Education Commons^™

Online Knowledge Communities As Student-Centered Open Learning Environments: How Likely Will They Be To Integrate Learners As New Members?, Nicolae Nistor, Mihai Dascălu, Christian Tarnai, Nicolas Bresser

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Using online knowledge communities (OKCs) from the Internet as student centered, open learning environments (SCOLEs) poses the question how likely these communities will be to integrate learners as new members. This premise of learning in SCOLEs is analyzed in the current study. Based on the approaches of voices inter animation and polyphony, a natural language processing tool was employed for dialog analysis in integrative vs. non-integrative blog-based OKCs. Three dialog dimensions were identified: participants’ individual content-oriented contribution, social contribution, and their position within the social network. Hierarchical clusters built upon these dimensions reflect sociocognitive structures including central, regular and peripheral …

The Current State Of Evidence-Based Practices With Classroom Management, Peter Ross, Bruce Sliger

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Education has been calling for evidence-based practices to help validate it as a bona fide profession (Gable, Tonelson, Sheth, Wilson, & Park, 2012). Lack of evidence-based practices presents an unusual irony in education since the literature has been addressing this research-to-practice gap for years. In particular, evidence based practices in classroom management and discipline have been nearly absent. Skinner noted as far back as 1968 (Skinner, 1968) that most teachers simply incorporate personal experiences into classroom practices rather than embracing science-based methods.

Motivation And Career-Development Training Programs: Use Of Regulatory Focus To Determine Program Effectiveness, Peter J. Anthony

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The purpose of this study was to focus on the relationship between career-development training programs and the motivation of employees. The study used a qualitative method and a phenomenological design using semistructured interviews conducted with a script of open-ended questions. Two main components of the research design were the modified van Kaam method for exploration of experiences and the purposive selection of the participants. The 20 participants in the sample were project managers and consultants from south-central Texas, all of whom had experience with governmental projects. Based on interview responses, the findings of this study highlighted a concern from the …

African Renaissance And Globalization: A Conceptual Analysis And A Way Forward, Jose Cossa

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

After colonialism and subsequent independences of African states, the current wave of Globalization has been compelling Africans to rethink their position in the world. One key aspect of Africa’s redefinition and response to Globalization is the African Renaissance; a concept that has been subject to debate among African academia, with some African scholars arguing that it is borrowed from experiences unique to Europe and thus rendering it irrelevant to Africa. This paper is a conceptual analysis of the term African Renaissance and an assessment of its relevance within the context of globalization.

The 1907 Bellingham Riot And Anti-Asian Hostilities In The Pacific Northwest, Paul Englesberg

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Introduction: Historians have emphasized various factors and aspects of the attacks depending on their perspectives and theoretical persuasions, including labor strife, racial supremacist ideology, fears due to socio-cultural differences, and reaction to nationalism and radicalism. More recently, historians have the paid particular attention to the legal and political implications and results on a national level on both sides of the US.-Canadian border.1 Through my study of Asian immigration in the Northwest region and Bellingham in particular, I have concluded that there was a concerted effort to harass the Punjabi Sikhs and arouse popular animosity that began a full year before …

“Ask The Experts” Panel, Kurt Schoch

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Individuals with extensive experience with Baldrige will field questions and have one-on-one discussions with participants.

Google Glass App For Displaying Asl Videos For Deaf Children – The Preliminary Race, Becky Parton

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Glass Vision 3D is a grant-funded project focused on the goal of developing and researching the feasibility & usability of a Google Glass app that will allow young Deaf children to look at an object in the classroom and see an augmented reality projection that displays an American Sign Language (ASL) related video. Session will show the system (Glass app) that was developed and summarize feedback gathered during focus-group testing of the prototype.

