Perspective Of Undergraduate Students Research Articles

Perspectives of undergraduate oral radiology students on flipped classroom learning

Objective: This study serves as an early exploration of the benefits and limitations of the flipped classroom (FC) teaching strategy, as perceived by oral radiology undergraduate dental students, as well as of the resistance and challenges expected when applying it. Materials and Methods: A video lecture was presented to 50 oral radiology students 2 days before the lecture date as FC preparation, after which class time was used for exercise questions and discussion. A questionnaire with 5-point Likert scale and two open questions was used to measure students' perspectives toward FC. Results: The main concerns about FC reported by the students (54%) were lack of time for preparing for class and a high comfort level with traditional lectures. The main positive perspectives were that FC provides more time for questions and discussions (60%), students were motivated to learn more about FC (50%), and students were willing to use videos and technology in the learning process (60%). Conclusions: Students' perceptions about FC were reserved because of the insufficient amount of time they had to prepare for it and because they were more accustomed to traditional-style lectures. Nevertheless, students were willing to learn more about FC and how to use technology to improve the learning process. If FC was to be adopted, further faculty development would be needed to better enhance the learning process for oral radiology students.

Understanding the Leaky Pipeline: Perceived Barriers to Pursuing a Career in Medicine or Dentistry Among Underrepresented-in-Medicine Undergraduate Students.

Representation of persons from diverse backgrounds remains a persistent challenge for medicine and dentistry workforces. Past research has focused on quantifying factors such as markers of educational achievement to explain the difficulty of increasing diversity within the professions. There has been less effort toward understanding the perspectives of undergraduate students on the threshold of applying to medical/dental school about distinct barriers to pursuing a medical or dental career and continuing through the training pipeline. In 2012 and 2013, the authors conducted a qualitative study of undergraduate students participating in the Tour for Diversity in Medicine, a program where minority physicians and dentists visit colleges with large fractions of minority students to encourage careers in the health professions. Focus groups were convened during the visits to examine perceived barriers to pursuing careers in medicine and dentistry and challenges identified through thematic content analysis. Eighty-two students participated in discussions at 11 colleges visited between September 2012 and February 2013. Students described challenges including inadequate institutional resources (e.g., sparse clinical opportunities), strained personal resources (e.g., conflict arising from familial pressure), inadequate guidance and mentoring to assist with key career decisions, and societal barriers. For participants, these challenges caused them to question the viability of persisting in the pipeline to a medical or dental career. Solving the issue of diversity in medicine and dentistry is multifaceted, but elucidated challenges from the undergraduate student perspective offer targeted areas where intervention may help remedy barriers and decrease pipeline leakiness.

Is Medical Education Inclusive? Exploring LGBT Health Topics in Portuguese Medical Courses

Objective: The importance of addressing LGBT health topics is increasingly recognized. This study aimed to explore whether Portuguese medical schools cover LGBT health topics from the perspective of undergraduate medical students. Design and Method: Undergraduate students enrolled in Portuguese medical schools were invited to participate in an anonymous online questionnaire between March and June 2015 about Medical Education in Human Sexuality. Medical students from the ‘clinical’ years also answered a section on LGBT health topics. Descriptive statistics, comparison by Chi-Square statistical analysis and regression analysis were used. Statistical significance was settled at p<0.05. Results: The analysis included 939 completed responses. Despite the diversity of realities found in Portuguese medical schools, more than half of medical students (59,3%) reported that they did not learn to perform inclusive questions when collecting a sexual history from patients. In fact, students that didn’t learn to ask inclusive questions reported more frequently to never use them (79,2% vs. 16,3%, p<0,001) and to always assume that patients are heterosexual (17,1% vs. 4%, p<0,001), when compared to student who have learned. Nevertheless, almost three quarters of students (71,1%) considered the allocation of curricular time on LGBT health topics as “Important” or “Very Important”. Conclusions: Portuguese medical students recognize the importance of LGBT health in their curricula although these topics appear to be insufficiently addressed. Learning about LGBT health can change this scenario and should be more focused by medical schools.

