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Students' Ability (student + ability)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	40%
Education	36%
Humanities and Social Sciences	13%

Distribution within Medical Sciences

Medical Professional Development	22%

Selected Abstracts

A Classroom Investigation: Can Video Improve Intermediate-Level French Language Students' Ability to Learn about a Foreign Culture?

MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2002
Carol Herron
This study examines the effects of video on cultural knowledge at the intermediate level. Fifty-one intermediate-level French students viewed 8 videos. A pretest/posttest design assessed long-term gains in cultural knowledge and in the learning of cultural practices and cultural products from exposure to a curriculum with a video component. Eight postvideo tests measured the students' ability to retain information and to make inferences. A questionnaire assessed perceptions of cultural learning. Results indicated a significant gain in cultural knowledge with posttest scores significantly higher than pretest scores. On the short-answer and free-recall portions of the 8 postvideo tests, the students' ability to make inferences or retain information did not improve significantly in either an advance organizer (AO) or a non-AO condition. For free recall, scores were significantly higher for mentions of cultural practices than for products. The students believed that they learned more cultural practices than products. The results support using video to enhance cultural knowledge. [source]

Students' ability to organize biochemical and biochemistry-related terms correlates with their performance in a biochemical examination,

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION, Issue 2 2007
Ryoichi Nagata
Abstract Organization is believed to be related to understanding and memory. Whether this belief was applicable in biochemical education was examined about two years after students had experienced biochemistry classes in their first year. The ability of organizing information in biochemistry was judged from the number of correct links of 886 biochemical and biochemistry-related terms to 14 headings, and the level of understanding and memory on biochemical material was determined from the number of correct answers to biochemical items. The result showed a statistically significant positive correlation between the ability of organization and the level of understanding and memory. Thus, biochemistry teachers need to show the organization of what they teach for the help of the students who have a low level of understanding and memory. [source]

Enhancing Knowledge Transfer in Classroom Versus Online Settings: The Interplay Among Instructor, Student, Content, and Context

DECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2009
Louise Nemanich
ABSTRACT This article integrates management education and organizational learning theories to identify the factors that drive the differences in student outcomes between the online and classroom settings. We draw upon theory on knowledge transfer barriers in organizations to understand the interlinking relationships among presage conditions, deep learning process, and product in the 3P model of student learning. We test our model in the context of undergraduate education and find that confidence in the instructor's expertise, perceived content relevance, and the social richness of the classroom learning environment enhance student enjoyment of the course. Confidence in instructor's expertise and perceived content relevance also contribute to greater understanding of causal relationships among course concepts. Enjoyment is positively associated with learning performance in the classroom, but not online, and student ability is positively associated with learning performance in the online context, but not in the classroom. Our results have implications for course designs in the traditional classroom context and the more innovative online environment. [source]

Using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in Teaching: One Criteria, Several Perspectives,

DECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2004
James A. Belohlav
ABSTRACT The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) has influenced the thinking and operations within organizations from all sectors of the American economy. This paper presents the experiences of three faculty members who have used the Criteria for Performance Excellence and the underlying concepts of the MBNQA to enhance the learning experiences of their students. The authors discuss how Dale's Cone of Experience is employed, by means of concrete exercises and experiences, to better leverage the student's ability to understand the abstract concepts. The formal, end-of-term student evaluations indicate that the described approach has led to a higher level of student engagement in the learning process, as evidenced by more abundant and higher-quality feedback to the instructors. [source]

Improvement of student understanding of how kinetic data facilitates the determination of amino acid catalytic function through an alkaline phosphatase structure/mechanism bioinformatics exercise,

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION, Issue 1 2008
Sandra K. Grunwald
Abstract Laboratory exercises, which utilize alkaline phosphatase as a model enzyme, have been developed and used extensively in undergraduate biochemistry courses to illustrate enzyme steady-state kinetics. A bioinformatics laboratory exercise for the biochemistry laboratory, which complements the traditional alkaline phosphatase kinetics exercise, was developed and implemented. In this exercise, students examine the structure of alkaline phosphatase using the free, on-line bioinformatics protein-modeling program Protein Explorer. Specifically, students examine the active site residues of alkaline phosphatase and propose functions for these residues. Furthermore, by examining the mechanism of alkaline phosphatase and by using the published kinetic data, students propose specific roles for several active-site residues. Paired t -test analysis of pre- versus postexercise assessment data shows that the completion of the exercise improves student's ability to use kinetic data correctly thereby determining a probable catalytic function for an active site amino acid. [source]

