General Education Courses Research Articles

Promoting sustainability literacy for students in Thai higher education institution: a case of Siam University

PurposeThe objectives of this study were (1) to explore and analyze sustainability literacy of undergraduate students and (2) to propose guidelines for promoting sustainability literacy of the undergraduate students at Siam University, Bangkok, Thailand.Design/methodology/approachA 5-point rating scale survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 235 students registered in General Education courses in Semester 2 of academic year 2022. The analyzed data was presented to a focus group discussion, conducted with 19 internal and external stakeholders, as a basis to propose guidelines for promoting sustainability literacy.FindingsThe students perceived that they had better knowledge about sustainable development and sustainable development goals (SDGs) and that their knowledge about and degree of participation in SDGs-related activities were at high level. Intrapersonal competence was rated as their highest sustainability competence, followed by futures-thinking, and systems-thinking. The focus-group suggested that competency-based GE curriculum should be used as a platform to enhance sustainability literacy. Guidelines concerning learning outcomes, learning content, learning culture, learning with technology, and learning assessment were then proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s methodological limitations include the use of purposive sample case of the Siam University and self-perceiving assessment survey instrument for the data collection that provide sufficient insights on the present state and problems concerning sustainability literacy of university students.Practical implicationsSustainability is one of the national pillars in Thailand 20 years strategy (2018–2037). Hence, the government encourages all educational institutions, including universities to transform themselves toward this goal. Siam University has used education program as a vehicle to meet this aspiration. Lesson learnt from the study will not only benefit the university per se but will be valuable for practices in other universities. In addition, findings and implications from the study will help accelerate the transformation of Thai higher education institutions toward sustainable universities.Social implicationsSustainability has been promoted in education and social context. Siam University is recognized as a leading university in promoting campus and community sustainability through our “living learning lab” approach. We have used social living labs for teaching and learning activities for years. Partnerships among academia, private and public sectors, as well as community members will benefit from this research.Originality/valueThe study explores the scholarly topic of significant social importance and implications in the Thai context. The present study on sustainability literacy opens a path for further research and cross-institutional and national comparative studies on the issue.

From Global to Local: Service-Learning in a Comparative Politics Course

Students enrolled in introductory general education courses in Political Science are often uninterested in and unfamiliar with the subject matter and do not see its relevance to their lives. Hoping to overcome these obstacles, I implemented service-learning into my introductory Comparative Politics course. In order to do this, I partnered with local nonprofits and government agencies working on topics relevant to the course content. Students then selected one of these partners to work with throughout the semester. The goal was for them to not only see how the course subject matter might apply in their own lives but specifically how the global issues we learn about in our course apply in our local area. Students were surveyed at the beginning and end of the semester and wrote multiple reflection papers regarding their experiences. They generally reported high levels of satisfaction with the service-learning approach as well as understanding of the importance of civic and community engagement.

Impacts of backgrounds on students’ self-regulated learning in a flipped classroom setting

ABSTRACT This study investigated the impact of students’ background variables (gender, grade level, and major) on their self-regulated learning in a flipped classroom setting. This study implemented the flipped classroom method in a general education course, “Data Science with Excel.” The “self-regulated learning skill scale” questionnaire was used to examine the impact of students’ self-regulated learning skills (goal setting, learning environment setting, learning strategy, time management, and help-seeking) in a flipped classroom for 66 valid participants. The results indicated that, in terms of the gender factor, females reported more help-seeking behaviors than males. It was also found that major had a significant influence on self-regulated learning. Students from the College of Humanities and Applied Science were more likely to manage their time and set goals to learn the course content in comparison with students from other colleges. However, the results did not show a significant difference between grade levels.

Research on the Reform Model of General Education Course in Public Relations Etiquette Practice Based on COAF Concept

Research on the Reform Model of General Education Course in Public Relations Etiquette Practice Based on COAF Concept

Understanding the role of a general education course Oral Science in establishing oral health knowledge and behaviors among undergraduate students from different majors: a questionnaire-based study.

