Understanding Of Course Material Research Articles

The influence of ChatGPT on digital learning: experience among university students

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of ChatGPT, an AI-based chatbot, on the digital learning experience of students at Mzumbe University. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative research design to gather in-depth insights from participants. Semi-structured interviews and an analysis of previous chat content were used as primary sources of data. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data, allowing for the exploration of participants’ perspectives, experiences and opinions regarding the integration of ChatGPT into the learning process. Findings The results of the study demonstrated that ChatGPT is widely used in educational contexts and has a positive influence on students’ study habits, academic performance, and understanding of course material. Students appreciated the system’s simplicity, tailored instructions, and the promptness and accuracy of the responses. Despite the possibility of isolated mistakes. Research limitations/implications It is important to recognize the limitations of this study. First, the sample size was small, limiting the broad application of the results. Second, this study’s narrow emphasis on students at Mzumbe University limits its applicability in other situations. Furthermore, depending on self-reported experiences, biases, such as individual interpretation or recollection bias, can occur. Practical implications Educators can maximize ChatGPT in the classroom by using study insights. Its advantages, such as effectiveness and enhanced performance, highlight the possibility for student-centered learning. Practitioners are guided by their awareness of problems, such as probable errors. Constant updates guarantee ChatGPT’s applicability and provide educators with useful advice. Social implications Peer impact is highlighted in this study concerning social factors on the adoption of AI in education. Resolving issues preserves public confidence. Views influence public opinion and direct policymakers in discussions about safe AI use. It influences public attitudes while navigating the ethical integration of AI. Originality/value This study offers insightful information about the impact of ChatGPT on digital learning in Tanzania’s higher education. It makes innovative research contributions that enhance educational practices and emphasizes the advantages, difficulties and demands of responsible usage in the context of AI-based chatbots.

Construction and Analysis of Collaborative Educational Networks based on Student Concept Maps

Network Analysis has traditionally been applied to analyzing interactions among learners in online learning platforms such as discussion boards. However, there are opportunities to bring Network Analysis to bear on networks representing learners' mental models of course material, rather than learner interactions. This paper describes the construction and analysis of collaborative educational networks based on concept maps created by undergraduates. Concept mapping activities were deployed throughout two separate quarters of a large General Education (GE) course about sustainability and technology at a large university on the West Coast of the United States. A variety of Network Analysis metrics are evaluated on their ability to predict an individual learner's understanding based on that learner's contributions to a network representing the collective understanding of all learners in the course. Several of the metrics significantly correlated with learner performance, especially those that compare an individual learner's conformity to the larger group's consensus. The novel network metrics based on collective networks of learner concept maps are shown to produce stronger and more reproducible correlations with learner performance than metrics traditionally used in the literature to evaluate concept maps. This paper thus demonstrates that Network Analysis in conjunction with collective networks of concept maps can provide insights into learners' conceptual understanding of course material.

Patient-based interdisciplinary e-learning with reflection: An experience of biomedical science, allied health and complementary medicine students

E-learning modules were developed to enhance student engagement, reflection and interdisciplinary learning in Pathology courses undertaken by students from the Biomedical Science, Allied Health, and Complementary Medicine disciplines. The modules focused on generating multi-disciplinary and team-based solutions to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment/management of patients. At pre- and post-intervention, we analysed the students’ experience of three themes: E-learning, reflection, and interdisciplinary learning. Flexibility and ability to reinforce understanding of course content were identified as main advantages of e-learning but a lack of direct support was a common concern. Visual aids and interactive assessments were suggested to improve online experiences. While all students had a positive pre-conception of all themes prior to intervention, the delivery of the modules significantly improved students’ perception on how e-learning deepened their understanding of course materials via reflection and interdisciplinary learning, with both aspects serving to create a holistic learning experience.

APA, Cambridge University Press expand partnership to include PsycLearn courseware

The American Psychological Association has partnered with Cambridge University Press to market and sell PsycLearn, APA's all‐digital instructional resource for the undergraduate psychology curriculum, an APA news release announced Jan. 30. PsycLearn employs evidence‐based‐learning science principles to make challenging concepts more engaging and approachable, helping students deepen their understanding of course material and build learning skills. APA will continue to work closely with psychology professors and professionals with extensive teaching experience to develop PsycLearn content. Available PsycLearn courses include Research Methods, Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, Introduction to Social Psychology and A Combined Approach to Research Methods & Statistics. To learn more about PsycLearn, visit https://www.cambridge.org/highereducation/apa‐psyclearn.

