Education Commons^™

Auditing Quality: A Critical Exploration Of Faculty Members' Experiences With Quality Matters, Matthew M. Acevedo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online education has become a pervasive and embedded instructional modality in American higher education, with nearly one-third of all students taking at least one course at a distance and another 15% enrolled exclusively in online courses. Concomitant with the growth in online education has been increased pressure from institutions, administrations, lawmakers, accreditors, and the public to regulate the quality of online courses. Some institutions have responded to this pressure by pursuing quality assurance certification programs. Quality Matters (QM) is a non-profit organization that facilitates a peer-reviewed quality assurance program for online courses and is the predominant mechanism of online course …

A Phenomenological Study On Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulated Learning Strategies And Their Link To Persistence In Hispanic College English Language Learners, Gabriela Defrancisco

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In adult education, studies have been done in the areas of persistence, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning strategies and the Hispanic population. However, this study was unique in its attempt at examining the link between the self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategies in the persistence of Hispanic college English language learners. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experience of 1^st generation Hispanic English Language learners during their first year at a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

The researcher conducted 14 semi-structured interviews of their experiences both as immigrants learning the English language and first-generation college students by utilizing a phenomenological framework. …

What Factors Influence Affirmative-Action Students' Achievement In Brazilian Federal Universities?, Gabriela Martinez Gillespie

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to determine what personal and family characteristics, pre-college factors and environmental variables, contribute to affirmative action student success in Brazilian federal universities, as measured by the final college exam. In 2012, Brazil implemented an aggressive and controversial quota-system in federal universities which reserved half of the incoming class spaces to students who graduated from public high schools, followed by prioritization based on income and race. The study used secondary data collected by the Brazilian Ministry of Education; the population includes 6,557 graduating students from the sampled federal universities majors who completed the 2016 ENADE exam (final college …

A Philosophical Inquiry Into The Role Of Universities In American Democratic Society, Justin W. Taylor

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The infusion of market-logic has undermined American universities as democratic institutions. This issue was examined through an analysis of what role universities play in democratic governance. As a philosophical inquiry, the data were seminal texts from political science, education, and philosophy, such as those by Alexis de Tocqueville, John Dewey, and Henry Giroux. The most salient theme unveiled by this study was how central universities are to functional democracy, both as key fixtures and critics. However, universities have adopted market-logic ideologies, which inhibit universities’ abilities to function as democratic institutions. The study concludes by calling for a reinvigoration of the …

Putting The Generic Solution Of Transparent Thinking Approach (Tta) In Instructional Material Production, Mohammad A. Aliedeh, Sajedah Aliedeh

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

Humanity is overburdened by an overwhelming challenges, problems and failures that are plaguing global development system, in general, and global educational system in specific. Transparent Thinking Approach (TTA) is developed in response to these multi scale and multi domain problems by offering a generic reform approach that enable the thinker to employ a multi perspective, maneuvering, and modeling tools while looking for a solution. TTA is a newly developed value-engrained and thinking based educational reform approach. It is generic and unique features enables it to easily diffuse in all domains (Aliedeh, M. A., 2015 a, b, c, 2016, …

Self-Coaching With Ai: Developing Thinking Skills, Thinking Dispositions, And Well-Being, Olivier Malafronte, Isla Reddin, Roy Van Den Brink-Budgen

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

Being motivated by the need to address the challenges of our Volatile Uncertain Complex Ambiguous world, we strive to create tools to improve people’s lives and help them become more resilient, resourceful, self-confidant, and successful.

In a digital world, we must understand how to efficiently connect to digital systems. Connecting “with AI” doesn’t mean spending more time on digital devices, but spending time in a deliberate way with purpose and intentional learning outcomes.

