Undergraduate General Education Research Articles

Using expansive learning to design and implement video-annotated peer feedback in an undergraduate general education module

AbstractExisting studies have measured the effect of video-based feedback on student performance or satisfaction. Other issues are underacknowledged or merit further investigation. These include sociocultural aspects which may shape the design and implementation of video-based feedback, the ways students use technology to engage in feedback, and the processes through technology may transform learning. This study investigates the design and implementation of a video-annotated peer feedback activity to develop students’ presentation skills and knowledge of climate science. It explores how their use of a video annotation tool re-mediated established feedback practices and how the systematic analysis of contradictions in emerging practices informed the subsequent redesign and reimplementation of the approach. Employing a formative intervention design, the researchers intervened in the activity system of a first-year undergraduate education module to facilitate two cycles of expansive learning with an instructor and two groups of Hong Kong Chinese students (n = 97, n = 94) across two semesters. Instructor interviews, student surveys, and video annotation and system data were analysed using Activity Theory-derived criteria to highlight contradictions in each system and suggest how these could be overcome. The findings highlight the critical importance of active instructor facilitation; building student motivation by embedding social-affective support and positioning peer feedback as an integrated, formative process; and supporting students’ use of appropriate cognitive scaffolding to encourage their interactive, efficient use of the annotation tool. Conclusions: In a field dominated by experimental and quasi-experimental studies, this study reveals how an Activity Theory-derived research design and framework can be used to systemically analyse cycles of design and implementation of video-annotated peer feedback. It also suggests how the new activity system might be consolidated and generalised.

The U.S. Landscape of Elementary Teachers’ Science Course Requirements

ABSTRACT One of the United States’ higher education system’s most important tasks is properly preparing elementary teachers to teach science. Teachers’ ability to use their science subject matter knowledge (SMK) to effectively develop pedagogical approaches can significantly contribute to their students’ engagement in science and motivation to pursue science-related careers. To date, several studies examine the influences of subject matter knowledge on teachers’ pedagogical strategies. Although there are still contradictions regarding those influences, providing teachers with adequate preparation in science SMK and science pedagogical knowledge is crucial. To understand how elementary teachers are currently prepared in science SMK, this study examines degree requirements across 223 colleges and universities in the U.S. to determine the number and type of general education science content courses required for candidates to complete their elementary education degrees. Our findings indicated that while many U.S. universities’ undergraduate general education science course requirements have increased in terms of required numbers of science credit hours since 2009, the related pedagogical science content knowledge and science content knowledge of pre-service elementary teachers has not also increased. Thus, we can surmise that increasing the required quantity of general education science courses does not correlate to increased science content knowledge, or increased science teaching confidence or competence, at least among undergraduate per-service elementary teachers.

CHALLENGES TO UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Abstract The University of South Florida has more than 50,000 students. The School of Aging Studies first offered an MA in Gerontology in 1967. We currently offer many undergraduate General Education courses, two undergraduate majors, online graduate certificate and master’s programs, and a PhD in Aging Studies. Accountability and addressing university metrics and priorities have become an increasing requirement at USF and elsewhere. We have had great success in our General Education courses, consistently reaching over 5,000 students per year and producing high Student Credit Hour (SCH) numbers, an important metric. Recently, our programs experienced challenges with increased class sizes resulting from higher demand for our general education courses. In several cases, the number of course sections offered and the number of seats in each had doubled. Meeting these demands placed a strain on faculty, instructors, and graduate student assistants. We also face challenges as our university funding formula increasingly focuses on undergraduate major enrollment, and therefore we are focusing on innovative methods to recruit more students at the undergraduate, master’s, and PhD level. In this presentation, we will describe some of the strategies that have maximized our successes, and efforts to address challenges in sustaining larger numbers of degree seeking students in our programs. We will include data on SCH, grant funding, publications, citations, and program graduates per year which help us monitor our successes and areas needing improvement.

