Widely accepted as a foundational course within health professions education, anatomy is often taken at the beginning of the health professional curriculum and students are expected to be prepared for the rigors of the course. Anatomy preparedness, evaluated in this study, has been defined as matriculating into a graduate or professional anatomy…

A multidisciplinary Australian University introduced a block model of blended, sequential 4-week blocks to first-year students. This natural experiment compares the inaugural block and two prior cohorts on satisfaction and performance (n = 15,989 satisfaction and n = 86,545 assessment observations). Mixed effect cross-classified models with…

Students come into the classroom with a variety of background knowledge. Therefore, it is imperative that educators are able to help all students, regardless of their familiarity with the content. Since it can be challenging for some large enrollment classes to schedule recitation classes after lectures due to logistical constraints, this study…

This research study sought to determine whether pre-reading assignments have an impact on a student's academic performance. Learning a new topic which oftentimes seems foreign is never easy. However, reading a short article or reviewing a slide-show presentation on the lecture topic before the lecture happens (otherwise known as a pre-reading…

In computer-supported collaborative learning research, studies examining the combined effects of individual level, group level and within-group differences level measures on individual achievement are scarce. The current study addressed this by examining whether individual, group and within-group differences regarding engagement and prior…

Researchers emphasize that prior knowledge is one of the important factors that influence learning. This study discusses the design and implementation of adapting an e-course to students' prior knowledge using the Learning Management System (LMS). It aims to investigate the impact of such adaptive e-course to the learner's prior knowledge through…

This study introduced an app, called Smart UEnglish, for helping EFL conversation practices in authentic contexts. These conversation practices were categorized into 'designed talk' and 'free talk', based on the content of an English textbook and authentic ambient environment that includes such things as transportation, weather and scenic…

There is concern over international students' low academic achievement at the college level. Due to language challenges and cultural differences, international students' academic achievement is not satisfactory that resulting in a decrease in the retention rate. Note-taking strategies such as the concept-mapping method may enhance international…

Rubric has been associated with the term assessment used for grading and/or scoring. However, it might observe less, but it is also designed as students 'learning tool. This study was conducted to provide empirical facts on its effectiveness as a learning tool in teaching Applications of Derivatives in Basic Calculus. It used the…

Classrooms with higher teaching quality were associated with higher learning outcomes in mathematics and science. Classrooms where teachers reported high degrees of limitations to teaching in the classroom--including disruptive students or students with language barriers--were associated with lower learning outcomes. These are two of the important…

This study aimed to explore and compare the instructional practices and classroom interactions of teachers within the Chinese junior high school context who had correspondingly high or low expectations for all their students. Eight junior high school teachers and their 32 lessons were observed. Results of classroom observations revealed that high…

Since the 1940's, the United States has opened its doors for international students to study and gain knowledge and skills within its borders. However, there are considerable concerns about the integration of these international students and their participation in the classroom. Most international students hail from different cultural and social…

Executive function (EF) predicts children's academic achievement; however, less is known about the relation between EF and the actual learning process. Furthermore, more research is needed to better understand how different aspects of the learning environment interact with EF to influence learning. The current dissertation includes two studies to…

Background and Context: Flipped classrooms are becoming more widely adopted across engineering higher education contexts. In degree programs where enrollment is increasing and undergraduate curricula are packed with content, pedagogies that allow more time for actively participate in classroom activities are being highly sought after to aid in…

Students' success in undergraduate STEM courses requires effective studying behavior, but also the motivation to enact it. Promoting students' achievement in STEM has commonly focused on either study strategies (cognitive) or motivational interventions; we hypothesized that combinations of these would be more effective. Using a Learning Management…