Education Commons^™

Leveraging Student Experience With Water For Active Learning In A Large Introductory Oceanography Classroom, Rebecca Freeman

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Growth Curve Analysis Of Mandatory Student Athletics Fees, Willis A. Jones, Michael J. Rudolph, Michael Brown

Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation Faculty Publications

This study used growth curve modeling to estimate the growth trajectory of mandatory student athletics fees at public NCAA Division I universities from 2004–2016. We specifically focused on three measures of athletics fees; total athletics fees, athletics fees per FTE, and athletics fees as a percentage of total student costs. We found that in general the growth trajectory of athletics fees was positive, but that the rate of growth has declined over the years. We also found that on average less than 5% of student costs are directly attributable to athletics fees and that the growth trajectory of athletics fees …

A Low-Intensity, Hybrid Design Between A "Traditional" And A "Course-Based" Research Experience Yields Positive Outcomes For Science Undergraduate Freshmen And Shows Potential For Large-Scale Application, Thushani Rodrigo-Peiris, Lin Xiang, Vincent M. Cassone

Biology Faculty Publications

Based on positive student outcomes, providing research experiences from early undergraduate years is recommended for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. To this end, we designed a novel research experience called the “STEMCats Research Experience” (SRE) for a cohort of 119 second-semester freshmen with diverse college preparatory levels, demographics, and academic majors. The SRE targeted student outcomes of enhancing retention in STEM majors, STEM competency development, and STEM academic performance. It was designed as a hybrid of features from apprenticeship-based traditional undergraduate research experience and course-based undergraduate research experience designs, considering five factors: 1) an authentic research experience, 2) …

Future And Value: The Library As Strategic Partner, Antje Mays

Library Presentations

Broader economic trends spawn budget pressures for education and libraries, prompting a plethora of studies on the value and relevance of libraries. Numerous reports on economic decline in libraries and studies with mixed pronouncements on the value of libraries have led to a negative self-image within the library profession. Yet libraries' leadership in connecting learners to knowledge is at the heart of producing many of the key skills sorely needed in robust societies and economies. Librarianship has many untapped opportunities for positioning itself as a prominent strategic partner. This paper outlines current research on the economic and societal context for …

Use And Effectiveness Of The Individual Development Plan Among Postdoctoral Researchers: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Nathan L. Vanderford, Teresa M. Evans, L. Todd Weiss, Lindsay Bira, Jazmin Beltran-Gastelum

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

The individual development plan (IDP) is a career planning tool that aims to assist PhD trainees in self-assessing skills, exploring career paths, developing short- and long-term career goals, and creating action plans to achieve those goals. The National Institutes of Health and many academic institutions have created policies that mandate completion of the IDP by both graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Despite these policies, little information exists regarding how widely the tool is used and whether it is useful to the career development of PhD trainees. Herein, we present data from a multi-institutional, online survey on the use and effectiveness …

The Effectiveness Of Journals As Arbiters Of Scientific Impact, C. E. Timothy Paine, Charles W. Fox

Entomology Faculty Publications

Academic publishers purport to be arbiters of knowledge, aiming to publish studies that advance the frontiers of their research domain. Yet the effectiveness of journal editors at identifying novel and important research is generally unknown, in part because of the confidential nature of the editorial and peer review process. Using questionnaires, we evaluated the degree to which journals are effective arbiters of scientific impact on the domain of Ecology, quantified by three key criteria. First, journals discriminated against low‐impact manuscripts: The probability of rejection increased as the number of citations gained by the published paper decreased. Second, journals were more …

Students' Perceptions Of Stem Learning After Participating In A Summer Informal Learning Experience, Thomas Roberts, Christa Jackson, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Sarah B. Bush, Cathrine Maiorca, Maureen Cavalcanti, D. Craig Schroeder, Ashley Delaney, Lydia Putnam, Chase Cremeans

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

Background: Informal learning environments increase students’ interest in STEM (e.g., Mohr‐Schroeder et al. School Sci Math 114: 291–301, 2014) and increase the chances a student will pursue a STEM career (Kitchen et al. Sci Educ 102: 529–547, 2018). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an informal STEM summer learning experience on student participants, to gain in-depth perspectives about how they felt this experience prepared them for their in-school mathematics and science classes as well as how it influenced their perception of STEM learning. Students’ attitudes and perceptions toward STEM are affected by their motivation, experience, …

Mayflower: Ode To New Beginnings — A New Column For New Times With A Positive Mission, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Numerous studies and articles downplay the value of libraries, citing instances of library defunding, layoffs, and outright closures, along with studies on the waning usefulness of libraries based on flawed quantifiables. Such pronouncements spread fear of obsolescence and irrelevance, contributing to dissatisfaction in the library profession. Yet polls in the United States and Great Britain reveal the library profession's enduring value among the most trusted professions.

