Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

A Qualitative Inquiry Of Research Administrator Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction In A Central Research Administration Unit At The University Of Denver, Noelle L. Strom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) team provides critical research administration services for the research community at the University of Denver. As research funding continues to rise at the University of Denver, retention of research administrators is critically important. Job satisfaction is key to employee engagement and retention. Higher job satisfaction contributes to several positive outcomes for institutions, including lower turnover, higher productivity, lower costs, and employee loyalty. The need to retain experienced research administration professionals is highlighted by the fact that few formal educational routes exist that prepare employees for a career in research administration; rather, developing expertise takes a …

The Language Of 21st Century Skills: Next Directions For Closing The Skills Gap Between Employers And Postsecondary Graduates, Gabe A. Orona, Ou Lydia Liu, Richard Arum

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

The onus of preparing skilled employees for the modern workforce is largely placed on institutions of higher education. However, recent surveys consistently show a skills gap between what employers’ desire and what graduates possess. This review engages this discussion in the context of measuring and assessing 21^st century skills. We begin by succinctly reviewing literature pertaining to the skills gap, including what types of skills are commonly referenced, before moving to examine literature indicating the relations between current 21st century skills and job-related outcomes. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for higher education researchers examining skill development. Our recommendations cover …

Composite Storytelling Affiliated College Faculty Narratives In India To Propose Curriculum And Exam Policy Revisions, Matthew A. Witenstein, Joanna Abdallah

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Affiliated college academic staff members in India represent an abundance of frontline knowledges which hold great promise for impacting bottom-up policy. However, their knowledges are typically missing from the literature or not shared cross-institutionally. While it is common for them to express a lack of discretion, many find avenues for invoking high impact practices common to street-level bureaucrats. This study focuses on how they navigate university curriculum and exam policies through six emerging and high impact practices. This study highlights their high impact practices performed by illustrating meaningful mechanisms for coping and adapting to policies, and emerging insights regarding the …

The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: A Study On Faculty Perspectives In Universities In Egypt, Farah S. Sharawy

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology that is transforming various aspects of society, including higher education. This paper examines faculty perspectives from five different institutions; The American University in Cairo (AUC), The German University in Cairo (GUC), The Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST), Ain Shams University, and Cairo University, on the use of AI in higher education in teaching and learning in Egypt, with all its challenges and resources available to support it, and how it can be used to achieve equity and accessibility. This research was conducted through a qualitative study using semi-structured one- on-one interviews …

How Doctoral Students In A Formal Leadership Program Conceptualize Followership: A Mixed-Methods Study, Katy J. Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods study was to determine how doctoral students in a formal leadership program conceptualize followership. The methods used to conduct this analysis included distributing a Qualtrics (released in August 2022) survey and conducting one-on-one interviews with a sample of degree-seeking doctoral students within a formal leadership program. The researcher collected quantitative and qualitative data addressing students’ followership style, leadership attitudes and beliefs, and perceptions of followership. These data were analyzed concurrently using a triangulation design. A total of 67 students completed the survey, and seven students were interviewed. The findings revealed that the participants employ …

Does Publicness Matter? A Mixed Method Analysis Identifying And Measuring Institutional Contributions To State Goals For Public Higher Education, Sophia Laderman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

States founded, control, and fund public postsecondary institutions because higher education helps meet state goals. Public institutions of higher education provide considerable public benefits to states, but these benefits have not been systematically measured. As a result, public conversations about the broad value proposition of higher education do not center the public benefits produced by institutions. Using a framework of empirical and realized publicness, this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study used content analysis of state agency mission and vision statements to identify state goals for public higher education. Quantitative measurements of institutional contributions to common state goals for higher education were …

The Use Of Single-Subject Research Design For Assessment, Evaluation, And Research In Higher Education, Jordan C. Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

While enrolling in a college for a degree is still considered to be more of the expectation than the rule in households across the United States it is facing public criticism regarding its overall cost versus long-term benefits. This has prompted researchers to reevaluate practices in higher education to determine ways in which post-secondary institutions can improve their overall outcomes. In part, research indicates that this should include revisions to assessment, evaluation, and research (AER) practices. Currently, higher education faces many challenges associated with rigorous AER practices, which include an institutional focus on accountability measures, organizational challenges, and difficulties in …

Authentic Assessments For Digital Education: Learning Technologies Shaping Assessment Practices, Tristan Lim, Swapna Gottipati, Michelle L. F. Cheong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Assessment is a powerful lever that affects learning. To better inform educators on authentic assessment practices within digital education in the higher education landscape, this paper takes us through a meta-analysis of existing literature between 2011 to 2021. The study evaluates the following research question: “How are emerging technologies shaping authentic assessment practices within digital education for higher education for the period between 2011 and 2023”. To aid with the forecasting, we utilize the EDUCAUSE Horizon Reports, which provide the predictions of emerging technology. This study affirms the importance of immersive learning technologies, followed by ubiquitous and adaptive learning technologies …

