Non-technical Courses Research Articles

Comparative Evaluation of Dental Hygiene Awareness among Student Population Studying in Various Technical and Nontechnical Courses.

Achieving patient compliance is a key goal in oral health, necessitating early education on good dental hygiene practices. This study assesses dental hygiene awareness among college students in various disciplines. A questionnaire focusing on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dental hygiene was distributed to 400 students from medical, nursing, engineering, and other undergraduate programs, divided into groups of 100 each. The survey also considered economic backgrounds and oral hygiene behaviors. Responses were collected online, with data analyzed using the Chi-square test and Pearson's coefficient to determine statistical significance (P < 0.05). All collected responses were valid, revealing that most students, primarily from middle- or lower-income groups, have a satisfactory level of knowledge regarding oral hygiene. Over 90% recognize its importance for overall health. While practices were generally good, areas for improvement were identified, alongside an overall positive attitude. However, infrequent dental visits were noted as a concern. Focusing on improving oral hygiene attitudes and practices among the younger generation could have long-term benefits, especially in developing countries aiming for better oral health outcomes.

Part-time adult students’ satisfaction with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many tertiary institutions switching overnight from taught to online lectures without much preparation. Studies suggest that the sudden change has impacted on students’ satisfaction with online learning in differing ways. Yet, little is known about how this change impacted specifically on adult part-time students, which is the focus of this study. Methods: Part-time adult undergraduate students responded to a mixed methods online questionnaire. Close-ended questions were analysed quantitatively in order to determine levels of satisfaction with online learning during COVID-19 as well as its correlates. Open-ended questions were analysed qualitatively in order to explore the perceived benefits and challenges associated with online learning during this period. Results: Levels of satisfaction with online learning were found to be high, especially among students who were female, those who did not have young children, had partners who worked in excess of 40 hours, were able to follow lectures from locations other than the home, and those following non-technical courses. Several benefits of online learning were identified, including time saved on commuting, the ability to study from the comfort of home and the fact that lectures could now be recorded. Challenges included those related to technology, a lack of interaction amongst students and part-time lecturers who struggled with the sudden switch to online learning. Despite this, most students indicated they would like online lectures to continue to various degrees even after it was safe to return to class. Conclusion and implications: Online lectures were generally rated positively by adult part-time students. In view of the benefits and some of the challenges associated with online learning, it is recommended that future academic programmes adopt a blended approach whilst more support is provided to those who find it challenging to follow lectures from home.

Mediation analysis of students' perceived benefits in predicting their satisfaction to technology-enhanced learning

PurposeStudents' perception towards learning technologies in the disruptive times like coronavirus disease (2019) COVID-19 is what the educational institutes are striving to know so that the educational institutes could provide the best learning experiences to students. The present study attempts to identify the technology-enhanced learning (TEL) factors (i.e. informational quality, compatibility, resource availability, self-efficacy, subjective norms, subject interest and informational quality) with the mediation effect of perceived benefits on student satisfaction to TEL amongst non-technical students of different college/universities at Chhattisgarh state.Design/methodology/approachPurposive sampling technique with “criterion variable” was applied to collect responses from 600 participants. Students, who are enrolled in non-technical courses at different colleges/universities, were participated in the present study. The data collection process was completed during April–November 2019.FindingsThe results revealed that perceived benefits to TEL were significantly and positively mediated between all the TEL factors (i.e. information quality, compatibility, resource availability, self-efficacy, subjective norms, subject interest and institutional branding) and student satisfaction to TEL.Originality/valueThe present study itself is a novel study by taking TEL factors such as informational quality, compatibility, resource availability, self-efficacy, subjective norms, subject interest and institutional branding by considering perceived benefits as mediator to examine the influence on student satisfaction to TEL.

