Undergraduate Level Courses Research Articles

Teaching the Historical Jesus in Continuing Education: Of Ghosts and Groundhogs

Abstract This article reflects upon the author’s twenty years of experience in teaching undergraduate-level courses in the study of the historical Jesus outside of a traditional university context as part of the programmes offered by the Institute of Continuing Education of the University of Cambridge. It identifies a number of distinctive pedagogical challenges faced in teaching adult learners, and strategies for addressing them, as well as the wider implications for the field that arise from such teaching activity.

Navigating complex riskscapes: the Koudiet Eddraouch GIS substation project in Sub-Saharan Africa

Learning outcomes Risk identification and qualitative assessment are the learning outcomes. Case overview/synopsis The Bharat Bijlee Construction Limited (BBCL) was one of the largest construction companies operating in the power sector in India. After successfully completing a few projects in the Middle East, BBCL decided to expand its presence into African region. The BBCL was awarded a $85m contract for three sub-station projects to modernise Algeria’s power grid system by the “Shariket Karhaba Koudiet Eddraouch Spa”, a state-owned company in charge of power generation, transmission and distribution in Algeria. The project, which is the first of BBCL in Saharan region in Algeria’s, presents many unique situations that company had never encountered before, including sand dunes, severe weather, remote locations, supply chain & logistics, strict contractual deadlines and a high level of construction risk. The project manager for BBCL was sceptic about how well his company would perform under the present project circumstances. How could he better align himself with the client, the various on-site local contractors and the numerous suppliers spread around the world? The case emphasises the identification of various project risks that the project manager might encounter in the project. What do the PESTLE and ASCE frameworks for risk identification each represent, and how are they helpful for the project team in understanding various risks? How should the project’s qualitative risk assessment be conducted? And how can a heat map be a better tool for comprehending the criticality of each risk in the project? Complexity academic level Undergraduate and post graduate courses in project management, civil engineering and architecture domain. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 2: Built Environment.

Modification and evaluation of an open-source rubric guiding inclusive design

Many quality assurance frameworks are in need of modification and evaluation before they can support the alignment of inclusive course design and pedagogies in institutions of higher education (IHEs). This study aimed to add inclusive practices in an open-source rubric, OpenSUNY Course Quality Review (OSCQR) rubric. Guided by the Universal Design for Learning framework and the inclusive ADDIE model, we revised the existing OSCQR rubric, which was then evaluated by 74 faculty members and instructional designers (IDs) in this descriptive study. We conducted independent samples t-tests to explore whether the participants’ roles, teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses, and their experiences of teaching and online course design led to any varied priorities for addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion components in online teaching. The overall findings suggest IDs and faculty members have a common ground and consensus regarding their perspectives on the items in this modified OSCQR rubric. The findings provide implications for future research and practice on course design features that impact students’ learning experiences. Limitations were also discussed.

Breaking the WAVE and shattering stereotypes: addressing organizational change and team dynamics with female leaders

Research methodology The research consisted of a questionnaire and in-depth interview with the CEO. Secondary research was conducted to read through various articles and literature available on the organization. Relevant courses are organizational behavior/organization development/strategic management. Case overview/synopsis In a landscape traditionally dominated by male leadership, this case study highlights the compelling narrative of a new leader with an unconventional leadership style. This purpose of this case study aims to explore the change management challenges faced by Molade, CEO of WAVE, a leading vocational education social enterprise based in Lagos, Nigeria, as she grapples with the issue of organizational culture and gender bias and their impact on team dynamics while implementing a new strategy. Her leadership journey reflects not only personal triumphs but also the broader impact of diverse perspectives at the helm of organizational decision-making. Despite having over a decade of industry experience and being well-respected in her field, Molade is met with resistance and patronizing behavior from some of the existing team members who question her authority and decision-making abilities. The case discusses leadership challenges faced by Molade, a female leader, its negative implications on her performance and her ability to implement change within the organization. Ultimately, Molade’s perseverance and strategic thinking enabled her to successfully navigate her dilemma. Complexity academic level Undergraduate business course(s) which include organizational behavior, organization development and strategic management.

