Education Commons^™

Why Do Students Attend Stem Clubs, What Do They Get Out Of It, And Where Are They Heading?, Margaret R. Blanchard, Kristie S. Gutierrez, Kylie J. Swanson, Karen M. Collier

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This research investigated what motivated and sustained the involvement of 376 students in culturally relevant, afterschool STEM clubs at four rural, under-resourced schools. A longitudinal, convergent parallel mixed methods research design was used to investigate participants’ participation in and perceptions of the clubs, their motivations to attend, and their future goals, over three years. Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) served as a guiding theoretical and analytical framework. Overall, students who attended the clubs were African American (55%), female (56%), and 6th graders (42%), attended approximately half of the clubs (43%), and agreed with quality measures on the STEM Club Survey (M …

Parent Reports Of Executive Functions In Students With Learning Disability, Jane Roitsch, Annemarie L. Horn, Lisa Morin

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

This study examines the results of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) (Gioia et al., 2015) reported by parents of children with Specific Learning Disability (LD) and/or other comorbid disabilities. LD is most notably associated with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Alloway & Stein, 2014; Westby &Watson, 2004; Willcutt et al., 2013). A total of 43 parents completed the BRIEF-2 rating scale. Findings suggest children with LD and ADHD display greater challenges with inhibition, working memory, planning, along with greater challenges in organization and metacognition. Parents of children with LD reported their children have greater levels of …

How Instructors Can Enhance Biology Students' Motivation, Learning, And Grades Through Brief Relevance Writing And Worked-Example Interventions, Kyle R. Mara, Avi Kaplan, Michael J. Balsai, Jennifer G. Cromley, Tony Perez, Ting Dai

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

The high failure rate of students in "gateway" science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses has been a persistent problem for biology programs nationwide. Common wisdom contends that addressing this problem requires major curricular overhauls. While desirable, such large systematic changes are often expensive or impractical. We propose an alternative approach: supplementing the regular instruction with brief online modules targeting specific cognitive (learning) and motivational mechanisms. We conducted an intervention study to test the effects of different combinations of cognitive and motivational modules on undergraduate introductory biology students' learning, motivation, achievement, and intentions to remain in science. Introductory biology students …

I Told You That To Tell You This: Metagaming And Metacognition In The Hybrid Classroom, Marc A. Ouellette

English Faculty Publications

This paper theorizes the use of play and gamified methods to foster metacognition, or strategies for learning and learning about learning, in online graduate instruction. In the process, it calls into question the determinism of “serious” games as being the only means of facilitating metacognition. Ultimately, by adopting metagame approaches—that is, approaches based on0 goals and achievements that are external to the game and/or are developed by the players themselves—metacognition can and does occur because students participate in the development of the rewards. Moreover, any metagame feature ultimately becomes a commentary so that an approach based on metagaming offers its …

Reflective School Library Practitioners: Use Of Journaling To Strengthen Practice, Elizabeth A. Burns

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Reflection is a skill educators of school librarians hope to foster in their students. Widely used in teacher preparation (Hodgins 2014), reflective journaling is a pedagogical strategy that aligns with the text-based nature of library and information studies coursework, especially as more library schools move online (Kymes and Ray 2012). This study explores use of structured dialogic journaling as a pedagogical approach to inform and shape the reflective practice of pre-service school librarians. Journals were introduced in an early school library methods course and structured using Schon’s Reflective Practitioner model (1987). Additional opportunities to engage with dialogic journals continued through …

Online Adaptive Learning: A Study Of Score Validity Of The Adaptive Self-Regulated Learning Model, Hoda Harati, Cherng-Jyh Yen, Chih-Hsiung Tu, Brandon J. Cruickshank, Shadow William Jon Armfield

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Adaptive Learning (AL), a new web-based online learning environment, requires self-regulated learners who act autonomously. However, to date, there appears to be no existing model to conceptualize different aspects of SRL skills in Adaptive Learning Environments (ALE). The purpose of this study was to design and empirically evaluate a theoretical model of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) in ALE's and the related questionnaire as a measurement tool. The proposed theoretical model, namely, “Adaptive Self-Regulated Learning (ASR)”, was specified to incorporate the SRL skills into ALE's. Based on this model, the Adaptive Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire (ASRQ) was developed. The reliability and validity of …

Exposing Students To Stem Careers Through Hands-On Activities With Drones And Robots, Vukica M. Jovanović, George Mcleod, Thomas E. Alberts, Cynthia Tomovic, Otilia Popescu, Tysha Batts, Ms. Mary Louise Sandy

