Other Education Commons^™

Best Practices For Facilitating Difficult Dialogues In The Basic Communication Course, Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, Karla M. Hunter

Karla Hunter

Effective facilitation of classroom dialogue can stimulate open discussion and debate, challenge students to consider diverse perspectives, and promote critical student reflection and growth. Unfortunately, some instructors may be hesitant to approach controversial topics, for fear of losing face or risking chaos in the classroom. By learning and practicing established facilitation techniques, teachers can develop confidence and competence in harnessing the pedagogical power of difficult dialogue while maintaining classroom cohesion and community. This article provides 10 best practices for facilitating difficult classroom dialogues. These practices equip instructors with resources for building community, maintaining classroom immediacy, and grappling with disagreements without …

Improv & Internships: Using Improvisation Techniques To Teach Vital Lawyering Skills, Leah Young, Alison Lintal

Alison Lintal

How students choose to collaborate and communicate can have a significant impact on the outcome of a workplace project as well as their legal career. Additionally, the importance of face-to-face communication, body posture, and learning to interpret body language cues is crucial for building professional relationships. Through these interactive exercises, students get the opportunity to practice responses in a setting that fosters student development and growth. Furthermore, improvisation provides the legal profession with tools that can be used to enhance communication, active listening, collaboration, agility, trust, authenticity, and resilience.

An important emphasis in externship courses is a focus on cultivation …

Media Literacy And Climate Change In A Post-Truth Society, James S. Damico, Mark Baildon, Alexandra Panos

Alexandra Panos

In this article we draw from ecolingusitics (Stibbe, 2015) and a civic media literacy framework (Author, in press; Masyada & Washington, 2016) to consider what happened when three pairs of preservice teachers with different academic backgrounds and climate change beliefs jointly evaluated the reliability of two media sources that make opposing arguments about climate change. An ecolinguistics perspective attends to the environmental impact of the “stories-we-live-by” (Stibbe, 2015) and a civic media literacy lens highlights the centrality of dialogue and deliberation along with critical reading when evaluating the reliability of information sources about complex socioscientific topics like climate change. Our …

School-Based Smoking Prevention With Media Literacy: A Pilot Study, Melinda C. Bier, Spring J. Schmidt, David Shields, Lara Zwarun, Stephen Sherblom, Brian Primack, Cynthia Pulley, Billy Rucker

Lara Zwarun

School-based tobacco prevention programs have had limited success reducing smoking rates in the long term. Media literacy programs offer an innovative vehicle for delivery of potentially more efficacious anti-tobacco education. However, these programs have been neither widely implemented nor well evaluated. We conducted a pre-post evaluation of a cross-disciplinary tobacco media literacy program. The sample consisted of 204 students across six schools. Results indicated that students’ smoking-specific media literacy and general media literacy measures increased significantly over the course of the intervention.

Preparing Priests To Work With Catholic Schools: A Content Analysis Of Seminary Curricula, Michael J. Boyle, Anthony Dosen, Cm

Michael Boyle

This documentary study of academic programs at Catholic Seminaries and Theology Schools through the United States sought to answer the question: “What types of preparation does the seminary curriculum provide to new pastors about their role in the parish’s Catholic School?” Results of program syllabi review show a dearth of preparation given to this aspect of this parochial ministry. Recommendations for further investigation are offered. El presente estudio documental de programas académicos en seminarios católicos y facultades de teología en Estados Unidos busca contestar la pregunta: “¿Qué tipo de preparación ofrece a los nuevos sacerdotes el currículo del seminario en …

Book Review - Community College Transfer Guide.Pdf, David D. Costantino

David D Costantino

The Contribution Of Morphological Knowledge To 7th Grade Students’ Reading Comprehension Performance, Kouider Mokhtari, Joanna Neel, Abbey Matatall, Andrea Richards

