University Undergraduate Study Research Articles

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

Constructivist Learning in University Undergraduate Programmes. Has Constructivism been Fully Embraced? Is there Clear Evidence that Constructivist Principles have been Applied to all Aspects of Contemporary University Undergraduate Study?

This conceptual paper provides an overview of constructivist education and the development and use of constructivist principles in contemporary higher education, outlining constructivism and some specific facets of student-centred learning. Drawing from first-hand experience and using two examples of current university assessment practice, reflective learning, and learning outcomes, the author argues that, despite claimsconstructivist pedagogical approaches have become normative practice, when it comes to assessment processes, constructivism has not been fully embraced. The question ‘is there clear evidence that constructivist principles have been applied to all aspects of university undergraduate study?’ is considered. This is important and significant and should be of concern to all educators who espouse constructivist principles in higher education.

B(u)y the book: evaluation of a university initiative to provide students with funds to buy books

Purpose In the era of high student fees and intense market competition, many universities now buy books for their new students, and recently have incorporated student choice into the offer, enabling students to choose how to spend funds. Teesside University has successfully piloted such an approach with one academic School, the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law. The pilot has now been extended to all academic Schools, with all students receiving £100 per academic year to spend on reading list books. The scheme covers new full-time undergraduate students at the University, and is operated in collaboration with an external company, John Smiths. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Teesside University Advance scheme against baseline data of book borrowing and reservation patterns of reading list titles. The paper explores the impact upon the student experience and student perceptions of the Library. Design/methodology/approach The project used a mixed methods approach. The quantitative strand analysed book borrowing and reservation patterns data from library systems and from book purchasing patterns data provided by the online store supporting the scheme. Students were also surveyed about the scheme. The qualitative strand, via one-to-one interviews conducted by the student researcher, gained an insight into why students select certain titles to purchase; and what their expectations of the university library are for the supply of reading list titles. Findings Analysis revealed an overall decline in book borrowing from the library of the titles selected for purchase by students via the scheme. Student perceptions of the library were positive and demonstrated a strategic use of library resources alongside book purchases and open web resources. At early stages of university undergraduate study, students need guidance on most appropriate resources to use and why, from either reading lists or book bundles. Originality/value Teesside University scheme is unique in the UK in covering all new full-time undergraduates and letting them choose which reading list titles to buy with the university funds provided.

PerLE: An "Open Source", ELearning Moodle-Based, Platform. A Study of University Undergraduates' Acceptance.

The implementation of innovative eLearning platforms offers numerous benefits, but it is important to understand individual acceptance and use of new technological systems in the educational setting. This study adopts a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), including three service quality constructs as external variables, to assess students’ acceptance of PerLE, a Moodle-based eLearning platform developed at the University of Calabria (Italy). A six-section questionnaire, which was based on previous studies, was administered to 293 undergraduate students. Results show that the quality of online courses is the main construct that affects students’ acceptance of PerLE. We found also that the PerLE user interface was a critical issue, requiring improvements to facilitate ease of use. In addition, the study underlines the important influence of Technical Support as an antecedent to the two main constructs of the TAM: PerLE Usefulness and PerLE Ease of Use.

Social Environment and the Quality of Social Interactions: The Perspective of Future Preschool Teachers / Socijalno okruženje i kvaliteta socijalnih interakcija: perspektiva budućih odgojitelja

AbstractInitial education of future preschool teachers is discussed in the context of them being researchers of their own educational practice, who, on a daily basis, think about and discuss their work. Even at university level, students should be encouraged to develop competencies that will help them build their professional knowledge in interaction with other students.We will present the results of research on practical exercises for students as part of the course Integrated Curriculum of Early and Preschool Education within university undergraduate study Early and Preschool Education. The purpose of this research is to carry out an analysis of the frequency of situations from the social environment that influence the quality and direction of children's interactions. The instrument for data collection consisted of video recordings of children’s and students’ activities. The total material consisted of 660 video recordings, 174 reflections and self-reflections of students. After their analysis, we designed a written protocol (a posteriori), which formed the basis of the content analysis.The research results show that, during their initial education, students perform exercises in kindergarten as a form of reflexive practice, and in that way they develop the skills of reflexive practitioners who continuously evaluate the effects of their own achievements.Keywords: initial education of preschool teachers; reflexive practitioner; social interaction.---SažetakO inicijalnom obrazovanju studenata budućih odgojitelja raspravlja se kao o istraživačima odgojno-obrazovne prakse koji svakodnevno razmišljaju i raspravljaju o svome radu. Već na fakultetima studente treba poticati na razvoj kompetencija kojima će moći graditi svoje profesionalno znanje u interakciji s drugim studentima.Predstavit će se rezultati istraživanja o praktičnim vježbama studenata, odnosno refleksivnom praktikumu unutar kolegija Integrirani kurikulum ranog i predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja na sveučilišnom preddiplomskom studiju Rani i predškolski odgoj i obrazovanje. Svrha istraživanja je sadržajna analiza učestalosti situacija iz socijalnog okruženja koje su utjecale na kvalitetu i smjer dječjih interakcija. Instrument za prikupljanje podataka činile su videosnimke aktivnosti djece i studenata. Ukupan materijal sastojao se od 660 videozapisa i 174 refleksije i samorefleksije studenata. Nakon njihove analize, pristupilo se izradi pisanog protokola (a posteriori) koji je činio temelj sadržajne analize.Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da studentice tijekom svoga inicijalnog obrazovanja, provedbom vježbi u dječjem vrtiću kao refleksivnih praktikuma, razvijaju sposobnost refleksivnog praktičara koji kontinuirano vrednuje učinke svojih postignuća.Ključne riječi: inicijalno obrazovanje odgojitelja; refleksivni praktičar; socijalna interakcija.

