Education Commons^™

Determining Return On Investment For Professional Development In Public Education: A Model, Michael F. Kosloski, Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Return on investment with respect to employee training is a growing phenomenon in business and industry, as understanding the impact of training on an organization is often not enough. Public educational systems also spend a significant amount of resources on professional development. However, because education is a non-revenue generating industry, rarely do we analyze return on investment in the educational sector. This article examines return on investment for public school teacher training and professional development. While this model was developed for a specific school system and software, the model outlined below may be used by administrators in many non-profit or …

Implementing An Enterprise Information System To Reengineer And Streamline Administrative Processes In A Distance Learning Unit, M'Hammed Abdous, Wu He

Distance Learning Faculty & Staff Publications

During the past three years, we have developed and implemented an enterprise information system (EIS) to reengineer and facilitate the administrative process for preparing and teaching distance learning courses in a midsized-to-large university (with 23,000 students). The outcome of the implementation has been a streamlined and efficient process which has delivered higher faculty satisfaction at a substantial cost reduction. In this paper, we propose a new conceptual and operational framework for process reengineering (PR) in higher education institutions. We also share our practical experience gained while designing, developing, and integrating three subsystems into an EIS. We hope that our experience, …

Successful Community College Alumni Programs, Monica S. Boyd, Mitchell R. Williams, Kevin Pennington

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

As state funding for community colleges continues not to keep pace with programming needs, more community colleges are taking the initiative to seek funding from private sources. Four-year colleges and universities have long used alumni programs as major outside sources of funding. Since a high percentage of today's students embark on their higher education experience at the community college, it is natural for more two-year institutions to begin alumni programs. Based on in-depth interviews with directors of successful community college alumni programs, this article suggests "best practices" for community colleges that are considering the development of an alumni program. It …

The Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner At The Master's-Degree Level: Is It Necessary?, Michele Leonardi Darby

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

The article reflects on the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP) curriculum proposed by the American Dental Hygienists' Association at the master's degree level. It is stated that dental hygienists and ADHPs can collaborate with other health care professionals for contributing towards the advancement of quality health care to the most vulnerable populations. It is mentioned that preparation at the master's degree is a logical pathway to the expanded scope of practice.

Sharon M. Draper: Reaching Reluctant Readers, Kaavonia Hinton-Johnson

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Virtual Coaching For Novice Teachers, Marcia L. Rock, Madeleine Gregg, Robert A. Gable, Naomi P. Zigmond

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Virtual bug-in-the-ear technology presents one tool that allows practitioners and university educators can use to attract, prepare, and retain high-quality teachers. The experience of Project TEEACH based at the University of Alabama suggests that simple technology tools could be used effectively to support teachers through their most challenging instructional situations. Such coaching provides the kind of at-the-elbow support that can be most beneficial to young teachers.

Curricular Satisfaction Levels Of National Athletic Trainers' Association- Accredited Postprofessional Athletic Training Graduates, Kevin J. Henry, Bonnie Van Lunen, Brian Udermann, James A. Onate

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Academic programs rely on outcomes assessments to determine if changes in the curriculum are necessary.

Objective: To examine the overall satisfaction levels of graduates (2005-2006) of National Athletic Trainers' Association-accredited postprofessional athletic training education programs as related to the 2002 Standards and Guidelines for Development and Implementation of NATA-Accredited PostProfessional Graduate Athletic Training Education Programs.

Design: Original survey instrument and demographic questionnaire.

Setting: Online survey instrument.

Patients or Other Participants: Of 211 survey recipients, 123 returned surveys (58.29% response rate).

Main Outcome Measure(s): Demographic information and satisfaction levels in 10 standard areas (depth of learning, breadth of learning, critical …

Biomedical Technology: Supporting Movement, Petros Katsioloudis

STEMPS Faculty Publications

According to the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, an estimated 8.5 million children 21 years and younger have a disability (Jans & Stoddard, 1999). After about a decade, with the development of new and sophisticated materials (aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, and carbon fibers) and the integration of electronics, it was then possible to significantly improve the performance of prostheses, built with the so-called endo skeletal (or skeletal-modular) method (Mora, Beratni & Pedrotti, 2006).