Achievement Motivation of Foreign Students Pursuing Technical and Non-Technical Courses in LPU: A Cross Cultural Study

Achievement motivation is the desire to achieve a standard of excellence, to do well for the sake of doing well rather than for extrinsic reward. It has been noticed by behavioural scientists that people have an intense desire to achieve something, while others may not seem that concerned about their achievement. In the present research, descriptive survey method and purposive sampling technique was used. The investigator collected data from twenty five (25) foreign students selected purposively from Engineering, Computer Sciences and Paramedical Sciences from Lovely Professional University to constitute a total sample of 50 students under technical courses. Similarly, 25 students have been selected purposively from Education, Humanities and Management to constitute a total sample of 50 students under professional courses. Deo Mohan Achievement Motivation Scale developed by Deo and Mohan (1985) has been used for the research work. The results reflect that the students enrolled in technical and professional courses possess moderate level of achievement motivation. However, they do not differ in their achievement motivation level. Hence, it can be concluded that nature of courses and achievement motivation of the students are not interrelated.

Revisiting E-education platforms for nontechnical courses to aid online teaching during pandemic times in India: A review

The education system worldwide has been greatly impacted by COVID-19 pandemic 2019–2020, which has led to the temporary closure of both primary and higher education sectors, posing an uncertainty among the system and other concerned fraternities. Citing the potential disruption of learning activities, the UNESCO recommended the use of distance learning programs and open educational platforms that schools and teachers can use to reach learners remotely and limit the disruption of education. With the challenge of fighting the pandemic in one hand and preventing the hampering of education on the other hand, India has called to continue the educational process making an effective use of technology and other available options. The paper is aimed to review such e-platform and initiatives set up in the government portals itself long before any idea of the dawn of current pandemic which can offer a great bundle of resourcefulness for the faculties to monitor continuous learning experience in this pandemic time.

Effectiveness of online teaching and learning of wood science and technology courses during the COVID-19 pandemic: Early evidences from a survey of Malaysian universities

Wood Science and Technology (WST) courses have been traditionally taught face-to-face in most of the universities worldwide, but the global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted classroom lessons, replacing them with online teaching and learning methods. To assess the effectiveness of these online methods, a survey of students and academics were carried out in several Malaysian universities offering the WST programs. The survey revealed that students were mostly challenged by the problems related to access to internet, computer hardware, and lack of communication. Further, the student-centered learning method was preferred, while non-technical courses were the most suited for online teaching and learning. In contrast, academics appear to prefer pre-recorded lectures and recorded videos as the most common method for teaching online, while continuous assessment of the student’s progress found limited application. The results found that to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning online of WST courses, factors such as connectivity, student’s preparedness, content design, pedagogical approach, peer communication, and the teacher’s presence, must be taken into consideration and improved.

The Impact of Teaching Operating Systems using Two Different Teaching Modalities

This paper presents a preliminary look at the performance of two cohorts enrolled in an Operating System course which was taught using two different teaching delivery methods. Operating systems is a technical, senior-level, undergraduate course that includes abstract concepts, mechanisms, and their implementations. This course exposes students to a UNIX-based operating system and includes concurrent programming (threads and synchronization), inter-process communication, CPU scheduling main memory, and virtual memory management. Technical courses present an additional dimension of difficulty when compared to non-technical courses which are more focused on soft skills because they require strong technical skills such as programming and problem-solving. This paper discusses other research studies and statistical data which underscore some of the challenges and differences encountered when teaching a traditional face-to-face versus an online course and the impact on student success. In this work, the 2019 cohort was taught operating systems in the traditional face-to-face modality, while the 2020 cohort was taught the course using the synchronous online modality. The synchronous online modality is very similar to the face-to-face traditional class, in that, lectures are delivered in real-time; this allows students to ask the instructor questions in real-time. Each cohort was tested on the same course objectives (topics) over one semester in 2019 and 2020. The instructor presents the students’ performance on three(3) course exams and discusses the differences and similarities in their overall performance between the two groups.

FROM STEM TO STEAM IN ENGINEERING DESIGN

Creativity, communication skills, interdisciplinary sensitivity, and cultural and civic responsibility are vital skills and perspectives to inculcate in contemporary engineering students. A number of studies have demonstrated the benefits of exposing engineering students to arts, as studying arts and humanities can open up their minds to creative ideas from great minds outside of science and engineering. In most cases, engineering students are exposed to the arts by taking a few non-technical courses as electives. Many students view these courses as less important and irrelevant to their field of studies. Integrating the arts into the technical engineering curriculum is challenging but critical to engineering design, particularly in early years, and represents a natural opportunity. This paper discusses the approach taken by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa of exposing students to the arts through curricular and extra-curricular design activities. These include offering design challenges, a first-year engineering design course and summer internships. This paper also discusses the challenges that arise in delivering such curriculum and the impact of such exposure on the engineering students involved.