As a society, we want to see graduates with emotional intelligence and reflective skills in order to address global economic and social issues. As for jobs …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Taking Remedial Math In College On Degree Attainment And College Gpa Using Multiple Imputation And Propensity Score Matching, Meghan A. Clovis

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the U.S. is increasing, as are the numbers of students entering academically underprepared. Students in remedial mathematics represent the largest percentage of total enrollment in remedial courses, and national statistics indicate that less than half of these students pass all of the remedial math courses in which they enroll. In response to the low pass rates, numerous studies have been conducted into the use of alternative modes of instruction to increase passing rates. Despite myriad studies into course redesign, passing rates have seen no large-scale improvement. Lacking is a thorough investigation into preexisting differences …

A Path Analysis Exploration Of Teacher’S Effect, Self-Efficacy, Demographic Factors, And Attitudes Toward Mathematics Among College Students Attending S Minority Serving Institution In Face-To-Face And Hybrid Mathematics Courses, Nelson De La Rosa

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Graduation rates in colleges and universities have not kept up with the increase in enrollment. Lack of mathematics competence is a factor that impairs students from completing higher education studies. This problem is even more pervasive in minority groups. The existing body of research on mathematics education have not favored emerging minority populations in terms of addressing their needs for academic program completion across mode of instruction.

The study analyzed the relationship between type of instruction and the factors underlying students’ attitudes toward mathematics. Further, this study examined the effect of factors underlying the constructs of teacher’s effect and self-efficacy …

Do Mentoring Programs Make A Difference? A Qualitative Case Study On The Journey Of Latino Students In A Stem Track, Juan M. Morata

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A number of studies have sought to identify factors influencing STEM students’ success in colleges and universities (Crisp et al., 2009; Excelencia, 2011; Hagedorn & Purnamasari, 2012). However, there are few qualitative studies focusing on students’ perspectives and how they make meaning of their experiences as participants in a mentoring program.

The main purpose of this research was to explain the perceptions of Latino students in a STEM Mentoring Program at Miami Dade College. Because this study sought to gain an in-depth understanding of how students involved in a mentoring program make meaning of their experiences, the type of qualitative …

Examining The Relationships Between Gender Role Congruity, Identity, And The Choice To Persist For Women In Undergraduate Physics Majors, Bronwen Bares Pelaez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Persistent gender disparity limits the available contributors to advancing some science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. While higher education can be an influential time-point for ensuring adequate participation, many physics programs across the U.S. have few women in classroom or lab settings. Prior research indicates that these women face considerable barriers. For university students, faculty, and administration to appropriately address these issues, it is important to understand the experiences of women as they navigate male-dominated STEM fields.

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study explored undergraduate female physics majors’ experiences with their male-dominated academic and research spaces in the U.S. …

An Exploration Of Black National Pan-Hellenic Council (Nphc) Sorority Membership As It Relates To Academic Achievement And Civic Engagement, Canela Eatman

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of 13 Black, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) sorority members as they relate to their academic achievement and civic engagement. Participants were female, upperclassmen students at four different Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), half private and the other public. Criterion, purposive, and snowball sampling were used to secure participants.

Using the Community of Practice as a theoretical framework, which is comprised of five stages, participants’ experiences were described, analyzed, and interpreted to inform the study. Data were collected through individual phone interviews, using a semi-structured interview protocol, and were analyzed …

Professionalization Of Academic Advising, Craig M. Mcgill

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this collected papers dissertation was to better understand the professionalization of academic advising. Advising can claim several features of widely-agreed upon professional components, but the question of whether academic advising constitutes a “profession” has caused much debate. Three primary obstacles stand in its way: advising is misunderstood and lacks a consistent unifying definition; there has not been a substantial literature to define the content and methodologies of the field; and there is insufficient empirical research demonstrating its effectiveness. Two studies were conducted.

Study #1 was a structured literature review of higher education, student affairs, and academic advising …

The Relationship Between Information Literacy And Global Learning, Valda J. Adeyiga

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between undergraduate student performance on an information literacy assessment activity and their performance in global learning assessment activities for three global learning outcomes: global awareness, global perspective, and global engagement.

