University Students’ Knowledge Structures and Informal Reasoning on the Use of Genetically Modified Foods: Multidimensional Analyses

This study aims to provide insights into the role of learners’ knowledge structures about a socio-scientific issue (SSI) in their informal reasoning on the issue. A total of 42 non-science major university students’ knowledge structures and informal reasoning were assessed with multidimensional analyses. With both qualitative and quantitative analyses, this study revealed that those students with more extended and better-organized knowledge structures, as well as those who more frequently used higher-order information processing modes, were more oriented towards achieving a higher-level informal reasoning quality. The regression analyses further showed that the “richness” of the students’ knowledge structures explained 25 % of the variation in their rebuttal construction, an important indicator of reasoning quality, indicating the significance of the role of students’ sophisticated knowledge structure in SSI reasoning. Besides, this study also provides some initial evidence for the significant role of the “core” concept within one’s knowledge structure in one’s SSI reasoning. The findings in this study suggest that, in SSI-based instruction, science instructors should try to identify students’ core concepts within their prior knowledge regarding the SSI, and then they should try to guide students to construct and structure relevant concepts or ideas regarding the SSI based on their core concepts. Thus, students could obtain extended and well-organized knowledge structures, which would then help them achieve better learning transfer in dealing with SSIs.     

A study of teaching presence and student sense of learning community in fully online and web-enhanced college courses

This paper focuses on two components of a model for online teaching and learning—“teaching presence” and “community”. It is suggested that previous research points to the critical role that community plays in academic success and persistence in higher education. Through a review of recent literature it is proposed that teaching presence–viewed as the core roles of the online instructor–is a promising mechanism for developing learning community in online environments. This investigation presents a multi-institutional study of 1067 students across 32 different colleges that further substantiates this claim. An instrument to assess instructor teaching presence (“The Teaching Presence Scale”) is presented and validated. Factor and regression analysis indicate a significant link between students' sense of learning community and effective instructional design and “directed facilitation” on the part of course instructors, and highlights interesting differences between online and classroom environments. Alternative hypotheses regarding student demographics associated with variables such as age (the “net generation” effect) and gender are also examined. Despite recent assertions that younger students are or soon will be too sophisticated to “feel at home” in largely text-based asynchronous learning environments, no significant effects were found by demographic differences examined. Recommendations for online course design, pedagogy, and future research are included.     

Building and Application of the “Relay” Volunteer Teaching Model for Pre-service Teachers under “Internet Plus”

The educational practice of pre-service teachers is an essential part of teacher training. As an important form of educational practice, volunteer teaching can effectively improve the quality of teacher training and bridge the serving of basic education. Upon the literature review on existing volunteer teaching models, this paper develops a teaching community of teachers under “Internet Plus” and the prototype of a “relay” volunteer teaching model towards the integrated design of training undergraduate pre-teachers and improving the educational quality of small rural schools. The sound “relay” volunteer teaching model has been formed upon revisions around checking its completeness, optimizing its operability, and enhancing its stability using the design-based research paradigm according to the research path of “planning-application-reflection-improvement.” The practice has indicated positive effects of the new model in promoting the academic development of students in small rural schools, enhancing the classroom teaching competency of rural teachers, and improving the professionalism of pre-service teachers. The quality and efficiency of the new model can be improved through initiatives such as providing timely and efficient technical support, establishing a favorable and harmonious relationship between teachers and students, adopting guidance with double-qualified instructors for instant companionship, and implementing flexible incentives and restraints.     

The effect of students’ subject discipline on their m-learning application preferences

The effect of students’ subject discipline on their preferences toward m-learning applications was investigated by using a mixed-method research design. A questionnaire on students’ preferences of m-learning application features was used to collect data from 181 undergraduate students. One-way analysis of variance found a significant difference among perceptions of students from different subject disciplines related to the “collaboration” and “learning” features. Follow-up interviews were carried out to further investigate students’ perceptions. Content analysis revealed that “availability” and “ease of use” were the most preferred features, and “collaboration” and “entertaining” were the least preferred ones. Interview results related to universities’ readiness for m-learning were categorized into (i) universities’ infrastructures, (ii) instructors’ skills and (iii) students’ skills for m-learning. Students indicated their universities’ infrastructures as “moderately ready” for m-learning. They ranked their instructors’ skills as “low”. However, students assessed their own skills as “moderate” for utilizing m-learning in their respective universities.     

