovations relating to livestreamed clinical experiences. The search focused on undergraduate and postgraduate medical education but relevant evidence from other healthcare professions were also included due to a limited evidence base. Strengths and weaknesses were derived from the literature and analysed in relation to ExBL components. Principal strengths of livestreamed clinical experiences included expanded access to RPL opportunities and medical specialties, enhanced standardisation of learning experiences and positive perceptions from students regarding convenience. Clinical educators found these innovations enabled teaching at scale. Patients did not perceive such innovations to negatively impact their standard of care. Limitations included the inability to practice physical examination skills, challenges in ensuring learner engagement and connectivity issues. Livestreamed clinical experiences have the potential to effectively expand placement capacity and provide high-quality educational experiences for medical students. Although certain limitations exist, technological and pedagogical adaptations can help overcome these challenges. The application of theoretical frameworks to future online innovations will be fundamental to ensure effective clinical learning.

Erasmus-driven destination experience and students’ ambassadorship behaviour: A multi-stakeholder perspective

This work aims to a) analyze the tourist experience of Erasmus students in terms of place attachment and b) explore their potential to act as destination brand ambassadors of a hosting destination. It builds on previous literature of international students as tourists, with a wider scope as more publics are involved and both current and future behaviours are explored. Through a qualitative approach run in Valencia (Spain) with three techniques (focus groups, open-ended questions, and personal in-depth interview) we gather information from four stakeholders (current and former Erasmus students, academic coordinators, and students’ tourism managers). By using verbal content analysis, this varied information was coded to answer five research questions. The results revealed accordance among stakeholders around four interconnected dimensions: academic, social, cultural, and personal or psychological. Insights on cognitive and affective place attachment are found, and on both behavioural (returning) and attitudinal (recommending) loyalty. Results from a multi-stakeholder perspective offers insights on the potential of Erasmus students for spreading substantial positive word-of-mouth to more publics than just other students. Building up on the theory of university alumni as a repeat visitor, this paper brings subjective impressions that can help tourist managers to consider Erasmus students as brand ambassadors as they show attitudinal and behavioural loyalty.

The Dynamic Relationship Between Students’ Talk About Their Learning and Teachers’ Reading Instruction

Historically, in educational research, student learning is frequently represented as quantitative data that demonstrates academic achievement. However, examining student learning by quantitative measures alone means that we do not fully understand the dynamic relationship between the instructional practices of teachers and how students learn. In this study, grounded theory methods were used to explore the relationship between the learning experiences of upper elementary students with specific learning disabilities and their special education teachers’ reading practices. We found a relationship between the way teachers structured interactions within their word study instruction and how students perceived themselves as “readers” as evidenced by their talk. This study demonstrates the potential for teacher educators and researchers to use how students talk of their learning experiences and interactions during instruction, along with performance-based data, as a tool for understanding how teacher instruction affects student learning.

Validity evidence of the use of quantitative measures of students in elementary mathematics education

AbstractQuantitative measures in mathematics education have informed policies and practices for over a century. Thus, it is critical that such measures in mathematics education have sufficient validity evidence to improve mathematics experiences for students. This article provides a systematic review of the validity evidence related to measures used in elementary mathematics education. The review includes measures that focus on elementary students as the unit of analyses and attends to validity as defined by current conceptions of measurement. Findings suggest that one in ten measures in mathematics education include rigorous evidence to support intended uses. Recommendations are made to support mathematics education researchers to continue to take steps to improve validity evidence in the design and use of quantitative measures.

Teaching U.S. Constitutional Design: The Case of the “Genovian Revolution”

In the modern American politics classroom, ideological and partisan conflict have the capacity to interfere with a healthy classroom environment. This problem is increasingly apparent when students engage questions at the heart of U.S. Constitutional design. By asking students to inhabit fictional roles with preferences and attitudes that may differ from their own, classroom simulation activities present a potential solution to this issue. In the present study I introduce a two-week constitutional convention simulation that centers on the fictional Principality of Genovia. Working in groups, students assume roles within various segments of Genovian society who seek democratic representation following the sudden abdication of their autocratic prince. The simulation is designed to foreshadow key concepts in American government and politics. It does so in a way that allows for vociferous debate and conflict while sidestepping students’ preexisting ideologies and party attachments. It also provides a collaborative, active learning environment that fosters healthy classroom dynamics and encourages later collaboration. In a pre-post survey instrument, I test the effectiveness of the Genovian simulation in fostering key learning outcomes and enhancing the student experience vis-a-vis several other classroom modules, finding that the Genovian exercise is beneficial to students on several dimensions.

Student Engagement Variations across Institutions and Disciplines: Findings from Azerbaijan

Although student engagement has been a widely researched area known to improve student learning and a topic of scholarly debate for many decades now, this has yet to be the case in Azerbaijan. Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, conducted among 433 undergraduate students of the 18-23 age range (M = 21.37, SD = 1.43) at eight universities in Azerbaijan, allowed us to examine variations in the conditions meant to foster student engagement, as well as students’ perspectives on improving their educational experiences. Specifically, we looked at differences related to academic challenges, learning with peers, teacher experiences, and campus environment. Student engagement varied across disciplines. Small universities in the capital city provided better collaborative learning conditions. However, students at regional universities were more satisfied with the quality of student-faculty interactions. Nonetheless, students saw a strong need for fundamental changes in higher education in Azerbaijan, focusing on improving the quality of teachers, teaching and the curriculum. The study provided an overview of student engagement variations across institutions and disciplines and how students conceptualise necessary improvements in student experiences. Institutional leaders must understand the variations for seeking essential changes in the HE system to effectively accommodate students’ needs and expectations.