Though experiential learning is a popular topic in higher education, a great deal of research in the field neglects to make ties between program outcomes and educational theory, creating a gap in knowledge regarding how participant students truly experience educational programs. Consequently, this study proposes an updated perspective of experiential education that considers the experiential and social aspects of these learning environments. While it is important to determine programmatic impacts, it is equally important to assess how learning has occurred, so programs can be modified accordingly. The Equine Studies Program at the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center began in 2010, with seven cohorts having completed the program since its inception. At this time, however, no study has been conducted to gain a thorough understanding of the program's purpose, nor assess if programmatic impacts align with its objectives. This study utilized qualitative interview methods to determine the program's objectives and impacts on participants. The findings provide insight on how experiential learning programs can be enhanced to better prepare students for the challenges of modern industry. Recommendations are made for continued research in this area to determine how the implementation of experiential learning programs may impact overall undergraduate curricula. Additional research should also be conducted to compare the impacts of varying types of experiential programs. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Collaborative learning skills are one of the essential learning outcomes for a college education in 21st century. College students are expected to possess the ability to collaborate with others in order to succeed in their career after graduating from college. However, the effects of collegiate experiences on collaborative learning for different gender and academic areas are almost unexplored. In addition, researchers highlight the need for more research on interaction effects to explore whether different types of students respond differently to various collegiate experiences. The researcher examined the relationship of student-student interactions and student-faculty interactions with graduating seniors' perceived collaborative learning skills. Furthermore, the researcher explored whether this relationship was moderated by students' gender, academic area, and retrospective perception of their collaborative learning skills. Social-cognitive learning theory and Astin's involvement theory were used as conceptual frameworks to guide this study. Astin's input-environment-output college impact model served as a theoretical guide. Using an institutional cross-sectional data set, multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine these relationships. According to the results, the relationship between student-student interactions and graduating seniors' perceived collaborative learning skills was positive after controlling for the other independent variables in the study. Further results revealed that the relationship of student-student interactions and student-faculty interactions with the outcome variable was moderated by students' gender, academic area, and retrospective perception of their collaborative learning skill. The relationship between student-faculty interactions and the outcome variable was significantly weaker for male students, whereas the relationship between student-student interactions and the outcome variable was weaker for female student. The relationship between student-faculty interactions and the outcome variable was weaker for students in hard pure academic areas when compared to students in soft applied academic areas, while the opposite was observed for the relationship between student-student interactions and the outcome variable. The findings of the present study can be used to shape students' interactions with faculty and their peers with the awareness that these impact different types of students in different ways. / Ph. D.

Feedback has long been used and studied in medical education. To acknowledge the complexity of the feedback process, the term feedback literacy has been introduced into the medical education literature. This thesis attempted to explore feedback literacy in the undergraduate medical education context by aggregating a comprehensive body of evidence and using different research methodologies. It focused on providing a more complete understanding of feedback literacy, identifying factors and learning strategies that could improve medical students’ feedback literacy skills, and direct further research on this topic. Results showed that little is known on how to teach feedback literacy and educational interventions to increase students’ feedback literacy skills are still not well established. When exploring factors that could improve students’ feedback literacy skills, this thesis’ results identified that being more intrinsically goal oriented, having strong self-regulated learning traits, and seeking help when needed were positively associated to having better feedback literacy skills. Strategies that students could use to improve their own feedback literacy included self-reflection about the feedback received and how to be more proactive in the feedback process, take small steps when applying the feedback received, and actively discuss the feedback with the giver. Additionally, self-reflections on ones’ motivational beliefs and interests, combined with actions such as creating and implementing strategies to manage motivations, could help students to adjust their learning goal orientation and, consequently, improve their feedback literacy skills. Students should encourage themselves to regulate their learning in the areas of planning, monitoring, and making adjustments in learning strategies to adapt to new situations whenever needed. Lastly, students should seek assistance from others by bringing concerns up, asking questions, and asking clarifications about the feedback received. Taken together, the findings of this thesis support students’ empowerment in the feedback process to help them to make the most of their feedback opportunities in medical school. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Introduction: The nursing shortage continues to be a major topic of concern for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Creative ways to educate more nurses are essential to bridge the nursing shortage gap. Background: Virtual Simulation (VS) has shown positive outcomes when used in unfolding simulations. Using VS technology, initial research supports using VS for hands-on skill building. Hands-on skills are primarily nursing skills that are performed at the bedside. Methods: This dissertation is a mixed-methods, exploratory design. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) was used to determine the usability and ease of use of a specific VS program. Two versions of the same skill were created, and the sample was randomly placed into either version A or version B. Version A used all 29 specific steps that were on the skill competency checklist as options and Version B condensed some of the steps into logical groupings for a total of 11 options. A comparison was made using the TAM (Davis, 1989) questionnaire for Version A and Version B. Three open-ended questions were asked to gather more feedback from the students. Results: Results indicate no differences in usability and ease of use using either version of the software. The final part of the dissertation used the information from the literature review and study to create a “how to use” virtual simulation for skill-building while keeping alignment with current standards. This information will add to the limited knowledge of using virtual simulation for hands-on skill building in undergraduate nursing education. Further studies with a larger sample size will add to the body of science which can potentially increase opportunities for access to online nursing education.

