Perceived learning,critical elements and lasting impacts on university-based wilderness educational expeditions

This study examined participants’ perceptions of learning, critical elements, and lasting impacts of their wilderness expeditions. Fifty-seven students, who completed a for-credit wilderness canoe expedition between 1993 and 2007 at the Augustana Campus, University of Alberta, participated in the investigation. Perceived learning most commonly related to nature and place appreciation, outdoor skills, group living, and self-awareness. Critical elements for learning were the experiential approach, group living, and nature and place immersion. In terms of lasting impacts of the expedition, perceived learning had changed since the expedition for 88% of students, especially in the areas of self-awareness, group living, and greater appreciation of the experience, due to reflection and the passage of time. Furthermore, the expedition had a lasting impact on students’ personal and professional lives, especially related to life experience, nature appreciation, confidence, and skill development. The findings support the notion that wilderness educational expeditions can provide significant and long-lasting learning (uniquely in the area of nature and place appreciation). Finally, because of the nature of educational expeditions, they lend themselves to the implementation of sound experiential pedagogical practices that promote active, engaged, and relevant learning.     

从乡村到乡土的嬗变——郝杰乡土电影的美学特征

郝杰导演的电影《光棍儿》以冷静、客观的现实主义风格为我们展示了原生态的西北乡村世界,表达了对偏远山区中存在的光棍儿这一社会群体的人文思考。浪漫主义色彩浓厚的《美姐》以爱情为主线,大量穿插二人台这一地方戏曲片段,勾画出了当代乡土电影的淳厚和质朴之美。郝杰在乡土电影中另辟蹊径地展示了当代农村爱与性的问题,为华语电影提供了新的创作视角。     

Being First in Family: motivations and metaphors

First in Family (FiF) is an under-recognised equity grouping which may encompass low-SES, mature-aged, regional and remote, and Indigenous students. FiF tertiary students are more likely to be in a position of educational disadvantage over students who have other family members available to share the experience of university life and discuss aspirations. Building on previous research, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 FiF university students from a range of disciplines across three South Australian institutions. We analysed the interview data based on themes derived through readings of FiF literature, adding new ones as they emerged as part of the process of analysis. In this paper, we specifically focus on the interview responses which included metaphors or analogies. Metaphors provide a conceptual framework for thinking about a particular problem and drawing comparisons between unlike situations. Our experience as educators told us that students often subtly and unintentionally utilise metaphors when articulating lived experiences. We both specifically asked the FiF students to identify a metaphor that reflected their experience of being at university and also considered their use of metaphors in response to other questions. In exploring these metaphors, we have gained insight into students’ day-to-day experience of attending university and have gained information about their motivations and their struggles. When considered by university staff and policy-makers, this information could be used to guide the development of strategies that may help future FiF students.     

Adaptation of an anatomy graduate course in ultrasound imaging from in-person to live,remote instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic

Health concerns during the Covid-19 pandemic required the adaptation of a lecture-laboratory course in ultrasound imaging for graduate students from an in-person to a live, remote learning format. The adaptation of in-person lectures to live, remote delivery was achieved by using videoconferencing. The adaptation of in-person laboratory sessions to live, remote instruction was achieved in the first half of the course by providing a hand-held ultrasound instrument to each student who performed self-scanning at their remote locations, while the instructor provided live instruction using videoconferencing. In the second half of the course, the students transitioned to using cart-based, hospital-type instruments and self-scanning in the ultrasound laboratory on campus. The aim of this study was to measure the success of this adaptation to the course by comparing assessment scores of students in the live, remote course with assessment scores of students in the in-person course offered in the previous year. There were no statistically significant differences in the assessment scores of students in the two courses. The adaptation of a course in ultrasound imaging from an in-person to a live, remote learning format during the Covid-19 pandemic described here suggests that contrary to the prevailing view, ultrasound imaging can be taught to students without in-person instruction. The adapted course can serve as a model for teaching ultrasound where instructors and learners are physically separated by constraints other than health concerns during a pandemic.     