Using Teacher Performance Assessment (Edtpa) And Data-Informed Decision Making To Ensure Teacher Readiness, Martha Cheney, Janet Elerene Williams, Jennifer Knutson

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

• Introduction to Research Study on Data-Informed Decision Making

• Data Collection Tools

• Research Findings

• Impact of Research Findings on Program Implementation

• Roundtable Discussions

The 1907 Anti-Punjabi Hostilities In Washington State: Prelude To The Ghadar Movement, Paul Englesberg

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Following months of harassment and threats, on September 4, 1907 a mob attacked and drove out over 200 South Asian laborers from Bellingham, Washington. Most of these immigrants, commonly referred to as “Hindus,” were Sikhs who had recently emigrated from Punjab to Canada and then crossed the border to work in large lumber mills. The goal of the rioters was to expel these workers from the mills and the city. In the months following, anti-Punjabi hostilities occurred in other locations in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, causing many more South Asian immigrants to flee back to Canada or …

Instructional Design And Facilitation Approaches That Promote Critical Thinking In Asynchronous Online Discussions: A Review Of The Literature, Laura Schindler, Gary J. Burkholder Jr

Center for Research Quality Publications

Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are often used to promote critical thinking in online courses; however, recent research suggests that levels of critical thinking in discussions remain low. Furthermore, there is a lack of consensus in the literature about the definition of critical thinking and many of the existing studies focus on one specific cognitive construct. Therefore, it is unknown which instructional approaches have the strongest empirical support for promoting critical thinking across multiple cognitive constructs. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the literature related to instructional design and facilitation approaches that promote critical thinking in …

Motivational Issues Of Faculty In Saudi Arabia, Peter J. Anthony, Akram Abdul Cader

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This study focused on the factors that affect motivation of faculty in Saudi Arabia. It included two surveys and open-ended queries to a focus group of five academic managers and 25 faculty members of varying nationalities, rank, and institutes in Saudi Arabia. The research showed that the faculties in Saudi Arabia’s higher education industry feel disconnected from the program development. The faculty members did not feel motivated to participate in the development and improvement of the academic program due to: (a) lack of monetary and non-monetary incentives, (b) management not involving faculty in decision-making, and (c) lack of recognition and …

The Reeal Model: A Framework For Faculty Training In Online Discussion Facilitation, Laurie Bedford

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

Discussion forums are a primary tool for interactions in the online classroom. Discussions are a critical part of the learning process for students, and instructor facilitation should reflect this importance. Effective instructor discussion facilitation encourages students, provides evidence and analysis and links the discussion to subsequent discourse. However, instructors receive little guidance in strategies to meet these expectations. To fill this gap, the REEAL Model is presented to support faculty in developing appropriate discussion responses. In addition, a transcript analysis technique is described which can be used as part of a faculty development program to ensure faculty have appropriate skills …

International Perspectives On Retention And Persistence, Gary J. Burkholder Jr, Nicole Holland

Office of Institutional Research and Assessment Publications

Access to higher education globally is increasing dramatically; attainment of tertiary degrees is a high priority, as educational attainment is associated with increased personal incomes as well as growth of the middle class in developing countries. The purpose of this essay is to briefly examine retention and persistence issues from a global perspective, review some retention strategies that have been employed at schools outside the United States, and to identify several key factors that related to retention and persistence globally, including access, infrastructure, financial consideration, and readiness for tertiary education. There exists an opportunity to utilize knowledge gained in the …

Participation In Virtual Academic Communities Of Practice Under The Influence Of Technology Acceptance And Community Factors, A Learning Analytics Application, Nicolae Nistor, Beate Baltes, Mihai Dascălu, Dan Miha˘Ila˘, Stefan Trăuşan-Matu, George Smeaton

The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership Publications

Participation in virtual communities of practice (vCoP) can be influenced at the same time by technology acceptance and by community factors. To overcome methodological issues connected with the analysis of these influences, learning analytics were applied. Based on a recent vCoP model, the collaborative dialogue comprising 4040 interventions in 1981 messages created by a vCoP located at a US American online university was automatically analyzed. The text-based asynchronous online discussions were scored using a cohesion-based participation and collaboration analysis. Additionally, a sample of N = 133 vCoP participants responded a technology acceptance survey. Thus, a combined research model including the …

