Higher Education Commons^™

Call For Manuscripts

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Copyright And Open Access

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

The Relative Influence Of Instructor Training On Student Perceptions Of Online Courses And Instruction, Mary Bowne, Melissa Wuellner, Lisa Madsen, Jessica R. Meendering, John Howard

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Online learning opportunities have greatly increased in past years. Various studies have examined online courses and instructor practices but have not examined students’ perceptions of their online courses and online instructors who were offered a voluntary online certification program. Students who took online courses at a Midwestern university completed a survey related to their perceptions of their individual online course and instructor. Results showed that instructors who were certified received higher, positive ratings than instructors who were not certified. The certification program utilizes a “faculty as student’ model, where faculty take courses from a student learner perspective, to provide experiential …

Implications Of 3-D Printing For Teaching Geoscience Concepts To Students With Visual Impairments, Karen E. Koehler, Tiffany A. Wild, Sean Tikkun

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This article presents the results of a study on the use of 3-D printed models in a science classroom for students with visual impairments and examines whether the use of these models impacts student conceptual understanding and misconceptions related to geosciences concepts, specifically plate tectonics.

Data were collected one week prior to instruction, one week after instruction and throughout the 3-week instructional period. Results showed that students with visual impairments held many of the same misconceptions about plate tectonics as students who are typically sighted. All students in this study had fewer misconceptions after the instructional period than they held …

December 2018, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is once again offering two registration scholarships per academic department to attend the 2019 Transformative Learning Conference in lovely downtown Oklahoma City, OK. The conference will be held March 13 -14, 2019. If awarded the scholarship, CETL will pay the conference registration fee of $349. CETL will provide a van, if you do not go in the van; travel is on your own. Selection will be on a first come first served basis.

The Politics Behind The Library Plagiarism Tutorial: A Case Study, Gloria F. Creed-Dikeogu

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

This article describes the educational politics and processes involved in vetting the creation of an online plagiarism tutorial at a small Liberal Arts college in the Midwest. The first three phases of the ADDIE Instructional Design model was used to develop the course, but its rollout was indefinitely suspended, awaiting a faculty vote. The plagiarism course modules are described along with the pending review which has led to a redesign of the course modules in favor of implementing a reflection course module.

Student Perceptions Of Online Courses For School Administrators, Robert Thiede

School Leadership Review

Online courses are the fastest growing student enrollment at the university level during the last decade. Between the time period 2003-2009, the number of students who had taken online courses doubled to 3.9 million which outpaced the growth in traditional college settings by a 12% margin (Mashable/Tech,2010). However, this online programming movement still remains in its early stages of development. Thus, faculty members and designers of online education need to know more about online courses. Momin (2003) stated that this growth, in online education, has been accompanied by increased questions about the effectiveness of online courses. More research needs to …

Factors Affecting Doctoral Educational Leadership Program Selection, Lesley F. Leach, Pam Winn, Susan Erwin, Liza Benedict

School Leadership Review

Although recruitment has always been vital to sustained university admissions, it is true perhaps now more than ever as traditional public university programs face fierce competition for students from digitally-delivered and for-profit programs. Competition is fierce at every level of higher education, including the doctoral level. As competition has increased, so have the number of universities offering doctoral degrees (U.S. Department of Education [DOE], 2013). In 2011, Texas ranked fourth behind California, Florida, and North Carolina in the number of doctoral degrees granted in the United States. Furthennore, the number of doctoral degrees conferred in Texas grew from 8,959 in …

Book Review: Towards Inclusion Of All Learners Through Science Teacher Education, Greg Stefanich

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

It is a pleasure to receive an invitation to submit a review for the book titled Towards Inclusion of All Learners through Science Teacher Education. The contributors include four wellknown leaders in inclusive science education complemented by a spectrum of authors American and international, in pre-service and graduate science education, pre-service and graduate special education, science research, special education practitioners, classroom teachers, graduate students, and students through case studies and interviews.

The book presents an excellent overview of current practices in schools, descriptions of individual and team efforts to improve practice, and emerging innovations such as the application of Universal …

November 2018, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

Help get the word out!

You can participate and review the Canvas Product Development Priorities. Go to Canvas Studio. The goal of the Canvas Studio idea forum is to provide:

• Insight into what Canvas’ team is working on right now and a way for you to give the Canvas Product team timely feedback to help guide their decisions
• An opportunity to share ideas about anything to do with Canvas, whether the Product team is focusing on that area of the application right now or not.

Non-Traditional Students At Public Regional Universities: A Case Study, Lizabeth Zack

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

This paper investigates the topic of non-traditional students enrolled at four-year public regional universities and addresses questions about who they are, what makes them non-traditional and how they experience college life. The analysis is based on survey data collected from 187 undergraduates at one regional public college in the southeastern United States. The study found a higher portion of non-traditional students than expected and that the non-traditional students tended to break down into two types, a younger worker-student and an older adult student, rather than conforming to a single profile. While the findings highlight other similarities with the broader population …

October 2018, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

Help get the word out!

