Education Commons^™

What Our Students Want In And From Their Library, Veronica Wells, Robin Imhof, Debbie Johnston

Veronica Wells

University of the Pacific’s Stockton Campus Library is currently in the process of a multi-phase renovation that will offer 21st century design and functionality. Our team conducted several assessment methods to understand more fully how our students use –or choose not to use—study spaces and various pieces of furniture in the Stockton library. The results of this project will help answer the questions: “What do our students want or need in library learning spaces – both academic and social?” and “How might we create learning spaces in the library that will enable a variety of student use preferences?” We have …

What Our Students Want In And From Their Library, Veronica Wells, Robin Imhof, Debbie Johnston

Veronica Wells

University of the Pacific’s Stockton Campus Library is currently in the process of a multi-phase renovation that will offer 21st century design and functionality. Our team conducted several assessment methods to understand more fully how our students use –or choose not to use—study spaces and various pieces of furniture in the Stockton library. The results of this project will help answer the questions: “What do our students want or need in library learning spaces – both academic and social?” and “How might we create learning spaces in the library that will enable a variety of student use preferences?” We have …

Understanding The Admissions Experience Of Admitted Students Who Fail To Enroll: A Multiple Case Study, Richard Hudnett

Richard Hudnett

The main purpose of this applied dissertation was to explore why a new student who is fully admitted to an academic program never proceeds to registration during their first semester. A research study addressing these instances might help college administrators improve conversion rates of admitted students.

The fact that four of the six participants only applied to one university, the researcher believes, validates several prior research studies that directly linked a strong connection between a student’s positive perception of a college and the likelihood that they enroll in it. All of these participants in fact did perceive the university positively; …

Developing A Global Health Assessment Collaboration: Ancillary Report, Daniel Edwards, Jacob Pearce, David Wilkinson

Dr Daniel Edwards

This document reports on a project designed to develop an assessment collaboration between medical schools in both Australia and the United Kingdom. The project was funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT), utilising surplus funding from a broader assessment collaboration project – the Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration (OLT ID12-2482). The Global Health Assessment Collaboration (GHAC) involved five universities in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK). It developed an assessment framework and item specifications, undertook assessment item drafting workshops, built in a process of review and resulted in the development of a focused suite of assessment items. This report …

High-Impact Practices In Anthropology: Creating A Bridge Between Liberal Arts And Neoliberal Values, Susan Kirkpatrick Smith, Brandon D. Lundy, Cheyenne Dahlmann

Brandon D. Lundy

Neoliberal values are dramatically affecting higher education in the United States, with a focus on running these institutions as businesses and molding students into productive workers. This shift toward training and away from traditional liberal arts education at U.S. universities and colleges has occurred even as studies demonstrate that the ability to adapt in a rapidly evolving marketplace promotes long-term professional success. While neoliberalism and traditional liberal arts education are often seen as antithetical, we show how one anthropology program has combined these values into pedagogical practice through a select subset of high impact practices to improve academic outcomes for …

Reforming Initial Teacher Education: A Call For Innovation, Tony Yeigh, David Lynch

Dr Tony Yeigh

A variety of public critiques, reports and government reviews into Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Australia and globally have called for a rethink on teacher education. Similarly, key researchers such as Hattie (2011), Smith and Lynch (2010) and Ingvarson et al. (2014) have argued for new, innovative approaches to ITE that are able to provide alternative pathways to the training of teachers. From this perspective the current article examines several models and features of ITE in terms of innovation. This examination provides clarification concerning the nature and role of ITE reform, as well as a series of arguments highlighting the …

Revelations From A Resident Assistant Mentoring Study: Misalignment On Mentoring, Sherry Early Phd, Britt Frye, Jessica M. Hanna Edd

Sherry Early

What do we really know about mentoring Resident Assistants (RAs)? Does mentoring affect RAs’ leadership efficacies? To address these two research questions we created a successful collaborative research project between Housing and Residence Life (HRL) and Leadership Studies faculty. We wanted to learn more about mentoring encounters/relationships and leadership efficacy (self-efficacy and leadership behaviors). Any successful assessment or research project requires communication and delegation of tasks.

