Traditional Students Research Articles

Evaluation Tool for Traditional Chinese Medicine Students in China: A Competency Perspective

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important component of China’s medical system. How to educate TCM practitioners in China, therefore, has become a crucial issue. To contribute to this issue, the current research identified the competency model of TCM practitioners in China and developed an evaluation for TCM students. We combined Bloom’s taxonomy with our model construction to examine the current TCM practitioners’ requirements. Following the protocol of developing a measurement, we interviewed 20 TCM practitioners, conducted two rounds of surveys in China ( n = 220/ n = 489), ran exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and examined the correlation between the measurement and self-rated outcomes. The evaluation tool of TCM students consists of five factors: modern medical knowledge and skills, TCM medical knowledge and skills, professional ethics, communication and cooperation skills, and clinical practices. The reliability and validity of our evaluation tool were testified. Our work may contribute to TCM education in China.

The Patterns of Religious Struggle Among Undergraduates Attending Evangelical Institutions

Of the 900 religiously affiliated colleges and universities in the United States, a sizable portion (approximately 118) are members of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). As members of the CCCU, these institutions have a shared commitment to the academic and spiritual development of their students. However, relatively few studies have included data sets with multi-institutional types and longitudinal data. The purpose of this two-part study was to examine the patterns and predictors of religious struggle among traditional undergraduate students attending evangelical institutions compared to those at three other types of institutions. This article addresses the following question: How does the level of religious struggle change between the freshmen and junior years among college students attending evangelical institutions? A quantitative design using the 2004 and 2007 College Student Beliefs and Values Survey (CSBV)—which was last administered in 2007—with responses from 14,527 students attending evangelical, Catholic, other religious, and nonsectarian institutions was employed. Results indicate that significant differences in the levels and patterns of religious struggle exist between evangelical institutions and other types of institutions. Longitudinal measures revealed that students from evangelical institutions experience higher levels of religious struggle compared to their peers at other types of institutions at the end of their junior year. This article is the first in a two-part series and focuses on the patterns of religious struggle among students attending evangelical institutions.

The potential of a year-round school calendar for maintaining children's weight status and fitness: Preliminary outcomes from a natural experiment

PurposeTo evaluate the potential of a year-round school calendar (180-day school year distributed across 12 months) as an intervention compared to a traditional school calendar (180-day school year distributed across 9 months) for mitigating children's weight gain and fitness loss via a natural experiment. MethodsHeight, weight, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) (i.e., Fitnessgram Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) were measured in children (5–12 years old) in 3 schools (2 traditional, 1 year-round, n = 990 students, age = 8.6 ± 2.4 years, 53.1% male, 68.9% African American) from 1 school district. Structure (represented by the presence of a school day) was the independent variable. Changes in body mass index (BMI), age- and sex-specific BMI z-scores (zBMI), BMI percentile, percent of overweight or obese children, and CRF (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run laps completed) were assessed for summer 2017 (May–August 2017), school year 2017/2018 (August 2017–May 2018), and summer 2018 (May–August 2018). Primary analyses examined the overall change in weight and CRF from summer 2017 until summer 2018 via multilevel mixed effects regression, with group (traditional vs. year-round calendar), time, and a group-by-time interaction as the independent variables. Secondary regression analyses estimated differences in change within and between groups during each time period, separately. ResultsYear-round students gained less BMI (difference in ∆ = –0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): –0.67 to –0.03) and less CRF (difference in ∆ = –1.92, 95%CI: –3.56 to –0.28) than students attending a traditional school overall. Compared with traditional students, during both summers, year-round students gained less BMI (summer 2017 difference in ∆ = –0.15, 95%CI: –0.21 to –0.08; summer 2018 difference in ∆ = –0.16, 95%CI: –0.24 to –0.07) and zBMI (summer 2017 difference in ∆ = –0.032, 95%CI: –0.050 to –0.010; summer 2018 difference in ∆ = –0.033, 95%CI: –0.056 to –0.009), and increased CRF (summer 2017 difference in ∆ = 0.40, 95%CI: 0.02–0.85; summer 2018 difference in ∆ = 0.23, 95%CI: –0.25 to 0.74). However, the opposite was observed for the school year, with traditional students gaining less BMI and zBMI and increasing CRF compared with year-round students (difference in BMI ∆ = 0.05, 95%CI: 0.03–0.07; difference in zBMI ∆ = 0.012, 95%CI: 0.005–0.019; difference in Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run laps ∆ = –0.43, 95%CI: –0.58 to –0.28). ConclusionThe year-round school calendar had a small beneficial impact on children's weight status but not CRF. It is unclear if this benefit to children's weight would be maintained because gains made in the summer were largely erased during the school year. Trajectories of weight and CRF gain/loss were consistent with the structured days hypothesis.

