Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Undergraduate students learning'
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Koop, Gabrielle A., of Western Sydney Nepean University, and Faculty of Education. "Assessment and undergraduate learning." THESIS_FE_XXX_Koop_G.xml, 1998. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/825.
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This study is an investigation of the relationship between assessment, teaching and learning from the perspective of undergraduate students. It consisted of three stages which were developmental in nature with each stage informing the next and providing overall focus and direction. Students participating had completed at least five semesters of their undergraduate porogram.Findings from the literature, the interviews and the survey confirmed the central role the assessment process plays in shaping student learning. Ways feedback was used to inform learning as well as the types of assessment strategies employed emerged as key factors associated with students' motivations to learn. Nine practice related recommendations are made and four issues requiring further research are identifiedDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Kavun, Natalia. "Undergraduate Students’ Experiences of Online Learning Environments." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1627938399767033.
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Kavun, Natalia. "Undergraduate Students’ Experiences of Online Learning Environments." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1627938399767033.
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Sloan, Tyler Jackson. "How Learning Assistants Impact Undergraduate STEM Students." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu157790710654608.
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Pallapu, Prasanthi Witte Maria Margarita. "An exploratory study of undergraduate students' learning styles." Auburn, Ala, 2008. http://repo.lib.auburn.edu/EtdRoot/2008/SUMMER/Educational_Foundations/Dissertation/Pallapu_Prasanthi_38.pdf.
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Jefferies, Amanda Lucille Joanne. "Blended learning : undergraduate students' experiences of using technology to support their learning." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2299/5553.
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This thesis investigates undergraduate experiences of studying within a blended learning environment at a UK university in the first decade of the 21st century. Blended learning in this context comprises the use of institutionally provided technologies including a university-wide managed learning environment, alongside campus-based classroom teaching to support student learning. The personal ownership of technologies and their importance for the student learning experience is also considered. The University of Hertfordshire has promoted itself as a ‘blended learning institution’ since 2005 and this study considers what blended learning means and how students use information technology to support their learning. The study approaches the student experience of blended learning by considering three constituent themes: the student, their HE study and their use of technology. The preliminary study for this work used student constructed reflective video and audio diaries over a period of 18 months. Subsequently a new conceptual framework was drawn up by the researcher. This provided a matrix structure with which to explore through interviews with students their uses of technology for learning, and the relationship with approaches to pedagogy. The analysis of the interviews has provided a snapshot of students’ experiences of pedagogy and technology use across their studies. A Venn diagram was used to explore the three themes and provide a representation of the extent to which technology is seen by students as a part of their everyday lives whether for study or leisure. The student experiences reported here demonstrated a high degree of dependence on technology overall in both their personal and study lives. Their preferences were for a learning environment which included both the taught campus–based experience and the opportunity for easy online access to materials and supplementary activities to support their studies twenty four hours a day. As the students reported on their ‘maturing’ as learners during the course of the study, they described increasingly sophisticated online searching strategies and independent approaches to their learning regardless of their personal pedagogic preferences. Garrison and Vaughan assert that the ‘ideal educational transaction is a collaborative constructivist process that has inquiry at its core’ (2008:14). The outcome of this study presents a more complex view of the student experience of pedagogy in Higher Education. While recent research has reported on the student experience of either technology or pedagogy, the unique contribution of this study is its consideration of both pedagogy and the use of information technology from the viewpoint of the student experience.
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Foley, Nancy E. "Learning style preferences of undergraduate students with and without learning disabilities /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1997. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9842527.
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Mwaikokesya, Mpoki John. "Undergraduate students' development of lifelong learning attributes in Tanzania." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2014. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5018/.
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This thesis examines the extent to which undergraduate students‟ personal and institutional experiences influence their capacity to change and develop as lifelong learners in Tanzania. My interest in the topic grew out of my recognition of the need to maintain a critical eye on the purpose of higher education in Tanzania and to establish whether or not the recent education reforms introduced in higher education had had a robust impact on lifelong learning. The core question in this study was to determine whether or not university education in Tanzania develops students as lifelong learners and what the underlying factors influencing such development might be. The students‟ lifelong learning attributes in this thesis were operationalised using four major constructs, namely, „learning to learn‟ skills, „personal agency‟, „information skills‟ and „entrepreneurial skills‟. This study adopted a case study longitudinal research design that involved two waves of data collection with the use of a mixed methods approach for triangulation purposes. It involved following a sample first-year cohort of students at one of the public universities in Tanzania (n=839, i.e. 621 males and 218 females) through Year 2. A small number of participants (n=59) [i.e. students (n=23), lecturers (n=26), librarians (n=4), policy elites (n=3) and school deans & college principals (n= 4)] took part in semi-structured interviews. The sample of students and lecturers was drawn from four distinct academic disciplines, namely, Accounting, Engineering, Science and Sociology. The results with respect to the longitudinal study showed that there were significant changes in the ILS sub-scales of „stepwise processing‟ strategies and „certificate-directed‟ and the ‘self-test‟ learning orientations. Significant changes were also noted in the ISS sub-scales of ‘ethical use of information‟, „accessing information‟ and „evaluating information‟. These changes, however, seemed to occur relatively slowly. No improvements were found with regard to „entrepreneurial skills‟. The slow rate and the absence of changes, however, seemed to be partly the results of the unclear, limited and somewhat slow implementation of policies related to the integration of higher education with lifelong learning. iv The findings also indicated that there were effects from personal and contextual factors on „processing‟ and „regulation‟ learning strategies for some of the constructs. The correlation results indicated that the students‟ personal beliefs were associated with their choice of processing and regulation strategies, suggesting that learning orientations were important predictors of students‟ processing and regulation learning strategies. In addition, the results showed that the contextual variables, such as lecturers, the teaching objectives and assessment procedures, as well as the social environments, such as friends, constituted significant predictors for student development of lifelong learning attributes. These findings suggest that the undergraduate students‟ development of lifelong learning attributes is influenced by a variety of individual and contextual variables. In the light of the findings from the present study, a number of recommendations are made both for future studies and for policy.
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Ляшенко, Ірина Володимирівна, Ирина Владимировна Ляшенко, and Iryna Volodymyrivna Liashenko. "Developing undergraduate students’ motivation for study through distance learning." Thesis, Дрогобич: ТзОВ "Трек - ЛТД", 2020. https://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/82922.
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Нещодавня ситуація зі світовим пандемічним колапсом породила низку освітніх проблем для університетів. Сучасний стан освіти відфільтрував фактичну готовність вищих навчальних закладів до гнучких змін у дистанційному навчанні. Викладачам довелося адаптуватися до закликів реалій, що переробляють освітні програми, на дистанційні курси, якщо вони не робили цього раніше швидко. Хоча тема дистанційного навчання посіла провідне місце в сучасних дослідженнях, багато університетів боролися з плавним переходом своїх студентів на дистанційний процес навчання. Дистанційне навчання лише набирає обертів, і ті університети, які розробили можливості для онлайн-навчання, швидко впорались із вимогами сучасності.The recent situation with the world pandemic collapse has raised a series of educational challenges for universities. The current state of education has filtered the actual preparedness of the higher institutions for flexible adjustments in distance learning. The educators had to adapt to the calls of realia reshaping the educational programs to the distance courses if they hadn't done that before quickly. Although distance learning topic has taken the leading place in modern research, many universities struggled with the smooth transition of their students to the distance learning process. Distance learning has been just gaining momentum, and those universities who have developed facilities for online education have quickly managed to requirements of nowadays challenge.