让自闭症儿童走出自闭——从教育心理学角度解析《自闭历程》

《自闭历程》是一部优秀的励志影片,描述了一位自闭症患者坚忍不拔,取得成功的传奇经历。这部电影是基于人道屠宰场设计师和自闭症的作家天宝·葛兰汀的自传改编而成。在影片中,重点讲述了Temple的成长经历,经历了医生诊断为自闭症,母亲的家庭教育,寄宿式学校生活,大学的经历,硕士、博士学位的攻读,最终成为一名优秀的畜牧业专家。在其成长过程中,对她产生重要影响的人物有母亲,科学老师Carlock以及她惟一的朋友;在自闭症儿童的教育干预的过程中,师生关系,父母的教养方式,同伴关系成为影响其发展重要的关键因素。     

Teaching at the border of despair and hope: supporting the education of non‐traditional working class student teachers

This study focuses on a group of working class adult students' experiences and reactions to their encounters during a foundational series of university courses required of all preprofessional education students. It finds that sharing stressful events and personal information during analytical discussions led to the development of a collegial learning community and added to participants' respect for difference and diversity. The study also finds that these non‐traditional undergraduates viewed their own academic learning experience, as well as their role as college students, through a standpoint of struggle and distress. However, their future professional goal, being a teacher, was defined from an opposite point of view. Education and learning as a profession was viewed as a liberating experience, a way out of poverty and other stressful conditions. The dissonance between these two perspectives is explored from a variety of theoretical perspectives and the discussion ends with a call for more inclusive and flexible university programs that support working class and non‐traditional students' perspectives and needs.     

Getting real: the authenticity of remote labs and simulations for science learning

Teachers use remote labs and simulations to augment or even replace hands-on science learning. We compared undergraduate students’ experiences with a remote lab and a simulation to investigate beliefs about and learning from the interactions. Although learning occurred in both groups, students were more deeply engaged while performing the remote lab. Remote lab users felt and behaved as though they completed a real scientific experiment. We also examined whether realistic visualizations improved the psychological and learning experiences for each lab. Students who watched live video of the device collecting their data in the remote lab felt most engaged with the task, suggesting that it is the combination of the realistic lab and realistic video that was of the greatest benefit.     

Understanding effects of COVID-19 on undergraduate academic stress,motivation and coping over time

The rapid and unprecedented shift from face-to-face instruction to remote online learning as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on teaching and learning in Higher Education: students had to adapt to a new way of learning, away from typical campus settings and their peers, and to new forms of assessments. This study examined academic stress, learning strategies, motivation and ways of coping from a sample of 177 unique students from a large London university, collecting primary data via survey at three time points during the academic year 2020/21 when teaching was remote and online only. Our findings show how patterns in academic stress, learning strategies, motivation and coping vary over the course of the academic year giving novel insight into how student learning and adaptation to the situation changed over time. We also report on differences in these patterns according to year group and for those students who are the first-in-family to attend university and those who are not. Based on these findings we identify priority areas where higher education institutions should support undergraduate students and provide evidence that some groups of students may need more and targeted support to secure their ongoing learning and well-being.     

Understanding student engagement with research: a study of pre-service teachers’ research perceptions,research experience,and motivation

This study reports on findings from a research project that investigated the extent to which pre-service teachers at a major metropolitan Australian university engage with research, and the factors that influence their level of engagement or disengagement. Results from survey responses (n = 235) and focus group interviews suggest that attitudes towards research are more positive among pre-service teachers who possess research experience and those who are intrinsically motivated with respect to their university studies. The article discusses the implications of these results for the effective organisation and promotion of research activities for pre-service teachers.     

Students as Virtual Scientists: An exploration of students' and teachers' perceived realness of a remote electron microscopy investigation

Remote access technologies enable students to investigate science by utilizing scientific tools and communicating in real-time with scientists and researchers with only a computer and an Internet connection. Very little is known about student perceptions of how real remote investigations are and how immersed the students are in the experience. This study, conducted with high school students and their teachers, explored the impact of students' perception of ownership and virtual presence during a remote investigation using a scanning electron microscope. Students were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: students able to select their own insect to use during the remote investigation, and students that did not select their own insects to view during the remote investigation. The results of this study showed that students in the experimental group who had choice and ownership of their insect reported being more present (less distracted) during the remote investigation than students in the control group, whereas students in the control group reported controlling the technology was easier than the experimental group. Students indicated the remote investigation was very real; however, the teachers of these students were less likely to describe the investigation as being real. The results of this study have practical implications for designing remote learning environments.     

Students' Perceptions of and Satisfaction with Group Grades and the Group Experience in the College Classroom

The group approach to learning is widely accepted by higher education researchers as an effective teaching and learning tool. While there are numerous instructional, learning and social communication advantages for both students and teachers using group projects in the college classroom, a need exists for a better understanding of group projects from the student's perspective. The purpose of this investigation was to measure students' perceptions of group grades and group satisfaction on group projects in the college classroom. A cohort of 230 students from a large southern metropolitan university enrolled in sections of Group Interaction and Decision Making and Conflict Management classes participated in this study. The major findings of this study revealed that: (i) the less group grade experience that a student has, the more likely they are to agree that everyone in the group deserves the same group grade; (ii) students who work part-time are more likely to think that a group grade is a fair assessment of their contributions than students who work full-time; (iii) older students are more likely to be dissatisfied with a group grade experience than middle and younger age students. It is recommended that this study be extended to include comparison groups, graduate students and other disciplines.     

