Freshman Undergraduate Students Research Articles

Freshman Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes Towards Online English Learning: A Case Study at Al-Balqa Applied University

The purpose of this research is to examine how first-year undergraduates at Al-Balqa Applied University feel about taking English classes online. The study collects data on 215 students' views on online learning's efficacy, technical tools, difficulties, learning modes, and general satisfaction using a standardized questionnaire. The data was analyzed using statistical tools such as t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square tests, and regression analysis. The results show that people are usually happy with online education, which is great because of all the benefits it offers, such ease and adaptability. Problems with internet access and being motivated were, however, major obstacles. There are notable gender disparities in the study's findings on preferred learning styles and a preference for mixed learning modalities. A high level of happiness with online learning was predicted by factors such as having access to the internet, the ability to choose when and how to study, and the opportunity to collaborate with classmates. According to the study's conclusions, online education programs should have a strong technical foundation, interactive learning resources, and individualized assistance. Despite its useful insights, the study notes its small sample size and lack of generalizability, pointing the way toward potential future studies.

SOCIAL ANXIETY IN ONLINE INSTRUCTIONAL DISCUSSION FORUMS: THE ROLE OF PARTICIPATION STYLES AND ICT INFRASTRUCTURE

Examination of the personal characteristics (i.e., gender, participation styles) of participants and the technical infrastructure (i.e., device type, internet connection type) of Instructional Discussion Forums (IDFs) can provide functional clues for mitigating social anxiety in these settings. In this context, this research investigated variances in learners' participation styles and social anxiety in IDFs in terms of gender and ICT availability. In addition, it explored the predictive relationships between participation styles and social anxiety. A sample of 272 freshman undergraduate students discussed various topics related to Internet ethics for three weeks through an IDF. The results indicated that participation styles differed by gender and ICT availability in several respects. First, handheld devices and cellular internet connections exerted a medium-size effect on social anxiety. Further, “to get information” and “to fulfill requirement” purposes in the “Why” dimension of participation styles had a small predictive relationship with social anxiety, as did “analytical” and “practical” participation approaches in the “How” dimension. Of these, only the “to get information” purpose negatively predicted social anxiety. Overall, participation styles accounted for 19.1% of the variance in social anxiety. Based on the findings, future directions and practical implications are suggested for both researchers and practitioners.

Prevalence of Obesity and Elevated Blood Pressure Amongst Freshman Undergraduate Students

Prevalence of Obesity and Elevated Blood Pressure Amongst Freshman Undergraduate Students

Effects of Grade Level and Object Size on Students’ Measurement Estimation Performance

The current study examined the effects of grade level and object size on the ability to estimate the measurement of objects. Fifth- (n = 198) and sixth-grade (n = 208) students and freshman undergraduate students (n = 71) from Taipei city, Taiwan, participated in the study. The findings indicated a tendency for measurement estimation ability to increase with grade level. Overall, estimation performance was most accurate with medium-sized to-be-estimated objects (TBEOs), while estimates of small-sized TBEOs were more accurate than those of large-sized TBEOs. A tendency to underestimate the measurements of large-sized TBEOs was observed in all groups. Those with good estimation abilities showed a preference for using body parts and convenient objects as references. Moreover, the integration of measurement units constructed from previous experience and eyeballing was an essential skill used by good estimators. Suggestions for measurement estimation instruction are discussed.

The Perceived Influence of Case Method on Students’ Performance and Critical Thinking in Business Studies

Business schools have globally applied the case method as an initiative to assimilate real-life business knowledge and skills. Researchers have found that the case method, compared to other teaching methods, provides an excellent opportunity for students to participate in the analysis of different business situations, as well as to invent solutions, generating interest and positive motivation towards learning. This study aimed to examine students’ perceptions about the influence of the case method on students’ performance and critical thinking. The sample included 141 freshman undergraduate students from Business Informatics and Economics programs at Epoka University enrolled in a management course that utilizes the case study method. Forty-seven questionnaires were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Questions were divided in three categories: general perception, performance, and critical thinking. The result showed a positive general perception of the case method. Additionally, the study found a positive perception on students’ performance and critical thinking through the case study method. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.3.11

