Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Treescapes, Alexandra Délano Alonso, Marco Saavedra

Occasional Paper Series

We’ve each been looking to the trees for a long time. One of us painting, the other writing, with, by the trees. In the middle of the city and its noise, finding the branches. Standing, inquiring, returning. Why the trees, how we belong to each other, is a question worth asking again and again. These paintings and poems are part of an ongoing conversation, of many layers, of many trees, of what we lose and find under their canopies, in blooms, in dirt & seasons. What walking among the trees has taught us is that every art is an invitation …

In The Park: A Treescapes Discussion With Rex, Melanie L. Riley

Occasional Paper Series

In this video, composed of still images and video footage, two-year-old Rex leads his mother on a playful exploration through a leafy area of Alexandra Park, located in the Stockport borough of Greater Manchester in England. The park has a wide range of amenities including a reservoir, wooded area, skate park, and play park, and offers a safe and calm but exciting space for visitors. Rex enjoys being among the trees. He imagines owls in the treetops and stops to admire the tree's bark, describing it as bumpy. Rex enjoys splashing in puddles, playing peekaboo behind a tree, and running …

Painting Our Treescapes: A Visual, Gretel Olson, Ingrid Olson, Stephanie Schuurman-Olson

Occasional Paper Series

Two children (ages 6 and 9) represent an afternoon spent in their urban, wintery treescape through visual art, photo documentation, and written narrative. The first piece, "My Imaginary Forest", considers the seasons, animals, and issues of artistic representation of nature. The second piece describes the relationship between a favourite tree and a child, and considers others -- both present and future -- who also occupy "Our Knotty Tree". All of the words, visual art, and photo selection are those of the children.

Trees And Us: Learning About/From Trees And Treescapes From Primary School Children In The United Kingdom, Samyia Ambreen, Khawla Badwan, Kate Pahl

Occasional Paper Series

In recent years, there is a growing interest for attending to children’s voice in environmental research. The theoretical developments in knowledge about children view them as social agents who can make sense of their own experiences in relation to the environment surrounded them. In this report, we add reflections from an ongoing project “voices of the future” which aims to reimagine future of treescapes in the UK. Using examples from two primary schools in the northwest of England, we discuss children’s knowledge about trees and how children talk about their lived experiences with trees. Centring on our field work experiences, …

Schools Are Where Trees And Children’S Livelihoods Go To Die: A Teacher’S Reflection On Revitalizing Land-Based Education, Tiffani Marie

Occasional Paper Series

Plainly said: schools are where trees and children’s livelihoods go to die; both cut down, gutted and their desecrated remains used for the maintenance and reproduction of the establishment. Through its critique of schooling—its ties to individualism, harmful social reproduction, colonial foundations, and centering of white supremacist ideologies, this paper makes the case for land-based education as a conduit toward healing, innovation and connection. It draws links between the irreconcilable nature of youth wellness and schooling, while centering pedagogical reverence for the natural world, particularly connection with tree spaces, as part of a critical educational trajectory toward symbiotic relationship with …

Introduction: Learning With Treescapes In Environmentally Endangered Times, Samyia Ambreen, Kate Pahl

Occasional Paper Series

As we write this in a cool and rainy north of England, the planet is burning. Some of the highest temperatures in Earth’s history are currently being recorded in Death Valley, US. Italy is recording temperatures of 118 degrees farenheit (48 degrees Celsius). Rhodes is on fire. I (Kate) remember when I realized the extent of the disaster that is the climate emergency coming upon us. It was listening to a geologist describing the slow and then very fast loss of a glacier in the High Arctic. We are realizing our world is slipping away from us.

Traces Of Worms, Zoey Ashcroft

Occasional Paper Series

The setting was a day spent planting trees outside the school grounds. As Zoey and her classmates planted the trees, they also recorded the activity in their notebooks. The children noticed the worms that were wriggling in the ground. Zoey recorded an activity in which leaves and then worms were lifted from the earth, and the worms then explored the page where they were put. Afterward, the worms were lifted off the page and put back on the ground. The traces of the worms were left on the page. We were left with traces of worms.

Exploration Of Academic Outcomes In Arkansas's Four-Day School Weeks And Year-Round Calendars, Sarah Mckenzie, Josh Mcgee, Kathryn L. Barnes, Charlene A. Reid

Policy Briefs

This brief provides an overview of the findings from a research report examining the academic outcomes of Arkansas school districts using a four-day school week or year-round calendar. We aim to shed light on trends related to academic outcomes. We assess the impacts of recent calendar changes in this context and make recommendations.

Exploring Academic Outcomes In Arkansas Schools: A Study Of Four-Day School Week And Year-Round Calendar Districts, Kate Barnes, Sarah Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

In 2021, Arkansas's state legislature passed Act 688 allowing school districts to adopt non-traditional calendars. Districts could choose from four calendar options: traditional, four-day school weeks (4DSW), year-round calendar(YRC), and alternative. During the 2022-23 school year, 33 districts adopted new calendars; twenty-seven districts operated using a 4DSW, and six used a YRC. Several more districts adopted 4DSW in the 2023-24 school year. Atpresent, thirty-four Arkansas districts use a 4DSW. This report used publicly available data from the Arkansas Department of Education to explore the relationship between adoption of a 4DSW or YRC and the following student outcomes: academic growth, academic …

The Experiences Of Latinx Faculty, Staff, And Students At A Predominantly White Institution Aspiring To Become A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Andrew Peña