Changes in aspects of students' self-reported personal,social and technical skills during a six-week wilderness expedition in Arctic Greenland

Abstract

This investigation focuses on students' self-reported changes in personal, social and technical skills that took place during a six-week long expedition to East Greenland. A 105-item pre-and post-expedition questionnaire was completed by 60 young expeditioners aged 16 to 20. Before the expedition participants generally felt that they had high levels of skills and were well prepared for the expedition. Of the 49 items in the 105-item questionnaire which related to participants' personal, social and technical skills, 22 showed statistically significant differences from those expected by chance when tested using the chi-square test. In terms of their personal skills, participants self-reported statistically significant changes (p < 0.05) in their ability to avoid depression, avoid loneliness, set priorities, achieve goals, solve problems efficiently, cope with constant cold, enjoy isolation, manage time efficiently, maintain physical fitness, be enthusiastic, demonstrate confidence and set goals. In terms of social skills participants self-reported statistically significant changes (p < 0.05) in their ability to control their emotions, motivate others, organise others, live in crowded circumstances, lead through consultation with others and maintain personal hygiene. In terms of technical skills participants self-reported statistically significant changes (p = 0.05 or smaller) in their ability to prepare dehydrated food, tie on and use ropes in glacier travel, use crampons and take charge of rescuing a member of their party from a crevasse. These items indicate that participants learned about survival and general skills associated with expeditions as a result of experiencing the expedition.

This analysis of self-reported changes in items relating to expedition participants' personal, social and technical skills shows that participants have rated themselves more highly at the end of the expedition in a range of useful social/leadership skills and personality traits. The question of whether these same skills and traits could be transferable to higher education, employment and life in future is raised as a futher area for research. The improved technical skills reported will be useful if the participants undertake further expeditions to similar wilderness areas in future, perhaps as leaders. The potential of the findings of this study for training future leaders on expeditions is considered. Findings from this study may also be worthy of consideration by companies and organisations involved in personal development and training programmes.     

Students' perceptions of fairness in peer assessment: evidence from a problem-based learning course

This paper describes the experience of peer assessment in a problem-based learning course in a Portuguese university, and presents the results of a survey of 120 students who attended the course over seven semesters. Cluster analysis revealed that students group into two distinct clusters with significantly different experiences of peer assessment. Although the larger cluster (70%) expressed a positive experience, the other group perceived peer assessment results and final marks to be unfair, and reported incidents of friendship-marking and conflict arising from peer assessment. Results show that perceptions of fairness (both regarding peer assessment and final marks) are very much associated with those problems. We reflect on these findings to explore implications for practice as well as future research.     

Lifelong learning from natural disasters: transformative group-based learning at Philippine universities

This study explores reflective experience during transformative, group-based learning among university leaders following a natural disaster such as a typhoon in two Philippine universities. Natural disasters are recurrent phenomena in many parts of the world, but the literature largely ignores their impact on lifelong human learning, for instance regarding preparing the university setting for future natural disasters. The study used interviews and document analysis, drawing on a body of interrelated works in transformative learning theory, critical educational theory and conceptions about group processes and reflective practice to understand university leaders’ lifelong learning from natural disasters as experiential, transformative, reflective and group oriented. The findings document that university leaders’ reflective, transformative learning depends on individuals’ experience of natural disasters as disorienting dilemmas, and that reflection is facilitated by decisive group dynamics rather than only personal reflection. Facilitating a learning space for transformative, reflective learning in university settings might assist university leaders to enhance disaster risk preparedness, for instance through local policy change.     

Design Education without Borders: How Students Can Engage with a Socially Conscious Pedagogy as Global Citizens

This study examines the student experience of a third sector graphic design project in an international context. Inspired by a humanist and socially conscious perspective that was originally set out by Ken Garland's ‘First Things First’ manifesto in 1964, the project developed into a collaborative learning experience for African and European students. The aim of this project was to develop student global citizenship and mobility through a cultural learning experience in a very different environment with challenging resources and social conditions. Using student interviews and evidence from their reflective journals, this article analyses how UK design students participated and negotiated the implementation of live projects in an African context, specifically Mozambique. It also examines the wider impact on the cohort of students and friends who did not travel to Africa but followed the experience online. Risk taking, experimentation and an appetite for enquiry are attributes that students are encouraged to develop, but they can equally apply to teachers and lecturers as they develop their curricula. Within the framework of university learning, teaching and assessment strategies space can be found for design educators to look beyond corporate and conventional consumer outlets to a more socially conscious and community focus without borders.     

