Student Experience Research Articles

Self-Regulated Learning Strategy in the Learning Instructions of Interpretive Reading Courses

The integration of the SRL strategy into instructional practices is motivated by the desire to nurture students' autonomy in learning, a trait that is increasingly emphasized in contemporary educational discourse. This study investigates the integration of the Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategy into the instructional framework of an Interpretive Reading course. Given the emphasis on fostering students' learning independence inherent in the SRL strategy, it becomes crucial to ensure that instructional practices align with this objective, particularly within the context of a course designed for first-semester university students. The study adopts a case study approach within an Interpretive Reading class at a private university in Indonesia. Here, the focus is on evaluating the instructional strategies vis-à-vis the criteria delineated in each phase of the SRL strategy: Forethought and Planning, Monitoring of Performance, and Reflection on Performance. The findings reveal that the instructional interventions implemented by the lecturer predominantly meet the criteria established for each phase of the SRL strategy. These instructions serve as scaffolding mechanisms, guiding students towards developing their autonomy in learning processes. Furthermore, the study underscores the effectiveness of these instructions in enhancing students' interpretive reading skills. Consequently, the outcomes of this study hold implications for the integration of digital texts within the instructional context, suggesting their potential to further support and enhance student learning experiences in Interpretive Reading classrooms.

Review of AI Based Career Counselling

In the domain of technology-driven educational advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) has become pivotal in enriching student experiences. This abstract gives into the rising need for effective career counseling and proposes the development for a specialized AI-based software application to address this need. Recognizing the universal role of technology in students’ lives, leveraging AI for personalized career guidance becomes necessity. The envisioned desktop application aims to redefine traditional career counseling methods by using AI algorithms' advanced capabilities. It seeks to provide personized recommendations to individuals or students navigating diverse career paths by evaluating academic performance, skills, and interests. Targeting three main user groups students, career counselors, and educational institutions the application offers a user-friendly interface for students to input details and preferences, resulting in a personalized career roadmap. Career counselors benefit from AI-generated analytics, entitle them to offer more informed guidance. This abstract covers the transformative potential of AI in enhancing career counseling services and facilitating informed career decisions

Nursing students’ readiness towards the ‘new normal’ in clinical practice: a distributed cognition qualitative perspective

BackgroundClinical practicums are a core component of baccalaureate nursing education. Following the coronavirus pandemic, there have been extensive changes in the workforce environment that may potentially affect nursing students’ experience and readiness for clinical practicums.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted to explore final-year nursing students’ experiences and readiness for their final clinical practicum before becoming a registered nurse. A purposive sample of 24 final-year baccalaureate nursing students was included in this study. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face via Zoom. The data was analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach.ResultsThree themes depicting students’ experiences and clinical readiness were elucidated. The themes included: (1) Experiencing multiple concerns, (2) requiring a network of support, and (3) easing the transition to professional practice. Students considered the final clinical practicum as challenging and demanding which evoked numerous concerns.ConclusionsConsidering the stress that final-year nursing students experience, it will be important to devise strategies ranging from personal, relational, and environmental protective factors to enable their successful transition and completion of clinical practice.

Assessing usability of University websites in meeting the expectations of students: a survey of literature

University websites are gateways to display resources offered by an institution (Mentes, 2012). As such first impression, attractiveness, controllability, helpfulness, efficiency and learnability as defined by Website analysis and measurement inventory (WAMMI) (Jabar et al., 2013) is critical in the design of websites. Unfortunately, most Universities Websites design are often driven by technology, organizational structure, or institution's objectives, rather than by its usability from the perspective of students (Undu & Akuma, 2018). This reduces chances of converting a prospective student into a current student after failing to get inquiries into enrollment opportunities in the university. To increase the usability of University websites it is necessary to increase the visibility and accessibility of all website related content. This result into the need of evaluating university websites a process that is very vague and a times usually unknown to most developers, which adversely then impacts the student experience when visiting such websites. To address this problem, standard usability metrics need to be considered to examine the university websites to analyze whether these websites are able to meet the requirements of customer number one who is the student. These metrics comprise of ease of use (simplicity), design (layout), navigation, organization, communication and content. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used by different researchers to evaluate processes involved by analyzing questionnaires responded to by students after browsing several university websites. In addition, various technological innovations aimed at increasing and improving the web presence were used which involved re-designing of websites using the latest state of the art technologies so as to improve its usability as well as use of automated tools like Web Accessibility checker, HERA and WAVE. After reviewing different literature a valuable insight on key Usability, attributes for websites are noted to be of essence in designing website to meet students’ expectations.

