First-year Course Research Articles

Addressing the divergence between health science students’ learning preferences and the way their teachers teach

Abstract Both the literature and personal experience show that attrition from prerequisite science courses for the health professions is significant. To examine one possible reason for that attrition, a study was designed to examine the relationship between the teaching approaches employed by college-level anatomy and physiology (A&P) instructors and the learning preferences of first-year health science (FYHS) students. Students and instructors of a first-year Anatomy and Physiology course at a small, private four year college in the Northeast participated in a combined quantitative and qualitative research protocol. Results showed that instructors’ teaching approaches met the participating FYHS students’ learning preferences in some areas but not all. The findings suggest that addressing the gap between FYHS students’ learning preferences and the teaching approaches of A&P instructors could lead to more successful academic outcomes.

The Impact of a Mathematics Bridging Intervention on the Inclusivity of a University Economics Programme

The inclusivity of all students in the University Economics programme is in danger due to a high failure rate in the first-year mathematics course. This study investigates whether participation in a bridging course, and what aspects of it, can contribute to equal opportunities and increased inclusivity in the Mathematics for Economists course, and henceforth reduce the failure rate. It adds to the meager European literature on remedial course effectiveness. Through the use of ordinary least square regression analyses, a significant positive effect of participation in the bridging course was found for the student group as a whole. Furthermore, the results indicated that participation was particularly valuable for the least mathematically prepared students.

Exploring Educational Change in First-Year Calculus: A Comparative Case Study

This article draws on research conducted in a mandatory, first-year calculus course at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. By the turn of the century concerns were expressed over high failure rates in calculus, and action was called for to remedy the situation. In the years to come, various measures were introduced, though rather scattered and unsystematic. From 2013 onwards development initiatives in the course became more systematic, ensued by expectations of improved learning outcomes. This study draws on data collected by identical surveys conducted four years apart with a view to similarities and differences in attitudes and behaviours. Contrary to expectations, observed changes turned out to be marginal, if not totally missing, which in turn motivated the search for explanations to design more productive strategies.

Two Models to Improve Undergraduate Writing Perception and Capabilities in Plant and Soil Sciences

Integration of professional writing with peer and instructor feedback as a graded component can be a strategy for writing improvement in an applied science undergraduate curriculum. The objective of this study was to assess the benefit of professional writing in first and second-year undergraduate courses in Agronomy and Horticulture with two different models for the writing experience. In the first-year course, students communicated the results of two plant growth experiments in the format of a standard research article. In the second-year course, students wrote a group report as a review of published research or a research-based proposal to address a soil management issue. Students were surveyed to determine their major and learning style evaluated with an18-question assessment. Students also chose their level of agreement with seven statements about the process and importance of professional scientific writing at the beginning and then at the end of the semester. Survey results showed that confidence in using and creating professional writing increased among students for both courses. Students in the first-year course showed a greater understanding of the value of peer reviewed research.

Assessment Question Characteristics Predict Medical Student Performance in General Pathology.

Evaluation of medical curricula includes appraisal of student assessments in order to encourage deeper learning approaches. General pathology is our institution's 4-week, first-year course covering universal disease concepts (inflammation, neoplasia, etc). To compare types of assessment questions and determine which characteristics may predict student scores, degree of difficulty, and item discrimination. Item-level analysis was employed to categorize questions along the following variables: type (multiple choice question or matching answer), presence of clinical vignette (if so, whether simple or complex), presence of specimen image, information depth (simple recall or interpretation), knowledge density (first or second order), Bloom taxonomy level (1-3), and, for the final, subject familiarity (repeated concept and, if so, whether verbatim). Assessments comprised 3 quizzes and 1 final exam (total 125 questions), scored during a 3-year period, (total 417 students) for a total 52 125 graded attempts. Overall, 44 890 attempts (86.1%) were correct. In multivariate analysis, question type emerged as the most significant predictor of student performance, degree of difficulty, and item discrimination, with multiple choice questions being significantly associated with lower mean scores (P = .004) and higher degree of difficulty (P = .02), but also, paradoxically, poorer discrimination (P = .002). The presence of a specimen image was significantly associated with better discrimination (P = .04), and questions requiring data interpretation (versus simple recall) were significantly associated with lower mean scores (P = .003) and a higher degree of difficulty (P = .046). Assessments in medical education should comprise combinations of questions with various characteristics in order to encourage better student performance, but also obtain optimal degrees of difficulty and levels of item discrimination.

