Graduate School Research Articles

Enhancing Instructor and Student Experiences: A Guide to Successful Capstone Research Courses

Introduction Providing a quality undergraduate research capstone is a meaningful high-impact practice to facilitate American Psychological Association learning goals, and help students learn skills critical for both graduate school and future careers. Statement of the Problem The demands of such courses are often time-consuming and stressful, especially for instructors without teaching assistants. The goal of the current manuscript is to provide guidance and resources for faculty teaching undergraduate research experience (UREs) courses. Literature Review Previous research suggests that faculty workload and burnout are recurring sources of stress, and faculty often struggle to implement UREs effectively. However, these experiences provide experiential learning, and increase student engagement and motivation. Teaching Implications In a three-credit course with strict deadlines and flexible scheduling, guiding student-led projects becomes less daunting. Required attendance, deduction-only participation points, and other policies ease grading loads while reinforcing course objectives. Conclusion Student feedback, performance, and positive instructor experiences suggest that this structure helps overcome logistical barriers and create positive outcomes. Course resources are provided in open materials.

The worker bee’s dilemma part 2: exit strategy saboteur

Research methodology This descriptive case study is written using factual case information was obtained from an employee of the firm with their consent. All names, including the firm name, have been anonymized. Case overview/synopsis After being denied promotion, Vivienne began the first step to her long-term exit strategy by seeking another graduate degree. Her supervisor failed to supply the recommendation he’d promised for her graduate school application. Vivienne felt that his breach of trust was deliberate and now must decide what course of action to take. This case analyzes Vivienne’s organization, needs and ambition using management theories, laws and concepts. It also analyzes the phenomenon of trust, specifically vertical trust between managers and employees, and it leads to an important career crossroads for Vivienne. Complexity academic level Undergraduate. Courses: Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management

Pemetaan visitor and resident dalam keterlibatan individu dengan lingkungan informasi digital

Purpose. The digital ecosystem consists of interactions between customers and partners through various channels, both online and offline, as well as the relationships that exist between digital customers and partners. The ideal interaction between humans, technology, values and activities will be created by ideal ecological information. Thus, system places consumers in an important position connecting customer contacts and contact moments with each other. Including the use of products and virtual visits, such as transactions, emails, educational media, etc. In-depth discussion of individual involvement as information organs (inforgs). Employing the activity-based mapping method, which is intended to determine each person's level of engagement with the digital environment.Methodology. The method used in this research was a pre-post test on respondents who were at Gadjah Mada University Postgraduate School postgraduate students. Questionnaires were distributed concurrently over the WhatsApp group to conduct the survey. The responses provided by respondents are entered into a Google form.Results and discussion. This study examines the use of technology and information resources by graduate students at the Graduate School of Gadjah Mada University, also known as "Emergent" education members. There are signs that the way pupils look for knowledge has changed as information and technology have advanced.Conclusions. The conclusion of this research is that there is a shift in information patterns. Previously, respondents' information patterns were mostly carried out directly by teachers or professors, now they have shifted through scientific websites and become residents through applications on social media.

(Re)structuring and (Re)imagining the First Year Experience for Graduate Students of Color Using Community Cultural Wealth

Graduate students of color have been entering graduate schools at unprecedented rates, yet these programs and institutions are not ready to fully support their unique needs. Using Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, we showcase how graduate students of color utilize their cultural capital to succeed during their first year of graduate studies. We interviewed 10 graduate students from various graduate programs in Southern California and found that graduate students of color activated all six forms of cultural capital to persist through the challenges of their first year in graduate education. As graduate students of color used various forms of cultural capital to combat oppressive systems and structures during their first year, we call on graduate school programs and institutions to restructure and reimagine what support looks like for first-year graduate students of color by using an assets-based approach.

Leading transformations – a holistic approach to leadership development

So, what was Woodside’s challenge? How does an organisation lead through a business transformation, an industry transformation and a global energy transformation simultaneously? And what was Woodside’s answer? To redefine a whole of business approach to leadership and uplift leadership capabilities. The first step was to create a framework to revolutionise the concept of leadership and uplift leadership capability. Woodside wanted every employee to identify as a leader and lead, no matter what their role. In 2021, Woodside partnered and co-created a leadership development program with the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at UNSW. The program was designed for employees to uplift their leadership capability while empowering Woodsiders to be more deliberate in developing themselves and the organisation into the future. The commitment to date has seen thousands of employees undertake residential immersions and other learning experiences. Leadership and inclusive leadership capability have been uplifted and the framework has been leveraged as Woodside has successfully transformed operating models and completed a large merger. What was originally a stick drawing drafted on a napkin between two Woodside colleagues is now a conclusive framework known as Navigator. Since its inception in 2021 more than 2600 employees across all five countries have attended a Navigator immersion and more than 2500 Apply Learning experiences have been completed globally. Navigator has expanded its global reach across Woodside’s operations in Australia, China, the USA, Trinidad, and most recently in Dakar, Senegal.

