Higher Education Commons^™

Using Video Games To Jumpstart Student-Centered Research And Inquiry In The General Education Humanities Classroom, Melissa Ridley Elmes

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

This article discusses preliminary results of a study of the author’s use of gaming to facilitate research-based writing assignments in her classes, focusing specifically on a 200-level general education introductory literature course, The Medieval World, taught in Spring 2023 at a U.S. midwestern private university. The purpose of the study was to determine whether approaching topic selection for the research-based writing assignment in a general education literature course through gaming could result in more student buy-in and thus, greater student retention, better student work, and a more successful learning experience and outcome for such an assignment than does a traditional …

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 …

Covid Learning Loss: A Call To Action, Nathan D. Grawe

Numeracy

The COVID-19 pandemic and policy responses designed to mitigate transmission have caused deep and persistent mathematics learning loss among K–12 students. While initial data might have been read optimistically as a blip that would reverse once schools returned to normal, 2023 data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that losses persist. While the NAEP does not directly measure quantitative reasoning (QR), the data present a disturbing picture for QR instruction and call for new lines of research that inform QR pedagogical response.

Universal Design For Learning (Udl) In Inclusive Preschool Science Classrooms, Marla J. Lohmann, Katrina A. Hovey, Ariane N. Gauvreau

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Science instruction is a critical aspect of early learning. Teachers can support young children’s learning about scientific concepts through the use of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, which is a proactive approach to instructional planning that helps ensure success for all learners. This teaching techniques article offers preschool teachers practical solutions for implementing in the UDL framework for science instruction in their classrooms.

Review: Teaching Stem To First Generation College Students: A Guidebook For Faculty And Future Faculty By Gail Horowitz, Jessica S. Robbins

Early College Folio

Book Review: Gail Horowitz’s Teaching STEM to First Generation College Students: A Guidebook for Faculty and Future Faculty (Information Age Publishing, 2019). Horowitz taught chemistry at Bard High School Early College Newark.

Artist Into An Educator—Educator Inside An Artist, Raheela Qabool Abro Ms

Early College Folio

This study is a self-investigation of the author's identity by exploring her two professions: an artist as well as an art educator. Her insights as an educator provided a background for her as an artist through the production of this series of miniature artworks created with cell phone SIM cards. A SIM card, which stands for “Subscriber Identification Module,” contains information tied to the identity of the individual using it. For this reason, the author chose it as a medium for creating an art series to represent identity. In the dialogue of artist and educator, Abro confronts changes to the …

Teaching Food Studies In Early College: Experiments In Collaboration, Cynthia Brown, Maryann Tebben

Early College Folio

This article outlines the process of designing and teaching a collaborative course on sustainable food and agriculture on multiple campuses at once, including two early college institutions. The authors offer insights on the specific elements of the course they designed as well as methods for designing the course, what worked in practice, and what they would change. This article will be useful for faculty who would like to work with other early college colleagues to plan a collaborative course in general or a specific course on sustainable food and farms.

Commitment To Access: A Conversation About The Unconventional And College-In-Prison, Elías Beltrán, Megan Callaghan

Early College Folio

The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) currently operates full-tuition scholarship Bard College degree programs across seven New York State prisons, three Microcollege campuses created in partnership with community-based institutions, and on the Annandale campus of Bard College, where adult students are completing degrees through the BardBac. Since 2005 when the first degrees were granted to BPI students, the program has issued over 5,000 credits and more than 700 degrees.

This conversation between BPI alumnus Elías Beltrán, who earned his Bard College bachelor’s degree in 2017 while incarcerated, and Megan Callaghan, the program’s Dean, touches upon Elías’s upcoming transition to BPI faculty, …

Rolling A Boulder Up A Mountain: The Path To Higher Education In Displacement Concepts, Rebecca Granato

Early College Folio

Students in contexts affected by displacement and forced migration are at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing and successfully completing higher education, as well as translating their learning into post-graduation opportunities. Universities with clear social missions and networks of institutions have the power and the obligation to support the creation of “opportunities pipelines” for these populations.

Solving Higher Education In Burma, The Global South, And Beyond, Myat Su San

Early College Folio

By introducing readers to a migrant student from Burma, the author unpacks the longstanding and increasingly complicated barriers to higher education, which many students face across the Global South. Readers are then introduced to one institution seeking to dismantle those barriers through innovation and expansive access, Parami University.

