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Research Article
Examining External Incentive Programs for Promoting Students' Morning Habits Through a Policy Lens
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 3, June 2025
Pages:
82-93
Received:
18 April 2025
Accepted:
30 April 2025
Published:
29 May 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.sjedu.20251303.11
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Abstract: In the field of higher education management research, the personal development of college students has garnered significant attention. Establishing a beneficial morning routine is of great importance as it enables students to capitalize on the productive morning hours for in-depth learning. Moreover, maintaining consistent morning habits contributes to the regulation of the circadian rhythm, which is crucial for safeguarding the physical and mental well-being of college students. Despite the benefits of early rising, fostering an early rising habit among college students presents many challenges in practice. These challenges include students' relatively low self-regulation skills and the pervasive influence of electronic devices, which often exacerbate late-night activities and subsequent late-waking, making it difficult for students to develop an early rising routine. This study aims to explore the potential of external incentives as a policy tool to address the issue of insufficient intrinsic motivation during the process of habit formation. The research evaluates the effectiveness of a systematically designed monetary incentive scheme in promoting students' morning routines. The study places particular emphasis on three key incentive design parameters: reward timing, reward progression mechanisms, and reward certainty. A four-week controlled experiment was conducted, involving 165 participants with a mean age of 20.22 ± 0.76 years. The findings of the study are three-fold. Firstly, immediate rewards are more effective than delayed rewards in stimulating initial participation in the morning routine building process. Secondly, an escalating reward plan, which gradually increases the reward magnitude as students make progress, demonstrates superior long-term motivational effects compared to a fixed incentive structure. Thirdly, when comparing reward amounts, rewards with uncertain amounts generate greater sustained engagement over time compared to those with certain amounts. These findings contribute to the academic discourse on the interplay between incentive design parameters and behavioral policies. They offer practical and evidence-based insights for university administrators, enabling them to formulate more effective policy interventions. By understanding how different incentive structures influence student behavior, administrators can design targeted programs that enhance habit adherence and ultimately support students' personal development.
Abstract: In the field of higher education management research, the personal development of college students has garnered significant attention. Establishing a beneficial morning routine is of great importance as it enables students to capitalize on the productive morning hours for in-depth learning. Moreover, maintaining consistent morning habits contribute...
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Research Article
From Overconfidence to Insight: The Role of Experiential Learning in Developing Critical Reading and Self-Assessment Accuracy Among Undergraduate Students
Dafna Nathan*
,
Iris Gertner-Moryossef
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 3, June 2025
Pages:
94-102
Received:
5 May 2025
Accepted:
16 May 2025
Published:
18 June 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.sjedu.20251303.12
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Abstract: Critical reading of scientific literature is a fundamental skill for undergraduate students in the life sciences. While traditional pedagogical approaches largely focus on direct instruction, reflective writing, and pre/post assessments, less is known about how repeated experiential engagement with primary literature—through tasks such as oral presentations and structured self-evaluation—shapes the development of accurate self-assessment and critical reading skills over time. The methodological approach of this study uses longitudinal comparison of self-ratings and instructor grades to follow undergraduate biotechnology students over two consecutive semesters during which they presented scientific articles and completed self-rating questionnaires. Instructor evaluations and student self-assessments were compared across semesters, with a specific focus on differences between high- and low-achieving students. Although no significant differences were found between the grades assigned by the instructor for the two semesters, the students—particularly the high-achieving ones—demonstrated improved self-calibration over time, as evidenced by a decreasing gap between their self-ratings and the grades they received from the instructor. Over time, low-achieving students continued to overestimate their performance on overall self-assessments, but showed growing awareness of specific difficulties, suggesting that while global self-assessment accuracy may be slower to develop, metacognitive insight can still emerge through structured reflection. The concurrent shift in students’ perceptions regarding which sections of a paper were the most difficult to understand—from the Introduction in the first semester to the Results and Discussion sections in the second—indicated deeper engagement with the structure and demands of scientific texts over time. These trends, together with increased student confidence and decreased anxiety about presenting, underscore the importance of repeated experiential learning, feedback, and reflection for fostering both critical reading skills and self-regulated learning.
Abstract: Critical reading of scientific literature is a fundamental skill for undergraduate students in the life sciences. While traditional pedagogical approaches largely focus on direct instruction, reflective writing, and pre/post assessments, less is known about how repeated experiential engagement with primary literature—through tasks such as oral pres...
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Research Article
Using Learning Management System as a Tool for Improved Students Academic Achievement: A Case Study of the University of Bamenda Teaching Experience
Afegenui Kizito Tangang,
Nubonyin Hilda Fokong*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 3, June 2025
Pages:
103-116
Received:
22 May 2025
Accepted:
9 June 2025
Published:
23 June 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.sjedu.20251303.13
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Abstract: The ineffective use of digital education tool such as the learning management system (LMS) and the decline in students’ academic achievement is a predominant issue in the teaching-learning process in higher education institutions. This paper presents unique experience from lecturers and students in The University of Bamenda based on their use of the LMS as a tool for improved students’ academic achievement. Cross-sectional survey research design and simple random probability sampling technique were used in the study. The study sample was made up of 300 students out of 7,343 third year undergraduate students of College of Technology, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Science and Higher Institute of Commerce and Management. Moreover, the study made used of 100 out of 399 staff from these establishments in the university. The data was collected using two sets of questionnaires and the Cronbach's Alpha reliability for the questionnaire was found at 0.88. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The main findings of the study were that a unit increase in the use of the LMS by lecturers and students is expected to increase students’ academic achievement by approximately 0.298 units. The results also indicated that, the inability of students and lecturers to use the LMS as an innovative teaching tool and the poor connectivity around the campus were among the principal challenges disrupting the effective use of LMS and leading to a decline in students’ academic achievement in The University of Bamenda. Consequently, it was recommended that, the Departmental, Faculties /Schools calendar of activities should state clearly the period for seminars on LMS and these training sessions should be incorporated on the university’s online portal and strictly implemented. The university authorities should ensure that on-campus internet connection is provided regularly and free of charge to enable staff and students carry on with some compulsory Moodle Platform activities.
Abstract: The ineffective use of digital education tool such as the learning management system (LMS) and the decline in students’ academic achievement is a predominant issue in the teaching-learning process in higher education institutions. This paper presents unique experience from lecturers and students in The University of Bamenda based on their use of th...
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