Skills Of University Students Research Articles

Declines in social–emotional skills in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionThe present study investigated whether social–emotional skills in first year college students differed before and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdowns.MethodsParticipants (N = 1,685) consisted of first year college students (mean age 18.53 years) selected from a broader cohort enrolled in a longitudinal study on college mental health at liberal arts colleges in the United States. In a cohort-sequential design, participants completed an online survey assessing social–emotional skills in January of 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. Using analysis of covariance, we examined mean differences in social–emotional skills between students who were first years before (January 2018–2020) and after the lockdowns (January 2022), controlling for sociodemographic variables.ResultsThe post-lockdown group scored significantly lower on emotional control and expressivity and marginally higher on social sensitivity compared to the pre-lockdown group. No group differences in social/emotional expressivity or social control were detected.DiscussionThese findings indicate that the COVID-19 lockdowns impaired some, but not all, social–emotional skills in first year college students. Addressing social–emotional skills in college may help to reduce the COVID-19 mental health burden.

Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention Program to Improve Communication and Stress Coping Skills in University Students

Investigating the contribution of mindfulness training to psychological well-being and quality of life in the university setting is of interest. The objective of the study is to present a comparative analysis of the scores in the variables of self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills before and after the application of an intervention program based on mindfulness. An ex post facto cross-sectional design and a convenience sample of participants were adopted. The participants were students belonging to Education Sciences who benefited from the activities of the program. Instruments were administered to assess mindfulness, self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills. The correlations of the mindfulness variable with the other psychoeducational variables evaluated were also analyzed. The results indicate an increase in the scores in the selected variables of mindfulness, resilience, communication skills, and some of the coping strategies considered productive or functional such as problem solving, self-criticism, emotional expression, desiderative thinking, social support, and cognitive restructuring. Statistically significant correlations were also observed between the variable mindfulness and those of perceived self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills. The development of mindfulness training programs in the university setting is necessary to contribute to the improvement of more adaptive coping skills and the promotion of resilience.

Analysis of ecological literacy level and creative thinking skills of college students

Higher education institution is one of educational institutions that serve as a place of cultural values, and norms expected to become a foundation to foster caring attitudes toward the environment. These attitudes are accordingly meant to develop ecological literacy in order to overcome environmental problems which are likely to be minimized by combining ecological literacy and creative thinking skills. A quantitative descriptive with correlational study was employed in this research. There were 275 college students from three areas in Indonesia, namely Jakarta, Sumatera, and Gorontalo involved as respondents of the research. Data was collected by means of Google Forms consisting of tests and opinions. The ecological literacy was analyzed using dimensions of caring, practical competence, and knowledge while the creative thinking skills were analyzed using dimensions of fluency, originality, flexibility, and elaboration. This research is limited to students in the Department of Science and Non-Science. Findings of the research indicates that the ecological literacy level is in the medium category, whereas the creative thinking skills are good. Female students have a higher average score in ecological literacy and creative thinking skills compared to that of male students. Thus, there is a positive relationship between ecological literacy and creative thinking skills.

Learning analytics of peer feedback on communicative skills in an EFL course across different learning modalities

This research investigates the improvement of communicative skills in university students via peer feedback activities in an English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) course. Utilizing a comprehensive view of contemporary feedback frameworks, the study engaged 320 students across three cohorts. The last two cohorts transitioned to online Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The final cohort further employed a prototype learning analytics system to enhance peer feedback skills. Answering calls for more research on authentic task-based learning in tech-mediated contexts, this study offers empirical evidence supporting modern feedback frameworks. Results showed that ERT cohorts, especially those using the prototype system, outperformed the face-to-face cohort in communicative speaking tests, highlighting the effectiveness of peer feedback activities in boosting communicative skills.

Gamification in the classroom: Kahoot! As a tool for university teaching innovation.

