Education Commons^™

Why They Care: An Exploration Of Adjunct Faculty Loyalty, Sara Elizabeth Barnwell

Wayne State University Dissertations

Higher education is always evolving and striving to be more effective and efficient. Over time, the use of part-time or adjunct faculty members has increased in an effort to achieve that goal. In this dissertation, the concept of adjunct faculty loyalty is explored using Intuitive Empathic Exploration which is a newly constructed qualitative methodology. Intuitive Empathic Exploration was created for this research study with the hope that it can be used in future research. It draws primarily from the concepts of phenomenology, empathy, intuitive inquiry, and in-depth interviewing. The focus of the research is to consider how adjunct faculty members …

Competencies And Strategies Utilized By Higher Education Leaders During Planned Change, Dawn Aziz

Wayne State University Dissertations

In a mixed methods study designed to explore the competencies and strategies utilized by self-described successful leaders of public, four-year U. S. institutions, this study confirmed that there was little difference among academic and non-academic leaders in their approach to successful change beyond that found in terms of non-academic preference for resilience and an academic preference for personal learning. Both leaders (N=47) showed high agreement for the nine proposed competencies, five of which were statistically higher in perceived importance (personal learning, resilience, emotional engagement/creating a safe space, networking/coalition building, and project management). Adapting Bolman and Deal’s four frames (2013) as …

Self-Efficacy: Understanding African American Male Students Pathways To Confidence In Mathematics, Lisa Ann Williams

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation is about the stories of African American male undergraduate students who have experienced success in mathematics. Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory and Tillman’s (2000) culturally sensitive research approach which promotes qualitative methods, recognizes ethnicity, and positions culture as central to the research were applied. Student interviews, parent interviews, teacher interviews, and mathematical autobiographies were used to investigate African American men self-efficacy, the sources of their beliefs, and societal factors that impacted their motivation and academic achievement in mathematics.

The descriptive portraits and the interviews revealed five broad themes: (1) college experiences, (2) K-12 experiences, (3) access and equity, …

A Quasi-Experimental Research Study Examining The Impact Of Reflection On Self-Efficacy In Graduate Design Students, Christina Marie Chateauvert

Wayne State University Dissertations

While the concept of reflection is not new to education, researchers suggest that students be given more space to engage in meaning-making activities (Sambrook & Willmott, 2014). In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis placed in education on self-reflection. In part, because of Donald Schön’s (1983, 1987) work on reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. Schön’s view of reflection-in¬-action puts students in the “midst of action,” reshaping the problem or experience, and making fresh decisions to guide next steps. Reflection-on-action allows students to think back on what has occurred and how that experience will shape future decisions. Taking a similar approach …

Using Google Applications As Part Of Cloud Computing To Improve Knowledge And Teaching Skills Of Faculty Members At The University Of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia, Bandar Abdullah Alshihri

Wayne State University Dissertations

Dissertation Abstract

By

Bandar A. Alshihri

March, 2017

Advisor: Dr. James L. Moseley

Major: Learning Design and Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Cloud computing is a recent computing paradigm that has been integrated into the educational system. It provides numerous opportunities for delivering a variety of computing services in a way that has not been experienced before. The Google Company is among the top business companies that afford their cloud services by launching a number of business and educational Apps. Google runs these Apps for free to be used for educational purposes, which saves a huge amount of expense for …

A Design-Based Research Study Examining The Impact Of Collaboration Technology Tools In Mediating Collaboration, Kecia Johnese Waddell

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

A DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF COLLABORATION TECHNOLOGY TOOLS IN MEDIATING COLLABORATION

by

KECIA J. WADDELL

December 2015

Advisor: Dr. Monica W. Tracey

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Interactive collaboration technologies have expanded users' capabilities to collaborate and have driven pedagogical paradigm shifts toward more learner-centered and interactive teaching and learning. Online learners may be not sufficiently prepared for the level of collaboration fluency expected by a globally competitive digital distributed knowledge economy. This is largely due in part by how collaboration technologies is used towards impacting learning goals and outcomes in practice by online …

The Face Of Feedback: Exploring The Use Of Asynchronous Video To Deliver Instructor Feedback In Multidisciplinary Online Courses, Naimah N. Wade

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE FACE OF FEEDBACK: EXPLORING THE USE OF ASYNCHRONOUS VIDEO TO DELIVER INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY ONLINE COURSES

by

NAIMAH NOELLE WADE

November 2015

Advisor: Dr. Monica Tracey

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this qualitative, design-based research study was to design, implement, and explore the use of an asynchronous video feedback protocol in higher education online courses. Bannan’s (2013) Integrative Learning Design Framework guided the design and implementation strategy for this study by dictating its three core phases; 1) Informed Exploration, 2) Enactment, and 3) Local Impact Evaluation. The video feedback intervention cycled through …

