Education Commons^™

Essential Or Optional? Effects Of Creative Writing On Expository Skills And Attitude In Middle School Students, Nicole Samuelson

Honors Program Projects

Creative writing's effectiveness has not been clearly established through research, especially in regards to expository writing skills. However, other benefits of creative writing have been shown such as emotional benefits and general writing improvement. This study was conducted with two groups of middle school students. One group received ten creative writing interventions over a month and the other group continued with normal instruction. The goal was to discover if these interventions would improve students' expository writing skills as well as their attitude towards and confidence in writing. Surprisingly, while the experimental group did not improve significantly in either area, the …

The Implications Of Action Research For Literacy Instruction, Kathi Lippert, Cassie Bailey

Faculty Scholarship – Education

Action research is an ongoing, cyclical process in which the teacher has the autonomy and authority to make significant change in his or her classroom. The word research, however, may intimidate the novice researcher. It is important to remember that action research is not as formal as traditional research as it is conducted for a shorter duration, allows for more flexibility, and usually includes qualitative and quantitative data. This type of research enables the practitioner to make effective changes in literacy instruction. In action research, reflections drive inquiry, and the results of which, positive or negative, fosters insight into the …

Trending Emotional Disturbance: Strategies Through The Years, Hannah M. Rattin

Student Scholarship – Education

Teaching strategies and supports provided for students with emotional disturbance have evolved over the years. These changes are observed throughout three descriptive studies focused on specific writing strategies spanning three decades from the 1970s until the 1990s. Multiple changes are observed. For instance, terms other than the current “emotional disturbance” have been used over the years. The approach to schooling children with emotional disturbance has also shifted, from an emphasis on functional goals to focusing on academic progress. Additional changes include a more practical approach to implementing these writing strategies and an increased involvement throughout for these students. These changes …

The Experiences Of University Faculty Expected To Implement Edtpa Within A Teacher Preparation Program, Lance Kilpatrick

Faculty Scholarship – Education

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of university faculty expected to implement a teacher performance assessment called edTPA within a teacher preparation program. This study synthesized the experiences university faculty members have when preparing and implementing the edTPA. A deep examination of 12 university faculty members who teach in teacher preparation programs in a Midwestern state where the edTPA is required for licensure offer their experience through a questionnaire, an individual interview, and a focus group interview. The data were collected, organized, and analyzed by employing transcendental phenomenological systematic data analysis procedures positioned to …

Gender Bias In It Hiring Practices: An Ethical Analysis, Harmony L. Alford

Student Scholarship – Computer Science

With the current movement to increase the number of women in STEM-related careers, modified IT hiring practices may be considered debatably unethical. Studies cited in this work have asserted that female representation in STEM fields is integral not only to encouraging continued progression toward gender equality in the workplace but also to creating more inclusive products. In turn, some argue that when faced with reasonably comparable female and male candidates, a hiring manager should select the female candidate in order to increase the female representation in the company and provide a female perspective. However, it is simultaneously debatably unethical and …

Implementing Common Core State Standards For Mathematics Through Lesson Study, John Thomas Hall

Honors Program Projects

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) represent the beginning of a new era in American education. For the first time, a majority of states are sharing expectations for student knowledge in mathematics. While standards cannot change education, the means by which these standards are implemented contribute to the mathematical achievement of students. For instance, the CCSSM incorporate separate content and practice standards for students. Content standards are familiar to most educators, but the expectation of developing mathematical skills highlighted in the practice standards will require changes to lesson preparation and teaching.

In an effort to provide pre-service and …

Sinergia Entre Las Tic Y Los Sistemas De Gestión De Aprendizaje En El Aula Ele Presencial (Correlation Between Ict And Learning Management Systems In The L2 Spanish Classroom), Jeremy W. Bachelor

Faculty Scholarship – Spanish

El presente ensayo examina el papel de la tecnología en el aula de español como lengua extranjera (ELE) y la incorporación de sistemas de gestión de aprendizaje (LMS). Varios estudios sugieren que la combinación de la formación presencial con la instrucción virtual lleva a mejores resultados que esas formas implementadas individualmente. Se intenta aplicar esos estudios generales al aula ELE. Eso permite que los estudiantes tengan un rol más activo en su aprendizaje. Más que nadie, los estudiantes ELE deben recibir aducto para poder aprender. Con un LMS, no solamente reciben aducto en clase, sino también lo reciben en Internet. …

Teaching Social Justice To Middle School Aged Children, Stacey J. Gerstung

Honors Program Projects

Early adolescents find themselves in a very unique juncture of life. Even though these students in the middle grades are often troublesome to adults, they have the ability to perceive deep truths and are making decisions that will affect the way they live the rest of their lives. This transitional time between childhood and adulthood is the prime time to introduce students to important concepts, such as the need to seek social justice. For this project, lessons regarding various aspects of social justice were taught to the Middle School/Jr. High Youth Group at College Church of the Nazarene in Bourbonnais, …

Meeting The Predeparture And Reentry Needs Of Onu Spanish Study Abroad Students, Rachel M. Groters

Honors Program Projects

The purpose of the Predeparture and Reentry Needs project was to examine the reentry adjustment of Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) Spanish students who had already returned home from required study abroad experiences in order to craft predeparture and reentry programs based on findings. In Phase 1, the researcher recorded qualitative interviews in March and April of 2012 with 22 ONU undergraduate students who studied abroad in Spanish-speaking countries before the spring 2012 semester. Then the researcher listened to each interview again, taking notes on each and transcribing quotes. The researcher found that all students experienced some level and kind of …

Classroom Factors, Student Engagement, And Self-Motivation In Reading, Anna M. Carlson

