Other Education Commons^™

Learning Ideas - Understanding Accessible Educational Materials (Aem) And Their Use: Tips For K-12 Educators, University Of Maine Center For Community Inclusion And Disability Studies

Professional Development

Students arrive in classrooms with a variety of skills, interests and needs. For many learners, the typical curriculum—including instructional methods, classroom materials, and assessments of knowledge—may contain barriers to educational participation and achievement. Students who are unable to access print materials face particular challenges. Accessible educational materials reduce barriers and provide rich supports for learning. By using accessible educational materials, educators enable all learners to gain knowledge, skills and enthusiasm for learning.

What Are We Teaching Abroad? Faculty Goals For Short-Term Study Abroad Courses, Elizabeth Niehaus, Ashley Wegener

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Based on survey data from over 400 faculty members who taught short-term study abroad courses, the purpose of this study was to identify the types of goals that faculty members have in teaching short-term study abroad courses and the relationship between faculty background characteristics (i.e., race, gender, discipline, and prior experience) and their teaching goals. By further understanding the goals that these faculty members have for their study abroad programs, we are better able to assess how these programs may or may not be meeting overall internationalization goals and then to use this information to assist faculty members and higher …

Systems Thinking In A Second Grade Curriculum: Students Engaged To Address A Statewide Drought, Margaret Sauceda Curwen, Amy Ardell, Laurie Macgillivray, Rachel Lambert

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Faced with issues, such as drought and climate change, educators around the world acknowledge the need for developing students’ ability to solve problems within and across contexts. A systems thinking pedagogy, which recognizes interdependence and interconnected relationships among concrete elements and abstract concepts (Meadows, 2008; Senge et al., 2012), has potential to transform the classroom into a space of observing, theorizing, discovering, and analyzing, thus linking academic learning to the real world. In a qualitative case study in one school located in a major metropolitan area in California, USA teachers and their 7- and 8-year-old students used systems thinking in …

Exploring The Neural Mechanisms Of Physics Learning, Jessica E. Bartley

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a series of neuroimaging investigations and achievements that strive to deepen and broaden our understanding of human problem solving and physics learning. Neuroscience conceives of dynamic relationships between behavior, experience, and brain structure and function, but how neural changes enable human learning across classroom instruction remains an open question. At the same time, physics is a challenging area of study in which introductory students regularly struggle to achieve success across university instruction. Research and initiatives in neuroeducation promise a new understanding into the interactions between biology and education, including the neural mechanisms of learning and development. These …

Acrl Framework Assignments For Music Information Literacy, Taylor Greene

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

Though the ACRL Framework was adopted two and a half years ago, music librarians continue to wonder how to integrate the six frames described by this guiding document into our information literacy instruction while also covering the necessities of music information literacy. In this presentation, I will discuss the approach that I used to incorporate the six frames into my instruction for the Music Information Literacy course I teach at Chapman University while still retaining essential music instruction, such as searching for music, navigating particular resources like Grove Music Online, and citation formatting. Specifically, I will focus on the in-class …

Utilizing Natural Settings To Reinforce Social Skills Instruction In Students With Disabilities, Torrey Pitchford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A large proportion of students with disabilities (SWD) have social skills deficits that make it difficult for them to succeed in school, work, and life. This quantitative, quasi-experimental, non-equivalent, pretest-posttest, control group study was designed to explore whether SWD can better transfer their learned social skills to natural settings, improving their chances at independence and success, with the use of reinforcement in natural settings. The researcher included 86 students with disabilities from a school district in a predominantly white, middle class, rural Utah town. The researcher and teachers used Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) in this study to provide instruction …

The Relationship Between Grade Point Average And Understanding Of Homework's Purpose And Management In Economically Disadvantaged High School Students, Diane Bush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a key measure of academic achievement, grade point average (GPA), could accurately be predicted from a linear combination of understanding homework’s purpose as measured by the Homework Purpose Scale (HPS) and by the student’s approach to homework management and homework behaviors as measured by the Homework Management Scale (HMS). This quantitative study is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey design comprised of two previously established valid and reliable scales: the Homework Purpose Scale and the Homework Management Scale. The study’s design is correlational using a sample (N = 300) of pre-existing high school …

