Education Commons^™

Why Did They Come Here? - The Influences And Expectations Of First-Year Students’ College Experience, Louis S. Nadelson, Carrie Semmelroth, Gregory Martinez, Matthew Featherstone, Casey Alexander Fuhriman, Andrew Sell

Carrie Semmelroth

Students’ expectations and experiences with university life are influenced by a number of variables. Many universities develop programs or promote aspects of existing programs to market the university’s image. This research was motivated by our desire to determine the relationships between first-year students’ college expectations and experiences, their awareness of the university’s programming and projected image, the influence of the programming and image on their decision to attend the institution, and the students’ personal characteristics. Our survey of 351 first-year students revealed positive perceptions of their university expectations and experiences, a mixture of influences on their decision to attend the …

Common Core In The Commonwealth: A Research Imperative For Kentucky Communication Scholars, Michael G. Strawser

Michael G Strawser

As Communication scholars we must sharpen our instructional focus, identify our learning outcomes, and build the argument that Communication education has significant interdisciplinary implications in K-12 curricula. The Common Core State Standards emphasize communication, specifically public speaking and listening in K-12 learner outcomes and the Commonwealth of Kentucky was the first state to adopt the Common Core Standards. This position paper establishes a broad framework for research and advocacy opportunities to develop the connection between the interdisciplinary implications surrounding K-12 Communication education, the Common Core, and relationships to current standards. This essay offers a foundation for Communication scholars seeking a …

Variations On A Theme: As Needs Change, New Models Of Critical Friends Groups Emerge, Kevin Fahey, Jacy Ippolito

Jacy Ippolito

Investigating Foreign Language Curriculum Planning, Design And Development In Portuguese Higher Education Institutions (Phd Thesis Proposal [Ppt Presentation]), Kerwin A. Livingstone

Kerwin A. Livingstone

The State Of Human-Animal Studies, Kenneth Shapiro, Margo Demello

Margo DeMello, PhD

The growth of human-animal studies (HAS) over the past twenty years can be seen in the explosion of new books, journals, conferences, organizations, college programs, listserves, and courses, both in the United States and throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. We look as well at trends in the field, including the increasing popularity of animal-assisted therapy programs, the rise of new fields like trans-species psychology and critical animal studies, and the importance of animal welfare science. We also discuss the problems continuing to face the field, including the conservative culture of universities, the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the …

The Effects Of A Summer Camp Program In China On Children’S Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Toward Animals: A Model For Conservation Education, Sarah M. Bexell, Olga S. Jarrett, Xu Ping

Sarah M. Bexell, PhD

This summative evaluation, conducted in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, studied whether participation in a conservation education camp positively changed 8–12-year-old children’s (a) knowledge of how to protect animals, (b) care about animals, (c) propensity for environmental and wildlife stewardship, and (d) compassionate behavior toward animals and nature. Influenced by conservation psychology, social learning theory, empathy and moral development, constructivism, and conservation biology, 5-day overnight camps were conducted at 2 zoological institutions. Activities were designed to help children form bonds with animals and care enough to positively change their behavior toward animals and nature. Mixed methods, using pre- and post-visit surveys, …

Moral Development Of Undergraduate Business Students: Online Vs. Residential Programs, Kevin L. Rawls

Kevin L. Rawls

Research related to moral reasoning and development has been increasing over the past decade as a result of the business-related scandals of the early 2000’s. Education has been shown to have a strong correlation to the moral development of individuals. Additionally, the rise in online learning has brought a new dynamic to the cognitive moral development of future business leaders. The problem addressed in this study is how an online program impacts the moral reasoning development of undergraduate business students. This study issued the DIT survey to senior-level undergraduate students declared as business majors from a face-to-face and online format …

Ec86-1548 Common Insect Pests Of Trees In The Great Plains, Mary Ellen Dix, Judith E. Pasek, Mark O. Harrell, Frederick P. Baxendale

Judith E Pasek

This publication was developed by entomologists on the Pest Management Task Force of the Great Plains Agricultural Council Forestry Committee to provide the public and professionals with information needed to identify and manage common insect pests of trees in the Great Plains. It is designed for those with no formal training in entomology and is not intended to summarize everything known about a particular insect.

