Education Commons^™

Human A&P: Collaborative Oer Adoption, Lindsay Biga

Open Educational Resources Symposium

Despite the availability of open source textbooks, few faculty have adopted OERs as primary course resources for several reasons. Faculty are dubious as to whether OERs are sufficiently rigorous academically and as extensively reviewed as traditional textbooks distributed by major publishers. Additionally, faculty note that many scientific disciplines rely heavily on high quality, scientifically accurate figures, an area in which OERs pale in comparison to traditional textbooks. Further, OER ancillary materials are often inferior when available at all. But perhaps most importantly, faculty have not adopted OERs because they are basically satisfied with their current textbooks and lack the time …

The Oer As Open Creative Act, Jenn Kepka

Open Educational Resources Symposium

This session will discuss ways that OER texts can be opened for student and colleague input, both as a way to encourage open pedagogy and as a way to increase the work's sustainability. The example used will be the 2017-2017 writing texts created for WR121 and WR122. We will also discuss the constructivist and connectivist value of creating educational resources that are adaptable by students and faculty. Attendees will be invited to brainstorm and then workshop their own materials during the session so that they leave with an action list of next steps to take in opening their own class …

Statistics: The Text For Student Success, Larry Shrewsbury

Open Educational Resources Symposium

My session is for those looking for an open source textbook for Statistics (MTH 243). As a grant recipient the faculty from both Southern Oregon University and Rogue Community College looked at several open source textbooks for our MTH 243 classes. We first looked at the very popular OpenStax Statistics, but the consensus was that it wasn’t as good as the textbook we’ve been using (Michael Sullivan’s Statistics, Informed Decisions using Data, 4th Edition). So we agreed to keep looking at more open source Statistics textbooks. We came across one that doesn’t seem to be very well known, but some …

Introductory Psychology Oer Adoption, Alishia Huntoon

Open Educational Resources Symposium

Introductory psychology courses enroll many students each year, and at least one is typically taken by students at Oregon Tech for their general education requirements. The project's aim was to provide open educational resources, including study resources, for those enrolled in all sections, negating textbook purchase requirements. This presentation will cover this project's process and end products.

The Benefits Of Oer In A University Arabic Course, Lina Gomaa

Open Educational Resources Symposium

I will share my experience writing and e-publishing my open textbook and using it in the classroom. It is the first Arabic textbook in the Open Textbook library at the University of Minnesota and Portland State University’s library website. The book has been downloaded over 300 times all over the world in a year and counting. In addition to the e-book, I will discuss my experience with mediaspace.pdx.edu in class teaching and the students’ reactions to incorporating it in teaching Arabic.

Converting Calculus Oer Into A Multimedia Text, Alex Jordan, Carly Vollet

Open Educational Resources Symposium

We have used MathBook XML software to convert two popular OERs for calculus into a multimedia format that

integrates online homework support. We'll demonstrate various features of the output, and the methods we use to edit these OERs. As time permits, we'll peek at some other OER projects that are using MathBook XML.

Our goal is to promote these two particular OERs and also the use of MathBook XML, which, in spite of its name, is an excellent tool for writing OER in all subjects. Potential attendees who are not particularly interested in mathematics may still be interested in the …

A Living Text: Rethinking Developmental Reading & Writing, Monique Babin, Carol Burnell, Sue Pesznecker

Open Educational Resources Symposium

Carol Burnell, Nicole Rosevear, Susan Pesznecker, and Monique Babin of Clackamas Community College (CCC), along with Jaime Wood of Portland State University, are currently developing an OER for CCC's developmental reading and writing courses, WRD-090 and -098. This project grew from a desire to create a resource that would evolve and grow along with the experience of the students and educators who use it. Their OER provides practical advice for reading and writing about college-level texts (books, articles, websites, visual texts, videos, and other multimedia). It guides students to work with these texts in different ways, according to the demands …

Oer Impact Research, Zip Krummel, John Schoppert, Jennifer Lantrip, Jessica Knoch, Jenn Kepka, Amy R. Hofer

Open Educational Resources Symposium

Open Oregon Educational Resources sponsored a research group to measure the impact that OER have on teaching and learning. This session will report on preliminary research results from some of the research teams across the state.

