Tag: student perspectives

“Hey, I Can Do This!” The Benefits of Conducting Undergraduate Psychology Research for Young Adult Development

Many undergraduate programs require students to complete an independent research project in their major field prior to graduation. These projects are typically described as opportunities for integration of coursework and a direct application of the methods of inquiry specific to a particular discipline. Evaluations of curricular projects have usually found that they positively impact students’ knowledge and skills in that discipline. However, little attention has been devoted to the impact that these projects have on broader aspects of psychosocial development. The current study describes the results of a focus group conducted with students who had recently completed their senior research project in psychology. Results of the focus group interview were transcribed and coded according to grounded theory principles. Five developmentally-specific categories emerged from the analysis. These included a greater sense of competence attributed to completing a large-scale project, an experience of being in a professional role relative to research participants as well as to the audience presented with their study results, and a sense of ownership and pride in completing their project. Universities that either require or are contemplating requiring senior projects should consider these broader benefits to young adult development.

Learning with Stories: A Personal Case Study Approach in Communication

This paper is a reflective paper—an attempt by the researcher to explore, explain, and understand the workings and benefits of the case study method from the perspective of a learner. The researcher opens with a discussion of up the issue discussing the case study method as a learning and teaching medium in applied disciplines, by providing her own learning experience in her graduate communication class. She further supports her perspective with suitable theory.

Accepting the Utopian Challenge: A Student Perspective

The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) allows institutions to achieve the goals required for student learning and success. The purpose of this paper is to address recommendations for the implementation of SoTL that should have relevant input from students. These include, but are not limited to, better communication, evaluation, continuing education, and learning networks. With the proper implementation of these recommendations, professors can effectively teach the next generation of leaders.

The Friction between Faculty Evaluations and Rewards: Reconsidering Teaching’s Rhetoric and Recognition

Educators know the reality and the inadequacies of current evaluation systems – there are gaps between what is defined as good teaching, how faculty members are assessed, and how they are rewarded (or not) for their work in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Student evaluations are ineffective tools to assess teachers. Educators must be given the opportunity to show their work and achievements and to develop a rich community of support, but they also must be evaluated in various formats to provide the best learning opportunities for students.

Improving SoTL Programs: The Impact of a Student Sector

O’ Meara, Terosky, and Neumann (2011) revealed a need to integrate faculty teaching and learning centers with research development programs to further both individual professors’ goals of creating innovative pedagogical practices and institutional goals for faculty publication and effective decision making regarding funding allocation. This article suggests that universities implement a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) or teaching-learning enhancement center (TLEC) student sector within these integrated faculty development programs. This will foster more pedagogical ideas and a more democratic institution by giving students a voice in their education while enriching the knowledge of students, faculty, and administrators.