To kick off the column "Mayflower: Ode to New Beginnings", this article frames library pressures in a context of broader trends affecting economic and educational conditions, examines professional stewardship and the library profession’s enduring …

The Use Of Bicycle Desks To Increase Physical Activity In Two Special Education Classrooms, Alicia Fedewa, Colleen Cornelius, Elizabeth Whitney, Soyeon Ahn, Mary Comis

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND

Although the literature has predominantly focused on elementary youth, preliminary findings indicate that attentional benefits may arise from adolescent physical activity as well. Limited research has examined the impact of classroom-based physical activity for secondary students, and no research to date has explored bicycle workstations as a means to improve physical activity within the special education classroom.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

Two special education resource classrooms within a high school took part in the research study. Students were given the option of riding on the bike or sitting on chairs in each classroom. Heart rate, calories, miles, time, and on-task …

Sustainable Stewardship: A Collaborative Model For Engaged Oral History Pedagogy, Community Partnership, And Archival Growth, Janice W. Fernheimer, Douglas A. Boyd, Beth L. Goldstein, Sarah Dorpinghaus

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Our University of Kentucky team of professors, archivists, and oral historians have collaborated since 2013 to develop pedagogy that enables students to encounter and engage oral history, archival materials, and local community in meaningful ways. Through the impetus of the Jewish Kentucky Oral History Project and several semesters of collaboration and iterative syllabus design, we developed “sustainable stewardship” as a replicable model for course and project design to engage undergraduates in original knowledge production while simultaneously fostering archival access and growth. In this article we trace the evolving pedagogical conversations inspired by the classroom introduction of OHMS (Oral History Metadata …

How Middle Level Science Teachers Visualize And Translate Motion, Scale, And Geometric Space Of The Earth-Moon-Sun System With Their Students, Jennifer Wilhelm, Merryn Cole, Cheryl Cohen, Rebecca Lindell

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research.] We examined teachers’ spatial-scientific reasoning and the alternative conceptions they held regarding Earth-space content. While participating in a professional development (PD) workshop, teachers engaged in an integrated mathematics and science project-based unit designed to foster spatial reasoning and improve lunar-related conceptual understanding. The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Rotation (PSVT-Rot) and the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory (LPCI) were used to assess understanding. We found the teachers held similar alternative conceptions as their students. Moreover, we discovered that teachers had limited understanding of the Earth-Moon-Sun scale, motions, and geometric configurations. To …

Spatial Thinking In Astronomy Education Research, Merryn Cole, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Wilhelm, Rebecca Lindell

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research.] Multiple studies show that spatial thinking skills contribute to students’ performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The study of astronomy is no different with the understanding of many astronomical phenomena requiring spatial thinking skills. This paper describes traditional and contemporary approaches to characterizing and measuring spatial thinking skills and suggests how they inform research in astronomy education. It summarizes previous literature in astronomy education research and categorizes the research approaches of astronomy education peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings that explicitly consider the role of spatial …

Intention To Quit Smoking And Polytobacco Use Among College Student Smokers, Karen M. Butler, Melinda J. Ickes, Mary Kay Rayens, Amanda T. Wiggins, Kristin Ashford, Ellen J. Hahn

Nursing Faculty Publications

Little is known about polytobacco use in college students. One nationally representative survey indicated 51.3% of tobacco-using college students used more than one product, which may increase risk of tobacco-related disease and premature death. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of intention to quit smoking (ITQS) cigarettes with polytobacco use status, controlling for frequency of tobacco product use and cigarette smoking intensity as measured by cigarettes per day (CPD). Data are from a larger quasi-experimental study conducted at a large state university in the Southeastern United States. Analysis is based on the combined sample of current …

Evaluating Preexisting Qualitative Research Data For Secondary Analysis, Victoria Sherif

Educational Leadership Studies Faculty Publications

In this article, I explore the nature of secondary analysis and provide a brief history of the method. Qualitative secondary analysis is a relatively under-used method in education and the social sciences, often due to the lack of easily accessible, relevant, trustworthy, and complete data. I address some of the potentials and limitations that influence its use and explore criteria for assessing the quality and sufficiency of preexisting qualitative research data. Qualitative secondary analysis has important implications for qualitative researchers, students and practitioners interested in generating new knowledge via unobtrusive, reliable, valid, and time/cost effective research through the wider use …

Special Collections As Research Incubator: Insights From The Learning Lab, Carol Street

Library Presentations

No abstract provided.