Integrating evidence-based practice into the diabetes nurse curriculum in Bergen

EUROPEAN DIABETES NURSING, Issue 1 2010
Perceived barriers to finding, reading, using research in practice
Abstract Background: There is rising international interest in developing healthcare systems that are built on the basis of best evidence. However, it is a challenge to integrate evidence-based practice skills into existing educational courses, in a manner that enables students to interpret and use such skills effectively. Aims: To study students' abilities to find, read and critique research literature and to explore students' perceptions of barriers to implementing evidence-based knowledge and skills into their practice. Methods: An evidence-based approach was integrated into the curriculum of a postgraduate diabetes education programme. At the start of the course and after its completion, questionnaire data were collected to assess students' ability to find, read and critique research literature, and students' perceptions of barriers to implementing new knowledge and skills into practice. Qualitative data on barriers to transferring evidence into practice were also collected. Results: Thirty-three experienced nurses (all female), mean age 40 years (SD 7.7; range 28,52 years), mean work experience 12.8 years (SD 7.9; range 3,30 years) attended the course and completed the initial questionnaire. By the end of the course, three students (9%) had left because of maternity leave or health issues, and six students (18%) did not return the final questionnaires. The remaining students reported greater ability to find and critique research literature (increasing respectively from 6.7% to 40.0% and from 27.3% to 41.7% during the course). Perceived barriers of using research in practice were: lack of time (69.7%); workplace environment (30.4%); structural and organisational problems (25.0%). The qualitative findings indicated that hierarchy, fear of negative judgements, competing demands, and fear of change were perceived barriers. Conclusion: Students commented that the course had provided them with enhanced evidence-based practice skills for finding and interpreting research. However, postgraduate training should be linked very closely to the student's workplace, in order to support the transfer of best evidence into practice. Copyright © 2010 FEND [source]

Development and evaluation of a cd-rom to support student learning in dentist,patient communication

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2003
J. T. Newton
The interaction between dentist and patient is central to the provision of effective healthcare. A multidisciplinary team containing expertise in the social and behavioural sciences, medicine, dentistry, education and information technology was formed to design a CD-ROM to support more traditional teaching and learning in this area. The final version of the program consists of a ,virtual' patient from whom students are asked to take a medical history. The ,patient' interacts with the student and responds to the style of their questioning by changes in anxiety, or degree of annoyance. To date, the CD-ROM has been evaluated in two stages. The first stage was a predictive formative evaluation by the research/development team, and the second stage was a formative evaluation by 144 dental students of the first full prototype. A third stage, to be conducted next year, will involve measuring the longer term impact of the CD-ROM through the assessment of students' abilities to communicate with patients. The evaluation had two components: students made rates of how useful and easy to use they found the program, and students' attitudes towards interacting with patients were evaluated adopting constructs from the theory of Planned Behaviour. Students were positive about the use of the CD-ROM, though they requested some changes in the functionality of the program. Compared to a sample of students who had not used the CD-ROM, the students who used the CD-ROM felt more positive about communicating with their patients, at the end of the course, and expressed stronger intentions to communicate well with patients. We conclude that the CD-ROM we have developed in a useful adjunct to learning in dentist,patient communication. [source]

Science inquiry and student diversity: Enhanced abilities and continuing difficulties after an instructional intervention

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 7 2006
Okhee Lee
This study examines elementary students' abilities to conduct science inquiry through their participation in an instructional intervention over a school year. The study involved 25 third and fourth grade students from six elementary schools representing diverse linguistic and cultural groups. Prior to and at the completion of the intervention, the students participated in elicitation sessions as they conducted a semistructured inquiry task on evaporation. The results indicate that students demonstrated enhanced abilities with some aspects of the inquiry task, but continued to have difficulties with other aspects of the task even after instruction. Although students from all demographic subgroups showed substantial gains, students from non-mainstream and less privileged backgrounds in science showed greater gains in inquiry abilities than their more privileged counterparts. The results contribute to the emerging literature on designing learning environments that foster science inquiry of elementary students from diverse backgrounds. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 607,636, 2006 [source]