Honors Program Projects

The goal of this research was to determine how teachers most effectively produce engaged, self-motivated readers. The answer to this question was determined by preliminary research and survey results from 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade teachers. Based on the findings of the preliminary research, the following hypothesis was formed:

It is predicted that there is a relationship between implementing the following factors in the classroom and producing engaged, self-motivated readers:

1. 1. Providing time in class for independent reading
2. 2. Providing an appropriate environment for reading
3. 3. Allowing students to select books according to their interests …

Is Spanish Pragmatic Instruction Necessary In The L2 Classroom If Latin American Speakers Of Spanish Take On American English Pragmatic Norms Once Prolonged Exposure In The United States Occurs? A Study On Refusal Strategies, Jeremy W. Bachelor, Lydia Hernandez

Faculty Scholarship – Spanish

As educators of foreign and second languages debate the most efficient methods of implementing pragmatic instruction in the L2 classroom, is it possible that Spanish pragmatic instruction is not necessary if American Spanish pragmatic norms are no different than American English norms? The present investigation studies the pragmatic norms in refusal strategies of speakers of Latin American Spanish who have had little exposure to English, speakers of Latin American Spanish who have spent over two years in the United States, and native speakers of American English. The study found that the Spanish speakers who had spent over two years in …

An Investigation Of The Feasability Of A Writing Center At Olivet Nazarene University: The Implementation Of A Pilot Program, Kristy Ingram, Beth Olney, Sue Rattin, Sue Williams

Scholarship – Academic Affairs Office

The implementation of an on-campus Writing Center is an extension of the holistic approach to student success and retention. Previous attempts to provide an online resource at Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) failed to meet the need of providing one-on-one tutorials. Research proves that this approach does not teach the student how to identify and correct gaps in writing thought, organization, and voice. An ONU Writing Center must be more than an editing center, serving more students than those with remedial writing skills. It should serve as a consistent presence on campus as a facilitator of quality writing across the disciplines. …

Faculty And Administrator Perceptions Of Teaching, The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning, And Culture At A Teaching University, Jonathan D. Bartling

Faculty Scholarship – Education

Despite increased calls in higher education for institutions to be accountable for quality teaching and student learning, at many institutions, the status and quality of teaching and learning has not improved. Many faculty members remain teaching-focused, and institutions often afford a low status to teaching. This is present even at institutions whose missions are teaching-focused. The purpose of this case study was to explore faculty and administrator perceptions at one private, Christian, Midwest teaching institution regarding teaching, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the institution’s culture and commitment to teaching and scholarship. Through interviews with a purposeful sample of …

Student And Faculty Perceptions Of A University Faith Mission In Courses Using Classroom, Distance, Or Hybrid Instructional Delivery Modes, Susan Esther Odell Draine

Faculty Scholarship – Nursing

This applied research project took place at a faith-based university in the Midwest. The purpose of the study was to determine to what degree students and faculty who participated in face-to-face instruction, distance education, or hybrid modes of instruction perceived that the subject university's mission was integrated into course content and instruction and to determine whether the mission objectives were applied equally to the three types of courses, as required by the regional accrediting body. Survey instruments were used to quantify participants' perceptions.

Equivalency theory formed the basis for comparing the perceptions of three groups of students and faculty--those engaged …

The Relationship Between Ministry Praxis And Spiritual Development Milestones In The Lives Of Children, Leon Marcel Blanchette Jr.

Faculty Scholarship – Christian Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the children‘s ministry praxis in Nazarene churches and four significant spiritual milestones in the lives of Nazarene children. A mixed method study was used to obtain statistical, quantitative results from the population and then followed up with two small groups to explore those results in more depth through personal interviews. This study compares four quadrants of children’s spirituality, the Pragmatic-Participatory Model, Media-Driven Active-Engagement Model, Instructional-Analytic Model, and the Contemplative-Reflective Model. A quadrant is one of four categories that best describes a children‘s pastor‘s ministry praxis. These quadrants are sometimes …

Assessing Student Strengths: Academic Performance And Persistence Of First-Time College Students At A Private Church-Affiliated College, Jeffrey S. Williamson

Faculty Scholarship – School of Graduate and Continuing Studies

The research study sought to identify the significance or impact of strengths training received by first-time college students at a private, denominationally affiliated college that holds membership in the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and to determine whether or not there were statistically significant differences in first semester outcomes between students who received formal feedback and training on their identified strengths and those who do not receive their strengths results or training.

First-time college students at Mount Vernon Nazarene College (MVNC) in Mount Vernon, Ohio completed the Gallup Strengths Finder (GSF) assessment as a part of the new …

Patron Objections To Library Materials: A Survey Of Christian College Libraries Part Ii, Craighton Hippenhammer

Faculty Scholarship – Library Science

A survey of conservative Christian college libraries in the United States and Canada was taken early in 1993 to determine how their librarians handle patron objections to their collections. Surveyed were their policies and procedures, the nature of their support for the Library Bill of Rights, the nature of challenges (84 percent reported students were the objectors), selection of controversial materials, intellectual freedom definitions and level of librarian education. The survey is compared to four other surveys covering academic libraries, and/or public libraries. Included is a sample reconsideration policy and a sample reconsideration form. Having such a policy is shown …

Patron Objections To Library Materials: A Survey Of Christian College Libraries Part I, Craighton Hippenhammer

Faculty Scholarship – Library Science

A survey of conservative Christian college libraries in the United States and Canada was taken early in 1993 to determine how their librarians handle patron objections to their collections. Surveyed were their policies and procedures, the nature of their support for the Library Bill of Rights, the nature of challenges (84 percent reported students were the objectors), selection of controversial materials, intellectual freedom definitions and level of librarian education. Having a reconsideration policy is shown to be crucial for addressing censorship attempts.