Most versus least used social media: undergraduate students' preferences, participation, lurking, and motivational factors

This investigation aimed to survey undergraduate students on their social media preference, active participation, lurking behaviours, and motivational factors. This investigation focused on participation patterns and outcomes between the students' most used social media (MUSM) and least used social media (LUSM). A total of 769 participants consented to complete the electronic survey. The investigation results indicated that as undergraduate students change their class standings, so does their use of social media. Sophomores are more active in their MUSM compared to freshman undergraduate students. Sophomores were also more likely to lurk compared to junior and senior undergraduate students. The results also indicate that both commitment and individual motivational factors encourage undergraduate students to log in and use their LUSM. Lastly, results showed that undergraduate students use and participate in social media for traditional as well as a range of alternative activities. The main alternative activity performed by undergraduate students in their MUSM and LUSM was private and direct messaging to share content and chat with others.

Self-reported summarizing and paraphrasing difficulties in L2 writing contexts: Some pedagogical interventions

The utility of paraphrasing and summarizing is key to effective academic writing. Both require that students have a good grasp of the source material not only in terms of understanding, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating the information found in the sources, but also in terms of selecting information, organizing, drafting, and revising their papers. Although several studies have identified L2 students’ difficulties when utilizing paraphrasing and summarizing, this paper examines the cognitive and metacognitive aspects of these complex activities from the students’ eyes. With essays from 120 freshman undergraduate students from a private university in Manila, this study qualitatively determined their reported difficulties when paraphrasing and summarizing, and the areas of improvements in these skills. Participant students identified four major areas of concern: 1) lack of proficiency in English, 2) poor reading comprehension skills, 3) lack of vocabulary and 4) lack of or poor documentation skills. Findings of this study provide grounds for presentation of pedagogical interventions/classroom instructions to address these students’ reported difficulties.

A Qualitative Research Study on the Importance of Life Skills on Undergraduate Students’ Personal and Social Competencies

Recently, it is more demanding to enter job market since current employers hire staff with some life skills such as leadership, communication skills, time management, problem solving skills, and teamwork. The current study aimed to identify the relationship between life skills program, student's personal efficacy and competencies. Moreover, this study investigated eight students’ perceptions of their personal efficacy after understanding life skills program. This study employs a qualitative research approach using an in-depth interview and self-reporting of the life skills module. The participants were randomly selected among freshman undergraduate students who have passed the life skill modules at Taylor’s University, Malaysia. This study aimed to identify students’ perceptions, competencies after completing life skills modules. It also elaborates on how life skills considered as a technical requirement for hard skills and employees’ future. The results of thematic analysis indicated that embedding the life-skills program in the university curriculum plays a key role in shaping students' personal and social competencies. This finding has important implications for educators and educational policy makers to integrate students’ life skills into curriculum so as to influence students’ professional and interpersonal skills such as team working, communication, leadership, time management, decision making and problem-solving.

Research on freshman and sleeping habits: A text message-based sleep intervention

Objective Lack of understanding regarding the function of sleep and lack of education regarding healthy sleep practices may hinder college students from getting sufficient quality sleep. The current study examines the effect of a text message based educational intervention aimed at improving sleep quality and sleep hygiene behaviors in freshman undergraduate college students. Participants 135 undergraduate students were recruited fall of 2016. Methods Three discussion groups were held to test and refine the text message content. Students were randomized into a three-group pretest–posttest experimental design. Participants completed measures of sleep quality, sleep hygiene, and sleep knowledge. Results Data analysis indicated the intervention did not demonstrate significant differences between groups over time on sleep quality, sleep hygiene behaviors, and sleep knowledge. Conclusion More research is needed to understand how best to harness text messaging technology and sleep health education to promote healthy sleep behaviors in college students.

