Undergraduate Course Research Articles

Kabir and Pedagogy: Teaching the Politics of Religion through the Hagiography of an Indian Saint

This essay discusses the virtues of hagiology-driven teaching and the pedagogical value of the saint in the religious studies classroom, focusing on how a series of class assignments and activities centered on the Indian devotional saint Kabir function in an undergraduate introductory-level religious studies course to effectively engage student learning, and develop students’ understanding of the politics of religion and the crucial interplay of affect, memory, and storytelling in religious life.

Developing an observation protocol for online STEM courses.

The use of online instruction for undergraduate STEM courses is growing rapidly. While researchers and practitioners have access to validated instruments for studying the practice of teaching in face-to-face classrooms, analogous tools do not yet exist for online instruction. These tools are needed for quality design and control purposes. To meet this need, this project developed an observational protocol that can be used to collect non-evaluative data for the description, study, and improvement of online, undergraduate STEM courses. The development of this instrument used a sequential exploratory mixed methods approach to the research, design, pilot-testing, refinement and implementation of the protocol. Pairs of researchers tested the final version of this instrument, observing completed online undergraduate STEM courses. Across 2,394 pairs of observations, the observers recorded the same indication (yes or no to the presence of some course element) 1,853 times for an agreement rate of 77.4%, falling above the 75% threshold for an acceptable level of agreement. There was a wide range in the inter-rater reliability rates among items and further revisions were made to the instrument. This foundational work-in-progress instrument should be further developed and used by practitioners who are interested in learning about and reflecting on their online teaching practice.

A comparison of two learning approach inventories and their utility in predicting examination performance and study habits.

The revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire and the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students are two instruments commonly used to measure student learning approach. Although they are designed to measure similar constructs, it is unclear whether the metrics they provide differ in terms of their real-world classification of learning approach. The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes of these two inventories in a study population from an undergraduate (baccalaureate) human anatomy course. The three central goals of this study are to compare the inventories in terms of 1) how students are classified, 2) the relationship between examination performance, time spent studying, and learning approach, and 3) instrument reliability. Results demonstrate that student classifications of corresponding scales of each inventory are significantly correlated, suggesting they measure similar constructs. Although the inventories had similar reliability, neither was consistently strong in predicting examination performance or study habits. Overall, these results suggest that the two inventories are comparable in terms of how they measure learning approach, but the lack of correspondence between learning approach scores and measurement outcomes questions their validity as tools that can be used universally in classrooms.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although learning approach inventories have been used extensively in education research, there has been no direct comparison of how student classification differs between instruments or how classification influences the interpretation of how learning approach impacts student performance. This is especially relevant in light of recent research questioning the validity of the Study Process Questionnaire (LoGiudice AB, Norman GR, Manzoor S, Monteiro S. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 28: 47-63, 2023; Johnson SN, Gallagher ED, Vagnozzi AM. PLoS One 16: e0250600, 2021).

High-Impact Teaching Practices in Higher Education: Understanding Barriers, Concerns, and Obstacles to Their Adoption

This research explores the barriers, concerns, and obstacles undergraduate STEM educators face when implementing high-impact teaching practices (HIPs), the application of which may improve student learning outcomes. Because our study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, our results also shed light on the unique challenges of utilizing HIPs in asynchronous online-learning environments. Thirteen undergraduate instructors were interviewed about their current teaching practices in order to identify barriers to or support for adopting HIPs. Data collected through semi-structured interviews revealed administrative and financial restraints as barriers to effective teaching which have been found in previous research. A number of new and unique obstacles emerged out of teaching remotely or online during the pandemic, including a heightened concern over the instructor’s ability to connect with students and engage in the best teaching practices. This research extends our current understanding of barriers and concerns about adopting HIPs in undergraduate STEM courses because of the unique perceived threats that emerged during the pandemic. We identify strategies to equip faculty with the support they need to provide equitable learning experiences, including access to consultants who support curriculum development and implementation in the classroom, ongoing educational coaching, and increased access to professional-development opportunities and a community of inquiry to discuss teaching strategies.

