Style Course Research Articles

Dark Horse Didactics: Design Thinking in the Teaching of International Relations

Teaching International Relations (IR) today takes place in a challenging context. While the international community appears disoriented in formulating effective answers to the overall destabilization of the world of global affairs, students of IR may feel increasingly lost applying their heavily standardized grids of analysis to a confusing and ever-changing realm. In light of significant global challenges like global warming, opening up the syllabi to new and creative approaches seems overdue. In this paper, I provide in-depth observations of an alternative approach to teaching IR, based on the innovation method Design Thinking. The insights are based on two experimental seminar style courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Over the entire duration of the respective course, the students were invited to tackle specific international problems such as migration governance in the Mediterranean, making use of the full creative potential of Design Thinking tools. The hands-on character of the method helped translate complex social or political issues into tangible ones and inspired the students to enlarge their perspective. The positive outcomes in terms of both the quality of resulting work and active student participation show that creative methods, while not in and of themselves able nor sufficient to fully replace more established concepts of teaching IR, can and should play a greater role in encouraging a more hands-on approach to understanding the international context, in which we live.

393 Impact of Concurrent Enrollment in Laboratory and Lecture Sections of an Animal Reproduction Course on students’ Final Course Percentages

Abstract As undergraduate animal science student populations shift to more diverse backgrounds, hands-on learning activities have been shown to increase engagement and are necessary for students with diverse backgrounds in animal exposure. Student feedback and engagement in the classroom suggest that students value and seek hands-on learning opportunities. The outcomes of lecture courses with concurrent enrollment in laboratory or hands-on style courses warrant evaluation. Thus, our study aimed to investigate potential impacts of concurrent enrollment in lecture and laboratory sections on final course percentages. Data were collected from students enrolled in the farm animal reproduction lecture and (or) laboratory courses in the spring semesters of 2021 and 2022 including final course percentage in lecture, college classification (sophomore, junior, senior), gender, and degree option (science or production focus). Student learning outcomes and structure of the laboratory course were designed to provide hands-on learning opportunities that coincided with concepts discussed in lecture. A total of 193 students majoring in Animal Science were included in the analysis, of which 65 were concurrently enrolled in the laboratory and lecture, and 128 were enrolled in the lecture alone. Students concurrently enrolled in laboratory and lecture had a greater (P < 0.03) final course percentage in the lecture as compared with those enrolled in lecture alone. Students in the science degree option had a greater (P < 0.01) final lecture course percentage when compared with those in the production degree option. Neither student gender nor college classification affected (P > 0.10) final lecture course percentage. At the end of the semester, students were surveyed about perceived value of the laboratory course on their learning. Among students enrolled in laboratory sections, only 1.6% indicated the hands-on activities did not improve their learning of course concepts in lecture. In 2022, 82.2% of students enrolled in lecture, but not in a laboratory section indicated they wished they had enrolled in a laboratory section, because they believe it would have improved their grade in the lecture course. These student beliefs are supported by our results which indicate that not only did taking the laboratory and lecture together improve student final course percentages, but that students valued the hands-on learning opportunities provided in laboratory sections. Benefits of hands-on learning activities warrant providing student access to these types of activities and incorporating them in lecture courses when laboratory classes are unavailable to improve student performance and experiences.

Five-Year results of a multi-specialty induction course for surgical training.

The Essential Surgical Skills Course (ESSC) is a multi-specialty induction "boot camp" style course that has been run successfully for five years. The aim of the current paper is to create an accurate guide for the replication of the course by other teams and assess the course's fitness for purpose, through the survey feedback provided by trainees. The course's fitness for purpose was assessed through cumulative five-year survey feedback from trainees. This observational study describes the design and process of content adjustment according to feedback. The course its five-year span offered twelve different procedural skills in four different specialties. Feedback for each session was persistently >8/10. Key themes identified as beneficial include teacher-to-trainee ratio (often 1:1), teaching style, course structure and responsiveness. The ESSC was found to be fit for purpose for the induction of trainees into surgical training. The key factors contributing to the success of the course include the structured method of curriculum design, outstanding teaching delivery methods, teacher-to-trainee ratio, the availability of appropriate faculty and infrastructure and the willingness to learn from trainee feedback and adjust the content of the course accordingly. It acts as a paradigm for courses aimed to prepare surgical trainees for a "step-up" in their careers.