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Ляшенко, Ірина Володимирівна, Ирина Владимировна Ляшенко, and Iryna Volodymyrivna Liashenko. "Developing undergraduate students’ motivation for study through distance learning." Thesis, Дрогобич : ТзОВ "Трек - ЛТД", 2020. https://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/82899.
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Недавня ситуація зі світовим пандемічним колапсом породила низку освітніх проблем для університетів. Сучасний стан освіти відфільтрував фактичну готовність вищих навчальних закладів до гнучких змін у дистанційному навчанні. Викладачам довелося адаптуватися до закликів реалій, що переробляють освітні програми, на дистанційні курси, якщо вони не робили цього раніше швидко. Хоча тема дистанційного навчання посіла провідне місце в сучасних дослідженнях, багато університетів боролися з плавним переходом своїх студентів на дистанційний процес навчання. Дистанційне навчання лише набирає обертів, і ті університети, які розробили засоби для онлайн-освіти, швидко впорались із вимогами сучасних викликів.Недавняя ситуация с мировым пандемическим коллапсом породила ряд образовательных проблем для университетов. Современное состояние образования отфильтровал фактической готовности вузов к гибких изменений в дистанционном обучении. Преподавателям пришлось адаптироваться к призывам реалий, перерабатывающих образовательные программы, на дистанционные курсы, если они не делали этого раньше быстро. Хотя тема дистанционного обучения заняла ведущее место в современных исследованиях, многие университеты боролись с плавным переходом своих студентов на дистанционный процесс обучения. Дистанционное обучение только набирает обороты, и те университеты, которые разработали средства для онлайн-образования, быстро справились с требованиями современных вызовов.
The recent situation with the world pandemic collapse has raised a series of educational challenges for universities. The current state of education has filtered the actual preparedness of the higher institutions for flexible adjustments in distance learning. The educators had to adapt to the calls of realia reshaping the educational programs to the distance courses if they hadn't done that before quickly. Although distance learning topic has taken the leading place in modern research, many universities struggled with the smooth transition of their students to the distance learning process. Distance learning has been just gaining momentum, and those universities who have developed facilities for online education have quickly managed to requirements of nowadays challenge.
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Skjonsby, Britt. "Developmental outcomes associated with service-learning in undergraduate students." College Park, Md. : University of Maryland, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1903/1521.
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Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2004.Thesis research directed by: Dept. of Human Development. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.
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Martinez, Christopher D. "Learner-directed vs. Instructor-provided Curriculum Among Undergraduate Students." Scholar Commons, 2017. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6895.
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There has been little or no research on the use of a Learning Object in the field of religious studies. The purpose of this research study was to assess undergraduate student knowledge gain outcomes between instructor-provided and learner-directed methods, which is the independent variable, using asynchronous, online, narrated PowerPoint presentations compared to undergraduate student knowledge gain using an online learning-objects unit, in a college-level world religions survey course at St. Petersburg College. This study assessed undergraduate student knowledge gain outcomes between instructor-provided and learner-directed methods among 90 college undergraduate students and determined whether there was a significant difference in the knowledge gain of students, a difference by gender, age, and major, in studying a unit of Jainism online in a world religions survey course using either a narrated PowerPoint presentation or using an Independent Learning Object, as well as their perception of the two methods. Students were divided randomly into two groups with each accessing one of the two learning methods. The results were the Learning Objects students’ knowledge gain was higher than the PowerPoint students, while females scored higher using the PowerPoint and males scored higher using the Learning Object. The implications of this study are that instructors in any discipline could better serve their students if they investigate using Learning Objects in their online learning rather than the use of PowerPoint. The majority of students who used the Learning Object online performed better than students who listened to the PowerPoint, supporting the contention that student-accessed learning leads to greater cognition. The implications of this study are that instructors in many disciplines could better serve their students if they implemented the use of Learning Objects in their online learning rather than the use of PowerPoint presentations.
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Mayberry, Lorel. "A qualitative study of undergraduate students' learning experience in sexology." Thesis, Curtin University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1156.
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This study responds to significant issues related to the problematic nature of perceptions of sexuality in Australian society. It also explores the extent to which the students’ view of sexuality can be influenced through a sexuality education programme delivered at tertiary level.An investigation of the literature, comprehensive interviews and feedback from students identifies the factors which form the perceptions of sexuality that students have by the time they reach young adulthood and enter the sexology class.The qualitative study provides insights into how higher education students extend their understanding of sexuality. These insights, elicited through the study, supports the considerable body of anecdotal evidence that has been gathered over thirty years in the award winning1 sexuality education programme at Curtin University. The study provides an understanding of the impact of sexuality education in an adult learning environment, using ethnographic methods to reveal ways in which undergraduate students perceive and interpret new knowledge acquired from formal studies.The study also illuminates how the learning strategies and content from the sexology class influence participants’ perceptions of their own sexuality and the sexuality of others. Students’ responses to the class were ascertained through reflective writing, interviews and focus groups. Participants demonstrated that they had responded to the ‘sex-positive’ approach to teaching and learning by revealing a more open-minded, less judgemental disposition, with an enhanced body image and added confidence to discuss sexual issues.The rich body of information emerging from this study can be used to enhance the development of sexuality education programmes in tertiary institutions and the wider community. The information includes the approach, processes, key content and the learning outcomes.It is hoped that the participants’ stories throughout this report will resonate with the reader. The aim of this report is to make a contribution to an important issue that has thus far received scant attention in the literature.
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Newmark, Ananda. "Student Engagement in Undergraduate Social Work Education Among “at-risk” Students." VCU Scholars Compass, 2016. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/4450.
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College student engagement is an important factor that contributes to student success. This study is one of the first to explore student engagement in undergraduate social work education by examining engagement levels among at-risk social work students. In this study, two types of at-risk student groups were studied: First Generation College Students (FGCS) and transfer students. A cross sectional research design was used. Secondary analysis was performed on data gathered by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) from five accredited, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs in one southeast state. A sample of 135 BSW seniors were included in this study and their levels of engagement were measured using four engagement types (peer to peer, student with faculty, student with university, and student with profession). Univariate and bivariate statistical procedures were used to examine the data and describe the sample. Hierarchical and logistic regression were used to test whether membership in an at-risk group could predict student engagement. There was a moderate to strong relationship between the four types of student engagement. Together, they indicated a good measure of BSW student engagement. FGCS had statistically significant lower levels of student engagement in three out of the four engagement types (peer to peer, student with faculty, and student with profession) than their non-FGCS counterparts. Practice implications for BSW programs to address low student engagement for FGCS through specific programming were provided. Transfer students had no statistically significant differences in any of the four types of student engagement compared to their non-transfer counterparts. Two explanations were posited for these findings; that social work programs are small in size and facilitate targeted student engagement that act as engagement “protective factors” and, by the time transfer students completed this survey they had already adopted the academic and cultural expectations requisite for success. Lastly, membership in an at-risk group, specifically FGCS, may predict lower levels of engagement in certain engagement types. The overall findings identify areas of low student engagement which afford BSW programs opportunities to create tailored programming to address it, especially among FGCS. Suggestions for future studies are also discussed.
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Wijesundera, Subhashinie D. K. "Students' experiences of learning in undergraduate education in Sri Lanka." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2011. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/12177/.
