Science Graduates Research Articles

Curriculum approaches to strengthening student employability and improving graduate outcomes in the STM disciplines

ABSTRACT In Australia and elsewhere, curriculum improvements are needed to improve the development of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) graduates for future work and careers. Several studies document significant STM student attrition, poor graduate preparedness for work, relatively weak employment rates post-graduation, and mismatched expectations of graduate capabilities by employers. The inclusion of work-integrated learning (WIL) activities within curricula can better prepare students for relevant employment by bridging discipline-specific teaching with work practices. Traditionally, access to WIL has been limited for STM Bachelor students and a better understanding of WIL’s benefits and impact is needed to refine and extend STM WIL curricula for different disciplines and cohorts. Through the lens of personal capital resources, this article reports on the perspectives of 34,000 recent Bachelor graduates of Australian STM degrees on their participation in WIL and its impact on their perceived employability and transition to work. Findings indicated differences in engagement in WIL across STM disciplines and underrepresented student groups, yet consistent benefits of WIL on preparedness for work and graduate employment. The study provides valuable insights on gaps in WIL provision and potential ways to improve WIL offerings that support the development of future-capable STM graduates with positive labour market experiences.

A Framework for the Communication Capabilities of scientists

ABSTRACT The ability to communicate science effectively is a key attribute for science graduates, and considerable work has been done to establish the techniques and skills associated with effective communication. What is less clear however, is the learning progression students traverse as they develop proficiency in science communication. In this study we evaluated aspects of university-level student science communication capabilities pre- and post- explicit teaching of core science communication capabilities. We used this data to identify the characteristics of early science communication learners and synthesise a robust learning progression Framework for Communication Capabilities (FCC). The FCC was created to support educators in identifying the characteristics of their learners to facilitate the constructive alignment of learning objectives, curriculum, and assessment rubrics for learners of science communication through early phases of their development.

Science communication across cultures: design and delivery of a graduate science communication program in South Africa

ABSTRACT Over two years, a graduate diploma program in science communication was designed and delivered by a university in the Republic of South Africa with assistance from a university in Australia. Building on the Australian program, the design incorporated cross-cultural and Indigenous Knowledge elements in keeping with the ethos of the South African university and broader inclusive movements within science communication. The overall design corresponded to many essential learning objectives later identified by Lewenstein and Baram-Tsabari (2022, How should we organize science communication trainings to achieve competencies? International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 12(4), 289–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2022.2136985), but there were also many modifications that had to be made over the course of the design and delivery to accommodate cultural considerations. In this paper, we consider how closely the design matched the threshold concepts and the learning objectives suggested by Lewenstein and Baram-Tsabari, and what modifications might be made to them to include cultural considerations.

A cut above the rest? The value of post-mortem examinations in undergraduate forensic science education

Very few people have the opportunity to witness a post-mortem first-hand in a mortuary environment. These spaces are typically reserved for those in the medical profession, including doctors in training. However, students enrolled on other programmes may go on to future careers that involve interacting with deceased individuals. Forensic Science graduates, for example, may enter professional roles that require the recovery, sampling, analysis and/or identification of the dead. In only a small number of cases will forensic students have had the opportunity to attend a post-mortem in person. In this article, we explore the value of incorporating post-mortem visits on undergraduate forensic science degrees from an academic (KS) and a student (FS) perspective. As part of this research, we obtained supplementary feedback from students who had also attended a post-mortem as part of their undergraduate degree at the University of Staffordshire. This research shows that while there can be logistical challenges when arranging post-mortem visits, students find the experience to be incredibly valuable, allowing them to improve their own personal and professional practice, and learn about up-to-date methods and processes used by practitioners. It could be argued that these visits are invaluable as they facilitate observational learning, especially the practical application of theoretical knowledge and understanding of post-mortems and the identification process, which in turn improves the employability of students.