Pre-service teacher investment through dialogic action learning

Background: A lack of student ‘buy-in’ and engagement are often major obstacles in academic literacy courses. To create a dialogic learning environment which encourages student investment and challenges traditional student-lecturer hierarchies of power, the curriculum of a first-year academic literacy course at a South African university was reconceptualised around an action-learning project.Objectives: The aim is to determine whether the reconceptualised course enabled dialogic learning that fostered a sense of investment in students.Method: An interpretivist paradigm was followed, drawing on a qualitative research approach. To explore the nature of student investment, discourse analysis was used to analyse group reflections submitted at the end of the 21-week course. Student reflections were coded thematically using an inductive approach.Results: These reflections indicate that specific mechanisms need to be in place for effective dialogic engagement. If in place, findings suggest that the dialogic approach could encourage critical thinking, help students to develop problem-solving skills, lead to cognisance of multiple perspectives, deepen understanding of course material and expectations, promote inclusivity, and encourage reflection on the learning process.Conclusion: This study indicates that purposefully embedding a dialogic approach into a curriculum through purpose-driven group activities, can lead to more engaged learning.Contribution: The paper contributes to the field of academic literacy studies by showing how academic literacy practitioners may use the now-established pedagogies of action-learning and dialogic teaching and learning to design courses that create an enabling environment for students to draw on deep approaches to learning.

Innovating Perception: A design-based learning group project for Sensation and Perception

ABSTRACT Sensation and Perception is an upper-division psychology course that typically focuses on foundational knowledge of sensory and perceptual systems. This study describes a design-based learning group project in Sensation and Perception that encouraged students to apply that foundational knowledge to real-world problems. Students were asked to devise, research, and conceptually design an innovation – such as a product or technology – that would help solve a problem faced by people with a particular sensory or perceptual difference (such as blindness). Students were guided through the design thinking process via 3 main phases: identifying the population and problem (empathizing and defining), using existing research to inform potential innovations (ideation), and designing a conceptual representation (prototyping). The project culminated in a product “pitch” and research paper. Survey data showed that students perceived the project to enhance their engagement with, application, and understanding of course material – benefits that were most prominent for first-generation students and people of colour. Furthermore, compared to students in previous quarters, students who completed this project achieved higher overall grades in the course. Overall, this study suggests that implementation of design-based learning group projects into courses like Sensation and Perception can enhance student learning and engagement, particularly for underrepresented students.

Self-reflecting journals as a metacognitive tool to encourage greater learner autonomy – on the example of EAP students

This article focuses on the use of self-reflective journaling as a meta-cognitive tool for enhancing the learner’s autonomy in pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. It begins by reviewing the literature on language learning strategies, with a particular focus on meta-cognitive strategies. Self-reflection is presented as one of those strategies, which should be implemented in the learning process. Later in the article, several fragments from authentic journal entries written by pre-sessional EAP students to illustrate how the practice of self-reflection can be used to improve learning outcomes. The author advocates incorporating self-reflective journaling into the curriculum, as it provides students with opportunities to think critically, provides extra writing practice and enhances their learning experience. It also provides teachers with a valuable tool for tracking their students’ progress and understanding of course material.

Students' Perception of a Virtual Dissection Laboratory in Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing: A Focus Group Study.

Hands-on laboratory experience that allows for manipulation of realistic and relevant materials in course curricula has been shown to improve students' learning, understanding, and critical thinking skills. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the experiences of students who engaged in laboratory coursework using a virtual dissection (VD) table as part of an undergraduate course in anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing. Undergraduate students enrolled in an anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing course at a single university for the fall 2021 semester consented to participate. Nine students, divided into two focus groups, were encouraged to describe their experiences and perspectives about the VD table and corresponding laboratory assignments. Following verbatim transcription of the data, the authors conducted a thematic analysis. Five themes emerged from the body of data: (1) using the VD table, (2) completing the VD lab assignments, (3) preparation for laboratory sessions, (4) suggested modifications, and (5) enriched learning. Students believed using the VD table aided in a better understanding of course material than traditional methods. Moreover, they surmised that this method of learning, particularly for speech-language pathologists, may be superior to learning through models and cadavers.