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This thesis argues that to better understand student learning in undergraduate education, it is useful to focus not only on how students are affected by the context of learning but also how they act on the context to achieve their own valued outcomes. The thesis specifically explored the question of ‘how do students regulate their learning in relation to the contextual demands and their own valued outcomes?’ This longitudinal qualitative study has focused on a group of undergraduates following a four year degree course in Psychology in a Sri Lankan university. I have used an analytical framework informed by Engeström’s version of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) for data analysis. Accordingly, I have conceptualised student learning in the undergraduate course as a network of activity systems that weaves together people and cultural tools to transform the collective purpose of learning. It emerged in the analysis of the activity system that students’ learning is affected mainly by tensions or dilemmas arising from the collective purpose and the institutional assessment practices. The collaborative attempt to change the purpose and the context of learning by students’ and their lecturers has mutually transformed both the collective purpose (object) and the students’ identities and increased their action possibilities. This dialectical process is mediated by the cultural tools which included curriculum, teaching and assessment as well as social relationships. In the analysis of individual differences in achieving expansive learning there emerged five interacting factors which included; a student’s past history of education; goal setting; motivation for transforming identity; mobilising resources and views on the object and tools used on the course. These factors do not operate in isolation and they interact within an individual’s socio-cultural context of learning, which simultaneously operates with the collaborative activity of student learning in the undergraduate course. The above findings are synthesised into a model for understanding student learning in undergraduate education and the implications for policy, practice and further research are presented at the end of the thesis. The thesis also addresses the issue of striking a balance between enhancing employability skills and providing a broad higher education based on liberal values. This arises directly from my research and is a part of current academic debates within higher education. It is argued that conceptualising student learning in undergraduate education as a dialectical change process of identity transformation of students, which is mediated by social relationships and cultural tools, may be helpful in resolving this issue. The thesis also suggests ways to conceptualise student learning in undergraduate courses, as a network of activity systems, which weaves together people and cultural tools to transform the collective purpose of learning. Such an approach can transform students’ identities and increase their possibilities for actions in intellectual, cultural, economic, social and moral spheres of life.
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Turner, Pauline M. "Undergraduate learning at programme level : an analysis of students' perspectives." Thesis, University of Bath, 2005. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.512250.
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This research project aimed to understand undergraduate learning at programme level by analysing students’ perspectives. Seventy graduates and undergraduates contributed their perceptions of the learning opportunities they encountered while studying Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Bath, between 1994 and 2005. The methodology employed was qualitative, involving open dialogue (face to face and by email) whereby the students’ concerns dictated the agenda, rather than those of the researcher. Data are presented in narrative form, intended to convey a rounded picture of the richness and variety of students' perceptions of their learning situations, including lectures, practical classes, tutorials, placements, presentations and projects. Preliminary research suggested that learning from professional work placements can be significant, even ‘special’, and placement learning was the initial focus of the project. Research questions crystallised in the following areas: ‘What is the nature of placement learning?’, ‘How does it come about?’ and ‘How does it compare with learning from university-based learning opportunities?’ Preliminary data suggested that undergraduate learning could best be understood through socio-cultural and activity theories of learning (SCAT.Vygotsky, Leontiev and others) but this did not explain the disparity which can occur between intended learning outcomes, envisaged by the University, and the learning which students actually reported. Data from the four year longitudinal study was, therefore, analysed using a framework which was a fusion between SCAT and Theories of Action (comparison between espoused theories and theories in use. Argyris and Schön). The marriage between SCAT and Theories of Action seems to be an informative approach to analysing undergraduate learning in a variety of learning situations, both at university and on placement. In particular, it seems to reveal why students sometimes reported learning little from potential learning opportunities.
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Czaplinski, Iwona. "An analysis of learning networks of STEM undergraduate students to promote active learning." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2020. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/201510/1/Iwona_Czaplinski_Thesis.pdf.
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This thesis addresses educational design issues related to the value of networked learning practices and the understanding of learning activities within an ecological framework. It responds to the need to make it possible for first-year university students to become autonomous lifelong learners, capable of tackling complex problems. High-level goals of this kind require course, curriculum and learning environment redesign. Major contributions reveal how wide the gulf is between a number of aspects of existing practice and the intention to help students become autonomous learners, and how a well-theorised analysis of current learning arrangements can provide vital information for educational (re)design.
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Sparrow, Robert. "Exploring undergraduate hospitality student attitudes about online learning." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/13724.
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Master of ScienceDepartment of Hospitality Management and Dietetics
Kevin Roberts
Distance programs in higher education have become commonplace in the United States because of developments in technology. Despite these advancements, hospitality programs have been reluctant to create fully online offerings for undergraduate students. This study wanted to focus on understanding the attitudes of undergraduate hospitality students about online learning. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to determine the attitudes of hospitality students about online learning, to analyze which technologies they have used during their academic careers, and to analyze which technologies are perceived as most useful to facilitate learning. Focus groups were conducted with a select group of students to better understand their attitudes and experiences with online learning and learning technologies. An online survey was distributed to undergraduate hospitality management students at five Midwestern universities. Means and standard deviations were used to measure overall student attitudes about online learning and to measure ratings of effectiveness and past use of selected technologies for online learning. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the relationships between educational levels of students and perceptions of online technologies, as well as the relationship between experience with online courses and attitudes towards online learning. A t-test was used to determine if a relationship existed between gender and attitudes towards online learning. Results from this study revealed that respondents preferred to use more familiar technologies such as slideshow presentations and email for online learning. Students reported that they would miss the interaction with their professors if they took an online course and would receive less help. Females and males differed in their attitudes about online learning. Results from this study will assist hospitality curriculum developers to better understand the attitudes and needs of undergraduate hospitality management students in the online learning environment.
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Popkess, Ann M. "The Relationship Between Undergraduate, Baccalaureate Nursing Student Engagement and Use of Active Learning Strategies in the Classroom." Thesis, Connect to resource online, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/2108.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, 2010.Title from screen (viewed on March 3, 2010). School of Nursing, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Judith Halstead, Anna McDaniel, Mary L. Fisher, Lillian Stokes. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-107).
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Murphy, Jo Ann. "Library Learning: Undergraduate Students' Informal, Self-directed, and Information Sharing Strategies." Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10388/6890.
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A focus group study of fourteen University of Saskatchewan second to fourth year humanities and social science undergraduate students was conducted in the fall of 2011. The purpose of the research was to determine how students learn about library resources and services. Findings indicate that the participants often use a variety of informal, self-directed and information sharing strategies. Seeking help from professors, peers, friends, and family members is a common practice. Convenience, familiarity, and perceived knowledge are key factors that determine who and how these students learn about the library. Formal instruction and seeking assistance from librarians did not resonate for participants as a typical approach for learning about the library.
The author suggests that undergraduate students engage in informal learning and information sharing as many ‘adult learners’ do, similar to an employment setting. The library, within the formal educational structure, lends itself to a more informal learning context. The study concludes that libraries must continue to develop resources, services, and innovative programs that support students’ informal learning styles, while also providing formal instruction as part of the undergraduate curriculum ensuring students are exposed early on to core foundational skills that contribute to their success as informal and self-directed learners.
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Price, Anne V. "From school subject to global tool: Language learning experiences of Japanese undergraduate economics students." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2022. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/227736/1/Anne_Price_Thesis.pdf.