Exploring auditors’ stereotypes: the perspective of undergraduate students

We report the results of a study that examines university students’ perceptions about the public image of auditors through their stereotypes and their changes in attitudes after an extra-curricular activity with professionals, sponsored by a well-known and prestigious professional organisation of auditors in Spain. In our experimental study, we examine whether real life contact for students is a way to change their stereotypes on the auditing profession.Participants completed a preliminary and also a post-survey, both pen-and-paper, in order to analyse the students’ final impressions and the evolution of their perception of auditors’ stereotypes. Both surveys were divided in three different sections: demographic data, general perceptions towards the activity, and 30 questions with regard to the perceptions of an average auditor compared to an average individual. Results indicate that, indeed, the activity changed the students’ view to consider auditors as more warm, more available to work in teams, more modest, more tender-minded, and less impulsive.

Is It Possıble To Develop Entrepreneurship Course From E-MBA and Undergraduate Students Perspectıve

Entrepreneurship is one of the key elements of the success and development of business. Educating and developing of entrepreneurs have become increasingly important in today’s business world. In many universities without making a faculty or department distinction there are lots of entrepreneurship courses. At this point researchers have a curiosity about how the students evaluate the course as the direct consumer of it. In this study to search of this curiosity we used qualitative content analysis. To this end we made structured interview with 68 E-MBA and undergraduate students who took this lesson in university, the number of participants 36 and 32 respectively. One of the most significant results is long term orientation among the undergraduate students. Most of the undergraduate students stated that this entrepreneurship course should diffuse throughout the university education. Especially business students believe that in these four year period this course should be gradually given by the professors. On the other hand E-MBA students have more pragmatist tendency than the undergraduates. Since they have business experiences most of the students have inclination to meet practitioners and to get their experiences from the first hand. Is It Possible To Develop Entrepreneurship Course From E-Mba And Undergraduate Students Perspective?

Integrating sustainability education into international marketing curricula

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to extend the current knowledge of curriculum developments in international business and marketing curricula. Integrating sustainability into business and marketing curricula of the universities are widely debated in previous literature. Sustainability is a global phenomenon; however, curriculum development projects aimed at integrating sustainability education into international business and marketing curricula are scarce. The study investigates the learning gaps in sustainability education among undergraduates enrolled in an International Marketing course to postulate a series of pedagogical practices, leading to effective integration of sustainability education into the curricula. Design/methodology/approach – Two-phased research method consisting of complementary data collection techniques informed the findings of this study. First, an online survey was conducted among 111 undergraduates enrolled in an International Marketing course. The findings of the survey are used in designing the second phase of data collection performed through a content analysis of essays written by 60 undergraduates evaluating sustainable marketing practices of international firms. Informed by the findings gathered through SPSS- and Nvivo-aided data analysis, this study postulates a series of pedagogical practices. Findings – The study argues that curriculum development projects in integrating sustainability into an existing curriculum in universities should be aimed at bridging undergraduates’ learning gaps in sustainability education. The main learning gaps identified in the study reveal that undergraduates find it difficult to view the social function of international business firms from a holistic point of view; critically assess sustainable marketing practices; and articulate futuristic views on sustainable marketing practices. Further, the content analysis revealed three major thematic categories: sustainability from reductionists’ perspective, sustainable marketing practices bring nothing “but good for businesses”, ambivalent about the future success of sustainable marketing practices. Triggered by these learning gaps, thematic categories and the theoretical underpinnings of Rusinko’s (2010) matrix for integrating sustainability education, the study offers a set of practical pedagogical guidelines to incorporate sustainability education into curricula. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to exploring undergraduate student perspectives, and it would be worthwhile if educators’ perspectives are explored in future studies. The findings could be further improved by conducting a cross-sectional study across several business disciplines. Practical implications – Based on the findings of the study, a set of guidelines for developing a pedagogical plan to incorporate sustainable education into curricula is presented. Originality/value – Educators argue that successful curriculum development projects aiming at integrating sustainability into existing curricula should be aligned with the structure of the existing curricula, and those new pedagogical practices in integrating sustainability into existing curricula should be built on students’ learning gaps in sustainability education. To this end, this study examined undergraduates’ learning gaps in sustainability education and postulated pedagogical practices toward integrating sustainability education into an existing curriculum of international marketing.

