Adaptive Courseware Implementation: Investigating Alignment, Course Redesign, And The Student Experience, Patricia O'Sullivan, Janelle Voegele, Tonya Buchan, Raiza Dottin, Kari Goin Kono, Misty Hamideh, Wendy S. Howard, Jennifer Todd, Lee Tyson, Stanley Kruse, Johannes De Gruyter, Kevin Berg

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

In this paper, four institutions share student and faculty feedback on the implementation of adaptive courseware through a common case study: biology for undergraduate non-majors. Additionally, each institution has provided a second case study of their choice. Together, researchers at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, Portland State University in Portland, OR, University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL, and the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS consider student perception of the benefits to the implementation of adaptive courseware, and how the deliberate alignment between adaptive courseware and course organization and structure impacts student experience. This paper highlights the …

Equity, Engagement, And Health: School Organisational Issues And Priorities During Covid-19, Jose Eos R. Trinidad

Interdisciplinary Studies Faculty Publications

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted and posed great challenges for kindergarten-grade12 education systems. Initial studies on education and COVID-19 often focus on technology use, student learning, and school reopening plans. However, debates on the form of instruction become futile when stakeholders are unclear about what the competing values, issues, and priorities are. Using exploratory data analysis of a representative sample of US teachers and school leaders, this paper highlights key organisational issues and priorities in terms of addressing academic achievement gaps, students’ online engagement, and teachers’ and students’ health. More fundamentally, deeper issues are uncovered like equity for …

The Flipped Mastery Model In Secondary Mathematics Classroom: A Mixed Study To Determine The Effects On Student Satisfaction, Engagement, And Learning Achievement, Ziniah Beasley

Education Graduate Research

Although many studies are on the flipped classroom, they are currently gaps and limited research conducted on flipped-mastery models. This mixed study implemented the repeated-measures design with few qualitative and quantitative studies on flipped-mastery in the secondary mathematics classroom. The purpose of the study aimed to examine the flipped mastery model’s effects on student satisfaction, engagement, and learning achievement. The study site was the researcher’s private school with purposive sampling of twenty-one high school Algebra II students. Pre-posttest unit tests and weekly quizzes assessed student learning achievement. The independent-samples t test results yielded no significant differences between achievement performance for …

A Combined Approach To Evaluating Student Engagement In A Virtual Laboratory Environment, Aster Sigel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study measured student engagement with galvanic skin response (GSR) using a one group randomized pretest–posttest design in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning environment to develop effective intervention strategies for engaging students in STEM learning experiences. Student engagement is a multi-dimensional interrelated construct, consisting of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive components, and varies in different subjects and learning environments. Student engagement in higher education is associated with academic achievement, retention, and graduation. In this study, the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement data of 30 college students were obtained using self-report surveys, observation and physiological data, which was recorded …

Someone Like Me: The Impact Of Engagement On High Achieving First Generation Community College Students In California’S Central Valley, Emily Berg

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this comparative phenomenological study was to describe how the impact of engagement factors between high achieving Central Valley, California first generation community college students enrolled in college honors programs and high achieving Central Valley first generation community college students who are not enrolled in college honors programs compares with regard to engagement factors of interaction with faculty, interaction with student peers, time on the college campus, participation in oral and written reports, the application of critical thinking skills, and other student identified factors related to disruption in their lives on their academic achievement in college.

