The effect of a new prelaboratory procedure on students' achievement in chemistry

The primary purpose of this study was to develop an alternative model, the Prelaboratory Preparation Period (PLPP), to be used to introduce freshman level students to weekly laboratories and to evaluate student academic achievement as the result of attending the Prelaboratory Preparation Period. The sample was composed of 233 students taking introductory chemistry at Auburn University. The data were collected over a four quarter period of time. A posttest-only control group design with five experimental and three control groups was used to investigate the effect of the Prelaboratory Preparation Period. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to determine if significant differences existed between academic achievement of the experimental and control groups. Results of the analysis indicated that a significant difference (α = 0.05) in academic performance existed between the two groups. It was concluded that the Prelaboratory Preparation Period increased the academic achievement of students enrolled in an introductory chemistry course.     

“新生研讨课”——材料菁英人才的教育开篇

新生研讨课,一般是指由大学知名教授专门为大一新生开设的小班专题讨论课程。文章主要从课程的特殊性出发,让具有丰富专业背景的教授作为主讲,从材料专业视角介绍新生及课程的特殊性,解决好新生迈入大学后如何在知识体系、专业兴趣和信心、创新能力、道德修养和远大理想等方面有全方位的成长,为将来成为材料菁英人才打下良好基础。     

Everything Old is New Again: The Criminology/Criminal Justice Freshman Research Seminar

This is a report of an action-research project undertaken in tandem with the development of a new freshman seminar in criminology and criminal justice. In the freshman seminar the goal is to teach the research, critical thinking and writing skills that are the underpinnings of scholarship and good citizenship. Utilizing a unique approach, this class focuses on resources available through the University library and is taught by a professor, two librarians and a graduate teaching assistant. We hypothesize that freshmen who experience this seminar will show improvement in critical thinking skills, and that this will contribute to greater levels of academic success. This report describes the educational innovation (seminar) in sufficient detail to make replication possible, and presents preliminary findings that indicate the seminar enhances research and writing skills, fosters ability to think critically, and has a positive influence on students’ academic careers.     

重视大学新生教育的探索与实践——大学生学习指导课的发展与定位

产生于教学改革研究成果的中国计量学院一年级学生必修课（（大学生学习指导》,在10年的发展历程中坚持以学生的学习发展需要为课程内容建构的依据,不断进行课程建设与改革,在“帮助一年级学生从中学向大学平稳过渡,为他们学会学习以及人格成长提供支持”方面进行了长期的、有效的实践,深受学生欢迎。为高校寻找高等教育大众化阶段解决日益增加的大学生问题、提高高等教育人才培养质量的突破口提供了可行的范例。     

COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS' OPINIONS REGARDING THE VALUE OF THEIR FRESHMAN SEMINAR EXPERIENCE

Students enrolled in a community college freshman seminar course were interviewed to gather qualitative data on their opinions regarding the value of the course. Existing dissatisfaction among students, faculty, and administrators initiated this study . Data analysis revealed that randomly grouping students with wide - ranging levels of academic abilities and life experiences in a freshman seminar class had a number of drawbacks, as older adult learners differ greatly from younger student learners in aptitude, ability levels, maturity, and academic needs. The findings suggest that older adults need a different kind of freshman seminar course than the traditional first - year student, and that "gifted" older students might be used to provide "on - campus apprenticeships" for other first - year students.     

The impact of living group social climate on student academic performance

The relationship between living group social climate and freshman scholastic achievement was examined in 36 fraternity groups and 18 male residence hall groups. Certain aspects of a living group's social environment, as measured by the subscales of the University Residence Environment Scale (Moos and Gerst, 1974), were significantly correlated with the freshman members' level of achievement (after controlling for high school grades and college entrance exam scores). Among fraternity groups, freshman achievement was higher in groups that emphasizedacademic achievement and competition, and lower in groups that emphasizedstudent influence. Among residence hall groups, freshman achievement was lower in groups that emphasizedtraditional social orientation. The results suggest that student living groups can affect the academic performance of their freshman members.     

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.     