The feedback process: Perspectives of first and second year undergraduate students in the disciplines of education, health science and nursing

The purpose of this study was to determine the current perspectives of feedback from first and second year undergraduate students enrolled in blended units of study which incorporated both face-to-face and online components. Students enrolled in a unit of study taught by the School of Health Sciences at the University of Tasmania were surveyed to broadly determine their perception of the feedback process. Responses from the 55% of the cohort who completed the survey indicated that students recognised a wide variety of feedback processes in both written and online formats. Results indicated that students did not always identify that feedback (particularly formative) could feed forward to enhance their learning. There was a strong student focus on the importance of summative assessment feedback. The analysis of survey responses identified four main themes which form the focus of the discussion; types of feedback, student role in seeking feedback, the usefulness of feedback to learning and, feedback perception and awareness of students. The outcomes of this study also highlighted the necessity to educate both teaching staff and students with respect to feedback processes within the learning and teaching paradigm in higher education.

Small group tutorials in physiology - Undergraduate students′ perspectives in a Northeast Indian Medical Institute

Background: Students consider physiology as a dry, difficult, and vast discipline to be mastered in too short period. Small group tutorials (SGTs) per se are extra efforts in the curriculum, conducted every week for assessing the effectiveness of lectures on knowledge delivery, and in part, a formative assessment for the student. At present, tutorials consume a considerable 60 h in an academic term which may be utilized otherwise for the students, if not beneficial. Aims: To highlight the perspective of undergraduate students with special regards to SGTs and to identify modifiable/amendable areas, if any in the current form of SGTs, which may likely improve teaching-learning process of physiology in a North Eastern Medical Institute, Imphal. Materials and Methods: Anonymous feedback questionnaires from 95 students in 1 st year MBBS were obtained after exposure to existing tutorials in physiology and analyzed accordingly. Results and Conclusions: Students perceive the present form of the tutorial as one that benefits them in many positive ways in improving their understanding and knowledge of physiology. However, insufficient interaction time as well as tutor's attitude during tutorials attracted negative responses. They expressed strongly against the tendency of the teachers to re-enforce the importance of memorization as the ultimate way to learn and 95% of them wanted more tutorials as they found that it drives them toward more study covering more topics which increase their self-confidence and can assess their own level of knowledge so that they can improvise accordingly in time.

"Millennial Perspectives and Priorities"

Prioritizing student voice, this study investigated the perspectives of undergraduate students in relation to their preferences and priorities for how they desired to experience teaching and learning. While not experts, our assumption was that undergraduate students, because of their relatively long experience as students, would be closely in touch with how they preferred to learn. Employing a mixed method, randomly selected students (N=291 of 3,000) completed a brief online survey, and we followed with qualitative focus groups and individual interviews in order to confirm the quantitative data and deepen our understanding of the student perspective. Findings pointed toward particular student preferences and priorities for: teacher behaviors like caring, passion, and enthusiasm, the communication of clear expectations, course alignment between course content taught and tests, a desire for more real-world applications, and active learning opportunities, all of which, in turn, were generally linked by students to their improved attention, intensity of focus, and ability to engage both in the classroom and during homework.

The developmental Changes of Qualitative extent in the Future time Perspective of undergraduate Students

The developmental Changes of Qualitative extent in the Future time Perspective of undergraduate Students

The effect of curricular activities on learner autonomy: the perspective of undergraduate mechanical engineering students

This study researches how first-year engineering students perceived the influence of curricular activities on their own learning autonomy, measured with an adaptation of the Personal Responsibility Orientation to Self-direction in Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS). Participants were questioned to assess the influence of the teacher's role. The results indicate that learners’ characteristics (motivation and self-efficacy) contribute more to learner autonomy (LA) than the teaching–learning transaction (control and initiative), as in the original PRO-SDLS validation. The most autonomous learners presented higher values in all LA components and dimensions, but the differences were greater in motivation and initiative. The participants with higher LA were not as dependent on the teacher, regarding assessment, the completion of classroom tasks and deadlines. Regardless of the degree of autonomy in learning, all participants viewed teachers as the main source of information. Therefore, LA plays an important role in teaching activities planning. Suggestions for adjustments and more flexible learning scenarios are formulated.