He Inverted Classroom in Teaching Psychiatry: an Overview of Problems and Prospects

The growing volume of educational literature indicates the need to reform existing teaching strategies in medical education. The inverted classroom is a new pedagogical model in which students develop a basic understanding of course materials before class and use classroom time for classes focused on practical student learning. However, the model is currently insufficiently studied and requires a thorough approach to its implementation.

Evaluation of an individual examination remediation policy in a professional pharmacy course

IntroductionMaintaining institutional remediation policies is required for pharmacy education accreditation, but specific policies and students' perceptions of remediation are not well described in the literature. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the individual examination remediation policy utilized in a biomedical literature evaluation course was a viable approach to ensuring positive student experiences and success. MethodsThis study utilized a pre−/post-quantitative survey design. An 11-item pre-remediation questionnaire was offered to all students enrolled in the course in 2022. A matched post-survey was administered to students eligible to remediate individual examinations. Survey items were assessed using a five-point Likert rating. Remediation examination grades were analyzed in aggregate. Descriptive statistics were utilized as appropriate. ResultsOne hundred of the 108 (92.5%) enrolled students completed the pre-remediation survey. Students strongly agreed they would prefer to remediate individual examinations instead of taking one cumulative course remediation examination (median 5) and that remediating would improve their understanding of course material (median 5). Nineteen (44%) of 43 students eligible for individual examination remediation chose to remediate, and 16 (37%) responded to the post-remediation survey. Among those eligible, the most common reason for remediating was desire to receive a better score. Significantly more students improved their examination scores through remediation. ConclusionsStudents in the course preferred to remediate individual examinations, but only 44% of students eligible to remediate chose to do so. Future studies with larger sample sizes and course outcome data are warranted to further explore examination remediation in professional pharmacy courses.

Undergraduate Student Perceptions of Cooperative Discussion Groups as a Classroom Engagement Tool

The purpose of this project was to explore the experiences of students when facilitating class discussions through cooperative discussion groups. In addition, students particularly compared their experiences within this class with their experiences in Whole Class Discussion in previous classes. Students participated in structured cooperative discussion groups and submitted three written answers to reflection prompts provided as an extra credit opportunity. Based on the written answers (n = 11), select participants (n = 4) were purposively chosen for a semi-structured interview. Upon analysis of the data, five themes arose that described what students took away from this teaching method. Among these themes include how student groups facilitated collaboration among peers, deepened understanding of course materials, and allowed students to reflect on not only their own past experiences but those of their classmates as well. The researchers encourage instructors to consider using this teaching method as they approach curricula that either includes the development of individual philosophies or class sessions where it would be valuable for students to listen to their classmates’ experiences.

Impact of Deep Reading in Case-Based Learning in Graduate Physiology Students

Introduction: In universities, a traditional lecture style has shown to be less effective in helping students learn compared to a more active approach to teaching and learning. Previous research has stated that passive learning triggers a shift to a more superficial style of learning that is associated with a lower level of cognitive skill. Active learning is defined as activities that students do to construct knowledge and understanding. An active learning concept known as deep reading has been suggested to improve academic performance. In recent studies, deep reading was utilized in graduate science courses and was shown to enhance reading and comprehension skills as well as increasing overall academic ability. Objective: In this study, the aim was to assess how deep reading impacted a student’s self-perception of their understanding of course material in a graduate-level physiology course. Methods: Over a six-week period, 23 graduate physiology students participated in weekly deep reading assignments that correlated with the material taught in class that week. At the end of each week, students filled out an evaluation form indicating how they felt their assigned reading impacted their understanding of the material taught in class. Results: Results indicated that almost 70% of the class agreed that deep reading helped in understanding the course material. Student feedback data showed frequent use of the words “understanding,” “enjoyed,” “relevant,” and “helped.” Students who spent between 0-2 hours per week deep reading gave positive feedback. Individuals who spent more than 2 hours per week indicated negative feedback and perceived that deep reading counteracted their understanding of course material. Conclusion: The data implies that student understanding of material was improved with 0-2 hours of deep reading per week. More than 2 hours of deep reading per week had a countereffect. Excess time spent reading could have caused students to lose sight of the important concepts from the articles and thereby eliciting a negative effect and more confusion. Some, 1-2hrs, seemed to be helpful, however, more had a detrimental effect on learning. Future studies should aim to have more consistency in the difficulty of reading materials between students. Addition of comprehensive reading questions could also be implemented to assess student understanding. Overall, we found in this study that deep reading, when used in moderation, was effective in helping students learn and see real-world application of concepts learned in class This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Assessing Student Perceptions of Blended and Online Learning Courses in Pharmacoeconomics, Management, and Leadership