E-Book Acceptance Among Undergraduate Students: A Look At The Moderating Role Of Technology Innovativeness, Madison Ngafeeson, Jun Sun

Madison Ngafeeson

This paper utilizes the technology acceptance model (TAM) to uncover the moderating roles of technology innovativeness. A study of 158 undergraduate students revealed that the original TAM constructs and relationships were reliable, supported, and applicable in the measurement of e-book acceptance. Interestingly, personal technology innovativeness was found to moderate in a significant way, the relationship between behavioral intention to use e-book and actual usage of e-book. These findings suggest that while individuals who are more open to technology (adopters) as well as less technologically innovative individuals (late adopters and non-adopters) are likely to have the intention to use web-based instructional …

Using Inquiry-Based Teaching And Kids Inquiry Conferences To Strengthen Elementary Science Instruction And To Encourage More Students To Pursue Science Careers, Paula A. Magee, Ryan Flessner

Ryan Flessner

For the past 20 years, there has been a push to improve the teaching and learning of science in elementary schools. One strong reason for this was the release of the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996). The Standards articulated not only what K-12 students should know (science content standards), but also how science teachers needed to teach (teaching standards) and be continuously supported (professional development standards). The Standards also considered ways to support inquiry-based and meaningful science learning for K-12 students (program and system standards). According to the NRC, one ot:·the four reasons underpinning all of this is because …

In Search Of The Wind-Band: An International Expedition, Daniel Rager

Dan Rager

In Search of the Wind-Band: An International Expedition is a new interactive E-book, exploring 16 countries.

The first-of-a-kind, interactive encyclopedic e-book uses text, video, mp3 and pdf files to bring the history and development of the wind-band to life.

1. Overture: What Constitutes a Wind Band? - 2. Introduction to European History and Development - 3. Historical Homogeneous Wind-Bands - 4. American Wind Music - 5. Denmark Wind Music - 6. Finnish Wind Music - 7. Industry Wind Bands - 8. Ireland Wind Music - 9. Japanese Wind Music - 10. Mexican Wind Music - 11. Native American Indian Wind …

Video Creation Tools For Language Learning: Lessons Learned, Vickie Marre Karasic, Anu Vedantham

Vickie M Karasic

Video creation tools—from Skype to PowerPoint to iMovie—have become increasingly popular conduits for foreign language teaching and learning. In flipped-classroom and blended-learning models, video enables faculty to move routine language concepts (i.e., grammar and vocabulary) outside the classroom, leaving more in-class time for live engagement with teacher and classmates. This chapter discusses lessons learned and new data collected at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries’ Weigle Information Commons on video’s effectiveness in various language learning contexts. Data collected includes reflections on several years of course observations, interviews with language faculty members, and a campus-wide survey to gauge student perspectives on video’s …

Understanding Community Voices As A Force In Teacher Education, Ryan Flessner, Paula A. Magee

Ryan Flessner

Ryan Flessner and Paula Magee's contribution to "Flessner, R., Miller, G. R., Patrizio, K. M., & Horwitz, J. R. (Eds.). (2012). Agency through teacher education: Reflection, community, and learning. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education."

