Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 2019
Retention of students in university or other postsecondary education programs is a common problem... more Retention of students in university or other postsecondary education programs is a common problem for many institutions, with retention from first year to second year of study being particularly problematic in Canada and the United States. A number of factors are known to affect retention, and a number of measures have been identified which can help improve retention. Kuh (2008) has developed a list of high-impact educational practices that increase student satisfaction, success, and retention. One key method that helps students adjust to the transition from high school to university is a first-year experience course. This article describes a course called "The First-Year Experience: Mapping our Communities," designed on a theme of asset mapping. The metaphor of mapping allowed us to carefully and intentionally integrate a variety of layered pedagogical goals with a number of Ku h's high-impact strategies. The mapping metaphor extended from physical mapping of the university campus as a space to the mapping of academic and social resources, including mapping of the students' sense of self and goals, their new environment, and all the assets available to help them succeed. To provide students with a critical analysis of their own knowledge and skills and their limits, the theme of asset mapping also encompassed different world views and perspectives. Our research assesses the success of this course at meeting its many intertwined goals, based on both quantitative and qualitative data collected from students in two recent course offerings. KEYWORDS first-year experience, transition to university, retention from first to second year, high-impact educational practices RETENTION, HIGH IMPACT PRACTICES, AND FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE This article describes a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (So TL) project based on the creation and assessment of success of a first-year experience course. The design of the course was based on the wide array of existing literature on retention of students through the transition from high school to university, as well as the use of high-impact educational practices to enhance student success. In terms of Nelson's (n.d.) categorization of So TL projects, we discuss a course explicitly based on scholarship of teaching, report on both qualitative and quantitative before and after data from students, and compare the data and retention rates over time and with other courses. In Hutchings's (2000) Taxonomy of So TL questions, we have considered both "what works" questions and "visions of the possible" in our design and data analysis. We also describe the success of the guiding metaphor for the course, which has allowed us to meet many interwoven goals for student learning.
Problem solving is a critical component of a comprehensive 21st century education. This study inv... more Problem solving is a critical component of a comprehensive 21st century education. This study investigates the perceptions of students of taking a university liberal education course designed to develop problem-solving skills. We describe how the participants in the study created their own understanding of what problem solving skills are and why they are important. Based on both quantitative and qualitative data collected before, during and after the course, students reported increased communication skills, increased awareness of the importance of problem-solving skills in their major, and significantly increased confidence in their problem-solving abilities. They also demonstrated a strong awareness of how the skills they acquired transfer to both academic and real-world environments.
Page 1. Algebra, Logic and Applications Series Volume 14 Hyperidentities and Clones Klaus Denecke... more Page 1. Algebra, Logic and Applications Series Volume 14 Hyperidentities and Clones Klaus Denecke and Shelly L. Wismath Gordon and Breach Science ... on Fields, Rings, Modules Christian U. Jensen and Helmut Lenzing Volume 3 Foundations of Module and Ring Theory: A ...
... ISBN 1-58488-254-9 (alk. paper) 1. Algebra, Universal. 2. Computer science—Mathematics. I. Wi... more ... ISBN 1-58488-254-9 (alk. paper) 1. Algebra, Universal. 2. Computer science—Mathematics. I. Wismath, Shelly L. II. Title. ... These concepts occur in specific algebraic theories such as group theory, ring or field theory, but they can be formulated in a more general way as well. ...
A tree language of a fixed type τ is any set of terms of type τ. We consider here a binary operat... more A tree language of a fixed type τ is any set of terms of type τ. We consider here a binary operation + n on the set W τ (X n) of all n-ary terms of type τ , which results in semigroup (W τ (X n), + n). We characterize languages which are idempotent with respect to this binary operation, and look at varieties of tree languages containing idempotent languages. We also compare properties of semigroup homomorphisms from (P(W τ (X n)); + n) to (P(W τ (X m)); + m) with properties of homomorphisms between the corresponding absolutely free algebras F τ (X n) and F τ (X m).
