Inspiring Academic Confidence in University Students: Perceived Digital Experience as a Source of Self-Efficacy

Purpose: This study aims to introduce a research framework that identifies the potential sources of design self-efficacy that emerge from the digital class by covering the teaching for professional competence model (TPCM) to enhance students' design self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach: The multistage and purposive sampling technique is used, and the respondents considered are Malaysian university students. Further, the students who completed the survey included both local and international students so as to capture responses through primary data. Findings The findings of this research study reveal that design self-efficacy is determined not only by feedback and collaborative learning but also by perceived digital class experience. Research limitations/implications: Moreover, this study is limited in offering a theoretical framework using the TPCM;therefore, future studies may incorporate Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and may also use the theory integration approach. Also, in terms of geographic coverage, the current work is limited to an area in Klang Valley. Future studies may be carried out in other parts or regions of the country. Future researchers may also focus on technological self-efficacy to capture the other related factors that may be related. Practical implications: This study not only contributed to the theoretical extensions but also to practical implications, which would benefit the policymakers of higher education providers in Malaysia. Originality/value: TPCM components, which are students' personal characteristics, teaching practices and student's perceptions of the classroom climate, are mapped into the digital class context as potential sources of design self-efficacy and collectively labelled as digital class experience. To the authors' knowledge, the digital class environment variable is yet to be tested as a component of TPCM.

Renewing the Object of Work as a Trigger for Inter-Organizational Learning

Purpose: The study refers to a health-care organization engaged in adopting "home health care" as a new object of activity. This study aims to explore how the reconfiguration of the object influences the transformative perspective, affecting not just a service but a broader approach and meaning behind patient care. It also investigates the main contradictions at play and the levers to support inter-organizational learning while facing the new challenges and change processes. Design/methodology/approach: The work is based on a qualitative and ethnographic methodology directed to examine cultural, practical and socio-material aspects. The activity theory is assumed as a powerful approach to understand collective learning and distributed agency processes. Findings: The renewal of the new object of work is analyzed as a trigger for shifts in representations, cultural processes and collective support implemented by the organization. Three agentic trajectories -- technical, dialogical and collaborative agency -- were cultivated by the management to deliver home health care through joint exercises of coordination and control, dialogical spaces and collaborative process. Research limitations/implications: The data collection was disrupted by the pandemic. A follow-up study would be beneficial to inquire how the learning processes shifted or were influenced by the contextual changes. Practical implications: This contribution provides a practical framework for health-care organizations aiming to navigate and explore the physiological tensions and contradictions emerging when the object of work is changed. Originality/value: The paper develops the field of intra- and inter-organizational learning by presenting an intertwined and structural connection between these processes and the renewing of the object of work. It advises that processes of transformation must be handled with attention to the critical and collective dynamics that accompany sustainable and situated changes.

Factors affecting students' use of a data-free instant messenger for on-line peer tutoring: a large, undergraduate class at a historically disadvantaged university

There is a need for synchronous and inclusive online peer tutoring in large, undergraduate classes. As a lack of data or internet connectivity may limit online peer tutoring, the use of a data-free instant messenger was implemented for online tutoring in a class of 342 students. The Moya application allows students to chat and send voice notes to tutors and peers without using data. Sending attachments incurs data costs but the amount of data is displayed prior to downloading. The qualitative interpretivist case study used data collected from purposive sampling via an online survey. Consent was received from 252 third-year Information Systems students at a historically disadvantaged university. Qualitative data were analysed via thematic content analysis using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 model as a theoretical basis. Findings indicate that the majority of students (85.7%) did not use the data-free Moya instant messenger. Reasons for the low usage included a negative performance expectancy, as students did not see the benefit in using the application to engage with peers or tutors. Perceived effort expectancy was low, as students did not desire to learn to use a new application. Results showed that using WhatsApp was a habit. Moreover, social influence was a factor, as fellow students and tutors were also using WhatsApp. Students recommended increasing awareness of the Moya application and providing training. The price value was expected to be a significant factor as this application does not require data, but this was not the case. Facilitating conditions show that students had data for WhatsApp. Moya has the same interface design as the preferred WhatsApp so learning to use the application should require minimal effort. The unexpected findings indicate that students prefer WhatsApp, an instant messenger that requires data, over a datafree instant messenger. The findings leave lecturers questioning whether using WhatsApp for online peer tutoring is the more viable option.

