Future Semesters Research Articles

Co‐designing enduring learning analytics prediction and support tools in undergraduate biology courses

AbstractEven highly motivated undergraduates drift off their STEM career pathways. In large introductory STEM classes, instructors struggle to identify and support these students. To address these issues, we developed co‐redesign methods in partnership with disciplinary experts to create high‐structure STEM courses that better support students and produce informative digital event data. To those data, we applied theory‐ and context‐relevant labels to reflect active and self‐regulated learning processes involving LMS‐hosted course materials, formative assessments, and help‐seeking tools. We illustrate the predictive benefits of this process across two cycles of model creation and reapplication. In cycle 1, we used theory‐relevant features from 3 weeks of data to inform a prediction model that accurately identified struggling students and sustained its accuracy when reapplied in future semesters. In cycle 2, we refit a model with temporally contextualized features that achieved superior accuracy using data from just two class meetings. This modelling approach can produce durable learning analytics solutions that afford scaled and sustained prediction and intervention opportunities that involve explainable artificial intelligence products. Those same products that inform prediction can also guide intervention approaches and inform future instructional design and delivery.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Learning analytics includes an evolving collection of methods for tracing and understanding student learning through their engagements with learning technologies. Prediction models based on demographic data can perpetuate systemic biases. Prediction models based on behavioural event data can produce accurate predictions of academic success, and validation efforts can enrich those data to reflect students' self‐regulated learning processes within learning tasks. What this paper adds Learning analytics can be successfully applied to predict performance in an authentic postsecondary STEM context, and the use of context and theory as guides for feature engineering can ensure sustained predictive accuracy upon reapplication. The consistent types of learning resources and cyclical nature of their provisioning from lesson to lesson are hallmarks of high‐structure active learning designs that are known to benefit learners. These designs also provide opportunities for observing and modelling contextually grounded, theory‐aligned and temporally positioned learning events that informed prediction models that accurately classified students upon initial and later reapplications in subsequent semesters. Co‐design relationships where researchers and instructors work together toward pedagogical implementation and course instrumentation are essential to developing unique insights for feature engineering and producing explainable artificial intelligence approaches to predictive modelling. Implications for practice and/or policy High‐structure course designs can scaffold student engagement with course materials to make learning more effective and products of feature engineering more explainable. Learning analytics initiatives can avoid perpetuation of systemic biases when methods prioritize theory‐informed behavioural data that reflect learning processes, sensitivity to instructional context and development of explainable predictors of success rather than relying on students' demographic characteristics as predictors. Prioritizing behaviours as predictors improves explainability in ways that can inform the redesign of courses and design of learning supports, which further informs the refinement of learning theories and their applications.

Use and Perception of Peer Recommendations to Improve Study Skills in Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Courses

Student success data from students enrolled in an undergraduate anatomy and Physiology (A&P) course at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse indicated that student performance closely correlated with the number of prior completed university semesters. Based on this data we hypothesized that some students may have gained (or use) study skills that may have contributed to their success. Students at the end of the term were asked to provide recommendations to future A &P students on how to be successful in the course. A total of 408 recommendations from 68 students were received and underwent inductive and then deductive coding. More than 50% of respondents encouraged group studying and frequent engagement with material. The ranked and coded list of recommendations was then provided to the entering student at the start of the new term. Entering students were subsequently polled to gauge perceptions/reactions to this information. 91% of entering A&P students (n = 73) responded that they valued receiving study recommendations at the start of the term 59% of which said they preferred having that information come from former students rather than the faculty. Following the 1st lecture examination these students completed an Ink Shedding activity in which they shared exam studying strategies with their peers. Of the 62 participants 80% both found the activity helpful and recommended it be incorporated into future semesters. Collectively this data supports the perceived value of offering study skill resources to upper division A&P students and a positive reaction to peer guidance. Student performance improved on embedded course assessments. This information has been used to further develop peer mentoring programs and resource collaboration within the A&P lecture and laboratory curriculum. This research was supported by a UWL FY2023 Course Improvement Grant and a University of Wisconsin System IDEAS Alliance Curriculum Reform Grant. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