International Student Agency in Emergency

This qualitative study uses data from interviews with 20 recipients of a Kazakhstani “Bolashak” scholarship to explore how international students overcome structural barriers and manifest agency in the conditions of public health emergency. The analysis addresses the gap in the scholarly literature on agency of international students by explicitly focusing on manifestations of agency in the experiences of students from Kazakhstan, who have not yet received sufficient attention in research, and by following the students in a variety of country destinations. In addition, in contrast to the majority of studies conducted in the past, instead of recruiting students on a campus of a specific university or in the context of a single country, this study recruits participants from among recipients of a government-sponsored scholarship. The findings are interpreted with the help of Relational Ecological Theory of Agency.

Likened to “a Boiled Egg”

International students make significant contributions to the UK and Chinese international students represent the largest body of overseas students in the UK. Although previous studies have examined different aspects of this cohort, an in-depth and comprehensive investigation of the experience of Chinese postgraduate taught students is seemingly very limited. This research employed a longitudinal design and conducted 34 interviews with the facilitation of photograph- and diagram-elicitation techniques. With a phenomenological focus, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, an inductive approach, was employed for the data analysis of this research investigation. Nine superordinate themes emerged to capture academic, social, linguistic and psychological aspects of students’ experience as well as motivations prior to their experience and expectations subsequent to their journey. This research offers a holistic framework of student experience by illustrating various emerging needs in different layers and highlighting English proficiency and social connections as two influential factors on other elements of student experience.

An AI-based Virtual Tutor Website

In this review paper, we critically examined the research and development in creating an AI-based virtual tutor website. The project represents a pioneering attempt to leverage artificial intelligence in the realm of education, aiming to provide a dynamic and personalized learning experience for the school going students. This review synthesizes the key aspects of the project, highlighting its contributions, challenges, and potential implications for the future of educational technology.

The Soundtrack to Success: Unleashing the Potential of Music in Education

Incorporating music into academic settings to enhance student learning experiences was a fascinating realm that this study explored. It investigated the merits of educationally-designed music in schools, filling a significant void in the present state of educational methodology. This study uncovered the untapped educational potential of music by leveraging the complex neural connections between music and cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and emotion. To better understand how music-integrated teaching methods affect student learning outcomes, the researcher drew on their own experiences in a music studio and as a teacher.

Birth timing: supporting female graduate students

ABSTRACT Women seeking higher education frequently do so during peak childbearing years and women with higher levels of education are more likely to postpone motherhood until a later age. Fertility rate, defined as the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime, has decreased globally. The decrease in birthrate has been partially attributed to women seeking educational opportunities. Understanding the experience of students in this realm would allow higher education institutions to better support students who are (or wish to be) mothers. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of research examining graduate women and the factors involved in their consideration of having a child while in school. We seek to fill this gap by examining the impact of fertility concerns (FC) and importance of on-time degree completion (DC) on the probability of having a biological child in graduate school (PC) among 469 female graduate psychology students in the USA. We found higher FC was associated with higher PC. In contrast, higher DC was associated with lower PC. Furthermore, FC had a significant unique relation to PC after accounting for the contribution of DC. We discuss how institutions and programs may help support and empower female graduate students by implementing educational policies and procedures that are supportive of graduate student mothers. This is particularly important because a large proportion of women pursue advanced degrees, and this number is projected to increase.

A Comprehensive Analysis on the Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching Public Art Courses: A Case of JN Normal University, Inner Mongolia, China

This study discusses the challenges and opportunities encountered in teaching public art courses at JN Normal University, Inner Mongolia, China. Through qualitative interviews with 65 students and 15 teachers, the study identifies key challenges such as inadequate resources, curriculum design issues, and administrative pressures. Despite these challenges, opportunities for innovation and enhancement are also explored, including interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and the integration of technology. The study provides evidence-based insights and recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness of public art education, ultimately enriching the learning experience for students and teachers.

