University Research Articles

The relationship between mental health and basic need fulfillment of university students

The relationship between mental health and basic need fulfillment of university students

Primary health care providers knowledge of dementia and cognitive assessment tools for elderly populations in Southeast Nigeria: A pilot survey.

Primary health care remains the widely available first point of medical care in Nigeria and in other low- and middle-income countries. Recognizing the rising prevalence of dementia in these settings, primary healthcare providers should be trained on cognitive assessment. However, little is known about the current Nigerian primary healthcare providers' knowledge of dementia, cognitive assessment tools, and use in elderly populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate primary healthcare providers' knowledge of dementia and cognitive assessment tools in Southeast Nigeria in preparation for the introduction of digital tablet-based assessment tool. This is a cross-sectional mixed method descriptive pilot survey carried out in a comprehensive healthcare center affiliated with Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital. Fifty healthcare workers participated. Convenience sampling was employed involving all consenting primary healthcare providers in comprehensive healthcare center-Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital. A structured questionnaire was distributed for generation of both qualitative and quantitative data. The mean age of the 50 primary healthcare providers was 36.6 years, with females constituting 80%. Mean practice duration was 10.8 years. Their response on the mean age at which patients may need a cognitive assessment was reported as 52.8 years. Primary healthcare providers reported that dementia is associated with memory loss and can be genetically inherited. None of the respondents were familiar with Montreal cognitive assessment, or any form of tablet-based cognitive assessment tool. Most (86%) knew about the mini mental state examination. Primary healthcare providers are deficient in knowledge of dementia Alzheimer's or cognitive assessment tools, and so they do not routinely carryout cognitive screening in elderly patients during clinic visits. It is important to train all cadres of primary healthcare staff on the use and benefit of cognitive assessment using culturally validated user-friendly tool to improve quality of care for the elderly population.

The Influence of Artistic Innovation Atmosphere on Artistic Creativity Based on Digital Media — Creative Motivation as Intermediary Variable

Based on the creativity component theory, this paper discusses the influence of school organizational innovation atmosphere on artistic creativity from the perspective of digital media art. With the method of convenient sampling, 1,000 college students majoring in art were selected from representative comprehensive universities in Jilin, Shanxi, Chongqing, Guangxi and Shaanxi provinces for a questionnaire survey. According to the received valid data, SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0 were used for statistical analysis, and SEM was used for path analysis of intermediary effect. The results are as follows: The higher the degree that art majors perceive the innovative atmosphere of school organization, the stronger their artistic creativity; The higher the degree that art majors perceive the innovative atmosphere of school organization, the easier it is to stimulate creative motivation; The stronger the creative motivation of art majors, the stronger their artistic creative ability; Creative motivation plays a partial intermediary role between the innovative atmosphere of school organization and artistic creativity, that is, the innovative atmosphere of school organization perceived by art majors can have a positive impact on their artistic creativity directly or indirectly through the intermediary effect of their creative motivation. Therefore, it is suggested that colleges and universities should make full use of digital media art, optimize the innovative atmosphere of school organization, and optimize the teaching scene of art majors. Stimulate the creative motivation of art majors and improve their artistic creativity.

Establish Open Computer Laboratories to Cultivate Innovative Talents and Promote Local Economic and Social Development

With the continuous development of higher education and talent training mode in China, the construction of open computer laboratory has become an important practice base for talent training in universities and promoting local economic and social development. How to manage and maintain the laboratory scientifically and effectively and provide a good and innovative learning environment for teachers and students is an important problem that all managers of open computer laboratories must face and urgently need to solve. In this paper, we take the construction of open computer laboratory in Pu'er University as an example, combined with the social requirements for the cultivation of innovative talents and the service of local economy, and explore new ideas for the construction of open computer laboratory to promote the cultivation of innovative talents and the development of local economic communities, which has a certain reference value for the construction of computer laboratory in local comprehensive universities.