3 Secrets Of The Digital Humanities That You Never Knew, Jennifer Hootman

Library Presentations

No abstract provided.

Dental Students' Skills Assessments: Comparisons Of Daily Clinical Grades And Clinical And Laboratory Assessments, Elizangela Bertoli, Kristy Pepper Lawson, Susan S. Bishop

Oral Health Practice Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to compare the daily clinical grades of third-year dental students during routine clinical activities involving direct and indirect operative procedures to clinical and laboratory assessments. The authors compared students’ daily clinical grades to graded clinical assessments and compared daily clinical grades to laboratory assessments at one U.S. dental school. A total of 50 third-year students (participation rate: 98%) participated in this study during the school year of 2014–15. The study analyzed the students’ daily clinical grades and graded assessments during regular clinical activities and two laboratory examinations. The results found no statistically significant differences …

School Choice In Indianapolis: Effects Of Charter, Magnet, Private, And Traditional Public Schools, Mark Borends, R. Joseph Waddington

Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation Faculty Publications

School choice researchers are often limited to comparing one type of choice with another (e.g., charter schools vs. traditional public schools). One area researchers have not examined is the effects of different school types within the same urban region. We fill this gap by analyzing longitudinal data for students (grades 3–8) in Indianapolis, using student fixed effects models to estimate the impacts of students switching from a traditional public school to a charter, magnet, Catholic, or other private school. We find that students experience no differences in their achievement gains after transferring from a traditional public school to a charter …

The Indigenous Archive: Religion And Education In Eighteenth-Century Mexico, Mónica Díaz

Hispanic Studies Faculty Publications

This article argues that eighteenth-century native elites played a significant role in the larger intellectual scene of colonial Mexico by participating in the same debates as their creole and European counterparts. I contend that the documentation produced by native elites related to the indigenous schools (colegios), convents, and seminaries during the eighteenth century provides an important context for understanding the ways in which knowledge circulated between natives, creoles, and Europeans. In addition, when this "indigenous archive" is read in tandem with more traditional historiographical native sources, we can better appreciate the indigenous roots of the dominant narrative of …

Claiming Your Memories, Reinette F. Jones

Library Presentations

The K-12 schools in Paris and Bourbon County, Kentucky were segregated from the earliest schools developed after the U.S. Civil War up to the 1960s. This presentation was an overview of the development of the schools, the decrease in the student populations, and school integration in the Paris and Bourbon County schools. The presentation was an opportunity for all students, of all races, to share their memories and the memorabilia they had with them.

Does Pre-Assessment Work?, Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Educators must understand the purpose, form, and content of pre-assessments to reap their potential benefits.

Horse-Related Injuries: Causes, Preventability, And Where Educational Efforts Should Be Focused, Fernanda Camargo, William R. Gombeski Jr., Polly Barger, Connie Jehlik, Holly Wiemers, James Mead, Amy Lawyer

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

A high percentage of equestrians will experience accidents, with different degrees of severity, throughout their riding careers. Horse-related injuries have the highest likelihood of requiring hospitalization based on individuals visiting US emergency departments. Studies have shown that the majority of injured riders said they could have prevented the accident and the injury was due to rider/handler error. Therefore, equestrians reported their injuries, and a panel of experts analyzed these reports to better understand the causes, how to prevent, and where to invest educational resources to generate a reduction in horse-related accidents. The majority of riders reported intermediate riding skills, most …

The Influence Of Personal Well-Being On Learning Achievement In University Students Over Time: Mediating Or Moderating Effects Of Internal And External University Engagement, Lu Yu, Daniel T. L. Shek, Xiaoqin Zhu

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The current study examined the relationship between students' personal well-being and their learning achievement during university study, and whether such relationship would be mediated or moderated by university engagement. A total of 434 university students from one public university in Hong Kong participated in the study. The participants completed an online survey consisting of personal well-being (cognitive behavioral competence and general positive youth development), university engagement, and learning achievement measures (personal growth, and accumulated GPA as academic achievement) at four time points with a 1-year interval. Results showed that personal well-being measured at the beginning of university study positively predicted …