Ten simple rules for implementing open and reproducible research practices after attending a training course.

Open, reproducible, and replicable research practices are a fundamental part of science. Training is often organized on a grassroots level, offered by early career researchers, for early career researchers. Buffet style courses that cover many topics can inspire participants to try new things; however, they can also be overwhelming. Participants who want to implement new practices may not know where to start once they return to their research team. We describe ten simple rules to guide participants of relevant training courses in implementing robust research practices in their own projects, once they return to their research group. This includes (1) prioritizing and planning which practices to implement, which involves obtaining support and convincing others involved in the research project of the added value of implementing new practices; (2) managing problems that arise during implementation; and (3) making reproducible research and open science practices an integral part of a future research career. We also outline strategies that course organizers can use to prepare participants for implementation and support them during this process.

Using Proactive Just-in-Time Instruction to Improve Student Performance in an Inverted Classroom

Previously the authored showed improvement in student performance in a chemical engineering thermodynamics course using the inverted classroom when compared to the traditional lecture style course. With the addition of just-in-time learning techniques to the inverted classroom, even greater enhancement to student learning and their exam grades were observed. While the inverted classroom tended to help students in the lower third of the class more, the addition of just-in-time learning provided equal exam grade enhancements across all levels of students.

Undergraduate pharmacy students' perceived learning using a team-based debate approach

IntroductionCurrently, teaching and learning in higher institutions is moving away from traditional didactic lecture-based learning towards student-centered learning. The objectives of this study were to implement a team debate as a method of teaching and learning about pharmacy regulatory issues, and evaluate students' perceptions of a team debate. MethodsThis was a pre-and post-study with a validated 11-item online questionnaire. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, standard deviations, and percentages), while paired sample t-test was used to compare pre- and post-study mean scores of the survey items. P values < .05 were taken to be statistically significant. ResultsOne hundred and forty-two students enrolled in a mandatory “Pharmacy Regulation and Control” course at a Nigerian University during the 2020 academic year participated in the study. The average age of the participants was 25.56 ± 2.96 years (Range = 20–38 years), and the majority were males (n = 99, 69.7%). All the questionnaire items and the total score improved significantly (P < .05) after the group debate exercise. ConclusionThe study shows that team debate was well received by the participants and demonstrates that incorporation of team-based debate into a didactic style course improved student's self-perceived learning. Thus, it is recommended that pharmacy educators in Nigeria should consider incorporating team debate to complement didactic teaching to enhance learning.

Variation in Student Perceptions of Higher Education Course Quality and Difficulty as a Result of Widespread Implementation of Online Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic affected higher education in a myriad of ways. One of the most notable effects however was the rapid and sudden transition of nearly all courses at most institutions to an online environment. And while there are a growing number of courses offered online already, this transition to nearly 100% remote education presented numerous challenges for instructors and students of face-to-face and hybrid style courses. Since student perceptions are closely tied to recruitment and retention, it is important to know if there are differences in student perceptions present in the way different courses are taught. This study extends the work of other authors that have investigated student perceptions by looking specifically at how the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed student views of course difficulty and quality both overall and across discipline or institution categories. Course evaluations from 837 courses from 191 different schools archived on RateMyProfessors.com were used in a general linear model where a statistically significant overall decline of 6% in perceived course difficulty and 4% decline in perceived quality was detected. In addition to calculating this mean decrease, courses were also categorized on the basis of academic discipline (Business, Engineering and Mathematics, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences), institution type (2-Year, 4-Year), and whether instructors had previous experience teaching online courses (No, Yes) to determine any variation in differences that may have appeared as a result of more nuanced details in course type or delivery. Most notably, declines in course difficulty were slightly more apparent with instructors that had no previous online teaching experience. No other discipline, institution type, or teaching experience interactions were detected with either difficulty or quality variation. These data suggest that there were very real changes in perceived quality and difficulty but that these changes were largely universal irrespective of discipline, institution type, or prior experience teaching online (with exception of course difficulty).

A student-centered seminar course as a complementary approach to a traditional journal club.