How Are They Going?: A Project To Monitor Student Engagement, Anthony Williams, Maria T. Northcote, John Reddin

Maria Northcote

The transition from school or work to university studies is not always a smooth change for many students. The university context may appear threatening, strange and isolating for some students, whether the courses be offered in on-campus or online contexts. While most modern day universities offer a raft of support services for students, including both academic and non-academic services, problems of low retention and high attrition rates still plague some institutions and some sections of particular institutions in the higher education sector. This paper presents an innovative program that uses technology-supported strategies within a regular learning management system (LMS) to …

Getting On The Online Education Train: The Journey Of A Small Higher Education Institution, Anthony Williams, Maria T. Northcote

Maria Northcote

Many universities have instituted professional learning centres that support academic teaching staff in their capacity to facilitate student-centred learning. Some of these centres also extend their reach to incorporate scholarship and research. This paper reports on one such case, in which a small higher education institution in Australia established what has become known as the Centre for Advancement of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL). From its inception, the CASTL’s intentions have been multi-dimensional, in that its programs, activities and resource development span the following areas of scholarship: 1) learning and teaching; 2) researcher education and support of postgraduate …

Integrating The Scholarship Of Teaching, Learning And Assessment Into One Institution’S Homegrown Professional Learning Resources, Maria Northcote, Anthony Williams, Kevin Petrie, John Seddon, Sherene Hattingh

Maria Northcote

Many professional learning (PL) programs in universities aspire to support tertiary educators to perform duties associated with teaching, student learning and assessment. Additionally, because much of a university academic’s work is associated with conducting scholarly research and supervising students’ research, PL programs also need to provide support associated with supervision and research activities. Faced with these multiple PL demands, one small Australian higher education institution developed a suite of resources to support faculty teaching staff and researchers in their professional capacities using a heuristic (self-determined) approach to resource development. The content of the resources drew on the principles of the …

Problems And Promises Of Using Lms Learner Analytics For Assessment, Valerie Beech, Eric A. Kowalik

Eric A. Kowalik

Modeling As Teaching: Preparing Preservice Teachers To Implement Universal Design For Learning, Eric Jordan Moore

Jordan Moore

Increasing diversity and growing achievement gaps among diverse groups in U.S. public schools has resulted in increased pressure on teacher education programs to prepare teachers effectively to meet the needs of contemporary students. Research is needed to establish best practices of teacher education that carry forward into future practice. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been proposed as a framework to help address the need for more flexible learning environments, but limited research has been conducted to determine best practices for supporting preservice teachers in learning this complex framework. In this dissertation study, I examine the notion that education research …

Migratory Patterns In Irs: Contentdm, Digital Commons And Flying The Coop, Michele Gibney, Kristin Laughtin-Dunker, Elizabeth Chance

Michele Gibney

What is the importance of institutional history and special collections in a digital environment? Should these pieces of history have their own digital platform or be merged with the institutional repository? What role do repositories play in the institutional environment? What impact do digital historical collections have on the stakeholder contingent as well as the global community? The speakers will discuss the rationale behind migrating collections from CONTENTdm to institutional repositories (all using bepress’s Digital Commons platform). Reasons range from subscription costs to file format concerns to increased search optimization. The migratory act will be covered in terms of method …

University Managed Technology Business Incubators: Asset Or Liability?, W. Andrew Clark, Andrew J. Czuchry, James A. Hales

W. Andrew Clark

University managed technology-based business incubators (UMTIs) have become increasingly popular. Some universities are forming private corporations and are encouraging professors/researchers to commercialize intellectual property (IP) based upon research conducted in their laboratories. The UMTI provides the infrastructure, access to high-tech laboratories, libraries, students and faculty, and a coalition of like-minded entrepreneurs. Universities face uncertainties when establishing UMTIs and need to minimize risk while maximizing benefits. This paper discusses results of a benchmarking study of eleven technology incubators and their risk mitigation policies. Experience with technology transfer and use of the UMTI as a living laboratory for students is presented.

Technology Based Business Incubators: Living Laboratories For Entrepreneurial Students, Andrew Czuchry, W. Andrew Clark

W. Andrew Clark

Those teaching entrepreneurship to engineering and technology students are faced with the challenge of converting theory into learning opportunities that provide real-world-practical experience. Although the literature stresses the need for experiential learning through group and field projects and case studies, the potential of capitalizing on technology-based business incubators as living laboratories has not been fully utilized. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a conceptual framework for closing this gap. This framework is based upon our experience working with graduate student teams on projects with the Oak Ridge National Laboratories Center for Entrepreneurial Growth and East Tennessee State University’s …

Market Simulation Programming As A Culminating Experience For Students Interested In Entrepreneurship And Pursuing An M.S. In Engineering Technology, W. Andrew Clark, Craig A. Turner

W. Andrew Clark

Many of our students enrolled in our Master of Science in Technology program have expressed an interest in learning about entrepreneurship and the development and management of a technology driven company. Students interested in entrepreneurship can pursue a 12 credit concentration that includes classes in developing a cohesive marketing and technology strategy, comparing and contrasting technology strategies for companies within the same market niche, developing an entrepreneurial business plan and coursework in either small business management or entrepreneurial finance. One critical component of this concentration is the utilization of the Marketplace™ Venture Capital simulation game to provide students with real …