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Autonomous robots have been used in a variety of ways from collecting specimen in hazardous environments to space exploration. These robots can be found in various manufacturing systems as Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to transport parts and assemblies throughout the manufacturing system. They have also been used as a vehicle to convey design thinking and other STEM-related concepts in mechanical engineering/mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering/electrical engineering technology, computer science, and computer engineering. Various outreach events have included robotics based activities that engage students in building and programming autonomous robots for the purpose of achieving a specific task. These events are …

Combining Different Motivation And Cognitive Supports In Undergraduate Biology In Different Contexts: Lessons Learned, Avi Kaplan, Jennifer G. Cromley, Tony Perez, Ting Dai, Kyle R. Mara, Michael Balsai

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Researchers acknowledge that students’ learning and achievement requires both effective cognition and the motivation to apply it. In addition, both cognition and motivation are multidimensional, each involving different processes that may be less or more salient in different contexts. However, most basic research and intervention studies focus on either cognition OR motivation, and commonly only target a single process. We designed an intervention to investigate the role of different combinations of cognitive and motivational supports in first-year undergraduate introductory biology courses. We sought an online delivery approach with minimal burden on the instructor that can accompany any such course. Building …

Humanoid Robots Supporting Children’S Learning In An Early Childhood Setting, Helen Crompton, Kristen Gregory, Diane Burke

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explored the affordances provided by the integration of the NAO humanoid robot in three preschool classrooms. Using the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework as a lens, the researchers qualitatively analyzed data from focus groups, observations, field notes and student artifacts, using grounded coding to uncover language and communication, physical, cognitive and social–emotional learning experiences for children. The researchers also examined interactions between the robot, children and teachers to identify successes and challenges experienced during the integration. Findings indicate the robot provided opportunities for student development in all learning domains. Students were intellectually curious about the robot; …

Listening To The Song Of Life: An Autoethnographic Account Of Teaching An Undergraduate Listening Course, E. James Baesler

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

A new approach to teaching the listening course at the undergraduate level provides opportunities for students to experience the SONG of life. SONG is an acronym for listening to the whole of life in the contexts of Self (e.g., discerning inner wisdom), Others (e.g., connecting with feelings and needs), Nature (beholding the beauty of nature), and God (e.g., discovering and connecting with the divine). A rationale and description of the new listening course is provided followed by a chronological autoethnographic account of teaching/learning the SONG of life using the four contexts as verses of the SONG with twenty undergraduate students …

Learning While Leading: A Multiple Case Study Of Principals' Ways Of Knowing, Marsha Caudill Cale

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Excellent school leadership is undeniably linked to improved student achievement. Due to the impact administrators have on school and student success, it is critical that current and aspiring principals receive high-quality training and support. Superior principal preparation programs and ongoing training opportunities are fundamental to fulfilling the need and improving student outcomes nationwide. A phenomenological case study approach was used to explore the factors contributing to the success of public school principals and examine from the practitioners’ perspective how they learned their craft. Adult learning theory is situated within the context of social constructivism, and used to critically examine the …

Toys Redesigned: The Intersection Of Industrial Technology And Service-Learning Principles, Jill Stefaniak, Petros Katsioloudis, Basim Matrood

STEMPS Faculty Publications

To provide students with a situated learning experience that encouraged them to develop creative design solutions, the authors created a service-learning activity that required industrial technology students to apply design principles and procedures to design and develop toys to be given to pediatric patients at a local children's hospital. The following are excerpts from student reflections addressing the technological skills used and key takeaways from the project: * "I was able to use my mechanical skills in this project by knowing how to operate the drill press and by cutting all the pieces that were needed and assembling them." * …

How Mobile Learning Initiatives Can Empower Women, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The Sustainable Development Goal 5 provides a call to action to promote gender equality and to empower women. This article responds to that call by providing insight into how mobile learning initiatives have been used to support that aim. A critical analysis is conducted of studies in the past decade to review what strategies have been effective in empowering women. The analysis revealed that initiatives were targeted towards three areas: Education, health, and financial empowerment.

