Diana Sturges

Understanding Protein Synthesis: A Role-Play Approach in Large Undergraduate Human Anatomy and Physiology Classes.

This study investigated the effectiveness of role play in a large undergraduate science class. The targeted population consisted of 298 students enrolled in 2 sections of an undergraduate Human Anatomy and Physiology course taught by the same instructor. The section engaged in the role-play activity served as the study group, whereas the section presented with a traditional lecture served as the control group. A pretest/posttest assessment and a survey were administered to both sections and used in data analysis. In addition, overall test scores and item analysis were examined. The analysis revealed that participants in both groups improved significantly from pretest to posttest, but there were no significant differences between the groups in posttest scores. Neither group showed a significant change from posttest to the exam. However, there was a moderate positive effect on engagement and satisfaction survey questions from being in the study group (based on 255 total surveys returned by both groups). The role-play activity was at least as effective as the lecture in terms of student performance on the above-mentioned assessments. In addition, it proved successful in engaging students in the learning process and increasing their satisfaction.

Exploration of Student Perceptions, Behaviors and Academic Performance in Construction Management Classes

To improve student success, instructors need to understand how students feel about their own learning and how much responsibility the students take for it. This information is crucial to teaching and to the development of more effective courses. Yet, very often, instructors in higher education focus on content learning exclusively. While summative assessment of learning in these courses is important, content learning is not the only measure of educational outcomes. This study used an instrument-surveying tool in which the Course Valuing Inventory (CVI) was adapted for Construction Management (CM) courses to evaluate cognitive-content, affective-personal and behavioral learning in students taking these courses. The study also examined the relationship between course valuing scores, Approaches to Study Inventory (ASI), and course performance. Results indicated that the CVI can be adapted for use in CM courses. Multiple regressions run in this exploratory study predicting final course grade from seven predictor variables (student class standing, student self-reported GPA, whether the course was required for the student’s major, likelihood of student continuing with their current major, grade that student anticipated receiving in the course, ASI score, and CVI score), revealed that six of the variables were significant predictors of final course grades.

A Culture of Extrinsically Motivated Students: Chemistry

Recent research indicates that students are adopting a consumerist approach to education, while data shows that the best academic outcomes are associated with intrinsic motivation. The goal of the study was to explore student academic motivation in an undergraduate Principles of Chemistry I class. The study targeted 432 students enrolled in 9 sections of the class over two semesters at a mid-sized, public four year university. Student academic motivation was measured using the adapted Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). A total of 311 students returned the survey (response rate = 72 %). The results indicated that students enrolled in Chemistry I classes were extrinsically motivated more than intrinsically motivated. The types of extrinsic motivation identified by students were the least autonomous ones, such as external and introjected regulation.

Using Study Guides in Undergraduate Human Anatomy and Physiology Classes: Student Perceptions and Academic Performance

ABSTRACT Few research studies have been conducted on the usefulness of study guides and student perceptions of their use. This mixed-method study evaluated student perceptions of the value of two types of study guides (outline vs. completed) in Human Anatomy and Physiology classes (HAP) and analyzed the relationship between these perceptions, demographics, and academic achievement (final grade). The targeted population consisted of 750 students in health majors registered for HAPI and HAPII in the spring and fall semesters of the academic year and taught by the same instructor. In the spring, HAPI students received the study guide outline and HAPII students received both the study guide outline and the study guide completed. In the fall, the design was reversed. Data was collected using a survey administered to all sections to examine students’ perceptions, and students’ performance was evaluated using final course grades. 560 surveys were collected. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS and qualitative data was grouped in categories and themes.