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This thesis analyses essay, online discussion and interview data from undergraduate students in a national public university in Japan to explore their foreign language learning experiences during the course of their education. It is discovered that experiences and reasons to learn English and other languages change from regarding English as a subject to pass examinations in high school, to a tool used for communication and achieve other goals after entering university.
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Taylor, Kari B. "Contextualizing How Undergraduate Students Develop Toward Critical Consciousness." The Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1495815463772384.
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Uleanya, Chinaza. "Learning challenges among undergraduate rural university students in South Africa and Nigeria." Thesis, University of Zululand, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/1719.
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A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University Of Zululand, 2018Learning challenges seem to persist in different ways in rural based universities. These challenges have led to increase in drop-out rates, as well as several menaces in the society. Hence, this study explored the learning challenges among undergraduate students in two selected rural universities in South Africa and Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used respectively for data collection. Systematic sampling technique was used to select the student respondents, while purposive sampling was used to select the academic staff respondents for the study. The questionnaires were administered to student participants, while lecturers were interviewed. Data for the quantitative study were analysed using descriptive statistics and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) (Version 24) while the qualitative data were collected analysed thematically. The study revealed that undergraduates in the two selected rural universities experience common learning challenges which include: cognitive learning challenge, poor academic foundation, academic malpractice amongst academic staff and students, as well as lecturer-students‟ relationship. These are caused by lack of facilities, students‟ family socio-economic background, amongst others. The study therefore recommends that the necessary facilities and structures needed to facilitate teaching and learning practices should be provided. More lecturers should be recruited. Cordial student-lecturer relationships should be encouraged and promoted. In addition, policies that will ensure safety on campus, adoption and use of the most suitable language of instruction among st others should be established. The study suggests the need for addition of quality to university in developing learning in South African and Nigerian universities.
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Ruderman, Danielle Eve. "Predictors of Educational Outcomes among Undergraduate Students with Disabilities." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1364573503.
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Baron, Helen Susan. "Synergy or segmentation? : students' perceptions of their learning across modular undergraduate programmes." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.289030.
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Xu, Rui. "Students' experiences of learning in undergraduate economics at a Chinese mainland university." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.499705.
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Thon, Sarah. "Learning Styles: Differences in Undergraduate versus Graduate Entry Level Athletic Training Students." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2012. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/26630.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the preferred learning style of undergraduate and graduate entry level athletic training students. This study also investigated the preference of males and females in both groups. Marshall and Merrit's Student Learning Style Questionnaire (1986) based on Kolb's theory was used to survey 429 undergraduate and 69 graduate students. The preferred learning style of undergraduate entry level athletic training students was Diverger, which was the same as the graduate students, and males and females of each group. There was no significant difference of preferred learning style between undergraduate and graduate students or between the males and females. Using the Chi-Square goodness of fit test, it was concluded that the Diverger learning style was preferred by undergraduate and graduate entry level athletic training students and was statistically significant.
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Lombard, Ronell. "Quantified assessment to enhance student learning in the sciences at UWC." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2005. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=init_5637_1180442016.
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This project discusses whether the British prototype questionnaire called the Assessment Experience Questionnaire (AEQ) could be standardized as a quantifier of assessment and be used at a multicultural institute such as the University of the Western Cape (UWC). This questionnaire was created in the United Kingdom to assist lecturers in evaluating and developing their assessment systems.
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Musni, Sarah Marie. "Flexible learning versus classroom lecture : a content analysis of undergraduate nursing students' learning using concept maps." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/61287.
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Background: The ongoing difficulty that nursing educators face is managing finite class time and limited instructor-student interactions to achieve balance between discourse and active learning. To complicate this predicament, technology has infiltrated all aspects of daily life demanding that education must also meet the growing expectation of students to incorporate technology into curriculum. One approach that addresses this need is the flipped classroom (FC) format, which remains operationally ill-defined and the understanding of its effects on higher-level thinking are still nascent.
Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore the differences in learning between the FC format compared to the traditional classroom lecture (TL) in the context of an undergraduate nursing course.
Methods: A content analysis was performed on a previous study conducted in 2015. Concept maps were used to evaluate data from transcripts of undergraduate nursing students discussing a case scenario in either a TL or FC format.
Results: When comparing FC and TL groups, FC groups had a more complex concept map morphology and greater amount of identified subcategories and links. The FC groups exhibited more higher order thinking concepts compared to the TL cohort. An unexpected finding was the emergence of discussion tangents across both the FC groups and the TL cohort.
Conclusion: Flipped classrooms have a place in the gamut of pedagogical approaches and this study demonstrates that the FC approach enhances student learning and aids in the development of higher-level thinking.
Keywords: flipped classroom, concept maps, traditional lecture, flexible learning, content analysisApplied Science, Faculty of
Nursing, School of
Graduate
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Mohammed, Abdul Majid. "Integrated technologies instructional method to enhance bilingual undergraduate engineering students." Thesis, Brunel University, 2014. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/10488.
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Mathematics permeates almost every aspect of human life and it is a skill much needed by the increasingly complex technological world. It is necessary that this essential skill must be properly developed among students to prepare them for future academic and professional careers. An assessment of the research-based instructional strategies blending with old traditional methods with the modern technological development is a must. Due to the complexity of mathematics learning and the varied learning styles of learners, an integration of appropriate multiple instructional strategies into mathematics education will positively impact mathematical achievement of students. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of the use of Integrated Technologies Instructional Method (ITIM) as a supplement to the traditional lecture method on mathematics achievement of the Integral Calculus students at the College of Engineering, University of Ha'il, Saudi Arabia. The ITIM includes the four instructional strategies such as the use of the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, the collaborative learning, the bilingual support and the study support. Different types of academic supports have been used to examine their effects on students achievement in mathematics. Mathematics, the bedrock of science and engineering, is considered a very important indicator of a student's academic success in professional higher education. Undergraduate engineering students' low achievement in the first year mathematics is an issue demands much attention. The study was undertaken to address students' weak background in mathematics and particularly their high failure rates in this particular course. A total of 218 undergraduate engineering students, comprising of both the experimental and the control groups, were involved in this experimental design study. The control group was taught by the traditional lecture method whereas the experimental group was exposed to the ITIM as a supplement to the traditional lecture method. Apart from the effects of the use of ITIM, students' performance in the previous courses (covariates) such as mathematics, computer, and the English language were compared with their final grades of the Integral Calculus course. The final grades of students were taken as the dependent variable and the ITIM and students' scores in the previous courses as the independent variables. It has been noticed from the literature review that the application of only one instructional strategy does not address the needs of the diverse learning styles of students. A mixed mode method, quantitative and qualitative, was used to collect and analyse data. The quantitative data instruments included students' final exam grades and the student questionnaires. Interviews with students were used as qualitative tools of data collection. An independent t-test, ANOVA, univariate analysis and the stepwise multiple regression analysis were performed to determine the overall statistical significance. The study concluded that there was a statistically significant difference in the performance of the experimental group of students' in terms of their end-of-course grades compared to that of the control group. The regression model revealed significance of covariates on the dependent variable. However, no significant relationship was found between the mathematics achievement and attitudes towards the use of ITIM. The study was an attempt to demonstrate the suitability of the instructional strategies on the bilingual Arab undergraduate engineering students; however, they can probably be applicable to other bilingual students.
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Alfaifi, Mousa Sulaiman. "Self-directed Learning Readiness Among Undergraduate Students at Saudi Electronic University in Saudi Arabia." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6449.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the level of self-directed learning readiness among undergraduate students at Saudi Electronic University in Saudi Arabia. This study also investigated whether there were relationships between the level of self-directed learning readiness and selected demographic variables such as gender, college, and age in the sample of undergraduate students in Saudi Arabia. This research utilized a quantitative design.