ANALISIS PENERAPAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN WORD SQUARE UNTUK MENINGKATKAN MOTIVASI DAN HASIL BELAJAR PADA MATA KULIAH PENGANTAR AKUNTANSI

The learning process carried out in higher education cannot be separated from the interaction process between lecturers and students. In practice, the learning process is not easy because students not only capture information from the lecturer, but also other efforts are needed to get good grades. Problems about learning outcomes are generally faced by several students in each department. This happened to 2019’s students in the D4 Financial Accounting study program at the Pos Indonesia Polytechnic, where student learning outcomes in introductory accounting courses were not quite good. In fact, these courses are very important to be studied and used as the basis for courses in future semesters in the accounting department. Several factors may affect the low learning outcomes, such as lack of interest and lack of student motivation in understanding the material presented by the lecturer, so that students are less involved in the learning process, and the learning method used by the lecturer is too monotonous. Therefore, lecturers need a learning model that is not boring so that it can help the class situation to be more active and interesting. One learning model that is interesting and has elements of a game is the word square learning model. Word square learning can make students directly involved in learning activities that are expected to be able to connect knowledge in the context of real world situations. The purpose of this study was to analyze the application of the word square learning model to increase motivation and learning outcomes of accounting students in the Introduction to Accounting course. This type of research uses a quasi-experimental design using the Noneequivalent control group design type. Determination of this type of quasi-experimental research on the grounds that this research is an educational research that uses humans as research subjects.

Awareness and perception of the environmental sustainability of the UAE University campus: a case study of sustainability course

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the entry-level student’s awareness of environmental sustainability focussing on the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) campus and measure the effectiveness of the course materials. A comparison between the students who took the general education sustainability (GESU 121) course face to face and the ones who tool it online was applied.Design/methodology/approachThis study was descriptive in nature, and the data is obtained using a cross-sectional survey of the students attending the UAEU in 2020. The data collection was done in two semesters, Spring 2020 [face-to-face class] and Fall 2020 [online class, after COVID-19 effect]. A total of 160 participants responded to the survey. The Pearson’s Chi-square test for independence was conducted and used to identify if any statistical differences exist between the studied variables.FindingsThis study revealed that the awareness of environmental sustainability was increased in both groups [face-to-face students and online students], after taking the course. In addition, around 80% of the students were interested to participate in sustainability initiatives on the UAEU campus. The students’ perception of the statements about the UAEU campus environmental sustainability varied from Spring 2020 (53.3% were not sure that the UAEU campus is environmentally sustainable) to Fall 2022 (63% of the online students believed that the campus is environmentally sustainable).Originality/valueStudents’ awareness and perception are very important to improve the environmental sustainability of the University campus. The novelty of this study is to examine the awareness of entry-level students among the environmental sustainability focussing on the UAEU campus and examine the effect of COVID-19 [online classes] on delivering the course knowledge. The findings of this study provide the information for the improvement of the course for the future semesters.

Student Perceptions on the Use of Flip in Higher Education: Learning Strategies and Classroom Community

Finding creative and effective ways to support student experiences and student learning in the classroom is an important goal for instructors, especially as remote and hybrid formats become more common and new, educational technologies are recommended. The current work involved the creation and implementation of a curricular innovation using Flip to encourage the use of evidence-based learning strategies and promote a sense of community in a college classroom. A survey was developed and administered as extra credit in a large Introduction to Psychology class in Spring 2021, with questions focused on examining student perceptions of using Flip in the classroom. Results revealed that students enjoyed using Flip for assignments, believed that Flip assignments helped their learning of class content, and recommended the instructor keeping using Flip in future semesters. The current work highlights the versatility and benefit of using Flip as an instructional tool in the classroom.