Over the last two decades, higher education administrations have seen the importance of undergraduate students having been exposed to research be increasingly emphasized. Higher education institutions have taken strides to incorporate research into the undergraduate curricula, with the natural sciences fields being the most successful and efficient at implementing these changes. This project aimed to survey the national undergraduate research landscape when it came to humanities fields to see what steps academic humanities researchers, faculty, and administrators are taking, or need to be taking, to encourage more humanities undergraduates to become involved with research. Additionally, this project provides a brief case study of the undergraduate research opportunities available to humanities students at Virginia Tech. / Master of Arts / Over the last two decades, higher education administrations have seen the importance of exposing undergraduate students to research be increasingly emphasized. Higher education institutions have taken strides to incorporate research into the undergraduate curricula, with the natural sciences fields being the most successful and efficient at implementing these changes. This project aims to survey the national undergraduate research landscape when it comes to humanities fields to see what steps academic humanities researchers, faculty, and administrators are taking, or need to be taking, to encourage more humanities undergraduates to become involved with research. To do so, an in-depth analysis of the existing literature on the subject is provided, along with analyses of interviews the author conducted with several higher education administrators from universities across the nation. Additionally, this project provides a brief case study of the undergraduate research opportunities available to humanities students at Virginia Tech.

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Over the course of the second half of the twentieth century, undergraduate degree requirements in the Faculty of Arts (later the Faculty of Arts & Science) at the University of Toronto were comprehensively reviewed and revised seven times. The records of these reviews demonstrate that the curricular changes of the second half of the twentieth century were substantial, reflecting attempts by curricular planners to shape the undergraduate program of study to accommodate broader social, economic, demographic, and epistemological changes. These changes therefore reflect the connections between the University and its local, provincial, and international communities. These substantial changes, however, are balanced by consistent and recurrent patterns in curriculum across this period as curricular planners sought ways to implement sustained curricular goals into a changed institutional environment and a changed curricular framework. Collectively, these reviews demonstrate that the U of T maintained a distinct approach to undergraduate education from the beginning of this period through the end. This approach, referred to here as the “Toronto Scheme,” is characterized by the belief that specialized study can lead to liberal education, and that students should have access to multiple pathways through the degree. This analysis of degree requirements over time has important implications for understanding higher education at the University of Toronto, in Canada, and internationally. Most importantly, this research helps to explain both the strong similarities and significant differences between American curricular structures and those in place at the U of T. Additionally, this study of curriculum provides valuable insight into the role of the U of T’s colleges in undergraduate instruction, further illuminating the effect of this relatively unique institutional structure on the history of the U of T. On a broader scale, the relationship indicated by this history of the curriculum between the U of T and other institutions in Ontario and Canada deepens our understanding of the nature of a Canadian system of or approach to higher education (or lack thereof). As such, the Toronto Scheme informs – and sometimes challenges – many of the assumptions currently made about Ontario, Canadian, and North American higher education.

