The Integrative Learning Value of Field Courses

The integrative learning ethos pervades modern higher education. Broadly speaking, this aims to produce well-rounded, adaptable graduates suited to a range of working environments. In a more narrow sense it should produce students that are able to make connections across learning experiences and achieve learning at the highest cognitive level. Our study made use of field courses, which are uniquely placed to offer students integrative learning experiences. Although cognitive gains for students on field courses have been demonstrated previously, this study investigated whether students appreciate the integrative learning gains that students may achieve and applied these findings to the design of a new field course. This course specifically targeted integrative learning outcomes that we subsequently assessed. We found undergraduate students surveyed across three departments at the University of Nottingham recognised that field courses facilitated integrative learning in both the narrow and broad sense. Importantly, students themselves realised the integrative learning gains associated with attending a field course. We found this was also true for the newly designed field course. Overall, we found that field courses offer valuable integrative learning gains, and that these are recognised and appreciated by students. These findings provide strong support for continued offering and increased provision of field course modules in the sciences.     

Introduction and evaluation of case-based learning in the first foundational course of an undergraduate medical curriculum

Case-based learning (CBL) has been proposed as an effective method to promote student knowledge and motivation. The timing and methods for implementation have varied among schools, and data regarding the effectiveness of this pedagogy compared to other learning modalities are inconclusive. We introduced five different cases in the first course of our medical school as part of small-group CBL, and monitored student satisfaction and performance in summative evaluations. We observed that (1) students were very satisfied with the CBL sessions; (2) performance in essay examinations was significantly higher in CBL topics, compared to non-CBL topics, as evaluated at the end of the course, and three months after course conclusion; and (3) there was a trend of higher performance in multiple-choice questions about CBL topics, but this was not statistically significant. Our results indicate that CBL is an acceptable pedagogy to be incorporated from the beginning of undergraduate medical education to promote acquisition and retention of knowledge, students’ interest in foundational sciences, and integration of basic science disciplines and clinical medicine. When evaluating knowledge acquired using the CBL method, integrative essays represent a valuable tool to assess the depth of comprehension and application of information.     

Paint and Paper Creations

This article investigates generalist kindergarten teachers’ academic music training based on data collected from students undertaking an undergraduate degree in preschool (kindergarten) education (students aged 4–6 years) in Greece. The study was carried out through a questionnaire survey that addressed students’ aspirations when entering the university and the real learning outcomes by the end of their studies. This article seeks to find relationships between students’ academic experiences and their level of confidence and enthusiasm to teach music in kindergarten. The findings suggest that higher education provides students with most of the learning outcomes that they anticipate. However, students lack adequate practical experiences in terms of observing lessons in real educational settings, which can significantly affect their confidence levels. Finally, the author explores some implications for higher education policy and teaching practice.     

临“疫”发“微”——新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情下“病原生物学与医学免疫学”课程思政教学模式的探索与研究

课程思政是高校思想政治理论课改革创新的重要举措,因其德育与智育协同的优势,逐渐成为高校课程改革的方向。为探究新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19,简称"新冠"病毒肺炎)疫情下"病原生物学与医学免疫学"课程思政教学模式及其实施效果,以成都中医药大学2018级中医学(5+3一体化)的2个班级学生为教学对象,其中1班采用传统教学模式,2班实行课程思政教学模式,在传统教学模式基础上,将收集到的思政素材有机融入于课前、课中、课后等教学环节。课程结束后围绕爱国情怀、中医自信、科学素养、文明互鉴等思政教育主题进行测评,以考核学生对思政元素内涵的认识与理解,并对2个班学生进行课程满意度调查,比较2个班的思政测试评分及课程满意度评分。结果提示2班的思政测试评分及满意度评分均高于1班(P<0.01),说明"新冠"病毒肺炎疫情下的课程思政教学模式优于传统教学方法,在提升医学生专业素养的同时,更具"立德树人"的实效。本研究可为其他医学专业教学提供具有参考意义的课程思政模式,促进医学专业课程思政的全面推进。     

遗传学课程思政教育的探索与实践

课程思政对高校落实立德树人、实现人才培养目标具有重要的意义。在专业课中进行课程思政改革有助于探究高校专业课程中育人功能的发挥。遗传学是生命科学专业重要的基础课程,在生命科学知识体系的构建中具有重要作用。立足内蒙古农业大学示范课程改革的教学实践,我们重塑了教学目标,改革教学方法,挖掘遗传学课程中蕴含的思政元素,使德育教育深入教师心、学生心,贯穿于教学、教评全过程,使知识传授、能力培养与价值引领同向同行,以提升学生的综合素质。     