A number of syntactical properties of identities, such as regularity, normality, k-normality, ext... more A number of syntactical properties of identities, such as regularity, normality, k-normality, externality and P-compatibility of identities have been extensively studied. We develop here a technique for producing from a basis for a variety
~l r e Ciosure Gveralrjr 3. Semigroup Results 3.1 Varieties of Semigroups 3.2 Joins with RB 3.3 J... more ~l r e Ciosure Gveralrjr 3. Semigroup Results 3.1 Varieties of Semigroups 3.2 Joins with RB 3.3 Joins with Z 3.4 Joins with Nk 4. Some Closure Results 4.1 Varieties of Bands 4.2 Nilpotent Varieties 4.3 Combining Band and Nilpotent Results 5.
Clarke and Monzo defined in [3] a construction called a generalized inflation of a semigroup. It ... more Clarke and Monzo defined in [3] a construction called a generalized inflation of a semigroup. It is always the case that any inflation of a semigroup is a generalized inflation, and any generalized inflation of a semigroup is a null extension of the semigroup. Clarke and Monzo proved that any associative null extension of a base semigroup which is a
Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 2015
Problem-solving skills are of ten identified as a key component of 21 st century education. This ... more Problem-solving skills are of ten identified as a key component of 21 st century education. This study collected data from students enrolled in a university-level Liberal Education science course called Problems and Puzzles, which introduced students to the theory and practice of problem solving via puzzles. Based on classroom observation and other qualitative data collected over three semesters, we have identified three significant changes in student behaviour at specific points in the course. These changes can be posited to reveal three underlying threshold concepts in the evolution and establishment of students' problem-solving skills.
Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2015
Problem solving and collaborative communication are among the key 21st century skills educators w... more Problem solving and collaborative communication are among the key 21st century skills educators want students to develop. This paper presents results from a study of the collaborative work patterns of 133 participants from a university level course designed to develop transferable problem-solving skills. Most of the class time in this course was spent on actually solving puzzles, with minimal direct instruction; students were allowed to work either independently or in small groups of two or more, as they preferred, and to move back and forth between these two modalities as they wished. A distinctive student-driven pattern blending collaborative and independent endeavour was observed, consistently over four course offerings in four years. We discuss a number of factors which appear to be related to this variable pattern of independent and collaborative enterprise, including the thinking and learning styles of the individuals, the preference of the individuals, the types of problems b...
Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 2019
Retention of students in university or other postsecondary education programs is a common problem... more Retention of students in university or other postsecondary education programs is a common problem for many institutions, with retention from first year to second year of study being particularly problematic in Canada and the United States. A number of factors are known to affect retention, and a number of measures have been identified which can help improve retention. Kuh (2008) has developed a list of high-impact educational practices that increase student satisfaction, success, and retention. One key method that helps students adjust to the transition from high school to university is a first-year experience course. This article describes a course called "The First-Year Experience: Mapping our Communities," designed on a theme of asset mapping. The metaphor of mapping allowed us to carefully and intentionally integrate a variety of layered pedagogical goals with a number of Ku h's high-impact strategies. The mapping metaphor extended from physical mapping of the university campus as a space to the mapping of academic and social resources, including mapping of the students' sense of self and goals, their new environment, and all the assets available to help them succeed. To provide students with a critical analysis of their own knowledge and skills and their limits, the theme of asset mapping also encompassed different world views and perspectives. Our research assesses the success of this course at meeting its many intertwined goals, based on both quantitative and qualitative data collected from students in two recent course offerings. KEYWORDS first-year experience, transition to university, retention from first to second year, high-impact educational practices RETENTION, HIGH IMPACT PRACTICES, AND FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE This article describes a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (So TL) project based on the creation and assessment of success of a first-year experience course. The design of the course was based on the wide array of existing literature on retention of students through the transition from high school to university, as well as the use of high-impact educational practices to enhance student success. In terms of Nelson's (n.d.) categorization of So TL projects, we discuss a course explicitly based on scholarship of teaching, report on both qualitative and quantitative before and after data from students, and compare the data and retention rates over time and with other courses. In Hutchings's (2000) Taxonomy of So TL questions, we have considered both "what works" questions and "visions of the possible" in our design and data analysis. We also describe the success of the guiding metaphor for the course, which has allowed us to meet many interwoven goals for student learning.