Cognitive levels in testing knowledge in evidence-based medicine: a cross sectional study

BackgroundKnowledge assessment in evidence-based medicine (EBM) is usually performed by the measurement of memorised facts, understanding of EBM concepts and application of learned knowledge in familiar situations, all of which are considered lower-level educational objectives. The aim of this study was to assess EBM knowledge both on higher and lower cognitive levels across EBM topics.MethodsIn order to assess knowledge on different EBM topics across learning levels, we created a knowledge test (Six Progressive Levels in Testing – SPLIT instrument), which consists of 36 multiple choice items and measures knowledge in EBM at six cognitive levels (Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating and Creating) and addresses six EBM topics (Evidence-based practice, Internal validity, Clinical importance, Study design, Sources of evidence, Diagnostic studies). Three independent assessors defined the minimum passing score (MPS) for the overall test, based on the first-year course content and educational objectives. The instrument was assessed in a sample of first- (n = 119) and third-year medical students (n = 70) and EBM experts (n = 14).ResultsThe MPS was 16 correct answers out of total 36 questions, and was achieved by 21 out of 119 first-year students, 14 out of 70 third-year students and 9 out of 14 EBM experts (χ2 = 13.3; P < 0.001, with significantly higher proportion of experts passing compared to students). Although experts had the highest scores overall, none of the groups outperformed others on individual cognitive levels, but the experts outperformed students in EBM topics of Study design and Sources of evidence (P = 0.002 and 0.004, respectively, Kruskal-Wallis test). First- and third-year students performed better on specific course topics taught in that study year (Diagnostic studies and Clinical relevance, respectively).ConclusionEBM knowledge of students and experts differ according to the specificities of their education/expertise, but neither group had excellent knowledge in all areas. It may be difficult to develop a knowledge test that includes different EBM topics at different cognitive levels to follow the development of specific and general aspects of EBM knowledge.

Aha Moments and Continued Confusion: An Analysis of Threshold Concepts through Student Reflections in the ACRL Framework

With the advent of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education in 2015, librarians everywhere have tried to adapt their existing information literacy sessions to incorporate the revised concepts. This article discusses how the librarian responsible for a series of four labs in a first-year course reformed the lab content around the six ACRL Frames. Student reflections from three semesters’ worth of classes were analyzed for content related to each of the six Frames, as well as for areas of enlightened understanding (evidence of crossing a threshold into higher understanding, as first outlined by Meyer and Land, 2003) and continued confusion, with applicability for all instructors trying to incorporate the Frames.

Adoption of IRT: An Instrument Retraction Technique in Local Anesthesia Delivery

This article evaluates the adoption of an Instrument Retraction Technique (IRT) taught in preclinical local anesthesia to dental students, and its subsequent use in their clinical practice. Immediately following their basic injection technique instruction, first-year students were asked to observe senior students’ technique over a three-week period. During this time, they completed surveys to determine if senior students continue to apply the techniques taught during the first-year course. The results of the surveys suggest safer techniques taught in preclinical curricula continue to be used during clinical procedures. Successful introduction of IRT during mandibular anesthesia into a dental school curriculum is an option for potential reduction in intraoral needle sticks and should be considered when evaluating local anesthesia curriculum in dental schools. The instruction of dental students should coincide with clinical faculty training and calibration. The authors concluded that further evaluation of the technique should be performed to confirm reduction of risk of Blood borne Exposure (BBE) to clinician without subsequent need for additional anesthesia to patient.

“When It’s Outside of You”

Through classroom observations and semi-structured, text-based interviews, this study analyzes the impact of a service-learning first-year composition course on students’ rhetorical knowledge. Students’ own words are used to describe their transformative experiences related to academic writing and community service. As a result of what these students called their “investment” in community organizations, they began to see writing itself as advocacy. This article explains how this commitment to writing as advocacy motivated students to develop transferrable writing knowledge.

Students' prior knowledge and threshold concepts in a first-year biology course: The lecturer as middleman

Constructive alignment focuses on alignment between curriculum, learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessment. This study argues that for lecturers to set intended learner-centred outcomes, they need insight into students’ prior knowledge of a discipline’s threshold concepts. Little is known about how a syllabus’s assumptions of prior knowledge match up to what first- year students know. Yet this insight is necessary; new knowledge is built on existing knowledge, and learning is about moving to higher cognitive levels. To gain this insight, at the start of the 2018 academic year, 292 first year biology students voluntarily answered two formative, online multiple-choice assessments on DNA and RNA synthesis. The responses showcased their knowledge gaps versus what the syllabus expected. Data analysis of their responses was used to shape teaching activities. This study extends constructive alignment by showing how quality teaching in content-dense disciplines such as biology further requires that lecturers gauge students’ prior knowledge.