Positive Student Outcomes from Embedding Mental Wellness Trainings in an Advanced Undergraduate Physiology Course

Despite the rising prevalence of reported mental illness among college students, mental wellness programs delivered to college students show improvements in distress, depression, and anxiety. However, participation in these programs is often quite low and the long-term effcacy is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a course-based mental wellness program administered to undergraduate physiology students would improve academic and overall perceived stress during the intervention and at longitudinal follow up the next academic year. We hypothesized the intervention would improve self-reported academic and overall perceived stress of undergraduate physiology students. Methods: In spring 2022, students (n=167) enrolled in a junior level undergraduate advanced physiology course (Course 1) were given six 30-minute training sessions by campus clinicians during class time. At the start of the following semester (fall 2022), a subset of these students (n=44) enrolled in a rigorous, senior level pathophysiology course (Course 2) and received one 30-minute refresher training session. All students completed the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (including subdimensions for perceived academic expectations, faculty workload expectations, and self-perceptions of academic stress) and Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale at the start and end of both semesters. Statistical analysis included 2x2 repeated measure ANOVAs to compare trends in survey scores across the semester based on eventual grade in Course #1, as well compare semester-wide trends in Course #1 and Course #2 in students that completed both courses. Pairwise comparisons were corrected using Tukey HSD. Results: In Course 1, there was a significant decrease across the semester in academic stress (54.94 ± 0.94 vs. 57.18 ± 0.94, p<0.001), including students’ self-perceptions of academic stress (21.22 ± 0.38 vs. 22.48 ± 0.38, p<0.01). This decrease was driven primarily by A/B students (p<0.05), while C/D students reflected no change. Compared with C/D students, A/B students in Course 1 reported lower academic stress (p<0.01), including lower perceived academic expectations, faculty workload expectations, and self-perceptions of academic stress post semester (p<0.01), and overall perceived stress (p<0.05), at both timepoints. Students who continued to Course 2 reported significantly lower overall stress (p<0.05) and academic stress (p<0.05) at the start of Course 2 compared with the start of Course 1. Conclusion: Mental wellness training embedded into rigorous physiology courses can positively impact undergraduate physiology students’ mental wellbeing, which may persist into the next academic year and may be mediated by academic success (i.e., course grades). Division of Exercise Physiology, WVU. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

NOW SHOWING: THE USE OF FILMS IN ADVANCED GERONTOLOGY COURSES

Abstract While the use of films to teach about aging and older adults is not new, current movies and the students who view them are ever-changing. So too are the learning goals and practices for incorporating media into the advanced gerontological classroom. The current undertaking considers the unique aspects of employing movies (including documentaries and international films) and builds on previous works (Cohen-Shalev & Marcus, 2007; Karasik & Hamon, 2014; Markson & Taylor 1993) with an eye toward the more advanced pedagogical goals of upper level undergraduate and graduate courses. This poster focuses on challenges associated with including film in both traditional and emerging classroom delivery formats (e.g., face to face, hybrid, on-line). A matrix of current aging-themed films is provided, along with strategies for successful applications in upper level and graduate courses. Karasik and Hamon (2014) explored the use of popular film in introductory gerontology courses, creating a detailed matrix of films spanning 1951 - 2012. In addition to film descriptions and ratings, the matrix identified content in the following topical areas in (ageism/stereotypes; cognitive impairment; death & dying; diversity; family relationships; health & wellness; sexuality & intimacy; and work & retirement). The current presentation builds on Karasik & Hamon’s work by developing a companion matrix of films including feature films from 2012- 2023 , as well as documentaries and international films across the same time period. In addition to the newly created companion matrix, there are examples of activities and assignments that incorporate movies into the gerontological classroom.