Bringing "Abnormal" Discourse Into The Classroom, Virginia M. Tucker

English Faculty Publications

Assuming student discourse is prone to error, teachers have long implemented rules that ensure "safe" discourse, particularly in composition instruction. My fifth grade teacher taught me to place a comma in a sentence whenever I take a breath rather than teaching me the language of comma rules. To my dismay, many of my first-year composition students raise their hands in agreement that they too have been taught to place a comma wherever their lungs suggest. These students learn to call independent clauses a complete sentence, and to them an ellipsis is merely “dot, dot, dot.” In an attempt to reach …

Enhancing The Collection Process For The Delphi Technique, Petros Katsioloudis, John Brocato (Ed.)

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a process that enhances the data collection process for a Delphi technique. The approach consists of online platforms to expedite the process and reinforce the validity of the Delphi technique. The context of the study was the identification of quality indicators for visual-based learning material development for Technology Education programs for grades 7-12.

Discovery Of The Depths, Petros J. Katsioloudis

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Throughout history the oceans have directly or indirectly influenced humans. The importance of knowing how to protect this valuable resource and insure it for future generations is vital. Underwater Vehicles are tools essential for this process, and therefore research and development to perfect these devices is needed. However, the main goal of these devices--to transmit images from places where humans cannot go--remains the same, and their importance to future discoveries remains vital. This article discusses the different types of underwater vehicles and describes an activity wherein students will fabricate an underwater remotely operated vehicle.

Detection And Assessment Of Quality Indicators Of Visual Based Learning Material In Engineering Education Programs For Grades 7-12, Petros Katsioloudis

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to detect the quality indicators of visual-based learning material in technology education for grades 7-12. A three-round modified Delphi method was used to answer the following research questions: RQ1: What indicators should quality visual-based learning material in technology education have to be effective and efficient in transmitting information for grades 7-12? RQ2: What are the indicators of the learner’s characteristics that impact the selection of visual-based learning material in technology education for grades 7-12?

Energy From The Skies: Empowering Future Generations, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Stella Bondi, Walter F. Deal

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article discusses the development of photovoltaic technology. The first account of the use of solar power during war in western civilization was in the second century B.C. during the battle of Syracuse with Archimedes' famed Death Ray. In the late 1800s and early 1900s many advances occurred including the invention of solar-powered engines, the discovery of the photoconductivity of selenium and its ability to produce electricity when exposed to light, and the construction of the first solar cells from selenium wafers. Photovoltaic technology was born in the U.S. in 1954 when Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson developed …

Water Treatment: Keeping It Pure, Petros Katsioloudis

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article discusses the importance of water treatment in providing quality and safe drinking water. A historical background of the U.S. federal regulation of drinking water quality is presented. It was found by the Public Health Service in 1969 that only 60 percent of the systems surveyed delivered water that met all the Public Health Service standards. Filtration and chlorination are also cited as an effective treatment techniques for protecting U.S. water supplies from harmful microbes. An overview of the process of water treatment is presented.

A New Generation Of Goals For Technology Education, John M. Ritz

STEMPS Faculty Publications

[Introduction, First paragraph]

To develop meaningful instructional programs for technology education, goals need to be in place to direct the outcomes of curriculum development and teaching. Goals are program terminal outcomes that focus curriculum writers or teachers who structure content for learners. Goals provide direction so content can be delivered for long-term impact to students who study the subject. They go beyond everyday teaching objectives; they are directed at long-term learning and programmatic outcomes.