Global learning is the process whereby people from varied backgrounds collaboratively analyze and seek solutions for complex problems that go beyond borders. Important components of global learning are the acquisition, analysis and use of information, relating to complex problems which may include, but are not limited to, poverty, environmental protection and food security. These components of global learning are analogous …

The Effect Of Employing Cultural Criticism In The Teaching Of British Literature For Chinese Undergraduate English Majors, Yu Zhang

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The traditional literature teaching methods for Chinese English majors are formalism and biographical criticism. These criticisms use an objective approach focused on details about the author, historical context and literary mechanics to analyze literature. These methods neglect the fact that literature comprehension involves readers’ active participation. Cultural criticism, as a critical approach, considers influences that readers bring to their engagement with a given literary text. This approach is supposed to fit the classroom settings for cross-cultural literature teaching and learning.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of utilizing cultural criticism to teach British literature among Chinese undergraduate English …

Latina Lesbian Students: Understanding Their Experiences And Perceived Sexual Identity Development At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Gisela P. Vega

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of 15 Latina lesbian students and their perceived sexual identity development at a predominately Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI). Participants for this study were purposefully selected using criteria, convenience, and snowball sampling.

Using a conceptual framework comprised of the four tenets consistent across the spectrum of all sexual identity development models, participants’ experiences were described, analyzed, and interpreted to inform the study. Data were collected through individual face-to-face interviews, using an interview protocol, and were analyzed using inductive, deductive, and comparative analyses.

Three themes emerged during the inductive analysis: (a) the …

Travel Education: A Phenomenological Study On Self-Directed Learning And Personal Enrichment Through Foreign Travel Experiences, Richard Jason Dapko

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the broad field of education, studies have been done to understand the ways in which adult learning, development, and transformation are fostered in travel contexts. Such studies mainly used the experiential learning and transformational learning theoretical frameworks to look at participants’ lived learning experiences from travel. However, there is a void when one searches for studies that examine the intersection of self-directed learning and travel. This study used self-directed learning theory to explore the essence of learning from foreign travel experiences. The aim of this study was to understand the role of self-directed learning as a learning process that …

Improving Academic Literacy For Eap Students At The Postsecondary Level: A Literature Review, Jennifer L. Lannon

South Florida Education Research Conference

English Language Learners (ELLs) encounter many difficulties in regards to academic literacy (reading and writing) at the postsecondary level. Strategies such as close reading, extensive reading, information literacy workshops, learning communities, and vocabulary work to effectively improve the academic literacy skills of ELLs

Adequate Support For Distance Learners: An Ongoing Challenge For Distance Education Programs, Elizabeth K. Adadi

South Florida Education Research Conference

Distance education is a thriving force that has been challenged with a lack of satisfactory student support services in many postsecondary institutions for almost a decade. This symposium attends to the need of a support services base that can suitably tend to the learning needs of students enrolled in distance education programs. An examination of a student support services structure already in place at a public 4-year institution will be performed so as to identify factors that are called for in the design and development of services that can effectively motivate, sustain, and guide students enrolled in distance education programs

The Relationship Between Undergraduate Hispanic Students' Choice Of Living Arrangements And Retention, Academic Achievement And Graduation At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Lynn N. Hendricks

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retaining and graduating Hispanic students are paramount to the overall success of colleges and universities. Given the excessive amounts of money spent to recruit students, and the impact on the institution when students depart prematurely, action needs to be taken by institutions to increase Hispanic student retention and counter the negative impacts on institutions including: instability of institutional enrollments, decline in institutional budgets, and public negative perceptions of institutional quality. Despite significant efforts on the part of many colleges and universities to increase Hispanic student retention and graduation rates, these rates have remained relatively low.

A possible solution to disappointing …

Traversing Stem: Creating Pathways For Social Justice In The United States, Remy Dou

Department of Teaching and Learning

The system that once motivated Americans to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers now presents obstacles to racial and ethnic minorities, women, and the poor. This paper highlights both the advantages and hindrances inherent in STEM professions while advocating for improved access to these pathways.

Students With Physical Disabilities - Reflections On Their Experiences With Work Preparation Programs, Services And Accommodations In A Higher Education Institution, Claudia Castillo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For a variety of reasons, college students with disabilities encounter stressors beyond those of students who do not have disabilities. One of the more salient examples is that students with disabilities are required to disclose that they have a disability and to communicate with faculty and staff in order to receive academic accommodations, as afforded to them under sub-part E of Section 504 of the Education and Rehabilitation Act of 1974. Therefore, postsecondary institutions are required to make appropriate accommodations available to students with disabilities, but they are not required to proactively seek them out.