Columbia Gorge Community College implemented a comparative research project looking at the effects of OER in the classroom. During the winter and spring terms of 2017, two psychology courses - 201A and 202A - were split in half. One half of the students in class used a traditional publisher’s textbook, the other half used OER developed by the instructor. Guided by the question “How …

Open Education Collaborations In Higher Education, Marilyn Billings

Open Educational Resources Symposium

Morning keynote.

Assistive Technology For The Cognitively Impaired: A Study Of Literacy, Comprehension, And The Print Publishing Industry, Amanda Matteo

Student Research Symposium

This paper explores how the print publishing industry has developed to include and assist children with cognitive impairments. It analyzes the ways in which assistive technology and the digital market (i.e. ebooks) have promoted reading comprehension amongst this population, and discusses what further developments are in the works in regards to cognitive reading enhancements. Finally, it explores the areas in which this development is still limited and provides potential, attainable solutions.

Culture Beyond Borders: A Postcolonial Analysis Of Multicultural Education, Alex Diaz-Hui

Student Research Symposium

Using Third-World feminist and postcolonial theory, this research complicates the narrative of culture in education. While multicultural education is well intentioned, it creates caricatures of communities of color. Multicultural education also functions through an anthropological perspective of culture, one that relays on portraying communities of color through national cultures. According to Third-World feminist scholarship, particularly through the writings of Uma Narayan, national cultures do not exist but are actually constructed through distinguishing the colonizer and the colonized. Culturally responsive pedagogy provides a theoretical framework that attempts to remedy the issues of multicultural education. However, it fails to separate itself from …

College Affordability, Rabeeb Rahman

Student Research Symposium

College affordability in the U.S. has been an issue that has existed for many decades now. These days three quarters of the fast growing jobs require a person to have an education beyond just an ordinary high school diploma. However around half of college students who start their college careers here in America don’t finish in six years. College tuition also keeps rising which makes it harder for families in the upper middle class to attend college. To battle this problem of rising tuition cost we Americans must take action. I have worked with a few other Portland State students …

How Calculus Students At Successful Programs Talk About Their Instructors, Annie Bergman, Dana Kirin, Ben Wallek

Student Research Symposium

Over the past decade, numerous reports point to the need for national efforts to increase the number of students pursuing and professionals with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (see for example NSB, 2007; PCAST, 2012; Thomasian, 2011). According to the PCAST report (2012) increasing the retention rate of the students who enter college intending to major in a STEM field has the potential to significantly decrease the gap between the number of STEM degrees produced and the projected number of STEM degrees needed to sustain the United States position in the global market. While there are …

Curriculum Impact On Educational Philosophy Identification, Rebecca Tuttle

Student Research Symposium

An educator’s teaching philosophy represents their personal beliefs regarding the purpose of classroom instruction and the methods used to facilitate learning. While an individual’s educational philosophy often transforms over time, more research is needed to characterize influences on evolving theory and practice. This survey-based study was conducted to determine if the curricular content has an impact on teaching methodology despite a teacher’s philosophical identification. The study population comprised of adult learner-educators enrolled in a graduate educational philosophy class. The subjects were surveyed after completing a term examining the main tenets of five main educational philosophies (Liberal, Behavioral, Progressive, Humanist, Radical). …

Culturally Specific Bilingual Arts Integration, Danielle L. Malan

Student Research Symposium

Today's young people are a source of growing social and academic concern. Combined with economic, cultural and linguistic barriers, Latino students are an even greater concern. Studies have demonstrated qualitative improved learning with either arts integration or with bilingual education. After a literature review, there was no conclusive quantitative evidence done prior to this study in 2015, for the benefits of combining the two to use bilingual arts integration as a method for improved learning. Could bilingual arts education improve learning? The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of bilingual arts integration on learning, and the positive …

Crisis In Education -- The Effect Of The Cold War On The American Education System, Spencer C.J. Gregg

Young Historians Conference

The Cold War era had a dramatic impact on the American educational system. Striving to demonstrate superiority over Soviet counterparts, new curriculum were developed to prepare the American youth intellectually, emotionally, and technologically to position the U.S. as a world power. With the American public polarized whether schools were a venue for the dissemination of national ideologies or institutions for the development of critical thinking; world events including nuclear warfare, space exploration, and military preparedness served as catalysts for the development of future citizens that would effectively contribute to the intellectual and technological growth of the nation.

