Education Commons^™

Credo Online Reference Service, Larry Sheret

Larry Sheret

Credo Online Reference Service, popularly known as Credo Reference, is an e-reference database for K-12, public libraries, and academic libraries. The user-friendly interface provides an excellent place for students to begin their research, or to learn about the process of doing research during information literacy instruction. Instructors are provided with pre-proxied permalinks and embed codes that allow them to integrate any part of this resource into their learning management system.

An Essay On The Work Of Composition : Composing English Against The Order Of Fast Capitalism., Min-Zhan Lu

Min-Zhan Lu

This is an attempt to define what being a responsible and responsive user of English might mean in a world ordered by global capital, a world where all forms of intra- and international exchanges in all areas of life are increasingly under pressure to involve English. Turning to recent work in linguistics and education, I pose a set of alternative assumptions that might help us develop more responsible and responsive approaches to the relation between English and its users (both those labeled Native-Speaking, White or Middle Class, and those Othered by these labels), the language needs and purposes of individual …

Living English Work., Min-Zhan Lu

Min-Zhan Lu

Keeping in mind the Chinese character-combination yuyan, with its multiple meanings of language, parts of language, the processes of language, and the products of those processes, the author depicts English as kept alive by many people and by many different ways of using it in a wide range of personal, social, and historical contexts. She proposes four lines of inquiry “against the grain” of English-only instruction—that living-English users weigh what English can do for them against what it has done to them; that they weigh what English can do against what it cannot do; that they understand English as being …

Recognizing College Students Of Today: Generational Shifts Prompt Pedagogical Shifts, Kristen Cvancara, Kristen P. Treinen

Kristen Cvancara, Ph. D.

As educators strive to continually improve the learning potential of the students in our classrooms, it is wise to evaluate traits of the students that may influence the effectiveness of the pedagogical methods employed. To this end, this essay introduces the reader to descriptions of today’s college students that identify this cohort as unique in learning style as well as life experience from all previous generations. An assessment method was used to investigate the degree to which current students identify with these generational stereotypes. The method and results of the assessment are discussed, and suggestions for adopting new pedagogical strategies …

Developing A Senior Capstone And Portfolio Course, Nanette Johnson-Curiskis, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Warren Sandmann

Daniel Cronn-Mills, Ph.D.

Our purpose in this essay is to explain how the Speech Communication Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato developed a senior capstone and portfolio course. We describe how this course helped the department improve its curriculum and teaching, and helped its students enhance their learning of the discipline.

Accommodations And Support Services For Students With Asd. National Survey Of Dss Providers, Kirsten R. Brown

Kirsten R. Brown, Ph.D.

Understanding Student Evaluations : A Black Faculty Perspective., Armon R. Perry, Sherri L. Wallace, Sharon E. Moore, Gwendolyn D. Perry-Burney

Sharon E. Moore

Student evaluations of faculty teaching are critical components to the evaluation of faculty performance. These evaluations are used to determine teaching effectiveness and they influence tenure and promotion decisions. Although they are designed as objective assessments of teaching performance, extraneous factors, including the instructors’ race, can affect the composition and educational atmosphere at colleges and universities. In this reflection, we briefly review some literature on the use and utility of student evaluations and present narratives from social work faculty in which students’ evaluation contained perceived racial bias.

Understanding Student Evaluations : A Black Faculty Perspective., Armon R. Perry, Sherri L. Wallace, Sharon E. Moore, Gwendolyn D. Perry-Burney

Sherri L. Wallace

Student evaluations of faculty teaching are critical components to the evaluation of faculty performance. These evaluations are used to determine teaching effectiveness and they influence tenure and promotion decisions. Although they are designed as objective assessments of teaching performance, extraneous factors, including the instructors’ race, can affect the composition and educational atmosphere at colleges and universities. In this reflection, we briefly review some literature on the use and utility of student evaluations and present narratives from social work faculty in which students’ evaluation contained perceived racial bias.