Understanding the Internship Learnings and Experiences of ITHM Students of FEU during the 2nd Semester of SY 2021-2022

This paper looked into the virtual internship of students at the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management at Far Eastern University during the second semester of the school year 2021-2022. Many aspects of student education have changed because of the pandemic, including the need for practical experiences, such as student internship programs. Participation and competence development are now needed for students to fulfill future employment expectations. Best practices that encourage lifelong learning may aid in the achievement of future goals. This research utilized a descriptive quantitative design. It involved one hundred respondents who had enrolled in a student internship program for the 2nd semester of the school year 2021-2022. All essential data, including demographics, attitudes, learning, experiences, evaluation, and assessment, were gathered through a survey questionnaire via Google Forms. The findings revealed that students currently have a heightened awareness of how government organizations sell and popularize local tourism destinations. Students' most valuable experience includes having the opportunity to discuss and network with other guests and professionals and to interact with actual industry leaders and learn from their expertise. Overall, most interns taking virtual internships claimed that they learned many skills, abilities, traits, and knowledge that are relevant and important to their studies. However, some interns had difficulties understanding the materials on their own and encountered internet interruptions and technical problems. Most students recommended a face-to-face type of modality in the internship program for future semesters. Keywords: Virtual internship; Student internship; Experiential learning; Bloom’s taxonomy; Anderson’s Online Learning Model.

The Effect of Using “Student Response Systems (SRS)” on Faculty Performance and Student Interaction in the Classroom

Enhancing faculty performance and student interaction during the lecture is essential to achieve sustainable learning development. The current study aims to evaluate the effect of using “Student response systems (SRS)” on faculty performance and student interaction in the classroom. The faculty members at King Saud University were encouraged to join a university-scale educational project that involve utilizing SRSs within their classes. From Fall 2016 to Fall 2019, a total of 371 faculty members and 19,746 students were enrolled in the current study. By the end of each semester, faculty and student satisfaction surveys were distributed to evaluate their perceptions of using SRS in the class. The faculty members’ and students’ response rates were 75.7% and 38.1%, respectively, and represented 18 different colleges from different disciplines within the university. Furthermore, the study covered a wide range of study levels for bachelor’s degrees ranging from levels 1–10. The study demographics showed that 60% of the total participating faculty members and 64% of students were females. Interestingly, the majority of participating faculty members (40%) and students (44%) belong to health colleges. Among the most beneficial effects of using SRSs, is that it increased the interaction, focus, and participation of students in the lecture and stimulated their desire to attend and prepare for the lecture. It also helped the faculty members to improve their teaching strategies and enabled them to know the weaknesses or strengths of students, which in turn led to the improvement of the entire educational process. The majority of faculty members as well as the students recommend applying it in other courses and future semesters. These findings were generally consistent over the whole studied seven semesters. SRSs offer a potential tool to improve faculty teaching practices, enhance student engagement, and achieve sustainable learning development among different disciplines.

Transitioning an embedded capstone course to a new librarian

The subject of this study is an embedded librarian approach to a capstone course within a College of Business Administration (CoBA) at a large California public university. Discussed are how the new tenure track Business and Economics Librarian approached a long standing embedded collaboration. The implementation of feedback forms provided a method to identify instructional gaps resulting in discussions informing future semesters. Continued collaborations have benefited from use of reflective practice informing adjustments for improved pedagogy and modifications to embedded approaches. Facilitation of such an embedded approach has required partnership and collaboration with faculty to realize a shared vision for research, synthesis, and application of knowledge to make a strategic diagnosis of a business problem. This study adds to the knowledge of benefits and challenges to an embedded librarian approach and implementation in a business capstone course. Discussed are plans for assessment of student perceived value of embedded librarian practices, and approaches to collecting data leading to future improvement of embedded practices.

Developing Equitable and Mutually Beneficial Virtual Community-Engaged Learning Opportunities

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an abrupt shift to virtual community-university partnerships for many community partners, instructors teaching community-engaged learning courses, and students. This shift exacerbated challenges to fostering mutually beneficial, equitable community-university partnerships, potentially affecting access to and participation in programs benefiting K-12 and college students alike. This paper discusses the Writing Partners letter exchange program, highlighting how challenges were considered and addressed, as well as ways we could improve in future semesters of community-engaged learning. Assessment data using surveys suggested challenges related to exchanging letters virtually and use of videos in lieu of an in-person university campus tour. Solutions included partnership meetings and early planning for future virtual events. We then discuss lessons learned and future directions for mutually beneficial and equitable community-university partnerships that could involve virtual work for various reasons. This paper adds to emerging literature which shares experiences related to virtual community-engaged learning. Sharing our experiences and lessons learned through the Writing Partners program will inform educators and administrators interested in implementing similar letter exchange programs, as well as those interested in learning more about community-university partnerships in the virtual space.

