Introduction to the Special Issue on Perspectives and Experiences on Mentoring Undergraduate Students in Research: Part I

Abstract

This issue is the first of a special PRIMUS two-part issue collecting articles from experienced faculty mentors. We offer it as a valuable resource for faculty leading undergraduate research programs. It is inspired by the “Regional Faculty Workshop on REU Issues” in 2013 and the Joint Mathematics Meeting 2015 Mathematical Association of America’s “Themed Session on Perspectives and Experiences on Mentoring Undergraduate Students in Research.” This issue consists of seven papers focusing on the larger issues involved in creating, running, and sustaining an undergraduate research program in mathematics.     

Undergraduate Research and Service-Learning Programs in a Kinesiology Program at a Teaching University

High-impact practices foster student success, but faculty faced with heavy teaching loads and lack of resources and infrastructure are challenged to implement such practices. Kinesiology faculty at California State University, East Bay collaborated to implement two student programs: Kinesiology Research Group and Get Fit! Stay Fit! The Kinesiology Research Group, a faculty–student research group, and Get Fit! Stay Fit!, a service learning experience, partnered to consolidate human and structural resources. Student–faculty mentoring circles were used to support this innovative partnership. Here, we report student perceptions of the value of these programs to their academic and professional development.     

Weaving Together Undergraduate Research, Mentoring of Junior Faculty, and Assessment: The Case of an Interdisciplinary Program

Scholars in teaching and learning value student research and program assessment as strategies to promote excellence in undergraduate education. Yet, in practice, each can be complex and difficult to sustain. This case study demonstrates how undergraduate research, mentoring of junior faculty, and assessment can be integrated in ways that enrich the educational experiences of students and the professional development of faculty and improve research on teaching and learning. The authors describe a lively undergraduate research project that became tied to the mentoring of assistant professors and then to program assessment. We conclude with recommendations for implementing such a project in other academic settings. Elizabeth Thomas is Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and teaches courses on inquiry in the social sciences, community psychology, and psychology and the arts. Her research examines sociocultural contexts for learning and development with a particular focus on the role of the arts and the potential of participatory action research strategies. Diane Gillespie is Professor and Associate Director of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (IAS) at The University of Washington, Bothell, received her Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln in Cultural and Psychological Studies in Education. She teaches multicultural social science courses and qualitative research. Her recent publications explore the importance of narrative for reflective teaching and learning, learning in small groups, and the role of human rights in nonformal education.     

烟台大学本科生学习性投入程度调查研究

本文主要针对"NSSE-China量表的信度"和"烟台大学在全国大学中处于怎样的水平"来进行分析和阐述。研究发现,烟台大学在校园环境的支持程度(SCE)上高于全国平均水平,且明显优于"211工程"院校平均水平;在学业挑战度(LAC)、主动合作学习水平(ACL)、生师互动(SFI)三个指标方面与"211工程"院校无明显差别;与地方本科同类院校相比,在教育经验的丰富程度(EEE)和校园环境的支持程度(SCE)上毫不逊色;在学业挑战度(LAC)、主动合作学习水平(ACL)、生师互动方面(SFI)上要低于地方本科同类院校平均水平。     

澳大利亚海外分校招生策略研究——以莫纳什大学马来西亚分校和卧龙岗大学迪拜分校为例

随着全球海外分校数量的不断上升,竞争也日趋激烈,不少海外分校陆续关闭的主要原因之一就是没有足够的生源。招生问题目前已成为各国高校在开办海外分校过程中遇到的棘手问题。澳大利亚莫纳什大学马来西亚分校和卧龙岗大学迪拜分校的招生状况一直处于较好水平,两所分校招生策略的独到之处在于:注重对输入国的社会环境进行详细分析,在此基础上明确招生目标群体的定位;重视从小型项目入手打造学校品牌,继而扩大规模;强调通过宣传、线上线下互动、利用校友关系等方式促进营销;在招生工作中充分关注学生的用户体验与需求。     

Counseling and Connecting with the Military Undergraduate: The Intersection of Military Service and University Life

The majority of military undergraduates at universities are National Guard and Reserve personnel and prior-service military veterans, all difficult to identify on campus. These students face unique cultural challenges. Though the academic literature primarily addresses disability services and administrative programs often focus on “wounded warriors,” most military undergraduates are not physically or psychologically disabled and can be stigmatized by the “wounded warrior” stereotype. Minimal literature exists on the intersection of military culture with student life and on counseling center services for military undergraduates. This article offers a review of the literature, three core principles of care, and three vignettes of military undergraduates who received support from a counseling center provider, helping them manage both university and military life.     

