Education Commons^™

Curricular Reflections In The Usa: Teaching Teachers The Edtpa, Todd A. Price Dr.

Faculty Publications

The Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) is an evaluation tool currently used across several states. The supposition is that teacher candidate performance can be measured. The express purpose of this instrument is to determine whether teacher candidates are ready to enter the classroom. Creators of the edTPA believe that this evaluation tool and the standards-based movement of which the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) play a part is more “rigorous” then other measures and will raise the bar for teachers entering the profession. Proponents …

Evaluating An Online Family Assessment Activity: A Focus On Diversity And Health Promotion, Paul Smith, Melissa Jones

Faculty Publications

This article describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a family assessment activity that was designed for a transition course in an RN-BSN program. The family assessment activity emphasized diversity and health promotion as key curricular concepts highlighted through the use of constructivist teaching strategies in the online classroom. The activity was developed and implemented by utilizing the Family Health Systems (FHS) approach to family assessment and Healthy People 2020 as a framework for family health promotion. The activity was evaluated through faculty observation and student feedback which is discussed in the article.

Service Learning Enhances Conceptual Learning In A Rn To Bsn Program, Henny Breen, Melissa Robinson

Faculty Publications

A qualitative study using transcript analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of service learning in enhancing conceptual learning in RN to BSN students. As part of their capstone course in an online program, students engaged in 64 hours of service learning in their local community. The transcripts of asynchronous discussions and journal entries formed the data for analysis. The findings illustrated that the student’s conceptual understanding was enhanced from the service learning experience. Further, the students demonstrated higher-level thinking by linking concepts that could be applied to nursing practice. Service learning reinforced the community-based philosophy of the School of …

Integrating Faculty Led Service Learning Training To Quantify Height Of Natural Resources From A Spatial Science Perspective, Daniel Unger, David Kulhavy, Kai Busch-Peterson, I-Kuai Hung

Faculty Publications

Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture (ATCOFA) faculty members were trained how to integrate service learning activities within senior level classes at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in Nacogdoches, Texas. The service learning training, taught under the acronym Mentored Undergraduate Scholarship (MUGS), involved meeting with fellow faculty members over the course of an academic year during the fall semester to first learn how to incorporate service learning activities in a senior level class followed by its incorporation into a class the following spring semester. The service learning model was applied to students in GIS 420, a senior level …

Incorporating Applied Undergraduate Research In Senior To Graduate Level Remote Sensing Courses, Richard Henley, Daniel Unger, David Kulhavy, I-Kuai Hung

Faculty Publications

An Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture (ATCOFA) senior spatial science undergraduate student engaged in a multi-course undergraduate research project to expand his expertise in remote sensing and assess the applied instruction methodology employed within ATCOFA. The project consisted of performing a change detection land-use/land-cover classification for Nacogdoches and Angelina counties in Texas using satellite imagery. The dates for the imagery were spaced approximately ten years apart and consisted of four different acquisitions between 1984 and 2013. The classification procedure followed and expanded upon a series of concrete theoretical remote sensing principles, transforming the four remotely sensed raster images …

Use Of A Portable Sawmill For Forestry Instruction, Matthew Mcbroom, David Kulhavy, Jeremy Stovall, Ryan P. Grisham

Faculty Publications

The Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX, has implemented an experiential learning exercise to improve student learning related to the forest products industry. During the week-long sophomore- or junior-level course Harvesting and Processing, forestry students tour multiple wood products facilities such as sawmills. These mills use complex technologies to maximize the lumber produced from each log, and students were having difficulty understanding the underlying concepts. As part of this course beginning in 2012, students began working in teams to estimate the lumber that will be recovered from a log and …

Evaluating Interactive Transect Area Assessments Hands-On Instruction For Natural Resource Undergraduate Students, Daniel Unger, Sarah Schwab, Ryan Jacques, Yanli Zhang, I-Kuai Hung, David L. Kulhavy

Faculty Publications

Undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Spatial Science degree at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) receive instruction in the spatial sciences with a focus on hands-on applications. All undergraduate students take the course Introduction to Spatial Science which includes a comprehensive overview of spatial science incorporating a comparison of standard inexpensive area assessment techniques with high-end computer based area assessment methodologies. Students within this course were instructed how to assess the area of a surface feature on an aerial image with a ruler applying the transect method. Student's average Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) between a student's …

