The yin & yang of student learning in college

What are the obstacles to genuine and productive collaborations between academic and student affairs? Is it more than bureaucracy and organizational habits keeping these two groups apart? Elizabeth Blake says “Yes.” She explains why the first step both faculty and student affairs professionals should take in order to work together effectively is to know, and, indeed, to embrace their essential differences.     

Self-directed lifelong learning in hybrid learning configurations

Present-day students are expected to be lifelong learners throughout their working life. Higher education must therefore prepare students to self-direct their learning beyond formal education, in real-life working settings. This can be achieved in so-called hybrid learning configurations in which working and learning are integrated. In such a learning configuration, learning is typically trans-boundary in nature and embedded in ill-structured, authentic tasks. The goal of this study is to develop a set of design guidelines for an intervention that would strengthen students’ capacity for self-directed lifelong learning within a hybrid learning configuration, a one-semester elective course at a university of applied sciences in the Netherlands. The research approach was educational design research. An intervention was designed, implemented and evaluated during two iterations of the course. Evaluation methods included interviews with students and the course facilitator, questionnaires, and students’ logs and reports. We developed five intervention design guidelines that will promote self-directed learning. Our conclusion is that the intervention was usable and effective: at a basic level, the students did develop their capacity for self-directed lifelong learning. Further research is needed to investigate conditions for realizing higher levels of proficiency in self-directed lifelong learning throughout the curriculum and beyond.     

No Child Left Behind: Implications for college student learning

What does No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have to do with higher education? Turns out plenty, according to Teniell L. Trolian and Kristin S. Fouts. They argue that NCLB has signifcant consequences for college learners.     

论学习型组织视域下高校学生干部的共同愿景

共同愿景是学习型组织的重要元素,也是实现高校学生干部培养共同目标的关键,它为高校学生干部的成长成才提供持续不断的焦点和能量。本文在学习型组织的视域下研究高校学生干部培养达成共同愿景存在的问题,并针对问题提出了相应的解决对策,使师生在实现共同愿景中共同成长。     

Self-directed learning and guidance in non-formal open courses

Digital media and open educational resources (OER) are said to redraw the boundaries between learners and teachers, by weakening the centralization of expertise and the distribution of subject-matter authority. This paper presents the findings of an ethnographic study of how the use of OER mediates the relations between self-directed learners and facilitators in two online open courses offered at a non-formal educational organization. Findings highlight the different role played by OER in mediating the relations between learners and facilitators in the two courses. In one course, early-stage learners encountered difficulties in repurposing OER and needed help to move to a more advanced stage of conceptual understanding. In the other course, well-read participants used OER to develop an affinity space in which the facilitator was a fellow learner. The findings suggest that OER are better viewed as artifacts-in-interaction rather than resources to be delivered as they are to learners. Although facilitators at P2PU do not play the role of academic teachers, it is argued that the influence of OER on the facilitator role can have implications for that of the academic teachers as well.     

Self-directed learning readiness and performance in the workplace

Deep and rapid changes in a high-tech society exceed the ability of formal educational systems to respond to new learning needs. Therefore, the future of post secondary education will increasingly include emphases on self-directed learning skills and activities. Despite recognition of such a trend, knowledge of self-directed learning and self-directed learners is in its infancy.This study of self-directed learning and performance was designed to determine the relationship of self-directed learning readiness and performance in an occupational setting. Business, government and industry are expected to depend heavily upon self-directed learning in the future. Because of the increasingly close relationship between education and these sectors of the economy, educators should have a keen interest in this kind of research.The sample included 753 individuals selected from the population of a large American utility company: 421 were managers and 318 were non-managers; 14 subjects did not define their occupational status. Subjects provided information on their management level, sex, age, education, race, job performance rating, creativity required on their jobs, problem-solving ability needed in their jobs and degree of change in their work. Nine hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance.Selected conclusions are as follows: (a) outstanding performers in jobs requiring a very high level of creativity had significantly higher SDLRS scores than others; (b) outstanding performers in jobs requiring a very high degree of problem-solving skill had significantly higher SDLRS scores than others; and (c) individuals who have completed higher levels of education tend to have higher SDLRS scores.     