A-206 Exploring the Surge in Clinical Laboratory Inflation: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract Background The healthcare industry has been experiencing significant inflationary trends, particularly in clinical laboratory services. This surge in inflation is attributed to various factors, including the increased demand for laboratory services, changes in the practice of clinical laboratory science due to technological advances, and vacancy rates that exceed the number of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) graduates. Additionally, supply chain shortages, increased operational costs, and staffing budget increases, further exacerbating the inflationary pressures on clinical laboratory services. Methods The review of the factors behind the surge in clinical laboratory inflation involved a comprehensive review of industry data and insights from supply chain leaders, and recent surveys conducted by the author sent to 50 laboratory leaders with a response rate of 50%, Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and industry interviews were integrated to provide an understanding of the inflationary trends affecting the healthcare industry, with a specific focus on clinical laboratory services. Results The review revealed that domestically produced healthcare inputs, labor, diagnostics, and lab equipment have seen dramatic price increases. For instance, prices manufacturers charge for diagnostic reagents for testing have increased by 9.2%, while lab equipment prices have risen by 7.1%. Some product lines have experienced increases of 15-20%. Moreover, the post pandemic has led to attrition rates climbing from 10%-37% to the current rate of 35%-61%, resulting in 30%-50% staffing budget increases. 36% of lab leaders feel Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO’s) are incentivized to allow increases, it’s estimated that as much as 80% of GPO revenue is generated by fees paid by vendors. 28% feel the vendors are passing along but not sharing in the inflationary pressures as reimbursements decline. 20% feel it’s an excuse for vendors to pad margins. 16% feel that it’s due to lack resources or lab specific procurement expertise in supply chain departments. Conclusions These factors have contributed to the significant surge in clinical laboratory inflation. The surge in is a complex phenomenon influenced by multiple interconnected factors. Addressing this inflationary trend will require a collaborative approach that considers the impact of supply chain shortages, increased operational costs, and staffing. Proactive measures to mitigate the adverse effects of inflation on clinical laboratory services, such as ensuring reliable data in negotiations, addressing the workforce shortage and strong negotiations with vendors will be essential to sustain the cost, quality, and accessibility of these critical healthcare services.

Cybersecurity activities for education and curriculum design: A survey

Cyber threats are one of the main concerns in this growing technology epoch. To tackle this issue, highly skilled and motivated cybersecurity professionals are increasingly in demand to prevent, detect, respond to, or even mitigate the effects of such threats. However, the world faces a workforce shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals and practitioners. To address this dilemma, several cybersecurity educational programs have been introduced, such as specialized cybersecurity courses in computer science graduate programs. With the increasing demand, different cybersecurity courses are introduced at the high school level, undergraduate computer science and information systems programs, and even at the government level. Due to the peculiar nature of cybersecurity, educational institutions face many issues when designing a curriculum or cybersecurity activities. In this paper, we study existing cybersecurity curriculum approaches and activities. We also present case studies on cybersecurity education around the globe.

Infopreneurship and Technopreneurship Readiness for Job Creation Among Nigerian Library and Information Science Graduates

Infopreneurship and Technopreneurship Readiness for Job Creation Among Nigerian Library and Information Science Graduates

Pedagogical Deficiencies in Political Science Doctoral Programs: Current Practices or Lack Thereof

Over a decade ago Ishiyama, Miles, and Balarezo (2010) published their work on the pedagogical training opportunities for political science doctoral students in the United States. The authors surveyed PhD-granting political science departments and found that pedagogical training for doctoral students was scant. Despite its age, the work remains influential and cited by scholars concerned with the state of teaching-training in the discipline. In this paper I uncover that little progress has been made in training opportunities for political science graduate students. Interviews with faculty in 66 PhD-granting departments reveal that less than a fifth of departments require students to complete credit-bearing courses and a plurality require no pedagogical training. Several departments have outsourced pedagogical training and do not maintain data on student completion. As such, many graduate students remain inadequately prepared for careers in higher education. I conclude by echoing colleagues who call for increased attention on pedagogical training, and for a benefit structure rewarding high quality teaching.

Students' approaches to developing scientific communication skills.

