Introductory Course Research Articles

Blooming social impact: Growing Appalachian Botanical Company’s resource partnerships in a rural ecosystem

Research methodology This case is based on primary and secondary data collection. ABCo’s Founder, Jocelyn Sheppard, sat down with the author for a 75-min recorded interview in July 2022, and she provided follow-up information via email. Interview data was supplemented with secondary data from publicly available sources to fill in portions on the founder, the company’s history and its location; and triangulate the collected interview data (Creswell and Poth, 2018). There are no conflicts of interest that the author needs to disclose related to the founder or company. The case was piloted at one institution in the Fall 2022, Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 semesters, with 59 undergraduates in an in-person social entrepreneurship course and 165 undergraduates and 33 graduate students in an online asynchronous social entrepreneurship course. All students worked through the case in groups, and as a requirement of their corresponding assignment submission, they provided feedback that was de-identified. In total, 60 groups reported their feedback, which was considered during the subsequent drafts of the case and instructors’ manual IM. According to the anonymized feedback, the protagonist, product line, desired social impact and experienced challenges of ABCo were all said to be interesting, approachable and relatable for students, and the case piqued the interest of students coming from different majors (e.g. business, environmental issues, human services and criminal justice). Students from rural areas, or those who have family in rural areas, felt the case was particularly interesting; a handful of the students in the asynchronous online class who were unfamiliar with such settings suggested providing students with some additional contextualization of rural environments, either through class discussion with other students who had experience in those environments or additional media or text-based supports. Further adjustments also included removing a reading and a corresponding question and revising elements within the Teaching Approaches section of the IM to support the additions they suggested within the feedback (i.e. spending time to define and walk through the provided model and highlight the differences of rural entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship in the rural as a class before engaging in the related write-ups for that question). Case overview/synopsis Jocelyn Sheppard, Founder of Appalachian Botanical Company (“ABCo”), had built her company not just on a vision of revitalizing reclaimed coal mine land through planting and producing products with lavender, but also to have a social impact on the rural town of Ashford and its greater region of Boone County in West Virginia, USA. While she understood that hiring workers in need of a second chance would present its challenges, she was shocked by the depth of social need her new employees presented, which contributed to many employees’ disruptive behaviors and turnover. To approach the problem at hand, Sheppard needed to reflect on the resources around her, namely, other entities and organizations who might be able to support her efforts to improve how ABCo delivers on its social mission and, thus, helps to improve the local community and its economy. The case draws upon literature and models within rural entrepreneurship and community development to have students advise Sheppard on what she should do next to improve the social outcomes for ABCo and its employees. Complexity academic level This case is geared for both upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship, including in social, environmental and rural entrepreneurship courses and course modules. The case introduces students to a social enterprise struggling to get its footing in a rural context. The case would be suitable for both introductory and advanced courses, especially when placemaking/place-based entrepreneurship or ecosystem building are discussed.

Some Reflections On The History And Current Status of Education in the Field of Death, Dying, and Bereavement at the College and University Level In North America.

This article is a contribution to recording one dimension of the field of death, dying, and bereavement. It offers some personal reflections on the history and current status of formal education in this field at the college and university level in North America. The scope of this reflection looks back on the earliest known examples of formal education in this field that took place in the 1960s and 1970s, provides examples of some of the early pedagogical resources that were created to support and foster those initiatives, and sketches more recent developments as regards introductory or undergraduate survey courses in this field, other death-related courses, programs in thanatology, and efforts to offer certificates or certification for educators and other professionals in this field. The article concludes with some thoughts about what we have learned from and about education in the field of death, dying, and bereavement.

