Tag: Student Perspective

Gen Z Students Are Filling Our Online Classrooms: Do Our Teaching Methods Need a Reboot?

Generation Z students are described as being our first “digital natives” who have grown up typing with their thumbs on smartphones and tuning out school-based interactions that do not capture their short attention spans. As Gen Z students occupy more post-secondary rosters for web based courses, they seek instructional models that combine world-class online learning environments with in-person engagement. Based on student feedback generated on principles consistent with the aims of SoTL, this article addresses the core characteristics of Gen Z students in higher education settings and offers relevant, useful strategies for meeting their needs within an online platform.

Team Charters in Business Education: The Importance of Perceived Level of Working Well Together

Schools of business aim to help students develop employer-valued skills, which include communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and application of learning. This can be achieved through team assignments and community-based learning. Such approaches help students apply the concepts they are learning, collaborate with others, develop managerial skills, and solve real-life workplace issues. Teamwork is commonly thought to be enhanced when students establish a team charter outlining their goals, norms, and processes. Research on the value of team charters in business education, however, is limited. This study examined the role of team charters on student perceptions of working well together. Data was collected and analyzed from a mid-term team evaluation and a final team charter assessment. Findings indicated that perceived value of team charters differs across the year in school and tends to be higher for less experienced students. The provision of a structured project roadmap clarified team member roles, responsibilities, personal accountability, and team vision.

Developmental Relationships: An Examination into the Perceptions of Students on Their Relationships with Faculty Members

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of students on the importance of developmental relationships related to teacher satisfaction and retention. It involved the use of a 20-question survey that was focused on perceptions of on-ground undergraduate students on components of The Developmental Relationship Framework from the Search Institute. Cronbach’s Alpha, T-tests, and a Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data. Independent T-tests and the Mann-Whitney U Item Analysis discovered no significant differences in mean scores of survey questions and the demographic variables. While the statistical results were not significant, areas for further research were identified.

Student Perceptions of Learner-Centered Teaching

The learner-centered paradigm departs from traditional teaching models by focusing on students more than teachers and learning more than teaching. Thus, classes are more egalitarian; they emphasize critical thinking, active learning, and real-world assignments. Graduate students in learner-centered classrooms were surveyed about perceptions of their experiences in relation to the key dimensions of the learner-centered paradigm and noted that the approach contributed to their feeling respected as learners, developed their critical thinking skills, and encouraged their self-directedness. Based on these findings, post-secondary instructors are encouraged to experiment with learning-centered approaches to further explore this promising model.

Faculty and Student Attitudes about Transfer of Learning

Transfer of learning is using previous knowledge in novel contexts. While this is a basic assumption of the educational process, students may not always perceive all the options for using what they have learned in different, novel situations. Within the framework of transfer of learning, this study outlines an attitudinal survey concerning faculty and student attitudes about transfer of learning. Faculty and students completed a measure of expectations for transfer and potential barriers to transfer. The survey clarifies unique and common beliefs about transfer in order to promote learning beyond a single course. The results show a clear need for faculty to be explicit about their expectations for transfer.

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.