Investigating academic performance and perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology courses among undergraduate students of physical education at a Brazilian public university

PurposeTo compare the academic performance of undergraduate students in physical education who studied exercise physiology before and after studying human physiology and investigate students’ perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology courses.MethodsThis study included 311 undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Participants were divided into two groups: those who had previously attended and completed the human physiology course (group 1, n = 212, 68.2%) and those who had not previously attended or had attended but failed the human physiology course (group 2, n = 99, 31.8%). The prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using a Poisson regression model with a robust variance estimator. The second aim comprised 67 students with bachelor’s degrees in physical education who completed an electronic questionnaire about their perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology curriculum.ResultsCompared with those who attended human physiology and passed, those who had not previously attended or had attended but failed the human physiology course have a higher PR of 2.37 (95% CI, 1.68–3.34) for failing exercise physiology. Regarding the students’ perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology courses, most students reported that they were challenging (58.2% and 64.2%, respectively), but they also recognized the importance of these courses for professional practice (59.7% and 85.1%, respectively).ConclusionHuman physiology should be considered a prerequisite for an undergraduate course leading to a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Furthermore, students considered human physiology and exercise physiology courses important yet challenging. Therefore, continuous student assessment is vital for improving the teaching–learning process.

BlinkBoard: Guiding and monitoring circuit assembly for synchronous and remote physical computing education

Motivated by the necessity of guiding and monitoring students when assembling electronic circuits during in-class activities, we propose BlinkBoard, an augmented breadboard that enhances synchronous and remote physical computing classes. BlinkBoard uses LEDs placed on each row of a breadboard to guide, via four distinct blinking patterns, how to place and connect components and wires. It also uses a set of Input/Output pins to sense voltage levels or to generate voltage output at user-specified rows. Our hardware uses an open protocol of JSON commands and responses that can be used directly via a command line interface to control the hardware. Alternatively, these commands can be issued within a front-end graphical application hosted on a computer for a more user-friendly interface, and to ensure bidirectional and real-time communication between the instructor’s guiding and monitoring panel, and all the students’ remote BlinkBoards. The BlinkBoard hardware is affordable and simple, partially due to a customized circuit configured via a hardware description language that handles the LEDs’ patterns with minimal load on the Arduino microcontroller. Finally, we briefly show BlinkBoard in use during a workshop with high-school students and an undergraduate design course.

Ethics in Financial Reporting Methods: The Case of Vontsira, Inc.

ABSTRACT This case allows students to wrestle with the ethical decisions relating to accounting choices. At issue in this case is the timing of the implementation of the Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL) model standard. The objectives of the case are to help students (1) raise their awareness of the ethical decisions inherent to accounting choices, (2) weigh the validity of different viewpoints and approaches, (3) understand the far-reaching implications of ethical decisions in financial reporting, and (4) practice preparing to effectively advocate their positions in a professional setting. When delivered alongside lessons on accounting for receivables and doubtful accounts, the case can help reinforce the real implications of the judgment involved in estimating bad debt. It is also appropriate for any graduate or upper division undergraduate accounting course in which students discuss ethics and codes of conduct.

Pull-Back Cars: Vehicles for the Instruction of Differential Equations

This article develops a mathematical model for the motion of toy pull-back cars that can be introduced and revisited throughout an undergraduate differential equations course. This survey of the pull-back car modeling scenario enables students to connect course content with real-world experiences and experimental data, while leaving room for further exploration and advancement of the model.

Students-teaching-students: an instructional method for increasing student engagement in undergraduate social work courses

ABSTRACT Engagement in social work education can be a critical factor in the success and retention of information for students. Similarly, an engaged classroom provides a better experience for faculty and students. This article considers how the Students-Teaching-Students (STS) model might increase engagement in undergraduate social work courses. The STS model is introduced, described, applied to online and in-person students, and analyzed for its impact on student engagement. Descriptive analysis shows the interests and preferences of students who participated in the STS model. Bivariate analysis revealed how STS might impact overall engagement and involvement in the course in various academic settings. Findings from this study will better inform and introduce social science faculty about how to incorporate and utilize the STS model to create a more vibrant and interesting student experience.

