Upper-level Course Research Articles

Adding Environmental, Social, and Governance Reporting to an Introductory Accounting Course

ABSTRACT As more firms are focusing on sustainability issues, ESG reporting is quickly becoming a beneficial topic for business and accounting students to understand. This learning strategy provides faculty with materials that can be used to introduce ESG reporting in an introductory accounting course. This paper discusses the background on ESG reporting and summarizes the accounting profession’s involvement in compiling and reviewing these reports. The teaching materials include general suggestions and comments, example ESG factors, example ESG disclosures, sustainability accounting scenarios with discussion suggestions, resource links for ESG reporting frameworks and assessment, an example reading assignment, multiple-choice questions, and PowerPoint slides. Sustainability and ESG reporting are topics of increasing importance to stakeholders. Exposing business and accounting students to these topics early into their education can provide them with a foundational knowledge that will surely be built upon in their upper-level courses and eventual careers. JEL Classifications: M41; Q56.

Does supportive feedback on class rank improve scores for intermediate-level microeconomics?

Instructors may use low-cost, light-touch strategies to help students achieve optimal effort in demanding upper-level courses. The authors of this study exploit an intervention that provides a series of personalized feedback emails to students about their relative performance, which is tied to approving messages or tips that encourage improvement. The authors analyze the efficacy of this supportive rank feedback in an intermediate-level microeconomics theory course, given the challenges it poses to students. Evidence shows gains from feedback across the grade distribution, but they are short-lived and decline toward zero as the course progresses.

Online assessment in the age of artificial intelligence

Online education, while not a new phenomenon, underwent a monumental shift during the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing educators and students alike into the uncharted waters of full-time digital learning. With this shift came renewed concerns about the integrity of online assessments. Amidst a landscape rapidly being reshaped by online exam/homework assistance platforms, which witnessed soaring stocks as students availed its questionable exam assistance, and the emergence of sophisticated artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, the traditional methods of assessment faced unprecedented challenges. This paper presents the results of an observational study, using data from an introductory statistics course taught every semester by the author, and delves into the proliferation of cheating methods. Analyzing exam score results from the pre and post introduction of ChatGPT periods, the research unpacks the extent of cheating and provides strategies to counteract this trend. The findings starkly illustrate significant increases in exam scores from when exams of similar difficulty were administered in person (pre-Covid) versus online. The format, difficulty, and grading of the exams was the same throughout. Although randomized controlled experiments are generally more effective than observational studies, we will indicate when we present the data why experiments would not be feasible for this research. In addition to presenting experimental findings, the paper offers some insights, based on the author's extensive experience, to guide educators in crafting more secure online assessments in this new era, both for courses at the introductory level and more advances courses The results and findings are relevant to introductory courses that can use multiple choice exams in any subject but the recommendations for upper-level courses will be relevant primarily to STEM subjects. The research underscores the pressing need for reinventing assessment techniques to uphold the sanctity of online education.

Effectiveness of educational interventions in minimizing reactance in traffic accident prevention

IntroductionClassical mechanics concepts are vital for understanding traffic safety, encompassing speed, acceleration, stopping distance, impact speed, deformation, kinetic energy, and their effects on vehicle occupants. Statistical physics principles are also employed to study multiple vehicles as a many-particle system. This study examines the effectiveness of using a damaged car and structured instruction in road safety initiatives.MethodsParticipants engaged with a damaged car and discussed deformation caused by excessive speed. They participated in role simulations, envisioning and solving risky traffic scenarios, while considering the potential boomerang effect resulting from excessive fear appeals within the campaign.ResultsCombining emotional appeals with solution-focused, action-oriented, and self-esteem-enhancing interventions is essential to mitigate the boomerang effect and encourage safety-compliant behavior. Educational institutions must implement tailored follow-ups to emotionally charged prevention campaigns. Using Design-Based Research, we developed effective methods for knowledge acquisition and transfer, drawing from cognitive behavioral therapy and established traffic safety programs.DiscussionThis publication explores non-standardized social training within focus groups, focusing on negative emotional states following an emotionalizing campaign similar to “Crash Kurs NRW,” targeting upper-level courses in North Rhine-Westphalian schools. Methods from cognitive behavioral therapy and social learning initiated, observed, and documented changes in participants’ norms, values, and attitudes, discussed herein. Additionally, we investigated whether the presence of police officers in prevention campaigns influences reactive behavior. Comparing pre- and post-surveys confirmed reactance after emotionalizing campaigns, and our structured post-survey effectively influenced stage-event-induced behavior. Surprisingly, police officers’ presence did not significantly impact reactive behavior. Furthermore, our follow-up tool extends its applicability to similar emotionalizing prevention campaigns, broadening its potential reach. Our future research will delve into students’ physics literacy during traffic space analysis of accident hotspots, advancing traffic safety initiatives.

