Search results

The purpose of this paper is to present a proposal for structuring the use of problem-based learning (PBL) as an active teaching strategy and assess PBL’s implications for student learning in the undergraduate management degree program of a federal university in Northeastern Brazil. PBL can turn students into active subjects in their own learning and promote the development of decision-making abilities through the identification and analysis of real problems.

The study follows the assumptions of qualitative research and uses the action research approach. The data were collected through reflective reports (texts freely written by students describing their experiences in a course) and through interviews. The collected material formed the basis for analysis and discussion of the results using content analysis.

The results indicate that the PBL teaching strategy has positive implications for student learning in that it promotes the integration of theory and practice, which enhances the motivation to learn. The students perceived the practical aspect, teamwork and presence of an entrepreneur/manager in the PBL classes as factors facilitating learning. By contrast, teamwork and the time involved were seen as factors limiting learning.

The use of PBL demonstrates its potential for learning through the integration of students’ cognitive, behavioral and social dimensions, fostering closer integration with the context of professional activity. The presence of entrepreneurs/managers who present real problems to be analyzed by the students in the classroom can contribute significantly to the promotion of learning and reflection by undergraduate management students.

The results of this study reveals its originality and value to management education in Brazil because it defines a framework for the implementation of PBL as an active learning strategy in a management program, it indicates the potential of PBL for the development of students’ competencies, it increases the potential for integrating theory with professional practice and it can aid the process of training teachers as they assess the implications of PBL for student learning.

This study was designed to assess the efficacy of pedagogical and relationship-building strategies employed to foster student engagement and success. Also, it was meant to demonstrate the importance of faculty to engagement and success, and emphasize a faculty member's role in lessening the power divide that can exist in classrooms.

First, archival survey data were explored that provide a baseline for student perceptions of the interactions with faculty that have been shown to impact student engagement. Second, an in-depth description of the course taught by this author is provided, along with the relationship-building and pedagogical strategies employed to promote student engagement and learning. Finally, a mixed-methods approach was utilized to capture whether improved engagement and learning occurred. Both qualitative data, in the form of student opinionnaires, and quantitative data gathered from the institution's assessment instrument were reviewed.

A review of the qualitative survey data found that students believe faculty should be very intentional about building relationships with them. Student opinionnaires confirmed the efficacy of the relationship-building tactics employed by the instructor. Additionally, data analysis of the learning assessment tool yielded an 18% increase in performance, lending further support to the classroom strategies utilized during this time.

The results of this study add to the body of literature addressing the impact faculty have on student engagement. Additionally, these results can be used to help inform institutional strategies, such as faculty development seminars, to improve retention as a result of an engaged student body.

Research has demonstrated that high percentages of undergraduate college students self-report they engage in academic procrastination which has significant adverse effects on academic progress with relative consistency. The present study was designed to help English as a foreign language (EFL) procrastinators study on a regular basis, and also to extend the learning of the high achievers. To do so, seventy English as a Foreign Language students in the study were classified by level of procrastination based on scores on the Procrastination Scale (Tuckman, 1991). Half of the students experienced the student-led seminars condition; the other half experienced the assignments condition. Although the student-led seminars condition produced significantly higher scores overall on a final achievement examination than the outline condition did, a significant interaction between condition and student procrastination level reflected an almost 14% advantage for the student-led seminars condition among high procrastinators. There was almost no difference between student-led seminars and assignments conditions for medium and low procrastinators. In addition, the qualitative data revealed high levels of satisfaction among students in the experimental group regarding the seminars and the instructor, as well as the perceived amount of new information learned.