Move, May Honey Maung

Early College Folio

“Move” is a call to action that urges leaders to work together to create a world where education is accessible and inclusive to everyone regardless of their socioeconomic status or background. Drawing inspiration from the author’s own educational experiences as both a student and employee of Phaung Daw Oo, this poem is a reminder that education is not a privilege but a fundamental human right; we all have a responsibility to ensure that it is available to all learners. The author—whose country is currently facing violence and economic and educational instability due to a February 2021 coup d’état—relays the hopeful …

Case Study: Phaung Daw Oo International University, Yee Wai Than Ma

Early College Folio

The case study discusses an unconventional path to education in Myanmar, one that serves as an alternative to government-controlled institutions. The article highlights the challenges faced by students and educators in the country and presents Phaung Daw Oo Monastic School (PDO) and its mission to contribute to society through excellence in education and lifelong learning. The school provides necessary schooling for children who did not receive adequate education at the traditional age, students who are up to five years off from what is considered aligned with the expectations of state-sponsored education. The article also discusses the establishment of Phaung Daw …

Editor's Note, Kyaw Moe Tun

Early College Folio

Editor's Note, Early College Folio, Volume 2, Issue 2 (Spring 2023).

Contributors

Early College Folio

Contributors, Early College Folio, Volume 2, Issue 2 (Spring 2023).

Table Of Contents

Early College Folio

Table of Contents, Early College Folio, Volume 2, Issue 2 (Spring 2023).

Occupational Therapy Curricula Patterns For Acquired Brain Injury-Related Vision Disorders For Entry-Level Programs: A Survey, Laura Schmeiser, Alicia Reiser, Caitlyn Foy

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists are among the first providers to encounter individuals after an acquired brain injury (ABI). Evidence suggests that most occupational therapists learn about ABI-related vision disorders from continuing education and on-the-job training. A better understanding of entry-level curricula patterns for ABI-related vision disorders is important because of their high prevalence and impact on occupational performance. A descriptive online survey was administered to occupational therapy educators at ACOTE-accredited entry-level programs to explore curricula patterns for ABI-related vision disorders. Of 1,391 occupational therapy educators invited to participate, 71 (5%) began the survey, and 66 met the inclusion criteria. Vision screening methods …

The Continuing Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Tertiary Education, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the first regular issue (Volume 13, Issue 1) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2023. While the World Health Organization and the governments and health departments in most of the world have ended the COVID-19 emergency, the effects of the pandemic on operations in higher education will likely continue for some time. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published a report (Abdrasheva, 2022) that globally examines the state of higher education two years after the pandemic began. The authors noted that in the area of teaching and learning, “slow adaptation to …

Beyond Certification: Innovative Strategies To Tackle The Teacher Shortage, Abbigail Lp Morris

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This article challenges educational leaders to look beyond alternative routes for teaching certification and more towards an increased collaboration between districts and universities to help alleviate the teacher shortage issue in Kentucky. It specifically highlights the works of Omaha Public School District and the University of Nebraska Omaha as a model for proactive teacher pipeline.

Challenges Faced By Jesuit Worldwide Learning Students: Piloting A Mixed Methods Investigation, Martha Habash, Alexander Roedlach, Jill M. Fox, Gretchen Oltman, Ashley T. Abraham, Yasmine H. Jakmouj

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

In 2017 a Creighton University Global Initiative grant provided 20 scholarships in its online B.S. in Leadership Studies for Jesuit Worldwide Learning graduates of the Diploma in Liberal Studies. In 2018-19 the first cohort of scholarship students living in Afghanistan and Jordan were enrolled at Creighton University (CU). In spring 2019, three Creighton University students collaborated with two of the co-authors to develop and to implement a research project to explore barriers faced by Jesuit Worldwide Learning students enrolled in Creighton’s B.S. program. The purpose of this project was to test if Group Concept Mapping, a mixed methods research approach …

Shifting Educational Paradigms To Match Learners: Sustaining Cultures, Languages, And Paradigms Through Educational Sovereignty, Lona R. Running Wolf

The Montana English Journal

The U.S. system of education was developed by visionary forefathers that knew American democracy would be stable only through educated citizens. The system was developed to produce citizens that would carry on the new world's vision and values. The educational system was built within that paradigm. Simultaneously, Indigenous tribes in America were being stripped of their traditional educational systems whose purpose was also to develop productive citizens of their communities and carry on their values. Traditional educational systems among tribes developed children with positive self-identity carrying the pride of their culture, language, and paradigm. That is not the case for …

A Review Of Ai-Powered Writing Tools And Their Implications For Academic Integrity In The Language Classroom, Jasper Roe, Willy A. Renandya, George M. Jacobs

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Writers have many digital tools available to help them with the creation of text. In some cases, these tools have been in existence for a long time, such as spellcheckers and basic grammar checkers that are available on word processing software. Today, new and increasingly more advanced tools are in use, and the ramifications of their use are not yet fully understood, particularly in the language classroom. Public interest in such tools has reached new levels with the release of artificially intelligent tools such as ChatGPT. In addition to this, the speed at which assistive writing technologies are developing may …