Embedding numerical methods and MATLAB programming in a fluid mechanics course for undergraduates in engineering technology

Undergraduate students in engineering technology are typically not required to take any courses on numerical methods or computational techniques and thus have little or no knowledge of many basic numerical approaches commonly used in engineering disciplines, such as root finding, curve fitting, numerical integration, and numerical differentiation. In addition, they are only required to take one introductory level programming course and thus usually experience difficulty when working on course projects involving extensive programming. However, the industry is demanding different skillsets than the ones that were expected just a decade ago. Numerical and programming skills are becoming increasingly important. In this case study, the effectiveness of embedding numerical methods and MATLAB programming in MMET 303 Fluid Mechanics and Power, a four-credit junior-level required course offered every semester for undergraduates at the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University, was assessed. A series of learning modules were purposefully designed and implemented as a trial test in the classes offered in the semester of Fall 2023. Instructor's observation, submitted assignments, and survey results were analyzed. The results suggested that embedding numerical methods and associated MATLAB programming into a required course enhanced students’ analytical skills of tackling practical problems, helping them become better prepared as they move on into the industrial companies or the graduate schools.

학습 효과가 높은 수업과 낮은 수업의 학습 과정과 평가의 특성에 관한 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of instructions recognized as having a high learning effect and as having a low learning effect. Methods For this purpose, we conducted written interviews using online platform with 18 prospective instructors who are experiencing the pre-instructor course at the graduate school of education. It was designed to focus on instructions experienced before, not on instructions currently being taken, and through this, the process and effect of learning could be reported more objectively. The collected qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic anal-ysis method, and the learning process of instructions with high learning effects and instructions with low learning effects were derived and presented in a diagram. Results As a result of the study, 3 main categories, 9 themes, and 19 subcategories were derived as character-istics of the learning process included in instruction with high learning effect, and the amount of learning load, dif-ficulty, and responsibility perceived by learners were also confirmed along with the learning burden factors. As for the instruction with low learning effect, 3 main categories, 9 themes, and 18 subcategories were derived, and these included ‘no task’ and ‘no burden’. In the instruction with high learning effect, the focus of assignments and evaluations was on the learning process and performance, and improvement and feedback were made through the feedback of the instructor. In the instruction with low learning effect, the focus of assignments and evaluations was on organizing, summarizing, and general evaluation, and it was difficult to confirm improvement and feedback through instructor's feedback. Moreover, the difficulty and amount of learning load in the class were burden factors that appeared in both classes with high and low learning effects. Considering these results, instructors need to consider ways to have explanatory power to effectively deliver class content by analyzing learners' levels rather than reducing the difficulty and amount of learning. Conclusions Based on these findings, recommendations were provided to guide professors in aiming for and de-signing effective instructions.

PhD Thesis on AI: a New Challenge of the Digital Era

An analytical review of the models and risks in the researcher’s reproduction system in the scientific specialty “1.2.1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning” is presented. The issues of graduate school management and regulatory barriers in the training of young scientists are considered. Successful practices for defending a PhD thesis at leading national research universities have been identified and categorized. The justifications for the need to protect a PhD thesis by machine learning engineers are given. Proposals for changes to the scientific model of postgraduate studies and for AI augmentation of scientific research have been summarized, which help overcome risks in assigning qualification based on the textual results of scientific work.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND REPORT WRITING FOR BUILDING SCIENTISTS

ABSTRACT Communication Skills and Report Writing for Building Scientists addresses the primary questions of inexperienced technical writers: “How should my report be written?” and “How do I present my work in style, format, data presentation and illustration program?” An undergraduate research report is given as an example of good report writing and key elements of the report are highlighted for student learning. This concise handbook also covers writing to land a job or applying to graduate school, and a step-by-step guide is provided on how to successfully navigate the job search or graduate school application process. Several sample resumes are provided as well as effective means to communicate with prospective employers or graduate programs of interest. The last section of this guide covers writing on the job and speaks to the kinds of tasks students face when they make the transition from classroom reporting to workplace communication, where problems are often open-ended and audiences cannot be assumed to be building science professionals. Instruction is also given to students on how to use the library as a research tool and how to master various virtual communication platforms: Zoom, Microsoft Teams and LinkedIn.

