Practice In Undergraduate Education Research Articles

Students’ achievement and opinions on the implementation of e-learning for phonetics and phonology lectures at Airlangga University

Abstract The demand of e-learning at higher education has increased significantly in the past several years. In Indonesia, the implementation of e-learning has been encouraged by the government since 2011. However, universities are still looking for the most appropriate e-learning system, and unsure of the effectiveness of e-learning program. This paper discusses the implementation of e-learning system at Airlangga University, one of the top five state-owned universities in Indonesia. The e-learning system implemented in this university follows the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, i.e. encourage contacts between student and faculty; develop reciprocity and cooperation among students; use active learning techniques; give prompt feedback; emphasize time on task; communicate high expectations; and respect diverse talents and ways of learning. The e-learning platform at this university is called AULA (Airlangga University e-Learning Application). The respondents of this study were the students who took the General Linguistics course, particularly for the lectures on Phonetics and Phonology. Based on the t-test calculation of the exam scores, we conclude that there is no significant difference between the results of the e-learning and those of the classroom learning. The results of questionnaires show that 85% of the students are satisfied with the implementation of e-learning as they think that the e-learning makes it easier for them to understand the materials, it is fun, and is convenient to access. For further implementation, the students suggested the additions of podcasts and games, more time for the quizzes, and improvement of the e-learning platform.

Education is the Only Business Where the Customer is Satisfied with Less of the Product.

Faculty members need to be vigilant to avoid a slide toward decreased efforts in the classroom. The demand for “good teaching” may not come from the students in the class, who have many activities taking up their time and are often satisfied with a course that makes minimal demands; however, even tenured faculty members should strive for higher standards, including maintaining high expectations of the students. One of the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education, as espoused by Chickering and Gamson, is “communicates high expectations” (1); that is, students tend to put in the effort necessary to meet expectations, so it makes sense to set a high bar for performance, even though it may take extra work on the part of the instructor.

Evaluation Instruments and Good Practices in Online Education

Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education offers extensively researched and validated tenets for best practices in higher education. After a review of the literature, twenty-eight evaluation instruments currently used to design and review online courses in higher education institutions were collected and divided into categories, based on geographical reach and the type of institution for which they were developed. This study investigates how evaluation instruments used in higher education assess the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, and what other items are addressed in the evaluation of courses. Findings show that national and statewide evaluation instruments were less institute specific and more closely aligned to the principles of good practice, and that evaluation instruments often measure extraneous items (e.g., student services, navigation, resources, or institutional support). Additional findings and conclusions based on the analysis of the instruments are discussed.

Faculty use of Twitter in higher education teaching

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine how higher education teachers are using Twitter in their classroom to engage, educate, and inform students. The results were measured against Chickering and Gamson (1987) “Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education.”Design/methodology/approachA survey was sent to college and university educators throughout the country who were identified as teachers who use Twitter in their classroom. These educators were asked about their Twitter use, their opinions of Twitter, the impact the social network has had on student learning, the students’ reactions to using Twitter, and how Twitter supported pedagogical best practices, including the “Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education”.FindingsThe educators reported that student response to using Twitter in the classroom was overwhelmingly positive and that Twitter has positively impacted student learning. The results also indicate that college educators consider that Twitter use in classes does support the seven principles.Research limitations/implicationsWhile college instructors from a wide range of institutions, locations, subject types, and experience levels were surveyed, a limitation is that only their opinions are being examined. Future research may wish to examine the Twitter accounts of these professors to determine if they are using Twitter in the manner that they think they are. Results from the survey could then be compared with the tweet content.Originality/valueWhile previous research has examined how students use and appreciate Twitter in the classroom, this is one of the first studies to examine how the social network is implemented from an instructor viewpoint. The results demonstrate value to instructors. For instructors, the value lies in the knowledge that Twitter has had a positive impact on classroom success for students and that using the social network promotes best practices in pedagogy, supporting constructivism, experiential learning, and the “Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education”. For administrators, the value lies in the fact that many instructors have had success using Twitter and that more should be encouraged to do the same in their classrooms.

Sales Simulation Games

This study combines the perspective of students ( n = 137) and sales instructors ( n = 248). It compares how well selling and sales management simulation games, case discussions, and traditional lectures are perceived to conform to the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. The study further compares each method’s performance on perceived learning outcomes. Differences between instructors who adopted a simulation game and nonadopters are investigated. Finally, we investigate the reasons why some instructors adopt and others choose not to adopt simulation games for their selling and sales management classes. We find that students consider simulation games more fun, but less useful than lectures, and about equally useful as case discussion. Computerized simulation games are less frequently used in sales education than in other business disciplines. The perceived lack of suitable games is the main reason why instructors do not adopt simulation games for sales education. Contrary to earlier speculation, prior professional work experience of the instructor is unrelated to simulation game adoption, and years of teaching experience is positively related to the use of simulation games.

