Digital Commons Network^™

Academic Performance And Moral Competence: A Match Made In Heaven?, Umaru Mustapha Zubairu, Chetubo Kuta Dauda, Olalekan Busra Sakariyau, Isa Imam Paiko

REID (Research and Evaluation in Education)

This study aims to empirically assess the relationship between accounting students' academic performances and moral competencies by focusing on final-year accounting students enrolled at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The students' moral competencies were measured using a scenario-based instrument developed through a collaboration with Islamic accounting scholars, called the Muslim Accountant Moral Competency Test (MAMOC), whilst students' academic performances were measured using their Cumulative Grade Point Averages (CGPAs). Contrary to the expected positive relationship between these two variables, the study found a negative, and insignificant, relationship. The implication of this result is that IIUM's Accounting Department needs to conduct …

Stunting Higher-Ed Reforms: Arrogance And Ignorance, Aaron W. Hughey

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Taking The Long Road: A Faculty Model For Incremental Change Towards Standards-Based Support For Sessional Teachers In Higher Education, Julia Savage, Vikki Pollard

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Despite decades of dependence on sessional teaching staff, universities in Australia and internationally still find it difficult to support the teaching work of this large, casual workforce. A significant consequence of casually-employed teaching staff is risk; sessional academics’ professional identity is compromised, quality assurance of students’ learning experiences is uncertain, and this in turn, jeopardises universities’ teaching and learning programs. These risks have existed in universities for decades, yet policies and practices that support the work of sessional staff remain inconsistent or absent. The implementation model for supporting sessional staff described in this paper, the Four Phase Model, (the 4P …

The Learning Thermometer: Closing The Loop Between Teaching, Learning, Wellbeing And Support In Universities, Helen M. Stallman, Sharron King

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

The increasing awareness and impact of mental health problems in university students in addition to a need for objective measures of teaching quality provide the impetus for a new approach to supporting students. There is a need for more effective tools that integrate the institutional silos of teaching, learning, support, and wellbeing to help students maximise their educational outcomes. This paper provides an overview of an innovative student-centred tool, The Learning Thermometer, as an efficient and effective way to integrate the institutional silos and embedding student support within the mainstream curriculum. The Learning Thermometer comprises four web-based surveys that …

Do In-State Tuition Benefits Affect The Academic Performance Of Non-Citizens? Data From Texas Public Universities, Terry K. Shaw

Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates whether receiving in-state tuition benefits effects the academic performance of non-citizen students attending Texas public state-universities. Using data from the Texas Higher Education Opportunity Project, it examines the effect of the HB-1403 policy on contributing factors affecting academic performance of non-citizen students.

Computer Network Design For Universities In Developing Countries, Rafid Salih Sarhan Alsarhan

Information Technology Capstone Research Project Reports

The purpose of this project is to design a suitable network system for universities in developing countries. The aim was to design a network with high-quality security and low cost, in such a way that network devices of universities in developing countries, will meet standards associated with the universities in developed countries. This project will help to enhance education in developing countries. There are many devices that were used in designing the network, such as routers, switches, backup, firewall, and servers. All devices were connected to each other to make integration network system and configured by putting IP addresses to …

The Prison-To-School Pipeline & The Role Of Private Higher Education In California, Kelly Mills

Master's Projects and Capstones

Given the realities of mass incarceration in the United States, the disproportionate effects that the criminal justice system has on already marginalized populations-particularly men of color-and our currently very high rates at which the formerly incarcerated return to prisons or jails, it is necessary to determine which programs reduce recidivism and create new opportunities for the formerly incarcerated. As the research has shown that educational opportunities for the currently and formerly incarcerated are successful at reducing recidivism rates, these types of opportunities have become more widely available. By the end of 2016, community college courses will be offered in prisons …

Minority Librarians In Higher Education, Kelli Johnson Edd

Kelli Johnson

This investigation of minority librarian experiences in higher education examines perceptions of supports and barriers encountered in becoming and being professional librarians. Present and future library leaders will be able to use the information gathered in this study to address the issue of the lack of librarians of color in higher education.