Black college students’ sense of belonging and racial identity

ABSTRACTBlack racial identity model and theory refinement has occurred in the absence of considerations of how Black college students experience and articulate their sense of belonging to the racial group. To fill this gap, the present study utilised storytelling as a framework and investigated how sense of belonging with racial in-group members was expressed in Black college students’ racial identities. Qualitative phenomenological and consensual analytic approaches were employed to examine 13 (7 women, 6 men) Black freshman and sophomore undergraduate students’ narratives related to sense of belonging to the racial group. The findings highlighted at least three ways in which Black college students experience and negotiate a sense of belonging to the racial group: (a) authenticating Blackness, (b) acculturative loss, and (c) connection with and responsibility toward others. Implications for racial identity research and theory are discussed.

Ethical Issues in Addressing Social Media Posts About Suicidal Intentions During an Online Study Among Youth: Case Study.

Due to the popularity of social media, researchers are increasingly conducting studies that monitor and analyze people’s health-related social media conversations. Because social media users can post about any topic at any time, no known best ethical practices exist as to whether and how to monitor participants’ posts for safety-related issues that might be unrelated to the study, such as expressions of suicidal intentions. This is a case study during a social media-based study on sleep and activity among freshman undergraduate students, where we by chance noticed that a student was using social media to express suicidal intentions. Although we connected the student to student psychological services in order to receive treatment, we encountered a number of barriers that initially prevented this from occurring, such as institutional review board and regulatory practices related to lack of experience with these newer types of studies. We discuss the implications of this experience for future research.

PhUn week 101: New Institution, New Partners, New Hope

Physiology Understanding (PhUn) week is the American Physiological Society outreach program looking to motivate K-12 students to choose science programs as their higher education path. In the past 5 years, we have developed a series the PhUn week activities from theater-like presentations to high technology hands-on experiments showing how physiology can be integrated to the science curriculum or promoting health care careers. These activities were performed in the Wabash Valley, IN, area and involved 50 to 100 K-12 students with 8 to 30 college-aged facilitators (undergraduate and graduate). This year, we had to re-create PhUn week from scratch. New institution (The University of Texas at El Paso), new city (El Paso, TX), and new school district (El Paso Independent School District). No direct access to undergraduate and graduate students, except of one senior PhD (FM-A) and one freshman undergraduate students (JR). Therefore, we had to start with basic PhUn week 101. First, find a community partner within the school district. Found it at Dr. Hornedo Middle School's 6th grade science teacher (CS) and a class of 24 children. Second, recruit undergraduate students willing to dedicate 15 to 20 hours in training, design, and execution within 4–6 weeks. Six students were recruited from the Bachelors in Rehabilitation Sciences. Third, design a production plan, which will start with a hierarchical model to evolve toward a ‘flat organization model’. The PI and PhD student trained JR in PhUn week purpose and use of applied technology (i.e. Biopac MP40). Then, JR trained all other 6 undergraduate students. Once they were all trained in Biopac MP40 use, we had 2 meetings for brainstorming and PhUn week activities design. The design of 3 hands-on activities was decided horizontally, within our flat organization. The outcomes were successful in many levels: at the school level, children were able to collect data in different physiologic responses (i.e. electromyogram, electrocardiogram, and reaction time) that was used within their science curriculum; at the undergraduate level, students were able to reinforce their social responsibility mentoring school-aged children as role models for a successful college career; in addition, undergraduate students were able to analyze some of the data and produce 2 abstracts for PhUn week workshop at Experimental Biology; finally, they are all already registered on a UTEP undergraduate science course to explore new career paths within the STEM field; and at the Gurovich Lab level, we confirmed that PhUn week is not only fun but tremendously rewarding, as you can change lives and minds of younger generations. Support or Funding Information This work was partially supported by the National Institute of General Medicine Sciences of the National Institute of Health under linked Awards Numbers RL5GM118969, TL4GM118971, and UL1GM118970. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Dental caries, frequency of refined sugar consumption and body mass index among freshmen undergraduate students in Nigeria

Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine association between dental caries and body mass index (BMI), and dental caries and frequency of sugar consumption freshmen undergraduate student in Nigeria.
 Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 1,164 students between 15 to 23 years of age. The independent variables for this study included age, sex, socioeconomic status, BMI, frequency of consuming refined sugars between meals and action taken after consumption of refined sugars. Descriptive analysis was used for all the quantitative variables while inferential analysis using logistic regression was used to determine predictors of dental caries.
 Results: A total of 1,164 students participated in the study, comprising 61.9% females and 38.1% males. The mean age of the participants was 18.13 (±4.99) and mean BMI was 21.68 (±7.93). The prevalence of dental caries was 10.6% and the mean Decay Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) was 0.32 (±1.05). Age and socioeconomic status were the significant predictors of dental caries (p=0.02; p=0.04 respectively). However, there was increase odds of having dental caries in students with normal BMI ((AOR: 1.19; P=0.62), students that consumed refined sugar 3-4 between meals (AOR: 1.27; P=0.28) and students that did nothing after consumption of refined sugar (AOR: 1.43; P=0.51).
 Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries in this study population was low, older students from middle socioeconomic status had significant caries prevalence and there were increase odds of dental caries in students with normal BMI, and in those that consumed refined sugars 3-4 times between meals.

Discovering Factors of Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety and Coping Strategies

<p>Feeling of anxiety is commonly expressed by foreign language learners in learning to speak a foreign language. This feeling is considered to have a negative impact on communication in the target language. This study has attempted to investigate the most influential factors in creating this type of anxiety as well as the most commonly used strategies to cope with it. In this respect, a qualitative research methodology, based on interviews and reflective journals, was used to investigate the issue. A total of 10 female freshman undergraduate students of English education in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia participated in the study. The findings suggested that assessing language learners’ speaking performance was the most anxiety provoking factor and creating a fun environment was the most commonly used strategy to cope with anxiety. The pedagogical implications of these findings suggested the significant role of teachers in creating and/or reducing foreign language speaking anxiety in language learners.</p>

Collaborative Undergraduate Research Laboratory (CURL): Engaging Students in Research Using Yeast Molecular Genetics

A growing body of data suggests that undergraduate research enhances the learning experience of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Moreover, these data also show that engaging undergraduate students in research enhances student learning outcomes and the likelihood of their retention in science. We have developed a course, the CURL, to engage freshman undergraduate students in research‐based scientific learning. The course was constructed to eliminate the need for prerequisite courses by blending classroom learning and hands‐on laboratory experiments so that students reinforce their understanding of the material by applying it to solve real‐world research problems. The students performed the experiments in pairs, built their own hypotheses, and presented their work both orally and in written form.The research problem we addressed was to understand the role of DExH/D‐box ATPases in pre‐mRNA splicing. To this end, the CURL students carried out a screen to identify suppressors of the yeast temperature sensitive (ts) mutant prp2‐1 using a yeast transposon library. Prp2 is a DExH/D‐box ATPase and an essential component of the splicing machinery. Suppressor screening has not been previously carried out, so we anticipate that the results of the screen could lead to novel insights into the mechanism of Prp2 activity, which could be pursued beyond the course and would be of interest to the broader scientific community. The mutant prp2‐1 cells grow at the permissive temperature (25°C) but are unable to grow at the non‐permissive temperature (35°C). We have isolated a number of suppressors of prp2‐1, which grow at the non‐permissive temperature and suppress the splicing defects of prp2‐1 mutant when cells are grown at 35°C. Identification of the suppressors is being performed by next generation sequencing. This study provides first‐year undergraduate students with a rigorous, guided research experience with the goal of enhancing their self‐identification as researchers, while simultaneously addressing a fundamental scientific question.Support or Funding InformationThis works is supported by HHMI (HHMI program award to T.L.J)

Population Evolution: The Pollination Game

To teach the most central concepts in evolutionary biology, we present an activity in pollination biology. Students play the role of either pollinator or flower and work through a set of scenarios to maximize plant fitness. This “Pollination Game” facilitates critical and inquiry-based thinking, and we accompany each round of the exercise with a set of discussion questions and answers. We have piloted and fine tuned this exercise with high school students, and improved the exercise with the input of high school teachers at a teaching conference. The activity could easily be adapted for freshman undergraduate students.

