Education Commons^™

Impacts Of An Interdisciplinary Research Center On Participant Publication And Collaboration Activities, Pamela Rene Bishop

Doctoral Dissertations

Interdisciplinary research centers are typically presented as a means for exploiting opportunities in science where the complexity of the research problem calls for sustained interaction among multiple disciplines. This study analyzed the effects of an interdisciplinary research center (NIMBioS) on the publication and collaboration behaviors of faculty affiliated with the center. The study also sought to determine what factors contributed to these effects for participants whose publication and collaboration behaviors were changed the most after affiliation.

The study employed a mixed-method case study approach, using quantitative bibliometric data along with qualitative data collected from interviews. Publication data for each participant …

Exploring The Status Of Learning Outcome Focused Initiatives In Four-Year Public Higher Education, Andrew Quentin Morse

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the present status of efforts to assess student-learning outcomes within the bachelor’s degree granting institutions of the campuses in one system of public higher education. Further, the purpose of this study was also to understand what challenges and criticisms academic leaders report about the call to provide learning outcome evidence. The study was guided by the following research questions:

• What efforts, if any, are institutions presently taking to assess and report student-learning outcomes and why?
• What types of learning outcomes, if any, are colleges and universities trying to measure?
• What challenges and …

Everyone’S Doing It. Or Are They? Understanding Student Affairs Assessment Practices At Small Private Colleges, Jonita Denise Ashley-Pauley

Doctoral Dissertations

Reports from national organizations and student affairs organizations have strongly suggested student affairs professionals engage in ongoing, comprehensive assessment of how their programs affect student learning (ACPA, 1996; ACPA & NASPA, 1997; Keeling, 2004). In terms of assessment and how it should be conducted, scholars have provided clear guidelines for the conduct of such assessment. However, to date, only one study has looked at assessment practices in student affairs programs; and that study was of three large public institutions whose student affairs programs were determined to have exemplary practices (Green, Jones, & Aloi, 2008). To date, no studies have focused …

Sketchmate: A Computer-Aided Sketching And Simulation Tool For Teaching Graph Algorithms, Kristy Sue Van Hornweder

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, we developed and tested a sketching, visualization, and simulation tool called Sketchmate for demonstrating graph algorithms commonly taught in undergraduate computer science courses. For this research, we chose to focus on shortest path and network flow algorithms. Two versions of this tool have been implemented: 1) an instructor tool that supports computer-aided manual simulations of algorithms that augment traditional whiteboard presentations, allowing lectures to be more dynamic and interactive, and 2) a student tool that supports computer-aided manual practice of algorithms that enables students to work through homework problems more quickly while providing detailed incremental feedback about …

The Effects Of Merit Awards On District-Level High School Graduation: Evidence From Michigan, Brandon Lee Harrison

Masters Theses

This paper considers the effects of the Michigan Merit Award, a college scholarship program, on high school graduation rates. Students qualify via a standardized high school proficiency exam. Identification is achieved through difference-in-differences estimation using both a broad set of controls and a stricter set of controls. The effects on graduation rates differ depending on the model specification, as some significant results show a positive correlation between the introduction of the program and graduation rates, while others a negative effect. Where it appears the award increased graduation rates, pinpointing the exact impact of the award on graduation levels is difficult …

Interactive Whiteboard Transition: A Case Study, Jason S Beach

Doctoral Dissertations

This case study examined the process teachers use when incorporating interactive whiteboards in the classroom and daily curriculum. Participants were drawn from a small group of three elementary and three high school teachers who received an interactive whiteboard, but no formal training. The school system purchased over 300 interactive whiteboards and was not able to adequately train all of the teachers before the beginning of the school year. Findings were compared to relevant models of andragogy, TPACK, and CBAM. The results indicate that a teacher’s prior technological ability aids in the implementation of new technologies in the classroom. The findings …

An Analysis Of The Ready, Set, Go! Program On Program Participants And The Ability To Build Community Capacity, Carrera Romanini

Masters Theses

The study examined the impacts of the Ready, Set, Go! training program on its participants. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of the Ready, Set Go! program on building community capacity in the state of Tennessee. A survey was developed and administered to 110 participants at the conclusion of their training. One hundred percent (100%) of participants responded. Three respondents (2.7%) were military personnel, three (2.7%) were veterans, and twenty-three (20.7%) had a spouse or family member in the military. Survey data was used to determine participation in the training leads to participants becoming involved in …