Effect of Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy on the Tongue Dorsum on Reducing Halitosis and the Duration of the Effect: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment that is gaining popularity in modern clinical medicine. However, little is known about the effect of PDT alone on reducing oral halitosis and the duration of the effect. This trial examined the effect of PDT on the tongue dorsum on reducing oral halitosis and the duration of the effect. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Okayama University Hospital (CRB20-015), and it was registered in the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs061200060). Twenty-two participants were randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group and control group. PDT was performed in the intervention group using red laser emission and methylene blue gel on the middle and posterior area of the tongue dorsum. The concentration of volatile sulfur compounds, bacterial count on the tongue dorsum, probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing, and simplified oral debris index score were determined before and 1 week after PDT. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the significance of the differences in each parameter between the two groups. We found that the hydrogen sulfide concentration and bacterial count on the tongue dorsum were decreased in the intervention group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. These results indicated that performing only PDT on the tongue dorsum may not contribute to reducing halitosis.

A Robust Examination of Cheating on Unproctored Online Exams

The rapid growth of online education, especially since the pandemic, is presenting educators with numerous challenges. Chief among these is concern about academic dishonesty, especially on unproctored online exams. Students cheating on exams is not a new phenomenon. The topic has been discussed and debated within institutions of higher learning, and significant levels of cheating have been reported in the academic literature for over sixty years. Much of this literature, however, has focused on student behavior in a classroom utilizing proctored, in-class exams. Grades on exams usually determine most of a student’s final grade in a course, and GPAs are used by employers and graduate schools to indicate a student’s subject matter mastery. As more conventional colleges and universities expand their online course offerings it is natural to wonder if academic dishonesty is more prevalent in online classes than in face-to-face classes. In particular, are students more likely to cheat when no one is watching (i.e., on unproctored assessment assignments) than they do when someone is watching (i.e., on proctored assessment assignments)? The purpose of this study is to investigate whether students cheat more on unproctored online exams than they do on proctored in-classroom exams, and if so, is there any pattern to their cheating behavior. Our findings are derived from careful empirical analysis of 741 undergraduate students who completed three unproctored online exams, several collaboration-encouraged assignments, and a proctored in-class comprehensive final exam in the same course with the same instructor. Additionally, we collected demographic and human capital data for every student. Using bivariate and regression analysis, we find significant evidence of more cheating on unproctored online exams than on proctored in-class exams even though students were given stern honor code violation warnings. Moreover, we discover that student cheating increased with each unproctored online exam, implying that students learn how to cheat as they become more familiar with taking online assessment assignments. Finally, we find that students with certain demographic and human capital characteristics tend to cheat more than others. This research strongly supports the use of proctoring for all evaluation assignments in online classes to ensure that grades in these classes properly reflect student aptitude as opposed to merely reflecting their ability to cheat.

AWARENESS: A TOOL FOR BURNOUT IMMUNITY

AbstractThe author is a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, a well‐known researcher and speaker on burnout, emotional intelligence, and resilience; and developer of the Burnout Quiz. The article discusses burnout in the context of awareness and self‐awareness, based on her research. She contends that “leaders who display social awareness—the ability to accurately understand the impact of our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors on others, and to understand and share the feelings of others—are better at decision‐making, coaching and engaging their teams, and communication and collaboration.” However, “when leaders are burned out, it’s never just an individual problem. Entire teams and even organizations can suffer when leaders lose motivation and energy, struggle with their ability to influence people, make poorer (and often slower) decisions, and spread an attitude of cynicism throughout organizations.” She discusses what she terms “core burnout immunity awareness skills.” These are, in her words, Awareness of what triggers your workplace stress; Awareness of what increases your sensitivity to stress; Awareness of your tipping point between good stress and bad stress; and Awareness of your burnout risk level.

