scholarly journals Improving the Performance of Student Teams in Project-Based Learning with Scrum

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 444
Author(s):  
Sandra Fernandes ◽  
José Dinis-Carvalho ◽  
Ana Teresa Ferreira-Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Task Assignment ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
The University ◽  
Different Characteristics

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of Scrum for project and team management in PBL teams in higher education. To attain this goal, a study was carried out to analyze students’ perceptions about Scrum as an effective method for PBL teams. Based on two different editions of PBL that used the Scrum method with different characteristics in each approach, this paper aims to identify the best practices for effective team and project management and draw recommendations for successful use of scrum in PBL approaches. The authors used an exploratory case study carried out within an engineering program at the University of Minho, Portugal. The research design was based on an explorative quantitative and qualitative approach. Implementing Scrum in PBL teams helps students to keep the project running smoothly and draws greater awareness on how to manage the project and teams in a more effective way. Findings show that task assignment, performance monitoring, visual management and regular feedback were considered the main advantages of using Scrum in PBL teams, which had a positive impact on student performance. However, for the success of Scrum, students recognize the role of the Scrum Master and Project Owner as vital to guide the teams in a sustainable way. Research on the application of Scrum in Education is scarce and mostly exploratory. This paper is among the very few empirical studies consolidating knowledge on the implementation of Scrum approaches to improve learning in higher education. More specifically, it brings a valuable contribution on how to improve specifically team performance in PBL teams with the use of agile approaches such as Scrum.

scholarly journals Active learning engagement classrooms at the University of Central Missouri : practical strategies to implement and sustain utilization of active learning in higher education using technology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Elmer N. Ragus
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Learning Engagement ◽  
The University

The tradition of lecturing in higher education is synonymous to teaching (Morrison, 2014). Fortunately, those in higher education today are pushing for viable alternatives such as active learning because several studies have shown the positive impact on student performance, student achievement, and other learning goals (Auerbach and Andrews, 2018; Beichner, 2014; Cattaneo, 2017; Eddy, Converse, Wenderoth, and Schinske, 2015; Freeman, Eddy, McDonough, Smith, Okoroafor, Jordt, and Wenderoth, 2014; Heim and Holt, 2018; Lumpkin, Achen, and Dodd, 2015; Morrison, 2014). Additional research should therefore focus on topics besides whether active learning works. This qualitative study aims to add to the literature of the next generation of active learning research by exploring faculty and student perceptions of active learning engagement classrooms (ALECs), actions that a university can take to encourage the use of active learning engagement classrooms, and support for faculty transitioning from traditional lecturing to active learning using technology. Focus group meetings and interviews were conducted with 44 faculty, staff, and student participants at the University of Central Missouri. While mostly positive, faculty and students had mixed reviews about the ALEC experience. Also, most participants pointed to the need for training to support the sustained utilization of the ALECs. The qualitative findings are discussed and connected to the theoretical frameworks guiding this study. The paper concludes with three phases of recommendations for practice and ideas for future research.

scholarly journals Effects of Socio-Academic Intervention on Student Performance in Vulnerable Groups

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7673
Author(s):  
Tarquino Sánchez-Almeida ◽  
David Naranjo ◽  
Raquel Gilar-Corbi ◽  
Jessica Reina
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Academic Intervention ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
University System ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Economic Support ◽  
Support Mechanisms ◽  
The University

In Ecuador, affirmative action policies enable students from vulnerable groups to preferentially enter universities. However, these policies are limited to admission and do not include academic or socio-economic support mechanisms that, according to the literature, promote student insertion in the higher education system. In this study, the effects of socio-academic intervention on the academic performance of vulnerable students are presented. For this, 41 students were selected among 164 vulnerable students entering the Escuela Politécnica Nacional in the second term of 2019. The 41 students attended a socio-academic intervention course for one term, while the remaining 123 attended the Escuela Politécnica Nacional levelling course directly. Once both groups of students finished the levelling course, their performance in each of the course subjects was compared. The results showed that the academic performance of the students in the intervention was significantly higher in mathematics and geometry compared to the students who had no intervention. These results show that the socio-academic intervention promotes the real insertion of vulnerable students in the university system.