Science communication is a core skill for undergraduate science students to acquire in preparation for their future careers, but studies show that this skill is underdeveloped in science graduates. The aim of this study was to discover the resources and approaches undergraduate students use to effectively develop their science communication skills and how the use of these methods relates to academic performance on a communication task. Undergraduate students undertaking a second-year biomedical science course (n = 490) were asked which approaches and resources they used to aid the development of their science communication skills, and the frequency of their responses was correlated against their laboratory report mark, using multiple regression and relative weights analysis. Students' (n = 453) use of Communication Learning in Practice for Scientists (CLIPS; an open-access interactive website on science communication), resources provided by the university, interactions with university teaching staff, and engagement with the scientific literature significantly predicted the laboratory report mark. Students enrolled in a blended format or in remote online learning only, and in different programs, performed comparably in the written report and used similar approaches and resources, other than remote students reporting more use of other online resources and students in blended learning engaging more with university resources. Together, these findings provide insight into which strategies are most helpful for undergraduate students to engage with to improve their scientific communication skills. The findings highlight that the provision of well-designed interactive communication resources, guided assessment resources, and opportunities to engage with teaching staff can assist in the development of science communication skills.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study identifies the approaches and resources that undergraduate science students use to develop their science communication skills. It reveals which of these approaches and resources predict improved academic performance in a written science communication assessment task. The findings point to the importance of explicit guidance, and engagement with teaching staff, in advancing the development of science communication skills.

Fostering Students as Partners: A Faculty-wide Examination of Science Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Perspectives of Pedagogical Partnerships

There has been a growing discourse within higher education to engage with students as partners and harness the strength of students and faculty working together. Engaging in student-faculty partnerships activities offers benefits to both students and faculty, yet there is less research on these practices within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The purpose of this study was to conduct a Faculty-wide investigation to identify the benefits and challenges of engaging in student-faculty partnerships activities within a Faculty of Science at a mid-sized university in Ontario, Canada. Using a mixed-method approach of surveys and semi-structured interviews with undergraduate and graduate students, we examined the types of student partnership activities existing within a Faculty of Science as well as gathered insights into students’ perspectives of the benefits and challenges they experience engaging in these activities. Collaborating with faculty on research projects, teaching assistantships, being a student leader in an organization with faculty guidance, and co-authoring manuscripts with faculty members were considered the most impactful partnerships activities. Students reported social, personal, and career development benefits from their involvement in student-faculty partnership activities. Common barriers included difficulties finding opportunities to engage in partnership activities, social barriers (e.g., financial stability), power imbalances, difficult working environments, and personal challenges. Implications for supporting student engagement and collaboration through advantageous student-faculty partnerships are discussed.

Understanding how socio-historical contexts inform approaches to improving racial climate in stem graduate education within the United States

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine how two socio-historical contexts within the United States, the Movement for Black Lives and the COVID-19 pandemic, informed approaches to improving racial climate in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) graduate education. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a general qualitative inquiry research study design to conduct focus groups (n = 121) with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty members from across STEM disciplines as well as administrators whose work involves STEM graduate students. Participants were from two US institutions involved in a National Science Foundation networked improvement community seeking to create inclusive environments for STEM graduate students. Findings This study demonstrates how these socio-historical contexts illuminated and amplified on-going efforts to address racial climate for graduate students in US-based graduate education. In response to these events, STEM faculty devoted time that otherwise might have gone to purely technical or scientific endeavors to addressing racial climate. However, some faculty members remain hesitant to address racial climate and efforts appear to have further waned over time. While diversity, inclusion and equity efforts came to the forefront of the collective consciousness during this time, participants worry that these efforts are not sustainable, particularly without support from faculty and administrators. Practical implications The findings from this study will inform efforts to improve racial climate in STEM graduate programs. Originality/value This study fills an identified need to capture how socio-historical contexts, like the US Movement for Black Lives and the COVID-19 pandemic, have influenced approaches to improving racial climate in STEM graduate programs.

