Education Commons^™

Developing Multicultural Self-Awareness Through A Transformative Learning Experience, Cynthia Bezard, Sara A. Shaw

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the ways that a change in perspective can create a better understanding of cultural identity. This study addressed: (1) How does a self-awareness transformative learning experience develop critical cultural competence in career and technical education instructors? (2) How does the practice of critical reflection construct career and technical education instructors’ ability to develop self-awareness of critical cultural competence? (3) How does involvement in critical discourse construct career and technical education instructors’ ability to develop self-awareness of critical cultural competence? A three-phase professional development experience rooted in multicultural education provided key …

Reverse Migration: Documenting How The Educational Experiences Of Transnational Youth In Mexican Schools Are Shaped By Parental Deportation, Sandra Lourdes Candel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research Problem

Over 500,000 U.S.-born children are living in Mexico –some due to parental deportation– experiencing a decrease in their quality of life, the stress of an unfamiliar language and culture, and difficulty accessing education. In order to support them in their transition to Mexico, and to reincorporate them into U.S. society as adults, their struggles and educational trajectories should be of great concern to the Mexican and U.S. governments, as well as higher education institutions.

Purpose

The purpose of this qualitative study was to document the educational experiences of transnational students attending schools in a border city in northern …

Student Expectations And Motivation In Spanish For Heritage Speakers Programs, Sergio A. Guzman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The changing demographics in the United States and the growing need for multilingual individuals originated by globalization, among other reasons, have contributed to the emergence of a new field within the area of Applied Linguistics: The Teaching and Learning of Heritage Languages. Due to historical and geographic causes, Spanish for Heritage Speakers (SHS) is currently the largest and most established of these programs. However, the curricula, like those of most college courses, has been developed from professors’ perspectives, largely ignoring what students want to learn and/or their motives for enrolling in these classes. The lack of student input is especially …

The Nature And Extent Of Instructors’ Use Of Learning Analytics In Higher Education To Inform Teaching And Learning, Janet L. King

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The utilization of learning analytics to support teaching and learning has emerged as a newer phenomenon combining instructor-oriented action research, the mining of educational data, and the analyses of statistics and patterns. Learning analytics have documented, quantified and graphically displayed students’ interactions, engagement, and performance to gain a more complex understanding of teaching and learning. Researchers and scholars have hailed learning analytics as one of the future game-changers in higher education. This study addressed important questions. How have instructors at institutions of higher learning explored learning analytics to reflect upon their teaching practice—specifically, curriculum, pedagogy, student learning and outcomes? What …

Developing A Navajo Educational Media Guide: A Community Perspective, Shawna Lynn Begay

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Developing a Navajo Educational Media Guide was investigated through the lens of Postcolonial Theory and Critical Indigenous Pedagogy utilizing the methodology of Participatory Action Research (PAR). Ten Navajo Consultants involved in teaching the Navajo language and culture were interviewed identifying learning objectives that should be included in a Navajo Educational Media Show for the audience of Navajo pre-school aged children to learn the Navajo language and culture. The Diné Cultural Content Standards for Students (DCCSS) was decoded. The codes were then utilized to encode the interview transcripts. Using Indigenous methodologies and the Navajo Way of Knowing concepts of: Nitsáhákees, Nahat’á, …

Service Learning Collaboration With Student Affairs, Nathan Hanke, Leanne Soter, Kelsi Sullivan

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Service Learning is Applicable to courses across academic disciplines

Instant Class Polling Using Mobile Devices: An Interactive And Effective Pedagogical Tool, Lori D. Johnson, Emma Babler

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Available methods of instant class feedback had been limited to technology associated with clickers purchased by students, or tied to responses from laptops, which professors have begun banning from the classroom due to distraction. However, obtaining real-time feedback on students’ comprehension of complex concepts remains a critical pedagogical goal, particularly in rule-based courses such as Professional Responsibility.

Linking Information With Knowledge For Enhanced Learning, Haroon Stephen

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Learning in classroom needs continuous engagement and triggering of curiosity. A non-stop delivery of information without context becomes “blah-blah-blah”. There is a need to create a link at every step of the way in learning.

Truthiness Or Evidence-Based Reasoning? A Critical Thinking Exercise For The First Year Experience, Diane Villa

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Barriers to Critical Thinking Biases Emotional reasoning (truthiness) Overuse of personal experience Small case studies

The Las Vegas Wash: Student Real-World Site Involvement, Erica S. Tietjen

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Students from all disciplines (not just Environmental Science) can gain experience with and appreciation of their local natural resources

Increasing Identification, Thus Success And Graduation From Unlv, Emmanuel Ayim

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

When our students are connected to UNLV at multiple levels, and identify as UNLV students, they will more likely persist and graduate.

Using Mastery Learning To Help All Students Achieve, Jori S. Beck, Christina J. Santoyo

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

In 1968, Benjamin Bloom outlined a specific strategy that he dubbed learning for mastery, which later became mastery learning (Guskey, 2007).

In “Kahoots” With Student Engagement In The Classroom, Kim Nehls

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

In a recent classroom survey, 95 percent of my students recommended additional use of Kahoot. One student remarked that he was more likely to complete the reading in advance and participate in class if he was going to be part of a friendly competition. Kahoot is an exciting and fun way to utilize the cell phones and tablets already in play in the classroom.

Critical Pedagogy: Building Strong Learning Communities, Malayka Neith Cornejo

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Strengthens instructor-student relationship; peer interactions; connection to course content, and sense of belonging. Shifts normative power structures and empowers students to co-construct the learning experience. Student voice matters.

Large Class Splitting To Reduce Class Size, Ed Jorgensen

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

It is well recognized that smaller classes lead to improved student outcomes. However, instructor resources are limited, particularly for first year introductory classes.