The general education course, Oral Science, has been offered by Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University for many years in order to improve students' knowledge of oral health. Information about the oral health knowledge, status, and behaviors among undergraduates who had taken Oral Science was collected to evaluate the impact of this course, and to provide a basis for further improvement of the course teaching quality. Undergraduates taking Oral Science as an elective course were selected as the research subjects. The research time is the second semester of the 2022 academic year, from February 2023 to June 2023. Undergraduates who had not taken the course served as the control group. To investigate the oral health knowledge, status, and behaviors among undergraduate students who have taken the general education course of Oral Science, course students and non-course students were asked to fill out the same questionnaire at both the beginning and end of semester. The answer scores and accuracy of these two groups were compared and analyzed. Before and after the first lesson, and at the end of the semester, course students were asked to fill out the same oral knowledge questionnaire. Another questionnaire was released in week 10 to collect the data of the course students' oral health status and behaviors. The control group completed the same oral knowledge questionnaire at the beginning and end of the semester, respectively. SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used to analyze the data. Statistical significance level was set at 0.05 for all tests. At the beginning of the semester, there was no significant difference in the accuracy of the 16 questions nor the scores between two groups (P > 0.05). After one semester of learning, the accuracy of the 16 questions answered by the course students at the end of the semester was significantly higher (P < 0.05), as well as the score of the course students. The general education course of Oral Science can significantly improve undergraduates' general knowledge of dentistry and effectively improve their oral hygiene behavior.

Examining the Experiences of Female HASS Major Students in STEM General Education Courses

Examining the Experiences of Female HASS Major Students in STEM General Education Courses

Comparing effectiveness of teaching interventions in online lab-based physical geography general education courses

ABSTRACT To improve student outcomes in four-credit asynchronous online physical geography classes that included a lab component, we employed three different experimental techniques in spring 2022. Fifteen faculty who collectively taught 24 sections of Introduction to Landforms or Weather and Climate modified one element of their course to foster improved student performance. Interventions in these science general education classes targeted student engagement and procrastination and included staggering deadlines, increasing the number of emails sent, and meeting with students one-on-one. Comparison of control versus experimental sections yielded mixed results demonstrating that faculty efforts to improve classes may not always have the intended effect. This suggests faculty should assess changes made to their class to determine if student outcomes improve.

An ecology of resilience: A nature-informed pilot curriculum for improving stress management in college students

Objective: Mental health of college students is a matter of concern, and counseling centers have experienced a surge in demand and strain on capacity to provide services. This study explored the efficacy of a novel, nature-informed stress management curriculum entitled The Ecology of Resilience delivered via a for-credit general education course. The goals were a more favorable perception of stress and increased sense of bouncing back from stress (resilience). Participants: One hundred fifty-seven junior- and senior-level undergraduates participated in a project spanning three semesters from January 2022 to April 2023. Methods: The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were employed in a pretest/post-test arrangement. Results: PSS scores decreased significantly and BRS scores increased significantly for students enrolled in the course versus a control group. Conclusions: Curricula like the Ecology of Resilience, presented within the contexts of for-credit academic courses, are viable options for addressing student mental health.

Promoting long-lasting changes in student well-being through a pharmacy general education course: A pilot study

Objective Colleges and universities need effective strategies to help students develop medication-use behaviors that positively support their well-being. This pilot study evaluated the utility of Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning (FTSL), an evidence-based instructional strategy, to create long-lasting changes in students’ well-being during a pharmacy general education course. Participants and methods Using a mixed methods survey design, we assessed 84 undergraduate students’ changes in self-reported well-being at three different time points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up) through five variables (safe medication practices, general healthcare behaviors, healthcare self-efficacy, safe medication storage, and safe medication disposal). Results The results of multiple repeated-measures ANCOVAs, four McNemar chi-square tests, and qualitative thematic analysis showed significant positive changes in several variables over time. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrated that intentional integration of FTSL during the course design process helped students develop long-lasting general healthcare and safe medication-use behavior intentions. We discuss holistic approaches for promoting student well-being.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEM OF EXERCISES FOR WORKING WITH TEXTS IN THE PROCESS OF STUDYING THE SUBJECT «FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES» FOR THE SPECIALTY OF «PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION»