Research-Informed Guidelines For The Development Of Adaptively-Released Assessment Feedback (Araf) Strategies In Higher Education, Lindsay Morton, Alexandra Johnson, Anthony Williams, Maria T. Northcote

Maria Northcote

Assessment feedback has the potential to significantly impact on learning; this can be in the form of quantitative or qualitative feedback, or both. While assessment feedback is intended to provide students with insight into how their learning has progressed against learning outcomes, exploratory research into the impact of assessment feedback has found that students pay more heed to numeric grades than qualitative comments, despite the latter having more potential to positively impact learning. This paper reports on a project, funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT), to determine the impact of feedback strategies on students’ learning. Academic staff …

Navigating Learning Journeys Of Online Teachers: Threshold Concepts And Self-Efficacy, Maria T. Northcote, Kevin P. Gosselin, Daniel Reynaud, Peter W. Kilgour, Malcolm Anderson

Maria Northcote

Higher education institutions are developing more and more online courses to supplement and augment the courses they offer in on-campus modes. In fact, some universities now offer the majority of their courses through online contexts. However, for academic staff who design and teach these courses, the transition from teaching on-campus courses to teaching in online learning environments is not always speedy or smooth. Academic teaching staff require support, mentoring and professional learning programs to develop their existing capacities and apply them to an online context.

This paper reports on Phase 2 of a research project, which takes into consideration the …

From Small To Large Hits: Spreading The Online Message To Academic And Administrative Staff Via Strategically-Targeted Development Activities, Maria T. Northcote, Gail Huon

Maria Northcote

This paper reports on how a university is implementing a capacity-building academic staff development program using a three-pronged approach that draws on adult learning, social learning and capacity-building literature. This approach was designed to enable staff to provide engaging and pedagogically sound online experiences for the students at the University of Newcastle, NSW Australia. Data have been gathered throughout the implementation of this program to evaluate its impact and to inform future refinements of the program. The paper concludes with reflections from staff facilitating the program about the challenges, successes and future of the program.

Integrating Information Into The Engineering Design Process, Michael Fosmire, David Radcliffe

Purdue Information Literacy Handbooks

Engineering design is a fundamental problem-solving model used by the discipline. Effective problem-solving requires the ability to find and incorporate quality information sources. To teach courses in this area effectively, educators need to understand the information needs of engineers and engineering students and their information gathering habits. This book provides essential guidance for engineering faculty and librarians wishing to better integrate information competencies into their curricular offerings. The treatment of the subject matter is pragmatic, accessible, and engaging. Rather than focusing on specific resources or interfaces, the book adopts a process-driven approach that outlasts changing information technologies.

After several chapters …

Core Competencies For 21st Century Carl Librarians (Carl Competencies) Survey Results: Unpublished, Jennifer Soutter

Leddy Library Publications

Consists of the data collected about the Core Competencies for 21^st Century CARL Librarians. The hypothesis tested was that the CARL Competencies were not being used by academic librarians. If they were being used, the intent was to discover any differences in their use and whether these differences were related to their positions within their respective libraries, and thus their potential use for ideological control at the administrative level. Unfortunately, less than 6% of the population responded. This research was not able to help build a more accurate picture of the current landscape of the use of competencies in …

A Comparison Of Research Sharing Tools: The Institutional Repository Vs. Academic Social Networking Among University Of Rhode Island Faculty, Julia Lovett, Andrée Rathemacher

Technical Services Faculty Presentations

Slides from a session, "A Comparison of Research Sharing Tools: The Institutional Repository vs. Academic Social Networking Among University of Rhode Island Faculty." Part of a project briefing session titled Tools for Modern Research Practice presented at the Coalition for Networked Information Fall 2016 Membership Meeting on December 12, 2016 in Washington, District of Columbia.

"In recent years, academic social networking sites such as ResearchGate and Academia.edu have been gaining popularity as a way for scholars to share their work and make connections. For universities with Open Access policies where faculty are expected to deposit their scholarly articles in the …

The Pacifican December 8, 2016, University Of The Pacific

All Issues - Student Newspaper, The Pacifican, Pacific Weekly

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Peer Mentoring On Types Of Mentor Support, Program Satisfaction And Graduate Student Stress: A Dyadic Perspective, Ellen A. Ensher, Elisa J. Grant-Vallone

Ellen Ensher

Examines the effects of a graduate student peer-mentoring program from the perspectives of both members of the mentoring dyad, the mentors and proteges. Results indicate that peer mentoring provides students with both increased levels of psychosocial and instrumental support, and that those with high levels of support are more satisfied with their peer mentoring relationships.