Objective. Blended learning combines traditional face-to-face education with online instruction. This learner-centered approach has been shown to improve student engagement, critical thinking, and performance outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess and trend student pharmacist perceptions of blended and online learning used to teach pharmacy management, leadership, and economics within a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum.Methods. Qualitative methods were employed using in-depth, semistructured interviews. Second- and third-year student pharmacists were recruited by purposeful and snowball sampling and interviewed to a point of saturation. The interview guide was based on social cognitive theory. Themes identified through initial deductive thematic analysis were categorized by the three domains of social cognitive theory: cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors. The coding team additionally analyzed the transcripts using inductive thematic analysis to ensure no themes outside of social cognitive theory were missed.Results. Twenty students were interviewed. Themes reveal perceptions that blended learning facilitated greater understanding of course material, increased motivation among learners, provided more flexibility in workload completion, and was a more enjoyable way to learn compared to traditional didactic instruction. Furthermore, blended learning offered additional distinct advantages over traditional and online-only pedagogies.Conclusion. Student pharmacists perceived blended and online learning positively and acceptable for the delivery of a pharmacy course on management, leadership, and economics over traditional didactic instruction. Blended learning may enhance innovation, leadership, management, and economics content delivery and the student learning experience.

Mechanism of the week: An approach for improving student engagement, interest, and understanding of course material

A program called mechanism of the week was created for use within a third-year mechanical engineering course, machine dynamics, to improve the student engagement and interest in the course content as well as to help aid student understanding of the course concepts. This program was implemented across three semesters, including some virtual sessions, and evaluated using a student feedback survey. The results of this survey indicated strong student support of the program. In addition to this particular application, the general principles of this program could be applied to other courses and disciplines to gain the same overall benefit.

Design an ontology-based model for intelligent querying system in mathematics education

Distance learning can be facilitated through e-learning, and students can enhance their understanding of course materials through the use of an intelligent querying system that enables self-learning. In this paper, an ontology-based method for organizing the knowledge of mathematics in high-school is presented. Ontology Rela-Ops model, which is a knowledge model for representing the knowledge of relations and operators, is combined with the knowledge component of functions. Based on the combining model, a structure of knowledge graph is proposed to represent relations of intellectual contents. An intelligent querying system is designed for the domain of high-school mathematics using these structures. This searching system can query contents of the course and extracts other knowledge related to querying results. The experimental results show that the proposed method is useful and effective to apply in the practice.

Perceptions and Motivations of Associate Degree Nursing Students Engaged in Peer Mentoring and Tutoring through Supplemental Instruction

High attrition rates in associate degree nursing (ADN) programs contribute significantly to a nursing shortage in the United States that is expected to worsen. Nursing students find the learning environment stressful, intimidating, and overwhelming, leading to discouragement in the first year of their nursing education. Research is needed to identify specific retention strategies that can offer ADN students additional support and promote academic success. This study aimed to explore first-semester ADN nursing students’ experiences with peer mentoring and peer tutoring provided through supplemental instruction (SI). A basic qualitative study was conducted, and participants’ descriptions of their experiences participating in SI were documented using semi-structured interviews. The findings indicated that students feel SI is a positive experience, but improvement is needed. Exposure to different perspectives through peer mentoring and tutoring improved students’ understanding of course material. Stronger peer relationships created consistency for students. Peer mentoring boosted self-confidence among first-semester students, and attendance at SI sessions increased persistence. The findings support the use of peer mentoring to offer academic assistance to first-semester ADN students.

Texas panhandle beef production tour, a high-impact compressed course in animal science.