Premier Wallet: banking the unbanked population in Somalia

Learning outcomes Upon reading, analyzing and participating in the classroom discussion of this case study, students will be able to use the blue ocean strategy (mainly the Strategy Canvas tool) to analyze how companies establish their products as viable and the go-to solution for consumers; perform a competitive analysis for competitive products; learn how to use data from the case, including industry trends, to predict the future market position of products; and learn how to develop strategies for new products in the market. Case overview/synopsis Abdishakur M. Afrah, who served as the Head of Business Development at Premier Bank, oversaw a substantial banking portfolio, which included Premier Wallet – the first digital wallet in Somalia. This case study outlines Premier Wallet’s journey and its transformative impact on the banking sector. Owing to the mobile wallet, consumers could, for the first time, engage in purchasing, withdrawing cash, shopping online and topping up without needing a bank account at Premier Bank. This allowed for the financial inclusion of the unbanked Somali population. This case study also highlights the Wallet Send feature, a disruptive feature that challenged the prevalent Hawala system in Somalia. This feature enabled customers to send money across 110 countries via their smartphones, facilitating direct deposits to the mobile or bank accounts of their family and friends or to cash withdrawal points nearby. Despite these advanced features, Premier Wallet struggled with broader acceptance, hindered by a mere 9% internet penetration, the absence of a national identification (ID) system and stiff competition from WAAFI, a fintech application supported by Hormuud Telecom, Somalia’s leading telecommunications company. The case study also delves into the strategic decisions Afrah had to make to position Premier Wallet as the top mobile money option for consumers in Somalia. Complexity academic level This case study is suited for undergraduate-level courses. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

Teaching earthquake-resistant structural systems in architecture department: a hands-on learning experience

This paper addresses challenges in teaching earthquake-resistant structural systems to architecture students and seeks to enhance efficiency. Developing a compatible teaching approach is crucial for better collaboration with engineers. The impact of a lack of knowledge about earthquake-resistant systems is more evident in quake-prone regions. The study highlights the importance of hands-on experience in teaching structural theory, fostering better learning and comprehension. The study showcases an undergraduate-level course that diverged from traditional exams. Instead, students undertook a project where groups designed scaled models representing different structural responses, which underwent testing on a handmade shake table. Analysis highlighted demonstrations of various responses like soft stories, dynamic behaviour, pounding and weak columns. The hands-on approach enriched students’ practical insights into structural behaviour, aiding informed design choices. This approach enhances overall learning, deepens comprehension, and readies students to apply seismic design principles conscientiously. Learning by doing proves pivotal in mastering earthquake-resistant structural systems.

Balanced Scorecard Internal Process Perspective: Applying Data Analytics to Monitor Police Department Performance

ABSTRACT Employers expect graduates to perform data analytics using both organizational and publicly available data. Interestingly, few teaching cases provide students with needed exposure to data analytics in managerial or governmental accounting. In this case, students assume the role of a managerial accountant employed at Municipal Consulting, LLC. Students assist the Police Commissioner in using a Balanced Scorecard approach to analyze how her department responds to crime patterns and to develop next year’s budget. This case requires students to critique, analyze, and evaluate Internal Business Process Perspective Balanced Scorecard measures supported by publicly available data using data visualization software. The case includes instructions for both Tableau and Power BI. The case covers three skills: (1) extract, transform, and load data; (2) develop data visualization software experience; and (3) analyze data. The case is designed for senior level undergraduate and graduate courses in managerial, data analytics, and governmental accounting.