Methodology: …

Enacting Rhetorical Listening: A Process To Support Students’ Engagement With Challenging Course Readings, Jessica Rivera-Mueller

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Many educators assign course readings to purposefully enlarge students’ perspectives. In doing so, though, educators may face a range of behaviors—reluctance, resistance, avoidance, disengagement—from students who feel that such readings negatively press upon their prior knowledge, belief systems, or educational goals. This teaching challenge is often present for social justice educators. However, “rhetorical listening,” a rhetorical theory developed by Ratcliffe (2005), is a pedagogical tool that can help shift students’ understandings of and expectations for the activity of reading, thereby creating a learning environment that supports meaningful engagement with challenging course readings. In this article, the author outlines a process …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 4, Issue 2

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full Fall 2020 issue (Volume 4, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Blended Learning's Impact On Student Performance And Engagement In A Middle School Language Arts Classroom, Claire Cole

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if blended learning instructional practices enhance students' understanding of the content being studied and increase student engagement in a 7th grade English language arts classroom. The research questions being studied as a result of these purposes include: Is there a positive correlation between using blended learning techniques with middle school students and students' proficiency of the Iowa Core standards? Does using blended learning methods correlate to increased student engagement? Participants of the study were three sections of 7th grade language arts students from the teacher researcher's school district of rural …

The Future Of Stem Education, Sandy Jenkins

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this literature review is to examine what quantifies an elite STEM program, what criteria makes STEM education impactful for students, and where the future of STEM education may lie. Integrated STEM is a key aspect of STEM education. STEM perceptions and understandings must be clarified in order to move forward with STEM reform attempts. Learning by doing, using real-world contexts, is vital to the success of integrated STEM education. Successful STEM learning environments must also focus on student engagement and motivation, as well as the incorporation of social-emotional and 21st century skills. Teacher preparation and professional development …

Addressing The Overall Dissatisfaction Of The First-Year Student Experience In University, Christopher E. O'Gorman Mr.

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

The concept of student experience has caught the attention of administration in postsecondary institutions, so much so, that they have dedicated departments that deal entirely with the experiences of students on campus. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses the students’ overall dissatisfaction with their first-year university experience. The focus of this OIP is to provide a solution that will improve the overall experiences that students have. The OIP begins by introducing the organization through a PEST analysis and provides a framework for the problem of practice, utilizing secondary data that is publicly available. Utilizing structuralist theory as the theoretical …

Multi-Touch Books In Higher Education: A Study Of Educational Leadership And Policy For Schools Of Education, Jason M. Cascio

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Technology points to gaps in higher education adoption of learning technologies where decisions are based on a digital tool’s efficacy and unique capabilities, rather than the role they play in effective teaching and learning (Grush, 2019). Higher Education institutions and their faculty postpone technical decision-making. This results in an educational system ill-equipped to meet the needs of students, faculty, and sufficient digital fluency of graduates and the workforce. By integrating current, interactive tools into teaching materials, such as multi-touch books, or iBooks, faculty can meet their students’ learning needs, thereby improving competencies and ability to track their assessment and engagement …

Connect 244 - August 2020

Connect

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Authentic Assessments And Their Impact On Engagement Of Gifted Learners In Washington County Public Schools: An Action Research Study, Felicia Jo Lowman-Sikes

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods, action research project focused on how gifted learners perceived their levels of engagement when presented with differing assessment types. The project, which took place in Washington County Virginia Public Schools, investigated how middle and high school gifted learners’ engagement differed when completing authentic assessments versus multiple choice assessments. A purposeful sample was chosen with participants then completing Likert-type surveys and semi-structured interviews. Classroom observations were conducted at both the middle and high school levels. Data and findings were triangulated to complete the research process.

Connect 243 - June 2020

Connect

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School Leadership And Student Engagement In Core French, Gloria Nwadinma Emenogu

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) examines the problem of lack of student engagement in core French classes and how school leadership, defined as the school administration and core French teachers, can lead to improved student engagement in core French. Student engagement is described as students’ attitudes to a course, readiness to exact themselves to task, and willingness to participate in class and complete assignments. The OIP further discusses in greater detail what engagement looks and feels like in the junior and intermediate grades of a K-8 elementary school in Ontario, Resilience Junior Middle School (RJMS). With the understanding that …

Enseignement Engagé: Engaging And Motivating French Language Learners, James T. Workman

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation of work that the author completed during the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah State University. It represents the culmination of the author’s personal learning and teaching experiences from his coursework and teaching experience both as a graduate instructor of French at USU and as a seventh-grade French Dual Language Immersion (DLI) instructor.