The successful professional activity of a good specialist requires mastery of a foreign language at the level of daily communication, as well as a significant amount of lexical material in the field of professional activity and its free operation. It is of peculiar need for the professionals in the sphere of public management and administration. The ways of mastering the language of professional communication are the same as in the general education course. The additional requirements are caused by the need of mastering professional vocabulary. Reading as a means of communication has significant practical value for specialists in public management and administration as they deal with documents and misunderstandings can cause problems. In this regard, the study of the English language is lbased on the reading of professional texts should be given as much attention as possible. This type of speech activity should be singled out as a dominant component of professional English language learning, That is why preparing students for independent reading, teaching them to read correctly and to perceive what they read is the matter of peculiar interest. For the successful implementation of the set goals, it is very important from the very beginning of education to create the right attitude of students to reading as a type of language activity that has its own specific communicative task, as a means of obtaining information. When choosing material for reading, it is worth taking into account such requirements for a text as the modernity of the work, accessibility, exemplarity, meaningfulness, versatility, compliance with the level of students’ training, etc. The motivation of students’ reading activity and activity will depend on the completeness of these conditions. Independent work in reading can become an effective factor that ensures the enrichment of the active vocabulary of the future specialist. This will increase students’ motivation to learn a foreign language. Work on individual reading can make the process of forming lexical competence more effective. It is advisable to use developments for the teacher in combination with methodical recommendations for students. Intensive independent and classroom work of students with a professional text significantly improves the quality of foreign language learning.

Virtual Labs for Postsecondary General Education and Applied Science Courses: Faculty Perceptions

General education science courses at a Canadian postsecondary institution implemented Beyond Labz virtual science labs. Faculty members teaching vocational science-related courses tested this resource. This qualitative study explores faculty member and learner perceptions of the efficacy of these virtual labs in terms of ease of use, designing hands-on activities, student engagement, and accessibility. Data are collected via a focus group, surveys, meetings, and interview notes. The study found that learners and faculty members may have different perceptions of the importance of virtual labs for the development of various skills. From the data, five themes emerge related to addressing the needs of diverse learners and utilizing multiple affordances of virtual labs. Although science virtual labs are perceived as a useful tool for teaching and learning science, faculty members identify barriers such as the need to develop digital literacy skills and initial training and institutional support when introducing new tools. Recommendations for effective science virtual labs curriculum integration are included.

Connecting plant science education in undergraduate life science courses to plant awareness disparity, Vision and Change, and sustainability careers

ABSTRACT Ensuring that botany and plant sciences are being included in undergraduate life science curricula is necessary for developing a future global sustainability workforce. To gain a baseline understanding, we surveyed life science educators in the U.S. about current botanical education. We further evaluated these data to determine connections to the frameworks of plant awareness disparity (PAD), a framework detailing the inability to notice or appreciate the plants in one’s own environment, and Vision and Change, an educational framework in the U.S. for preparing undergraduate biology students for the 21st century. Results from 245 responses revealed that most instructors use botanical examples and implement diverse hands-on botanical experiences. Our data suggest that hands-on botanical experiences are better suited to address PAD, the more science practice-centred framework, while plant examples are better suited to increase the understanding of core concepts of Vision and Change, the more concept-centred framework. We recommend that life science educators should 1) remain diligent in providing plant examples and hands-on botanical experiences in large introductory courses, 2) incorporate more botany education in general education courses (not required by the major but required by the institutions) and non-major courses, and 3) include educators outside of botany in these efforts.