Graduate physiology programs strive to provide students with in-depth expertise in a particular academic discipline, often facilitating this process in the form of a departmental seminar course. Within the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of California Irvine (UCI), students are required to attend a seminar course, most often designed as a journal club, each quarter until they are ready to graduate. While this format may work well in departments where research topics are closely related, it has historically been less successful in UCI's Department of Physiology and Biophysics, where wide-ranging interests make for little overlap in foundational knowledge, limiting meaningful engagement with the material or with peers in the class. In this paper, we describe a complementary approach of developing a syllabus around student interests and covering topics that are critical for student success but often omitted from graduate curricula, such as interview skills, grant writing, and scientific communication. Results from our preclass survey motivated this approach to the class, and our retrospective survey demonstrated the substantial differences in student engagement, enthusiasm, and perceived benefits of this course relative to the journal club style course. We hope that the success of our course may serve as an exemplar for strategies to engage students more effectively and provide critical training in diverse skillsets that will help students after graduation.

The use of modular technology in the formation of the communicative competence of foreign students of the humanitarian profile in the educational and scientific sphere of communication at the stage of pre-university training

In the conditions of a substantial increase in the number of foreign students in the universities of the Russian Federation in recent years especially relevant research of studying ways to increase the effectiveness of the formation of the communicative competence of this contingent of students in the educational and scientific sphere of communication at the stage of pre-university training. Professionally oriented teaching in groups of the humanitarian profile has its own specific features, due to the conditions of study, in which students who have chosen humanitarian areas of a fairly wide range can study in one group. The purpose of this paper is to describe the student body studying at the stage of pre-university training at Russian as a Foreign Language Center of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU HSIEP RFLC), to find out their educational route and degree of conformity of the scientific prose style course, which is prepared based on traditional approaches, to communicative needs relevant to future majors of the students, and to propose and to present an argument for a more effective technology of modular education. As methods of scientific research, the work used the method of analysis of scientific sources devoted to the competence approach to teaching, professionally oriented teaching of Russian as a foreign language and modular technology. Also, the questionnaire method allowed us to obtain data as a result of a survey of 154 students of the pre-university training program of SPbPU HSIEP RFLC. On the basis of theoretical analysis, it has been established that, within the competence-based approach, professionally oriented training in groups of the humanitarian profile at the stage of pre-university training should take place taking into account the communication needs that are relevant for future specialties of students. Empirical method of study allowed identifying a list of future majors of pre-graduate training program trainees, the top of which are the following: linguistics (46%), foreign area studies (24%), majors related to art and culture (8%), psychological and educational majors (8%), law (6%), advertising and public relations (5%). Also a low level of foreign students’ satisfaction (39%) with the content of scientific prose style course based on traditional technology of mass group learning, which preconditions the need to use an innovative modular technology in teaching and learning process. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the description of the process of pre-university training of foreign students in humanitarian groups through the prism of the foundations of modular education. According to the authors, modular training will allow to quickly vary the content aspect of training, focusing on the communicative needs of a certain humanitarian direction.

Belarusian Music in the Solfeggio University Course: Style Aspect

The relevance of the study is dictated by the situation of modern music education, in which the stylistic approach is the most important vector in the teaching of theoretical disciplines. In their series solfeggio is no exception. This is a discipline that lays the foundation for knowledge about music, and equally deepens, strengthens and generalizes the auditory, intonational and analytical skills accumulated in the continuous process of forming a professional musician. Within the framework of the university solfeggio course, the style approach in conjunction with the national musical material is undoubtedly interesting and productive, contributing to a significant expansion of students' intonation and aural experience.The purpose of the research is to identify the fundamental methodological principles of style solfeggio and their projection on the Belarusian composer's work, in connection with its integration into the university solfeggio course.The scientific novelty of the research is reported:systematization of educational and methodical works on the issues of stylistic solfeggio, their analytical understanding and determination of the methodological principles underlying the construction of the university course;involvement in the context of stylistic solfeggio of national musical material, namely, the works of Belarusian composers of the past and present;a methodological characteristic of the most vivid musical samples of Belarusian music, which allows synchronizing the processes of a common historical and stylistic evolution with the peculiarities of the development of professional creativity of Belarusian composers.The research methodology is based on the flexible interaction of general scientific methods (comparative method and deduction method) with methods of theoretical musicology (analysis of various aspects of the musical language). The productivity of their connection led to the significance of the results obtained, namely, the possibility and even the need for further introduction of national material into the academic discipline of solfeggio, up to the development of the concept of style course on national musical material.The study is undoubtedly of practical value, first of all, for teachers of theoretical disciplines. It is another important and necessary step in updating the university course of solfeggio.