The portfolio consists of three main sections. The teaching perspectives section provides insight into the author’s beliefs about the ideal roles of teachers and students in an L2 classroom, both in a foreign language setting and an immersion setting, …

Finding Hope: Student Empowerment In A Segregated School District, Rachel Leigh Russell

Education | Master's Theses

This study seeks to understand how students are self-empowered in a racially and economically diverse school. A literature review revealed a body of peer reviewed research in relation to student empowerment through educational, sociological, and psychological theories. Within the literature review, the need for restructure of teacher/student relationships became apparent across a range of theories and frameworks. Yet, insufficient studies have been conducted to understand student empowerment and identity from a student perspective, or to what extent they are able to empower themselves and what methods or support they seek to feel more empowered. Through collecting and coding in-depth writing …

Context Matters: Concepts Of School Engagement In The Context Of Geographic Isolation, Gary Andersen, Linda E. Feldstein

The Advocate

This case study research represents an attempt to gain a better understanding of conceptions of school engagement in a rural, isolated, agricultural mid-western community. Local school administrators, in collaboration with a regional university, chose to make student engagement the focus of deep inquiry in order to better address student concerns, improve teaching, and student outcomes (Association of Teacher Educators, 2007). Researchers interviewed students, teachers, and parents in a local high school, using an interview protocol specifically designed for each constituency. The study results point to a mostly behavioral, or compliance driven concept of engagement among all groups interviewed, but further …

Community College Student Organizations And Hispanic Students' Gpa, Retention, And Graduation Rates, Joanne Alvarez

Ed.D. Dissertations

Although the Hispanic population continues to grow throughout the United States, Hispanic students still have some of the lowest college retention and graduation rates. Administrators at post-secondary institutions need evidence for effective strategies to recruit, retain, and graduate Hispanic students. The current study was created to determine if there was a difference in grade point averages (GPA), retention, and graduation rates between two specific groups. The first group consisted of 506 self-identified Hispanic students engaged in at least one community college student organization versus 506 self-identified Hispanic students not engaged in any campus organization. A quantitative study was conducted to …

Place-Based And Non-Place-Based Performing Arts Experiences And First-Generation, Appalachian College Student Engagement, Rachel Schott

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the pre-college arts experiences of Appalachian college students who participated in place-based and non-place-based performance arts ensembles and, using a qualitative research approach informed by Kuh et al.’s (2005) study on positive student engagement, understand the influence that participation in these ensembles might have on Appalachian students who are the first in their generation to pursue higher education. In this study, the researcher examined student data from 28 first-generation, Appalachian college students who responded to an online survey, and 11 who volunteered to participate in-depth, personal interviews. All the student participants were …

International Civic And Citizenship Education Study, Australian Council For Educational Research

Assessment GEMS

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) identifies and monitors students’ knowledge, attitudes and activities related to civic and citizenship education. The study is grounded in core themes in civic and citizenship education such as young people’s understanding of civic principles and institutions, their knowledge of how to engage in civil society, exercise critical judgment, and their understanding and appreciation of the rights and responsibilities of a citizen. In addition, ICCS embraces concrete themes that have become of increasing importance in the twenty-first century, such as global citizenship, environmental sustainability, the use of new social media for civic engagement, …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series: Timor-Leste: Interim Report 2, Elizabeth Cassity, Jennie Chainey

Teacher education

The interim reports present the findings from the first and second years of a multi-year study on Timor-Leste's Apoiu Lideransa liuhosi Mentoria no Aprendizajen (ALMA). The study focuses on understanding the extent to which education stakeholders, including school leaders and teachers, develop teaching knowledge and change teaching practice over time. It also explores the extent to which participation in the program leads to improvements in learning outcomes for students. This study is framed within the context of Timor-Leste's introduction of a new National Basic Education Curriculum.