Undergraduate Student Perceptions of the Pedagogy Used in a Leadership Course: A Qualitative Examination

This exploratory, qualitative, descriptive study examined undergraduate student perspectives of pedagogy used in an undergraduate leadership elective course to describe how students view the effectiveness and impact of pedagogies used in the course. Undergraduate students (n = 28) reflected on the effectiveness of the pedagogies and the learning environment created by the pedagogies used in the undergraduate leadership course elective. Student reflections at the end of the semester revealed student perspectives on the effectiveness of the pedagogies and were grouped into three themes: contribution to overall effectiveness, openness to different perspectives, and learning from peers. Two themes emerged for students’ perceptions of the learning environment including overcoming challenges with discussion and class logistics. This study lends support for discussion as a pedagogy used by leadership instructors which can be effective for learning leadership as perceived by undergraduate students.

Undergraduates’ Novel Experiences with Massive Open Online Courses

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have revolutionized e-learning contexts through improvising new technology on its pedagogical features. Recently, much debate has been directed to the application of MOOCs in relation to higher education. However, research regarding students’ experiences of MOOCs is scant. Therefore, the present study aims to fill in the gap by examining undergraduates experiences with MOOCs. Data were collected from 29 undergraduates attending various degree programs at a public university in Malaysia. Undergraduates’ logbook notes were used for collecting data for this study. Results showed that most of the participants expressed positive attitudes towards learning in the MOOC. They valued the MOOC instructional features and tools and showed strong satisfaction in learning in the MOOCs environment. The empirical findings of the study have contributed to a better understanding of the nature of learning and participation in a MOOC environment from the perspective of undergraduate students. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have succeeded to create massive attention among educators, researchers, students, media, and stakeholders as elite universities from developed countries formed consortia to offer free courses on various disciplines. MOOC started with the promises to offer free education for all (Kop, Fournier, & Mak, 2011). A few number of commercial start-ups such as Udacity, Edx, Futurelearn and Coursera have been launched in collaboration with leading universities to deliver free courses online for massive participation. Many academic institutions, especially those in North America such as Duke University, Harvard University, MIT, and Stanford University have been offering courses in cooperation with MOOC providers. Big commercial institutions such as Google and Pearson are also planning to contribute to higher education by adopting MOOC instructional format (Yuan, Powell, & CETIS, 2013). While MOOCs are mushrooming in higher education, empirical research in the area is still very limited. Therefore, the present study aims to contribute some effort to this gap by scanning a small group of tertiary level students’ novel experiences with MOOC instructional features. The following part of the study deals with the background of the development of MOOC and its theoretical underpinnings.

M-learning in Education: Omani Undergraduate Students Perspective

The purpose of this research is to analyze and evaluate students’ knowledge and awareness about M-learning. This empirical study includes 56 university students from computer engineering and science departments in University of Sultan Qaboos. This study consists of two parts. The first part involved study overview presentation and students’ discussion about M-learning. The second part included survey study that consists of three phases: General information, M-learning knowledge and M-learning perception. Based on the study survey questions regarding the knowledge, acceptance and use of M-learning, the students respond are analyzed and evaluated. The study initial findings indicated good M-learning awareness and acceptance level and show students positive attitude that reflect students interesting in the use of mobile devices as learning tools.

Change in Perspective of Undergraduate Students With an Interest in Clinical Practice After Experience as Volunteers at an Elementary School

Change in Perspective of Undergraduate Students With an Interest in Clinical Practice After Experience as Volunteers at an Elementary School

Student-customer orientation at a higher education institution: the perspective of undergraduate business students

Existing literature is polarized and primarily conceptual on the topic of student-customer orientation. Research into this phenomenon has failed to realize that higher education as such consists of several different educational experiences and has therefore addressed and studied the issue at too general a level, i.e. at the level of the higher education institution (HEI) as a whole, not at the level of educational experiences that an HEI provides. Based on a validated model of educational experiences, validated student-customer orientation questionnaire [Koris, R., & Nokelainen, P. (in press). The student-customer orientation questionnaire (SCOQ): Application of customer metaphor to higher education. International Journal of Educational Management] and a survey conducted among business students (N = 405) in Estonia, the aim of this article is to identify whether in which categories of educational experience and to what extent students expect an HEI to be student-customer oriented. The results of the study show that students expect to be treated as customers in some, but not all categories of educational experience that an HEI offers.