Self-directed learning characteristics: making learning personal,empowering and successful

Due to the speedy emergent investigation in self-directed learning (SDL) over the past 40 years, SDL is an education technique used progressively within tertiary institutions. SDL can be well-defined in terms of the amount of accountability the student accepts for his or her own learning. The self-directed students regarding learning take control and apply self-determination to learn what they view as imperative for themselves. The amount of control the students are keen to take over their own learning will depend on their assertiveness, aptitudes and personality characteristics. The article thus explores what individual features and characteristics can define the student who is involved in SDL; What capabilities and characteristics need to be grasped by the students who are involved in SDL? Therefore, the objective of the article was to identify characteristics of the self-directed learner in the context of teacher education. Based on our conclusion, it is clear that teacher-students should challenge themselves within this process of SDL development to participate in SDL opportunities. The characteristics of SDL teacher-students must be strengthened to promote their self-directedness with regard to learning and it is also the lecturer’s task to create a class atmosphere of SDl to inculcate and develop SDL characteristics in students.     

高校学生学风建设存在问题分析及策略研究

大学生学风建设是高等学校教学管理亟需解决的问题,决定着学校人才培养的质量和素质。针对今年来大学生学风下降的现象,通过调查问卷形式,从学生学习目标、动力、态度及学生课余生活等方面统计分析,对大学生学风建设存在的问题进行了深入探讨,提出了解决对策。研究结果将为科学有效进行学生管理,提高人才培养质量起到积极作用。     

Active learning not associated with student learning in a random sample of college biology courses

Previous research has suggested that adding active learning to traditional college science lectures substantially improves student learning. However, this research predominantly studied courses taught by science education researchers, who are likely to have exceptional teaching expertise. The present study investigated introductory biology courses randomly selected from a list of prominent colleges and universities to include instructors representing a broader population. We examined the relationship between active learning and student learning in the subject area of natural selection. We found no association between student learning gains and the use of active-learning instruction. Although active learning has the potential to substantially improve student learning, this research suggests that active learning, as used by typical college biology instructors, is not associated with greater learning gains. We contend that most instructors lack the rich and nuanced understanding of teaching and learning that science education researchers have developed. Therefore, active learning as designed and implemented by typical college biology instructors may superficially resemble active learning used by education researchers, but lacks the constructivist elements necessary for improving learning.     

Relationships between student perceptions of teaching behavior and learning outcomes in college biology

This study examined relationships between student perceptions of teaching behavior and learning outcomes in college biology. One-hundred one students who enrolled in an introductory college biology course reported the frequencies of 20 overt, in-class teaching behaviors exhibited by the instructor and rated the instructor on 12 measures of teaching effectiveness. Achievement tests were administered periodically throughout the two-semester time interval. A series of simple correlations between teaching behavior factors and both achievement and student ratings revealed a complex pattern of relationships. Moderately strong relationships were found between student perceptions of “information-transmitting” behaviors and achievement, while generally stronger relationships linked behavior factors with student ratings of teaching effectiveness.     

Equity in college physics student learning: A critical quantitative intersectionality investigation

We investigated the intersectional nature of race/racism and gender/sexism in broad scale inequities in physics student learning using a critical quantitative intersectionality. To provide transparency and create a nuanced picture of learning, we problematized the measurement of equity by using two competing operationalizations of equity: Equity of Individuality and Equality of Learning. These two models led to conflicting conclusions. The analyses used hierarchical linear models to examine student's conceptual learning as measured by gains in scores on research-based assessments administered as pretests and posttests. The data came from the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes' (LASSO) national database and included data from 13,857 students in 187 first-semester college physics courses. Findings showed differences in student gains across gender and race. Large gender differences existed for White and Hispanic students but not for Asian, Black, and Pacific Islander students. The models predicted larger gains for students in collaborative learning than in lecture-based courses. The Equity of Individuality operationalization indicated that collaborative instruction improved equity because all groups learned more with collaborative learning. The Equality of Learning operationalization indicated that collaborative instruction did not improve equity because differences between groups were unaffected. We discuss the implications of these mixed findings and identify areas for future research using critical quantitative perspectives in education research.     