Advisors As Leaders: An Explanatory Study Of The Perceptions That Professional Undergraduate Academic Advisors Have About Leadership Development Skills, Ebony Della Green

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ADVISORS AS LEADERS: AN EXPLANTORY STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS THAT PROEFESSIONAL UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC ADVISORS HAVE ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SKILLS

by

EBONY D. GREEN

August 2016

Advisor: Dr. Michael Owens

Major: Educational Leadership and Policy

Degree: Doctor of Education

Literature is limited about the leadership skill(s) that Professional Undergraduate Academic Advisors (PUAAs) use in their daily practice. Research that addresses advisors and/or their performance appear to highlight them as a factor in studies that cover student retention, academic success, or student perception. Often studies focus on students, not advisors as practitioners. Advisors play a critical role in a student’s integration …

Effect Of Expert Modeling On Ill-Structured Problem Solving In An Undergraduate General Education Honors Course, Minakshi Lahiri

Wayne State University Dissertations

Abstract

Effect of Expert Modeling on Ill-Structured Problem Solving in an Undergraduate General Education

Honors Course

by

Minakshi Lahiri

May 2016

Advisor: Dr. Ke Zhang

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation research was based on David H. Jonassen’s recommendation that not all problems are the same and different types of problems require different approaches of instruction and scaffolding (Jonassen & Hung, 2008). Jonassen (2011) provided a set of recommended components (problem types, case components, cognitive supports) for designing effective Problem Based Learning Environments (PBLEs).

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of using expert …

Developing University Students’ Argumentative Discourse: An Ill-Structured Issue Pertaining To Black African Immigrants And African Americans, Olubusayo Olojo-Adeoye

Wayne State University Dissertations

The overarching goal of this three-article five-chapter dissertation was to develop university students’ argument-counterargument integration abilities in persuasive essay writing on an ill-structured issue pertaining to black African immigrants and African Americans. Article One consisted of using phenomenography as a research approach to identify the qualitatively different ways university students perceive black African immigrants and African Americans. The university participants had 24 perceptions in which 10 pertained to black African immigrants and 14 to African Americans. The perceptions were grouped into six descriptive categories. The variations in perceptions were then used as statements for argumentation. The study implies that university …

Examining The Relationship Between Mental Health Professionals Knowledge And Beliefs As Predictors Of Attitudes Toward The Deaf, Pearl M. Weiss

Wayne State University Dissertations

Individuals who are D/deaf experience significant barriers and disparities when accessing mental health services. Factors associated with improving knowledge and beliefs could reduce these disparities among mental health professionals by incorporating cultural competence during professional training, academic curricular, and internship programs. The purpose of this study was to examined the relationship between mental health professionals’ knowledge and belief as predictors of attitudes toward individuals who are D/deaf. Variances in demographic data also were explored as predictors of attitudes regarding individuals who are D/deaf.

A nonexperimental, correlational research design was used for this study. The survey was completed by 65 mental …

Meta-Synthesis Of Sampling Methods Using Coding Strategies And Social Media For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Nursing Students, Timberly Robinson Robinson

Wayne State University Dissertations

In 2010, the birth of an aggressive strategy began to emerge aimed to increase the number of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) individuals in professional healthcare fields. Employers and higher education admission officials desired more research. Data revealed that the field of nursing had a higher percentage of Deaf and Hard of Hearing professionals than other areas. Yet, there is a gap in the literature related to in-depth accounts about the learning experience and clinical training of D/HH nursing students. A phenomenological study was conducted to examine nursing experiences (homogenous sampling) compared to other clinical and non-clinical D/HH majors …

A New Logic Model For Change, Zsa-Zsa Lashawn-Marie Booker

Wayne State University Dissertations

Logic models are defined as visual diagrams that help to explain the theory of change for a program. Over the years the logic model has become a common tool for educational programs who seek to apply for and obtain grant funding. However, the limitations of the logic model make it ineffective at managing evaluations. This study is a retrospective cohort design. The three main goals of this study are to (1) research logic model limitations and adapt a revised logic model that could effectively evaluate an educational program, (2) test both the original and revised logic models on an educational …

Do Learning Communities Matter?: An Examination Of The Retention Of At-Risk African American Students At An Urban, Commuter, Research University, Cheryl Deon White

Wayne State University Dissertations

The effectiveness of learning community participation on the retention of at-risk, African American students at a public, urban, primarily commuter, research institution was the focus of this research. A nonexperimental, retrospective, descriptive, cohort research design was used with a sample of 318 first time in any college (FTIAC) African American students enrolled in the Alternative Admission Division (AAD) of Metropolitan Urban University (MUU) starting in the fall 2006 semester. The primary research hypothesis was that African American students who were admitted into the AAD at MUU in the fall 2006 semester would have greater academic outcomes (e.g. grade point average …