The perceptions of undergraduate students toward reading contemporary fiction in English: a case study of content-based ESL instruction at a self-financed tertiary institution in Hong Kong

IntroductionThe study explores the effectiveness of teaching English literature to Hong Kong undergraduate students, particularly in a general education course titled “Fiction and Life: Understanding Human Development.” This course marked the first exposure for students to book-length fiction in English and critical response written in English, revealing the efficacy of using fictional works as content-based ESL instruction at the tertiary level in Hong Kong.MethodsEmploying a mixed-methods approach, the study included questionnaires distributed to 310 students and thematic analysis of semi-structured interview data.ResultsFindings indicate a largely positive attitude toward the reading and writing experience, suggesting benefits for ESL teaching and learning in Asia.DiscussionThe study advocates for incorporating English literature into the general education curriculum to foster a more organic and contextualized language acquisition process. This research uniquely contributes to the field by examining student perceptions in a self-financed tertiary institution context, offering new insights that have not been explored before in Hong Kong’s ESL landscape.

Factors Affecting Lecturers’ Willingness and Readiness to Teach the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Compulsory Course

Recently, the Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia made it compulsory for all higher institutions to teach the Integrity and Anti-corruption course as part of the compulsory General Education (MPU) courses in tertiary education starting September 2023. This study examines the connection between the characteristics of the current MPU lecturers and non-MPU lecturers (n=50) in selected universities and their willingness and readiness to teach the Integrity and Anti-corruption course. A completed survey was analysed using descriptive analyses while selected lecturers did semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the lecturers willing to teach the Integrity and Anti-corruption course were more likely to have experienced teaching MPU courses before, taught at least one (1) MPU subject before, received the training to teach the mentioned course, and have a greater understanding on the importance of the course to the students. Almost half of the population who participated in the survey were reluctant to teach the new MPU course due to certain factors, such as the need to teach the course in the National Language, which is the Malay Language, and if they were not trained to teach the course. They also perceived that the MPU courses were less important to the students. In this study, the results are discussed regarding the implications for training designed to increase lecturers’ willingness and readiness to teach the Integrity and Anti-Corruption course.

Syllabus as argument in an era of politicized pedagogy

AbstractThe traditional character of higher education in the US is under assault. The broad, intellectual focus on the liberal arts and its concomitant values of academic freedom and academic governance are giving way to an over‐managed vocational institution that prioritizes ambience over integrity and credentialism over citizenship. In this milieu, sociologists should use the classroom as an opportunity to model the explanatory power of the discipline by structuring our syllabi to make a point. I refer to this approach as syllabus‐as‐argument, which I contrast with the traditional organizational logic of syllabus‐as‐survey—configuring a syllabus to provide an overview of a given topic, theme or field. Where the chief criterion of success for the syllabus as survey is comprehensiveness, the syllabus as argument strives for convincingness. I draw from two courses to exemplify this approach. The first is a senior seminar in environmental sociology, which I have reworked into a course explaining the intractability of the climate crisis. The second is a general education course in community sociology that I remade to explain the links between growing inequality and deteriorating democracy in the US.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Creativity Courses on University Students&amp;apos; Perceptions and Creative Mindset Changes : An Application of Integrated Research Methods

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in the perception of creativity and creative mindset among university students before and after attending a creativity-focused general education program. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, targeting 55 students from freshmen to seniors who expressed their willingness to participate and were enrolled in a general education courses at a university in the Chungnam region. The findings indicate that there was a change in the overall perception of creativity from the perspectives of creative thinking, creative outcomes, creative characteristics, and creative stimuli. Additionally, there was a positive change in the creative mindset of the students. This suggests that creativity-focused general education had a positive effect on the development of students' creative competencies. Through this study, we aim to provide useful information for the design and implementation of education programs that enhance creativity, by broadly understanding the impact on university students' perception of creativity and their creative mindset.

