Education Commons^™

The Anticanonical Lesson Of Huckleberry Finn, Sharon E. Rush

Sharon E. Rush

Some books included in the canon of American literature no longer belong there, because they presently lack normative approval. Adapting concepts found in constitutional law, an anticanon of American literature functions the way the anticanon of constitutional law would operate and explicitly removes books from the canon. In law, the anticanon identifies outdated interpretations of the constitution. In education, it is time to consider removing from the canon and placing in an anticanon books that are inconsistent with multicultural education. One such book is Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, which is part of the canon of American literature and viewed as …

The Anticanonical Lesson Of Huckleberry Finn, Sharon E. Rush

Sharon E. Rush

Some books included in the canon of American literature no longer belong there, because they presently lack normative approval. Adapting concepts found in constitutional law, an anticanon of American literature functions the way the anticanon of constitutional law would operate and explicitly removes books from the canon. In law, the anticanon identifies outdated interpretations of the constitution. In education, it is time to consider removing from the canon and placing in an anticanon books that are inconsistent with multicultural education. One such book is Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, which is part of the canon of American literature and viewed as …

Investing In Teachers

Adeola Capel

Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender And Generational Differences In Asian American College Access And Choices, Oiyan Poon, Ajani Byrd

OiYan Poon

No abstract provided.

The Rise Of Higher Education And The Chinese Middle Class, Seow Shi Loh

Seow Shi Loh

The presence of the urban middle-class, driven by the need to equip themselves with relevant qualifications and skills, has encouraged enrollment rates to sky-high which the Minister of Education announces to increase additional ten percent during the course of the next decade. (Lin & Sun, 2010) However, the consequences of such unparalleled increase become entangled with China’s social organization that is influencing relationships between the allocation of class and education. Thus, this literature review seeks to (a) disentangle the function of education and class and China’s educational reforms, (b) draw out the destabilizing highlights of the urban middle class in …

Supporting Teacher Development : Literature Review, Kate Reid, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz (retired)

This literature review identifies and evaluates evidence on the effectiveness of approaches to improving teacher quality in developing countries. It examines four categories of assistance for improving teacher quality: teacher development policies, pre-service education and training, in-service professional development, and school-based support. As far as possible, the review highlights practices that demonstrate effectiveness.

Supporting Teacher Development : Literature Review, Kate Reid, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Dr Kate Reid

This literature review identifies and evaluates evidence on the effectiveness of approaches to improving teacher quality in developing countries. It examines four categories of assistance for improving teacher quality: teacher development policies, pre-service education and training, in-service professional development, and school-based support. As far as possible, the review highlights practices that demonstrate effectiveness.

Measuring Community Flood Awareness And Preparedness In The Maitland Area And Lower Hunter Valley, Nsw, Neil Dufty, Amanda Hyde, David Webber, Ingrid Berthold, Elise Armstrong

Neil Dufty

The Hunter River of NSW has a long history of flooding. February 2015 was the sixtieth anniversary of the 1955 Hunter Region flood, the largest flood in the region’s recorded history. In conjunction with the commemoration, the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) and the Hunter Local Land Services commissioned consultants Molino Stewart to extend previous social research in Maitland by surveying participants about the status of their own flood awareness and preparedness. The 2015 study and previous social research found that in Maitland flood-prone communities there appears to be a relatively low perception of personal flood risk. On the …

Initial Results From The First National Survey Of Student Outcomes From Small Satellite Program Participation, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

This paper presents initial results of the first national / international survey of student participants in CubeSat and other small spacecraft programs. It aims to make portions of the results of the survey available for immediate use by the CubeSat / small spacecraft community prior to the completion of a thorough analysis of the results and consideration of correlating and prospective causation factors for various outcomes.

Paper 2 - Aligning Reading Assessment With National Goals, Danielle Anzai, Maurice Walker

Danielle Anzai

Yakimowski Named Assistant Dean For Assessment In Its College Of Education, Mary E. Yakimowski

Mary E. Yakimowski

Mary E. Yakimowski has been named assistant dean for assessment at Sacred Heart University’s Isabelle Farrington College of Education (FCE). In this new role, Yakimowski will provide leadership in the development, implementation and administration of a comprehensive assessment system for FCE students and programs.