The Application Of An Implementation Science Framework To Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: Be A Champion!, Justin B. Moore, Russell L. Carson, Collin A. Webster, Camelia R. Singletary, Darla M. Castelli, Russell R. Pate, Michael W. Beets, Aaron Beighle

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) have been endorsed as a promising strategy to increase youth physical activity (PA) in school settings. A CSPAP is a five-component approach, which includes opportunities before, during, and after school for PA. Extensive resources are available to public health practitioners and school officials regarding what should be implemented, but little guidance and few resources are available regarding how to effectively implement a CSPAP. Implementation science provides a number of conceptual frameworks that can guide implementation of a CSPAP, but few published studies have employed an implementation science framework to a CSPAP. Therefore, we developed …

Assessing Students’ Writing And Public Speaking Self-Efficacy In A Composition And Communication Course, T. Kody Frey, Jessalyn I. Vallade

Information Science Faculty Publications

One avenue for assessing learning involves evaluating self-efficacy, as this psychological beliefis a strong predictor of academic achievement. As such, the purpose of this study was to evaluate writing self-efficacy and public speaking self-efficacy in a composition and communication course. This course is structured to develop both writing and public speaking competencies; the research sought to determine whether students believed they were leaving the course feeling more confident in their capabilities within each respective academic domain. Results (N= 380) from pre- and post-test data suggest that students’ reported writing and public speaking self-efficacy significantly increased over the semester. Additionally, students’ …

Higher Education In Tajikistan: Institutional Landscape And Key Policy Developments, Alan J. Deyoung, Zumrad Kataeva, Dilrabo Jonbekova

Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation Faculty Publications

Higher education in Tajikistan has undergone substantial changes over the past 25 years as a result of both its internal crises and those social and economic transition challenges seen throughout the Newly Independent States (NIS). HEIs in the country have also shown eagerness to change and grow as they move toward world education space. In this chapter, we examine the evolution of the Tajik system of higher education from the Soviet time through independence (1991–2015) in terms of growth, emerging landscape and diversification, and key policy developments and issues. We analyze these changes in the context of relevant economic, social …

Analysis Of Campus Accessibility At The University Of Kentucky, Molly Mathistad

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

The paper reviews the accessibility satisfaction ratings and suggestions provided by University of Kentucky (UK) students who live with disabilities. A detailed survey was distributed to all students registered with the UK Disability Resource Center (DRC), inquiring about individual satisfaction with campus aspects such as the DRC, utilized accommodations, campus environment, student and faculty sensitivity, and the potential benefit of accommodation space(s) around campus. Participants listed dozens of potential solutions to problems which they and others face on campus daily, all of which are detailed in results sections of the paper. The most commonly mentioned issues included faculty sensitivity training, …

Educational Test Scores, Education Spending, And Productivity In Public Education: National Trends And Evidence Across States And Over Time, 1990-2015, John Garen, Rex Bray

Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise Working Papers

We examine national trends in educational funding, test score outcomes, and productivity as well as variations in funding and test scores over time and across states to assess how changes in educational spending are (or are not) related to changes in educational test score outcomes for states. National trends show small increases in test scores, large increases in educational funding (until the last recession), and a continued fall in educational productivity. The cross-state, over time analysis indicates a statistically significant but very small association of state funding to test scores; so small that large changes in funding have little effect …

Health Promotion In Elementary School Students, Madelyn J. Miles

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

The following project was created to address the rising epidemic of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is caused by many factors such as genetics, metabolism, community and neighborhood design, diet, exercise, and short sleep duration (Center for Disease Control: Childhood Obesity Facts). Social determinants of health, systems of oppression, and stigma can all influence the obesity epidemic. These include but are not limited to social status, location, culture, age, sexuality, ethnicity, and race. These identities can influence affordability and access to healthcare and further contribute to the obesity epidemic. It is important to understand these issues as a future provider. A …

An Assessment Of Disability Access At The University Of Kentucky, Megan S. Coffinbargar

Oswald Research and Creativity Competition

This study assesses the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) compliance at the University of Kentucky. Twenty buildings frequently used by undergraduates at the University of Kentucky were evaluated using the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities focusing on Title III, Public Accommodations, and Priority Two, Access to Goods and Services. Data was collected over two weeks (July 20, 2017-August 3, 2017) and then evaluated using descriptive analysis. Data was analyzed looking across checklist items, buildings, checklist categories, and construction dates. Looking across checklist items, compliance ranged from 12-20 buildings out of 20 possible with 18.485 buildings as the average. …