Undergraduate Student Learning Research Articles

A Study on the Development of the Educational Materials of the 〈General Korean Language〉 for International Undergraduate Students inan Intermediate Level of the Korean Language

This is a basic study to develop the educational materials for general Korean language learning for international undergraduate students in the intermediate level. It aims to survey the needs of learners and thereby establish some developmental directions. To achieve this, Iconducted a survey with 306 international students at A University. The results showed that many learners recognized the necessity of textbook development, and that although there was a high preference for e-books, ademand for paper books still existed. Regarding preferred media types, demands were observed not only for familiar media such as movies, dramas and social media, but also for other types of media like newspaper articles and the news in general. Regarding the topics demanded, they included daily life, hobbies, personalities, travel, and social and academic subjects. As for the desired functions to be enhanced, there were high demands for speaking, vocabulary, and grammar, and the balanced demands for listening, reading, and writing. Accordingly, this study proposed that educational materials should be composed in such a way that e-books and paper books coexist, and that the materials should be developed by maximizing the educational value of each. Furthermore, this study suggested that a comprehensive textbook that develops all language functions evenly would be more suitable than educational materials specialized in one function, given the characteristics of learners who need to not only expand their learning experiences with the use of various media, but to also cultivate their communication skills and academic task performance abilities.

Ensuring Student Mental Wellbeing whilst introducing Block Mode Intensive Learning and Teaching

As De Montfort University, a UK-based University, introduced block delivery across the undergraduate portfolio the University sought to maintain a continued focus on, and commitment to, an institution-wide approach to embedding mental wellbeing. With mental wellbeing relevant to the whole university community and recognising the power of transformational change to impact wellbeing, the university cross-examined student feedback to understand and ensure mental wellbeing. An intensive block model was introduced at De Montfort University (DMU) from the start of the academic session 2022-23. Undergraduate student experiences and learning from the initial months, focused on those in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media, are presented alongside an examination of the methods and impact of embedding mental wellbeing in this new intensive mode; ensuring the continued institutional approach to embedding mental wellbeing in the curriculum, providing inclusive support for all learners. The learning and impact identified from initial experiences indicate areas of strength and areas for development, enhancement and growth. This article presents educational practice implications for other providers exploring and implementing block delivery in intensive learning and teaching modes. The University’s HealthyDMU philosophy recognises mental wellbeing is relevant to all, informed by a social model of wellbeing, in which a student’s experience of mental wellbeing is directly related to their environment and experiences, based on the five ways to wellbeing (Aked, Marks, Cordon & Thompson, 2008). Embedding this throughout the curriculum reduces wellbeing barriers to facilitate student success, establishing pro-active approaches to mental wellbeing and a health promoting environment. This article provides a unique focus on student experience from the position of mental wellbeing embedded in curriculum design and delivery. This paper presents an exploration of student responses to the introduction of intensive delivery at undergraduate level within a UK university, positioned around support for mental wellbeing.

A Pilot Study of Supporting GTA Professional Development and Educator Identity in Engineering

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) significantly contribute to the learning and experiences of undergraduate students. Thus, supporting and enhancing GTA pedagogical knowledge and competencies can improve the learning experiences of undergraduates. Towards this goal, a discipline-specific pedagogical professional development program was created for GTAs in the Faculty of Engineering at a Canadian university. This case study explores the perspectives of participating GTAs, including how they engaged in learning about teaching, what they learned, their emerging educator identity formation, and the challenges they faced during the program. Situated learning theory informed the analysis of participant interviews and focus groups. Findings indicate that GTAs appreciated the situated and embedded nature of the program, reporting limited prior familiarity with pedagogical tools and practices and their application. Results also highlight the need to align GTA roles and responsibilities, providing opportunities to put their learning into practice with the pedagogical knowledge they developed in the program.

Implications of clinical simulation in motivation for learning: scoping review.

To identify, synthesize, and analyze the scientific knowledge produced regarding the implications of using clinical simulation for undergraduate nursing or medical students' motivation for learning. The search for articles was conducted between July 28 and August 3, 2022, on the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO databases. The following was used for the search: P - undergraduate students attending Nursing or Medicine courses; C - motivation for learning, and C - skills and clinical simulation laboratory. The following research question guided the study: "What are the implications of clinical simulation on the motivation for learning of undergraduate students of nursing and medicine?" Of the 1,783 articles found, 13 were included in the sample for analysis. All stages of the selection process were carried out by two independent evaluators. The results were presented as charts and a discursive report. The studies analyzed indicated the beneficial effects of clinical simulation on students' motivation, in addition to other gains such as competencies, technical and non-technical skills, knowledge, belonging, autonomy, clinical judgment, critical and reflective thinking, self-efficacy and decreased anxiety, self-management, and improvements in learning and learning climate. Clinical simulation provides a positive learning environment favorable to the development of technical and interpersonal skills and competencies, and raising the level of motivational qualities.

