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Articles 31 - 60 of 75

Full-Text Articles in Education

Enhancing Extension Employee Coaching: Navigating The Triangular Relationship, Nancy K. Franz, Robin Weeks Oct 2008

Enhancing Extension Employee Coaching: Navigating The Triangular Relationship, Nancy K. Franz, Robin Weeks

Nancy K. Franz

Coaching Cooperative Extension employees is not easy but provides invaluable results. All three parties in the triangular coaching relationship--the coachee, the coach, and the organization--develop and grow from the process, in turn improving and sustaining the organization. The coaching process helps employees get to know themselves better, be more conscious about their way of being in the world, and contribute more fully to the work around them. This article addresses the importance of coaching employees, characteristics of good coaching, coaching risks, and tips for successful coaching of Cooperative Extension employees.

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Not Just Informative, But Necessary: Infusing Green And Sustainable Topics Into Engineering And Technology Curricula, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar Jun 2008

Not Just Informative, But Necessary: Infusing Green And Sustainable Topics Into Engineering And Technology Curricula, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Generally accepted duties of engineers and technologists encompass designing and implementing solutions to problems. When so doing, it is their responsibility to be cognizant of the impacts of their designs on, and thus their accountability to, not only society in general, but also subsequent effects upon the environment. They need to be able to concurrently satisfy these competing needs, as well as constraints specific to the design challenges at hand. Responding to these requirements are the growing fields of green engineering and sustainable engineering. Both of these areas encompass many concepts, ideas, and tools, all of which are essential information …

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Automated Diagnostic Writing Tests: Why? How?, Elena Cotos, Nick Pendar Jan 2008

Automated Diagnostic Writing Tests: Why? How?, Elena Cotos, Nick Pendar

Elena Cotos

Diagnostic language assessment can greatly benefit from a collaborative union of computer-assisted language testing (CALT) and natural language processing (NLP). Currently, most CALT applications mainly allow for inferences about L2 proficiency based on learners’ recognition and comprehension of linguistic input and hardly concern language production (Holland, Maisano, Alderks, & Martin, 1993). NLP is now at a stage where it can be used or adapted for diagnostic testing of learner production skills. This paper explores the viability of NLP techniques for the diagnosis of L2 writing by analyzing the state of the art in current diagnostic language testing, reviewing the existing …

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Automatic Identification Of Discourse Moves In Scientific Article Introductions, Elena Cotos, Nick Pendar Jan 2008

Automatic Identification Of Discourse Moves In Scientific Article Introductions, Elena Cotos, Nick Pendar

Elena Cotos

This paper reports on the first stage of building an educational tool for international graduate students to improve their academic writing skills. Taking a text-categorization approach, we experimented with several models to automatically classify sentences in research article introductions into one of three rhetorical moves. The paper begins by situating the project within the larger framework of intelligent computer-assisted language learning. It then presents the details of the study with very encouraging results. The paper then concludes by commenting on how the system may be improved and how the project is intended to be pursued and evaluated.

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Reporting Program Impacts: Slaying The Dragon Of Resistance, Nancy K. Franz, Mark Mccann Dec 2007

Reporting Program Impacts: Slaying The Dragon Of Resistance, Nancy K. Franz, Mark Mccann

Nancy K. Franz

Virginia Cooperative Extension has responded to today's environment of enhanced accountability by improving the organization's program impact reporting. Successful strategies to enhance the quantity and quality of program impact reports include new hires, training faculty and administration, individual and small group technical assistance, development of reporting tools, and tying impact reporting to performance and recognition. This holistic approach resulted in enhanced reporting and use of program impacts as well as improved program design and evaluation.