The Effects Of The Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship On College Enrollment, Persistence, And Completion, Timothy J. Bartik, Brad J. Hershbein, Marta Lachowska

Marta Lachowska

We estimate the effects on postsecondary education outcomes of the Kalamazoo Promise, a generous, place-based college scholarship. We identify Promise effects using difference-in-differences, comparing eligible to ineligible graduates before and after the Promise’s initiation. According to our estimates, the Promise significantly increases college enrollment, college credits attempted, and credential attainment. Stronger effects occur for women.

Embedding Employability In The Curriculum – Strategies To Improve Outcomes For University Graduates, Sarah Richardson

Dr Sarah Richardson

No abstract provided.

The Road Toward K-12 Excellence In Michigan: How An Upgraded Financing System Can Better Support Enhanced Student Achievement, Kevin Hollenbeck, Timothy J. Bartik, Randall W. Eberts, Brad J. Hershbein, Michelle Miller-Adams

Brad J. Hershbein

No abstract provided.

Why Getting People To Write An Emergency Plan May Not Be The Best Approach, Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

Many government agencies and not-for-profit emergency organisations throughout the world encourage those community members and businesses at risk to write disaster survival or emergency plans. In Australia, community flood education and engagement programs such as FloodSafe promote the preparation of home and business emergency plans. In some cases, agencies use the writing of these plans as an indicator of community preparedness. There has been little research conducted into the efficacy of personal or business emergency plans, although there is evidence to show that business damages could be reduced by having an emergency plan. On the other hand, some social research …

Do Zoos And Aquariums Promote Attitude Change In Visitors? A Critical Evaluation Of The American Zoo And Aquarium Study, Lori Marino, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Randy Malamud, Nathan Nobis, Ron Broglio

Lori Marino, PhD

Modern-day zoos and aquariums market themselves as places of education and conservation. A recent study conducted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) (Falk et al., 2007) is being widely heralded as the first direct evidence that visits to zoos and aquariums produce long-term positive effects on people’s attitudes toward other animals. In this paper, we address whether this conclusion is warranted by analyzing the study’s methodological soundness. We conclude that Falk et al. (2007) contains at least six major threats to methodological validity that undermine the authors’ conclusions. There remains no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos …

Pre And Post Survey-Based Prediction Of Results From Student Characteristics, Jared Estad, Michael Kuehn, Jeremy Straub, Eunjin Kim

Jeremy Straub

This study was created to compare a large data set of students class surveys. In this data set, there exist both pre- and post-survey data. A set of knowledge based questions exist at the end of the survey. Our intention is to use the other data with in each survey to predict based on a singular set of pre-survey data a students potential for success throughout the course. As such, we need to account for data on the pre-survey and its knowledge based questions. Then, we need to account for how this data may interact with the data on the …

Course Outcome Prediction Using An Expert System, Michael Kuehn, Jared Estad, Jeremy Straub, Eunjin Kim

Jeremy Straub

Determining how well a student will perform in a course based on their prior knowledge of the course material and other factors may help determine student placement and the need for remedial instruction. This poster presents work on the creation of an expert system that attempts to predict a student’s performance based on a pre-evaluation test and responses to background preparation questions. This work utilizes data from prior students to train and test the system.

Involvement Of Undergraduate Students In Research: A Comparison Of Course Research Components, Paid Research Activities, Student-Led Projects And Independent / Directed Study Courses, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

Involving undergraduate students in bona fide research can provide multiple types of benefits. Whether students elect to pursue research careers or not, research experiences can be beneficial. Students gain an excellent resume item and interview discussion topic. They also gain experience in team participation dynamics and project management and the opportunity to put techniques that they have learned in the classroom to use. In interdisciplinary projects, they learn to work with those from other disciplines, gain an understanding of the challenges of doing so and gain an understanding of the vernacular of these other disciplines.