Exploratory factor analysis-instrument for self-assessment of computation thinking skills and collaboration skills

This study focuses on developing and validating instruments to assess the computational thinking skills (CTS) and collaboration skills (CS) of undergraduate students in Indonesia. Employing a quantitative research approach with the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique, the research process unfolded in three validation steps. First, face validity was established through expert judgment. Second, discriminant validity was examined using product-moment correlations and Cronbach’s alpha. Finally, EFA were employed to assess the factorial structure. The instrument development process followed five phases: drafting the instrument, face validity assessment by experts, data collection involving 242 undergraduate students as samples, discriminant validity analysis (product moment and Cronbach’s alpha), and EFA analysis to group items and construct dimensions. This study identified six dimensions for CTS (algorithmic thinking, cooperative thinking, problem reformulation, creativity, critical thinking, and systematic testing) and three dimensions for CS (knowledge sharing, planning, and responsibility). These findings support validating the CTS and CS self-assessment scale, making it a valuable tool for evaluating undergraduate student learning and researching computational thinking and CS in Indonesia. Researchers and educators are encouraged to utilize the CTS and CS instrument for self-assessment purposes and further exploration of these competencies among undergraduate students.

Use of YouTube channels in learning in undergraduate medical students

Use of YouTube channels in learning in undergraduate medical students

English additional language undergraduate students’ engagement with the academic content in their curriculum in a South African speech-language and hearing training program

BackgroundThe emergence of the Speech-Language and Hearing (SLH) professions in South Africa took place during the era of racial segregation. Consequently, the culture and language of these professions have predominantly reflected the minority White population, even in SLH training programs. English has remained the language of learning and teaching (LOLT) in most South African tertiary institutions, with a strong Western cultural influence. Given the increasing diversity in these institutions, a mismatch between the language of instruction and that of English Additional Language (EAL) students poses academic challenges for this population, prompting the need for this study.AimThis study aims to investigate the learning and social experiences of EAL undergraduate students enrolled in South African SLH training programs, with a specific focus on exploring their engagement with academic content in the curriculum.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey design was employed, and a total of 24 EAL students participated in the study. Descriptive and thematic analysis methods were utilized for data analysis.ResultsThe findings revealed that EAL students encountered academic challenges primarily related to their proficiency in the LOLT, which were most pronounced in lectures and examinations, while being relatively less pronounced in assignments. Complementary use of indigenous languages, simplification of complex terminology and self-employed strategies to cope in response to the existing academic language challenges are highlighted. These findings underscore the significance of addressing pedagogical approaches, language policies, and curriculum transformation towards a more Afrocentric perspective.ConclusionThe study highlights the academic difficulties faced by EAL students in South African SLH training programs. The implications for future interventions in this context are highlighted. The findings emphasize the need for pedagogical reforms, language policy considerations, and curriculum transformation that embraces Afrocentric perspectives. Addressing these issues is crucial to ensure equitable educational experiences and support the success of EAL students in the SLH field.

The Development of Instruction Media in Board Game to Enhance the Capability in the Development of Thai Textbook and the Happiness in Learning for Undergraduate Students

The purposes of this research were to: 1) develop and determine the efficiency of instruction media in board games to enhance the capability in the Development of Thai Textbook and the happiness in learning for undergraduate students, 2) compare the undergraduate students’ learning capability in the Development of Thai Textbook before and after learning instruction media in board game and 3) to study the level of happiness in learning the Development of Thai Textbook for undergraduate students towards learning instruction media in board game. The sample group in this research consisted of 27 third year-undergraduate students, majoring in Thai, at the Faculty of Humanities, Srinakharinwirot University. The data was collected by research and development. The data was analyzed by using mean, standard deviation, t-test dependent, and content analysis. The findings of this study were as follows: (1) The efficiency of the instruction media in board games was 84.81/83.83 which was higher than the specified criteria. (2) The average student’s learning capability in the Development of Thai Textbook after learning the instruction media in board games was higher than before using instruction media in board games. (3) The undergraduate students had the highest mean level showing their pleasure in learning the Development of Thai Textbook towards learning instruction media in board game and effective for content analysis regarding the undergraduate students’ learning logs from Reflective Journal, it was found that this instruction media in board game enhanced the capability in the Development of Thai Textbook and the happiness in learning abilities.