Using US Tuning to effect: The American Historical Association’s Tuning Project and the first year research paper

While research has long been recognized as a high impact practice in undergraduate education, much of the scholarship on undergraduate research has focused on students in the final years of their degree. This article describes a study of the ability of first year students to undertake historical research in an introductory level course at a small liberal arts college. It discusses the challenges that first year student’s face in interpreting primary sources, working with multiple sources and crafting arguments based narratives about their findings. It also documents how a research paper assignment advances students’ historical thinking skills and contribute to the development of what the American Historical Association has termed the “core competencies” in the discipline.

Innovations and best practice in undergraduate education.

University-based scientists hold the collective responsibility for educating the next generation of citizens, scientists and voters, but the degree to which they are individually trained and rewarded for this pursuit is variable. This F1000Research channel has its origin in a Society for Experimental Biology Conference held in Prague, 2015 and brings together researchers who excel at undergraduate education or the scholarship of teaching and learning to discuss challenges and best practices in contemporary higher science education.

Promoting Cultural Competence, Health Behaviors, and Professional Practice in Undergraduate Education through Peer Learning

Cultural competence (CC) has been identified as an important skill for all healthcare and public health professionals, and it must be integrated into all aspects of health practice. However, few university and college health education programs in North America have included CC education in their curriculums. This article describes an organizational model that can be used in a health behavior promotion class for undergraduate health science majors to promote students' CC, as well as professional skills and health behaviors. The article also provides suggestions and a checklist for those who are interested in implementing similar programs in higher education settings.

Practical Teaching Aids for Online Classes

The seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education, developed by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson, will be reviewed. The use of technology, especially web-based online technology, to apply these principles in teaching and learning will be examined; an example of such an implementation in an online computer class will be given together with some very specific teaching aids that can successfully be used in online classes; and further suggestions for successful online teaching will be discussed. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future implementations will be also discussed.

Bridging Student Engagement and Satisfaction: A Comparison between Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions

Over the last 40 years, numerous studies have been conducted on the impacts of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on African American students. An overwhelming majority of these studies attested to the beneficial academic and developmental effects of HBCUs for African American students (Allen, 1992; Astin, Tsui, & Avalos, 1996; Bonous-Hammarth & Boatsman, 1996; Davis, 1991; Fleming, 1984; Harper et al., 2004; Kim & Conrad, 2006; Roebuck & Murty, 1993; Seifert, Drummond, & Pascarella, 2006). Numerous other studies compared aspects of African American undergraduate experiences at HBCUs and predominantly White institutions (PWIs) and concluded that African American students learned better and were more satisfied at HBCUs than at PWIs (Bohr et al., 1995; Cokley, 1999; DeSousa & Kuh, 1996; Flowers & Pascarella, 1999; Kim & Conrad, 2006; Palmer & Gasman, 2008; Watson & Kuh, 1996).Among these studies, many have addressed the topic of student engagement, and some addressed the issue of student satisfaction, but few focused on the relationships between student engagement and student satisfaction (Outcalt & Skewes-Cox, 2002). Researchers have found that positive student satisfaction is connected with higher student persistence, better word-of-mouth reputation of the institution (Schreiner, 2009), more alumni involvement, and increased financial contributions (Gaier, 2005; Miller & Casebeer, 1990; Monks, 2003), all of which are desirable outcomes of higher education. Therefore, the authors wondered if increasing student engagement would lead to higher student satisfaction at HBCUs, which in turn may lead to the above-mentioned desirable outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student engagement and student satisfaction for African Americans who enrolled at HBCUs and PWIs. For the purpose of this study a new method of selecting peer institutions for HBCUs was adapted, which would yield a more comparable group of institutions.LITERATURE REVIEWStudent Engagement and SatisfactionAlexander Astin's (1984, 1985, 1991) theory of student involvement and educational assessment framework-input-environment-outcome (I-E-O) model-provided the foundation and conceptual framework to understand the importance and impact of college student engagement. The last several decades have seen voluminous research in college student development supporting Astin's claim that the time and energy students devote to educationally purposeful activities is one of the best predictors of their learning and personal development in college (Astin, 1993; Carini, Kuh, & Klein, 2006; Kuh et al., 2008; Kuh et al., 2010; Pace, 1980; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991, 2005). Wolf-Wendel and associates (2009) pointed out that the concept of student engagement actually includes two components. The first component of student engagement is what Astin called student involvement, which is the amount of physical and psychological energy students devote to educational experiences. The second component of student engagement involves how many resources and efforts an institution puts into creating and maintaining a nurturing environment that promotes student involvement (Kuh, 2001). The importance of the second component of student engagement is that institutions that more fully engage their students in educational activities can claim to be of higher quality in comparison with similar types of colleges and universities (Kuh, 2004).Certain institutional practices are known to lead to high levels of student engagement. For example, in 1987, Chickering and Gamson published the Seven Principles of Good Practices in Undergraduate Education. These seven principles have been studied extensively and dispensed widely in many aspects of American higher education (Caboni, Mundy, & Duesterhaus, 2002; Chickering & Gamson, 1999; Poulsen, 1991;RoschN Sorcinelli, 1991; Whitt et al. …