Enhancing students’ L2 writing skills online: a case study of an introductory English literature course for ESL students

Abstract This research paper is based on a case study of an introductory English literature course that is being offered at a community college in Hong Kong, China. The 2020–2021 cohort was unique as it had the entire course online using Zoom without any face-to-face or hybrid teaching, which was considered the “new normal” of higher education under the pandemic. This study employs narrative inquiry (Barkhuizen, G. (2014). Revisiting narrative frames: An instrument for investigating language teaching and learning. System, 47, 12–27; Clandinin, D. J. (2016). Engaging in narrative inquiry. Routledge), semi-structured interviews, and analysis of student essays to demonstrate that online essay consultations and collaborative writing are useful for enhancing the essay writing skills of second language learners. The paper specifically reports and highlights how individual Zoom essay consultations, together with collaborative writing on Padlet, scaffold and enhance students’ essay writing and critical thinking skills. Essentially, the paper argues that online technologies expand the dimension of literature education and empower it as a form of content-based ESL instruction for long-term use.

The Role of Immersive Virtual Realities: Enhancing Science Learning in Higher Education

Objective: This systematic review aims to map out the role of immersive technologies, specifically virtual and augmented realities (VR and AR), in enhancing learning outcomes within higher education science programs, providing a clearer understanding of their pedagogical value. Methods: Leveraging extensive database searches in Scopus and Web of Science, an initial phase of 172 articles was identified. Through a meticulous process of screening based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, this was refined to 33 important articles. These articles were further analyzed to identify distinct structural elements regarding VR and AR interventions and their effects on educational outcomes. Analysis: Each study was evaluated for its contribution to pedagogical methods, with a focus on quantifiable changes in student performance and engagement. Results: The analysis revealed that immersive technologies are being applied across various stages of the academic crossing, from introductory courses to advanced laboratory work. Particularly, 18 articles demonstrated a significant positive or increased impact on learning outcomes. Conclusions: The review confirms that VR and AR possess a transformative potential for higher education, particularly in the sciences. These technologies not only captivate students' interest but also facilitate deeper understanding and retention of complex material. The evidence suggests that VR and AR can substantially enhance the educational experience when implemented thoughtfully. Future research should aim to expand upon these findings, exploring the longitudinal impact of immersive technologies on learning and their potential to democratize education. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-SIED1-06 Full Text: PDF

Exploring the Use of Music to Facilitate Counseling Student Development

ABSTRACT Novice counseling students can have difficulty connecting with foundational course content and developing their new professional counselor identity. In this phenomenological study, researchers explored the use of music as a creative teaching tool to facilitate learning and counselor development among clinical mental health counseling students enrolled in an introductory counseling course. Students reported the use of music deepened their affect, expanded their perspectives about course content, energized them to take responsibility and act, enhanced awareness of creative engagement for teaching and counseling, and facilitated classroom discussions.

Examining How Supplemental Instruction Impacts Students’ Motivation in Organic Chemistry

This study investigates the effect of Supplemental Instruction (SI) on students’ motivation and learning outcomes in an introductory Organic Chemistry course for non-majors. SI, conducted by experienced facilitators, offers a range of academic support for students that may include reviewing challenging concepts, working through practice problems, and answering student questions. To assess the impact of SI in this Organic Chemistry course, we measured several parameters: student engagement during SI sessions, exam scores and final course grades, as well as self-reported motivation levels at both the beginning and end of the semester. We performed a linear regression analysis and observed a positive correlation between SI participation and improved performance on certain exams for SI participants. Further analysis showed that student motivation alone could be driving these improvements. These results suggest that while SI may be beneficial for some students, greater emphasis should be placed on ensuring that students are motivated to learn difficult concepts.

Changes in Undergraduate Students’ Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy in an Introductory Statistics Course

The exploration of psychological variables that potentially impact college student performance in challenging academic courses can be useful for understanding success in introductory statistics. Although previous research has examined specific beliefs that students hold about their abilities and future outcomes, the current study is novel in its examination of changes in both self-efficacy (SE) and outcome expectancy (OE) in relation to performance over the course of an undergraduate introductory psychology statistics course. These psychological variables—relating to one’s belief about one’s ability to accomplish a task and the anticipated outcomes—may impact student motivation and performance. Students’ SE, OE, and other variables related to statistics performance were measured through a survey administered at the beginning and end of the course. Multivariate logistic regression and McNemar tests were conducted to examine factors that affected changes in SE and OE as the semester progressed. Students with lower scores on the final exam demonstrated a decrease in both high SE and positive OE. However, higher scores on exams earlier in the course were associated with increased odds for high SE but not for positive OE, suggesting that SE is less resilient to course performance. Based on these findings, the authors recommend that statistics instructors identify students at risk for decreasing SE. Instructors can help foster high SE in students struggling academically by connecting the course content to their everyday lives and suggesting strategies to enhance their confidence in their content knowledge and increase their comfort in navigating such a challenging course.

