Digital Commons Network^™

Alchemy In Education: Towards A Preschool Model In College Classrooms, Brad Van Alstyne

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Education has long been a necessary, yet standardized procedure with little difference from program to program or school to school. In this paper I argue that more of a creative approach using existing educational models such as preschool education would serve us well in the development of student skills at all levels, including college. I also contend that an alchemical metaphor would be useful in the application and acknowledgement of the value of such an approach.

Design Practices Business Organizations Employ To Deliver Virtual Classroom Training, Rebecca L. Adams

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the literature review is to investigate what instructional design practices organizations employ to deliver virtual classroom training to their workforces. The review examines why companies are implementing virtual classrooms, positive and negative elements of implementing, instructional design strategies companies use to deliver effective virtual training and how learners perceive virtual classroom training compared to traditional face-to-face settings. Best practice with research shows that the most critical factors in successful virtual classroom training are engaging learners, using the software technology effectively, applying instruction design practices and accurately evaluating learner perception. By understanding the best practices, instructional designers can …

Welcome To The Iowa Early Learning Standards : A Professional Development Opportunity, Tammy R. Bormann

Graduate Research Papers

In 2006, early learning standards were written in Iowa for children from birth to five years of age; however, very few opportunities were designed to inform early childhood personnel of the existence of lowa's early learning standards, and how they were reflected in early childhood programming. In 2008, a grant from the Iowa Department of Management was awarded to Tammy Bormann of Early Learning and Caring Resources to write a training series for early childhood personnel based on the Iowa Early Learning Standards; Welcome to the Iowa Early Learning Standards. In 2010, Tammy worked with Child Care Resource and …

Constructivism And Distance Education : Meeting The Needs Of Adult Learners In Distance Education, Kimberly D. Nicholson

Graduate Research Papers

This review addresses literature regarding how the implementation of constructivist principles in designing online learning environments can meet adults' needs. This literature review identifies the specific characteristics and concerns associated with distance learning environments. It also explores the usefulness of using constructivism as a means to meet the unique needs of adult learners in distance learning courses. Resources consist primarily of books and articles published from 1995 to the present, dealing with issues of constructivism, andragogy, and distance education.

The topics covered include constructivism, adult learners, and constructivist-based strategies integration with particular attention being paid to the problem-based learning model, …

Using Mobile Devices In Education, Jennifer N. Nitchals

Graduate Research Papers

With the changes in technology over the last few years, it is important to consider mobile devices because they offer a variety of applications to enhance what is already being taught in the classroom. The review discusses how today's mobile devices have many capabilities that are pertinent to education and the enhancements to current curriculum. The review also covers the challenges that need to be addressed in order for the mobile devices to be an asset to the classroom. The resources used for the discussion include journal articles, books and literature reviews. The review will give an insight to how …

Cyber-Communication : Can Virtual Server Technologies Serve As Effective Media Delivery Tools For Human Performance Enhancement?, James E. Dorris

Graduate Research Papers

This project involved exploring whether or not virtual server technologies are viable and effective tools for human performance enhancement. The goal of this project was to conduct a comparative analysis of three specific virtual servers (i.e., YouTube, TeacherTube, and iTunesU) to determine whether or not either of these would serve as effective assets for improving the media development and delivery capabilities of the staff and faculty members at Hawkeye Community College. Four collaborative multimedia development projects were produced, monitored and evaluated to determine the levels of consistency, reliability, and user-friendliness in departmental media delivery processes. The research team of Hawkeye's …

Designing Effective Multi-User Learning Environments To Enhance Game-Based Learning, Brian C. Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review examines the properties of specific video games, classified as multi-user learning environments, for commonalties and compares these pieces of software with sound learning theories to determine effective methods of using these types of software for educational applications. This category of software, though not initially developed as an educational learning environment or tool, has gained interest due to the social and entertainment value inherit with this type of game play. This paper reviews relevant published research material that examines the characteristics of both games created for entertainment value and games created for educational purposes to provide insights on …

Generativity: The New Frontier For Information And Communication Technology Literacy, Jorge Pérez, Meg C. Murray

Faculty Articles

Information and communication technology literacy is increasingly referred to as the fourth literacy. However, it is neither as well understood nor as readily assessed as reading, writing, and arithmetic. This paper argues that better understanding and more effective measurement of ICT literacy are needed to gauge readiness to both pursue higher education and enter the workforce. The paper builds on existing definitions of ICT literacy by introducing a model that extends the dimensionality of the construct. The model posits that skills and knowledge, along with attitudes toward IT, coalesce in the context of reflective self-awareness and purposeful intent to allow …

Using Knowledge Of Student Cognition To Differentiate Instruction, Silvana M.R. Watson, Robert A. Gable

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

By all accounts, learning is a complex task that requires a student to use and apply a range of cognitive skills. A student's ability to retain information while performing concurrent processing, often referred to as working memory (WM), is critical to the acquisition of increasingly more complex knowledge and skills. Not surprisingly, WM is often linked to successful learning and student academic achievement. According to the academic literature, WM is a very useful measure of a student's capability to acquire new information². Most students are able to successfully respond to classroom instruction that requires them to rely on their WM …

