Digital Commons Network^™

The Visport Project: Visualization Of Port Logistics, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Ginger S. Watson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the introduction of Visualization in Port Logistics (VisPort) web-based tool project for the visualization of port careers and logistics in the U.S. It outlines the educational objectives of the project including the virtual reality experience associated with port operation, the multimedia environment for the learning of students, and the simulation of port logistics. It mentions that the scientific and technical visualization curriculum offered to students enhances the skills related to scientific and mathematical concepts as well as the experience on graphic techniques.

Children With Disabilities In Private Inclusive Schools In Mumbai: Experiences And Challenges, Ashima Das Ph.D., Ruth Kattumuri

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

‘Inclusive education’ policy has been introduced in India, however the concept is in its infancy This qualitative study analyses the case of children with disabilities studying in private inclusive schools of Mumbai. It discusses the development of self concept, elucidates the benefits and challenges of children with disabilities in inclusive education. We then suggest recommendations for improvements in implementing inclusive education in India.

A Review Of Curricular Approaches And Quality Of Life Indicators In The United States For Individuals Displaing Profound Multiple Disabilities, Jonna L. Bobzien

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

During the last two decades in the United States, there has been an increase in research studies on two salient areas of interests impacting individuals with profound multiple disabilities (PMD): providing access to appropriate educational curriculums and enhancing overall quality of life. Despite this interest, attempts to link positive quality of life indicators and appropriate educational curriculum for students with PMD have not been explored. The purpose of this literature review is to identify articles related to curriculum issues, as well as those addressing the importance of skill acquisition activities that lead to an improved quality of life. Implications for …

Effects Of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (Call) Instruction On The Acquisition Of Passive Grammatical Forms By Post-Secondary English As A Second Language (Esl) Students, Ya Chi Chien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to compare Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) grammar instruction with traditional classroom teacher-directed grammar instruction for post-secondary English as a Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in an Intensive English Program (IEP). Students‟ achievement was measured by their performance on three measures (multiple choice, cloze/fill-in-the-blank, and open-ended tests) of passive grammatical forms. This study gathered quantitative data on students‟ performance on the three measures for both teacher-directed and CALL instruction groups as well as qualitative data with respect to the CALL participants‟ perception of the Azar Interactive online grammar instruction program. Results of the mixed design …

A Focus On Technological Literacy In Higher Education, John M. Ritz

STEMPS Faculty Publications

[First Paragraph] Technological literacy continues to be an important construct for learners in all societies.Quite often it is a knowledge area not required of university students unless they are engineering or technology majors. If the mission of design and technology education is literacy for all, this same mission should apply at the university level. An analysis was made of 256 students to determine their attitudes of knowledge gained from a general studies technological literacy course. The course was offered at the 100 level and was designed to expose students to various technologies so they would have a better foundation for …

Research Summary: Assessment, Robert Michael Capraro, Mary F. Roe, Micki M. Caskey, David Strahan, Penny A. Bishop, Christopher C. Weiss

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

Assessment is important for middle level teachers and their students. In fact, the National Middle School Association (NMSA) highlighted curriculum, instruction, and assessment in This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents (NMSA, 2010). The intention of this summary is to establish assessment’s rightful position as one priority for middle grade teachers and their students. When used wisely and well, teachers obtain information about their students’ strengths and needs, and their students remain informed about their achievements. To begin, educators need an operational definition of assessment. Based on the work of many scholars (e.g., Delclos, Vye, Burns, Bransford, & Hasselbring, …

The C.R.E.A.T.E. Approach To Primary Literature Shifts Undergraduates’ Self-Assessed Ability To Read And Analyze Journal Articles, Attitudes About Science, And Epistemological Beliefs, Sally G. Hoskins, David Lopatto, Leslie M. Stevens

Publications and Research

The C.R.E.A.T.E. (Consider,Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment)method uses intensive analysis of primary literature in the undergraduate classroom to demystify and humanize science. We have reported previously that the method improves students’ critical thinking and content integration abilities, while at the same time enhancing their self-reported understanding of “who does science, and why.” We report here the results of an assessment that addressed C.R.E.A.T.E. students’ attitudes about the nature of science, beliefs about learning, and confidence in their ability to read, analyze, and explain research articles. Using a Likert-style survey administered pre- and postcourse, …