P035 BSR Digital resources- Spotlights and Podcasts The Story So Far

Abstract Background/Aims The British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) has an eLearning site for members. Due to increasing demand for online learning triggered in part by the COVID pandemic, a decision was made to create a BSR digital learning board and produce a broader range of content. Methods The Digital Learning Board (DLB) was formed in February 2021 consisting of trainees, nurses, Consultant Rheumatologists and Allied Healthcare Professionals from all around the 4 nations. After consultation and discussion, a decision was made to produce two main new formats of resources in addition to the online webinar series that was already established. This included Spotlights where a variety of blended learning resources including webinars, podcasts, eLearning cases and links to relevant journal articles are collated on a topic. The Talking Rheumatology Spotlight podcast series was also developed and shared on streaming platforms such as Spotify, iTunes and the eLearning website. This includes overview podcasts on topics as well as bonus case based episodes. Resources for the wider community (not limited to members) include the podcasts and ‘How to’ resources created for doctors and nurses starting work in the specialty for the first time. Numbers of podcast downloads, views on the eLearning website and quantitative and qualitative feedback is collected via eLearning website. Results The DLB have produced 30 spotlights with the most popular topics being axial spondyloarthropathy, psoriatic arthritis and Sjogren’s. The average rating for this series is 4.5/5. Examples of feedback; “all areas of great interest and very educational”“I really enjoyed the course, the fact that BSR included several podcasts allowed me to complete the course while doing my exercise. Great course really useful for my clinical practice” 28 podcasts have also been produced so far. There have been 15,500 downloads with significant international interest particularly in the US, Europe and Oceania. The most popular episodes so far have been Polymyalgia rheumatica and Sjogren's syndrome. The how to resources for trainees resource has been viewed 3,897 times by 1502 unique users, and the how to for nurses resource has been viewed 3159 times by 1360 unique .Examples of feedback from nurses “I have now been in post for 6 months and have learnt so much with this resource”“Great introductory course to Rheumatology” Conclusion Work is underway to promote the resources, seek feedback and suggestions for further topics. Many face to face education programmes including the BSR’s own are running again but research (1) and behaviour suggest blended learning is here to stay and complements in person learning well. We are exploring this area further through the development of pre course learning for our face-to-face courses. Disclosure R. Benson: None. L. Coulson: Other; Louise works for the BSR as Digital Events Manager. W.J. Gregory: Honoraria; W.G. has received honoraria for speaker and advisory board from Abbive, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB.. J. Lemon: None. Y.L. Man: None. K. Maxey: Other; Kate works for the BSR as events and education officer. D. Pilbury: None. M. Serrano: Other; Marina works for the BSR as acting Head of Education. C. Wincup: None. P.A. Watson: Other; I am employed by the British Society for Rheumatology as Digital Learning Editor (2PA per week). S. Ellis: None. E. Chibueze Mbanasor: None. M. Malik: None. B. Lakshmana Murthy: None.

“Hear” and “Play” Students Misconceptions on Concurrent Programming using Sonic Pi

Concurrency is a complex to learn topic that is becoming more and more relevant, such that many undergraduate Computer Science curricula are introducing it in introductory programming courses. This paper investigates the combined use of Sonic Pi and Team-Based Learning to mitigate the difficulties in early exposure to concurrency. Sonic Pi, a domain-specific music language, provides great support for “playing” with concurrency and “hearing” common problems such as data races and lack of synchronization among different concurrent threads. More specifically, the paper focuses on students’ misconceptions regarding concurrency in Sonic Pi, and compares them to those arising in traditional concurrent programming languages. In addition, it preliminarily explores knowledge transfer from Sonic Pi to C/C++. The approach has been applied in two teaching experiments with undergraduate students in our University involving 184 participants. Our investigations bring out the need to address misconceptions through targeted interventions for a clear understanding of concurrent programming concepts. Sonic Pi’s simplified abstraction and domain-specific flavor has demonstrated to be effective, especially for first-year students.