研究型大学新生研讨课开设效果初探——南京大学案例调查研究

近年来新生研讨课成为高校本科教学改革的亮点。本研究以南京大学2009-2010学年新生研讨课建设项目为对象,以准实验设计的方式对上课的新生进行了问卷调查与访谈。结果表明,新生研讨课受到学生的普遍欢迎。新生的进步主要表现在积极参与课堂讨论和同伴交往方面,但在学习方法、学科认知、自我认同方面进步较小。新生研究讨课同时减缓了新生入学后因为适应压力而导致的自我效能感下降,缩短了其适应的过程。鉴于研究型大学新生起点高,本研究建议,今后的新生研讨课教学应进一步加强学术性转换的指导,并通过对其他年级课程的教学改革,使新生研讨课的效果得到保持和延续。

Abstract：

This article focuses on the 2009-2010 freshman orientation courses at Nanjing University.Based on the quasi-experimental survey and interview data,the results show the orientation courses are very popular among freshman.College freshman show significant progresses in the class participation and the social activities,less in study methodology,major-recognition,and self-recognition.The orientation course make the freshman adjustment process shorter and relieve their adjustment stress.The study suggests that universities should open other related courses which could maintain the orientation courses effects.     

研究型大学新生研讨课教学互动模式探析——基于南京大学“媒介案例研究”课程的个案研究

新生研讨课在于帮助大学生加强自我认知、激发学习兴趣、建立同伴关系、参与大学等。而教学互动的本质在于教育主体间的交互作用,更利于实现高校新生研讨课目的和功能。以南京大学新闻传播学院杜骏飞教授的新生研讨课“媒介案例研究”为个案,主要运用问卷调查、访谈法和文本研究等研究方法对教学互动的现状进行了研究,从教学互动主体、互动时空和互动内容三个维度探索构建研究型大学新生研讨课的教学互动模式并加以诠释。     

Influences on students' perceptions of their personal development during the first three years of college

This study sought to determine whether students' perceptions of their personal growth are related to their college experiences after controlling for their precollege characteristics, whether the amount of reported development varies over the first three years of college, and whether the influences on students' perceived personal development vary from one year to another. Results indicate that students' self-reported personal development is unattributable to their precollege traits and is remarkably constant from the freshman through junior years. Differences between men and women in reported growth are, however, evident. The sources of influence on reported growth vary over the three years; the only common influence is informal contact with faculty.An earlier version of this paper was presented to the annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Toronto, May 1983.     

Decomposing ethnic differences in university academic achievement in New Zealand

We use individual-level administrative data to examine the extent and potential explanations for the relatively poorer academic performance of three ethnic minority groups in their first year of study at a New Zealand university. Substantial differences in course completion rates and letter grades are found for Māori, Pasifika, and Asian students relative to their European counterparts. These large and significant gaps persist in the face of alternative definitions of ethnicity and sample restrictions. We use regression analysis and formal decomposition techniques to test whether differences in other personal characteristics, high school backgrounds, and university enrollment patterns might account for these ethnic disparities in early academic achievement. We estimate that no more than one quarter of the relatively poorer performance of Māori and Pasifika students would be eliminated if they had the same relevant observable factors of European students. Substantial unexplained ethnic differences in early academic performance at university raise concerns about appropriate policies to close ethnic gaps in academic achievement at university.     

对高职新生学业指导的实践与思考——以北京城市学院现代职业学部为例

近年来,在校高职生中学业困难的人数比例呈上升趋势,这不仅是学生自身的问题,也显现出了院校对高职学生日常学业指导工作的滞后。中美两国的高校已经在学业指导方面开展了各种实践并积累了大量经验。结合这些经验,北京城市学院现代职业学部基于自身情况,开展了针对高职新生的学业指导探索,并建立了该校高职学生学业指导体系。     

大学教师学术职业发展的影响因素研究

大学教师是一种学术职业,学术晋升是大学教师学术能力得到学术共同体认可的重要标志。目前,学术界对于大学教师职业晋升的影响因素特别是个人因素方面的定量研究相对较少。利用T大学的教师晋升数据,运用定量分析的方法研究个人因素与制度因素如何影响大学教师的职业发展。研究发现:教师职业晋升速度存在性别、年龄、学科等方面的差异。     

Can Professional Studies Be Included in the Liberal Arts Curriculum?