Evaluating the level of inquiry in postsecondary instructional laboratory experiments: results of a national survey

A national survey on chemistry instructional laboratories was administered to faculty members at four-year postsecondary institutions in the United States for the purpose of exploring levels of inquiry-based instruction implemented in laboratory courses. Respondents were asked to rate the level of choice their students had in deciding six key characteristics of the experiments used in their course (e.g., what research questions to explore); the more choices students get to make, the more inquiry-based instructional experience. MANOVA and post hoc analyses suggest that there are differences in the level of inquiry across chemistry course levels; lower-level courses (i.e., general chemistry and organic chemistry) implement lower levels of inquiry-based laboratory instruction compared to upper-level courses (i.e. more chemistry major-focused courses). We found no evidence of association between the level of inquiry courses and institutions’ highest chemistry degree awarded, American Chemical Society approval to award certified bachelors degrees, or external funding to transform postsecondary chemistry courses. Our study contributes to the chemical education community's growing understanding of the state of postsecondary chemistry laboratory instruction. Results further suggest that there is an opportunity for faculty members and department leaders to reflect on their instructional laboratory courses and implement more inquiry-based instructional laboratory experiences across the entirety of the postsecondary chemistry curriculum.

THE HASHTAG SYLLABUS AS CLASS ASSIGNMENT: FROM CRITICAL INFORMATION LITERACY TO CULTURAL CRITIQUE

In the immediate aftermath of the 2014 murder of 18-year Michael Brown in Missouri, hashtags like #ferguson, #justiceformikebrown, and #handsupdontshoot begin trending on Twitter. At the same time, Marcia Chatelain, Georgetown University Professor of History and American Studies, began crowdsourcing materials for educators trying to address what happened in their classrooms using the hashtag #fergusonsyllabus. What resulted was a list of highly interdisciplinary and multimedia sources including scholarly texts, news stories, songs, poems, films, public addresses, and children’s books. Chatelain’s call spoke both to the present crisis, the murder of a Black teenager by police, and to the historical and cultural context in which this shooting happened. The efforts of Chatelain and the community that came together around this hashtag expanded our understanding of information production and curation and the function of a syllabus beyond the college classroom. In introducing our undergraduate classes to the idea of the hashtag syllabus, we attempt to engage our students in practices of information literacy with the hope of providing them tools to look critically at the inequities that permeate academic and non-academic spaces. Here, we explore the ways in which this format operates in interdisciplinary social science programs and the ways in which it supports unique learning objectives in both introductory and upper-level courses. In doing so, we hope to engage in pedagogical praxis that connects our fields and our students with questions of social justice and to do so in a way that prepares them for meaningful civic engagement.

NOW SHOWING: THE USE OF FILMS IN ADVANCED GERONTOLOGY COURSES

Abstract While the use of films to teach about aging and older adults is not new, current movies and the students who view them are ever-changing. So too are the learning goals and practices for incorporating media into the advanced gerontological classroom. The current undertaking considers the unique aspects of employing movies (including documentaries and international films) and builds on previous works (Cohen-Shalev & Marcus, 2007; Karasik & Hamon, 2014; Markson & Taylor 1993) with an eye toward the more advanced pedagogical goals of upper level undergraduate and graduate courses. This poster focuses on challenges associated with including film in both traditional and emerging classroom delivery formats (e.g., face to face, hybrid, on-line). A matrix of current aging-themed films is provided, along with strategies for successful applications in upper level and graduate courses. Karasik and Hamon (2014) explored the use of popular film in introductory gerontology courses, creating a detailed matrix of films spanning 1951 - 2012. In addition to film descriptions and ratings, the matrix identified content in the following topical areas in (ageism/stereotypes; cognitive impairment; death & dying; diversity; family relationships; health & wellness; sexuality & intimacy; and work & retirement). The current presentation builds on Karasik & Hamon’s work by developing a companion matrix of films including feature films from 2012- 2023 , as well as documentaries and international films across the same time period. In addition to the newly created companion matrix, there are examples of activities and assignments that incorporate movies into the gerontological classroom.

