We examine the structure and objectives of our first-year service courses. The literature suggests that these are well out of date and do a poor job of preparing our students for the life of work and play that awaits them. In these courses, our curricula are based on the acquisition of knowledge, knowledge that very few of our students will ever…

Navigating the transition to university is a challenge for many students with numerous negative consequences if not successful. The current literature body is disparate and contains numerous methodological and analytical inconsistencies that make it difficult to identify the most salient and effective factors that help predict transition success…

We combine administrative data from a regional public university with a novel revealed-preference indicator of student friendships to show that socially connected first-year university students are more likely to be retained into their second year. The impact of friends on retention is statistically and economically significant: each friend raises…

Objective: Identifying the food sources contributing most to total energy percentage, macronutrients, vitamin and mineral consumption among college freshmen, and whether sex played a role. Participants: First-year undergraduate students (N = 269). Methods: Diet was assessed using a DHQ-III and estimated with food source composition tables.…

Objective: To implement a STI risk behavior reduction program to reduce sexual risk behaviors in university-aged students. Participants: Fifty-nine freshman from the university participated in the STI Risk Behavior Reduction program. Methods: Pre- and post-test design using descriptive statistics evaluated the STI Risk Behavior Reduction Program.…

Background: Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) plays a crucial role in student success, particularly in blended learning (BL) environments where learners must take greater ownership of their educational journey. Whilst prior research has extensively examined SRL, there remains a gap in understanding how students' SRL profiles evolve over time and how…

Predictive models of student success can provide timely information to inform interventions in K-12 and higher education. However, the design and implementation of these predictive models require various stakeholders to make decisions about the prediction target, data sources, processing, training, models, and deployment strategies. These choices…

Based on the Achievement Goals Theory and Students' Approaches to Learning, we proposed a model in which students' self-efficacy acts as a mediator between students' performance-approach goals orientation and their approach to learning in dealing with academic tasks throughout an academic year. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test…

Pervasive internet use in higher education has rendered social anxiety a lesser problem in circumventing interactions. However, the attenuation of vitality in interactions still remains a contentious issue, especially in asynchronous online discussions. This study aims to elucidate how anonymity and social presence affect the relationship between…

Students' academic engagement in higher education, especially in Economics, is crucial for their success. However, the interaction effect of gender and academic level on the academic engagement of Economics students remains unexplored. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to examine the academic engagement of Economics…

Cross-disciplinary learning aims to teach students to integrate and make connections between ideas and concepts across different fields. It helps with real-world problem-solving skills. The research adopts a cross-disciplinary perspective and creates a digital picture book titled "My Helpful Friend: Hydrogen," with a thematic focus on…

This practice report describes the development of a compensatory educational model to introduce first-year college students to resilient mindsets. The Teaching Resilient Mindsets Model emphasized (1) realistic expectations, (2) an "always learning" mindset, and (3) being prepared for challenges before they arise. After development, the…

Despite the benefits of collaboration, first-year nursing students prefer not to work together. It was important to find out why nursing students do not want to collaborate. The purpose of this study was to discover first-year nursing students' and faculty's perceptions of how instructor-created opportunities for collaboration contributed to…

Undergraduate engineering students are commonly introduced to design in their first year and tackle a more authentic design challenge during senior year, with intervening courses focused on technical problem solving. Along this trajectory, students should acquire skills related to the development of engineering requirements, which are important to…

This report provides insights that can help colleges and universities understand how to best serve their students. These findings present a student perspective on the challenges and factors affecting their motivation to succeed, along with directions on how institutions can respond with timely and relevant actions. The findings in this report are…