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An Integrated Living And Learning Community For First And Second Year Undergraduate Women In Science & Engineering, Katherine Titus-Becker, Sarah A. Rajala, Laura Bottomley, Dianne Raubenheimer, Jo-Ann Cohen, Kala Bullett, Susan Grant, Fay Cobb Payton, Barbara Kirby, Adrianna Kirkman, Wendy Krause, Carrie Thomas Jun 2007

An Integrated Living And Learning Community For First And Second Year Undergraduate Women In Science & Engineering, Katherine Titus-Becker, Sarah A. Rajala, Laura Bottomley, Dianne Raubenheimer, Jo-Ann Cohen, Kala Bullett, Susan Grant, Fay Cobb Payton, Barbara Kirby, Adrianna Kirkman, Wendy Krause, Carrie Thomas

Sarah A. Rajala

The Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Village combines a group living experience with resident, upper-class mentors who assist in the transition to university life. Programs for the WISE community are designed to promote academic success, foster the formation of lasting relationships with fellow students, professors and mentors, and provide out-of-classroom experiences. The WISE Village is a supportive environment in which women engage in focused inquiry within their disciplines and develop the skills and talents necessary to become successful students and professionals in STEM fields. When the WISE Village began in 2003, it was as a partnership with University Housing, …

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The Development Of Undergraduate Distance Education Engineering Programs In North Carolina, Sarah A. Rajala, Tom Miller Jun 2007

The Development Of Undergraduate Distance Education Engineering Programs In North Carolina, Sarah A. Rajala, Tom Miller

Sarah A. Rajala

The College of Engineering at North Carolina State University has a strong track record in providing distance education to the citizens in North Carolina through credit-based courses and degree programs. To provide increased access to engineering education on the undergraduate level and enhance the success of the student transfer population, the College of Engineering developed two new 2+2 engineering programs and a distance education bachelor of science in engineering program. The 2+2 programs are designed to provide students enrolled at institutions without engineering programs the opportunity to take some of the fundamental engineering courses in addition to their general education …

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Adult Education Theories: Informing Cooperative Extension's Transformation, Nancy K. Franz Dr. Feb 2007

Adult Education Theories: Informing Cooperative Extension's Transformation, Nancy K. Franz Dr.

Nancy K. Franz

As the largest adult education institution in America, Cooperative Extension should ground organizational operations in adult education theory. This connection with theory is especially important as Extension systems work towards organizational transformation to create more participatory and democratic learning. Adult education theories of transformative learning and critical reflection from a critical theory perspective are especially pertinent to inform this type of transformation. This requires that Extension create opportunities for learners to experience disorienting dilemmas, critically reflect on their assumptions, and facilitate how to learn not just what to learn.

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Developing Social And Personal Competence In The First Year Of College, Robert D. Reason, Patrick T. Terenzini, Robert J. Domingo Jan 2007

Developing Social And Personal Competence In The First Year Of College, Robert D. Reason, Patrick T. Terenzini, Robert J. Domingo

Robert D Reason

The available research on first-year college outcomes remains highly segmented (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) and surprisingly incomplete (Upcraft, Gardner, Barefoot, & Associates, 2005). Although research has established the importance of the first year of college for students’ learning and cognitive development (Osterlind 1996, 1997; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005), the importance of the first college year in influencing the development of the psychosocial outcomes for students is much less clear. Although one might logically conclude that the first college year is essential as the foundation for growth in both cognitive and psychosocial areas, little empirical evidence is available to support such …

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Rearticulating Whiteness: A Precursor To Difficult Dialogues On Race, Robert D. Reason Jan 2007

Rearticulating Whiteness: A Precursor To Difficult Dialogues On Race, Robert D. Reason

Robert D Reason

This article reviews findings from a related study of 15 White racial justice allies, which highlighted the importance of re-articulating a sense of Whiteness. The author explores how the rearticulated sense of Whiteness demonstrated by these students may assist others to mitigate some of the defense mechanism discussed in the Watt (2007) Privileged Identity Exploration Model.

