Digital Commons Network^™

Process Drama: A Creative Way To Assess Ela Understanding, Nicole Rausch

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

With increasing demands and decreasing amounts of instructional time, teachers are constantly looking for creative ways to integrate, assess, and target instruction to meet the needs of each student. This article takes a look at how one teacher employed the use of a highly engaging process drama to teach and assess multiple subject area content standards. A process drama is remarkably creative, social, and applicable so can be easily adapted to meet the needs of any grade level. The low floor, high ceiling project allows students multiple avenues to demonstrate understanding of skills and concepts.

College Student Changing Attitudes And Beliefs About The Nature Of And Teaching Of Mathematics And Science, Stephen R. Skinner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With an estimated 17.3 million STEM jobs in the US, there exists a need for a STEMready workforce that is science literate with positive attitudes and beliefs toward the learning and teaching of mathematics and science (Graf, Fry, & Funk, 2018). However, the US has seen a steady decline in the number of high school students interested in STEM-related fields with only 16% of interested students with proven proficiency in mathematics and science and are ready to enroll in college STEM programs (ACT, 2017; Osborne & Dillon, 2008; Stake & Mares, 2001). With the decline in student interest, the US …

Students' Attitudes Towards Standardized Testing: A Literature Review, Kelly Gard

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Standardized testing is a task that all students must undertake during their educational careers. Standardized tests are large determinants to course placements, exceptionality placements, grades, school sanctions or rewards, and education policy. It is imperative that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed on standardized tests. However, bias, stress, and anxiety in standardized testing often hinders the opportunity for many students to excel on the tests.

The purpose of this literature review is to discuss the research conducted on standardized testing bias which includes the prevalence of testing bias as well as the causes and types of testing bias. …

The Impact Of Social Constructivist Mathematics Learning Experiences On Latino, Middle School Students’ Proportional Reasoning, Victor M. Vizcaino

Theses and Dissertations

Due to its centrality in the curriculum, research on proportional reasoning (PR) has seen a resurgence of interest. Recent research examined students’ patterns, strategies, and achievement when solving PR problems. Other studies explored PR learning trajectories. Additional studies focused on instructional interventions such as the effect of number structure, continuous, discrete, and intensive quantities to promote the development of proportional reasoning skills (PRS). The subjects of these studies have been United States white middle school students, Icelandic grade 5 girls, Spanish secondary school students, Turkish middle school students, as well as Scottish and Korean upper primary grades’ students. Few studies …

Effects Of Jigsaw Cooperative Approach On Year Five Pupils’ Higher Order Thinking Skills In Science, Hwee San Gan

Student Works (2020-2029)

Science education encourages pupils to develop 21st century skills such as higher order thinking and cooperative skills. However, in science classrooms, pupils seldom work together. They prefer to listen and work individually; thus preventing pupils from developing their higher order thinking skills. The research objectives for this study were: (1) to investigate the effects of Jigsaw Cooperative Approach on Year Five pupils’ higher order thinking skills (applying and analysing skills), (2) to describe Year Five pupils’ cooperative skills when Jigsaw Cooperative Approach is implemented in Science lessons and (3) to examine Year Five pupils’ perceptions on Jigsaw Cooperative Approach as …

How Student Perceptions Of The Online Learning Environment And Student Motivation Predict Persistence, Completion, And Retention In Developmental Mathematics Courses, Samuel K. Gedeborg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Online developmental mathematics courses have high dropout rates. The focus of this study is to improve understanding of how students’ perceptions of the online learning environment and student motivation from course design predict student drop out. This understanding will benefit faculty and institutions on student support for online developmental mathematics students.