The Gendered, Racialized, & Dis/Abled Experiences Of Neurodivergent Black Women Graduate Students Across Higher Education, Kat Stephens

Doctoral Dissertations

Black women graduate students with dis/abilities; those identifying as neurodivergent are scarce in contemporary research. Throughout widespread disability studies, research, and the research on neurodiversity, this lack is consistent regarding minoritized race and gender groupings (Matthews, 2019; Strong et al., 2020). Larger neurodivergent, ADHD, and Autism conversations tend to skew toward White boys and men (Travers, 2018). The convergence of disability (race, gender, and place/space) as another marginalized community and diverse student population, is an additional gap in the literature, despite the benefits of DisCrit (Annamma et al., 2013). Black women graduate students with disabilities, specifically those identifying as neurodivergent …

Practical Leadership In Implementing Online Education Programs, Felix O. Quayson, Christopher Zirkle

Journal of Research Initiatives

The growing presence of online education can become a challenge for academic leaders and institutions to lead, manage, and explore in higher education. Online education can be complex when considering the social presence (Keast, 2022; Quayson, 2022), course development (Martin et al., 2019; Orlando, 2019), and economic outcomes (Burnett & Conley, 2013; Rubin, 2013; Seaman et al., 2019). However, unraveling the fundamentals of practical leadership can help educational leaders to facilitate, maintain, and implement online education programs. The study found published research studies that helped us to extricate the fundamentals of practical leadership in implementing online education programs in the …

Learning Analytics In Post-Secondary Business Education: A Scoping Review Of Reviews Protocol, Jisu Kim Mr., Tiffany Bayley

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Learning Analytics is a growing discipline as educational institutions aim to exploit data and data analytics for several reasons, especially in higher education. Unfortunately, there is a lack of consensus on how learning analytics should be defined and what subjects fall under the purview of learning analytics. The blurred boundaries of what learning analytics encompasses have given rise to multiple studies and systematic reviews that have been published without any consistent agreement to develop the field in a particular direction. Consequently, we are outlining a protocol for a scoping review to map and summarize existing scoping reviews that have been …

Faculty Perspectives On Online Teaching In Higher Education: A Qualitative Approach To Understand Faculty Members’ Challenges And Experiences, Felix O. Quayson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study explored faculty members' perspectives on online teaching in higher education and described, analyzed, and interpreted faculty members challenges and experiences of teaching online courses. Participants were twelve (12) faculty members who have taught online courses or currently teach online courses. Data was collected from 60-minutes semi-structured interview sessions, 78 open-ended questions, three research driving questions, background questionnaire, and personal artifacts from faculty members. Five major themes with subthemes, 15 code categories, and code co-occurrences emerged from the data collection, field notes, memos, and data analysis. However, not all of the code categories were replicated by all of the …

Gaining A Better Understanding Of Higher Education: During And Post-Pandemic Scenario, Krati Sethi, Manas Roy

International Review of Business and Economics

Because of the coronavirus epidemic, faculty as well as the students have had to respond to “out of the ordinary” difficulty by quickly switching from traditional class - room education to online learning forms via “virtual classrooms”. Students facing challenges and continuing facing difficulties for various reasons required to adapt this modification in this delivery of curriculum becoming un attentive. Few solutions have been developed for students to assist them in freely transferring to virtual classrooms and maintaining proper online learning etiquette. A series of recommendations is offered in the present study to help students so that they can explore …

Quality Assurance, Meet Quality Appreciation: Using Appreciative Inquiry To Define Faculty Quality Standards, Ann M. Morgan, Rebecca L. Jobe, Juli K. Konopa, Lyda D. Downs

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study outlines the journey of an online university to evaluate faculty performance standards, key performance indicators, and systems for quality assurance using an appreciative inquiry summit model. The study reveals the power of quality appreciation as an approach that elicits a shared vision for quality definitions and standards and serves as a historical marker in the higher education shift from data-driven faculty performance approaches to strengths-based, inclusive methods.

Method: The retrospective business case outlines one university’s 2018 Appreciative Inquiry Summit, 5D (define, discover, dream, design, destiny/deliver) approach, resulting deliverables, lessons learned, and conclusions.