Integrality and higher education aimed at the Brazilian Unified Health System from the perspective of physical therapy undergraduate students

In recent years, there has been the need to reorganize the curriculum of undergraduate courses in the health science field in order to educate professionals to be able to practice the principles of the Brazilian Unified Health System from the perspective of integrality. From a qualitative research perspective, this study aimed to identify the perceptions and opinions of physical therapy undergraduate students regarding comprehensive health care and about the principle of comprehensive health care in their education. Three focus groups were conducted with students in their senior year of the undergraduate course in physical therapy enrolled in three universities in the Federal District. After analyzing the content, results show that despite government efforts and changes in the curriculum proposals, it was observed that undergraduate education in physical therapy still does not favor the Brazilian Unified Health System and its guiding principles, in particular comprehensive health care. It is necessary to invest in reflective spaces that articulate university (faculty and students), health services, management authorities, municipal policies and social movements in order to yield new teaching and learning possibilities that will contribute to the transformation of the university education aimed at the Brazilian Health System.

Academic challenges and positive aspects: perceptions of male nursing students

Nursing shortage remains a global issue that emphasizes the need for both male and female nurses. Understanding the educational experiences of male nursing students may help in recruiting and retaining male nurses in the nursing profession. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges and positive aspects that undergraduate male nursing students encounter during the course of their study. A qualitative research design using inductive content analysis approach was used to explore perceptions of 20 undergraduate male nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing programme at a major public university in Jordan. Content analysis revealed two major themes: challenges (academic difficulties, biased policies, no social life, negative views of nursing and negative self-view) and positive aspects (personal benefits of studying nursing, every home need a nurse and nursing is a science). The findings added new insights and knowledge regarding the educational experiences of undergraduate male nursing students in a developing country, which is an understudied population. Understanding the challenges and positive aspects of nursing education from the perspectives of undergraduate male nursing students may help nursing educators better understand their students' educational experiences and help clarify their roles and responsibilities in dealing with these issues. Nursing as a career should continue to be a viable choice for both male and female students to address global nursing shortages. This can be ensured by decreasing challenges and supporting positive aspects that nursing students face during their nursing education. Higher education policy makers can use the findings of this study to appreciate the challenges that university students face. They can also reconsider existing policies that may hinder the acceptance of male student into nursing programmes and contribute to educational challenges.

Student perspectives on self-directed learning

Abstract: Undergraduate student perspectives regarding specific factors associated with self-directed learning were collected through eight focus groups. A total of 80 upperclassmen provided input revealing three emergent themes in the focus groups responses: (1) Student-Controlled, (2) Faculty-Controlled, and (3) Administration-Controlled Facilitators and Barriers to promoting self-directed learning. Students acknowledged much of their learning was within their control. However, they did note that faculty and administrators have a significant impact on their desire and ability to learn. In an effort to empower students to direct their own learning processes the results of this study have been integrated into campus assessment initiatives including the development of a student organization to provide a consistent, student-led forum for students to voice their opinions and concerns about their learning processes and assessment.

From traditional learning into mobile learning in education at the university level: undergraduate students perspective

The recent improvement in the capabilities of mobile devices has led to increased interest in utilising these devices as learning tools. The purpose of this study is to measure students' awareness and acceptance of mobile learning. Based on participatory action research and user-centred design, the study involves students from two departments; i.e. science and engineering, at Sultan Qaboos University, who attended two sequential study phases. The first phase included the detailed presentation and formal discussion of the concept of M-learning and its technologies and approaches. Second phase consisted of survey which was divided into six parts: general information, electronic learning knowledge, and perception, mobile learning knowledge, and perception and final part, focusing on students' suggestions. The results show good acceptance level for mobile learning and indicate positive attitude toward the behavioural intention to use mobile learning. The students also showed a great interest in using mobile devices as learning tools.