Understanding The Meaning-Making Processes Of Hispanic College Students In Their Spiritual And Religious Development., Roland Nunez, John D. Foubert

John D. Foubert

Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender And Generational Differences In Asian American College Access And Choices, Oiyan Poon, Ajani Byrd

OiYan Poon

No abstract provided.

Making Meaning: Identity Development Of Black Undergraduate Women, Christa J. Porter, Laura A. Dean

Dr. Christa J Porter

Gender Differences In Experiences Of Tafe It Students: A Work In Progress, Raina Mason, Graham Cooper, Tim Comber, Anne Hellou, Julie Tucker

Raina Mason

In Australia, one of the sources of loss of females in the IT education pipeline occurs at the TAFE (college) level. Female students comprise the majority of early TAFE IT courses and female completion rates for these courses are similar to males. Despite this early success, most females choose to not continue to Diploma level, and through articulation pathways into university IT courses. A survey was conducted to determine possible differences in experiences between male and female TAFE IT students. It was found that more females than males lived alone or with dependents. Female students had higher employment status, higher …

The Transition Movement: From Blueprint To Construction Zone, Kenneth J. Burhanna

Kenneth Burhanna

No abstract provided.

The Journey From Tragedy To Hope: The Experience Of Christian Undergraduates, David M. Johnstone

David M. Johnstone

Using the case study approach, I interviewed seven student leaders at an evangelical university in the Pacific Northwest. Their common feature, other than attending the same institution, was that they had all experienced tragic or traumatic situations at some point in their lives. In spite of this experience, they were able to display a hopeful outlook on life. The purpose of this study was to discern elements or themes that were common to their stories. I was particularly looking for themes that might explain what helped them move on from their traumatic experiences into a perspective of hope. I anticipated …

Outreach Practices Of A Small College Counseling Center: A Comprehensivemodel To Serve The College Community, Jessica R. Ferriero

Jessica R Ferriero

Over the past 10 years college counseling centers (CCCs) have been urged to broaden their focus considerably and to serve the entire campus community due to increases in student mental health issues. Engaging in outreach efforts is one way to address campus wide needs. However, few research efforts have been conducted to systematically investigate how outreach is practiced at a small college. The dialogue around outreach has focused on single programs at large institutions rather than the network of interventions that occur on a campus. The purpose of this study is to understand the web of relationships between a counseling …

Toward Complex And Inclusive Studies Of Sex Scripts, College Students’ Sexual Behaviors, And Hookup Cultures On U.S. Campuses, Collin D. Williams Jr., Ph.D., Shaun R. Harper Ph.D.

Collin D. Williams, Jr., Ph.D.

Much attention has been devoted in recent years to students “hooking up” on college and university campuses across the United States. Hookups broadly entail sexual behaviors that range from anal and vaginal intercourse to oral sex, masturbation, and other physically pleasurable activities. In this article, we synthesize the literature on college hookup cultures. Specifically, we use sexual scripting theory to analyze and critique existing peer-reviewed studies. Ultimately, we present five themes pertaining to the study of hookup phenomena at U.S. colleges and universities. This article concludes with several recommendations for making future hookup studies more inclusive of undergraduates from a …

Assessing Curriculum For College Success, Oscar T. Mcknight, Rod Lake, Mark Fortner, David Silverberg, Eugene Linton

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

Massillon City Schools and Ashland University assessed a project designed to strengthen the curriculum and improve student learning potential. Results suggest that assessing student learning potential can predict standardized testing outcomes (i.e., ACT/SAT scores) and college success (Entrance/Graduation). Incorporated are suggestions for implementing a standards-based curriculum and how-to predicting student outcomes using the Student Success Survey. The Student Success Survey can be found online at: http://scientificlegalservices.com/survey_update/index.php

The Relationship Between College Men’S Religious Preference And Their Level Of Moral Development., Jerry L. Tatum, John D. Foubert, Dale R. Fuqua, Christopher Ray