Course, Counselor, And Teacher Gaps: Addressing The College Readiness Challenge In High-Poverty High Schools, Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant

Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant

More than half of all public school children live in low-income families. As the number of poor children has risen, so has the number of children who attend high-poverty schools. According to 2012 data, the most recent available, 1 in 5 children attend a school where at least 75 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—up from 12 percent just 12 years ago. Concentrated poverty is most prevalent in urban areas, where 34 percent of students attend high-poverty schools. Given the racial/ethnic makeup of our nation's urban centers, many of these students are children of color.Students in high-poverty …

“Analyze, Acquire, Apply, And Write” As A New Learning Model In Science, Jeong Choe

Jeong Choe

I have developed a new teaching and learning model called AAAW, which stand for Analyze, Acquire, Apply and Write. This model grows from action research and unique experience in teaching a biochemistry course to high school students who are talented in math and science. In this model, students first "Analyze" lab data to generate questions that lead them to "Acquire" background knowledge. Students then go back to the data and "Apply" their new knowledge to better understand the data. Finally, students "Write" about the connections they make from their reading, data analysis, and application of the data. The rationale behind …

Building Support For The Introductory Oral Communication Course: Strategies For Widespread And Enduring Support On Campus, Jon A. Hess

Jonathan A. Hess

A strong introductory course is important for many communication departments, for the discipline, and for meeting our obligation to society. This paper utilizes the example of a recent curricular reform that threatened to eliminate a required oral communication course to reflect on strategies departments can use to build widespread and lasting support for the course. The paper reviews the events that led to the challenge and details the department’s response, which offers lessons that may be useful for other institutions. Four lessons include: * Tailoring the introductory course to the institution’s needs and mission * Involvement in university work * …

Making Oral Communication A Successful Part Of The Common Core, Jon A. Hess

Jonathan A. Hess

Adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represents the first time that oral communication has been included in the curriculum requirements for K–12 education in many states. If done well, this change will provide important benefits to students. However, effective implementation will require collaboration among policymakers, educators, and experts in oral communication. As educators work to strengthen primary and secondary education in the United States, many agree that schools need educational standards that are grounded in today’s needs and shared across states. The CCSS have emerged as a potential solution, and the majority of states have adopted these standards. …

Breathing Life Into Information Literacy Skills: Results Of A Faculty-Librarian Collaboration, Divonna M. Stebick, Janelle L. Wertzberger, Margaret E. Flora, Joseph W. Miller

Janelle Wertzberger

When an education professor and a reference librarian sought to improve the quality of undergraduate student research, their partnership led to a new focus on assessing the research process in addition to the product. In this study, we reflect on our collaborative experience introducing information literacy as the foundation for undergraduate teacher education research. We examine the outcomes of this collaboration, focusing on the assessment of the process. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that direct instruction supporting effective research strategies positively impacted student projects. Our data also suggest that undergraduate students benefit from not only sound research strategies, …

Session A-3: Personalized Learning With Ementoring, Carl Heine, Jacki Naughton

Carl Heine

Discover effective ways to bring together high school students and mentors for personalized distance learning and research in STEM with teacher supervision. This session explores how schools, higher education and businesses use the Mentor Matching Engine, a free resource developed by IMSA, the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and Northwestern University. Finding mentors for your students has never been easier.

Session B-5: Mentor Matching Engine, Jackie Naughton, Carl Heine

Carl Heine

Participants will tour the Mentor Matching Engine (MME), a robust platform available to Illinois high school students for conducting research with assistance from online mentors. IMSA, in partnership with the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and Northwestern University, administer MME as part of the state's R&D Learning Exchange. In addition, participants will discover powerful models of personalized learning and the outstanding results.

A Study Of Professional Learning Communities: Characteristics Of Implementation And Perceived Effectiveness In Improvement Schools In West Virginia, Kristy East

Kristy A East

No abstract provided.

