Education Commons^™

Ethical Imperatives And Challenges: Review Of The Use Of Machine Learning For Predictive Analytics In Higher Education, Emily Barnes, James Hutson, Karriem Perry

Faculty Scholarship

The escalating integration of machine learning (ML) in higher education necessitates a critical examination of its ethical implications. This article conducts a comprehensive review of the application of ML for predictive analytics within higher education institutions (HEIs), emphasizing the technology's potential to enhance student outcomes and operational efficiency. The study identifies significant ethical concerns, such as data privacy, informed consent, transparency, and accountability, that arise from the use of ML. Through a detailed analysis of current practices, this review underscores the need for HEIs to develop robust ethical frameworks and technological infrastructures to navigate these challenges effectively. The findings reveal …

Navigating The Maze: The Role Of Pre-Enrollment Socio-Cultural And Institutional Factors In Higher Education In The Age Of Ai, Emily Barnes, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the complex interplay between pre-enrollment socio-cultural and institutional factors and their impact on the higher education landscape. It challenges traditional metrics of academic achievement, presenting a nuanced perspective on student success that emphasizes the importance of socio-economic backgrounds, cultural capital, and K-12 education quality. The analysis extends to the significant role of institutional attributes in shaping student readiness and decision-making processes. The study advocates for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven assessments by higher education institutions to cater to the diverse needs of the student body, promoting an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Anchored in an extensive …

Bridging The Divide: Improving Digital Humanities Pedagogy By Networking Higher Education And Secondary Education Faculty In St. Louis, Geremy Carnes, Margaret K. Smith

Faculty Scholarship

In 2021, faculty at Lindenwood University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) led the formation of a Saint Louis Digital Humanities (STL DH) Network of faculty and scholars at area universities, schools, and cultural institutions.1 The Lindenwood and SIUE campuses bookend the St. Louis metro area, a region whose strong geospatial presence offers fruitful opportunities for digital humanities (DH) education but which also suffers from long, deeply ingrained economic and racial segregation. While other regional DH networks exist, the STL DH Network is unique in taking undergraduate education and secondary education— and particularly equitable access to education—as its chief focus. …

College Major Area And Career Commitment: Rethinking Steam In Educational- Vocational Guidance, James Hutson, Sara Bagley, Colleen Biri

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: The exigency for higher education to exhibit outcomes aligning with career competencies has intensified, driven by external pressures favoring job-specific training. Amidst shifting career tendencies of Generations Y and Z and the advent of artificial intelligence-led automation, the valuation of different college majors has come under scrutiny. This study aims to dissect the prevailing assumptions and explore the satisfaction and career commitment levels among individuals with career-focused degrees.

Methods: Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study delves into the relationships among areas of study, career commitment, self-esteem, and self-efficacy among alumni from a private Midwestern liberal arts college. Instruments …

What’S The Big Fat Deal?: The Experience Of Fat Students In College, Andrea Marie Melrose

Dissertations

Weight-based discrimination is considered the last acceptable form of discrimination in the United States. Fat bias and stigma are present in healthcare, employment, and education. This dissertation study explores the experiences of fat students on college campuses, examining their experiences of anti-fat bias and discrimination. Additionally, this study explores policy and practice implications for improving the experiences of fat college students and supporting body diversity on campus. This dissertation has four overarching research questions that focus on the following topics: fat students’ experiences of weight-based stigma and discrimination in college, the limitations of physical space on college campuses, perceptions of …

An Investigation Of The Advantages And Disadvantages Of University Students As Avatars In Virtual Learning Spaces, Gary Burnett, Catherine Harvey

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

Authors have noted the increasing importance of avatars in Higher Education, as more teaching is conducted virtually, drawing upon gaming conventions. However, it is also recognised that little is known about how students make use of avatars (especially over an extended period) and the subsequent impact on learning experiences. For the last three years, a university module has been conducted within a persistent virtual world – where students (49 in 2020; 95 in 2021; 122 in 2022) predominantly interact with each other and teaching staff in avatar form. Observation data constitutes 60 hours of video recordings of virtual world seminars. …

The Role Of Faculty In Durable Skills Development In Higher Education, James Hutson, Mark Valenzuela, Shannon Wright, Elizabeth Melick

Faculty Scholarship

Although Emsi and other market researchers have found that employers desire durable skills (formerly known as “soft skills”) in new hires, there have been few studies dedicated to identifying how faculty perceptions of skill development differ in degree and by area, and how that might impact how such skills are embedded in classroom instruction. This study proposes to investigate the perceptions of faculty from different academic backgrounds and how their disciplines and experiences may contribute to their perceived role in curricular, cocurricular or extracurricular offerings that support durable skill development. Results from the study demonstrate the differing perspectives and expectations …

Andragogy: The Common Thread In The Teaching Of Adults In Colleges Of Education, Criminal Justice, And Health Management, Grant J. Shostak, Larry Acker, Vanessa Vandergraaf

Faculty Scholarship

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought dramatic changes to higher education. Students and educators face challenges never anticipated, including switching classes from on-ground to online and back again, mental fatigue, stress, and burnout. Faculty across disciplines may turn to Andragogy to best teach college students to inform their teaching practices. This paper demonstrates how professors from education, criminal justice, and healthcare management have used andragogical techniques in their classrooms.

