Freshman Level Research Articles

Preferences of ELT Learners in the Correction of Oral Vocabulary and Pronunciation Errors

Vocabulary is an essential component of language teaching and learning process, and correct pronunciation of lexical items is an ultimate goal for language instructors in ELT programs. Apart from how lexical items should be taught, the way teachers correct oral vocabulary errors as well as those of pronunciation in line with the preferences of learners is a crucial issue on which a consensus should be reached. This present study aimed to explore the preferences of ELT learners in a Turkish university on the correction of oral vocabulary and pronunciation errors by their instructors. The data were gathered from 213 ELT students through a five-point Likert scale, the items of which were derived from the answers given by the students to the open-ended questions regarding the research question. The findings in our study reveal that instructors teaching various field courses including the skill courses in freshman level in ELT departments need to be sensitive towards the preferences of learners in the correction of oral vocabulary and pronunciation errors, and they should explore how the learners would prefer their errors to be corrected as this can enable them to treat such errors more effectively and facilitate the learning process.

A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY ON FRESHMEN’S KNOWLEDGE OF GENETICS, EVOLUTION, AND THE NATURE OF SCIENCE

The purpose of this study was to measure the freshmen’s level of knowledge about genetics, evolution, human evolution, the nature of science, and opinions on evolution and the presence of non-scientific explanations among Czech, Slovakian, Slovenian and Turkish students. Determination of prior knowledge and pre-conceptions about these issues is important because they are filters to learning other related concepts. The results are going to be a starting point for developing teaching strategies concerning Darwinian evolution and preparing prospective science teachers for working with students in national and international contexts. A total of 994 first-year university students from the Czech Republic (276; 27.8%), Slovakia (212, 21.3%), Slovenia (217, 27.3%) and Turkey (235, 23.6%) participated in this study. The findings can be summarized as follows: knowledge especially that of the nature of science at the freshmen level was seriously flawed. Non-scientific explanations were present in high percentages. Both were regarded as barriers towards scientific reasoning and acceptance of general human evolution especially for students expressing orthodox religious beliefs. Key words: evolution, genetics, human evolution, nature of science, non-scientific explanations.

Research consultation effectiveness for freshman and senior undergraduate students

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of library research consultations for freshmen and senior undergraduate students, to determine if freshmen or seniors benefit more from these sessions. Design/methodology/approach – This study looks at the results of a survey conducted with students enrolled in a senior level capstone research course and in a freshman level composition course who were required to attend library research consultations. Findings – The study finds that freshman students can be overwhelmed by the amount of resources a research consultation may help them locate, and research consultations for freshmen should be conducted with this in mind. Research limitations/implications – Because the size of our study was small, further research with a larger sample size should also be conducted. Practical implications – If librarians experience high demand for required research consultations, and have difficulty scheduling sessions, then they may take into consideration that senior students benefit more from consultations than freshmen. Research consultations should also be designed to take student class rank into account. Originality/value – This study shows that upper-level students benefit more from research consultation than freshman students. Librarians should take this research into consideration when consulting with faculty about the most effective methods of instruction for students.

Reduction of Student’s Exam Grade Performance When Spending More Time in an Exam

Aims: This study aims to establish the correlation between the duration to finish an exam and the student’s exam performance quantitatively. The goal is to determine statistically whether spending more time in an exam can improve the exam grade performance. Study Design: An advanced senior level undergraduate neuropsychopharmacology course and an introductory freshman level biology course were selected in this study to compare the student’s exam performance with respect to the sequential time order of the exam completion. Both courses had similar number of questions (50 multiple-choice questions) in the exams and similar enrollment size (>100 students), so comparison of the exam performance can be made.

Los Estudios Generales, paso indispensable a una verdadera universalidad en la educación superior

La universidad, desde su nacimiento, se constituyó como espacio de expresión y preservación de la universalidad del conocimiento; es decir, como el lugar donde se transmite y se difunde el saber humano. Hoy, esa misión de la universidad está en peligro de desaparecer ante las medidas neoliberales y los programas de ajuste estructural, que promueven la mercantilización de la educación y, por ende, transforman la casa de estudios superiores en instituciones empresariales, lucrativas, en la que la universalidad, elemento fundamental de la universidad, se perdería ante el predominio de una cultura virtual y superficial. En este contexto, los Estudios Generales adquieren una gran relevancia por su carácter universalista e interdisciplinario, no solo por la gran diversidad de su oferta académica, sino por la presencia de académicos y académicas de las más diversas disciplinas, las cuales interactúan de formas múltiples y diarias y ofrecen a los jóvenes de primer ingreso una inmersión rica e indispensable en las manifestaciones más clásicas y contemporáneas del conocimiento, antes de que los educandos se orienten hacia una mayor especialización.

What is the World’s Oldest Map?