Rodeo In The Classroom: Activity Based Costing Simulation, Nikki Shoemaker, Marie Kelly

Faculty Publications

This paper describes a classroom Activity Based Costing simulation called Rodeo in the Classroom. This simulation has been used in several introductory managerial accounting and cost accounting courses in order to help students understand the difference in the application of overhead between Job Order Costing and Activity Based Costing methods. Each student is assigned their own rodeo simulation and must calculate its cost using specific cost drivers. To verify their calculations, students with the same rodeos are grouped together to compare costs. Final rodeo costs are presented to the class where differences in cost allocations and reasons for these differences …

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Mathematics Through Drawings, Adam Akerson

Faculty Publications

Research indicates that mathematics anxiety is particularly high in pre-service teachers (Bekdemir, 2010; Gresham, 2007; Hembree, 1990). These future teachers will soon be entering classrooms of their own, responsible for teaching mathematics to young children, who need strong teachers. A 2013 report from The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), found that 42% fourth-graders performed at or above the proficient level in math (NCES, 2013. The purpose of this study was to examine elementary pre-service teacher candidates (PSTCs) perceptions of mathematics, through drawings. Drawings were analyzed before and after a semester-long field experience in a constructivist mathematics environment. The participants …

Impact Of Collaborative Teaching On K-12 Mathematics And Science Learning, Tonya D. Jeffery, Cherie A. Mccollough, Kim Moore

Faculty Publications

A national effort is underway to transform teacher education program practices and produce effective and highly qualified teachers for 21st century classrooms. This effort prescribes providing preservice teachers (PSTs) with authentic field-based experiences that connects what is taught in teacher preparation programs with what they do in the K-12 classroom. Bridging the gap between theory and practice requires that teacher education programs collaborate with schools districts, redesigning teacher training to better serve prospective teachers and their students (NCATE, 2010). This paper describes a mixed-methods study examining the impact of a STEM site-based professional development program (TEX) on the math and …

The Arizona Kith And Kin Project Evaluation, Brief #2, Eva Marie Shivers, Charles Yang, Flora Farago

Faculty Publications

Latina family, friend, and neighbor provider characteristics and features of care they provide. Indigo Cultural Center, for the Association for Supportive Child Care, with support from First Things First.

The Arizona Kith And Kin Project Evaluation, Brief #1, Eva Marie Shivers, Charles Yang, Flora Farago

Faculty Publications

Improving quality in family, friend and neighbor (FFN) child care settings. Indigo Cultural Center, for the Association for Supportive Child Care, with support from First Things First.

The Arizona Kith And Kin Project Evaluation, Brief #4, Eva Marie Shivers, Charles Yang, Flora Farago

Faculty Publications

Despite the prevalence of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care (NSECE, 2015), relatively little is known about the characteristics of this type of care, quality of care, and the features of effective quality improvement initiatives for FFN care providers. In general, the early childhood field has remained relatively silent about FFN child care in policy and research discourses surrounding child well-being and quality initiatives (Shivers, 2012; Whitebook et al., 2004). The overall goal of the analyses described in this brief, Brief #4 in a series of four, was to explore and analyze FFN providers’ awareness and use of community …

Best Practices Developing Service Learning Protocol For Hospitality Administration, Mary Olle, Chay Runnels, Gina Fe Causin, Todd Barrios

Faculty Publications

Developing Service Learning Protocol for students in the Hospitality Administration program at Stephen F. Austin State University provides an opportunity for students to experience these values such as networking, commitment, and building self-confidence. In 2015 SFA Hospitality Administration faculty made a decision to institutionalize service learning throughout their program. This presentation discusses its implementation.

