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This study investigated whether there was a connection between postsecondary instructors’ course material use and their teaching approach. The research was gathered through an online survey. The study focused on two approaches to teaching, teacher-focused and student-focused, with the Approaches to Teaching Inventory-Revised (ATI-R), and examined the use of open educational resources (OER) versus commercial materials. The theoretical framework that guided the study was constructivism, and the Relational 3P conceptual framework was applied to analyse the process stage of teaching. The results of the one-way MANOVA (n = 337) revealed that the effect of course material type on instructional approaches was statistically significant (F(2, 334) = 3.40, p = .034, η2p = .02). Specifically, a statistically significant difference was found for conceptual change/ student-focused (CCSF) instructional approach (F(1, 335) = 5.72, p = .017, η2p = .02), but not for the information transmission/teacher-focused instructional approach (ITTF) (F(1, 335) = 1.17, p = .281, η2p = .003). These findings have important implications for understanding the impact of course materials on teaching approaches and student learning outcomes in postsecondary education. Instructors who reported using OER scored higher on the more robust CCSF instructional approach than those who used commercial materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical discourses in intercultural communication (IC) scholarship continue to foreground the postcolonial malaise of Southern spaces. Intercultural communication education (ICE) may encounter some pedagogical challenges in its endeavour to reflect the complexity and depth of the discipline and its recent critical turn. This paper seeks to unravel the transformations and the emerging discourses accompanying the 'critical turn' in ICE. The rationale is (a) to engage more deeply with the realisations of this critical turn against a background of unequal power relations and its implications and contextualisations within the Global South and (b) to clarify the possibilities of ICE in disrupting ideological polarities and promoting social justice. The aims are, therefore, (a) to probe into the interrogating and resisting potentials of ICE in the periphery and (b) to discuss the complexities associated with teaching IC from a critical perspective in contexts situated within the lower spectrum of power asymmetries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Curriculum Assessment on Navigation 1 at the Merchant Marine Academy of Caraga Inc. is crucial for ensuring the competence and safety of future mariners. This quantitative research involves maritime students in their 2nd and 3rd years, instructors, and administrators as respondents. The study aims to evaluate the Navigation 1 curriculum, focusing on students' study habits, academic performance, teachers' profiles, instructional delivery modalities, and perceptions of the curriculum by students, administrators, and instructors. Data collection includes questionnaires and statistical analyses like frequency distribution, weighted mean, and chi-square tests. Initial findings indicate a high level of agreement and positive perceptions across various aspects of the curriculum, with an overall weighted mean of 3.72. The study suggests that the Navigation 1 curriculum effectively meets its objectives. Future research should assess the long-term effectiveness of the curriculum by tracking graduates' performance, gathering industry feedback, and integrating new technologies to enhance student preparation for real-world navigation challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research examining STEM fields has identified barriers for traditionally marginalized groups pursuing these fields including a lack of representation and adequate role models. Objective: Grounded with Minority Stress Theory (MST), the current study examines if a lack of inclusivity in typical course materials could create minority stress for two distinct marginalized student groups: racial and ethnic minority students (REM), and gender and sexual minority students (GSM). Method: Students were presented several questionnaires to understand their perceived representation of similar others in typical course materials, along with measures examining typical stress responses including feelings of belonging and rumination. Results: Results indicate that traditionally marginalized groups perceive less representation in course materials, feel less belonging and comfort in academic spaces, and suffer from more rumination. Conclusion: As demonstrated in this study, underrepresented minority (URM) students experience a disadvantage in education in terms of feelings of belonging and representation, which can lead to increased rumination. Teaching Implications: In STEM fields, course materials need to include more representation for URM students to reduce the stress that can result from this lack