How and why US universities fail to impart environmental literacy to all students

PurposeThis study aims to assess the spread of environmental literacy graduation requirements at public universities in the USA, and to highlight factors that mediate the adoption of this curriculum innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe author analyzed the undergraduate general education curriculum requirements at all 549 public BA-granting higher education institutions in the USA between 2020 and 2022.FindingsThe study found that only 27 US public universities out of 540 have an environmental literacy graduation requirement, which represents 5% of universities and is substantially lower than previous estimates.Originality/valueFirst, this study provides a more complete, more reliable and more current assessment of the graduation requirement’s presence at US tertiary institutions, and shows the number of universities that have implemented this innovation is lower than was estimated a decade ago. Second, it draws from the scholarship on the infusion of sustainability into the university curriculum to provide a comprehensive discussion of factors that mediate the pursuit and implementation of the graduation requirement. As well, it identifies factors that played a key role in one pertinent case.

Food Chemistry: An Asynchronous Course Designed with Hands-On Experiments for Undergraduate General Education

Food Chemistry: An Asynchronous Course Designed with Hands-On Experiments for Undergraduate General Education

Crisis, change and the future for teaching and learning in general practice

ABSTRACT Objectives The aim of this study was to explore the decisions and decision-making strategies employed by academic GPs tasked with adapting the delivery of undergraduate general practice education curricula to virtual platforms during the Covid-19 pandemic. We sought to investigate how their experiences of this adaptation might influence the development of future curricula. Methods Recognising our ‘insider’ positions and constructivist paradigm preferences, we approached the study from a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) perspective and participants participated in semi-structured interviews. Results Nine participants from three university GP departments in Ireland described the transition to online delivery of the curriculum as a ‘response approach’. Participants described seeking collaboration both within and between institutions. The value and limitations of student feedback as a driver for change differed between participants and recognised the impact of limited social engagement between peers on social determinants of learning. Participants with prior experience in e-learning were inclined to recommend some level of continuation. Two institutions plan to continue to incorporate aspects of blended learning. Conclusion and implications All participants recognised a level of value (efficiency, social engagement and continuity) in online learning, they were less clear on the specific educational value and impact of this (e.g. on knowledge, skills and attributes). We need to consider which elements of undergraduate education can be delivered effectively online. Maintaining the socio-cultural learning environment is of critical importance but must be balanced by efficient, informed and strategic educational design.

Strategies for assessment of student learning outcomes via the final project in a general education acoustics course

Learning outcomes of the final project in an undergraduate general education acoustics course were assessed via three short essay questions on an open book final exam. For the project, students construct a simple sound-making device or musical instrument that produces at least four different sounds using ordinary household objects, recyclables, etc. They are required to develop a hypothesis about how changes in the device will change the properties of the sounds. They then test their hypotheses using spectrograms, FFT measurements, and/or sound level measurements. The written responses of 60 students were downloaded and stripped of identifiers. The first two essay questions were designed to assess whether students could connect the steps of their project with the scientific method and explain therationale for their choice of measurement methods based on their hypothesis. These results were assessed via rubrics. The third question was an open-ended reflection on what they learned about acoustics by completing the project, and how they learned it. These responses were assessed via qualitative data analysis. Results, key findings, and implications for the design of the assignment and future assessments will be discussed.

Educational change in a crisis: what has changed and what is here to stay in undergraduate teaching and learning in General Practice.

The aim of the study was to explore the decisions and decision-making strategies employed by academic GPs tasked with adapting the delivery of undergraduate general practice education curricula to virtual platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate how their experiences of this adaptation might influence the development of future curricula. Approaching the study from a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) perspective, we recognised that experiences shape perception, and an individual's 'truths' are socially constructed. Nine academic GPs from three university GP departments participated in semistructured interviews conducted via Zoom©. Anonymised transcripts were iteratively analysed, generating codes, categories, and concepts using a constant comparative approach. The study was approved by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Research Ethics Committee. Participants described the transition to online delivery of the curriculum as a 'response approach'. The elimination of in-person delivery necessitated the changes rather than any strategic development process. With varying levels of experience in eLearning, participants described the need for and engagement with collaboration both internally within institutions and externally between institutions. Virtual patients were developed to replicate learning in a clinical environment. How these adaptions were evaluated by learners differed across the institutions. The value and limitations of student feedback as a driver for change differed between participants. Two institutions plan to incorporate aspects of blended learning going forward. Participants recognised the impact of limited social engagement between peers on social determinants of learning. Prior experience in eLearning appeared to colour participants' perceptions of its value; those experienced in online delivery were inclined to recommend some level of continuation post-pandemic. We now need to consider which elements of undergraduate education can be delivered effectively online into the future. Maintaining the socio-cultural learning environment is of critical importance but must be balanced by efficient, informed and strategic educational design.