The “nicest place on the Internet”? Trouble at Pinterest, Inc

Research methodology Data for the case came from public sources, including legal proceedings, court filings and Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The authors perused hundreds of court documents and identified 28 that were most relevant to this case. The authors also used press interviews with the women highlighted in the case. The authors have no relationship with the company and no one from the company has reviewed the information presented in this case. As the case is drawn from sworn legal testimonies, interviews and related documents in the public domain, the authors did not have to seek approval for publication. Case overview/synopsis Pinterest touted itself as “the nicest place on the Internet.” It had an almost 80% female user base and purported to have an inclusive culture that embraced diversity. However, in June 2020, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, two former female employees of color violated their non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to publicly accuse Pinterest of racial and gender discrimination. In August 2020, Pinterest’s former Chief Operating Officer, Francoise Brougher, filed a lawsuit charging the company with gender discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination, and authored a public blog post titled, The Pinterest Paradox: Cupcakes and Toxicity, detailing her own experience with the company’s discriminatory culture. Three days later 236 of Pinterest’s 2,545 employees staged a virtual walkout and 445 employees signed a petition in an attempt to change Pinterest’s policies and culture. The case provides a brief overview of Pinterest, including its mission, values and organizational culture, and details several incidents and complaints by female and minority employees. The case questions whether employee complaints are a relatively narrow issue involving disgruntled former employees who did not fit at the organization or a much broader issue involving discrimination and managerial neglect in creating and maintaining a nondiscriminatory, inclusive culture. Students are encouraged to evaluate the situation in which Co-Founder, Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Ben Silbermann finds himself, evaluate the actions taken and decide if Silbermann should take any additional actions to address the discrimination claims and ensure a positive culture for all employees. Complexity academic level This case is appropriate for graduate and advanced undergraduate level courses in organizational behavior, human resource management and business law or any course where discrimination and workplace culture are discussed.

Foundational domains and competencies for baccalaureate health informatics education.

Foundational domains are the building blocks of educational programs. The lack of foundational domains in undergraduate health informatics (HI) education can adversely affect the development of rigorous curricula and may impede the attainment of CAHIIM accreditation of academic programs. This White Paper presents foundational domains developed by AMIA's Academic Forum Baccalaureate Education Committee (BEC) which include corresponding competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) that are intended for curriculum development and CAHIIM accreditation quality assessment for undergraduate education in applied health informatics. The AMIA BEC used the previously published master's foundational domains as a guide to creating a set of competencies for health informatics at the undergraduate level to assess graduates from undergraduate health informatics programs for competence at graduation. A consensus method was used to adapt the domains for undergraduate level course work and harmonize the foundational domains with the currently adapted domains for HI master's education. Ten foundational domains were developed to support the development and evaluation of baccalaureate health informatics education. This article will inform future work towards building CAHIIM accreditation standards to ensure that higher education institutions meet acceptable levels of quality for undergraduate health informatics education.

Teaching Research Methodology to Undergraduate Students Using Collaborative Learning Approach in a Blended Learning Environment at Saudi Electronic University

Research methodology courses have become an important requirement for students in many undergraduate programs in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this case study is to explore students’ perceptions of using collaborative learning (CL) in a research methodology course. This course is an undergraduate-level course that is taught in the Department of English Language and Translation at Saudi Electronic University (SEU) in a blended learning environment. Also, this study aims at understanding the effects of introducing group projects into the curriculum on students’ learning experiences from their points of view. In addition, this research sheds light on how students perceived the distribution of workload within groups. The current study employed qualitative methods to collect data by distributing a qualitative questionnaire with open-ended questions. The data were collected from 137 students enrolled in three different branches of SEU in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The data were analyzed by using thematic analysis to provide a rich description and generate themes. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of the participants believed that CL in a blended learning environment had a positive impact on their learning experience. The participants perceived CL as both beneficial and challenging. In addition, most of the participants felt that the workload was distributed equally among the group members. Based on the findings, recommendations are discussed to promote effective CL in higher education.

Cello Plastotech: adopting the triple bottom line as a sustainability strategy

Learning outcomes On completion of the case, the students will be able to understand the concept and importance of sustainability; understand how triple bottom line can help a company make a transition towards sustainability; evaluate the tensions between the three pillars of triple bottom line approach; assess the role of circular economy model as opposed to the conventional linear model in the transition of a company towards sustainability; and understand the sustainability challenge in an emerging market context. Case overview/synopsis Despite the promising growth potential of the plastics industry in India, it is faced with sustainability challenges owing to its detrimental impact on environment. To preserve the environment and human kind, the government made a bold announcement in 2018 to eliminate the use of highly polluting single-use plastics (SUPs) in the country. Amid this growing sustainability threat against plastics and the fall in demand of SUP items, this case illustrates that Sandip Patel, the plant manager of Cello Plastotech, is entrusted by the CEO with the responsibility of adopting a triple bottom line approach encompassing its three pillars, that is, people, planet and profits, as a response to the sustainability challenge. The strategic rethinking towards adopting sustainability required Patel to face the challenge of striking a balance between the three pillars of triple bottom line while also taking some valuable insights for plastic waste management from the circular economy model. While making a transition to sustainability, he needed to evaluate different options like stopping the manufacture of SUPs and look for alternatives, use of biodegradable raw material which was expensive but environment friendly or manufacture such durable plastic products that would replace SUPs. Complexity academic level The case is aimed at teaching the topic Triple Bottom Line approach in the courses of business strategy and sustainability in under-graduate and post-graduate level courses in the discipline of Management. It can also be used as a supplementary reading in courses like Corporate Social Responsibility and Circular Economy. In emerging markets’ context, these topics are generally taught to MBA students in courses like strategic management, sustainable business and business ethics. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