Participation In Virtual Academic Communities Of Practice Under The Influence Of Technology Acceptance And Community Factors, A Learning Analytics Application, Nicolae Nistor, Beate Baltes, Mihai Dascălu, Dan Miha˘Ila˘

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Participation in virtual communities of practice (vCoP) can be influenced at the same time by technology acceptance and by community factors. To overcome methodological issues connected with the analysis of these influences, learning analytics were applied. Based on a recent vCoP model, the collaborative dialogue comprising 4040 interventions in 1981 messages created by a vCoP located at a US American online university was automatically analyzed. The text-based asynchronous online discussions were scored using a cohesion-based participation and collaboration analysis. Additionally, a sample of N = 133 vCoP participants responded a technology acceptance survey. Thus, a combined research model including the …

Theoretical Development, Factorial Validity, And Reliability Of The Online Graduate Mentoring Scale. Mentoring And Tutoring: Partnership In Learning., Linda Crawford, Justus Randolph, Iris M. Yob

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

In this study, we sought to confirm the theoretical framework underlying an Online Graduate Mentoring Scale by establishing the scale’s factorial validity and reliability. Analysis of data received from doctoral students and alumni/ae of the College of Education of one large, online, accredited university reduced the initial theoretical framework from seven to six attributes, and resulted in a revision of the scale. Further research is needed to test the theoretical framework with other relevant populations and to refine the scale itself by reducing skewness and attaining item balance

Female Administrators Perceptions Of Distance Learning, Marydee A. Spillett, Mary Ann Mundy, Lori Kupczynski, Rebecca Davis

Center for Research Quality Publications

Gender disparity is evident in tenure track and tenured faculty positions at universities. However, distance education may provide more supportive environments for female academicians to grow and develop. The term distance learning is used to encompass any type of instruction delivered off campus. Distance learning has increased dramatically and has gained strategic importance possibly presenting women with a new realm for advancement. Leaders in distance learning must have qualities such as good listening skills, be understanding, engage in collaboration, be cooperative, demonstrate openness, have interpersonal sensitivity and empathy; attributes traditionally associated with females. This qualitative study utilizing a survey design, …

Keeping Students In By Sending Them Out: Retention And Service-Learning, Iris M. Yob

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

This review of recent literature examines the research on the impact of service-learning on student retention. The theoretical framework of the review draws on both Tinto’s model of student attrition and Knowles’s theory of adult learning, which together suggest that academic and social integration, active participation and engagement in learning, and application and relevancy of the subject-matter under study are key factors in student success. The role of these factors has been confirmed in a growing body of research around learning experiences in general and, as this review shows, particularly in service-learning experiences. Suggestions are made for how future research …

Hello My Name Is: Relationships As Motivation In The Undergraduate Classroom, Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, Michael Bonura

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

Teacher-student relations are a strong motivator and indicator of learning. Trust between teacher and student is a fundamental prerequisite for higher learning (Curzon-Hobson, 2002). Further, the relationship allows for the construction of a safe and nurturing environment that facilitates the students’ ability to create and trust their knowledge (Raider-Roth, 2005). Relationships may even be correlated with student participation and enthusiasm for discussion (Davis, 1993). The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a deliberate focus on relationship building in the undergraduate classroom at the United States Military Academy. Using a teacher-as-researcher method, the instructor asked students to …

Ethical Challenges And Adaptive Solutions Regarding Support Of Online Graduate Student Research In Regions With Limited Infrastructure, Lellani Endicott, Jenny Sherer

Center for Research Quality Publications

Online graduate programs have a unique opportunity to serve students in global regions that have limited infrastructure (and thus fewer educational opportunities) due to remoteness, poverty, violent conflict, ideological values that might not necessarily support educational access for all people, or other reasons. In many cases, students in these regions feel a particularly urgent need to attain educational goals, obtain scientific training, and conduct research that can help improve conditions for their community. However, the same infrastructure limitations that make education and social research so desperately necessary (e.g., shortcomings in government, commerce, law enforcement) can also present barriers to the …