Coping with test anxiety using imagery rescripting: A two-session randomized controlled trial

BackgroundUp to 55 % of students experience test anxiety (TA), which is characterized by intense physiological and psychological symptoms before or during exams, such as anxiety, fear of failure, sweating, or increased heart rate. Furthermore, TA increases graduation times and can result in discontinuance of the graduate program all together. Previous research demonstrated the beneficial effects of combining cognitive behavioral therapy with imagery rescripting, however, treatment programs are comparably long. Hence, they do not account for the students´ time-sensitive schedules. Therefore, the present study investigates a two-session short-intervention using imagery rescripting to treat TA. Methods44 students and pupils were randomly assigned to either the two-session imagery rescripting intervention (22 participants) or the waitlist-control condition (22 participants). One week before the intervention clinical interviews were conducted and self-report questionnaires on TA, self-efficacy, symptoms of depression, and intrusive prospective images were completed (T1). The same questionnaires were completed one week (T2) and six months after the intervention (T3). ResultsTest anxiety significantly decreased from T1 to T2, as well as from T1 to T3 within the intervention group. Furthermore, there were medium to large within and between group effects for situational test anxiety, self-efficacy, symptoms of depression, as well as prospective intrusive images, showing significant improvements for the intervention group at six months follow-up. LimitationsThe study is limited to the comparably small sample size, as well as the sole usage of self-report measurements. ConclusionsThe presented short-intervention provides a feasible treatment technique, which can be easily applied within school and university counseling centers.

What guides student learning in the clinical years: A mixed methods study exploring study behaviours prior to the UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA)

Purpose Student study behaviours that prioritise the UKMLA content map over the local curriculum are a significant risk for UK medical education. To mitigate this, we describe a student-centred faculty process to improve local curriculum guidance based on an evaluation of student study behaviours, concerns and needs. Responses informed the build of an online curriculum map. Methods A mixed methods approach was adopted, including an online anonymous survey exploring student study behaviours and preferences for curricular guidance. This was followed by student-led focus groups to explore emergent themes further. Qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis. Results 121 students responded to the survey, of which 12 consented to participate in two student-led focus groups. Five key themes emerged, including motivation for learning, student use of the intended curriculum, student experience of the enacted curriculum, the hidden curriculum, and expectations of an online curriculum map. Conclusions A participatory framework enabled shared aims and responsive outcomes for curricular development in the run up to the UKMLA. Student responses led to clarification of guidance, reorganisation of learning resources and optimal design of an online curriculum map which linked all content in a visible, UKMLA aligned framework, accessible to all students and teachers.

Analyzing the Success of M-Banking Implementation by Integrating the Diffusion of Innovation and Service Convenience Framework: Based on the Experience of Students at the University of North Sumatera

Analyzing the Success of M-Banking Implementation by Integrating the Diffusion of Innovation and Service Convenience Framework: Based on the Experience of Students at the University of North Sumatera

Informed Inclusion Model: Medical Student Wheelchair User in an Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship.

Students with physical disabilities are underrepresented in medicine, driven in part by ableist beliefs about the ability of individuals with disabilities to complete procedure-based or surgically oriented clerkships, including obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn). There is a dearth of literature on this topic; however, there is also a growing commitment to disability inclusion by medical and specialty training associations. Nevertheless, published case studies and accommodation protocols for medical student wheelchair users navigating an Ob/Gyn clerkship are absent in the literature. This article describes successful disability inclusion for an Ob/Gyn clerkship, including accommodations for medical student wheelchair users. The authors share mechanisms to address and combat ableist assumptions and facilitate access for future medical students by working collaboratively with student and key stakeholders to develop an inclusive and accessible training experience.These recommendations are shared through the story of a third-year medical student who rotated through the longitudinal clerkships at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. The student, an individual with osteogenesis imperfecta who uses a power wheelchair with a seat elevator, completed third-year rotations and thrived in her clinical experiences. The authors describe her journey through a robust 4-week Ob/Gyn clerkship, in which she fulfilled the required clinical core conditions and observation skills with reasonable accommodation. Given the high acuity, surgery, and outpatient demands in Ob/Gyn-and the transferrable skills to other clerkships-the student's experience is an excellent exemplar for demonstrating disability inclusion and reasonable accommodation.Ob/Gyn clerkship directors and clinical faculty can broadly use the recommended timelines and communication protocols to create accessible training environments. With student input, minor scheduling adjustments, ongoing communication, reasonable accommodations, and an open mind, medical students on the clinical wards who are wheelchair users can successfully navigate the required expectations of medical training.