This article discusses a business school professor's approach to teaching a University Seminar, the first course in the freshman year component of the liberal arts requirements at Seattle Pacific University. Drawing on Cardinal Newman's The Idea of a University (1873/1947), three theses shaped the design of the seminar. First, the seminar topic should be put in historical, social, and ethical perspective. Second, the Christian Scriptures should provide a set of control beliefs that can be used in moral and practical discernment about the social responsibilities of business. Third, the use of common texts can help in fostering broader social goals.     

Foundation degree learning: an educational journey of personal development

The foundation degree is an intermediate-level qualification designed to widen participation in higher education while providing work-related skills and knowledge. It has a vocational focus and a pedagogic approach that integrates academic and work-based learning. Research into opportunities and the process of learning within foundation degrees is limited, particularly that which looks in depth at personal development occurring within these courses. This study contributes to the literature in this area, reporting on the results of a case study of the foundation degree in medicines management (University of Portsmouth). A key finding of this work was that knowledge was gained within a community of practice, and led to students’ development as individuals. Motivation, learning to learn and guidance and feedback, alongside peer learning within the course, were central aspects of this process. The learning and personal development taking place resulted in increased awareness, confidence and empowerment in students, which was reported to influence their work and personal lives. However, the development of specialist work-related skills and knowledge was found to be limited, questioning the fitness for purpose of the course researched. While key aspects of the subject investigated have been described in this work, further research is needed to understand this complex phenomenon.     

Comparison of Two Methods of Studying History

This study examined the effects of team teaching on selected attitudes and achievement of ninth grade students in English and World History after 1 year. Seventy-four ninth grade students from a local school were randomly assigned to a team teaching treatment group while the remaining seventy-one members of the freshman class received traditional instruction in three separate classrooms. A teacher constructed test was employed to measure achievement in subject matter, and a personality inventory was used to measure changes in selected attitudes. The findings indicated that the team teaching approach did not appear to complement academic growth over traditional teaching methods but it did have a significant impact on student attitudes toward teachers, interest in subject matter, sense of personal freedom, and self-reliance.     

Correlates of Engineering Freshman Academic Performance

This paper reports empirical research which tested the validity of a theoretical model of the correlates of engineering freshman academic performance in an Irish context. The research examined the hypothesis that academic performance is related to both students' previous educational experience (input) and to their application to study (process) during the freshman year. The model explains 49% of the variance in such performance. It indicates that both input and process variables contribute to the explanation of differences in engineering freshman academic performance. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Enhancing critical thinking using team-based learning

This study examines students’ perceptions of the development of academic and critical thinking skills in college, with a specific focus on team-based learning (TBL), an active learning strategy designed to increase student interaction and engagement. Six hundred and fifty students in five different courses were surveyed at the beginning of the semester about the extent to which they felt the typical college course enhances various academic and critical thinking skills. These responses were compared to their responses after a semester of TBL regarding the extent to which the TBL environment enhanced these same skills. Students expressed significantly greater improvement in critical thinking skills in a TBL environment in comparison to typical courses for most of the skills assessed and greater improvement in all of these skills in comparison to lecture-based courses. These results held for every demographic subgroup examined, including males, females, freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors, as well as all levels of academic achievement as measured by grade point average.     

Reactions to College Withdrawal,

Problems in validly determining reasons for withdrawal from college are reviewed. This study examines the reasons given by several different subgroups of withdrawals, hopefully circumventing some of these problems. Questionnaires were sent to 1135 students (and to their parents) who had withdrawn from three liberal-arts colleges. Different subgroups of withdrawals reported quite different reasons for leaving. Academic dismissals reported more severe problems (both academic and personal) than did voluntary withdrawals (who ranked second) and transfers (who had fewest problems). Students who withdrew during a semester did so for very different reasons than did end-of-the-year withdrawals. Few differences were associated with class standing (i.e., freshman, sophomore, etc.) at the time of withdrawal. Implications of the results are briefly discussed.