John D. Foubert

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between first year college men's religious preference (Catholic, Protest.ant, or none) and their level of moral development as measured by the Defining Issues TestShort Form (Rest, 1986). Data analyses were conducted based upon results for 161 in-coming college men. Results of an analysis of variance indicated that those with no stated religious preference had significantly higher P scores (M = 45.2, SD= 16.8) than respondents who identified as Roman Catholic (M = 36.1, SD= J 6.7) or as Protestant (M= 38.6, SD= 17.3). Implications are discussed regarding the relevance of …

#Doesthatreallywork? Transforming The Traditional, Rethinking, Letting Go, Michelle Jacobs-Lustig, Sally Bryant

Sally Bryant

After a critical examination of the "traditional," Pepperdine University Libraries has made many dramatic, yet cost effective changes in Fall 2011. We have adopted an attitude of perpetual Beta for products and library services. We learned that sometimes it is not just out with the old, but out with the too new. At Pepperdine we completely redesigned our roles for our student workers to include learning outcomes and better customer service, we even had them work on LibGuides. We consolidated staff by merging our circulation and reference desk, creating the new iPoint (Get all of your library needs met in …

Conceptualizations Of Spirituality, Religion, And Faith: Comparing Biblical Notions With The Perspectives Of Protestant Christian Students At A Lutheran College, Christy M. Craft, Alyssa B. Rockenbach

Christy Moran Craft

As part of a larger investigation into the spiritual climate at one Lutheran college, we interviewed Protestant Christian students in order to compare their conceptualizations of spirituality, religion, and faith with biblical notions of those concepts. We found that the students' understandings of those concepts only loosely reflected general understanding within the higher education literature, and a significant disconnect existed between their conceptualizations of the relevant terms and those found in the Bible. In an effort to make meaning of our findings, we discuss existing literature about religious illiteracy as it relates to inherited faith and to the impact of …

The Many-Headed Hydra Of Theory Vs. The Unifying Mission Of Teaching, Marshall W. Gregory

Marshall W. Gregory

A persistent myth in departments of English posits a golden age when tweedy English professors humanized the world with thrice-weekly doses of literary instruction, exchanged witty conversation and recondite literary allusions at the Friday afternoon sherry hour, and generally agreed with each other about which books to teach, how to teach them, and the importance of teaching them. This golden age must have ended right before I entered the field. My whole history within the discipline suggests that getting English professionals to agree in large numbers about almost anything is nearly as difficult as herding cats or training king cobras …

“Cool Posing” On Campus: A Qualitative Study Of Masculinities And Gender Expression Among Black Men At A Private Research Institution., Frank Harris Iii, Robert T. Palmer, Laura E. Struve

Frank Harris III

Using theories and concepts relating to the social construction of Black masculinity and male gender role conflict, the authors explored contextualized meanings of masculinities and corresponding behavioral expressions among 22 Black men enrolled at a private research university. The concepts of toughness, aggressiveness, material wealth, restrictive emotionality, and responsibility underscored the meanings the participants ascribed to masculinities. Participants expressed these concepts behaviorally through their pursuit of leadership and academic success, homophobia, and the fear of femininity, and through the sexist and constrained relationships they experienced with women. Based on the findings, practical implications for supporting the gender identity development and …

“Cool Posing” On Campus: A Qualitative Study Of Masculinities And Gender Expression Among Black Men At A Private Research Institution., Frank Harris Iii, Robert T. Palmer, Laura E. Struve

Robert T. Palmer, PhD

Using theories and concepts relating to the social construction of Black masculinity and male gender role conflict, the authors explored contextualized meanings of masculinities and corresponding behavioral expressions among 22 Black men enrolled at a private research university. The concepts of toughness, aggressiveness, material wealth, restrictive emotionality, and responsibility underscored the meanings the participants ascribed to masculinities. Participants expressed these concepts behaviorally through their pursuit of leadership and academic success, homophobia, and the fear of femininity, and through the sexist and constrained relationships they experienced with women. Based on the findings, practical implications for supporting the gender identity development and …

The Online Theology Classroom: Strategies For Engaging A Community Of Distance Learners In A Hybrid Model Of Online Education, Brent A. R. Hege

Brent A. R. Hege

The key to success in online education is the creation and sustenance of a safe and vibrant virtual community. In order to create such a community instructors must pay special attention to the relationship between technology and pedagogy, specifically in terms of issues such as course design, social presence, facilitation of sustained engagement with course material, specially tailored assignments, and learner expectations and objectives. Several strategies for accomplishing this goal are presented here based on the author’s experiences teaching second career students in hybrid introductory theology courses at a mainline denominational seminary.

African American Male Collegians: Race, Class And Gender Revealed, Fred A. Bonner Ii, Dave A. Louis, Chance W. Lewis

Fred A Bonner II

This chapter focuses on the gifted poor - particularly academically gifted African American male collegians who come from poverty. Topics of discussions will include critical issues ranging from family influence and identity development to environmental incongruence and culturally specific mentoring.

Signaling The Competencies Of High School Students To Employers, John H. Bishop

John H Bishop

[Excerpt] The fundamental cause of the low effort level of American students, parents, and voters in school elections is the absence of good signals of effort and accomplishment and the consequent lack of rewards for learning. In most other advanced countries mastery of the curriculum is assessed by examinations that are set and graded at the national or regional level. Grades on these exams signal the student's achievement to employers and colleges and influence the jobs that graduates get and the universities and programs to which they are admitted. Exam results also influence school reputations and in some countries the …

The Role Of End-Of-Course Exams And Minimum Competency Exams In Standards-Based Reforms, John H. Bishop, Ferran Mane, Michael Bishop, Joan Moriarty

John H Bishop

[Excerpt] Educational reformers and most of the American public believe that most teachers ask too little of their pupils. These low expectations, they believe, result in watered down curricula and a tolerance of mediocre teaching and inappropriate student behavior. The result is that the prophecy of low achievement becomes self-fulfilling. Although research has shown that learning gains are substantially larger when students take more demanding courses2, only a minority of students enroll in these courses. There are several reasons for this. Guidance counselors in many schools allow only a select few into the most challenging courses. While most schools give …

Vocational And Academic Education In High School: Complements Or Substitutes, Suk Kang, John H. Bishop

John H Bishop

[Excerpt] A number of blue ribbon-panels have called for increases in the number academic courses required for graduation from high school and for lengthening the school day and the school year. Most states have adopted the first of these recommendations but not the second. With the amount of time a student spends in school remaining constant, increases in the number of required academic courses force reductions elsewhere. Which activities should be reduced? Should the reduction be made in study halls, music and fine arts,physical education, and life skills courses or should it come in vocational education? The answer to this …

The Impact Of Curriculum-Based External Examinations On School Priorities And Student Learning, John H. Bishop

John H Bishop

[Excerpt] The first major prediction of the theory is that an increase in the extrinsic rewards for learning will cause student effort and achievement to increase. The primary extrinsic reward for achievement in high school is a higher probability of completing college. Thus the extrinsic rewards for learning in high school depend on the size of the payoff to college and on how contingent college admissions decisions are on achievement in high school. Time series data suggests that changes in college selectivity and payoff may have contributed to the ups and downs of student achievement during the postwar period. The …

Vocational Education And At-Risk Youth In The United States, John H. Bishop

John H Bishop

[Excerpt] Educationally disadvantaged youth in the United States have great difficulty finding steady jobs providing real training and advancement opportunities. In October 1994 only 43 percent of the young people who had dropped out of high school the previous year were employed. Of recent (previous spring) graduates who had not gone college, only 64 percent were employed (BLS 1995). Those who obtained employment accepted jobs paying 10 to 15 percent less than in 1980.