An examination of freshmen to senior general education gains across a national sample of institutions with different general education requirements using a mixed-effect structural equation model

This study investigated differences in freshmen to senior student general education gains across institutions with varying patterns of general education requirements using a mixed-effect structural equation model. The subjects were 6,409 students at 34 nation-wide colleges and universities. Students attending institutions where less than 40 percent of undergraduate curricular requirements were devoted to general education and where there was not equal distribution of general education courses within the requirement were found to have significantly higher general education gains than did students who attended institutions where 40 percent or more of the undergraduate curriculum was devoted to general education and there was equal distribution of courses within the general education requirement.Presented at the Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, May 10–13, 1992.     

A Comparative Study of Student Math Skills: Perceptions,Validation, and Recommendations

A study was conducted at a southern university in sophomore level production classes to assess skills such as the order of arithmetic operations, decimal and percent conversion, solving of algebraic expressions, and evaluation of formulas. The study was replicated using business statistics and quantitative analysis classes at a southeastern university. The intent of the study was to determine math deficiencies among college students and to ascertain whether or not these deficiencies impact grades. Data analyses compared students’ test results and grades from the different classes at the two universities and identified surprising patterns across classes, universities, and professors.These results support the need for curriculum modifications to address the identified deficiencies.     

Choosing and leaving science in highly selective institutions

This study sought to discover some of the causes of initial interset in and atrition from the natural sciences and engineering among the students (N=5320) who entered four highly selective institutions in 1988, with particular attention to possible special causes for the disproportionate attrition of women from science. Though a smaller proportion of women (35 percent) than men (49 percent) were initially interested in science, gender added little to the prediction of such initial choice when preadmission measures of developed abilities were taken into account in regression analysis. Of the group of 2,276 students initially interested in science, 40 percent did not finally concentrate in science, and smaller proportions of women (48 percent) than of men (66 percent) persisted. The most significant cognitive, factor predicting these losses was low grades earned in science courses taken during the first two years of study. With grades held equal, gender was not a significant predictor of persistence in engineering and biology; gender added strongly to grades, however, as a factor associated with unusually large losses of women from a category that included the physical sciences and mathematics. Responses to a questionnaire administered in the fall of 1991 showed that science majors regarded their instruction as too competitive, with too few opportunities to ask questions, taught by professors who were relatively unresponsive, not dedicated, and not motivating. Students who defected from science did so largely because of the attraction of other fields, but many shared the criticism of overcompetitiveness and inferior instruction, along with the view that the work was too difficult. Several items were about elements of classroom instruction and atmosphere thought to be especially difficult for women (i.e., the chilly climate), but except for perceived competitiveness, women did not rate their classroom experiences as being more unpleasant than did men. This research was supported by grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the National Science Foundation.     

Football,Recruitment, and Retention at U.S. Christian Colleges

An increasing number of Christian colleges are adding football programs as a way to boost enrollment among men and ethnic minorities. No systematic study has attempted to measure these outcomes. We tested the relationship of football to percent male, percent non-White, and first-year retention at 125 U.S. colleges and universities affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). Our findings revealed that football at Christian colleges is associated with more men on campus, but not with more ethnic diversity. In addition, Christian colleges with football retained fewer students from first-year to second-year than did Christian colleges without football. We discuss the implications of our findings and offer suggestions for further research.     

The scholarship of teaching and learning: challenges for Malaysian academics

This paper explores the adoption of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) by 10 Malaysian university academics. SoTL was part of a pioneering sector-wide initiative for improving teaching and learning. The qualitative study showed that there had been no true learning phase for SoTL because academics had high expectations of rapid success in their new research area, including journal publication. Most of their peers did not understand or value SoTL and so SoTL researchers established minority self-sustaining groups across disciplines and universities. SoTL brought new ways of thinking about teaching that were transformational for the teacher but not necessarily welcomed by the students. Students resisted radical change, and teachers were drawn back to educational practices they no longer valued. SoTL was experienced in a hierarchical educational culture where questioning of self and others was difficult and this hindered teacher development. We conclude with recommendations about realistic expectations and the importance of social learning for those considering SoTL for academic development.     

An appraisal of an online tutorial system for the teaching and learning of engineering physics in conjunction with contextual physics and mathematics,and relevant mathematics

The number of students entering engineering schools in Australian universities has increased tremendously over the last few years because of the Australian Federal Government's policy of increasing the participation rates of Higher School Certificate students and students from low social economic status backgrounds in the tertiary sector. They now come with a diverse background of skills, motivations and prior knowledge. It is imperative that new methods of teaching and learning be developed. This paper describes an online tutorial system used in conjunction with contextual physics and mathematics, and the revision of the relevant mathematical knowledge at the appropriate time before a new topic is introduced in the teaching and learning of engineering physics. Taken as a whole, this study shows that students not only improved their final examination results but there was also an increase in the retention rate of first-year engineering students which has financial implications for the university.     