Meaningful learning in a realistic drug simulation scenario

This study addresses the use of David Ausubel's Theory in a didactic sequence developed specifically for realistic drug simulations. Objective: to test the usability of a didactic sequence developed for realistic simulation in the preparation and administration of parenteral drugs in critically ill patients; to improve the applicability strategy of the didactic sequence for adjustments and subsequent validation. Methodology: qualitative observational study, which took place in May 2023 during a workshop on the preparation and administration of medication, using the evaluation tool validated by Raurell-Torredà as a model for data collection. Nursing undergraduate students from the 5th period onwards were invited to take part in the research to carry out a medication simulation during the workshop, A pre- and post-intervention questionnaire was carried out using a QR code to capture the answers, a semi-structured questionnaire with 11 questions on the subject, the data collected was arranged in an information bank using Microsoft Office Excel software and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results and Discussions: It can be seen that realistic simulation is a teaching-learning method that is little used, with 77.8% of the students having had contact with it for the first time. Conclusion: Although it is an effective teaching-learning strategy, undergraduate courses should structure their teaching strategy to include this teaching model in the course curriculum in order to improve teaching on the preparation and administration of medicines.

Experiential Learning for Circular Operations Management in Higher Education

This research-to-practice article delves into novel learning experiences for operations management education, involving the circular economy and experiential learning. Higher Education academics are required to develop effective learning that actively and impactfully helps nurture in students the essential competency to face sustainable development demands. In operations management education, one possibility is to integrate real-world circular economy challenges into learning activities that address issues concerning solid waste generation in business processes and operations. This type of innovative learning experience involves both conceptual understanding and practical implementation. Accordingly, experiential learning is considered a suitable pedagogy for this purpose in this work because of its hands-on applications, critical thinking, and active engagement. To illustrate this proposition, this paper presents a case study concerning an operations management undergraduate course at a Mexican university. The case study indicates how to translate a situation of solid waste generation in a business into relevant disciplinary experiential learning. The results show that students regarded the learning experience as motivating, interesting, and relevant while widely accomplishing their learning objectives. However, limitations did exist regarding experiential learning, the methodological approach, data collection, and implementation challenges. Future work points to the need for further learning experiences and to improve research reliability, transferability, and validity.

Attachment Representations and Emotions in Teaching as Antecedents to Teaching Styles in Higher Education

The current study explored how relational antecedents and emotional experiences were associated with faculty-centered versus student-centered approaches to teaching in higher education. One hundred and forty-one faculty members from two institutions of higher education in the United States completed self-report surveys regarding an undergraduate course they were teaching that semester. Path analyses showed that faculty reports of a secure attachment style were positively correlated with positive teaching-related emotions and, in turn, with greater use of a student-centered, inquiry-based approach to teaching emphasizing engagement with course material and restructuring of students’ knowledge. Faculty reports of avoidant and anxious-ambivalent attachment styles were correlated with greater negative teaching-related emotions and, in turn, with greater use of a faculty-centered, direct instruction teaching approach. These findings suggest that attachment theory is a useful lens through which to understand why faculty might feel more positively or negatively about their teaching and, in turn, the teaching approaches they employ. We discuss how our findings might inform the re-design of faculty training programs to encourage reflection on relationship styles and greater positive emotions about teaching.

Knowledge, attitude and practices related to drug prescription among postgraduate medical students: A cross sectional study

