Digital Commons Network^™

Using Worked-Out Examples Of Written Explanation For Writing-To-Learn In Evolutionary Biology, Amy M. Yu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Content learning can be enhanced through writing-to-learn. Research into cognitive load theory suggests that the use of backwards faded, worked-out examples increases schema acquisition and concept transfer. However, these effects have not yet been demonstrated for writing-to-learn, particularly for the conceptual understanding of evolution. The effects of two writing conditions were investigated in a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. Groups in two conditions wrote explanations of evolution using six Darwinian principles: students in the completion condition completed backwards faded, worked-out examples of explanations; students in the problem solving condition wrote full explanations, thought to require means-end problem solving. The dependent variables …

Media Usage Survey: Overall Comparison Of Faculty And Students, Gerd Gidion, Michael Grosch, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Ken Meadows Dr.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Recent developments in the use of technologies in education have provided unique opportunities for teaching and learning. This paper describes the results of a survey conducted at Western University (Canada) in 2013, regarding the use of media by students and instructors. The results of this study support the assumption that the media usage of students and instructors include a mixture of traditional and new media. The main traditional media continue to be important, and some new media have emerged as seemingly on equal footing or even more important than the traditional forms of media. Some new media that have recently …

Media Usage In Post-Secondary Education And Implications For Teaching And Learning, Gerd Gidion, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Ken Mead Dr., Michael Grosch Dr.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

The Web 2.0 has permeated academic life. The use of online information services in post-secondary education has led to dramatic changes in faculty teaching methods as well as in the learning and study behavior of students. At the same time, traditional information media, such as textbooks and printed handouts, still form the basic pillars of teaching and learning. This paper reports the results of a survey about media usage in teaching and learning conducted with Western University students and instructors, highlighting trends in the usage of new and traditional media in higher education by instructors and students. In addition, the …

What Is Writing In Undergraduate Anthropology? An Activity Theory Analysis, Boba M. Samuels

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

How students learn to write in the disciplines is a question of ongoing concern in writing studies, with practical implications for academia. This case study used ethnographic methods to explore undergraduate writing in two upper year anthropology courses at a Canadian university over one term (four months). Student and professor interviews, classroom field notes, surveys, and students’ final papers were analysed using a framework drawn from activity theory and informed by genre theory. Four themes emerged from the data: anthropology as school; the familiar vs. unfamiliar; reading; and hidden rhetoric. Findings suggest students approach disciplinary work primarily as students rather …

A Study Of The First Year International Students At A Canadian University: Challenges And Experiences With Social Integration, George Zhou, Zuochen Zhang

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

An increasing number of international students come to Canada for their higher education. As a unique group on Canadian campuses, international students deserve our attention so that we can understand their special needs. Using Tinto’s retention model as a theoretical framework, this study investigates the experiences of the first year international students at a Canadian university. It pays special attention to the challenges these students face in the process of their social integration into the new learning and living environment. Data were collected through surveys and focus groups. Data analysis reveals a comprehensive picture of international students’ socialization patterns and …

I Came, But I’M Lost: Learning Stories Of Three Chinese International Students In Canada, Zhihua (Olivia) Zhang, Kumari Beck Dr.

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Abstract

The number of international students arriving in Canada is increasing annually, with students from China accounting for the highest number. Grounded in sociocultural theories of second language learning, identity, investment and Community of Practice (CoP), this paper presents selected findings from a narrative study investigating the experiences of Chinese international students preparing for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests in Canada. Based on their own accounts of English learning before and after coming to Vancouver, this paper finds that the participants recognized the capital and power of English and foreign qualifications, and regarded international education as a …

Developing Global Educators And Intercultural Competence Through An International Teaching Practicum In Kenya, Glenda L. Black, Roger Bernardes

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the extent and nature of changes in personal and professional behaviors, values, and attitudes of 46 Canadian teacher candidates who participated in a three week teaching practicum in Kenya. All participants completed a pre and post practicum Global-Mindedness Survey (Hett, 1993), participated in interviews, and engaged in personal and public reflections. Our results suggest that the Kenyan practicum significantly increased the teacher candidates’ global-mindedness and intercultural competence. The teacher candidates’ teaching practice was positively affected as reflected in their increased commitment to build community, improved skills in teaching English language …

Reflections Of A Capacity Builder: An Autoethnographic Perspective Of Capacity Building Methods With A Youth Livelihoods Organization In Vanuatu, Sandra Moore

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Abstract

This autoethnographic narrative explores the author’s capacity building experiences, observances, insights, and reflections over a two year period working with a youth livelihoods nongovernmental organization in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. Autoethnographies explore the author’s own personal insight and reflection of their own experiences, which in turn may encourage readers to reflect on their own beliefs and practices. The author will define autoethnography and capacity building, briefly outline the historical context of Vanuatu, discuss the successes and challenges of facilitating capacity building, and reflect on her own values, assumptions, and learning within the social context of an international …

Comment Favoriser La Communication École-Familles En Alberta? Des Solutions Proposées Par Les Parents Immigrants., Malanga-Georges Liboy