ﻟﻘد أﺛﺑﺗ ت اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﺎ ت اﻟ ﺳ ﺎﺑﻘﺔ ا ر ﺗﻔﺎ ع ﻧ ﺳ ﺑ ﺔ اﻟﺗ ﺳ وﯾ ف ا ﻷ ﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ﻟ د ى ط ﻼ ب اﻟ ﺟ ﺎ ﻣﻌﺎ ت و ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر ه اﻟ ﺳ ﻠﺑ ﻲ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺗﺣﺻ ﯾﻠ ﮭم ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾ ﻣ ﻲ. ﻟذ ﻟ ك ﺗم ﺗﺻﻣﯾم ھذه اﻟدرا ﺳﺔ ﻟﻐر ض ﻣﺳﺎ ﻋدة اﻟﻣﺳوﻓﯾ ن أﻛﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﯾ ﺎً ﻣ ن ط ﻼ ب ا ﻟ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠ ﯾ ز ﯾ ﺔ ﻛ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ أ ﺟ ﻧ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ وﻛ ذﻟ ك ﻟﺗﻌزﯾ ز ﻣ ﺳﺗ و ى اﻟ طﻼب ذو ي اﻟ ﺗ ﺣﺻ ﯾل ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾﻣﻲ اﻟﻣرﺗﻔﻊ. وا ﺷﺗﻣﻠ ت ﻋ ﯾ ﻧ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺑ ﺣ ث ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺳ ﺑ ﻌ ﯾ ن ط ﺎ ﻟ ﺑ ﺎً ﻣ ن ط ﻼ ب ا ﻟ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠ ﯾ ز ﯾ ﺔ ﻛ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ أ ﺟ ﻧ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ا ﻟ ﻣ ر ﺣ ﻠ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺟ ﺎ ﻣ ﻌ ﯾ ﺔ . وﺗ م ﺗﻘ ﺳﯾم اﻟ طﻼب ﺑﻧ ﺎ ء ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻣﻘ ﯾﺎ س اﻟﺗ ﺳوﯾ ف ) Tuckman, 1991 ( اﻟ ﻰ ﺛﻼث ﻣ ﺳﺗ وﯾﺎ ت: ﻋﺎﻟ ﻲ، ﻣﺗ وﺳط، وﻣﻧ ﺧﻔ ض ، وﺗم ا ﺳﺗ ﺧدام اﻟﺣ ﻠﻘﺎ ت اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﺗ ﻲ ﯾﻘ و دھ ﺎ اﻟط ﺎﻟ ب ﻣﻊ إ ﺣ د ى اﻟ ﺷ ﻌ ب اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ ) 30 طﺎ ﻟ ب(، وﺗم أ ﺳﺗ ﺧدام اﻟ وا ﺟﺑﺎ ت اﻟد را ﺳﯾﺔ ﻣﻊ طﻼب اﻟ ﺷﻌﺑﺔ اﻷﺧر ى. أظﮭر ت اﻟد را ﺳﺔ ﻓﺎﻋ ﻠﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﺣ ﻠﻘﺎت اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ اﻟﺗ ﻲ ﯾﻘ ودھﺎ اﻟ ط ﺎﻟ ب ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ا ﻷ دا ء ا ﻷ ﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ﻟ د ى اﻟ ط ﻼب ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻣﺟﻣوﻋﺔ اﻟ ﺗ ﺟ ر ﯾﺑﯾ ﺔ و ﺧ ﺻ و ﺻ ﺎً ﻟ د ى ا ﻟ ط ﻼ ب ذ و ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺳ ﺗ و ى ا ﻟ ﻌ ﺎ ﻟ ﻲ ﻣ ن ا ﻟ ﺗ ﺳ و ﯾ ف ا ﻷ ﻛ ﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ) 14 %( . ﻛذﻟ ك أ ظﮭر ت اﻟدرا ﺳﺔ ر ﺿﺎ اﻟ طﻼب ﻋن اﻟ ﺣﻠﻘﺎ ت اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ و أ ﺳ ﺗﺎ ذ اﻟﻣﻘ ر ر و ﻛذﻟ ك ﻛﻣﯾ ﺔ اﻟﻣﻌر ﻓﺔ اﻟﺟ دﯾدة اﻟ ﺗ ﻲ ﺗم ا ﻛﺗ ﺳ ﺎﺑ ﮭﺎ.

Students entering Zayed University are expected to become active participants in their learning. However, the majority of these students have come from a public education system that is recognized to focus on teacher-centered passive learning. Students may be unprepared for this transition. This paper reports on a case study of changes in performance and motivation for students transitioning from passive learning to active learning.

Three students from the public education system were followed through two consecutive courses employing increasing active learning. Methods included observations, surveys, and interviews. Results indicate that the initial transition from passive learning to active learning has a negative impact, mainly due to inadequate preparation. However, subsequent development of skills through exposure results in improvement to the extent that motivation and performance exceed high school levels. It is concluded that the transition from active learning has the capacity to greatly improve student achievement if properly managed.

The undergraduate research experience program is a funding program offered by the Qatar National Research Fund. The purpose of the program is to provide hands-on research experience for undergraduate students in order to increase their capacity for future research activities. However, leading a team of unexperienced researchers can be challenging. Minimal literature exists of how to overcome these challenges and provide a positive learning experience for novice researchers. The purpose of this paper is to: 1) describe a ‘situated learning’ framework, and teaching methods and approaches that may be helpful for future researchers to actively engage students in the research learning process; 2) describe our own experiences with creating a professional community of research using a team approach; and, 3) offer some practical strategies for scaffolding students to gain research skills through working in close proximity to more experienced colleagues. Helpful situated learning strategies included active engagement of students throughout the project, setting meaningful activities, meeting regularly as a team, scaffolding student learning, setting both individual and group work, assigning specific roles, engaging students in dissemination activities, sharing responsibility, and fading control of project activities to the students as their competency increased. Using a structured mentoring strategy resulted in students being actively engaged in all stages of the project. This approach helped to overcome many challenges of working with novice researchers. It was also rewarding to observe the growth of young researchers through the experiences that they gained in working as members of a research community of practice.