The Self-directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), which was developed by Guglielmino, was utilized to measure the level of self-directed learning readiness among undergraduate students at Saudi Electronic University on the Riyadh campus. A total of 203 undergraduate students completed the SDLRS questionnaire.
Results were that the mean score of SDLRS among undergraduate students at Saudi Electronic University in Riyadh campus included 64 (32.52%) were students with below average 58-201 scores; 71 (34.98%) students with average 202-226 scores; and 68 (33.50%) were students with above average 227-290 scores.
age. However, there was a significant difference between the colleges. The results of the Tukey post-hoc test indicated that significant differences existed between the Sciences and Theoretical Studies College students and the Administration and Finance College and Computation and Information College students. The Sciences and Theoretical Studies College scored significantly lower than the other two colleges.
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Yang, Yang. "A Q Factor Analysis of College Undergraduate Students' Study Behaviors." FIU Digital Commons, 2011. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/449.
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The purpose of this study was to better understand the study behaviors and habits of university undergraduate students. It was designed to determine whether undergraduate students could be grouped based on their self-reported study behaviors and if any grouping system could be determined, whether group membership was related to students’ academic achievement.
A total of 152 undergraduate students voluntarily participated in the current study by completing the Study Behavior Inventory instrument. All participants were enrolled in fall semester of 2010 at Florida International University. The Q factor analysis technique using principal components extraction and a varimax rotation was used in order to examine the participants in relation to each other and to detect a pattern of intercorrelations among participants based on their self-reported study behaviors.
The Q factor analysis yielded a two factor structure representing two distinct student types among participants regarding their study behaviors. The first student type (i.e., Factor 1) describes proactive learners who organize both their study materials and study time well. Type 1 students are labeled “Proactive Learners with Well-Organized Study Behaviors”. The second type (i.e., Factor 2) represents students who are poorly organized as well as being very likely to procrastinate. Type 2 students are labeled “Disorganized Procrastinators”.
Hierarchical linear regression was employed to examine the relationship between student type and academic achievement as measured by current grade point averages (GPAs). The results showed significant differences in GPAs between Type 1 and Type 2 students at the .05 significance level. Furthermore, student type was found to be a significant predictor of academic achievement beyond and above students’ attribute variables including sex, age, major, and enrollment status. The study has several implications for educational researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in terms of improving college students' learning behaviors and outcomes.
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Hill, Edward Peter. "Marks driving out learning? : undergraduate students' reactions to the marks awarded to them." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.404179.
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Alharbi, Maha. "Undergraduate students' perceptions of flipped learning in a Saudi university : an exploratory investigation." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2018. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/22096/.
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Ryan, Jane. "Voice : never hidden : the articulation of learning by male students of undergraduate nursing." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2010. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/55174/.
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Aim: To discover how male students of nursing in Wales, articulate how they learn in the college pre-registration nursing environment Epistemological framework: The language of hegemony, hegemonic masculinity, complicity, marginalization and subordination from ConnelFs (1995) masculinities framework was revised to create what is called Ryan's model, which guided this study. Ryan's model was developed pre-analysis and post analysis. Pre-analysis, hegemony was interpreted as 'dominance and male positioning' and post analysis became "dominance reduced/ mutual and neutral appreciation of nursing undergraduate peers'. Pre-analysis hegemonic masculinity was interpreted as 4Men: their gendered practice in society' and post analysis 4Men: their gendered practice in undergraduate nursing'. Pre-analysis - complicity was termed as hidden maleness and post analysis 'Maleness surfaces through the articulation of learning needs and demonstration of their learning'. Pre-analysis marginalization was interpreted as 'Imposed feelings of marginalization on learning opportunities' and post analysis 'Exclusion and being excluded feelings of inferiority when learning and visualising procedures in clinical practice. In the pre-analysis, Subordination was interpreted as "gendered subordination' and post analysis as scenarios that captured the principles behind the 'in and out groups' and scenarios 'looking at inferior and superior knowledge'. The main ethos that gender is socially constructed connects to the analytical approach of Charmaz (2006). Methodology and methods: Thirteen participants took part in the two pilot studies and eleven in the main study. The research data consisted of tape recorded speech from focus groups and individual interviews. The analysis of fieldnotes contributed to triangulation. The aim was to develop a grounded theory based on how male students articulated how they learnt in the classroom and in clinical practice. Their implicit actions and speech were analysed using the contructivist grounded theory approach by Charmaz. Results: Four categories, along with a core category were developed. The core category, Voice: never hidden, released by masculinity captured the essence of the four categories. The act of coming together allowed a vocal space to discuss learning and how they see themselves in relation to the numerically dominant group. The male students retained their socially perceived masculinity by being able to voice how they learn through the dominance of their speech. Relationships within the classroom were de-gendered and a small number of participants assumed a neutral identity, 'the student nurse'. Limited opportunities resulted through discriminatory attitudes and the disability of dyslexia. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggested hegemonic masculinity was rarely practised through the medium of voice, but male students could openly call on the complicit nature of masculinity to voice how they learnt in college and in the clinical area. Their preferred route to acquire skills was through the visual route however, even the complicit nature of masculinity could not triumph in clinical practice to achieve learning with regards intimate care. Overall, the male student of nursing possesses masculinity, which is conducive with the nature of nursing and a sound ability to voice how they learn.
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Zergaw, Getachew. "Mature non-specialist undergraduate students and the challenges they face in learning mathematics." Thesis, London Metropolitan University, 2014. http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/687/.
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This research uses a case study approach to examine the learning experiences of mature non-specialist first year undergraduate university students studying mathematics as an ancillary subject. The challenges faced by such students taking mathematics as a subsidiary subject within their main degree have not been adequately addressed in the literature: this study seeks to address this gap. The research took place in a UK inner-city post-1992 university which has a very diverse student intake. A qualitative data set was generated from in-depth and focus group interviews of 22 mature students, the majority of whom were non-specialists taking mathematics as a required ancillary subject. An additional quantitative data set was derived from a questionnaire distributed to 250 students taking first year mathematics modules, either as an ancillary or as a specialism subject. A small number of mature students specialising in mathematics in both the interviews and the survey were included in order to compare the experiences and views of the both specialist and non-specialist groups. The Mixed Methods Research Design adopted combined results from the qualitative and quantitative analyses, and was accompanied by a post-structuralist theoretical framework which examines the discursive practices students were exposed to in relation to their construction of mathematics as a subject and their experiences of learning mathematics. The study shows that the major perceived factors that affect mature non-specialist students learning of mathematics include the pedagogical model that is used; the attitudes and beliefs of the learners; the support available to aid learning; and the prevalent discourses about the learning and perceptions of mathematics. These findings have a number of important implications for policy and practice for teaching mathematics to such students, for our understanding of student identities and for widening participation. The evidence from this study suggest that there should be a shift of government policy on access and financing for mature students; a review of mechanism of financial support for mature students; changes in the organisation and resourcing of small classes; a review of curriculum and pedagogy to fit the diverse background of learners; and the development of mathematics support provisions that are embedded in courses that require mathematical skills.
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Yeaman, Adetoun Oludara. "Understanding Empathy in the Experiences of Undergraduate Engineering Students in Service-Learning Programs." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/99038.
