Performance In Introductory Courses Research Articles

Life Science Research Immersion Program Improves STEM-Specific Skills and Science Attitudes among Precollege Students.

A predicted rapid growth in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers demands a vast and talented workforce, but students most commonly abandon STEM majors within the first 2 years of college. Performance in introductory courses, scientific literacy, and the ability to critically reason are main predictors of retention in STEM, highlighting the importance of precollege and early college experience. The Life Science Research Immersion Program (LSRIP) is a novel science education model that focuses on the development of scientific research skills, thus preparing students for introductory college courses and beyond. To evaluate the efficacy of the LSRIP, pre- and postprogram assessments and surveys were administered to three precollege student cohorts. Scientific reasoning assessment scores improved by 4.70% in Summer 2019 (P < 0.01), 9.44% in Fall 2019 (P < 0.05), and 0.97% in Winter 2020 cohorts, with two of five questions showing statistically significant improvement. Surveyed attitudes toward science improved in 62.9% of questions across all cohorts. These results suggest that research immersion experiences are an effective educational instrument for improving and promoting scientific reasoning and attitudes among precollege students. To better prepare students for success in STEM higher education and careers, we recommend implementing LSRIPs to complement traditional precollege science curricula.

The Relationship Between First-Year Learning Communities and Academic Performance in Introductory Psychology and Sociology

Objective: How do learning communities influence academic performance in Introductory Psychology? Method: The present research examines the relationship between participation in first-year students learning communities and academic performance across a variety of course requirements (midterms, finals, papers, and class participation) in introductory psychology and, for comparison, sociology courses. Results: Students who took Introductory Psychology as part of a first-year-student learning community outperformed their peers (who took the same course without a learning community) on the first exam of the semester and were less likely to miss assignments but otherwise showed no significant differences on the other course assignments; introductory sociology students part of these communities showed even greater differences in performance that lasted through the end of the semester. Conclusion: First-year students learning communities offers significant albeit limited benefits for student performance in introductory courses in the social sciences. Teaching Implications: Short of institutional efforts to enact programming for first-year learning communities, introductory psychology instructors can attempt to simulate the experience of such communities by promoting a sense of belonging via extra-curricular service or discipline-related activities.

A differentiated picture of student performance in introductory courses to theory of computation

ABSTRACT Background and Context Considerable numbers of Computer science (CS) undergraduate majors struggle in Theory of Computation (ToC) courses, which strengthen bimodality beliefs of student performance. Reasons for students struggling are assumed to be manifold but substantial ground is based on studies providing singular insights into this matter. Objective To understand students’ issues with ToC, we analysed their performance on homework and exams and replicated our study in two consecutive years. Method We used exploratory data analysis to compare students’ performances within single assignments. With one-way analyses of variances, we focused on significant differences between the years. Findings Our results indicate that students’ homework performance did not predict their exam performance and that all students, independent of their grade, had the most difficulty with formal proofs. Implications Our results challenge potential beliefs about bimodal student performance indicating all CS undergraduates require thorough training in proof techniques to improve their overall performance in ToC.

Improving Performance and Retention in Introductory Biology with a Utility-Value Intervention.

One way to encourage performance and persistence in STEM fields is to have students write about the utility value (UV) or personal relevance of course topics to their life. This intervention has been shown to increase engagement and performance in introductory courses. However, questions remain about the longevity of the effects and how best to implement the intervention in terms of dosage and timing. We tested a UV intervention in the first semester of a two-semester introductory biology sequence. For each of three units across the semester, students (N = 577) were randomly assigned to receive either a UV writing assignment, in which they explained why course material was useful to them personally, or a control assignment, in which they summarized course material. This fully crossed design tested the effect of UV dosage level (0, 1, 2, or 3 UV assignments) as well as the effect of timing (e.g., UV first, control first). We found that students exposed to any dosage of UV earned higher grades in the course, were more likely to enroll in the second course of the biology sequence, and were less likely to abandon their STEM major than students who did not receive any UV assignments. In terms of timing, students with a history of poor performance benefitted from writing a UV essay in the beginning of the semester, whereas higher-performing students benefitted from a UV essay at the end of the semester. Recommendations for practice are discussed.

Using Economics Podcasts to Engage Students of Different Learning Styles

Preliminary results from an assessment of the use of economics-themed podcast listening in introductory economic courses indicate that students with auditory/verbal learning styles improve their understanding and application of economic concepts more than students with other learning styles. Literature has considered the role of student learning styles in student performance in introductory courses in various disciplines (e.g. Thomas et al., SIGCSE Bull, 2002). Others have considered in a nondiscipline-specific context the impact of teaching style compared to student learning style on student performance (e.g. Lopus and Hoff, The Journal of Private Enterprise, 2009). Recent research focuses on the use of podcasts to enhance online learning (Bollinger, Supanakorn & Boggs, Computers & Education, 2010; Caladine, Enhancing e-learning with media-rich content and interactions, 2008) and on the use of podcasts of instructors’ live lectures to supplement online and real time courses (Copley, Innovation in Education and Teaching International, 2007; McKinney, Dyck and Luber, Computers & Education, 2009). The podcasts utilized in this paper are not the recorded lectures often discussed in recent literature, but publicly available economic-themed audio-only podcasts focusing on economics related current and cultural events that are used as required instructional element for introductory economics courses. Listening to economic-themed podcasts outside of class along with traditional textbook reading reinforces concepts by presenting them across a variety of instructional methods. Podcasts also provide a method to bring economic content to students with a variety of learning styles. Required podcast assignments may be particularly useful for auditory learners, who learn and remember best by listening (Bozorgmanesh et al., Nature and Science, 2011; Taylor, Journal of Political Science Education, 2009). While it is common to integrate strategies for auditory, visual (those who learn Int Adv Econ Res (2013) 19:201–202 DOI 10.1007/s11294-013-9396-1

A Further Note on the Treatment of Serial Correlation

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