Findings show that in certain topics women should play an active role to further the empowerment process. This article also aligns with Objective 4 of …

An Evaluation Of Game Fiction-Enhanced Training: Using Narrative To Improve Trainee Reactions And Learning, Michael Beaumont Armstrong

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Gamification is growing in popularity in instructional contexts like education and workplace training, but it is unclear which game elements are specifically conducive to improve learning outcomes. Narratives, which represent one way the game element “game fiction” is commonly implemented, have been used to improve learning outcomes over expository texts in the context of psycholinguistics, whereas the Technology-Enhanced Training Effectiveness Model (TETEM) proposes that certain individual differences impact the relationships between technology-enhanced training and learning outcomes. From this theoretical basis, this study gamified a training session with game fiction in order to improve reactions to training and learning over the …

Meditation In The Classroom: Cultivating Attention And Insight, E. James Baesler

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

Goals: Care must be taken by the instructor not to overemphasize achieving the goal(s) of meditation. Often, when there is too much emphasis on trying to reach the goal, the benefits of meditating can be hindered. On the other hand, when the goal of meditation is held loosely, then the goal is more easily approached. For this class meditation activity, the instructor might loosely hold several interrelated goals for their students: cultivate experiences of first person attention, concentration, and awareness while simultaneously developing capacities for insight, imagination, exploration, and discernment of ideas related to class content and applications to everyday …

Questions As A Generative Strategy For Knowledge Transfer And Problem Solving, Brett Howard Cook-Snell

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Consistent with generative learning theory, Grabowski (1996) suggests the use of questions may serve as an effective generative strategy for learning. However, the learning effects of questions have produced conflicting results (Bulu & Pedersen, 2010; Chen & Bradshaw, 2007; Choi, Land, & Turgeon, 2005; Chou & Liang, 2009; Davis & Linn, 2000; Dornisch & Sperling, 2008; Ge & Land, 2003). Similarly, there are five basic challenges inherent in question research (Andre, 1979). These include lack of intentional and consistent question design, lack of detail making it difficult to replicate studies, lack of control groups against which to measure differences, aggregation …

Culturally Relevant Booktalking: Using A Mixed Reality Simulation With Preservice School Librarians, Janice Underwood, Sue Crownfield Kimmel, Danielle Forest, Gail K. Dickinson

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The role of school librarians is often overlooked in advancing a respect for cultural diversity among youth, yet librarians are in key positions to champion for social justice reform in educational settings. In this qualitative study, we examine preservice school librarians' experiences with booktalking multicultural literature in a mixed reality simulation environment, as a vehicle to introduce social justice issues. Our purpose was to explore the booktalking experience as a means of developing preservice librarians' understanding of culturally relevant pedagogy, a stance concerned with developing cultural competence and critical consciousness. Our findings revealed that preservice librarians gained different levels of …

Using Computer-Aided Design Software And 3d Printers To Improve Spatial Visualization, Petros Katsioloudis, Millie Jones

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Many articles have been published on the use of 3D printing technology. From prefabricated homes and outdoor structures to human organs, 3D printing technology has found a niche in many fields, but especially education. The education of technology and engineering students has come a long way from traditional instruction using hand drawings. Although drawings may still be a part of a students learning, computer technology has been embraced in this field for several years. With the introduction of AutoCAD technical drawing programs and now 3D printing, learners can use 3D printed models to develop their spatial abilities in technology and …

"That Doesn't Sound Like Me:" Student Perceptions Of Semiotic Resources In Written-Aural Remediation Practices, Jennifer Johnson Buckner

English Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines students' composing practices when working with unfamiliar modalities, attending to students' messy material and cognitive negotiations prior to their production of a polished multimodal project. Working from a conceptual vocabulary from composition studies and semiotics, I frame composing as an act of semiotic remediation, attending to students' repurposing and understanding of written and aural materials in composition and their impact on their learning. Specifically, this research uses a grounded theory methodology to examine the attitudes, experiences, and composing practices of first-year writing students enrolled in a composition II course at a private, liberal arts institution in the …

Teaching Laboratory Courses Using Distance Learning Technologies, Steve C. Hsiung, John Ritz

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Conducting laboratory activities is essential for teaching and learning in engineering and technology subjects. This article discusses explorations made by a research team to find solutions to enable the distance-learning delivery of laboratory courses on embedded microcontroller technology topics. In addition, this article includes a review of videoconferencing and course management tools, uniquely designed laboratory equipment and supporting curriculum materials, and statistical evidence showing students can learn technical laboratory content in distance-learning environments.

Using Blogs To Promote Literary Response During Professional Development, Jaime Colwell, Amy Hutchison, David Reinking

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) The blogging has, I don’t want to say forced, but kind of made me read books that I haven’t necessarily read before, and I don’t think I would have. I’ve read lots of children’s books just through student teaching and everything, but it makes me look outside the box and maybe at other genres that I wouldn’t look at necessarily. (Sam, a pre-service teacher, blogging in a children’s literature course)

Seeing The Clouds: Teacher Librarian As Broker In Collaborative Planning With Teachers, Sue Kimmel

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Teachers engaged in sustained collaboration with a teacher librarian were interviewed about the meaning of that collaboration. The findings suggest that the teachers recognized important contributions of the librarian to instructional planning and classroom instruction including knowledge, legwork, and support. In particular, they understood her role as a broker both to resources and to ideas for using those resources in instruction. While these resources were essential, they were not sufficient; they required a knowledgeable peer who also understood their application to the curriculum and what students were expected to learn. They required a librarian.

