Education Commons^™

How Should Institutions Of Higher Education Define And Measure Student Success? Student Success As Liberal Education Escapes Definition And Measurement, Laura E. Smithers, Peter M. Magolda (Ed.), Marcia B. Baxter Magolda (Ed.), Rozana Carducci (Ed.)

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

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The question structuring this chapter begins with the presumption that we should define and measure student success. The perspective missing from this question is: What possibilities exist for versions of student success in excess of its definition and measurement? Measurements ask us to standardize definitions of success—say, four-year graduation—and work to produce all students in this image. As a former academic adviser, I can read a university catalog and tell you the quickest pathways to graduation a university has to offer. This makes me an asset to institutions that place a value on student success as measured by …

Technology Education In The United States, Johnny J. Moye, Philip A. Reed, Steven A. Barbato, Shinichi Fujita

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Technology education has a long history in the United States as manual training in the 1870s, industrial arts through most of the twentieth century, and now as technology and engineering education in most states. Federal legislation has helped define and finance technology programs while organizations such as the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, National Academies, National Science Foundation, National Assessment Governing Board, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration have shaped content and pedagogy. There are many opportunities in the U.S. such as Integrative STEM Education, growing informal education experiences in makerspaces, and expanding elementary technology education, but there are …

Culturally Relevant Booktalking: Using A Mixed Reality Simulation With Preservice School Librarians, Janice Underwood, Sue Crownfield Kimmel, Danielle Forest, Gail K. Dickinson

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The role of school librarians is often overlooked in advancing a respect for cultural diversity among youth, yet librarians are in key positions to champion for social justice reform in educational settings. In this qualitative study, we examine preservice school librarians' experiences with booktalking multicultural literature in a mixed reality simulation environment, as a vehicle to introduce social justice issues. Our purpose was to explore the booktalking experience as a means of developing preservice librarians' understanding of culturally relevant pedagogy, a stance concerned with developing cultural competence and critical consciousness. Our findings revealed that preservice librarians gained different levels of …

Aligning Technology Education Teaching With Brain Development, Petros Katsioloudis

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This exploratory study was designed to determine if there is a level of alignment between technology education curriculum and theories of intellectual development. The researcher compared Epstein's Brain Growth Theory and Piaget's Status of Intellectual Development with technology education curriculum from Australia, England, and the United States. The researcher hypothesized that there would be alignment between technology education curriculum, brain growth, and intellectual development theories. The results indicate that students could become more technologically literate citizens if technology education was presented to them earlier in their school careers. School systems and students may be missing an opportunity since technology education …

Perspectives Of International Students Performing Service-Learning In The United States: A Case Study With Amizade, Suzanne Beth Unger

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Past research has demonstrated consequences of service-learning and impacts of service-learning experiences on students and community members in domestic and international settings. Researchers have this topic in developing countries; however, few have studied international students' perspectives on doing service-learning in a developed country. This qualitative study aims to determine how students recognize their lives, and lives of community members in need are impacted as a result of their Amizade Global Service-Learning program in the United States. The investigation employs Cone and Harris' (1996) conceptual framework of service-learning to examine interpersonal, sociocultural, and psychological components of the experience. Data were collected …

Students' Perspectives Of Ngo Service-Learning Experiences: A Case Study Of Operation Smile, Suzanne B. Unger, Shana Pribesh, Linda Bol, Daniel Dickerson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Past research demonstrated both strong and questionable benefits to students participating in domestic service-learning. However, we know little about high school and college students' perspectives of service-learning while working with nonprofit, non-governmental (NGO) agencies that serve international populations. This qualitative, exploratory study aims to determine how students perceive their lives are impacted as a result of their service-learning experiences at Operation Smile. Data were collected from two focus groups comprised of high school and university youth. Results indicated service-learning in an international setting positively influences areas of personal growth, career choice, and future philanthropic participation. It also affects level of …

Adult Learner Graduation Rates At Four U.S. Community Colleges By Prior Learning Assessment Status And Method, Milan S. Hayward

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The college completion agenda demands improved graduation rates among adult learners and prior learning assessment (PLA) is a promising solution. PLA permits students to earn college credit for knowledge acquired outside of higher education and is associated with improved student outcomes. The current study expanded the literature regarding adult PLA learners in the community college by examining the graduation rates of adult learners in four U.S. community colleges by PLA status and method. Results confirmed significant difference in graduation rates between adult PLA learners and adult non-PLA learners, uncovered significant difference in the graduation rates of adult PLA learners by …

Dispositions In The Twenty First Century School Library Profession, Sue C. Kimmel, Gail K. Dickinson, Carol A. Doll

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Within the school library profession there is an emerging focus on dispositions, defined as "a tendency to exhibit frequently, consciously, and voluntarily a pattern of behavior that is directed to a broad goal" (Katz, 1993). Directed focus groups of practicing school librarians were asked to articulate their vision for school libraries of the future. Data from these groups informed development of six dispositional continua to guide both school library education and school librarianship in the 21st century. This study clarifies the dispositions needed by school librarians in the future.

The Visport Project: Visualization Of Port Logistics, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Ginger S. Watson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the introduction of Visualization in Port Logistics (VisPort) web-based tool project for the visualization of port careers and logistics in the U.S. It outlines the educational objectives of the project including the virtual reality experience associated with port operation, the multimedia environment for the learning of students, and the simulation of port logistics. It mentions that the scientific and technical visualization curriculum offered to students enhances the skills related to scientific and mathematical concepts as well as the experience on graphic techniques.

Comparison Of Quality Of Life Perceptions Of Caregivers Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities In The United States And The Czech Republic, Sharon A. Raver, Anne M. Michalek, Jan Michalik, Milan Valenta

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Caregivers of individuals with disabilities in the United States have been reported to experience additional hardships than families with typical children as they attempt to balance family and work (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman, & Andrews, 2008). In this study, 31 caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities from the United States and 225 from the Czech Republic completed a qualitative quality of life survey. Similarities in the two groups were found in reported gains and losses from caregiving responsibilities. Differences in perceived spirituality, personal sense of peace and serenity, life optimism, ability to rejoice in life, personal life perspective, health, financial …

The Journey Towards Technological Literacy For All In The United States — Are We There Yet?, Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article discusses technological literacy in the U.S. The author focuses on the history of studying technology within general education and notes the scarcity of technology education requirements in American schools. He examines the impact of various studies conducted by the Standards for Technological Literacy (STL) and the National Research Council (NRC), among others, on technological literacy. The author compares the seventeen processes of researcher Harold Halfin's technological research to the theories outlined in various STL material, including observation, analysis, and visualization.

Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of The Achievement Gap, Linda Bol, Robert Q. Berry Iii

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to survey the perceptions of secondary mathematics teachers on factors contributing to the achievement gap and ways to reduce this gap. National Council of the Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) members were surveyed, and a total of 379 secondary teachers responded. Overall, respondents were most likely to attribute the achievement gap to student characteristics, such as differences in motivational levels, work ethic, and family support. Furthermore, teachers from schools with a higher population of White students were more likely to attribute the gap to student characteristics than were teachers in schools with higher percentages of …

Can Everyone Make The Grade? Some Thoughts On Student Grading And Contemporary Classrooms, Jo M. Hendrickson, Robert A. Gable, M. Lee Manning

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

High school officials should consider alternative perspectives on grading in light of increasing student heterogeneity. Their challenge is to consider grading policies and practices that apply equally to students with and without diverse needs or disabilities. Schools should think about incorporating various combinations of percent, criterion-referenced, and norm-referenced grading into a more flexible policy on grading; ensure that student expectations are unambiguously described in writing and in sufficient detail; and subject their policies on grading to periodic review and be prepared to make any necessary modifications. Moreover, schools should collaborate with various stakeholders to develop policies on grading that guarantee …

Grade Retention: A History Of Failure, William A. Owings, Susan Magliaro

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Although almost 50 years of research has shown that grade-level retention affords no academic advantages to students, this practice is gaining increasing attention as schools face political pressure to be accountable for student achievement. The negative effect that retention has on children is ignored in favor of an overly simplistic view of it as a panacea for education woes. In an attempt to better meet student needs, educators historically have seen retention as a way to reduce skill variance in the classroom. However, this practice has not achieved its objective. An at-risk population is cognitively and affectively harmed by retention. …

American Public School Ideologies: A Need For Reform?, Sharon A. Raver

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Historically, American education has been based on the democratic ideologies that education will provide equality of opportunity and enhance economic benefits. However, public education has not been very successful in achieving these goals. Because of this, disillusionment has grown and alternatives to monopoly public education, such as vouchers and tax credit plans, have been offered. Criticism and analyses directed toward these new options for public schooling are discussed. Effects they could have on public education, expected and unexpected, are addresses. It appears that public education is at a critical discussion point in its ideological history. Some of the choices facing …

Foreign Demand For United States Higher Education: A Study Of Developing Countries In The Eastern Hemisphere, Vinod B. Agarwal, Donald R. Winkler

Economics Faculty Publications

(First Paragraph) Foreign student enrollments in the United States have increased rapidly over the past 25 years. The total number increased from 36,494 in 1954 to 336,990 in 1982. While foreign students still represent less than 2% of all higher education enrollments in the United States, this proportion is likely to grow over the next decade as enrollments of American citizens decline. One consequence of the growth to date has been that many colleges and universities depend on foreign students for an important part of their tuition revenue or enrollment-determined budget, and this dependence is also likely to grow over …