The study included 330 undergraduate students enrolled in online developmental mathematics courses during the Fall 2018 semester at eight public universities and colleges in the Utah State Higher Education (USHE) system. Participants completed a survey with questions measuring their perceptions of the learning environment. They also completed a survey …

A Single, Narrowly Focused Create Primary Literature Module Evokes Gains In Genetics Students’ Self-Efficacy And Understanding Of The Research Process, Alison Krufka, Kristy Kenyon, Sally G. Hoskins

Publications and Research

Exposure to primary literature using CREATE tools has been shown to have a positive impact on students’ self-efficacy and beliefs when incorporated into semester-long courses taught by extensively trained faculty. However, it is unknown whether similar benefits can occur with a brief exposure to CREATE in an otherwise traditionally taught course. We hypothesized that students who experienced a short-term CREATE module taught by faculty with minimal training in this pedagogy would make gains in scientific literacy and self-efficacy while also experiencing epistemological maturation. To test this hypothesis, we compared sections of students who experienced the CREATE module with sections of …

Good Things: An Original Picture Book, Maryah Greene

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The research collected in this study aims to support students, teachers and parents on their journey of building a relationship with houseplants. Whether in a classroom, at home or in a work space, a relationship with a houseplant should be one that is intentional, personal and provides an opportunity for growth both physically and mentally. The following research aims to support this belief while also supporting students, teachers and parents through the creation of the original book material, Good Things.

Educator Researched Methods And Interventions That Increase Below Level Readers’ Fluency And Comprehension, Shawnee Knott, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A student walks into a classroom multiple grades below grade level and already on day one that student is behind and will most likely be behind their entire school year. Many teachers are faced with this scenario year after year. Students entering their classrooms unprepared for the on-level content they need to be on. Reading below grade level is just the beginning of the learning gap that exists in today’s classrooms. Teachers work hard to close that gap, but by upper elementary is it too late? What can teachers do to help these students grow and become successful learners?

This …

Dark Ride: Disneyland. Using Educational Games For Critical Media Literacy Education, Benjamin Thevenin

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article describes Dark Ride: Disneyland - a mobile game that encourages Disneyland guests to critically consider Disney’s representations of history, culture, and technology. The game was the creation of a group of faculty, students and professionals associated with Brigham Young University. The article contextualizes the game and its development in relation to concepts including media as public pedagogy, critical inquiries of place, critical and creative media literacy, creative production as research, and educational videogames. It reviews the project’s objective to foster critical reflection and creativity among those involved in developing the game and hopefully to extend media literacy education …

Critical Media Literacy Approaches To Violence Prevention: A Research Note, Emily A. Moorhouse, Hayley Brooks

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Sexual violence is a global phenomenon needing sustainable interventions. The article extends findings from media literacy scholars by exploring ways that critical media literacy (CML) pedagogies can be used to teach affirmative consent education for the purposes of violence prevention. The article is not a curriculum blue-print, as the pedagogies are still being piloted for adolescents in Ontario. However, the rationales for bridging consent education and critical media literacy apply transnationally. Engaging educators and students with critical analysis of media and creative media production is key to transformative learning about consent, within and beyond the classroom. The article ends by …

Learning Opportunities Of Multiplication Fluency In Open Source K-5 Mathematics Curriculum, Katie L. Johnson

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Three open source K-5 mathematics curricula, Bridges in Mathematics, Eureka Mathematics, and Texas Go Math!, were analyzed and coded to determine what learning opportunities they provided for students to develop multiplication fluency. Multiplication fluency is achieved when conceptual and procedural knowledge are layered to allow the learner to process the information. Across the three sets of materials, 429 items were coded, with 69.93% being coded as items that afforded the development of procedural knowledge. One of the goals of this study was to determine how curricular materials support rote learning versus more layered [scaffolded] learning. It was determined …

Barrington Bunny: Case Of The Curious Clouds A Narrative Picture Book For Symbolic Play And Stem Curriculum, Claudia Chung

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Adults constantly use their imagination to help them visualize, problem-solve, enjoy a book, empathize, and think creatively. Therefore, using one's imagination is a critical cognitive skill that can be used throughout life. And it is crucial for educators to encourage imagination, creativity and original ideas in childhood through pretend play, story, picture books, and narrative make-believe if we want our students to be mindful and functioning adults in society. Pretend play is also known as "symbolic play" because it involves the use of symbols. This type of symbolic thought is also needed for language and reading, as our words are …

The Accessibility Of Mathematical Notation On The Web And Beyond, Jason White

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This paper serves two purposes. First, it offers an overview of the role of the Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) in representing mathematical notation on the Web, and its significance for accessibility. To orient the discussion, hypotheses are advanced regarding users’ needs in connection with the accessibility of mathematical notation. Second, current developments in the evolution of MathML are reviewed, noting their consequences for accessibility, and commenting on prospects for future improvement in the concrete experiences of users of assistive technologies. Recommendations are advanced for further research and development activities, emphasizing the cognitive aspects of user interface design.