The Prediction Of Technology Integration In The Christian K-12 Classroom Based On Openness To Change, Technology Training, And Work Beyond The Contractual Work Week, Troy Spetter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This predictive correlational study explored the lack of generalizable data regarding the use of technology in the Christian K-12 environment. The study searched for a predictive correlation between teachers’ overall use of technology, openness to change, amount of technology training, and hours of work beyond the contractual work week, based on previous study in public education (Vannatta & Fordham, 2004). The target population was all teachers who work in schools that are members in good standing with the Association of Christian Schools International in the United States. Using a random sample, teachers were asked to participate in the study and …

The Differences Between Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities In California Schools, Michael Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective Professional Learning Communities are one tool schools utilize to ensure that student achievement improvement is prioritized. Professional Learning Communities help educators increase their professional knowledge and minimize conflict amongst colleagues. Additionally, teachers who regularly participate in a Professional Learning Community have students who reach higher achievement benchmarks than the students of their non-participating peers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a statistically significant difference existed between principal perceptions and teacher perceptions of Professional Learning Communities as measured by the Professional Learning Communities Assessment—Revised. A sample of 49 principals and 53 teachers from 49 schools in California …

The Effects Of An Online Math Intervention On The Math Anxiety Levels Of Community College Students, Rita Love

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Finding an inexpensive, timely, and effective intervention to reduce math anxiety in community college students is a worthwhile endeavor. Math anxiety left unattended can lead to the conscious and deliberate avoidance of math-heavy educational programs and careers. Previous investigations in math anxiety interventions have overlooked the potential for mastery learning-based online modules to reduce math anxiety. The purpose of this two-factor quasi-experimental posttest-only control group study is to investigate whether participation in Let’s Go Racing, a mastery learning-inspired intervention designed to prepare students for gateway math courses, affects math anxiety levels and whether the potential effect differs for male and …

Flipping The Flipped: The Co-Creational Classroom, Vuk Uskoković

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The flip teaching model is being increasingly adopted by higher education institutions as an active learning alternative to traditional lecturing. However, the flip model shares a number of critical premises with the classical didactics. The further flips of the flip are thus advocated and the fear of returning the method to its initial state, prior to the flip, via such flips of the flipped dispelled. Proposed here is a seminal variation to the flip model based on the active involvement of students in searching, finding, selecting, and assembling knowledge from various literature sources into the learning material for the entire …

A Causal Comparative Analysis Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy Of Face-To-Face And Online Quantitative Literacy Students, Laronda Lowery

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mathematics self-efficacy has been shown to be a strong predictor of mathematics performance and mixed results have been found when examining the mathematics self-efficacy of face-to-face students based on gender and age. However, there is a lack of research studies that examine if differences exist in the mathematics self-efficacy of face-to-face and online students. The purpose of this ex-post facto causal comparative quantitative study was to determine if differences existed in the mathematics self-efficacy of Quantitative Literacy students, as measured by the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, based on their choice of delivery method (face-to-face or online). Participants for this research study …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Flipped Classroom Model, Jami Weidmann

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe secondary teachers’ experiences implementing a secondary flipped classroom model (FCM) in the United States. A FCM is a framework wherein students work at their own pace and use in-class time for active learning activities. The following questions were researched: (a) How do secondary FCM teachers describe their lived experiences from implementing the FCM? (b) What benefits, if any, do secondary teachers describe from implementing the FCM? (c) What challenges, if any, do secondary teachers describe from implementing the FCM? (d) What necessary resources do teachers perceive important for successful …

Post – Doctoral Education Research Project, John A. Henschke Edd, Suwithida Charungkaittikul

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

No abstract provided.

Post – Doctoral Education Research Project, John A. Henschke Edd, Suwithida Charungkaittikul

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

No abstract provided.

