Education Commons^™

Introduction To Series And Parallel Circuits, Craig E. Shepherd, Shannon M. Smith

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

This lesson begins with an introduction on electricity and how it is formed at the molecular level. It then lets learners explore and define a circuit. This introduction is followed by an exploration where learners develop series and parallel circuits using LED lights and motors. Learners then consider what constitutes a series and parallel circuit, open and closed circuit, and a short circuit. The lesson concludes by having learners consider advantages, limitations, and instructional uses of various electronics kits (e.g., Snap Circuits, littleBits, LilyPad, paper circuits, conductive dough) based on their ability to display circuit paths.

Faculty Perceptions Of Using Synchronous Video-Based Communication Technology, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Richard E. West, Leanna Archambault, Jered Borup, Eric S. Belt

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Online learning has traditionally relied on asynchronous text-based communication. The COVID-19 pandemic, though, has provided many faculty members with new and/or additional experience using synchronous video-based communication. Questions remain, though, about how this experience will shape online teaching and learning in the future. We conducted a mixed method study to investigate faculty perceptions of using synchronous video-based communication technology. In this paper, we present the results of our inquiry and implications for future research and practice.

Early Math Interventions In Informal Learning Settings Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson, Hannah Carter, Peter Boedeker

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code experimental and quasi-experimental early mathematics intervention studies conducted in informal learning environments. The studies were conducted in homes and in museums with caregivers as intervention agents and included children between the ages of 3,0 and 8,11 years. The coding protocol includes more than 200 variables related to basic study information, participant sample size and demographics, methodological information, intervention information, mathematics content information, the control/comparison condition, outcome measures, and results and effect sizes. The coding protocol was developed for the purpose of conducting a …

The Role Of Federal And State Policy In Addressing Early Childhood Achievement Gaps: Parent Perceptions And Student Outcomes Related To 21st Century Learning Centers Programming In The United States, Heather P. Williams

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

As policymakers and school communities work to address underlying causes of achievement gaps and access to quality early childhood education, this study considers the use of 21st Century Community Learning Centers to address early childhood education needs on western U.S. state, Idaho. The study sought to understand the relationship between federal and state policies related to out-of-school opportunities to enhance early childhood education. Utilizing data from a statewide evaluation of Idaho’s 21st Century Learning Centers, the study examined 92 centers providing after school, before school, or summer programs in grades preschool through the third grade to predominately at-risk children. Data …

The Relationship Between Teachers' Cue-Utilization And Their Monitoring Accuracy Of Students' Text Comprehension, Janneke Van De Pol, Tamara Van Gog, Keith Thiede

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigated to what extent teachers' use of diagnostic cues and the accuracy with which they interpreted or judged the values of those cues affected teachers' monitoring accuracy. Forty-six secondary education teachers judged the text comprehension of six students (216 students in total). Mere use of diagnostic cues appeared not sufficient. Rather, accurately judging the values of a diagnostic performance cue was related to higher monitoring accuracy. Using non-diagnostic student cues hampered teachers' monitoring accuracy. The key to further improve monitoring accuracy might lie in improving teachers’ ability to accurately judge diagnostic cues and help them ignore non-diagnostic cues.

Exploring Factors That Influence Computational Thinking Skills In Elementary Students’ Collaborative Robotics, William H. Stewart, Youngkyun Baek, Gina Kwid, Kellie Taylor

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recently educational robotics has expanded into curriculum beyond traditional STEM fields, and which can also be used to foster computational thinking (CT) skills. Prior research has shown numerous interdisciplinary benefits related to CT, however, these influential factors have often been investigated with relatively few variables. This study investigated factors that may lead to 4th and 5th grade elementary school students’ development of computational thinking skills in collaborative robotics activities by hypothesizing a model which proposed that a problem solving inventory, intrinsic motivation, and enjoyment were the main predictors of computational thinking skills. The model was then tested by surveying students …

Handbook Development, Nick E. Archibald

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This essay details the development of a new teacher training manual for a student-led school of popular music. One draft of the manual is finished and plans for a second draft are laid out.