Examining Sociocultural Contexts Of Classrooms To Foster Student Mathematical Discourse And Learning, Melva R. Grant

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Mathematics learning and teaching are optimized in classrooms when reform-oriented culture (ROC) is present. This report presents a case study that illustrates how ROC manifested and influenced mathematical Discourses in one sixth-grade classroom. The data was drawn from a study that addressed the question: How do classroom interactions influence mathematical Discourses? The study used interpretive methodology for analysis. One finding was that classroom boundary interactions either enhanced or hindered mathematical Discourses dependent upon sociocultural context alignments. An implication of this research is when “effective” learning and/or teaching strategies are identified, “effective” implementation may require paying close attention to sociocultural context …

Geospatial Technology, Philip Reed, John Ritz

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Geospatial technology refers to a system that is used to acquire, store, analyze, and output data in two or three dimensions. This data is referenced to the earth by some type of coordinate system, such as a map projection. Geospatial systems include thematic mapping, the Global Positioning System, remote sensing, telemetry, and Geographic Information Systems. The science of mapmaking, cartography, has been around for centuries, and no one is sure of its true beginnings. Each of the above subsystems are elaborate fields unto themselves, however, researchers are linking them together to better understand the world in which we live. Learning …

Synchronous Text-Based Chat Vis-À-Vis Asynchronous Threaded Discussion: An Instructional Strategy For Providing An Option In Two Course Delivery Schemes, Shin Yi Lin

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an instructional strategy of providing students an option of two types of online text-based discussion (chat vs. threaded discussion forum) had significant effects on student satisfaction, cognitive achievement, and self-efficacy. In an effort to identify any differential effects associated with student characteristics, students' age and learning preferences were used as blocking variables. The study sample was teacher education students. Statistical procedures employed were MANOVA; MANCOVA, regression analysis, chi-square, and correlation were employed. The findings show that such an instructional customization—providing the online discussion forum option—has positive impacts on student satisfaction and …

Changing Roles Of Title I Reading Teachers In Light Of New Provisions And Teamteaching Model, Abha Gupta, Eileen S. Oboler

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

We present the important and very complicated roles of the Title I Reading teacher in light of a new instructional paradigm: teamteaching. Following the 1994 reauthorization of Title I, Reading teachers often find themselves in multiple professional roles (Improving America's Schools Act, 1994). Based on observational data collected in our research on elementary school communities, five major categories of professional roles emerged (Oboler, 1993; Gupta and Oboler, 1998). We interpret Reading teachers' roles with respect to the new provisions found in the Interim Report, 1996, issued by the U.S. Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAssess), and Title I, Part A, Title I …

A Secondary Student Instructional Support Team (Assist): Teachers Face The Challenge Of Student Diversity, Robert A. Gable, M. Lee Manning, Jo M. Hendrickson, Joseph P. Rogan

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The writers discuss the challenges related to instructing a diverse secondary-level student population. Many elementary and middle school teachers are benefiting from working collaboratively toward common instructional goals. Through collaboration, general and special education teachers can better address the content area needs of the individual students, foster a greater sense of shared responsibility for educating a heterogeneous population of students, increase communication across professional disciplines, enlarge the knowledge base and teaching repertoire of participants, and establish rewarding and long-lasting professional relationships. The concept of A Secondary Student Instructional Support Team (ASSIST) provides a realistic means for implementing the “class within …

The Investment Of Mental Effort On Learning Through Different Media, Lisa E. Coleman

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

This study sought to determine the level of achievement and mental effort fifth grade school children invested in learning content which was presented through print and video-based media. Through comparing video animation with print visualization material, this study should give instructional designers an additional source from which to consider in appropriating program expenditures to the development of instruction.

The Influence Of Brain Hemisphericity On The Composing Process Of Twelfth Graders, Reinholdine Breien-Pierson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Despite the popularization of the concept of brain hemispheric dominance, little serious research has been done in the area of the role of brain hemisphericity in learning and thought. The purpose of this case study was to explore the role of hemisphericity in the area of student composition to test the theory that the composing process and writing of student papers differs relative to the students' hemispheric dominance. A second area of investigation was to test the theory that teachers value papers written by students who share their hemispheric dominance.

The subjects, eight twelfth graders and four (English) teacher evaluators, …