Higher Education Commons^™

Learning Management System Success: Increasing Learning Management System Usage In Higher Education In Sub-Saharan Africa, Joel S. Mtebe Phd

Joel S. Mtebe (Ph.D.)

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been widely adopted by higher education institutions globally for over a decade. Institutions in sub-Saharan Africa now spend a significant proportion of their limited resources on installing and maintaining these systems. This expenditure continues to increase, raising questions as to whether LMS in these institutions are fulfilling their potential. The article investigates this question by analyzing the literature published on LMS usage from across the region. The article concludes by proposing strategies that can help institutions make more effective use of their LMS. The aim is to help institutions to identify effective strategies for supporting …

Racial Profiling As Institutional Practice: Theorizing The Experiences Of Black Male Undergraduates, Susan V. Iverson

Susan V. Iverson

In this paper we draw upon racial profiling literature as an analytic lens with data collected in a qualitative study of Black males at one university. We argue that racial profiling provides a system of assumptions and rules that inform decisions made and attach to interactions between Black males and their faculty, staff, and peers. We conclude with implications for practice and future research.

Cross-Cultural Peer Mentoring: Increasing White Faculty Adjustment At Black Colleges, Dave A. Louis

Dave A Louis

No abstract provided.

Beyond Bad Behaving Brothers: Productive Performances Of Masculinities Among College Fraternity Men, Frank Harris Iii, Ed.D., Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

Research on fraternity men focuses almost exclusively on problematic behaviors such as homophobia and sexism, alcohol abuse, violence against women, sexual promiscuity, and the overrepresentation of members among campus judicial offenders. Consequently, little is known about those who perform masculinities in healthy and productive ways. Presented in this article are findings from a qualitative study of productive masculinities and behaviors among 50 undergraduate fraternity men from 44 chapters across the U.S. and Canada. Findings offer insights into participants’ steadfast commitments to the fraternity’s espoused values; their acceptance and appreciation of members from a range of diverse backgrounds; strategies they employed …

In Search Of Progressive Black Masculinities: Critical Self-Reflections On Gender Identity Development Among Black Undergraduate Men, Keon M. Mcguire, Ph.D., Jonathan Berhanu, Charles H.F. Davis Iii, Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

During the last several decades, research concerning the developmental trajectories, experiences, and behaviors of college men as ‘‘gendered’’ persons has emerged. In this article, we first critically review literature on Black men’s gender development and expressions within college contexts to highlight certain knowledge gaps. We then conceptualize and discuss progressive Black masculinities by relying on Mutua’s germinal work on the subject. Further, we engage Black feminist scholarship, both to firmly situate our more pressing argument for conceptual innovation and to address knowledge gaps in the literature on Black men’s gender experiences. It is our belief that scholars who study gender …

Black Female Community College Students' Satisfaction: A National Regression Analysis, Terrell L. Strayhorn, Royel M. Johnson

Dr. Royel M. Johnson

Data from the Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire were analyzed for a sample of 315 Black women attending community colleges. Specifically, we conducted multivariate analyses to assess the relationship between background traits, commitments, engagement, academic performance, and satisfaction for Black women at community colleges. Descriptive results provide a profile of Black women who attend community colleges in terms of age, native language, units taken, and grades. Hierarchical linear regression results suggest that our statistical model accounted for 22% of the variance in satisfaction. Significant predictors of Black women's satisfaction at community colleges include age, effect of family on school work, …

Toward A Framework For Black Male Professional Identity, Terrell L. Strayhorn, Royel M. Johnson

Dr. Royel M. Johnson

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to understand how Black male doctoral degree recipients’ make sense of their professional ident ity. Three major research questions guided our analysis: (a) How do Black male doctoral degree recipients define their professional identity? (b) What factors do Black male doctoral recipients attribute to the development of their professional identity? (c) What is the role of race in the development of Black male doctoral degree recipients’ professional identity? Three major themes were identified. Implications for research, theory, policy and several campus constituencies, including graduate faculty and mentors/advisors are noted.