An Operations Research-Based Teaching Unit for Grade 10: The ROAR Experience, Part I

We introduce "Ricerca Operativa Applicazioni Reali" (ROAR;in English, "Real Applications of Operations Research"), a three-year project for higher secondary schools. Its main aim is to improve students' interest, motivation, and skills related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics disciplines by integrating mathematics and computer science through operations research. ROAR offers examples and problems closely connected with students' everyday life or with the industrial reality, balancing mathematical modeling and algorithmics. The project is composed of three teaching units, addressed to grades 10, 11, and 12. The implementation of the first teaching unit took place in Spring 2021 at the scientific high school IIS Antonietti in Iseo (Brescia, Italy). In particular, in this paper, we provide a full description of this first teaching unit in terms of objectives, prerequisites, topics and methods, organization of the lectures, and digital technologies used. Moreover, we analyze the feedback received from students and teachers involved in the experimentation, and we discuss advantages and disadvantages related to distance learning that we had to adopt because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooperative Attention-Based Learning between Diverse Data Sources

Cooperative attention provides a new method to study how epidemic diseases are spread. It is derived from the social data with the help of survey data. Cooperative attention enables the detection possible anomalies in an event by formulating the spread variable, which determines the disease spread rate decision score. This work proposes a determination spread variable using a disease spread model and cooperative learning. It is a four-stage model that determines answers by identifying semantic cooperation using the spread model to identify events, infection factors, location spread, and change in spread rate. The proposed model analyses the spread of COVID-19 throughout the United States using a new approach by defining data cooperation using the dynamic variable of the spread rate and the optimal cooperative strategy. Game theory is used to define cooperative strategy and to analyze the dynamic variable determined with the help of a control algorithm. Our analysis successfully identifies the spread rate of disease from social data with an accuracy of 67% and can dynamically optimize the decision model using a control algorithm with a complexity of order O(n(2)).

Methodological Strategy for the Development of Academic Motivation of First-year High School Students in the Face of the New Normal

Academic demotivation is a determining factor in the risk of dropping out of school, it prevents the student from maintaining a behavior oriented to student achievement, low self-esteem and the formation of an erroneous self-concept;which became evident in the face of the changes in the educational context as a result of Covid-19. In view of the academic demotivation shown by the students when returning to face-to-face classes, the objective of the research was to design a methodological strategy for the development of the students' academic motivation in the face of the new normality. The sample consisted of 126 students, and the research approach was mixed. The method used was the survey, the results of which show that 54.76% of the students feel unmotivated to continue their studies. Based on the results obtained, a methodological strategy was designed for the development of students' academic motivation.

The Challenges and Value of Undergraduate Oral Exams in the Physical Chemistry Classroom: A Useful Tool in the Assessment Toolbox