Toward a Spacefaring Society: Enhancing Undergraduate General Education and Learning Outcomes with Space Policy Course Themes

Space education from a social science perspective, rather than exclusively Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) perspectives, is essential to prepare societies and workforces for humanity's spacefaring future. Interdisciplinary general education courses on space policy have the potential to reach students from more majors than single-discipline courses (such as political science) by enrolling a variety of STEM and business students (among other majors) interested in careers with the space bureaucracy and industry. A case study of a course titled “Toward a Spacefaring Society,” taught from political science, sociological, and economic perspectives, demonstrates through analysis of student assessment and evaluation data that the topic is effective at achieving valuable learning outcomes related to research, communication, methods, and theory in the social sciences. Use of a space theme in a general education course is a promising approach to space education because it differs from the previous emphases in space policy education, which stressed building space knowledge and support by liberal arts majors versus critical, analytical skills that benefit all majors and prepare students for future careers in the space field. Higher education faculty with space-related interests should continue to seek opportunities to offer space-themed courses, including those that fulfill general education requirements and achieve broader learning outcomes.

Culturally Responsive Teaching in an Undergraduate Online General Education Course

While inclusive pedagogies such as culturally responsive teaching may be common in face-to-face learning, there is little published research regarding culturally responsive teaching and learning in higher education online settings. It is not known whether faculty members employ culturally responsive teaching strategies or what types of strategies they use in online courses. The purpose of this study was to determine whether online faculty members practice culturally responsive teaching and to explore the characteristics of culturally responsive teaching that are reflected in the responses of 12 instructors in a fully online undergraduate general education course required in the first few terms of enrollment. Qualitative methodology was utilized, involving deductive and inductive coding methods of analysis. Data were coded deductively based on four major categories of cultural competence: sociopolitical/cultural consciousness, community of learners, and high academic expectations. Data were coded inductively for culturally nonresponsive interactions. Findings from deductive analysis revealed partial use of culturally responsive teaching strategies in online classrooms. Results for inductive analysis showed themes of nondifferentiated responses, missed opportunities for addressing linguistic or cultural differences, and lack of encouragement for collaboration or sense of community. These findings indicate a need for further research in culturally responsive teaching in online learning as well as faculty professional development that focuses on culturally responsive teaching.

Integrating sustainability themes for enhancing interdisciplinarity: a case study of a comprehensive research university in Japan

Interdisciplinary education and education for sustainable development provide a complementary approach to enhancing learners’ interdisciplinary and sustainability competencies. An interdisciplinary approach is considered a crucial method for enhancing university students’ competencies in sustainability. However, the use of integrating sustainability issues for the purpose of enhancing interdisciplinary education in universities is still under investigation. In contrast to the analyses of sustainability studies programs, this case study explores how sustainability issues could enhance interdisciplinarity in teaching and learning in non-environmentally related courses that do not have special learning objectives related to sustainability. By borrowing Biggs’ comprehensive model of teaching and learning in higher education, this case study analyzes an undergraduate general education course and a postgraduate course at a comprehensive research university in Japan from four perspectives: students’ perspectives learning environment, learning process, and learning outcomes. This qualitative case study data were collected through mixed research methods, including questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with instructors and learners. Findings demonstrate that interdisciplinary teaching and learning can be enhanced by integrating sustainability issues into non-environmentally related courses. By integrating sustainability issues into the curriculum, students and instructors from various disciplines can collaborate with the intention of enhancing students’ abilities to integrate knowledge and communicate with people from different backgrounds and experiences. The paper concludes by discussing the achievements of and barriers to incorporating sustainability themes into interdisciplinary teaching and learning in non-environmentally related courses at universities. Moreover, it provides implications of utilizing a complementary relationship between sustainability and interdisciplinarity to innovate and rethink teaching and learning in higher education to prepare students to build a sustainable future.