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The Global Relevance Of Bio-Based Industries To Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma Jun 2006

The Global Relevance Of Bio-Based Industries To Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The society in which we live has developed an insatiable demand for energy and material goods. In particular, recent data reveals that the aggressive pursuit of improved standards of living in the highly populated countries of India and China has contributed to increased demand for fossil fuels, which has exacerbated the recent spike in energy costs. Historically, these needs have been met primarily by fossil fuels and other non-renewable raw materials. As environmental concerns grow, however, renewable resources are gaining increased attention. This paper examines the emergence and importance that bio-based industries are increasingly beginning to play. A bio-based enterprise, …

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An Evaluation Of An Established Case Study For Engineering Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma Jun 2006

An Evaluation Of An Established Case Study For Engineering Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Engineering and technology educators focus on meeting existing and future needs of industry when designing the content domain and planning instructional methods in their discipline. However, undergraduate students in engineering and technology rarely have an opportunity to solve real world problems that require integration across several disciplinary branches of engineering and those outside of engineering. This makes it difficult for students to make the transition from academia to industry especially in an era where the principles of concurrent engineering are employed in new product design and development. Therefore, there is a strong need to bring challenging, industry involved problems into …

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Biorefining Of Renewable Resources—Emerging Opportunities For Engineering Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jun 2006

Biorefining Of Renewable Resources—Emerging Opportunities For Engineering Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The society in which we live has developed an insatiable demand for energy and material goods. Historically these needs have primarily been met by utilizing fossil fuels and other nonrenewable raw materials. As environmental concerns grow, however, renewable resources are gaining increased attention. This paper examines industrial biorefineries, which are at the leading edge of the development of emerging biobased industries. Biorefineries, similar in concept to traditional petroleum refineries, utilize various conversion technologies to produce multiple products, including fuels, chemicals, industrial products, and electrical power from renewable biomass sources, such as corn stover, residue straw, perennial grasses, legumes, and other …

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Preparing New Faculty Members To Be Successful: A No-Brainer And Yet A Radical Concept, Rebecca Brent, Sarah A. Rajala, Richard M. Felder Jun 2006

Preparing New Faculty Members To Be Successful: A No-Brainer And Yet A Radical Concept, Rebecca Brent, Sarah A. Rajala, Richard M. Felder

Sarah A. Rajala

A multifaceted program at North Carolina State University involving workshops and mentorships helps prepare new faculty members and graduate students for successful academic careers. This paper describes the elements of the program, reviews assessment data for each element, and offers recommendations to engineering schools wishing to establish their own programs for new and future faculty members.

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College Students' Experiences And Perceptions Of Harassment On Campus: An Exploration Of Gender Differences, Robert D. Reason, Susan R. Rankin Jan 2006

College Students' Experiences And Perceptions Of Harassment On Campus: An Exploration Of Gender Differences, Robert D. Reason, Susan R. Rankin

Robert D Reason

Using a campus climate assessment instrument developed by Rankin (1998), we surveyed students (N = 7,347) from 10 campuses to explore the different experiences with harassment and campus climates reported by men and women. Both men and women reported experiencing harassment, although women experienced harassment at statistically significantly higher rates than men. Women reported higher rates of sexual harassment, while men reported higher rates of harassment based upon sexuality. These findings are understood, and implications are provided, using a lens of power and privilege.

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Renewable Energy Alternatives—A Growing Opportunity For Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jan 2006

Renewable Energy Alternatives—A Growing Opportunity For Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

A hallmark of the United States’ economic growth is an ever-increasing demand for energy, which has traditionally been met primarily by combusting the hydrocarbons found in fossil fuels. As national security and environmental concerns grow, renewable energy resources are gaining increased attention. Unfortunately, there is currently a dearth of renewable energy coverage in engineering and technology curricula. The objectives of this paper are to examine historical energy data for both traditional as well as alternative energy sources, and to motivate educators to address this gap. Even with the progressive developments of non-traditional energy sources over the years, the U.S. still …

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Ethics For Industrial Technology Majors: Need And Plan Of Action, Kurt A. Rosentrater, R. Balamuralikrishma Jun 2005

Ethics For Industrial Technology Majors: Need And Plan Of Action, Kurt A. Rosentrater, R. Balamuralikrishma