Establish Discipline and Specialty Laboratories and Explore the Training of Applied Talents in Local Comprehensive Universities

Experimental teaching is an important part of the teaching system of universities, and the laboratory is an important platform for experimental teaching and scientific research. The level of experimental teaching and laboratory construction in universities is an important symbol of cultivating applied talents and reflecting the comprehensive strength of universities. Tea major is a characteristic specialty of Pu'er University. With the characteristics of Pu'er tea technology and cultural research, the discipline has shown a good momentum of development in local universities in Yunnan Province; in this paper, we take the establishment of tea science laboratory in Pu'er University as an example to explore the key issues of the cultivation of applied talents in local comprehensive universities. Finally, we summarize the practical experience of Pu'er University in this regard, which provides a demonstration for the experimental teaching reform and the cultivation of applied talents in local comprehensive universities.

Sonic Histories: Reckoning with Race through Campus Soundscapes

Abstract: The sounds of the college campus raise important questions of participation, identity, privilege, disability, and marginalization. During the 2019–2020 academic year, three university instructors from distinct disciplines (music, history, and political science) and a student research assistant (history) used sound as a method for inquiring into contested and erased sites on the campus of Western Carolina University, a regional comprehensive university located in the southeastern United States. The project came to be called Sonic Histories. Paid student volunteers were led on a soundwalk and completed three online questionnaires that engaged questions of race and belonging on campus. This study presents findings on how students experience and interpret contested and erased sites through sounds heard and imagined. Sonic Histories explores two central questions. Historically, whose voices have been included and whose have been excluded on college campuses? How can sound promote awareness of racialized spaces and, in turn, achieve social engagement? The authors challenge the triumphant narrative of campus histories, which highlights racial reconciliation and progress while eliding the ways predominantly white campuses still exclude minorities. By re-centering minority voices in campus spaces, the authors explore the systemic exclusion of minorities that has occurred on college campuses across the country. At a time when places of higher education are refining and developing their commitment to diversity and inclusivity—while assessing their past in honest ways—the Sonic Histories project builds upon ongoing initiatives to position the college campus as a scholarly community that lives up to its democratic ideals of inclusion.

Reevaluating Remote Library Storage in the Digital Age: A Comparative Study

Despite the popularity of mobile and digital technologies, physical collections still have high user demand in academic libraries and grow continuously. With renovation projects providing more studying and collaboration space, efforts to relocate materials to storage facilities are necessary for major libraries. With the change in student information needs and preferences, it is essential to reinvestigate their behavior and preferences for the use of physical resources and remote storage items. An online survey was conducted in a major international comprehensive university in Hong Kong, China, to explore these questions. Statistical tests were also performed to compare the difference between undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as those with versus those without experience requesting items from storage.

The Implications of Contemporary American Comprehensive University Dance Education for Educational Reform in China

The Implications of Contemporary American Comprehensive University Dance Education for Educational Reform in China

Breast Cancer Knowledge among Students at a State Comprehensive University

Abstract Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and the second-leading cause of death among women in the United States. While lack of knowledge about breast cancer is a key factor in breast cancer mortality, little is known about breast cancer knowledge among women and men under the age of 30. The goal of the current study was to investigate the knowledge and awareness of breast cancer among female and male undergraduate students at a State Comprehensive University in the Southeastern United States. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of 265 male and female undergraduate students from six colleges at a State Comprehensive University in the southeastern United States. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict breast cancer knowledge using gender, academic major, marital status, age, family household income, and race as predictors. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 24. Results: Overall, a majority of study participants did not demonstrate adequate knowledge about breast cancer. There were significant differences by gender and race. All other predictors were not statistically significant. Conclusion. This study highlights the need to formulate educational programs to increase breast cancer awareness among undergraduate students in State Comprehensive Universities, in general, and to specifically focus on creating awareness among males, reducing the racial gap in breast cancer knowledge and, consequently, reducing existing racial disparities.

Appropriateness of antimicrobial selection for treatment of pneumonia in selected public hospitals of Eastern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.

