Improving pre-laboratory preparation of first year university chemistry students

This study uses an action research approach to investigate how different modes of pre-laboratory preparation contribute towards a fruitful laboratory experience for first year students on an access programme. We considered the experience to be fruitful if the students successfully acquired procedural understanding, communicative competence and were able to apply the conceptual understanding to make the purpose of the labs meaningful. A group of students was observed by participant observers during 1996. Data was gathered during laboratory sessions and from written pre-laboratory work. These data were analysed and changes were instituted in the running and conceptualization of the laboratory in the subsequent year. A group of students was again observed and data collected. Two important factors emerged from the analysis of the data. One finding was the importance of adequate student preparation for the laboratories, regardless of the mode of preparation employed. Another was that the ability to prepare depended on the conceptual and procedural understanding of the laboratory as a whole. Preparedness is also important if conceptual benefit is to be obtained from the practical experience.     

Improving quantitative volumetric analysis skills in first year university chemistry courses

This paper describes a project in the School of Chemistry at The University of Melbourne. During 1992 thirty hours of videotapes were taken of students doing quantitative volumetric work in first year laboratories. These were viewed to find out what problems students encountered and what interactions they had with other students and with demonstrators. The data were logged on a Hypercard stack and novel visual images were produced to map student activity, both qualitatively and quantitatively. These data contributed to the design of a multimedia learning package which students worked through at the beginning of 1993. Video data of their laboratory performance after this intervention provides evidence of improved performance. Specializations: academic development in the sciences, evaluation of computer-based learning materials. Specializations: physical chemistry, chemical education at tertiary level. Specializations: design and development of computer-based learning materials. Specializations: electrochemistry, general physical chemistry at secondary and tertiary level. Specializations: chemical education at secondary and tertiary level, theoretical chemistry.     

The development of visual expectations in the first year

The development of expectations was investigated by using the Visual Expectations Procedure. In Experiment 1, 128 infants aged 6-, 9-, and 12-months-old saw two 40-trial sequences of a videotaped mechanical toy appearing in various locations. The sequences represented an alternation pattern (i.e., ABAB) or a complex pivot pattern (i.e., ABCBABCB). In Experiment 2, 76 infants aged 4-, 8-, and 12-months-old saw either a left-right alternation or a top-bottom alternation. Reaction time improved and the percentage of anticipations increased between 6 and 9 months in Experiment 1 and between 4 and 8 months in Experiment 2 but not thereafter. Anticipations for the pivot sequence and for younger infants on both sequences were often incorrect (i.e., gaze shifts occurred before stimulus onset but were not directed toward the upcoming stimulus). We conclude that young infants have expectations that reflect some degree of general or procedural knowledge, but it is not clear that this behavior implies specific, articulated expectations about upcoming events.     

Preservice teachers' expectations about the first year of teaching

“Unrealistic optimism,” a construct used in health psychology, provided a framework for examining preservice teachers' expectations about teaching. Subjects showed a consistent tendency to believe that they would experience less difficulty than the “average first-year teacher” on 33 different teaching tasks. This optimistic bias was significantly greater for tasks perceived to be under the teacher's control and for tasks dealing with organization and management. Implications for teacher education and for the prevention of “reality shock” are discussed.     

The influence of first‐year chemistry students’ learning experiences on their educational choices 1

The research reported here examined factors that influence student tertiary level chemistry enrolment choices. Students enrolled in a first‐year chemistry class were surveyed, using the Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ), three times throughout their academic year: at the start of the year (n=126), the end of the first semester (n=109), and the end of the second semester (n=84). Additionally, 19 students were interviewed using a semistructured interview protocol at the same stages throughout the year. A number of influences on student enrolment intentions are posited based on a modified version of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour: learning experiences, attitude‐toward‐chemistry and chemistry self‐efficacy. The extent to which the students believe they had control over enrolling in chemistry and normative beliefs about enrolling in chemistry, also were investigated. Influential factors include chemistry self‐efficacy (both positive and negative), prior secondary school experiences and the fact that chemistry is compulsory for some programs. Normative beliefs exert indirect effect with students having associates in a science related field more likely to enrol in second‐year chemistry.     