The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the use of gamification in the classroom, in terms of its effects on attention, concentration, creativity, and generic capabilities, for university students enrolled in a Bachelor's degree program in Physiotherapy. An experimental design was implemented, using three groups differentiated by their time of exposure to the game (0 min, 30 min, or 60 min per week). The sample consisted of 73 s-year students from a Bachelor's degree program in Physiotherapy. The theoretical content for each class was taught during a period of 4 months, reinforced by use of the Kahoot! Online platform. Selective attention and concentration were evaluated using the d2 Test of Attention; creative intelligence using the Creative Intelligence Test (CREA); and generic capabilities using the capabilities subscale of the Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ). The study's participants had a mean age of 19.51 ± 0.9 years, and it has demonstrated that use of Kahoot! For longer periods of time, i.e., more than 60 min per day, can improve essential skills in university students, such as attention, creativity, critical thinking, self-managed learning, adaptability, problem solving, and computer literacy. This study's results show that integrating Kahoot! Into the educational environment, especially with longer sessions that allow for deeper immersion in the game, produces benefits by stimulating various cognitive aspects and enhancing complex skills. This study has demonstrated that use of Kahoot! Improves key skills such as attention, creativity, and critical thinking, especially when longer sessions are used. It is also suggested that its use should be balanced with other educational activities, in order to achieve comprehensive development for the students.

CONSTRUCTION OF A TEACHING STRATEGY MODEL FOR CULTIVATING HIGHER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

In the era of the knowledge economy, the intensification of the technological revolution and international competition have triggered a rethinking of the core competencies of talent in the 21st century by countries. Many countries have shifted their focus on talent development from specialized knowledge and skills to training in complex tasks and information-processing thinking. In higher education, guiding students to transition from lower-order thinking, such as memorisation and understanding of knowledge to higher-order thinking, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of various information is a vital aspect of the new era's innovative teaching model and the enhancement of talent cultivation. This study was conducted face-to-face interviews with 12 teachers with practical experience cultivating higher-order thinking skills using purposive sampling. The collected interview data were analysed and coded using nvivo software and qualitative research methods, constructing five teaching strategy models for cultivating higher-order thinking skills in college students: scaffolding instruction, heuristic instruction, project-based instruction, collaborative learning, and diversified assessment feedback.

Preventive Effect of a 7-Week App-Based Passive Psychoeducational Stress Management Program on Students.

Passive psychoeducation is an easily accessible and cost-effective self-guided intervention that does not use elements of active psychotherapies or require homework. The present study aimed to investigate the acceptability and efficacy of a 7-week app-based passive psychoeducation stress management program to promote adaptive emotion regulation and coping skills in university students (i.e., 80% psychology students). Participants were tested via Lime-Survey® at pre- and post-test with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), the Response Styles Questionnaire (RSQ), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). A stratified permutation block randomization by age, gender, and the DASS-21 stress subscale was performed. Each week, the psychoeducation group (n = 123) received different psychoeducation modules. At the end of each module, participants answered questions about their satisfaction with each module and adherence to psychoeducation. The control group (n = 130) received no intervention. The psychoeducation program led to a significant improvement in the adaptive emotion regulation strategy: "reappraisal" (p = 0.004) and a significant reduction in the dysfunctional coping style: "symptom-related rumination" (p = 0.01) but not to a significant reduction in depression, anxiety, and stress scores compared to the control group. Thus, the present study might demonstrate a preventive effect of an app-based passive psychoeducation program in students with low clinically relevant psychopathological symptoms.

Formation of soft skills for future IT specialists at the university

Relevance. The development of digital technologies and the formation of demand for software products provoke an increase in the popularity of IT professions. This leads to an increase in the number of professional staff and competition for jobs. That is why the implementation of comprehensive training of specialists is now relevant for universities. It is necessary that future specialists not only have professional knowledge, but also be able to quickly adapt to changes in work, respond normally to them, and perform tasks in critical conditions.Purpose. The goal of the scientific paper was formed, which was to study the process of forming soft skills in university students in IT specialties.Methodology. For this purpose, the method of analysis, synthesis, comparison, deduction, abstraction, generalization was used in the article.Results. Scientific paper was written on the basis of Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University. The research found that a modern IT specialist faces various difficulties and problems in the course of their professional activities. To successfully overcome them and perform the tasks at a high level, the future employee needs to acquire soft skills. It has been established that they are successfully reflected both in the career development of a specialist and in their personality traits. The paper revealed the main types of soft skills, as well as described their essence.Conclusions. The research proved that the formation of this type of skills among students is a prerequisite during the organization of the modern educational process at Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University. The practical value of the results obtained in the course of scientific research lies in the fact that they can be used in the development of curricula and programs for the training of future IT specialists.

