Enhancing Support for Student Diversity Through Research

Based on a longitudinal studyof freshman students attending a privatecollege in the northeast section of the UnitesStates, the paper demonstrates howinstitutional research can promote anenlightened global perspective by enhancingunderstanding of international students'characteristics, values and aspirations. Results revealed that, compared with domesticstudents, international students had lowerverbal aptitude scores; rated themselves higheron spirituality and understanding of others;put more emphasis on gaining a generaleducation; and were more committed todeveloping a meaningful philosophy of life,helping others and promoting racialunderstanding. Policy recommendationsadvocated designing admission strategies toreflect international students' values;providing language support programmes; anddeveloping programmes for students to learn toappreciate the values and customs ofinternational students' countries.     

Enhancing Hypermedia Through the Use of Templates

No abstract available for this article.     

浅谈学生主体性素质的培养

中学阶段是学生主体性素质养成的关键时期,处于这个阶段的青少年一方面心理上产生强烈的自主要求,另一方面又不能一下子从对长辈的依赖中走出来。在学校中,有些同学把学习成绩的提高寄托在教师的身上。为此,我们中学教育面临这样一个课题:如何遵循学生心理发展的需要,努力发掘学生的主体性潜能,使学习在学生的自我评审、体会、选择的过程中完成。蔡元培先生曾指出:“教育是帮助被教育的人给他发展自己的能力”。教育的目标价值是使学生学会寻找教育,只有学生作为教育的主体,充分发掘对自己发展的自觉意识和能动作用,自觉寻找并主动参与教育…     

Enhancing Quality in Online Learning: Scaffolding Planning and Design Through Proactive Evaluation

A major issue confronting educators is the extent to which they wish to conform to so-called paradigm shifts in teaching and learning. In the contemporary world of tertiary education these shifts embrace both pedagogy (from instructivist to constructivist) and technology (from classroom to online). As teachers and learners are faced with the potential of these new learning environments, the extent to which learning outcomes are achieved remains a high priority and subject to a wide range of evaluation strategies. Conventionally, evaluation has been positioned at the end of the instructional development cycle, to assess first whether or not the creative effort achieved the original product goals and second whether or not the desired learning outcomes were realized. In the context of online teaching and learning environments, however, the level of understanding teachers, learners and developers have of the medium can impact the ultimate effectiveness of the product. This paper articulates an additional dimension to post-development evaluation processes in proposing proactive evaluation, a framework that identifies critical online learning factors and influences that will better inform the planning, design and development of learning resources. This notion of proactive evaluation advocates resource development being undertaken where all planning activities are assessed against the evaluation criteria that would normally be applied during formative assessment. By performing these evaluation checks proactively, online learning resources will, in principle, work first time as all relevant factors and issues will have been considered and resolved. More importantly, for those participants who are new to online environments, proactive evaluation will perform a scaffolding and professional development role by enhancing online teaching or learning competencies.     

Enhancing Project-Based Learning Through Online Between-Group Collaboration

This research explored how between-group collaboration enhanced the co-construction of knowledge and performance on project-based learning tasks of collaborative learning groups. The findings of 2 case studies, one that focused on between-group mentoring and one that focused on between-group project review, revealed that both strategies were perceived favorably by the students and had a positive impact on the collaborative learning skills, the knowledge revealed through their online dialogue, and the project performance of all students, especially the less effective groups. The results provide some insights into the computer-supported collaborative learning process among students in a higher education context.     

党校培训和“微型党课”相结合提升大学生党员政治素质

高校党校培训与"微型党课"统一于大学生党员政治素质提升的实践中,将两者有机结合,有利于政治素质培养内容的丰富以及形式的多样,有利于实现政治素质培养的全员性、经常性,有利于完善政治素质的培养机制。     

利用课前课后30分钟提高专业课教学效果的方法初探

本文针对95后大学生的思想特点,提出利用课前课后30分钟,增进师生感情、提高学生对学科的认知、解决课堂教学和课后作业中遇到的难题、指导大学生参加科技创新训练的教学方法,经过近年的实践发现,这种教学方法有较好的效果。     

Reducing Student Bias Against Older Adults Through the Use of Literature

Human services educators must address the issue of students’ bias toward older adults to encourage interest and meet the growing need for professionals in the field. The use of literature can challenge students’ preconceptions of older adults while innovative teaching methods can guide their development of more tolerant views and introduce them to a field that they may have previously given little consideration. Based on a model of cultural competence development, teaching strategies, learning objectives, literature, and an evaluation are suggested.     