My academic activity has recently focused on a freshman level basic class in cartography, one that I have now taught for about a quarter century. The class is currently entitled Maps and Spatial Re...

A hands‐on finite element modeling experience in a multidisciplinary project‐based freshman course

AbstractComputational methods are being widely used in engineering analysis, design, and research. In order to prepare the students for engineering practice or graduate school, the undergraduate engineering curriculum needs to provide sufficient exposure to computational methods during the 4‐year undergraduate education. This paper summarizes the introduction of freshman students to finite element modeling as a part of a hands‐on multidisciplinary project‐based course. The project focuses on improving students' understanding of structural behavior through experimental and computational methods. The goals of implementing finite element modeling in this project are to enhance the mechanics understanding of students, to increase the students' interest in engineering, and to introduce computational methods to undergraduate students at an early stage during their undergraduate education. The incorporation of finite element modeling in the project provides a powerful tool to visualize the theoretical concepts that are new to the freshman level students such as stress and strain and help to improve their understanding of the experimental observations made in the laboratory setting. The student evaluations show that the finite element modeling part of the project is intellectually stimulating and leads to development of new knowledge and skills. The exposure of freshman students to finite element modeling through a project‐based course is expected to help their development as engineers and increase their preparedness for engineering practice or graduate school after graduation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 294–299, 2013

Teaching Nonlinear Dynamics at the Freshman Level

A course on nonlinear dynamics is taught for freshmen in Shanghai University. Focusing on the scientific concepts of chaos, fractals and bifurcation, the course helps students to understand diversity, uncertainty and unpredictability in the real world. The paper surveys the technical contents of the course and highlights its pedagogical features. Student feedback is also reported.

UTILIZING UNIVERSITY AND STUDENT DIGITAL DEVICES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

This study is two-fold. First, students constantly use digital devices during class. Learning how to coordinate university assignments with digital devices used by students is essential. Second, what do professors need to change in teaching methodology to better engage the students with meaningful experiences while using digital devices brought to class? The idea was to use other methods of teaching/facilitating where students could utilize the digital devices in class. Digital device usage in the classroom is a method tried for two freshmen level courses.

2011 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments

Enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs declined in the autumn of 2011, compared to a year earlier. Enrollments were down slightly at the senior and junior levels and substantially at the freshman level. Enrollment increased at the sophomore level. The majority of administrators say they have made curricular changes in the past two years in response to changes taking place in the communication landscape. Much of that change is focused on revisions to what had been the journalistic core. The field has become more diverse racially and ethnically, coming close to matching the characteristics of the overall population.

A freshman level course on information assurance

A freshman level course on information assurance

Special Topics in Biology: Ecology of Greater Yellowstone

Special Topics in Biology: Ecology of Greater Yellowstone is a freshman level, non-majors biology course emphasizing basic ecological principles with specific application to the ecosystems found in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. This course is offered during Maymester at Oklahoma City University. The field portion of the course took place from May 22-31, 2012.

The Influence of Self–Esteem and Selected Demographic Characteristics on First Semester Academic Achievement of Students Enrolled in a College of Agriculture

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of self–esteem and selected demographic characteristics on academic achievement among students at the freshman level in the College of Agriculture at Louisiana State University. The sample of the study was all students at Louisiana State University enrolled in the Introduction to Agriculture course which was a requirement for agriculture students at the freshman level. Three instruments were used for data collection. The Adult Form of the Coopersmith Inventory was administered at the beginning of the first semester of college enrollment. A researcher designed questionnaire was used to collect demographic information. A third instrument was a recording form on which data from the Office of the University Registrar were downloaded and stored. Using multiple regression analysis, a significant model was identified which explained 7.7% of the variance in academic achievement. The variable that had the greatest impact on academic achievement was membership in a departmental student organization. The variables membership in a service organization, participation in sports, and the pretest self–esteem score also entered the model.

THE IMPACT OF PEER INSTRUCTION ON COLLEGE STUDENTS’ BELIEFS ABOUT PHYSICS AND CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

The purpose of this study is to assess students’ conceptual learning of electricity and magnetism and examine how these conceptions, beliefs about physics, and quantitative problem-solving skills would change after peer instruction (PI). The Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS), multiple-choice test was administered as a pre- and posttest with Solomon 4 group design to students (N = 138) enrolled on freshman level physics course. The number of chapter taught to the students was 14. Problem-solving strategy steps were asked to students in the exam. The analyses of CSEM showed that the treatment group (g = 0.62) obtained significantly higher conceptual learning gain than the control group (g = 0.36). The conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills of the students on magnetism considerably enhanced when PI was conducted (37% and 20%, respectively). CLASS results for 5 subscales (conceptual understanding, applied conceptual understanding, problem solving general, problem solving confidence, and problem solving sophistication) supported the findings of CSEM.