Creating intergenerational learning opportunities in multigenerational college classrooms: Faculty perceptions and experiences

ABSTRACT This study explored the role of faculty in fostering intergenerational learning. Specifically, it 1) describes how faculty perceive the engagement between older auditors and traditional students within a multigenerational classroom, 2) looks at the role faculty play in fostering engagement between the generations, 3) determines whether or not intergenerational learning is taking place, and 4) identifies areas of need in order to facilitate intergenerational learning. Using an online survey we collected data from 14 of the 15 faculty who participated in an older adult auditing program at a state college. Data analysis revealed that faculty members expected benefits from including older adults in their classroom, and then reported positive experiences, yet they themselves did not change their teaching style to facilitate intergenerational learning. Faculty appear to have assumed that by having a multigenerational class, intergenerational learning would naturally take place. The implication for institutes of higher education is that they need to help prepare faculty to understand the unique role that they play in fostering intergenerational learning in a multigenerational class.

“More than just a student”: How co-creation of the curriculum fosters third spaces in ways of working, identity, and impact

The Third Space (Bhabha, 2004) represents non-traditional roles, processes, relationships, and spaces in which individuals work and have impact. This article presents qualitative research into 13 different curriculum co-creation initiatives at five Scottish universities and analyses the forms of Third Space that emerge.The findings highlight that curriculum co-creation can foster Third Spaces that include: new ways of working in learning and teaching, student development in a space between traditional student and teacher roles and identities, and impact in civic engagement within and beyond the university. The respect and reciprocity that characterise curriculum co-creation can greatly benefit students’ personal and professional development as individuals. In addition, I suggest that the Third Space of civic engagement can advance the Third Mission of universities (beyond impact in the first two missions of teaching and research) when students and teachers work in partnership to have a positive effect on the wider society.

MEASURING TEACHERS-AS-LEARNERS’ DIGITAL SKILLS AND READINESS TO STUDY ONLINE FOR SUCCESSFUL E-LEARNING EXPERIENCE

INTRODUCTION
 We are living in the information society and digital competence is one of eight key competences for lifelong learning strategies (European Competence Framework); it is “both a requirement and right of citizens, if they are to be functional in today’s society” [1].
 The project “Competency based curriculum” is supported by the European Social Fund (ESF) and implemented by the National Centre for Education (NCE) of Latvia. E-learning course modules are to be developed and implemented for the professional development of all teachers in Latvia (pre-primary, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school) [2]. These e-learning courses will be available as self-directed learning (SDL) courses.
 Latvia is facing a challenge – lifelong learning participation rates are very low. According to Eurostat, in 2017 only 7.5% of Latvian adults (age 25-64) participated in any lifelong learning activity, compared to 10.9% in the EU as a whole [3].
 For sustainability of the ESF “Competency based curriculum” project, it is important that all teachers take part in e-learning - NCE does not have sufficient funding to organize face-to-face training for more than 35,000 teachers in the country.
 Hypothesis. The level of teachers-as-learners’ readiness to study online varies significantly depending upon their demographic and professional characteristics – e-learning course design must be adapted to the learners’ readiness level and skills to achieve the best possible completion rates.
 There has been research on learners’ readiness for online learning and on the assessment tools [4]. Teachers-as-learners are different from traditional students; research on teachers-as-learners in the online environment has been limited. [5]
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 Theoretical sources and other available research on learners’ readiness for online learning and teachers-as-learners were analysed.
 A self-evaluation survey was developed for teachers based on TOOLS [6] questionnaire. After exploring several options available, this tool was selected because it is open source and easy to replicated, scoring scheme and explanations were also available. According to the authors of TOOLS [7], the measure has a stable and simple structure, the criteria and construct have been validated, and test-retest reliability has been tested.
 Teachers from 100 pilot schools in the ESF “Competency based curriculum” project were invited to take part in the survey in November 2018. Within one month, responses from 1092 teachers from all over the country, of all education levels and of all subject areas were received, collected using Microsoft Excel and processed with IBM SPSS® Statistics software Version 20 [8].
 To analyse the data, several statistical techniques have been used: descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, T-test, Mann-Whitney test, One-way ANOVA, Post-hoc comparisons, Kruskal-Wallis test and others.
 RESULTS
 Five summarized variables out of six distributed normally (Kologomorov-Smirnov test <0.01); one summarized variable did not distribute normally.
 Statistically significant differences were not found between genders in four of five summarized scores.
 Statistically significant differences between subject areas of teachers were found.
 Significant differences between age groups were found.
 DISCUSSION
 Designers of e-learning courses for teachers-as-learners should be mindful of the various levels of readiness for online learning and the various competences and skills of the learners.
 Future work:
 
 Continue analysing the data in search of relationships between the readiness to study online and other professional characteristics of the teachers-as-learners;
 Analyse theoretical sources and other research about e-learning course customisation for teachers-as-learners.
 
