Digital Commons Network^™

Best Practices For Facilitating Difficult Dialogues In The Basic Communication Course, Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, Karla M. Hunter

Karla Hunter

Effective facilitation of classroom dialogue can stimulate open discussion and debate, challenge students to consider diverse perspectives, and promote critical student reflection and growth. Unfortunately, some instructors may be hesitant to approach controversial topics, for fear of losing face or risking chaos in the classroom. By learning and practicing established facilitation techniques, teachers can develop confidence and competence in harnessing the pedagogical power of difficult dialogue while maintaining classroom cohesion and community. This article provides 10 best practices for facilitating difficult classroom dialogues. These practices equip instructors with resources for building community, maintaining classroom immediacy, and grappling with disagreements without …

Teaching Along The Way: An Ethnographic Study Of Faculty Growth And Sensemaking On The Camino De Santiago, Benjamin Boone

Ben Boone

This study examined the experiences of faculty members from U.S. universities who led students on a short-term summer study abroad program that incorporated the Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage route in Spain. The study sought to understand how faculty leaders engaged in sensemaking (Weick, 1995) of these experiences in the context of their faculty roles on their home campuses. The ethnographic methods included six years of field work in Spain, participant observation as faculty program director, and in-depth interviews with faculty leaders. The findings show that participants engaged in sensemaking through three theoretical constructs. The construct of family addresses …

Politics, Inclusion, And Social Practice, Ronjaunee Chatterjee, Amy Wong

Amy Wong

"In the wake of the American election, Elaine Hadley’s 'Closing Remarks' from v21’s b2o issue—that we are writing, living, and teaching in a 'critical moment, some might even say a survivalist moment' in which 'the power of positive psychology does not seem adequate to the times'—appear chilling in their urgency. Hadley cautions against a pleasure and optimism largely disengaged from feminist and class critiques, as well as from what she calls 'Politics with a big P.'"

~article excerpt~

Sociology 101 Introduction To Sociology Syllabus Spring 2019, Cristina Prestin-Latham

Cristina Prestin-Latham

This is a sample syllabus for Sociology 101 submitted as part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Highlights indicate changes and additions made that incorporate global studies into the curriculum.

History 105 History Of The United States From 1877 To The Present Syllabus Spring 2019, Aaron Walk

Aaron Walk

This is a sample syllabus for History 105 submitted as part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Highlights indicate changes and additions made that incorporate global studies into the curriculum.

Anthropology 101: Introduction To Anthropology Syllabus Spring 2019, Jacob Skousen

Jacob Skousen

This is a sample syllabus for Anthropology submitted as part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Highlights indicate changes and additions made that incorporate global studies into the curriculum.

Global Studies Initiative Final Report: Anthropology 101 Spring 2019, Jacob Skousen

Jacob Skousen

In this project report for the Global Studies Initiative at Parkland College, the instructor of Anthropology 101 describes the addition of three in class activities introduced to the course to enhance global awareness.

Bridging The Skill Gap: Helping Non-Traditional Students Develop Research Skills When They Need It Most, Christina C. Wray, Renee C. Montgomery

Christina C. Wray

Many of the research skills needed to succeed in higher education are never explicitly taught. Most students learn through experience and exposure. However, working-class students don’t always grow up in academic environments that provide the same exposure to these skills. In fact, at the University of Central Florida one of every five of our students is the first in their family to attend college. Using the University of Central Florida’s “Research Tips Tuesdays” webinar series as a case study, participants in this session will explore ways to help working-class students develop fundamental research skills while respecting their busy schedules. We …

Haven't We Been Here Before?: The Cabin In The Woods, The Horror Genre, And Placelessness, Katherine A. Troyer

Katherine Troyer

No abstract provided.