Chinese Culture Aphasia in Chinese Senior Middle School English Class

Chinese culture going global is one of the concrete manifestations of the improvement of China's comprehensive national strength. Having a certain English expression ability of mother tongue culture has increasingly become an inevitable requirement for high school students to improve their English application ability, realize effective cross-cultural communication and carry forward Chinese culture. Although the current reform of senior high school English curriculum standards clearly puts forward the emphasis on the communication of Chinese culture, the phenomenon of Chinese cultural aphasia is still widespread among senior high school students. In this study, the author will investigate the Chinese cultural aphasia experiences of high school students, aiming to comprehend more deeply how the phenomenon of Chinese cultural aphasia emerges in high school classrooms. Through questionnaires, the author will examine their experiences with Chinese cultural aphasia, the specific ways in which this phenomenon occurs, and how to minimize it. This research is based on the following questions :(1) What aspects does Chinese cultural aphasia present in high school English teaching? (2) What are the main causes of Chinese cultural aphasia in high school English teaching? (3) What measures are helpful to solve the problem of Chinese cultural aphasia in high school English teaching? In the research process, the author uses the questionnaire survey method, from the perspective of students, to deeply explore the reasons for the phenomenon of cultural aphasia in high school. Suggestions for improvement are put forward according to the above reasons.

Facilitators and barriers to the Music College Entrance Examination among Chinese ethnic minority students

ABSTRACT The question of how to better prepare ethnic minority students to access higher music education has raised concerns around the world in terms of educational equity and cultural diversity. In China, despite similar concerns, little is known about the preparation process and experiences of ethnic minority students to take the Music College Entrance Examination (MCEE). In this qualitative case study, we investigated the facilitators and barriers faced by 22 high school students of Yi, Mongolian and Tibetan backgrounds while preparing for the MCEE in a multi-ethnic school in Sichuan province, southwestern China. The methods included participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The facilitators identified in the study were support from family members, local teachers’ devotion, positive peer influences and nationally renowned ethnic musicians as role models. The five main barriers were financial difficulties, parents’ misconception of the value of the MCEE, limited expertise of local music teachers, exam-oriented school climate and the MCEE’s structure based on Western classical music. Based on the findings, suggestions for adopting affirmative action and reforming the structure of the MCEE are proposed.

Which aspects of education are health protective? a life course examination of early education and adulthood cardiometabolic health in the 30-year study of early child care and Youth Development (SECCYD)

BackgroundPast research describes robust associations between education and health, yet findings have generally been limited to the examination of education as the number of years of education or educational attainment. Little is known about the specific features or processes underpinning education that are health protective. The objective of the current study was to address this gap by examining specific aspects of early education pertaining to student characteristics and experiences, as well as features of the classroom environment, in predicting cardiometabolic health in adulthood.MethodsSubjects were 1364 participants in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD, 1991–2009) and recent SECCYD 30-year follow-up, the Study of Health in Early and Adult Life (SHINE, 2018–2022). Models examined individual education indicators (student social skills, student-teacher relationship quality, and classroom emotional and instructional quality in the period of elementary school and student academic performance between ages 54 months and 15 years) in relation to a composite of cardiometabolic risk in adulthood (ages 26–31), reflecting central adiposity, blood pressure, insulin resistance, inflammation, and dyslipidemia. Models were adjusted for key explanatory factors including socio-demographics, infant characteristics, parental socioeconomic status (SES), and child health status. Follow-up analyses were performed to test potential mediators of early education effects on adult health, including adult SES (educational attainment, household income) and health behaviors (diet quality, activity level, sleep duration, smoking).ResultsIn adjusted models, results showed greater student social skills, indexed by a mean of annual teacher ratings between kindergarten and 6th grade, predicted lower cardiometabolic risk in adulthood (β=-0.009, p <.05). In follow-up analyses, results showed the protective effect of student social skills on cardiometabolic risk may be mediated by adult income (β=-0.0014, p <.05) and diet quality (β=-0.0031, p <.05). Effects of the other early education indicators were non-significant (ps > 0.05).ConclusionsFindings point to the potential significance of early student social competence as a link to long-term health, possibly via the acquisition of resources needed for the maintenance of health, as well as through engagement in health behaviors supporting healthy eating. However, more research is needed to replicate these findings and to elaborate on the role of early student social competence and the pathways explaining its effects on cardiometabolic health in adulthood.

