Student Perceptions Research Articles

Exploring perceptions of pre-clerkship students about workplace learning in the clinical learning environment at Gulf Medical University, UAE

BackgroundMedical students view clinical workplace placements as an inspiring and motivating learning environment where active student participation is pivotal to development of students’ identity. The progress from pre-clerkship to clerkship education harbors many challenges which consist of experiential learning, adjusting to the clinical environment, and understanding roles & responsibilities. Workplace learning is underpinned by various adult learning theories including social theories,constructivism, supported participation and legitimate peripheral participation. Workplace learning course was recently initiated for pre-clerkship students at a medical university in UAE, which will enable their smooth entry into the clerkship phase of the curriculum.ObjectivesThe research aims to explore students’ perceptions of various domains of their clinical learning environment (CLE), highlight the challenges they face, and extract valuable feedback to improve their environment.MethodsThis study was conducted qualitatively by using focus groups method in order to explore students’ perceptions of the clinical learning environment. Two focus group discussions were conducted (n = 8 +/-10) to determine the common challenges of workplace learning and its potential solutions. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The approach used to carry out this study was phenomenology, as it helps to understand the learning and behavior of these students who are undergoing this pre-clerkship training in order to transition smoothly to the clerkship phase.ResultThe focus groups helped to deeply explore the perceptions of students about their clinical learning environment. It helped to reveal the challenges encountered by the students including the significance of proper orientation of staff and students, language barrier, availability of learning opportunities, and supervision quality. The focus groups provided worthwhile suggestions to improve the learning opportunities in the clinical learning environment which include orientation of the staff and students what to expect, improved supervision, mentoring and providing learning opportunities to encourage participation.ConclusionThis study attempted to identify the pre-clerkship students’ perception of their clinical learning environment and the challenges they face over there. Possible suggestions by the students included a formal orientation for the staff and students to be carried out at the beginning. Efforts should be made by clerkship directors to provide students with learning opportunities by increasing patient exposure, encouraging participation, and providing high-quality supervision.

Pedagogical relations as a decolonisation tool in African higher education: Reflection on the ethics of care, respect, and trust

This article uses the findings obtained from a study that delves into the perceptions of students on their relationship with their higher education (HE) lecturers and how it affects their academic success, to respond to the issue of decolonisation in South African HE, and to approach the question of decolonising HE in Africa. The article argues that it is essential to prioritise student well-being, amplify their voices, and promote a caring culture towards addressing the issue of decolonisation in African education systems. The study shows that African HE students hold higher expectations of their lecturers beyond being professionals. This expectation includes respect for students’ thoughts and incorporation of epistemology that aligns with fostering African development, culture and thoughts (without necessarily conforming to neoliberal norms). The four categories of the teacher’s role, which include academic development, respect and trust, social relationships, and ethics of care are highly demanded by HE students. Borrowing the study outcome, this article holds the view that students’ high expectations of their lecturers to foster social relationships should be channelled to incorporate the African student as a collaborator in the business of education and as a response to the demands of HE students to decolonise African education system. These four categories are not only institutional strategies for effective teaching and learning but also a way to address the non-inclusive impact of Western epistemology on historically racial institutions in Africa.Contribution: This article proposes that adopting mainstream pedagogical relationships can be a powerful tool in incorporating the African students’ thoughts and a step towards liberating the HE system in Africa. It recommends these four cardinal themes as institutional strategies for restricting teaching and learning that relegate students to the receiving end thus systems that refute students as collaborators of knowledge sharing especially at historically racial institutions.

Engaging secondary school students in sustainability assessments through farm nutrient mass balances