Does study abroad affect student academic achievement?

The numbers of UK students choosing to study abroad for a period has increased steadily over the years, with many students citing academic, professional, linguistic and cultural reasons as their key motivations. However, while there is an abundance of literature on the advantage of study abroad (SA) for linguistic learning, there is less known about the academic impact of studying abroad. In addition, because SA is largely a process of self-selection, this makes it difficult to derive unbiased estimates of its impact on academic achievement. Using data on students from a London-based Russell Group university, and categorising SA students as those who participated in credit-seeking SA programmes through Erasmus or bilateral/multilateral agreements with partner universities, this paper uses individual fixed effects to compare the post-SA grades for students who sojourned with their expected grades had they not sojourned, as well as with their non-SA counterparts. The results are quite robust across subgroups and indicate that grades in year 3 are less than expected for the SA group, given their pre-sojourn grades. To tackle the problem of self-selection, outcomes for SA students were compared to the group who applied but did not eventually study abroad, and to the outcomes for students who did not apply.     

Perceptions of Chinese students in an Australian university: are we meeting their needs?

This short-term longitudinal study sought to identify the issues faced by a group of international Chinese students undertaking study in an Australian university. While the focus was on educational issues, socio-cultural and personal factors were also examined in an attempt to identify the sorts of strategies students used in settling into a new socio-cultural and educational context. Interviews conducted at the beginning and end of the first semester of study indicate a range of issues that are supported by previous studies. What has not previously been highlighted, however, is the emphasis on speaking and listening skills which students reported they needed to improve. Lack of proficiency in these areas was seen by students as hampering their active participation in class, leading to lack of confidence in approaching Australian students, and resulting in their inability to benefit from the “Australian experience”. Many existing academic support structures in Australian universities tend to emphasize support with written and study skills. While this is important because of the direct impact on assessment, it is perhaps now opportune to place some emphasis on developing strategies and programmes that will support the development of students' speaking and listening skills, with a focus on intercultural communication.     

Higher education expansion and low-income students in Taiwan

In this paper, we report on a study of 1510 undergraduates from five national universities in Taiwan, and we show that compared to “non-prestigious” universities, a larger proportion of students at prestigious universities come from middle and high socioeconomic classes and a smaller proportion experience financial insecurity These results are timely in the wake of Taiwan's expansion in the number of universities and of university students. At non-prestigious universities, a higher percentage of students experience economic constraints, spend several hours per week engaged in paid employment during their university studies, and have parents who did not go to college. These different characteristics of the student bodies at elite and non-elite institutions of higher education may create quite different university contexts, which may in turn affect students’ college experiences, professional choices, and opportunities in the future.     

School Counselor Preparation to Meet the Guidance Needs of Exceptional Students: A National Study

A representative sample of counselor educators at U.S. universities were surveyed to identify the kinds of curricula school counselor preparation programs use for preparing students to work with exceptional students (ES). Program courses in exceptional student education (ESE), competencies, field experiences, state certification requirements for ESE courses, the degree of importance accorded by counselor educators to prepare graduates to serve ES, and the educators' level of satisfaction with current program requirements were investigated. Sixty‐two percent of the programs surveyed did not offer a specific ESE course; however, 53% of these programs (N = 146) reported that ESE competencies were incorporated in other program courses.     

Royal Patronage and Private Support in the Emergence of Spanish American Universities

During the colonial period, at least twenty‐five universities were established in fourteen cities from Guadalajara to Santiago de Chile. Most of them were founded in cities that were home to a large group of Spanish or ‘Creole’ residents and where resided a royal tribunal (Real Audiencia), a bishopric, and a see of provincial houses of religious orders. Their size and character varied, but, all of them depended on metropolitan paradigms. In Castille, several new universities were founded between the end of the 15th century and the first half of the 16th century. None of them were free corporate bodies, as was the case during the Middle Ages. On the contrary, they were founded by private individuals who bound these institutions to their personal will, as their patrons. One of these patrons was the king, who created several universities, first in the conquered kingdom of Granada, and then within conquered American dominions, and assured for himself the right of patronage. We may consider three periods of development. The first, which extends throughout the 16th century, three royal universities were created in the three archepiscopal sees: Lima (1551), Mexico (1551) and Santo Domingo (1558). These institutions were supported by the king and were governed by their respective Real Audiencia. The second period covers the first quarter of the 17th century to its end. Patronage was an onerous right, and the king was not in favor of supporting new universities, so he authorised, under certain conditions, that students could graduate with university recognition from Dominican and Jesuit institutions. This permission would be nullified when a public university was founded in that city. For example, Santa Fe de Bogota, Quito Charcas, Cuzco, and Guatemala housed one or more of these monastic universities. In the third period, fiom the end of the 17th century to the end of the colonial period, we witness a clear process of secularisation. New royal universities appeared in Guatemala, Santiago de Chile, and Guadalajara. During this time, only one new religious university was established (in La Habana in 1787, where there was not yet a bishopric). Three new universities were run by the secular clergy: Huamanga (1677), Cuzco (1692), and Caracas (1786). At the same time, at least ten religious universities were closed, some because they were shadowed by royal universities and some because of the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767. In fact, furthering this process of secularisation, even universities that had been run by the Jesuits, like Charcas and Cordoba, became public institutions before the Independence.     

