Evaluation of Stem Engagement Activities On the Attitudes and Perceptions of Mechanical Engineering S-STEM Scholars

Author(s):  
Liang Zhu ◽  
Shuyan Sun ◽  
L D Timmie Topoleski ◽  
Charles Eggleton ◽  
Ronghui Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract Since 2009, the ME STEM Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County has provided financial support and program activities to ME undergraduate students aiming at improving their retention and graduation rates. The objective of this study is to identify program activities that were most effective to help students for improvements. Current ME S-STEM scholars were asked to complete a survey that measures their scientific efficacy, engineering identity, expectations, integration, and sense of belonging, as well as how program activities impact their attitudes and perceptions. Analyses of 36 surveys showed that scholars reported high levels of engineering identity, expectations, and sense of belonging. However, further improvements were needed to help students in achieving scientific efficacy and academic integration into the program. Results demonstrated that proactive mentoring was the most effective method contributing to positive attitudes and perceptions. The implemented S-STEM research-related activities and internship were viewed favorably by the scholars in helping them establish their scientific efficacy and engineering identity, and understand their expectations and goals. Community building activities were considered helpful for them to integrate into campus life and improve their sense of belonging to the campus and program. Scholars identified mentoring, research related activities, internships, and social interaction with faculty and their peers as important factors for their retention and graduation. Although the sample size was small in the study, we believe that the cost-effective activities identified could be adopted by other institutions to further improve students' retention and graduation rates in engineering programs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 187
Author(s):  
David Pérez-Jorge ◽  
María del Carmen Rodríguez-Jiménez ◽  
Eva Ariño-Mateo ◽  
Khairi José Sosa-Gutiérrez

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the attitudes and perceptions of teachers regarding the educational inclusion of students with hearing disabilities. The study sample consisted of 128 teachers from the Canary Islands, of which 72 worked in ordinary centers and 56 in Ordinary Centers for Preferential Educational Attention for Hearing Disability (COAEPHD). A quantitative cut methodology was used, based on the use of the Questionnaire of Opinions, Attitudes and Competencies of Teachers towards Disability (CACPD). The results of this study do not allow us to affirm that the teachers showed positive attitudes towards inclusion, expressing concern about offering a correct and adequate response to the students with hearing disabilities. They considered that educational inclusion requires important improvements focused on the training and specialization of teachers in the field of inclusion.


ReCALL ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ki Chune Nah ◽  
Peter White ◽  
Roland Sussex

AbstractInterest in the use of a mobile phone to access the Internet for learning English in general, and listening skills in particular, has been increasing in Korea over the last few years. However, there has been only a small number of studies on this topic in Korea. The present paper investigates the potential of using a mobile phone to browse wireless application protocol (WAP) sites for the purpose of learning listening skills. The study focuses specifically on the attitudes of language learners toward using a mobile phone for this purpose. The study is based on input, interaction, output and sociocultural theories, as well as on collaborative, learner-centred, constructivist and task-based learning approaches. An experiment was carried out with a group of undergraduate students who had enrolled in a required intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) listening course at a Korean university. A WAP site was designed and used as the instrument for the experiment. This study found that the language learners expressed positive attitudes towards the use of the WAP site. It also found that the WAP site can be effective for learning listening skills and for student-centred and collaborative learning. Based on the findings, it is clear that WAP sites can be effective for learning listening skills, since they can enhance opportunities to learn language skills, and encourage language learners to participate actively in the learning process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-22
Author(s):  
Rachella Ryandra Fitri

The purpose of this study is to observe: (1) Gender difference in mental health literacy of Yogyakarta State University students and (2) Differences in mental health literacy of Yogyakarta State University students based on vignette character’s gender. The type of this study was factorial survey. In this study, respondents were presented with short descriptions called vignette that were constructed and contained elements that had been manipulated by the researcher to control certain variables, namely gender and mental disorders that the characters had. Then, subjects were asked to answer closed questions (Mental Health Literacy Test) based on the vignettes. The subjects in this study were 377 undergraduate students from Yogyakarta State University. The sampling techniques used in this study were cluster random sampling and incidental sampling. Chi-Square was performed to analyze the data. The results of this study indicated that: (1) There were gender differences in mental health literacy aspect positive attitudes toward professional help where more male respondents did not recommend seeking professional help for depression (2) There were differences in mental health literacy aspects knowledge about the causes of mental disorders and positive attitudes towards professional help based on gender vignette characters for depression.


Mobile Learning (mLearning) has become an influential educational technology in higher education. With the internet and other technological developments, mLearning makes it possible for students to learn, collaborate, and share ideas with each other. However, mLearning student acceptance is critical to its effectiveness. Attitudes toward learning is a vital factor in deciding whether or not students are ready to use mLearning for academic purpose. Student attitudes may identify strengths and weaknesses of mLearning and facilitate development of the technology. This qualitative study aims to investigate graduate students’ attitudes and perceptions toward using mLearning in education. Data were collected by conducting interviews with fourteen graduate students enrolled in masters and doctoral programs in the College of Education at King Khalid University (KKU), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Generally, graduate students in education disciplines had positive attitudes toward mLearning and expressed a desire to use it in their future educational settings. Students perceived mLearning to be valuable for academic purposes, noting the convenience of being able to access course materials, the ease of communicating with other students and professors at their own pace, and the flexibility mobile devices offer over desktop or laptop computers. However, students identified a few usability issues like small screen size and keyboards, and additional cost of mobile devices and the corresponding cost of Internet access as constraints for using mobile devices for learning.


Author(s):  
Mohinder Kumar Salooja ◽  
Vijayakumar P.

The Open and Distance Learning (ODL) can be an effective and cost effective tool to reach the masses in imparting the required skills and technical proficiency. The conventional Agricultural education system has not utilized the potential of ODL in a big way for extending the reach of agriculture education and capacity building activities. Some of the challenges in ODL system include: identifying the right type and level of programme, selecting the appropriate pedagogy model, covering of large and diverse clientele group, popularization and recognition of the programmes and linkages with the industry. For successful implementation of the ODL programmes in agriculture, the interventions proposed are synergy between ODL and conventional system to improve GER and bridge the gap between demand and supply, collaboration with different institutions and industry for development and delivery of the programmes, linkage with the government schemes, popularization and recognition of ODL programmes, utilization of modern technologies, etc.


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