What Use Is Instrumentalism? Conservative Pragmatism In Liberal Learning, Seth C. Vannatta

Education and Culture

This article summarizes four archetypal responses—the reactionary, conservative, pragmatist, and presentist—to the real or perceived threat to liberal learning in higher education. I advocate a balance between the conservative and the pragmatist responses. A conservative pragmatist response resists the canonical rigidity of the reactionary; responds to the ever-evolving social demands and practices that help frame the perennial questions of liberal learning, but values the poetry of conversation and the disengagement demanded by such a conversation, even if social problems initiate the reflective inquiry. The conservative pragmatist response highlights the perennial and the evolutionary, the universal and the particular, and the …

Student And Instructor Experiences With Types Of Teaching And Learning In A Computer Course, Emily Carter Gray

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that active classroom engagement increases the learning performance of students in higher education (Cross, 2000; Reese, 2013). This study sought to examine the experiences of students and instructor in a computer applications course in which the pedagogy was changed to encourage additional interaction among students and between students and the instructor. The goal of the study was to generate useful, practical knowledge (Reason & Bradbury, 2001) to help the instructor better understand her pedagogy with the intention of improving both her teaching practice and student learning outcomes, as well as to contribute to related literature in adult …

The Winds Of Changes Shift: An Analyis Of Recent Growth In Bargaining Units And Representation Efforts In Higher Education, William A. Herbert

Publications and Research

This article analyzes data accumulated during the first three quarters of 2016 regarding completed and pending questions of representation involving faculty and student employees in higher education. It is part of a larger and continuing National Center research project that tracks faculty and graduate student employee unionization growth and representation efforts at private and public institutions of higher learning since January 1, 2013. The data presented in this article demonstrates that the rate of newly certified units at private colleges and universities since January 1, 2016 far outpaces new units in the public sector. There has been a 25.9% increase …

Minerva 2016, The Honors College

Minerva

This issue of Minerva includes the article "Dear Bill and Betsy," documenting student gratitude for generous Honors donors Bill and Betsy Leitch; an interview with former professor and Honors Preceptor, Walter Macdougall; and an article on Honors student Emily Illingworth and her experiences in Honors. Other highlights include an article on distinguished Honors graduates Mark Pettegrow and Mark Haskell; and an article on the 2016 election as covered by UMaine Journalism students.

An Overview Of Assessment In The Core Curriculum 2011-2016, Butler University

Assessment Documents

No abstract provided.

Impact Of A Student-Scheduled Child Care Program On Parents' Educational Goals, Barbara Carter

Administrative Issues Journal

The purpose of this study is to examine what, if any, impact a Student-scheduled Child Care (SSCC) program had on the families of students completing their higher education goals at a college in the southwestern region of the United States. Student completion rate is a concern for most college and university administrators. Research conducted by the Gates foundation determined that over three quarters of former students surveyed felt that they would have graduated if the college or university had offered child care (Johnson, Ott, & DuPont, 2011). This correlational and descriptive research study revealed what student families thought about the …

“My Training Wheels Are Off:” How First Generation College Students Made Meaning Of The Influence Of Their College Access And Support Programs, Staci Weber

Dissertations - ALL

This research explored how 47 first generation college students at a private university in the Northeast used non-profit and government-funded college access and support programs to make meaning of their college-going journeys. The participants used college access programs to prepare themselves for, gain access to, and persist at a selective postsecondary institution directly after high school. This research asked what skills and knowledge do first generation college students learn through their college access and support programs? How do first generation college students use the skills and knowledge they obtained through their college access and support programs to help navigate their …

Learning To Teach Online: An Investigation Of The Impacts Of Faculty Development Training On Teaching Effectiveness And Attitudes Toward Online Instruction, Karen Elizabeth Brinkley