Joanna Neel

In this study, we examined the role of morphology, an important yet largely understudied source of difficulty, in reading ability among 7th grade students in one junior high school in the southwestern United States. We sought to find out how much variance in reading ability is accounted for by these students’ morphological knowledge, and whether skilled readers do in fact have higher levels of morphological knowledge than less skilled student peers. We found that students’ sensitivity to the morphological structure of words accounted for 18% of the variance in these students’ reading performance. We further found that skilled readers had …

Weaving Assessment Into The Fabric Of Project-Based Learning In A Medical Education Course - Why And How.Pdf, Elina Tor, Donna Mak, Carole Steketee, Jane Courtney, Greg Sweetman

Elina Tor

Raising The Bar For Instructional Outcomes: Toward Transformative Learning Experiences, Brent Wilson, Patrick Parrish

Brent Wilson

Most instructional technologists understand that instruction aims to be effective, efficient, and appealing. These three quality indicators have proven useful in establishing desired outcomes. In this article the authors suggest an expanded set of indicators, with more attention to social impact, engagement, and the learner's experience. By broadening and deepening expectations, the authors hope to encourage more research on instruction, leading to powerful or transformative learning.

Advocating For Mother Earth In The Undergraduate Classroom: Uniting Twenty-First Century Technologies, Local Resources, Art, And Activism To Explore Our Place In Nature, Christina Triezenberg, Ilse Schweitzer Vandonkelaar

Christina Triezenberg

Despite the growing evidence of humanity’s impact on the natural world and the urgent need to shape citizens who understand the impact that their choices and actions have on their local and global environments, colleges and universities throughout the United States have been slow to add environmental education as a core component of their undergraduate curricula. Harnessing our shared interest in environment issues and the humanities, we designed and taught an experimental course in environmental literature for the honors program at Western Michigan University that we hope will become a template of what is possible in postsecondary environmental education. Using …

Making Oral Communication A Successful Part Of The Common Core, Jon A. Hess

Jonathan A. Hess

Adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represents the first time that oral communication has been included in the curriculum requirements for K–12 education in many states. If done well, this change will provide important benefits to students. However, effective implementation will require collaboration among policymakers, educators, and experts in oral communication. As educators work to strengthen primary and secondary education in the United States, many agree that schools need educational standards that are grounded in today’s needs and shared across states. The CCSS have emerged as a potential solution, and the majority of states have adopted these standards. …

Critical Components Of Transforming Teaching And Leading: Recognizing Educational Success Professional Excellence, And Collaborative Teaching (Respect), Samuel Hinton

Samuel Hinton

The purpose of this commentary is to disseminate significant content and to trigger discussion on the seven components of “A Blueprint for R.E.S.P.E.C.T. RECOGNIZING EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS, PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AND COLLABORATIVE TEACHING (2012).” Teacher preparation programs in the United States are moving in the direction of a clinical model. Some reasons for doing so are to facilitate teacher leadership and respect, earn higher professional recognition, acquire higher financial compensation, and embrace more collaborative teaching. This formula should lead to American students receiving an education that meets competitive global standards. Highly effective teachers accelerate student learning, close achievement gaps that have persisted …

Developing A Curriculum Framework For Yellowstone’S Youth Conservation Corps, Kristen Schulte, Ana K. Houseal

Ana K Houseal

Yellowstone’s Youth Conservation Corps is a youth employment program founded on service learning concepts implemented through stewardship projects. Education is integrated into all projects through the Resource Education Curriculum (REC). To enhance the REC, in 2012-2013 a framework was created and implemented to assist in the development of 17 environmental educational (EE) lessons. Five major bodies of knowledge emerged: leadership, cultural heritage, stewardship, ecological relationships, and sustainability. These acted as a springboard for developing clear participant outcomes and a diversity of instructional strategies. The purpose of this session is to help strengthen interpretation programs by exploring a framework for curriculum …

A Multi-Institutional Project To Develop Discipline-Specific Data Literacy Instruction For Graduate Students, Sarah Wright, Michael Fosmire, Jon Jeffryes, Marianne Stowell Bracke, Brian Westra