AbstractDecision‐support tools (DSTs) are increasingly used to collect, manage, and/or analyze growing amounts of data generated on farms. The whole‐farm nutrient mass balance (NMB) is an assessment with an associated DST (the Cornell NMB calculator) that measures farm nutrient management efficiency. Our main objectives were to (1) develop and implement a secondary school curriculum on NMB assessments; (2) evaluate its impact on student knowledge and perceptions of agricultural sustainability, nutrient management, careers in agriculture, awareness about data collection and use of DSTs, and analytical and quantitative skills; and (3) assess teacher experiences delivering the materials. The curriculum was implemented across 21 New York classrooms. Students completed one pre‐ and one post‐curriculum implementation questionnaire (n = 134). Teachers completed a post‐curriculum implementation questionnaire (n = 19). Results showed that the curriculum enhanced student knowledge of nutrient management and effectively conveyed the fundamentals of the NMB metrics. It also impacted student perceptions of the utilization of DSTs and need for mathematical skills and data management knowledge in agriculture. The curriculum did not influence student interest in pursuing agricultural careers but exposed them to aspects of farming that they were not previously familiar with. The math‐focused lessons were identified as challenging by many students and teachers. Teachers found the curriculum applicable to the real world, exposing students to new aspects of farming. We conclude that real‐world case‐study examples, carefully planned math‐focused lessons, appropriate support materials including widely installable and user‐friendly software, and training opportunities for teachers can help effective teaching of DST use and agriculture sustainability concepts.

Flipping diverse classrooms

Flipped Classroom is a pedagogical approach in which all or some of direct instruction is moved outside of the face-to-face environment to dedicate more in-class time to ‘hands-on’, experimental and engaging activities. Usually enabled by educational technology, the Flipped Classroom approach draws on the ‘active learning’ philosophy which implies that students must share responsibility for their learning with their instructors, resulting in more impactful learner behaviours. Considering university classrooms are increasingly diverse, with international students forming a significant cohort of learners, instructor perceptions of internationals students in Flipped Classrooms are of interest. This is particularly important because international students, especially those from Asian countries, can be perceived by instructors as ‘passive’ learners’ regardless of students’ actual skills, learning preferences and goals. This presumed ‘passivity’ may clash with instructors’ goals, potentially creating tensions-filled dynamics between instructors and international students in Flipped Classrooms. The proposed article explores university instructors’ perceptions of international students in technology-enabled Flipped Classrooms to understand how these perceptions may influence instructors’ choices for the design of the flip. Findings demonstrate that while some instructors view international students as a barrier to impactful Flipped Classroom, others draw on their classroom’s diversity, using it as a source of inspiration, and designing the flip with international students in mind.

Recruiting the next generation of project managers: Student interests, industry needs, and marketing messages

Businesses need well-trained project managers but recruiting students to this field is a challenge. This three-part study examines motivational factors that influence students to pursue a project management degree, industry requirements for project management careers, and graduate program marketing messages. The purpose of the study is to determine the degree of alignment among these three variables and make recommendations for graduate program marketing stakeholders and industry leaders to improve recruitment strategies for these programs. Study 1 seeks to understand prospective student opinions and trigger factors when applying to a graduate program using a survey with regression and cross tabulation statistical analysis. Study 2 analyzes the relationship between project management certifications and work experience and salary using regression analysis. Study 3 is a content analysis that examines how graduate programs market their project management programs to prospective students. Study findings indicate industry leaders and higher education stakeholders need to use informational marketing campaigns to bridge the knowledge gap between market demand and student perceptions. Higher education leaders need to design curriculum that includes industry certifications and practical skill courses if they want to increase enrollment and career placement for project management students.

Using the perceptions of online university students to improve the pedagogy and practice of distance educators

This paper reports on the findings of an investigation into the experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate distance education students from one higher education institution, Avondale College of Higher Education. All of the institution’s current students who were enrolled in a distance course or who had previously completed a distance component of their course were surveyed using an online questionnaire. A subgroup of this population also contributed to focus group discussions. Findings from an analysis of the combined data gathered from the online questionnaire and the focus groups were used to inform the institution’s professional development (PD) program that supports lecturers to design and teach online courses. Results of the study are outlined in terms of distance students’ perceptions about the institution’s distance education program, specifically in relation to course structure, interaction and communication, presentation of materials, use of media and design consistency. The paper concludes with recommendations for addressing the weaknesses of online learning programs including both curriculum design and PD strategies.

Me in a Minute

Graduates require evidence of employability beyond marks and grades to differentiate themselves in the highly competitive labour market. Universities cannot guarantee employment, but they can engage students in learning and recognise achievement that is relevant to employment. Here, we share preliminary insights from interviews investigating student perceptions of an extra-curricular video strategy designed to develop and showcase graduate employability. The Me in a Minute video strategy provides students with support to film a one minute video pitch aimed at potential employers. Student perceptions of the strategy suggest that in addition to providing an individualised artefact that can be used to showcase achievement, the strategy engages students in reflection that helps them to better understand and articulate evidence of their achievements relevant to employment. Furthermore, students value the learning associated with pitching, more than the video itself.