The state of citizen abilities in university students of Chile, Colombia, and Mexico

The educational field proposes to develop the most qualified professionals in all senses, not only academically. This includes the formation of citizenship skills that students must possess in order to train the professionals of the future. To measure civic engagement in university students, three Latin American higher education institutions joined forces. These were the Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Chile), and the Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico); through these joint efforts, a citizenship laboratory was created. This article was descriptive in scope, and the general objective was to describe the state of citizenship skills in university students. The methodology consisted of formulating an instrument, specifically a survey, which integrated 42 items; it was divided into socioemotional, citizenship and global skills. Subsequently, the data were processed using the statistical program R. The most relevant findings are that there is an area of opportunity, especially in terms of their participation in student organizations, in order to exploit their abilities as much as possible.

Study on Strategies for Cultivating Critical Thinking Skills of College Students

Study on Strategies for Cultivating Critical Thinking Skills of College Students

ChatGPT effects on cognitive skills of undergraduate students: Receiving instant responses from AI-based conversational large language models (LLMs)

This study investigated the impact of using ChatGPT, a state-of-the-art generative AI-based model, on the critical, creative, and reflective thinking skills of university students in Ghana. The study utilized a mixed-methods research approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments, and an experimental procedure with a pretest-posttest control group. The study ultimately enlisted a sample of 125 students randomly allocated to either the experiment group (60 students) or the control group (65 students). The research was conducted in the context of a Research Methodology course, which had adopted the flipped classroom approach. The students in the experiment group engaged with ChatGPT for in-class tasks, while those in the control group used traditional databases and search engines for similar tasks. Data were collected using the Critical Thinking Scale, Creative Thinking Scale, Reflective Thinking Scale, and a student interview guide (semi-structured). The study's findings illustrated that incorporating ChatGPT influenced the students' critical, reflective, and creative thinking skills and their dimensions discernibly. As a result, the study provides suggestions for academics, instructional designers, and researchers working in educational technology.

Healthy life skills and related factors among university students: a cross-sectional study in Istanbul, Turkey

BackgroundChronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of global deaths. University students with unhealthy lifestyle constitute a high-risk group for NCDs. Evaluating and developing healthy behaviors during this period is very important for future health outcomes. This study was conducted to determine healthy life skills in university students.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at a university, and data were collected between January and March 2023 in Istanbul. Data were collected using the healthy living skills scale in University Students and the Personal Information Form. Normal distribution conditions of the data were checked with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. According to data distribution, data with normal distribution were analyzed using parametric statistics including t-test, ANOVA and Chi-square tests and data with non-normal distribution were analyzed using non-parametric tests including Mann–Whitney U-test and Fisher’s exact test. Logistic regression test was used to determine predictor variables.ResultsThe average score for healthy life skills was 63.5 out of 84. Significant differences were found in the scores based on marital status, economic income, social security insurance coverage, and educational grade (p = 0.03, p = 0.001, p = 0.004, p = 0.04, respectively). Students who reported alcohol and smoking consumption had lower scores (60.8 ± 12) out of 84.ConclusionThe study revealed that university students in Istanbul possess a satisfactory level of healthy life skills. By providing social support, such as expanding the coverage of social security insurance and establishing conducive educational environments, while also paying attention to the influence of peers on students, we can contribute to the development of healthy life skills in university students.

Developing Subtitling Skills. On the Use of TED-ED Lessons as Audiovisual Translation Tools in Students’ Training

Abstract The paper details on the use of TED video-based material as a didactic tool in developing subtitling skills in university students. Focus is laid on the training of language specialists in audiovisual translation courses taught at G.E. Palade UMPhST of Targu Mures, with a triggered civic engagement by means of taking part in a community subtitling project while contributing to making “ideas worth spreading” accessible to viewership.