Inappropriate antimicrobial use leads to drug resistance and poor clinical outcomes. Considering the lack of data regarding the drug use patterns in the treatment of pneumonia in selected study areas, the authors felt compelled to assess the appropriateness of antimicrobial usage in the treatment of pneumonia at Hiwot Fana Specialized Comprehensive University Hospital and Jugal Hospital from May 1 to 31, 2021. A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted using the medical cards of 693 admitted patients with pneumonia. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors associated with an initial inappropriate antibiotic use. A p value of 0.05 was used to determine the statistical significance of the association using an adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. Of the total participants, 116 (16.74%, 95% confidence interval: 14.1-19.6) of them received an initial inappropriate antimicrobial regimen. Ceftriaxone plus azithromycin was the most prescribed antimicrobial agent. Patients who were younger than 5 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.71; 95% confidence interval: 1.00-2.94), between 6 and 14 years (adjusted odds ratio = 3.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.64-6.00), and older than 65 years (adjusted odds ratio = 2.97; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-2.66), with comorbid conditions (adjusted odds ratio = 1.74; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-2.72) and prescribed by medical interns (adjusted odds ratio = 1.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.84) were associated with an initial inappropriate antimicrobial use. Around one out of every six patients had received initial inappropriate treatments. Adherence to the recommendation of guidelines and attention to extreme-aged groups and comorbidity may improve antimicrobial use.

Factors Influencing Interest in Post-Secondary Agricultural International Travel Experiences

International travel experiences (ITE) are high-impact practices that allow post-secondary agricultural students the opportunity to engage with production processes and commodities in other countries. In addition to adding tremendous value to their technical knowledge base students are also able to learn about new cultures. Prior research has focused on factors influencing students’ decision to participate in ITE programs. This study builds on research using best-worst scaling to quantitatively analyze motivations or obstacles impacting students’ intention to participate in an ITE. This approach provides a preference share which can be directly compared to other motivations or obstacles in a manner that Likert scales cannot. Students majoring in agriculture at two comprehensive regional universities were surveyed on their motivations or hesitancy in participating in an ITE. Use of the best-worst scaling method reveals that the opportunity for personal growth and earning academic credit are the two primary reasons generating interest in an ITE while cost and concerns about not earning academic credit are the primary reasons for students’ hesitancy in participating. The results of this study can be used by university coordinators in utilization of their limited resources to improve ITE and overcome hesitancy of students.

Memorandum of Agreement on Research Production: How Binding Is It?

Higher education institutions consider research as one of their trifocal functions. With the change in the educational landscape, Philippine universities have found a way to address this demand. One move is to create research centers that help develop a research culture among the faculty. Those interested in research apply for research units to reduce their teaching load. It is then expected that faculty researchers can balance their time between teaching and research. To hold them accountable for their deliverables by the end of the academic year, they get into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which they and the research center directors sign before the beginning of the academic year. This paper examines the legal value of the contract signed by the researchers and the directors of four research centers in one comprehensive university in Manila, as well as the provisions observed and not observed in the contract. Findings revealed that the contract signed is valid since it contains the following requisites: a.) cause, b.) object, and c.) consent. These requisites are found in the three moves identified. With regard to the linguistic features, only two out of the nine were found, based on the framework of Crandall and Charrow (1990). These were: a.) overly complex sentences and b.) negation. Violations of some provisions were found to be committed by faculty researchers, and while sanctions are stipulated in the agreement for non-compliance, not all are being implemented. Gaps were likewise noted in the preparation of the MOA. It is recommended that the provisions in the contract be reviewed and checked against the provisions and guidelines in research revised by the Office for Research. A review of the research management strategies of the university is likewise recommended. Finally, as a contract, the MOA may still be further improved by addressing the gaps in the content so that effectiveness can be attained to avoid future litigation.

Improving K-12 teachers’ conceptual competencies in consuming empirical research

ABSTRACT Research competencies can empower teachers to inquire into their work and innovate in the field. In particular, conceptual competencies in consuming empirical research (CCER) are expected of K–12 teachers, but little is known about how teachers develop CCER. To address this gap, the authors conducted a case study with 12 teachers enrolled in a hybrid graduate course on educational research at a public, comprehensive university in the USA. Data generated from the 15-week course activities and assignments were analyzed. Findings show that teachers’ CCER improved through a three-stage process. In each stage, teachers achieved success but encountered challenges. The varied performance among teachers could be explained by three factors: extensiveness of literature review, conceptual understanding of research topic, and specificity of research focus. This study contributes to the literature by generating detailed evidence of how K–12 teachers develop CCER. Implications for course design and future studies are discussed.

