First-year Graduate Research Articles

Providing Aphasia Therapy Across Health Care Settings: Clinical Simulation in the Academic Classroom

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine whether a free, video-based simulation activity implemented in a first-year graduate speech-language pathology class would improve students' confidence with assessment and treatment of persons with aphasia across health care settings. Method Assessment of a fictional patient with aphasia was presented for four settings: acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, home health, and outpatient rehabilitation in video format. Goals were written collaboratively, and therapy techniques were practiced in small groups with direction from clinical instructors. Pre- and posttests assessed change in students' confidence with assessment and treatment of patients with aphasia across health care settings. Students also listed the factors a speech-language pathologist should consider that would impact a patient's functional rehabilitation in any health care setting. Results Students' confidence improved from pre to post for each clinical skill and health care setting presented in the simulation activity. The simulation activity did not, however, affect the speech-language pathology students' ability to identify factors that would impact a patient's functional rehabilitation across health care settings, such as patient motivation and comorbidities. Conclusion Overall, the results suggest that a free, accessible video-based simulation can be used to facilitate student learning, when challenges such as cost and accessibility limit the use and implementation of simulation and standardized patient experiences in university settings.

HELPING PROFESSIONS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS: PERSPECTIVES OF THE GRADUATE STUDENTS

The paper aims to explore how future practitioners in helping professions grasp the wider societal problems and represent their professional practice in terms of social progress. The inquiry illustrates the perspectives of students by triangulation between their understanding of main societal issues in Latvia in the context of national planning documents (NPDs), social capital (SC), and expectations about their future work. Data of 34 first-year graduate students were collected using the open questionnaire and analyzed employing inductive and deductive thematic analysis. The largest group of societal issues contained the socio-psychological problems followed by economic challenges. Only half of the answers concerning SC were in tune with the theoretical conceptualization of this term. The students’ views on societal issues and SC did not align well with the NPDs. The mentioned socio-psychological problems contained the issues of relationship and value aspects of SC, omitting the social networks. One-third of answers in terms of professional expectations were related to the development of SC, other answers focused on the demands of external entities, and the students’ features. The views of graduate students can become an important signpost for the development of graduate programs in times of global interest in core competencies for helping professions.

Seminar-case learning model improves clinical teaching: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

PurposeThe purpose of this research was to assess whether the efficacy of the seminar-case learning model is superior to the traditional lecture-based learning model in the gastroenterology curriculum for first-year graduate students.Materials & MethodsThis research was a prospective randomized controlled trial that enrolled 92 first-year postgraduate students with a rotation internship in the gastroenterology department. The students were randomly divided into 2 groups and then subjected to an identical version of the curriculum for 8 weeks. The experimental group (n = 50) used the seminar-case learning model, while the control group (n = 42) used the traditional lecture-based learning model. Examinations consisted of a theoretical test and a case analysis test, and anonymous questionnaires were used to assess teaching quality.ResultsAll participants completed the examinations and questionnaires. The average theoretical test score of the experimental group was no statistical significance with that of the control group (P = 0.17). The average case analysis test score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The indicators of the experimental group’s feedback were better than those of the control group, such that there were significantly higher learning interest and motivation, a better understanding of diseases and knowledge, improvements in clinical thinking and summary ability, and an active classroom atmosphere in the experimental group (P < 0.05). However, students in the experimental group felt more burdensome.ConclusionCompared to the traditional method, the seminar-case learning model showed a higher efficacy. The seminar-case learning model effectively improved students’ outcomes and satisfaction, which helped students narrow the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical practical application.

Comparison of First-Year International Students' Adjustment to College at the Undergraduate and Graduate Level

Predictors of first-year undergraduate and graduate international students’ adjustment to college were examined using an online survey in 2019. The research sample consisted of 95 international students attending two universities in the United States. Findings showed a statistically significant difference between first-year graduate and undergraduate international students, as related to college adjustment. Further analysis discovered significant relationships among the predictor variables - resilience, relational skills, acculturative stress - and the criterion variable, which is adjustment to college, explaining 55% of the variance. Implications of findings for educators, college counselors, and college administrators, are provided, as well as directions for future research.