Perceived preparedness to teach over time: A longitudinal case study of instrumental music teachers

Music teacher education programs are an integral part of preparing novice music teachers for a successful start to their careers. Despite that, many studies show that music educators often feel unprepared by their education. This three-and-a-half year longitudinal case study examined instrumental music educators’ perceptions of the preparation provided by their education as they completed university coursework and entered the profession. Participants were four instrumental music education majors who were in their upper-level courses at the beginning of the study and participants completed five focus group discussions. Participants were four instrumental music education majors who were in their upper-level courses at the beginning and participants completed five focus group discussions starting at the end of their third year, continuing through both semesters of their final year, and at the end of their first 2 years in the classroom. I identified three emergent themes from the data: the importance of authenticity and contextualization; the core practices of classroom management, secondary instrument knowledge/skills, and rehearsing ensembles were central to feelings of preparedness; and a shifting focus over time. Findings indicated various perceptions of preparedness and their connection to music teacher education experiences, including implications for future research.

392 Evaluation of Assessment Strategy on Student Retention of Knowledge in Sequential Animal Science Courses

Abstract As students progress through their undergraduate education, information from previous classes culminate to lay a foundation for academic success in upper-level courses. However, there is a lack of evidence and implementation for formative assessment methods in undergraduate education. Traditional summative assessments are often cited as being high stress by students and are studied for by cramming material. Both high stress and cramming can reduce long-term knowledge retention in the average student, which is problematic when students need to retrieve this knowledge for future classes. Thus, our objective was to evaluate student knowledge retention coming from a prerequisite course divergent in assessment strategy and/or environment. The prerequisite course, ANEQ 328: Foundations of Animal Genetics, used either 4-unit exams or 16 weekly quizzes with identical questions to assess learning of course material. The course was either delivered in person or online, covered the same material, and all students received the same post-test at the end of the semester. Furthermore, in the quiz-based courses students were surveyed at the end of the semester to gather perceptions of learning with varying course formats. In the subsequent course, ANEQ 330: Principles of Animal Breeding, the same post-test from ANEQ 328 was given as a pre-test. On the pre-test, students were asked to indicate in which year and semester they completed ANEQ 328 so an assessment type and environment could be identified. Scores on the pre-test were analyzed as a measurement of retention across courses, and effects of time elapsed between courses, the type of assessment strategy used, and the physical environment in which the class was delivered were considered. Time between courses impacted retention, as students who took ANEQ 330 within two semesters of ANEQ 328 had higher scores (P < 0.05) than all other timepoints. Student retention was not different between students who took the prerequisite course online or in-person (7.65 ± 0.19 and 7.61 ± 0.23, respectively). Additionally, student retention was not impacted by whether the prerequisite course used quiz or exam-based assessment strategies (7.58 ± 0.16 and 7.89 ± 0.33, respectively). These data indicate that both assessment strategies are interchangeable when considering impacts on long-term retention; however, survey data showed that formative assessments, such as quizzes, are better received than summative assessments, as they help to ease testing anxiety, better pace student learning, and provide consistent feedback. Therefore, instructors may choose to use formative assessments to improve student perceptions of learning without impacting knowledge retention.

Teaching greener & more sustainable analytical chemistry to undergraduates: Some strategies & tips

This Perspectives article describes some current resources to support the teaching of Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) at higher education institutions. The resources span from introductory to upper-level courses, and from classroom to laboratory environments. Strategies are discussed to assist analytical chemistry instructors in adopting best practices from other sub-disciplines to weave the Twelve GAC Principles throughout their curricula. These approaches vary from modification of entrenched instructor expectations and requirements to connections with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and from inclusion of expository laboratory activities to inquiry-based and research-focused ones.

Common-sense teaching for the 2020s: Ungrading in response to covid-19 and beyond

Conventional letter- or number-based grading systems, though ubiquitous at all levels of education, do not optimize the learning experience. The philosophy of “ungrading” includes a variety of approaches that decenter or even remove numeric or letter scoring of student work in favor of descriptive feedback, opportunities for revision, self-assessment and reflection, and assessment toward mastery. This paper presents one of the few published descriptions of the use of ungrading approaches in geoscience courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. We showcase four approaches, detailing the courses and ungrading structures used, positive outcomes and challenges, and tools that might allow others to apply these methods. We describe (a) mastery and specifications grading, chosen to promote mastery of course materials in mid- and upper-level courses for college majors; (b) labor-based grading used to promote depth of student learning by focusing on revision; (c) collaborative grading utilizing self-assessment and reflection chosen to promote meta-cognition and growth mindset; and, (d) partial ungrading as a means to begin the ungrading process. Importantly, our experiences have led us to recognize the equity that ungrading approaches create, enabling students from different backgrounds, including students of color and disabled students, to find stronger support and build greater competence and confidence in geoscience classes.