Variations in the coherence and engagement in students’ experience of blended learning

We report a study which examines coherence of engagement of 344 first year engineering students’ blended learning experience. Using self-report and observational data sources, we demonstrate that student perceptions of the blended learning environment, academic learning outcomes, and engagement with the online learning activities are logically related at the variable level as shown by correlation analyses; and at the level of student groupings of similar learning experience and behaviors, as revealed by cluster, ANOVA, and 2 x 2 contingency analyses. Using self-report data, we found that when students perceived the learning activities in the f2f and online environments were integrated, they were more likely to be engaged with the online learning and to perform relatively higher on the assessment tasks than students who perceived disintegration between f2f and online learning. Using the observational data, students who were more engaged with the online learning tended to perceive that the online learning was well integrated with the f2f learning, that the online contributions were valuable for the whole learning experience, and achieved relatively higher than less engaged students. A 2 x 2 contingency table revealed a logical relationship between the groupings of students based on the selfreport and observational data: moderate and positive association was found between students with coherent perceptions and more engagement; and between students with fragmented perceptions and less engagement. The use of multiple data sources and methods enabled triangulation, strengthened analysis power, and offered a more comprehensive picture of students’ blended learning experience.

Barriers to inclusion and equity: a mother-son critical reflection and lessons learned

This study is an exploration of DisCrit Mothering, of education, research, and activism, rooted in our radical love for our children facing barriers and injustices due to intersectional oppressions in schools. We employ critical duoethnography to discuss and analyze our experiences, understandings, and lessons learned in our mother-son educational journey through counter-storytelling of four pivotal events to counter implicit bias and majoritarian narratives. We identify patterns of racism, ableism, and exclusion in our stories and share our lessons learned. We identify the need for a better understanding of dis/ability, timely identification, a rejection of deficit-focused approaches, and student and family involvement in IEPs. We make ourselves vulnerable to share our stories, using our lessons learned to urge educators to question their perceptions of multiply-marginalized students and to focus on care and equity versus discipline.

Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare students and professionals on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare in Pakistan.

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has emerged as a promising solution to enhance healthcare efficiency and improve patient outcomes. The objective of this study is to analyse the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare professionals in Pakistan about AI in healthcare. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. This was distributed to healthcare professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, medical students, and allied healthcare workers) working or studying in Pakistan. Consent was taken from all participants before initiating the questionnaire. The questions were related to participant demographics, basic understanding of AI, AI in education and practice, AI applications in healthcare systems, AI's impact on healthcare professions and the socio-ethical consequences of the use of AI. We analyzed the data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software, version 26.0. Overall, 616 individuals responded to the survey while n = 610 (99.0%) of respondents consented to participate. The mean age of participants was 32.2 ± 12.5 years. Most of the participants (78.7%, n = 480) had never received any formal sessions or training in AI during their studies/employment. A majority of participants, 70.3% (n = 429), believed that AI would raise more ethical challenges in healthcare. In all, 66.4% (n = 405) of participants believed that AI should be taught at the undergraduate level. The survey suggests that there is insufficient training about AI in healthcare in Pakistan despite the interest of many in this area. Future work in developing a tailored curriculum regarding AI in healthcare will help bridge the gap between the interest in use of AI and training.

Perception of young Arequipa university students on the last mile delivery service

El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar las percepciones, preferencias y expectativas de los clientes en Arequipa con respecto a la entrega de productos en la etapa final de la cadena de suministros, conocida como “la última milla”. Para este fin, se realizó un estudio empírico en el que la muestra utilizada para el análisis consistió en 385 jóvenes (de 18 a 25 años) y se utilizó un cuestionario estructurado con 10 ítems y una escala Likert de 5 puntos. Se aplicó el Coeficiente de Alpha de Cronbach (0,890) y se desarrolló un baremo de interpretación para facilitar el análisis de las respuestas obtenidas. Los resultados destacan la importancia de aspectos clave como la seguridad, confiabilidad, capacidad de respuesta y empatía durante el proceso de entrega. En consecuencia, se concluye que mejorar la confiabilidad y empatía en la entrega es esencial para el éxito del comercio electrónico y la fidelización del cliente.