Assessment Strategies, Instructional Resources, Science Course Teaching Methods and Acquisition of Employability Skills by Potential Science Graduates: The Lecturers’ Perspective

The study examines the interconnectedness of assessment strategies, instructional resources, and science course teaching methods relating to employability skills acquisition by potential science graduates from the lecturers’ perspective. The study utilised a research survey design. A sample of 371 was drawn from the population of science lecturers in universities in South-west using a multi-stage sampling technique. This involved purposive, stratified, and quota sampling techniques. A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data analysed using descriptive statistics (multiple bar charts) and inferential statistics of correlation and regression analyses. The key findings of the study showed that instructional resources [instructional material, physical facilities, and human resources], science course teaching methods, and assessment strategies had joint significant predictions on employability skills acquisition. This implies that these variables must be adequately provided for improved acquisition of employability skills by students. Also, lecturers’ understanding of students’ key employability skills revealed low ratings of information technology, initiative, leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability skills of students. The study recommends that higher education administrators should strive to provide instructional materials, physical facilities and human resources as instructional resources to implement excellent teaching techniques and assessment strategies. The study concludes that lecturers should consciously seek self-upgrade and improve teaching techniques and assessment strategies.

Sun-Care Opinions and Practices Among Health Science Graduate Students

Sun-Care Opinions and Practices Among Health Science Graduate Students

Understanding Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces in Gel Polymer Electrolytes Using in-Operando Raman Spectroscopy

Gel polymer electrolytes hold enormous potential for advancing battery performance and technology, promising high energy densities and safe, rechargeable quasi solid-state batteries. GPEs offer higher ionic conductivities than solid electrolytes and enhanced safety in comparison to liquid electrolytes. A particular advantage of these electrolytes has been their ability to create robust electrode electrolyte interfaces that guide uniform deposition and stripping of lithium via their mechanical strength from the polymer and interface species that form during initial cycling.Herein we report that 1:1 dimethoxyethane (DME) and dioxolane (DOL) with lithium bistrifluoromethanosulfonyl imide (LiTFSI) and lithium nitrate entrapped in Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) gel polymer electrolytes have shown stability for up to 500 hours in lithium metal symmetric cells at 1 mAh/cm2 and performs at 5mAh/cm2 in dynamic symmetric cell cycling. To understand the fundamental interfacial phenomenon governing lithium deposition and growth in this system in-operando Raman was conducted on an anodeless Cu|PVDF-HFP|Li cell. Copper was sputtered onto the polymer electrolyte before assembly with a thickness of 20nm, providing an optically transparent electrode through which the Raman laser could pass through to detect interfacial species. We observe that PVDF-HFP acted as a chemically stable polymer electrolyte while Raman shifts associated with TFSI anions disappear near the electrode surface. The spectral and electrochemical data allow us to build a model for the growth and evolution of interfaces in an anodeless lithium metal battery cell with a GPE.Acknowledgement: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. The SCGSR program is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the DOE under contract number DE‐SC0014664. Figure 1

Analysis of the General Skills of Graduates in Environmental Sciences: The View of Students, Teachers and Employers

General competencies are crucial for the personal and professional growth of university graduates. This paper provides a critical analysis of the significance and level of competence development within the environmental sciences degree (ESD) context. The research involved surveys conducted among final-year students, faculty members, and industry employers. The survey results reveal that employers perceive the level of competence achieved to be higher than what teachers and students reported. However, all three groups acknowledge a high level of competence development for most skills. Nonetheless, certain competences such as critical thinking (CT), problem-solving, organisation, and planning need to be strengthened to better align with their perceived importance. Students tend to undervalue essential competences such as digital literacy and environmental awareness, contrary to international organisations’ recommendations. The study findings also underscore the necessity of enhancing “entrepreneurial skills” and emphasising the significance of the digital realm for students pursuing an environmental sciences degree.