The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated challenges with assessment, especially in online environments that threaten academic integrity. In the wake of the pandemic, faculty in higher education were seeking alternative assessments that meet the assessment goal(s) of their classroom. Even though the COVID-based disruptions are diminishing, higher education continues to experience ongoing upheaval related to new technology, such as ChatGPT, requiring ongoing reevaluation of our assessment practices. Upon reflecting on our assessment goals, we explored oral exams as a potentially valuable tool in the assessment toolbox in Physical Chemistry I and II courses at two institutions. In analyzing the course evaluation data at both institutions, we found consistent themes in student-perceived challenges, student-perceived value, and instructor-perceived value. Students had an overwhelmingly positive response to the oral exam experience and recommended their continued use in spite of their perceived challenges. Students found the oral exams challenging due to the stress and anxiety of verbal presentation and the depth of understanding required to answer questions verbally. In response to these challenges, students adjusted their study habits to incorporate studying in groups, verbally speaking out loud, utilizing spaced practice methods, and focusing on understanding concepts and equations instead of relying on memorization of material. Considering the challenges and required adjustment in study habits, students still overwhelmingly recommend using oral exams because they recognize the value of communication and teamwork in their future careers. In addition to student value, the instructors found value in oral assessments, despite the challenges with time commitments, validity, reliability, and fairness. We believe oral assessments in undergraduate chemistry curricula warrant further investigation as a useful tool in the assessment toolbox. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

Developing a cooperative learning project: bridging the design, merchandising and retail processes

The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a cross-disciplinary collaborative project where students can engage in a cross-disciplinary collaborative learning environment in which students jointly develop a semester-long project designed to bridge the design, merchandising, and retailing processes. The cooperative learning model was employed for the development and implementation of the project. After completing the project, we evaluated the student learning experiences against the Student Learning Outcomes through qualitative (i.e. reflection papers) and quantitative analysis (i.e. pre and post surveys). Findings suggest that, through the Cotton Capsule Wardrobe project, students from both programs gained insights and knowledge of professional practices within the fashion industry. Despite the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had in interrupting the later segments of the project, this research still provides valuable insight to the literature by demonstrating the application of the cooperative learning modules in cross-disciplinary environments.

Implementing Service-Focused Activities Focused on Water Quality While Teaching a Freshmen Undergraduate Course During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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.

Implementing Service-Focused Activities Focused on Water Quality While Teaching a Freshmen Undergraduate Course During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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.

Primary Teachers' Challenges in Implementing ICT in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Post-Pandemic Era in Uganda

Information and communication, technology (ICT) has become a necessary tool in education post-COVID-19 pandemic. However, integrating ICT into teaching and learning has been a daunting challenge in many developing countries, such as Uganda. This qualitative case study investigated the challenges that primary school teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Uganda. The study found various challenges divided into three categories: infrastructure and internet connectivity;individual factors and administrative support;and curriculum and learner support materials. A significant obstacle was the lack of computer access, internet connectivity, and ICT textbooks. Additionally, teachers lacked the ICT skills necessary to integrate technology into their teaching methods, and administrative support was insufficient. The identified challenges in this study will require a multi-pronged approach that includes increasing investment in infrastructure, providing training and support to teachers, and developing relevant and appropriate ICT curriculum materials. In conclusion, this study highlights the challenges that primary school teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching STEM subjects in Uganda. By addressing the identified challenges, policymakers and stakeholders can take steps towards improving ICT integration in primary school education and bridging the digital divide in Uganda and other developing countries.

A narrative of early childhood educator faculty experiences using synchronous cooperative learning amid a pandemic

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore the experiences of Texas higher education faculty in early childhood educator preparation programs (EPP) with the use of cooperative learning (CL) strategies in a synchronous online learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theory of social interdependence and the elements of cooperative learning comprise the theoretical foundation. The qualitative narrative inquiry design was used to explore the phenomenon of the study and the research questions. The sample included eight faculty in early childhood EPPs in Texas who transitioned from face-to-face instruction to online implementing CL in synchronous modalities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews. A narrative inquiry design enabled the participants to tell the story of their experiences, providing the researcher with an opportunity to interpret the symbolic meaning and significance of the stories told. The analysis procedures included organization and preparation of the interview data, narrative coding, and interpretive analysis. The restoring process provided detailed description of the temporal commonplace, detailing the time in which the participants experienced the shift, the societal, detailing the social and personal aspect of the experiences, and place commonplace dimension connecting to the phenomenon of the study. The findings included faculty perspectives on redesigning their courses, course work, considering course delivery, restructuring assignments, and ways to stay connected with students and support students' social interdependence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Visual thinking and cooperative learning in higher education: HOW does its implementation affect marketing and management disciplines after COVID-19?

