Education Commons^™

Confluence: Evaluating The Individual Learning Outcomes Of A Combined Citizen Science And Environmental Education Project, Evan A. Harms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Citizen Science has moved beyond a methodological tool for ecologists to crowdsource data to a novel platform for environmental and informal science education. However, few studies document the individual learning outcomes of citizen science as an educational tool, particularly in youth or extension education. This quantitative study focused on evaluating the individual learning outcomes of an environmental education and citizen science non-formal learning experience about water quality.

In this study, an existing lesson plan using four sequenced activities was adapted for use with West Virginia 4-H summer camps in 2022. Potential outcome areas were first identified from foundational environmental education …

Steam Explores Project Based Assessments, Erica Luvone, Loretta Radulic, Joe Mondanaro, Nicole Acevedo, Erika Dent, Ann Rhodes

STEM Month

This year, our approach to STEAM explores project based assessments in the disciplines of science and social studies. Students work in groups to produce projects that showcase work and proficiency. These projects are presented, displayed, discussed, and revisited or revised at student discretion.

Students Interest And Thoughts On Stem, Chrisitine Girtain

STEM Month

I am Juan Sebastian Bohorquez Mora, I am a sophomore student at Toms River High School North. I am interested in biofuels because I believe they are a good option to replace fossil fuels. I am also interested in duckweed because biofuels are made out of crops, and people need to eat those crops. That’s when duckweed comes in and it can be used as a feedstock for ethanol production which is a biofuel. Bioethanol is a type of biofuel and it is derived from the corn’s starch. Instead of making ethanol from the corn’s starch, we can use duckweed …

A Study Of Incarcerated Youth: How Does Interest Affect Comprehension And Engagement, Grace Mutti

Honors Projects

Current research explores the relationship between high-interest reading material and comprehension in classrooms as well as the impact of literacy on recidivism; however, there is a shortage of research on effective instructional reading practices for incarcerated youth. This qualitative study examines the experience of five white, male incarcerated youth as they experience one-on-one reading instruction from five of BGSU’s pre-service teachers. Instructional strategies used in the study were modeled off of an online program called A-Z Reading and focused on developing students’ fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. The study initially aimed to examine the impact of high-interest materials on the …

College Students’ Persistence And Degree Completion In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem): The Role Of Non-Cognitive Attributes Of Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectations, And Interest, Michael Aryee

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The lack of students’ persistence (or student’s effort to continue their academic studies until degree completion) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and the attrition of STEM students as well as the shortage of STEM workers have gathered much attention from policy makers, governmental agencies, higher education researchers and administrators in recent years. As a result, much research efforts have been directed towards identifying factors causing the leaks in the STEM pipeline and finding effectively antidotes to patch the leakage points along the pipe. In the past, most studies in the STEM disciplines have focused on individual cognitive capacities …

Congruence Between Interest And Field Of Study As Determinant Of Academic Achievement Among University Students In Gilgit- Baltistan, Sadiq Hussain, Zaighum Ali, Ansar Ud Din

Business Review

on Pakistani students' academic achievement as postulated by Holland. A total of 133 participants from various departments of Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Pakistan have participated in this study. The Career Key Urdu that is adapted form of Career Key by Jones (2010) was administered to participant to measure their personality type and students obtained marks in last semester were recorded to assess their academic achievement. Results support the concept of "congruence" in Gilgit-Pakistan and congruent group has higher academic achievement as compared to incongruent group.

Assessing Impact Of Exposure To Cyberphysical Systems On Student Interest In Information Technology Careers, Mayari I. Serrano Anazco

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

The main purpose of this project is to determine if the use of Information Technology (IT) tools, specifically cyberphysical devices, in outreach sessions will promote interest of young individuals in pursuing IT careers. The Diversity office of Purdue’s College of Technology offers a number of outreach sessions to a variety of target populations throughout the year. Each department in the college has an opportunity to present a session related to a field of study offered by the department. The research was carried out thru the Spring 2015 semester during the DOiT and Vision outreach programs offered through the college’s Diversity …

An Investigation Of Middle School Student Interest, Perception, And Attitude Toward Technology And Engineering, Kari Marie Cook