College Student Adjustment: Examination Of Personal And Environmental Characteristics, Aleksandra M. Stoklosa

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study used a multi-dimensional model of college adjustment to examine the relationships between multiple layers of personal influences and college adjustment (academic, social, personal/emotional, attachment to the institution, and overall adjustment) among emerging adults in a large urban university. The sample included 177 undergraduate students, ages 18-25, attending Wayne State University, who completed on-line questionnaires. Race and cumulative college GPA were related to academic adjustment. Being Arabic/Middle-Eastern was a consistent predictor of college adjustment. It was found that higher college GPA and being White was related to higher academic adjustment, while being Arabic/Middle-Eastern was related to lower academic adjustment. …

The Influence Of Student Engagement On Student Retention At A Midwest Urban Research Institution, Denise Williams Mallett

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the importance of student retention and persistence and the role that student engagement has on those areas. Three research questions were posed for this study. The questions looked at the differences between national outcomes as compared to those in an urban-commuter, University in the Midwest; the differences between African American students and Caucasian students at this Midwest institution and the perception of engagement of freshman and senior level students. Student engagement was measured by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) five factors (i.e., level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student interactions with faculty, enriching …

Competencies For A Leadership Role In Educational Development, Kristi Jordan Verbeke

Wayne State University Dissertations

Because the field of educational development (also known as faculty development, academic development, and staff development) is relatively new, very little is known about the competencies required for those who work in the field. Additionally, there are no formal pathways or means of formal preparation for educational developers. This study utilized a mixed-methods research design to explore the competencies required for a leadership role in the field of educational development.

The first part of the study sought to identify these competencies by using the Delphi technique to survey experts in the field. The second part explored whether these competencies were …

Networks Of Users And Powers: Blackboard Software Roadmap As Cultural Practice, Diana Gellci

Wayne State University Dissertations

With the rapid growth of eLearning applications - the software providing for learning through the Internet - it has become commonplace to describe those technologies as both simple tools and user-friendly. These two vague yet suggestive terms make the operating of the technology appear as social value and any related issues as a user's problem. Interested neo-liberal groups take a step further when considering eLearning technologies as the solution for the problems faced in the field. STS studies recognize that technology fetishism is strategically employed to justify the latest developments of capitalism as technological and logical.

This doctoral study examines …

Using Large-Angle Beamstrahlung To Detect And Diagnose Colliding Beams For Luminosity Optimization, Hussein Farhat

Wayne State University Dissertations

The large-angle-beamstrahlung is a very effective technique that can be used to monitor two crossing beams. Monitoring the beam helps in analyzing and studying the beams profiles, allowing beams adjustments, and eventually leading to a perfect beams collision. The perfect beam collision results in a higher luminosity; as a result, a high particles production rate and new physics can be discovered.

Qualitative Study Of Taiwanese Students Studying Abroad: Social Interactions, Navigating Us Culture, And Experiences Learning English Language, Ching-Yi Wu

Wayne State University Dissertations

The English language increasingly influences Taiwanese life because Taiwan entered the global village and English language changed into a more important skill in order to communicate with foreigners. Many Taiwanese parents desire their children become proficient English speakers so that they send them to "buxiban" (cram schools) in Taiwan or study abroad in the Unites States. Therefore, this qualitative phenomenological research was to investigate individual experience of Taiwanese students studying abroad in Michigan in the United States. Sakurai et al. (2010) study is divided into three models of studying abroad learners' social network: "co-national, multinational and local" (p. 177). According …

A Model For Designing Instructional Narratives For Adult Learners: Connecting The Dots, Debra Mary Smith

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

A MODEL FOR DESIGNING INSTRUCTIONAL NARRATIVES:

CONNECTING THE DOTS

by

DEBRA M. SMITH

May 2013

Advisor: Ingrid Guerra-López, Ph.D.

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this study was to develop a research-based model for designing and deploying instructional narratives based on principles derived from narrative theory, development theory, communication theory, learning theory and instructional design theory to enable adult learning and retention and the effective transfer of that retained learning to practice (performance contexts). Findings from these five areas were used to identify elements to inform the development of a model for the design and …

Faculty Attitudes Toward Students With Intellectual Disabilities In Postsecondary Educational Settings, Diane F. Fekete

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research has indicated that participation in some aspect of postsecondary education, either for credit or audit, could improve a disabled individual's changes for success in adult life. Research also has shown that faculty attitudes toward, and perceptions of students with disabilities play an important role in student success. The purpose of this study was to examine faculty attitudes toward the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in college classes and willingness by faculty to accommodate the course content to meet individual student needs. An internet survey instrument was developed to gather information concerning students with intellectual disabilities and faculty attitude …

Personal And Social Factors In Risk-Taking Behaviors Of Emerging Adults, Katherine A. Roeser