Table Discussion Notes - Balancing Wellness With Productivity, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of balancing wellness with productivity.

With the exception of some discussion about wellness in the curriculum, the topics that emerged from this set of table notes do not fall within the purview of the Faculty Senate. For example, there are ideas related to (1) resources to support student retention and success, which intersect with initiatives in the Strategic Plan, and also (2) issues of faculty work/life balance.

Table Discussion Final Summary - Balancing Wellness With Productivity, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of balancing wellness with productivity.

With the exception of some discussion about wellness in the curriculum, the topics that emerged from this set of table notes do not fall within the purview of the Faculty Senate. For example, there are ideas related to (1) resources to support student retention and success, which intersect with initiatives in the Strategic Plan, and also (2) issues of faculty work/life balance.

Table Discussion Notes - The Significance Of Equity And Inclusion In Education, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of the significance of equity and inclusion in education.

The majority of discussion focused on the need for cultural competence training, and how to ensure equity and inclusion in the curriculum and classroom. Three leitmotifs run through the comments: this is important; this will be time and labor intensive; significant support will be required from the administration to address these issues and implement any initiatives. The topics and suggestions that emerged from the discussion align better with the charge of the Diversity Action Council than that of a future Senate Task Force on …

Table Discussion Final Summary - The Significance Of Equity And Inclusion In Education, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of the significance of equity and inclusion in education.

The majority of discussion focused on the need for cultural competence training, and how to ensure equity and inclusion in the curriculum and classroom. Three leitmotifs run through the comments: this is important; this will be time and labor intensive; significant support will be required from the administration to address these issues and implement any initiatives. The topics and suggestions that emerged from the discussion align better with the charge of the Diversity Action Council than that of a future Senate Task …

Table Discussion Notes - Harmonizing Education For Local Concerns With Global Issues, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of harmonizing education for local concerns with global issues.

The scope of discussion included curriculum, pedagogy, extracurricular opportunities for students, and faculty development. After exploring the varied connections between local and global, the majority of comments focused on ensuring a global/ international perspective in the curriculum, recognizing the value of language learning for a broad spectrum of life and career pathways, and supporting faculty development of pedagogical techniques that foster intercultural/ global competencies. Participants highlighted the rich cultural diversity on campus, and proposed that we find more ways to foster multicultural interactions outside …

Table Discussion Final Summary - Harmonizing Education For Local Concerns With Global Issues, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of harmonizing education for local concerns with global issues.

The scope of discussion included curriculum, pedagogy, extracurricular opportunities for students, and faculty development. After exploring the varied connections between local and global, the majority of comments focused on ensuring a global/ international perspective in the curriculum, recognizing the value of language learning for a broad spectrum of life and career pathways, and supporting faculty development of pedagogical techniques that foster intercultural/ global competencies. Participants highlighted the rich cultural diversity on campus, and proposed that we find more ways to foster multicultural …

Table Discussion Final Summary - Balancing Academic Depth And Breadth, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final Summary from the table discussion on the topic of balancing academic depth and breadth.

A large part of discussion focused on how we should define breadth for our student body, the financial and societal contexts that can make breadth a difficult sell to students, and the importance of making the curriculum relevant to our students’ needs and experiences. In terms of academic content, discussion was fairly general, noting the value of balancing knowledge with skills, and providing content related to life, citizenship and career. Quite a bit of discussion explored ways to structure the curriculum and design pedagogy to …

Table Discussion Notes - Balancing Academic Depth And Breadth, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from the table discussion on the topic of balancing academic depth and breadth.