Elevating Student Understanding: Irish Occupational Therapy Students’ Experience Of A Service Learning Project, Karen Mccarthy, Marian Mccarthy

Karen McCarthy

Service learning is a pedagogy that embraces learning in action and addresses community needs. Since the adoption of the Occupational Therapy Competencies in 2008 and the launch of national occupational therapist registration in Ireland in 2015, there has been limited research on the effectiveness of service learning pedagogies in Irish higher education for meeting core competencies. The majority of research focusing on evaluating service learning have been North American studies which brings to question the relevance of these service learning outcomes beyond North America and specifically Ireland. This qualitative study examined 11 occupational therapy students’ journal reflections, portfolio entries, and …

Thinking Critically About “Community”, Christpher Agnew

Christopher Agnew

Why hold this symposium now? In the past year, we have seen in this country a contest over definitions of community, over the basic rights of immigrants in this country, over the role of the U.S. in the wider world. Tensions are high, demagogues are out in force, and the results have been frightening to those targeted by the state, and frightening to those who see in these developments something too reminiscent of the worst parts of the twentieth century. It is appropriate in moments like this to appreciate the successes and recognize the problems, both realized and potential, that …

First-Year Student Perceptions Of A Community College Success Course: A Phenomenological Approach, Aaron J. Walk

Aaron Walk

The use of college success courses by community colleges in recent years has had a significant impact on the academic success of their first-year students. Although studies have shown increases in grade point averages and retention rates for students enrolled in success courses, few have examined student perspectives of these courses. The intention of this study was to gain an understanding of the student perceptions of college success courses and how they shaped their college experiences. By using a phenomenological method of inquiry, the researcher interviewed six community college students enrolled in a college success course. The participants were students …

Examination Of An Emerging Community Of Practice For Instructional Designers: A Descriptive Case Study In A Midwestern University, Jiaqi Yu, Connie Hargrave

Constance P. Hargrave

This study examined the functioning of a group of instructional designers (IDs) in higher education through the lens of Communities of Practice (CoPs). The study particularly focused on whether and how the grouping of experienced and novice IDs operated as an effective CoP from the perspective of novices. The findings indicated that a group of IDs working in a midwestern university was able to cultivate a CoP within a clearly defined domain, a well-established community, and the shared practice with a specific body of knowledge. Particularly from the perspectives of novices, they highlighted the positive impact while participating in the …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives On How The Use Of Toon Comic Books During Guided Reading Influenced Learning By Struggling Readers, Ewa Mcgrail, Alicja Rieger, Gina M. Doepker, Samantha Mcgeorge

Gina Doepker

The study presented in this article examines the use of comic books, specifically the TOON comic books during guided reading instruction. The instruction was provided to struggling readers by the Literacy Center at a comprehensive university in southeastern United States. What most pre-service teachers in this study agreed upon was that comic books served as an effective tool for getting their students interested in reading. Reading comic books with tutors as partners in conversation with the struggling readers in this study was also a powerful medium for facilitating students’ literacy skills development, particularly in the areas of reading fluency and …

How Students Information Literacy Skills Change Over Time: A Longitudinal Study, Veronica Wells

Veronica Wells

How do students’ information literacy skills change over the course of their undergraduate education? We assume or at least hope they will improve. But do they? And if so, by how much? At the University of the Pacific, we are using the SAILS (Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills) Test to assess undergraduate students’ information literacy skills and to see how they have changed over time. The SAILS Test is a multiple-choice test that has been used by more than 200 universities across the world. According to their website, the SAILS Test can “determine how well your students can navigate …

Lessons In Diversity And Bias, Grace Haynes, Angela Pratesi, Veronica Wells

Veronica Wells

There is an urgent need for social justice. This need expands far beyond the walls of an information literacy classroom, but there is important work that can be done in these spaces. Lessons designed to stimulate student’s critical thinking about their personal assumptions and latent biases by using different kinds of information sources is one way music and instruction librarians can advance equity and inclusion through teaching. In this active-learning session, attendees will participate in several condensed lessons designed to challenge their worldview in order to facilitate the uncovering of unknown biases. At the same time, they will learn pedagogical …

The Impact Of Pre/Postenrollment Interventions On College Success For First-Generation Black Students., Brian Merritt, Matt Bergman, Matt Berry

Matt Bergman

No abstract provided.

