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CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS 4.1 Qualitative Data Source

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Physiotherapy

Corinne Dalelio , Christina Selby

This chapter makes an argument for using qualitative methods for assessing students’ knowledge at the program level in order to observe their abilities and application of knowledge as demonstrated in an actual learning environment. A model for using focus groups to evaluate achievement of higher level learning outcomes is presented, drawing on a case study based on assessment of students in the communication major at Coastal Carolina University. Specifically, six focus groups with 8-12 students in each were conducted. Guided discussion, following presentations of an electronic and a print-based message led to a high level of student engagement. Case study findings showed that although students demonstrated proficiency in understanding basic communication principles and immediate implications of each message, students were less able to demonstrate higher-level critical evaluation by identifying the messages’ longer-term societal implications. This model provides an opportunity for assessors in different academic contexts to identify specific weaknesses in their students’ learning processes and to adjust curricula accordingly.

Sıdıka Gizir

English for Specific Purposes World Journal, Issue 2(18) Vol. 7, pp. 1-14, 2008.

Ourania Katsara

This article reports on the findings of a survey on students’ views of the ESP course in University of Ioannina. Four focus group interviews were conducted, each consisting of 5 students. These interviews were carried out in order to further explore in depth data gathered in the two previous stages of the research. The finding indicated that there is a consistency over time on certain issues identified in previous interpretation of in-depth interviews and content analysis of essays. The evidence shows that there are problems regarding policies of foreign language teaching in the state sector and culture specific attitudes concerning English language learning. It is apparent that more adequate and descriptive information on the ESP course is required both to students and to academic staff of university departments. Co-operation among all appears to facilitate an effort to make the ESP course useful and worth attending in University. Keywords Focus group Interviews, Qualitative analysis, English for Specific Purposes, Greek students, needs analysis, motivation

Peter Gibbings

Benefits of collecting student feedback on courses, programs, learning experiences, and their perceptions of teaching quality, are well documented in literature. In the higher education system, this feedback is generally collected via student evaluation surveys. During the past few years, the Faculty of Engineering and Surveying (FoES), one of five faculties at USQ, has identified problems of small response rates, possible bias, general questions over data validity, relevance and wording of survey questions, and systems problems such as timeliness of official reports. Due to these problems, the data may not be reliable and the views of those who respond may not be representative of the overall student cohort. It is therefore risky to base management decisions on student satisfaction, teaching quality, and course quality on these data. Clearly, a more robust and reliable method of gathering feedback from students was needed that would provide more confidence in the data. For various ...

