Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Finding Lost & Found: Designer’S Notes From The Process Of Creating A Jewish Game For Learning, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

This article provides context for and examines aspects of the design process of a game for learning. Lost & Found (2017a, 2017b) is a tabletop-to-mobile game series designed to teach medieval religious legal systems, beginning with Moses Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah (1180), a cornerstone work of Jewish legal rabbinic literature. Through design narratives, the article demonstrates the complex design decisions faced by the team as they balance the needs of player engagement with learning goals. In the process the designers confront challenges in developing winstates and in working with complex resource management. The article provides insight into the pathways the team …

Introduction: Jewish Gamevironments – Exploring Understanding With Playful Systems, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

The study of Judaism, Jewish civilizationi, and games is currently comprised of projects of a rather small set of game scholars. A sample of our work is included in this issue.

A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis To Synthesize The Influence Of Contexts Of Scaffolding Use On Cognitive Outcomes In Stem Education, Brian Robert Belland, Andrew Walker, Nam Ju Kim

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Computer-based scaffolding provides temporary support that enables students to participate in and become more proficient at complex skills like problem solving, argumentation, and evaluation. While meta-analyses have addressed between-subject differences on cognitive outcomes resulting from scaffolding, none has addressed within-subject gains. This leaves much quantitative scaffolding literature not covered by existing meta-analyses. To address this gap, this study used Bayesian network meta-analysis to synthesize within-subjects (pre–post) differences resulting from scaffolding in 56 studies. We generated the posterior distribution using 20,000 Markov Chain Monte Carlo samples. Scaffolding has a consistently strong effect across student populations, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Two Natural Selection Simulations In The Context Of A Large‑Enrollment Undergraduate Laboratory Class, Denise S. Pope, Caleb M. Rounds, Jody Clarke-Midura

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Simulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural selection, and many have been developed, including both physical and virtual simulations. In this study we assessed the student experience of, and learning from, two natural selection simulations, one physical and one virtual, in a large enrollment introductory biology lab course. We assigned students to treatments (the physical or virtual simulation activity) by section and assessed their understanding of natural selection using a multiple-choice pre-/post-test and short-answer responses on a post-lab assignment. We assessed student experience of the activities through structured observations and an affective …

Critical Success Factors For Agile Project Management In Non-Software Related Product Development Teams, Jeff Totten

Dissertations

The use of agile project management methods in the software development industry is well established and researched. The purpose of this study is to understand whether agile project management methods (Scrum in particular) used successfully in the software industry are also being used in full, or in part, in non-software development industries when managing product development projects.

Using an online survey instrument, data was collected from 329 non-software/IT global practitioners to identify in what industries and work functions agile project management methods are used, to find the independent variables that have a significant relationship with project success, and to determine …

The Development Of Organizational Training: Identifying Generational Differences And Perceptions In Computerized Learning Systems In Government Organizations, Gregory Negron

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the degree of effectiveness and preferences as it related to various computer-based training (CBT) and instructor-based training (IBT) types as perceived by baby boomer, Generation X, and millennial generational Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) employees based in San Diego, California, as measured by the Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) Extended Learning Institute Survey.

Methodology: The study used a descriptive, causal-comparative research design. A survey was administered to collect demographic data and responses that described and determined the degree of difference and effectiveness for various CBT types …

Laying The Groundwork: Implementing A New Personnel Evaluation System, Miloche Kottman, Marcella Huggard

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

The University of Kansas has implemented a new performance management system for paraprofessional staff to satisfy, in part, the “Developing Excellence in People” goal of the University’s strategic plan. The new performance management system allows supervisors and staff to establish and comment on performance goals throughout the year and, at the end of the year, provide a rating for each goal. In addition, the system requires staff and supervisors to rate and comment on nine core competencies upon which the University’s leadership determined staff should be evaluated. Due to a one-size-fits-all implementation, the definitions and examples supplied by the University …

We Did It! A Collaborative Collection Development Project At The Ku And Ksu Libraries, Lea H. Currie, Mira Greene

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

For many years, the KU and KSU Libraries have looked for a method of combining their resources to create a collaborative collection development project. When KSU joined YBP as their main book vendor, it became evident that such a project might get off the ground since KU Libraries were longtime customers of YBP. Since Proquest was the main vendor for e-books for both schools and YBP sold e-books from Proquest, KU and KSU decided to approach their e-book specialist with Proquest to find out if a collaborative demand-driven (DDA) e-book project was possible. Proquest negotiated with the publishers the two …