Faculty opinions about a revised pre-clinical curriculum

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2002
Daryoush Tavanaiepour
Introduction Medical schools having innovative curricula have been encouraged to ascertain the levels of satisfaction of faculty members with the curriculum. Faculty at schools that employ problem-based learning (PBL) have been shown to have positive perceptions, but not all schools are in a position to adopt PBL on a large scale. This study sought to determine faculty members' opinions about a new curriculum that is less ambitious than one utilizing true PBL. Context and setting Since 1997, the University of Otago Medical School (Dunedin, New Zealand) has had an integrated, modular pre-clinical curriculum that emphasizes clinical relevance. It has proved popular with students. This study focused on faculty members' impressions. Methods We surveyed faculty members' opinions with a questionnaire identical to one used in studies at PBL schools. Faculty compared the students and their own levels of satisfaction in the old and new curricula on 7 to 10 items. The overall response rate was 85·4% (152 of 178). Results Perceptions of the new curriculum were positive among teachers who taught during the pre-clinical years and those who taught the students only after they reached the clinical years. Results for individual questions were in the same direction and generally similar in magnitude to those reported on identical items for PBL. Conclusion We conclude that a hybrid curriculum that is more acceptable to many traditional teachers and students than is PBL has almost as great a positive effect on faculty members' perceptions of students' abilities and of the curriculum as does PBL. [source]

Special Features: Education: Challenges and Opportunities Associated with Preceptored Community Health Clinical Experiences

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2010
Gail H. Wade
ABSTRACT Preceptored community experiences present challenges different from those of preceptored experiences in the acute care setting. Instead of focusing on psychomotor skills, faculty must address population-based skills and assess students' abilities to practice these skills. Faculty and preceptors' lack of knowledge to teach these skills further complicate the experiences, an issue indirectly related to faculty and nursing shortages. Although preceptors guide students, faculty are responsible for evaluating students in community preceptored experiences. The Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE) Essentials of Baccalaureate Education (Essentials) offers opportunities for guiding and evaluating community health preceptored clinical experiences. Assignments and activities that reflect the ACHNE Essentials provide a firm foundation for the population focus of the course. This focus is validated through faculty visits to students in a variety of community settings. To plan successful community experiences and evaluate students, faculty must be knowledgeable about the population focus of community courses, apply this knowledge to students in a variety of settings, and ask challenging questions to assess student learning. [source]

Teaching software engineering by means of computer-game development: Challenges and opportunities

BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
Nergiz Ercil Cagiltay
Software-engineering education programs are intended to prepare students for a field that involves rapidly changing conditions and expectations. Thus, there is always a danger that the skills and the knowledge provided may soon become obsolete. This paper describes results and draws on experiences from the implementation of a computer game-development course whose design addresses problems in software-engineering education by improving students' abilities in four areas: (1) problem solving; (2) the application of previously learned knowledge; (3) the use of independent learning; and (4) learning by doing. In order to better understand this course's effect on students' performance in a software-development project, I investigated 125 students' performance in a 1-year senior-project course. Results of this study show that the students who had taken the computer game-development course became more successful in the senior-project course than the students who had not taken it. [source]

Integrating evidence-based practice into the diabetes nurse curriculum in Bergen

Improving clinical assessment: evaluating students' ability to identify and apply clinical criteria

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2010
C. Redwood
Abstract Aim:, There is ongoing concern by health educators over the inability of professionals to accurately self-assess their clinical behaviour and standards, resulting in doubts over a key expectation of effective self-regulation in the health professions. Participation by students in the assessment process has been shown to increase the understanding of assessment criteria in written assessment tasks. How this might transfer to the clinical setting is the focus of this study. This paper is part of an ongoing investigation of the impact on learning of a series of activities that provides students with opportunities to discuss and apply criteria and standards associated with self-assessment in clinical dentistry. Our aim was to evaluate whether participation in these assessment activities improved the ability of first-year dental students to recognise behaviours demonstrated by ,peers' in videos of clinical scenarios and to relate these to the assessment criteria. Materials and methods:, A series of three workshops in conjunction with weekly clinical assessment activities in Semesters 1 and 2 were use to support first-year students' learning of clinical assessment criteria. The design of the workshops was based on the principles of social constructivist theories of learning and the concept of tacit knowledge. Accordingly workshop activities were planned around videos that were specifically constructed to illustrate procedures and behaviours typical of those observed by staff and tutors in the first year of the dental course at The University of Adelaide, Australia. First-year students viewed the videos prior to and after the workshops and recorded observed behaviours that related to the assessment criteria that were used in their clinical practice course. Student learning outcomes were assessed 10,14 weeks after the initial workshop and again up to 42 weeks later. To check whether learning resulted from repeated viewing of the videos without formal discussion, a reference group of third-year students who did not attend the workshops also viewed the videos two times, separated by 12 weeks, and recorded observations in the same way. Results:, There was no consistent evidence that repeat viewing of the videos in isolation resulted in improved recognition of ,peer' behaviours by third-year dental students. Results for the first-year students indicated that the workshops and clinical assessment activities had a significantly positive effect on the ability of students to identify ,peer' behaviours related to the criteria used for clinical assessment. In particular, students' recognition in others of knowledge and professional behaviours improved significantly. This improvement was retained over the year and students were able to recognise these behaviours in other scenarios relevant to their year level. Conclusions:, This early exposure to the process of clinical assessment, coupled with ongoing self-assessment and tutor feedback throughout first year, improved the ability of first-year students to identify and apply some key assessment criteria to observed ,peer' behaviour, and this ability was retained over time. [source]