Chapter 2: Where The Children Are: Exploring Quality, Community, And Support For Family, Friend And Neighbor Child Care, Eva M. Shivers, Flora Farago

Faculty Publications

This chapter describes two studies examining quality of care in Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) child care settings in two separate communities. The findings from two studies are shared and discussed through the use of a socio-cultural theoretical lens that necessitates an exploration of specific communities’ histories as well as current political context. We explicitly list and describe implications for designing successful and culturally responsive professional development initiatives and policies that are responsive to this hard-to-reach group of providers and the families they serve.

Making Instructional Decisions: Deepening Our Understanding Of Emergent English Learners' Processing Of Text, Allison Briceño, Adria Klein

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Linguistic Cohesion In Middle-School Texts: A Comparison Of Logical Connectives Usage In Science And Social Studies Textbooks, Diego Román, Allison Briceño, Hannah Rhode, Stephanie Hironka

Faculty Publications

Learning from textbooks is challenging because students must understand novel concepts while also comprehending the language used to convey those concepts. In the domain of science, one posited reason for the perceived difficulty in the reading comprehension of science texts is the low frequency of logical connectives (words that signal relationships between sentences and ideas). To test this claim and discuss its potential effects on the reading comprehension of texts used at the middle school level, this study measured whether the usage of logical connectives (e.g., therefore, so) differed between science and social studies textbooks. Our findings from a large …

Trans-Pacific Doctoral Success – A Collaborative Cohort Model, Helen Partridge, Christine Bruce, Sandra Hirsh, Ken Haycock, Sylvia Edwards, Cheryl Stenstrom, Susan Gasson

Faculty Publications

The San Jose Gateway PhD program is a doctoral partnership between the School of Information at San Jose State University (SJSU) in the USA, and the Information Systems School at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. Because of Californian legislation, SJSU has not been able to offer PhD degrees. The Gateway Program therefore provides a research pathway for SJSU’s coursework students. It also helps the School to grow the research capacity of academic staff. For QUT, the Program provides the opportunity to advance research agendas and to build strong international connections and partnerships. The Program began in 2008. …

Tackling Culturally Diverse Situations With Ease, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

It is not enough to be simply “aware” anymore. We must go beyond our own self-awareness and our awareness of others to really understand how we work and interact effectively in culturally diverse situations, whether domestic or global. As law firms and corporate entities operate in an ever-changing, global environment, we need to be prepared to handle any diverse situation. As our workforces become more diverse, we face the challenge of how to successfully manage increasingly diverse interactions. To address this concern, organizations are applying the framework of cultural intelligence, or CQ.

Energy Tracking Diagrams, Rachel Scherr, Benedikt Harrer, Hunter Close, Abigail Daane, Lezlie Dewater, Amy Robertson, Lane Seeley, Stamatis Vokos

Faculty Publications

Energy is a crosscutting concept in science and features prominently in national science education documents. In the Next Generation Science Standards, the primary conceptual learning goal is for learners to conserve energy as they track the transfers and transformations of energy within, into, or out of the system of interest in complex physical processes. As part of tracking energy transfers among objects, learners should (i) distinguish energy from matter, including recognizing that energy flow does not uniformly align with the movement of matter, and should (ii) identify specific mechanisms by which energy is transferred among objects, such as mechanical work …

The Prominence Of Affect In Creativity: Expanding The Conception Of Creativity In Mathematical Problem Solving, Eric L. Mann, Scott A. Chamberlin, Amy K. Graefe

Faculty Publications

Constructs such as fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration have been accepted as integral components of creativity. In this chapter, the authors discuss affect (Leder GC, Pehkonen E, Törner G (eds), Beliefs: a hidden variable in mathematics education? Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2002; McLeod DB, J Res Math Educ 25:637–647, 1994; McLeod DB, Adams VM, Affect and mathematical problem solving: a new perspective. Springer, New York, 1989) as it relates to the production of creative outcomes in mathematical problem solving episodes. The saliency of affect in creativity cannot be underestimated, as problem solvers require an appropriate state of mind in order …

Of All Days: Critical Pedagogy Outside The Classroom, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A student at the author’s college pens a racist column on immigration for the school newspaper. Two departments, including the author’s, send campus-wide emails denouncing the rhetoric. A firestorm erupts, as much over the emails as over the op-ed. Years later, the student visits the author unannounced.