A research-led flexible cell biology practical for biological sciences undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses.

A challenge in the pandemic era is to implement effective but flexible practical teaching for biological sciences courses. Such teaching needs to deliver conceptual, analytical and practical skills training while having the option to rapidly respond to health and safety issues, local regulations, staff and student concerns. In this paper, we describe a set of cell biology practicals (mini-project) that meets many of these requirements and provides flexibility in providing skills training both through online and in practical laboratory environments. We have used a human adenocarcinoma cell line A431 stably transfected with a fluorescent cell cycle reporter as a biological model to deliver training through discrete work packages encompassing cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, biochemistry and statistics. How such work packages can be modified to, an online format either partially or completely is also described. Furthermore, the activities can be adapted for teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate level courses to ensure effective skills training which is applicable to a wide range of biological degree programs and levels of study.

A Preliminary Investigation of Fake Peer-Reviewed Citations and References Generated by ChatGPT

An analysis of academic citations and references generated by the ChatGPT artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot reveals the citations and references are in fact, fake. They are clearly generated by a predictive process rather than known facts. This suggests that early optimism regarding this technology for assisting in research could be misplaced, and that student misuse of the chatbot can be detected by the identification of fake citations and references. Despite these problems, the technology could have application in the writing of course materials for lower level undergraduate courses that do not necessarily require references. Subject matter expertise is required, however, to identify and remove incorrect information. The need to identify incorrect information provided by an AI chatbot is a skill that students will also increasingly need.

IMSI Indore: coping with COVID-19 VUCA in higher education

Learning outcomes This comprehensive case has been written for an undergraduate-level course on general management and a post-graduate-level course on organizational behavior and strategic management. After working through the case and conducting an in-depth discussion of the assignment questions, students will be able to do the following: 1. perform a comprehensive assessment of the institute’s internal context to measure its resources and preparedness to deal with COVID-19; 2. apply organizational change frameworks (to understand the trigger of the change, type of change and change process); 3. qualitatively analyze the dynamic capabilities and resources available to reopen the institute; and 4. suggest ways to institutionalize agility in the organization to improve the preparations and future responses to student management on campus based on a thorough analysis. Case overview/synopsis Founded in 1996, the Indian Managerial Studies Institute, Indore, has emerged as a leader in management education by appropriately weaving the pertinent roles of industry, government and PSUs into a common thread. With the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, IMSI Indore began to respond to educational and administrative challenges by building on resilient strategies. Two decision-making situations cropped up as the situation improved and again converged to the more lethal second wave in March 2021. Dr Hemant Vishwas, Dean of IMSI Indore, needed to determine whether the institute should continue with the reduced employee and hybrid classroom model or reopen with full-fledged operations for the following academic year. Complexity academic level This comprehensive case has been written considering the teaching pedagogy for an undergraduate-level course on organizational behavior (organizational development and change module) and a post-graduate-level course on organizational behavior and strategic management. This case is suitable for courses on organizational development, change and strategy implementation. Organizational behavior and organizational development and change can be used to understand the core concepts of the change content and process, i.e. the scope and scale of the change. The case also touches on inducing a dynamic change in response to the pandemic in an educational setting, teaching the concepts of dynamic capabilities. It is also expected to be useful for teaching courses related to operations strategies in educational services for executive degree programs and faculty development workshops. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