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Cette étude consiste à présenter l’opinion de parents immigrants dans le but de contribuer à améliorer la communication entre ces derniers et le personnel de l’enseignement canadien. Les difficultés de communication rencontrées par ces deux acteurs majeurs de l’éducation des enfants ont fait l’objet d’un bon nombre d’études. Dans cet article, nous préférons nous pencher sur la question dans une optique plus positive dans la mesure où nous avons orienté notre étude exploratoire sur les pistes de solution proposées par des familles immigrantes vivant en Alberta. Notre grille d’analyse repose sur le modèle bioécosystémique, dans la mesure où celui-ci nous …

A Case Study On The Globalizing English Language Curriculum In One Chinese College -- How Western Pedagogies Are Adapted And Adopted In The Classroom, Xi Wu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Globalization intensifies international educational transfer; regional knowledge, values, and pedagogies flow across nations. Due to the unequal relations of power and influence between nations, Chinese educators typically favor knowledge and pedagogies from Western developed countries. Without enough careful consideration of the local context(s), undesirable learning effects appear to be generated. This study is motivated by the desire to enhance understanding on how Western knowledge and pedagogical practices could more optimally meet local college Chinese students’ complex English language learning needs. To illuminate what actually happens in the processes of adoption and adaptation of Western language, knowledge, and pedagogy, I examined …

Building A Community Art Garden: A Participatory Eco-Arts Based Educational Research Project, Beryl R. Cohen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study is to explore how a community comes to understand their sense of place as they create a school art garden, and then consider their relationship to it, and to the natural world. Using qualitative arts-based methods of inquiry and A/r/tography, I weave and construct text and visual images, which portray human actions and experiences within the framework of Environmental Inquiry. As a participant, I also respond to the project through the creation of artwork.

Rich community narratives and data analysis resulted in the following themes: Teaching and Learning; Activism; Connection to Nature; Health and Healing; …

Examining Artistic Processes And Transfer, Trish Osler

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This exploratory qualitative case study inquires into the relationship between artistic processes in organizational theory and in education, examining the perception of transfer from a lived arts experience to student leadership contexts. The literature review considers the parallel evolution of artistic thinking strategies in organizations and in education, using three processes as a basis for comparison: tolerance for ambiguity, a collaborative culture of critique, and the empowerment of group members at all stages of an initiative. Evidence of these processes was analyzed for its relevance to leadership development using documents from single-gendered independent schools, participant journal entries, and interviews with …

Encouraging Diversity And Multiculturalism In London, Ontario: A Case Study Of Two Elementary Schools, Abhilasha Duggal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Elementary school students have diverse learning needs and their academic learning in particular varies between students especially so for students those from culturally non-dominant backgrounds. The focus of my research is on understanding the perceptions and practices of eleven teachers teaching in two schools within the London, Ontario school system, along with the perceptions of two principals and two vice principals in relation to the organizational learning opportunities provided for encouraging multicultural education. This study’s purpose was to explore what teaching strategies were used to support diverse students’ learning within the classroom setting. My data gathering sought to respond to …

Concept Mapping And The Cognitive Orientation To Daily Occupational Performance (Co-Op) Approach As An Intervention Framework For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Jessie A. Wilson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Individuals who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience a range of difficulties that impact their daily occupational performance. The current body of research identifies the importance of occupational engagement and competence as fundamental elements in facilitating an individual’s social connections, development of personal autonomy and overall wellbeing. This dissertation explores the use of concept mapping embedded within the meta-cognitive framework of the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach, to engage adolescents with ASD in meaningful occupations.

This thesis contains three manuscripts, an introductory and a final reflection chapter. The first manuscript is a methodological paper that …

Graduate Program Practices At Western University, Gloria J. Leckie

Purple Guides

Based on interviews with graduate chairs and faculty, the guide catalogues practices in graduate education, from recruitment through coursework, comprehensive exams, thesis proposals, to placement and tracking.

Teaching And Learning Embodied Making, Marte Sorebo Gulliksen

Publications

Throughout several decades the educational research community has emphasized experiential, embodied learning with attention on the learner. However, after the Bologna/Berlin processes, politicians expect educational institutions to formulate learning outcomes, focusing on the imagined result, the specific curriculum goals, not the way there. In this text I reflect upon embodied making and learning, and why it must be included in the educational institutions to make education sustainable. The reflection begins with a discussion of practice as a condition for human existence, based in Heidegger’s term dasein. As all our experiences are filtered through practice, a disinterested study of the world …

Tournaments, Rankings, And Time Crunches: Exploring The Use Of Competition Technologies In The Classroom, Cortney Hanna

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Two studies are presented in which a competitive online tournament is used for exam preparation. The first study looks at the effectiveness of online tournaments in motivating undergraduate students to prepare for their exams. An analysis of variance was used to assess whether participation in the review tournaments had a significant effect on achieved grades. A significant effect is discovered; suggesting that the participants’ difference in test scores is dependent on their participation amount (three tournaments versus one tournament). The second study assessed whether group members working together in a competitive tournament are more likely to pool resources and partake …