Service-Learning "Planning For Retirement" Presentation, Tyler E. Tisdale

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This project sought to understand the reasons/variables for the lack of participation in planning and saving/investing for retirement by the younger generations that are a part of the current workforce. The problem was defined, and the approach was to create a presentation that established the foundational knowledge for retirement investing among high school students (the individuals who are just about to enter the workforce). The presentation was made, along with a short survey, and sent out to high school teachers in Idaho and Texas. The results presented that there is a fundamental lack of knowledge with regards to the subject …

Intervention Programs Targeting High-School Retention Rates, Genevive C. Poynter

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Intervention programs greatly impact the retention rate of high school students. Characteristics of students who drop out of high school can be assessed and provide necessary information to assist in implementing intervention programs that target those same characteristics, improving retention rates of at-risk students. “A large body of research indicates that students from particular backgrounds or who possess particular characteristics are more likely to drop out than others.” (Stanley & Plucker, 2008, 1) Students must feel like they belong, having solid relationships within their community, school, teachers, and peers. Students must feel that their education is relevant in one or …

The Hidden Costs Of Connectivity: Nature And Effects Of Scholars’ Online Harassment, Chandell Gosse, George Veletsianos, Jaigris Hodson, Shandell Houlden, Tonia A. Dousay, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Nathan Hall

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A growing body of research reveals that some scholars face online harassment and that such harassment leads to a wide variety of adverse impacts. Drawing on data collected from an online survey of 182 scholars, we report on the factors and triggers involved in scholars’ experiences of online harassment; the environments where said experiences take place, and; the consequences it has for personal and professional relationships. We find that online harassment is heavily entwined with the work, identity, and in some cases, the requirements of being a scholar. The online harassment scholars experience is often compounded by other factors, such …

Factors Associated With Novice General Education Teachers’ Preparedness To Work With Multilingual Learners: A Multilevel Study, Qizhen Deng, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, Kara Mitchell Viesca

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined factors linked to novice general education teachers’ perception of their preparedness to work with multilingual learners in the classroom. Using a multilevel modeling approach, we examined factors at the teacher and school levels using two AY 2015 to 2016 datasets: The National Teacher and Principal Survey from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Civil Rights Data Collection from the Office of Civil Rights. The results show that teacher perception of preparedness was positively associated with teacher education courses on working with multilingual learners, supports received during the first-year teaching, and the number of multilingual learners …

Video Use In Online And Blended Courses: A Qualitative Synthesis, Eric S. Belt, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The use of video has become commonplace in education today. Educators are engaging students with video communication technology more frequently than ever before, given COVID-19. However, questions remain on how instructors use video as a communication and teaching tool in online and blended courses. The purpose of this literature review was to synthesize research on the use of video as a teaching tool in online and blended courses. A systematic approach was used to identify 64 peer-reviewed studies published from 2010 to 2020. A qualitative synthesis of the studies resulted in four themes: delivering video lectures, fostering discussions with video, …

Prevalence Of Evidence-Based School Meal Practices And Associations With Reported Food Waste Across A National Sample Of U.S. Elementary Schools, Hannah G. Calvert, Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, Michaela Mcquilkin, Peter Boedeker, Lindsey Turner

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Providing meals at school is an important part of the hunger safety net for children in the United States and worldwide; however, many children do not receive school meals even when they qualify for federally-subsidized free or reduced-priced meals. This study investigates the prevalence of several evidence-based practices that have previously been shown to increase the reach and impact of school meals. A survey was sent to a national sample of US elementary schools, with items examining practices regarding school breakfast, school lunch, recess, the promotion of meals, nutrition standards, and food waste, during the 2019–20 school year. Almost all …

Tinkering With Theoretical Objects: Designing Theories In Scientific Inquiry, Shakayla Moran, Leslie Atkins Elliott

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The EDISIn Project (Engineering Design in Scientific Inquiry), taught in an undergraduate teacher preparation program, is investigating where engineering design opportunities emerge within contexts of scientific inquiry, with implications for how science teachers might productively engage in engineering design in their science courses without compromising on either the science or the engineering. In some inquiries, the opportunities for engineering were obvious, particularly with respect to novel experimental designs and in developing physical representations of models. In other inquiries, however, the investigations were either largely theoretical or the experimental designs were readily developed without a need for deliberate attention to design …

A Systematic Review Of The Quality Of Reporting In Mathematics Meta-Analyses For Students With Or At Risk Of Disabilities Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 22 meta-analyses focused on mathematics interventions for students with or at-risk of disabilities. The purpose of the systematic review was to evaluate reporting quality in meta-analyses focused on mathematics interventions for students with or at risk of disabilities. To identify meta-analyses for inclusion, we considered peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2020; we searched five education-focused electronic databases, scanned the table of contents of six special education journals, reviewed the curriculum vitae of researchers who frequently publish meta-analyses in mathematics and special …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Exchange Students Learning Online During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Republic Of Korea: An Exploratory Descriptive Study, William H. Stewart, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools worldwide to suddenly transition to remote learning. The change forced students, who might not choose to take distance education courses, to adjust to a new way of completing their coursework. Further, this impacted certain student groups like exchange students more adversely since distance courses complicated academic exchanges by rendering short-term exchange students isolated on an empty campus in a foreign country, all while recently arriving to both. There are many intrinsic hardships to academic exchanges but there is a lack of research on exchange students' experiences learning online when immediately transitioning from face-to-face courses to …