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In an increasingly globalized world and with rapid advancement in technology, there is a need to grapple more intently with social implications of engineering and technology. In the engineering community, these trends direct us to more critically consider how engineering and technology affect humanity and to interact effectively in diverse populations. Empathy, an ability that is central to the process of understanding and considering others, has been recognized as a valuable competency in the education of engineers. In engineering education specifically, several studies have pursued definition of empathy in the engineering context and its importance in engineering curriculum. Studies suggest that service learning is a useful pedagogical approach for supporting students in the development of social competencies, including empathy. However, it is not clear how this development happens.
In this dissertation, I sought to understand engineering students' experiences in a service-learning context to learn the ways in which empathy emerged in their descriptions and the elements of participants' experiences that shaped their empathy development. My participants were fourteen engineering students from two institutions, a small private university and a large public university, with both groups involved in at least one-semester of a service-learning course. I describe my phenomenological approach to this investigation and share my findings. Notably, I found eight main themes in my investigation of the role of empathy within the service-learning experiences described namely: changing perspective about others, having a sense of responsibility to others, keeping an open mind, inquiring of stakeholders, seeing others' points of view, understanding others' situations, being able to adjust goals and compromise and recognizing and/or welcoming difference. Additionally, I found both elements of participants' experiences designed into the course and those that were unprecedented relevant in shaping their empathy development. I also discuss the implications of these findings for engineering education and practice.Doctor of Philosophy
In an increasingly globalized world and with rapid advancement in technology, there is a need to think more intentionally about social implications of engineering and technology. These trends make is necessary for the engineering education to incorporate critical consideration of how engineering and technology affect humanity and how to interact effectively in diverse populations. Empathy, an ability that is central to the process of understanding and considering others, has been recognized as a valuable competency in the education of engineers. Studies suggest that service learning is a useful pedagogical approach for supporting students in the development of social competencies like empathy. My aim in this dissertation was to understand engineering students' experiences in a service-learning context to learn the ways in which their descriptions reveal empathy and the elements within their context that shaped empathy development. My participants are fourteen engineering students from two institutions, a small private university and a large public university, with both groups involved in at least one-semester of a service-learning course. Having explored students' experiences, I discuss key findings about how and within which contexts empathy came to play in these experiences. There are many different ways that empathy can play a role within students' experiences in a service-learning context and many facets of an experience help draw out more empathic practices. In this dissertation, I discuss implications of these findings for engineering education and practice.
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Sun, Zhiru. "The Role of Self-Regulation on Students’ Learning in an Undergraduate Flipped Math Class." The Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1437346170.
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Bond, Linda Thorsen. "Women negotiating collaborative learning: an exploratory study of undergraduate students in a select university setting." Diss., Texas A&M University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/85927.
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The purpose of the study is to explore women's experiences as they negotiate
collaborative group projects in a college course. This qualitative study extends the
existing literature by providing depth to the research on women's learning through
observation of women in group activities, surveys about college students' attitudes
toward collaborative learning, and in-depth interviews with university women.
The study isolates four ways women negotiate collaborative learning in a college
course. (1) Women take group work seriously and consider it to be very important. (2)
Women are often leaders in group work. Sixty-four percent of the women and only two
percent of the men said they are usually the leader in collaborative learning situations. (3)
Women end up doing more than their share of the work, although they may have won the
leadership roles. (4) Earning good grades is very important to the women studied, and
they are willing to work harder than anyone else in a group to earn them.
The theories of how women learn include the debate over whether women are
relational or task-oriented. The conclusion of this study is that in the university classes studied, women are both. However, textbooks on collaborative learning may contain
passages that indicate that in mixed-sex groups males will emerge as leaders. In addition,
some textbooks suggest that women might lead when groups are primarily dealing with
relationship issues, and men will lead when groups are primarily task-oriented or where a
democratic rather than a participatory style is preferred.
Discussions of collaborative learning often include the goal of helping
counterweigh the hidden curriculum that diminishes women. Although collaborative
learning can be an important classroom technique, this study points out that it is
important that collaborative learning and feminist pedagogy not be conflated. Some
collaborative learning groups are a site of discrimination and power difference for
women.
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Moore, Diana. "An Investigation of the Attrition of African-American Students in an Online Undergraduate Program." NSUWorks, 2014. http://nsuworks.nova.edu/gscis_etd/255.
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Attrition in online learning is a problem that faces many institutions of higher education that are turning to online programs as cost-effective means by which to bring about fiscal viability. There is a strong demand for online learning options by students due to the flexibility they afford to be able to work and study while also caring for a family, as well as economic benefits such as a quick and affordable degree. However, many of the reasons that students choose online learning end up being a catalyst for lack of completion, especially among underserved populations. While there is much research currently available on persistence in higher education and much available regarding online learning, there is a dearth of research on the lack of persistence of African-American students in online learning programs. This research was originally designed to take a grounded theory approach to investigating the factors affecting college completion among African Americans with a specific focus on online learning. Due to a small participant response rate, a phenomenological data analysis methodology was employed instead. This study examined participants' recollections of their experience as students in an online undergraduate program, focusing on their reasons for leaving.
Forty-nine African-American students who had left their undergraduate online program at New England College were invited to participate in this study. Ten responded and six semi-structured interviews were completed focusing on the question, "Why did you choose to leave the program?" Four themes emerged: (a) lack of integration; (b) personal issues; (c) discomfort with technology; and (d) age. The findings were congruent with current research in online learning attrition and not culturally specific. Recommendations resulted from the data analysis in three major areas: (a) inclusive course development; (b) faculty training; and (c) student support. These recommendations should be considered by faculty and administrators in order to develop more inclusive online learning programs that maximize the success of all students.
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Malan-Rush, Gunce. "The Relationship Between Learning Styles and the Choice of Learning Environment for Hospitality and Tourism Undergraduate Students." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6114.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between learning styles and the choice of learning environment for Hospitality and Tourism undergraduate students. An anonymous two-part survey was sent to the instructors of Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism Management courses (both online and face-to-face) in four schools in the state of Florida. The survey was designed to gather information related to the following three research questions related to MBTI profiles for undergraduate students in attempt to identify differences between students enrolled in online classes and those in face-to-face classes. In order to determine the probability of predicting course choice behavior of undergraduate Hospitality and Tourism students, the following factors were controlled in this research: age; gender; enrollment status; employment status; university; whether they had taken an online course previously in high school, college, or other places; how many online courses they previously took; and who helped them select the delivery mode of their courses.
There were 323 usable responses, which included a majority of the most common types as ESTJ. When the differences between online and face-to-face course students were analyzed through chi-square tests, the results showed significant differences between two groups for all four profiles. Overall, the most common profile for face-to-face students was ESTJ, while the most common profile for online students were ISTP. In order to examine the unique contribution of learning styles on Hospitality and Tourism students’ course choice, a hierarchical logistic regression model was used. The results of the model indicated that only profile one (P1) and profile four (P4) were significant predictors among the four profiles, along with the total number of online courses previously taken.
The conclusions suggested that by looking at P1, P4, and toc1, with a 95% confidence level, the probability of students choosing face-to-face classes can be predicted if the students are extrovert, judging, and previously had taken less than five online courses. If learning styles can be determined ahead of time, students can choose appropriate courses, instructors can develop teaching strategies that will match students’ desirable learning styles, and the number of face-to-face and online courses can be adjusted in each program to offer an appropriate number of courses each semester.