POWERPOINT IN HIGHER EDUCATION: DEVELOPMENT, TRANSFORMATION AND THE PRESENT STATE

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-103
Author(s):  
Alexander R. Polyanin ◽  
◽  
Sergey N. Korotun ◽  
Dmitry A. Baranov ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Present State ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Education Development ◽  
Technical Application ◽  
Higher Education Development ◽  
Marketing Environment ◽  
Classroom Time ◽  
Education Process

PowerPoint appeared over 35 years ago and has taken a firm place in education. The massive use of the program began in the mid-90s. The program has gone from an interesting technological novelty to an irreplaceable element of a modern lecture. Such a rapid introduction into ed-ucation took place without extensive empirical studies of a positive impact of this program, the initial scope of which was the marketing environment, on the education process. The article in-dicates that PowerPoint already in the late 1990s was subjected to certain criticism, the initial reasons for which were its technological imperfection, problems of its technical application. Over the decades, the program has undergone a number of modernizations, which, together with the development of demonstration technologies, has brought it today to a qualitatively new level. However, even today PowerPoint continues to raise questions from researchers. A sepa-rate problem was the question of the expediency of such massive use of the program, which today seeks to fill 100% of the classroom time. Most of the guides for using the program do not take into account the specifics of the use of slides and are aimed at the implementation of design rather than pedagogical tasks. The problem of stimulating audience activity at lectures using this program has not been solved yet.

scholarly journals Assessing Collaborative, Project-based Learning Models in Introductory Science Courses

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Huysken ◽  
Harold Olivey ◽  
Kevin McElmurry ◽  
Ming Gao ◽  
Peter Avis
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Learning Models ◽  
Collaborative Project ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

Collaborative, project-based learning models have been shown to benefit student learning and engagement in the STEM disciplines. This case study evaluates the use of highly collaborative project- and problem-based learning models in introductory courses in the geosciences and biology. In the geosciences, we developed project-based modules with a strong local focus. Student teams worked on three project-based laboratories dealing with the local geology/geomorphology, water quality of a local stream, and local flooding issues. These replaced traditionally taught laboratories on topographic maps and rivers and streams. Student teams presented project results in lieu of taking a traditional laboratory practical. In biology, we designed a collaborative learning model that incorporated three problem-based learning modules into a first-semester introductory biology course. Students were assigned topics in evolution, cell biology and genetics to research independently during the course of the semester, with each module culminating in a brief presentation on the topic. Modules were designed to mirror concepts being covered in the lecture. Preliminary results suggest that student performance and attitudes towards course material benefitted from this learning model. The authors consider outcomes, benefits, and challenges to students and instructors.

scholarly journals An Unintended Effect of Financing the University Education of the Most Brilliant and Poorest Colombian Students: The Case of the Intervention of the Ser Pilo Paga Program

Complexity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Pablo Medina ◽  
Natalia Ariza ◽  
Pablo Navas ◽  
Fernando Rojas ◽  
Gina Parody ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
University Education ◽  
Entrance Exam ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Performance Improvements ◽  
Unintended Effect ◽  
Colombian Government ◽  
New Students ◽  
The University

In this paper, we show an unintended effect of the program Ser Pilo Paga (SPP) that was a flagship program of the Colombian government between 2014 and 2018. It was designed as an intervention in the Colombian Higher Education System (CHES) by awarding, in the steady state, individual funding to about 40,000 students. Every year, 10,000 new students were chosen from the best applicants in the top decile of the population in the entrance exam to higher education in Colombia that also came from families that live under the level of poverty according to a national survey. Our approach, based on an intensive study of the changes in the statistical distributions of the exam scores during these four years, provides evidence of student performance improvements not only of the beneficiaries of the program, but also of the whole student population. This shows that the program opened similar opportunities for all the students, especially for the poorest ones. The program drove a reduction in the gap between students of the upper strata of the population and those of the lowest strata that usually did not access a high quality institution of higher education due to the lack of funding. This result has opened a debate about the optimal way of funding higher education.