Pharmacology, being both the basic and applied science of drugs, forms the backbone of rational therapeutics. With an emphasis on learning the facts of medications, traditional pharmacology teaching is mostly teacher-centred. The erroneous prescribing that can result from inadequate understanding can cost a great deal of money and lives. The aim of the present study was to assess doctors' prescription knowledge, attitudes, and practices.The information was gathered from postgraduate students (residents) using questionnaires about their undergraduate training in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, prescribing practices, frequently used drug information sources, and any perceived shortcomings in their undergraduate clinical pharmacology teaching. There was a calculation of descriptive statistics and a chi-square test.Among the 149 responses, 86 (57.71%) of them were male and 63 (42.28%) were female. Only 33 (22.1%) participants knew the components of a prescription, and 135 (90.6%) participants were aware that prescription writing was taught in their undergraduate course. Around 41 (27.5%) participants were aware of the concept of P drugs. Among them, 89 (59.73%) residents had good knowledge of prescriptions. Only 35 (23.5%) strongly agreed, and 113 (75.8%) agreed that undergraduate pharmacology training taught them to prescribe safely. About 83 (55.7%) participants disagreed, 33 (22.1%) strongly disagreed, and only 10 (6.7%) agreed that undergraduate pharmacology teaching should be improved. According to the patient's needs, 146 (98%) participants were prescribed additional vitamins and irons. Around 52 (34.9%) participants reported having difficulty prescribing during their internship rotation. Among them, 77 (51.67%) residents had good practice of prescription.A majority of postgraduate students believed that additional training should be provided on writing rational prescriptions to make them more confident in their prescribing practices.

Communication as a prerequisite for forming online learning communities: a case study

Many researchers and educators have emphasized the importance of forming and developing online learning communities. Moreover, the leading role that the forms and the contents of communication between learners have in the creation and functioning of these communities is stressed. In this paper we present and comment on s, the findings of a research project that studied the aforementioned communication issues between students of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, at the Hellenic Open University. The analysis of the empirical data of this research, shows that the role of communication in the educational activities in which the subjects of our research were involved is extremely weak and consequently the formation of online learning communities is rudimentary.

Social Risk Factors Contributing to Anxiety, Depression and Stress among Indian Healthcare Students during Lockdown

Background The increase in mental health disorders among the general population, healthcare workers and students during the pandemic was evident. There are scanty reports regarding the mental health status of students in the health care services from India during the pandemic lockdown. This study aims to find the risk factors of anxiety and stress among these students and to evaluate the adapting mechanisms to alleviate the same. Methods A web-based cross-sectional survey was perfomed in students undergoing undergraduate courses in various healthcare services after institutional ethical clearance. The study tool was a pre-validated self-administered questionnaire in the google form. The link was shared in various WhatsApp groups to be shared among students with a brief description of the study after proper content validation. Results Of the 527 respondents, 291 (56%) were females, 385 (74%) were in MBBS Courses, and 178 (34%) were from government colleges. Prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress were 372 (70.6%), 360 (68.3%) and 262 (49.7%), respectively. The mean scores of anxiety, depression and stress were 14.33 ± 10.4, 17.24 ± 12.21 and 16.60 ±10.4, respectively. The presence of anxiety, depression and stress was not associated with age, course and year of study, type of Institutions in which they study, socioeconomic status and performance in the recent written examination. There was no association of gender with anxiety and depression, but females had more stress than males (p = .025). Extremely severe levels of anxiety, depression and stress were seen in 158 (30%), 124 (23.5%) and 43 (8%), respectively. A total of 296 (57%) of the students started a new hobby during the lockdown. Students who felt relaxed after talking to their teachers or mentors, students who shared talks with family members and friends, students whose parental fights were less, and students who opened up with parents were less likely to have anxiety and stress. Conclusion The prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress in healthcare students from our country was very high. Most of the students needed motivation during the pandemic lockdown. Proper psychological support to students of health care services is a necessity in such a crisis situation.

The social role of the academic and the student in active methods for education

ABSTRACT This study aims to understand the patterns of conduct, forms of action, role construction, role performance and institutional nexus of behavior that characterize the social role of academics and students in undergraduate Accounting courses through the adoption of active methods for education. A qualitative, multiple case study was developed through in-depth interviews with academics and focus groups with students from universities in Paraná and Santa Catarina that use active and traditional education methods. It was found that academics need to change their attitude in the classroom and use active methods to make their teaching more dynamic, giving students more responsibility. Yet, academics must maintain the traditional teaching methods when the teaching content or the learning profile of the students requires it. Regarding the student role, the study reveals that they have different attitudes towards the learning process and different learning styles that do not depend on the methods used.