Teaching Social And Emotional Competence In Early Childhood, Rita Coombs Richardson, Steve P. Myran, Steve Tonelson

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the impact of a social skills curriculum on the social behaviors of students in two pre-kindergarten classrooms. Participating were 30 students in a program based at a university child study center. The average age of the participants was four years ten months. The income levels of the families varied from low social economic status to high middle economic status. Two examiners independently completed the Social Skills and Attitude Scale (SSAS) for each child. The examiners observed the children and recorded children's pre and post intervention behaviors on a checklist. The study yielded positive evidence that the social …

See Me, Hear Me, Coach Me, Marcia L. Rock, Madeleine Gregg, Pamela W. Howard, Donna M. Ploessl, Sharron Maughn, Robert A. Gable, Naomi P. Zigmond

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The writers describe the implementation of virtual coaching for teachers in Alabama and Pennsylvania. They describe use of bug-in-ear devices, revolutionized by Internet and mobile technology advances, to provide on-the-spot feedback as teachers deliver instruction. They outline lessons learned from virtual coaching initiatives and present research results showing the positive impact of this approach on both teachers and students. They also provide advice for those using this approach on making contact and providing feedback.

An Assessment Of Burnout In Undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program Directors, Jessica M. Walter, Bonnie L. Van Lunen, Stacy E. Walker, Zahra C. Ismaeli

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Athletic training education program directors (ATEPDs) often manage their time among students, program administration, and patient care.

Objective: To assess the level of burnout in ATEPDs and to determine the relationship between burnout and various demographics of ATEPDs.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Public and private colleges and universities nationwide.

Patients or Other Participants: Two hundred forty-nine ATEPDs of undergraduate athletic training education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

Intervention(s): We administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to all participants.

Main Outcome Measure(s): The MBI consisted of 21 items assessing 3 characteristics of burnout: emotional …

A Comparison Of Instructional Delivery Methods Based On Student Evaluation Data, John Hackworth, Carol Considine, Vernon Lewis

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Distance Education is an increasingly common educational delivery method. At Old Dominion University, all junior and senior level engineering technology courses are offered via distance education at least once every two years. A majority of courses in the distance education system at this university have three simultaneous delivery methods: on-campus, televised (receiving the course at an off-campus site via satellite video/audio), and internet-based video-streamed.

This paper explores the results of student course evaluation surveys for trends, in particular those trends which can be a result of the mode of delivery. Results of these surveys for 23 courses over a 4-year …

Addressing The Principles For School Mathematics: A Case Study Of Elementary Teachers Pedagogy And Practices In An Urban High-Poverty School, Robert Q. Berry, Linda Bol, Sueanne E. Mckinney

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

The extent to which four novice teachers assigned to an urban high-poverty school implemented the Principles of School Mathematics during their mathematics instruction program was investigated using a case study design. The research team conducted 36 unannounced observations of the participating teachers and utilized a developed assessment to guide their observations. Results indicated that only one teacher was judged proficient for all the principles. The remaining three teachers fell short in the implementation and direction of the principles. Detailed descriptions of the pedagogical practices of the teachers are provided.

Community College Online Course Retention And Final Grade: Predictability Of Social Presence, Simon Y. Liu, Joel Gomez, Cherng-Jyh Yen

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

This study employed a quantitative research design to examine the predictive relationships between social presence and course retention as well as final grade in community college online courses. Social presence is defined as the degree of one's feeling, perception and reaction to another intellectual entity in the online environment. Course final grades included A, B. C, D, F, I, or W. Course retention was defined as successfully completed a course with an A to C grade. The results of the binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses suggest that social presence is a significant predictor of course retention and final grade …

An Examination Of The Use Of Portfolios For Faculty Evaluation At Community Colleges, Becky Sain, Mitchell R. Williams

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

This study provides community college leaders with insights regarding how administrators and faculty members perceive faculty portfolios as an evaluation tool in two-year colleges. Utilizing a qualitative design, this study focused on perceptions of administrators and faculty members regarding the use of portfolios as the primary instrument for faculty evaluation. Overall, faculty and administrators found portfolios useful when the process encouraged and allowed for faculty self-reflection and honest feedback from administrators.