 CONCLUSION
 This research adds to the theoretical framework of readiness for online learning, especially when analysing teachers-as-learners.

The use of learning technologies in complementary medicine education: Results of a student technology survey

BackgroundLearning technologies are becoming universal in health professional education. Despite the potential philosophical and ideological dissonance between CM and technology, the actual use of learning technologies by CM students is currently unknown. As such, there is a need to explore the prevalence and nature of use of educational technologies by CM students. MethodsA cross-sectional survey examining students’ behaviours and attitudes to learning technologies at the Endeavour College of Natural Health. Survey items focused on student demographic and educational background, and their use of technology. Chi-square tests were used to examine bivariate relationships and the characteristics of technology use based on respondents’ age were determined using a backward stepwise logistic regression. ResultsThere were 576 responses to the survey. The majority of respondents reported having a mobile phone (96.2%) or a laptop (85.9%), rather than a desktop computer (24.7%). Of those with phones, 92% had a smart phone. Almost all students access their emails every day (84%). Older students (>35 years old) were found to be more likely to have a desktop computer (OR 1.9) and access LinkedIn (OR 2.95), but were less likely to use an eBook reader (OR 2.63) or Facebook (OR 0.21). DiscussionCM educational institutions need to adapt in relation to teaching and learning due to the changing use of and impact of technologies by more non- traditional students. This study points to the need for further research to explore the values, attitudes and use of technology by faculty in complementary medicine institutions.

Non-completion, Transfer, and Dropout of Traditional and Non-traditional Students in Germany

A considerable proportion of students in Germany has graduated from vocational training before entering higher education. With this paper we examined how these students progress through higher education. We argue that successful graduation is the result of a sequence of decisions and decompose the trajectories through higher education to distinguish non-completion, transfer and dropout. We used the German Educational Panel Study (NEPS-SC6), a retrospective life course study, and applied logistic regression models. Our results suggest that students with vocational qualifications are slightly more likely to graduate from the initially chosen program than traditional students, but this advantage diminishes after controlling individual and institutional characteristics. After non-completion of the initially chosen program, the traditional students are more likely to remain in higher education and transfer to another program, whereas students with vocational certificates rather choose to leave higher education. Taking the entire trajectory together, our bivariate analyses reveal a slightly higher risk of leaving higher education without graduation among the students with pre-tertiary vocational training. Again, this association disappears in models that control for individual and institutional characteristics.

Q Methodology Course Evaluation: Investigating Student Perceptions of a Dissection‐Based Undergraduate Gross Anatomy Course

IntroductionIncreasing numbers of professional programs are requiring upper‐level undergraduate anatomy courses as prerequisites for matriculation. An undergraduate, lecture‐free, dissection‐based regional gross anatomy course was developed to fulfill this need. Since the course is new, the instructors deemed it necessary to examine student perspectives of the course in more detail and depth than provided by institution‐generated course evaluations to ensure future course modifications are informed by student feedback.AimEvaluate students' perceptions of the course and group them based on commonalities using Q methodology.MethodsQ methodology requires participants to sort and rank a set of statements on a table from strongly disagree to strongly agree. A set of 43 statements were generated by faculty and prior students regarding course structure, quality of instruction, assessment, and pre‐laboratory activities. Students in the 2018 cohort of the course were invited to participate in a paper‐based Q methodology course evaluation, sort the 43 statements on a Q sort table, and provide written explanations for their highest and lowest rankings. The sorts were manually entered into the PQMethod 2.35 program and a factor analysis was performed using the recommended settings for Q methodology. Written statements were transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis to assist in the interpretation of the factor analysis. This study was granted exempt status from the Institutional Review Board at Indiana University School of Medicine (#1804247884).ResultsTwelve of 15 students completed the course evaluation. The Q methodology sorted the students into one of three statistically significant groups: Motivated Dissectors (n=6), Traditional Students (n=3), and Inspired Learners (n=3). Motivated Dissectors and Inspired Learners felt strongly that the course did not encourage self‐directed learning and that the pre‐laboratory materials were not adequate to prepare them for quizzes. Traditional Students, however, disagreed, having a favorable opinion of the pre‐laboratory materials, even though this group felt most strongly that the amount of material covered in the course was overwhelming.Discussion and ConclusionThese data provided student perspectives of the course that were not obtained with the institution‐generated course evaluation and reinforces the utility of Q methodology for course evaluation. The results of this study will inform future revisions to the course structure and materials with past students' perceptions in mind.Support or Funding InformationNone to report.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Reflections on an International Research Immersion Field Study as a High Impact Practice to Produce Publishable Papers by Underrepresented Undergraduates