New Features of Higher Education Competitiveness in Terms of University-Industry Collaboration

2021 ◽  
pp. 22-39
Author(s):  
Aslı Günay
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
Industry Collaboration ◽  
Global Competitiveness Index ◽  
The University ◽  
University Industry

Nowadays, the competition in higher education is now changing shape. The collaboration between higher education institutions and the industry is increasingly perceived as the primary vehicle to enhance innovation through knowledge exchange. Accordingly, this study presents that university-industry collaboration positively affects countries' competitiveness through their higher education competitiveness. For this purpose, this study used the values of university-industry collaboration in R&D of the top 20 economies from the Global Competitiveness Index 4.0 report and the world university rankings as proxies for the university-industry collaboration and higher education competitiveness, respectively. This study's findings support the view that university-industry collaboration has a positive impact on higher education competitiveness and countries' competitiveness at the end.

scholarly journals Innovative Teaching Has a Positive Impact on the Performance of Diverse Students

SAGE Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824401773402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Naz ◽  
Hasan Sohaib Murad
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
The University ◽  
University Classrooms

Pakistan is one of the progressing countries in the world. Its education system is yet in the stage of development. Students from towns and far flung areas come to advanced cities for higher education. This has made the university classrooms a mix of students having a diversity of age, gender, exposure, language, and family backgrounds. To facilitate all these students with personal differences under the same roof, a teacher has to adapt curriculum and lesson plans while bringing innovations in his teaching methods. This study aims to find out the use of innovative strategies by the teachers to respond to students’ diversity at higher education level in public and private sector of Pakistan. The research is based on the assumption that innovative teaching has a positive impact on the performance of students’ diversity. A survey of higher education teachers was conducted for the research. Statistics were applied for the analysis. The results are found to be significant in favor of innovative teaching. The analysis shows that the use of innovative teaching is more in private sector and also has different impact on different disciplines.

scholarly journals Sustainability Education in the Spanish Higher Education System: Faculty Practice, Concerns and Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8389
Author(s):  
Pere Busquets ◽  
Jordi Segalas ◽  
Antonio Gomera ◽  
Miguel Antúnez ◽  
Jorge Ruiz-Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Education System ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
University Faculty ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Spanish Higher Education ◽  
The University

This article presents the results of the EDINSOST project in relation to the university faculty’s practice concerns and the need to embed sustainability education in the Spanish Higher Education system. Four questions were devised to determine (1) which conceptions the university faculty has about sustainability in the context of the Spanish higher education (2) what sustainability competencies the university faculty holds (3) the ways in which sustainability teaching strategies are implemented and (4) the ways in which practical coursework related to sustainability is undertaken in a Spanish university context. The methodology that was applied was comprised of a discourse analysis of faculty focus groups. To that end, a category system and a focus group implementation protocol were designed and validated, as well as processes of construct elaboration based on the analysis of the focus groups’ discourses. Among the most relevant contributions stemming from the research questions regarding the faculty’s assumptions was the evidence that the holistic conception of sustainability is not addressed in all its dimensions and the environmental dimension is overemphasised. The need for training to teach sustainability competencies and the faculty’s lack of awareness were also identified. As far as sustainability teaching strategies are concerned, project-based learning prevails, with service-learning emerging as the most effective strategy, even though its application is hindered by faculty training gaps. Finally, the absence of sustainability in teaching guides and study plans and the scarce institutional support for establishing sustainability as a strategic subject in the university were significant findings.

scholarly journals The Regional Structure of Higher Education and the Role of Distance Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74
Author(s):  
Melinda Krankovits ◽  
Irén Szörényiné Kukorelli
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
University Education ◽  
Full Time ◽  
University Selection ◽  
Catchment Areas ◽  
The University

Abstract In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic the importance of distance learning is being enhanced, while formal, full-time, face-to-face university education is being converted to distance learning. The study explores the role of the Universities in distance learning market and reveals the factors that influence the students’ university choice. The regional embeddedness of higher education in the Western Transdanubian region is analysed, highlighting the catchment areas of the region’s universities. The educational commuting of distance learning students to the region increases purchasing power, has a positive impact on the rental market, the labour market and can boost future settlement. Commuting, university selection and training selection behaviours of correspondence and distance training of students is examined using questionnaires. The aim is to establish whether the university selection of correspondence training students is influenced by distance and by the characteristics of the student‘s place of residence. The findings show that distance is one of the main factors during the university-selection process in the case of any kind of distance learning.

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