Education Commons^™

Faculty Perceptions Of Readiness And Confidence For Teaching Online: An Evaluation Of Online Professional Development, Kevin Brent Forman

Theses and Dissertations

Regardless of how prepared faculty were to teach online classes, the COVID-19 pandemic forced leaders of universities and colleges and faculty nationwide to pivot to emergency remote teaching and forced students to take online classes. To prepare faculty for the shift to online instruction, administrators in colleges and universities provided resources, such as online trainings, to orient less experienced instructors to principles of online education. The Online Pedagogy Program (OPP) at Midwest Community College was developed quickly in response to the need for urgent training in effective online instruction. After 300 faculty completed the training, an evaluation of the Online …

Uniquely Persistent: Examining The Experiences Of Undergraduate Students Who Attend Multiple Institutions, Susannah Waldrop

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s college student has a wide variety of enrollment choices and is increasingly choosing different routes to degree completion. The purpose of this research is to understand the experiences of students who attend multiple universities (more than two) during their undergraduate enrollment to better understand the reasons behind their decisions. Nine students participated and shared their college journey. Using narrative inquiry to analyze their interviews, their unique stories through higher education unfold and provide insight into how these students could be better helped on campus. Schlossberg’s (1981, 1984, 2011) transition theory and the 4 S System provided a theoretical framework …

An Evaluation Of The Impact Of Academic Policies And Athletic Procedures For Student Athletes, Seanta Cleveland

Theses and Dissertations

The current study is an evaluation of the ways academic policies and athletic procedures can impact learning for student athletes as inconsistent practices regarding athletic travel and make-up work can have negative effects on learning for student athletes. A total of 11 participants (i.e., 8 student athletes, 3 faculty members) participated in this qualitative phenomenological study. Chickering’s student development theory and Kolb’s learning theory framed the current inquiry into (1) the needs of student athletes and the ways they process important information (e.g., policies and procedures) and (2) related faculty guidance, student affairs, and the governing body for athletics, practices, …

A Project-Based Learning Approach To Community-Based Learning: Action Research To Explore Transformative Change In 1st Year Occupational Therapy Students’ Awareness About Contextual Barriers, Occupational Justice, And Advocating For Community Health And Wellness, Patricia Ann Wisniewski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing reflexive photography as a means for a transformative community-based learning (CBL) experience. CBL is an experiential teaching pedagogy that helps prepare college students for a rapidly changing and diverse society that fosters social, health, and cultural awareness about individuals and populations. Students engage collaboratively within the local community to help solve societal problems.

This study focused on three research questions, each exploring how a reflexive photography project (RPP): (a) changes how students view occupational justice, (b) influences students awareness about contextual barriers that may impact community residents …

Fighting For The Users: Using Action Research To Examine The Impact Of Sustained Dialogue Through Effective Instructor Feedback On Student Satisfaction In An Online Undergraduate Course: A Dissertation In Practice, Timothy Paul Lombardo

Theses and Dissertations

As online courses continue to gain popularity in higher education, there is a need to ensure instructors are providing effective instructional feedback. Research in the theory of transactional distance points out the impact instructor interaction has on student satisfaction in courses. One way to address this is through high amounts of dialogue, feedback in this study. Throughout my years of teaching an online undergraduate course, students have continually reported in course evaluations the existence of a miscommunication gap. However, specific details around this request have been minimal. The purpose of this qualitative, action research study was to examine the impact …

The Experience Of Muslim Migrant Students In Armenian, German And French Institutions Of Higher Education, Siranush Chubaryan

Theses and Dissertations

Migrant students from Muslim backgrounds constitute a minority in Armenia, France and Germany. This study, conducted in 2014, explored the influence of higher education on the civic and social integration of migrant students from Muslim backgrounds into French, German and Armenian societies. The present research sought to understand whether and how the social and religious identities of migrant students from Muslim backgrounds changed while trying to integrate into the society of their respective European host countries. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with nine migrant student-participants from Muslim backgrounds and post-interview reflections on responses written by student participants were the main methods of …

Undocumented Students In Higher Education: How Liminal Legality Influences The College Experience, Michelle Simon

Theses and Dissertations

Undocumented students’ pursuit of higher education mirrors in many ways the path of traditional American students. However, there are policies in place that create barriers unique to undocumented students. While the policies directly influence these students’ educational plans, their emotional states are influenced as well. This paper will explore the policies that have had historical impacts on undocumented students’ access to higher education. Through interviews with students at universities in the southeast region of the United States, this paper will identify the impact these policies have on students’ educational pursuits. The hope is that this paper will serve as a …