Surveying The Online Classroom : Student Reactions To E-Learning, Jordan Dierks

Graduate Research Papers

The utilization of commercial, open source, and institution designed learning management systems are increasing in higher education. Universities are competing with each other to find qualified applicants or increase enrollment. Many higher education institutions are evaluating their return on investment for educational technologies, white public institutions are facing the reality of shifting funding sources from state support to self-sufficiency. The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of a learning management system (LMS) in an online classroom supporting either a full-web or blended course affects student satisfaction with the learning experience. Additional areas examined include whether students …

Student Motivation And No Child Left Behind, Tiffany Kleckner

Graduate Research Papers

The No Child Left Behind Act was developed in 2002 by the administration of George W. Bush. The purpose of this piece of legislation was to increase student achievement in America. Regulations and requirements have been put in place by the administration such as standardized testing. This paper discusses the history of NCLB, the current issues with the legislation, and how student motivation and achievement has been effected due to the NCLB law.

Curricular Integration In The Elementary Classroom, Jill Leibold

Graduate Research Papers

The No Child Left Behind Act and how it narrows the elementary curriculum is an important educational issue. Integration is a valuable teaching practice that is becoming more wide spread in today's classrooms because of the pressures placed on teachers by NCLB. Integration is used to relieve some of the pressures of NCLB by helping teachers create more time to teach all subject areas. Integration allows teachers to connect learning standards across the curriculum and make lessons more meaningful for the students. This paper describes what integration is and why teachers need to implement integration into their daily instruction. In …

Supporting Student Learning Through Scientific Inquiry, Allison J. Barness

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this review is to identify the kind(s) of early childhood science instruction and learning environment that best supports student learning in science. The research examined focused on teacher actions and pedagogy, which also addressed student learning as outcome of the different studies. In addition, the research analyzed both the physical and the psychological environments, as both are important aspects which support student learning in science. A variety of sources were used and synthesized to provide the reader with informational data and recommendations.

Teaching Poetry Writing In The Primary Grades, Staci Cramer-Wilkinson

Graduate Research Papers

This project examines the use of poetry to teach writing and the impact this instruction has on the primary classroom. The purpose of this project is to explore poetry instruction, examine how it has traditionally been taught, and provide professional development to classroom teachers that focuses on the effective use of poetry instruction in the classroom. The professional development sessions include Power Point presentations, small and large group discussions, and practical classroom application. Benefits and challenges of poetry instruction are also provided.

Social Discourse Of Literature Circles With A Focus On Gender, Laurie Hornor

Graduate Research Papers

This research study examined the social discourse of literature circles with a focus on gender within a fifth-grade regular education classroom. The researcher examined the nature of social discourse that was held by students and examined whether gender appeared to influence social discourse. The results from this study showed that gender did have an impact on how students responded to literature within discussion groups. Two main gender-related characteristics of the discussions were noted. The first characteristic was that males and females did hold beliefs that paralleled culturally-determined gender roles. These beliefs had an impact on how students responded to literature. …

Student Motivation : Encouraging Children To Read In School, Kelly White

Graduate Research Papers

Teaching students how to read, comprehend,. and enjoy text are goals that many teachers make in their classrooms each year. Yet, the biggest challenge that goes along with these goals is often student motivation. Motivating students happens in many forms in classrooms around the world. There are research-based techniques for males and females, English speaking and English language learners, each of the multiple intelligences, and overall individual student needs. There is no one proven catchall method for motivating students in the classroom. Instead, teachers are encouraged to find the motivation strategies and techniques that work for specific individuals. This paper …

Homework : Providing Quality Activities That Engage The Students And Extend The Learning From The Classroom, Angella M. Blatz

Graduate Research Papers

Many teachers require homework to be done to extend the learning from school to home. Homework expectations vary from elementary school to high school. This review attempts to look at the benefits of homework and also the issues that assigning homework brings. The review includes samples of variety of homework activities that are student-centered, developmentally appropriate, along with authentic, experiential, and challenging. It discusses ways to motivate students to complete homework and the need for teachers to assign more purposeful and creative activities. This review attempts to involve the parents also as partners in the education of their child as …

