Student Learning and Performance in Information Systems Courses: The Role of Academic Motivation

Despite the need for information technology knowledge in the business world today, enrollments in information systems (IS) courses have been consistently declining. Student performance in lower level IS courses and student assumptions about the level of difficulty of the courses seem to be reasons for lower enrollments. To understand how student motivation may explain learning outcomes in introductory IS courses, this study investigates the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivations as framed by self‐determination theory on two measures of learning outcomes: (1) student self‐reported measures of learning and (2) actual grades obtained in courses and course components. Using 269 student responses collected in a second‐year undergraduate core course and a first‐year MBA core course, both of which are offered in a traditional face‐to‐face classroom environment, study hypotheses are analyzed. Results indicate that the motivational model explains both the affective and cognitive perceptions of learning held by students. In examining overall grades and grades in course components, the motivational model, however, was unable to sufficiently explain student performance. Data also indicate that there are significant differences between undergraduate and graduate students in terms of their motivation and learning outcomes.     

The Research Mentoring Program: Serving the Needs of Graduate and Undergraduate Researchers

Many institutions of higher education confront seemingly unrelated needs of graduate students, who need not only to complete their dissertations but also to learn how to become proficient mentors for undergraduates as they move on to faculty roles. The graduate students are increasingly searching out high-impact learning experiences such as involvement with undergraduate research. The program we describe in this article offers a solution to these issues by pairing undergraduates with graduate students to work on their dissertation research. Undergraduates undertake hands-on research while learning about graduate school, and the graduate students learn about the mentoring process while receiving assistance that allows them to keep their dissertations moving toward completion.     

Academic motivation and self-regulation: A comparative analysis of undergraduate and graduate students learning online

To succeed in autonomous online learning environments, it helps to be a highly motivated, self-regulated learner. The present study explored potential differences between undergraduate (n = 87) and graduate students (n = 107) in their levels of academic motivation and self-regulation while learning online. In particular, this study provides a comparative analysis of undergraduate and graduate students' motivational beliefs (task value and self-efficacy), use of deep processing strategies (elaboration and critical thinking), and motivational engagement (procrastination and choice behaviors). As hypothesized, graduate students learning online reported higher levels of critical thinking than undergraduates. Moreover, after controlling for experiential differences, a logistic regression analysis indicated that graduate student membership was predicted by higher levels of critical thinking and lower levels of procrastination. On the other hand, undergraduate membership was predicted, somewhat paradoxically, by greater task value beliefs and greater intentions to enroll in future online courses. Implications for online instructors and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Relationships between motivational strategies and cognitive learning in distance education courses

This study examines the relationships between students’ academic levels, the use of motivational regulation strategies, and cognitive learning strategies. A total of 141 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in online distance courses participated in the study. The findings show that students use different motivational regulation strategies and cognitive learning strategies depending on their academic levels. Additionally, hierarchical regression analyses using two dependent variables (i.e., surface level learning strategy and deep processing level learning strategy) indicate that a surface level learning strategy (i.e., rehearsal) and deep processing level strategies (i.e., elaboration, organization, and critical thinking) are predicted by different sets of motivational regulation strategies after controlling for academic level and age. The results provide distance educators and instructional designers with practical suggestions on how to support undergraduate and graduate students’ motivational needs and further promote their use of cognitive learning strategies in online distance education programs in higher education.     

Transitioning From On-Campus to Online in a Master of Science Nursing Program: a Comparative Study of Academic Success

This comparative study examined the academic success rates of online graduate nursing students by comparing final grades to the on-campus cohort of graduate nursing students prior to the program transitioning online. Analysis was conducted by identifying and comparing final course grades in 4 required Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) courses over a period of 6 years. Five key themes related to online student success are discussed, including the need for graduate nursing MSN programs to transition to an online format, barriers to online learning, comprehensive program evaluation of an online degree program, online student retention approaches, and exploration of whether online students have been shown to be as academically successful as on-campus students. Results reveal that both cohorts of course delivery modes yield academically successful MSN students and both course delivery modes are providing the MSN program with almost equal pass rates by the students taking the required core courses.     