Digital-Based E-module in Tennis Learning for Undergraduate Students in Sports Education

Although many studies have examined the use of e-modules for physical education at school and university levels, very few explore the development of digital-based e-modules in tennis learning. This research aims to develop a digital-based e-module in tennis learning for undergraduate sports education students. It was conducted using the Research and Development (R&D) design by adopting the Plomp model. The model consists of preliminary research, prototyping, and assessment phases. This research invited 12 experts, consisting of 4 material experts, 4 language experts, and 4 media experts. The experts were professors and lecturers with profound expertise in their respective fields. This research also involved 35 sports education undergraduate students taking tennis courses, consisted of males (n=25) and females (n=10). The instrument was a Likert scale questionnaire. Validity testing was measured using Aiken’s V validity coefficient. The reliability was calculated using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), while product practicality was analyzed using percentages. The results show that the average product validity before and after revision was 0.790 (medium) and 0.904 (high), while the average reliability was 0.754 (high). In terms of practicality, the average was 89.71, which means the product is very practical. In conclusion, digital-based e-modules in tennis learning can be used for undergraduate sports education students. This research is expected to facilitate undergraduate sports education students, lecturers, and tennis practitioners to overcome limitations in teaching tennis. Future research is needed to test the product’s effectiveness by conducting an experimental design and comparing it with other groups.

Beliefs & Investment of Undergraduate Students Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language

Considering the global and economic need for foreign language interactions, various educational institutes have incorporated foreign language teaching (FLT) into the curriculum. The languages offered include German, Arabic, Chinese, and Turkish (recently). To reconnoiter different aspects of Chinese language learning in Pakistan, research has been conducted in the context (see for example, Khan et al, 2023 and Aftab et al, 2022). However, the topical surge in learning Turkish as a foreign language (TFL) resulting from the cultural exchange programs, scholarship opportunities, Turkish dramas broadcast in Pakistan, and most significantly the strong Pak-Turk relationships have led education institutions to offer TFL at the undergraduate level. To explore the beliefs, imagined identity, and investment (Norton, 2001) of undergraduate students for TFL, a qualitative study was conducted. Since, the study probed into the beliefs, imagined identities, and investment of the students, narrative inquiries fit the objectives of the research. 4 participants volunteered to retell their experiences cogitating the temporality, sociality, and spatiality of the experience. The findings show that learners enrolled in the TFL course believed and imagined getting a better job and business opportunities, acting as a translator and diplomat with proficiency in foreign language. The learners imagined exploring educational opportunities for scholarships and higher studies in the future. Additionally, TFL learners foresee the Turkish language as a means of cultural and social identity, learning for tourism, and socialization with natives. The participants manifested these beliefs to invest in their imagined identities as TFL for professional identity, multilingual identity, and social identity. TFL beliefs and investment provide insights into learners’ perspectives and their future imagined identity in the broader scope of shifting foreign language education policy.

Flipped Classroom for Undergraduate Medical Students in India: Are we ready for it?

The teaching-learning environment has undergone a paradigm shift with the recent implementation of a Competency-Based Medical Curriculum in India. Despite this, the concept of flipped classrooms for medical students is still in its infancy in our country. We conducted an experimental randomized crossover study to find if a flipped teaching model improves learning for first-year medical undergraduate students. Students' perceptions of this novel method were also obtained and analyzed. In the first period (first part of the study), one group of students underwent the Flipped Model Teaching (Flipped Teaching Group), and the second group (Traditional Teaching Group) was taught by the conventional method. A crossover was done with a second topic in the second period. A written test was conducted at the end of each period. Student feedback was also obtained. There was no statistically significant difference in students' performance on comparing traditional and flipped teaching methods. Reasons for this could be the level of the learner, prior exposure to active learning strategies, learner readiness/motivation for active learning, and timing of the study. Out of the participants 80% of students preferred the flipped model classroom teaching, especially the interactive discussion, and expressed their desire for more frequent similar learning activities. We conclude that there was no difference in marks obtained by students in the two groups, yet they preferred the flipped classroom method, which indicates that it is feasible to adopt this method in the Indian medical undergraduate classroom.

