Education Commons^™

Examples: What Teachers Are Doing With Poetry, Penny Miller, Sarah Duffer, Carole Damin, Libby Duggan

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In November, 112 teachers from across Indiana attended a full-day professional development workshop with renowned poet Georgia Heard. Here is a sampling of the things these teachers are now doing in their schools and classrooms as a result of that workshop.

Rewarding Community Engaged Scholarship, Elaine Ward

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No abstract provided.

Workplace Learning Courses In Irish Third-Level Colleges, Margaret Linehan, Irene Sheridan

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Purpose – The purpose of this research is to ascertain data in relation to courses that are currently on offer in seven third-level institutions in Ireland which include elements of workplace learning. It is intended that the research findings will contribute to the provision of new workplace learning programmes in Irish third-level colleges.

Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was designed for this research and was administered in seven higher education colleges in Ireland. In total, 433 courses were examined in relation to workplace learning. Findings – The findings illustrate that there is still an over-reliance on the provision of traditional classroom-based …

The Dynamics Of Human Capital And The World Of Work: Towards A Common Market In Contemporary Tertiary Education, Aidan Kenny

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The drive for the so-called ‘knowledge society’, and the expected competitive advantage envisioned, has led to ‘power elites’ and vested interests applying pressure on nation states to develop and implement policies that push the balance of national education systems towards the economic imperative and away from the social good. This social inquiry will describe items, strategies and objectives relating to the pursuit of the current higher education change policy agendas, as expressed in key Irish policy documents. The inquiry concentrates on the new ‘world of work’ and the dynamic association with ‘human capital’ in particular the relationship between macro change …

Do University Rankings Measure What Counts, Ellen Hazelkorn

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The article discusses the impact of rankings on higher education.

African American Women At Historically Black Colleges During The Civil Rights Movement, Eddie R. Cole

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The African American Civil Rights Movement is a series of intentional occurrences in America that protested the legal segregation of African Americans and Whites. Inequality in the use of public spaces and the unequal opportunities for advancement of African Americans were the core reasons for this movement. This historical essay uses primary and secondary documents, as well as contemporary sources from non-educational fields, to assert that African American women were instrumental in the Civil Rights movement and that historically Black institutions can be credited, in large part, for preparing these women for their roles.

Rankings And The Battle For World-Class Excellence: Institutional Strategies And Policy Choices, Ellen Hazelkorn

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Global rankings are creating a furore wherever or whenever they are published or mentioned. They have become a barometer of global competition measuring the knowledge-producing and talent-catching capacity of higher education institutions. These developments are injecting a new competitive dynamic into higher education, nationally and globally, and encouraging a debate about its role and purpose. As such, politicians regularly refer to them as a measure of their nation’s economic strength and aspirations, universities use them to help set or define targets mapping their performance against the various metrics, while academics use rankings to bolster their own professional reputation and status. …

Keeping (Or Losing) The Faith: Reflections On Spiritual Struggles And Their Resolution By College Seniors., Jodi Fisler, Holly Alexander Agati, Shannon Chance, Amie E. Donahue, Gregory A. Donahue, Eric J. Eickhoff, Sara E. Kolb Gastler, Joseph C. Lowder, John D. Foubert

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In this qualitative study, researchers examined how college seniors experienced and resolved spiritual struggles in college. Results indicated that academic activities provided opportunities to question, learn, and grow spiritually. Although a variety of external factors influenced students' explorations of their spirituality, participants looked inward to resolve their struggles in deeply personal ways. Spiritual struggle was often manifested as a reexamination of students' pre-college values, an ongoing process for many students. Researchers identified four ways of describing students' state of resolution: (1) recommitting to an existing faith, (2) slightly readjusting their spiritual or religious values, (3) blending spiritual traditions, or (4) …

Impact Of Global Rankings On Higher Education Research And The Production Of Knowledge, Ellen Hazelkorn

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No abstract provided.

Attitudes To Rankings: Comparing German, Australian And Japanese Experiences, Ellen Hazelkorn

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Drawing on an international survey of HE leaders during 2006, and interviews with HE leaders and stakeholders in Germany, Australia and Japan during 2008, it describes and compares the reaction and response to rankings by HEIs in Germany, Australia and Japan, with particular attention to institutional strategy and planning, benchmarking and quality assurance, student admissions and faculty recruitment and morale. The chapter argues cross-national comparisons/global rankings are an inevitable feature of globalisation, the international battle for talent, and strategies for national competitiveness.