of exemplars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using fictional literature in public administration classrooms has been advocated by public administration educators since the middle of the past century. Stories are asserted to be a legitimate tool to understand social systems, management models, and ethical dilemmas. It is argued that fictional literature influences how students perceive the complicated contexts within which public management occurs. Yet with one exception, public administration scholars have not tested what knowledge students gain from engaging with fictional literature. A systematic literature review is undertaken to learn what scholars from other disciplines have learned about knowledge gained from using fictional literature as a pedagogical tool. The review shows that fictional literature can lead to gains in factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. From the identified articles, lessons about how educators can effectively incorporate fictional literature as part of public administration coursework are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little information exists about how MSW social work students perceive oppression and anti-oppressive theory and practice, especially in the United States. This case study describes a qualitative exploration of MSW student perceptions of oppression and anti-oppressive practice. Content was infused into a one-semester foundation-level course covering direct practice with individuals in an institution located in the Southeastern United States. Thematic analysis of written reflections and focus group responses revealed changes in pre- and post-course knowledge and skills, as well as five themes: the normality of oppression, the desire for change, practice application at micro and macro levels, optimism for change and personal growth, and recognition of the difficulties and discomfort of engaging in the conversation. Recommendations for social work educators include infusing anti-oppressive practice throughout the curriculum while utilizing inclusive course materials; facilitating self-reflection by students, faculty, and programs; and taking intentional steps to respond to discomfort in discussing these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares the results of a pair of course material surveys for faculty and students conducted before and after the COVID-19 pandemic by academic librarians at a private liberal arts college in the northeastern U.S. Findings indicate that overall students are spending significantly less per semester on required course materials, but some are going without significantly more required materials due to cost. Furthermore, first-year students were not found to be spending any less than prior to the pandemic and, as a result, spent significantly more in 2023 than most of their more experienced peers. The decrease in average student spending corresponds with our findings that faculty became more cost conscious and expanded efforts to make required materials affordable by assigning more OER and fewer materials which they consider to be overpriced or unaffordable. As a result of these and other strategies, by 2023 significantly more faculty had been able to develop courses for which the required materials cost nothing for students. The authors discuss the importance of these and additional findings, placing them in the context of similar surveys and suggesting ways that the data can be used to inform current library practices and future research. • Faculty became more cost conscious over the course of the pandemic. • Usage of open educational resources increased by between 10 % and 15 %. • The percentage of students spending less than $100 a semester doubled to 33 %. • First-year students are spending the most and saw no savings since 2020. • More first and second-year students are going without required materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The rising costs of course materials have higher education stakeholders looking for alternatives to the traditional course materials acquisition model. Two models of interest are open educational resources and inclusive access. Open educational resources have been widely studied. However, inclusive access has had a sudden rise in adoption across the country. This quick rise has left gaps in the literature as to the efficacy of such programs. A review of the literature on the efficacy of inclusive access course materials models returned only four published studies. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of an inclusive access course materials model on student outcomes at a Technical College. The Technical College provided student outcome data for 7110 students across six courses. The analysis documented significant differences between the before and after inclusive access samples for five of the nine categories examined. Results of this study fall in line with previous studies that have examined the impact of inclusive access course materials models on student outcomes.