Reading Circles: Triggers for Increased Engagement of EFL Learners in Extensive Reading

While reading circles have been utilized to promote extensive reading in many educational settings, studies on higher levels of reading engagement in under-researched, English-as-a-foreign-language contexts are still in their infancy. Therefore, the current study examines the factors that increase learners’ levels of engagement in extensive reading tasks. I used learner diaries to collect data from 60 undergraduate students (ages 19–23) learning English as a foreign language in Mali. The findings suggested that cohesive groups with positive norms, behavioral changes during the task (e.g., investing an exceptional effort to achieve a significant learning goal, such as reading an entire story or a novel), and enjoyment after completing a reading task corresponded with these learners’ high engagement levels in extensive reading. Although the findings of this study are specific to one group of language learners, they can still be applied to plan classroom interventions in other EFL contexts to promote learners’ reading engagement.

Influence of social inclusion and institutional culture on students’ interactions in clinical settings

Background: Decolonisation of the Speech-Language and Hearing (SLH) professions in South Africa to be Afrocentric is a current focus. These professions continue to hold white Eurocentric English and/or Afrikaans knowledges and practices, which are reflective of the minority. As diversity of students in higher education increases, the obvious incongruency between the language of learning and teaching (English) and institutional culture of the programmes and students who use English as an Additional Language (EAL) becomes heightened.Objectives: The study’s aim was to explore the learning and social experiences of EAL undergraduate students in a South African SLH training programme, with a specific focus on students’ experiences in patient, clinical supervisor and peer interactions in clinical situations.Method: A total of 24 participants recruited through purposive sampling were included in this cross-sectional mixed-method online survey design study. Data from the survey were analysed through descriptive and thematic analysis approaches.Results: Findings reveal a less than positive impression of EAL students in the current SLH training programme as far as their clinical experiences were concerned. The institutional culture of the SLH programme was reported to be disadvantageous to EAL students. These findings raise important implications for SLH training programmes, the regulator and the country’s SLH professions as a whole.Conclusion: This study sheds light on the significant incongruency between the existing institutional culture and the increasing diversity of students, particularly those who use EAL, in South African SLH training programmes.Contribution: Findings not only illuminate the challenges but also offer a path forward towards a more inclusive and representative SLH profession in South Africa, aligned with the principles of decolonization and Afrocentrism.

Model Chemlab and Phet Simulator: A Didactic Resource for Chemistry Learning in Undergraduate Students

The objective of the research was to determine the incidence of the application of the Model Chemlab and PhET simulator as a didactic resource to improve learning achievement in the Chemistry Laboratory course in undergraduate students during the 2022 academic year. The study used a quantitative methodology with a pre-experimental experimental design. The population consisted of 257 students of the Science, Technology and Environment Studies Program (CTA) of the Faculty of Education Sciences (FCEDUC) of the National University of the Altiplano (UNA) Puno, from which a non-probabilistic sample of 14 students of the IV cycle was selected, The Model Chemlab and PhET simulators were used in the learning sessions of the Chemistry Laboratory course with the purpose of improving the students' learning achievement. Before carrying out the experiment, a pre-test was administered, and after using the simulators, a post-test was conducted to determine the impact of the application of the simulators on the study variables. The results showed a significant improvement, with a t-value of 17.393 and a significance level of ?=0.000 these findings indicate that the students achieved an efficient use and management of the simulators, which favored their learning in the Chemistry Laboratory course.

How self-regulated learning influences undergraduate medical students to conduct student-centred learning: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionSelf-regulated learning is one of the influencing factors in successful learning. There is a need to understand the factors influencing self-regulated learning in undergraduate medical students in implementing a student-centred...

Self-Directed Learning of Malay Undergraduate Students

This study investigated the self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) of 944 Malay undergraduate students in a Malaysian university, using Guglielmino’s Self-directed Learning Readiness Survey (1977), which is a 58-item Likert scale questionnaire that uses the Delphi technique to identify the level of SDLR of adult learners. Results indicate that the majority of the participants possess a moderate readiness level. The age-based analysis, though less relevant due to a predominantly young demographic, still indicates a need for facilitation in their learning journeys. These findings underscore the importance of tailored strategies and support mechanisms (i.e., guidance from instructors) to enhance educational outcomes.