Monica Stitt-Bergh

ABSTRACT To help us act on general education assessment results and create improvement plans, we included student focus groups in our assessment procedures. The presenter highlights results including (a) course elements that students stated would help them meet outcomes in written communication, symbolic reasoning, and global and multicultural perspectives; (b) how students used general education knowledge and skills learned during the first two years to complete third-year assignments; and (c) how we used these results to engage faculty in constructive conversations that led to curricular changes. The presentation also features focus-group formats with activities such as “course timelines” and concept maps. EXTENDED ABSTRACT Using assessment results to improve student learning is a necessary but difficult task. To help us take action and create improvement plans, we included student focus groups as part of our general education assessment procedures. We wanted to add student voices to general education assessment in order to explore why learning was or was not happening and identify ways to improve. First, we wanted students to describe which assignments, pedagogical approaches, class size, etc., helped them achieve the general education learning outcomes. Second, we wanted to know if students perceived the first-year general education curriculum as foundational to subsequent courses, particularly courses in their major. To answer these questions, in 2010 we started a longitudinal study of learning in the general education program that included an annual focus group. We invited all first-year, first-time students (N=1,956) in fall 2010 to participate. Out of 356 volunteers, we used stratified random sampling to select 251 who closely matched the fall 2010 freshman class on these characteristics: age, high school GPA, college entrance scores, ethnicity, gender, and residency. All participants complete six online surveys each year and in addition, half of the participants submit coursework/exams from their general education courses each semester and attend an annual focus group. In spring 2012, 83 students participated in one of 10 focus groups, and 70 students (estimated) participated in eight focus groups in spring 2013. Our first-year general education curriculum includes a course on written communication (e.g., English 100), a symbolic reasoning course (e.g., Math 100), and two global and multicultural perspectives courses (e.g., History 151, Anthropology 151). The goals of the first-year general education curriculum are that students have skills and knowledge that are fundamental to undertaking higher education and necessary for living and working in diverse communities. With these goals, the general education outcomes, and use of assessment results in mind, we developed research questions for the annual focus groups: 1. What course structures (e.g., assignments, class size) would help students meet the learning outcomes related to written communication (WC), symbolic reasoning (SR), and global and multicultural perspectives (GMP)? [2012] 2. What WC, SR, and GMP knowledge and skills learned during the first two years do third-year students identify as being valuable? [2013] 3. Are students using WC, SR, and GMP knowledge and skills learned during the first two years to complete assignments or meet professor expectations in their third year? [2013] Course Structures That Encouraged Learning Related to the First-year Outcomes. Near the end of their second year (spring 2012), participants attended a focus group session in which they designed a first-year general education course aimed at helping students achieve the learning outcomes. The participants saw clear differences among the three areas: WC, SR, and GMP. For example, while their ideal WC and SR courses were limited to 15-20 students, the ideal GMP course enrollment was either a 50-student lecture or a large lecture plus a small-enrollment recitation section. Participants had mixed perceptions of the effectiveness of peer review in writing courses but were positive that peer-to-peer learning was effective in SR courses. Participants were able to describe the current and future value of the WC and SR outcomes, but the majority found little value in the GMP outcomes. Valuable WC, SR, and GMP Knowledge and Skills Learned During the First Two Years. Near the end of their third year (spring 2013), participants attended a focus group session in which they identified valuable WC, SR, and GMP knowledge and skills learned during the first two years. Preliminary results indicated that learning about doing research, using the library, and citing sources were most valued. Knowledge and Skills Learned During the First Two Years Used to Complete Assignments in the Third Year. In the third-year focus group (spring 2013), participants also described if and how they were using the WC, SR, and GMP knowledge and skills learned during their first two years to complete assignments or meet professor expectations in their third year. Preliminary results were as follows: first-year WC knowledge and skills had the strongest connections to third-year assignments across all majors. Regarding SR and GMP, the student’s major influenced student responses. Only students in business, science, and engineering programs reported using SR knowledge and skills. While most students felt GMP was not useful for third-year courses, more students now believed GMP would be useful after graduation. Use of Results. Our results serve as an entry into conversations with faculty about how to create a first-year experience that subsequent years build upon. We have and continue to present results to faculty committees that are responsible for the general education curriculum and faculty in departments that teach the general education courses. The use of results has varied. For example, the Anthropology Department restructured its GMP course from a large lecture only to a lecture plus small recitation sections. The General Education Committee has taken the findings into consideration as it debates policy decisions about whether students should be required to complete the GMP requirement during the first year or allowed to complete it at any time during their academic career. Learning Outcomes. Attendees will leave knowing 1. Course structures (e.g., assignments, class size) that students believed would help them meet the learning outcomes related to written communication (WC), symbolic reasoning (SR), and global and multicultural perspectives (GMP); 2. Knowledge and skills related to WC, SR, and GMP that third-year students identified as valuable; 3. How students used WC, SR, and GMP knowledge and skills learned during their first two years to complete assignments in their third year; and 4. How we use this information to engage faculty in constructive discussions about improving teaching and learning in the general education program. "

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

Hanum Tyagita

Sovicheth Boun , Wayne Wright

Readers are free to copy, display, and distribute this article, as long as the work is attributed to the author (s) and the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education & Advancement, it is distributed for noncommercial purposes only, and no alteration or transformation is made in the work. More details of this Creative Commons license are available at http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/. All other uses must be approved by the author (s) or JSAAEA.

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