The Influence of Motivational Regulation Strategies on Online Students’ Behavioral,Emotional, and Cognitive Engagement

Providing effective motivational support is a critical determinant of a successful online distance learning experience for students in higher education. In this study, we examined how students’ academic level and use of 8 motivational regulation strategies influence 3 types of student engagement: behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement. A total of 95 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in online courses in 4-year universities in the United States participated in this study. A series of hierarchical regression analyses of undergraduate and graduate online students (N = 95) showed that behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement are predicted by different motivational regulation strategies after controlling for the academic level. Additionally, students’ academic level was found to be a predictor of cognitive engagement but not a predictor of behavioral engagement or emotional engagement. The results suggest that online course instructors, tutors, and designers should provide students with differentiated motivational scaffolding based on their motivational profile in order to promote different aspects of learning engagement.     

Perfecting Lessons Learned for Criminal Justice Online Graduate Education: Reflection,Integration, and Application

Criminal justice programs are seeing an increase in the number of online classes both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. At the graduate level, criminal justice online education requires students to achieve mastery of higher ordered thinking and advanced analytic skills. Some students may believe that online education is simply a matter of reading postings and writing simple responses to queries. In order to counter the view that modern online courses, particularly those at the graduate level, are not academic enough, online graduate faculty must find ways to engage students through useful course design and meaningful assessments that promote deep learning. Such engagement requires faculty and students to show reflection in design as well as the integration and application of course materials in a consistent and significant way. This paper will discuss our attempts to reframe graduate criminal justice online classes in order to enhance student engagement and, ultimately, their deeper learning.     

Class Level as a Possible Mediator of the Relationship between Grades and Student Ratings of Teaching

Although the research literature investigating the relationship between grade awarded to students and students’ evaluations of teaching performance is voluminous, very few studies have examined the grade‐rating relationship according to level of student. The present study examined correlations between mean instructor rating and mean class grade for all course evaluations (N = 625 classes) at Utah State University during an academic quarter. In lower‐division (courses 100–299) and upper‐division (courses 300–599) undergraduate classes, correlations between grades and ratings of faculty were of an expected direction and magnitude (0.29 and 0.28, respectively); however, the grade‐rating correlation for graduate classes (courses 600 +) was — 0.20. It is speculated that graduate students are both better students and more critical evaluators of instruction, but replication and extension with different samples are needed before this tentative explanation can be accepted with confidence.     

写作何以成为哈佛大学唯一一门必修课程——南希·萨默斯与赫明珠、于海琴的对话

写作是一种用文字和隐喻标记世界的方式,是一个引领学生批判地、深度地阅读和有效地、清晰地书写的过程,是一个让学生发现自己真正关心所在和写出自己所思所想的路径。写作课在美国高校通常是必修课,旨在培养学生的书面沟通能力和批判性思维。哈佛大学说理文写作课程创建于1872年,如今是本科生的唯一一门必修课。对话从南希·萨默斯完成的著作以及她对中国的关注开始,依次展开缘何倾情于写作教育、为何关注修订和反馈研究领域、如何创立哈佛本科生写作工程、因何设立研究生写作工作坊等话题。在对话过程中,萨默斯将所获成功归结为喜爱阅读、喜欢写作,指出学习写作是本科生学习科目的一种方式,认为写作是帮助学生确定人生方向的力量,强调写作是本科教育的核心、修订是写作的核心。另外,萨默斯还对学生写作者的修订策略、对学生写作者的反馈、工作坊中的写作伙伴、一万个小时定律、说与写的关系、写作时内心的恐惧、避免抄袭或剽窃等话题进行了阐述。     

A study of the relationships between faculty characteristics,subject field,and course grading patterns