Increasing Inequality in Higher Education: The role of term-time working

As the costs of higher education in the UK have moved increasingly from the state to students (and their parents), more university students have term-time jobs. Based on a survey of students in four universities, this paper identifies the pattern of term-time working, its effects on studying and its implications for equity and for the higher education system. The study found term-time employment affected the quality of education. Both cultural and financial factors affected who worked during term-time. Students whose father did not have a degree and female students (especially those from ethnic minorities) were more likely to work during term-time and, hence, benefit less educationally from university. The extent of term-time working varied across the four universities. The research suggested that the financial system might lead to an increasingly polarised university system: those that facilitate term-time working and those that do not, with the more prestigious universities tending to be in the latter category. This would distort the university choice of those who needed to work during term-time, inhibiting their access to prestigious universities, and lead to greater disadvantage amongst those who worked despite being at universities which made fewer concessions for term-time working.     

Dissection videos do not improve anatomy examination scores

In this quasi-experimental study, we describe the effect of showing dissection videos on first-year medical students' performance in terms of test scores during a gross anatomy course. We also surveyed students' perception regarding the showing of dissection videos. Two hundred eighty-seven first-year medical students at Rawalpindi Medical College in Pakistan, divided into two groups, dissected one limb in first term and switched over to the other limb in the second term. During the second term, instruction was supplemented by dissection videos. Second-term anatomy examination marks were compared with first-term scores and with results from first-year medical students in previous years. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed, with term scores (continuous, 0-200) as the dependent variable. Students shown dissection videos scored 1.26 marks higher than those not shown. The relationship was not statistically significant (95% CI: -1.11, 3.70; P = 0.314). Ninety-three percent of students favored regular inclusion of dissection videos in curriculum, and 50% termed it the best source for learning gross anatomy. Seventy-six percent of students did not perform regular cadaver dissection. The most frequent reason cited for not performing regular dissection was high student-cadaver ratio. Dissection videos did not improve performance on final examination scores; however, students favored their use.     

The Stratification of Students in Israeli Universities: Persistent Outcomes of an Educational Expansion Policy

Expansion trends of higher education systems involve the planned growth of new universities, frequently stratified lower than established ones in academic breadth and excellence as well as in the socio-demographic origins of their students. The persistence of this internal stratification of the university system subsequent to its expansion remains a controversial issue. Between the early and mid-1990s the Israeli Council for Higher Education has expanded the three ‘‘target’’ universities, aimed at peripheral or specific sectors. Compared to the three established elitist institutions, these universities have concentrated on the liberal arts and attracted students of lower social origins. The present study examines the stratification of students into elitist and target universities a few years after this particular expansion policy was abandoned in favor of college accreditation. Though the overall growth rate of university freshmen since 1995 has subsequently declined, the relative share of the target universities is still steadily growing. Our analysis of data from a 1999 national survey of freshmen in all six universities reveals that students of the target universities still tend to originate from lower status groups and ethnic minorities regardless of academic ability. Furthermore, their general study motivations, particular study considerations, and institutional choice orientations are more practical and vocationally oriented than those of students in the elitist universities. It therefore seems that expansion policies of university systems should not overlook their long-term consequences for the stratification of universities and their students.     

Characteristics,Academic and Post-university Outcomes of Students with a Disability at the University of Newcastle

A cohort of 108 students with a disability, and a matched sample of students without a disability, were surveyed over a three-year period at the University of Newcastle. The purpose of the study was to examine the characteristics and academic outcomes for students with a disability because this group of students is significantly under-represented at Australian universities. Significant differences were found between some personal characteristics, academic performance, and outcomes following discontinuance or completion of study. The results are discussed within the context of disability legislation and policy in Australia.     

