The Development of a Discussion Rubric for Online Courses: Standardizing Expectations of Graduate Students in Online Scholarly Discussions

This paper reports on the design and evaluation of a rubric for assessing discussions in online graduate level education courses. The aims of the research were twofold. The first goal was to develop a discussion rubric that provides guidance to graduate students participating in online courses that are heavily discussion based. The second goal was to evaluate the efficacy of the rubric in student comfort with the expectations for the course and the quality of the discussions. Qualitative and quantitative course evaluations from four sections of an online graduate course are utilized to report on the effectiveness of the rubric upon implementation. Student average grades also show a statistically significant increase with the implementation of the rubric.     

The Hit & Turn Tennis Test: an acoustically controlled endurance test for tennis players

This study was conducted to validate and evaluate the "Hit & Turn Tennis Test", an acoustically progressive on-court endurance test for tennis players. Ninety-eight competitive tennis players (53 males, 45 females) of different age groups participated in the study. For validation, the adult male players completed three Hit & Turn tests, one on a clay court and two on a carpet surface, a tennis-specific ball machine test and an incremental treadmill run in a randomized order. A stronger correlation between maximal performance (r = 0.81, P < 0.01) and maximal oxygen uptake (r = 0.96, P < 0.01) was observed between the Hit & Turn test and the ball machine test, than between the Hit & Turn test and the treadmill test. For test-retest, we found a significant correlation between maximal performance on the same (r = 0.83, P < 0.01) and on different surfaces (r = 0.74, P < 0.01). During test evaluation, maximal performance was higher in males than in females (P < 0.01) and increased by consecutive age group in boys (P < 0.01) but not in girls (P = 0.97). In conclusion, Hit & Turn maximum test performance can be recommended as a valid and reliable indicator for tennis-specific endurance.     

The Minor Seminarian

Academic achievement was not found to be associated with social class position for freshmen minor (high school) seminarians. Even so it is suggested that there are factors related with academic achievement that are class linked. Such factors as intelligence, ethnicity, national cultural origin, and even psycho-social attitudes deserve further consideration. It is further suggested that the operational extension of academic achievement to student grades may be deceptively simplistic. What is needed to be known are the conditions under which academic achievement becomes operative. The class structure of a minor seminary not only tells the probable community from which prospective candidates were drawn– upper, middle, or lower class– it also may give insights into the nature of hypothesized relationships. Understanding of the whole educational process leading to religious careers awaits future research.     

Recreating blood-brain barrier physiology and structure on chip: A novel neurovascular microfluidic bioreactor

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical structure that serves as the gatekeeper between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. It is the responsibility of the BBB to facilitate the entry of required nutrients into the brain and to exclude potentially harmful compounds; however, this complex structure has remained difficult to model faithfully in vitro. Accurate in vitro models are necessary for understanding how the BBB forms and functions, as well as for evaluating drug and toxin penetration across the barrier. Many previous models have failed to support all the cell types involved in the BBB formation and/or lacked the flow-created shear forces needed for mature tight junction formation. To address these issues and to help establish a more faithful in vitro model of the BBB, we have designed and fabricated a microfluidic device that is comprised of both a vascular chamber and a brain chamber separated by a porous membrane. This design allows for cell-to-cell communication between endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes and independent perfusion of both compartments separated by the membrane. This NeuroVascular Unit (NVU) represents approximately one-millionth of the human brain, and hence, has sufficient cell mass to support a breadth of analytical measurements. The NVU has been validated with both fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran diffusion and transendothelial electrical resistance. The NVU has enabled in vitro modeling of the BBB using all human cell types and sampling effluent from both sides of the barrier.     

The productive uncertainty of indigenous and decolonizing methodologies in the preparation of interdisciplinary STEM researchers

Cultural Studies of Science Education - This study, undertaken in the Northwest USA, explores how graduate students in an&nbsp;interdisciplinary social–ecological systems research course...     

Educating an iPod generation: undergraduate attitudes,experiences and understanding of vodcast and podcast use

There is an increasing pressure on university staff to provide ever more information and resources to students. This study investigated student opinions on (audio) podcasts and (video) vodcasts and how well they met requirements and aided learning processes. Two experiments within the Aston University looked at student opinion on, and usage of, podcasts and vodcasts for a selection of their psychology lectures. Recordings were produced first using a hand‐held camcorder, and then using the in‐house media department. WebCT was used to distribute the podcasts and vodcasts, attitude questionnaires were then circulated at two time points. Overall students indicated that podcasts and vodcasts were a beneficial addition resource for learning, particularly when used in conjunction with lecturers’ slides and as a tool for revision/assessment. The online material translated into students having increased understanding of the material, which supplemented and enhanced their learning without being a substitute for traditional lectures. There is scope for the provision of portable media files to become standard practice within higher education; integrating distance and online learning with traditional approaches to improve teaching and learning.     

First- and second-generation design and engineering students: experience,attainment and factors influencing them to attend university

Challenges for students who are ‘first-in-family’ to attend university have been discussed within widening participation discourse. However, in the UK, ‘first-in-family’ or first-generation students have frequently been conflated with those experiencing poverty or from lower socio-economic groups. This research integrated survey data with assessment data from final-year design and engineering students in a UK university to examine students’ attainment, the influences on why students decide to attend university and students’ experiences during their degree programmes. Analysis of the data showed variations in the reasons for first- and second-generation students wanting to go to university, particularly a significant difference in the influence of parents. First-generation students described significantly less parental influence on the decision to attend university than second- or subsequent-generation students. Smaller differences in students’ experiences and attainment in university were also noted. Whilst first-generation students reported differences in study habits, their attainment was, on average, marginally higher than that of their peers. Building on others’ theoretical work, which suggests the importance of social capital within higher education (HE), this research highlights the difference in social influences on both university application and expectations of university for those with and without a family history of tertiary education. Further research is needed to explore, in larger samples, whether the social influences on individuals’ perception of HE are in turn shaped by whether or not their parents attended university, and further, what impact this may have, not only on degree outcomes but also on the broader benefits typically associated with graduate experience.