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Hetzell, Leah. "MANAGING TRANSFORMATION: HOW DO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE PROCESS OF REENTRY AFTER INTERNATIONAL SERVICE LEARNING?" Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2017. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/460460.
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Educational LeadershipEd.D.
As calls for institutions of higher education to educate globally competent citizens have intensified over the last two decades, the field of international service learning (ISL) has responded resoundingly. ISL programs have been implemented at many institutions and there have been countless studies that demonstrate the great power for student learning and growth inherent in this exciting educational tool. In more recent years, experts have moved away from studying the student experience and have, instead, questioned the power relationships inherent in service learning programs abroad; related studies have made use of newer critical theories and community development philosophies, which have advanced the field tremendously. However, to date, the re-entry period has still been largely overlooked, and there has been a noticeable lack of studies that apply student development theories to the ISL experience. This study explores how a diverse group of students from a large, public, four-year institution on the West Coast experience transformational learning during an ISL program in Thailand and how they make sense of their experience upon their return to the U.S. and in the months afterwards. By utilizing a case study design and implementing qualitative methods, this study provides significant evidence that well-designed ISL programs can trigger transformational learning in a variety of ways and that the re-entry period is a significant time of learning and growth for students. Further, the findings importantly show that by creating strategic opportunities for students to learn and connect with others on the program, both during and after the ISL experience, students are better able to navigate the changes in themselves after returning home. Finally, the experiences of the students indicate that the processes associated with transformational learning continue well on after the in-country experience, highlighting the significant need to provide support and guidance for students during this time.
Temple University--Theses
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Grigorescu, Claudia. "Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Study Abroad and Their Level of Achievement of Global Learning Outcomes." FIU Digital Commons, 2015. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1842.
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This study expanded on current research on study abroad and global learning, using the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI), and conducted at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, FL. The GPI assesses the holistic development of a global perspective in higher education within three domains and their respective FIU-determined equivalents: cognitive (global awareness), intrapersonal (global perspective), and interpersonal (global engagement). The main purpose of this study was to assess FIU’s undergraduate students’ perceptions of study abroad on their level of achievement of global awareness, global perspective, and global engagement. The secondary purpose was to determine how the students described their study abroad experience and achievement of global learning.
The research design for this study consisted of parallel mixed methods. The quantitative component was an ex post facto with hypothesis design, using a pretest/posttest nonequivalent group methodology. FIU undergraduates (N=147) who studied abroad for one semester or more completed the GPI pre- and post-tests. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were conducted to compare the means. The interviews included 10 students, and were analyzed through Structural coding, Saldaña’s In Vivo coding, and Value coding.
Quantitative analyses indicated positive changes in the students’ global awareness and global perspective. These analyses also showed that the FIU students achieved higher post-test means on all the domains of the GPI compared to other studies. Qualitative analyses showed that the students’ experiences incorporated all three global learning outcomes, most notably global awareness and perspective.
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Tai, Chunming. "Undergraduate business and management students' experiences of being involved in assessment." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/9456.
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This study aimed to explore university undergraduates’ experiences of student involvement in assessment (SIA). Based on Biggs’ 3P model of student learning, this study focused on students’ experiences prior to SIA, during SIA and after SIA in three Business and Management modules. Applying this framework, different practices of involving students in assessment (peer assessment, self assessment or self designed assessment) were studied from the perspectives of the students concerned. Unlike other studies that normally test to what extent the designed outcomes of SIA have been met, the goal of this research was to reveal the inside picture of how students were coping with those SIA tasks and their learning. This picture was outlined from students’ perceptions of SIA, the main factors that might influence students’ engagement with SIA, and students’ reflections on SIA practice in the particular module. This study adopted mixed research methods with sequential explorative design. It employed the ETLA (Environment of Teaching, Learning and Assessment) questionnaire and follow up semi-structured interviews. There were in total 251 valid questionnaire responses from students and 18 valid student interviews. The data were collected from three undergraduate Business and Management degree modules in which different strategies were used to involve students in assessment. The three innovative modules were all from Scottish universities in which assessment practices were being re-engineered by involving students in assessment. Two of the modules had participated in the REAP (Re-engineering Assessment Practice) project. However, they were different from each other in terms of the way in which they involved students in assessment and the level or extent of student involvement in assessment that was entailed. The report and analysis of the findings has taken three main forms. First, the module context including the teaching, learning and assessment environment and student learning approaches and satisfactions in the particular module were compared and analysed using the questionnaire data. The results showed a strong association between the elements in the teaching and learning environment and student learning approaches. They also indicated that the quality of teaching, feedback and learning support played significant roles in the quality of student learning. Secondly, an analysis of the interview data was undertaken to examine why and how students would learn differently in different module contexts with different SIA practices, and how students were coping with their learning in the SIA tasks concerned. In addressing these questions, students’ previous experiences in SIA, and knowledge about SIA, peers’ influence, teachers’ support and training for SIA, interaction between and among students and teachers, the clarity of the module objectives and requirements and learning resources were found to be the major factors that might influence students’ engagement in the SIA. Additionally, the salient learning benefits and challenges of SIA as perceived by students were explored. Thirdly, based on the preceding findings, the analysis of each module aimed to further consider in what way the three modules differed from each other with respect to SIA practices, and how students responded in the three different module contexts in terms of their engagement with SIA. These three forms of analysis made it possible to gain a rich understanding of students’ experiences of SIA that could also feed into a consideration of what kind of support the students might need in order to better engage them into the SIA and better prepare them for life-long learning.
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Best, Julia Y. "African American Undergraduate Students' Experiences in Residential Learning Communities at a Predominantly White Institution." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/26103.
Full textAbstract:
There is a nationwide decline in enrollment, retention and degree completion for African American students in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in the United States. Colleges and Universities establish diversity initiatives to address these concerns, yet educational disparities persist. Institutions of higher learning also address ways to enhance the educational development of undergraduate students. One such initiative involves a paradigm shift to extend the curriculum into residential learning communities (RLCs). Therefore, this study addresses the following research question: How do African American undergraduate students in RLCs perceive the role of these communities, particularly the kinds of contacts they afford with faculty, staff, and peers, in shaping their educational development?
I used qualitative methods - open-ended semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and a questionnaire - to explore students' experiences in six academically-tied residential learning communities. Thirty-two current and former members participated in individual interviews. Sixteen full-time male and sixteen female students include twenty-two freshmen, four sophomores, four juniors and two seniors.
Consistent with Astin's (1985, 1993b, 1996) work, this dissertation suggests that student involvement with faculty, peers and academics is necessary for retention. However, this study argues that a critical race theory (CRT) perspective is needed to make sense of the way peer interactions create racial barriers and lead some students to develop what I charaterize as "racial-cope-ability" skills to deal with racial challenges.
High school background plays a role in how students fare in RLCs. High school leadership experiences support positive self-efficacy and help students connect with faculty, peers and activities at the onset of the collegiate experience.
A number of RLC components help create positive affective and cognitive developmental experiences:
A sense of belonging and a sense of community significantly impact psychosocial wellbeing, success and retention;
Built-in support systems, educational advantages for retention and personalized experiences at a large PWI are reasons to recommend RLCs to other students; and
Residential learning communities at PWIs can contribute to existing outreach efforts into untapped in-state and out-of-state communities, school systems and outreach efforts on campus.Ph. D.
