General Education Learning Outcomes and Demographic Correlates in University Students in Hong Kong

Although there are studies showing that higher education would benefit university students, empirical research that comprehensively assesses student general education learning outcomes and related demographic correlates based on longitudinal data is minimal, especially in the Chinese context. To address the research gaps, the present study was conducted to investigate learning outcomes amongst university students in one university in Hong Kong based on a four-year longitudinal design (N = 460). Four dimensions of student general education learning outcomes were measured, including effective reasoning and problem solving, leadership, moral character, and integration of learning. Results suggested a U-shaped pattern of student learning outcomes for most dimensions, with no improvement or even a decrement in the second year and a steady growth thereafter. While family background did not affect student development, gender showed a significant moderating effect on students’ development in two dimensions (i.e., effective reasoning and problem solving, and integration of learning). These findings suggest that students benefit from general education-embedded university study in multiple dimensions, especially after the first year of transition period. Practical implications of the findings and future research directions were also discussed

Evolution and provenance of Neoproterozoic basement and Lower Paleozoic siliciclastic cover of the Menderes Massif (western Taurides): Coupled U-Pb-Hf zircon isotope geochemistry

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Student understanding of graph slope and area under a curve: A replication study comparing first-year physics and economics students

The understanding of graphs and extraction of relevant information from graphs plays a major role in physics education and is also important in several related fields. Recently, Susac et al. [Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 14, 020109 (2018)10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.14.020109] compared physics and psychology students’ understanding of graphs in the contexts of physics and finance. They showed that physicists scored significantly higher in both domains and that all students solved the slope problems better than the area problems. Moreover, eye-tracking data revealed that physics students spent more time on problems associated with the area under the graph and focused longer on the axis labels of finance graphs, indicating higher cognitive demands. In this eye-tracking study, we aim for a generalization of the results obtained by Susac et al. by comparing physics students to another nonphysics sample, viz., economics students. The findings broadly confirm the results of Susac et al.; that is, physics students perform better than nonphysics students. While economics students likely have better prior knowledge on finance context than psychology students, the physics students still outperform them on the finance questions. In contrast to the work by Susac et al., both groups of students had the same visit duration on the graphs, consequently proving total dwell time to be an inadequate predictor of performance. Instead, we identify that attention on concept-specific areas of interest within the graphs discriminates the correct from the incorrect performers. Furthermore, we analyzed the confidence level of the two student groups and found that physics students have a higher ability to correctly judge their own performance compared to economics students. Overall, our results highlight the importance of an instructional adjustment towards a more mathematical- and graphical-based education

A model of positive and negative learning: learning demands and resources, learning engagement, critical thinking, and fake news detection

This chapter proposes a model of positive and negative learning (PNL model). We use the term negative learning when stress among students occurs, and when knowledge and abilities are not properly developed. We use the term positive learning if motivation is high and active learning occurs. The PNL model proposes that (a) learning-related demands and resources contribute to learning engagement and burnout, (b) that learning engagement improves critical thinking, which (c) should enhance students' abilities to detect fake news. Two studies demonstrate the validity of the learning engagement and burnout constructs, and learning-related demands and resources as possible antecedents. Also, critical thinking mediates the effect of learning engagement on fake news detection. Still, 30.30% of the students believed more in fake news than in real news. We discuss implications of the PNL model for the design of learning conditions

The detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf fingerprint of the northern Arabian-Nubian Shield as reflected by a Late Ediacaran arkosic wedge (Zenifim Formation; subsurface Israel)

The Neoproterozoic Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS), which comprises the northern sector of the East African Orogen (EAO), has been deeply denuded in Ediacaran times and its erosional products were deposited across NE Africa and Arabia; they are also found i