Making Room For Change: Rightsizing Psu’S Axe Library Serials Collection, Barbara M. Pope

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

Print serials collection development has long been a traditional role of academic librarians. However, in the last 20 years, academic libraries’ print serials ownership has declined and online access has begun to take its place, both partially due to concerns with flat or declining budgets as well as lack of space and the need to repurpose this limited space. Pittsburg State University’s Axe Library faces the challenge of balancing its print and electronic serials collections at a university whose programs sometimes do not draw enough on library resources. In an effort to create a meaningful discovery experience for the university …

Critical Digital Literacies Across Scales And Beneath The Screen, Noah Asher Golden

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Digital technologies and education scholarship tend to focus on either individual creative design or analysis of the political economy. To better understand how ideologies travel across networks, critical digital literacies must focus on enactments beneath the screen, as the linguistic constructs known as software can enact interests across scales of activity to “disembed” local actions and meaning. Investigations of these mobilities and disembedding effects challenge popular notions of digital technologies as neutral, rendering overt the ways that algorithms can naturalize manifestations of power and social arrangements. Such a framework allows for descriptive analyses of the ways hegemonic discourses are enacted …

Using Tablet Technologies To Engage And Motivate Urban High School Students, Nicol R. Howard, Keith Howard

Education Faculty Articles and Research

In this two-year study, researchers examined the impact of using tablet technologies across content areas in an urban high school setting. Class observations provided notable examples of how student motivation and learning appeared to be enhanced by use of the iPads in conjunction with opportunities to collaborate and be creative in the context of their learning. Interviews from a set of teachers with a range of classroom teaching experience provided multiple perspectives of the program’s impact. The opportunity for teachers and students to have the flexibility to select the apps they believe achieve curricular and/or learning goals supports the shift …

Nebraska Acrl Scholarly Communication Roadshow Sharing Session, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Linnea Fredrickson, Margaret Mering

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Conference Presentations and Speeches

The session includes a report about the 2017 Nebraska ACRL [Association of College and Research Libraries] Scholarly Communication Roadshow that was held July 12, 2017, on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) campus. The presenters share key takeaways from each of three main program segments, which focused on (1) open education, (2) copyright, and (3) research metrics and author identifiers (e.g., ORCID). The session includes updates about (1) open education–related initiatives at UNL, including the UNL Libraries’ efforts to partner with other units on campus to increase awareness and integration of OERs in curricula; (2) selected copyright issues and continuing education …

Call For Submissions, Cltmt Editor

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

Call for Submissions

Problems And The Coping Measures In American Beginners’ Chinese Calligraphy Writing, Huiwen Li, Brendan Mcdermott

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

Through class observations and interviews, this study identified eight types of writing errors that American beginners of Chinese calligraphy. These errors include: (1) failure to apply the Chinese philosophical mindset when producing a real work of calligraphy, (2) dropping some stroke(s) or stroke part(s), (3) misplaced strokes, (4) improperly connected strokes, (5) misshapen curved strokes, (6) disproportionate component size, (7) incorrect thickness and character size, and (8) angled vertical strokes. These errors reflect the students’ lack of knowledge of Chinese characters, the writing skills, and the application of Yin and Yang philosophy. Corresponding instructions and guidance are needed to help …

Social Presence, Identity, And Online Learning Research: Research Development And Needs, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Vanessa P. Dennen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Scholars across many disciplines have grappled with questions of what it means for a person to be and interact online. Who are we when we go online? How do others know we are there and how do they perceive us? Within the context of online learning, scholarly questions tend to reflect more specific concerns focused on how well people can learn in a setting limited to mediated interactions lacking various communication cues. For example, how can a teacher and students come to know each other if they cannot see each other? How can they effectively understand and communicate with each …

A Comparison Of Discovered Regularities In Blood Glucose Readings Across Two Data Collection Approaches Used With A Type 1 Diabetic Youth, Victor R. Lee, Travis Thurston, Chris Thurston

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Type 1 diabetes requires frequent testing and monitoring of blood glucose levels in order to determine appropriate type and dosage of insulin administration. This can lead to thousands of individual measurements over the course of a lifetime of a single individual, of which very few are retained as part of a permanent record. The third author, aged 9, and his family have maintained several years of written records since his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes at age 20 months, and have also recently begun to obtain automated records from a continuous glucose monitor.