Engaging undergraduates in publishable research is challenging. Skills including researching topics, statistical knowledge, and writing abilities are necessary; however, students often face time constraints or financial challenges that impede them from engaging in these experiences. Conducting research with underrepresented students can be an even bigger challenge, as these groups are known to face additional financial or family burdens that the traditional student does not face. This essay reports on the development of an international field study with the goal of producing publishable research by undergraduates. To date, 27 students (68% Hispanic, 52% first generation) have participated in a week-long immersion field experience in Roatán, Honduras. As an interdisciplinary field study, students were exposed to animal behavior, ecology concepts, and research methods through a two-course sequence that incorporated the field experience. In this essay, we share our best practices for conducting a field study with students from underrepresented populations with the goal of producing publishable research. We include the evolution of the course curriculum that was informed by self-reported student experiences and a brief description of some of the projects students designed. Students reported that the field experience highlighted the importance of adjusting research plans and expectations. Ultimately, this program exposed students to advantages and disadvantages of conducting field research while increasing confidence in their ability to conduct effective and meaningful research. A minimum of two semesters may be needed to create publishable research projects and 1 week of data collection is not sufficient for successful research projects.

Adverse childhood experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and self-reported stress among traditional and nontraditional college students

Objective: To investigate the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD-S), and self-reported stress among college students. Participants: A total of 236 undergraduate students enrolled in nursing courses participated. Method: Using a correlational design, participants completed questionnaires online. To examine PTSD moderation between ACE and self-reported stress, multiple regression was employed. Stress outcomes were examined using a 4-group variable. Mean differences in stress response between these four groups were examined. Differences in ACE, PTSD-S, and stress response between traditional and nontraditional students were also examined. Results: PTSD-S moderated the relationship between ACEs, and self-reported stress. This indicates that students who report PTSD-S following childhood adversity perceive higher levels of stress. Nontraditional and traditional students differed in their responses to the ICLRE scale. Conclusion: Individuals who report PTSD-S following childhood adversity perceive higher levels of stress later in life. Stress reduction programs may be beneficial for students.

The University of Wisconsin-Stout Asynchronous Learning Network Case Study Options: Using Technology to Remove Learning Barriers

The University of Wisconsin-Stout Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN) project, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, represents an effort to expand the boundaries of the traditional campus. The purpose of this project was to offer learning opportunities to both traditional students and industry professionals either on campus or away from the campus. The asynchronous method of delivery will allow learners to participate from any place at any time. This paper will review how the University of Wisconsin-Stout is using technology to remove learning barriers and provide students with learning options. The focus of this paper is to provide a detailed explanation of the process the University of Wisconsin-Stout used to implement an Asynchronous Learning Network. It will describe the history and background of the project, design and development issues, results and proposed next steps for this campus.

SOLVING THE LABORATORY DILEMMA IN DISTANCE LEARNING GENERAL CHEMISTRY

Making a laboratory science course accessible to distance learners requires eliminating certain barriers. This paper describes one semester introductory chemistry courses for science and non-science majors that feature laboratory experiments that students can do at home, using materials readily available from local grocery and hardware stores. Courses using this approach have been offered successfully for several years at the University of Colorado at Denver, Cape Fear Community College and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and the laboratory experiences of the distance learners compares favorably with that of traditional students. This paper describes the important features of the distance learning courses, and provides assessment results that indicate the suitability of these experiments as replacement for traditional laboratories.

Job Placement Rates Among First-Generation Hospitality Students

ABSTRACTThis study compared the job placement status of 1st-generation college students and traditional students graduating from a 4-year hospitality program. Data were collected through a survey of graduating seniors. A chi-square analysis revealed that 1st-generation college students were 3 times less likely to have a job in place at graduation. This finding is significant for university programs to examine their resources and programming to ensure that 1st-generation students’ needs are addressed.