Sexual Behavior and Abuse: A Case Study of University Undergraduates in Tertiary Institutions in Imo State, Nigeria

Introduction: In young people including adolescents, risky sexual behavior has been recognized as an important health, social and demographic concern in the developing world. Aim: To assess sexual behaviors and their association with current and life-time occurrence of sexual abuse among female undergraduates in tertiary institutions in Imo State, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a school based cross sectional study involving 600 female students selected from tertiary institutions in Imo State Nigeria, using the multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using a data software (EPI-INFO version 3.3.2). Descriptive variables were presented using summary indices, frequency tables/percentages, and graph while associations between variables were done using the Chi-square and binary regression. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the students was 21.7+3.2 years. About 65.2% of the respondents have initiated sexual intercourse and of this proportion, 75.6% were sexually active in the last one year preceding survey. The mean age at initiation of sexual debut among the students was 18.9+3.8 years and the commonest form of sexual act practiced was penile/vaginal sex. About 15.2% of the students had been currently abused. Predictors of current sexual abuse were; ever had sexual intercourse (OR.4.63), being within 14-19 years of age at first sexual initiation, (OR: 0.42), had first sexual exposure with a casual partner (OR: 12.38), and being sexually active in the last 1 year preceding study, (OR: 2.16). Conclusion: Risky sexual behaviors were prevalent and were found to influence the occurrence of sexual abuse, among the students. Thus, there is need to institute appropriate prevention strategies to limit risky sexual behaviors and it consequences among adolescents and young adults.

Changes in approaches to learning over three years of university undergraduate study

This study aimed to evaluate and compare approaches to learning by a longitudinal cohort of undergraduate students as they progressed from their first to third years of study in anatomy and physiology. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) wascompleted at the beginning and end of their first year of university study, and in their final semester. At first year, a surface learning approach predominated; however, at third year, students showed a significant increase in their use of deep and strategic learning approaches compared to first year, although surface learning approaches were retained. The extent to which third-year students took both strategic and deep approaches to learning was positively correlated with their performance on assessment. As students progress through a three-year science degree, they develop deeper and more strategic learning approaches, and assessment and teaching styles probably promote these approaches to learning.

University Students Use of Explanatory Models for Explaining Electric Current in Transitory Situations

There are many studies on students' understanding of DC circuits in the steady state, but few studies have been made about students' ideas on transient states of movement of charges in a conductor. The traditional Electricity curriculum often involves situations of transient motion of charges such as the process of charging a body (conductor or dielectric), closing or opening the switch in a DC circuit or, circuits charging and discharging capacitors. In this research, we present two questions that have been used to investigate the representations of students about the movement of charges of transients in direct current, which focus on the transition between electrostatics and electrodynamics in first year university undergraduate study. The results obtained show that a significant percentage of students cannot correctly interpret simple transitory state current phenomena. Their explanations fall into two general categories. Firstly, one based on potential difference and secondly, one that excludes current flow in processes of transitory state. Some consequences for teaching are discussed.

EFL motivation development in an increasingly globalized local context: A longitudinal study of Chinese undergraduates

Abstract As part of a larger longitudinal study, this paper examines the development of Chinese students' EFL learning motivation throughout university undergraduate study, in an increasingly globalized local context. The study adopted a social constructivist perspective of language learning and combined research methods; the participants were over 1,000 undergraduates from 5 universities. The quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire (based on Gao et al. 2004) including motivational intensity and motivation types – instrumental, cultural, and situational, implemented annually from university entrance to graduation. The qualitative data consisted of individual and group interviews, student journals, and observations. Integrated data analysis revealed that sustained high-level long-term instrumental motivations coexisted with an increase of L2- oriented cultural motivations and situational motivation, particularly in the first and fourth year. The increased L2-oriented cultural motivations indicated neither ``ntegrativeness'' in the sense of becoming a member of the native English speaker community, nor a culturally neutral ``global identity.'' The increase of such L2- oriented cultural motivations was also accompanied by a sustained ``social responsibility'' motivation oriented to learners' home culture. Such complexities of motivational development call for further investigation in increasingly globalized EFL contexts.