South African Principalship, Agency & Intersectionality Theory, Michèle Schmidt, Raj Mestry

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Gender bias towards South African female principals remains a problem and compelling issue for research. The Constitution policy addresses gender equality, yet women still do not experience equal rights in practice. This study uses a theory of intersectionality to examine two Black South African women’s leadership experiences in their roles as principals in two South African schools. The goal of the paper is to examine how these women negotiate obstacles in their work that may constrain their agency as leaders in South African schools. The project involves semi-structured interviews and the results provide a significant contribution to the small body …

Book Review: Miller, P. (Ed.) (2013). School Leadership In The Caribbean: Perceptions, Practices, Paradigms., Donna H. Swapp

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

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Cross-Cultural Comparative Educational Leadership And Management: Aligning The Elements, Allan Walker

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Indigenous Urban School Leadership: A Critical Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis Of Educational Leaders In New Zealand And The United States, Lorri J. Santamaría, Andrés P. Santamaría, Melinda Webber, Hoana Pearson

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This qualitative inquiry compares the practice of one Māori primary school leader of urban education for indigenous multicultural multilingual learners in New Zealand (NZ), to research on the practices of nine educational leaders of colour in the United States (US). This study identifies and compares leadership practices for leaders struggling with ways to positively impact learner outcomes in similar settings (e.g., UK, Canada). From a critical comparative perspective, this school principal shares her leadership practice and lessons learned to inform leadership practice in similarly multifaceted urban settings. This research is undertaken by a collaborative cross-cultural team of educational leaders and …

Educational Leadership In A Fragile State: Comparative Insights From Haiti, Gaetane Jean-Marie, Steve Sider

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Although there has been extensive examination of educational leadership in the developed world (e.g. Fullan, 2001; Leithwood & Sun, 2012), there has been much less research on school leadership in fragile states such as Haiti. This paper responds to Dimmock and Walker’s (2000) call for greater attention to comparative and international research on educational leadership specifically by examining school leadership in the Haitian context. The study on which this paper is based examines the experiences of eight school leaders in Haiti in response to the question: What types of leadership practices do school leaders in Haiti exhibit? Three themes are …

Generation X Global City Leaders: An Emerging Process For Examining Leadership Experience In Multi-National, Multi-Layer Comparative Perspective, Karen Edge, Paul Armstrong

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Learning From School Leadership In Chile, Joseph Flessa

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Editorial Introduction, Katina E. Pollock, Elizabeth T. Murakami

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Policing Cyber Bullying: How Parents, Educators, And Law Enforcement Respond To Digital Harassment, Ryan Broll

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Some prior research has emphasised how adults ought to address cyber bullying, yet little is known about how they actually prevent and respond to digital harassment. This study addresses this gap in the literature by exploring the formal and informal “policing” of cyber bullying by a network of security actors: parents, teachers and school administrators, and the public police. Data were collected through a mixed methods research design consisting of semi-structured qualitative interviews with eight parents, 14 teachers, and 12 members of law enforcement (n = 34) and quantitative surveys completed by 52 parents.

Drawing upon nodal governance theory as …

Using Mand Training To Increase Vocalization Rates In Infants, Gabrielle Lee, Nicole Luke, Hye-Suk Leepark

Education Publications

The present study examined the effects of a mand training procedure on the rates of vocalizations in two infants. Both typically developing girls were less than six months old at the onset of the study. An ABCBC reversal design was employed to compare the rates of vocalizations in baseline conditions, a mand-training condition, and a differential reinforcement for other (DRO) condition. A state of deprivation was held constant for both infants across all three conditions in which neither infant was fed for one hour prior to the experimental session. The order of conditions was reversed for the second infant and …

Motivation And The 40-Hour Community Involvement Program: Their Relationship To Identity Status In First Year University Students, Michael A. Mcdonald

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between motivation and identity status in first year university students through examining their participation in the Ontario secondary school community involvement program. This document consists of three separate, but related studies: a scoping review, a mixed-methods research study, and a document review.

Methods: The scoping review was completed using the methodology outlined by Arskey and O’Malley (2005). The Mixed-methods research was conducted using an embedded mixed methods approach. The quantitative aspect was approached from a cross-sectional, descriptive design, with the qualitative component being addressed from a phenomenological perspective. The …

Blogging: An Exercise In Communicating Science To The Public, Beth J. Hundey

Technology in Education Symposium (TIES)

No abstract provided.

Validation Of A Novel Methodology For Evaluating Surgical Tissue Plane Identification, Syed T. Ali

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Introduction: The ability to identify tissues planes is a fundamental surgical skill. This study attempts to validate a previously developed test for assessing this ability.

Methods: 48 video captured images from laparoscopic right hemicolectomies were presented on an iPad to 18 surgeons who were grouped based on experience (Consultants (C), Senior trainees (S), and the Junior trainees (J)). Subjects were asked to draw a line indicating the tissue plane of dissection. Lines were compared by a modified Hausdorff measure. Within group variability represented group precision and trainee accuracy was determined from comparison to Consultants.

Results: Within group comparisons demonstrated Consultants …