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Sahbaz, Sumeyra. "Examining Relationships of Collegiate Experiences, Gender, and Academic Area with Undergraduate Students' Collaborative Learning Skills." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/51188.
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Collaborative learning skills are one of the essential learning outcomes for a college education in 21st century. College students are expected to possess the ability to collaborate with others in order to succeed in their career after graduating from college. However, the effects of collegiate experiences on collaborative learning for different gender and academic areas are almost unexplored. In addition, researchers highlight the need for more research on interaction effects to explore whether different types of students respond differently to various collegiate experiences. The researcher examined the relationship of student-student interactions and student-faculty interactions with graduating seniors' perceived collaborative learning skills. Furthermore, the researcher explored whether this relationship was moderated by students' gender, academic area, and retrospective perception of their collaborative learning skills.
Social-cognitive learning theory and Astin's involvement theory were used as conceptual frameworks to guide this study. Astin's input-environment-output college impact model served as a theoretical guide. Using an institutional cross-sectional data set, multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine these relationships. According to the results, the relationship between student-student interactions and graduating seniors' perceived collaborative learning skills was positive after controlling for the other independent variables in the study. Further results revealed that the relationship of student-student interactions and student-faculty interactions with the outcome variable was moderated by students' gender, academic area, and retrospective perception of their collaborative learning skill. The relationship between student-faculty interactions and the outcome variable was significantly weaker for male students, whereas the relationship between student-student interactions and the outcome variable was weaker for female student. The relationship between student-faculty interactions and the outcome variable was weaker for students in hard pure academic areas when compared to students in soft applied academic areas, while the opposite was observed for the relationship between student-student interactions and the outcome variable. The findings of the present study can be used to shape students' interactions with faculty and their peers with the awareness that these impact different types of students in different ways.Ph. D.
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Makani, Betty. "Undergraduate business student perceptions of teaching presence in online classes." Diss., Kansas State University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/20567.
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Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Curriculum and Instruction
Rosemary Talab
The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate business student perceptions of teaching presence in order to scale up online learning to improve access to quality education. This study also responded to Senate Bill 520, calling for the improved online course quality. The data were obtained from 437 undergraduate business students (response rate 79.17%). A non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design was used, incorporating the Teaching Presence Scale and Lukow’s Attitudes Towards the Use of Technology Survey. Teaching Presence was the theoretical framework. Data analysis regarding the participants’ personal characteristics indicated that their perceptions of teaching presence were not influenced by age. A statistically significant difference was found in the participants’ perception of teaching presence by gender (p<.05), as well as instructional design, and course organization. Data analysis regarding participants’ contextual characteristics indicated that perceptions of teaching presence were not influenced by course duration. However, a statistically significant difference was found in the participants’ perception of teaching presence based on class level, p<.05. Significant differences were found in communication, assessment and feedback. Data analysis of technographic characteristics found no statistically significant influence on participants' perception of teaching presence. Recommendations for the research setting were in the areas of learning environment engagement, online teaching pedagogy, online course materials development, communication and feedback, faculty development and student technology resource and support. Future research on perceptions of teaching presence from the instructor’s perspective, student characteristics in terms of race and ethnicity, impact of audio and video feedback, and expansion of the student population to other disciplines were recommended.
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Sewell, Hugh Douglas. "Self-regulation of English language learning in Korean undergraduate students : its character and implications." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.634740.
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This work investigates self-regulation of learning (SRL) in undergraduate Korean learners of English. SRL is first described with respect to its roots in both behavioural self-regulation and meta-cognition. Based on work by Zimmerman (1998), it is then conceptualized as 12 processes in a three phase framework. These phases form a cycle learners may engage in as they seek to more effectively reach their learning outcomes. With little previous work available on SRL in the Korean context, this project significantly adds to the understanding of Korean learners of English. This project considered three questions; first, the extent to which the subjects were skillful with respect to each of the 12 processes, second the relationship of skillful process usage to learning outcomes in these subjects, and third how applying an SRL framework to these subjects could help understand their approach to their overall learning of English. Results for the first two questions came from surveys given to over 800 first year university students studying English in South Korea. These results suggested both 1) that subjects were not generally skillful self-regulators of their English language learning and 2) that skillful SRL process usage showed correlations to English language learning outcomes among these sUbjects. These results also suggested that some SRL processes may have a greater impact on learning outcomes than others. Results for the third question were based on the findings above augmented with nine in-depth semi-structured interviews tracing subjects' approach to their English learning from an SRL framework perspective. Three of the nine key findings in this phase were 1) that at least half of the subjects were not well engaged in the SRL cycle as a whole 2) that the SRL process of goalsetting along with 3) a cultural predisposition to attribute learning outcomes to effort seemed to hamper subjects' ability to effectively adapt their approach to their studies through subsequent iterations of the SRL cycle. Overall these results suggest that developing Korean learners' skillful use of SRL processes would improve their English learning outcomes.
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Cox, Lisa N. "Learning Style Differences of Undergraduate Allied Health Students in the clinical and Classroom Setting." The Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1244737268.
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Su, Feng. "Transformations through learning : the experiences of mainland Chinese undergraduate students in an English university." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2010. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/1498/.
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This PhD thesis explores the experiences of the increasing number of Chinese undergraduate students located within the UK higher education system. In order to ensure a positive learning experience for these students, and to facilitate the development of their confidence and independence in learning, it is essential that the particular needs of the Chinese students are fully understood and addressed. This thesis is premised on the assumption that students‘ own perceptions of their needs are central to this task. The study contributes to the literature on international undergraduate students‘ experience within the UK. It develops an analytical framework based upon the Chinese 'contexts of origin‘ of these students, their UK 'contexts of destination‘ and the 'institutional learning contexts‘. The framework as outlined in the chapters comprising Part 1 views the mediation of cultural difference as central to the resolution of academic challenges faced by Chinese students. Within this framework the 'contexts of origin‘ are understood with reference to Chinese geopolitical and geo-economic environments, Chinese traditions and education values, and the Chinese education system; the UK 'contexts of destination‘ are elaborated in terms of the development of UK higher education, the internationalisation and marketisation of UK higher education, and the literature on international students‘ overall experience; finally, the 'institutional learning contexts‘ involve an examination of the challenges posed by the academic conventions of UK higher education and of the coping strategies developed by the students. As outlined in Part 2, the study is based on semi-structured interviews and autobiographical accounts of 18 Chinese undergraduate students in an English university. Following from a discussion of the methodology employed, Part 3 provides an analysis of the evidence gathered in the course of the study. This analysis is organized around three interconnected themes: 'communities of learning‘, 'learning across language boundaries‘, and 'becoming an independent learner‘. These themes emerged from both the development of the analytical framework and from the initial round of data analysis. The study argues that the challenges faced by Chinese undergraduate students within the UK are culturally, socially and linguistically constituted and cannot therefore be understood simply as technical and narrowly study-related concerns. Their development as independent learners is formed by their motivation to learn and a wide range of capabilities acquired during their study in the UK. Part 4, which comprises the concluding chapter of the thesis, draws out some wider implications of the study for the education of overseas students within the UK higher education system. These include stronger institutional and departmental support, enhanced professional awareness and practice to facilitate transition, and the creation of a social space for cultural mediation – a 'third place‘ – within which to negotiate common understandings and practices. Throughout, the emphasis is on the support needs of overseas students as defined and understood by the students themselves and as interpreted by a researcher who is himself a Chinese student studying within the UK higher education system.