In-class Projects Research Articles

In-Class Student Questions and Take-Home Projects for Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics

We present the results of having applied a set of options in thermodynamics courses for encouraging a strong student in-class participation and engagement. Strong emphasis is given to planned ahead in-class student Q&As encompassing both thermodynamics and statistical mechanics and supplemented with take-home extra syllabus reading. Additionally, we designed research-oriented individual and group projects with the goal of promoting critical thinking, problem solving, and both oral and written communication skills. These projects involve quantum chemistry calculations of gas phase thermodynamic properties, solid state equations of state, and optional topics self-selected by the students from a list of provided possibilities. The execution of the Q&As and projects is beneficial and challenging for both the students and the instructor. Our practice demonstrates significant improvement in student’s interest in learning and increased enthusiasm in teaching performance.

IMPROVING COLLEGE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD AGING POPULATIONS: USING CBT-BASED GERONTOLOGICAL PEDAGOGY

The U.S. is facing a shortage of aging-related professionals. Lack of positive attitudes among undergraduate students towards the older population may restrict them from participating as aging professionals. However, research majorly focused on the attitudes among students already in the medical training fields instead of improvement of the attitudes among undergraduate students who potentially will devote themselves to be aging professionals. We seek to enhance attitudes toward the aging population through gerontological coursework at the undergraduate level. The introductory course is based on Cognitive Behavioral theory (CBT) which emphasizes to unlearn false concepts. Therefore, the class exposes students to positive aging images in contemporary films and literature demonstrating concepts such as successful aging, retirement, gender issues, and aging as minorities, etc. Students review their perceptions of the aging population at the beginning and end of the semester, presenting five words that best describe the aging images. The variances of occurrence of negative to positive descriptions are analyzed as an evaluation of the class. The class also stimulates civic responsibilities of the students toward the aging population with concepts such as generational equities by conducting team-based discussions. The results report increased positive words and improved attitudes on in-class team projects and post-class evaluations. The implication of the course outcomes is that discussing and exposing the positive images, and justifying typical aging-related behaviors significantly improves students’ attitudes toward the aging population, and may encourage undergraduate students to select an aging profession. Qualitative evaluation of the course will be conducted in future semesters.

Supporting Project-Based Learning through Economical and Flexible Learning Spaces

Project-based learning often centers learning experiences around projects and is characterized by the application of knowledge, management of resources, and self-directed learning. In recent years, newer classroom designs have been developed to facilitate communication, classroom interaction and active learning but the cost of such spaces can be prohibitive. Here we present two economical options for flexible learning spaces that support the aims of project-based learning and cost much less than typical active learning classroom models. In a quasi-experimental study, one of our economical active learning environments was paired with a traditional classroom and a prototypical active learning classroom. These learning environments were used in a CS2 course that employed a group-based, active learning pedagogy centered on in-class projects. Students’ perceptions were gathered on the classrooms and their supporting technology. Between the economy and prototypical active learning environment, no significant differences were found in students’ perceptions of the space as it related to collaboration and supporting learning. Results from accompany focus groups indicates that the space was conducive to their learning and helped them engage with peers. These economical and flexible options support the aims of project-based learning at a reduced cost.

A Dedicated Theory Class for Graduate Students

A required literary-theory class for classics graduate students was introduced at the University of California, Berkeley in the late 1980s. So how do we get beginning graduate students “from zero to 60” in a one-semester theory proseminar? This paper considers the content, structure, pacing, and pedagogical strategies of one version of such a course, including sample syllabuses and different writing and in-class projects. In particular, I address how such a course can be effectively integrated with the students’ other classics coursework, and how students can be motivated to regard the theory proseminar as just the first step in their ongoing education in theory.

Staging a Reflective Capstone Course to Transition PharmD Graduates to Professional Life

To develop and implement a capstone course that would allow students to reflect on their development as a professional, assess and share their achievement of the college's outcomes, complete a professional portfolio, establish a continuing professional development plan, and prepare to enter the pharmacy profession. Students were required to complete a hybrid course built around 4 online and inclass projects during the final semester of the curriculum. Faculty used direct measures of learning, such as reading student portfolios and program outcome reflections, evaluating professional development plans, and directly observing each student in a video presentation. All projects were evaluated using standardized rubrics. Since 2012, all graduating students met the course's minimum performance requirements. The course provided an opportunity for student-based summative evaluation, direct observation of student skills, and documentation of outcome completion as a means of evaluating readiness to enter the profession.