Identifying and Analyzing Factors and Obstacles Affecting Sustainable Employment Iranian Sports Science Graduates

Identifying and Analyzing Factors and Obstacles Affecting Sustainable Employment Iranian Sports Science Graduates

DISAIN KURIKULUM INTER-DISIPLINER BERBASIS KKNI: PROGRAM STUDI ILMU KOMPUTER DENGAN FOKUS SOFT COMPUTING DAN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM

The development of technology demands Computer Science graduates to have interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. Traditional curricula are less adaptive in addressing the dynamic industry needs and focus on developing soft skills. This article discusses the design of an interdisciplinary curriculum based on KKNI for Computer Science programs with a focus on soft computing and intelligent systems. This curriculum design integrates knowledge and skills from various disciplines, with an emphasis on the development of soft skills. The curriculum structure is divided into two tracks: the Mandatory Track focusing on the fundamental foundations of Computer Science and soft skills, and the Elective Track focusing on deepening interests and talents in the field of soft computing and intelligent systems, such as Artificial Neural Networks, Microcontrollers, Data Mining, Embedded Systems, Fuzzy Logic, and Computer Vision. This research adopts a Research and Development (R&D) approach with the ADDIE model. Data are collected through surveys, interviews, and document analysis. It is expected that this curriculum design will produce Computer Science graduates with comprehensive, adaptive knowledge and skills, ready for the digital era workforce, particularly in the field of soft computing and intelligent systems.

Examining the Unexpected: The Occurrence and Impact of Chance Events on Life Science Graduate Students’ Career Intentions

Examining the Unexpected: The Occurrence and Impact of Chance Events on Life Science Graduate Students’ Career Intentions

Evaluating and Incorporating Generative AI in Nursing Informatics and Data Science Graduate Courses.

The disruptive effect and lasting implications of generative artificial intelligence ("Gen AI") tools for higher education are yet unknown. ChatGPT 3.5 was released in November 2022 and soon had over 100 million users. This public software release triggered a global Gen AI race among technology industry giants. Educators in higher education were unprepared for this seismic shift. For the Fall 2023 term, we revised two graduate courses in nursing informatics and data science using generative AI to anticipate broad student awareness of these tools. The aim of this report is to present two different examples of course component evaluation using publicly available Gen AI tools to inform course component revisions. This effort was undertaken to "proof" assignments against inappropriate use of Gen AI, revise assignments to incorporate use of Gen AI tools, and inform course policies about appropriate use of Gen AI for course work.

A Study on Causes of Gender Gap in Construction Management: High School Students’ Knowledge and Perceptions across Genders

This paper addresses three research questions: (1) According to the pertinent literature, what are the main causes of the current gender gap in the construction industry, particularly for management and leadership roles? (2) Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students regarding their level of knowledge of the construction industry? (3) Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students in their perception of the construction industry and factors impacting their career choice? These research questions are addressed by a review of the literature followed by a discussion of precamp survey results from two consecutive years of a two-week high school summer camp, which is focused on construction science and management. The literature review reveals that the issues are deep-routed and complex but can in general be categorized into two groups: the recruitment and retention of women in construction management and related careers. While the literature review summary in this paper addresses both categories, the focus of the paper remains recruitment, particularly through a study of high school students’ level of knowledge and perceptions of construction management. The pre-camp surveys assessed the participants’ baseline knowledge and perceptions of construction management as a career. The results showed that the knowledge of construction management as a career is very low, with no statistically significant difference between genders. It must be noted here that the participants are biased positively toward the construction management and related careers, as they chose to attend the camp for a variety of reasons, from wanting an experience on the campus of this university to parents’ encouragement. Despite this baseline interest, however, the data show that the participants lacked clarity on what this career really entails. It is suggested, therefore that the general knowledge of this career path across larger and more randomized samples across U.S. will be even lower. The perceptions of the construction industry differed slightly between genders, with females perceiving it as more physically challenging and prioritizing family friendliness when considering career options. In conclusion, both the literature review and the survey data analysis show that the lack of knowledge of this career path, exacerbated by the negative perceptions of the construction industry, contribute to the problem of women not choosing to study construction management. The construction industry continues to make significant improvements in their diversity and inclusion efforts, and there are a variety of paths within the industry for graduates of construction science and management degrees. As such, significant work remains for both the industry and academia to overcome the lack of knowledge and negative perceptions of the industry through increased outreach to better inform high school students, parents, and counselors.