Education Commons^™

Parting Thoughts - So Much More To Discover, Eric L. Mann

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Learning Outside The Rules: Lessons From The Past, Eric L. Mann

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cost-Savings Achieved In Two Semesters Through The Adoption Of Open Educational Resources, John Hilton Iii, T. Jared Robinson, David Wiley, J. Dale Ackerman

Faculty Publications

Textbooks represent a significant portion of the overall cost of higher education in the United States. The burden of these costs is typically shouldered by students, those who support them, and the taxpayers who fund the grants and student loans which pay for textbooks. Open educational resources (OER) provide students a way to receive high-quality learning materials at little or no cost to students. We report on the cost savings achieved by students at eight colleges when these colleges began utilizing OER in place of traditional commercial textbooks.

Evaluating The Dimensionality Of First-Grade Written Composition, Luana L. Greulich, Young-Suk Kim, Stephanie Al Otaiba, Jessica S. Folsom, Cynthia Puranik

Faculty Publications

Purpose—We examined dimensions of written composition using multiple evaluative approaches such as an adapted 6+1 trait scoring, syntactic complexity measures, and productivity measures. We further examined unique relations of oral language and literacy skills to the identified dimensions of written composition.

Method—A large sample of first grade students (N = 527) was assessed on their language, reading, spelling, letter writing automaticity, and writing in the spring. Data were analyzed using a latent variable approach including confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Results—The seven traits in the 6+1 trait system were best described as two constructs: …

Microblogging: Using Digital Literacies To Engage Middle School English Learners, Carolyn Stufft, Susan Casey

Faculty Publications

As a result of the changing technologies associated with the 21st century, the definition of literacy has changed and expanded (Antonacci & O’Callaghan, 2011) to encompass e-books, text messages, blogs, and even videogames and the peripheral literacies associated with gaming. These new literacies have demonstrated promise for engaging students in literate practices (Gee, 2007; Gerber, 2009). One practice in particular, microblogging, provides a way to engage English learners in writing and responding to text. Microblogging is a participant web technology that allows users to interact and share information in succinct online posts (Hricko, 2010). For middle school English learners, microblogging …

Validating One-On-One Gps Instruction Methodology For Natural Resource Area Assessments Using Forestry Undergraduate Students, Daniel R. Unger

Faculty Publications

Undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Forestry (BSF) at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) attend an intensive 6-week residential hands-on instruction in applied field methods. The intensive 6-week instruction includes learning how to use the Global Positioning System (GPS) with a Garmin eTrex HCx GPS unit to accurately calculate area. Students were instructed how to assess the accuracy of their GPS collected waypoints by calculating the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) comparing their GPS collected area measurements with instructor on-screen digitized area. Student’s average area RMSE between digitized and GPS derived area was 0.015 hectares, whereas instructor’s …

Can Universities Encourage Students Continued Motivation For Knowledge Sharing And How Can This Help Organizations?, Nikki Shoemaker

Faculty Publications

Both practitioners and researchers recognize the increasing importance of knowledge sharing in organizations (Bock, Zmud, Kim, & Lee, 2005; Vera-Muz, Ho, & Chow, 2006). Knowledge sharing influences a firm's knowledge creation, organizational learning, performance achievement, growth, and competitive advantage (Bartol & Srivastava, 2002; Bock & Kim, 2002; Vera-Muz et al., 2006). However, an individual's natural tendency is to hoard knowledge rather than to share knowledge (Davenport, 1997; Ruggles, 1998). So, how can knowledge sharing be encouraged?

Extrinsic rewards are believed to effectively motivate desired behaviors (Bartol & Locke, 2000). Under certain environmental conditions, extrinsic rewards are also believed to develop …

Does The Classroom Delivery Method Make A Difference?, Esther Bunn, Mary Fischer, Treba Marsh

Faculty Publications

This study seeks to determine if a difference exists in student performance and participation between an online and face-to-face Accounting Intermediate I class taught by the same professor. Even though students self-selected which course section to enroll, no significant difference was found to exist between the delivery method of the two courses based on the student's major field of study, gender, and whether or not they commuted to class. No significant difference is found between the assessments of the two class sections membership except the students' course performance. Contrary to prior research, the students enrolled in the online sections did …

Shooting Fish In A Barrel: A Demonstration Of The Refraction Of Light, Walter Trikosko

Faculty Publications

This is not a treatise on optics or the index of refraction. It is merely a demonstration that will surprise and engage many of your students. We have all put a pencil in a beaker of water and observed how it appears to bend.1 Not so much fun or engaging, is it? Why not illustrate this optical effect by taking your students spearfishing? Simulated spearfishing, to avoid the financial and legal ramifications. I intercepted a quiver of 30-in long aluminum shaft arrows that were on their way to the dumpster because, if for no other reason, my office could …

What’S Art Got To Do With Math?, Eric L. Mann

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Process For The Critical Analysis Of Instructional Theory, Jay A. Bostwick, Isaac W. Calvert, J. Francis, Melissa Hawkley, Curtis Henrie, Fred R. Hyatt, Janele Juncker, Andrew S. Gibbons Iii

Faculty Publications

Some have argued for a common language of theory in the field of instructional design in an effort to reduce misunderstandings and simplify a multitude of synonymous terms and concepts. Others feel that this goal is undesirable in that it would inhibit further theoretical development. In this article we propose an ontology-building process as a way for readers to compare and analyze terms and concepts across theories. This process entails the development of ontological categories that emerge from the literature, and the comparison of theories using these categories. Such a process can reveal broader concepts that exist beyond specific theoretical …