Theory to Practice: Reducing Student Attrition in Online Undergraduate Math

Researchers have developed numerous effective theory-based practices for teaching undergraduate general education mathematics (UGEM); however, many universities have struggled for decades to close the gap from theory to practice. This gap contributes to the national lack of skilled STEM workers. Recently, an all-online university closed the gap by shifting their philosophical framework for UGEM from traditionalist methodology to a synthesis of seminal theories and practices. This paper disseminates the implementation of theory-based practices in UGEM toward reducing student attrition (withdraw or fail), including: Rationale for theory identification, construction of a philosophical framework, collection of stakeholder input, implementation, evaluation, post-implementation maintenance and communication, and institutional socialization of the new paradigmatic shift. These efforts yielded an attrition reduction from 17.5% to 4.7% in Quantitative Reasoning 1 (QR1) and from 13.9% to 4.0% in QR2. A key reported outcome is a blueprint for an institution to similarly close the gap.

Modified use of team-based learning in a general surgery course for fourth-year medical students

Team Based Learning (TBL) is a form of education based on student-centered learning in a crowded community consisting of small groups under the guidance of an expert trainer. Acute pancreatitis and fluid electrolyte disorders are important and difficult subjects of general surgery. This study was conducted in order to evaluate the success rates of team-based learning in undergraduate general surgery education. This prospective study study was performed in Kocaeli University School of Medicine, General Surgery courses. TBL study was applied for acute pancreatitis and fluid&electrolyte balance lessons. Readiness assurance and application oriented activities were done in each lesson. Readiness assurance quesitons were prepared for discussing and understanding the pathophysiology. After discussing tthe questions, each group tried to solve a patient oriented case. At the end of the course, a two-part questionnaire were applied to all students in order to take the feedbacksTotal 150 students from three courses included to the study. The vast majority of the students (130 people 86.6%) thought that the TBL study was better than the didactic lecture. And student wanted to Average score in all groups in TBL exam was 84.8. TBL study achieved high acceptance by the students. Although a new method, they adopted easily. General surgery subjects are suitable for this type of education model.

What Role Do You Play? Faculty Perceptions of Librarian-led Information Literacy Instruction

This study explored faculty perceptions of librarian-led information literacy instruction using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six faculty who taught undergraduate general education courses. The emergent theme of this study was that faculty believe their role in teaching information literacy differs from librarians. The participants thought faculty were responsible for teaching information literacy through direct instruction and assigning course work, while the librarians were responsible for teaching the research process. This study suggests that there are opportunities for librarians to assess further how faculty incorporate information literacy concepts into their classrooms.

An exploratory study on the mode and method of general education and training for general practice undergraduates: a narrative review.

ObjectiveTo learn from the experience of foreign general practice education mode, and to exploratory study on the mode and method of general education and training for general practice undergraduates in China.BackgroundThe rise of general practice medicine addresses the lack of holistic attention to patients in specialist medicine. General practice education is an important means of training general practice skills, but the development of general practice education in China is not yet matured.MethodsBy using the method of comparative education, taking the United States, Australia, France and Britain as examples. This article makes a comparative analyzes the status of general practice education in foreign countries and discusses the development of undergraduate general practice education in China from four perspectives: national policy, teacher resources, curriculum system, and education training modes.ConclusionsThe four countries attach great importance to general practice education, with mature training methods, registered practice and continuing education. It is hoped that this article can establish and improve the policy system for the development of general subject teachers and optimize the inclusive, assessment and evaluation system of general practice teachers. In addition, more attention should be paid to general practice scientific research to create a teaching team with high standards, high quality, and high scientific research literacy and to form standardized scientific teaching methods that promote the development of general medicine education and training through high-quality teaching experiences. In addition, more attention should be paid to general practice scientific research to create a teaching team with high standards, high quality, and high scientific research literacy and to form standardized scientific teaching methods that promote the development of general medicine education and training through high-quality teaching experiences.