The Preservice Teacher Self-Efficacy For Writing Inventory (Ptswi): A Tool For Measuring Beliefs About Writing, Tracey S. Hodges, Katherine Landau Wright, Erin M. Mctigue

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Teachers are often underprepared to teach writing, which can negatively impact the performance and attitudes of their students. In teacher preparation programs, one goal should be to specifically develop future teachers of writing. Focusing on self-efficacy beliefs, increasing preservice teachers’ confidence and preparedness for teaching writing could yield positive impacts on classroom writing instructional practices. Currently, tools to quantitatively measure self-efficacy for writing and writing instruction in preservice teachers are sparse, thus limiting teacher educators’ ability to understand the efficacy of writing instruction. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to gather evidence of score validity and reliability of …

Addressing The Challenges Of Online Video Analysis In Qualitative Studies: A Worked Example From Computational Thinking Research, Chareen Snelson, Dazhi Yang, Torrence Temple

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, we share our approach and the process for qualitative analysis of online video data recorded during an after-school robotics program that emphasized computational thinking (CT). Online research strategies may be necessary for various reasons such as when working with a geographically distributed research team, when conducting research with students in an online program, or when resources are inaccessible due to campus closures like those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We followed a three-stage process during qualitative analysis of the videos that included planning and setup, online analysis of videos, and structural coding of memos to explore patterns …

Shy And Outgoing Preservice Teachers And Their Responses To Hypothetical Problem Behaviors In The Classroom, Qizhen Deng, Irina Patwardhan, Kathleen Rudasill, Guy Trainin, Stephanie Wessels, Julia Torquati, Robert J. Coplan

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

The present study explored the relations among preservice teacher shyness (shy, average, outgoing) and their responses towards hypothetical children displaying classroom problem behaviours (shy/quiet, exuberant/talkative) in the classroom. Participants were 335 elementary preservice teachers attending a Midwest university in the United States. Preservice teachers completed self-reports of shyness and responded to hypothetical vignettes depicting different classroom behaviours. Among the results, shy preservice teachers reported lower self-efficacy and less tendency to use warm/supportive and social-learning strategies as compared to their more outgoing counterparts. Shy preservice teachers also had lower tendency than average teachers to refer to high-powered strategies when dealing with …

Effects Of Positive Action In Elementary School On Student Behavioral And Social-Emotional Outcomes, Kendra M. Lewis, Stefanie D. Holloway, Niloofar Bavarian, Naida Silverthorn, David L. Dubois, Brian R. Flay, Carl F. Siebert

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The national conversation about the importance of social-emotional competencies, such as prosocial behaviors, responsible decision-making, and problem-solving, has increased greatly in the last 2 decades. There is, however, less robust evidence for social and emotional learning programs’ impact on social and emotional outcomes when implemented in low-income, minority populations. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based, universal program targeting social-emotional skills in late elementary school (grades 3–5) in a low-income, urban, minority population. Data were collected from 930 students over five waves. Growth curve analyses revealed evidence of favorable program effects on positive …

Associations Between Elementary And Middle School Teachers’ Physical Activity Promoting Practices And Teacher- And School-Level Factors, Lindsey Turner

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2021

Background: Few studies have evaluated teacher- and school-level characteristics associated with implementation of recommended physical activity (PA) promoting practices. The purpose of this study is to examine associations between teachers’ PA practices and: [1] teacher-level factors, including their own PA, and [2] school-level factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined time spent daily in light PA (LPA) and moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) in association with 7 teacher PA practices among 288 classroom/special area teachers and teaching assistants in 20 urban, suburban and rural schools (recruited through a school wellness trial) in 4 districts. LPA and MVPA was assessed using 24-h ankle accelerometry …

Implementation Of Physical Activity In Us Elementary Schools: The Role Of Administrative Support, Financial Resources, And Champions, Blake Densley, Hannah G. Calvert, Peter Boedeker, Lindsey Turner

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The intentional integration of physical activity in elementary school classrooms—including brief instructional breaks for activity, or integration into lessons—can benefit children’s physical activity and education outcomes. Teachers are key implementation agents, but despite physical activity in the classroom being an evidence-informed practice, many teachers do not regularly implement it. The aim of this study was to obtain updated nationally representative prevalence estimates in United States public elementary schools, regarding four key outcomes: (1) school adoption of physically active lessons (PA lessons); (2) school adoption of physical-activity breaks (PA breaks); (3) penetration in the classroom, defined as ≥50% of teachers using …