Many animal science students have little exposure to working livestock production systems prior to college. As such, they can lack insight into day-to-day challenges and rationale behind decision making in these systems, opening the door for the adoption of misconceptions frequently promoted in the popular press. In addition, students identify a lack of first-hand knowledge and experience in the industry as a challenge to their educational success. Field trips stimulate interest and motivation, provide context for learning, and influence long-term career goals, but are underutilized in higher education. The potential impact of such experiences prompted the creation of the Texas Panhandle Beef Production Tour, a 2-credit hour compressed course. Students on this tour visited beef production sites in the Texas Panhandle ranging from cow-calf operations, to feedlots and packing plants. To cement learning through reflection, students responded to a series of questions before, during, and after visiting these sites to probe preconceptions, observations, and outcomes of the experience. We performed a retroactive qualitative evaluation of these reflections (n = 22) to determine cogent themes. Emergent themes included surprise at the intensive systems of data collection and management and the level of technology used at each site. Cattle were calmer and more comfortable than expected at the feedlots and packing plants. Students expressed new appreciation and understanding of course material and a desire to share their insights with others after completing the tour. Finally, participants gained a broader view of industry opportunities and returned with renewed motivation to pursue additional hands-on opportunities. Participation in this course provided valuable insight into the livestock production industry and motivated students to explore new career options and address their own preconceptions of the industry through independent inquiry. The creation of similar courses may be useful to address misconceptions, create personal connections with course material, and broaden career interests in animal science students.

Theological knowledge internalization in man and sin doctrine learning

The learning pattern of the Dogmatics course tends to be directed at mastering and memorizing Christian doctrines, and participants find it difficult to connect Christian doctrines learned to real-life realities. The course materials become things to memorize, not things to believe. In the Dogmatics learning process, a learning pattern that can improve understanding of course materials and be applied in everyday life is needed. This research aims to describe the application of the combined teaching method to improve participants' understanding of course materials and to be able to relate them to daily life. It is descriptive &qualitative research. The research was conducted at Simpson Theological Seminary Ungaran on the odd semester of 2020/2021 Academic Year. The objects of this research were 15 participants and lecturers of Christian Religious Education major participating in the Dogmatics I course. The results show that applying a combination of lecture and Q&A methods could improve participants' understanding of course material and connect lecture material to daily life. Evaluation of learning outcomes showed a good level of understanding of the course material, in which participants could connect the concepts in learning to everyday life

PSII-B-22 High-impact minimester course in animal science

Abstract Many Animal Science students have little exposure to working livestock production systems prior to entering college. As such, they can lack insight into day-to-day challenges and rationale behind decision making in these systems, opening the door for adoption of misconceptions frequently promoted in popular press. Additionally, students identify lack of first-hand knowledge and experience in the industry as a challenge to their educational success. Field trips stimulate interest and motivation, provide context for learning, and influence long-term career goals, but are underutilized in higher education. Potential impact of such experiences prompted creation of the Texas Panhandle Beef Production Tour, a 2-credit hour course that takes place during the spring minimester. To cement learning through reflection, students were asked to respond to a series of questions before, during, and after visiting beef production sites in the Texas Panhandle to probe preconceptions, observations, and outcomes of the experience. We then performed a retroactive evaluation of these reflections (n = 22) to determine cogent themes. Emergent themes included surprise at the intensive systems of data collection and management and the level of technology used at each site. Cattle were calmer and more comfortable than expected at feedlots, dairy, and packing plants visited. Students expressed new appreciation and understanding of course material and a desire to share their insights with others after completing the tour. Finally, participants gained a broader view of industry opportunities and returned with renewed motivation to pursue additional hands-on opportunities. Participation in this course provided valuable insight into the livestock production industry and motivated students to explore new career options and address their own preconceptions of the industry through independent inquiry. Creation of similar courses may be useful to address misconceptions, create personal connections with course material, and broaden career interests in undergraduate animal science students.

“This Happens in the Real World?”: Perceptions of Student-Developed Workplace Case Studies

This study examined student perceptions of an online case study development experience where students wrote their own case studies about workplace communication processes and created accompanying pedagogical materials. Students then shared their cases in small groups and engaged in dialogue. Students from organizational communication classes at four universities completed preevaluations ( n = 77) and postevaluations ( n = 67), providing quantitative and qualitative data. Analyses suggested that students perceived that the experience enhanced their understanding of course materials, aided them in connecting course materials to the real world, and enabled them to reflect on their own and their classmates’ organizational experiences.