Establishing A Content Taxonomy For The Coherent Study Of Engineering In P-12 Schools, Greg Strimel, Tanner Huffman, Michael Grubbs, Eunhye Kim, Jamie Gurganus

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Engineering education has increasingly become an area of interest at the P-12 level, yet attempts to align engineering knowledge, skills, and habits to existing elementary and secondary educational programming have been parochial in nature (e.g., for a specific context, grade, or initiative). Consequently, a need exists to establish a coherent P-12 content framework for engineering teaching and learning, which would serve as both an epistemological foundation for the subject and a guide for the design of developmentally appropriate educational standards, performance expectations, learning progressions, and assessments. A comprehensive framework for P-12 engineering education would include a compelling rationale and vision …

Collaborative Pull-Out Literacy Classroom For Dually Served Students, Mandy Sitten

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

This descriptive study examines the effectiveness of a collaboratively-taught classroom literacy skills and language acquisition delivery collaborative classroom for middle school students who receive both special education and ESOL services. Limited research was found on best practices for teaching dually-served students, yet a noticeable increase of evidence indicates that ELs with disabilities require accommodations for language development and/or modifications for their disability in order to achieve academic success. This research combines theories of additional language acquisition and special education to show their relationship to the needs of dually-served students; it will address problems of serving ELs with disabilities. This research …

Motivation In The Mathematics Classroom, Evan Thornton-Kolbe

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Mathematics has always seemed to be an unpopular subject amongst primary and secondary students in the United States. This project seeks to identify the roots of these attitudes and examine them in ways that allow for personal reflection, community building, and student advocacy. An individual’s access to educational resources and equitable treatment play a large role in shaping their mathematics learning identity. This topic was examined via traditional research methods for the written paper portion and also includes a set of lesson plans for teachers to use. These lesson plans utilize the ideas discussed in the paper portion to provide …

Possibilities And Problems In Trauma-Based And Social Emotional Learning Programs

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Looking For Trouble And Causing Trauma, Marquita D. Foster

Occasional Paper Series

The purpose of this paper is to examine the genuine but misguided efforts to address the behaviors of Pre-K students in a Texas public school. After espousing the concept of building strong children through correction, evaluation, and intervention in my role as assistant principal, I began to question how these methods tended to lead to pathologizing the behaviors of Black pre-kindergarteners in my school. In an attempt to find solutions to the children's perceived misbehavior, Pre-K teachers were charged with utilizing PBIS strategies and the RTI process for behavior. Social and emotional learning (SEL) was also considered. We discovered that …

Student Perceptions Regarding The Use Of Purposive English In A Spanish As A Foreign Language Classroom, Kacey Booth

Dissertations

In modern American society, diversity is both challenged and celebrated, and inclusion is imperative. This ideology begins in the classroom. Oftentimes, this celebration of diversity, more specifically linguistic diversity, is most visible in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) classes and similar bilingual educational programs. In TESOL programs, students’ international identities are highlighted and students are often instructed using multilingual educational resources to scaffold their acquisition of English. Historically, foreign language teaching also utilized dual-language instructional methodologies. Such archaic teaching methodologies have since been replaced by more modern and immersive sociopsycholinguistic approaches such as Communicative Language Teaching. Such …

Engagement And Computational Thinking Through Creative Coding, Dana Hoppe

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Rising enrollments in Computer Science pose an opportunity to engage students from diverse backgrounds and interests; and a challenge to deliver on positive learning outcomes. While student engagement is the driving factor for increased learning performance and retention, it has been declining to new lows for Computer Science students in recent years. In order to further explore the potential of contextualized computing as a tool for increasing engagement in computing and developing Computational Thinking aptitude in students, we have developed an introductory computing course contextualized with Art and Design with modules centered around guiding pedagogical principles and aimed at middle …