Is the Sky the Limit for Menteen Studios?*

ABSTRACTThis case exposes students to an intriguing industry: film production and distribution. The focus on relevant costing allows students to make recommendations about keeping, dropping, or expanding a distribution channel and about venturing into a new technology for film distribution. The analysis requires critical thinking. Because students are provided with relatively sparse financial information, they are less likely to be fixated on data and more likely to think critically about how to structure analyses to address strategic and operational issues being weighed by the studio. In addition, the case requires students to communicate their recommendations and the underlying assumptions effectively. This case is suitable for use in undergraduate and graduate managerial and cost accounting courses, introductory MBA courses in managerial accounting or strategic thinking, or undergraduate or graduate courses that are specific to the entertainment industry.

Superposition principle with Ampère’s law and a semi-infinite wire

In this article, a semi-infinite wire serves as a pedagogical example to demonstrate Ampère’s law. To effectively apply the law, two conditions must be met: (i) the wire must form a closed circuit, and (ii) the current must have symmetry. Fulfilling requirement (i) involves connecting an additional semi-infinite wire at an arbitrary angle, ensuring that their far ends join at infinity to form a closed circuit. Although this additional wire disrupts current symmetry, condition (ii) can be satisfied by superposing multiple diagrams wherein the additional wires are arranged with symmetry. Ampère’s law can then be utilized to determine the magnetic field generated by the wire arrangement. The analysis in this article is well-suited for introductory electromagnetism courses, highlighting the principle of superposition in physics.

What topics of peer interactions correlate with student performance in physics courses?

Research suggests that interacting with more peers about physics course material is correlated with higher student performance. Some studies, however, have demonstrated that different topics of peer interactions may correlate with their performance in different ways, or possibly not at all. In this study, we probe both the peers with whom students interact about their physics course and the particular aspects of the course material about which they interacted in six different introductory physics courses: four lecture courses and two lab courses. Drawing on social network analysis methods, we replicate prior work demonstrating that, on average, students who interact with more peers in their physics courses have higher final course grades. Expanding on this result, we find that students discuss a wide range of aspects of course material with their peers: concepts, small-group work, assessments, lecture, and homework. We observe that in the lecture courses, interacting with peers about concepts is most strongly correlated with final course grade, with smaller correlations also arising for small-group work and homework. In the lab courses, on the other hand, small-group work is the only interaction topic that significantly correlates with final course grade. We use these findings to discuss how course structures (e.g. grading schemes and weekly course schedules) may shape student interactions and add nuance to prior work by identifying how specific types of student interactions are associated (or not) with performance.

How Do First-Year Engineering Students’ Emotions Change while Working on Programming Problems?

Emotions are a complex multi-faceted phenomenon. To assess the complexity of emotions from different facets, multi-modal approaches are necessary. However, multi-modal approaches are rarely used for assessing emotions, especially in the context of computer programming. This study adopts a multi-modal approach to understand the changes in students’ perception of emotions before and after working on programming problems. Understanding these changes in students’ perceptions may enable educators to devise interventions that help students adjust their perceptions and regulate their emotions as per their skills. We conducted a one-on-one programming session and retrospective think-aloud interview with 17 students from an introductory programming course. During the programming session, students filled surveys and performed four programming tasks. While working on these tasks, students’ eye gaze, video of face and screen, and electrodermal activity data were also collected using a non-invasive device. The data collection for this study was multi-modal, with a mix of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Data analysis was primarily qualitative, with additional triangulation of qualitative and biometric data for select exemplars. The findings of this study suggest that students experience changes in emotions because of many reasons, for instance, they encountered repeated errors, they set high standards for their performance, or they could not manage time. For some students, negative emotions changed to positive emotions when they solved errors without any external help or achieved more than what they expected going into the task. Moreover, the triangulation of qualitative and biometric data of two participants provides a fine-grained analysis of their emotions and behaviors and confirmed the change in the perception of their emotions while performing the programming tasks.