Generating Publishable Data from Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences in Chemistry.

Embedding Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) into chemistry curricula has become a best practice due to the overwhelming evidence that these experiences deepen students' content comprehension, improve students' problem-solving skills, and increase retention within the major. For these reasons, faculty are often encouraged to develop CUREs for their courses, which typically take a substantial amount of effort and administrative/financial support. To justify these efforts, one of the most cited benefits of CURE development for faculty specifically is that they can pilot research projects and publish data produced during CUREs in scientific publications. However, there is less evidence in the literature that these benefits commonly occur. Based on direct upper-level, interdisciplinary CURE development experience and a national survey of faculty across institution types, it is clear that translating CURE data into publishable science is quite challenging due to several common barriers. Barriers identified include the need for follow up data that must be generated by either the faculty or a research student, the lack of reproducibility of data generated by novice students, and the lack of faculty time to write the manuscripts. Additionally, institution type (private vs public non-PhD granting; non-PhD granting vs PhD granting), faculty rank, and CURE level (lower vs upper-level courses), among other factors, impacted the likelihood of publication of CURE data. Based on these results and experiences, best practices for maximizing positive outcomes for both students and faculty with regard to CURE design and implementation have been developed.

Differential Usage of Learning Management Systems in Chemistry Courses in the Time after COVID-19.

Learning management systems play a crucial role in addressing pedagogical challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The solutions provided by the learning management systems (LMS) facilitated online instructions and helped form a community of learning and support. With the rapid increased usage during the pandemic and the return to face-to-face post-pandemic, an in-depth analysis on lasting changes in students' engagement and the instructors' use of the systems during and after the pandemic is needed. This study aims at providing the analysis results on the differential usage of the learning management systems in a chronological time frame and on a course-level-specific aspect. Analysis conducted on the LMS usage data of chemistry courses between Fall 2019 and Fall 2021 suggests unique patterns, depending on the course levels. The extent of students' interaction with peers and course materials varied for different course levels. The degree of usage of learning management systems by instructors also depended on the course levels. Instructors in lower-level courses (1000 and 2000 level courses) continued to use learning management systems extensively after the pandemic, while instructors in upper-level courses (3000 and 4000 level courses) rebounded to their pre-pandemic level of usage after resuming face-to-face instructions.

Using Pipe Cleaners to Bring Proteins to Life

Proteins are challenging molecules for students to understand, consisting of multiple components interacting in a variety of ways. As instructors, we have observed this information is hard for students to process, both when learning about proteins initially in introductory classes, and when learning about specific details in upper-level courses. This pipe cleaner activity is designed for use in any science class that teaches protein folding, from upper-level high school through upper-level college courses. Pipe cleaners are a simple, familiar, and cost-effective manipulative model that can be used in multiple class types.

Creating Meaningful Learning Opportunities through Incorporating Local Research into Chemistry Classroom Activities

Incorporating real-life context through connections to research early in the curriculum can create meaningful learning opportunities that encourage students to engage deeply with classroom content to construct chemistry knowledge. Course-based undergraduate research experiences have been successful at integrating real-life context, but are often only incorporated into upper-level courses. To provide an additional pathway to foster interaction with research, four activities from an introductory chemistry discussion class were created to incorporate authentic research connections. Care was taken to incorporate metacognitive questions designed to help students make connections between their preexisting knowledge and course content. Marzano’s taxonomy was used to analyze the cognitive complexity of tasks, which increased in the revised activities, allowing for more opportunities for knowledge construction. Audio and written work of student groups as they worked through activities was collected. Qualitative analysis of student engagement revealed that control over the content of activities to incorporate opportunities for knowledge construction is not enough to facilitate students consciously engaging in meaningful learning. If instructors wish to promote students integrating chemistry knowledge into their existing framework, course instructors, including graduate teaching assistants, need to be trained on how to properly facilitate classroom experiences to increase the likelihood of success.

