Systematic literature reviews and undergraduate research

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‘Follow the Moon’ Development: Writing a Systematic Literature Review on Global Software Engineering Education

This presentation reflects on method and practice in Computer Science Education Research, through introducing the process of conducting a Systematic Literature Review. While Systematic Literature Reviews are an established research method within the Software Engineering discipline, they are a relatively unfamiliar research approach within Computer Science Education. Yet research disciplines can be strengthened by borrowing and adapting methods from other fields. I reflect on the rationale and underlying philosophy behind Systematic Reviews, and the implications for conducting a rigorous study and the quality of the resulting outputs. This chronicle of the journey of an ITiCSE working group, outlines the process we adopted and reflects on the methodological and logistical challenges we had to overcome in producing a review titled Challenges and Recommendations for the Design and Conduct of Global Software Engineering Courses. I conclude by discussing how systematic literature reviews can be adapted to an undergraduate teaching setting

Defining Quality in Undergraduate Education

Objectives: This research brief explores the literature addressing quality in undergraduate education to identify what previous research has said about quality and to offer future directions for research on quality in undergraduate education. Method: We conducted a scoping review to provide a broad overview of existing research. Using targeted search terms in academic databases, we identified and reviewed relevant academic literature to develop emergent themes and implications for future research. Results: The exploratory review of the literature revealed a range of thoughtful discussions and empirical studies attempting to define quality in undergraduate education. Many publications highlighted the importance of including different stakeholder perspectives and presented some of the varying perceptions of quality among different stakeholders. Conclusions: While a number of researchers have explored and written about how to define quality in undergraduate education, there is not a general consensus regarding a definition of quality in undergraduate education. Past research offers a range of insights, models, and data to inform future research. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: We provide four recommendations for future research to contribute to a high quality undergraduate educational experience. We suggest more comprehensive systematic reviews of the literature as a next step

Evidence Based National Framework for Undergraduate Nursing Education in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, nursing education is moving from diplomanursing certificate to a university bachelor degree. In thistransitional stage, the development of an evidence based nationallevel framework for undergraduate nursing education is acrucially important step to improve nursing education andnursing service in Sri Lanka. The overall purpose of this PhDresearch study was to develop an evidence-based nationalframework for undergraduate nursing education in Sri Lanka.MethodMy PhD research study has involved conducting criticalreviews of literature, two systematic reviews, developing a draftconceptual framework, testing its appropriateness and feasibilitywith key stakeholders via focus group discussions in Sri Lanka,and formulating the final national framework for nursingeducation in Sri Lanka.ResultsThe systematic reviews revealed that the evidence regardingthe effectiveness and appropriateness of undergraduate nursingcurricula is notably weak and direct transfer of the curriculummodel from one country to another is not appropriate withoutfirst assessing the cultural context of both countries. Theconceptual framework, which was developed using the finding ofsystematic reviews and literature reviews, consists of widelyrecognized nursing concepts in international and local contexts.However, some concepts cannot be directly applicable because ofcultural and economic impediments.DiscussionThis study identified several factors that shape the approachto nursing education in Sri Lanka. These factors include:Western influence; Sri Lanka’s cultural influence; the currenthealthcare system and demand for healthcare; nursing systemsand regulation; medical dominance; financial support; and SriLanka’s education system. All of these factors influence theconceptualization of nursing and educational strategies needed toeffectively and appropriately prepare nurses in Sri Lanka. Thisstudy proposes seven recommendations to support theimplementation of the study findings into practice in Sri Lanka

The Effect of Mentoring for Undergraduate Mentors: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Multiple meta-analyses and systematic reviews have been conducted to evaluate methodological rigor in research on the effect that mentoring has on the mentee. However, a dearth of information exists regarding the effect of mentoring on the mentor. As such, I conducted a systematic review of the literature focused on such an effect (if any) within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), aiming to bolster the literature surrounding this affect. In the case of this work, my focus is on undergraduate or post-secondary students as mentors for near-peers and/or youth. This review functions to identify commonalities of affective outcomes and benefits or challenges for undergraduate mentors, and further to promote methodological rigor on the subject by providing a more consistent description of the metrics utilized across studies. Herein articles from 2013-2021 are analyzed to determine characteristics of UG mentor programs, the functionality of mentors within the programs, and the methodological rigor of research applied. Overall, the following best practice suggestions are made for future research on the effect of mentoring on mentors; the employment of longitudinal and exploratory mixed methods designs utilizing sequential collection of qualitative then quantitative measurements, and experimental descriptions nested within a theoretical framework