Student affairs and services leadership in trying times: Student social behaviour project and psycho-social support interventions at a comprehensive university in south africa

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown measures that were widely implemented in response to the pandemic forced many of the forms of engagement and activities promoted by student affairs and services staff among students at universities to be curtailed or transformed – at first, so that they entailed no interpersonal contact and later so that they took place in line with health and safety protocols restricting contact. The moment of crisis required decisive, innovative leadership from this staff as they sought to help meet the needs of students who were now deprived of the benefits of the psycho-social, intellectual and physical engagements that had been provided by in-person contact on highly interactive campuses. Accordingly, the student affairs and services staff at North-West University in South Africa collaborated with students, leveraging their creative potential to reach out, create and implement new student support systems and programmes through structured activities that could take place online and in the form of strictly controlled contact sessions. In this context, two new initiatives were established at the university: a student behaviour project which sought to deploy student peers to promote adherence to COVID-19 occupational health and safety protocols among the student population; and a raft of psycho-social support interventions, including webinars, cultural and sporting activities, and residence activities which promoted student welfare including by helping students to manage the realities of the pandemic more effectively. This reflective article, authored by two of the North-West University student affairs and services staff responsible for launching and leading these initiatives, considers the kinds of collaboration among university staff and with students that informed the establishment and implementation of these projects. Focusing particularly on how these projects may have contributed towards increased levels of social capital among the students at the university at a moment of crisis, with a view to extract lessons that may be learned for the proactive development of student-support measures under similar conditions in future.

MOVING FROM ENDORSEMENT TO ACTION: ALIGNING AFU EFFORTS WITH UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLANS AND GOALS

Abstract The Age-Friendly University global initiative has the opportunity to unite nations around the world towards making higher education spaces inclusive of older adults. Once a university joins the AFU Global Network and endorses the 10 guiding principles, the real work of living up to the principles begins. Each institution has unique geographical, political, social, and financial characteristics that require tailored approaches to this work. At our regional comprehensive university, we completed three separate analyses (external, internal, future directions) as part of our Environmental Scan. The goal of the Environmental Scan was to understand the initial strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to age-friendliness and inclusiveness for older learners within our campus community. We utilized a multi-pronged data collection approach, including individual stakeholder interviews, online surveys of older leaners, policy analysis, and internal and external audits. Many aspects of data collection for the environmental scan occurred concurrently with data analysis. Data from each of the eight data collection methods were used to generate key findings and recommendations and will be presented. Furthermore, we found that aligning our recommendations with the University’s marketing and enrollment efforts as well as the University’s goals relating to diversity, equity and inclusion allowed for greater administrative support for strategies to increase age-friendliness on campus. with implications for similar work at other institutions. The Age-Friendly University global initiative has the opportunity to better support the inclusion of older adults in higher education. Our Environmental Scan of age-friendliness, from inception to completion will apply to institutions across the globe.

Psychiatric Manifestations in the Patients of Obstructive Sleep Apnea at Tertiary Care Center of Northern India

Aim: The aim of the study is to understand the role of anxiety and depression in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Patients and Methods: This prospective, observational study was conducted at King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, from September 2011 to August 2012. Seventy-one patients were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed written consent. Polysomnography (PSG) was performed to confirm OSA, and the psychiatric features were determined using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score. Results: A total of 71 individuals were enrolled in the study, and after exclusion, 48 individuals had participated in PSG. Of the 48 patients, 44 (91.67%) had shown OSA with PSG. From 44 OSA-diagnosed patients, 10 (22.73%) patients were diagnosed of having psychiatric manifestations (50% with depression, 30% with anxiety, and 20% having features of both depression and anxiety). No significant difference was found in between those with psychiatric features than that those without in body mass index (mean ± standard deviation [SD]: 32.38 ± 7.17 and 31.64 ± 3.93, P = 0.610), Epworth's sleepiness scale score (mean ± SD: 13.20 ± 4.71 and 11.88 ± 5.63, P = 0.505), apnea/hypopnea index (mean ± SD: 48.01 ± 31.71 and 37.81 ± 22.84, P = 0.263), average saturation (mean ± SD: 92.19 ± 4.37 and 91.74 ± 4.38, P = 0.774), and lowest saturation (mean ± SD: 74.50 ± 11.97 and 74.32 ± 11.97, P = 0.968), respectively. Conclusion: Although patients with OSA must be screened for psychiatric manifestations, the severity of OSA is not directly related to the severity of psychiatric features.