Enhancing Intercultural Collaborative Learning in a Multinational Classroom: Case of Taiwan

With more international programs being offered by universities in Asia nowadays, students have the opportunity to study together with foreign classmates. However, in practice, there exists a level of mistrust and apprehension between local and foreign students, especially among those with different physical appearances and distant cultural backgrounds. This research aimed to identify and understand intercultural obstacles to in-class collaboration among local Taiwanese students and their foreigner classmates in a Taiwan international college. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire and participant observation from 52 students of different nationalities (Haitian, Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, American-Chinese, New Zealand-Chinese, Mongolian and Taiwanese). In order to minimize cultural bias, two researchers jointly conducted content analysis in combination with ethnographic observation. This study found that differences in physical appearance and communication styles strongly deterred intercultural communication among the students in the beginning. It was found that in-class group discussions and group projects helped to dispel negative stereotypes, by cultivating greater mutual respect and understanding among the students in a multinational classroom. In fact, several misunderstandings and cultural conflicts could have been resolved in the classroom. Findings suggest that teachers have a crucial role in developing students' intercultural competence by implementing collaborative learning methods.

Using projects in teaching introductory business statistics: The case of Tshwane University of Technology Business School

Statistics is an essential subject in Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes. It equips students with much needed ‘data analysis’ skills useful for successful completion of MBA research projects and, more importantly, in management decision-making. All the same, teaching or learning statistics is frustrating and stressful, to both instructors and students. Recent literature proposes using projects as an effective teaching method for teaching Business Statistics, This paper reports on the author’s experience of using project-based approaches in the teaching of introductory business statistics in the MBA programme at Tshwane University of Technology, a South African university. The purpose of the study was to determine the consequence of using projects in teaching Business Statistics. Specifically, to discover the extent to which projects facilitate the learning of data analysis skills among MBA students. In total, 23 MBA students were exposed to small in-class projects and more intensive group projects. Results suggest that using projects enhances students’ retention of statistical theory and its application in real-life management problems. Key words: Active learning, business schools, business statistics, statistics, MBA, teaching techniques.

The Impact of In-Class Service-Learning Projects

Service-learning has been shown to have many benefits, but it is often difficult to coordinate such projects due to increased outside demands on students’ time. One option is to make arrangements for students to fulfill their service obligations during regularly scheduled class time. This article examines whether the decrease in face time mitigates the positive impact of service-learning projects by comparing two sections of a political science class focusing on education policy; one of which had a service-learning requirement while the other did not. The results suggest the negative impact that reduced face time might have on student outcomes and course evaluations was offset by the positive impact of the service-learning project.

An Investigation of Traditionality as a Moderator of Reward Allocation

The authors hypothesized that group members' perceptions of group cohesion would affect their tendency to allocate equally to other members in their group and to make egocentric self-allocations. They also posited that individuals' adherence to Chinese traditional values (or traditionality) would moderate these relationships. Two hundred sixty Hong Kong undergraduate students were assigned to groups of five to eight members to complete two in-class projects. The students evaluated peer contributions to the projects and allocated contribution points to themselves and other members in the group. The contribution points formed part of the final grade assigned to the students. The authors found that traditionality moderates the relationship between perceptions of cohesion and deviations from equality when making allocations to their peers. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the study of reward allocations in groups and for the concept of traditionality in Chinese contexts.

CARRY GROUPS: ABSTRACT ALGEBRA PROJECTS

ABSTRACT Carry Groups are a wonderful collection of groups to introduce in an undergraduate Algebra course. These groups are straightforward to define but have interesting structures for students to discover. We describe these groups and give examples of in-class group projects that were developed and used by Miller.

A Field-Based Teacher Education Internship for Middle Level Teacher Candidates

In the fall of 1998, the middle level program at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) embarked on a unique integrated teacher education pilot program. The primary intent of EIU’s pilot program was to offer a motivational, meaningful, unique, and experience-based internship. A secondary focus was to present to other higher education institutions the structure of this pilot program and its impact on teacher education candidates. First, students were involved in six weeks of intensive on-campus course work. The constructivist focus of the course work offered students the opportunity to develop numerous in-class presentations, projects, and group activities. Interdisciplinary teaching, advisory program development, teaming activities, and content area reading strategies enriched students broadening the participants; and the program gave teacher candidates a clear perception of what it means to be an effective middle school teacher. Other important components of the class included promoting use of adolescent literature in the content areas and developing effective strategies to use in implementing technology in the classroom. Subsequent to the course work, an eight-week internship experience was offered during which teacher candidates co-taught daily with middle level educators in two exemplary middle schools. The university coordinator met to dialogue and evaluate the teacher candidates in their daily teaching experience. The students were given an opportunity to reflect about each day and also commented on the long-term results of the internship. Teacher candidates’ input indicated they felt better prepared to teach; shared an extraordinary collegiality as they taught; experienced enhanced general self-confidence; strengthened their understanding of classroom management, discipline, and content area knowledge; and developed a high sense of preparedness. The mentor teachers concurred that this eight-week experience was far more productive than the four-week practicum Eastern Illinois University had previously offered.