A Collaborative Study of English Teaching Based on Optimized Apriori Algorithm under the Integration of Curriculum Civics

The new period introduces new intellectual and political demands for college-level English courses and fosters favourable conditions as well as new intellectual and political opportunities. The knowledge and politics courses currently taught in our higher education institutions combine English instruction with cooperative research and knowledge and politics courses, producing some excellent results in China. However, there are still significant challenges to implementing the relatively new ideas for education reform. In order to increase the effectiveness of the mine, this paper will enhance the apriori calculation method in accordance with the features of a large amount of data, and it requests the English Education Graduate School's participation for a demonstration. To address the issue of inaccurate existing metrics, this document integrates the proposed measures with conventional measures. In the past, the new measuring technique and the enhanced algorithm were used to create a model of the mining system based on the performance of the pupils. In the end, we used the student successes to build the mine system model, integrate the new measurement technique with the improved algorithm, and draw significant data-driven conclusions. According on experimental findings, the proposed algorithm performs better than Mr. Apriori. The mixed metre tonnes serve as the foundation for the most precise selection as compared to the general metre tonnes. The system offers a range of data extraction services in accordance with the university's role, which serves to enhance college English education's collaboration with curriculum and governmental thinking.

Attitudes of college seniors toward graduate student loan debt: the role of financial education

Purpose This paper aims to examine prospective graduate students' attitudes toward educational loan borrowing in an experimental setting. Design/methodology/approach Participants were randomly assigned to two treatment groups and one control group. Subjects in experimental group 1 received financial education: a short online course on the economic viability of getting a master's degree and how to finance it with a graduate student loan, while subjects in experimental group 2 received financial education along with information on the availability bias. Findings Relying on a control group in the assessment of financial literacy education intervention impacts, this research finds positive causal treatment effects on individuals’ attitudes toward debt-financed graduate education. In comparison to the control group, experimental subjects perceived the possibility of going into debt with a graduate loan to complete a master’s degree as less stressful and worrying. Practical implications This study has important educational policy implications to prevent students from stopping investing in human capital by perceiving educational loan debt as something stressful or worrying. The results can help potential (and current) grad students develop a feasible financial plan for graduate school by encouraging higher education institutions to implement educational loan information and financial education into university seminar courses for better graduate student loan decision-making. Originality/value Student attitudes toward debt have been analyzed in the context of higher education, but only a few researchers internationally have used an experimental design to study personal financial decision-making.

A brief intervention helps to reduce equity gaps in graduate school knowledge among psychology students.

A brief intervention helps to reduce equity gaps in graduate school knowledge among psychology students.

A Comprehensive Approach to Graduate Education in the Biomedical Sciences

There are roughly 130 biomedical sciences-related PhD training programs in the U.S. with about half of the graduates remaining in academia post-graduation. Biomedical sciences PhD programs emphasize rigorous training in research to prepare students to enter academia but may lack training in other areas that contribute to career success. Trainees face many challenges in graduate school, including meeting the basic scientific knowledge and research milestones, developing strong communication skills, and enriching their skillset through professional and career development opportunities to best position themselves for future success. To accomplish all of this while maintaining a healthy sense of self can be daunting. The Graduate School (TGS) at Augusta University (AU) aims to facilitate ground-breaking research alongside outstanding education by providing a holistic and comprehensive graduate experience. TGS is currently undergoing review and revision of three of the four arms of graduate education: academics, research, student well-being, and professional development. We use data collected from an external review and 52 currently enrolled and previously graduated (within 3 years) biomedical sciences PhD students to identify opportunities for improving the first-year core curriculum at AU. In response, TGS developed a first-year core curriculum committee tasked with reviewing, revising, and addressing gaps in the first-year core curriculum. Furthermore, TGS has developed and launched GradWell, a health and wellness initiative, and has also partnered with external collaborators to offer strategic professional development opportunities to biomedical sciences students, prioritizing holistic growth to enhance the student experience. Continuous programmatic evaluation related to curriculum, student well-being, and professional development is critical to ensure programs are meeting the evolving needs of students while incorporating innovative pedagogy to maximize training opportunities and the development of well-rounded research scientists. 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.

A Retrospective Analysis of Career Outcomes in Neuroscience.

What factors are associated with career outcomes among biomedical PhDs? Research to date has focused on drivers of interest in (and intention to pursue) various careers, especially during graduate school, but fewer studies have investigated participants' ultimate career outcomes. Even less is known about what factors matter for groups historically underrepresented in the US science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, such as women, some racial and ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities ( National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), 2021a). This study reports a new analysis of data from 781 PhD neuroscientists that were obtained from a retrospective survey ( Ullrich et al., 2021) to investigate the factors that influence the career sector in which neuroscience PhDs are employed and whether there were group differences according to social identity. We find evidence of academia as a "default path" for incoming PhD students, but interest in different careers increases over time. Those who remained in academia had greater acceptance of the structural aspects of academic careers, such as promotion and tenure processes, and greater faculty support during postdoctoral training. Conversely, prioritizing monetary compensation and/or varied work were associated with not being in academia, while a strong interest in research was positively associated with being in nonacademic research. Somewhat surprisingly, there were few interactions with gender, and no interactions with underrepresentation status, although perhaps this was due to lower statistical power for these analyses. Our findings also underscore the role of advisors, networking, and personal relationships in securing employment in STEM.