The Flip-flop Toys of Saarenald T. S. Yaawaisan in the Bryn Mawr Art and Artifact Collections

The Flip-flop Toys of Saarenald T. S. Yaawaisan in the Bryn Mawr Art and Artifact Collections

Repositioning and diversification in crisis times: a case of ShakahariS by Awadhpuri

Learning outcomes Students discussing the case will be able to:▪ Evaluate and decide the marketing strategy that will best align the organizational resources and capabilities with the external environment.▪ Demonstrate the process of segmentation and choose the most attractive target market.▪ Analyze the competition and develop an effective positioning strategy.▪ Evaluate and use different growth strategies in business situations. Case overview/synopsis The case demonstrated the decision-making process behind the post-pandemic strategy of ShakahariS by Awadhpuri, a restaurant in the emerging Indian market. The restaurant was situated in Ahmedabad, one of the fastest-growing mini-metro cites of the Indian restaurant industry. It was known for authentic Indian vegetarian cuisine. The restaurant, originally named Awadhpuri, was started in 2012 by Ms. Vandana Singh. It was positioned as a non-vegetarian restaurant providing Awadhi cuisine in the fine-dining segment known for its ambiance and authentic taste. However, due to the predominant vegetarian market in Ahmedabad city, the restaurant was rebranded and repositioned as ShakahariS by Awadhpuri, serving only vegetarian cuisine in 2018. The years 2019–2020 were very harsh due to the Covid-19 crisis. During the uncertain times when the lockdowns and the guidelines kept on changing, it was difficult for the restaurant to even recover their costs. It was a good time to explore the possibilities of the cloud kitchen format, and they came up with multiple kitchens offering different cuisines and targeted new customer segments. The case highlighted these survival strategies adopted by the restaurant during Covid. Post-pandemic, the protagonist was now contemplating a long-term growth strategy for the restaurant to target a new market with a new offering. The dilemma for the restaurant is whether (or not) to align the marketing strategy by repositioning again to cater to the new target segment. Complexity academic level Undergraduate courses on Business Management (BBA) and specific topics in introductory courses on marketing management and strategic management of the post-management programs. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

The use of technologies by university professors

The need to change from the traditional teaching model to the virtual one due to the social isolation leads to discussions about maximizing the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education. This study aimed to evaluate the profile of the use of technologies in education and the acceptance and resistance to the use of ICT by faculty members in higher education in health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is a quantitative observational cross-sectional study, carried out from March to December 2020, with the universe of investigation being all the teachers linked to the undergraduate level courses in the health area of a higher education institution. The results show that of all the professionals surveyed (n = 248), 46.4% (n = 115) had already had access to knowledge or some training in ICT. When comparing data from before and during the pandemic, we observed a significant increase in the indicators of teachers' experience in remote classes (from 5.2% to 72.2%), knowledge about virtual learning resources (from 8,1% to 60.9%), consideration of the importance of knowledge about ICT (from 46.4% to 98.4%) and training in the area (from 19.4% to 55.7%), besides the reduction in the level of difficulty of teachers regarding the change from the traditional model to the technological one (from 26.6% to 3.6%). We conclude that most teachers improved their acceptance of ICT use during the pandemic. The transition from the traditional to the virtual model positively impacted this process.

Data Teams in Teacher Preparation: Improving Data-Based Instruction in Reading

Data-based instruction (DBI) is a process of collecting and using student progress data to guide decision-making related to intervention intensity and individualization for students with learning disabilities (LD). However, effective DBI requires that teachers have a range of knowledge and skills across multiple domains. Past research has shown that data teams can improve teachers’ use of data for instructional decision-making. This article describes the use of simulated data teams to build capacity for DBI among pre-service teachers in an undergraduate-level university course focused on intensive reading intervention. Three components are described for each weekly data team meeting: (a) mini professional development session (e.g., instruction led by course instructor focused on key DBI knowledge and skills), (b) data chat (e.g., review and discussion of student data), and (c) completion of a weekly team activity and submission. The structure and implementation of this 5-week, multi-component professional learning tool are detailed.