Education Commons^™

A Rough Guide To Interdisciplinarity: Graduate Student Perspectives, Jessica K. Graybill, Sarah Dooling, Vivek Shandas, John Withey, Adrienne I. Greve, Gregory L. Simon

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

A widely held belief is that only through interdisciplinarity can academics effectively address today's complex ecological problems, because these problems demand cross-disciplinary efforts and specialized knowledge from natural and social scientists. Innovative interdisciplinary research and curricula have been created to train a new generation of scientists to engage with complex issues. It seems critical that those most affected by interdisciplinary education—doctoral students—provide feedback about such innovations. Without understanding students' experiences in interdisciplinary programs, faculty will not know whether they are "getting it right" for future generations of interdisciplinarians. From our experiences as doctoral students, we provide reflections and perspectives on …

The Impact Of Research Centers On Faculty Work Life, Sarah A. Bunton, William T. Mallon

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research centers are a common mechanism for facilitating scientific work in medical schools, but little is known about how faculty operate in these milieux. Given that centers and institutes span the boundaries of traditional departments, center-affiliated faculty members can find themselves with two ties to the medical school— one through their academic department and one through the research center. Some commentators have asserted that this fluidity of faculty roles and allegiances produces positive benefits while others have argued the opposite. This Analysis in Brief examines the impact of organized research centers on faculty productivity and work life. We administered the …

The Challenges International Students Face In Adjusting To Their New Status As Graduate Students: An Exploratory Case Study, Vincent Womujuni

Dissertations and Theses

Over the last several years, the number of international students attending colleges and universities in the United States has increased substantially. While considerable time, effort, and university resources are often devoted to the recruitment of international students, it is unclear how well institutions are meeting the needs of these students. This growing number of international students requires foreign exchange professionals and university administrators to better understand the reasons why international students pursue higher education in the United States and the challenges they face.

This exploratory case study is to examine the challenges international graduate students encounter in adjusting to their …

The Pedagogy Of Oppression: A Brief Look At The ‘No Child Left Behind’, Ramin Farahmandpur, Peter Mclaren

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Discusses the educational policies of the No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2001 in the U.S. Improvement in performance of schools required by the law; Factors that led to the implementation of the law; Causes of underachievement among students of color; Effect of the trend towards standardized curriculum and testing on working-class students and students of color; Removal of obstacles to the recruitment of high school students in the military.

Recent Trends In Basic Science Department Reorganizations, Sarah A. Bunton

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

The past several decades have seen a rapid and profound expansion of knowledge within the biomedical sciences. Achievements in molecular biology, human genetics, and neuroscience, among others, have contributed to the realization that the complexity of science now lends itself to interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts. This transformation of biomedical science has led to questions regarding the organization of academic departments in U.S. medical schools around traditional basic science disciplines. Some have proposed that the discipline-based department impedes scientific progress and a new structure that breaks down boundaries is needed. Others believe that traditional basic science departments continue to foster valuable …

Children’S Perceptions Of The Learning Environment And Aesthetic Qualities Within Their Classroom, Sheryl Reinisch

Dissertations and Theses

Primary grade children spend considerable time in elementary school classrooms. The learning environment can play a powerful role in the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development of a child (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). The aesthetic dimension is particularly intriguing. Studies positively link the condition of schools to student achievement and behavior (Earthman, Cash, & Van Berkum, 1995; Yarbrough, 2001). Educational literature often addresses the topic of learning environments; however, a key ingredient seems to be missing, the voices of children. If children are spending so much time in these settings, what do they notice? This study addresses the fundamental …

Exploring Interethnic Dialogue Design, Stephen Hiroshi Gilchrist

Dissertations and Theses

Dialogue is a process that can help change the culture of our organizations and communities to better respond to interpersonal and intergroup conflict. Dialogue brings people together, in a safe environment, to reflect on and transform their assumptions that are often the root cause of conflict. Deepening the understanding of interethnic dialogue and conflict resolution can have a significant effect, not only in our organizations and local communities, but in helping create a strong and vibrant democracy.

Many organizations across the United States are currently involved in organizing interethnic dialogues. Each organization has developed a unique approach to the design …

From "Sit And Listen" Of "Shake It Out Yourself" : Helping Urban Middle School Students To Bridge Personal Knowledge To Scientific Knowledge Through A Collaborative Environmental Justice Curriculum, Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh

Dissertations and Theses

Science education and environmental education are not meeting the needs of marginalized communities such as urban, minority, and poor communities (Seller, 2001; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 1996). There exists an equity gap characterized by the racial and socioeconomic disparities in: levels of participation in scientific and environmental careers and environmental organizations (Lewis & James, 1995; Sheppard, 1995), access to appropriate environmental education programs (U.S. EPA, 1996), exposure to environmental toxins (Bullard, 1993), access to environmental amenities and legal protections (Bullard, 1993), and in grades and standardized test scores in K-12 science (Jencks & Phillips, 1998; Johnston & Viadero, 2000). …

Association Of Course Performance With Student Beliefs: An Analysis By Gender And Instructional Software Environment, J. Richard Alldredge, Gary R. Brown

Office of Academic Innovation Publications

The effect of educational technologies on learning is an area of active interest. We conducted an experiment to compare the impact of instructional software on student performance. We hypothesize that some of the impact on student performance may reflect the influence of the technology on student subject-related beliefs and that those beliefs may differ by gender. We desired to assess how course performance may be associated with student beliefs, and how the association may differ depending on instructional software environment and gender.

