The Mediating Effects of Approaches to Learning on the Academic Success of First-Year College Students

Students’ personal predictors of academic success are particularly relevant for first-year college students, given the specific challenges that these students face when entering higher education (HE). Academic success in HE has been related to multiple factors, including the students’ approaches to learning (SAL), satisfaction (linked to commitment and persistence), study time (effort), and prior academic achievement. This study analyzes the combined effect of these predictors on perceived academic success. Data from 247 students was collected using the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students and other specific measures to assess presage and process variables of academic success. Although academic success is multidimensional and difficult to explain, factors such as prior academic achievement, satisfaction with the course, SAL, and study time contribute to explain perceived academic success in first-year college students.     

Collaboration at a Distance: Using a Wiki to Create a Collaborative Learning Environment for Distance Education and On-Campus Students in a Social Work Course

Continuing moves towards more flexible approaches to the provision of higher education have been reflected in the increased provision of social work education through distance learning and the related increase in the use of online technologies for social work education. This article reports on the use of a wiki in a final year social work subject. Wiki technology was used to create a collaborative learning environment where on-campus and distance students were able to work together to produce assessable material. Drawing on student comments regarding the process and outcomes of the wiki assignment, a number of issues and benefits of the use of wikis in social work education are identified and discussed.     

The Relationships Between Epistemic Beliefs in Biology and Approaches to Learning Biology Among Biology-Major University Students in Taiwan

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between students?? epistemic beliefs in biology and their approaches to learning biology. To this end, two instruments, the epistemic beliefs in biology and the approaches to learning biology surveys, were developed and administered to 520 university biology students, respectively. By and large, it was found that the students reflected ??mixed?? motives in biology learning, while those who had more sophisticated epistemic beliefs tended to employ deep strategies. In addition, the results of paired t tests revealed that the female students were more likely to possess beliefs about biological knowledge residing in external authorities, to believe in a right answer, and to utilize rote learning as a learning strategy. Moreover, compared to juniors and seniors, freshmen and sophomores tended to hold less mature views on all factors of epistemic beliefs regarding biology. Another comparison indicated that theoretical biology students (e.g. students majoring in the Department of Biology) tended to have more mature beliefs in learning biology and more advanced strategies for biology learning than those students studying applied biology (e.g. in the Department of Biotechnology). Stepwise regression analysis, in general, indicated that students who valued the role of experiments and justify epistemic assumptions and knowledge claims based on evidence were more oriented towards having mixed motives and utilizing deep strategies to learn biology. In contrast, students who believed in the certainty of biological knowledge were more likely to adopt rote learning strategies and to aim to qualify in biology.     

Preferences for Team Learning and Lecture-Based Learning Among First-Year Undergraduate Accounting Students

This study investigates students’ preference for team learning and its effectiveness, compared to lecture-based learning. A quasi-experiment was set up in a financial accounting course in the first-year undergraduate of the Economics and Business Administration Program, where students had to choose between one of the two learning methods (team learning or lecture-based) and subsequently followed their preferred method of pedagogy. The quasi-experiment was administered for a first-year undergraduate class, with data for 291 students. The first objective of this study is to investigate students’ preference in relation to their gender, ability, motivation, and learning strategy. The second objective is to explore whether a team-based approach is more effective than lecture-based learning, when students participate in their preferred method. The results show that female students had a higher preference for team learning than male students. Furthermore, students with a preference for team learning had a lower ability level, were more intrinsically motivated, had less control of their learning beliefs, were more help seeking, and were more willing to share their knowledge with peers. The team learning approach resulted in increased performance, compared to the lecture-based setting, while controlling for differences in gender and ability. This beneficial impact of team learning on performance was not found for other courses (in which team learning was not implemented), leading to the conclusion that team learning offers an appropriate learning method at the university level for a first-year course. Implications for student learning, faculty members, and institutional policy are discussed.     

