Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Retention Of Female Faculty Members, Susan L. Murray, Mariesa Crow, Suzanna M. Rose

Suzanna Rose

The recruitment and the retention of female undergraduate and graduate students into engineering courses is discussed. A similar challenge lies in recruiting female faculty member from the limited pool of candidates in several fields at most universities. It is found that about half the females who were hired did not stay at the university. It is suggested that programs should be introduced to encourage mentoring and career development as such improvements would benefit all faculty members both female and male.

What Our Students Want In And From Their Library, Veronica Wells, Robin Imhof, Debbie Johnston

Veronica Wells

University of the Pacific’s Stockton Campus Library is currently in the process of a multi-phase renovation that will offer 21st century design and functionality. Our team conducted several assessment methods to understand more fully how our students use –or choose not to use—study spaces and various pieces of furniture in the Stockton library. The results of this project will help answer the questions: “What do our students want or need in library learning spaces – both academic and social?” and “How might we create learning spaces in the library that will enable a variety of student use preferences?” We have …

Developing A Senior Capstone And Portfolio Course, Nanette Johnson-Curiskis, Daniel Cronn-Mills, Warren Sandmann

Daniel Cronn-Mills, Ph.D.

Our purpose in this essay is to explain how the Speech Communication Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato developed a senior capstone and portfolio course. We describe how this course helped the department improve its curriculum and teaching, and helped its students enhance their learning of the discipline.

Icils At A Glance: Highlights From The Full Australian Report – Australian Students’ Readiness For Study, Work And Life In The Digital Age, Lisa De Bortoli, Sarah Buckley, Catherine Underwood, Elizabeth O'Grady, Eveline Gebhardt

Elizabeth O'Grady

The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) is the first international comparative study that examines students’ acquisition of computer and information literacy: ‘the ability to use computers to investigate, create and communicate in order to participate effectively at home, at school, in the workplace and in society'. This publication includes highlights from the full Australian report called ICILS 2013: Australian students’ readiness for study, work and life in the digital age which is available for download from http://research.acer.edu.au/ict_literacy/6/

"I 'Feel' Like I Am At University Even Though I Am Online." Exploring How Students Narrate Their Engagement With Higher Education Institutions In An Online Learning Environment, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Cathy Stone, Janine Delahunty

Professor Sarah O' Shea

This article outlines a collaborative study between higher education institutions in Australia, which qualitatively explored the online learning experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The project adopted a narrative inquiry approach and encouraged students to story their experiences of this virtual environment, providing a snapshot of how learning is experienced by those undertaking online studies. The study explores what impacted upon students' engagement in this environment and how different facets of their learning experience made a qualitative difference to how individuals enacted engagement. Drawing upon Sharon Pittaway's engagement framework, the article seeks to foreground student voice as the learners define …

'University Wasn't Spoken About At Home, It Was Just Assumed That We Would Start Working…': First-In-Family Students, Family Capital And Higher Education Participation, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Professor Sarah O' Shea

The increases in the number of students attending higher education, particularly those who are the first in their immediate family to attend university provided the impetus for the study outlined in this article. Whilst previous research has explored the qualitative experience of being a first in family student, very few studies have explicitly focussed on how attending university interacts and impacts upon the immediate family of the learner. Drawing upon in-depth semi-structured interviews, this article will detail the findings from a small-scale study conducted in an Australian university that explored the interaction of the family home place and students' enactment …

Preferred Learning Mode, Instructor Competence And Tuition Reimbursement: What Our Faculty And Students Are Telling Us, John C. Griffith, Rita Herron

John Griffith

This research examined comments in open response areas from 228 faculty and 659 student surveys regarding learning mode preference (classroom, online, video synchronous) instructor competence with technology and the impact of tuition reimbursement on student choice of learning mode. Most faculty and students viewed traditional classroom as the best option for quality interaction and learning. EagleVision Home (synchronous video learning) courses were noted for increased social presence and online courses were viewed as the most flexible option to take a class. Faculty and students emphasized the need for interaction in distance learning environments. Members of both groups highlighted technical issues …

Drake Library Study Space Survey, Kim Myers

Kim Myers

At the end of the 2014 spring semester, Drake Library conducted a survey to find out why students came to the library, what worked for them, and what they would like to see improved. Over 200 surveys were returned, and the information is presented here.

Icils At A Glance: Highlights From The Full Australian Report – Australian Students’ Readiness For Study, Work And Life In The Digital Age, Lisa De Bortoli, Sarah Buckley, Catherine Underwood, Elizabeth O'Grady, Eveline Gebhardt

Lisa De Bortoli

Exploring The 'Tool Metaphor' For Using Digital Technology In Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Asd), Roselyn M. Dixon, Irina Verenikina

Rose Dixon

Since computer technologies entered the educational domain, a number of metaphors have been introduced in the literature to explain this newly emerged phenomenon to educators in familiar terms. This chapter explores the ways that the conceptualisation of educational technologies as a teaching 'tool' can assist our understanding of the implementation of a new digital technology, the interactive whiteboard (IWB), in teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The tool metaphor relates to a socio-cultural concept of a tool mediated purposeful human activity as a unit of analysis in educational research (Vygotsky, 1978). The activity model (Engestrom, 1991) was adopted in …

Exploring The 'Tool Metaphor' For Using Digital Technology In Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Asd), Roselyn M. Dixon, Irina Verenikina