A remotely conducted paediatric bootcamp for fourth-year medical students.

Boot camp style courses for graduating students provide intensive, timely training to help improve and polish clinical and communication skills before transitioning to the intern role. At our institution, we offer an annual two-week pediatric boot camp elective for graduating medical students entering into pediatric residencies each spring that uses a combination of simulation, patient encounters and classroom-based sessions. However, medical students graduating in 2020 were removed from all patient care activities for their final quarter because of the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting many planned "just in time" experiences.

How We Design a Blended Team-Based Learning Style Course for Basic Medical Science

How We Design a Blended Team-Based Learning Style Course for Basic Medical Science

Impact of Instructor Teaching Style and Content Course on Mathematics Anxiety of Preservice Teachers

Impact of Instructor Teaching Style and Content Course on Mathematics Anxiety of Preservice Teachers

Design and implementation of instructional videos for upper-division undergraduate laboratory courses

Well-designed laboratories can help students master content and science practices by successfully completing the laboratory experiments. Upper-division chemistry laboratory courses often present special challenges for instruction due to the instrument intensive nature of the experiments. To address these challenges, particularly those associated with rotation style course structures, pre-laboratory videos were generated for two upper-division laboratory courses, Analytical Measurements and Physical Measurements. Sets of videos were developed for each experiment: a pre-laboratory lecture, an experimental, and a data analysis video. We describe the theoretical principles that guided the design of the instructional videos as well as the process. To assess the impact of the videos on students' successful completion of the experiments, a mixed-methods approach to data collection was used, which included video-recorded laboratory observations, student one-on-one interviews, and the Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Inventory (MLLI) survey. Our findings indicate that video-based resources can help alleviate some challenges associated with rotation-style labs, particularly the temporal disconnect between pre-laboratory lectures and experiment completion as well as the need for more student autonomy in upper-division laboratory courses.

Structural optimization of control arm for weight reduction and improved performance

Typical in high performance automotive and aerospace applications is the demand for reduced vehicle mass while maintaining adequate performance and safety. Formula SAE competition is no exception. The nature of the autocross style course favors vehicles with good acceleration capabilities, and both the fuel economy and acceleration events add to the desire for a lightweight vehicle design. In this paper, discussed the static analysis and torsion analysis of the Control arm by using Radioss software and o improve the stiffness of the Control Arm and weight reduction of component by changing the geometrical dimension and structural properties. This design is given by topology optimization for compare the base run analysis and optimized analysis. Meshing is carried out by using 10 nodes tetrahedral element in Hyper Mesh & topology optimization is carried out for the given design space. The topology optimization given the idea of optimum material layout based on load & boundary conditions. Using optimum material layout, the component geometry is finalized by keeping the strength of component constant & 30% reduction in weight.

Improving together: better science writing through peer learning

Abstract. Science, in our case the climate and geosciences, is increasingly interdisciplinary. Scientists must therefore communicate across disciplinary boundaries. For this communication to be successful, scientists must write clearly and concisely, yet the historically poor standard of scientific writing does not seem to be improving. Scientific writing must improve, and the key to long-term improvement lies with the early-career scientist (ECS). Many interventions exist for an ECS to improve their writing, like style guides and courses. However, momentum is often difficult to maintain after these interventions are completed. Continuity is key to improving writing. This paper introduces the ClimateSnack project, which aims to motivate ECSs to develop and continue to improve their writing and communication skills. The project adopts a peer-learning framework where ECSs voluntarily form writing groups at different institutes around the world. The group members learn, discuss, and improve their writing skills together. Several ClimateSnack writing groups have formed. This paper examines why some of the groups have flourished and others have dissolved. We identify the challenges involved in making a writing group successful and effective, notably the leadership of self-organized groups, and both individual and institutional time management. Within some of the groups, peer learning clearly offers a powerful tool to improve writing as well as bringing other benefits, including improved general communication skills and increased confidence.