Assessing Numerical Analysis Performance with the Practi Mobile App

Numerical analysis is a unique combination of mathematical and computing skills. It facilitates a deeper understanding of data analytics and machine learning software libraries, which are exploding in use and importance. However, it is a topic that continues to challenge students because it requires a confluence of conceptual, procedural, and computational skills and associated pedagogies. Therefore, it is valuable to identify effective pedagogies and tools to enhance and assess student numerical analysis skills. Despite the proliferation of mobile technology in postsecondary education, its role in the context of numerical analysis is largely unknown. This quasi-experimental pilot study used Practi, an educational mobile app designed to assess numerical analysis performance and promote both retrieval practice and deliberate practice, which have been shown to help improve performance and develop expertise. Participants were 32 undergraduate students enrolled in a second-year introductory Numerical Analysis course at a large North American university. They were prompted to use Practi to solve quizzes on a regular basis throughout the course, before and after each lecture, to promote deliberate practice and spaced retrieval. Results of a paired t-test analysis showed that Practi was able to detect improvement in student quiz performance after the lectures compared to before the lectures. Additionally, performance on the Practi quizzes after the lectures was positively associated with the overall course performance. This suggests that mobile apps supporting deliberate and retrieval practice can complement more traditional means of instruction and assessment of numerical analysis in postsecondary mathematics education.

Lessons Learned: Musings on Teaching Technology in Library and Information Science

Information professionals integrate a variety of technologies and tools into their work practices and are often introduced to these while they are students in library and information science programs. This commentary examines recent trends, barriers, and potential approaches in teaching technology for LIS graduate students. Here we draw on our expertise teaching several technology topics, including an introductory technology survey course for graduate students, programming and database management, and intersectionality and technology. Rooted in a reflection on our perspectives as technology educators, our analysis focuses on this central question: How can library and information science instructors foster the confidence, curiosity, and comfort that students need to continually engage with an ever-changing technological landscape throughout the course of their careers?

Mercury Systems: Debt? Equity? Cash on hand?

Research methodology This case was researched using publicly available sources, including Mercury Systems financial filings and press releases, news stories about the seasoned equity offering, financial information from Bloomberg and industry information from IBISWorld Industry Reports and articles related to seasoned/secondary equity offerings, intangible asset valuation and the use of revolving lines of credit. Quotes are taken from Mercury financial reports and press releases and express the (optimistic) opinions of company executives. Case overview/synopsis Mercury Systems, a technology company in the aerospace and defense industry, announced a six million share seasoned stock offering in June 2019. This resulted in a 6% stock price decrease. A stock price decrease is a typical event when a firm announces the issuance of new common shares, but with Mercury Systems, there were concerns about how much money the firm needed to fund its strategy of growth through acquisitions. If internally generated funds were not sufficient, should the firm issue debt or have another seasoned equity issue? Students will look at the objectives and success of the most recent seasoned equity issue, determine future funds needs and how the firm should finance these needs. Complexity academic level This case is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students in corporate finance electives. Typically, topics such as seasoned equity offerings are not covered in introductory courses, so this is recommended for finance electives. Even in advanced finance courses, sometimes there is insufficient time to cover seasoned equity offerings.