Student Learning In High-Impact Practice Mass Communication Courses, Douglas J. Swanson Ed.D Apr

Douglas J. Swanson, Ed.D APR

College and university high-impact practice (HIP) courses involve students in intensive values-focused learning inside and/ or outside of the traditional classroom environment. Much research has documented that participation in HIPs increases student retention and graduation rates. At the same time, the nontraditional learning structure of an HIP course can complicate a thorough assessment of student learning. Anecdotal evidence reflects strong involvement in HIPs by mass communication programs, although communication efforts in this regard are not as well documented in the literature as efforts in other fields. This essay briefly defines HIPs and presents an appropriate theory that would guide HIPs …

Students' Knowledge And Perceived Confidence In An Interdisciplinary Experiential-Learning Environment, Lee J. Florea, Adam J. Kuban, Michelle O'Malley

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

Experiential-learning theory suggests that students acquire knowledge through hands-on learning environments, and aspiring journalists need a setting where they can experience science — its process(es) as well as how to report empirical findings. Researchers utilized pre/post questionnaires, field-notebook evaluation, and focus-group analysis as methods to assess an interdisciplinary, experiential course that combined science and media undergraduates. Results revealed students valued procedural over fact-based knowledge. Students also indicated increased perceived confidence—even when they answered questions incorrectly.

Detecting Agents Of Emotional Exhaustion Among Iranian Language Teachers Within The Framework Of Attribution Theory, Masoud Mahmoodi-Shahrebabaki

masoud mahmoodi-shahrebabaki

This study aimed at recognizing sources of emotional problems of nine English language teachers and proposing strategies to obviate the potential contributors. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was administered to 105 language teachers. Among those with very high scores on emotional exhaustion subscale of the inventory, nine were chosen on account of convenience sampling. More than eight hours of unstructured interviews with the participants were recorded and transcribed. First, Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was used to extract the recurring themes. Second, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized to reveal the loci of attribution with emotionally exhausted language teachers. The result indicated …

The Impact Of Web 2.0 In Education And Its Potential For Language Learning And Teaching (Republication), Kerwin A. Livingstone

Kerwin A. Livingstone

This article, first published in LENGCOM 6 (2015), has been republished in ITDL 12(4) 2015.

Another Nibble At The Core: Student Learning In A Thematically-Focused Introductory Sociology Course, Jay R. Howard, Katherine B. Novak, Krista M.C. Cline, Marvin B. Scott

Katherine B. Novak

Identifying and assessing core knowledge has been and continues to be a challenge that vexes the discipline of sociology. With the adoption of a thematic approach to courses in the core curriculum at Butler University, faculty teaching Introductory Sociology were presented with the opportunity and challenge of defining the core knowledge and skills to be taught across course sections with a variety of themes. This study of students (N = 280) enrolled in 12 sections of a thematically-focused Introductory Sociology course presents our attempt to both define and assess a core set of concepts and skills through a pretest-posttest questionnaire …

The Comprehensive Emergent Literacy Model: Early Literacy In Context, Leigh Rohde

Leigh Rohde

Bringing Organizations Back In: Perspectives On Service-Learning, Community Partnership And Democratic Thinking In A Voter Engagement Project, Jennifer Jackman, Tiffany Gayle Chenault, Joy Winkler

Tiffany Chenault

Beyond Educational Voyeurism: An Analysis Of A Ugandan-North American Teacher Partnership Program, Philip P. Kelly, Amy Cordileone

Philip P. Kelly

Beyond simply watching teachers in international settings as tourists might, teachers in a Ugandan-North American international teacher partnership program went further, reflecting on the social/political contexts within which they taught. Teachers’ surveys and reflections are analyzed for factors addressing the successful negotiation of both teaching and relationship making across the cultural, pedagogical and political divides that separate them. In the midst of the international teacher partnership program, concerns arose regarding teacher-centered pedagogy and student passivity as after effects of Uganda’s colonial education system.

The Effect Of Team Programming On Student Achievement In Cobol Instruction , Nancy Ellen Miller

Nancy M. Miller

As computing systems, technology and the use thereof become more mature, new skills are being suggested for improving computer programming efficiency. Two of these skills are the use of structured programming and team programming. The subjects of this study of the effect of team programming were students enrolled in an introductory COBOL programming course at the University of Wisconsin--La Crosse during the Spring and Fall semesters of 1980. The subjects were divided into a control group who wrote programs in the traditional individualized manner and an experimental group who wrote programs in teams of three. Both groups used structured programming …