The Psychology Of Gender, Isabelle D. Cherney

Education Faculty Publications

This chapter presents examples of active learning activities and how these experiential learning exercises are adapted to the course goals and objectives in a psychology of gender course. The focus of the chapter is on how to best integrate new research findings to the students’ existing knowledge base to create a new appreciation of these complex issues and how they influence each individual’s life

Generalization Or Specialization In High School Based Health Careers Transition Programs: What Is The Impact On The Health Care Work Force Shortage?, James Wm. Taylor

Dissertations

Background: Health care experts are predicting major shortages of caregivers as a result of aging demographics and anticipated retirements of health workers. Numerous approaches are being used to increase the supply of health care workers, but little, if any, literature demonstrates the role of secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in helping meet the anticipated demand.

Methods: Data from secondary educational health career programs were obtained from students completing five area programs (Allied Health, Health Occupations, Emergency Medical Technology, Dental Assisting, and Pharmacy Technician). Data analysis was performed on student demographics (chi-square), academic performance on standardized exams (ANOVA), and …

A Reflective Exploration Of A Multiyear Elementary School Learning Community Experience, Susan Jean Ganley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study reports a reflection upon the experience of a multiyear elementary school learning community designed for improved teaching and learning. The exploration uses interview data to describe the perceptions and reflections of the principal and teachers directly engaged in this project of educational reform. The goal of this process is to gain a deeper understanding of the experience and to determine to what factors the participants attribute the outcomes of this project.

Through an auto-ethnographic reflective critical practice inquiry and extended interviews, this study describes the context and environment of this learning community and how the participants reflect on …

"Math In A Can": Teaching Mathematics And Engineering Design, Ronald B. Narode

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using an apparently simple problem, "Design a cylindrical can that will hold a liter of milk," this paper demonstrates how engineering design may facilitate the teaching of the following ideas to secondary students: linear and non-linear relationships; basic geometry of circles, rectangles, and cylinders; unit measures of area and volume; solving systems of equations with at least two variables; minimization of area to control materials costs and to prevent heat exchange; packing geometry to minimize space for transportation and storage and for controlling for heat exchange; golden ratio as a design aesthetic; ergonomic factors in design including considerations of comfort …

Exploring Instructional Strategies And Learning Goals In Undergraduate Leadership Education, Daniel Jenkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leadership education has been integral to the undergraduate curriculum since the early 1990's. Today, more than 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States offer undergraduate courses in leadership studies and many offer academic credit in the form of a bachelor's degree, academic minor, or certificate. Yet, little is known about those who teach leadership studies courses to undergraduates, the instructional strategies they employ, or the learning goals they set. The purpose of this study was to identify the instructional strategies that are most frequently used by instructors when they teach academic credit-bearing undergraduate leadership studies courses, identify signature pedagogies …

Exploring Us Textbooks’ Treatment Of The Estimation Of Linear Measurements, Kuo-Liang Chang, Lorraine Males, Aaron Mosier, Funda Gonulates

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Learning to estimate a linear measurement is critical in becoming a successful measurer. Research indicates that the teaching of the estimation of linear measurement is quite open and that instruction does not make explicit to students how to carry out estimation work. Because written curriculum has been identified as one of the main sources affecting teachers’ instruction and students’ learning, this study examined how estimation of linear measurement tasks were presented to students in three US elementary mathematics curricula to see how much and in what ways these tasks were presented in an open manner. The principal result was that …

The Role Of Web 2.0 And Social Media Community In Education As A Form Of Teacher Personal Professional Development, Brandi Evans Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are facing greater technological demands. They are expected to use and teach their students to use various forms of collaborative technology (Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2010). Personal professional development is professional development that teachers seek on their own, strictly on a voluntary basis, so that they can meet the needs of their students or address issues that are unique to their classroom. This study used a survey to examine the relationship between how teachers’ reported using social media community in education for personal professional development and the criteria for effective professional development, teachers’ integration practices, teachers’ frequency of …