Study Abroad - Your Future Self Will Thank You, Stephanie Afful, Rebecca Foushée, Colleen Biri

Faculty Scholarship

Unavailable

The Perceived Advantages Of Centralized And Decentralized Approaches To University Fundraising Programs, Michael T. Miller, G. David Gearhart

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Fundraising in higher education has continued to grow in importance, providing critical resources to the operation of colleges and universities. With such importance, college leaders must work to identify the most effective and efficient ways to organize their fundraising efforts. Sustained dialogue among these college leaders has been whether it is more effective and efficient to centralize fundraising efforts on a campus with a singular reporting line, or whether a decentralized approach provides better connection with potential benefactors. The purpose for conducting the current study was to identify the agreement of senior development officers regarding the benefits of centralized and …

How They See It: Employer Perceptions Of Online Versus Traditional Learning At The Graduate Level, Cessna Winslow, Logan Allen

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This study is part of a larger dissertation study that explored perceptions of Public Relations (PR) among graduate higher education publics regarding distance learning as contrasted with face-to-face learning contexts. Today, online degrees are seen as inferior to traditional, face-to-face classroom degrees, and because one primary goal of obtaining a higher education degree is to receive gainful employment, this portion of the dissertation study assessed employer perceptions of online versus traditional education at the graduate level. Human resource administrators from educational establishments who had experience hiring people with graduate education degrees were interviewed. The findings of this study indicate that …

Lifelong Learning Through A Higher Education Lens, Roger Mitch Nasser, Holly Karraker

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Higher education administrators and faculty often cite lifelong learning as a central focus. In fact, many institutions include lifelong learning in their student outcomes or mission statements. However, few may actually define what lifelong learning means as a construct. Research has suggested lifelong learning is a skill developed over time (Knapper & Cropley, 2000) which leads to self-directed development in the years following graduation (Candy, 1995). While researchers may agree lifelong learning is a skill, there appears to be a lack of literature explaining how higher education faculty may develop this skill in students. The following discussion will attempt to …

Applying An Andragogical Approach To Foster Lifelong Self-Directed Learning In The 21st Century Higher Education Classroom Settings, Suwithida Charungkaittikul, John Henschke

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The relationship between adult learning and self-directed learning (SDL) is a topic worth exploring on both theoretical and practical grounds. It is essential to provide a nourishing and encouraging environment for fostering self-directedness in adult learners. This will allow adult students to actively take responsibility for their own continuing lifelong learning. This study aims to explore the practical application of Andragogy as an overarching instructional element for fostering self-directed learning in the higher education classroom setting. We examine the role of self-directed learning in adult education; explore the implementation of the andragogical approach; and propose strategies to foster more sustainable …

International Higher Education As Catalyst For Social Change, Fay Patel

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Developing cultural awareness and competence among learners and employees has been a topic of concern and challenge in higher education for several decades. The general focus in many organizations, including higher education, is on the development of cultural awareness and competencies with a general focus on intercultural communication and cultural diversity training. The paper revisits the notions of cultural awareness and competency development initiatives reframing them within a critical perspective seeking socially responsible actions for social change. It introduces and clarifies global community building, glocalization, social responsibility and justice as requisites for social change. Finally, recommendations are made to ensure …

Tenure: A Communal Privilege For Service, Not An Individual Privilege For Research, Steven Kessler

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Tenure is commonly understood as a privilege earned by individuals in higher education guaranteeing a lifetime appointment barring gross negligence. To individuals outside of higher education, the tenure process is less clear. Contemporary tenure is earned today largely for research and teaching with the heaviest emphasis on research. The third leg of tenure, service, is often neglected or discouraged in the rewards structure. While this information is widely known in higher education, the irony of this system is not. This paper aims to explore higher education’s historical roots as a medieval corporation in explaining the origins of tenure. Tenure originally …

The Adult Student In Higher Education And Training, Kathlee Despain-Rogers

Theses

This thesis will focus on the needs of the adult or nontraditional student. An in-depth look at bow non-traditional students came to be and how higher education is accommodating them today and tomorrow.

Before 1944, adult students were not commonplace on college campuses. At that time even high school graduation was a rare achievement. However, The Servicemen's (and women's) Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as "The GI Bill," changed all that. The Act provided many benefits but it is best known for giving former soldiers, both male and female, a chance at a college education or a degree from …