This paper describes an analysis of faculty grading patterns at a large public university. It introduces a methodology to both normalize and stabilize grade data by courses. Using this method, we report on grading patterns for over 1,000 teachers, giving more than 40,000 grades in approximately 2,000 courses. The findings indicate that the academic field of the course is strongly related to the types of grades assigned. Courses emphasizing quantitative and factual learning tend to have assigned lower grades. The higher grades are found in career-oriented courses, such as teacher training. This was shown in separate analyses for undergraduate and graduate courses. For undergraduate courses, lower grades were found in freshman and sophomore courses as compared with junior and senior courses. The academic credentials and personal characteristics of the teachers were only moderately related to grades. Temporary teachers had higher grades in their courses, but such personal characteristics as sex, marital, and minority status were not systematically related to grades given. There was a tendency in undergraduate courses that as class size increased, the proportion of higher grades decreased.     

An Undergraduate Research Opportunity: Collaboration Between Undergraduate and Graduate Students

ABSTRACT: A research experience was made available to an undergraduate Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) student through collaboration with a Masters-level Nutrition graduate student. Both students were under the supervision of a graduate FSHN faculty member. Positive, self-identified aspects for the students included learning how to work collaboratively as a team member, gaining a better understanding of the process of field-based research, and successfully completing both projects. While caveats are noted, we suggest that this process is an untapped opportunity to offer a research experience to undergraduates. It could be applicable in departments/ units that maintain both an undergraduate and graduate program or across departments where disciplines are similar.     

Continuing Thoughts on Social Networking

A comprehensive meta-analysis of the research following Glass, McGraw, and Smith's (1981) technique integrated findings from twenty-five comparative studies from 1990 to 2003 targeting student achievement and distance education in allied health professions. Student achievement was assessed through course grades and resulted in an overall effect size of 0.15, a very small positive effect for distance learners when compared to traditional students. Several dependent variables—education levels, models of distance education, and instructional design components—related to the effect size. In the distance education setting, working professional students significantly outperformed graduate and undergraduate students. Open learning and synchronous instruction were the most effective distance education models of instruction. Instructional design components implemented into a distance education course resulted in greater student achievement scores.     

Learning through Making: Emerging and Expanding Designs for College Classes

As higher education institutions seek to prepare an increasingly diverse population of students for a rapidly changing future, makerspaces offer a pedagogical approach for engaging all learners in active thinking and hands-on learning while promoting creativity, problem solving, and collaboration skills. In this paper, we discuss ways to integrate makerspaces and maker-centered learning within undergraduate and graduate college courses that reach students from majors ranging across the college and university curriculum. We highlight four courses, each taken by students at different points within their academic programs of study: a) digital media production & 3D modeling in a first-year seminar, b) poetry writing and 3D modeling and printing in a flipped learning course, c) wiki page building workshops for future teachers, and d) learning, media, and technology undergraduate/graduate courses. Makerspace experiences are ongoing features of each course, but not in the same ways, offering models that faculty can use in adapting their courses to include more active and applied learning for students.     

Field dependence-independence as a factor in the academic and career evolution of women majors in the broad-gauge discipline of home economics

The relationships between the field-dependence-independence level (GEFT score) of university home economics majors and their area of concentration, academic ability and performance, and career choices were investigated. The sample was 143 undergraduate and 53 graduate women university students. A significant difference in GEFT was found when students were grouped according to the five areas of concentration or by the analytical-interpersonal nature of their chosen career positions. Significant correlations were found between GEFT and all ACT scores, undergraduate and graduate GPA, and graduate student career commitment. There was no significant relationship for GEFT with any GRE score, undergraduate career commitment, or ease of career choice. Little evidence of a differential effect of GEFT on achievement in analytical or social content courses was found.     

Student Outcomes: The Impact of Varying Living-Learning Community Models

This study explores the effect of three distinct living-learning community models on a variety of student experience and academic performance outcomes. Central to the analysis is an investigation of whether there are differences in outcomes for learning communities with different missions and structures, all three of which fall into the Linked Course learning community design. Even in the least coordinated, most basic, learning community model, students show more positive outcomes (first semester GPA, retention, first-year experience) than nonlearning community students. The fact that simple structures that facilitate student interaction around academic work (even without coordinated faculty involvement) have a positive effect for students of all preparation levels provides encouragement to campus leaders with limited resources who are working to develop methods for improving the undergraduate educational experience on their campuses.     

An Initiative to Broaden Diversity in Undergraduate Biomathematics Training

At North Carolina A&T State University (NCATSU), there was a critical need to better coordinate genuine research and classroom experiences for undergraduates early in their academic career. We describe the development and implementation of a faculty alliance across academic departments to increase biomathematics research opportunities for underrepresented minorities. Our faculty alliance is called the Integrative Biomathematical Learning and Empowerment Network for Diversity (iBLEND). The fundamental purpose of the iBLEND alliance was to inspire underrepresented minorities to pursue research careers by increasing the visibility of research conducted at the interface of mathematics and biology at NCATSU. Because of the many positive impacts, iBLEND gained significant buy-in from administration, faculty, and students by 1) working from the ground up with administration to promote campus-wide biomathematics research and training, 2) fostering associations between research and regular undergraduate academic courses, 3) creating and disseminating biomathematics teaching and learning modules, and 4) enhancing learning community support at the interface of mathematics and biology. Currently, iBLEND is viewed as a productive site for graduate schools to recruit underrepresented minority students having specific competencies related to mathematical biology.     

Enhancing student learning of research methods through the use of undergraduate teaching assistants

By using a quasi-experimental design, in this study, we test the effect of undergraduate teaching assistants on student learning. Data were collected from 170 students enrolled in four sections of a quantitative research methods course, two sections without undergraduate teaching assistants and two sections with undergraduate teaching assistants, over two semesters. Results indicate that having undergraduate teaching assistants in the classroom can result in higher student performance. Students in the sections with undergraduate teaching assistants earned higher grades, were more likely to pass the course with a C or higher and performed better on half of the student learning outcomes than students in the sections without an undergraduate teaching assistant. Based on the overwhelmingly positive results on student learning, we would recommend the active use of undergraduate teaching assistants in the classroom, but especially for courses that students find challenging.     

写作活动对本科生学习收获的影响研究

本科生写作活动及其对学习收获的影响是高等教育评估的重要方面,高校如何提升本科生写作能力,本科生如何改善写作实践、综合发展,是本研究价值意义所在。研究采用独立样本t检验、单因素方差分析、相关分析、回归分析等方法研究本科生写作活动现状及其对学习收获的影响。结果表明,当前本科生写作活动状况较差,女生、担任学生干部、有读研意愿、高年级、城市生源、“双一流”建设高校和部属高校学生的写作活动状况表现更好。同时,写作活动与学习收获呈显著正相关关系,各项写作活动影响了不同维度的学习收获。基于此,高校应重视学生写作活动的价值性,改革写作课程与教学,提升人才培养质量;本科生自身更要树立写作的价值意识,提高写作活动的自我投入。     

Exploring factors impacting student engagement in open access courses

Studies on student engagement in learning have mainly focused on undergraduate degree courses. Limited attempts have been made to examine student engagement on open access enabling courses, which is targeted to underrepresented students in higher education. Students on open access enabling courses are at high risk due to a low academic achievement in high school, the gap between schooling, work and post-secondary education, and different kinds of personal and academic barriers. This paper reports on a pilot quantitative study using a survey method undertaken at an Australian university. The study examined a range of issues related to student engagement, including learning barriers, engagement and experience in learning, skills attained, motivation to complete study, career pathway, and key reasons for selecting a particular pathway. The study found that online students are less engaged in learning and, therefore, efforts need to be made to improve their sense of belonging to the university. The findings of the study are critical due to high attrition on open access enabling courses and it argues the need to improve the engagement, retention, and success of students on such courses.