Gamification in higher education and stem : a systematic review of literature

In recent years, gamification, the use of game elements in non-game contexts, has drawn the attention of educators due to the possibility of making learning more motivating and engaging; this led to an increase of research in the field. Despite the availability of literature reviews about gamification and its effects, no work to this date has focused exclusively on Higher Education (HE). Next, worldwide there is an increasing demand for skilled Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals that meet the challenges related to scientific and technological innovations of the 21st Century. This lead to the need of strengthening STEM Higher Education. This brings us to the purpose of this work: presenting a systematic literature review of empirical studies about gamification STEM related Higher Education. This review study started from a systematic mapping design of 'Web of Science' articles, with following inclusion criteria: empirical gamification studies set up in HE, published between 2000 and 2016; focusing on undergraduate or graduate students; in the STEM knowledge field, and set up in authentic settings. An initial search resulted in 562 potentially relevant articles. After applying all selection criteria, only 18 studies could be retained. 12 additional articles were included by analyzing references from earlier literature reviews, resulting in 30 studies to be included. Analysis results show how a combination of game elements (e.g. leaderboards, badges, points and other combinations) positively affects students' performance, attendance, goal orientation and attitude towards mostly computer science related subjects. The analysis results also point at a lack of studies in certain STEM areas, a lack of studies that identify the particular game element associated with the positive differential impact on student performance; a lack of validated psychometric measurements, and lack of focus on student variables that could/should be taken into account as mediating/moderating variables clarifying the impact of gamification in the HE focus on STEM learning and teaching

Aprendizajes de Estudiantes de Enfermería Involucrados en Proyectos de Investigación: Revisión Integrativa de la Literatura

To identify the learning outcomes and skills obtained of undergraduate nursing students involved in research projects. Methods: This was an integrative literature review, based on a research protocol in the CINAHL Complete databases; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Cochrane Methodology Register; MedicLatina; MEDLINE, Scopus and JBI, including primary and secondary studies, published between 2015 and 2020. Results: A total of five heterogeneous articles were included, which were categorized using Kirkpatrick’s (adapted) model. Seventeen learning outcomes acquired through participation in research projects were identified, from the learning of new knowledge and skills to the development of new attitudes and behaviors. Final considerations: The involvement of nursing students in research projects is important to their professional development. Future investment in research on this topic can help cement the potential of this type of student involvement.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Group mentorship for undergraduate medical students—a systematic review

Introduction - Mentoring has become a prevalent educational strategy in medical education, with various aims. Published reviews of mentoring report very little on group-based mentorship programs. The aim of this systematic review was to identify group-based mentorship programs for undergraduate medical students and describe their aims, structures, contents and program evaluations. Based on the findings of this review, the authors provide recommendations for the organization and assessment of such programs. Methods - A systematic review was conducted, according to PRISMA guidelines, and using the databases Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and ERIC up to July 2019. Eight hundred abstracts were retrieved and 20 studies included. Quality assessment of the quantitative studies was done using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). Results - The 20 included studies describe 17 different group mentorship programs for undergraduate medical students in seven countries. The programs were differently structured and used a variety of methods to achieve aims related to professional development and evaluation approaches. Most of the studies used a single-group cross-sectional design conducted at a single institution. Despite the modest quality, the evaluation data are remarkably supportive of mentoring medical students in groups. Discussion - Group mentoring holds great potential for undergraduate medical education. However, the scientific literature on this genre is sparse. The findings indicate that group mentorship programs benefit from being longitudinal and mandatory. Ideally, they should provide opportunities throughout undergraduate medical education for regular meetings where discussions and personal reflection occur in a supportive environment

Problem-based Learning in English Teaching: A Systematic Literature Review

The industrial revolution 4.0 brought many changes in various sectors of life, including education. It also impacts curriculum changes. In the latest curriculum, MBKM, one of its characteristics is student-centered learning with one of its methods, namely case-based learning or problem-based learning. This study aims to find out how deep and extensive research has been conducted between 2013-2023 regarding problem-based learning in English teaching and the issues that develop in it. To reach those aims, the researchers use the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) as a data collection and reporting protocol. The findings revealed a noticeable increase in publications emphasizing problem-based learning as the main focus in the last three years. Among the numerous publications reviewed, the majority consisted of quantitative research studies. The research subjects predominantly comprised college and undergraduate students, while the most frequently chosen topic was problem-based learning in teaching writing. This comprehensive finding will reveal publishers, authors, research methods, issues, gaps, and novelties in problem-based Learning research that researchers can use for future research

A Systematic Literature Review on Image Information Needs and Behaviors

Purpose: With ready access to search engines and social media platforms, the way people find image information has evolved and diversified in the past two decades. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on image information needs and behaviors. Design/methodology/approach: Following an eight-step procedure for conducting systematic literature reviews, the paper presents an analysis of peer-reviewed work on image information needs and behaviors, with publications ranging from the years 1997 to 2019. Findings: Application of the inclusion criteria led to 69 peer-reviewed works. These works were synthesized according to the following categories: research methods, users targeted, image types, identified needs, search behaviors, and search obstacles. The reviewed studies show that people seek and use images for multiple reasons, including entertainment, illustration, aesthetic appreciation, knowledge construction, engagement, inspiration, and social interactions. The reviewed studies also report that common strategies for image searches include keyword searches with short queries, browsing, specialization, and reformulation. Observed trends suggest common deployment of query analysis, survey questionnaires, and undergraduate participant pools to research image information needs and behavior. Originality: At this point, after more than two decades of image information needs research, a holistic systematic review of the literature was long overdue. The way users find image information has evolved and diversified due to technological developments in image retrieval. By synthesizing this burgeoning field into specific foci, this systematic literature review provides a foundation for future empirical investigation. With this foundation set, the paper then pinpoints key research gaps to investigate, particularly the influence of user expertise, a need for more diverse population samples, a dearth of qualitative data, new search features, and information and visual literacies instruction