A Multi-Method Approach to the Future of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Since the establishment of the Journal of Political Science Education (JPSE) in 2004, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning has become more rigorous and data-based, thanks in large part to the efforts of editors, peer-reviewers, and submitters to the journal. Where does the field go from here? I argue that our greatest strengths lie in multimethod approaches. To best understand how to improve teaching and learning in political science, we need to use all of our methodological tools. To illustrate these tools, I provide examples of some of the most-cited pieces in JPSE over the past 20 years, including ones using large-n statistical, experimental, case study, student self-report, qualitative evaluation, and reflective methodologies. I also provide examples of multimethod SoTL work and argue that the best way to move the field forward is to use multiple methodological tools together. Multimethod approaches help us better understand both the teaching problems that are facing the field of political science today and how best to respond to them. For instance, big data can help us understand overall trends, but may hide the individual experiences of students; experiments may reveal causal relationships, but surveys can help us understand how they function in practice. By bringing multiple methodological approaches together, we can get better answers to important questions. The widespread adoption of multimethod SoTL approaches in the future will require rethinking graduate school training, thoughtful research design, and providing intentional collaboration opportunities through conferences and infrastructure.

Exploring the use of ChatGPT to analyze student course evaluation comments

BackgroundSince the release of ChatGPT, numerous positive applications for this artificial intelligence (AI) tool in higher education have emerged. Faculty can reduce workload by implementing the use of AI. While course evaluations are a common tool used across higher education, the process of identifying useful information from multiple open-ended comments is often time consuming. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of ChatGPT in analyzing course evaluation comments, including the time required to generate themes and the level of agreement between instructor-identified and AI-identified themes.MethodsCourse instructors independently analyzed open-ended student course evaluation comments. Five prompts were provided to guide the coding process. Instructors were asked to note the time required to complete the analysis, the general process they used, and how they felt during their analysis. Student comments were also analyzed through two independent Open-AI ChatGPT user accounts. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the themes generated by instructors and ChatGPT. Percent agreement between the instructor and ChatGPT themes were calculated for each prompt, along with an overall agreement statistic between the instructor and two ChatGPT themes.ResultsThere was high agreement between the instructor and ChatGPT results. The highest agreement was for course-related topics (range 0.71-0.82) and lowest agreement was for weaknesses of the course (range 0.53-0.81). For all prompts except themes related to student experience, the two ChatGPT accounts demonstrated higher agreement with one another than with the instructors. On average, instructors took 27.50 ± 15.00 min to analyze their data (range 20–50). The ChatGPT users took 10.50 ± 1.00 min (range 10–12) and 12.50 ± 2.89 min (range 10–15) to analyze the data. In relation to reviewing and analyzing their own open-ended course evaluations, instructors reported feeling anxiety prior to the process, satisfaction during the process, and frustration related to findings.ConclusionsThis study offers valuable insights into the potential of ChatGPT as a tool for analyzing open-ended student course evaluation comments in health professions education. However, it is crucial to ensure ChatGPT is used as a tool to assist with the analysis and to avoid relying solely on its outputs for conclusions.

The graduate student experience at the Robarts Centre

The graduate student experience at the Robarts Centre