No Need to Reinvent ‐ Augmenting a Flipped Class Histology Curriculum with a Commercial Online Course

Histology, a pillar of anatomical sciences for both health professional and graduate students, requires sufficient time and practice to develop the necessary visual literacy and skills in synthesis to achieve competency. However, histology contact hours in medical and graduate education have reduced significantly in the past decades due to disseminated curricular changes emphasizing integration of basic sciences, clinical content and self-directed learning. In turn, adjunct online resources have been in steady incline and in the past year, in response to COVID-19, quickly became an essential component of anatomical sciences education following campus closures. Self-directed learning is challenging in normal circumstances as success is impacted by the level of student preparedness and engagement, which in turn can be dependent on the quality of the asynchronous learning resources. Although many online histology resources are available, few are comprehensive and provide step-by-step instruction in identification of structures in tissue slides. In this pilot project, the efficacy of using a commercial online histology (COH) course (DaVinci Academy, Cleveland, OH) as a primary preparatory resource in a graduate histology curriculum implementing a flipped-classroom pedagogy was assessed. During fall 2020 (F2020), first-year graduate students enrolled in a hybrid histology course were required to review learning objectives, read textbook sections, and complete the COH lessons, consisting of complete lectures, lab videos, and quizzes as a set of pre-work to prepare for on-campus and virtual classes. The synchronous class sessions had minimal didactic lectures, but instead had a series of small group active learning tasks. In a COMIRB exempt retrospective study (#20-2891), the assessment outcomes of the F2020 cohort (n=26) were compared to a fall 2019 (F2019) cohort of students (n=25) who completed the identical histology curriculum delivered in a flipped-class style by the same instructor, but without the commercial online histology course. All course quiz and exam scores were compared across the F2019 and F2020 cohorts using a Kruskal Wallis test for non-parametric data. There were no significant differences in assessment outcomes between F2019 and F2020 cohorts (p>0.05). Survey of the F2020 cohort throughout the course revealed consistently high rating of the COH with 80% of students believing the resource improved their ability to read and interpret histology slides. Interestingly, students perceived the lecture and lab videos in the COH delivered by the same in-class instructor to be more valuable than those delivered by a third-party instructor, although the assessment performance was independent of the online instructor (p>0.05). The results suggest that the online histology course can be an effective asynchronous learning resource for a histology course, allowing for more efficient use of synchronous class time to support a higher taxonomy of learning.

Enhancing engagement of graduate students in class via use of an interactive teaching platform improves learning and long-term retention

Abstract Engagement of students in the classroom has been shown to improve understanding and retention of material. However, the most common teaching format in Graduate, Medical or Dental School is lecturing via powerpoint, which minimally engages students, an issue amplified during the pandemic due to remote teaching. Assessing previous knowledge, predicting/retrieving information, and using academic games are teaching strategies that facilitate more effective learning. We used TopHat, an interactive teaching platform allowing integration of these strategies, to teach a graduate Immunology course. Two cohorts of first-year graduate students were provided with the opportunity to anonymously discuss topics learned during the current or previous sessions, hear different perspectives, and correct what they had not understood during face-to-face or virtual sessions. Only some instructors in the course used the platform. Students who perform overall at a lower level obtained higher exam scores with instructors who used the platform. However, all students received higher scores on comprehensive final exam questions provided by instructors who used the platform, suggesting that engaging graduate students in class helped with long-term retention. Lastly, a student survey about the utility of the platform indicated that a large majority of students felt more engaged, and believed that they were better able to understand the material and retrieve the information both short-term and long-term. This study suggests that using an interactive teaching platform with graduate students resulted in better engagement, improved learning and long-term material retention, and could be easily implemented at any level of Immunology education.