Bringing Social Class Home: The Social Class Genealogy and Poverty Lunch Projects

Although sociologists frequently utilize the concept of social class, discussions about the issue can lead to perfunctory references to the role of education, occupational prestige, and income as the variables used to measure social class. This paper provides an overview of social class, poverty, and welfare issues, as well as two in-class projects designed to inject realism and creativity into the study of these subjects. The first project involves a genealogical exploration into students' own social class backgrounds, as well as their childhood perceptions of social class and racial hierarchies. The second project is a Poverty Lunch, and involves a class-selected meal that uses the line to budget for food costs (i.e., currently about 96 cents per person per meal). These projects accomplish several different goals: first, they broaden students' understanding of their own families' social class histories, which highlights the relevance of the sociological imagination, that is, understanding the intersections of biography and the particular historical moments we are born into; second, they help students understand the politics, history, realities, and challenges of the poverty line; and third, the projects build a sense of community and collaborative learning in the classroom.

THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM AND RELATED TOPICS A RESOURCE FOR GEOMETRY TEACHERS

ABSTRACT This article presents a medley of proofs and topics related to the Pythagorean Theorem. It is a resource for teachers and students in high school and undergraduate liberal arts education as well as a jumping off point for in-class research projects in geometry and the history of mathematics.

An active approach to calculus

AbstractWe describe an approach to teaching calculus that emphasizes problem solving through its stress on in‐class activities and context‐rich projects.

A COMPARISON OF EXPERIENTIAL INSTURCTIONAL STRATEGIES UPON THE SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS OF URBAN ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

Efforts to improve teaching and learning in science education are concurrent with endeavors in agricultural education to increase agricultural literacy. Science educators advancing an experiential approach to teaching might be interested in using agriculturally-oriented strategies, especially if such strategies positively impact science process skill development. Science process skills include the ability to observe, communicate, compare, order, relate, and infer. The intent of this study was to explore the impact that two types of agriculturally-oriented experiential instructional strategies had upon science process skill development. The data collection approach was qualitative in nature and included direct researcher observation of written and verbal student responses to a series of activities. Three classrooms were observed during a 10 week period in which one classroom was taught science using short, in-class projects, another was taught using an ongoing gardening project, and the other class taught using a traditional, teacher-oriented expository strategy. Science process skills were observed both prior to the study and after the study. Findings from the study supports that participation in agriculturally-oriented experiential activities positively impacts the development of science process skills.

Managing In-Class Projects: Setting them Up to Succeed

This article describes a structured method for management professors to help students succeed with in-class projects and presentations. The method described provides a highly structured process in which instructors coach students toward success. The article describes two learning modules that emphasize skills needed for project management and for making an effective oral presentation. It concludes with student reactions, a possible theoretical explanation for the success of the methods used, and practical implications for business.

Interactive Education in an Introductory Environmental-Geology Course

Interactive teaching techniques as used in an undergraduate, non-major environmental-geology course encourage students to adopt an active role in their education. In general, students become interested, active, and perceptive when the subject matter is perceived as pertinent to them, can be applied to familiar situations, and presents them with opportunities to participate. While lectures may convey basic terminology and concepts, thought and interactive discussion are more readily stimulated by inviting students to relate personal experiences pertinent to a topic under study, discussing controversial subjects or current events in an open-class forum, using in-class group projects designed to use their knowledge in solving specific problems, and requiring small-group term projects tailored to an analysis of local problems. Discussion issues and class projects are designed to help students see the relevance of geology to their lives and apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate course information. In the in...

Care of Living Organisms Makes In-Class Projects

Research Article| October 01 1971 Care of Living Organisms Makes In-Class Projects H. Dean Jernigan H. Dean Jernigan Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (1971) 33 (7): 412–423. https://doi.org/10.2307/4443607 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation H. Dean Jernigan; Care of Living Organisms Makes In-Class Projects. The American Biology Teacher 1 October 1971; 33 (7): 412–423. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/4443607 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search This content is only available via PDF. Copyright 1971 National Association of Biology Teachers Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Educational demonstration

A year has now passed since the initiation of this section, Computers in educa tion. During this time we have published articles on analog and digital simu lation in undergrad programs, on a prototype hybrid computer for undergrad use, on conducting tank and conducting sheet analogs, and on a student's research project. With the beginning of the second year of CIE, we are inaugurating a sub section of CIE entitled Educational demonstrations and experiments. The object of this section will be to present in detail upper level experiments suitable for in-class demonstrations and in-lab projects. We hope to complement the excel lent job John Evans of ACEUG is doing in publication of the ACEUG applications. A second object of our second year is to solicit and publish material from both graduate and undergraduate students. In this way, we hope to get fresh viewpoints and ideas. To continue the success of CIE, we require the interest and enthusiasm of all those concerned with the educational aspects of computers. I thus ask my colleagues to submit interesting and meaningful experiments and extend the opportunity to students who wish to express their ideas and discuss their work.