Gender bias in teaching evaluations: the causal role of department gender composition

Women are underrepresented in academia's higher ranks. Promotion oftentimes requires positive student-provided course evaluations. At a U.S. university, both an archival and an experimental investigation uncovered gender discrimination that affected both men and women. A department's gender composition and the course levels being taught interacted to predict biases in evaluations. However, women were disproportionately impacted because women were more often in the gender minority. A subsequent audit of the university's promotion guidelines suggested a disproportionate impact on women's career trajectories. Our framework was guided by role congruity theory, which poses that workplace positions are gendered by the ratios of men and women who fill them. We hypothesized that students would expect educators in a department's gender majority to fill more so essential positions of teaching upper-level courses and those in the minority to fill more so supportive positions of teaching lower-level courses. Consistent with role congruity theory when an educator's gender violated expected gendered roles, we generally found discrimination in the form of lower evaluation scores. A follow-up experiment demonstrated that it was possible to change students' expectations about which gender would teach their courses. When we assigned students randomly to picture themselves as students in a male-dominated, female-dominated, or gender-parity department, we shifted their expectations of whether men or women would teach upper- and lower-level courses. Violating students' expectations created negative biases in teaching evaluations. This provided a causal link between department gender composition and discrimination. The importance of gender representation and ameliorating strategies are discussed.

The Electronic Structure of the Atom: (Mis)Interpretations of Quantum Concepts by Brazilian University Chemistry Students

Students’ understanding of the electronic structure of the atom has been investigated by many authors. This study outlines students’ conceptual and representational understanding of quantum concepts explored in lower and upper level chemistry courses, in three different chemistry majors, identifying learning obstacles and monitoring student development. Structured questionnaires were applied at the beginning and end of the semester, aiming to assess student learning related to the interpretation of the electronic structure of the atom through quantum chemistry concepts. Students in upper-level courses achieved better averages than students in lower-level courses. Generally, students showed better understanding of the topics through a representational rather than a conceptual approach. The number of students able to conceive a mental model of the atom based on quantum concepts increased by the end of the semester. However, the number of students who imagined the atom according to the Bohr model, invoking both classical and quantum ideas, remained the same, suggesting no meaningful learning occurred.

Revisiting faculty members’ goals for the undergraduate chemistry laboratory

Over a decade has passed since faculty members’ goals for the undergraduate chemistry instructional laboratory were first investigated on a large, national scale in the United States. This study revisits these goals, using data from a 2022 national survey of chemistry faculty members in the United States (n = 521) to investigate current objectives, including how those goals vary with course, institutional context, and receipt of funding for improving undergraduate chemistry courses. A modified version of the Faculty Goals for Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory Instrument was used to measure goals, with psychometric evidence providing support for its use across the studied contexts, with the exception of the general chemistry laboratory. Goals were associated with course and receipt of funding but not institution type, both with regard to institutions’ highest chemistry degree awarded and approval from the American Chemical Society to award certified bachelor's chemistry degrees. Results suggest that faculty members may adopt a distinct set of goals not immediately associated with the practice of chemistry in the general chemistry laboratory. Further, goals increasingly focus on providing research experience and cultivating disciplinary knowledge and skills with progression through the chemistry curriculum; this focus increases more abruptly when moving from large-enrollment lower-level courses to small-enrollment upper-level courses. Findings imply a need for increased efforts focused on (1) evaluating goals for the general chemistry laboratory, including whether those goals contribute to overarching curricular objectives, (2) promoting adoption of evidence-based pedagogies in large-enrollment contexts to better align instruction with the practice of chemistry, (3) supporting faculty members in procuring funding to improve courses, and (4) refining professional societies’ evaluation criteria for undergraduate chemistry programs.

Three-dimensional molecular representations to enhance students' learning and engagement in lower and upper-level courses

Three-dimensional molecular representations to enhance students' learning and engagement in lower and upper-level courses

High school transcript placement in developmental mathematics courses: A case study at one college

Historically, college students who require remediation in mathematics have been placed into developmental mathematics courses. Accurate placement is important for student success; inaccurate placement in a low-level course could lengthen a students’ time to degree completion. Placement policies have tended to focus on a high-stakes placement test, but more holistic approaches have been recommended. This study investigated success outcomes for students placed with a holistic approach of evaluating high school transcripts. Students who were placed into one of three developmental mathematics by their high school transcript at a suburban community college in North-eastern United States were selected for this study. A non-experimental, retrospective research study was conducted. Archival data of students who took a developmental mathematics course from fall 2015 through spring 2019 and had a high school transcript on file were chosen for this study. Findings from chi-square analyses indicated that high school transcripts that consider mathematics course grades are a viable placement option for developmental math courses, particularly the two lower-levels. However, lower than desired success rates suggest that placement is only the first step to increasing student achievement. A lack of high school transcripts suggests some students would prefer to take a placement test, particularly for students in the upper-level course on a college algebra path. A challenge for community college advisors will be creating an equitable placement policy for students who do not have a recent high school transcript.