Digital privacy and data protection knowledge and skills of university students in Croatia: Preliminary findings

University students as members of Generation Z (late 1990s and early 2000s) have rich experience in living the digital life. Previous studies show that Generation Z cares about their privacy and is more apt than older generations to implement complex privacy and security measures, but they are also more willing to compromise their privacy if they see any benefit. The aim of this research was to examine digital privacy protection attitudes, knowledge and skills of university students in Croatia. Obtained results suggest that respondents appreciate their digital privacy, have a cautious attitude toward protecting their data and are self-initiative regarding learning about digital privacy. However, their knowledge about digital privacy is not comprehensive and uniform, nor are their strategies of digital privacy protection. Privacy protection on social networks gives a better impression, which can be connected with the practice of frequent use of social networks and the need to maintain a certain image online. The above is also supported by data that the majority of respondents consider the publication of content in which they appear without their consent to be a very serious violation of their privacy. Furthermore, 65% of respondents would like to receive additional education on digital privacy.

Development of a system for recording and monitoring Transformative Learning Initiatives at Mackenzie Presbyterian University in Brazil

The summary presented here discusses the processes of implementing training aimed at developing socio-emotional skills in university students. Guided by the theory of Transformative Learning (TL), students are invited to review their assumptions on topics that involve their personal views as ethical, entrepreneurial, reflective subjects, open to cultural diversity and accustomed to sustainable thinking. Such skills are recorded by the student in their e-portfolio, which mainly presents their socio-emotional skills, as well as their professional technical knowledge, with a view to communicating to society the training profile achieved by the students. For this reason, a system was created to record the development of socio-emotional skills and build students' electronic portfolios during graduation. The system is under the responsibility of the Center for Excellence in Transformative Teaching and Learning at Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, Brazil. The proposal is that the system is further improved, and that the repository lasts throughout the student's professional life, also serving as an inventory of their professional life. Finally, it is expected that Artificial Intelligence can be applied, based on records made in the system, to assist in evaluating the development of socio-emotional skills. This will support the choice of the candidate who best adapts to the job vacancies available in companies.

Pengaruh modul self regulated learning terhadap prokrastinasi akademik dan keterampilan berpikir kritis mahasiswa PGSD UNS

<p class="Abstract"><strong><em>Abstract</em></strong><em>. </em><em>The study aims to determine the effect of self-regulated learning modules on academic procrastination and critical thinking skills of college students in PGSD UNS. The type of research is experimental research with a quasi design. The research population was PGSD UNS students with a sample of 67 students. Samples were divided into an experimental class and a control class. The class that became the experimental class was 2E with a total of 34 students, while the class that became the control class was 2F with a total of 33 students. Content validity using Aikens V states all instruments are valid. The reliability instruments using Alpha Cronbach's stated that all instruments were reliable with a coefficient value of 0.833 on the academic procrastination scale and 0.713 for the critical thinking test. Hypothesis Test using Manova Test Multivariate Analysis. The Manova test shows a significance value of 0.000 <0.05. The conclusion is that there is an influence of the self-regulated learning module on academic procrastination and critical thinking skills of PGSD UNS students.</em><em></em></p>