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has scholarships available for faculty to attend any following Online Learning Consortium workshops.

The Implementation Of Reading Circles In An Educator Preparation Program Course, Yvonne Hefner

Perspectives In Learning

This study examined the effectiveness of the implementation of reading circles along with a wiki in an undergraduate special education methods course as a way to increase understanding and retention of course content. Reading circles offered a direct way to encourage reading of course content. In addition, the use of the wiki allowed the students to construct, discuss, revise, and fine-tune their understandings and interpretations of assigned readings. Both the reading circles and the wiki emphasized collaboration through an ongoing process and, as such, complemented each other in very powerful ways. The results of this study support the implementation of …

Informal Advocacy As A Way To Deeper Learning Of Adult Development And Aging Processes, Part 2, Dean D. Vondras

Perspectives In Learning

To enhance engagement and deepen learning in undergraduate courses that focus on adult development and aging, two informal advocacy classroom activities were created and surveyed. The surveys were brief empirical assessments of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) activities, and contained closed- and open-ended questions. Results from Study 2 suggested students’ enjoyment of the informal advocacy discussion and the creation of a public service announcement to be positively associated with survey ratings of increased insight, enhanced understanding, broader awareness, and the gaining of new knowledge about the concerns of older adults. Narrative responses from both studies suggest informal advocacy for older adults to …

Volume 17 Issue 1 Preliminary Pages, Jennifer Brown

Perspectives In Learning

Volume 17 issue 1 preliminary pages, including table of contents

The Impact Of Flipping An Educational Psychology Classroom On Learning At Different Levels Of Bloom's Taxonomy, Mona Ibrahim 2993299, Itohan Agbenin

Perspectives In Learning

This study examined the effects of the flipped classroom (FC) on overall learning in an undergraduate educational psychology course. Learning in the FC at the different levels of learning in Bloom’s Taxonomy (BT) was also investigated. We predicted that students in the FC would learn more than students in the traditional class and that students in the FC would initially score higher on items assessing lower BT levels (LL), but as they get more FC experiences would score higher on items assessing higher levels of BT (HL). Results indicated that there were no differences in exam scores between the traditional …

The Effects Of Motivation, Technology And Satisfaction On Student Achievement In Face-To-Face And Online College Algebra Classes, Hanan Jamal Amro, Marie-Anne Mundy, Lori Kupczynski

TxDLA Journal of Digital Learning

Demand for online learning has increased in recent years due to the convenience of class delivery. However, some students appear to have difficulties with online education resulting in lack of completion. The study utilized a quantitative approach with archival data and survey design. The factors of demographics, motivation, technology, and satisfaction were compared for face-to-face and online students. MANCOVA tests were performed to analyze the data while controlling age and gender to uncover significant differences between the two groups. The sample and population for this study were predominantly Hispanic students.

Motivation and Technology were non-significant, but satisfaction was proven to …

August/September 2018, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

All SWOSU students have access to Upswing SWOSU’s 24/7 online Academic Help, Tutoring, Paper Reviews (Askup), and Writing lab assistance.

By adding information to course syllabi, regarding all available tutoring opportunities available to students, faculty would be helping students succeed in their courses.

Upswing supplements departmental tutoring hours by being available 24/7.

A Digital Immigrant Venture Into Teaching Online: An Autoethnographic Account Of A Classroom Teacher Transformed, Karin A. Lewis

The Qualitative Report

This paper presents an autoethnographic account of a classroom teacher’s experience transitioning to teaching online within the shifting culture of academe in the 21^st Century. After decades as a classroom teacher, the author engages in autoethnography to reflexively analyze her challenging transition to teaching online. The author examines her perspectives, beliefs, thought process, learning, and development. Findings regarding her new way of teaching, thinking, and living as an online instructor may provide insights for others in academe.

One Team’S Journey With Irubrics, Danan Myers, Amy Peterson, Angela Matthews, Miguel Sanchez

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This study explains the process of incorporating electronic grading rubrics into multiple sections of one Digital Literacy course at one online university. Researchers share their experience transitioning from paper rubrics to electronic iRubrics linked directly into each assignment, a process that involved evaluating existing course rubrics, revising them to align with assignments and institutional learning outcomes (ILOs), running pilot courses using the automated iRubrics tool, and training faculty on the use of these new rubrics and the iRubrics tool. The experiences suggest that using iRubrics instead of paper rubrics can significantly increase the efficiency of grading and offer quick access …

Reading Researchers In Search Of Common Ground: The Expert Study Revisited, Tiffany A. Flowers