高等农业院校动物学课程教学方法改进与体会

在高等农业院校的生科类和动科类等专业,动物学是大学生入学后首次接触到的专业基础课。随着高校扩招、课程小型化和学分制教学改革的逐步推进和实施,新生的专业思想不稳定、师资力量不足、学时数锐减、学习方法待改进等问题较为突出,提出了＂双管齐下、温故知新、层层递进、系统内化＂的十六字教学方法的改进建议。     

基于学科前沿案例的“食品酶学和酶工程”教学改革与实践

食品酶学与酶工程是食品类专业的一门重要专业课程,内容涵盖酶学基础理论、酶工程技术以及酶在食品工业中的应用。针对当前教学内容与学科前沿存在知识差距,本课程精心挖掘学科前沿案例,不断调整优化课程内容,让学生所学能够与时俱进。以学科前沿案例的主题讨论为切入点,探索了成果导向教学(outcome-basededucation,OBE)理念下的问题导向学习(problem-based learning,PBL)教学模式,强化师生互动和生生互动,提高学生的积极性和参与度。构建多元化考核方式,侧重评价学生的学习过程中的表现。课程教学改革实现夯实基础知识和拓展学科前沿的双管齐下,培养了学生分析问题、设计解决方案、团队协作等方面能力,可为食品酶学与酶工程及相关课程的教学改革提供启发与思考。     

Fit for purpose? Evaluation of an MSc. in Medical Physics

The National University of Ireland in Galway established a Master in Science (MSc.) program in medical physics in 2002. The course was designed to be 90 ECTS¹ credits and of one calendar year duration. From the outset the MSc. was designed to be part of an overall medical physics training program. MSc. programs are now widely used as part of the training and education of medical physicists. There is however paucity of data on the effectiveness of such courses and the purpose of the study reported here is to provide information on one particular MSc. course in medical physics. This is relevant to medical physicists who are involved in the development and running of medical physics training programs. The study used as methodology the Kirkpatrick levels of professional training. It was conducted through an online survey, both from students who graduated from the course and from students who were in the process of completing the course.The survey proved to be an effective way to determine attributes of modules such as learning outcomes, knowledge imparted, quality of teaching materials and others. The survey proved to be remarkably able to demonstrate interventions in the individual course modules. Although the course was shown to be effective in the imparting of the knowledge required to become a qualified medical physicist several areas for improvement were identified. These are mainly in the areas of increased practical experience and in course delivery.     

生化分离工程课程教学改革与探讨

生化分离技术是生物工程专业的必修专业课,是一门理论性和实践性都很强的课程。在高等教育面临着开展素质教育、培养创新型人才的新形势下,面对教学时数少,学生学习兴趣不高的现实,针对课程教学方法以及考核方式进行了改革,加强课内师生互动和课外学生自学能力的培养,变单一期末考试考核为全面能力评价以提高学生学习兴趣和教学质量。实践证明,通过教学改革,学生提高了学习兴趣,巩固了学科知识,增强了创新能力。     

Industrial Ecology Education at Tsinghua University

As a leading university in engineering education in China, Tsinghua University implemented industrial ecology (IE) education in the 1990s. This article describes the evolution of IE education at Tsinghua. Tsinghua mainstreams IE education into green education and engineering education not only by establishing independent courses of IE for both undergraduate and graduate students, but also by incorporating IE principles and knowledge modules into an increasing number of courses. During 2002–2015, a total of 1,023 undergraduates from 33 schools and departments participated in an IE course. To cope with the diversity of participants, four knowledge modules were customized for an undergraduate course: concepts and history; methods and tools; topics and applications; and policy and perspectives. Meanwhile, an interdisciplinary teaching method was adopted by inviting experts from diverse disciplines and organizing group discussions. Though the course has received strong positive feedback, four challenges still remain in IE education: defining the knowledge boundary, presenting an integrated view, utilizing an interdisciplinary methodology, and cultivating a class culture.     