Michael Fosmire

What data stewardship skills are needed by future scientists to fulfill their professional responsibilities and take advantage of opportunities in e-science? How can academic librarians contribute their expertise in information organization, dissemination and preservation to better serve modern science? With support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), four research libraries have formed a partnership to address these questions. The aims of the partnership are to identify the data stewardship skills, including data management and curation, needed by graduate students at the research discipline level, to identify trends that extend across the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) …

Advocating For Mother Earth In The Undergraduate Classroom: Uniting Twenty-First Century Technologies, Local Resources, Art, And Activism To Explore Our Place In Nature, Christina Triezenberg, Ilse Schweitzer Vandonkelaar

Ilse A Schweitzer VanDonkelaar

Despite the growing evidence of humanity’s impact on the natural world and the urgent need to shape citizens who understand the impact that their choices and actions have on their local and global environments, colleges and universities throughout the United States have been slow to add environmental education as a core component of their undergraduate curricula. Harnessing our shared interest in environment issues and the humanities, we designed and taught an experimental course in environmental literature for the honors program at Western Michigan University that we hope will become a template of what is possible in postsecondary environmental education. Using …

A Persistent Quandary: The Rural School Improvement Project, 1953-1957, Richard E. Day, Lindsey N. Devries, Amanda L. Hoover

Richard E. Day

Berea College's Rural School Improvement Project worked directly with more than 5,000 children and 63 teaching fellows in 39 different schools over 13 counties, and one independent school district, involving 10 county school supervisors. Project estimates claimed an indirect impact on approximately 45,000 children within the RSIP school districts. The RSIP represented the thinking of national leaders of rural education in the 1950s who promoted improved administration of the schools combined with an active community engagement program based on “full respect for human personality” and “shared judgments.” Following so many decades of poverty and isolation, it is no easy task …

Assessing Curriculum For College Success, Oscar T. Mcknight, Rod Lake, Mark Fortner, David Silverberg, Eugene Linton

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

Massillon City Schools and Ashland University assessed a project designed to strengthen the curriculum and improve student learning potential. Results suggest that assessing student learning potential can predict standardized testing outcomes (i.e., ACT/SAT scores) and college success (Entrance/Graduation). Incorporated are suggestions for implementing a standards-based curriculum and how-to predicting student outcomes using the Student Success Survey. The Student Success Survey can be found online at: http://scientificlegalservices.com/survey_update/index.php

Women Of African Descent: Persistence In Completing A Doctorate, Vannetta L. Bailey-Iddrisu

Vannetta L. Bailey-Iddrisu

This study examines the educational persistence of women of African descent (WOAD) in pursuit of a doctorate degree at universities in the southeastern United States. WOAD are women of African ancestry born outside the African continent. These women are heirs to an inner dogged determination and spirit to survive despite all odds (Pulliam, 2003, p. 337).This study used Ellis’s (1997) Three Stages for Graduate Student Development as the conceptual framework to examine the persistent strategies used by these women to persist to the completion of their studies.

Leadership And Innovation Program, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

No abstract provided.

Dr. Connie's 6 Keys To Becoming A Successful Learner, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

I have learned a great deal about students by teaching and advising learners at the University of Nebraska. The fact that I was working on my Ph.D. on a part-time basis while being employed full-time broadened my knowledge about how to be a successful learner. My professional and personal experiences in the world of higher education have enabled me develop some powerful insights on what it takes to be a successful learner. I would like to share my insights with as many people as possible, so here are Dr. Connie’s 6 Keys to Becoming a Successful Learner:

It's Time To Connect: Twitter For Educational Purposes, Mutuota Kigotho, Helen Doyle

Mutuota Kigotho

The expansion of the internet has enabled a free flow of information allowing the connection between educators and students where knowledge can be shared both ways. This growth in technology has led to an explosion in the use of social media. Data indicates that Twitter is one of the most common social media tools used by 25-54 age-group. Learning how this tool is used for educational purposes is useful in the area of higher education as most of the university students fit within this cohort. In this paper we look at the history and exponential growth of Twitter as a …