A large part of discussion focused on how we should define breadth for our student body, the financial and societal contexts that can make breadth a difficult sell to students, and the importance of making the curriculum relevant to our students’ needs and experiences. In terms of academic content, discussion was fairly general, noting the value of balancing knowledge with skills, and providing content related to life, citizenship and career. Quite a bit of discussion explored ways to structure the curriculum and design pedagogy to meet …

Welcome & Keynote Address By Dr. Kevin P. Reilly, Wim Wiewel, Sona K. Andrews, Brad Hansen, Kevin P. Reilly

Winter Symposium

Our keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Kevin P. Reilly, President Emeritus and Regent Professor with the 26-campus University of Wisconsin System, having served as President from 2004-2013.

Dr. Reilly will address what society is asking of higher education in the 21st century, and will stimulate a discussion on global issues, evolving higher education delivery formats, and the ongoing conversations on utility and utopia as Provost Andrews published in her blog. His experience leading the Wisconsin University System and perspective on current issues in Wisconsin higher education, work on the Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues for the …

Freedom From Equality: Democratic Education And The Failure Of The Nclb, Andrew X. Fleming

Student Research Symposium

Deeply rooted societal concerns about what role democratic ideals should play within systems of education, and how much sway the federal government should hold over educational institutions, have been at the forefront of American educational policy for decades. These questions have more recently been brought into the limelight once again within the context of the implementation of charter schools and the controversial No Child Left Behind act, and its subsequent failure. The expressed goal of this paper is to provide an examination of what philosophies and ideals of so-called "democratic education" are have played major roles in developing the discourse …

The Story And Song Centered Pedagogy: Teaching Empathy In The Classroom, Parfait Adegboyé Bassalé

Student Research Symposium

This presentation was given as part of the Panel Presentation Studies in Education at Portland State University's Research Symposium. The Story and Song Centered Pedagogy (SSCP) is an educational framework that uses songs, stories and reflective questioning to increase empathy with an audience. In a preliminary study conducted with high school students, I tested the prediction that being exposed to the SSCP would increase empathy. I focused on the Emotional Concern (EC) and Perspective Taking (PT) subscales of the renowned empathy measurement tool: the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Subjects self-reported their answers to the IRI before and after undergoing the …

Learning & Practice Sessions: Contributing To A Strong Academic Foundation For Undergraduate Csd Students, Erin E. Robling, Susan Ginley, Rik Lemoncello

Student Research Symposium

While the scope of practice for speech-language pathologists has expanded dramatically, graduate clinical training remains a two year master’s degree. A solid foundation in undergraduate communication sciences and disorders (CSD) coursework is ever-more essential to prepare students for the breadth of knowledge and skills obtained in graduate school. How are undergraduate/post-baccalaureate CSD programs evolving to meet this challenge? This study proposes one such enhancement. Learning & Practice Sessions are a program by which peer undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students lead weekly, post-class review sessions during which participating students have an opportunity to review the week’s material, discuss challenging concepts, examine anatomical …

Teacher Enthusiasm And Implementation Of Harvest For Healthy Kids Curriculum Activities: Descriptive Preliminary Data, Jennifer Hallman, Betty T. Izumi

Student Research Symposium

Harvest for Healthy Kids is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project between Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) Head Start and Dr. Betty Izumi at the School of Community Health, Portland State University. Modeled after the "farm-to-school" concept, Harvest for Healthy Kids is a nutrition intervention designed to introduce children in early care and education settings to a wide variety of locally grown fruits and vegetables through their meals, snacks, and classroom activities. This year (2012-2013), research assistants conducted weekly check-in phone calls to evaluate the fidelity of the Harvest for Healthy Kids curriculum by ten MHCC Head Start teachers involved …

Mathematics Orality And Literacy, Beverly Orth

Student Research Symposium

To become a mathematician, a student must learn how to "do" mathematics and also how to communicate with other mathematicians. Through a special language, both oral and written, mathematicians share a discourse community. This community extends not only across the boundaries of natural language, but also across centuries. My paper explores the following question: How does a person enter the discourse community of mathematicians? My research shows that learning mathematics parallels the learning of natural language reading and writing. Much like learning a foreign language, learning mathematics has been based mostly on oral tradition. The orality of mathematics learning is …