Engaging Freshman Undergraduate Students in Faculty Environmental Science Research: Testing the Local Surface Waters for Nitrate, Phosphate, and Ammonium Ions Using Two Affordable Methods as an Example

Clean water is a crucial factor that contributes to the health of eco-systems and their inhabitants. Testing local surface water is an exciting way to engage freshman undergraduates in research which shows them the importance of protecting their communities and environment. Two affordable methods: a Colorimeter and Ion-Selective Probe were used to analyze nitrate, phosphate and ammonia levels in local surface water samples. The samples were collected from the Muskingum River which runs through Southeastern Ohio (Muskingum County) and were collected at 2 mile increments. We believe that this set of experiments would be beneficial if implemented into a college freshman level chemistry lab, thereby, promoting self-awareness of water safety, eco-system safety and community involvement. In addition, the students will learn how our environment is effected by our actions when we neglect to properly monitor the type of pollutants we allow into our water ways.

Chilean Pre-service and In-service Teachers and Undergraduate Students’ Understandings of Evolutionary Theory

Despite the importance of the theory of evolution to scientific knowledge, a number of misconceptions continue to be found among teachers and undergraduate students. The aim of the present study was to describe and characterise knowledge about evolution among 120 freshman undergraduate students of two natural sciences programmes (environmental biology and veterinary medicine), 80 pre-service science teachers (elementary and biology) and 45 in-service teachers (elementary and biology high school) in Santiago, Chile. The research was carried out based on an eight-question questionnaire about evolution acceptance and understanding. The instrument included seven Likert-scale questions and one open-ended question. An analysis of the data revealed that more than 70% of teachers (pre-service and in-service) and undergraduate students recognised the theory of evolution as established scientific knowledge. When participants discussed the mechanism of evolution in the open-ended question, the most prevalent responses from students and teachers (33%) explained evolution as need-driven changes for survival purposes. Only 13% of the responses could be considered Darwinian, and 10% of responses included more than one view of evolution. The Darwinian responses generally included three important aspects: variation, inheritance and differential reproduction. The implications for biology teacher education are also discussed in this study.

Improving First Computer Programming Experiences: The Case of Adapting a Web-Supported and Well-Structured Problem-Solving Method to a Traditional Course

The introductory computer programming (CP) course has been taught for three decades in the faculty. Besides pursuing CP technology, one major goal has been enhancing learners’ problem-solving (PS) skills. However, the current situation has implied that this might not be the case. Therefore, a research was conducted to investigate the effects of a web-supported and well-structured PS instructional method on academic achievements and PS perceptions of learners. This was a quasi-experimental study with a posttest-only design that included a control group. While the web-supported and traditional approach was adopted for the control group, the experimental group was treated with the web-supported and well-structured PS method. A cluster random sampling was used and the existing 18 sections were randomly assigned to the study groups. Consequently, 6 faculty members and 433 freshman undergraduate students participated in the study for one semester. The students’ PS perceptions were assessed by the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI) and their CP performances were measured by an academic achievement test. The results indicated a significant difference between the groups in terms of CP achievements. Except for one factor of the PSI, there were also significant differences between the groups in terms of their PS perceptions.

The Impact of a Strategies-Based Instruction on Iranian EAP Students’ Reading Strategy Use: Developing Strategic EAP Readers

Underperformance of students in EAP reading comprehension has been an issue of concern for teachers, syllabus designers, and curriculum developers in general and for EAP practitioners in particular. In spite of the fact that considerable efforts have been made to improve reading comprehension of students through strategies instruction over past decades, EAP students however have not benefited much from learning strategies. Thus, this study intended to investigate the impact of a Strategies-Based Instruction (SBI) on undergraduate students’ reading strategy use in an EAP context. Taking an instructional model from strategies taxonomy of Oxford (1990; 2001), it was assumed that in contrast to conventional EAP reading methods, SBI would be more effective in encouraging reading strategy use and as a result developing reading comprehension of EAP students through encouraging the use of effective strategies and skills. To do so, 80 freshman undergraduate students were chosen as the participants of this study who were in two intact classes. After administration of a pre-test, treatment (22 sessions, 2 sessions per week), and a post-test, the collected data was analyzed using t-test to examine the effect of the proposed method of instruction. The results of the analysis showed that the teaching intervention had a significant effect on students’ reading strategy use. The findings have implications for teachers encouraging effective reading comprehension instruction through the use of strategies in EAP teaching contexts.