Establishing the SHort course In transFerable skills Training (SHIFT) Program

While Ph.D. programs prepare graduate students to perform biomedical research, a defined systematic training program for transferable skills is generally lacking. When provided, this training is often informal, unstructured, or inconsistent. Therefore, there is a need to provide critical skills in marketing, relationship building, project management, and budgeting to prepare trainees to navigate into a productive, engaging, and rewarding biomedical research career. To address this gap in training, the graduate school at Meharry Medical College has developed the SH ort Course I n trans F erable skills T raining (SHIFT) Program, a one-year professional development program accessible to graduate students in the Southeast United States. The SHIFT Program has been launched to equip trainees with skills essential for success in all biomedical science careers. PhD Students between years one and two in their graduate program will be taught the primary constituents of career management through the use of four training modules. In Module I, students will complete self-assessments and be assigned to a small peer-mentoring team of six students with two mentors. Module II will consist of a 5-day workshop that encompasses instruction on the transferable skills identified as essential for career success. Module III will entail monthly interactive discussions over a 6-month period involving case study review and mentor-guided discussions to further reinforce skills learned. In Module IV, students will compile the information learned from Modules I-III to develop an Individual Development Plan that incorporates 3-5 specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based (SMART) career goals. Collectively, the SHIFT Program will allow participants to train, practice, and refresh skills, empowering them to navigate career transitions and obtain success in the career of their choice. NIH GM151274 and VA I01BX000505. 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.

A case of confusion: context matters when using reference images on exams

Instructors utilize reference figures from textbooks, journals, and other sources on quizzes and exams to illustrate concepts that would otherwise be diffcult to convey using written text. Examples within biomedical teaching include anatomical images and graphs that students are expected to analyze or interpret. However, the use of a figure may cause confusion and lead students to select an incorrect answer. As such, instructors must evaluate the use of figures to ensure that they enhance students’ ability to correctly answer the question rather than hinder it. This report shows an example where the inclusion of a reference figure led to the majority of students incorrectly answering a question.Over 6 semesters in a master’s level graduate neuroscience course between 2019 and 2021, the same question was used with and without a reference figure in a variety of contexts to determine the factors that contributed to students overwhelmingly selecting an incorrect answer. In the question, students were asked to identify neuroarchitectural adaptations in the somatosensory cortex following amputation. To determine the correct answer, students needed to integrate knowledge of the discriminative touch sensory pathways with knowledge of cortical plasticity.In semesters where the figure was presented without specific teaching interventions, 57% of students selected an incorrect answer that utilized the proximity of cortical sites but was not supported by the signaling pathways. In these semesters, only 39% of students correctly answered. In semesters where the figure was not used, 94% of students correctly answered the question while only 6% of students selected the most common incorrect answer when the figure was present.Teaching interventions were introduced during two semesters in an attempt to “teach the question.” Students were asked to read primary literature on the topic, additional examples and cases were introduced, and in one semester, a similar practice question using was given to the students. Students were then presented with the question containing the image. 56% of students selected the most common incorrect answer while only 42% of students correctly answered the question.While no formal survey of the students was conducted, anecdotal evidence from student offce hours, directed inquiries, and casual conversations indicate that students generally felt that use of the figure, when present, was critical to answering the question and many reported that using the figure led them to prioritize their knowledge of cortical plastic adaptations over that of the signaling pathways.These results demonstrate the importance of carefully utilizing reference images on questions for quizzes and exams. The visual cues of the image can be powerful stimuli for students when analyzing the information and can sometimes lead to incorrect answers on the assessment. This work was supported by internal funding from the Georgetown University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Georgetown University Medical Center’s Center for Innovation and Leadership in Education (CENTILE). 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.

First person – Trinitee Oliver

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Trinitee Oliver is first author on ‘ The glucocorticoid receptor acts locally to protect dystrophic muscle and heart during disease’, published in DMM. Trinitee conducted the research described in this article while a student researcher in Dr Christopher Heier's lab at Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA. She is now a first-year PhD student at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, USA, investigating sex differences, immunogenetics and precision medicine.