Exploring Norwegian teachers’ perceptions of shy students at recess and their strategic responses

ABSTRACT Recess (break times) during the school day offers children opportunities for peer interactions which enrich social development. For shy children, however, these periods can produce anxiety, leading to withdrawal and onlooker behaviour. The analysis reported here is from a national study of how Norwegian elementary school teachers support the engagement of shy children in school life. Nineteen teachers with recognised success with shy students were interviewed to elicit their interpretations of shy children’s behaviour and their strategies with them. Qualitative analyses found that these teachers recognised that recess was integral to creating inclusive schools, took the perspectives of shy children, and ascribed anxiety-related emotions to them. Teachers also mentioned that asking other children to include them in activities left shy children feeling pitied. However, giving designated roles to the child; allowing them to stay inside with friends to build real friendships; and starting playful activities with the child that attracted other children were all described as successful strategies.

Perception of journalism students regarding TikTok as an informative tool

TikTok es una red social que ha experimentado un crecimiento exponencial desde 2020. Su modo de funcionamiento, con vídeos cortos y basándose en la caja de skinner, hace que se trate de una de las redes sociales más adictivas. Su usuarios, principalmente adolescentes y adultos jóvenes, pasan largos períodos de tiempo consumiendo los contenidos que se ofrecen, convirtiéndose así en una potente herramienta de comunicación. El presente artículo analiza la percepción de los estudiantes de periodismo de la red social TikTok como herramienta de difusión de contenidos informativos. Para ello, tras la ejecución de una práctica en esta red social en clase, se realizó una encuesta a los estudiantes. En esta se muestra cómo estos, pese a ser muy reticentes en un inicio a usar TikTok como herramienta informativa, cambiaron su valoración acerca de ella percibiéndola como una útil plataforma donde desarrollar su labor periodística.

Student perceptions of weekly synchronous team quizzes in an online statistics course

In a fully online college introductory statistics class, we incorporated a flexible synchronous course component to provide instructor immediacy and support students who are lacking sufficient prior knowledge when a new topic is introduced. We describe a learning cycle with weekly team quizzes inspired by the readiness assurance process of team-based learning; we interviewed eight students for their perceptions of the course structure. Team quizzes are designed to provide regular formative assessment and feedback in real-time with the goal of improving student satisfaction and success in the course. Overall, students reported that the weekly synchronous sessions contributed to a strong sense of belonging to peers and the instructor, were helpful for their learning and helped them successfully complete the course. Implications for practice or policy: Instructors can use regular synchronous team quizzes in a fully online course to improve student engagement, connectedness, persistence and learning. Instructors can use team quizzes for regular formative assessment and feedback and to facilitate just-in-time intervention.

Diversifying laboratory assessment modes broadens engagement with practical competencies in life science students.

Laboratory practicals in life science subjects are traditionally assessed by written reports which reflect disciplinary norms of documenting experimental activities. However, exclusive application of this assessment has potential to engage only a narrow range of competencies. In this study, we explored how multiple modes of laboratory assessment might affect student perceptions of learned skills in a life science module. We hypothesized that while a mixture of assessments may not impact student summative performance, it might positively influence student perceptions of different skills that varied assessments allowed them to practice. This was informed by universal design for learning (UDL) and teaching for understanding (TfU) frameworks. In our study, in a 3rd year Bioscience programme, written reports were complemented with group presentations and online quizzes via Moodle. Anonymous surveys evaluated whether this expanded portfolio of assessments promoted awareness of, and engagement with, a broader range of practical competencies. Aspects that influenced student preferences in assessment mode included time limitations, time investment, ability to practice new skills, links with lecture material and experience of assessment anxiety. In particular, presentations were highlighted as promoting collaboration and communication and the quiz as an effective means of diversifying assessment schedules. A key takeaway from students was that while reports were important, an over reliance on them was detrimental. This study suggests that undergraduate life science students can benefit significantly from a holistic assessment strategy that complements reports with performance-based approaches that incorporate broader competencies and allow for greater student engagement and expression in undergraduate modules.

Perceptions of Medical Students on the Transition to and Impact of Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Perceptions of Medical Students on the Transition to and Impact of Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Junior and senior students possess differential preferences towards multimodal digital anatomy resources.