Impact of the validation method on job satisfaction and motivation in nursing homes: a pilot study

ABSTRACT The Validation Method (VM) is a specific communication method for older people with dementia. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of an introductory training course on the Bases of the Validation Method (BVM) on job satisfaction and motivation in healthcare professionals working in nursing homes (NHs) and its influence on self-efficacy, perceived personal competence, organizational commitment, attitudes toward dementia and burnout. A quasi-experimental pilot study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (September 2020–February 2021). Participants were divided into two groups: experimental group (who did 16 hours of training on BVM), and a control group (no intervention). Assessments were made at baseline, one week and 4 months after starting the intervention through validated questionnaires to assess job satisfaction, work motivation, self-efficacy, perceived competence, organizational commitment, attitudes toward people with dementia and burnout. A paired Student’s t-test was used to check intragroup differences, and unpaired Student’s test and multilevel mixed-effects linear regression model were used to assess the impact of the intervention; Hedges’g was used to determine the effect size. The sample consisted of 31 NH professionals, assigned to an experimental group (n = 11) or a control group (n = 20). The BVM training had a positive moderate effect size on job satisfaction, work motivation, self-efficacy, perceived competence and organizational commitment (Hedges’g > 0.30). In contrast, there was a smaller effect on attitudes toward people with dementia (Hedges’g = –0.21), and a moderate negative effect on burnout (Hedges’g = –0.38). BVM training had a positive moderate effect on all variables 4 months after finishing training, except for attitudes toward dementia, for which the effect size was smaller.

Doing and Defining Interdisciplinarity in Undergraduate Computing

Interdisciplinarity has been touted as a means to recruit more racially and gender diverse students to computing. In this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study, we investigated demographic characteristics among a sample of undergraduate students pursuing interdisciplinary computing major and minor combinations at 15 institutions in the United States who completed a survey at the end of their introductory course. Descriptive analyses of responses to this survey of introductory computing students revealed that enrollment in interdisciplinary combinations was limited and did not appear to disproportionately attract women or Black/African American, Latine, Indigenous, and Multiracial students. We then conducted a directed content analysis of departmental websites to examine the language and policies that may preclude or encourage students to pursue interdisciplinary computing major and minor combinations. Findings revealed that departmental offerings of such programs were limited, and, among those that did offer such programs, communication about their goals and requirements was often lacking. Implications for research and practice, especially as they pertain to efforts to broaden participation in computing, are discussed.

Developing Adaptive Planning Skills by Preservice Physical Education Teachers

Purpose: This study examined how physical education preservice teachers (PSTs) developed adaptive skills in the planning of the lessons in the 5 weeks of an introductory physical education method course using the practice-based teacher education framework. Method: Twenty-two PSTs edited three lesson plans over the 5 weeks. A total of 150 lesson plans were analyzed using descriptive statistics to explore (a) the total number of adaptations, (b) the total number of adaptations made to core practices, and (c) the types of adaptations. Findings: The PSTs made a wide-ranged number of adaptations from lesson plan one to three (one [median = 38.50, range 6–101]; two [median = 49.00, range 14–184]; three [median = 38.00, range 18–97]). They made adaptations most frequently in providing clear instruction and type two adaptations (refine). Conclusions: The results support the use of pedagogical approaches within the practice-based teacher education framework effective in developing PSTs’ adaptive competence in lesson plans.

Adapting ‘Ethics Bowl’ Strategies for Teaching Introductory Ethics Course – A Case Study of an American Community College

ABSTRACT Teaching introductory ethics course or courses with strong ethics content to first- and second-year undergraduate students presents numerous challenges. Most students register for these courses to meet a general education requirement or believe they do not need education in ethics because they have received cultural, social, and religious instructions. Furthermore, many college and university administrators, employers, and policymakers confuse ethics with compliance and misunderstand their connection. In this context, this paper argues that undergraduate students can learn ethics subject content (e.g., metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics, etc.), attain course objectives, and apply their learning in professional and personal situations. Strategies used to prepare students for the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) competition have proven effective means of introducing and reinforcing ethics course content outside of the classroom setting. The qualitative data obtained from the respondents suggests that the methodology and strategies adopted to prepare students for ethics bowl competitions reinforced the ethical theory participants learned in courses where ethics content was prominent and led them to make rational and ethical decisions. These findings also suggest that strategies to prepare ethics bowl teams for the IEB competition can similarly impact non-ethics bowl team members in a traditional classroom setting.