Multiple forms of learning that seek inspiration from religion and spirituality are found alongside more formal learning institutions in contemporary Western societies. Familiarization with spiritual well-being often takes place in introductory courses and workshops, which usually incorporate various study materials – for example, course manuals. This article examines the use of learning materials within well-being spirituality by studying course materials for singing bowl sound relaxation, together with ethnographic data. The analysis builds on a thematic analysis that draws on studies of self-help literature and the notions of formal and nonformal learning, which help to further our understanding of self-help literature as a potentially important if largely unacknowledged source for learning. Our main argument is that singing bowl course materials in multiple ways express entanglements of secular and spiritual pedagogics and shed light on the place and role of contemporary spirituality in the wider frame of continuous adult learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teaching materials produced by the Portuguese as a Foreign Language Teacher’s Portal (PPPLE) constitute a very rich resource, as they are didactic units (UD) published as Open Educational Resource (REA) from different countries and cultures. Thus, in this qualitative and exploratory research, we focused on three UD, from each Portuguese-speaking country present in the PPPLE, to reflect on their proposals, didactic directions and possibility(ies) of use beyond the territories where they were created. We start from the review of research that has already examined the PPPLE and review its history, and then present our analysis in the light of a PFL teaching that must consider a multicultural and global reality. As a result, we found that the PPPLE is, effectively, a pluricentric and intercultural project, however, these characteristics are not necessarily found in its UD. In other words, even though we have teaching materials from different cultures and varieties of Portuguese, they mostly end up encapsulated in their micro contexts and do not include a language practice that is concretely plural and intercultural. With this article, we would like to open a dialogue on adaptations of the PPPLE portal material for plural and intercultural contexts, with the intention of promoting positive reflection and dissent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planning of inputs such as grammatical structure, pronunciation and vocabulary in the foreign language education process directly affects the efficiency. Vocabulary is at the centre of the process in terms of the functional use of basic language skills of individuals learning the target language. Individuals who learn the target language through lists shaped according to levels will achieve high productivity with less effort. In the international literature, vocabulary studies are carried out through frequency lists. These frequency lists are formed through data repository called corpus, which are created with written and spoken texts with various types and structural features of the target language. In this study, it is aimed to determine the most frequently used noun, adjective and verb type words for C1 level in teaching Turkish as a foreign language. The data set of the research consists of the textbooks "Gazi, Yedi İklim, Türkçeye Yolculuk, Yeni Hitit, Yeni Istanbul" used at the C1 level in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, and the reading materials Yenisey and Türkçe Okuyorum, which are used at the C1 level. In this context, the relevant materials were adapted to the database of the software used in the field of corpus linguistics and transferred to the digital environment. After the UTF code conversion, optical character reading errors were eliminated and C1 Level YDTÖ Materials Corpus consisting of 326,591 words was created. Words for which frequency lists were created by means of C1 Level YDTÖ Materials Corpus were transformed into base (lemma) by removing inflectional morpheme. Considering the frequency intensities, the most frequently used words in the type of noun, adjective and verb were determined as a result of the concordance analysis by considering the minimum f(10) value. Through this list, an important contribution has been made to those who learn and teach Turkish as a foreign language; 250 nouns, 250 adjectives and 250 verbs that are most frequently used in teaching Turkish as a foreign language at an advanced level have been suggested. This study is not a final study, but with the aim of being a reference for researchers and publishers, it has prioritized to use the advantages of software and language education fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at universities has a challenging goal of meeting the needs of usually large and heterogeneous groups of students. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine students' attitudes toward the ESP course, acquired knowledge, and course materials at the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Belgrade. In addition, the study examined the possible influence of students' general English proficiency on the tested variables. Methods. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 75 students who completed the ESP course in 2020 or 2021. Their general English proficiency was assessed by an online general English test. Results. The results showed that most students were satisfied with the acquired professional English language knowledge and available course materials and that their attitudes toward the completed ESP course were not influenced by their general English proficiency. Conclusion. These results are encouraging since they indicate overall student satisfaction with the ESP university course taught to a large class.

Like all institutions across North America, The University of Alberta Library has experienced dramatic impacts on our services and collections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students at our large research institution have historically relied heavily on the Library’s extensive reserve collection of textbooks and other required course materials, the lending of which was suddenly suspended during a mid-term emergency closure. This column will highlight our team-based approach to aggressively promoting OER to our campus community: from engaging public service desk staff in new roles as their work suddenly shifted, strategizing with our collections team on identifying high impact courses, and establishing a communications approach with librarians. We will discuss how our “by-the-seat-of-our-pants” initial approach has evolved into a functional team with a diverse set of strengths, and a responsive workflow that incorporates OER services as an integrated component of existing library processes.