Grant deadline: An escape room to simulate grant submissions

Background and purposePrevious lectures for graduate trainees did not convey the urgency, complexity, and challenges of a successful grant submission. To increase engagement, instructors applied gamification principles to create an educational escape room. Serious games used in other settings engage participants to solve problems, build teamwork, and improve communication skills. This study was designed to fill a gap in the types of educational training effectively conducted via escape rooms. Educational activity and settingA college of pharmacy team implemented a game to simulate the grant submission process and familiarize trainees to internal processes and resources. Participants searched for grant opportunities, identified proposal errors, solved research-related clues to open locks, contacted a difficult collaborator, physically located resources, and requested permission for late submission. The activity was implemented during an introductory class for first-year graduate students (n = 19). Learning objectives targeted the technical and relational aspects of proposals within a realistic, timed setting. Student perceptions of the escape room experience were gathered via individual interviews (n = 8) and evaluated by thematic analysis. FindingsAnalysis of participant emotions, thoughts, and attitudes identified common themes of excitement (63%), fun (50%), stress (38%), and frustration (25%). Compared to didactic instruction, many interviewed students preferred the escape room (63%) and found it conducive to learning (63%). A subset thought it might not work for everyone (13%) or would be improved by adding a didactic component (13%). SummaryThis escape room served as an engaging method to introduce graduate students to the grant submission process.

What sparks joy.

“Hot off the press, congratulations!” my Ph.D. supervisor wrote to me back in August. Our paper—which I had written during lockdown based on labwork I completed before the pandemic—had just been accepted for publication. “Great!” I responded. And that was that. I went back to cleaning my apartment and waiting for bread to bake. My city's lockdown made celebrating with co-workers at pub trivia or group drinks impossible. The only person who was going to celebrate this accomplishment with me was me—and I didn't feel like celebrating. > “Publishing in isolation … gave me a chance to reflect on what I truly find rewarding.” If you had asked me at the beginning of my Ph.D. what I wanted to do after graduating, I would have said that I wanted to hide away at a fume hood and do research. If the pandemic hadn't hit I probably would have blithely remained on that track, carried along by the momentum of my expectations for myself and my future. The cheers of labmates and colleagues when I published that paper would have spurred me forward. But publishing in isolation, with no celebrations, gave me a chance to reflect on what I truly find rewarding. The paper gave me little sense of personal or professional accomplishment. I realized I don't find satisfaction just from the act of research. In the words of organization expert Marie Kondo, it doesn't “spark joy.” Where did that leave me? I had more than a year of my Ph.D. left. The prospect of working at something I no longer enjoyed, for a goal I was no longer excited about, was discouraging. “Get a Ph.D.” had turned out to be less of a career plan and more of a single step toward something unclear. I no longer knew what my career trajectory ought to be. I had been getting emails about university-sponsored graduate student career workshops every week for years. Like most people I knew, I figured I had better ways to use my time. Now, feeling aimless and uncertain about my future, I thought I would give them a try. When I attended my first (virtual) event in November, I was a little discouraged at first to see it was mostly first-year graduate students who were already thinking about their career plans and how to optimize their grad school experiences accordingly. I felt late to the party, and somewhat regretful I hadn't taken advantage of these resources earlier. But I told myself late is better than never and that there was still lots I could learn. As part of the workshop we completed an Individual Development Plan (IDP), a sort of quiz that helps you rank your career values and priorities. I had last taken a career quiz in high school. It told me to pursue marketing or vending machine repair, so I was fairly skeptical going in. When I got my results, I was surprised at first to see that “teamwork” and “help society” ended up as my top career essentials. But when I thought more about what I found fulfilling over the previous year, this began to make sense. I realized that I'll remember the people—the graduate students and other researchers I met and got to work with. I'll remember painstakingly going back and forth with my supervisor to craft a manuscript we were both happy with. For me, collaboration sparked joy. The IDP suggested careers in public policy or administration. The prospect of leaving research was scary. But if the major research milestone of publishing a paper wasn't fulfilling for me, I needed to look elsewhere. So, rather than start new research projects, I've begun to write my thesis earlier than I planned, aiming to apply for a science policy fellowship in the fall. I've started to do something I previously associated only with business students and career professionals: networking with past collaborators and professors. I wish it hadn't taken a global catastrophe for me to find my way to what I hope will be a rewarding career path. Yet if COVID-19 hadn't happened, I expect I would still be going full-steam ahead on research and would have realized far too late that I was on the wrong path. Going forward, I hope I can make a routine of regularly reflecting on what sparks joy—without waiting for a crisis.