美国研究型大学本科生科研的组织与实施

美国研究型大学本科生科研取得的成就与其成熟而有效的管理体制是密不可分的。本文从宏观和微观层面分析了美国研究型大学本科生科研的组织与实施,以为我国组织和实施本科生科研提供借鉴。     

新疆高师院校本科生专业课学习态度调查研究

本研究以新疆某高师院校为例,调查了学生的专业课学习态度,结果显示学生专业课学习的态度总体是积极的,但也存在偏差：对专业课学习的重要性认识不足、专业课学习兴趣不浓、专业课学习行为表现不能尽如人意。对造成学生专业课学习态度不佳的原因进行了分析,据此提出了改善学生专业学习态度的对策与建议。     

西北高校大学生心理健康状况调查与分析

为了解西北地区大学生心理健康的总体状况,采用症状自评量表对西北地区大学生心理健康状况进行问卷调查.结果显示(1)西北地区大学生无心理问题者占13.6%,无明显心理问题者占70.6%,有明显心理问题者占15.8%.心理健康的九个因子中,按其得分由高到低强度为:人际关系、抑郁、强迫、敌对、偏执、焦虑、躯体化、精神病性、恐怖.(2)西北地区大学生在不同年级、不同生源以及不同性别上有些因子存在显著差异.提出加强心理健康教育要从开设心理健康教育课、完善学校心理咨询体系、有效促进西北大学生心理素质提高.     

合法性的寻求 ——一个美国大学跨学科组织的成长逻辑

受传统学术组织的挤压而导致的生存与发展困境，几乎是世界范围内大学跨学科组织发展所面临的共同难题。基于伯顿?克拉克的三角协调模式搭建组织合法性分析框架，对密歇根大学社会研究所进行案例考察，结果表明，该跨学科组织广受赞誉、屹立不倒的成长逻辑蕴含在其对国家与国际合法性、市场与第三部门合法性以及学术合法性的共同追寻之中。它对国家与国际合法性的寻求主要凭借其基于国家公共利益的研究定位和广泛的跨国学术合作而实现，对市场与第三部门合法性的获取主要在于其满足了有关企业和私人基金会的研究诉求，对学术合法性的寻求则主要依靠其整合了多学科的专家学者权威以及推进了相关社会研究方法的专业化。研究结果对于应对大学跨学科组织的成长困境具有重要的启示意义。     

医学人文教育:瑞士日内瓦大学医学院的一门新本科生课程

瑞士日内瓦大学医学院意识到医学人文教育的重要性 ,在 2 0 0 1年开设了一门新的包括四个相互依存的目标的本科生人文教育课程。同时 ,为二到五年级学生开设了必修的研讨会和一门为期 2周的选修实习课程 ,并提出帮助医学人文课程教师形成医学人文教育整合观的三个重要步骤。该课程利于增强学生的判断和倾听能力 ,使其心胸开阔、具有创造性和好奇心 ,保证医患关系的和谐并使医患双方都满意     

现阶段新疆大学生政治思想状况调研

随着国际国内环境的深刻变革，我区大学生的政治思想状况正发生着新的变化。对此，文章从现阶段新疆大学生政治思想状况的基本估计、存在的主要问题、产生问题的原因以及对策建议四个方面进行了探讨。     

清华大学对口支援青海大学的研究与实践

2001年教育部启动了"对口支援西部地区高等学校计划".清华大学作为第一批支援学校,充分发挥自身优势,全方位、多层次帮助青海大学的发展建设,紧紧围绕人才培养这一根本任务,大力支援青海大学的学科建设、课程建设、实验室建设、队伍建设,使青海大学实现了跨越式发展,人才培养规模、质量迅速提高.本文对口支援本文总结了2001年以来清华大学对口支援青海大学工作的意义、特点、成效与经验.     