Development,Evaluation and Use of a Student Experience Survey in Undergraduate Science Laboratories: The Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory Student Laboratory Learning Experience Survey

Student experience surveys have become increasingly popular to probe various aspects of processes and outcomes in higher education, such as measuring student perceptions of the learning environment and identifying aspects that could be improved. This paper reports on a particular survey for evaluating individual experiments that has been developed over some 15 years as part of a large national Australian study pertaining to the area of undergraduate laboratories—Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory. This paper reports on the development of the survey instrument and the evaluation of the survey using student responses to experiments from different institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. A total of 3153 student responses have been analysed using factor analysis. Three factors, motivation, assessment and resources, have been identified as contributing to improved student attitudes to laboratory activities. A central focus of the survey is to provide feedback to practitioners to iteratively improve experiments. Implications for practitioners and researchers are also discussed.     

高校校园文化对大学生素质提升的作用

高校良好的校园文化能够帮助大学生树立正确的世界观、人生观和价值观,逐步实现思想道德素质的提升;能够激发大学生学习专业技术知识的兴趣,培养大学生独立思考、自主创新的能力;能够提升大学生的专业技能之外的社会适应能力,提高实践能力和人际交往能力,最终提高大学生的就业力。     

Enhancing the Student Experiment Experience: Visible Scientific Inquiry Through a Virtual Chemistry Laboratory

Practical work is often noted as a core reason many students take on science in secondary schools (high schools). However, there are inherent difficulties associated with classroom practical work that militate against scientific inquiry, an approach espoused by many science educators. The use of interactive simulations to facilitate student inquiry has emerged as a complement to practical work. This study presents case studies of four science teachers using a virtual chemistry laboratory (VCL) with their students in an explicitly guided inquiry manner. Research tools included the use of the Inquiry Science Implementation Scale in a ‘talk-aloud’ manner, Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol for video observations, and teacher interviews. The findings suggest key aspects of practical work that hinder teachers in adequately supporting inquiry and highlight where a VCL can overcome many of these difficulties. The findings also indicate considerations in using the VCL in its own right.     

Enhancing Student Learning in Food Engineering Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations

Abstract: The current generation of students coming into food science and engineering programs is very visually oriented from their early experiences. To increase their interest in learning, new and visually appealing teaching materials need to be developed. Two diverse groups of students may be identified based on their math skills. Food science students tend to find it difficult to use mathematics as a problem‐solving tool for food engineering problems. Food engineering students, on the other hand, should be challenged to use emerging mathematical tools to develop their problem‐solving skills. Therefore, the approach of this project involved the development of a curriculum to train undergraduate food engineers in the effective use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to solve food engineering problems by engaging them in the creation of food engineering teaching tools. These CFD outputs were then used as innovative teaching tools for the food science students. In this paper, this concept will be illustrated by unsteady‐state heat transfer and fluid flow problems. To evaluate the efficiency of the teaching materials developed, a student focus group was asked to answer the same quiz following a conventional and CFD output aided teaching session. The assessment result showed an improved understanding of the subject after the CFD teaching session. These visual aids were excellent tools to illustrate the validity of the formulas presented in class. In addition, the new visual materials enabled a better understanding of the relationships among different process parameters. In general, this helped the food science students better appreciate the food engineering concepts that govern food processing operations.     

Enhancing Student Learning By Using Mock Trials in Criminal Justice Courses

Lecture-oriented teaching is the principal pedagogical technique in college and university classrooms but instructors will sometimes turn to non-lecture techniques in an attempt to provide a more active learning experience. This article describes a mock trial exercise that has been used over several semesters to provide criminal justice students with an active learning experience and increase their understanding of the inquisitorial process in comparison with adversarial proceedings. We provide sufficient detail to allow interested instructors to conduct a similar exercise in their own course. Results of a multi-semester evaluation to assess student perceptions of the exercise show that students expected and found the exercise to be an enjoyable and informative classroom experience that advanced their learning.     