Socialization in the “virtual hallway”: Instant messaging in the asynchronous Web-based distance education classroom

This research reports the findings from a survey that examined the differences in communication between students who used instant messenger (IM) services and those who did not in the same asynchronous distance education Web-based course. It was found that students who used IM services found it easier to communicate, felt a stronger sense of community, and had more venues for informal and social communication about not only class material, but also information about the school and their common degree program. In traditional classroom buildings, the common spaces such as hallways provide the venue for this informal communication; IM services can enhance the distance education environment by providing the “virtual hallways” for students and instructors to meet.     

MINORITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER TO FOUR‐YEAR COLLEGES: A STUDY OF A MATCHED SAMPLE OF B.A. RECIPIENTS AND NON‐RECIPIENTS

In order to study the factors promoting and inhibiting transfer and the attainment of the bachelors degree, we conducted telephone interviews with 48 minority students who had received Ford Foundation Upper Division Scholarships between 1971 and 1975 and who had transferred from a two‐year to a four‐year college. Each of the 24 pairs consisted of one bachelors degree recipient and one non‐recipient who were matched according to the following criteria: gender, race/ethnicity, age, parents education and occupation and initial community college major. In high school, the bachelors degree recipients had stronger academic backgrounds than the non‐recipients. In community colleges, the bachelors degree recipients were more likely to see their instructors and counselors as “helpful” and to be members of a campus organization than non‐recipients. In four‐year colleges, the bachelors degree recipients were less likely to have lost credits when they transferred and more likely to belong to student organizations and to see their classmates as “helpful” than non‐recipients. We relate these findings to previous research on the importance of social integration into college life.

     

Widening participation in higher education: constructions of “going to university”

Progress towards the British Government’s goal of 50% of young people undertaking higher education has been slow, particularly among pupils from working‐class backgrounds.

This study examines the range of viewpoints held by 53 Year 12 pupils in a former coalfield area, all of whom were eligible to apply for university. Each completed a Q‐sort on 60 statements concerning “going to university”. By‐person factor analysis yielded five viewpoints termed “positive”, “put off”, “perplexed”, “pragmatic” and “other plans”. Detailed analysis of these viewpoints provides new insights and practical implications for raising educational aspirations in disadvantaged areas.     

Field Instruction and the Mature Student

Abstract

As increasing numbers of mature students enter schools of social work, it is a challenge and an obligation for field instructors to discover ways to recruit and sustain them in the educational endeavor. Building upon three theoretical perspectives-Freire's pedagogy of the oppressed, Knowles's andragogy, and Schon's reflective learning and teaching, this paper highlights ways in which field instructors can build upon the strengths of mature students to enhance their development as professional social workers. It discusses “parallel process”, “learning styles”, and “contracting” as proactive strategies to fully engage mature students in attaining a graduate degree.     

Cultural diversity and the imagined community of the global academy

Transnational academic mobility and the ongoing push towards “internationalization” together raise challenges for the cultural climate of today's universities. This paper explores these issues from the perspective of supervisors of research degrees in an Australian university in which “internationalization” and “academic mobility” apply to supervisors as much as to students. The concepts of the imagined community and cosmopolitanism are employed to interpret a series of one-on-one and group interviews conducted with international academic staff, conversations which reported surprisingly untroubled negotiation of cultural difference. Using the insights provided by the concepts of “imagined community” and “cosmopolitanism”, we investigate the mechanisms mobilized by these supervisors in apparently backgrounding cultural diversity in the workplace, and consider the implications of the academic subjectivities they perform.     

Teaching Lean Principles in Nonmanufacturing Settings Using a Computer Equipment Order Quotation Administrative Process

As organizations continue to expand their implementation of Lean practices, business schools and corporate training organizations have developed numerous games and simulations aimed at teaching Lean concepts in manufacturing settings. However, simulations have lagged behind the most recent adaptations of Lean outside of the factory in services, and more specifically, in office settings. In this article, we present a Lean simulation game, referred to as “Computer Solutions, Inc.” that provides participants with hands‐on experience in applying Lean principles in a nonmanufacturing setting. The simulation takes place in the order‐quote department at “Computer Solutions, Inc.,” a company that specializes in designing customized computer solutions for small businesses. The order‐quote process is purely office‐based and involves such activities as collecting information, processing information, filling out documents, and forwarding those documents to different parts of the organization. This simulation is implemented as a “pencil‐and‐paper” exercise that can be performed by students in the classroom. Our simulation brings some unique benefits that are often missing from current Lean manufacturing‐based simulations. It involves multiple rounds of Lean improvements that can span several weeks, providing students a chance to identify wastes and to make a thoughtful application of Lean tools and techniques. Students also get to experience the challenges of group dynamics that are often present in team‐based improvement efforts.     

