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Collaborative learning is increasingly common in higher education, with several studies pointing to its effectiveness. However, it also poses some social and cognitive challenges for students, resulting in students' mixed attitudes toward collaborative learning. COVID-19 has added to these challenges by, for example, introducing barriers to face-to-face communication. Existing studies exploring the impact of COVID-19 on students' experiences with collaborative learning focus on individual students, missing potential intra-group trends that could be useful to instructors. Using both Likert-style and open-ended questions, this study explored 38 college students' experiences engaging in collaborative learning during COVID-19 both individually and at the intra-group level. Overall, students' experiences were positive both academically and socially, though some experienced challenges such as freeloading and online connection issues. For most groups, there were one or two students who had negative experiences, but these issues seemed to be individual and not indicative of a group-level problem. The study introduces an intra-group approach to collaborative learning research. Its findings suggest that instructors should apply collaborative learning pedagogies to enhance students' learning and social connectedness. Instructors could further improve students' experiences by identifying and solving common issues (e.g., freeloading, technical difficulties) by surveying students or encouraging them to share these difficulties with the instructor.

Development of purpose is an important goal of post-secondary education. This study advances the measurement of purpose by (a) enriching the construct through incorporating the facet of horizon; (b) providing a framework for Rasch/Guttman Scenario score interpretation; and (c) providing evidence of convergent, divergent, and known groups validity.

Purpose in life is a key construct in the development of young adults, particularly college students. There are many instruments measuring sense of purpose in life, but few studies have examined their measurement properties among college students. The current study compares the measurement invariance properties of the Purpose in Life (PIL) scale and the Claremont Purpose Scale (CPS) across college year and undergraduate school. Using both a unidimensional and a two-dimensional model, we found that the PIL's interpretability is limited among college students. Using a three-dimensional model, the CPS was invariant with respect to both grouping variables. The study suggests that the CPS can be used to make meaningful comparisons among college students categorized by school year and undergraduate school. The study also has some implications about the construct of purpose in life; namely, scale structures that work well statistically and theoretically among adults might not generalize to young adults.