Teamwork in faculty members' research activities: Difficulties and solutions

The aim of this study was to analyze difficulties and solutions of teamwork in faculty members' research activities. This applied research used qualitative method as the research strategy. The data collection tool was semi-structured interview. For this study, four comprehensive universities in Tehran including University of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti University, Kharazmi University and Tarbiat Modares University were selected. In each university, one faculty was randomly selected for every 20 faculties. Then, within each faculty, all departments were considered. Finally, among the departments, faculty members were purposefully selected and considered as participants in the research (45 faculty members up to theoretical saturation). Open coding and theme analysis methods used to analyze data. To ensure the validity of the research, while trying to control the bias and prejudice of the researcher, some participants reviewed the extracted categories. Also, one of the colleagues was asked to review the findings. To calculate the reliability, test-retest reliability method and agreement for two raters method were used. The results showed that there was a difference between the natures of disciplines for teamwork. There was not any difference between universities regarding team-work implementation. In addition, to choose an activity to do the work as a team, the nature of that work is decisive and among the research activities listed in Article 3 of the Regulation, no order and priority can be considered for the implementation of teamwork. Finally, teamwork difficulties can be divided into five categories: related to individual, related to the team and team factors, within the organization and within the university, related to the higher education system, and general context and national factors.

Student Motivations and Barriers toward Online and In-Person Office Hours in STEM Courses.

Office hours are one of the most common support mechanisms found in courses. Despite the prevalence of office hours in life sciences classes, there has been little investigation of how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students perceive office hours, particularly at non-research intensive universities or other institutions where a majority of students attend office hours. We surveyed more than 500 students, representing most life sciences majors at a comprehensive university, to investigate their motivations and barriers for attending office hours. We then compared instructors' perceptions to students' conceptions of office hours. We identified key themes in student and instructor comments using inductive, grounded theory, finding that students view a more limited range of benefits for office hours than instructors. Students likewise cited a larger number of barriers for attending than instructors perceived. In addition, while there were minimal differences in rates of office hours attendance and perception of office hours based on key demographic factors, we identify areas where students of different class years and gender perceive differences, suggesting areas of future research. Finally, we explored students' views of in-person versus online office hours, providing insight for instructors to better reach all students.

Consciously building bridges: Team-teaching to merge and evolve actor training in voice and movement

Successful integration of acting, voice and movement has long been desired in theatre-arts training. Existing systems, however, often offer three distinct and separate areas of performance training – at least within US higher-education curricular contexts. But, this article proposes, in team-teaching, we gain an experience of living the integration, of challenging the ways we traditionally teach exercises and of finding new ways to rework concepts and exercises taught to us. Consciously creating bridges across areas of training enables students to grow by experiencing two perspectives in the same classroom. Integration is the aim of a new ‘Introduction to Voice and Movement’ course created and team-taught by the authors of this article, a voice professor and a movement professor. We sought not only to merge voice and movement training within our university theatre department, but to re-evaluate how we approach teaching voice and movement. The experience became more than simply integrating voice and movement into one class. The discovery of pedagogical alignment resulted in the merging of two personal pedagogies. This merging became integration as students carried the physio-vocal training into their lives and artistry beyond the classroom.

On the history of the university theatre: A reading in the theatrical movement of King Saud University in the period from 1974 to 2000

On the history of the university theatre: A reading in the theatrical movement of King Saud University in the period from 1974 to 2000