“小组学习”模式在基础医学课程中的实践应用：以医学免疫学为例

将"小组学习"模式应用于基础医学课程"医学免疫学"的教学,在理论课堂采用案例导学、问题导学、角色转换导学和专题讨论导学,实践教学过程针对课堂实验、实验选修课和大学生创新创业项目进行层次化导学。综合运用思维导图、问卷星、成长袋等多元化教学方法和手段,编写思政案例库进行专业课课程思政,结合小组过程性考核进行多元化考核评价。该模式通过培养学生自主学习能力、小组合作能力、实践能力、创新能力和人文素质,为培养高素质、高能力的应用型医学人才奠定基础。该教学模式得到了绝大多数学生的认同,可为基础医学及其他相关课程的开展及高校人才培养提供思路和参考。     

Effective field trips in nature: the interplay between novelty and learning

Educational field trips are common practice in environmental education and education for sustainable development, well recognised by researchers for their potential to achieve cognitive and affective educational outcomes. One of the factors that influences learning during field trips is their novelty. The current study focuses on the interplay between novelty, preparation and environmental learning outcomes of 5th and 6th grade students during a typical field trip in Flanders. Our dependent variables are Inclusion of Nature in the Self, the two major ecological values Preservation and Utilisation and ecosystem knowledge. The sample includes 484 students (10–12 years old) and their 24 teachers. Key questions addressed are: (1) What is learned during the field trip? (2) What is the level of novelty for students during a field trip? (3) How does the novelty effect relate to learning? Results show that participation in the field trip leads to a substantial increase in ecosystem knowledge, but fails in reaching the affective goals set out by the field trip organisers. Our results furthermore provide support for the hypothesised non-linear relationship between novelty and knowledge gain, showing that while a little novelty is positive, too much novelty can stand in the way of learning.     

Developing a contextualised blended learning framework to enhance medical physics student learning and engagement

As a specialist field of study, medical physicists require a broad range of knowledge and skills to operate competently in their workplace. In Australia, these competencies are accredited by the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM). Education and training for medical physicists therefore consists of an exhaustive range of knowledge areas. This is made even more challenging due to the extremely diverse backgrounds of students in these specialist courses of study. These factors frequently lead to a disengagement by students with learning activities.To address some of these challenges, the Radiotherapy Physics unit in a Masters level Medical Physics course of study was re-designed to increase active learning that included scaffolded in-class and online tasks and supported by virtual reality simulations. These re-design initiatives were informed by a diverse team including academic and clinical medical physicists as well as education experts.A survey, conducted over two consecutive years was used to gain students perceptions about the re-design. The questions were designed to see if the students felt engaged with the various learning activities.Analysis of the survey data indicates that there was an overall improvement in students’ engagement with the learning activities and the learning content.The paper further discusses nuanced understanding about the ways in which students engaged with the various learning activities including online, in-class, practicals and industry attachments. The paper discusses the appropriately informed learning activities that can be used to improve student engagement for highly specialised, content heavy areas of study.     

思政教育在眼科学教学中的探索与实践

思想政治教育在我国高等教育体系中有着重要的意义。将思政内容融入到专业课的课堂教学过程中,注重培养学生的能力和素养,是立德树人的根本举措。在眼科学教学过程中,提倡把“课程思政”与专业课知识进行有机融合,鼓励学生由被动学习转换为主动学习,培养学生成为有灵魂、有温度的新时代医学人才。     

“互联网+”教育在生物化学课程中应用的分析与思考

在"互联网+"教育的大力推广之下,微课、慕课、翻转课堂、手机课堂等多种教学模式应运而生。通过在生物化学课程中运用"互联网+"教学模式:教师课前准备并向学生发布相关学习资源、学生预习情况和预习效果的评价、学生成绩量化标准,取得了初步的成效。本文从我国"互联网+生物化学"教育现状、"互联网+"教育在生物化学课程中的应用以及生物化学课程与"互联网+"教育结合的未来发展等三个方面进行了阐述。     

基于“金课”背景的生物化学翻转课堂教学

为了提升混合式教学质量,教育部提出建设6 000门线上线下混合式"金课"。翻转课堂是衔接线上线下混合式教学的重要纽带,它颠覆了传统课堂教学中"老师讲→学生听"的模式,体现了以"学生为中心"的教学理念。根据"金课"建设标准,生物化学混合式教学通过重新建构翻转课堂教学模式,综合设计与分层教学,努力解决生物化学课程教学中的短板、瓶颈、关键问题,真正提升学生自主建构意识和信息处理能力,让学生在思辨与探讨中深度学习,建构适合自己的更完善的专业知识框架。     