The use of educational comics in learning anatomy among multiple student groups

Understanding basic human anatomy can be beneficial for all students, regardless of when, or if, they will later undertake a formal course in the subject. For students who are preparing to undertake a formal anatomy course, educational comics on basic anatomy can serve as a concise and approachable review of the material. For other students, these comics can serve as a helpful and fun introduction to the human body. The objective of the comics in this study was to promote an understanding of fundamental human anatomy through self‐learning among students. Based on the authors' previous teaching experience, these anatomy comics were produced in a simple, direct style. The comics were titled after the two main characters, “Anna” (a girl) and “Tommy” (a boy). These comics were then presented to groups of elementary school students, high school students, premedical students, and medical students to assess the comics' ability to enhance student interest and comprehension of basic anatomy. Quiz scores among high school students and premedical students were significantly higher among participants who read the educational comics, indicating a deeper comprehension of the subject. Among medical students, close reading of the comics was associated with improved course grades. These educational anatomy comics may be helpful tools to enrich a broad spectrum of different students in learning basic human anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 10: 79–86. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

Promoting college student development through collaborative learning: A case study of hevruta

Inger Bergom, Mary C. Wright, Marie Kendall Brown, and Michael Brooks describe an innovative academic approach to collaborative learning in a large lecture class.     

The effects of differential college environments on academic learning and student perceptions of cognitive development

It was the purpose of this study to assess the effects of differential college environments on academic learning and cognitive development by testing Pascarella's theoretical general causal model with longitudinal data from a national database on college students. Secondary analysis of longitudinal data from the 1986 Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) freshman survey and from the 1990 follow-up CIRP survey was conducted to formulate the five clusters of independent variables and two dependent variables as postulated by Pascarella. The final sample was composed of 2,165 students at four-year institutions. The data were analyzed using path analysis. Direct, indirect, and total effects of all variables are reported. Results of the path analyses partially supported Pascarella's theoretical causal model. Findings suggested that student precollege traits, the quality of student effort in academic pursuits during college, and interactions with faculty and peers are more salient influences on learning and student perceptions of cognitive development than institutional characteristics and institutional environment. Based on the findings of the present study, a refined causal model for college student academic and cognitive outcomes is proposed. Recommendations and implications for further study are given.     

Centralized college admissions and student composition

Education markets are increasingly switching to centralized admission systems. However, empirical evidence of the effects of these transitions is scarce. We examine the consequences of introducing centralized admissions in the higher education market in Brazil. Using detailed administrative data, we exploit the staggered adoption of a centralized clearinghouse across institutions to investigate the impacts on student composition. Consistent with lower application frictions and higher competition, we find that centralization is associated with a decline in the share of female students and an increase in the average age of students. We also document that institutions under the centralized assignment attract students from other locations and with higher test scores. We present suggestive evidence that centralization increases stratification of institutions by quality, widening the gap between low and high quality institutions.     

Expectations for college and student persistence

Tinto postulates that students enter college with expectations. If these expectations are unmet, there is early disenchantment with the social and academic communities. Such disenchantments hinder academic and social integration which, in turn, influence subsequent institutional and goal commitments and ultimately student departure. These formulations are tested in a multi-institutional study of 263 first-time freshmen who entered four-year colleges and universities. The findings indicate that both academic and social integration are positively influenced by the meeting of expectations for academic and career development. Social integration is positively influenced by expectations for opportunities for personal involvement, but negatively affected by expectations for a collegiate atmosphere. Indirect effects on intentions to remain in the focal college are indirectly influenced by collegiate atmosphere and academic and career development. Implications for enrollment management and the development of linkages between theories of college choice and student departure are drawn.An earlier version of this article was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta, GA, April 12–16, 1993.