Evaluation of Snowboard Deck through Physiological Analysis: Blood Lactate Concentration

Objectives: With the need for development of domestic sports products in Korea, this study proposed to present a technical evaluation to verify effects of prototype decks on physiological characteristics. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Five slope style snowboarders were tested in an advanced slope style course which was 420 m in length with an average pitch of 20° to maximum pitch of 30°. Double blind test was performed on prototype decks of 1st edition (B5) and 2nd edition (B1, B2, B3). A comparative physiological analysis of blood lactate concentration level while snowboarding on the course with different decks was analyzed. Findings: There was a statistically significant difference observed among different prototype decks (p<.05). The results of the post hoc test showed higher blood lactate concentration in B5, B2, B3 than B1 deck. Furthermore, significant difference was observed in the time period of accumulation (p<.01). When comparing difference in percent change to the resting state, 32.07% increment was observed in B1, B2 and B3 decks than B5. After exercise, B1 increased by 49.82%, B3 increased by 18.45% than B5, while B2 decreased by 3.32% than B5. According to the result obtained from our study, the lactate level of subjects while riding on the 2nd edition B3 deck was found to be most appropriate than 1st edition B5 prototype. Applications / Improvement: The results and the method from the study can be further applied to set a standard for physiological basis of performance analysis for various sporting equipment.

The Chemistry of Cooking Laboratory Exercises: A Perspective to Increase Chemistry and Biology Access to Students by Using Approachable Experiments

Teaching non‐science majors science is a fundamental requirement in most universities. Many universities include a laboratory or experiential experience for each student as part of their science course. The Science of cooking (biology, chemistry and biochemistry) style course is becoming a popular method to bring science theory, laboratory experience and inquiry to these students. One of the challenges to teach such a course is a lack of laboratory experiments appropriate for entry‐level students that integrate science, food and inquiry. We have created three laboratories that meet these goals and use inexpensive and safe chemistry techniques so that experiments can even be performed in a student's own kitchen. Each lab will be presented in three parts. First is a traditional, directed approach where students will be guided through procedural steps and observations. Each laboratory will also include an inquiry portion where they can form their own hypothesis based on background information and results of the first portion of the experiment. A third component for each lab will integrate food and cooking or baking to bring the scientific foundations to a fun and meaningful application. Some of the basic science concepts that will be examined are reaction kinetics, pH and buffers, macromolecule structure and function, and chemical vs. physical changes. We have prepared three such labs: Browning (Maillard) Reactions, Science of Spherification, and Baking Cookies. From these experiments, more students can learn the fundamental concepts of biology, chemistry and biochemistry and relate it to their daily activities.

Active Learning through a Debate Series in a First-Year Pharmacy Self-Care Course

To evaluate the usefulness of formal debates in the pharmacy classroom as a way to learn course material and as a tool for developing competency in essential skills including critical thinking, communication, public speaking, research methods, and teamwork. Debates were incorporated into a self-care course, where students were assigned different debate topics focused on controversial issues. Quantitative analysis was completed to assess debate style learning, knowledge about the subjects presented, and the impact on necessary skills. Quizzes given before and after debates showed up to a 36% improvement in grades and up to a 31% change in opinions on the topic. Students assessed themselves as more competent in the skill sets at the completion of the debate series. Incorporation of debates into didactic style courses offers students an opportunity to improve upon skills that will help them succeed as pharmacists.

Using experiential learning to develop interprofessional skills in global health: perspectives from the O'NeillInstitute for National and Global Health Law.

Research centers at universities, such as the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University (the O'Neill Institute), are uniquely positioned to facilitate interprofessional collaboration, and to educate current and future global health practitioners. This paper will discuss the O'Neill Institute's experience in developing interprofessional global health skills through its practicum courses. The O'Neill Institute has found that practicum style courses help foster three fundamental elements of interprofessional collaboration in global health: (1) the ability to define professional roles and responsibilities in a project; (2) interprofessional communication skills; and (3) the ability to work in an interprofessional team.