Developmental Readers, New Literacies, And The Impact Of Direct Instruction, Kristine Elizabeth Wilson,

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many students enter college underprepared for the rigors of college-level reading, and these students are often placed in developmental courses. Furthermore, many students, with and without the developmental label, face challenges when reading online and in print, and research shows that these reading processes are not exactly the same. Research into new literacies finds that online reading comprehension gaps exist that are different from print reading. Varying reading strategies as well as metacognitive strategies can help assist students in successfully comprehending texts at the college level. This study investigated how explicit instruction in new literacy strategies impacts a reader’s ability …

Kentuckian Middle School Students' Self-Efficacy And Their Participation In Physical Sports: A Correlation Study, Alissa Richards

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-efficacy is well known as one of the most effective methods to raise student academic achievement (Hattie, 2007). Known as the “I think I can” phenomenon, extensive research is presented concerning the impact of self-efficacy as the predictor to achievement. Likewise, participation in physical sports is known for its impact on academic achievement, as well as social and emotional health. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the presence of a statistically significant relationship between the level of participation in physical sports activities and the middle school students’ self-efficacy. A convenience sample of 69 seventh and eighth grade …

Comparing Active Duty And Transitional Military Veteran Students' Evaluation Of Online Distance Higher Education Learning Environments, Sherry Crissman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Active duty service members’ participation in non-traditional higher education designed for veterans and other non-traditional adults can be uniquely impacted by their unpredictable military schedules, geographic instability, and frequently limited access to technology needed to complete course requirements while in remote areas. The purpose of this study was to examine whether active duty undergraduates differed significantly regarding their attitudes toward distance learning and their perceptions of the distance learning environment compared to veterans and non-traditional adults. This causal comparative study examined adult students’ perceptions after participating in 200-level undergraduate education delivered online at a private four-year institution based on their …

Academic Achievement With Cooperative Learning Using Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Groups, Patricia Wyman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cooperative learning is a proven teaching strategy that teachers have been using for over 40 years. Teachers often group students heterogeneously so that students that are lower achieving are learning from higher achieving students and higher achieving students support and solidify their learning by restating and re-teaching to their lower achieving partners. The purpose of this study was to test homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping while using cooperative learning teaching structure. This dissertation aimed to answer the question, should students be grouped homogeneously or heterogeneously while participating in cooperative learning. The research design for this study was quantitative, quasi-experimental. A convenience …

Four Years Vs. One Semester: Music Information Literacy Delivered In Different Time Frames, Taylor Greene

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

How much does the time elapsed between instruction sessions affect retention of music information literacy concepts? This poster will demonstrate the two methods of delivering the Music Information Literacy course at Chapman University and discuss the benefits and pitfalls of each model. Starting in 2014, music students have been required to take four courses in Music Information Literacy which were delivered in 90-minute sessions over the course of four academic years. The Performing Arts Librarian, who has taught the course since its inception, noticed a lack of retention from some students and hypothesized that the timespan of delivery was a …

Counseling Gifted Students: School-Based Considerations And Strategies, Kelly Kennedy, Jessica Farley

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Gifted students are a heterogeneous group, inclusive of those of all cultures, backgrounds, interests, and achievements. Gifted students may not display any more or worse psychological, social, or developmental challenges than their peers, but they also are not immune from these challenges. Moreover, the nature of their giftedness may impact both how they experience a challenge and how a counselor might best support them. This article provides information regarding some developmental, emotional, and social challenges faced by gifted youth, as well as some suggestions for appropriate school-based counseling strategies.

Breaking Barriers In Teaching And Learning, James Ford, John Zubizarreta

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs

Foreword — Richard Badenhausen

Introduction

Breaking Barriers with Significant Student Learning

Chapter One: Using Student-Generated Questions to Promote Learning — Barbara J. Millis

Chapter Two: Innovative Discussion-Based Pedagogy — Leslie G. Kaplan

Chapter Three: The Importance of the First-Semester Experience: Learning Communities and Clustered Classes — Susan E. Dinan

Chapter Four: Linking Honors Courses: A New Approach to Defining Honors Pedagogy —Dahliani Reynolds, Meg Case, and Becky L. Spritz

Breaking Barriers with Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence

Chapter Five: Honors Components in Honors Faculty Development — Hanne ten Berge and Rob van der Vaart

Chapter Six: Building and Enhancing …

Seven Voices, Seven Developers, Seven One Things That Guide Our Practice, Frances Kalu, Patti Dyjur, Carol Berenson, Kimberley A. Grant, Cheryl Jeffs, Natasha Kenny, Robin Mueller