Results: The summit and subsequent …

Strengthening The Southern Nevada Workforce Pipeline, Katie M. Gilbertson

Student Research

Workforce development has been a keystone in the discussion of economic diversification of Las Vegas for decades. The leisure and hospitality industry is the lifeline for the Southern Nevada economy due to the reliance on tourism as the city’s main economic driver. The leisure and hospitality industry requires physical labor and more face-to-face customer interaction than other employment sectors. Thus, these jobs often do not require high educational attainment, but rather sharp soft skills like effective listening, nonverbal communication, and negotiation strategies. While these are valuable traits, the lack of educational attainment within the leisure and hospitality workforce suppresses employees’ …

Exploring (Mis)Alignments Between First-Year Students’ Expectations And Experiences, Matthew G. Meyers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding what expectations first-year students have for their first semester of college can help university faculty, staff, and administrators have a better understanding of how to best provide support and resources that meet the needs of their students and lay the necessary foundations for their academic and social success early on. Unfortunately, many students report a variety of social, academic, personal, and environmental experiences that do not fully match their expectations. The purpose of this study was to examine what expectations and experiences first-year college students had about their first semester and how they interpreted both alignments and misalignments between …

Passion To Purpose: An Autobiographical Narrative Inquiry Into The Development Of The Summer Ace Program, Owen Hooper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students transitioning from high school to college are met with many challenges beyond academics including social acclimation, campus culture integration, and holistic wellness. Researchers agree that a successful and purposeful transition for incoming college students requires involvement and engagement with peers to help students adapt and increase their likelihood to graduate (Astin, 1999; Kuh, 2009; Tinto, 1998). This autobiographical narrative inquiry reflects on past experiences in assessing the needs of transitioning students at the University of South Florida and developing a purposeful programming model to support students. I aim to help the reader understand my personal commitment to these programs …

Learning From The Covid-19 Pandemic: How Faculty Experiences Can Prepare Us For Future System-Wide Disruption, Kathryn M. Bateman, Ellen Altermatt, Anne E. Egger, Ellen Iverson, Cathryn Manduca, Eric M. Riggs, Kristen St. John, Thomas F. Shipley

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic provided education researchers with a natural experiment: an opportunity to investigate the impacts of a system-wide, involuntary move to online teaching and to assess the characteristics of individuals who adapted more readily. To capture the impacts in real time, our team recruited college-level geoscience instructors through the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) and American Geophysical Union (AGU) communities to participate in our study in the spring of 2020. Each weekday for three successive weeks, participants (n = 262) were asked to rate their experienced disruption in four domains: teaching, research, ability to communicate with their …

The Effects Of Stem And Non-Stem Mathematics Corequisite Courses On Student Success At Public Institutions In West Virginia, Vanessa S. Keadle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the differences in student success outcomes between students enrolled in non-STEM and STEM corequisite mathematics courses at 18 postsecondary institutions across five academic years in West Virginia, using de-identified student data. The researcher analyzed this extant data to determine if student characteristics were predictors of success, as defined as passing the mathematics corequisite course, retention to the next semester, and earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher. The researcher also conducted analyses to understand if the differences in those outcomes between STEM and non-STEM courses were significant. This study identified statistically significant gaps in success for students …

Global Engagement Model For Land-Grant Universities, A Grounded Theory., Lorena Ivonne Ballester

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study is to examine how land-grant universities engage with the public in the era of globalization; to explain the institutionalization of engagement processes accounting for the global context; and, to integrate this analysis into a Global Engagement Model for Land-Grant Universities (GEM) implementing a grounded theory research methodology.

GEM’s foundation is both theoretical and empirical. Applying the intensity sampling method, the universities selected for the empirical base were: The University of California, Davis, Michigan State University, and The Pennsylvania State University. Rather than an exact representation of individual universities’ engagement models, the model is the researcher’s …

Correlation Between Student Success And On-Campus Jobs, William Thomas Willis

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the level of degree on-campus jobs at Eastern Kentucky University assist with the overall student success rate regarding retention, grade point average and degrees awarded to ensure state and other funding sources are maximized. Specifically, this study focuses on major student employers on campus including the Admissions Office, Library Services, Student Life, Campus Recreation, University Housing, and a culmination of Other Departments. The data used was collected from Eastern Kentucky University’s institutional research office from the Fall 2016 to Fall 2018 academic year. The analysis of the results drew positive conclusions regarding on-campus employment resulting in a …

A Phenomenological Replication Study On The Unique Challenges Experienced By Veterans Diagnosed With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) While Attending A California State University (Csu) In Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Or Orange County, Ralph Martinez

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological replication study was to understand the unique challenges experienced by veterans diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while attending a California State University (CSU) in Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, or Orange County. Furthermore, it was the intent of this study to explore the current and prospective services veteran students believe were helpful or would be helpful in promoting positive academic outcomes.