Increased Mental Health Needs and New Roles in School Communities

JOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, Issue 3 2003
Janis Hootman PhD
TOPIC Mental health issues and partnership roles in school communities. PURPOSE To heighten the awareness of healthcare providers about the multiple mental health conditions students bring into school communities and the impact of these conditions on students' ability to learn; to encourage partnering between healthcare providers and educators to support students in achieving academic and developmental success. SOURCES Literature review and authors' experiences with assessment of and intervention with school-age children presenting with impaired mental health. CONCLUSIONS Health and education systems must increase their partnerships on behalf of children for a healthy future. [source]

Classroom Discussions with Student-Led Feedback: a Useful Activity to Enhance Development of Critical Thinking Skills

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 4 2008
Kirby D. Hayes
ABSTRACT:, Critical thinking skills (CTS) are the core learning outcome measures for higher education. Generally, CTS are not extensively developed or practiced during primary and secondary education. As such, early cultivation of CTS is essential for mastery prior to collegiate matriculation. Weekly engagement in 50 min of classroom discussion with student feedback (CDSF) was utilized to develop the CTS of students in an introductory food science course at Purdue Univ. Students' critical thinking ability was assessed longitudinally over a 16-wk semester using the ACT-CAAPÔ (Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency) critical thinking test. The ACT-CAAP measures the students' ability to analyze, evaluate, and extend an argument described in a short passage. We hypothesized that the implementation of CDSF for 16 wk would expedite development of CTS for students enrolled in the course. The CDSF intervention significantly increased critical thinking ability for non-native English speaking students as compared to native English speaking students. Students who were classified as sophomore status or above when compared to freshmen and students enrolled as food science majors when compared to other majors also demonstrated increased critical thinking ability. Recitation size also significantly influenced critical thinking ability where students enrolled in a relatively small recitation section had elevated critical thinking when compared to the abilities of those students enrolled in a large recitation. These observations suggest that engaging students in classroom discussions with student-led feedback is a useful instructional technique for developing CTS. Further, the data suggest the development of critical thinking skill among food science majors can be augmented when classroom discussions with student-led feedback are conducted in smaller sized recitations. [source]

Early elementary students' development of astronomy concepts in the planetarium

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 2 2009
Julia D. Plummer
Abstract The National Science Education Standards [National Research Council (1996) National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press] recommend that students understand the apparent patterns of motion of the sun, moon and stars by the end of early elementary school. However, little information exists on students' ability to learn these concepts. This study examines the change in students' understanding of apparent celestial motion after attending a planetarium program using kinesthetic learning techniques. Pre- and post-interviews were conducted with participants from seven classes of first and second grade students (N,=,63). Students showed significant improvement in knowledge of all areas of apparent celestial motion covered by the planetarium program. This suggests that students in early elementary school are capable of learning the accurate description of apparent celestial motion. The results also demonstrate the value of both kinesthetic learning techniques and the rich visual environment of the planetarium for improved understanding of celestial motion. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 46: 192,209, 2009 [source]

Scientific explanations: Characterizing and evaluating the effects of teachers' instructional practices on student learning

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 1 2008
Katherine L. McNeill
Abstract Teacher practices are essential for supporting students in scientific inquiry practices, such as the construction of scientific explanations. In this study, we examine what instructional practices teachers engage in when they introduce scientific explanation and whether these practices influence students' ability to construct scientific explanations during a middle school chemistry unit. Thirteen teachers enacted a project-based chemistry unit, How can I make new stuff from old stuff?, with 1197 seventh grade students. We videotaped each teacher's enactment of the focal lesson on scientific explanation and then coded the videotape for four different instructional practices: modeling scientific explanation, making the rationale of scientific explanation explicit, defining scientific explanation, and connecting scientific explanation to everyday explanation. Our results suggest that when teachers introduce scientific explanation, they vary in the practices they engage in as well as the quality of their use of these practices. We also found that teachers' use of instructional practices can influence student learning of scientific explanation and that the effect of these instructional practices depends on the context in terms of what other instructional practices the teacher uses. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 53,78, 2008 [source]