What Does The Research Say About Standards-Based Grading? A Research Primer, Matt Townsley, Tom Buckmiller

Faculty Publications

Traditional grading practices have been used for over one hundred years, and to date, there have been no meaningful research reports to support it. As such, some schools are transitioning to standards-based grading, a practice based upon several evidence-based principles. The purpose of this research primer is to provide an overview of the research literature on standards-based grading.

Reliability And Concurrent Validity Of An Alternative Method Of Lateral Lumbar Range Of Motion In Athletes, Mark D. Hecimovich, Jeffrey J. Herbert

Faculty Publications

Background: Cricket bowling involves combined spinal movements of side bending and rotation and, consequently, injury to the low back is a common problem. Therefore the assessment of lumbar spine kinematics has become a routine component in preseason screening. This includes static measurement of lateral spinal flexion as asymmetrical range of motion may predispose an athlete to low back injury.

Objectives: This study examined intra-rater reliability and concurrent validity of the fingertip-to-floor distance test (FFD) when compared to a criterion range of motion measure.

Methods: Thirty-four junior-level cricket players aged 13‑16 years were recruited. Lumbar spine lateral flexion …

The Added Value Of Conducting Learning Design Meeting To The Online Course Development Process, Denise Shaver

Faculty Publications

Do you find it challenging to have discussions with instructors about designing online courses and best practices in teaching? This article will highlight key components to conducting effective Learning Design Meetings. It outlines techniques used by our institution in engaging faculty in a discussion regarding better use of Learning Management Systems (LMS), storyboard layout, learning outcomes, student engagement, learning activities, formal assessments, and content delivery. Learning Design meetings have proven to be a compelling manner of decreasing faculty resistance while exposing instructors to best practices in pedagogy, andragogy, and online learning. Instructional Designers (IDs), Instructional Facilitators (IFs), and Course Authors …

Stories Of Smartness And Whiteness In School Pictures And Yearbooks, Eric Ruiz Bybee

Faculty Publications

This article explores the way that discourses of smartness and whiteness are produced and reproduced in schooling. Using an approach grounded in narra- tive research, I explore the convergences and contradictions between my own educational autobiography and the representations of schooling found in my school pictures and yearbooks. In my analysis, I argue that white supremacy played an important role in the construction of my own story of smartness throughout my primary and secondary schooling experiences. I also argue that yearbooks form powerful “artifacts of smartness” (Hatt, 2011, p. 448) that can be used to interpret and interrogate personal experiences …

Perceptions Of Questionable Research Practices In Social Work And Other Disciplines, Anita M. Gordon, Cindy Juby, Helen C. Harton

Faculty Publications

Outline

 Background on research misconduct

 Study purpose and method

 Overview of descriptive results

 Regression results

 Limitations

 Implications for reducing misconduct

When We Grade Students’ Proofs, Do They Understand Our Feedback?, Robert C. Moore, Martha Byrne, Sarah Hanusch, Timothy Fukawa-Connelly

Faculty Publications

Instructors often write feedback on students’ proofs even if there is no expectation for the students to revise and resubmit the work. It is not known, however, what students do with that feedback or if they understand the professor’s intentions. To this end, we asked eight advanced mathematics undergraduates to respond to professor comments on four written proofs by interpreting and implementing the comments. We analyzed the student’s responses using the categories of corrective feedback for language acquisition, viewing the language of mathematical proof as a register of academic English.

The Application Of Layer Theory To Design: The Control Layer, Andrew S. Gibbons Iii, Matt Langton

Faculty Publications

Validation of an architectural theory of instructional design layering is accomplished for one of the proposed layers by verifying the theory’s claim that for every layer there exists a body of design theory from outside the field of instructional design that is capable of informing design within that layer.

Evolving Into Studio, Andrew S. Gibbons Iii

Faculty Publications

Instructional design is practiced in a real-world setting; it should be learned in a setting like the one where it is practiced. As the practices themselves change, it becomes more natural for this to happen. This study of one design instructor’s experience over nearly 50 years demonstrates a path of evolution out of teaching design in a standard classroom, in which practice is secondary to didactics, into a studio setting, where didactics tend to occur after the student has experienced a need.