Students learn in different ways and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the higher education faculty needs to reinvent the educational experience for students. Recognizing the characteristics of cooperative learning as an integral and sustainable part of the solution is a source of motivation for the incorporation of entrepreneurial competencies in university curricula. This article proposes that cooperative learning and visual thinking tools in higher education can have a positive influence on improving the acquisition of core competencies in marketing and business administration subjects. The proposed relationships were evaluated using PLS-SEM (symmetric) and fuzzy set (asymmetric) approaches on a sample of 820 students. The PLS-SEM results revealed that the highest levels of acquisition of basic group competencies are through Social Skills, Interaction and Positive Interdependence. The results of the fuzzy sets (fsQCA) reinforced the symmetrical findings and revealed that Group Reflection and adequacy of Assessment were necessary and sufficient prescriptions for competence acquisition. © 2023 The Authors

A Coaching Co-Design: Fostering Change, Innovation, and Collaboration

A model of coaching co-design for executive teams (ETC) based on a four-year program using diagnostic and dialogic organization development tools focused on fostering change, innovation, and collaboration. The study engaged a leadership team of 34 participants from a fast-paced global software and hardware gaming company. Using extensive proprietary data, the model offers practitioners and academics a guide for co-creating a team coaching design. Co-creating a cooperative learning process uses a framework of interventions for intentionally planning and aligning behaviors and practices to support dynamic capabilities to boost firm success, adaptability, and organizational performance. This model exemplifies conditions that can unleash shared personal and organizational power for practitioners and academics. The research was undertaken in an industry where innovation and execution were necessary skills for survival and growth. This duality of skills is referred to as ambidexterity.

Adapting to the COVID-19 World: A Case Study of Collective Learning in a Social Entrepreneurial Organisation

Purpose: This paper aims to examine how a social entrepreneurial organisation in Sweden collectively learned to adapt itself to the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: Using an abductive approach, this study conducted single case fieldwork on a social entrepreneurial organisation called SFE. The following research questions were asked: What are the changes in collective learning conditions that SFE has to face during the pandemic? What are the outcomes of collective learning during the pandemic in SFE? Findings: This study results indicate that collective learning conditions were changed by restructuring the organisation's design and teamwork during the pandemic, which facilitated sharing of knowledge and experiences. This collective learning helped the organisation develop new virtual projects during the pandemic. Another result of this collective learning was the members' new shared understanding of the organisation's vision. Research limitations/implications: This study hopes to broaden the understanding of the relationship between collective learning in organisations and organisational adaptation in times of crisis. Practical implications: This study can help leaders of social entrepreneurial organisations understand what changes are necessary to create a team that collectively learns. Originality/value: The data had the advantage of being gathered as a real-time process, and the researcher witnessed how the organisation achieved adaptation as it happened and not just through its members' reflection of it as a past phenomenon.

Using the Hackathon model in social work education

A recent innovation adapted from the world of commercial computer hacking is known as a Hackathon event. Hackathons are characterized by problem-solving in small groups, under time pressure, to develop creative solutions to a challenging problem. This paper presents the evaluation of a Hackathon applied in two courses on trauma-informed practice (one BSW and the other at MSW level). Students (N = 57) developed interventions to address group and community trauma presented in case studies. Social work doctoral students served as judges (N = 5), evaluated the presentations and selected the winning team. The evaluation showed that the students and judges felt that the Hackathon promoted learning, creativity, teamwork and the incorporation of concepts learned in the course. The competitiveness and being judged were viewed as negative aspects by the students and the judges concurred that the competition detracted from the educational experience. More research is needed on how to apply the Hackathon model to other types of social work curricula including the teaching of various research methods. The current COVID-19 pandemic is challenging the social work profession to address its myriad social implications. How to adapt social work practice toward the incorporation of e-therapy and e-consultation might benefit from Hackathon brainstorming. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