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The Experiences of Latinx Faculty, Staff, and Students at a Predominantly White Institution Aspiring to become a Hispanic Serving Institution: Literature Review Over recent years, higher education has experienced an increase in underrepresented

racial populations, translating into an urge for institutions' diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts (Gasman & Samayoa, 2019). In an increasingly diverse nation, predominantly white institutions seeking to become Hispanic Serving Institutions must acknowledge the challenges associated with this designation. The experiences of Latinx faculty, staff, and students are interconnected, which impacts their success, access, and retention within higher education. Thus, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for …

Exploring College Student Experiences In A Kinesiology Course Using A Gamified Grading System, Rachel E. Williams, Jedediah E. Blanton, Christopher D. Kilgore, Matthew Jones

Educational Practices in Kinesiology

Past findings indicate mixed results on the effectiveness of gamification in college courses. The use of a gamified version of specifications-based grading (e.g., gamified grading) is not yet well understood. The purpose of this two-part study was to understand students’ perceptions of intrinsic motivation and engagement in a kinesiology course using gamified grading, facilitated by a gamified grading platform called GradeCraft©. We used qualitative inquiry to capture a robust description of the student experience across a semester, identifying themes describing the course management (e.g., comparison with traditional course, individual approach), and the psychological experience (e.g., autonomy, stress). The following semester, …

The Overcoming Disadvantage In Early Childhood Study: Evaluation Of The Australian Literacy And Numeracy Foundation’S Early Language And Literacy Program. Summary Report, Dan Cloney, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson

Early Childhood Education

This report provides a summary of the completed Overcoming Disadvantage in Early Childhood (ODEC) longitudinal research study. The study was designed to evaluate the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation’s (ALNF) Early Language and Literacy (EL&L) program by answering the research question: What is the effect of the EL&L program on the development of language and literacy skills in preschool aged children? An integral component of this study was the development of the Early Language and Literacy Developmental Index (ELLDI), a new tool to measure oral language and literacy learning. The development of the ELLDI was based on the recognised need …

Copyright

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Call For Manuscripts, Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Copyright, Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Online Assessment In Large Undergraduate Courses During Covid-19 Emergency Response Teaching, Kate Maloney Williams, Alice E. Donlan

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The transition to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented and forced many universities to quickly embrace online distance learning. This context created new challenges, particularly around assessment strategies. Empirical research has demonstrated that formative assessment fosters more active learning in online classrooms. However, formative assessment strategies are not always adapted well to online platforms based on the nature of the subject matter and the size of the class. This qualitative case study sought to understand instructors’ experiences and strategies for conducting assessment remotely, specifically for large-size undergraduate courses. The investigation relied on data from semi-structured interviews with University …

The Perceived Effectiveness Of Modular Theological Education In An International, Cross-Cultural Environment In Rwanda, Africa, Jonathan D. Mcginnis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Theological education in an international, cross-cultural environment carries numerous obstacles. Challenges such as language, culture, and resources become overwhelming for the ministry striving to teach and train pastors overseas. Traditionally, establishing Bible schools, universities, and seminaries seemed to be a practical approach. Online education, though growing, is almost non-existent in most impoverished regions of the world. Both models bring challenges and beg the conversation about different options. In-person, modular theological education has been around for quite some time. Yet, there has been little to no research on the effectiveness of the approach to theological education in the international, cross-cultural environment. …

‘‘Effectiveness Of Awareness Programme On Knowledge Regarding Home Based Postnatal Practices Among Primigravid Women In Selected Private Hospitals, Udupi ’, Pavitra Ashok Nayak Hk

Manipal Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences

Abstract

Postnatal is the period beginning immediately after the birth of a child and extending for about six weeks. Tradition, ritual pollution, and lack of experience mean mothers have relatively little autonomy over newborn care and grandmothers and elders are important decision makers and care takers.

Objectives

• To determine the level of knowledge regarding home based postnatal practices among primigravid women using structured interview schedule and to find the effectiveness of awareness programme on knowledge regarding home based postnatal practices among primigravid women in terms of gain in knowledge scores.

Method

A pre-experimental study was conducted among 30 primigravid women …

Engaging Students In A Genetics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Utilizing Caenorhabditis Elegans In Hybrid Learning To Explore Human Disease Gene Variants, Natalie Forte, Virginia Veasey, Bethany Christie, Amira Carter, Marli Hanks, Alan Holderfield, Taylor Houston, Anil Challa, Ashley Turner

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Genetic analysis in model systems using bioinformatic approaches provides a rich context for a concrete and conceptual understanding of gene structure and function. With the intent to engage students in research and explore disease biology utilizing the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model, we developed a semester-long course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) in a hybrid (online/in-person) learning environment—the gene-editing and evolutionary nematode exploration CURE (GENE-CURE). Using a combination of bioinformatic and molecular genetic tools, students performed structure-function analysis of disease-associated variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in human orthologs. With the aid of a series of workshop-style research sessions, students worked in teams …

An Inquiry Into Hope And Imagination In Jesuit Education: Ignatian Design Thinking As A Lens For Exploration, Stacy Neier Beran, Patrick M. Green

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Hope and imagination are foundational to a Jesuit education, and as central tenets, inform teaching and learning through Ignatian pedagogy. The authors explore hope and imagination in the Jesuit context through the lens of scholar-practitioner inquiry, drawing from the local context and practice of an Ignatian design thinking course as a source of knowledge. This inquiry approach is rooted in practice-based research, and situates scholarly exploration through lines of inquiry and problems of practice, specifically exploring how design thinking fosters curiosity and creates space for teaching imagination and hope. The authors draw on their teaching experiences, course design, and professional …