Teaching And Learning Of Fluid Mechanics, Ashwin Vaidya

Department of Mathematics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Fluid mechanics occupies a privileged position in the sciences; it is taught in various science departments including physics, mathematics, environmental sciences and mechanical, chemical and civil engineering, with each highlighting a different aspect or interpretation of the foundation and applications of fluids. Doll’s fluid analogy [5] for this idea is especially relevant to this issue: “Emergence of creativity from complex flow of knowledge—example of Benard convection pattern as an analogy—dissipation or dispersal of knowledge (complex knowledge) results in emergent structures, i.e., creativity which in the context of education should be thought of as a unique way to arrange information so …

Does The Use Of Simulation Significantly Impact Students’ Perceptions Of Their Air Traffic Control Knowledge And Skill?, Meron Lindenfeld, Jeanne Radigan, Michael Figuccio

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Simulation has served as an instructional supplement in education and training within various fields such as nursing, business, and flight training. Prior research studies have documented its usefulness. Simulation-based lessons have also been used for air traffic control (ATC) training, but little research has been conducted on the usefulness of simulation in this application. This study measured the level of influence that ATC simulation had on students’ perception of their ATC knowledge and skill level and their commitment to a career in ATC.

Data were collected by surveying students at four institutions of higher education after they completed ATC courses …

Amplifying Latinx Voice Through Interview Study: Highlighting Mathematics Identity As A Pathway To Student Self-Empowerment And Academic Agency, Brea Justine Cohen

Dissertations and Theses

Nationally, the percentage of high school students taking higher-level mathematics courses (beyond Algebra 2) has increased from the late 20th century to the present. However, as compared to White high school students enrolled in advanced math classes, the rate is lower among students of color, specifically students who identify as Latinx, African American, or Native American. My school district (a suburban district in the Northwestern United States) is working to address this problem by implementing several district-wide initiatives that focus on increasing students' engagement in mathematics, which focuses teacher pedagogy on leveraging mathematics communities to support collaborative mathematics dialogue. The …

April Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda.

Teaching Data Carving Using The Real World Problem Of Text Message Extraction From Unstructured Mobile Device Data Dumps, Gary D. Cantrell, Joan Runs Through

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Data carving is a technique used in data recovery to isolate and extract files based on file content without any file system guidance. It is an important part of data recovery and digital forensics, but it is also useful in teaching computer science students about file structure and binary encoding of information especially within a digital forensics program. This work demonstrates how the authors teach data carving using a real world problem they encounter in digital forensics evidence processing involving the extracting of text messages from unstructured small device binary extractions. The authors have used this problem for instruction in …

Using Online Sharing And Editing Tools For Classroom Collaborative Learning In Multimedia Journalism Education, Russell S. Chun 6932423

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

It’s no surprise to educators that collaborative learning offers a deeper level of classroom engagement, enhances critical thinking, and improves retention of information. Research consistently supports those claims (Gokhale, 1995; Johnson & Johnson, 1986; Totten, Sills, Digby, & Russ, 1991). Online tools can offer a way to enable such collaborative learning and reap those benefits. In particular, real-time, multi-user, content sharing and/or editing tools make possible group critiques of media-rich content, potentially lower barriers for participation in group problem-solving exercises, and create a unique environment for continuous self-assessment and peer learning. A careful examination of how two of these web-based …

Investigations Into Bolzano's Bounded Set Theorem, Dave Ruch

Analysis

No abstract provided.

Investigations Into D'Alembert's Definition Of Limit (Real Analysis Version), Dave Ruch

Analysis

No abstract provided.

Written Reflections And Discussion Forums-- Math For Elementary School Teachers (Q2s-Ep: Math 301aqbr And Math 301bqbr ), Stephanie Creswell

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

Preparing for the transition from quarters to semesters, instructors of the mathematics sequence for future elementary teachers (Math 301ABC, Math 308 and their semester equivalents 3011, 3012 and 3013) applied research about best practices for online learning in mathematics to the quarter bridge courses Math 301AQBR and 301BQBR that each include 0.5 units of online activities. Successful activities piloted in the quarter bridge courses may be implemented in the 3011-3012-3013 semester sequence and their associated lab courses 3011L-3012L-3013L. This paper focuses on written reflections and group discussion forums associated with the class textbook Powerful Problem Solving by Max Ray.