培养远程学习者学习策略的教学思考

远程开放教育的办学模式和远程学习者的自主学习特征,决定了远程学习者比普通学生掌握和运用学习策略提高学习效率、学习质量更具有特殊性和重要性.在基于远程开放教育学习者的学习特征分析基础上,本文认为对学习策略的伞程指导应该成为学生学习服务支持体系的重要因素,提出把<学习策略>作为一门必修课程纳入课程计划,转变教师教学观念、提高教师策略教学素质,构建多维、立体的学习策略教学和辅导模式,引导、鼓励学生自主生成学习策略等教学思路.     

远程学习：了解在囚学习者的体验

如何通过远程教育给在囚人士提供学习机会，使囚犯在出狱后能重新融入社会，是我国远程教育领域面临的一个新课题。本项研究采用问卷法，调查了香港两座监狱的275位在囚学习的学习动机、学习支持、学习困难、停学和辍学的原因及期望得到的帮助。本的结论是，教育机构应帮助在囚学习建立长期的学习目标；通过教育机构、惩教机构、以及家人和朋友的合作，努力为在囚学习提供必要的学习支持服务；开放和远程教育机构的教学模式尤其适合在囚学习的狱中自学。     

Approaches to Study of Distance Education Students

The'Approaches to Studying'inventory of Ramsden and Entwistle (1981) was administered to groups of external and internal students at Capricornia Institute and the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education. Factor analysis revealed a similar factor structure for external students to that of the total sample. This finding, together with analysis of variance data, is taken as evidence that it is valid to use the inventory and the associated theories on learning styles with distance education students. Analysis of variance data showed differences in learning styles for older students. The implications of this finding for the design of distance education courses are discussed.     

浅析远程学习者的学习方法

通过问卷调查的形式,探索电大远程学习者在远程学习过程中学习方式,学习策略的应用以及他们的学习态度。结果显示,远程学习者对三种学习方式,即深层学习、策略学习、浅层学习的认知有差异,而且在学习过程中体现出不同的学习方式,这对于从事远程教育的教师引导他们实施自主学习具有很大帮助,而且可以有效地提高学习者学习的成功率。     

Students' Studying and Approaches to Learning in Introductory Biology

This exploratory study was conducted in an introductory biology course to determine 1) how students used the large lecture environment to create their own learning tasks during studying and 2) whether meaningful learning resulted from the students' efforts. Academic task research from the K–12 education literature and student approaches to learning research from the postsecondary education literature provided the theoretical framework for the mixed methods study. The subject topic was cell division. Findings showed that students 1) valued lectures to develop what they believed to be their own understanding of the topic; 2) deliberately created and engaged in learning tasks for themselves only in preparation for the unit exam; 3) used course resources, cognitive operations, and study strategies that were compatible with surface and strategic, rather than deep, approaches to learning; 4) successfully demonstrated competence in answering familiar test questions aligned with their surface and strategic approaches to studying and learning; and 5) demonstrated limited meaningful understanding of the significance of cell division processes. Implications for introductory biology education are discussed.     

Contrasting Two Approaches to Distance Language Learning

In this article we contrast two distance foreign language programs developed at two European institutions of higher education (the Modern Languages Program at the Open University, UK; and the English Program at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain) as instances of two pedagogical models used to address the many challenges posed by teaching languages at a distance. A detailed analysis of both approaches reveals that the pedagogical choices made by both universities are in great measure determined by the historical and cultural contexts in which both institutions are embedded. In addition, we discuss the similarities and differences between the two and draw several conclusions regarding the appropriateness of the two distance universities' general educational, administrative, and technological models for distance language learning.     