Learning Communities Finding Common Ground for the Common Good

ABSTRACTMuseum educators and instructors of English as a Second Language (ESOL) at a community college in New York reflect on their experiences facilitating a program designed to enrich the language, cultural, and visual literacy skills of adult immigrant students. The CALTA21 program brought together three stakeholders, immigrant ESOL students, language instructors, and museum educators in collaboration to build linguistic, social, and cultural capital. A professional development institute, utilizing Visual Thinking Strategies as a core pedagogy, provided a common practice used by the stakeholders in the classroom and the museum. This democratic method subverted the traditional student–teacher relationship by using inquiry and personal narratives to inspire an exchange of ideas. The case study will consider the elements of the program that supported the development of a dynamic community of learners, and the empowering experience of teaching and learning within a model of shared authority.

Transition Programs for Student Veterans

Many times, student veterans are returning to, or entering for the first time, an institution of higher education at an older age than the traditional student, and with very different background experiences. As institutions prepare a welcoming environment for their matriculating students, an orientation program for student veterans, supplemental to the already existing orientation, is suggested. Doing so provides all the necessary information to the student veteran about the institution, along with a separate time to create a support group with their peers. The program described was implemented at a four-year, public, Midwestern university in the fall semester of 2011. Through a multi-pronged approach, student veterans were offered a variety of resources to help ease their transition from “boots to books.” An analysis of the data on the students who participated in the activities was compared to data on the students who were not involved. The results of the analysis show positive support for continuing the specialized orientation program.

Research Knowledge of Advanced Standing and Traditional Students: Implications for BSW Education

The advanced standing model of social work education, which affords graduate credit to qualified BSW students who pursue their MSW, has not been without issue or controversy, including questions of potential differences in performance on various educational outcomes. Specifically related to research curriculum, the importance of which is often not wholly embraced by students, this article reports the results of a secondary data analysis comparing research knowledge among advanced standing and traditional MSW students as well as among the various undergraduate majors (i.e., BSW, psychology, and sociology). Results suggest that research knowledge is similar and low across student subgroups. Important differences in research knowledge were found among student groups based on undergraduate major, with BSW undergraduates without advanced standing, on average, scoring lower than any other group. Implications for BSW research curriculum are considered.

Developing a framework for sustainable growth of flexible learning opportunities

ABSTRACTFlexible learning increases access to higher education, particularly for traditionally undeserved students. First-time entrants, who may lack the cultural capital to be successful, may also be more likely to participate in flexible learning than traditional students, and particularly in online and blended courses. We posit that success for all students enrolling in flexible forms of learning can be achieved through course design and responsive pedagogies. For these efforts to be successful, competency frameworks must be developed, and initial and ongoing training provided for teaching staff. This paper discusses a theory-based and practice-informed framework for the scalable expansion of flexible learning, which in our case, encompassed online learning, blended learning, competency-based education, and open educational resources. We provide a context for the framework, introduce the framework, discuss the steps for developing and implementing it, and share initial findings and implications.

A New-Type Acupuncture Model Based on STM32

Background: The foundation of this acupuncture model is to solve the lack of experimental teaching model and student’s inadequate ability to identify acupoints in the teaching of acupuncture and moxibustion in traditional Chinese medicine. Methods: In this model we use modern materials to simulate human arms and combination with electronic engineering to create a “Modern Version of Acupuncture Man” and select 2015 undergraduates of Traditional Chinese Medicine School in Jinan University as the research object, to divide those students into two teaching mode which is using acupuncture models or not, to compare their mastery of the acupoint names and position. Results: After the three times different mode teaching and have a test, the average score of using models group was much higher than traditional teaching mode groups (p < 0.05). And all the students expressed that using the model teaching and investigation could better grasp the location and depth of acupoints and enhance their ability of identifying acupoints. Conclusions: The acupuncture models beneficial to the training the acupuncture of Traditional Chinese Medicine students, and also it can make the theory of acupuncture more “Standardization” and “Visualization”.

Why a pluralist economics education is important for incarcerated individuals

An economics education provides students with the tools necessary to solve today's complex problems and additionally, is desirable among employers. This is true for both traditional college students and incarcerated individuals enrolled in college courses in the USA. This article reviews the literature on the benefits of correctional education, arguing explicitly for the inclusion of economics in college-in-prison programs. Using the experience of teaching economics in a state prison, I extrapolate on how key economic principles can be made relevant in incarcerated lives. The necessity for diversity in economic content, especially within the limitations of a college-in-prison economics course, is also explored. A pluralist approach to economics encourages students to think critically about economic theory and allows for the incorporation of work by a diverse set of scholars that may more closely resemble the incarcerated population. Additional pedagogical considerations to contemplate when teaching in correctional education programs are briefly highlighted.