Career decision-making difficulties are the challenges encountered by individuals before, during, or after choosing one's career. This study tested the associations between career decision-making difficulties and depression, anxiety, and stress, considering the career decision status of participants. Students in a precollege preparatory program filled out questionnaires at the beginning and near the end of the academic year (N = 137). The correlations between career decision-making difficulties, as measured by the Career Decision-Making Difficulties, and negative emotional states measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales, were positive at both administrations (r[subscript T1] = 0.24, r[subscript T2] = 0.38). Using a multivariate analysis of variance, we have found that those who became more decided had fewer career decision-making difficulties (d = 1.26). The changes in career decision status were not associated with either depression, anxiety, or stress. However, overall negative emotions intensified among students who were "still undecided" at the end of the year (d = 0.72). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Collaborative learning (CL) is a common teaching strategy in colleges that involves actively working in groups to achieve a goal. Several studies and theories endorse it as contributing to students' achievement, motivation, and higher-order thinking skills. However, these studies are inconsistent in the way they define and operationalize CL. For example, they do not separate the quantity and the quality of CL, nor do they distinguish between course-specific and general attitudes toward CL. The study suggests that researchers should define CL more precisely, and demonstrates this approach using a case study (N = 38). This study examines whether the quality and quantity of group work predicted course achievement after controlling for prior achievement, individual-level motivation, and social ties among students. Quality of CL was operationalized as positive attitudes toward CL in the current course and in general, and quantity of CL was operationalized as the frequency of interactions among group members. Social ties were measured using Social Network Analysis (SNA) which allows researchers to identify the number and strength of connections among students. Findings suggest that positive attitudes toward CL in the current course predicted higher achievement levels, but the frequency of interactions and positive attitudes toward CL in general were associated with lower achievement levels. That is, in the current context, course-specific quality of CL was positively associated with achievement, but other ways of operationalizing CL were not, and in fact had negative relationships with achievement. The study also demonstrates the use of SNA when exploring students' relationships; it shows that they were associated with course performance but that this association diminished after controlling for students' attitudes. Overall, it is recommended that researchers clarify what they intend to measure when exploring CL, as this can have an important impact on findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying online users' contexts can help researchers understand their needs. However, the validity of different methods for identifying the location of online users has been underexplored. This paper proposes using multiple methods and examining their impact on different research questions to determine their validity. It then demonstrates this approach using data from six Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) by examining whether different methods produce different results regarding the relationship between SES and participation and engagement in MOOCs. We found that the choice of method impacted the estimated SES of the sample; IP geolocation placed participants in lower SES districts in comparison with their self-reported districts. Using all geolocation methods, we found that our MOOCs' learners tended to be located in high-SES districts, but the results were inconclusive regarding the relationship between SES and course engagement. Based on this case study, we suggest that using multiple methods produces more robust findings. However, when methods diverge in findings, researchers should consider which method is most suitable for their specific purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators are instrumental in nurturing students' sense of purpose, particularly in urban schools. Consequently, these educators must not only have a strong sense of purpose but also possess other key virtues. This mixed-methods study explores these virtues among a group of 30 urban Catholic school teachers. They responded to scales measuring purpose, compassion, faith, moral development and agency, and completed a modified Youth Purpose Interview online. Scores were compared to those of the original samples upon which these scales were validated as they were also emerging adults. Participants scored significantly higher on almost all scales than the original samples. These quantitative results and interview data revealed unique sources of purpose such as altruism and compassion towards high-need students. Overall, the participants are strongly disposed to fostering a sense of purpose among their students and respecting the dignity and worth of all persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abbreviated version of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, the CMNI-30, was developed with several strengths. However, its measurement invariance across men with different sexual orientations has not been examined in a U.S. sample, so it is unclear whether these different populations understand the items similarly. In addition, no studies have compared conformity to masculinity norms across sexual orientations. This would be important to understand sexual minority men's experience of masculinity and how it differs from heteronormative masculinity. This article explores the measurement invariance of the CMNI-30 among 882 heterosexual, gay, and bisexual+ men using confirmatory factor analysis, and compares their CMNI-30 subscale scores. Results indicated that the CMNI-30 demonstrated residual invariance between men of different sexual orientations, suggesting that men of different sexual orientations interpreted the items similarly. We also found higher levels of conformity to the masculine norms of Winning, Heterosexual self-presentation, and Power over women among heterosexual men relative to gay and bisexual+ men, and higher levels of Pursuit of status among gay men relative to the other groups. Results provide support for the use of the CMNI-30 in research with men of different sexual orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous. Objective: This work aimed to determine the correlation between genotypic severity with pubertal and neuroendocrine phenotypes in IHH men. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted (1980-2020) examining olfaction (Kallmann syndrome [KS] vs normosmic IHH [nHH]), baseline testicular volume (absent vs partial puberty), neuroendocrine profiling (pulsatile vs apulsatile luteinizing hormone [LH] secretion), and genetic variants in 62 IHH-associated genes through exome sequencing (ES). Results: In total, 242 men (KS: n=131 [54%], nHH: n= 111 [46%]) were included. Men with absent puberty had significantly lower gonadotropin levels (P<.001) and were more likely to have undetectable LH (P<.001). Logistic regression showed partial puberty as a statistically significant predictor of pulsatile LH secretion (R²=0.71, P<.001, OR: 10.8; 95% CI, 3.6-38.6). Serum LH of 2.10 IU/L had a 95% true positive rate for predicting LH pulsatility. Genetic analyses in 204 of 242 IHH men with ES data available revealed 36 of 204 (18%) men carried proteintruncating variants (PTVs) in 12 IHH genes. Men with absent puberty and apulsatile LH were enriched for oligogenic PTVs (P<.001), with variants in ANOS1 being the predominant PTV in this genotype-phenotype association. Men with absent puberty were enriched for ANOS1 PTVs compared to partial puberty counterparts (P=.002). PTVs in other IHH genes imparted more variable reproductive phenotypic severity. Conclusion: Partial puberty and LH greater than or equal to 2.10 IU/L are proxies for pulsatile LH secretion. ANOS1 PTVs confer severe reproductive phenotypes. Variable phenotypic severity in the face of severe genetic variants in other IHH genes point to significant neuroendocrine plasticity of the HPG axis in IHH men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many colleges identify the development of critical thinking (CT) as a key learning outcome. Nonetheless, few studies examined the development of CT during college, and the instruments employed in them are often limited. This article introduces the Critical Reasoning Assessment (CRA), a new instrument based on the Reflective Judgment Model (RJM; King and Kitchener 1994) designed to engage students in analyzing ethical dilemmas while being easy to administer and score. Using the CRA, we measured the CT skills of college students in three studies, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The results demonstrated substantial growth in CT skills during the first year and between the first and the fourth years of college; 42% and 60% of the participants advanced to a higher level of CT by the end of their first and fourth year, respectively. This study introduces a comprehensive, theory-based, easy-to-score and interpret instrument measuring CT. Applied to longitudinal data, it adds to limited findings on CT developmental trajectories and quantifies substantively interpretable shifts in the quality of CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meaning and purpose in life are important components of young adult development, and are associated with a myriad of positive outcomes. Recently, Bronk, Riches, and Mangan (2018) developed a set of short Likertformat scales directed at measuring meaning and purpose-the Claremont Purpose Scale (CPS). Their definition of purpose includes three dimensions: Meaningfulness, Goal-Orientation, and Beyond-the-Self. Drawing on their work, we employ a scenario-based measurement approach that incorporates principles of Rasch measurement theory and Guttman facet theory design. These scenarios systematically cover a wide range of lived-experience descriptions of what living a life of meaning and purpose (LAMP) looks like, from relatively commonplace to extraordinary. The full portfolio of scales (the BC-LAMP) is intended for large-scale administration with the goal of helping institutions generate evidence regarding their students' trajectories toward purposeful lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]