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this book review was to analyze the main arguments regarding literacy instruction from various paradigms of research. The Foreword of this text was written by Dr. Patricia Edwards the Past President of the Literacy Research Association. As Dr. Edwards pointedly reveals in her endorsement of this text, “Reading researchers must find some common ground in order to provide teachers with the necessary strategies to teach children reading." Dr. Edwards takes a strong stance on the reading wars debate. This foreword leaves readers with key questions that are answered throughout the reading of this text such as, what …

July 2018, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is spotlighting faculty members monthly in a series of articles called “Focus on SWOSU Faculty”. These faculty have been selected as doing inspiring active learning activities in their courses and have agreed to share some of their activities with the SWOSU community. One SWOSU faculty member will be spotlighted per month who is using transformative and other exciting active learning methods in their teaching which advances student learning at SWOSU.

Spirituality And Sense Of Coherence In Muslim Students : A Mixed Methods Study, Mohamed A. Ali, Franco Zengaro, Sally A. Zengaro

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this mixed methods research was to measure sense of coherence of convenient sample of college Muslim students in Tennessee and to investigate from their perspective, meaning attached to faith as a source of strength, motivation and courage. This research was framed in salutogenic model (sense of coherence). Two questions guided the research,1) to what degree do Muslim students indicate, through their education, age groups, place of birth, gender and marital status a sense of coherence? 2) Why and how is their faith important to them-when dealing with stressors- as sources of strength, meaning and courage to cope …

The Industrial Revolution Of Higher Education, Adriel Adon Hilton, Kevin Mcclain, Donavan L. Outten

Journal of Research Initiatives

For generations, higher education has accommodated its scholars through analog forms of instruction akin to blackboards and textbooks. As society blossomed into a globalized marketplace with information readily available at the stroke of a button, higher education has had to meet the needs of an evolving student population. Through the use of business models like Six Sigma, higher education has attempted to adapt and keep up with the times. This article will highlight the key impacts Six Sigma has had on higher education and supplementary improvements needed within the marketplace.

The Hidden Curriculum Of Starting An Open-Access Online Journal: An Editor’S Perspective, Sydney Freeman Jr.

Journal of Research Initiatives

Starting a new academic journal is a scholarly undertaking that is not taught in graduate school. However, higher education professors may well find it necessary to engage in journal work during their careers. As available literature gives little direction for prospective journal founders and editors, this article provides a Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) account of a Senior Editor-in-Chief’s journey through the process of establishing a new academic journal. Challenges inherent to the process are discussed, and recommendations are provided for prospective editors.

How Mooc Reality Informs Distance Education, Online Learning, And Connectivism, Adelina G. Hristova, Fernanda C. Bonafini, Kathryn W. Jablokow, Rebecca Y. Bayeck, Eunsung Park

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

In this paper, we draw from our experience as designers, instructors, and researchers in the second edition of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) called Creativity, Innovation, and Change (CIC) 2.0 to discuss MOOC interactions. Since the CIC 2.0 MOOC was inspired by the tenets of connectivism, we employed connectivism and its four main conceptual components (autonomy, diversity, openness, and connectedness) to discuss these empirical findings from a theoretical perspective. We build our argument on the four levels of interactions (interactions with instructors, learners, course materials, and the interface) traditionally used in the field of distance education and online learning …

Pioneering Alternative Forms Of Collaboration, Rebecca J. Hogue, Jeffrey M. Keefer, Maha Bali, Keith Hamon, Apostolos Koutropoulos, Ron Leunissen, Lenandlar Singh

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

One key experience of human work, life, and play is people working together on a common goal. Yet this aspect of working together does not have one primary recognizable instantiation of what it means to work together. Words like collaboration and cooperation are often used to describe such instances, but even words like ‘collaboration’ don’t always have a neat formula for working through a collaboration. In this article we examine and reflect on our own collaborative experiences as a research group. We do this through an examination of past experiences, and through a method of writing that developed in our …

Use Of Lightboard Video Technology To Address Medical Dosimetry Concepts: Field Notes, Julia Vandermolen, Kristen Vu, Justin Melick

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

Focusing on Lightboard video technology to create online videos as a resource for Medical Dosimetry students, this field note shares perspectives and student voices on Lightboard videos that can be useful in understanding the concepts pertaining to Medical Dosimetry such as brachytherapy equations. Through the study, the instructors wanted to know students’ perceptions of how video use increased their interest and understanding of brachytherapy equations. A SurveyMonkey questionnaire collected responses from eight students and revealed that these students perceived the use of Lightboard videos provided a solid learning platform to master the concept of brachytherapy prior to performing the homework. …

An Alternative Pathway To Elementary Teaching, Lotta Larson, Tom Vontz

Educational Considerations

This article describes an alternative pathway to elementary teaching through the MAT online program at Kansas State University.

May/June 2018, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

CETL, SWOSU, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning