Education Commons^™

Real Data Is Messy... And Manageable, Beverly Wood, Carl Clark

Publications

Using real data in an introductory statistics course is a delicate balance between reality and manageability. The internet is awash with data that is useful for students to answer questions of interest to them but it is not always formatted as neatly as textbook data. The ASA's recently endorsed GAISE College Report 2016 points to the plausibility of considering multivariable thinking even if only at a rudimentary level. With both messy and multivariable data in mind, we present some activities/projects and sources for data to give introductory students the opportunity to engage with real data.

A Study Of Video-Mediated Opportunities For Self-Directed Learning In Required Core Curriculum, Debra T. Bourdeau, Donna Roberts, Beverly Wood, Johnelle Korioth

Publications

Improving a required course in our curriculum that has proven to be a challenge for our students was the focus of this study. Surveys of both students and instructors attempted to identify specific problem areas. Using the information from these surveys, the researchers developed a series of videos to explain vital course concepts and deployed these into the course sections. The purpose of the videos is to provide consistency across the multiple modalities in which we offer our courses (including online, classroom and via videoconferencing) and to improve overall student understanding. This project seeks to determine how supplemental content focusing …

Evaluating The State Of The Adjunct Faculty Relationship To The College Of Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, Narcrisha Norman, Federica Robinson-Bryant

Publications

The research outlined in this report evaluated the current state of adjunct faculty within the College of Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide as 0f 10/22/2015. The approach was to streamline complex challenges as they relate to adjunct faculty population through three strategic goals:

• Goal 1 – Clearly state and understand COA challenges
• Goal 2 – Consider current practices, universal challenges, and best practices
• Goal 3 – Create tailored strategies for those challenges unique to Worldwide

This research will demonstrate five specific steps outlined in Goal 3 to ensure that the college hires and retains quality adjunct faculty as part …

Stem, Video Game Play, & Gender = Personalization, Wendi M. Kappers

Publications

It is imperative when utilizing educational video games in K-12 classrooms that student preferences regarding game play, purpose, and design be considered to maximize game play efficiency for learning. As Web 2.0 content infiltrates our educational medium, student customization is key. This manuscript intends to share customization requests gleaned during an 18-week experimental study examining educational video game effects upon 7th graders enrolled in Mathematics and Mathematics 2 courses.

Through The Lens Of The Reviewer: Information Literacy, An Lms, And Peer Review, Wendi M. Kappers

Publications

This research paper describes the use of peer review to improve information literacy. Peer-reviewed assignments for learning have been seen favorably within the literature. The articulated benefits range from students feeling more engaged, having expressed less anxiety, or found to be better equipped to perform in unfamiliar areas outside their current learning environments. However, minimal research examines the benefits specifically for the feedback provider (reviewer) when a more modern tool, such as the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) is used. During the fall 2015 semester, a study was conducted to examine the peer review process from the vantage point of …

Stem, Video Game Play, & Gender = Personalization, Wendi M. Kappers

Publications

It is imperative when utilizing educational video games in K-12 classrooms that student preferences regarding game play, purpose, and design be considered to maximize game play efficiency for learning. As Web 2.0 content infiltrates our educational medium, student customization is key. This manuscript intends to share customization requests gleaned during an 18-week experimental study examining educational video game effects upon 7th graders enrolled in Mathematics and Mathematics 2 courses.

Elementary Science Teachers’ Integration Of Engineering Design Into Science Instruction: Results From A Randomised Controlled Trial, Jennifer L. Maeng, Brooke A. Whitworth, Amanda L. Gonczi, Shannon L. Navy, Lindsay B. Wheeler

Publications

This randomised controlled trial used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the frequency and how elementary teachers integrated engineering design (ED) principles into their science instruction following professional development (PD). The ED components of the PD were aligned with Cunningham and Carlsen’s [(2014). Teaching engineering practices. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 25, 197–210] guidelines for ED PD and promoted inclusion of ED within science teaching. The treatment group included 219 teachers from 83 schools. Participants in the control group included 145 teachers from 60 schools in a mid-Atlantic state. Data sources, including lesson overviews and videotaped classroom observations, were …

Investigating The Role Of A District Science Coordinator, Brooke A. Whitworth, Jennifer L. Maeng, Lindsay B. Wheeler, Jennifer L. Chiu