Cylinders And Spheres : Toddlers Engage In Problem Solving, Rosemary Geiken

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Every day more six million infants and toddlers (children under 3 years of age) enter some kind of out-of-home care, with 22% of this group attending center-based programs. Studies on the quality of care in centers indicate that 40% of these children are in poor quality settings while 51 % are in mediocre to medium quality settings. Two factors contributing to these low ratings are lack of age-appropriate materials and lack of learning opportunities. To address these data Piaget's theory of constructivism guided the design of a study to provide evidence of construction of knowledge that occurred when toddlers were …

Conference Program [2011], Georgia International Conference On Information Literacy

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

N/A

Evolution And Personal Religious Belief: Christian University Biology-Related Majors’ Search For Reconciliation, Mark Winslow, John Staver, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to explore Christian biology-related majors’ perceptions of conflicts between evolution and their religious beliefs. This naturalistic study utilized a case study design of 15 undergraduate biology-related majors at or recent biology-related graduates from a mid-western Christian university. The broad sources of data were interviews, course documents, and observations. Outcomes indicate that most participants were raised to believe in creationism, but came to accept evolution through evaluating evidence for evolution, negotiating the literalness of Genesis, recognizing evolution as a non-salvation issue, and observing professors as Christian role models who accept evolution. This study lends heuristic …

Post-Correctional Education Interventions: A Phenomenological Case Study Of Empowerment Education Curriculum For Formerly Incarcerated African American Males, Rolanda Jean West

Dissertations

This phenomenological case study describes how a Post-Correctional Education Intervention (PCEI) was developed for a local community-based organization that had recently constructed a transition house for formerly incarcerated adults who converted to Islam while incarcerated. The PCEI was an eight-week course curriculum with 60 hours of direct instruction that included social justice, health and wellness and critical thinking teaching modules and affective teaching and learning methodologies. This research contains experiential data used to assess how a PCEI affected the identity and self-concept of the participants of a reentry program designed to create an atmosphere of empowerment.

The Impact Of The Nisl Executive Development Program On School Performance In Massachusetts: Cohort 2 Results, John A. Nunnery, Steven M. Ross, Shanan Chappell, Shana Pribesh, Elizabeth Hoag-Carhart

STEMPS Faculty Publications

School leaders are increasingly being asked, whether by rhetoric or policy, to measurably improve student achievement. The resultant need to assist school leaders in their ability to improve teaching and learning for all students in their schools led to the establishment of the National Institute of School Leadership's (NISL's) Executive Development Program. The NISL program emphasizes the role of principals as strategic thinkers, instructional leaders, and creators of a just, fair, and caring culture in which all students meet high standards. The current national focus on the importance of effective, instructional leadership has, in turn, led to calls for principal …

The Effects Of Tinkerability On Novice Programming Skill Acquisition, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This paper reports on an exploratory study which used a graphical programming environment, Scratch, to facilitate the comprehension of a scripting programming language, ActionScript. Online survey questionnaires were distributed to 34 enrolled students, in a graduate level programming course with a 70% response rate. Findings indicated that Scratch contributed to the understanding of basic programming concepts such as event handling, sequential, and conditional statement but it was less helpful in assisting students’ understanding of more abstract concepts such as variables. This study also suggests that students’ learning style preference and proficiency with programming also make a difference in their perception …

O Debate Ciências Versus Humanidades No Século Xix: Reflexões Sobre O Ensino De Ciências No Collegio De Pedro Ii [The Science Vs. Humanities Debate In The Xix Century: Reflections On The Teaching Of The Sciences In The College Pedro Ii], Karl M. Lorenz, Ariclê Vechia

Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Opportunity To Learn (Otl) And The Alignment Of Upper Division Mathematics Learning Outcomes, Textbooks, And The National Assessment In Belize, Gabriel Cal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study I investigate the degree of alignment among the learning outcomes, textbooks, and the national assessment in Belize. To establish the degree of alignment, Webb‘s Four Cognitive Levels of Depth of Knowledge was used to analyze the levels of cognitive demand for each curriculum. The degree of alignment of the learning outcomes with the test items and textbooks was used to determine the extent to which the textbooks provide students with the opportunity to study the learning outcomes assessed by the national assessment. The opportunity to learn (OTL) measures addressed were the curricular content coverage and types of …