The Hopelessness Theory of Depression: A Prospective Multi-Wave Test of the Vulnerability-Stress Hypothesis

The hopelessness theory of depression’s (Abramson et al. (1989). Psychological Review, 96, 358–372) cognitive vulnerability-stress hypothesis was tested using data from a 6-week longitudinal study of university undergraduates. Participants completed measures of negative inferential style, negative events, and depressive symptoms at the initial assessment and measures of negative events and depressive symptoms each week for the next 6 weeks. Supporting the vulnerability-stress hypothesis, results of hierarchical linear modeling indicated that inferential styles moderated the relation between weekly negative events and weekly variations in depressive symptom levels. Specifically, participants with negative inferential styles who also experienced high levels of negative events in a given week reported the greatest increases in depressive symptoms during that week. Although we also found that depressive symptoms prospectively predicted changes in negative events from week to week, inferential styles did not moderate this relation.

Television Exposure Not Predictive of Terrorism Fear

This study of university undergraduates examined the role of television coverage of terrorism in perpetuating fright and fear following the Sept. 11 attacks. Viewer characteristics, rather than television exposure, were the most consistent predictors of fear, safety and faith in others.

The Application of Feminist Aesthetic Theory to Computer-Mediated Art

Introduction With increasing frequency, today's computer technologies are incorporated into the artistic realm. The rapid development of digital technologies and their subsequent procurement by artists to produce work has created new genre of art, an that does not completely conform to conventional, (i.e., Western, European, European-American), aesthetic criteria. The merger of and technology serves to challenge many of our traditional beliefs regarding aesthetic value. As is true of much contemporary art, computer-mediated2 challenges not only the traditional modernist concepts of and art object, but also obscures the distinctions between fine art, commercial art, and other forms (Ettinger, 1988; Mitchell, 1992; Pinchbeck, 1994; Roberts, 1994). This paper is philosophical inquiry into evolving aesthetic criteria for computer-mediated art. I attempt to address some of the crucial aesthetic issues and concerns brought about by the advent of digital media. More specifically, I focus on feminist aesthetic theory as framework for reevaluating aesthetic concepts and aesthetic criteria with regard to new technologies. Aesthetics and Technologies Established aesthetic principles continue to be automatically applied to computer-mediated artwork because so much digital work aspires to simulate traditional media. A significant amount of research exists to support this observation (Cox, 1989; Jones, 1989; Linehan, 1985; Woodard, 1985). Granted, number of artists strive to make computer-mediated work that moves away from the mere imitation of traditional media (e.g., Roz Dimon, Carol Flax, Esther Parada, Christine Tamblyn, Noah Wardrip-Fruin). Virtual reality and telepresence artworks, for example, differ greatly from traditional works with regard to methods of process and production. However, many of the most prevalent commercial software packages, especially those used in classroom instruction, continue to be developed with the emulation of traditional artistic media as central focus, to make the software appear more user friendly. Therefore, it is still true that in many instances, particularly within the context of the classroom, computer-mediated yearns to look* like something else. This point is most clearly exemplified by popular computer software program such as MetaCreation's Painter. Painter is painting and drawing application that includes palette of tools modeled after traditional media. These tools consist of wide variety of standard brushes, pencils, chalks, and charcoals combined with large spectrum of color options. One can even select several specialized brushes to create custom that imitate particular artist or artistic period (e.g., Van Gogh, Seurat, the Impressionists). Painter, like many other software programs of its type on the market today, utilizes metaphors and familiar symbols consistent with traditional painting media. The software even comes packaged in can. I suggest that the metaphors are misleading. One cannot truly with computer software in the conventional sense. Freedman's and Relan's (1992) study of university undergraduates learning to software in computer graphics course convincingly illustrates this matter. The students in the study described the software as being poor simulation of paint and unhappy that they could not get certain visual effects (pp. 103-104). Obviously, the students were frustrated by their expectations of the computer software and their expectations were reified by the software manufacturer's of visual metaphors; symbols which imply that one can create similar to those achieved with traditional media. If the computer environment is patterned after traditional media, as Linehan (1985) notes, the of surrogate tools actually inhibits the artist, because with surrogate tools an artist is forced to work indirectly and such tools demand a second order of thinking for proper use (p. …

P300, cognitive capability, and personality: A correlational study of university undergraduates

The P300 (P3) event-related brain potential (ERP) was elicited with auditory stimuli in a large random sample ( n = 54) of university undergraduates, with equal numbers of each gender assessed. Target stimulus probability was varied in different conditions and peak amplitude and latency measures were correlated with a variety of psychometric measures including the Raven's Matrices test, Myers-Briggs, and Eysenck Personality inventories. Grade point average was correlated negatively with P3 latency, although no relationship was obtained between the ERP values and Raven's Matrices scores. Some personality indices were found to be associated moderately with ERP values, but these effects were generally weak. Female subjects produced larger P3 amplitudes compared to males overall. The results suggest that normal undergraduate subjects do not produce strong changes in P3 measures as a function of specific cognitive capabilities or personality variation.