FROM STEM TO STEAM IN ENGINEERING DESIGN

Creativity, communication skills, interdisciplinary sensitivity, and cultural and civic responsibility are vital skills and perspectives to inculcate in contemporary engineering students. A number of studies have demonstrated the benefits of exposing engineering students to arts, as studying arts and humanities can open up their minds to creative ideas from great minds outside of science and engineering. In most cases, engineering students are exposed to the arts by taking a few non-technical courses as electives. Many students view these courses as less important and irrelevant to their field of studies. Integrating the arts into the technical engineering curriculum is challenging but critical to engineering design, particularly in early years, and represents a natural opportunity. This paper discusses the approach taken by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa of exposing students to the arts through curricular and extra-curricular design activities. These include offering design challenges, a first-year engineering design course and summer internships. This paper also discusses the challenges that arise in delivering such curriculum and the impact of such exposure on the engineering students involved.

Identifying Effective and Successful Teaching Strategies Using the PERIA Model

The purpose of this paper is to outline effective strategies that increase student learning and stimulate the development of reflective thinking in undergraduate courses. Specifically, it shows that class activities using the PERIA model (Preparation, Experience, Reflection, Integration, and Application) can increase student learning in a variety of technical and non-technical courses. The first example illustrates the use of games and simulations to stimulate and encourage reflective learning in an economics course where students discuss, reflect, practice and apply what they learned from the simulation. The second technique illustrates cooperative learning using small group discussions, case studies, and brief presentations in the context of a discussion-oriented moral philosophy class. The third example uses a Nearpod application in an active, learner-centered Spanish classroom to encourage metalinguistic discussion, communicative uses of language, and even intercultural comparisons. The final example demonstrates how a mathematics course, historically dependent upon lecture, can use consulting projects and a cyclical approach to the PERIA process to increase student learning.

Executive Education in India: Current State and What Next?

Executive education that has metamorphosed itself as the convergence of technology, rich media and on-the-go learning has created an array of exciting choices before the busy executive to upskill herself at different stages of her career. The range of choices and price points does not necessarily come with a compromise in quality as world-class cutting-edge content is being beamed in on the mobile, in classroom and through the satellite. It is now possible for the executive to take both technical and non-technical courses at a place, time and duration of her choosing. The blended options allow on-campus classroom immersion along with virtual distance learning with a global learning cohort.

40-4-40: educational and economic outcomes of a free, international surgical training event

Purpose of studyTo demonstrate a model for delivery of an international surgical training event, and demonstrate its educational and economic outcomes.Study designThe Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) ran a...

ROLE OF REFERRAL MARKETING IN HIGHER EDUCATION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PRIVATE SECTOR

Referral marketing is being increasingly used in marketing of services, like education, finance &amp; other hospitality services. As more and more private universities have come into existence. So all are trying to woo students to pursue variety of technical and non-technical courses offered by them, &amp; referral marketing may be an Innovative tool in their marketing efforts.&#x0D; Referral marketing is using People as the new media for reaching prospective customers. In the context of Higher education in general the competition in private sector between institutions, is intensifying. In Education, students are seen as the customers. Some authors view the corporate as the customers of institutions and students as products. Education being a service and is people based, referral marketing is suitable &amp; Offering incentives to encourage referral behavior is being practiced.&#x0D; This study basically focuses on revealing how colleges and institutions are using promotional tools to position their distinctiveness and what is the importance of Referral marketing in it. This study aims at to gauge the effectiveness of WOM. Ultimately how does incentive influence the referral behavior?.