Stress and Basic Need Satisfaction of First-Year Healthcare Professional Students.

Transitioning to graduate-level professional school can trigger stressful feelings for many students. The purpose of this study was to determine the stress levels and unmet basic needs of first-year graduate healthcare students during their transition from undergraduate institutions to professional school. The study was conducted at Midwestern University, a private, graduate-level, professional health sciences university located in the Midwest, during the 2018-2019 academic year. The survey was administered to all first-year students within the colleges of dentistry, medicine, optometry, and pharmacy. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used to evaluate participants' stress levels and the Basic Need Satisfaction Inventory (BNSI) was used to evaluate unmet basic needs. Of the 523 prospective participants, 404 survey responses were included (77.2% response rate). Female students showed higher perceived stress and lower basic need satisfaction. Perceived stress levels did not differ by professional program when taking into consideration the differences in gender distribution by program. A regression model indicated that gender and basic need satisfaction were the main predictors of perceived stress for healthcare professional students. Higher basic need satisfaction was predictive of lower perceived stress in healthcare professional students. Perceived stress levels remain higher for female students compared to male students.

Are preservice science teachers (PSTs) prepared for teaching argumentation? Evidence from a university teacher preparation program in China

ABSTRACT Background As a fundamental approach to fostering students’ scientific literacy, argumentation has received more and more attention from science researchers and educators. Preservice science teachers’ (PSTs) abilities to both construct and evaluate arguments are fundamental to their future science teaching. Research combining these two aspects of PSTs’ argumentation abilities is lacking. Purpose This study aims to investigate PSTs’ argumentation ability from both construction and evaluation perspectives and to explore their relationship. Sample A total of 76 first-year graduates enrolling in a postgraduate-level science teachers preparation program at a university in China participated in this study, and 69 valid responses were obtained. Design and methods This study employed the Chinese version of the Argument Evaluation Test (AET) translated from Martin-Gamez and Erduran (2018) to assess the participants’ abilities to evaluate arguments, and the Argument Construction Test (ACT) designed following Toulmin’s Argument Pattern (TAP) to assess the participants’ abilities to construct arguments. The participants completed the tests via an online questionnaire system. Results The findings show: (1) Many limitations concerning PSTs’ abilities to evaluate arguments were visible. They were more incompetent in identifying ‘what is a good rebuttal’ than in identifying ‘what is a good argument’. (2) PSTs had obvious deficiencies in constructing arguments. Their performance in the dimensions of data, rebuttal and backing was significantly lower than their performance in the dimesion of warrant. (3) PSTs performed significantly better in a socio-technological issue (STI) than in a socio-scientific issue (SSI) in the dimension of evidence, and significantly better in an SSI than in a social issue (SI) in the dimension of the warrant. (4) A significant and moderate correlation was found between PSTs’ abilities to evaluate arguments and their abilities to construct arguments. Conclusions This study suggests that first-year graduates (also postgraduate-level PSTs) are not well-prepared for teaching argumentation. There are a high necessity and urgency to offer systematic courses focusing on argumentation skills in PSTs programs. The ability to evaluate arguments and ability to construct rebuttals need to be highlighted in such courses. More attention needs to be paid to PSTs’ abilities to construct arguments with data and evidence rather than their abilities to simply propose claims and to show their warrants.