This paper presents an overview …

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.

Certifying Enrollment Management Professionals, Christopher W. Tremblay

Christopher W Tremblay, Ed.D

Most current professionals who serve in an enrollment management leadership capacity likely were trained “on the job,” or at professional development events, primarily because credit‐bearing credentials, degrees, and other formal programs were non‐existent (Phair, 2014). However, that landscape has since changed and now there are multiple ways for enrollment management professionals to receive a formal education to enhance one’s enrollment management skill set. This article is designed to introduce and review those current academic offerings that provide credibility to the field of enrollment management. The primary training categories include: college admissions counseling, enrollment management, financial aid/financial planning, and college access …

Do Zoos And Aquariums Promote Attitude Change In Visitors? A Critical Evaluation Of The American Zoo And Aquarium Study, Lori Marino, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Randy Malamud, Nathan Nobis, Ron Broglio

Nathan M. Nobis, PhD

Modern-day zoos and aquariums market themselves as places of education and conservation. A recent study conducted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) (Falk et al., 2007) is being widely heralded as the first direct evidence that visits to zoos and aquariums produce long-term positive effects on people’s attitudes toward other animals. In this paper, we address whether this conclusion is warranted by analyzing the study’s methodological soundness. We conclude that Falk et al. (2007) contains at least six major threats to methodological validity that undermine the authors’ conclusions. There remains no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos …

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

Leigh Rohde

It’S Ok To Talk To The [Insert Major Here] Students, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

No abstract provided.

Integrating Games To Teach A First Programming Course, Soumia Ichoua

Soumia Ichoua

In the past few years, there has been an increased interest in game-based learning as a powerful tool to stimulate students’ interest and promote their engagement in the learning process. In this paper, we discuss our experience in integrating gaming to teach a first programming course. The course is restructured and redesigned to allow teaching the basics of programming through games. Students actively use fundamental programming concepts learned to modify and create two dimension games using C# and XNA with .Net framework. This is an on-going work. Surveys and worksheets are developed to be used in assessing the effectiveness of …

Using Simulated Virtual Interactivity In Construction Education, Saeed Rokooei, James Goedert

Saeed Rokooei

Critical Success Factors In M-Learning: A Socio- Technical Perspective, Vlad Krotov

Vlad Krotov

Promoting And Retaining Minorities In Technology, Soumia Ichoua

Soumia Ichoua

This paper presents an on-going research project which is motivated by the lack of minorities in technology fields. This shortage typically results in stereotypes amongst minority students and is likely to prevent them from effectively competing with others. The problem motivated us to encourage middle school students to dispel stereotypes and embrace technology fields by engaging them in hands-on activities that initiate them to programming and Robotics. Students are also introduced to various aspects of the IT field including HTML and Microsoft Office. Surveys are used to measure the students’ attitudes and knowledge about technology before and after the program.

The Effects Of Doubling Instruction Efforts On Middle School Students' Achievement: Evidence From A Multiyear Regression-Discontinuity Design, Timothy J. Bartik, Marta Lachowska

Marta Lachowska

We use a regression-discontinuity design to study the effects of double blocking sixth-grade students in reading and mathematics on their achievement across three years of middle school. To identify the effect of the intervention, we use sharp cutoffs in the test scores used to assign students to double blocking. We find large, positive, and persistent effects of double blocking in reading, but, unlike previous research, we find no statistically significant effects of double blocking in mathematics either in the short run or medium run.

The Short-Term Effects Of The Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship On Student Outcomes, Timothy J. Bartik, Marta Lachowska

Marta Lachowska

In order to study whether college scholarships can be an effective tool in raising students’ performance in secondary school, we use one aspect of the Kalamazoo Promise that resembles a quasi-experiment. The surprise announcement of the scholarship created a large change in expected college tuition costs that varied across different groups of students based on past enrollment decisions. This variation is arguably exogenous to unobserved student characteristics. We estimate the effects of this change by a set of “difference-in-differences” regressions where we compare the change in student outcomes in secondary school across time for different student “length of enrollment” groups. …