Engaging Students in Optimization Modeling: Gaining Business Disruption Insights

How can students prepare for potential business disruptions? The approach shown in this paper uses optimization modeling with parametric sensitivity analysis and further broadens the search for insights with structural sensitivity analysis in a series of contextual exercises. The exercises prompt students to identify critical resources for business impact analysis by extending production planning to include scenario analyses and contingency considerations. During virtual office hours, one participant described the exercises in terms of a “mystery” to solve. For an open-ended contingency planning question, some participants even proposed new product design decisions. Upon conclusion of the study, 25 of the 28 participants recommended the exercises for future semesters. Funding: Graduate assistant support for P. E. Billings and N. C. Belford was provided by the College of Business at the University of West Florida. Supplemental Material: The supplemental material is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ited.2022.0279 .

Exploring the Self-care Practices and Needs of Entry-Level Nursing Students: A Pilot Project

Self-care is often lacking in nursing students worldwide. The objectives for this study were to discover the current self-care practices of one group of entry level undergraduate nursing students, the students’ understanding of self-care, and the students’ preferences for self-care interventions aimed at improving self-care. Quantitative and quantitative measures were used to measure the students’ current self-care practices, needs, and recommendations for interventions to be used in future semesters to improve nursing student self-care. The students were found to generally be deficient in areas related to nutrition, obtaining healthcare information or guidance, pacing themselves to avoid exhaustion, and performing relaxation exercises. They scored well on areas related to psychosocial self-care, such as believing their life has meaning or having meaningful relationships. Several suggestions were made by the students for encouraging nursing student self-care. Nursing students are often lacking in self-care. It is important for nursing programs worldwide to develop and encourage student self-care.

The New “Normal”: Online Tools for In‐Person Learning in the Molecular Life Sciences

In the spring of 2020, the world experienced one of the worst pandemics in a century, forcing educators to almost immediately shift from on campus to online instruction. Given that most universities were largely built for teaching in person, the transition to distance learning required a rapid expansion of internet infrastructure and the mid‐semester implementation of online instructional tools. After the initial shock, confusion, and adjustment experienced in the spring of 2020, the continuation of the pandemic led many institutions to maintain a predominantly online or hybrid instruction model for the 2021 academic year. Although not as rushed as the previous semester, many faculty members were still trying to navigate the online landscape and adjust their curriculum to meet course objectives as defined during pre‐pandemic times. With universities inviting students back into the classroom and departments shifting more activities back to campus in the current academic year, we wanted to see what, if any, processes or activities implemented because of the pandemic would be retained or expanded post‐pandemic, specifically looking from the perspective of biochemists, molecular biologists, and science administrators. This feedback included information about alterations to in‐person instruction, communication with students outside of the classroom or laboratory, student assessment, additional educational opportunities that were not easily accessible previously, and enhanced research collaborations. Our conclusion is that, while few faculty members were interested in maintaining a primarily online format in future semesters, some distance learning tools were transferable to in‐person instruction and, in fact, enhanced the in‐person experience.

The Use of Semester Course Data for Machine Learning Prediction of College Dropout Rates

Predicting those at-risk of dropping out allows schools to assist students before it happens. Machine learning (ML) techniques can predict the likelihood of students completing a course, enrolling in future semesters, or graduating from college. This study compares four ML techniques to predict dropout rates using a student’s demographic information and performance in individual courses over all semesters enrolled. Using ten semester models the logistic regression method had the best accuracy of 84.8% versus decision trees (82.2%), neural networks (80.8%), and support vector machines (72.5%). The semester course performance data is a useful input for predicting dropout rates.