Publications

This study explored the professional responsibilities of district science coordinators, their professional development (PD) experiences, the relationship between their role, responsibilities, district context, and background, and barriers encountered in their work. A national sample (n = 122) of self‐identified science coordinators completed a Science Coordinator Role Survey. Participants’ responses were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics. Following analysis of survey data, 16 participants (13.1%) were purposefully selected for semi‐structured follow‐up interviews. Results indicated the majority of respondents identified themselves as Caucasian, female, and had served in their position for less than 10 years. The typical science coordinator held a …

Increasing Student Interactions With Learning Objectives, Emily Kaye Faulconer

Publications

As educators, we recognize the importance of strong student learning objectives. We also know that students benefit by being well informed of expectations. Existing literature offers little guidance in methods and teaching strategies to apply in exposing students to their learning objectives. In this article, we discuss the use of specific teaching strategies to increase student interactions with the learning objectives. Student opinions regarding learning objectives were measured using an end-of-course Likert survey. Although no statistically significant changes in student opinions were detected in this study, a future study will investigate the influence of these targeted strategies on content mastery. …

Student Engagement: A Study Of The Relationship Between Teacher Credibility And Student Self-Efficacy, Gordon R. Haley, Phyllis A. Parise

Publications

Given the current economic and subsequent employment uncertainty, people are returning to college to update their skills and acquire the credentials they need to be competitive in today's workforce. As a result, faculty must be prepared to facilitate the learning process for an ever-changing and more diverse student body.

The purpose of this research is to further the extant body of research in the area of effective student engagement. The variables being used to represent credibility are competence, goodwill and trustworthiness. They were measured using McCroskey and Teven's (1999) Source Credibility Questionnaire. The data for this study were provided by …

Virtual Faculty Learning Community Implementation Framework, Angela Atwell, Cristina Cottom, Lisa Martino, Sara Ombres

Publications

This framework is meant to be a useful guide for those interested in creating a V-FLC. You may skip around to the various sections or read the framework from start to finish. The framework consists of twelve questions to ask as you begin developing a V-FLC, answers to these questions based on our experience, as well as a visual representation of the framework.

Small Wins - Big Impact: Narratives From Behind The Scenes, Kelsey Joy Rodgers, James J. Pembridge, Leroy L. Long Iii, Matthew A. Verleger, Heidi Steinhauer

Publications

All instructors, administrators, and researchers that have engaged in the endeavor to teach, oversee, and/or transform first-year engineering courses have a story to tell about their successes and struggles. In this workshop, we use narrative inquiry to listen to participants’ stories about first-year engineering programs. Based on the analyses of these stories and deduced patterns, a few key struggles will be teased out to guide this interactive workshop. All participants will then further tell their stories of relevant experiences. Our goal is to address struggles and disseminate successes with first-year engineering programs for adoption and adaptation. Our goal is that …

A Human Factors Perspective On Learning Programming Languages Using A Second Language Acquisition Approach, Rebecca Rohmeyer, Paula Sanjuan Espejo, Lulu Sun, Christina Frederick

Publications

In this day and age, knowing a programming language is an essential skill to have for those pursuing a career in any of the STEM fields. In most colleges and universities around the world, engineering and computer science students are required to take an introductory course in a programming language. However, many students find these courses intimidating and too challenging. This paper explores a psychological perspective on learning programming languages using Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories. The paper also describes the basic function of how learning works and how SLA aids in the learning process. This paper also briefly discusses …

Lessons Learned From Successful Black Male "Buoyant Believers" In Engineering And Engineering-Related Fields, Leroy L. Long Iii, Trevion Henderson

Publications

In high-demand fields like science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), more success strategies are needed to effectively recruit and retain college students. One-size fits-all approaches (i.e., those that are supposed to work for all students) often neglect the unique needs of underrepresented populations. Although some strategies exist for helping minority students succeed in STEM, the present investigation uncovered detailed information about how Black male students in engineering and engineering-related fields develop important academic traits such as confidence and resilience. To add to the limited body of literature on Black males in STEM, interview data from 27 Black male students majoring …

Using Journals To Assess Non-Stem Student Learning In Stem Courses: A Case Study In Cybersecurity Education, Gary Kessler, Glenn S. Dardick, Douglas L. Holton

Publications

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers a minor course of study in cybersecurity as an option in our undergraduate Homeland Security program. Since the students are, by and large, social scientists, the focus of the program is to build hyper-awareness of how cybersecurity integrates within their professional aspirations rather than to provide cybersecurity career-level proficiency. Assessing student learning of the technical aspects cannot be performed using traditional tests, as they would not properly measure what the students are learning in a practical sense. Instead, we employ journals and self-reflection to ask the students to express and demonstrate their learning. Although somewhat harder …