Improved Teaching Techniques in Technical Education

The main purpose of this study is to present a contemporary educational model that addresses the students concerns and coops with the new technological changes in the society. The model incorporates two types of courses, technical courses and non-technical courses. New approach called Active Learning Techniques (ALT) will also be presented. These techniques put the students in the center of the teaching and learning process, where students can assume calculated risk based on their performance in the class. Students can be rewarded by their classmates for excellent academic performance in a challenging and exciting way under well defined and unanimously approved rules at the beginning of the semester. This ALT is proved to be very effective for the weak and below average students. Results of class study will be presented.

Student attraction to engineering through flexibility and breadth in the curriculum

Several European universities provide entry to general engineering studies prior to degree specialisation. The potential advantages of such entry include the provision of a broader foundation in engineering fundamentals, the option for students to defer specialisation until a greater awareness of the different engineering disciplines and the preparation of students for a more versatile career. In this paper, the attractiveness of general engineering (specifically in the first year of study) is explored through a national (UK) survey on pre-university students. Attention is given to gauging student enthusiasm for flexibility in engineering specialisation, combined degree options and exposure to other non-technical courses. The findings indicate that a general engineering programme is highly attractive to students who are currently considering an engineering degree. The programme is also attractive to some students who had previously not considered engineering. For both sets of students, the desire for education on broader topics is indicated, specifically in areas of leadership, teamwork and business skills, and more generally self-awareness and personal development.

Motivating Engineering and Technical Students to Learn Technical Writing by Inculcating Lifelong Learning Skills

The government, industry and the academia saw the importance of soft skills to engineering and technology education. Lifelong learning skill is an attribute in soft skills; one of the thrusts in the National Higher Education Strategic Plan of Malaysia. This paper discusses how lifelong learning skill is imparted in a technical writing course at a private engineering and technology focused university. Their coursework is designed to hone this skill. It is found that students can be motivated to learn if the relevance of the course is clearly explained to them and if they are shown how it would be helpful to them once they begin to work. This study implies that lifelong learning skills can be taught in technical and non-technical courses as it transcends the curriculum.

E-business education worldwide: On the right track?

This study built on previous research to explore the availability and characteristics of e-business master’s degree programmes. Data were collected from college and university web sites. Required courses were categorised according to their apparent emphasis on business, e-business, or technical content. Findings suggest that the number of e-business master’s programmes has increased on all continents since 2001, with the exception of North America. The North American programmes appeared to require more non-technical business courses relative to programmes based on other continents, as represented in the data. Composition of the curricula is compared to literature on e-business success factors. Implications for educational programme design are discussed.

Nontraditional Students in Community Colleges and the Model of College Outcomes for Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine three components of Donaldson and Graham's (1999) model of college outcomes for adults: (a) Prior Experience & Personal Biographies, (b) the Connecting Classroom, and (c) Life-World Environment. The study was also to assess the application of these components to traditional and nontraditional students in community colleges in both technical and nontechnical courses. This study found that nontraditional students vary from traditional students in regards to the three model constructs. A post hoc descriptive discriminate analysis determined that the Life-World Environment component contributed the most to group differences with the minimally nontraditional group scoring the highest on this construct.

Technical versus Non-Technical Students: Does Emotional Intelligence Matter?

Intellectual Quotient (IQ) has long been considered in education as the deciding factor in a person's success but have we overlooked emotional intelligence (EI) in determining one's success in life? In my attempt to reexamine the acceptance of EI, I studied the difference in EI between different groups of undergraduates in Singapore in terms of their field of study, gender and university. The sample comprised undergraduates from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National University of Singapore (NUS), with a fair mix of gender and field of study. From their responses to an EI questionnaire, it was found that there was no significant difference in EI between undergraduates who study technical and non-technical courses, as well as between undergraduates of NTU and NUS, although male undergraduates achieved higher EI scores than female undergraduates.

Ferment in Business Education: E-Commerce Master's Programs

Business schools are developing strategies to prepare students for the new digital economy. In this study, the authors investigated recently launched master's programs in e-commerce by reviewing the curriculum and course descriptions of 67 programs that had Web listings of their programs. Findings suggest that the programs offered more nontechnical e-commerce courses than courses focusing on e-commerce technology. The authors explored the debate between those who believe e-commerce is a new discipline requiring its own degree programs and those who would weave e-commerce content into existing functional area courses.