Development of Transdisciplinarity Among Students Placed with a Sustainability for Health Research Project

Transdisciplinary education on sustainability for health has been primarily developed in high-income countries, yet the need in countries with limited research and human resource investments remains urgent. Little empiric documentation of the facilitators and barriers to transdisciplinary learning in such countries has been described. We assessed transdisciplinary learning among students of different disciplines collaborating with an Ecuadorian sustainability for health research project. Six undergraduate students from four different disciplinary backgrounds were incorporated through work–study agreements with provincial university academic supervisors. Learning was fostered and monitored through participant observations by a field supervisor. Students’ learning was evaluated through subsequent in-depth interviews and visualization methods. Academic supervisor key informant and co-investigator observations aided triangulation. Qualitative data were analyzed using indicators of transdisciplinary thinking. Principal factors facilitating transdisciplinary learning were interaction with social actors, the integration of work with other disciplines, the use of alternative research techniques and methods, and the constant support of the field supervisor. Inhibiting factors included the existence of rigid academic rules, lack of training of the academic supervisors in diverse research methods, and social pressures to implement unidisciplinary foci. At the end of their link with the project, students had developed both cognitive outcomes and attitudinal values relevant to sustainable development for health. In countries with limited investments in research and human resources development, transdisciplinary approaches with social actors and engaged researchers can sensitize new professionals training in traditional academic contexts to the ecological–social–health problems faced by poor majorities and encourage their subsequent work on sustainability for human health.     

Teaching to Relax: Development of a Program to Potentiate Stress—Results of a Feasibility Study with Medical Undergraduate Students

Medical students are a population at risk for the development of stress-related risk states (e.g. burnout) and manifest mental disorders (e.g. depression). Still the learning of coping mechanisms against stress is not an integral part of the medical curriculum. In a pilot study we developed an elective course for learning relaxation techniques (Relacs) which was geared to the clinical practice of autogenic training (AT) with psychiatric patients. The course focussed on an innovative and mostly communicative transfer of knowledge about AT, progressive muscle relaxation and medical hypnosis and stressed the principle of repeated and supervised exercises in small student groups alongside self-administered exercise. 42 students took part in this course and showed a very high acceptance for the topic and positive evaluation. Moreover, we found a distinct improvement of the participants’ mental parameters (burnout, anxiety) and a good knowledge about the course’s contents within the final exams at the end of the semester. The structure and realisation of the course is easily adaptable and very effective regarding the improvement of the students’ mental health. Due to our results and the commonly known prevalence of stress-related disorders in medical students we postulate the integration of courses on relaxation strategies in the medical curriculum.     

Next‐generation field courses: Integrating Open Science and online learning

As Open Science practices become more commonplace, there is a need for the next generation of scientists to be well versed in these aspects of scientific research. Yet, many training opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs) could better emphasize or integrate Open Science elements. Field courses provide opportunities for ECRs to apply theoretical knowledge, practice new methodological approaches, and gain an appreciation for the challenges of real‐life research, and could provide an excellent platform for integrating training in Open Science practices. Our recent experience, as primarily ECRs engaged in a field course interrupted by COVID‐19, led us to reflect on the potential to enhance learning outcomes in field courses by integrating Open Science practices and online learning components. Specifically, we highlight the opportunity for field courses to align teaching activities with the recent developments and trends in how we conduct research, including training in: publishing registered reports, collecting data using standardized methods, adopting high‐quality data documentation, managing data through reproducible workflows, and sharing and publishing data through appropriate channels. We also discuss how field courses can use online tools to optimize time in the field, develop open access resources, and cultivate collaborations. By integrating these elements, we suggest that the next generation of field courses will offer excellent arenas for participants to adopt Open Science practices.     

基于在线课程的混合式教学在微生物学课程中的探索和实践

在线课程的建设与应用已成为现阶段高校教学信息化变革的重要举措,有效应用在线课程资源、开展混合式教学的设计与实践是建设一流本科课程的重点。依托微生物学在线精品课程(浙江省绍兴市),在科学教育2016-2018级尝试了基于在线课程的混合式教学,3轮教学实践表明:基于在线课程的混合式教学能提升学生学习兴趣和参与度,促使学生深度学习,促进学生综合能力和素质的提高;微生物学课程在学院和学校层面已经形成品牌,受到学生的普遍欢迎和好评。