A Case Study on the Impact of Peer Tutoring in the Education of Freshmen Engineering

In an online or offline classroom, it might be difficult to ensure student engagement and learning during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. The learning of global engineers, need to engage effective teaching and learning practices in higher education is required. The best way to learn is to teach. Learning by teaching others is extremely effective method. To enhance the learning of engineering students, a pilot study is aims to exam in the effectiveness of the freshmen engineering students' engagement in learning using peer tutoring. In addition, considered the performance of tutees (slow learners) guided by the identified tutors (fast learners) of the same group for peer tutoring. For that the students are engaged in the practice of learning by teaching, understanding and retaining the knowledge while comparing the students who are in existing learning. A peer teaching method is effective learning method by involving the student in group presentations combined with cooperative learning. In this paper a review of related literature focusing on active learning methods –like learning by teaching, peer tutoring, team presentations in engineering education are done. The results strongly endorse learning through teaching by the student and for the student throughout the practice of peer tutoring in a pilot course study of Applied Physics. © 2022, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.

Using Electronic-Collaborative Mentoring in Higher Education-Bettering ELT Student Teaching Practice Processes

This study aims to improve English Language Teaching (ELT) student teachers' teaching practice process with comprehensive and diverse feedback from four different mentors (two national and two international) and to help them better prepare lesson plans and micro-teaching considering intercultural perspectives. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze quantitative data gathered from the scores of five lesson plans and micro-teachings. Qualitative data were obtained from the written feedback to lesson plans, oral feedback to micro teachings and interviews, and analyzed by content analysis. Results showed that mentees' lesson plan and micro teaching scores increased significantly over the semester and this was especially notable in mentees' first three lesson plans and micro teaching. All participants favoured the study activities and suggested that e-co mentoring should be implemented together with face-to-face mentoring in some periods.

Uncovering the Importance of Peer-to-Peer Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Rotating Chromatography Experiments to Overcome Limited Student Capacity

Even though scientific communication and collaboration play critical roles in academic success, they often come in second to teaching laboratory fundamentals. COVID-19 associated capacity constraints forced our program to reexamine the traditional laboratory instruction paradigm by limiting physical attendance, as well as laboratory duration. Instead, we opted to turn these restrictions into opportunities to study peer-to-peer communication as a means to enhance in-person experimentation. Here, a two-week high performance liquid and gas chromatography (HPLC and GC) module uses centralized student communication between peer groups to not only maintain but increase quality laboratory experiences. Students rotate between two chromatography experiments to ensure each person gains exposure to foundational separations techniques. The module's first week focuses on method development, while the second week highlights method validation. Since HPLC and GC can accommodate similar experimental objectives, students receive comparable method development and validation experiences no matter which specific instrument they are assigned to that week. By integrating communication into the experimental process and adding peer accountability to the laboratory's design, the authors observed an increase in laboratory report words and figures when compared to the prior years' reports. Student questionnaires also indicated structured rotation and group communication increased student interest and investment in obtaining and reporting quality data. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.

Approaches to Promoting Student Engagement in Organic Chemistry Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights and Reflections

Active engagement is critical to student success in Organic Chemistry. In this paper, I trace the trajectory of student engagement in an introductory organic chemistry lecture series over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. I detail my approach to cultivating student engagement in an online environment, evaluate the success of these approaches and discuss modifications, and recount our efforts to combat the "learned disengagement” that students exhibited upon returning to an in-person class format. Although engagement gradually dwindled over the course of online instruction, multiple interventions succeeded in maintaining a sense of classroom community in students and encouraging active participation. By building opportunities for engagement into the course structure and rewarding students who partake in class activities, I hope to once again enjoy the level of engagement that we had prior to the pandemic. © 2022 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.