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Educational development philosophy statements provide a framework to communicate the values and beliefs that guide the practices and approaches of individual educational developers across various career stages. This paper presents narratives to illustrate how seven educational developers conceptualize the one thing that guides our work through the process of reflecting on the beliefs that we articulate through our educational development philosophy statements. Although each narrative illustrates our diverse backgrounds and philosophies, common themes are revealed relating to reflective practice, scholarly approaches, and facilitating change, which lead to improvements in student learning. This exploration suggests further opportunity to conduct research on …

The Chakra System As A Framework For Holistic Educational Development, Michele Dipietro

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

As my interests and job duties have shifted toward holistic educational development beyond teaching support, I have sought a conceptual framework to organize my efforts. Joining my identities of educational developer and yogi, I have adapted the chakra system from yoga philosophy. The One Thing in my personal life has become The One Thing in my professional life too, informing programming and pointing out voids to fill. This essay reviews the classic articulation of the chakra system in the seven major chakras and offers examples of how the chakras can illuminate our institutional work, both individually and as an integrated …

Seeking And Doing Justice Through Educational Development, Wayne Jacobson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

One thing that has shaped my understanding of educational development more than anything else is a commitment to seeking and doing justice. I see this commitment as the animating force that breathes life into the best of what educational developers do and the core value that continually challenges us to do better. In the many contexts in which we work, the one thing that defines the role of educational development is the recognition that we need to continually examine and improve how well our institutional systems are doing justice to the communities that we are trusting them to serve.

From The Editors: The One Thing: A Pluralistic Approach To Research And Practice, Gary Hawkins, Brian Smentkowski

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

From the editors of volume 37, issue 1 of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development (2018), Gary Hawkins of Hampshire College and Brian Smentkowski of the University of Idaho.

“Once A Scientist…”: Disciplinary Approaches And Intellectual Dexterity In Educational Development, Katherine Kearns, Molly Hatcher, Mara Bollard, Michele Dipietro, Devon Donohue-Bergeler, Leslie E. Drane, Elizabeth Luoma, Andrew E. Phuong, Laura Thain, Mary C. Wright

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The authors claim that disciplinary epistemologies—disciplinary habits of mind and ways of thinking—offer productive lenses for observing teaching practices. Furthermore, they argue that educational developers who draw from multiple epistemologies in combination provide rich evidence with regard to teaching and learning and can speak to academic colleagues from an array of disciplines. Clarity is provided for career paths in educational development for colleagues from academic disciplines who are contemplating part- or full-time work in a teaching center. The authors hope that this opening collection develops into a toolkit and area of inquiry about disciplinary approaches to the practice of educational …

One Thing For All Learners, Linda B. Nilson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This essay showcases cognitive psychology and neuroscience research as the “one thing” that guides my work. This research shows how to learn on one’s own, paves the way for student success, and fosters inclusive teaching. These principles have implications for concrete classroom and online instructional practices that are easy for both faculty and students to implement. Because students have to attend to and process their learning experiences, faculty must motivate them to do so. Psychology offers us some useful, albeit limited, tools, and more research on ways we can help students set goals can reduce the limits.

Invitations And Expeditions, But Hardly Ever Destinations, Tracy W. Smith

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This essay characterizes educational development as an invitation. The author provides a rationale for using Invitational Theory (IT) to guide educational development programming and practice. The five assumptions of IT are included and linked to scholarly literature that grounds educational development. Examples of invitational educational development initiatives or programs are provided for each assumption.

Transforming The Classroom At Traditionally White Institutions To Make Black Lives Matter, Frank Truitt, Chayla Haynes, Saran Stewart

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In recent years, many college campuses across the United States witnessed a significant increase in campus activism regarding the range of experiences and conditions facing racially minoritized communities in higher education. As critical and inclusive pedagogues and scholars, we embrace the belief that a focus on making Black Lives Matter in the classrooms of traditionally White institutions (TWIs) provides educators with the best chance to improve the educational outcomes of all students. In this essay, we examine seven principles of critical and inclusive pedagogies that have the potential to make Black Lives Matter in TWI classrooms and identify several implications …