Developing students' ability to ask more and better questions resulting from inquiry-type chemistry laboratories

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 7 2005
Avi Hofstein
This study focuses on the ability of high-school chemistry students, who learn chemistry through the inquiry approach, to ask meaningful and scientifically sound questions. We investigated (a) the ability of students to ask questions related to their observations and findings in an inquiry-type experiment (a practical test) and (b) the ability of students to ask questions after critically reading a scientific article. The student population consisted of two groups: an inquiry-laboratory group (experimental group) and a traditional laboratory-type group (control group). The three common features investigated were (a) the number of questions that were asked by each of the students, (b) the cognitive level of the questions, and (c) the nature of the questions that were chosen by the students, for the purpose of further investigation. Importantly, it was found that students in the inquiry group who had experience in asking questions in the chemistry laboratory outperformed the control grouping in their ability to ask more and better questions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 791,806, 2005 [source]

Text genre as a factor in the formation of scientific literacy

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 4 2005
Ayelet Baram-Tsabari
Learning using primary literature may be a way of developing a capacity for scientific ways of thinking among students. Since reading research articles is a difficult task for novices, we examined the possible benefits of learning using primary literature versus secondary literature, particularly with respect to their influence on the creation and formation of scientific literacy. We report on a comparison between four groups of high school students, each with differing degrees of prior knowledge in biology, who read a domain-related text written in either the scientific research article genre (adapted primary literature) or the popular-scientific genre (secondary literature). Although there was no significant difference in the students' ability to summarize the main ideas of each text, indicating that there was no eminent distinction in their content, we found that students who read adapted primary literature demonstrated better inquiry skills, whereas secondary literature readers comprehended the text better and demonstrated less negative attitudes toward the reading task. Since the scientific content of the two texts was essentially identical, we suggest that the differences in students' performances stem from the structure of the text, dictated by its genre. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 403,428, 2005 [source]

A Classroom Investigation: Can Video Improve Intermediate-Level French Language Students' Ability to Learn about a Foreign Culture?

Irish nursing students' experiences of service learning

NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 4 2008
Dympna Casey rgn
Abstract Service learning is a teaching tool that facilitates students' ability to link theory to practice while simultaneously providing a needed service to the community. This paper describes Irish nursing students' experiences of a service learning placement undertaken in a developing country. The students complete 30 h of theoretical content, which includes lectures and workshops on such topics as personal safety, health, and human rights, as well as the preparation of students for the emotional impact of the experience. All the content is underpinned by a commitment to developing reciprocal relationships with the service learning communities. To explore these students' experiences, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted. The data were collected using interviews and were analyzed by thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: developing cultural sensitivity, caring for people in different cultures, learning/knowing more, and the potential impact on nursing practice. The findings suggest that the students are more culturally aware and are becoming more responsible citizens. [source]

Evaluation: Best evidence on the educational effects of undergraduate portfolios

THE CLINICAL TEACHER, Issue 3 2010
Sharon Buckley
Summary Background:, The great variety of portfolio types and schemes used in the education of health professionals is reflected in the extensive and diverse educational literature relating to portfolio use. We have recently completed a Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) systematic review of the literature relating to the use of portfolios in the undergraduate setting that offers clinical teachers insights into both their effects on learning and issues to consider in portfolio implementation. Methods:, Using a methodology based on BEME recommendations, we searched the literature relating to a range of health professions, identifying evidence for the effects of portfolios on undergraduate student learning, and assessing the methodological quality of each study. Results:, The higher quality studies in our review report that, when implemented appropriately, portfolios can improve students' ability to integrate theory with practice, can encourage their self-awareness and reflection, and can offer support for students facing difficult emotional situations. Portfolios can also enhance student,tutor relationships and prepare students for the rigours of postgraduate training. However, the time required to complete a portfolio may detract from students' clinical learning. An analysis of methodological quality against year of publication suggests that, across a range of health professions, the quality of the literature relating to the educational effects of portfolios is improving. However, further work is still required to build the evidence base for the educational effects of portfolios, particularly comparative studies that assess effects on learning directly. Discussion:, Our findings have implications for the design and implementation of portfolios in the undergraduate setting. [source]