대학생의 자아개념이 진로교육만족도에 미치는 영향

This study analyzed the influence of university students' self-concept on their careereducation satisfaction, mediated by goal orientation and career maturity. The results showedthat university students' self-concept influenced their career education satisfaction in terms of career exploration in major and general education courses, and career preparation-relatedcourses. self-concept and career maturity had a significant relationship when mediated by goalorientation. High self-concept alone does not necessarily lead to career maturity without cleargoal orientation. The formation of self-concept, mediated by goal orientation and careermaturity, had a significant influence on career education satisfaction. Even students with ahigh level of self-concept who had clear goal orientation and high career maturity showed lowsatisfaction with their career-related education, indicating the need to review and improve thecurrent educational system. Similarly, students with low self-concept who failed to set cleargoals and develop career maturity also showed low career education satisfaction. Regardlessof the approach, there are areas that need to be improved to increase satisfaction. Thesefindings suggest the need to provide university students with more opportunities to develop astronger sense of self-concept, and to ensure that career education is closely integrated withthe development of goal orientation and career maturity. Further research is needed to explorenew approaches to enhancing university students' career development and satisfaction withcareer-related education.

How Can Humanities Quality General Education Courses Help Cultivate Innovative Talents?

How Can Humanities Quality General Education Courses Help Cultivate Innovative Talents?

Performing Hunger in Taiwan: Images, Objects, and Reflections

In 1982, Hungarian-American artist Agnes Denes planted and harvested two acres of wheat on the Battery Park landfill, Manhattan, to draw attention to mismanagement, waste, and world hunger. More recently, from 2014 to the present, American environmental activist Rob Greenfield addressed food waste and demonstrated food freedom by dumpster diving and foraging. The ethos of these two examples align with Environmental Art, a general education course that I teach at Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU), Taiwan. Environmental Art is an umbrella term for art that interacts with or comments on the environment. Among its subgenres, Ecological Art emphasizes the preservation and remediation of life, resources, and ecosystems of Earth. This article explores the online teaching pedagogy for the Environmental Art course final assignment, The Hunger Project, and its ramifications in relation to performance. Using Ecological Art and hunger statistics as a springboard, students examine hunger in Taiwan and in the global context. They consider various dimensions of hunger, such as access and distribution of food, and the question: why do the lack and the excess of food coexist? Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I and students realized the entire “The Hunger Project” online. The pedagogical methods facilitated the “The Hunger Project Website,” where students staged texts, images, and objects to visualize their reflections on hunger. Working in groups, students addressed metaphorical “hungers”, such as the hunger for being healthy, linked social class to food consumption, and proposed education as an antidote to poverty and food deficiency. This essay considers the performative and educational significance of this learning process in relation to hunger action.

Fostering systems thinking about socioscientific issues

ABSTRACT Systems thinking is essential for understanding wicked real-world problems and suggesting solutions. This is the case for addressing socioscientific issues (SSI) that involve inter-related personal, socio-political, cultural, scientific, economic and moral dimensions. It is challenging for teachers to support students in adopting and practising systems thinking when they explore SSI. In this study, we tested the extent to which causal loop diagramming (CLD) developed students’ systems thinking. We examined a 2-week teaching unit that used a computer-based CLD tool to foster students’ systems thinking about obesity in a first-year university general education course. Ninety-six students from a variety of majors/disciplines participated in this study. They worked in groups and engaged in reading news, proposing actions while creating causal loop diagrams about factors that contributed to obesity and approaches to tackle the issue. We analysed their pre-, mid-, and post-unit causal loop diagrams (3 × 26 groups) and weekly reflective memos. The data revealed their significant shift towards a systems approach of thinking. The reflective memos showed that the shift was afforded by cycles of construct–revise–use as they created the diagrams. The findings suggest the potential of causal loop diagramming to foster systems thinking in the sense-making and decision-making of SSI.