Undergraduate Student Course Engagement of an Ethnically Diverse Population in Auckland, New Zealand

Increasing student engagement leads to improved educational outcomes, promotes positive student experiences, and reduces attrition rates. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), Māori students now account for 20% of university enrolments, but first-year attrition rates are approximately 17%. Both Māori and Pasifika students are more likely to drop-out during their first year of study than Pākehā students. To address the question Are Māori and Pasifika students less engaged than Pākehā students when studying in their first year of university? we measured student engagement during a compulsory first-year course delivered by a university in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). Questions were from the National Survey of Student Engagement, and students identified their ethnicity as either Māori, Pākehā, Pasifika, or Other. Information on the campus of study was also collected. Three scales within the questionnaire were (1) Cooperative Learning, (2) Cognitive Development, and (3) Personal Skills, and both total score, and score for each scale, were compared between ethnicities and across campuses. Total engagement for Māori students was higher than all other ethnicities on all campuses, and at the South Auckland Campus, Māori students scored higher in Cooperative Learning than all other ethnicities. These encouraging scores for Māori students reflect a commitment of inclusion and support for Māori enrolled at this large tertiary education provider in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. The questionnaire was convenient to use and scales showed good internal consistency. We suggest that regular measures of student course engagement are made so trends can be shown for all student groups enrolled at universities throughout Aotearoa.

Basic mental models of integrals: theoretical conception, development of a test instrument, and first results

A basic mental model (BMM—in German ‘Grundvorstellung’) of a mathematical concept is a content-related interpretation that gives meaning to this concept. This paper defines normative and individual BMMs and concretizes them using the integral as an example. Four BMMs are developed about the concept of definite integral, sometimes used in specific teaching approaches: the BMMs of area, reconstruction, average, and accumulation. Based on theoretical work, in this paper we ask how these BMMs could be identified empirically. A test instrument was developed, piloted, validated and applied with 428 students in first-year mathematics courses. The test results show that the four normative BMMs of the integral can be detected and separated empirically. Moreover, the results allow a comparison of the existing individual BMMs and the requested normative BMMs. Consequences for future developments are discussed.

Older Adults as Covert Operatives in a First-Year Undergraduate Course on Aging

Age-friendly university programs are increasing in number, yet little research has evaluated how older adults shape classroom experiences. This pilot study tested one method for analyzing intergenerational classroom dynamics. Two small-group discussion sections for an introductory class on aging included older adults (n = 3 per section) and undergraduates (n = 15 per section). Class sessions on four topics (health, sexuality, housing, relationships) were video recorded. Overall, older adults spoke proportionally more during class discussions than would have been expected by chance alone. They participated most during the session about sexuality and least in the section that addressed relationships. Specific contributions from older adults included reflections on class activities, topic-specific personal anecdotes, and reactions to younger students. Research methods to investigate intergenerational learning are emerging, and this study provides one preliminary approach. We discuss additional ideas to bring empirical rigor to this emerging field of study.

Student practices in use of lecture recordings in two first-year courses: Pointers for teaching and learning

Although there is a large body of research that exists internationally about how students use lecture recordings, it is necessary to consider the South African situation, where a large proportion of students entering higher education are underprepared and for whom English is not their first language. This study investigated student use of lecture recordings in two different first-year courses, one a standard mathematics course and the other a quantitative literacy course using a lecture-workshop mode of delivery. The results from this study confirm much of what has been seen internationally, that is, that students value the availability of lecture recordings and perceive that their learning is improved by having access to them. Lecture recordings are used mainly to make up for missed lectures, but also to review material from lectures and improve notes made in lectures. There is also evidence of increased usage of recordings immediately prior to assessments. This study found no evidence of a relationship between lecture attendance and recording usage. It also revealed that the extent of use of lecture recordings differs in different course contexts, and that students with lower academic English competence make significantly greater use of the recordings. Limitations that became apparent due to reliability of data obtained by different methods (from questionnaires and from the learning management system) are discussed. Finally, recommendations are made for classroom practice that could enhance academically immature students’ use of lecture recordings as a valuable learning resource.