I. Verenikina

Since computer technologies entered the educational domain, a number of metaphors have been introduced in the literature to explain this newly emerged phenomenon to educators in familiar terms. This chapter explores the ways that the conceptualisation of educational technologies as a teaching 'tool' can assist our understanding of the implementation of a new digital technology, the interactive whiteboard (IWB), in teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The tool metaphor relates to a socio-cultural concept of a tool mediated purposeful human activity as a unit of analysis in educational research (Vygotsky, 1978). The activity model (Engestrom, 1991) was adopted in …

The Journey From Tragedy To Hope: The Experience Of Christian Undergraduates, David M. Johnstone

David M. Johnstone

Using the case study approach, I interviewed seven student leaders at an evangelical university in the Pacific Northwest. Their common feature, other than attending the same institution, was that they had all experienced tragic or traumatic situations at some point in their lives. In spite of this experience, they were able to display a hopeful outlook on life. The purpose of this study was to discern elements or themes that were common to their stories. I was particularly looking for themes that might explain what helped them move on from their traumatic experiences into a perspective of hope. I anticipated …

Determining Data Information Literacy Needs: A Study Of Students And Research Faculty, Jake R. Carlson, Michael Fosmire, Chris Miller, Megan R. Sapp Nelson

Michael Fosmire

Researchers increasingly need to integrate the disposition, management and curation of their data into their current workflows. However, it is not yet clear to what extent faculty and students are sufficiently prepared to take on these responsibilities. This paper articulates the need for a data information literacy program (DIL) to prepare students to engage in such an “e-research” environment. Assessments of faculty interviews and student performance in a geoinformatics course provide complementary sources of information, which are then filtered through the perspective of ACRL’s information literacy competency standards to produce a draft set of outcomes for a data information literacy …

Students As Catalysts For Large Landscape Conservation, Philip J. Nyhus

Philip J. Nyhus

Colleges, universities, and research institutions are important innovators and partners in many large landscape conservation initiatives. Students are essential but often under-recognized constituents in these endeavors. A conference on Students as Catalysts for Large landscape Conservation was held in 2013 at Colby College to explore this topic. Participants came from 12 states, 3 countries, and 19 institutions. This paper summarizes insights from the conference and associated meetings of the Conservation Catalyst Network, including how and why students engage in large landscape conservation, benefits to students and practitioners, and remaining challenges. Land conservation and policy is replete with legacies of innovative …

The Influence Of The Social Context On Students In-Class Physical Activity, Dana J. Perlman

Dana Perlman

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the social context, based within self-determination theory, on student's in-class physical activity. A total of 84 Year 11/12 physical education students were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups; Autonomy-supportive, Controlling and Balanced. Data were collected using a pretest/posttest design measuring in-class physical activity. Analysis of data used Repeated Measures ANOVAs to examine group differences. Results indicated significant differences for students engaged in the autonomy-supportive context in terms of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. These results indicate that instructional behaviors that align with an autonomy-supportive context can facilitate higher levels …

Grit: Educating Low-Performing And Minority Students, Edward Earl Bell

Dr. Edward E. Bell

Grit is needed.

Introduction: Choices In Education, Ronald G. Ehrenberg

Ronald G. Ehrenberg

[Excerpt] Society has high expectations for our educational system, and social science research should contribute to helping meet these expectations. Research on the choices that participants in the system make, and on the consequences of these choices, is particularly useful and often provides information that is directly relevant to the policy debate. Thus the four chapters in this volume all address the choices, and the consequences of choices, made by students, teachers, and school administrators. They are grouped together in this book in the belief that providing them this way will increase their influence on public policy.

Role Models In Education (Symposium Introduction), Ronald G. Ehrenberg

Ronald G. Ehrenberg

It is our hope that by assembling these papers in one place, the Review will contribute to future policy debate on the importance of role models in education. Moreover, the papers' findings may have even broader importance. In many respects, the relationship between teachers and students can be viewed as analogous to the relationship between supervisors and employees. If the race, gender, and ethnicity of teachers "matter," so may the race, gender, and ethnicity of supervisors in the employment relationship. These papers thus suggest analogous types of research that could be profitably undertaken that relate to the employment relationship.

Integrating Students Into The Operation Of A University-Owned Television Station, Christine Taylor

Christine Taylor

Most journalism and mass communication programs provide opportunities for students to acquire some "hands-on" experience as undergraduates. There remains some considerable argument as to whether this "hands-on" educational experience should be part of the academic curriculum. I will review this debate briefly.

Invisibilities, Uncertainties, And Unexpected Surprises: The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Students, Staff, And Faculty At Colleges And Universities In Colorado (Executive Summary), Kristie L. Seelman, N. E. Walls, Kelly Costello, Karly Steffens, Kyle Inselman, Hillary Montague-Asp

Kristie L Seelman

No abstract provided.

Invisibilities, Uncertainties, And Unexpected Surprises: The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Students, Staff, And Faculty At Colleges And Universities In Colorado, Kristie L. Seelman, N. E. Walls, Kelly Costello, Karly Steffens, Kyle Inselman, Hillary Montague-Asp

Kristie L Seelman

No abstract provided.

Creating A Web Research Guide: Collaboration Between Liaisons, Faculty And Students, Tammy Sugarman, Constance Demetracopoulos

Tammy Sugarman

This article discusses the efforts of two liaison librarians at William Russell Pullen Library, Georgia State University, to build a long-term, sustainable partnership among teaching faculty, graduate students, and librarians in the development and maintenance of a Web-based research guide for world history. The projects' goals are: to provide access to the resources available at Pullen Library; to serve as a gateway to resources available on the Internet; and to showcase student contributions, including bibliographies and annotations of Web sites. The project is an organic endeavor, with the Web site's organization open to periodic review and modification. Continuous discussions and …