Student perceptions and learning of the engineering design process: an assessment at the freshmen level

An investigation into the impact of a single laboratory session team-based design experience early in the freshman year on student learning of the engineering design process is described. Assessment of the experience focused not only on gains in student perceptions of knowledge of and confidence in applying the engineering design process, but also on actual gains in knowledge, as judged by the investigators based on student written responses. The assessment data showed a significant overall increase in both student knowledge and confidence scores as well as significant individual incremental increases. The gains proved to be in particular significant when compared to those for the entire semester-long course. Design-step logs were used to monitor how students navigated through the engineering design process. While the students were exposed to a simplified linear design process in the lecture component of the class, the design logs indicated a more complex reality. Paths for instructional improvement on the topic of the engineering design process should include a discussion of the potentially complex nature of engineering design and a precise definition of terminology.

You Can Build It, but Will They Come?

Studies show that more students fail or withdraw from college mathematics courses than any other. To address this concern, the Mathematics Department at the University of North Dakota opened its Mathematics Learning Center (MLC) in the fall of 2000. In this study, the effectiveness of the MLC and the free tutoring offered for students in freshman level mathematics courses was examined. The quantitative portion of the study examined the difference between course grades in experimental and control sections of four distinct freshman level mathematics courses. Students in the experimental sections were required to attend the Mathematics Learning Center (MLC) for one hour weekly while students in the control sections were simply informed of the availability of tutoring in the MLC. The qualitative portion of the research utilized methodologies of a phenomenological study through in-depth interviews with 13 participants. Three conclusions are offered: 1) Lower level or lower ability students are less likely to attend the MLC and seek help from tutors; 2) Once students got over their fears of engaging with tutors, they found them friendly and helpful, and believed they had greater success because of the tutoring; and 3) A positive correlation existed between time spent in the MLC and course grade for experimental section students.

Improving student learning in calculus through applications

Nationally only 40% of the incoming freshmen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors are successful in earning a STEM degree. The University of Central Florida (UCF) EXCEL programme is a National Science Foundation funded STEM Talent Expansion Programme whose goal is to increase the number of UCF STEM graduates. One of the key requirements for STEM majors is a strong foundation in Calculus. To improve student learning in calculus, the EXCEL programme developed two special courses at the freshman level called Applications of Calculus I (Apps I) and Applications of Calculus II (Apps II). Apps I and II are one-credit classes that are co-requisites for Calculus I and II. These classes are teams taught by science and engineering professors whose goal is to demonstrate to students where the calculus topics they are learning appear in upper level science and engineering classes as well as how faculty use calculus in their STEM research programmes. This article outlines the process used in producing the educational materials for the Apps I and II courses, and it also discusses the assessment results pertaining to this specific EXCEL activity. Pre- and post-tests conducted with experimental and control groups indicate significant improvement in student learning in Calculus II as a direct result of the application courses.

A CS0 course using Scratch

Although computer science enrollment has increased in the freshman and sophomore levels over the past few years, computer science departments are still faced with retention issues, particularly if ...

Longitudinal study of student conceptual understanding in electricity and magnetism

We have investigated the long-term effect of student-centered instruction at the freshman level on juniors' performance on a conceptual survey of Electricity and Magnetism (E&M). We measured student performance on a research-based conceptual instrument -- the Brief Electricity & Magnetism Assessment (BEMA) -- over a period of 8 semesters (2004-2007). Concurrently, we introduced the University of Washington's Tutorials in Introductory Physics as part of our standard freshman curriculum. Freshmen took the BEMA before and after this Tutorial-based introductory course, and juniors took it after completion of their traditional junior-level E&M I and E&M II courses. We find that, on average, individual BEMA scores do not change significantly after completion of the introductory course - neither from the freshman to the junior year, nor from upper-division E&M I to E&M II. However, we find that juniors who had completed a non-Tutorial freshman course scored significantly lower on the (post upper-division) BEMA than those who had completed the reformed freshman course - indicating a long-term positive impact of freshman Tutorials on conceptual understanding.

2008 Enrollment Report: Slow Rate of Growth May Signal Weakening of Demand

Enrollments in U.S. journalism and mass communication programs increased in the autumn of 2008 compared with a year earlier. Enrollments at the freshman and sophomore levels, however, declined, suggesting that enrollment growth rates in the next few years will slow. The percentage of students enrolled in print journalism, broadcast journalism, or journalism generally was lower in the autumn of 2008 than a year earlier, but the change was not dramatic. Students classified as members of racial or ethnic minority groups made up a larger percentage of enrolled students than at any time in the past for which such data are available. Almost four in ten of the nation's journalism and mass communications programs reported having some kind of hiring freeze in place in the 2008–2009 academic year. Despite the financial crises, talk of mergers of programs and outright elimination of programs has not surfaced at large numbers of universities.