Proportional Reasoning Interventions In Special Education Synthesis Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code nine group and single case design intervention studies focused on proportional reasoning interventions for students (grades 5-9) with learning disabilities (LD) or mathematics difficulty (MD). The studies yielded intervention effects ranging from g = −0.10 to 1.87 and from Tau-U = 0.88 to 1.00. We coded all of the studies for variables in the following categories: study information, intervention features, dependent measures, participant demographics, LD and MD criteria and definitions, instructional content, study results, and quality indicators for group and single case …

Stop-Motion Animation To Model The Analemma, Leslie Atkins Elliott, Amanda Hunter, Carl Krutz, Shakayla Moran, Elliot Sherrow

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Sun does not return to the same position in the sky every 24 hours. At local noon, for example, the Sun will appear higher in the sky as we move from winter to summer solstice. In addition, and perhaps more surprisingly, solar days (the roughly 24 hours between subsequent local noons) vary in length, causing the Sun to be east or west of its location 24 hours prior. Over a year, this variation traces out a figure 8, known as an analemma, as shown in Fig.1. It can also be seen in the sundial in Fig. 2, where the …

High Leverage Practices In Special Education Synthesis Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 76 meta-analyses focused on students with or at-risk of disabilities. All of the included meta-analyses provided a summary statistic related to at least one of the High Leverage Practices (HLPs; McLeskey et al., 2017). ). The purpose of the systematic review of meta-analyses was to provide an initial investigation of the evidence supporting the effectiveness of the HLPs for students with, or at-risk for, a disability. This code book contains variable names, code options, and code definitions related to basic study information (i.e., …

Special Education Math Interventions: Meta-Analyses Quality Indicator Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 22 mathematics intervention meta-analyses focused on participants with or at-risk of disabilities. The author drafted this coding protocol based on the meta-analysis quality indicators recommended by Talbott et al. (2018, pp. 248–249); specifically, the author considered the variables presented in Table 1 of Talbott et al. and supplemented the information so that the variables and definitions were specific to the purpose of this systematic review. We coded each meta-analysis for 53 variables across eight categories, including: Quality of Clear Research Questions, Quality of …

Systemic Functional Linguistics And Its Application To The Study Of Academic Conference Presentations, Carolina Viera, Maite Taboada

World Languages Faculty Publications and Presentations

Academic conference presentations (CPs) offer the possibility to study both the linguistic features of academic oral language and social conventions that take place during these events (Ventola, Shalom & Thompson, 2002). Academic conferences have been understudied (Robles Garrote, 2016), especially within the theoretical framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). For this reason, researchers who investigate this topic have insufficient reference literature. This study contributes to the understanding of CPs by discussing theoretical and methodological aspects of the analysis of a corpus of 32 CPs given in Spanish in the United States to determine the generic structure or prototypical text structure …

Lessons Learned From Creating Videos For Online Video-Based Instructional Modules In Mathematics Teacher Education, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Laurie O. Cavey

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Video can be a powerful tool, with a long history of use in teacher education. Despite the increased popularity of using video in teacher education over the years, questions remain about effective ways to create and use video in online video-based instructional modules. Given this, in this paper we describe some lessons learned creating videos for online video-based instructional modules for secondary mathematics teacher candidates, as a part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) IUSE program (Award No. 1726543) funded project. We specifically focus on how we recorded interviews with middle and high school students, and iteratively developed the online …

Study Protocol For Testing The Association Between Physical Activity And Academic Outcomes Utilizing A Cluster-Randomized Trial, Peter Boedeker, Lindsey Turner, Hannah Calvert, Christi Kay, Adria Meyer, Chuck Truett, Julie Gazmararian

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend adolescents engaging in 60 min of physical activity (PA) every day. Students should spend at least 30 min being active while at school. However, schools rarely provide that much PA time for students. This paper describes the planned analyses for a study evaluating the relationships between PA (measured as average daily minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity [MVPA]) and educational outcomes of standardized test scores and classroom grades cross-sectionally in 4 th grade and longitudinally from 4 th to 5 th grade. Investigations of moderators (both student- and school-level), mediators, and potential …

Are Faculty Prepared To Teach Flexibly?: Results From An Evaluation Study, Devshikha Bose, Rob Nyland

CTL Teaching Gallery

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were hardly any formal/established professional development (PD) program s that intentionally prepared faculty to teach flexibly. The uncertainty around the modality of the fall 2020 semester, required faculty to be prepared to teach their courses in flexible methods in order to meet the needs of their students and the constraints of their institution. This article is an updated report on the evaluation of the Flexible Teaching for Student Success (FTSS) Initiative at Boise State University—a three-tiered faculty development initiative designed to prepare faculty to teach their courses in flexible formats. Evaluation surveys and a …