Reacting To The Past: A High Impact Practice As A Tool For Retaining Honors Students, Hannah B. Mcclelland

Honors Thesis

Reacting to the Past (RTTP) is a roleplaying pedagogy highly regarded as an innovative high-impact practice. RTTP consists of elaborate historical games informed by major texts in the history of ideas and takes place during major historical turning points. The effectiveness of this methodology, in terms of its impact on students’ intention to stay in honors, was examined using a nonequivalent groups design composed of first semester students in the Honors Program at the University of South Dakota. Students that took a RTTP course and students that took a different honors course their first semester were given the same survey …

Connect 242 - April 2020

Connect

No abstract provided.

Exploring Student Engagement In Kindergarten Literacy Centers, Bryna Wiens

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gather information about the characteristics of literacy centers associated with high student engagement in my kindergarten classroom, exploring the guiding research question: what characteristics of literacy centers correlate with engaged, self-directed learning? The majority of the current research about literacy centers points to why independent literacy work is necessary, yet potentially problematic as students tend to be less engaged when working independently versus when under direct instruction with the teacher. Limited research has been conducted to examine the characteristics of centers that are associated with more engaging independent literacy work for kindergarteners, which …

Effectiveness Of School-Based Wellbeing Interventions For Improving Academic Outcomes In Children And Young People: A Systematic Review Protocol, Katherine Dix, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Shani Sniedze, Toby Carslake, Jenny Trevitt

Wellbeing

This systematic review protocol outlines the background, methodology and inclusion and exclusion criteria for a systematic review of how effective are school-based wellbeing interventions for improving the academic and non-academic outcomes of children and young people in mainstream schools? The proposed systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness evidence. It will complement system-wide strategic imperatives for health and wellbeing promotion by providing robust evidence to inform policy and practice supporting student wellbeing. The review will only involve interventions that report impact on academic achievement for a population of students …

Effective Instructional Practices For Students With Mild Disabilities: Cognitive And Meta-Cognitive Strategies, Crystal Roberts, Andrea Scandrett, Jessika Washington

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

General Education Teachers, Special Education Teachers, and School Administrators will be able to gain information needed to support students suspected of or identified as experiencing learning disabilities. The presenters will discuss cognitive and meta-cognitive high leverage instructional practices that can be used to improve student engagement and academic achievement by strengthening executive functioning skills to enhance memory, attention and self-regulation.

I Just Need Two Credits: Looking At Motivation When Redesigning An Online Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Course, Jane Hammons, Hanna Primeau, Diana Ramey, Stacey Mckenna

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Although a 2-credit hour information literacy course had high enrollment, with multiple sections offered each year across several campuses, course completion rates were not as high as hoped. Originally designed for freshman or sophomores, many upper-level students were enrolling in the course because they needed the credit hours, not because of interest in the course content, and overall engagement with the course material was low. With these concerns in mind, we undertook a team project to redesign the course. In this presentation, we will highlight the significant changes we made to course focus and content that were intended to increase …

A Warm Welcome: Restructuring Reference Services With New Library Faculty, Sara M. Whisnant, Evan Schmoll

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

East Tennessee State University, located in Johnson City, Tennessee, serves a growing number of students from various backgrounds. Sherrod Library serves as the main campus library and is located at the heart of campus. The library contains other services such as Information Technology Services, tutoring, and is the temporary home of numerous university support services. This past Fall, Sherrod repurposed a first-floor space to serve as walk-in reference. This new service model is staffed by two new faculty librarians, Evan Schmoll and Sara Maeve Whisnant, both with prior reference experience at other institutions.

Prior to Fall 2019, Sherrod Library did …

A Collaborative Approach To Blended Learning Design And Activities To Engage Students: A Case Study, Tulay Girard, Lori Lysiak

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.