Graduate students in public health predict their actual usage of different library services and resources quite accurately.

Public health students need to use different resources to those used by other health science students. To compare how users expect to interact with library resources and services with how they reported actual interactions and expected future usage, to inform library planning. During first semester orientation, a paper questionnaire was administered to graduate students (n=25), followed by an end of semester questionnaire in a mandatory public health course. Differences (orientation vs. actual and actual vs. predicted future) were analysed using chi-square tests. Most graduate students utilized library resources as frequently as they anticipated at the semester's start. Regarding which library resources they would use, respondents' predictions during orientation were accurate. Respondent confidence in their abilities to use the library resources rose by the semester's end, and the group's expectations of using electronic books in the future semester increased significantly. Graduate students had realistic expectations when predicting their library resource usage and difficulties and most expected to value the quiet space as much as they did. Such tracking of group expectations, experience and predicted usage helps library managers' plan where support is required.

Apparent retrograde motions of planets

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtually all in-person instruction was shut down across the country in 2020 and beyond. This posed special problems for laboratory-based science courses, as those are defined by the conducting of experiments in person and often with specialized equipment unavailable outside of the classroom. Here I discuss a semester-long project for introductory astronomy that can be performed at home with very basic and inexpensive equipment. And, thanks to the vagaries of the orbits of the planets, variations of this activity can be carried out in many future semesters.

155 Opportunities and Challenges of Teaching Laboratory Content of a Swine Discipline-focused Course with Limited Swine Access

In spring semester, 2020, ANSC 412: Swine Production and Management (4 credits, lecture and laboratory) was offered in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University following a period of nonappearance in the curriculum. Simultaneously, planned renovation of the campus swine teaching farm required depopulation of the existing herd. Hence, animal access for course laboratories was restricted for the 2020 spring and fall semesters. The objective is to present strategies to achieve effective laboratory learning objectives with limited livestock access. Average course enrollment in 2020 spring and fall semesters was 11 students of junior and senior standing. The course laboratory was held for two hours weekly for fifteen weeks. COVID-19 interruption of the spring semester, and arrival of pigs to the campus swine teaching farm in the fall semester, necessitated creation of ten equivalent laboratory sessions per semester. Example laboratory sessions include: panels with swine industry professionals, Pork Quality Assurance version 4.0 certification, virtual farm tours, evaluating genetic merit with National Swine Registry Swine Testing and Genetic Evaluation System EPD data and indexes, understanding least-cost diet formulation with diet formulation software, creating and implementing a Secure Pork Supply enhanced biosecurity plan for the campus swine farm, and multiple case study models of troubleshooting reproductive deficiencies with the US Pork Center of Excellence National Swine Reproduction Guide. Laboratory session execution facilitated achievement of TAMU Department of Animal Science programmatic learning outcomes, specifically: understanding animal breeding programs, animal husbandry, reproductive management, and nutrient conversion, and assessing business models and application of animal management strategies. In future semesters with unrestricted swine access for teaching, live-animal handling will be emphasized in the syllabus, yet preservation of effective classroom-based laboratories will persist. These methods have value for instructors operating without campus swine resources and those whose laboratory content has been impacted by COVID-19 disruption.

Open Educational Resources in the Biochemistry Laboratory: Development of An Interactive, Flexible, and Free Lab Manual