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between one approach to training for online faculty and the ways in which the program influenced the participants’ teaching effectiveness and attitudes toward online instruction. Two research questions guided this study: (1) how did participating in an intensive course redesign intervention influence instructors’ teaching effectiveness in the online environment? and (2) how did participating in the training influence instructors’ beliefs or attitudes about online teaching? The theoretical framework guiding this study was the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model, developed by Mishra and Koehler (2005). Using a concurrent, mixed-methods design, …

Being A Scholar In The Digital Era: Transforming Scholarly Practice For The Public Good, Polly Thistlethwaite, Jessie Daniels

Publications and Research

What opportunities do digital technologies present scholars? How do developments in digital media support scholarship and teaching, and how can academics apply them to further social justice activism? The authors, a sociologist and a librarian, examine scholarly practice in the digital era to explore how academics, journalists, and activists can combine efforts to support social justice issues. With scholarly communication undergoing rapid change, and with digital innovation applied in higher education for many reasons, authors outline what scholars can do to channel their work to benefit the public good.

Studying The Impact Of First-Year Seminar Completion On First-Generation Academic Success, Amber Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of the first-time undergraduate students who enroll full-time at a four-year institution of higher education, only about half will complete a degree within six years (Kena et al., 2016), and this figure is even lower for those students whose parents did not attend college (Choy, 2001; Nuñez & Cuccaro-Alamin, 1998; Warburton, Bugarin, & Nuñez, 2001). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of first-year seminars in increasing the academic success of first-generation college students. The study utilized OLS regressions, logit regressions, and predicted probabilities to examine the effects of first-year seminar completion on four elements of academic …

Police Education And Training: A Comparative Analysis Of Law Enforcement Preparation In The United States And Canada, Citlali Alexandra Déverge

Master's Theses

Police academy training for newly hired officers varies across locations and regions in regard to both training process and training content. The needs and demands of modern-day societies have evolved, and it is very important for police training academies to keep up with the practice of the police profession. Higher education adds value to police training as it reinforces the development of critical thinking skills and the necessary values needed to face the needs and demands of society, particularly in terms of accountability, professionalism, and legitimacy. This research presents a case study of two police training academies located in a …

Motivating Adult Learners: Exploring The Emergence Of Adult Business Students In An East Texas University, Douglas Luke, Madeline Justice

Administrative Issues Journal

Adult enrollment in higher education institutions has grown significantly during the last decade, with students aged 25 and older attending 4-year institutions at higher rates than before. In the 21st century, few can improve their socioeconomic status or advance professionally without higher education. Colleges and universities must consider this diverse student population by identifying new modes of motivation for students to pursue degrees at 4-year institutions. Research suggests that universities focus on the new learners of higher education: nontraditional students who are motivated by their desire to learn and advance professionally. This study examined motivational factors and patterns of students …

Draws And Drawbacks Of An Oxford Study Abroad Experience, Michael W. Firmin, Kailee M. Lenczycki, Ruth L. Firmin, Whitney Muhlencamp Wood, Jordan C. Wood

Psychology Faculty Publications

Using qualitative research methodology, we interviewed 23 American students participating in a study abroad program at Oxford University in the U.K. Results showed four primary draws to participating in the study abroad program and two perceived drawbacks. Positively, Oxford’s first appealing dynamic related to the tutorial system and students’ expanded range of options for specialized topics as well as in-depth study. Next, participants highly valued Oxford’s academic rigor, which accompanied the university’s unique approach to education. Third, Oxford’s location in England appealed to our participants. Finally, students reported hopes that future benefits would result from their decisions to attend Oxford …

Implications Of Diverse Peer Interactions On Body Image Satisfaction And Cosmetic Surgery Acceptance Among College Students, Shamekia Labrittney Woods

Dissertations

Whereas body image satisfaction and cosmetic surgery acceptance has been widely studied over the last 30 years, these topics as they pertain to college students have not been examined extensively—most notably, the implications that diverse peer interactions have on students’ body image satisfaction and their acceptance of cosmetic surgery as a means of improving body image. Diverse peer interactions refer to interactions among peers of different racial and/or cultural backgrounds. For many college students, college provides the first opportunity whereby students may interact and engage to a great extent with students from racial and cultural backgrounds different from their own. …