Digital technologies are changing how anatomy is taught tremendously. However, little is known about the effective integration of multimodal digital resources when concurrently provided in an anatomy course. To address this question, an array of digital anatomy resources including Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) anatomy resources were concurrently trialed by a total of 326 undergraduate and postgraduate students across three undergraduate (systemic anatomy, neuroanatomy, and regional anatomy) and one postgraduate anatomy (applied musculoskeletal anatomy) curricula in 2022. A five-point Likert scale learning and teaching survey was conducted to evaluate students' experiences, preferences, and perceptions. Most undergraduate (81% systemic anatomy, 76% neuroanatomy, and 87% regional anatomy) and postgraduate (97%) participants across the four cohorts felt confident in studying anatomy using digital resources and the majority (>80% undergraduate and >90% postgraduate) found the multimodal digital anatomy resources interactive and stimulating. The response showed that undergraduate (77% systemic anatomy, 81% neuroanatomy, and 97% regional anatomy) and postgraduate students (92%) consistently enjoyed their experience of using multimodal digital anatomy resources and thought that these resources enhanced their interest in studying anatomy. However, there are significant differences in ratings of specific digital resources among the junior (first-year undergraduates) and senior (third-year undergraduates and postgraduates) students. The virtual dissection table was uniformly preferred by the four cohorts of students across the board. Interestingly, however, VR anatomy and radiographic-based digital anatomy resources received diverse ratings. VR anatomy was valued most by junior undergraduate students (84%) who studied systemic anatomy compared to their senior counterparts (73%) who studied regional anatomy, whereas radiographic-based digital anatomy resources were more valued by the postgraduate students (93%) compared to undergraduates (65% systemic anatomy, 73% neuroanatomy, and 48% regional anatomy). This study identifies that while students uniformly appreciate the value of multimodal digital anatomy teaching, there is a clear difference in their perceptions towards individual resources, likely in a course-specific manner. We conclude that the selection and adoption of digital anatomy tools must be tailored as part of course design and that digital anatomy tools should be used in combination to provide an effective learning experience for students.

ORGANIZACIONES SOSTENIBLES? LA PERCEPCIÓN DE LOS ESTUDIANTES DE UNA INSTITUCIÓN DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR

The role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as opinion and behavior makers has long been recognized and this affects relevant issues between society and organizations such as sustainability. Studying how university students perceive sustainability in organizations can reveal guidelines for decision-making and actions in HEIs. There fore, the objective of this study is to verify which factors and variables impact the perception of students about the sustainability of organizations. A Survey was conducted with students of an HEI in south of Brazil. Data collection was performed through a questionnaire and a valid sample of 895 respondents was obtained. The results show the positive impact of the factors Environmental and Sustainable Aspects, Social, Ethical and Corporate Governance. It is concluded that the elements that form these factors generate guidelines for theim provement of sustainability practices.

Student satisfaction and co-creation behavior in game-based learning in the context of higher education

ABSTRACT Drawing on an increasing body of investigation on student satisfaction and the Service – Dominant Logic theoretical framework (SDL), this study focuses on student perception of the value of Game-Based Learning (GBL) and student co-creation behavior in Higher Education (HE). To understand how student co-creation behavior promotes the creation of mutual value for students and in what ways this perception of value may contribute to satisfaction, a survey-based study was conducted with a sample size of 356 respondents. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed model. Our results show that student co-creation behavior during GBL has no impact on the overall satisfaction of students, although there is a positive relationship between student citizenship behavior and student perception of value. The results show that students’ optimal perception of GBL in the context of their HE experience positively impacts their satisfaction with GBL. Finally, drawing on the findings, several managerial implications are suggested for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), mainly for educators and educational developers.

Perceptions of UDL Teaching Practices among University Students with Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to investigate how students’ disabilities impacted their learning at the university and to measure their perceptions of universal design for learning (UDL). An online survey was administered at a large public research university in the south-central United States; 160 students with disabilities completed the survey. These students with disabilities described how their disabilities influenced their learning in the following aspects: attention issues, slow processing, absence, accessibility issues, reading and writing challenges, mental health challenges, and social interaction challenges. The results also revealed that some UDL teaching practices were not being fully utilized by instructors based on the perceptions of students with disabilities. We discussed those UDL practices which were not being used by instructors and highlighted the impact of using the practices on students’ learning. These practices include effective teaching methods such as helping students organize and summarize learning content, using technology to increase accessibility, providing flexibility in assessments and assignments, providing meaningful feedback, and recruiting students’ attention and engagement.