scholarly journals Students' understanding of molar concentration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Raviolo ◽  
Andrea S. Farré ◽  
Nayla Traiman Schroh
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Molar Concentration ◽  
First Year ◽  
Solution Strategy ◽  
Sufficient Detail ◽  
The Subject ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Mathematical Relationships ◽  
Conceptual Confusion ◽  
Inverse Proportionality

This article presents and discusses the results of a study that investigates university students’ comprehension of the concept of molar concentration, following teaching and evaluation of the subject. The specific problems underlying learning of this concept have not yet been focused on in sufficient detail or depth. A “Reasoning with molarity” questionnaire, which explores the logical–mathematical relationships between the variables n, V and M, was administered to 303 Argentine first-year university students. Results obtained from think-aloud interviews related to this questionnaire, which were performed with 18 students, are also analysed. These results reveal that approximately half the first-year university students have no clear conceptual understanding of molarity. The main difficulty arises in inverse proportionality tasks where the number of moles (extensive) and M (intensive) should be related qualitatively to determine which solution occupies the smallest volume. It was also established that much conceptual confusion, such as the lack of differentiation between n and M, lies behind the algorithmic, numerical solution strategy carried out exclusively by many students.

Riding on a roller coaster: personal reflections of teaching a subject on leadership and intrapersonal development

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet T.Y. Leung
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
General Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
University Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Roller Coaster ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Personal Reflections ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Academic Year

AbstractA university subject on leadership and intrapersonal development was delivered during the academic year of 2012–2013 to the first-year university students. The teacher taught four classes of a total of 268 undergraduate students coming from four different disciplines. The teacher shares her experience in teaching the subject with reference to the stages of forming, storming, norming and performing that the students had gone through. Personal reflections on teaching the subject as well as perceived benefits to the students are also highlighted. The teacher deeply reflects on the essence of university education in the cultivation of the leadership and intrapersonal attributes of the students. In facing the growing trend of “McDonaldization” and commercialization of university education, a general education subject that emphasizes the intrapersonal and interpersonal qualities of the students, and fosters the holistic development of the students is essential in university education.

scholarly journals Factors associated with depressive episode among first year University students in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Čanković ◽  
D Čanković ◽  
I Radić ◽  
D Rakić ◽  
S Ukropina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Depressive Episode ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Support Network ◽  
First Year ◽  
Behavioral Factors ◽  
First Year University

Abstract Background Some findings indicate that university students are at higher risk of depression despite being a socially advantaged population, showing that 15 to 25% of them develop some type of mental disorder during graduation, and depression is one of the most prevalent. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with gender, material status, social health, and behavioral factors among university students. Methods The research represents a cross-sectional study conducted at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. The research involved 455 first-year students. The average age of participants was 19.3 years (72.1% girls and 27.9% boys). Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms (cut point for depressive episode ≥10). Additional questions were focused on self-assessed material status, social health, and behavioral factors (smoking and alcohol use). The binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between depression and observed independent variables. Results The prevalence of moderate to severe depressive episode among students was 18.0%, with no gender differences. Out of the total, 11.0% of students had suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting themselves. Multivariable logistic regression showed that self-assessed poor material status (OR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.06-3.89), self-assessed poor social health (OR = 8.9; 95%CI:4.87-16.42) and smoking (OR = 2.18; 95%CI: 1.09-4.39) were significant predictors of depression among first-year university students. Conclusions High prevalence of depressive episode among university students call for the action for the promotion of mental health, particularly among those of lower socioeconomic status, and points out the importance of social health and social network in the prevention of mental disorders. Key messages Students on the first year of University should be screened for depressive symptoms. It is important to educate students on how to create a strong support network and to implement intervention programs for improving mental health through fostering healthy lifestyles change.

Group Projects for First-year University Students: an evaluation

1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Garvin ◽  
A. C. Butcher ◽  
L. A. J. Stefani ◽  
V. N. Tariq ◽  
M. H. R. Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Group Projects ◽  
First Year University
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