The purpose of this study …

Marx At The Gold Coast: Reflections On Teaching And The Confrontation With Ideology, Allan Ardill

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article engages with Marx in Miami and the strategies and pedagogical experiences of teaching Marx and Marxism. It relates the experience of teaching Marxism in a compulsory law course at the Gold Coast, Australia. Marx rarely makes an appearance in law schools and this poses particular challenges when it is taught to politically conservative students. Therefore the article supplies a case for teaching Marx arguing why it is not just appropriate for lawyers but irresponsible to exclude it.

Fair Use And Academic Libraries, Enrique Caboverde Iii

Works of the FIU Libraries

This presentation covers the basics of copyright law and history in the U.S. fair use is covered in detail including the purpose of the use, the nature of the original work, the extent of the work used and the potential market impact. It is intended for individuals and libraries who need to better understand fair use and copyright laws.

Faculty Perceptions Of Self-Plagiarism And Other Forms Of Academic Dishonesty Among University Students, Carleen Vincent-Robinson

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As university faculty are often required to police academic misconduct among students, their attitudes and beliefs toward misconduct warrant investigation, particularly as the failure to act may exacerbate the incidence of students’ unethical behaviors. Therefore, this descriptive study examined faculty perceptions of academic dishonesty among students, institutional support, and self-plagiarism using an electronic-mail questionnaire (N = 201) and assessed the academic environment, frequency of student misconduct, and severity of those behaviors.

Female faculty were more likely than male faculty to perceive high levels of cheating on exams (pppppppppp

Additionally, online faculty were more likely than campus-based faculty …

Giving Voice To Voiceless: Engaging Urban Youth For Possibilities, Donnie R. Hale Jr, Chaundra L. Whitehead, Chanika Young

South Florida Education Research Conference

This symposium will discuss the expansion of The Education Effect – Booker T. Washington, as a university community school partnership designed to engage urban youth for college and career readiness. The partnership is focused on developing collective impact and capacity for academic achievement, social success and college completion. The partnership aligns university expertise, resources and evidenced based strategies to address educational needs through the improvement of teaching and learning; increase graduation rate and parental involvement.

Sferc Poster Proposal, Lilia C. Dibello, Ruth Ban, Veronica Gesser

South Florida Education Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Academic Risk-Taking In Higher Education, Yselande Pierre

South Florida Education Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Discovery & Born-Digital Archiving: Open Source Systems For Preservation And Access, L. Bryan Cooper, Margarita Perez-Martinez

Works of the FIU Libraries

The Everglades Explorer (EE) portal at http://ee.fiu.edu continues to evolve with the addition of the Internet Archive's Archive-It, and future planned alignment with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). The reasons for the development of the portal continue to exist, as originally perceived four years ago. Adaptations to ongoing change and system testing continues, and the use of Archive-It has broad institutional potential beyond EE. Cross-walking skills continue to grown, and will benefit future syndication and discovery system integration. The metadata normalization and harmonization will help save time for the end-user. Preservation and access to learning and research …

An Exploration Of The Reasons And Purposes Of Non-Japanese Undergraduate Students For Taking A Beginners’ Japanese Language Course, Asuka H. Mashav

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study took place at Florida International University (FIU), a large public research university in Miami, Florida and one of largest Hispanic serving institutions in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations of non-Japanese undergraduate students for taking a beginners’ Japanese language course. In-depth one-hour semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants before the fall semester of 2014 (Phase I) and 10 after the semester (Phase II). Two major themes emerged from the inductive analysis of the data: attraction to Japanese culture and utility of using the Japanese language. Sub-themes for attraction to Japanese …

A Historical Overview Of The Challenges For African Americans K12 Through College Education In America, Arthur C. Evans Iii

South Florida Education Research Conference

The early American education system developed around the segregation of White and African American students. These differences in learning environment have led to inferior education for African Americans and can be linked to challenges still facing minorities in the current American education system.