A scale for assessing nursing students' emotional competence: A validation study

BackgroundThe wellbeing of nursing professionals can be affected by emotionally challenging situations. Emotional intelligence (EI) is a recognised ability to manage stress, reduce work overload, and improve clinical relationships and decision making. Therefore, these emotional skills should be identified and developed throughout nursing education. ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to create an observer-based emotional measurement tool to assess the level of emotional skills in university students. DesignThis is a cross-sectional study. SettingComplutense University in Madrid, Spain. ParticipantsA total of 415 first- and fourth-year nursing students participated. MethodsThe Situational Emotional Response Scale (ERES) is a questionnaire for observing emotional competence in nursing practice. It underwent content validation using the Delphi method with 6 experts, resulting in a final version of 34 items. Focus group sessions were conducted with nursing students to ensure readability and appropriateness. Participants completed the ERES after viewing two clinical interaction videos, resulting in two sets of responses. Half of the responses were used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and half for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). ResultsA total of 415 nursing students participated in the study. Four factors were extracted, explaining 55.1 % of the variance. The CFA was conducted with 208 students, yielding a total of 4 factors and a variance of 55.1 %. The internal consistency of the scale was high, with Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω coefficients of 0.947 and 0.949, respectively. Test-retest reliability showed a moderate intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.604 (95 % CI: 0.503–0.688) over a 15-day interval. ConclusionsThe ERES questionnaire is well grounded in the theoretical framework of emotional competence as manifested in clinical practice. The empirical evidence provided by this study suggests that the ERES is a reliable, valid, useful, and innovative instrument for measuring emotional competence in university students.

Trends and research outcomes of technology-based interventions for complex thinking development in higher education: A review of scientific publications

Complex thinking is a desired competency in 21st-century university students, so technology-based teaching and learning strategies must be carefully considered when training them in complex reasoning skills. This systematic review aims to map research on the use of teaching and learning strategies supported by technology to enhance complex thinking skills in university students. This review reports results according to PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines. The search strategy was performed in June 2022 in Scopus and Web of Science databases. Of 151 records initially identified between 2018 and 2022, 32 papers were included in the final synthesis per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results of this review indicate that (1) tech-based strategies for complex thinking development are based on active learning approaches including problem-based learning, case-based learning, collaboration-driven and discussion-based learning, project-based learning, assessment- and feedback-oriented activities, and mind mapping techniques; (2) most of the documented strategies were implemented in hybrid contexts; (3) traditional instructional materials commonly used for promoting higher order thinking skills such as reading assignments, videos, and eliciting/reflexive questions are still effective in fostering complex thinking when delivered through technology; and (4) custom-built technological development for complex thinking development software that incorporates emerging technologies is scarce at present. Further research is needed to document the interventions that train students interactively in complex thinking skills using Education 4.0 technologies.

Impact of Students’ Ubiquitous Learning through Web 2.0 Tool on Students’ 21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking and Collaboration

Ubiquitous learning is transforming education by enabling human-focused learning through seamless access to resources from anywhere. In addition, these tools enhance context understanding and make it easy to interact between real and digital learning resources, all while offering individualized learning opportunities. This research surveyed public sector university teachers in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan to gather their opinions on how Web 2.0 tools and ubiquitous learning are affecting the development of 21st-century learning skills in students. The research aimed to assess the impact of Web 2.0 tools for ubiquitous learning (UL) on the critical thinking and collaboration skills of graduate-level students. To collect data, the study administered a self-developed questionnaire with 50 items rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale to 500 university teachers. This constituted the primary data for the research. According to the findings, ubiquitous learning has a noteworthy effect on fostering critical thinking and collaboration skills in university students. To make ubiquitous learning successful, both private and public sector universities must have adequate ICT infrastructure and provide teacher training that focuses on ICT-based teaching methods. The study can assist university teachers in establishing a ubiquitous learning (UL) environment that employs web 2.0 tools, thereby enabling students to effectively enhance their 21st-century learning skills, including critical thinking and collaboration.

Competencias digitales en universitarios a través de innovaciones educativas: una revisión de la literatura actual

Technological advances have had a significant impact on education, leading to increased attention on the development of digital skills in university students. The objective of this article was to conduct a review of current literature related to educational innovations aimed at promoting digital competencies in university students, in order to identify current approaches and provide a comprehensive and updated insight into the topic. This research is qualitative, applied, and bibliographic in nature, with a descriptive scope, under a non-experimental, cross-sectional design that employs the analytical-synthetic method. The main findings highlight that educational software, educational platforms, and social networks can be valuable tools that benefit students in their learning and acquisition of competencies in various fields, as long as they are used responsibly, critically, and as a complement to face-to-face teaching.