Style Of Course Research Articles

LESSONS LEARNED FROM STUDENT REFLECTIONS: A HANDS-ON, INTEGRATED CURRICULUM APPROACH

At the University of Calgary, we conducted an integrated curriculum approach for students of electrical engineering in their second year. This program’s goal was to nurture deep learning in students, beyond the shallow experiences normally encountered in a traditional fragmented style of course based learning [5]. With the aim of improving learning strategies of students, they were asked to fill out surveys based on their reflections on their weekly learning during the program. Using qualitative coding, student reflections were analyzed with a framework from self-determination theory to understand the student learning and motivation throughout the program. Eleven themes emerged which were categorized within the three elements of the theoretical framework: competence, relatedness, and autonomy. The aim of this analysis is to focus on how ILS and student learning strategies can be improved in order to enhance the quality of student learning.

Onlinization of a simulation course that includes minor emergency procedures.

We attempted to convert a simulation course held on-site for primary care physicians to learn about the initial treatment of minor emergencies, including some common surgical procedures, to an online format. We reviewed the subjects covered in the course and evaluated whether it was "decision-making" or "technical skills" that had been primarily taught as simulation-based training for each subject, and then supplemented the contents accordingly. As a result, satisfaction levels with the online course were comparable to those with the on-site course as measured by a postcourse questionnaire (97.6% [83/85 participants] rating it as "excellent" or "good" on a 5-point Likert scale postcourse questionnaire). We showed that it is reasonable to offer simulation in place of in-person training even for some procedures that were once assumed to be difficult to teach online. Of note, the online course is not just a replacement for the on-site course; it can offer other benefits, including opportunities for those who have difficulty attending courses due to distance or work-related reasons. After the COVID-19 pandemic period, both onsite and online courses can be held, allowing participants to choose the style of course that best suits their situation.

Hands‐on horticulture: Lessons learned teaching online experiential horticulture during COVID‐19

AbstractAs a result of theCOVID‐19 pandemic, many courses were forced online. This posed particular challenges for courses with laboratory or hands‐on components. A group of instructors at the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin‐Madison designed an online, asynchronous course structure for teaching introductory horticulture courses with laboratory components. Uniquely, the courses described in this article, while delivered through the online teaching platform Canvas, focused on developing hands‐on activities that got students away from their computers to observe, work with, and grow plants. The course included hands‐on activities that complemented lecture readings and videos and guided students through designing and setting up experiments in their homes. We heard many positive reviews from student course evaluations for this style of course and want to share the structure and the types of experiential activities we included to engage students with plants and the process of science, as well as lessons that we learned while teaching in this online learning environment. We found that the ability to care for and observe plants on a daily basis wove together the lecture and lab materials in ways that were not previously seen during in‐person courses. As instructors, we would adapt some of the components of these online courses into our in‐person courses in the future.

"English for Academic Purposes in the Korean University Context: Teachers’ Opinions on What is Being Taught, How it is Being Taught, and Possible Improvements"

As the use of English in the academic world increases around the world, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) continues to grow. The increase in demand for EAP courses and teachers often finds English teachers having to prepare students to study in fields that they themselves might not be familiar with or teach a style of course they might not have done before. In addition to these obstacles, there are many institutional barriers that prevent teachers from teaching EAP properly. This paper examines these problems in the South Korean university context. Currently many Native English Speaking (NES) English teachers are transitioning from teaching Commutative Language Teaching (CLT) classes to teaching EAP courses and are experiencing many problems and barriers as they transition and teach EAP. 10 NES university teachers were interviewed in order to gather qualitative data about their experiences in teaching EAP courses in an attempt to better understand the current situation in many Korean universities. The data gathered revealed many similar problems and led to ideas for possible improvement on many levels.

Components of Typical Undergraduate Software Engineering Courses: Results from a Survey

A survey of undergraduate software engineering courses was conducted. The survey covered the issues of course level, course content, course organization, project characteristics, and department demographics. The descriptive statistics show that the typical course focuses on the software development life cycle and includes a project intended for actual use. The project is carried out by teams of students, with student leaders. A factor analysis disclosed that three different sorts of courses are currently being offered. The most predominant course is the Later-Life Cycle course, which focuses on the later stages of the software life cycle. Detailed design, coding, testing, and maintenance receive in-depth coverage in this style of course, and the student's grades are heavily dependent upon the project. The Early-Life-Cycle course emphasizes requirements analysis, specification, and system design. Written reports are an important component of this course, and the project is again a large portion of the students' grades. The third style of course is the Theoretical-Issues course. Software metrics, project management, and legal and ethical issues are covered. The students are upper level, and they use journal articles as a source of materials. The issues of suitable textbooks and sources of materials and training for teaching user-interface design surfaced as problem areas.