College students are always wondering if there is any relationship between the types of course materials introduced by teachers and the test formats they give. By knowing the existence or non-existence of such a relationship, they can be prepared better for a test and it may reduce their test anxiety. In this study, two universities that offer "English translation" programs at the B.A. level in Iran were randomly selected and examined. Here, the researcher looked at the kinds of materials for 47 courses in Mofid University (introduced by 15 teachers) and 42 courses in University of Kashan, then at the test formats used to assess the knowledge or skill of the students. After comparing the materials with the tests given, it was found that approximately 83 percent of tests in University of Kashan and 89 percent of them in Mofid University were of written form (essay type, multiple choice, etc.) and we came to the conclusion that there was no relationship between course materials and test formats for the students majoring in English translation. Rather, apart from teachers’ preferences, it was the nature of the courses that decided the type of questions and led to different types and formats of tests.

Abstract Enrollment into graduate programs continue to increase. Given major changes occurring within education (e.g., online courses and OER integration), it is imperative for faculty and students to be aware of the impact these changes could entail to those with higher education aspirations. The use of Open Educational Resources (OER) is one important change that has occurred with respect to the types of academic materials used in higher education courses. The use of OER has significantly expanded over the past decade. Resources accessible under the caption of OER are free and available in the public domain. Currently, there is little information regarding how these changes might affect graduate school applications or admission. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of academic materials used in undergraduate classes in the evaluation of individuals for graduate admission. The results indicated that academic materials are the least important factor utilized for admission criteria. This result may indicate that the use of Open Educational Resources, low cost or free course materials with a copyright license that allows for reuse, should not impact the likelihood of a student being accepted into a graduate program.

Research shows that COVID-19 has exacerbated student challenges and inequalities. One of the most impactful ways the University of Arizona Libraries foster student success and reduce inequities is through our course material initiatives: providing students with free day-one access to required materials. We are seeing greater demand for online resources, which can be challenging for academic libraries to provide. Our approach leverages campus partnerships, advocacy and education, and a “do-it-yourself” model supplemented with one-on-one assistance as needed. These practices can be replicated at other libraries with limited resources.

The number of online courses offered by universities in America continues to increase. Due to limited direct interactions with students, these courses can struggle to promote student engagement. Food science is uniquely situated for implementation of hands‐on project‐based learning opportunities since basic experiments can be performed in a kitchen with minimal supplies and equipment. The purpose of this teaching and learning tip is to share materials designed for an asynchronous online course, instructional fermentation vignettes, and the Home Fermented Foods Project assignment, which tasks students with creating two fermented foods with two accompanying documents explaining the science of each employed steps. Students are engaged with the projects while connecting the lecture material to familiar products that they create such as sauerkraut, yogurt, and bread. Overall, based on student evaluations and our interactions with the students, our implementation of this project has been positive. Downloadable handouts containing assignment details are available as Supporting Information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the cost of textbooks has risen drastically, making it an important issue for everyone involved in higher education. Accurate and specific information on the cost of textbooks is needed to effectively address the situation. Over the summer of 2018, a librarian and an undergraduate student at a small liberal arts college assessed the textbook costs at their institution, using methodology developed by community colleges doing similar research. Based on course catalogs, bookstore records, and other resources, they calculated the costs for students in different disciplines over four years of study. These costs were impacted by major, courses chosen, and where materials were purchased. Patterns included higher prices in the sciences than in the humanities, as well as more expensive textbooks at the college bookstore than at other sources. Estimated total textbook costs varied widely (from under $100 to over $7,000 for four years of study), leading the researchers to conclude that no single average was representative of any one student's experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accounting is central to everyday life. In this paper, we propose a new course that introduces undergraduate students to different areas of accounting and highlights the importance of accounting to their day-to-day lives. We present a modular structure that can be taught on-ground or online and that can easily be adapted for use in full-semester courses, half-semester courses, or even shorter intensive courses. The course design is guided by the demands of the ever-evolving business environment, best practices for pedagogy, and accreditation standards for curriculum content. We expect that the course will not only show students how accounting knowledge can benefit them in their daily lives but also pique student interest in the field of accounting and serve as a magnet to attract students to the accounting major. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enrollment into graduate programs continue to increase. Given major changes occurring within education (e.g., online courses and OER integration), it is imperative for faculty and students to be aware of the impact these changes could entail to those with higher education aspirations. The use of Open Educational Resources (OER) is one important change that has occurred with respect to the types of academic materials used in higher education courses. The use of OER has significantly expanded over the past decade. Resources accessible under the caption of OER are free and available in the public domain. Currently, there is little information regarding how these changes might affect graduate school applications or admission. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of academic materials used in undergraduate classes in the evaluation of individuals for graduate admission. The results indicated that academic materials are the least important factor utilized for admission criteria. This result may indicate that the use of Open Educational Resources, low cost or free course materials with a copyright license that allows for reuse, should not impact the likelihood of a student being accepted into a graduate program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Face-to-face education has changed to blended or distance teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since education took a digital format, it can be investigated when course materials are accessed relative to online exams: are they opened before exams or during them? Therefore, four subjects were chosen for investigation at the University of Pannonia: one theoretical, one practical, and two that are both theoretical and practical were selected. Two groups of non-repeater 2nd-semester students and two groups of non-repeater 5th-semester students attended these classes. Slides were uploaded to the university’s Moodle system, while videos were uploaded to YouTube. Their analytics were used for the investigation. The analyses were conducted in five groups of days relative to the exam day. According to the results, students studied throughout the semester for the normal exam in most cases, while they studied a day before the supplementary one. For cheating, the 2nd-semester students used significantly more slides, while 5th-semester students used significantly more videos. Even with cheating, the students in their 2nd semester received significantly worse marks by 26.06% than those who were in their 5th semester.

Academic institutions around the United States are facing pressure to reduce tuition and fees in order to keep higher education accessible. Open Education Resource (OER) is one attempt by academic institutions to provide high quality education resources at a lower cost to students, by replacing traditional textbooks with freely available or low cost materials. Libraries as information experts play an active role in the implementation of OER. This article looks at the current state of OER and what potential impacts OER will have on libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Many learners who have not chosen to identify as having physical, sensory, and learning disabilities still may struggle to learn in the online learning environment due to diverse abilities and backgrounds, differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and other factors that affect perception, learning ability, and engagement. Given the apparent difficulty of a subset of learners who choose to learn in technology-enhanced instructional environments, most online learners identify as average or exceptional learners but they may not have their learning needs met due to inadequate course design, development, and delivery. This article will explore how the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can be integrated efficiently into all phases of the online course development process. It will explore how the strategies can help faculty meet the challenge of learner diversity. Alternative approaches are included to encourage the creation of flexible instructional materials, techniques, and options that empower educators to meet the varied needs of online learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 20 million students are currently enrolled in colleges and universities across the country taking courses that, the majority of the time, require some sort of publisher-provided print and/or digital course materials.’ Historically, these have been provided by traditional publishing companies such as Pearson, Cengage, and McGraw-Hill, but with the increase in technology usage in higher education, more companies have emerged in this space such as OpenStax, a company that provides digital texts in high enrollment college courses for free. Usage of materials in college courses, particularly digital ones, are extremely useful and allow students to engage with their materials in different ways. By understanding how these materials are used in their courses, historically and currently, by both professors and students, one can start to understand the importance of them and what is needed now and for the future to ensure students are given the greatest chance to succeed in their courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Librarians at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro received a 2-year grant to support a combined alternative textbook project. This project engages in a two-pronged approach to reduce students’ textbook costs and increase their academic engagement. One strategy is to award departmental faculty mini-grants to use materials that would have no cost to their students, including OER or library resources. The second strategy is to identify required texts that the library already owns or can purchase as unlimited-user e-books. Benefits to students include reduced costs and an increased opportunity for engagement and academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]