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle school student perception and attitude toward technology and engineering and to better understand how the gender of the teacher, gender of the student, and information provided in technology classes affected their perception and attitude. To accomplish this, the Technology Attitude Scale, and the Pupil's Attitudes Toward Technology—United States assessment instruments were used to form the basis of a new survey instrument focused on technology and engineering perception, use, and interest. The new survey instrument is called the Technology and Engineering Attitude Scale (TEAS) survey. Multiple 7th grade technology engineering classes from …

The Freshmen Interest Groups (Figs) Program Report: Course Offerings In Fall, 2008, Gary (Gary Russell) Mckinney, Chris Stark, Karen Casto, Jospeh E. Trimble

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

The First-year Interest Group (FIG) program at Western Washington University has been a curricular option for first-year students since 1999. In the fall, 2008, it entered its tenth iteration. Briefly described, FIG program students register for a cluster of three courses: two general education courses (usually quite large) linked with a two-credit seminar (maximum enrollment 25). The FIG program is modeled on best practices culled from first year experience literature and poses that the learning community environment created by the combination of large lecture courses and a small seminar can help students connect more quickly to university life, as well …

Evaluating A Four State Workforce Education Project: Questions Of Investigative Interest And Impact, Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, Applied Information Management Institute, Jeanne L. Surface

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

How can a large scale, multi-state, collaborative workforce development project be evaluated? This article describes the evaluation process of the Midwest Center for Information Technology (MCIT). The project uses “impact threads” to connect the outcomes of the project to strategic evaluation questions. The MCIT project, involving 10 public two-year colleges located in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota, strives to assist partner colleges in enhancing information technology training and related degree programs. The MCIT was funded as a regional center within the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). This article details the evaluation plan …

The Freshmen Interest Group (Figs) Program Report: Course Offerings In The Fall, 2006, Patricia M. Fabiano, Gary (Gary Russell) Mckinney, Chris Stark

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

In the fall, 2006, the Freshman Interest Group (FIGs) Program entered its eighth iteration. To use assessment terminology, the program has passed through its beginning and emergent stages and has entered maturity. Its mission has been crafted, student learning outcomes (SLO's) have been identified, and its identity has solidified. Yet while maturity has wrought a degree of self-confidence, it has not brought complacency. The program remains one of the most assessed academic programs on campus. Yearly, FIGs, administrators and instructors pore over results of surveys and quantitative data, searching for ways to improve both the program and its assessment. Findings …

The Freshmen Interest Group (Figs) Program Report: Fall, 2006, Gary (Gary Russell) Mckinney, Chris Stark, Patricia M. Fabiano

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

INTRODUCTION In the fall, 2006, the Freshman Interest Group (FIGs) Program entered its eighth interation. To use assessment terminology, the program has passed through its beginning and emergent stages and has entered maturity. Its mission has been crafted, student learning outcomes (SLO's) have been identified, and its identity has solidified. (Please see Appendix One to read the FIGs mission statement, course criteria, student learning outcomes, and other FIGs-related documents.) Yet while maturity has wrought a degree of self-confidence, it has not brought complacency.The program remains one of the most assessed academic programs on campus. Yearly, FIGs administrators and instructors pore …

Freshmen Interest Group (Fig) Report, James Inverarity, Kathleen Kennedy, Jeff Newcomer, Lorrie Brilla, Lauren Balisky

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

SUMMARY Over the past six years the Freshman Interest Group (FIG) has attracted a number of participants who find sufficient intrinsic value in the program to invest considerable time and talent in sustaining and improving the program. At the same time, many faculty have voiced concerns over the content of some offerings and the general lack of faculty oversight in its development. Initially FIGs was established to address a perceived imbalance of resources between the upper and lower division program that had a negative effect on the experience and engagement of entering students. On several other campuses FIGs was heralded …

The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (Cirp) Survey Of Western Washington University Freshmen For The 1994 In-Coming Class, Gary (Gary Russell) Mckinney, Joseph E. Trimble, Jacqueline M. Andrieu-Parker

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Executive Summary: This report provides summaries, in the form of text, tables, and graphs, of student responses to the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Student Information Survey for Western Washington University's 1994 in-coming frosh class. The CIRP has been used since 1966 to gather nationwide normative data on the characteristics, attitudes, values, educational achievements, and future goals of in-coming frosh, and has been used at Western since 1971. The two main sections of the report are as follows: 1) general trends, with national findings compared to those at Western; 2) an in-depth study of issues related to college financing. Nationally, …