O desenvolvimento desta pesquisa focalizou o processo de trabalho na formação profissional do enfermeiro, visualizada pelos professores do Curso de Graduação em Enfermagem de uma Universidade Pública Federal do Município de São Paulo. O estudo teve como objetivos: identificar no Projeto Pedagógico do Curso (PPC) de Graduação em Enfermagem da UNIFESP os processos de trabalho na formação do graduando de enfermagem; verificar quais processos de trabalho do enfermeiro são focados com maior ênfase na formação profissional na perspectiva dos professores e subsidiar na elaboração do Projeto Pedagógico do Curso por meio de propostas apresentadas pelos professores, sujeitos da pesquisa. Para isso, optou-se pela metodologia de pesquisa-ação por conceber uma ampla e explícita interação entre o pesquisador e as pessoas envolvidas na situação investigada, cujo objetivo foi resolver ou esclarecer os problemas da situação observada, o que pressupõe um aumento do conhecimento e do \"nível de consciência\" das pessoas ligadas à situação, bem como o aumento do conhecimento do próprio pesquisador. Na fase diagnóstica analisou-se o PPC, que explorou e identificou por meio dos objetivos gerais do Curso, das séries e das Disciplinas, os processos de trabalho do enfermeiro que foram estudados na fase de ação, cuja técnica de coleta de dados utilizou o Grupo Focal (GF), que contou com a participação de 15 professores em cinco encontros. O observador foi uma psicóloga organizacional de um hospital de ensino. Os resultados mostraram que os objetivos gerais do PPC contemplaram os processos de trabalho cuidar, administrar, educar e pesquisar. O processo de trabalho cuidar foi o mais enfatizado tanto nos objetivos gerais como nos objetivos das séries e o processo de trabalho administrar foi mais relevante nas duas últimas séries. O processo de trabalho educar e pesquisar não foram evidenciados. O GF apontou que a essência do processo de trabalho na formação do enfermeiro foi o cuidar, nas competências do aprender a conhecer e a fazer na dimensão técnico-científica. Os processos de trabalho administrar e educar e pesquisar não foram relevantes para os sujeitos e foram considerados meios para o processo de trabalho do enfermeiro cuidar. O pesquisar foi um pouco mais discutido no GF e evidenciou a necessidade do graduando consumir pesquisa durante a formação para desenvolver a crítica e a reflexão sobre a prática profissional. E ainda destacaram alguns nós no processo ensino-aprendizagem, que na maioria das vezes, consideraram que o trabalho dos professores e das Disciplinas pouco integrado e leva os graduandos a terem uma visão fragmentada do processo de trabalho, especialmente o cuidar, na formação do enfermeiro. Os sujeitos do GF propuseram criar espaços de discussões a respeito da formação do enfermeiro na vertente do processo de trabalho e as competências da aprendizagem para subsidiar a reconstrução do PPC mais integrada e assegurar a qualificação do ensino aos graduandos / This study focused on the relationship between undergraduate nursing education and nurses\' work processes, as viewed by the faculty of an undergraduate nursing program of a Federal public university of the district of São Paulo. The objectives of the study were: 1) to identify the nurses\' work processes listed in the undergraduate pedagogical educational planning (Projeto Pedagogico do Curso [PPC]) of the São Paulo Federal University (Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP); and, 2) to determine which of the nurses\' work processes listed in the PPC were emphasized by faculty and subsidized the development of the PPC of the UNIFESP. To that end, action-research methodology guided the design and conduct of this study. This methodology was chosen because it allows explicit interactions between the researcher and the people involved in a specific situation. It is useful to clarify or solve identified issues, which in turn may lead to an increase in knowledge and awareness levels of those people involved in the situation as well lead to increase in knowledge among researchers. In the diagnosis phase, the PPC was analyzed by exploring its general objectives, objectives of each program level, and objectives of specific disciplines, to determine the presence of nurses\' work processes identified during the study\'s action phase. The action phase used a focus group approach to collect data from 15 faculty members during 5 meetings. An organizational psychologist from a teaching hospital moderated all focus group meetings. The results of the analysis of the diagnosis phase suggested that the general objectives listed in the PPC address nurse\'s work processes regarding nursing care, nursing management, nursing education, and nursing research. Nursing care was the most emphasized nurses\' work process on the general objectives and on the objectives of each program level and specific disciplines. Nursing management was most relevant on the objectives of the program levels in last two years of the undergraduate nursing program. There was no evidence that nursing education and research were relevant or emphasized on the objectives of each program levels or specific discipline of the undergraduate nursing program. The findings from the focus group discussions pointed out that nursing care was the most fundamental nurses\' work process that guides undergraduate nursing education. Regarding the technical and scientific domains, the emphasis is placed on the students\' competencies to learn, to gain knowledge, and to acquire skills to provide nursing care. The nurses\' work process regarding management, education, and research were not considered to relevant to undergraduate nursing education by faculty members. These processes are viewed as resources nurses use to provide nursing care. The nurses\' work process regarding research was further discussed during the focus groups; and, there was a consensus that there is a need of undergraduate nursing students to consume research findings to enhance their critical thinking regarding nursing practice. In addition, issues emerged related to the teaching-learning process; there is little integration among the various nursing disciplines, which lead students to perceive a fragmented undergraduate nursing education, especially concerning their preparation to provide nursing care. Faculty members, who were included as participants of the focus groups, expressed willingness to participate in discussion forums regarding nurses\' work processes and competencies to advance the development and implementation of PPC that guarantee a quality undergraduate nursing education

Conceptual and theoretical advancements have been developed in recent years to break down the assumptions and traditional boundaries that establish seemingly independent disciplines, and the research outlined in this dissertation aspires to build on these advancements to provide innovative solutions to a broad array of modern problems in social-ecological. I used a variety of techniques to address challenges ranging from disconnections between theory and application, perceived versus realized roles of prescribed fire in resprouting shrublands, and the need for broader participation in research as part of undergraduate education. The chapters in this dissertation serve as a case-study approach across multiple scientific disciplines that overcome the traditions and assumptions that conflict with our ability to develop innovative solutions to modern social-ecological problems. First, I bridge theoretical and applied concepts by showing how recent theoretical advancements in resilience can be integrated into a predictive framework for environmental managers. Second, experimental data from multiple experiments were collected in two ecological regions of Texas to assess the potential for using extreme fire, in isolation and in combination with herbicide, as a novel intervention approach in resprouting shrublands of the southern Great Plains. The findings from these experiments demonstrate the importance of moving past traditional assumptions of when prescribed fire should be applied to demonstrate new patterns of woody plant responses to the applications of “more extreme” prescribed fires while not causing undesirable invasions by exotic grasses and exotic insects. Finally, I initiated a PhD instructed course on undergraduate research that sought to increase undergraduate participation while lowering the costs of conducting research. This chapter shows how traditional approaches of supporting undergraduate research are incapable of meeting the broader goals established by society and reveal a novel approach that can provide an additional pathway for supporting undergraduate student participation at large, research-based universities. Ultimately, this research suggests that our capacity to enhance services in social-ecological systems ultimately hinges upon the integration of theoretical and applied concepts that drive policy and governance and overcoming the assumptions and traditions that limit their integration.