Assessing student group work: is there a right way to do it?

Many law courses include at least some elements of group work within compulsory or optional modules. The benefits of group work include at least four of the seven “Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education”.1 In addition, employers consistently ask for good team-working skills, evidence of which is often provided by reference to group projects at university. Previous research by the authors2 confirms other reports in the literature that many students find group work difficult, and particularly resent other students “freeloading” from their work.3 They also experience frustration at non-participation by other students and not being able to choose their team mates. This resentment can be exacerbated if all students receive the same mark for the finished project regardless of input. In this article, the authors reflect upon our experiences of setting and grading group work in our own courses and institutions. We will consider different assessment approaches, including peer assessment,4 lecturer assessment, student participation – enhancing student understanding of assessment criteria,5 a mixture of peer and lecturer assessment, assessment of group work as part of a portfolio,6 and non-assessed group work feeding into individual assessments.

Lecture is not a Dirty Word, How to Use Active Lecture to Increase Student Engagement

Lecture is a much maligned classroom method of instruction. Like any other technique employed by educators, there are both effective and ineffective ways to deliver content through a lecture format. Respecting that the college learner has changed, active lecturing strategies maximize student learning of course content, engaging both modern learners and teachers at higher levels. The active lecture strategies presented are grounded in Chickering and Gamson’s seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education and provide a balanced approach to providing content and opportunities to connect to the content that help students not only master the material presented in class, but also the out-of-class material students access in their readings and experiences.

From Theory to Practice: Integrating Instructional Technology into Veterinary Medical Education

Technology has changed the landscape of teaching and learning. The integration of instructional technology into teaching for meaningful learning is an issue for all educators to consider. In this article, we introduce educational theories including constructivism, information-processing theory, and dual-coding theory, along with the seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education. We also discuss five practical instructional strategies and the relationship of these strategies to the educational theories. From theory to practice, the purpose of the article is to share our application of educational theory and practice to work toward more innovative teaching in veterinary medical education.

An Examination of the Effectiveness of Case Method Teaching Online

This article discusses the effectiveness of the case method when teaching online by comparing synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies with respect to how well they each embody Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. The authors also present their empirical study of the effectiveness of different online case discussion methods with respect to student learning and satisfaction. The empirical findings suggest that student satisfaction and perceived learning are affected by the type of technology used to implement the case method online. The technology used for case discussions in an online course seems to matter, especially with respect to how well it enhances students’ engagement and interaction with the instructor and their fellow students.

Building Community: Stories and Strategies for Future Learning Community Faculty and Professionals (review)