Objectives: This paper compares regularities identified …

New Design Principles For Mobile History Games, Owen Gottlieb

Presentations and other scholarship

This study draws on design-based research on an ARIS–based mobile augmented reality game for teaching early 20th century history. New design principles derived from the study include the use of supra-reveals, and bias mirroring. Supra-reveals are a kind of foreshadowing event in order to ground historical happenings in the wider enduring historical understanding. Bias mirroring refers to a nonplayer character echoing back a player’s biased behavior, in order to open the player to listening to alternative perspectives. Supra-reveals engendered discussion of historical themes early in the game experience. The results showed that use of a cluster of NPC bias mirroring …

Design And Assessment Of Deep And Active Learning In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Education, Juhong Christie Liu Ph.D., Elizabeth Johnson Ph.D., Jin Joy Mao Ph.D.

Libraries

This presentation draws academic significance from a focused literature review and initial data for learning design in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The presenters will discuss strategies of fostering deep, active learning, alignment with assessment, and development of assessment instruments and methods. The presenters will share the design and development of an assessment kit to measure learning outcomes that matter in the 21st century STEM education. Through shared evidence and interactive reflection, the audience will take away up-to-date design strategies for deep and active learning as well as assessment in STEM education. The project is sponsored by National …

Stitching Codeable Circuits: High School Students' Learning About Circuitry And Coding With Electronic Textiles, Breanne Krystine Litts, Yasmin B. Kafai, Debora A. Lui, Justice T. Walker, Sari A. Widman

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Learning about circuitry by connecting a battery, light bulb, and wires is a common activity in many science classrooms. In this paper, we expand students’ learning about circuitry with electronic textiles, which use conductive thread instead of wires and sewable LEDs instead of lightbulbs, by integrating programming sensor inputs and light outputs and examining how the two domains interact.We implemented an electronic textiles unit with 23 high school students ages 16–17 years who learned how to craft and code circuits with the LilyPad Arduino, an electronic textile construction kit. Our analyses not only confirm significant increases in students’ understanding of …

Time Travel, Labour History, And The Null Curriculum: New Design Knowledge For Mobile Augmented Reality History Games, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

This paper presents a case study drawn from design-based research (DBR) on a mobile, place-based augmented reality history game. Using DBR methods, the game was developed by the author as a history learning intervention for fifth to seventh graders. The game is built upon historical narratives of disenfranchised populations that are seldom taught, those typically relegated to the 'null curriculum'. These narratives include the stories of women immigrant labour leaders in the early twentieth century, more than a decade before suffrage. The project understands the purpose of history education as the preparation of informed citizens. In paying particular attention to …

Exploring Teacher Assessment Literacy Through The Process Of Training Teachers To Write Assessment Items, Heather Peltier Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the process and impact of assessment training content and delivery mode on the quality of assessment items developed by the teachers in a two-year assessment development project. Teacher characteristics were examined as potential moderating factors. Four types of delivery mode were employed in the project: synchronous online, asynchronous online, in-person workshop, and blended (a combination of online and in-person training). The quality of assessment items developed by participating teachers was measured via: 1) item acceptance rate, 2) number of item reviews (as an indicator of how many times accepted items were rejected …

Teaching Languages Online: Innovations And Challenges, Mayu Miyamoto, Natsumi Suzuki, Atsushi Fukada, Yuhan Huang, Siyan Hou, Wei Hong

Purdue Linguistics, Literature, and Second Language Studies Conference

Language professionals long resisted teaching online mainly because it was unthinkable to teach speaking in the online environment. Recent advances in technology, however, have made it conceivable. This chapter presents the design and implementation of online courses in Japanese and Chinese recently developed and being offered at Purdue University. We will highlight not only technologies involved, but also pedagogical innovations that helped resolve difficult issues. The efficacy of online teaching will also be touched upon. Reactions from enrolled students and the instructors that have taught the courses will also be shared.