Teaching students about plagiarism using a web-based module

The following research delivered a web-based module about plagiarism and paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism in both a blended method, with live instruction paired with web presentation for 105 students, and a separate web-only method for 22 other students. Participants were graduates and undergraduates preparing to become teachers, the majority of whom were pursuing certification in elementary education. After the module, students practised paraphrasing with their own written example, then took a Likert-scale survey about their perceptions of the module and provided demographic information. The majority of students expressed a high level of satisfaction with not only the module itself but also their own increased knowledge about paraphrasing and plagiarism. Graduate students and students in the live group felt that pairing an instructor with the module furthered their understanding of paraphrasing. Students who identified themselves as having cheated felt that they had better learned how to paraphrase from the module compared with students who reported themselves as never having cheated. Responses from the web group were low considering the amount of students invited to participate. Students in the live group who had instructor-led discussion felt it contributed to their understanding of paraphrasing, while students in the web group wished for more instructor-led interaction. Outcomes on the student-written paraphrase were weaker than anticipated, with only half of the group producing good or excellent paraphrases.     

THE DISSEMINATION OF A UNIVERSITY FIELD PLACEMENT PROGRAM: IMPACT ON RECRUITMENT,SATISFACTION AND EFFECTIVENESS

Community college field placements often reflect a “vocational education” approach to outside‐the‐classroom learning, attempting to train students in specific skills and prerequisites for predetermined job slots. In the human services area, however, this may not be the most advantageous approach to producing innovative workers who will generate creative solutions to persistent and serious social problems. This study examined the impact of utilizing one popular university approach to field learning‐experiential learning coupled with social change agentry—with community college students. A criterion‐group field experiment was conducted, looking at paper‐and‐pencil measures, interviews, and archival data. It was found that the community college students were as willing to participate, were equally satisfied with the experience, and were as effective with their assigned cases as were the university students in this rigorous and demanding field placement. Community college administrators who are seeking to broaden their human service field settings should also consider successful university models of experiential learning as alternatives.     

"教育研究概论"课程改革的生活体验研究

大学生的学习活动并非只是听课、读书、考试和拿文凭,更重要的是经历一种严格的学术训练。这种学术活动的生活体验是其学术成长的难忘记忆。本研究选取大学生学术生活体验的视角,考察“教育研究概论”课程改革给大学生学术生活带来的深刻影响,真实呈现大学生个体在其学术成长中的心路历程。这其中也蕴含着我们理解当代大学生学术成长的出发点。     

University academics’ experience of research and its relationship to their experience of teaching

There has been a growing research debate over the relations between university teaching and research. This paper contributes to that debate by describing the variation in the way university academics’ experience research, then linking that empirical evidence with previous work to explicate the relations between variation in research, teaching, and understanding of the subject matter being taught. Previous investigations have shown that conceptual change/student-focussed approaches to teaching are associated with clear articulation of the important aspects of the subject matter being taught, how those aspects relate to each other, and how the teacher situates their understanding of the subject matter in the field as a whole. However, teachers who were unable to explain their understanding of their subject matter in these ways were more likely to experience their teaching as a process of information transfer from a teacher-focussed perspective. Since the characteristics of the first type of understanding subject matter resemble processes underlying the experience of active researchers, these findings seemed to justify a more intensive search for evidence of the link between effective university teaching and research. Interviews have been conducted with 37 university teachers who had strong publication and grant success records and who were teaching and researching in similar topic areas. They represent a range of disciplines and universities, and from both the UK and Australia. The study methods and results are described and we conclude that qualitative variation in the experience of research is related (a) moderately to experience of teaching and (b) strongly to experience of understanding the subject matter.

Gender and higher education in different national spaces: Female Palestinian students attending Israeli and Jordanian universities

This study examines the higher education experience among Palestinian Arab females in two national spaces and seeks to determine whether studying at an Arab institution of higher learning in a nearby Arab country can alleviate the emotional and economic difficulties that affect Palestinian women at Israeli universities. What can institutions of higher learning in Israel learn or derive from the proposed model to relieve the alienation and exclusion that their female Palestinian students experience? The study will compare two geographically distinct groups of women students. The first is a group of Palestinian women who attend university in Jordan, while the second consists of Palestinian women of Bedouin origin from southern Israel who study in the Jewish Israeli cultural space. The study seeks to shed light on the experience of Muslim students in Western and Muslim universities.