The Impact of Online vs Blended Clinical Skill Laboratory Learning on Student Academic Performance: A Case Study in Indonesia

ObjectiveOnline and blended learning methods have experienced rapid growth in higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aimed to compare students’ academic performance between online and blended Clinical Skill Laboratories (CSL) learning in undergraduate medical students. MethodsA total of 101 undergraduate medical students at Maulana Malik Ibrahim State Islamic University, Malang, Indonesia, were enrolled (50 students from the academic year 2020 [group 1: online CSL]; 51 students from the academic year 2020 [group 2: blended CSL]). The main outcome was students’ academic performance collected from the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) score. Additionally, students also completed an evaluation questionnaire to assess the quality of the learning scheme. ResultsBoth groups agreed that CSL is an important subject and clinical video demonstration is useful for their OSCE preparation. However, students who received online learning felt that online CSL was ineffective and scored lower in the OSCE compared to the blended CSL. Qualitative data also supported these findings. ConclusionBlended learning provides more value than online learning in terms of teaching clinical skills for undergraduate medical students. Additionally, online CSL may not be sufficient for medical students to attain critical skills.

Online Learning Experiences for Speaking Activities among Malaysian Undergraduate ESL Students

Speaking practice is crucial for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. Nevertheless, accomplishing speaking activities via online learning might be difficult for the college students at universities in Malaysia as they are non-native English speakers. There have been several studies about students' perceptions and preferences on online learning. Nonetheless, there was only a little research conducted to ascertain deep online learning perceptions and preferences of the undergraduate ESL students in Malaysia. The current article's goal was to look at ESL learners' opinions on the experiences through online connected to speaking activities at a public institution in Tanjong Malim. The mixed-research method of study was used. In this article, observation checklist, semi-structured student interview, and questionnaire were employed to get the information from the sample. The sample was then subjected to statistical analysis and standard deviation, mean score, as well as percentage to identify the Malaysian undergraduate ESL students toward online learning platforms, the difficulty that the learners encountered during the online learning, and the strategies implemented by undergraduate ESL students. Whereas the interview result was analysed by thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the use of technology for distant learning for undergraduate ESL students to improve speaking abilities was progressing well. This signifies that the students perceived that they have knowledge to use the online platforms with mean (x)= 4.07. However, several students noted that their main concern when undertaking online speaking exercises was the connection speed with mean (x)= 3.93. As a result, soliciting thoughts or ideas to boost their engagement in online speaking projects was beneficial to the pupils with mean (x)= 3.97.

Social learning and integration factors that affect first-year medical students transitioning directly from high school

Medical student's transition from high school to a new educational environment poses academic and personal challenges that could lead to withdrawal, dismissal or failure. Students who do not feel connected to the social and academic life of the educational environment are at risk of drop-out. Hence, most medical education institutions use remediation programmes to address learning gaps and increase the chances of student success. This study aimed to identify factors that affected the social learning and integration of undergraduate medical students who had failed the first year of study. The nominal group technique (NGT) was used involving 15 participants who had completed a six-month remediation programme. Results revealed the top five ranked and themed social learning and integration factors were underpreparedness, self-management, alienation, confidence and academic advice. Self-awareness and self-management were identified as complementary skills to address these factors. The study found that students could make valuable contributions to address challenges in the educational environment and enhance successful transition. In addition to other studies recommending a focus on academic integration, these results also pointed to the importance of social integration of first-year students as they transition from high school to a new educational environment at university.

Micro Learning for Undergraduate Students’ Writing Ability: An Effect on Writing English Text

One of the factors that generate lack of students’ writing competence is the teaching methods used by the lecturer which is less desirable by the students. Micro learning comes as one of the alternatives to deliver the knowledge to the students which became the focus of this study on seeing the significance of the strategy in improving students’ ability to write English text. This is an experimental research involving 64 participants which was done in Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Barat (UM Sumbar). The population of this study consisted of 124 students distributed across 4 classes. The sample selection was done using cluster random sampling, which resulted in one class being assigned as the experimental group and another class as the control group The data was gained by determining whether students have improved their writing scores (through writing rubric) by implementing micro teaching through pre-test and post-test. The researchers look for the statistical t-value with a significance level of <0.05. Furthermore, the researchers conduct further analysis through descriptive analysis using SPSS 24. The results of this research were obtained through a t-test with a significance level of 5% (0.05), yielding an observed t-value of 2.975, while the critical t-value was 2.306. These findings indicate that students' achievement in writing texts improved. Therefore, it can be concluded that micro-learning is an effective instructional method for enhancing the writing skills of English Education students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Barat.