Project description:Purpose:The purpose of this study was to construct a multi-center cross-sectional study to predict self-regulated learning (SRL) levels of Chinese medical undergraduates. Methods:We selected medical undergraduates by random sampling from five universities in mainland China. The classical regression methods (logistic regression and Lasso regression) and machine learning model were combined to identify the most significant predictors of SRL levels. Nomograms were built based on multivariable models. The accuracy, discrimination, and generalization of our nomograms were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) and the calibration curves and a high quality external validation. Results:There were 2052 medical undergraduates from five universities in mainland China initially. The nomograms constructed based on the non-overfitting multivariable models were verified by internal validation (C-index: learning motivation: 0.736; learning strategy: 0.744) and external validation (C-index: learning motivation: 0.986; learning strategy: 1.000), showing decent prediction accuracy, discrimination, and generalization. Conclusion:Comprehensive nomograms constructed in this study were useful and convenient tools to evaluate the SRL levels of undergraduate medical students in China.
Project description:IntroductionSelf-regulated learning is one of the influencing factors in successful learning. There is a need to understand the factors influencing self-regulated learning in undergraduate medical students in implementing a student-centred learning curriculum. This scoping review aims to systematically identify and map undergraduate medical students' self-regulated learning during student-centred learning implementation and to learn the tools used to measure it.Methods and analysisThe scoping review will use Arksey and O'Malley's proposed five-stage framework guideline. A search for published literature between 2012 and 2022 in the five electronic databases of EBSCOHost, Science Direct, Scopus, ProQuest and PubMed will be conducted using keywords to identify relevant studies. Articles will be limited to the English language. Mendeley software will eliminate duplicates, and results will be exported into abstracts for two stages of the screening process: title and abstract reviews and full-text reviews. The selection process of eligible literature will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist recommendations. Studies using qualitative and quantitative data from all world regions will be considered. To be included, studies should examine medical students' self-regulated learning in a student-centred learning approach curriculum. A data chart will capture relevant information from all the included studies. As a scoping review, no assessment of the studies' quality and risk of bias will be made. Results will be presented in tabular form and a narrative report.Ethics and disseminationNo Ethics Committee or Institutional Board approval is required. The findings of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and professional networks.
Project description:In college introductory science courses, students are challenged with mastering large amounts of disciplinary content while developing as autonomous and effective learners. Self-regulated learning (SRL) is the process of setting learning goals, monitoring progress toward them, and applying appropriate study strategies. SRL characterizes successful, "expert" learners, and develops with time and practice. In a large, undergraduate introductory biology course, we investigated: 1) what SRL strategies students reported using the most when studying for exams, 2) which strategies were associated with higher achievement and with grade improvement on exams, and 3) what study approaches students proposed to use for future exams. Higher-achieving students, and students whose exam grades improved in the first half of the semester, reported using specific cognitive and metacognitive strategies significantly more frequently than their lower-achieving peers. Lower-achieving students more frequently reported that they did not implement their planned strategies or, if they did, still did not improve their outcomes. These results suggest that many students entering introductory biology have limited knowledge of SRL strategies and/or limited ability to implement them, which can impact their achievement. Course-specific interventions that promote SRL development should be considered as integral pedagogical tools, aimed at fostering development of students' lifelong learning skills.
Project description:This article reports the development and validation of an instrument, the Technology-Based Self-Regulated English Learning Strategies Scale (TSELSS), in terms of its multifaceted structure of self-directed use of technology in English learning among Chinese university EFL students. TSELSS was developed through a three-phase process, focusing on the domain of self-regulated English learning in technology-assisted conditions. The first phase involved the generation of an item pool, the second a pilot study (N = 164) aimed at identifying the factor structure of TSELSS using exploratory factor analysis, and the third an examination of the psychometric properties of the revised TSELSS using confirmatory factor analysis with another independent sample of students (N = 525). Furthermore, the concurrent validity of TSELSS was investigated through correlations with students' English language self-efficacy and English learning outcomes. The final version of the scale is made up of five types of technology-based self-regulated English learning strategies: motivational regulation strategies, goal setting and learning evaluation, social strategies, technology-based English song and movie learning, and technology-based vocabulary learning. The TSELSS can be used as an evaluation tool to appraise EFL students' technology-based self-regulated English learning experience, and as a research tool to investigate more associations between technology-based self-regulated strategic English learning and other contextual and learner individual factors.
Project description:ContextMedical students are expected to self-regulate their learning within complex and unpredictable clinical learning environments. Research increasingly focuses on the effects of social interactions on the development of self-regulation in workplace settings, a notion embodied within the concept of co-regulated learning (CRL). Creating workplace learning environments that effectively foster lifelong self-regulated learning (SRL) requires a deeper understanding of the relationship between CRL and SRL. The aim of this study was therefore to explore medical students' perceptions of CRL in clinical clerkships and its perceived impact on the development of their SRL.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 purposively sampled medical students enrolled in clinical clerkships at one undergraduate competency-based medical school. Data collection and analysis were conducted iteratively, informed by principles of constructivist grounded theory. Data analysis followed stages of open, axial and selective coding, which enabled us to conceptualise how co-regulation influences the development of students' self-regulation.ResultsData revealed three interrelated shifts in CRL and SRL as students progressed through clerkships. First, students' CRL shifted from a focus on peers to co-regulation with clinician role models. Second, self-regulated behaviour shifted from being externally driven to being internally driven. Last, self-regulation shifted from a task-oriented approach towards a more comprehensive approach focusing on professional competence and identity formation. Students indicated that if they felt able to confidently and proactively self-regulate their learning, the threshold for engaging others in meaningful CRL seemed to be lowered, enhancing further development of SRL skills.ConclusionsFindings from the current study emphasise the notion that SRL and its development are grounded in CRL in clinical settings. To optimally support the development of students' SRL, we need to focus on facilitating and organising learners' engagement in CRL from the start of the medical curriculum.
