Assessing the Impact of Supplemental Instruction on the Retention of Undergraduate Students after Controlling for Motivation

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenepher Lennox Terrion ◽  
Jean-Luc Daoust
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Supplemental Instruction ◽  
First Year ◽  
Group Program ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Personal Motivation ◽  
Final Grades ◽  
The University ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Impact

The University of Ottawa (UofO) in Ottawa, Canada offers a formal supplemental instruction program, called the residence study group program (RSGP), to residence students registered in first year courses that are associated with a high degree of failure or attrition. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of this program by comparing a sample of first year residence students who participated in the RSGP with a sample who did not participate. The study compared final grades of students in these courses after controlling for personal motivation and found that while those who participated in the RSGP did not receive higher final grades than non-participants, they were more likely to persist in their studies. It appears that the RSGP contributes in many important ways to the academic and social integration of first year students and these are critical to persistence beyond the first year.

scholarly journals Bridging the Gap: Understanding the Differing Research Expectations of First-Year Students and Professor

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meg Raven
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Research Students ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Instruction Strategies ◽  
Research Instruction ◽  
The University

Objective: This study sought to better understand the research expectations of first-year students upon beginning university study, and how these expectations differed from those of their professors. Most academic librarians observe that the research expectations of these two groups differ considerably and being able to articulate where these differences are greatest may help us provided more focused instruction, and allow us to work more effectively with professors and student support services. Methods: 317 first-year undergraduate students and 75 professors at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS were surveyed to determine what they each expected of first-year student research. Students were surveyed on the first day of term so as to best understand their research expectations as they transitioned from high school to university. Results: The gulf between student and professor research expectations was found to be considerable, especially in areas such as time required for reading and research, and the resources necessary to do research. While students rated their preparedness for university as high, they also had high expectations related to their ability to use non-academic sources. Not unexpectedly, the majority of professors believed that students are not prepared to do university-level research, they do not take enough responsibility for their own learning, they should use more academic research sources, and read twice as much as students believe they should. Conclusions: By better understanding differing research expectations, students can be guided very early in their studies about appropriate academic research practices, and librarians and professors can provide students with improved research instruction. Strategies for working with students, professors and the university community are discussed.

scholarly journals Meningococcal disease at the University of Southampton: outbreak investigation

1999 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. GILMORE ◽  
G. JONES ◽  
M. BARKER ◽  
N. SOLTANPOOR ◽  
J. M. STUART
Keyword(s):  
Meningococcal Disease ◽  
First Year ◽  
Prevalence Survey ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Enhanced Transmission ◽  
The University ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Highly Virulent ◽  
Carriage Prevalence

In October 1997, an outbreak of meningococcal disease occurred at the University of Southampton. All six cases were first year students living in halls of residence. Microbiological characterization of case and carrier strains, case interviews, and a meningococcal carriage prevalence survey were used to investigate the outbreak. Five cases were due to serogroup C strains, one case was unconfirmed. Serotyping did not distinguish between the strains but gene sequencing permitted identification of two distinct strains in the outbreak. Although none of the cases was known to each other, three had attended the same nightclub one evening 3–4 days before illness. Meningococcal carriage rates in undergraduates were within the range expected (147/587, 25%), but no carriers of outbreak strains were identified in this sample. The findings suggest that in communities with a high degree of social interaction, the introduction of highly virulent meningococcal strains may result in enhanced transmission with clustering of cases.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Quality Education Awareness Competence of Pre-Service Educators Using Vignettes

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10203
Author(s):  
Ana-Inés Renta-Davids ◽  
Marta Camarero-Figuerola ◽  
Juana-María Tierno-García
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
University Curriculum ◽  
Spanish Universities ◽  
The University ◽  
Sustainability Principles ◽  
High Degree

For decades, higher education institutions have been incorporating sustainability principles. Spanish universities have considered it important that sustainability principles are integrated into the university curriculum, in order to contribute to the education of socially-responsible professionals. The present research aims to estimate pre-service educators’ awareness of selected challenges posed by Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), and it identifies the learning experiences that contribute the most to these students’ awareness of quality education. Moreover, the study aims to explore the potential of the use of the vignettes approach for the evaluation of students’ awareness. The study drew on a sample of n = 202 first year students pursuing education-related degrees at a Spanish university. The data was collected using a vignette survey, and the data analysis was conducted using quantitative and qualitative techniques. The results show a high degree of awareness within the context of most of the challenges posed by SDG 4 and, in the search for the factors that contributed to the degree of awareness in the students, personal interests and classes taken at the university stand out. In addition, the study provides the methodological implications of the use of the vignette approach in the assessment of students’ awareness. This paper discusses the practical implications for universities of the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) competences into the curriculum.

scholarly journals Assessment in First Year University: A Model to Manage Transition

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
J. A. Taylor ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Education Students ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Engineering Computing

For most students assessment guides their study and learning practice. Yet in the literature associated with the first year of study at university, few have mobilised the power of assessment to develop and engage first year undergraduate students. This paper presents a model of assessment for first year students which separates the semester into three overlapping assessment phases: assessment for transition, assessment for development and assessment for achievement. The implementation and usefulness of the model is supported by examples from mathematics, engineering, computing, communication and nursing studies at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). Particular attention is paid to assessments for transition which occur early in the semester and are linked more closely with processes than specific content. Evidence is collated on the success of assessments in improving the participation of students, especially distance education students.

scholarly journals Substantiation of the Impact of Fitball Gymnastics and Fitness Yoga Activities on the Health Level of University Students