A Student Journal To Celebrate, Preserve, And Improve Beginning Undergraduate Writing, Ann E. Biswas, Maureen E. Schlangen, Heidi Gauder

Maureen E. Schlangen

At the end of each semester, composition instructors at the University of Dayton (UD) collected portfolios of student writing for the annual program assessment, encouraging their students to return the following semester to pick up their folders of work. However, the stacks of unclaimed portfolios that piled up in faculty offices each year was an indication that students cared little about what they had written, perhaps believing no one beyond their instructor was interested in reading their writing now or in the future. Nevertheless, academic scholars have recognized that student writing improves—as do a sense of ownership and pride in …

Report Results Of Webex Versus Nonsurvey 30 April 2016.Pdf, Ron J. Hammond

Ron J. Hammond

A Survey Of Significant Developments In Undergraduate Mathematics Education Over The Past Decade, Ron Buckmire

Ron Buckmire

What Happened To Re-Visioning Community College Leadership? A 25-Year Retrospective, Pamela Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

The Influence Of "Accessibility Cues" On Students' Engagement And Interactions With African American Faculty, Kathleen Neville, Tara L. Parker

Kathleen Neville

Who You Calling Racist?: Oer’S Role In Addressing Institutional Discrimination, Laurel Traynowicz, Michael Strickland, Bob Casper, Jasmine Roberts

Bob Casper

Personality Types And Learning Styles Of Collegiate Aviation Students, Stephanie Fussell, Andrew R. Dattel, Kadie Mullins

Kadie Hayward Mullins

The personality types and learning styles of students have been studied across education populations, yet the research analyzing aviation students is lacking. A replication study assessed the distribution of personality types and learning styles of students enrolled in the aeronautical science baccalaureate degree program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Form M and the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (KLSI) were used to analyze the personality types and learning styles, respectively. When compared to the personality type distribution of the traditional college student sample using a selection ratio type table, a significant overrepresentation of the personality type …

The Role Of The University Library In Supporting International Student Transition: Insights From An Australian-American Case Study, Hilary Hughes, Liz Cooper, Michael Flierl, Mary M. Somerville, Niraj Chaudhary

Niraj Chaudhary

As an outcome of the Libraries and Information for International Students Project (LIISP), this paper presents insights into first year international students’ experiences of using library resources, services and spaces at their host university. It focuses on a collective case study conducted between 2014 and 2016 at one Australian and three North American libraries, with 320 first year international students. The research design was informed by the Project Information Literacy study of US first year domestic students’ library use (Head, 2013). Data were collected via survey and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed thematically. Findings of the four cases were compared with …

Readiness To Teach Secondary Mathematics: A Study Of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Self-Perceptions, Gregory S. C. Hine, Thuan Thai

Gregory S.C. Hine

A Simple Low-Cost Institutional Learning-Outcomes Assessment Process, Andrea A. Curcio

Andrea A. Curcio

Law school institutional learning outcomes require measuring nuanced skills that develop over time. Rather than look at achievement just in our own courses, institutional outcome-measures assessment requires collective faculty engagement and critical thinking about our students’ overall acquisition of the skills, knowledge, and qualities that ensure they graduate with the competencies necessary to begin life as professionals. Even for those who believe outcomes assessment is a positive move in legal education, in an era of limited budgets and already over-burdened faculty, the new mandated outcomes assessment process raises cost and workload concerns. This essay addresses those concerns. It describes a …

Keynote: Fifty Years Of Sigcse: Now And Moving Forward, Amber Settle

Amber Settle

No abstract provided.

Keynote: Sigcse And Computer Science Education Research, Amber Settle

Amber Settle

No abstract provided.

Theological Foundations Of Pastoral Care In Catholic Universities, Thomas V. Gourlay

Thomas V. Gourlay

One defining element of life in any Catholic educational institution, whether it be primary, secondary, or tertiary, is the focus on pastoral care for staff and students. This paper provides a distinctly Catholic definition of the term ‘pastoral care’ and briefly examines the theological foundations that underpin this concept, particularly, in relation to its application in the Catholic university. The paper traces the motif of pastoral care through the Scriptures and, building on insights from St. Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities, Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990) and the broader theological anthropology of the Vatican II Council. The …