Reviewed by: Building Community: Stories and Strategies for Future Learning Community Faculty and Professionals Kirsten Kennedy Building Community: Stories and Strategies for Future Learning Community Faculty and Professionals. Terra Peckskamp & Carrie McLaughlin (Editors). The Graduate School Press Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 123 pages, $19.95 (softcover) With more institutions creating, sustaining, deepening, and broadening their learning community efforts, Building Community seeks to share stories of success and challenge that will assist colleges and universities create a learning community program that “has positive impacts on students, engages faculty, and is well coordinated” (p. 2). Editors Terra Peckskamp and Carrie McLaughlin from Syracuse University utilize local contributors for their stories. Certainly Syracuse has a strong history of learning communities, consistently ranked as one of the top learning community schools by US News and World Report. The book is separated into two major sections: the first provides a foundation of the history, structure and assessment of learning communities; the second is a series of 12 essays by Syracuse University graduate students, staff and a sprinkling of faculty about their experiences teaching and learning in a learning community. The text begins with a brief and recent history of learning community concepts by Dianna Winslow. Heather Strine Patton follows with a primer on the variety in structural configurations of learning communities. The next two chapters focus on qualitative assessment of learning communities, with jared halter and Camila Lertora Nardozzi providing tips and strategies for qualitative learning community assessment, and W. Leslie Burleson and Michele Tarnow revealing challenges and recommendations from faculty and staff involved in learning communities. The second section of the book includes a dozen reflective essays about Syracuse University learning communities. Eileen Strempel describes her experience integrating her art course with a writing course. Based on his experience in the Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship learning community, Eric M. Alderman provides a how-to guide on creating a new learning community. Silvio Torres-Saillant and James Duah-Agyeman share their knowledge about a Multicultural [End Page 484] Living Learning Community. Paul Buckley wrestles with the difficulties of rebuilding an existing but floundering learning community, while at the same time establishing structures that ensure continuity in the program. In her essay, Jamie Kathleen Portillo relays effective teaching strategies and classroom management techniques for teaching assistants assigned to courses embedded within learning communities. Braden Smith and Rachel Smith make separate cases that teaching assistants are the lynchpin in effective learning communities. Maria J. Lopez describes a nonresidential learning community for graduate students participating in a Higher Education Learning Community. Continuing in the graduate student vein, Chris Calvert-Martin examines successful elements of undergraduate learning communities that could contribute to more successful graduate learning communities. Elizabeth Occhino and Jennifer Kellington share their lessons learned specific to service learning and community service learning communities. For students who are high achieving, but come from underrepresented and marginalized groups, Larry Thomas and Nicole Zervas Adsitt describe a learning community for these students who plan to enter medical school and pre-health careers. Jennah K. Jones and Joshua Lawrie draw upon their separate learning community experiences to make recommendations for good practice that align with Chickering and Gamson’s (1994)Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. Lastly, Terra Peckskamp documents the resources critical for educating campus stakeholders involved in learning communities. Staying true to their intended purpose, the editors provided descriptive stories filled with tips to assist and pitfalls to avoid, based on the authors’ Syracuse University learning community experiences. For those just entering the world of learning communities, Building Community provides a solid primer filled with creative ideas from one institution. Reflections on learning community experiences have appeared in About Campus, including Robert A. Rhoads (2009) contemplative essay on his 9-year faculty in residence position and Thomas Klein’s (2000) article on his transition from teaching in the classroom to teaching in a learning community, among others. Other anecdotal narratives from Syracuse University appeared in Building and Sustaining Learning Communities (Hurd & Federman, 2004). Most previous works on learning communities are research-based, not story-based. For those interested in scholarly works on learning communities, more academic pieces have been written on how to engage faculty in learning...

A Student View of Technology in the Classroom

There has been an explosion of classroom technologies, yet there is a lack of research investigating the connection between classroom technology and student learning. This research project explores faculty usage of classroom-based course management software, student usage and opinions of these software tools, and an exploration of whether or not the use of classroom-based course management software enhances student perceptions of learning based on the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. The authors find that although students enjoy using many of the course management tools, they do not see the tools as highly effective at enhancing the learning experience. When designing courses and considering if or how to use course management tools, it is critical for faculty to consider the connection between the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education and the specific technology tools. Implications of the research findings and suggestions for improved use of classroom management software tools are provided.

Evidence-Based Strategies for Teaching Dysrhythmia Monitoring Practices to Staff Nurses

Standards for dysrhythmia monitoring were established by the American Heart Association in 2004, but they have not been fully implemented in everyday nursing practice. Nurses working on units with cardiac monitoring must be able to prepare the skin and place electrodes correctly, monitor in the appropriate lead, and identify potentially lethal dysrhythmias. This article presents a literature review of evidence-based strategies for educating staff nurses on dysrhythmia monitoring practices. Based on the findings of this literature review, there is evidence to support the use of an interactive web-based learning format combined with unit-based collaborative activities and competency validation. The program should incorporate Chickering and Gamson's seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. More research is needed with randomized controlled studies to determine the most effective strategies.