Understanding COVID-19 Pandemic through Science, Technology and Society (STS) Education: A Textual Analysis of Student Reflection Papers

The COVID-19 pandemic calls for educators to deliver learning experiences that are relevant in order to empower students to adapt to these unprecedented times. Science, Technology and Society (STS) is an interdisciplinary social science course included in the undergraduate general education curriculum in the Philippines that can potentially be designed to help students make sense of the coronavirus crisis. This study aims to describe the insights on the COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduate students enrolled in STS classes through the textual analysis of their reflection papers. A total of 74 reflection papers were qualitatively textually analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the data: (1) appreciation of the science and medical community; (2) sensitivity to the barriers of scientific progress during the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) gaining social consciousness about the impacts of the pandemic, and; (4) enrichment of critical thinking and social engagement. Educators are encouraged to incorporate STS approaches in their lessons to foster students’ critical understanding of current socio-scientific issues.

Undergraduate Perceptions of the Three Branches of the Arts and Sciences: An Empirical Study of Both Stated and Revealed Preferences

ABSTRACT Exploration of the breadth of the Arts and Sciences lies at the core of liberal arts education and gets prominently featured in most undergraduate general education programs. The authors of this study investigated student perceptions of the three branches of the Arts and Sciences using cohorts of high-achieving first-year college students enrolled in an innovative 3-week course designed to increase interest, familiarity, and research competency within each of the three branches. Stated and revealed preferences of these students were measured through student surveys and course work. The data often showed a retreat to pre-existing disciplinary preferences, particularly the data on revealed preferences. Students became more familiar with all three branches during the course, but their interest in Arts and Humanities and STEM decreased unless they were majoring in the branch. Also, despite the course’s emphasis on crossdisciplinarity, students informally sorted themselves into two groups: STEM students (who avoided Arts and Humanities), and non-STEM students (who avoided STEM). Faculty and administrators of general education programs will therefore need to think carefully about how to structure disciplinary and interdisciplinary coursework, especially when it comes to bridging the perceived divide between the STEM and non-STEM disciplines.

The Missing Pieces in the Puzzle of Iranian Undergraduate General Education: Quantitative Findings

The general education (GE) literature suggests that there is a mismatch of courses offered to students in Iranian higher education institutions such that the needs of 21st-century students are unmet by these curricula. This article points to the missing pieces in terms of learning and content gaps in many of the undergraduate GE programs designed under the influence of policy, values, and politics which originate from both religious and government interests. The article explores undergraduate students’ general 21st-century skill requirements and examines the extant curricula for possible gaps. The gap analysis points to the need for up-to-date general skills such as thinking skills, decision-making, research, awareness of international issues, lifelong learning, problem-solving, critical thinking, and it offers that these remedies might be a precious investment in Iran’s higher education for the future of that society.

Defining Science Literacy in General Education Courses for Undergraduate Non-Science Majors

This article describes a project focused on identifying science instructors’ conceptions of science literacy and using these conceptions to develop a brief science literacy student self-assessment (SCILIT). We present the rationale and process we used to elicit instructors’ conceptions of science literacy, crafted in a meaningful way with input by faculty and graduate student science experts. Next, we explain how we developed a novel student SCILIT self-assessment based on those expert conceptions. We describe our initial efforts using SCILIT in undergraduate general education science courses to explore students’ self-perceived science literacy. We discuss the use of SCILIT self-assessment to assess potential progression of students’ self-rated science literacy over the course of an academic term, and how this student self-assessment relates to instructor ratings of academic proficiency and science literacy. Finally, we reflect on the use of SCILIT self-assessment to guide instruction and assessment in general education science courses for non-science majors.

Exposure to information increases motivation to learn more

Low motivation to learn in undergraduate general education courses hinders learning. Research has identified strategies that increase motivation to learn before students are asked to learn content (e.g., outlining the utility of the course material for future careers). Extending this work, we propose that learning any material in a course may beget motivation to learn more, in line with the notion that the process of learning itself may spark curiosity and interest. Across three populations (college-aged individuals on mTurk, large public university students, and small private university students), we found that watching a TED Talk video (i.e., exposure to new information, learning) pertaining to any topic led to an increase in motivation to continue learning about that topic and other topics more generally. These results reveal a need to broaden models of motivation to consider the importance of exposure to content to increase motivation to learn.