Becoming a Warrior Monk

Becoming a Warrior Monk

COMPARISION AND STUDY OF NUMERICAL METHODS FOR DYNAMIC RESPONSE EVALUATION OF SDOF

Written for senior-year undergraduates and first-year graduate students with solid backgrounds in differential and integral calculus, this paper is oriented toward engineers and applied mathematicians. Consequently, this paper should be useful to senior-year undergraduates the finite element method [1]. The scaled direct approach is adopted for this purpose and each step in the finite element solution process is given in full detail. For this reason, all students must be exposed to (and indeed should master). This paper provides the general framework for the development of nearly all (nonstructural) finite element models. The finite element method of analysis is a very powerful, modern computational tool. Applications range from deformation and stress analysis of automotive, aircraft, building, and bridge structures to field analysis of beat flux, fluid flow, magnetic flux, seepage, and other flow problems. This paper presents study and comparison of numerical methods which are used for evaluation of dynamic response. A Single Degree of Freedom (SDF)-linear problem is solved by means of Newmark’s Average acceleration method [2], Linear acceleration method [2], Central Difference method [6,7] with the help of MATLAB. The advantages, disadvantages, relative precision and applicability of these numerical methods are discussed throughout the analysis.

Nutritional knowledge, attitudes and dietary behaviors of teachers and students in a medical college in Beijing and their influencing factors

To investigate nutritional knowledge, attitudes and dietary behaviors of teachers and students in a medical college in Beijing and their influencine factors, and to provide evidence for nutrition education and promotion. The subjects of this study were teachers, as well as first-year and second-year graduate students, and first-year to third-year undergraduate students. The teachers and students were respectively sampled by stratified cluster sampling with equal proportion. t-test or ANOVA was used to compare the means between the groups, and multiple linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) score. The average score of nutrition knowledge was 5.7±1.5. The knowledge rate of nutrition was 57.3%. The average score of nutritional attitudes was 8.3±3.0. The mean nutritional behavior score was 5.1±2.0. The average nutritional KAP score was 19.1±4.6, with the teachers 19.9±5.2 higher than the students 18.9±4.5; the female 19.5±4.5 higher than the male 18.4±4.5; All the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The scores of nutritional attitudes, nutritional behavior and total KAP scores of doctoral students were significantly higher than those of the undergraduate and postgraduate students (P < 0.01). The nutrition attitudes of teachers and students is relatively correct, the nutrition knowledge needs to be further strengthened, and there are some unreasonable aspects in the nutrition behaviors. Gender, identity and degree are the main influencing factors of the nutrition score of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. It is necessary to carry out nutritional education in schools to improve the nutrition knowledge of teachers and students, correct bad eating habits, and promote the construction of healthy China action.

University teaching and learning in a time of social distancing: A sociocultural perspective

ABSTRACT The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has challenged every aspect of our “normal” lives. COVID-19 requires us to make behavioral and attitudinal changes to coexist with the coronavirus. Universities have been affected substantially, and online teaching and learning have become the “new normal.” The strategies to achieve this “new normal” and how they are received depend on the sociocultural context. This preliminary qualitative inquiry explores how, during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, university teaching and learning were maintained and social distancing became a learning opportunity. The voices of first-year graduate students in this inquiry enable us to understand the dynamics of their responses and show their resilience, particularly their ability to turn challenges into creative opportunities. The implications are that shared values and beliefs will help us to get through this crisis together, and collective action will help us to continue to move forward.

The clinical nurse educator as a congruent leader: A mixed method study

Educational leadership in the clinical setting has an influence on the promotion and achievement of competent and confident nurses. In Australia, the newly qualified registered nurse entering the workforce is exposed to a variety of experiential learning opportunities and engages with the nurse who is responsible for the clinical learning and development (clinical nurse educator) in the first-year graduate program. There is limited research examining the clinical nurse educator role and actual and potential leadership in the workforce. This study aimed to articulate the extent to which the clinical nurse educator is perceived as a clinical leader in the acute hospital setting. And specifically, the relationship of the role to the congruent leadership style. A mixed method convergent design (QUANT + QUAL) approach used (1) an online questionnaire with open and closed ended questions for the graduate nurses and (2) semi-structured individual interviews with graduate nurses, their clinical nurse educators and their nurse managers. Findings confirmed the clinical nurse educator leadership was visible, approachable, and relational with clearly identified values and passionate patient-centred principles. Challenges to the clinical nurse educator identity and confidence exist and impact the clinical role and leadership value. The clinical nurse educator did not need to be in a management position to lead and influence graduates’ successful transition to practice and integration into the clinical environment. The clinical nurse educator exhibits a congruent leadership style through engagement and promotion of the graduate nurses in their first year of nursing. The education role is of significance to meet contemporary health care expectations and promote quality patient care and new nurse retention in the healthcare organisation.