Developing Better Instructors Using The Principles To Actions Professional Learning Toolkit, Abigail Pyle, Patrick Eggleton

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

This research report documents how a group of mathematics teacher educators collaborated to use the Principles to Actions (NCTM, 2014) (PtA) Professional Learning Toolkit in their classes, the tools they used to measure development in the future teachers, and the findings from the study. In keeping with other studies, using “effective mathematics teaching practices” as defined by Principles to Actions brought about changes in the beliefs of preservice elementary mathematics teachers toward best practices for teaching mathematics. There is hope that the benefits of seeing those instructional practices used by elementary classroom teachers through the PtA Toolkit videos …

Overview Of The Proceedings Of The 2022 Inclusion In Science, Learning A New Direction, Conference On Disability (Island), Cary A. Supalo, Jasodhara Bhattacharya, Daniel Steinberg

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The 13th annual Inclusion in Science, Learning a New Direction, Conference on Disability was hosted by the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM), a National Science Foundation funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), and Princeton University on September 16-17, 2022 at Bowen Hall. This annual conference included presentations that featured innovative research done by science educators in formal and informal education contexts, ranging from pre-K-12 to higher education, and science education researchers, access technology developers, and others interested in the full inclusion of persons with disabilities into the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. The 2022 ISLAND …

From The Editors..., Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Selling Graduation: Higher Education And The Loaning Of Liberation, Annie Pocklington, Elizabeth J. Flanagan, Christopher Bodenheimer Knaus

Essays in Education

While the costs to attend college continue to rise exponentially, a bachelor’s degree is held up as required for economic stability within the U.S. and across the globe. With drastic disparities in earning potentials after graduation reduced by racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, and related structural disparities, the value of a degree continues to be questioned, especially for historically marginalized communities. As the loan industrial complex continues to profit off of students, President Biden has offered $10,000 in student loan relief for some borrowers, though this action has been blocked by federal courts and is currently on hold. Whether Biden’s …

Supporting English Language Learners In The Era Of Direct Enrollment, Breana Bayraktar

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

In the spring of 2021, the Community College System in which the author works was in the middle of a planned three-year pilot of math and English self-placement (“Direct Enrollment”) procedures. Concerns about the significant English language learner (ELL) population at one institution led to the development of a corequisite support course designed to support English language learners as they enrolled in first-semester composition. This course is considered a “gateway” course, with success rates hovering around 60% for traditional students, dropping to under 35% for students age 25 and older. As the planned pilot of Direct Enrollment was underway, faculty …

Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (And What To Do Instead), Lori M. Costello

Journal of Applied Communications

Book review of Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), edited by Susan D. Blum with a foreword by Alfie Kohn

Analysis Of Attitudinal Student Learning Benefits From A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure) Adapted For Online Format, Ambika Kapil, Luis C. Gonzalez Isoba, Niraj Pathak, Arthur Sikora, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) are an increasingly utilized model for exposing students to research. The lack of robust assessments is a major hurdle to wider adoption of CUREs. The Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated a drastic shift of in-person courses to the online format. Using the Participant Perception Indicator (PPI) survey, we measured students’ self-reported changes in learning from such a biochemistry course at a large university in south Florida based on the Biochemistry Authentic Scientific Inquiry Lab (BASIL) model. By doing this, we were able to better understand the student-benefits of CUREs and how these benefits …

Journey Of Realization And Adaptation Through Auto/Ethnography: A Shift To Transformative Educational Research, Tara Paudel, Bal Chandra Luitel, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

This reflective paper explores Tara's doctoral research journey of realization and adaptation in auto/ethnography as a transformative research methodology. While reflecting on Tara’s journey, the auto/ethnographic paper emphasizes cultural perspectives, interpreting one's own experiences, thoughts, actions, and behaviors relating to society and culture. Likewise, auto/ethnography investigates and associates an individual's confrontation within specific educational, societal, and cultural contexts. With this ethos, the paper demonstrates how Tara, a mathematics teacher and doctoral student, encountered and observed auto/ethnography and discovered it as a path to transformation as a paradigm shift in transformative educational research by connecting lives and research (Dahal et al., …

A Phenomenological Pre- And Post-Reflective Comparison Of Graduate Student Intercultural Competence From Agricultural Service-Learning Experiences, Kim E. Dooley, Catherine E. Sanders, Leslie Edgar

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this study was to determine growth in intercultural competence after graduate students participated in an international service learning (ISL) experience. One method for developing intercultural competence is service learning, where students apply learning in real-world settings through a cycle of action and reflection. This study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis related to the lived experience of eight graduate students who participated in two intensive ISL projects in Timor-Leste or Guatemala. Results included the student point of view (emic) narrative as an ethnographic crafted profile for each participant to demonstrate the process of intercultural competence development across individual …