Project description:BackgroundSelf-regulated learning (SRL) is an important contributing element to the academic success of students. Literature suggests that the understanding of SRL among medical students is obscure as there is still some uncertainty about whether high performing medical students use SRL. This study explored the characteristics of high performing medical students from the SRL perspective to gain a better understanding of the application of SRL for effective learning.MethodsTwenty-one students who scored at the 90th percentile in written knowledge-based assessment consented to participate in this study. Each student wrote a guided reflective journal and subsequently attended a semi-structured interview. Students were prompted to explain the rationales for their answers. The data were then analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns among these students from the SRL perspective. Two coders analysed the data independently and discussed the codes to reach a consensus.ResultsHigh performing students set goals, made plans, and motivated themselves to achieve the goals. They put consistent efforts into their studies and applied effective learning strategies. They also employed coping mechanisms to deal with challenges. High performing students regularly evaluated their performance and adopted new strategies.ConclusionsThis study reported that high performing students applied SRL and described the rationales of practice. Medical schools could design SRL-driven interventions to enhance the learning experiences of medical students. Recommendations are made for students on how to apply SRL.
Project description:With support from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), a community of biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) scientist-educators has developed and administered an assessment instrument designed to evaluate student competence across four core concept and skill areas fundamental to BMB. The four areas encompass energy and metabolism; information storage and transfer; macromolecular structure, function, and assembly; and skills including analytical and quantitative reasoning. First offered in 2014, the exam has now been administered to nearly 4000 students in ASBMB-accredited programs at more than 70 colleges and universities. Here, we describe the development and continued maturation of the exam program, including the organic role of faculty volunteers as drivers and stewards of all facets: content and format selection, question development, and scoring.
Project description:Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented by Bacillus subtilis natto. Because natto is high in protein and contains healthful bacteria, dieticians and producers have campaigned for higher consumption of natto in areas such as Kansai, where our university is located. One of the reasons for the low consumption of natto is its distinctive flavor. As a problem-solving exercise, undergraduate students attempted to make natto more marketable. Students set a goal of modifying natto flavor by adding spices to achieve flavors deemed palatable by organoleptic tests. During the exercise, they noticed that lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, had a flavor-masking ability that reduced the intensity of natto flavor, and they finally determined that it was a useful food additive to make natto marketable. The exercise was an active learning process that effectively induced voluntary student effort of to solve problems originating from microorganisms.
Project description:Self-regulated learning is the individual's ability to effectively use various strategies to reach their learning goals. We conducted this scoping review to explore what has been found regarding self-regulated learning in the clinical environment and how this was measured.Using Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework, we searched three medical and educational databases as well as Google Scholar for literature on the self-regulated learning of medical students in the clinical environment published between 1966 and February 2017. After results were screened and relevant studies were identified, the data was summarised and discursively reported.The search resulted in 911 articles, with 14 articles included in the scoping review after the inclusion criteria was applied. Self-regulated learning was explored in these studies in various ways including qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Three major findings were found: 1) levels of self-regulated learning change in the clinical environment, 2) self-regulated learning is associated with academic achievement, success in clinical skills and mental health and 3) various factors can support self-regulated learning levels in medical students.Most of articles exploring the self-regulated learning of medical students during the clinical years have been published in the last 5 years, suggesting a growing interest in the area. Future research could explore the self-regulated learning levels of medical students during the clinical years using a longitudinal approach or through the use of novel qualitative approaches.
Project description:Learning objectives communicate the knowledge and skills that instructors intend for students to acquire in a course. Student performance can be enhanced when learning objectives align with instruction and assessment. We understand how instructors should use learning objectives, but we know less about how students should use them. We investigated students' use and perceptions of learning objectives in an undergraduate science course at a public research university. In this exploratory study, students (n = 185) completed two open-ended assignments regarding learning objectives and we analyzed the content of their answers. We found that students used learning objectives in ways that reflected the recommendations of past and present instructors, suggesting that students are receptive to instruction on how to use learning objectives. Students generally found learning objectives to be useful because the objectives helped them to narrow their focus and organize their studying, suggesting that students may need additional help from instructors in order to self-direct their learning. Students who chose not to use learning objectives often found other resources, such as case studies covered in class, to be more helpful for their learning. Some of these students recognized that the concepts included in case studies and learning objectives overlapped, pointing to a benefit of alignment between instructional activities and learning objectives. These qualitative results provide the data necessary for designing a quantitative instrument to test the extent to which students' use of learning objectives affects their performance.