The Financial Dilemma of Students Pursuing an Atmospheric Science Graduate Degree in the United States

AbstractGraduate school provides an opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge and skill sets and to develop the qualifications to seek high-skilled employment. However, many graduate students are plagued with personal and financial stressors that can decrease research productivity and professional growth. With ballooning student loan debt and economic inflation, stakeholders should review the financial well-being of our current and future graduate students with greater frequency to ensure the continued fast-paced advancement of science. This study investigated the annual stipend, university fees, housing costs, cost of living, and the state income tax rate of 39 atmospheric science graduate programs in the United States to determine the effective income for first-year graduate students in the 2020–21 academic year. Results showed a large spread in advertised stipend amounts ranging between $19,139 and $41,520 (USD). After taking into account annual university fees, housing costs, and state income tax and normalizing by the cost of living, effective income had a decreased spread ranging between $12,287 and $25,240. Prospective graduate students should not focus on the advertised stipend when deciding between schools since it does not always accurately represent the affordability of the graduate program. The future of scientific research relies on the next generation of scientists. Therefore, graduate programs across the country should focus on providing fair financial compensation in order to attract students with exceptional research skills who otherwise may leave academia to pursue higher-paying jobs after college.

A brief introduction to gauge-invariant dynamical systems

We describe gauge symmetry at the elementary level aiming at undergraduate and first-year graduate theoretical physics students. The formal definition of gauge invariance as a local symmetry of the action is given and further elaborated and interpreted in detail in two physical models, namely, a mechanical system and the prototypical gauge field theory of electrodynamics. The first model, consisting of two interacting particles with gauge symmetry, sets the background and paves the way for the canonical analysis of the electromagnetic field as a constrained system. The Dirac–Bergmann algorithm and the necessity of Dirac brackets for the canonical quantization of constrained systems are discussed within the two models context. The whole analysis is written in a didactical way trying to guide and motivate undergraduate students along an introduction to gauge symmetry. After going through this present brief introduction, the reader should be well prepared to boldly continue their journey through more advanced standard textbooks on the subject.

Gaming in Microwave Engineering Education [Educator's Corner

Playing games is not just for children. In fact, playing games can make the learning process easier and more fun for adult students as well, for example, in language courses. Despite this success in teaching other subjects, microwave engineering education rarely employs games for learning. However, during the past few years, we have designed and optimized a game that is suitable for senior undergraduates or first-year graduate students in an introductory microwave engineering course. The game is welcomed by our students and indeed makes both teaching and learning more interesting. In this article, I introduce the design philosophy of the game and explain how to play it.

Student Resilience and COVID-19

This paper analyzes the impact of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 on graduate students’ resilience. Thirty first-year graduate students in a rigorous program of study in a health sciences field in the United States were interviewed for the study. The researcher focused on three questions related to specific areas: 1) What have you learned about yourself? (self-knowledge/learning); 2) What challenges have you faced and how did you deal with them? (challenges); and 3) Have there been any “blessings in disguise”? (positive outcomes). Responses to the three questions were coded, categorized and predominant themes emerged. Major themes included time management, social interaction, physical/mental well-being, and adaptability. The findings suggest that students exhibit traits of resilience. These findings have implications for teaching and clinical faculty as well as higher education administration.

Introduction to Engineering Research

Abstract Undergraduate and first-year graduate students engaging in engineering research need more than technical skills and tools to be successful. From finding a research position and funding, to...