A phenomenological approach was utilized in the development of this qualitative research study to explore the lived experiences of veteran students diagnosed with PTSD attending a California State University (CSU) in Riverside, …

Views From The Margins: A Multiple-Case Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Black Women Senior-Level Student Affairs Administrators, Tamekka L. Cornelius

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of senior-level Black women student affairs administrators at four-year degree granting institutions. Moreover, this study documents Black women in nonfaculty administrative roles in student affairs at both predominately White institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). A multiple case study research design was used to investigate this phenomenon. Two frameworks were used to ground the study: Black feminist thought and representational bureaucracy. The following questions guided it: (1) What are the work experiences of Black women in senior leadership positions in student affairs? (2) What barriers/issues to obtaining senior leadership …

Refugee Higher Education And Participatory Action Research Methods: Lessons Learned From The Field, Hadas Yanay

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Refugee access to higher education is devastatingly low. Recognizing the complex barriers facing refugee learners, global educational initiatives are innovating flexible learning models which promote blended online and in-person learning modalities. This article describes the implementation of a five month, online-based internship pilot offered to 21 refugee participants in qualitative and quantitative research methods, through a participatory action research (PAR) framework in five different countries -- Malawi, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, and Lebanon. The internship is part of the Global Education Movement (GEM), which brings refugees accredited online college degree and career development opportunities. Through direct engagement, observation of the …

Tuition Prices Are Through The Roof, Zara Zerman

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Tuition prices have increased at a rate that is making it difficult and impossible for students to not accumulate debt. Education is a necessity for society because it gives students opportunities to pursue any career they have interest or desire in. There are many discussions and conversations about the higher education system being too expensive but there have not been any changes or solutions to make college more affordable for students. Loans, federal aid, and other scholarships that help students with the cost of college will never be enough to help with the overwhelmingness of tuition prices and student debt. …

Prevalence Of Cyberbullying Among Traditional Undergraduate Students Attending Faith-Based Universities: A Causal-Comparative Study, Susan Alice Hayes-Mcelroy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cyberbullying among traditional undergraduate students is a relatively new issue that involves the safety of postsecondary students. The purpose of this study was to provide statistical data to faith-based universities that relate the prevalence of cyberbullying victimization experiences and the prevalence of cyberbullying offending experiences of traditional undergraduate students to biological gender (female/male) and level of religiosity (higher/lower), and to add to the small body of research conducted among this demographic. In this quantitative, causal-comparative study, traditional undergraduate students were recruited from two faith-based universities in the southern United States. Level of religiosity and cyberbullying prevalence were determined through responses …

Adaptive Analytics: It’S About Time, Charles Dziuban, Colm Howlin, Patsy Moskal, Tammy Muhs, Connie Johnson, Rachel Griffin, Carissa Hamilton

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This article describes a cooperative research partnership among a large public university, a for-profit private institution and their common adaptive learning platform provider. The focus of this work explored adaptive analytics that uses data the investigators describe as metaphorical “digital learning dust” produced by the platform as a matter of course. The information configured itself into acquired knowledge, growth, baseline status and engagement. Two complimentary models evolved. The first, in the public university, captured end-of-course data for predicting success. The second approach, in the private university, formed the basis of a dynamic real-time data analytic algorithm. In both cases the …

An Examination Of Indicators Regarding Student Choice In Social Media Marketing And Platforms Of Higher Education Institutions In Missouri, Emmy J. Zimmerman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate relationships between social media marketing, social media platforms, and student choice of higher education institutions. Through evaluating current research, this study addresses potential changes needed to ensure colleges’ and universities’ marketing and admissions teams are using social media in ways that increase return on investment (ROI) and attract students to institutions. Previous research exposed social media marketing as a relatively untested method of reach for students’ college choice; therefore, the study will be original in nature. Previous studies provided data from an admissions counselor’s perspective, notably, a study by Barnes and Jacobsen …

Unhinging The Machismo Binary Through A Third Space Lens: Reframing Latinx Males Postsecondary Academic Decision-Making, Matthew A. Witenstein, Alejandro Cervantes

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This critical and conceptual analysis problematizes the machismo binary and situates it in a third space framework. It explores Latinx males’ higher education experiences and how machismo influences academic decision-making. Situating Latinx males’ college-going in the third space provides a more nuanced portrayal of their academic decision-making across diverse postsecondary settings. In doing so, the Latinx Gender Identity Development Model for Latinx Males in the Third Space is proposed and connects machismo with other domains such as marianismo, caballerismo and familismo. The proposed framework is illustrated by applying it to Latinx males across critical dimensions that impact their decision-making in …

Factors That Influence Emirati Male Achievement In Higher Education, Melvin (Jai) Jackson, Kaitlin M. Jackson

Journal of Research Initiatives

The success of Emirati male students in higher education is one filled with positive interactions between the students, faculty, and staff. The influence of faculty in the success of Emirati males is vital to the overall curricular success of this student population. The strong cultural ties to seeking out elders for guidance and influence is easily replicated on college and university campuses. In this manuscript we examine the history of education in the Middle East from its inception to the meteoric rise of higher education. Through examining the past and present education we will explore how the cultural and societal …