Time-To-Credit Gender Inequities Of First-Year Phd Students In The Biological Sciences, David F. Feldon, James Peugh, Michelle A. Maher, Josipa Roksa, Colby Tofel-Grehl

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Equitable gender representation is an important aspect of scientific workforce development to secure a sufficient number of individuals and a diversity of perspectives. Biology is the most gender equitable of all scientific fields by the marker of degree attainment, with 52.5% of PhDs awarded to women. However, equitable rates of degree completion do not translate into equitable attainment of faculty or postdoctoral positions, suggesting continued existence of gender inequalities. In a national cohort of 336 first-year PhD students in the biological sciences (i.e., microbiology, cellular biology, molecular biology, develop-mental biology, and genetics) from 53 research institutions, female participants logged significantly …

From The Co-Editors..., Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

A Universal Design For Robotics Education, Mustafa Şahin Bülbül

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

In this century technological and educational needs increase drastically. Out of local language, educators need to teach robotic language and use necessary technologies to design robots like Arduino set. This set let users to know less code/computer language and knowledge about electronics. Users may develop their own robots with this set. It also improves design and implementation skills. However, it is not a suitable design for blinds. Universal design approach suggests educators to design courses in a way to meet the needs of all participants. By this approach, learning environments are helpful and useful for participants with special needs. With …

Educating Incarcerated Youth In Illinois: A Blended Learning Model, John Sonnenberg

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to better understand the reasons behind the apparent continued success of a blended learning educational model in place since 2012 in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ). Using a mixed methods approach, data were gathered and analyzed from a variety of records, reports, and other documentation that included: diplomas awarded, courses taken, course completion, enrollment trends, student mobility rates, GED testing information, and special education student enrollment and performance. Data were also gathered through classroom observations and individual and group interviews with the IDJJ district superintendent, principals, and teachers at six different …

“Science Is Not My Thing”: Exploring Deaf Non-Science Majors’ Science Identities, Cara L. Gormally, Amber Marchut

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing are underrepresented in science majors, yet we know little about why. Students from other underrepresented groups in science—women and people of color—tend to highly value altruistic or communal career goals, while perceiving science as uncommunal. Research suggests that holding stereotypical conceptions about scientists and perceptions of science as uncommunal may strongly hinder recruitment into science majors. This study sought to explore the science identities of students who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing signers. The study focused on non-science majors in bilingual (American Sign Language and written English) biology laboratory courses. This study is the …

An Assessment Instrument Of Technological Literacies In Makerspaces And Fablabs, Paulo Blikstein, Zaza Kabayadondo, Andrew Martin, Deborah A. Fields

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

As the maker movement is increasingly adopted into K‐12 schools, students are developing new competences in exploration and fabrication technologies. This study assesses learning with these technologies in K‐12 makerspaces and FabLabs.

Purpose

Our study describes the iterative process of developing an assessment instrument for this new technological literacy, the Exploration and Fabrication Technologies Instrument, and presents findings from implementations at five schools in three countries. Our index is generalizable and psychometrically sound, and permits comparison between student confidence and performance.

Design/Method

Our evaluation of distinct technology skills separates general computing, information and communication technology (ICT), and exploration and …

Integrating Web 2.0 Technologies Into Face-To-Face Pbl To Support Producing, Storing, And Sharing Content In A Higher Education Course, Jaana Virtanen, Päivi Rasi

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In this article we present and discuss the process of developing and implementing a PBL-based course entitled Moving Images in Teaching and Learning that was held at the University of Lapland, Finland. In the course of the project, this fairly traditional face-to-face course was redesigned into a blended PBL course by integrating Web 2.0 applications into the course. The pedagogical rationale was to support students’ meaningful learning in various phases of the PBL process, and to enable easy storage and sharing of the ideas produced by the students. In addition, the rationale was to create more opportunities for students to …

A Study Of Video-Mediated Opportunities For Self-Directed Learning In Required Core Curriculum, Debra T. Bourdeau, Donna Roberts, Beverly Wood, Johnelle Korioth

Publications

Improving a required course in our curriculum that has proven to be a challenge for our students was the focus of this study. Surveys of both students and instructors attempted to identify specific problem areas. Using the information from these surveys, the researchers developed a series of videos to explain vital course concepts and deployed these into the course sections. The purpose of the videos is to provide consistency across the multiple modalities in which we offer our courses (including online, classroom and via videoconferencing) and to improve overall student understanding. This project seeks to determine how supplemental content focusing …