The work values of first year Spanish university students

This study analyzes the work values of 2,951 first-year university students in Spain enrolled in degree programs within the five major areas of university studies. For our research, participants were asked to respond to a Scale of Work Values in which intrinsic, social, and pragmatic extrinsic values as well as extrinsic values related to geographic mobility are differentiated. Our findings show these students to have high levels of intrinsic and pragmatic extrinsic values as well as differences that vary according to their gender, major area of study and their chosen study program. By means of cluster analysis, we have also identified seven distinct types of students aligned with the work values under study. This paper explores the implications of this study for the development of work values and the education of students at the university level as well as the study’s possible utility as a means of providing orientation to students that will prepare them better for their entry into the labor market.     

化学新课程教学中如何转变学生的学习方式

化学新课程的改革提倡以张扬人的主体性、能动性、独立性为宗旨的自主学习,因而必须转变学生传统的学习方式.只有在学生学习的主动性和养成学生学习的独立性及培养学生学习的体验性这些方面下功夫,才会提高学生的自学能力、创新能力及实践能力.     

化学新课程教学中如何转变学生的学习方式

化学新课程的改革提倡以张扬人的主体性、能动性、独立性为宗旨的自主学习,因而必须转变学生传统的学习方式。只有在学生学习的主动性和养成学生学习的独立性及培养学生学习的体验性这些方面下功夫,才会提高学生的自学能力、创新能力及实践能力。     

中国共产党党建总目标嬗变的历程及其启示

党的建设是一项伟大的工程，在不同的历史时期，我党根据不同的时代特点提出了不尽相同的党的建设总目标。党的建设总目标的成功实践具有重要意义，它成功地把一个善于革命的党建设成为一个善于执政的党，实现了党建理论的重大飞跃。从党建总目标的发展历程中，我们又得到许多深刻的启示，党建理论的创新是实现党建目标的动力，以“三个代表”重要思想建党是实现党建目标的保证。     

Assessment as an equity issue in higher education: comparing the perceptions of first year students, course coordinators, and academic leaders

Assessment practices that aim to promote both quality and equity may be compromised in a higher education market where students are consumers and grades the currency exchanged for measures of success. In such a climate, academics report feeling pressured to make course content and assessment less challenging in order to obtain positive student evaluations, and they may lose faith in university quality assurance processes that seem focused on ensuring student satisfaction with education as a product. To explore these issues from the perspectives of the main stakeholders in assessment, this paper investigates assessment perceptions of students, course coordinators, and faculty Associate Deans responsible for teaching and learning at The University of Queensland. The findings highlight differences in what these groups consider to be important assessment issues and differences in how they should be addressed. First year students are identified as a disadvantaged group due to perceptions of the role of feedback and formative assessment that may be influenced by their secondary school assessment experiences.     

University students' expectations of geography,chemistry and biology courses with special reference to students' perception of geography

Conclusion First year students in geography, biology and chemistry indicate many similarities in their expectation of university courses. There are some interesting differences when categories of expectations are considered in isolation and when students are allowed to choose in the ‘final four’ expectations test. Expectations of geography are quite definitely science oriented if one assumes that a ‘practical’, ‘problem solving’ approach is inherently scientific. If these orientations are a consequence mainly of experience, and this would seem to be very likely, then one needs to consider carefully the appropriateness of these orientations. There are aspects of these results which should be of interest to curriculum developers and educators interested in a broad evaluation of student goals. Student's expectations emphasize knowledge, thinking skills, experimental work and related skills, as well as long term goals and attitudes. There is certainly an element of general balance which must be heartening to those who might have had doubts about the motivation of new university students. Students have expectations which indicate that they are aware of and presumably value all four categories of goals.     