"Thinking" In A Deweyan Perspective: The Law School Exam As A Case Study For Thinking In Lawyering, Donald J. Kochan

Donald J. Kochan

As creatures of thought, we are thinking all the time, but that does not necessarily mean that we are thinking well. Answering the law school exam, like solving any problem, requires that the student exercise thinking in an effective and productive manner. This Article provides some guidance in that pursuit. Using John Dewey’s suspended conclusion concept for effective thinking as an organizing theme, this Article presents one basic set of lessons for thinking through issues that arise regarding the approach to a law school exam. This means that the lessons contained here help exercise thought while taking the exam — …

Student Usage Patterns And Perceptions For Differentiated Lab Exercises In An Undergraduate Programming Course, Heng Ngee Mok

Heng Ngee MOK

Differentiated instruction in the form of tiered take-home lab exercises was implemented for students of an undergraduate-level programming course. This paper attempts to uncover the perceptions and usage patterns of students toward these new lab exercises using a comprehensive survey. Findings reveal that these tiered exercises are generally very well received and preferred over their traditional "one size fits all" counter-parts. Although the study does not show that tiered exercises have improved proÞciency or scores, it does seem to indicate higher student engagement and motivation levels. Based on the survey results, a list of recommendations is put forth for the …

How Do You Measure Student Learning? Sails, Ilcc, & Rgr At Gvsu, Pete Coco, Emily Frigo, Hazel Mcclure, Debbie Morrow

Debbie Morrow

The GVSU University Libraries has responded in the last five years to internal and external emphases on assessing student learning outcomes and our contributions to student learning. We’ve conducted a higher-level information literacy assessment, and have made a priority of developing information literacy tools for use by classroom faculty. We have twice administered SAILS, the "Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills," to provide us with a broad benchmark measure of student IL skills against a cohort of our institutional peers. We discovered that large scale efforts such as SAILS can be at odds with our approach to IL, proving to …

Video Presence, Anne Merkle, Linda Masselink, Maris Swift, Lauie Witucki

Anne Merkle MSL

No abstract provided.

Video Presence In Academia: Moving Far Beyond Campus Boundaries, Anne Merkle Msl, Linda Masselink Mls, Maris Stella Swift Jd, Lauie Witucki Ph.D

Linda Masselink

Many of our students are first generation and work full time. Our poster will illustrate the use of video presence to allow students to: virtually meet with faculty; participate in group projects from six locations; learn research strategies; develop better communication skills to become better speakers by using face-to-face interact ion. Students connect with alumni in the field sharing real-time work experiences. Significant savings have been realized across campus with online interviewing using this technology.

Advocating For Green With Video Presence, Anne Merkle Msl, Linda Masselink

Linda Masselink

No abstract provided.

Advocating For Green With Video Presence, Anne Merkle Msl, Linda Masselink

Anne Merkle MSL

No abstract provided.

Thinking Like Thinkers: Is The Art And Discipline Of An "Attitude Of Suspended Conclusion" Lost On Lawyers?, Donald J. Kochan

Donald J. Kochan

In his 1910 book, How We Think, John Dewey proclaimed that “the most important factor in the training of good mental habits consists in acquainting the attitude of suspended conclusion. . .” This Article explores that insight and describes its meaning and significance in the enterprise of thinking generally and its importance in law school education specifically. It posits that the law would be best served if lawyers think like thinkers and adopt an attitude of suspended conclusion in their problem solving affairs. Only when conclusion is suspended is there space for the exploration of the subject at hand. The …

Combining Forces: The Joint Defense Agreement In Civil Litigation, Stephen Messer

Stephen Messer

From day one of law school aspiring lawyers are taught that information shared in confidence between a lawyer and his client is confidential. Although all lawyers are well aware of this, surprisingly few know that conversations with a client and someone else's lawyer can also be privileged. This is what happens when a joint defense agreement is created; Joint defense agreements extend the attorney client privilege throughout the entire defense camp in cases where multiple defendants and their counsel have common interests in the litigation. This often overlooked, yet highly effective legal strategy may serve as a valuable tool for …