The Academic Persistence of First‑Year First‑Generation African Students (FYFGAS): A Framework for Higher Education in South Africa

Since the dawn of democracy, South African universities have seen increased access to higher education from African students, the majority being first-generation students (FGS). This increase to access came with challenges of retention and throughput amongst first-year first-generation African students (FYFGAS). Despite these challenges, there have also been FYFGAS who have successfully passed their first year and completed their qualifications. This article used a mixed method approach with a sample of 311 FYFGAS who were registered in a standard first-year course in three faculties at auniversity in Gauteng. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire and qualitative data were collected from individual semi-structured interviews. Analyses included the use of StructuralEquation Modelling which provided interesting insights into the inter-relations between various factors. Findings from the data analyses were used to create a framework of persistence for FYFGAS in higher education. The framework focuses on the resilience factors of first-year students and the role of the institution in ensuring that these students are successful. It also provides a guide for institutional interventions aimed at improving the persistence of FYFGAS.

Assessing Engineering Design: A Comparison of the Effect of Exams and Design Practica on First-Year Students’ Design Self-Efficacy

Abstract In response to calls for engineering programs to better prepare students for future careers, many institutions offer courses with a design component to first-year engineering students. This work proposes that traditional exam-based assessments of design concepts are inadequate, and alternative forms of assessment are needed to assess student learning in design courses. This paper investigates the self-efficacy differences between a traditional exam and a two-part practicum as a mid-semester assessment for introductory engineering students enrolled in a first-year design course. Increased self-efficacy has been linked to various positive student outcomes and increased retention of underrepresented students. The practicum consisted of an in-class team design task and an out-of-class individual reflection, while the exam was a traditional, individual written exam. All students completed a pre-assessment survey and a post-assessment survey, both of which included measures of design self-efficacy. Analysis showed that the practicum increased the design self-efficacy of students more effectively than the exam. Students who identified as women had greater gains in design self-efficacy during the practicum as compared with men. Identifying as a minority subgroup student was also trending toward being a significant predictor of change in design self-efficacy for the practicum. Findings suggest that a mid-semester practicum is a successful assessment of design competencies that contributes to increased first-year engineering student self-efficacy.

A case study in the use of audio-visual essays for university screen and media assessment

ABSTRACT This article critically reflects on the use of audio-visual essays for assessment in undergraduate Screen and Media courses at Flinders University. Since 2018, audio-visual essays have been set as an optional assessment task in first-year and upper level units. In 2019, an audio-visual essay was set as a compulsory assessment item in the first-year course SCME1000 Film Form and Analysis. This was supported with a student-run audio-visual essay lab, in which upper-level Screen and Media students and recent graduates instructed first-year students in basic editing techniques for the audio-visual essay. These labs provided an opportunity for skilled upper-level students and recent graduates to engage with the first-year cohort, impart their skills, model good practice, and generated possibilities for future mentoring and collaboration. Students and demonstrators were subsequently surveyed and interviewed to reflect on the value of their experience working with audio-visual essays. Drawing on this data set, the assessment of the students’ audio-visual essays is charted against the unit of study’s stated educational aims and expected learning outcomes. In the process, this article considers the value of using audio-visual essays when designing assessment for a large, mixed cohort of students with diverse learning styles, skillsets, and professional ambitions.

Integrating CAD, 3D-printing technology and oral communication to enhance students’ physics understanding and disciplinary literacy

How do engineering physics students come to understand and share their physics learnings as a result of careful integration of oral communication with engineering skills like computer aided design and 3D-printing technology? Based in a sociocognitive theory of situated communication pedagogy, the action research conducted in this study set out to answer this research question in an introductory first-year course in engineering physics. A re-design intervention was planned, overseen, and evaluated by a teaching team comprising three physicists and a communication specialist. The findings—supported by student surveys, reflective field notes from the teachers’ observations, and a focus group interview with students—strongly indicate that the students’ structured oral engagement with disciplinary content confer learning benefits and promote the development of disciplinary (physics) literacy.

Criminal Law: Second Edition

This is a casebook for a first-year criminal law course at American law schools. It covers statutory interpretation, actus reus, mens rea, attempt, conspiracy, homicide, rape, and general affirmative defenses. The included material is either public domain, Creative Commons, or included with the copyright owner's permission. The book itself is released under a Creative Commons license which you can find at the beginning of the book. I encourage editing, revising, and distributing under those permissive terms.

Testing the Effect of UNIV1000 on Retention in a Regional University in the US

Abstract&#x0D; &#x0D; Student retention is a major concern for many universities. We use observational data from a regional university located in Alabama to test whether taking a first-year seminar improves student retention rates. Using a linear probit model, we find that taking a first-year seminar course is negatively correlated with retention rates, after controlling for several confounding effects. We perform survival analysis and find that the students who take first year seminar courses have a better survival rate for retention than those that do not take the course. We also find that other macro and micro economic factors are equally important in improving student retention rates, such as labor market opportunities and competition from similar universities.