Differential effect of university entrance score on first-year students’ academic performance in Portugal

The main goal of this study is to show that the association between university entrance score and first-year students’ academic performance varies randomly across courses after controlling for students’ sociodemographic, schooling trajectory and motivational variables. The sample consists of 2697 first-year students who were enrolled in 54 courses at a Portuguese public university in 2015/16. Multilevel modelling of academic performance suggests that 34% of variability in grade point average is due to differences among courses and that 80% of such variability is explained by the field of study, whether the university is the student’s first choice, and the student’s gender, age and parents’ level of education. In addition, the results corroborate that the university entrance score is the strongest predictor of first-year academic performance.     

Social interaction learning strategies,motivation, first-year students’ experiences and permanence in university studies*

Applying a structural equations modelling methodology, the study analyses the relationships and effects of self-regulated learning (social interaction learning strategies and motivation) and first-year university experiences on permanence in the sophomore year. The participants are 239 first-year students in different Engineering degrees at a public university in south-eastern Spain. Two alternative structural models are evaluated, showing the superiority of the model where first-year university experiences completely mediate the effects of self-regulated learning on permanence. Motivation and social interaction learning strategies show direct effects on first-year university experiences, and first-year university experiences, in turn, show direct effects on permanence; additionally, both motivation and social interaction learning strategies have indirect effects on permanence via first-year university experiences. The noteworthy theoretical implications of the results are discussed, as well as the teaching methodology and support services provided to first-year university students.     

Good CoPs and bad CoPs: facilitating reform in first-year assessment via a Community of Practice

The idea and implementation of learning communities are gaining favour in higher education institutions. In particular, there are a number of successful examples to emerge of the application of the Community of Practice (CoP) framework proposed by Wenger [(1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press] for fostering a learning environment for academics around their teaching practice. In this paper, we describe and reflect on the efficacy of a CoP process that was implemented within our university. The purpose of this CoP was to provide a space for academics to focus on assessment practices for first-year courses and identify opportunities for professional development in this area. For a variety of reasons detailed in the paper, the efficacy of this CoP was limited, and we conclude that in the current higher education environment in Australia, success with CoP approaches to improve learning and teaching outcomes may prove limited.     

Students’ perspectives of early assessment tasks in their first-year at university

Assessment plays an important role in first-year students’ transition to university, influencing how they learn. Poorly designed assessment can be demotivating and may even cause students to withdraw from university. An early low-stakes assessment task is recommended in first year, to provide information to students and staff on student progress, provide students with a positive experience and help them prepare for future assessments. This paper reports on first-year students’ experiences of two different early assessment tasks for two disciplines, one using an online quiz and the other a ‘research challenge’ that served as a precursor to writing an essay. The paper also presents lecturers’ reflections on what they learned, what they would change and the implications for others planning early assessment tasks for first years. Finally, ideas for future research are provided.     

Getting Real: Exploring the perceived disconnect between education theory and practice in teacher education

This article, inspired in part by the Levine report that criticizes teacher education programs in the United States for being out of touch with practices that work in real classrooms, is a self-study that explores the rift between educational theory, particularly theory that pushes for social constructionist, child-centered approaches to teaching, and teaching practices in majority African-American, inner-city schools. The authors conducted this year-long self-study to answer the question: What could the college's education program do to improve preparation for teaching in inner-city schools? Through their year-long collaboration in a middle-school writing classroom in an inner-city charter school, the authors examined what a prospective teacher learned in his education program that helped and hindered him and then explored how the successful approaches he developed as a new teacher could be incorporated into the college's preservice program.     

Pre-university prepared students: a programme for facilitating the transition from secondary to tertiary education

The expectations of first-year students are becoming more widely researched and understood. How to realign perceptions and prepare students for the transition from secondary school to tertiary education is less well considered. This paper presents an account of a pre-university preparation programme embedded in the senior years of secondary education (10–12), launched initially in 16 Queensland schools, and expanding to over 50 schools with 447 students. The programme provides students with a scaffolded experience, introducing them to the realities of university life while building a connection to the university as an institution and developing relationships with transitioning peers. Qualitative data collected from 198 pre-university prepared students (PUPS) suggest that they have more realistic expectations of what university life is like, and feel better prepared to make the transition from secondary school to the tertiary environment. Further research ideas are considered to address attrition during/after the first year of university studies.     

Modeling Scholarly Inquiry: One Article at a Time

ABSTRACT

Librarians at the University of Dubuque, in collaboration with writing center staff, created a project that incorporates critical thinking, ethical inquiry, and information literacy into a beginning composition class. A team of faculty, librarians, and writing tutors lead student peer groups as they write a research paper using common journal articles in support of a single thesis. Because a recent campus-wide ethics initiative frames this assignment, students examine topics which may challenge their existing beliefs. This article describes how the team conceived, implemented, and evaluated this project.     

An iPod (MP3) Library Tour for First-Year Students

This article describes the creation and evolution of an iPod (MP3) Library Tour and Assignment at the University of South Carolina (USC) Upstate. Designed as an integral part of the First-Year Information Literacy Program, the tour functions as an orientation to the layout of the physical library, including its collections and major service points. Issues addressed are the collaboration that led to the adoption of the tour, the results of a student survey that led to significant revisions, and the unique place of the tour's being required for a first-year program.     

MathePraxis – connecting first-year mathematics with engineering applications

First-year engineering students often complain about their mathematics courses as the significance of the difficult and abstract calculus to their field of study remains unclear. We report on the project MathePraxis, a feasibility study which was designed as a means to give first-year students some impression about the use of mathematics in real practice. We aim to increase the motivation and retention rates among engineering students by connecting the contents of the first-year mathematics lectures with practical applications. We developed three projects, two of which are described in this article: an inverted pendulum considered as a model for the automated control within a Segway and a study on the optimal design of a ribbed cooler. In this article, we briefly present the mathematical content of the projects and report on their implementation.     

大学英语专业新生学习策略调查与研究

外语教学研究表明,英语学习策略对学习成效有重要的影响。大学入学阶段让新生建立积极想学的态度并懂得怎样学习将会对他们今后的学习和生活起着非常深远的影响。本文以浙江海洋学院外国语学院新生学习策略的调查为开端,在分析了英语专业新生学习策略应用不足的问题的基础上,提出了学校、教师与学生多方努力的策略培养机制,从而帮助新生提高学习效率。