Unfinished Journeys : Elder Learners In An Assisted Living Facility, Suzanne RenéE Simon

Dissertations and Theses

While multiple learning opportunities exist as the aging experience unfolds, elders facing some of the most complex physical and emotional challenges are often perceived as "too old to learn." For those living in long-term care facilities (LTC), lack of consideration as learners hinders numerous opportunities for growth. However, within the contexts of aging and learning, an attempt to understand elders as becoming and conceptualize them as learners might better serve their experience in long-term care.

The purpose of this study was to record notions about learning by capturing individual voices and shared meanings of a group of assisted living facility …

School Counselor Confidence Designing And Implementing A Measure: Experiences From Washington State, Tina M. Anctil, Todd E. Johnson

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Overview of a study that was conducted at the WSU School Counseling Summit, Spring 2005. Participants designed a MEASURE to be implemented in the 2005-2006 school year. This presentation discusses the results.

The Early Years: A City Club Report On The Care And Education Of Children From Birth To Age Five, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.), Bethany Wurtz, Julie Young

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

University Studies Annual Assessment 2005-2006, Portland State University. University Studies Program

University Studies Annual Assessment Reports

Annual in-depth examination and assessment of Portland State University's general education model, the University Studies Program. The tools and methods used to assess student learning are faculty driven and developed.

Online Student Evaluations And Response Rates Reconsidered, Joan Anderson, Gary R. Brown, Stephen Spaeth

Office of Academic Innovation Publications

In what follows we provide an overview of the reasons why the evaluation process has failed to elicit sufficient involvement from students and instructors as well as the ways in which an online format can help address these problems. We then offer the results of an ad hoc study in which student response rates to an online evaluation tool were measured and assessed at a particular institution in order to determine the factors that influence participation, engagement, and perceived relevance.

Nesting Like Birds, Teaching Like Spiders: Emerging Visions In U.S. Higher Education For Biocultural Sustainability And Ecological Literacy Education, Ariana Marta Francesca Kramer

Dissertations and Theses

Sustainability education is a growing field still being defined. It draws from environmental education, but includes social justice and economic equity alongside environmental health. International efforts to define the parameters of sustainability education at the university level have called for interdisciplinary approaches that emphasize culture. However, in the United States most programs concerned with sustainability follow in the footsteps of environmental studies with a focus on science and public policy.

Seven interdisciplinary master's programs in sustainability education were reviewed as potential models for how the larger university system might approach teaching for sustainability. Document analysis was used to compare program …

Engineering Education Through Service-Learning In Developing Communities: Two Case Studies, Evan A. Thomas, Andrew Azman

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper provides case studies of two service learning projects that University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder) students are integrating into their academic experience. The projects focus on developing communities and are managed under the auspices of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA), a group founded by Dr. Bernard Amadei, Professor of Civil Engineering at CU-Boulder. These projects expand students? understanding of the social value of their chosen profession, and expose them to a type of engineering significantly different than what is presented in most of their classes. Specifically, focusing on developing communities provides students with the opportunity to design solutions to …

African American Parents In The Search Stage Of College Choice: Unintentional Contributions To The Female To Male College Enrollment Gap, Michael J. Smith, Michael Fleming

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

A serious imbalance exists in today’s African American undergraduate student population where women far outnumber men. Although at the macro level political, sociological, and economic forces frame this gender enrollment gap, scant research has explored micro level influences such as parents and parenting. This study uses a qualitative methodology and Hossler’s model of college choice to examine African American parent involvement during the search stage. The study found that the parents, who were mostly female, had higher aspirations for daughters, encouraged daughters to consider four-year colleges more often, but showed equal levels of tangible support for sons and daughters. The …

Fundamentals For Student Success In The Middle Grades, Mike Muir, Vincent A. Anfara Jr., P. Gayle Andrews, Micki M. Caskey, Steven B. Mertens, David Hough

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

Determining how to provide the best education possible for young adolescents begins with the answers to three essential questions: Who are young adolescents? What do we know about them, their abilities, interests and strengths? Based on what we know about young adolescents, what should schools do to provide a quality education for each and every student? And finally, is there evidence that these recommended practices improve student achievement? How do we know programs and practices designed specifically with young adolescents in mind make a difference? To answer these questions, we will first outline some of the developmental characteristics of young …

Using Student Generated Qualitative Ecological Models, J. Scott Blackwood, Marion Dresner, Hang-Kwang Luh

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this activity, students construct qualitative models of an ecosystem and use the models to gain a better understanding of direct and indirect ecological interactions. Qualitative modeling is described for use in two procedures, each with different educational goals and student backgrounds in mind. Part 1 is designed with the non-major or beginning ecology student in mind, and is intended both to improve student understanding of the ecosystem of interest and to provide a framework for the instructor to assess student learning. Part 2 is designed for more advanced students of ecology and involves the use of modeling software (POWERPLAY) …