PROJECT LEARN: Supporting On-Campus Learning with On-Line Technologies

PROJECT LEARN (http://learn.lincoln.ac.nz) was initiated in July 1997 as an in-depth staff development activity which provided targeted academics with a team of instructional designers, graphic artists, and computer consultants to help them restructure their instruction to take advantage of the interactive capabilities of the World Wide Web (WWW). A key premise was that any resources developed would engage students in exercises that promote an active learning experience. Students interact with subject-specific material, related resources, and other students and teachers. By systematically focusing on academics teaching compulsory subjects, PROJECT LEARN staff were able to create materials which are used by the greatest number of students—thereby increasing the campus-wide impact of their work. This article includes the development model, results from implementation, and a discussion of factors which have contributed to the project’s ongoing success. It concludes with a discuss of how the implementation of PROJECT LEARN compares to the University of Twente’s Implementation Model and generalizes to other university settings.     

Approaches to Learning of European Business Students

Several reports on higher education have identified the need to improve the quality of student learning. Higher education research identifies the approach to learning as a significant factor affecting the quality of learning. If educators are to find ways of improving the educational experience of their students, they must understand how students learn and the effects of the learning environment on their learning approaches. This study examines the approaches to learning adopted by Irish and overseas students studying on the BA in European Business at Dublin City University (DCU) [1] .     

Focusing Students: Three Approaches for Learning Through Evaluation

Three professors share their solutions to the problem of focusing students on the assessments required in their classes, lest specification charts show students the specific concepts, principles, and problems that will be included on multiple choice tests. Rubrics developed for assigned work are demonstrated as ways to increase student expectations and to direct their explorations. Negotiated rubrics are used to involve students in the setting of standards for work in their own classes. Advantages for students and professors in using the methods are offered.     

从生源情况看远程开放教育的改革

从当前电大的生源分析可以看出,与高等教育精英化时期相比,学生知识水平和学习能力发生很大的变化,电大教育必须相应改革,才能适应这种变化.我们要以高等教育大众化的质量观去改革电大的课程设置和教学的内容,适应学生的学习,在学习评价中强化学习过程的评价和知识运用能力的评价,还可以考虑建立学分替代机制,实现个性化教育,提高办学竞争力.     

论《生物专业英语》的教学目标及其实现途径

研究探讨了《生物专业英语》的教学目标及其实现途径。培养生物科学和生物技术专业学生科技英语的阅读、翻译、检索和写作能力,提高学生综合素质,为双语教学和毕业论文做准备是《生物专业英语》的教学目标;教学实践性强,难度和压力大,具有很强的创新性是《生物专业英语》的教学特点;针对教学特点,通过培养学生的学习兴趣,严格控制教学质量和培养学生“自主学习”能力三个途径来实现教学目标。这一研究对《生物专业英语》的教学改革和课程建设具有重要现实意义。     

Expanding Learning Opportunities for High School Students With Distance Learning

The purpose of the Synchronous Interactive Video Conference Distance Learning pilot program was to use emerging technologies to expand learning opportunities for students at an urban public high school. Through grant funding, students were able to enroll in Advanced Placement and foreign language courses through an online learning provider. Using case study methodology, the pilot program was thoroughly examined through the analysis of multiple sources of data such as surveys of multiple stakeholders, interviews of program administrators, and the examination of student course documentation. The attrition rate was high at 61.9%. The combination of insufficient time for planning and preparation, lack of support for students, and poor communication was detrimental to the program.     

Learning and Study Strategies among First-Year Students at a South African University: A Mixed Methods Study

South African higher education is plagued by low academic success rates. Academic development and support units can play an important role in addressing low academic success rates by assisting students in developing appropriate learning and study strategies. Limited information is available on students’ learning and study strategy profiles and their needs regarding intervention programmes. This article reports on a mixed methods study that investigated learning and study strategies among a sample of first-year students enrolled at a South African university. Quantitative data, collected using the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) from a sample of first-year students, pointed to an urgent need for learning and study strategy intervention programmes to be provided. The qualitative data offered a more in-depth understanding of participants’ needs regarding learning and study strategy intervention programmes. Implications for practice and avenues for further research are discussed.