2020 ◽  
pp. 206-213
Author(s):  
E.K. Gilfanova ◽  
T.B. Gorbatenko ◽  
O.Yu. Sharova
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
First Year ◽  
Recreational Facilities ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Health Level ◽  
Pedagogical Research ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The article considers the possibility of using non-traditional recreational facilities in the educational process with university students. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of the developed methodology for fitball gymnastics and fitness yoga on the health level of students. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were set: theoretically substantiate the proposed methodology of classes; identify and conduct a comparative analysis of adaptive potential according to the method of R.M. Baevsky and the level of the functional state of first-year students during an experimental study. Scientific novelty lies in the expansion of theoretical and practical approaches to physical education at the university. The positive impact of the proposed teaching methods on the level of functional readiness of first-year students is substantiated and experimentally proved. To improve the methodology, a set of methods was used: analysis of scientific and methodological literature, the method of pedagogical research, pedagogical experiment, methods of mathematical statistics.

scholarly journals Relationship between Learning Motivation and Reflection in Undergraduate Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 97-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.S. Tikhomirova ◽  
N.V. Kochetkov
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Motivation ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Motivation For Learning ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

This article aims to study the relationship between personal reflection and the intensity of motivation for learning in a university.In order to achieve this goal, the following techniques were employed: A.V.Karpov and V.V.Ponomaryova’s technique for identifying the individual level of reflectivity, and T.I.Ilyina’s technique for assessing learning motivation in university students.The empirical study involved 143 subjects.The obtained data indicate that for the first-year students the meaning of the ‘mastering the profession’ motive is directly connected with their reflections on the present and future activities, while the meaning of the ‘getting a diploma’ motive is inversely correlated with the reflection of communication.In the second year, the intensity of the ‘gaining knowledge’ motive correlates with the reflection of communication, and the meaning of the ‘mastering the profession’ motive has an inverse relationship with the reflection of future activity.In the third year, the values of the motive for acquiring knowledge correlate with the integral indicator of reflection, whereas in the fourth year none of the reflection components are interconnected with the components of the motivation for learning in the university.

scholarly journals SUPPORTED LEARNING GROUPS (SLGS) IN A FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY COURSE

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Jobidon ◽  
William Owen ◽  
Mary Robinson ◽  
Andrea Prier
Keyword(s):  
Supplemental Instruction ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Groups ◽  
The Past ◽  
Academic Standing ◽  
Final Grades ◽  
The University

The Engineering Undergraduate Office at the University of Waterloo first started using Supplemental Instruction (SI) in a common first-year chemistry course, ChE102, in September 2013 and continued in September2014 and 2015. This paper shares the mechanics of how SI was implemented for 11 cohorts totaling approximately 3900 students over the past 3 fall terms. Findings suggest that students who attend SI after midterms have higher final grades in their CHE 102 course as well as a higher overall term average. As well, the academic standing of students (based on their midterm grades) can help to accurately predict which students will attend SI sessions.Similarly, attending SI after midterms can also help a certain type of student improve their marks in ChE 102 and also their term average.

Knowledge and Attitude Toward Emergency Contraceptive Pills Among First-Year Undergraduate Students in Southern Thailand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siranee Yongpraderm ◽  
Suriyon Uitrakul
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Emergency Contraceptive Pills ◽  
Contraceptive Pills ◽  
Emergency Contraceptive ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude ◽  
The University

Abstract Background: The objective of this study was to investigation of the knowledge and attitude towards emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) among first-year undergraduate students in a university in Thailand.Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was performed using the developed questionnaires that was validated by four experts. The questionnaires were distributed to all the first-year students in the university via an online platform. The characteristic data were descriptively analyzed and the knowledge data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and one-way ANOVA.Results: A total of 335 students who responded to the questionnaires and met the eligible criteria for the study was analyzed. The mean knowledge score of all respondents was 7.76±0.15 out of 15. The most correct-answered questions were the questions relating to efficacy and safety of ECPs in pregnant women (78.5% and 72.2% corrected, respectively). On the contrary, the least correct-answered questions were about the ECP regimens and using ECPs instead of combined oral contraception (COC) (30.4% and 34.9%, respectively). In addition, the results indicated that experience in using ECPs and in ECP education were significant factors in high scores of knowledge. Moreover, most respondents trusted and would like to receive the information on ECPs from health professionals in hospitals, academic institutions, or pharmacies.Discussion: The average knowledge of ECPs of first-year students in a university in Thailand was at a moderate level. More knowledge about the regimens of the drug and using ECPs instead of COC should be advised to students, particularly at the university or pharmacies, and should be done by healthcare staff.

Effects of a Fall Reading Break on First Year Students' Course Performance in Programming

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Hulls ◽  
Chris Rennick ◽  
Mary Robinson ◽  
Samar Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
First Year ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Course Performance ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents a mixed methods study into the effects of a fall break on course performance in a first semester programming course in Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo.In 2016, the University of Waterloo instituted a two-day fall break immediately following Thanksgiving Monday, on a three-year pilot. The stated rationale for this break was to address student wellness and mental health issues, especially as this pertains to students transitioning from high school and their “looming midterms”. As of October 2017, there are now 20 institutions in Ontario with a fall break of between one five days in length after the Thanksgiving holiday.A linear regression model was calculated to examine the impact of the fall break on students. This model predicts students who regretted how they spent the fall break will earn 6% less in their first programming course. A logistic regression model was calculated which predicted inexperienced, struggling students have the highest odds of regretting how they spent the break.Three focus groups were conducted with students who experienced the fall break in fall of 2016 or 2017. These focus groups examined student perceptions of the fall break, how they recalled using their time during the break, and their reflections on the br

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