Wayne State University Dissertations

The transitional period from adolescence to young adulthood is defined as the stage of life that begins at the conclusion of high school and ends with the acceptance of adult roles (i.e., career, marriage, parenthood). The focus of the present study was on college students' excessive use of alcohol and other drugs and participation in high-risk sexual activity and the association between those behaviors and personal and social factors such as sensation seeking, peer influence, perceived general resistance to peer influence, perceived self-efficacy to resist risky behavior, and emotion regulation. The participants were 427 emerging- adult, undergraduate students 18 to …

Using Academic Advising To Increase Motivation And Engagement In First-Year College Students, Lisa Remsing

Wayne State University Dissertations

According to ACT Educational Services (2010), more than one-third of college freshmen will not progress to their sophomore year. Several states, including Michigan, have proposed higher education performance funding models, which directly correlate state funds to student retention and graduation rates (Jesse, 2012). As higher education suffers from diminishing resources, there is a heightened focus to increase retention and graduation rates (Tinto, 2007).

The transition from high school to college can be a traumatic time for adolescents. This age group has unique motivational needs as they adjust to an unfamiliar academic environment (Perry et al., 2005). The first year of …

An Examination Of Midwest Community College Presidents' Leadership Styles, Marvin Jones Jacobs

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the leadership styles of community college presidents and chancellors in the Midwestern part of the United States on leadership styles they embraced based on their personal characteristics, age, gender, education and experience in higher education, location, and other prevailing personal characteristics. The three leadership styles measured in the study were transformational, transactional and passive avoidant. Three research questions were posed for the study. A total of 176 presidents in five states were sent surveys. Of this number, 82 (46.6%) completed and returned the MLQ questionnaire and the investigator-developed demographic survey. Survey findings suggested participating presidents appeared to …

The Relationship Between Faculty's Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Students' Knowledge About Diversity In Online Courses, Mitali Chaudhery

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this proposed study will be to examine the relationship between faculty's pedagogical content knowledge and the design of online curriculum to teach students about diversity in a higher education environment. One hundred twenty-seven faculty teaching online courses at a Midwestern state will be selected on non-random sampling to participate in this study. Two main measures will be used to collected data: (1) Faculty Demographic and Background Survey, and (2) Diversity Teaching survey. The Diversity Teaching Survey was broken into 3 subscales that will examine the following: (1) Faculty's Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills, (2) Online Curriculum Design, and …

Exploring The Relationship Between Pre Service School Counselor's Academic Training And Reported Levels Of Multicultural Competence As Predictors Of Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Rachael Annette Evans

Wayne State University Dissertations

The principal aim of this study was to explore the relationships between preservice school counselors' academic training and their self-reported levels of multicultural competence as predictors of attitudes toward inclusion. Variances in demographic data also were examined as predictors of attitudes regarding inclusion. A nonexperimental, correlational research design was used. Pearson product moment correlations were used to test the relationships between preservice school counselors' level of academic training and their attitudes toward inclusions. No statistically significant correlations were obtained on these analyses, indicating that academic training does not predict attitudes toward inclusion. . Pearson product moment correlations were used to …

Refugee College Students Acquiring Academic Literacy: An Exploration Of How Their Views Of Academic Literacy Impact The Process, Amal H. Essak

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to first, examine the difference between the academic literacy definition and views of the involuntary immigrant college students and the academic literacy definition and views of the hosting country; and second, to examine how these students acquire academic literacy over the course of one academic semester at a US college. This study provided understanding of how involuntary immigrant and refugee students develop new academic literacies practices as they go through the academic socialization process, rather than focusing just on what they should know in order to become successful educated members of the new community. …

Saudi Students' Attitudes, Beliefs, And Preferences Toward Coeducational Online Cooperative Learning, Salim Alanazy

Wayne State University Dissertations

In Saudi Arabia, the single-sex learning environment is the only choice for students due to social and religious concerns. Recently, online education is a growing field in Saudi Arabia. However, there is a paucity of research examining coeducational online cooperative learning that allows virtual interaction between male and female learners. The purpose of the study was to investigate the attitude, belief, and preference of Saudi students regarding working in a coeducation online cooperative learning environment. The participants of the study were 707 students from the Saudi students in the USA. An electronic questionnaire was developed by the researcher for the …

Rhetorical Outcomes: A Genre Analysis Of Student Service-Learning Writing, Thomas Brady Trimble

Wayne State University Dissertations

Service-learning continues to be a popular pedagogical approach within composition studies. Despite a number of studies that document a range of positive impacts on students, faculty, institutions, and community members, the relationship between service-learning and student writing outcomes is not well understood. This study presents the results of a genre analysis of student-authored ethnographies composed in four distinct sections of a service-learning--based intermediate writing course at a Midwestern urban research university. Results of the analysis are then used to develop a contextualized writing assessment framework to evaluate student writing outcomes and to consider the implications of using contemporary genre theory …