Education Commons^™

The Impact Of The Use Of Mobile Computing On Vocabulary Learning In The Language Classroom, Lorena Harger

Graduate Research Papers

Mobile computers offer accessibility anytime and anywhere, and they are being used more and more for teaching and learning. The purpose of this review is to explore the impact of using mobile applications and devices in vocabulary learning among language learners. The review also addresses the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the use of mobile computers in the classroom. In this paper, thirty peer-reviewed journal articles published in the last eleven years were critically analyzed. From the reviewed research, it was found that using mobile computers not only enhances vocabulary learning and retention but also contributes to students’ motivation …

Using Adapted Primary Science Literature To Enhance Argumentation And Reasoning Skills In Middle School Students, Betsy Wiederin Lemus

Graduate Research Papers

Adapted primary literature is literature adapted from primary scientific literature for the purpose of using it with school age students. The process begins with teachers finding an appropriate primary scientific literature article, written by scientists for scientists, and rewriting the article to meet the reading level and understanding of the students being taught. In the newly created article, a teacher focuses only on the part of the original article that is important to the students learning and the writer may add background information, graphics, or edit existing graphics to make them more student friendly. The goal of this project is …

The Effects Of Educational Attainment Of State Legislators On State Appropriations To Public Higher Education, Nathan J. Gruber

Graduate Research Papers

Elected officials come to office from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and researchers have sought to discover how these characteristics affect the policy making process. There is a gap in the literature pertaining to whether educational attainment of policymakers influences education policy. This research analyzes the educational attainment of state lawmakers and whether higher levels of educational achievement influence the legislative support of public universities as measured by budget appropriations to those schools. Results show there is a statistically significant positive relationship between educational attainment of lawmakers and support of post-secondary education. Future studies should consider developing an improved …

Elementary School Library Program Integration With Art, Literacy, And Steam Through Makerspaces, Kristi Baldwin

Graduate Research Papers

Note: This study refers to three co-researchers who each collected data in their respective schools and collaborated in reviewing that data, but each separately authored a paper using that data; the co-researchers are Sara Pflughaupt and Lisa Tegels.

The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to find out how makerspace use might influence an inquiry-based focus in student learning through the use of design thinking. The researchers were interested in how makerspaces support the National School Library Standards and local school district goals. This study investigated literacy, critical thinking, and inquiry-based processes that might justify having a makerspace …

Making The Water Cycle Accessible And Relevant For English Language Learners, Summer Teed

Graduate Research Papers

Students with limited English-proficiency present many unique challenges for educators and schools. These challenges multiply as both the number of students requiring services and the diversity of languages spoken increases. In Iowa’s 335 public school districts, the number of students classified as English-language learners (ELL) has nearly tripled in the last 15 years, jumping from 2.1% of the student population during the 1999-2000 school year to 5.7% in 2015- 2016 (Iowa Department of Education (IDOE), 2013; IDOE, 2015). Individual districts currently range from 0 to 57.4% of students requiring ELL services, with 25 of Iowa’s districts identifying more than 10% …

The Impact Of Confidence-Based Marking On Unit Exam Achievement In A High School Physical Science Course, Casey Clark

Graduate Research Papers

High school teachers begin each year with a plethora of content standards to teach, however, instructing students how to learn is hardly ever considered. Metacognition and learning how to learn are not present in high school science content standards. The ability to self-regulate our knowledge is essential to assumptions about learning (Cubukcu, 2009). Students are expected to use metacognitive strategies, even if they do not have them. When students work through problems, it is common to expect them to go back and recheck their work. This is a form of metacognition and self-regulation. Asking students apply metacognition can help them …

Using Mentor Texts To Enhance The Teaching Of Reading Comprehension And Writing, Alexandra Jordyn Cushman

Graduate Research Papers

This project is an instructional unit designed to teach knowledge of both the Civil Rights Movement and racial/social injustices across multiple curricular areas and academic settings using mentor texts. The academic areas that will be addressed are reading, language arts, and writing. This unit includes lesson plans and materials that accompany mentor texts and provide additional information to students in the classroom.

Identification Of Trends In Scientific Communication By Minority Students In An Integrated And Advanced Ninth Grade Science Curriculum, Loren Thalacker

Graduate Research Papers

In the United States, the population of minorities is rapidly increasing. Our nation is facing a shortage in students pursuing STEM careers and it is vital to improve all students’ scientific communication abilities. As our population of minority students is also growing, it is especially important to tap into our potential STEM resources. While the Midwest is less diverse than the rest of the nation, the Waterloo Community School District in Waterloo, Iowa has a large population of minority students. When the district implemented the Next Generation Science Standards it created a problem for students wanting to take advanced science …

Three Cases Of Makerspace Integration In School Library Programs In Conjunction With District Initiatives: Steam, Design Thinking, And Literacy, Lisa Tegels

Graduate Research Papers

Note: This study refers to three co-researchers who each collected data in their respective schools and collaborated in reviewing that data, but each separately authored a paper using that data; the co-researchers are Kris Baldwin and Sara Pflughaupt.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine whether makerspace or STEAM activities can support inquiry learning and meet specific American Association of School Library (AASL), Next Generation Science (NGSS) and Common Core Literacy (CCSS ELA) Standards. For purposes of this study, the three co-researchers were also focused on how this type of learning activity can support district initiatives in …