Project Management Through Experiential Learning, Peter Hriso, W. Andrew Clark

W. Andrew Clark

Classroom-based projects are insufficient, in of themselves, when preparing students for positions in the digital media field today. David Kolb and Roger Fry argue that effective learning entails the possession of four different abilities: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation.2 Encouraging students to participate in community-based projects outside the classroom can help build the necessary skill sets in learning how to work in a real-world environment. Community-based learning teaches the student on three distinct levels: intellectually, socially, and emotionally including feelings, values, and meanings. Digital Media students should involve themselves in community projects to exercise their skills …

Linking The University With The Community: An Experiential Learning Project To Promote Arts Entrepreneurship, Peter Hriso, W. Andrew Clark, Tara Maxwell, Cher Cornett

W. Andrew Clark

Teaching students entrepreneurial skills and the utility of cross-disciplinary teams is difficult if only classroom exercises are employed. In this program, university students worked together with commercial artists and business-persons residing in our declining downtown region to assist in the organization, planning and management of an established regional arts festival and to launch a new feature of the festival based on digital animation. Through experiential learning, students gained an appreciation for “real-life” budgets, deadlines, responsibilities and an appreciation of working on cross-disciplinary teams while the community observed first-hand the benefits of students trained in digital media, entrepreneurship and project management.

Linking Art To Science: Digital Media As A Technology Translation Tool, W. Andrew Clark, Cher L. Cornett, Peter M. Hriso

W. Andrew Clark

Technology translation can be achieved through the blending of the sciences and arts in the form of digital imagery. Digital animation and video can be utilized to portray molecular events where the mechanism of action is known but the process occurs at a sub-microscopic level. There needs to be a strong collaboration between scientific advisors and digital artists when creating the animation such that the artistic interpretation of the molecular event conforms to the known and accepted confines of science. The finished animation may be used for information, education or persuasion as entrepreneurial biotechnical companies attempt to find markets, customers …

Embedding Innovation Process And Methodology In Engineering Technology And Business Management And Marketing Courses, W. Andrew Clark, J. Paul Sims, Craig A. Turner, Jon L. Smith

W. Andrew Clark

For many business segments, true “out of the box” innovation occurs in entrepreneurial companies where the founders aren’t hindered with the research paradigms established by mainstream businesses. The founders of these companies, many times technologists and scientists, see the application of the technology long before potential customers develop an understanding of the capabilities that the new technology can bring to the marketplace. Many times these “new technology ideas” have been developed though modifying an existing dominant design (product or service) to meet an unforeseen market need or through the development of a new design that may become the new industry …

Encouraging Student Participation In Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities, W. Andrew Clark, Peter Hriso, Craig A. Turner

W. Andrew Clark

Social entrepreneurs utilize the traits of commercial entrepreneurs; organizational abilities, opportunity identification, combining resources in novel ways, willingness to accept and manage risk and explosive growth or returns, to create enterprises that return high social value. As educators, we see opportunities where entrepreneurial skills can be applied to education, not-for-profit organizations, government offices and programs and philanthropic concerns and create service learning opportunities for students beyond the boundaries of the university. Many of us involved in higher education are frustrated with students who do not attend class, turn in assignments late or exhibit a lack of effort in classes where …

Establishing A Technology Based Business Incubator At A Regional University: A Conceptual Framework And Case Study, W. Andrew Clark

W. Andrew Clark

University managed technology-based business incubators evolved at major research institutions as a mechanism for university professors to pursue commercial applications of their research without having to resign their university positions. These incubators assisted the universities in retention of valuable faculty and also provided for the development of university intellectual property (IP) to a level where commercialization was probable. In addition to faculty retention and the potential for revenue from commercialization of IP, these incubators further developed the universities’ reputations in producing cutting edge research. The physical proximity of the incubators to the universities is crucial because this allows easy access …

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 …

Reduce Randomly Guessing Effects In A University Generic Skills Test, Luc T. Le

Dr Luc Tu Le

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

Gregory S.C. Hine

Final Report: Development Of An Online Engagement Scale, Darren Matthews, Ling Tan, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The Commonwealth Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to review the Learner Engagement Scale (LES), a key measure of student experience. It is administered as part of the Student Experience Survey, an annual survey of a sample of the 400 000 first and final year undergraduates studying at Australian Higher Education institutions – 80 per cent on-campus and around 8 per cent off-campus. Over the years, LES results have consistently shown substantially lower engagement levels in off-campus students – far in excess of the variation between teaching modes that might be expected – …

Willett, Herbert Lockwood (5 May 1864-28 Mar. 1944), Steven W. Holloway

Steven W Holloway

No abstract provided.

If The Slipper Fits: The Relationship Between A Cinderella Appearance In The Ncaa Division I Men’S Basketball Tournament And Institutional Financial And Admissions Factors, Kelly Childs

Kelly Childs

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 …

Information Literacy Outreach In A Fake News World, Debbie Morrow

Debbie Morrow