ABSTRACT
Historically, high levels of self-reported stress, anxiety, and depression are quite common among STEM students. Unfortunately, after multiple semesters of disrupted education due to COVID-19, these mental struggles among students, especially first-year (freshmen) undergraduate engineering students, have only been exacerbated. To mitigate these struggles, active and thoughtful engagement in learning can be implemented. The main goal of this study was to implement an engaging, teamwork building, service-focused Environmental Engineering activity in a freshmen Civil Engineering course (CE 101, Introduction to Civil Engineering) where students performed a water quality monitoring campaign using two commercially available lowcost test strips (2:1 and 5:1) while returning to campus. Additionally, the quality of the results obtained and the students' reception of this service-focused activity were evaluated. This activity (1) engaged the students, (2) had a positive impact on their environmental engineering knowledge, and (3) generated useful water quality data related to tap water and surficial water in northern Mississippi. Results highlighted the (1) overall good quality of the tap water collected, with the analyzed analytes significantly below the U.S. EPA maximum contaminant levels, (2) ability of low-cost test strips to generate trustworthy data (results obtained by the students were not statistically different, p > 0.05, compared to the quality assurance and quality control samples implemented) that can help local communities in assessing the quality of their water, and (3) ability to perform service-focused activity while teaching STEM courses. Students positively valued this service-focused activity, and they were enthusiastic about further experiencing this approach in other classes.
ABSTRACT
Historically, high levels of self-reported stress, anxiety, and depression are quite common among STEM students. Unfortunately, after multiple semesters of disrupted education due to COVID-19, these mental struggles among students, especially first-year (freshmen) undergraduate engineering students, have only been exacerbated. To mitigate these struggles, active and thoughtful engagement in learning can be implemented. The main goal of this study was to implement an engaging, teamwork building, service-focused Environmental Engineering activity in a freshmen Civil Engineering course (CE 101, Introduction to Civil Engineering) where students performed a water quality monitoring campaign using two commercially available low-cost test strips (2:1 and 5:1) while returning to campus. Additionally, the quality of the results obtained and the students' reception of this service-focused activity were evaluated. This activity (1) engaged the students, (2) had a positive impact on their environmental engineering knowledge, and (3) generated useful water quality data related to tap water and surficial water in northern Mississippi. Results highlighted the (1) overall good quality of the tap water collected, with the analyzed analytes significantly below the U.S. EPA maximum contaminant levels, (2) ability of low-cost test strips to generate trustworthy data (results obtained by the students were not statistically different, p > 0.05, compared to the quality assurance and quality control samples implemented) that can help local communities in assessing the quality of their water, and (3) ability to perform service-focused activity while teaching STEM courses. Students positively valued this service-focused activity, and they were enthusiastic about further experiencing this approach in other classes. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
In the past decade, social media platforms have been recognized as an important tool in the dissemination of science among the research community and as an interface between scientists and the general public. Publishing companies that specialize in scientific research now pay attention to alternative metrics ("altmetrics") and provide comprehensive guides about social media management to editors. Twitter has emerged as a leader among social media platforms in the dissemination of science. This Perspective will assert the merits of using Twitter to expand the reach of scientific conferences while providing guidance on how to disseminate conference findings in real-time, called "live-tweeting," without compromising scientific integrity.
Subject(s)
Social Media , HumansABSTRACT
Aim Near-peer mentoring (NPM) is an effective educational model for personal and professional development. We aimed to develop, implement and evaluate a NPM programme for NCHDs in a paediatric hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods This was a prospective, questionnaire-based initiative. Registrars (mentors) were paired with senior house officers (mentees) for 6 months of mentorship. A mentoring template was created. This outlined 4 core themes: paediatric training, career development, professional skills and work-life balance. Questionnaires were distributed following the period of mentorship to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Thematic analysis was used to provide insights on the mentorship programme. Results All NCHDs (n=99) wished to participate in the mentorship programme. Nineteen NCHDs responded to the survey (response rate 19.2%). 89% of respondents (n=17) felt the programme could be useful to NCHDs in general, but only 21% (n=4) felt it was of personal benefit. Thematic analysis revealed that the programme provided a positive opportunity for mentorship. The interdepartmental rather than intradepartmental nature of the pairings was identified as a negative feature, affecting both the accessibility and value of the encounters. Conclusion This study highlights the benefits of a successful NPM programme for paediatric NCHDs in Ireland. Support for the programme was high amongst both mentors and mentees. Simple modifications are required to further improve this mentorship initiative.