The “Write” Stuff: Simple Techniques Designed to Teach Students How to Avoid Plagiarism

Presently, plagiarism is a serious problem in academics. Research has shown that the number of students who commit some form of plagiarism has increased in recent years. Studies have also shown that students commit plagiarism for a variety of reasons, including ignorance about what constitutes plagiarism, waiting until the last minute to complete an assignment, and a desire to get good grades. Regardless of the reason, students who commit plagiarism face a variety of sanctions ranging from a “slap on the wrist” to expulsion from school. Because of the potential long‐term ramifications of committing plagiarism, it is essential that educators understand why students commit plagiarism and learn ways to teach students how to avoid it. This paper presents a workshop designed to teach students how to avoid committing it and offers a variety of ways in which this material can be incorporated into a program’s existing curriculum.     

A Comparison of the Degree of Student Satisfaction using a Simulation or a Traditional Wet Lab to Teach Physical Properties of Ice

It is often difficult to offer food chemistry students traditional, hands‐on laboratory experiences due to lack of funds for equipment, insufficient laboratory space, or the nature of distance education. A traditional wet laboratory exercise was developed to demonstrate the effects of the physical properties of ice formation when making high‐quality sorbets, varying the amounts of sugar, water, and stabilizer. This wet lab was compared to a simulated, detective‐based crime scene investigation (CSI) of why a famous food scientist's sorbet had become a “stiff.” Forty‐six food chemistry students were randomly assigned to groups, completing either the traditional wet lab or the simulated lab 1st before completing the 2nd type of laboratory. While there were preferences for one lab over another, there were no differences in the learning outcomes between the 2 laboratory formats. Students who preferred the simulated lab felt they could move at their own pace and were able to stop and review the simulation to understand the concepts more clearly. Traditional wet lab proponents liked working in groups and having immediate access to instructors. From the initial evaluation it appears that simulations could be used as replacements for hands‐on laboratory experiences or could serve as effective introductions to laboratory principles and concepts, resulting in increased student learning.     

Assimilation in Online Course Design

As online education continues to grow, instructors from traditional classrooms are being asked to design online courses. In this study, data from interviews with thirty-three public four-year college and university instructors, who had experience designing online courses, were used to understand the instructor’s perspective on online course design. Using grounded theory, data were analyzed, sorted, and coded to uncover the strategies instructors use to design online courses. Results revealed instructors adapt to the online environment by using strategies to mimic elements of face-to-face courses: in essence, adaption comes through assimilation. Instructors expressed interest in helping students navigate online to encourage active participation in courses. They described using technology and learning management system (LMS) features (e.g., videos, discussion forums) to “hear” and “see” students, as a way to increase interaction and presence, familiar elements from face-to-face education. They spoke of creating authentic assignments to increase student engagement. The implications of this study include effective design and instructional strategies for online courses, as well as understanding the motivation of instructors who design online courses. The study results are relevant to a broad audience including online instructors, instructional designers, LMS organizations, and administrators.     

The Procedurally Directive Approach to Teaching Controversial Issues

Recent articles on teaching controversial topics in schools have employed Michael Hand's distinction between “directive teaching,” in which teachers attempt to persuade students of correct positions on topics that are not rationally controversial, and “nondirective teaching,” in which teachers avoid persuading students on topics that are rationally controversial. However, the four methods of directive teaching discussed in the literature — explicit directive teaching, “steering,” “soft‐directive teaching,” and “school ethos endorsement” — make rational persuasion problematic, if not self‐defeating. In this essay, Maughn Rollins Gregory argues that “procedurally directive teaching” offers an alternative to such approaches because it derives from the intention to guide inquiry rather than to persuade. He demonstrates that the conceptual frameworks of perfectionism and antiperfectionism, which have been proposed for directive teaching on same‐sex marriage, can instead be used to generate open questions for student inquiry, as can a third, civil rights framework. Given these considerations, Gregory maintains that pedagogical guidance on this topic should be procedurally directive rather than substantively directive. Further, the fact that legal, political, and ethics scholars disagree about which framework is more appropriate to the issue of same‐sex marriage indicates that such arguments cannot be dispositive of the pedagogical issue of how to frame classroom discussions about it. Rather, students should inquire into this meta‐level framing dispute for themselves.     