Case Article—Digitizing Spare Parts Supply Chain via 3D Printing: An Operational Cost Analysis

The case presents a sourcing problem and a manufacturing problem faced by an original equipment manufacturer, seeking recommendations for sourcing a diverse range of parts for high-voltage equipment, as well as making decisions on the manufacturing strategy for a component used in a water monitoring system. The case provides an opportunity to explore the qualitative and quantitative aspects of three-dimensional (3D) printing versus traditional manufacturing, specifically in terms of operational cost. Furthermore, this case facilitates discussions on the potential impact of 3D printing on supply chains. It is suitable for use in graduate and undergraduate courses, as it introduces key concepts such as manufacturing and inventory policies, queueing theory, and life cycle analysis. Ultimately, the case is designed to promote a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities that manufacturers face in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. Supplemental Material: The Teaching Note and supplemental data are available at https://www.informs.org/Publications/Subscribe/Access-Restricted-Materials .

Integrating extended formative assessment in flipped jigsaw learning: Promoting learning engagement and higher-order thinking skills in international business education context

Despite research confirming the positive impact of flipped jigsaw learning across multiple disciplines, little attention has been paid to embedding formative assessment into flipped jigsaw learning to optimize the acquisition of practical skills needed for future professional careers and promote learning engagement and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). This study aimed to investigate the incorporation of formative assessment into a flipped jigsaw learning context and examine its effects on learning engagement and HOTS in an undergraduate business marketing course. A quasi-experimental design was used in this study, with two groups: control with flipped jigsaw learning and traditional summative assessment and experimental with flipped jigsaw learning and formative assessment. Each group consisted of 25 students, all enrolled in the undergraduate business administration department at an Indonesian vocational tertiary education institution. Questionnaires and student assignment scores were used to collect data. According to the findings, flipped jigsaw learning with extended formative assessment improved learning engagement and HOTS more than flipped jigsaw learning with traditional summative assessment. This study's findings may contribute to advancing theories and practices on how formative assessment has recently been explored as a learning tool embedded in flipped jigsaw learning in international business education.

Finding your feet in the dark: how making teaching and learning visible enables change in course and assessment design

ABSTRACT When higher education instructors introduce changes in teaching and assessment strategies to meet either personal or institutional goals, they often navigate practical and political challenges alone. This study investigates the perspectives of Norwegian university instructors in their effort to replace lectures and exams with a series of problem-solving activities and assessment for learning strategies in an undergraduate science course. Using grounded theory, we analysed 11 interviews with 7 instructional staff involved in two offerings of the course. Our findings show how instructors took specific measures to bridge gaps in expectations about learning with students and to address misconceptions, teaching conventions, and bureaucratic barriers that hinder the development of more meaningful learning and assessment experiences. Instructors found some success in making teaching and learning visible to students. However, they did not have similarly effective strategies for making their teaching practices clear to peers (academic and professional staff). We argue that these processes of making teaching and learning visible, as well as intelligible within institutions, is a crucial part of course design and warrants inclusion in institutional curriculum guidelines. We discuss the need for structural change in how educational reforms are enacted so lasting cultural changes can be achieved.

Notions of resistances and points of entry for texts formats in teacher physics education

We develop the notions of resistance and points of entry in the context of alternative written textual formats used in physics teacher education. Studies point out that textbooks have played an important role in undergraduate physics courses, which can be part of the initial training of physics teachers. On the foundation of theories in the philosophy of science, it is possible to verify that there are philosophical reasons for the privileged use of this textual format in physics undergraduate courses. However, alongside the transformation of the educational field in terms of its theoretical-methodological approaches, there is a growing body of research and educational practices that highlights the importance and possibilities of incorporating others written textual formats in all levels of physics education. The notions of resistance and points of entry can enhance the awareness of these dynamics of physics education. To produce such an understanding, we put the philosophy of science in dialogue with the philosophy of action, which provides an overview of the interactions of life, including physics pedagogy - in which actions promote transformations.