Developing effective student learning environment: Case study from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

The impact of COVID-19 on college education has been profound. At the same time, it has also provided an opportunity to test the effectiveness of new teaching approaches in challenging circumstances when the new delivery modes were introduced. In this case study, we have taken the project-based lear...

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Main Authors: Nadia Solovieva, Anita Dani, Patrick Kane, Sophy Thomson, Doaa Hamam, Fares Keramatulah Solaimani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.955873/full
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author Nadia Solovieva
Anita Dani
Patrick Kane
Sophy Thomson
Doaa Hamam
Fares Keramatulah Solaimani
author_facet Nadia Solovieva
Anita Dani
Patrick Kane
Sophy Thomson
Doaa Hamam
Fares Keramatulah Solaimani
author_sort Nadia Solovieva
collection DOAJ
description The impact of COVID-19 on college education has been profound. At the same time, it has also provided an opportunity to test the effectiveness of new teaching approaches in challenging circumstances when the new delivery modes were introduced. In this case study, we have taken the project-based learning approach a little further by directly involving students as co-researchers in the ongoing research project in a higher education institution in Sharjah. This campus-based research project aimed at finding effective solutions to reduce plastic waste at the Sharjah campus. We enabled several groups of students to participate in the primary data collection for our project by aligning their course work projects with the aims of our own research. Hence, the students were directly involved in the ongoing community project, which raised their awareness about important sustainability issues. In addition, the students acquired essential research skills and were able to apply their knowledge to practical issue. This approach was effective: the difference between the final grades of students in the project and non-project groups was statistically significant in 2020 and in 2021. In 2020, the students in the project group scored 5.16% higher than the students in the non-project group. (95% confidence interval is [−0.9044, 11.2244], p = 0.047). In 2021, this difference was 6.5% (95% confidence interval is [2.1176, 10.9026], p = 0.002).
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spelling doaj.art-2ecebd8bd2ef45508ca009304f448cd42022-12-22T04:38:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2022-11-01710.3389/feduc.2022.955873955873Developing effective student learning environment: Case study from Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesNadia SolovievaAnita DaniPatrick KaneSophy ThomsonDoaa HamamFares Keramatulah SolaimaniThe impact of COVID-19 on college education has been profound. At the same time, it has also provided an opportunity to test the effectiveness of new teaching approaches in challenging circumstances when the new delivery modes were introduced. In this case study, we have taken the project-based learning approach a little further by directly involving students as co-researchers in the ongoing research project in a higher education institution in Sharjah. This campus-based research project aimed at finding effective solutions to reduce plastic waste at the Sharjah campus. We enabled several groups of students to participate in the primary data collection for our project by aligning their course work projects with the aims of our own research. Hence, the students were directly involved in the ongoing community project, which raised their awareness about important sustainability issues. In addition, the students acquired essential research skills and were able to apply their knowledge to practical issue. This approach was effective: the difference between the final grades of students in the project and non-project groups was statistically significant in 2020 and in 2021. In 2020, the students in the project group scored 5.16% higher than the students in the non-project group. (95% confidence interval is [−0.9044, 11.2244], p = 0.047). In 2021, this difference was 6.5% (95% confidence interval is [2.1176, 10.9026], p = 0.002).https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.955873/fullstudents as co-researchersstudent attainmentapplied research by undergraduate studentsresearch-based learningactive learning
spellingShingle Nadia Solovieva
Anita Dani
Patrick Kane
Sophy Thomson
Doaa Hamam
Fares Keramatulah Solaimani
Developing effective student learning environment: Case study from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Frontiers in Education
students as co-researchers
student attainment
applied research by undergraduate students
research-based learning
active learning
title Developing effective student learning environment: Case study from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
title_full Developing effective student learning environment: Case study from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
title_fullStr Developing effective student learning environment: Case study from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
title_full_unstemmed Developing effective student learning environment: Case study from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
title_short Developing effective student learning environment: Case study from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
title_sort developing effective student learning environment case study from sharjah united arab emirates
topic students as co-researchers
student attainment
applied research by undergraduate students
research-based learning
active learning
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.955873/full
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