Problem solving is a critical component of a comprehensive 21st century education. This study inv... more Problem solving is a critical component of a comprehensive 21st century education. This study investigates the perceptions of students of taking a university liberal education course designed to develop problem-solving skills. We describe how the participants in the study created their own understanding of what problem solving skills are and why they are important. Based on both quantitative and qualitative data collected before, during and after the course, students reported increased communication skills, increased awareness of the importance of problem-solving skills in their major, and significantly increased confidence in their problem-solving abilities. They also demonstrated a strong awareness of how the skills they acquired transfer to both academic and real-world environments.
Page 1. Algebra, Logic and Applications Series Volume 14 Hyperidentities and Clones Klaus Denecke... more Page 1. Algebra, Logic and Applications Series Volume 14 Hyperidentities and Clones Klaus Denecke and Shelly L. Wismath Gordon and Breach Science ... on Fields, Rings, Modules Christian U. Jensen and Helmut Lenzing Volume 3 Foundations of Module and Ring Theory: A ...
... ISBN 1-58488-254-9 (alk. paper) 1. Algebra, Universal. 2. Computer science—Mathematics. I. Wi... more ... ISBN 1-58488-254-9 (alk. paper) 1. Algebra, Universal. 2. Computer science—Mathematics. I. Wismath, Shelly L. II. Title. ... These concepts occur in specific algebraic theories such as group theory, ring or field theory, but they can be formulated in a more general way as well. ...
A tree language of a fixed type τ is any set of terms of type τ. We consider here a binary operat... more A tree language of a fixed type τ is any set of terms of type τ. We consider here a binary operation + n on the set W τ (X n) of all n-ary terms of type τ , which results in semigroup (W τ (X n), + n). We characterize languages which are idempotent with respect to this binary operation, and look at varieties of tree languages containing idempotent languages. We also compare properties of semigroup homomorphisms from (P(W τ (X n)); + n) to (P(W τ (X m)); + m) with properties of homomorphisms between the corresponding absolutely free algebras F τ (X n) and F τ (X m).
A number of syntactical properties of identities, such as regularity, normality, k-normality, ext... more A number of syntactical properties of identities, such as regularity, normality, k-normality, externality and P-compatibility of identities have been extensively studied. We develop here a technique for producing from a basis for a variety
~l r e Ciosure Gveralrjr 3. Semigroup Results 3.1 Varieties of Semigroups 3.2 Joins with RB 3.3 J... more ~l r e Ciosure Gveralrjr 3. Semigroup Results 3.1 Varieties of Semigroups 3.2 Joins with RB 3.3 Joins with Z 3.4 Joins with Nk 4. Some Closure Results 4.1 Varieties of Bands 4.2 Nilpotent Varieties 4.3 Combining Band and Nilpotent Results 5.
Clarke and Monzo defined in [3] a construction called a generalized inflation of a semigroup. It ... more Clarke and Monzo defined in [3] a construction called a generalized inflation of a semigroup. It is always the case that any inflation of a semigroup is a generalized inflation, and any generalized inflation of a semigroup is a null extension of the semigroup. Clarke and Monzo proved that any associative null extension of a base semigroup which is a
Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 2015
Problem-solving skills are of ten identified as a key component of 21 st century education. This ... more Problem-solving skills are of ten identified as a key component of 21 st century education. This study collected data from students enrolled in a university-level Liberal Education science course called Problems and Puzzles, which introduced students to the theory and practice of problem solving via puzzles. Based on classroom observation and other qualitative data collected over three semesters, we have identified three significant changes in student behaviour at specific points in the course. These changes can be posited to reveal three underlying threshold concepts in the evolution and establishment of students' problem-solving skills.
Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2015
Problem solving and collaborative communication are among the key 21st century skills educators w... more Problem solving and collaborative communication are among the key 21st century skills educators want students to develop. This paper presents results from a study of the collaborative work patterns of 133 participants from a university level course designed to develop transferable problem-solving skills. Most of the class time in this course was spent on actually solving puzzles, with minimal direct instruction; students were allowed to work either independently or in small groups of two or more, as they preferred, and to move back and forth between these two modalities as they wished. A distinctive student-driven pattern blending collaborative and independent endeavour was observed, consistently over four course offerings in four years. We discuss a number of factors which appear to be related to this variable pattern of independent and collaborative enterprise, including the thinking and learning styles of the individuals, the preference of the individuals, the types of problems b...
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