Enhancing Student Motivation and Learning: Experiences with a Simple Simulation

This paper examines the author's experiences in an introductory course in international relations with a simple simulation. The objective is to encourage others who have not yet done so to try using a simple simulation. After a brief review of the literature on simulations, it shows how the simulation is an easy and effective way to motivate students, improve social relations among students, and enhance learning. By participating in the simulation, students gain insights from their personal experiences. They gain insights into some of the problems confronting foreign policy makers and into the essence and limitations of the dominant approach to the study of international relations which provides the underlying assumptions upon which the simulation rests. Because it is a simple simulation it is easy to use early in an introductory course, but its very simplicity means it must not be used later in the course when a more complex simulation would be required. The paper encourages others to try simple simulations and makes some general observations for easy, early and effective use of them.     

Self-Assessment of Gerontology Teaching Practice: A First-Step in Enhancing Student Learning

This article discusses self-assessment of gerontology teaching practice. Through a process of self-reflection one may find insight into their teaching and, concomitantly, develop best-practices for enhancing student learning in gerontology. A self-assessment framework is presented, illuminating best-practices in the areas of the lecture-discussion cycle and teacher-student interactions. The self-assessment areas and reflective questions, while not exhaustive, will hopefully lead gerontology professors to a more expansive inquiry of their teaching practice and the impact it has on student learning. Regular self-assessment of teaching practice may lead to more effective instruction in undergraduate or introductory gerontology courses as well as enhancement of student learning outcomes.     

Enhancing Teachers' Knowledge and Use of Inquiry Through Environmental Science Education

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Improved Academic Performance and Student Perceptions of Learning Through Use of a Cell Phone‐Based Personal Response System

Personal response systems, such as clickers, have been widely used to improve the effectiveness of teaching in various classroom settings. Although hand‐held clicker response systems have been the subject of multiple prior studies, few studies have focused on the use of cell phone‐based personal response system (CPPRS) specifically. This study explores students’ academic performance and their perceptions of learning through the use of a CPPRS (TopHat) in an undergraduate Food Science class. In this study, students did not use the CPPRS during the first half of the semester‐long course, but did during the second half. When CPPRS was used, students responded to 2 multiple‐choice questions at 3 points during the class, (a) at the beginning of class, (b) in the middle of the class, and (c) at the end of the class. Student performance was measured by correctness rates on eight 10‐item multiple choice quizzes, 4 quizzes each covering the class content that was delivered with compared with without CPPRS. A survey was conducted at the end of the semester asking (n = 28) students’ perceptions of CPPRS. The average correctness rate for quizzes covering content delivered with CPPRS (85% ± 9%) was significantly higher than for content delivered without CPPRS (82% ± 10%) (P = 0.016). In addition, students perceived that CPPRS was easy to use (5.04 ± 0.58 on a 1 to 6 scale with 1 being strongly disagree and 6 being strongly agree) and positively impacted their learning (4.52 ± 0.99 using the same scale). When used correctly, CPPRS can facilitate student learning in lectures.     

Enhancing Early Childhood Development Through Arts Integration in Economically Disadvantaged Learning Environments

Education in the arts continues to struggle for inclusion in PreK-12 classrooms as public schools face increasing challenges from high stakes testing, Common Core politics, and endless budget cuts. Advocates point to the growing body of research linking art education to academic achievement as justification for arts’ continued inclusion in the curriculum. In its 2005 report, the National Association of State Boards of Education highlighted this research trend and called for stronger emphasis on arts in educational curricula (Meyer in Arts Educ Policy Rev 106(3):35–40, 2005). Yet despite the evidence, school districts across the nation have been slow to include more arts programming within the classroom. This study, however, examines one school district that did. In a collaborative project between a large urban school district and a local arts and science council, an arts integration program called Wolf Trap was implemented in economically disadvantaged pre-Kindergarten and first-grade classrooms at selected schools across the district. Objectives of the program were to: (a) improve school readiness skills among participants; (b) increase capacity of classroom teachers to learn and implement effective arts-based teaching strategies; and (c) increase the capacity of teaching artists to acquire and model effective arts-based teaching strategies. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the program using data from the teaching artists, classroom teachers, and the external evaluators. We discuss the program in detail and explain the methodology used in our evaluation. Finally, we present evidence that indicates the program’s success and we offer recommendations for program stakeholders.