Characteristics of effective exams—Development and validation of an instrument for evaluating written exams

Students’ feedback is common in teaching evaluation, but there is no documented instrument enabling instructors to systematically gather relevant student feedback on written exams in higher education. Three studies are described to develop a valid instrument for evaluating written exams. Study 1 analyzes characteristics of effective written exams from the perspective of students and instructors, using qualitative content-analysis. This informs study 2, which analyzes and revises the structure of a questionnaire via exploratory factor analysis. In study 3, confirmatory factor analysis and cross-validation are conducted to confirm the structure found in study 2. Central factors are “Transparency”, “Composition of the exam” and “Students’ workload”. Students’ feedback as assessed by this questionnaire provides reliable feedback to improve the quality of exams.     

Expeditionary Learning in Information Systems: Definition,Implementation, and Assessment

In the natural sciences, collecting, cataloguing, and comparing living specimens have long been a popular, collaborative mode of discovery and learning. New species are discovered, and the relationships between species are theorized. From Aristotle's “History of Animals” to Darwin's “On the Origin of Species”, and beyond, this process of learning through expedition has yielded bountiful knowledge and insights to students of science. In this paper, we propose that expeditionary learning can be applied to a softer science: the field of information systems. In the field of information systems, specimens (information systems) are created by humans, evolving with great speed. Expeditionary learning—where students collaboratively discover, catalog, and compare rapidly evolving information system specimens—is an innovative approach for learners in the IS field, and is effective in increasing IS program visibility and delivering significant, measurable community impact. Our results indicate that learning by expedition has a strong, positive community impact through educating external learners (such as high school and community college students, and the general public), and compares favorably to conventional experiential and service learning styles. Though expeditionary learning does not yield improved course evaluations, we demonstrate that learners’ perceived self‐knowledge and intentions to pursue the subject area are improved.     

Hybrid E‐Learning Acceptance Model: Learner Perceptions

E‐learning tools and technologies have been used to supplement conventional courses in higher education institutions creating a “hybrid” e‐learning module that aims to enhance the learning experiences of students. Few studies have addressed the acceptance of hybrid e‐learning by learners and the factors affecting the learners’ satisfaction with these tools. This study assesses hybrid e‐learning acceptance by learners using three critical success factors: instructor characteristics, information technology infrastructure, and organizational and technical support. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine and validate the hypothesized relationships among the three factors and their effects on learners’ acceptance of hybrid e‐learning. A total of 538 usable responses from university students were used to validate the proposed research model. The influence of the three factors on learners’ decision to accept hybrid e‐learning was empirically examined. The results show that all three factors significantly and directly impacted the learners’ acceptance of hybrid e‐learning courses. Information technology infrastructure and organizational support were proven to be key determinants of the instructor characteristics as a critical success factor of hybrid e‐learning acceptance by learners. Implications of this work for higher education institutions, researchers, and instructors are described.     

Transgender Issues in Counselor Preparation

The emergent consciousness and political activism emanating from the transgender community have important implications for counselor education. Treatment issues are no longer exclusively centered on aiding “gender dysphoric” individuals to assume either a “male” or “female” gender but rather on exploring alternative gender identifications and options. Counselor educators and supervisors need to model for their students a “trans‐positive” approach to counseling that affirms and celebrates individuals with nontraditional gender identities.     

Emotions,Transformation, and Redemption: Dirkx's “Soul Work” in Christian Higher Education

Institutions of Christian higher education are charged with helping students steward their current callings and prepare for future callings (Plantinga, 2002). Subjective knowledge, or knowledge of self, plays an important role in this sort of vocational discernment. John Dirkx's “soul work” can help educators lead their students to a deeper understanding of themselves. Soul work does not require additional course content but rather heightened attentiveness to the emotional reactions of students as they engage both course material and their colleagues in a learning environment. This article introduces faculty in Christian higher education to soul work and equips them to apply relevant concepts to their pedagogy.