The Fundamental Theory and Practice for the Uniform General Admissions Examination for Colleges and Universities in China

China has a territory of 9.6 million square kilometers, and a population of 1.1 billion. There are 1,075 general colleges and universities throughout the country, enrolling a total of approximately 2 million students. Each year we have about 2.5 million graduates from upper middle school, which, added to the number of graduates from previous years, make for a pool of candidates for admission to college and university of about 2.8 million in any given year. In the last two years, in accordance with the state's planning, we have admitted about 700,000 new students to the general colleges and universities each year (which is approximately 3 percent of the total number of people of the same age in the country at large and about 20 percent of the graduates from upper middle schools for that year). To guarantee that the limited resources and funds that the state invests in higher education may take greater effect, we have to select the new students of the highest quality and qualifications to admit to the colleges and universities. At the same time, however, we also have to make it convenient for the broad masses of graduates from upper middle schools to take part in examinations locally and apply for admissions to all the appropriate colleges or universities in the country. Since 1952 we have begun to adopt a system whereby the questions for all general colleges/universities entrance examinations throughout the country are unified, and all colleges and universities are pledged to admit new students on the basis of competitive merit. Thus the plans of colleges and universities in terms of new student admission, the subjects of examination, the questions in the examinations, and the standard answers, as well as the scoring standards or criteria of evaluating results, are all formulated in a uniform way by the state, with the provinces (or autonomous regions or municipalities that are under the direct jurisdiction of the center) carrying out the work of printing the examinations, conducting or holding the examinations, evaluating scores and, finally, admissions. With the exception of a hiatus of twelve years' time during the period of the Cultural Revolution, this nationwide uniform examination system for college and university admission has been in place ever since, and has always been there to ensure, effectively, the quality of the new students being admitted to general colleges and universities, and to ensure the smooth and effective completion of the state's plans for college and university admissions. At the same time, to a certain extent, this system also promoted the enhancement of the quality of teaching and learning in the middle schools, by avoiding repetitive and redundant work and labor in the area of admissions examinations, saving large amounts of human, material, and financial resources.     

Referral,enrollment, and completion in developmental education sequences in community colleges

After being assessed, many students entering community colleges are referred to one or more levels of developmental education. While the need to assist students with weak academic skills is well known, little research has examined student progression through multiple levels of developmental education and into entry-level college courses. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the patterns and determinants of student progression through sequences of developmental education starting from initial referral. Our results indicate that fewer than one half of the students who are referred to remediation actually complete the entire sequence to which they are referred. About 30 percent of students referred to developmental education do not enroll in any remedial course, and only about 60 percent of referred students actually enroll in the remedial course to which they were referred. The results also show that more students exit their developmental sequences because they did not enroll in the first or a subsequent course than because they failed or withdrew from a course in which they were enrolled. We also show that men, older students, African American students, part-time students, and students in vocational programs are less likely to progress through their full remedial sequences.     

大学英语四级考试焦虑学生的甄别

在各高校尤其非重点的高等院校中,有一批深受英语四级考试焦虑困扰的学生,由于存在着严重的焦虑而非学习水平等其他因素,他们总是不能通过四级考试,这种焦虑情绪严重地妨碍着他们的英语以及其他科目的学习和身心健康。因此,为了有效地开展研究以及对这些学生进行辅导,研究对此类学生的甄别是必要的。     

Ghostwriters guaranteeing grades? The quality of online ghostwriting services available to tertiary students in Australia

Ghostwriting is difficult to detect, it has the potential to be high quality, and universities do not currently have adequate policies in place to police it. Determining the quality of the ghostwriting services available to tertiary students is of vital importance because underestimating the potential for students to use these services to pass their courses affects universities’ ability to detect their use and counteract their prevalence. This study examines the service being advertised to students by the 30 top-ranked ghostwriting websites. The study examines the quality of the service being offered by purchasing 2 essays from 13 of these businesses, 1 undergraduate and 1 postgraduate. These essays were graded by three academics who believed they were grading real student papers. The results of the study are alarming because they imply that had these essays been submitted to a university, the majority of them would have passed without any plagiarism detected.     

Learning Environment, Interaction, Sense of Belonging and Study Success in Ethnically Diverse Student Groups

The purpose of this paper was to investigate a model for describing the relationships between the extent to which learning environments are activating and students’ interaction with teachers and peers, sense of belonging, and study success. It was tested whether this model holds true for both ethnic minority students and ethnic majority students. A total of 523 students from four different universities completed a questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (Amos) was used to test the model. The model that best describes the relationships in the group of ethnic minority students (N = 145) was shown to be different than the model that best fits the group of majority students (N = 378). Ethnic minority students appeared to feel at home in their educational program if they had a good formal relationship with teachers and fellow students. Ethnic minority students’ sense of belonging to the institution nevertheless did not contribute to their study progress. On the other hand, in majority students, informal relationships with fellow students were what led to a sense of belonging. In these students, the sense of belonging did further academic progress.