The laboratory aims questionnaire—A new method for course improvement?

A simple method of diagnosing areas for course improvement in university science and engineering laboratory courses is described. A first year physics laboratory course is examined in terms of a set of aims. A questionnaire was used for staff and students to rate the importance of these aims in the cases (i) of each group's conception of what an ideal course in the subject should be, and (ii) each group's rating of the “traditional” and “non-traditional” components of the particular course under investigation. One means of identifying specific areas of improvement is out-lined. The potentialities of the technique are discussed.     

The extent to which teacher attitudes and expectations predict academic achievement of final year students

Competition in the market is a perennial and ever‐increasing problem for independent schools. How schools can meet this pressure and find ways to attract (the best) students is a continuing question and one that will get more onerous as the government funding for education is, in relative terms, decreasing. One of the ways in which schools can show their worth is the attraction of the best teachers and being able to show potential clients how their staff contribute to the academic success of their graduating students. This study considers the relationship between teachers’ attitudes toward their work and the expectations and the extent to which their attitudes and expectations predict the academic achievements of their final year students. Results found that academic achievement is enhanced when school leadership provides an academically oriented context where values and expectations of high academic achievement are part of the school culture. Other teacher variables found to improve academic achievement are the teachers’ need for greater input into decision‐making at their schools; less formalisation of rules, procedures and process; and support through personnel, facilities, finances, equipment and resources.     

Effects of problem-based discussion on studying a subsequent text: A randomized trial among first year medical students

The Purpose of this study was to examine effectsof group discussion of a medical problem on the comprehension of a subsequentproblem-relevant text by first year medical students.Forty-eight first-year medical students were randomly assigned toone of two conditions: The experimental group discussed a problem of blood pressureregulation, where the control group discussed a problem of vision. Subsequently, allstudents studied a text on the physiology of blood pressure regulation. Finally, a freerecall test was administered. Numbers of propositions accurately recalled were analyzed usinganalysis of variance (ANOVA). Students who discussed the blood pressure regulationproblem recalled 25% more from the text than those who discussed the control problem.This difference was statistically significant. The present study represented thefirst truly randomized trial in the ecologically valid context of a medical curriculum. Itdemonstrated the positive effects of problem-based tutorial group discussion on thecomprehension of text. It confirmed earlier findings from laboratory studies thatproblem-based learning, in addition to positive emotional and motivational long-term effectswell-documented in the literature, also has positive effects on learning.     

The readiness of high school students to pursue first year physics

Abstract

A high failure rate at first year physics is often attributed to the lack of readiness of high school students to pursue such studies. This research explores this issue and reports on the perceptions of five physics lecturers at a South African university on the preparedness of high school students for first year physics. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth, non-directive, semi-structured interviews and analyzed for emerging themes using the Atlis.ti software. Readiness factors that were identified included the ability to engage with physics problems qualitatively rather than merely assuming an algorithmic approach, having a sound understanding of basic physics concepts, and competence in reading and speaking the scientific language. Other factors related to personal attributes and behavior and these were work ethic, perseverance, working independently and time management. These findings and their implications are discussed.     

新课程背景下的信息技术与课程整合

随着新课程改革试点的不断推进和教育信息化的推进,要求中小学普及信息技术教育。而信息技术与课程的整合,是普及信息技术教育的关键,是信息技术课程和其他学科双赢的一种教学模式,也是信息技术教育富有长久生命的必要保障。本文试从以下几个方面谈谈对新课程背景下信息技术与课程整合的初步认识。一、课改背景下信息技术教育的发展与变化。信息化是当今世界经济和社会发展的大趋势,以网络技术和多媒体技术为核心的信息技术已成为拓展人类能力的创造性工具。为了适应这个发展趋势,我国已经确定在中小学中普及信息技术教育。早在课改启动以前…