A lab manual is an essential component of a biochemistry lab course, providing students with all the information needed to successfully conduct experiments. In Biochemistry 551: Biochemical Methods, a senior-level capstone course at UW - Madison, students historically purchased a printed and bound lab manual for ~$30. By its nature, this manual could only contain typed words and a few photos, and could not be updated once it was printed. The main goal of this project was to develop a digital lab manual that would increase student engagement by incorporating media and interactive content. Additional goals included decreasing costs to students and allowing for rapid updates of the material. The open educational resource platform Pressbooks was chosen to create a fully digital lab manual for implementation during the Spring 2019 semester. Pressbooks provides a number of advantages, including a user-friendly design and easy integration of interactivity using H5P. The manual was created to provide background information on each lab as well as detailed experimental protocols. Demonstration videos and photo slideshows were directly incorporated into the digital text. Interactive components, such as knowledge check questions, were also incorporated throughout. Following the Spring 2019 semester, students were asked to evaluate the lab manual. Many students provided positive feedback, and 79% of survey respondents supported using the digital lab manual in the future. Students also provided a number of suggestions for improvement, which were implemented in the Fall 2019 semester. When students were surveyed at the end of Fall 2019, 99% of respondents supported continued use of the digital lab manual. Overall, the application of an open educational resource in this biochemistry lab course was successful. Students indicated that they learned a lot by interacting with the digital content, and that they appreciated not having to purchase a printed manual. Based on student feedback, the manual will continue to be optimized for use in future semesters.

Supporting Postsecondary Faculty Transition to Rapid Online Teaching & Learning

North Carolina postsecondary faculty, similar to faculty around the world, who prepared their spring 2020 semester courses for face-to-face delivery, were required to quickly transition to Rapid Online Teaching and Learning (ROTL). This transition was expected within a short time frame, often one to two weeks, and for many faculty members, both time and resources to incorporate design practices found in high-quality online courses were limited. Faculty members demonstrated great determination and grit as they shifted to remote teaching and learning with a focus on the student success, even while feeling overwhelmed and disrupted themselves. Researchers examined two faculty-support programs designed to assist with the shift to online teaching during the COVID-19 crisis: one at a research-intensive, land-grant university and another for faculty at 58 community colleges, some of whom are enrolled in a CPED Ed.D. program. Lessons learned and thoughts on planning for future semesters are examined

Analysis on the Effects of using Active Learning Training Module (ALTM) on the Level of Achievement among Student Teachers in Teacher Education Curriculum

This study aims to explore the effect of using Active Learning Training Module (ALTM) on the achievement of a professional education course among student teachers in teacher education curriculum. The module used in the learning of Education Development in Malaysia: Philosophy and Policy (KPF3012) course was built up based on Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation model (ADDIE). A quantitative study was carried out using ex-post facto method where it was carried out by analyzing 1,613 students' achievement for the course base on final exam result. Final Exam Question for KPF3012 Semester 2 Session 2017/2018 was used as an instrument for data acquisition. The collected data was then analyzed using percentage and one-way ANOVA. The results show that, the use of ALTM had successfully promote high students’ level of achievement; that is 46.5% of the students had achieved excellent level. The findings also show that the level of the students’ achievements had no significant difference (F=5.549,p=0.00) based on programs of studies . As for conclusion, ALTM has a good effect on students’ achievement in the learning of KPF3012 and has no significant bias to students based on study program. Therefore the use of the module by students in the learning of KPF3012 is suggested in the future semesters.

Invertebrate Film Festival: Science, creativity, and flexibility in a virtual teaching environment

AbstractWe implemented a new video project in a marine invertebrate zoology undergraduate class. The project required students to produce 3–5 min videos about a particular invertebrate or any aspect of invertebrate biology they were interested in. The development of this assignment was prompted by the limitations for lab activities due to COVID‐19 and three short‐term campus closures in response to threats of inclement weather. This assignment can be completed individually on a flexible schedule, without physical access to campus, and culminates in an Invertebrate Film Festival during the last lab period. The project was assigned at the start of the term with only minimal instructions to promote creativity. Students completed the project over the course of the 14‐week semester, with several checkpoints, most notably a peer review of the movie script 2 weeks prior to the due date. To support the video production, students were encouraged to attend workshops and schedule individual tutoring sessions offered by the Studio in the campus's Center for Academic Learning Support. Surveys at the beginning and the end of the semester revealed that the perception of the video project was overall positive, although some students were apprehensive in the beginning. Video topics, techniques, and software used by students varied widely, but overall the video quality exceeded our expectations. Many students took pride in their videos and agreed to make them available as supplementary material for this article. If we repeat this assignment in future semesters, we will streamline the peer review process and possibly offer short video tutorials for video‐editing software.