中俄财会方向学士培养方案比较研究--以莫斯科国立交通大学与哈尔滨理工大学为例

通过对莫斯科国立交通大学与哈尔滨理工大学财会方向学士培养方案的比较,分析两国财会方向培养方案的异同,以期为制定中俄联合培养财会类人才培养方案提供借鉴。     

The quality of teaching and learning of BCom honours degree students at an open distance learning university in South Africa

ABSTRACT

Student support at Unisa involves a range of stakeholders providing academic and administrative support. The study was conducted among Unisa BCom honours students. The main objective of the study was to determine the educational quality of teaching and learning offered. Students were contacted by e-mail and asked to complete an online questionnaire. New methods on problem solving, investigating problems and formulating problems were found very useful and students gained independence in developing their learning capabilities. Available resources and supervision were not utilized to the full. Adequate financial aid seemed to be a problem. Support should be optimized and students should realize that all resources made available to them are crucial for their success. Students are of all ages and levels of maturity and have different needs and views regarding their studies. Unisa should endeavour to meet as many of these needs as is practically possible.     

产学研合作的沃里克模式和教学公司模式——英国的经验

英国根据自身的基本条件和发展目标，通过不断的探索，形成了独具特色的产学研合作模式，即沃里克模式和教学公司模式。文章对此进行了介绍，意在揭示英国高校科技成果产业化的成功经验，以资借鉴。     

学术研究模式变革中的学科文化形成--基于美国佛罗里达大学的实地研究

为了梳理出佛罗里达大学不同学科的学术研究模式变革过程中形成的主导性学科文化,研究植根于社会建构主义视角,采用定性的案例研究设计,对来自硬-纯、硬-应用、软-纯、软-应用四种学科类型的六个学术机构的十四位教师和一位行政机构主任进行了深度访谈,并结合该校卓越学科计划和战略规划进行分析。研究发现:跨学科取向、合作取向、基础研究取向与应用研究取向,是佛罗里达大学当前存在的四种主导性学科文化;尽管上述文化在各学科领域的深化程度存在差异,但并没有发现某一特定文化对某一学科领域是相互排斥的;主导性的学科文化在一定程度上决定了教师的学术工作方向和学术信念。     

标准参照评估的行动实践 ——以香港中文大学通识教育基础课程为案例

香港特别行政区高校从2015年开始，学生学业评估陆续由常模参照评估转为标准参照评估。本文以香港中文大学通识教育基础课程实施标准参照评估的行动为案例，分析了这项新的学业评估方式在实施中所遇到的问题，讨论了解决方法并提出实施模型。该模型包含评分量表的设计与开发、量表使用、教师意见反馈与量表修改，以及评分之后的集体讨论这一套实施流程。文章最后指出，要保证标准参照评估的有效实施，需建立教师实践共同体。实践共同体的行动包括：教师共同开发评估标准，通过集体讨论对评估标准的含义和使用达成共识，共同审视评估结果，根据评估结果进一步修改和完善评估标准。     

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Community OutReach Development Summer Science Institute Program: A 3-Yr Laboratory Research Experience for Inner-City Secondary-Level Students

This article describes and assesses the effectiveness of a 3-yr, laboratory-based summer science program to improve the academic performance of inner-city high school students. The program was designed to gradually introduce such students to increasingly more rigorous laboratory experiences in an attempt to interest them in and model what “real” science is like. The students are also exposed to scientific seminars and university tours as well as English and mathematics workshops designed to help them analyze their laboratory data and prepare for their closing ceremony presentations. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of student performance in these programs indicates that participants not only learn the vocabulary, facts, and concepts of science, but also develop a better appreciation of what it is like to be a “real” scientist. In addition, the college-bound 3-yr graduates of this program appear to be better prepared to successfully academically compete with graduates of other high schools; they also report learning useful job-related life skills. Finally, the critical conceptual components of this program are discussed so that science educators interested in using this model can modify it to fit the individual resources and strengths of their particular setting.