An Exploratory Study of Live vs. Web-Based Delivery of a Phlebotomy Program

Changes in student population and increased Web-based education offerings provided the impetus to assess pedagogy, cognitive outcomes and perceptions of course quality. This study explored cognitive outcomes and students' perception of course quality related to the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education between live classroom delivery, compared to a Web-based delivery of a phlebotomy program. Quasi-experimental; students self-selected to enroll in live or Web-based program. For cognitive outcomes, no significant difference was found between the groups. Student perception of course quality differed only for Principle One (student-instructor contact). Students in the live classroom rated Principle One higher for the Part I course compared to the Web-based group. For the Part II course, there was no significant difference in perception of course quality related to any of the Seven Principles. The more constructivist pedagogy in the Part II course did not improve cognitive outcomes however, it may have contributed to knowledge retention. The live group rated Principle One in the Part II course evaluation relatively the same as they did for the Part I course evaluation. However, the Web-based group rated Principle One considerable higher for the Part II course than for Part I course. Future studies with a larger sample could explore improved course quality assessment instruments.

Changing the postclinical conference: new time, new place, new methods equal success.

POSTCONFERENCES ARE DESIGNED TO BE A TIME FOR REFLECTION AND REPORTING ABOUT A STUDENT'S CLINICAL EXPERIENCE. Traditionally, they take place immediately after time is spent on the clinical unit. However, with increasing patient acuity, it is difficult for students to complete patient care in time to proceed to postconference, and both students and faculty are likely to be physically and mentally fatigued, increasing the likelihood of passive learning (Donner, Levonian, & Slutsky, 2005). Based on Chickering and Gamson's classic work, Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (1987), the authors made changes to the postconference format for an adult nursing course. In order for students to be actively engaged learners who connect and apply didactic content in the acute care setting and in simulated patient scenarios, the postconference was renamed clinical conference and now takes place at a different time in a different setting. There is also a new format to help undergraduate nursing students master problem solving, critical thinking, and evaluation. Consideration has been given to the fact that many of today's students, born between 1982 and 1991 and known as the Millennial Generation, have different expectations of faculty and learn differently than previous generations of students (Johnson & Romanello, 2005; Skiba & Barton, 2006). They are accustomed to multitasking, feel the need to be constantly connected, and have little patience for delays (Christmas, 2008; Duchscher & Cowin, 2004; Frand, 2000). Timing and Milieu The clinical conference has been moved to a new day and an on-campus setting, giving students time to refuel and reflect (Donner et al., 2005). The 90 minutes set aside for the conference is divided into segments of 12 to 15 minutes to accommodate students who grew up watching television with frequent commercial breaks (Christakis, Zimmerman, DiGiuseppe, & McCarty, 2004). The change in the physical environment, supported by technology, is designed to enhance active learning and increased interaction among students. Learning Methods Using Chickering and Gamson's seven principles for good practice (1987), the clinical conference encourages contact between students and faculty; reciprocity and cooperation among students; active learning techniques; prompt feedback; an emphasis on time on task; the communication of high expectations; and respect for diverse talents and ways of learning. Students are assessed as visual, aural, reading/writing, or kinesthetic learners (Gardner & Hatch, 1990), and faculty design activities that meet individual learning styles. The goal is to teach students to recognize how they learn best so that they may capitalize on their strengths. The clinical conference incorporates multiple learning modalities outlined in the Table. Small-group exercises provide the Millennial Generation students with the experiential learning and immediate feedback they desire (Skiba & Barton, 2006). This format builds on the positive characteristics of today's learners, which include collaboration, an affinity for technology, and the ability to learn immediately from mistakes (Pardue & Morgan, 2008; Skiba & Barton). Limiting the clinical conference to 16 students ensures that every student participates in all group activities. Rather than traditional information reporting, the new format allows for interactive synthesis and the evaluation of concepts introduced in the theory course. It also incorporates preparation for caring for various patient populations, such as patients with cardiovascular or neurological diseases. Every student may not provide care for a patient experiencing a myocardial infarction in the hospital, but each student has the opportunity in clinical conference to develop a plan of care and participate in a case study related to the care of such patients. Expecting students to take ownership for their learning by active participation is an influential teaching tool (Cherney, 2008; Johnson & Romanello, 2005). …

Liberal Arts Colleges and Good Practices in Undergraduate Education: Additional Evidence

Liberal arts colleges have prided themselves on providing students with a quality undergraduate education among a scholarly community who are interested in their holistic development. Past research has found students who attended liberal arts colleges more frequently experienced Chickering and Gamson’s (1987, 1991) good practices in undergraduate education than their peers. This study examined if this experience differed based on students’ background or precollege characteristics. Overall, we found students at liberal arts colleges who enter college with lower levels of parental education, tested precollege academic preparation, academic motivation, and high school involvement experienced these good practices at levels greater than their peers.