Using Ethnography To Understand Twenty-First Century College Life, Constance A. Iloh, William G. Tierney

Constance Iloh

Ethnography in the field of postsecondary education has served as a magnifying glass bringing into focus university culture and student life. This paper highlights the ways in which ethnography is especially useful for understanding more recent dynamics and shifts in higher education. The authors utilize existing literature to uphold the relevancy of ethnography, while exploring its opportunities for research on adult students, online education, and for-profit colleges in particular. They conclude with methodological recommendations and directions for both qualitative research and higher education scholarship.

Building Authenticity In Social Media Tools To Recruit, Jean Sandlin, Edlyn V. Peña

Edlyn V. Peña

An increasing number of institutions utilize social media tools, including studentwritten blogs, on their admission websites in an effort to enhance authenticity in their recruitment marketing materials. This study offers a framework for understanding what contributes to prospective college students’ perceptions of social media authenticity and how their perceptions shape expectations of the college experience. The results of the study are based on qualitative data comprising 16 in-depth interviews, 165 journal entries, and an eightmember focus group interview with college-bound students. Prospective college students perceived student-written blogs to be authentic when student bloggers disclosed personal details and feelings about campus …

Racial Battle Fatigue For Latina/O Students: A Quantitative Perspective, Jeremy D. Franklin, William A. Smith, Man Hung

Jeremy D. Franklin

Previous literature demonstrates that as a result of racial microaggressions and hostile campus racial climates, Latina/o students often state they experience psychological, physiological, and behavioral stress responses during and after racialized incidents on campuses. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively test the racial battle fatigue framework for Latina/o students using structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that psychological stress responses for Latinas/os are most impacted by racial microaggressions in the racial battle fatigue framework.

Cross-Cultural Faculty-Peer Mentoring Programs: Bridging Cultural Gaps At Black Colleges., Dave A. Louis

Dave A Louis

No abstract provided.

What Matters In College For Retaining Aspiring Scientists And Engineers From Underrepresented Racial Groups, Mitchell J. Chang, Jessica Sharkness, Sylvia Hurtado, Christopher B. Newman

Christopher B. Newman

This longitudinal study examined factors that contribute to the persistence of underrepresented racial minority (URM) undergraduates in STEM fields. The primary source of data came from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s 2004 The Freshman Survey (TFS) and 2008 College Senior Survey (CSS). The sample included 3,670 students at 217 institutions who indicated on the TFS that they intended to major in a STEM field, 1,634 of whom were underrepresented minority (URM) students. Findings indicate that Black and Latino undergraduates were significantly less likely to persist in STEM majors than were their White and Asian American counterparts. Background characteristics and college …

Relations Between Language Learning Strategies, Language Proficiency And Multiple Intelligences, Karim Hajhashemi, Alireza Shakarami, Neil Anderson, Seyed Yasin Yazdi-Amirkhiz, Wuying Zou

Karim Hajhashemi

The theory of multiple intelligences (MI) developed by Gardner, proposes at least nine different human intelligences that are distinct and relatively autonomous human intelligences through which people learn. It has been theorized that knowing our MI profile assists us to learn and use this awareness to obtain necessary information and knowledge from a lesson. Characterizing learners’ personal MI profiles thus may enhance learning. Language learners’ learning process, on the other hand, can be facilitated through the use of language learning strategies, particularly if the strategies have been explicitly developed by instructors who possess knowledge about individuals’ learning styles. This paper …

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Supervision: A Scoping Review, Meredith Vanstone, Kathryn Hibbert, Elizabeth Anne Kinsella, Pamela Mckenzie, Allan Pitman, Lorelei Lingard

Meredith Vanstone

This scoping literature review examines the topic of interdisciplinary doctoral research supervision. Interdisciplinary doctoral research programs are expanding in response to encouragement from funding agencies and enthusiasm from faculty and students. In an acknowledgement that the search for creative and innovative solutions to complex problems is best addressed through interdisciplinary collaborations, research-intensive universities are increasingly encouraging interdisciplinary projects and programs. The expansion of interdisciplinary research to the context of doctoral research may impact several core components of the doctorate: the enactment of the student–supervisor relationship, the process of forming and working with a supervisory committee, and the process and outcomes …

The Four C'S (Curriculum Guidelines, Courses, Competencies And Capacities) To Educating And Training Nonprofit Leaders, Garland S. Doyle

Garland Doyle

The standards from the three national organizations that have developed curriculum guidelines, professional competencies or accreditation standards are compared to the literature on the knowledge and skills needed to be a nonprofit leader. The standards are applied to the four core nonprofit capacities from Connolly and York (2003) to develop a conceptual framework to evaluate a nonprofit management graduate program.