Integrating Learning Technologies With Experiential Learning In A Postgraduate Teacher Education Course, Roisin Donnelly

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This paper discusses how a Postgraduate Certificate Course in Third Level Learning and Teaching for academic staff in the Republic of Ireland has adopted a particular approach in teacher education. As an important aspect of the successful integration and use of learning technology is the way in which it effectively reflects and articulates a given learning model, this course has its theoretical basis on the Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1983). The work illustrates that no one technology can support all types of third level learning and teaching; an effective approach is to combine a range of technologies. The self-study …

Content Anlaysis Of Computer Conferencing Transcripts, Roisin Donnelly, John Gardner

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Within the field of higher education, there are situations where the learner is not well served in a classroom setting. Problematic issues such as scheduling, critical mass, time, pace and location have the potential to be counterbalanced by e-learning. Within this, the asynchronous nature of today’s online learning environments and computer conferencing tools have popularly been claimed to offer tremendous benefits for learners who are willing to take responsibility for their own learning, to progress at their own pace, and interact with their online teacher to get immediate feedback on their learning and progress. Indeed, increasingly, educators today are very …

Supporting Teacher Education Through A Combined Model Of Philosophical, Collaborative And Experiential Learning, Roisin Donnelly

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This paper provides insights into teaching and learning based on the analysis of an accredited professional development program, entitled the Postgraduate Certificate in Third Level Learning and Teaching, aimed at lecturing staff/faculty in Irish higher education. The program has its theoretical basis in the Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1983), combined with principles of collaborative learning and a philosophical understanding of teaching in higher education. An action research study was conducted to investigate the lecturers’ perceptions of the program, with a particular focus on how support could be provided to them through a combined model of learning. As a core …

An Overview Of Two Incidents Involving African American Fraternities At Indiana University, Eddie R. Cole, Cameron J. Harris, Rubin Pusha Iii, Nadrea Reeves

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The current campus climate facing African American Greek fraternal organizations at Indiana University (IU) can be examined through critical incidents of the past. A historical analysis of data sources associated with two incidents involving these organizations at IU provides a better understanding of the challenges students in these organizations may face. This paper aims to provide practitioners with an understanding of how specific policy changes for these fraternities may affect their members, as well as the student body they serve.

Grounded Tech Integration: An Effective Approach Based On Content, Pedagogy, And Teacher Planning, Judi Harris, Mark J. Hofer

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Successful technology integration must focus on standards-based, curriculum-related learning outcomes rather than on the technologies themselves. In the first installment of a seven-part series, we offer a grounded approach to technology integration based on content, pedagogy, and how teachers plan instruction.

Providing Academic Leadership Through The Role Of Senior Lecturer 1 (Teaching) Using The Theme Of 'Sustainable Energy' As An Example, Jim Mcgovern

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An academic leader should lead in their particular area and should love what they are doing. An example of leadership in the area of 'sustainable energy use' is presented that involves leading through identifying and participating in the development of emerging technologies. Excellent academic leadership can be provided by a Senior Lecturer through active research, incorporating the latest developments in student-centred learning in their work and providing example and encouragement for colleagues and learners.

Hot Off The Presses: Podcasting For The Economics Classroom, Colleen Call, Kathleen Owings Swan, Mark J. Hofer

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Despite the recent interest and production of quality podcasts freely available online, there are relatively few podcasts available for K-12 teachers of economics. We see this as a missed opportunity given the real-time and real-world nature of economics. We have created the Econocast (http://econocast.org) website to help spark teachers’ imaginations to leverage podcasting in the economics classroom and to help make the publication process easier. In this article, we offer a definition of podcasting, discuss how podcasting might support the economics curriculum, and present a case study of a teacher's development of an “iReport” economics podcast for her ninth grade …

Embedding Interaction Within A Blend Of Learner Centric Pedagogy And Technology, Roisin Donnelly

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This paper explores the concept and practice of interaction within a blended problem-based and eLearning module for academic professional development in higher education. A qualitative study spanning two years of the lived experiences of 17 academic staff in a module entitled ‘Designing eLearning’ was considered likely to provide a much-needed analysis of current thinking and practice on the potential of interaction. Relevant constructivist theories are applied to face-to-face problem-based learning (PBL) tutorials, online discussions, focus group interviews and reflective papers. For designers and tutors in blended PBL, it is important to seek best practices for how to combine instructional strategies …

Heat Transfer Correlations For Low Approach Evaporative Cooling Systems In Buildings, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

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The experimental performance of an open industrial scale cooling tower, utilising small approach temperature differences (1–3 K), for rejection of heat at the low water temperatures (11–20 °C) typical of chilled ceilings and other sensible air–water heat dissipation systems in buildings, is examined. The study was carried out under temperate maritime climatic conditions (3–18 °C wet-bulb temperature range). Initially a theoretical analysis of the process at typical conditions for this climate was conducted, which indicated that a water to air (L/G) mass flow rate ratio of less than 1.0 was required for effective operation. Consequently for these low L/G ratios, …

Bringing Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Into The Tax Classroom, Anthony C. Infanti

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A recent piece in the Journal of Legal Education analyzing student surveys by the Law School Admission Council reports that, despite improvement in the past decade, LGBT students still experience a law school climate in which they encounter substantial discrimination both inside and outside the classroom. Included among the list of "best practices" to improve the law school climate for LGBT students was a recommendation to incorporate discussions of LGBT issues in non-LGBT courses, such as tax. In a timely coincidence, the Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues held a day-long program at the 2009 AALS annual meeting …