Facilitating Exposure To Sign Languages Of The World: The Case For Mobile Assisted Language Learning, Becky Parton

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Foreign sign language instruction is an important, but overlooked area of study. Thus the purpose of this paper was two-fold. First, the researcher sought to determine the level of knowledge and interest in foreign sign language among Deaf teenagers along with their learning preferences. Results from a survey indicated that over a third of the respondents did not realize that American Sign Language was not universally used around the world. Another key finding from the survey is that Deaf students are interested in learning foreign sign languages particularly from the per-spective of a potential world traveler and not necessarily from …

Ghost Limbs In Snakeskin Light, Leslie Vangelder

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

On Seeing Home

Forging Meaningful Social Connections In A Virtual World, Lisa J. Cook

Career Services Publications

No abstract provided.

An Institutional Approach To Developing A Culture Of Student Persistence, Gary J. Burkholder Jr, Jim Lenio, Nicole Holland, Alan Seidman, Diane Neal, Jimmy Middlebrook, Rebecca Jobe

Office of Institutional Research and Assessment Publications

There continues to be increasing focus on college student retention and persistence. This focus is coming from the United States federal government, accrediting organizations, and from students, parents, and the public. Given the spiraling costs of education and the fact that retention rates have not improved over time, various stakeholders are concerned about the value of a higher education credential. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the efforts of a for-profit, distance education institution to focus its resources, in an evidence-based manner, on retention and to develop a culture of retention and persistence throughout the institution. The literature …

Facilitating Inquiry-Based Science Learning Online In A Virtual University, Rosalind Kam, Bernard (None) Hoop Jr.

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The authors reviewed their approaches to facilitating inquiry-based science courses from 2005 through 2010 in a fully online master's degree program at Walden University designed to help teachers bring inquiry-based science to their students. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate their interaction-engagement approach in facilitating online courses, which focused on a guided inquiry approach to build understanding of core science concepts using hands-on experimental science investigations.

Effects Of Direct Instruction And Corrective Feedback On Second Language Acquisition, Don Jones, Helen Ramirez

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

ABSTRACT

This study compared the effectiveness of differing instructional approaches used within two units of study in Spanish classes at a suburban middle school. The purpose of this quantitative, pre-experimental study was to determine if direct instruction in grammar and vocabulary combined with a variety of corrective feedback types would facilitate higher levels of second language acquisition than an instructional approach that concentrated on student activity and task performance. The theoretical base of the present study focused on associative-cognitive second language theories and hypotheses that explained how second language learning occurs. The purposive convenience sample was comprised of 86 students …

Applying Principles Of Psychology To Contemporary Society, Gary J. Burkholder

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Conceptual Framework For Mentoring Doctoral Students, Iris M. Yob, Linda Crawford

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

In the research and professional literature, there are at least four lines of inquiry around mentoring: perceptions of successful mentoring in general, mentoring of doctoral dissertations in particular, mentoring specific to the online environment, and relative importance of mentoring behaviors. In each case, particular qualities that make for successful mentoring are identified and described but not coalesced into a conceptual model of mentoring. In examining this literature, the authors identified 94 mentor behaviors and characteristics of effective mentors, which were reduced for redundancies to 55. These were clustered into a conceptual model of mentoring with two domains, academic and psychosocial …

The Polarities Of Democracy: A Theoretical Framework For Building A Healthy, Sustainable, And Just World. Chapter Seven, William J. Benet

Polarities of Democracy Collection

No abstract provided.

Professional Doctorates: Literature, History, And Recommendations, Walden University Professional Doctorate Working Group

White Papers

The purpose of this paper is to guide the Walden University academic community toward a consistent understanding of the standards and scope for our doctoral degrees, with a focus on the professional doctorates. The specific purpose of the findings in this paper is to help shape future development and assessment of professional doctorates within the University. Tools within this document can be used for guidance and criteria to help demonstrate that Walden is upholding basic agreed-upon standards of doctoral education