The framework is tested using curriculum mapping to see how curriculum instruction is aligning with professional competencies to develop the skills and capacities of program graduates. The findings from the mapping illustrate the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the program …

What Do I Want To Be With My Ph.D.? The Roles Of Personal Values And Structural Dynamics In Shaping The Career Interests Of Recent Biomedical Science Ph.D. Graduates, Kenneth D. Gibbs Jr, Kimberly A. Griffin

Kimberly A. Griffin

No abstract provided.

Udc Community College Online Education Enrollment Report, Bradley J. Coverdale

Bradley J Coverdale

No abstract provided.

Proximity And Matthew Effect In Co-Authorship Pattern Of Iranian Top Universities, Mahmood Khosrowjerdi, Neda Zeraatkar, Marzieh Hajipoor

Mahmood Khosrowjerdi

Co-authorship is used to measure scholarly collaborations of countries, institutions, and individuals. It refers to the process in which two or more authors or researchers collaborate with each other to create a joint-work through collaboration methods and channels. Although many studies have been conducted to analyze the individual or field co-authorships in Iran, a little have concerned the organisational co-authorships in this country. This study aims to analyze organisational coauthorships among Iranian top universities based on proximity rule and Matthew effect. Data were limited to published articles affiliated to top universities in Iran and extracted from the Web of Science …

Rubric For Assessing Epistemological Development Of Students Who Are Learning Design, Shannon M. Chance

Shannon M. Chance

There is an extensive base of literature that attempts to describe how college students understand “knowledge” and their role in generating it. Educators draw from this literature to help students develop increasingly sophisticated ways of using knowledge. Although existing research aims for broad generalizability, it is clear that various disciplines have developed their own unique value systems. Scholars of “hard,” physical science are likely to hold very different ideas about the nature of “fact” and “inevitability” than those in the “softer,” social sciences [1]. Various disciplines conceptualize, use, and generate new knowledge in ways that differ dramatically, yet little research …

Coming To Canada To Study Factors That Influence Students Decisions To Participate In International Exchange, Jennifer Massey, Jeff Burrow

Jennifer Massey

Increasing numbers of students are participating in study abroad programs. Outcomes associated with these programs have been studied extensively, but relatively little is known about what motivates and influences students to participate. This study investigated factors that motivate and influence students to study on exchange and explored how these factors vary by social identity. The findings support the development of programs, services, and marketing that meet students’ needs.

Community Based Research-Vancouver Rent Bank, Nisha Malhotra

Nisha Malhotra

As part of UBC’s initiative to facilitate community-based learning, this course gave students the option of participating in a research project that helps a non-profit organization gain better understanding of a specific issue. Whereas most undergraduate economic curricula focus on theory or data analysis, Community-Based Research (CBR) lets students use their theoretical knowledge and analytical skills to help people in their own community

Assessment In Times Of Turbulence: Using Assessment Tools To Understand And Change Departmental Processes Students, Jennifer Massey

Jennifer Massey

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Model For Advancing The Scholarship Of Engagement: Creating Academic Homes For The Engaged Scholar, Lorilee R. Sandmann, John Saltmarsh, Kerryann O'Meara

KerryAnn O'Meara

A new integrated model is offered for the preparation of future faculty that addresses the transformation of institutions of higher education into supportive environments for the next generation of engaged scholars. Drawing on the knowledge bases of the scholarship of engagement, institutional change, preparing future faculty, the role of disciplinary associations, and promising practice for institutional engagement, the model provides a framework for approaches that would prepare individuals (primarily doctoral students and early career faculty) as learners of engagement while instigating and catalyzing institutions as learning organizations.