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The recent introduction of sessions dedicated to “Industrial Technology” in the annual ASEE conference is testimony that this discipline has gained its rightful place in the company of engineering and engineering technology. This new level of partnership and collaboration between engineering and technology programs promises to be a step in the right direction for society at large. Engineering and technology majors both supplement and complement each other’s knowledge and skills and it is crucial for educators to build bridges of active interaction. This paper takes aim at one specific as well as basic need in teamwork and interdisciplinary projects – …

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Differing Perceptions: How Students Of Color And White Students Perceive Campus Climate For Underrepresented Groups, Susan R. Rankin, Robert D. Reason Jan 2005

Differing Perceptions: How Students Of Color And White Students Perceive Campus Climate For Underrepresented Groups, Susan R. Rankin, Robert D. Reason

Robert D Reason

Using a campus climate assessment instrument developed by Rankin (1998), we surveyed students (n = 7,347) from 10 campuses to explore whether students from different racial groups experienced their campus climates differently. Students of color experienced harassment at higher rates than Caucasian students, although female White students reported higher incidence of gender harassment. Further, students of color perceived the climate as more racist and less accepting than did White students, even though white students recognized racial harassment at similar rates as students of color. Implications are offered for understanding campus climates, providing appropriate interventions, and overcoming white privilege and resistance.

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Toward A Model Of Racial Justice Ally Development, Robert D. Reason, Elizabeth A. Roosa-Millar, Tara C. Scales Jan 2005

Toward A Model Of Racial Justice Ally Development, Robert D. Reason, Elizabeth A. Roosa-Millar, Tara C. Scales

Robert D Reason

This paper explores the experiences of White college students as they make sense of their race and their roles in racial justice movements. Findings from two separate but related qualitative studies, when viewed together, result in an exploratory model of racial justice ally development. Racial justice allies are White students who actively work against the system of oppression that maintains their power. The model presented in this paper explores how college affects the development of racial justice allies, which may allow student affairs professionals to more effectively encourage this type of development.

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Ethics For Industrial Technology, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma Jan 2005

Ethics For Industrial Technology, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma

Kurt A. Rosentrater

This paper takes aim at one specific, as well as basic, need in teamwork and interdisciplinary projects – ethics and its implications for professional practice. A preliminary study suggests that students majoring in industrial technology degree programs may not have adequate opportunity to formally study and engage in ethical aspects of technology vis-à-vis the practices of the profession. It is reasonable to assume that the ethical dilemmas faced by an industrial technologist would parallel those of engineers and managers. To address this issue, this paper identifies a domain of knowledge that would constitute a necessary background in ethics for industrial …

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The North Carolina State University Women In Science And Engineering Program: A Community For Living And Learning, Sarah A. Rajala, Laura J. Bottomley, E. A. Parry, J. D. Cohen, Susan C. Grant, C. J. Thomas, T. M. Doxey, G. Perez, R. E. Collins, J. E. Spurlin Jun 2004

The North Carolina State University Women In Science And Engineering Program: A Community For Living And Learning, Sarah A. Rajala, Laura J. Bottomley, E. A. Parry, J. D. Cohen, Susan C. Grant, C. J. Thomas, T. M. Doxey, G. Perez, R. E. Collins, J. E. Spurlin

Sarah A. Rajala

Women are underrepresented in many of the disciplines in engineering, the mathematical sciences, and the physical and natural sciences, both at the undergraduate and the graduate levels. Depending upon the discipline, we lose women at varying points along the way. The pipeline of women interested in studying in engineering disciplines and in physics, for example, narrows considerably at the undergraduate level. In other disciplines such as mathematics, the retention rate for women at major research universities is much lower than at liberal arts institutions and the percentage of women who pursue graduate studies is much lower than that of their …

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Student Variables That Predict Retention: Recent Research And New Developments, Robert D. Reason Oct 2003

Student Variables That Predict Retention: Recent Research And New Developments, Robert D. Reason

Robert D Reason

This article reviews recent research related to the study of college student retention, specifically examining research related to individual student demographic characteristics. The increasing diversity of undergraduate college students requires a new, thorough examination of those student variables previously understood to predict retention. The retention literature focuses on research conducted after 1990 and emphasizes the changing demographics in higher education. Research related to a relatively new variable— the merit-index—also is reviewed, revealing potentially promising, but currently mixed results.

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Assessment Of Introduction To Engineering And Problem-Solving Course, Joni E. Spurlin, Jerome P. Lavelle, Mary Clare Robbins, Sarah A. Rajala Jun 2003

Assessment Of Introduction To Engineering And Problem-Solving Course, Joni E. Spurlin, Jerome P. Lavelle, Mary Clare Robbins, Sarah A. Rajala

Sarah A. Rajala

At North Carolina State University, the freshmen’s first course in engineering is E101, Introduction to Engineering and Problem-Solving. It is offered each fall to over 1,100 first year engineering students. In an effort to continuously improve the course, we put into place a plan to assess the course's learning outcomes. Assessment data collected in fall 2001 and fall 2002 through surveys, rubrics, and class assignments were evaluated to determine how well students met learning outcomes related to communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. This paper presents the assessment methods used in this course and provides examples of how the assessment findings were …

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Transformative Learning In Extension Staff Partnerships: Facilitating Personal, Joint, And Organizational Change, Nancy K. Franz Apr 2003

Transformative Learning In Extension Staff Partnerships: Facilitating Personal, Joint, And Organizational Change, Nancy K. Franz

Nancy K. Franz

Partnerships can enhance individual and organizational success through more effective problem solving and improved adaptation to change. Learning is often required for successful collaboration that may transform the partners. This article discusses a study that explored learning in Extension staff partnerships that transform the individual, the partnership, and the organization. Three types of learning and eight types of transformative learning are identified. Conditions that promoted transformative learning in successful partnerships included strong partner facilitation, critical reflection, critical events, partner difference bridged by common purpose, and independence with interdependence. Recommendations for nurturing transforming Extension staff partnerships are shared.

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Critically Thinking About Harry Potter: A Framework For Discussing Controversial Works In The English Classroom, Joanne M. Marshall Jan 2003

Critically Thinking About Harry Potter: A Framework For Discussing Controversial Works In The English Classroom, Joanne M. Marshall

Joanne M. Marshall

Since ].K. Rowling's Harry Potter series was first published in 1997, parents, teachers, and readers of all ages have been fans of the boy wizard, enthusiastically standing in bookstore lines at midnight to purchase the next installment, or flocking to the movies, or rushing to buy the DVD. Previously reluctant readers, including young adult readers (MacRae), are suddenly enthralled with a book, and the adults who care for those readers are equally enthralled with its results. Magic, indeed.

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K-12 And University Collaboration: A Vehicle To Improve Curriculum And Female Enrollment In Engineering And Technology, Janis P. Terpenny, Thomas Gralinski Jan 2003

K-12 And University Collaboration: A Vehicle To Improve Curriculum And Female Enrollment In Engineering And Technology, Janis P. Terpenny, Thomas Gralinski

Janis P. Terpenny

In 1993, the State of Massachusetts enacted the Educational Reform Act to improve student performance and to increase school accountability. One of the curriculum frameworks of this initiative is titled Science and Technology/Engineering. One of the strands within that framework, Technology/Engineering, outlines standards in seven curriculum areas to be assessed at the high school level on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). This framework is somewhat controversial but supported by numerous surveys focusing on national needs. The movement of traditional Industrial Arts programs to a Technology/Engineering approach in both delivery and content has created a new set of problems with …

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Outcomes Assessment: Developing An Electronic Assessment Database As A Model For Collection And Analysis Of Data, Joni E. Spurlin, Sarah A. Rajala, Jerome P. Lavelle, O. Jerome Hoskins Jun 2002

Outcomes Assessment: Developing An Electronic Assessment Database As A Model For Collection And Analysis Of Data, Joni E. Spurlin, Sarah A. Rajala, Jerome P. Lavelle, O. Jerome Hoskins

Sarah A. Rajala

As the ABET process in each institution moves toward outcomes assessment, it pushes each program to develop and implement its outcome assessment plans. Assessment plans document how programs will gather data, interpret the findings, and use the results to make improvements in programs, curricula, and resources. The ABET team at North Carolina State University (faculty from each engineering discipline along with assessment-knowledgeable personnel) has developed a model that academic programs within the College of Engineering use to determine what data to gather, where to obtain the data, and what criteria may be most appropriate when interpreting the data. This paper …

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Observing Women: Using Annie Leibovitz To Teach Thinking And Writing, Joanne M. Marshall Jan 2002

Observing Women: Using Annie Leibovitz To Teach Thinking And Writing, Joanne M. Marshall

Joanne M. Marshall

Good writing makes a key point and supports it with detailed evidence. In its rubric for students' five-paragraph timed essays, the Illinois state board of education refers to this feature as "Support/Elaboration," or "the degree to which the main point is explained by specific details and reasons" (Illinois State Board of Education, 2002). At its essence, support and elaboration is about students' ability to think critically as they reason and summon evidence to make an argument. There is a solid history of research summarizing the link between thinking critically and writing well, mostly coming from the work of George Hillocks …

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Utilizing The Internet To Improve Student Learning In A First Course In Engineering Economy With Real-World Unsolved Problems In Collaboration With Industry, Janis P. Terpenny, William G. Sullivan, Harpreet Singh, Kimberly Sward Jan 2002

Utilizing The Internet To Improve Student Learning In A First Course In Engineering Economy With Real-World Unsolved Problems In Collaboration With Industry, Janis P. Terpenny, William G. Sullivan, Harpreet Singh, Kimberly Sward

Janis P. Terpenny

This paper reports on results of an experiment to investigate whether technology and the Internet facilitate student learning of Engineering Economy through real world problems in collaboration with industry. An overview of the organization and administration of the collaborative projects is presented. Learning aids and Internet tools are included in this discussion. Assessment results of student performance and perception are also presented. It was found using a bootstrap sample, at a significance level of 0.05, that the grade point average (GPA) of students working on projects in collaboration with industry administered through a variety of tools over the Internet (Experimental …

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A Cooperative Molecular Modeling Exercise— The Hypersurface As Classroom, Christopher J. Cramer, Bethany L. Kormos, Paul Winget, Vanessa M. Audette, Jeremy M. Beebe, Carolyn S. Brauer, W.Russ Burdick, Eric W. Cochran, Brian M. Eklov, Timothy J. Giese, Yongseok Jun, Lakshmi S.D. Kesavan, Christopher R. Kinsinger, Mikhail E. Minyaev, Ramkumar Rajamani, Jonathon S. Salsbury, John M. Stubbs, Jack T. Surek, Jason D. Thompson, Vincent A. Voelz, Collin D. Wick, Ling Zhang Sep 2001

A Cooperative Molecular Modeling Exercise— The Hypersurface As Classroom, Christopher J. Cramer, Bethany L. Kormos, Paul Winget, Vanessa M. Audette, Jeremy M. Beebe, Carolyn S. Brauer, W.Russ Burdick, Eric W. Cochran, Brian M. Eklov, Timothy J. Giese, Yongseok Jun, Lakshmi S.D. Kesavan, Christopher R. Kinsinger, Mikhail E. Minyaev, Ramkumar Rajamani, Jonathon S. Salsbury, John M. Stubbs, Jack T. Surek, Jason D. Thompson, Vincent A. Voelz, Collin D. Wick, Ling Zhang

Eric W. Cochran

Quantum chemistry has been a staple of undergraduate curricula for several decades. For the most part, however, it has been the rare course in quantum chemistry that advances much beyond the hydrogen atom (or perhaps H2) in terms of describing the electronic structure of real molecular systems. Driven in part by staggering advances in computer technology during the last 15 years or so, which have rendered possible on a laptop calculations that once would have taxed the largest mainframes available, this situation now seems to be changing (1–3).

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