A Phenomenographic Study Of Introductory Physics Students: Approaches To Their Learning And Perceptions Of Their Learning Environment In A Physics Problem-Based Learning Environment, Paul Irving

Doctoral

This phenomenographic study describes students’ approaches to learning and their perceptions of the learning environment in an introductory physics course which is taught using a problem-based learning approach. This research builds on previous studies which showed that these students develop a greater conceptual knowledge than their counterparts in a more traditional learning environment while others showed very little development even though they engaged fully with the pedagogy. This study aimed to examine and describe the students’ approaches to learning. The definitions of surface, strategic and deep approaches to learning are not appropriate in this context and could not be applied …

The Effects Of A Sustained, Job-Embedded Professional Development On Elementary Teachers' Math Teaching Self-Efficacy And The Resulting Effects On Their Students' Achievement, Krista Louise Althauser

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of a district-wide mathematics professional development program on elementary teachers' general and personal efficacy. It also explored connections among teacher efficacy and socioeconomic status with student achievement.

Using a quantitative approach, a job-embedded professional development initiative sustained over a 2-year period with 35 teachers was found to increase teachers' general and personal efficacy in teaching mathematics. The investigation of the professional development work was based on the principles of effective mathematics professional development, efficacy theory, and student achievement. To measure perceptions of teachers' general and personal efficacy, teachers of third graders in 10 Kentucky elementary …

The Influence Of An Interactive Reading Program On Adolescent Students In Middle School, Bernadette L. Casey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Identification Of Quality Visual-Based Learning Material For Technology Education, Petros Katsioloudis

STEMPS Faculty Publications

[First Paragraph]

In learning environments, the visual elements of courses, lessons, and presentations play an important role in learning. Well-conceived and rendered visuals help any audience understand and retain information (Wileman, 1993).

Research In Technology Education, Philip A. Reed (Editor), James E. Laporte (Editor)

STEMPS Faculty Books

Due to the laboratory-based nature of technology and engineering education programs, professionals in our field have often focused on the resources in our classrooms and laboratories and the instructional methodologies used to address specific concepts. Formal research into content and practice has often given way to “what seems right”. New curriculum is constantly being introduced (based on what is occurring in business and industry), yet the inclusion for those evolving concepts in courses and programs is typically not verified.

Hence, the importance of the 2010 CTTE yearbook and its focus on the dire need for an aggressive research agenda in …

Cognitive Conflict And Situational Interest As Factors Influencing Conceptual Change, Hunsik Kang, Lawrence C. Scharmann, Sukjin Kang, Taehee Noh

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

In this study, we investigated the relationships among cognitive conflict and situational interest induced by a discrepant event, attention and effort allocated to learning, and conceptual change in learning the concept of density. Subjects were 183 seventh graders from six middle schools in Seoul, Korea. A preconception test, a test of responses to a dis-crepant event, and a questionnaire of situational interest were administered as pretests. Computer-assisted instruction was then provided to the students as a conceptual change in-tervention. Questionnaires regarding attention and effort, and a conception test were admin-istered as posttests. The conception test was administered once more as …

Brain-Based Learning Theory: The Incorporation Of Movement To Increase Learning, Eva Patrice Pennington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the use of kinesthetic movement as a vehicle by which to teach grammar to high school students. Brain-based theorists believe that, since the anatomical parts of the brain that coordinate basic physical movement are also the physical components used to coordinate the movement of thought, movement is necessary for optimal learning to occur. While purposeful incorporation of movement in the classroom is a popular and increasingly important aspect of brain-based theory, little empirical evidence exists to support the experiences, conjectures, and evidence across multiple disciplines and neurological findings when applied to the high school student. The study …

A Comparison Of Computer-Based Training And Traditional Classroom Training For The Sad Corporation Job Placement Team, Janice Brown Adams

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to compare the effectiveness of computer-based training with traditional classroom training; both instructional delivery methods utilized the traditional classroom curriculum as a means of delivery for an on-the-job company-sponsored program. The JAW-SAD Human Resource Center (HRC) is a training facility for the SAD Corporation, a major international manufacturing company. The HRC is responsible for conducting continuous training and certification of SAD employees. Historically, training has been provided through conference workshops with a traditional classroom training format. The motivation and importance for this study was influenced by an administrative requirement to determine the …

A Comparison Of Career Technical Education - 16 Career Pathway High School Participants With Non-Participants On Academic Achievement, School Engagement, And Development Of Technical Skills, Edith Aimee Orozco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research was to compare Career Technical Education- 16 Career Pathway high school participants with non-participants on academic achievement, development of technical skills and school engagement. Academic achievement was measured by Exit Level Math and English Language Arts Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) 2008-2009 scale scores. Development of technical skills and school engagement was examined through a developed survey using the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) as a reference. TAKS scale scores employed to measure academic achievement was obtained from secondary data and perceptions regarding development of skills and school engagement were obtained …

Turmoil, Tirades And Transformation: The Wars For The National History Standards 1991-2004, Phyllis Margaret Henry

Dissertations

This document presents a research project in the format of an historical narrative that chronicles the issues, process of consensus, and the impact of the National History Standards Project (NHSP) on local policies and curricula in history education. The influence of the voluntary national history standards movement is chronicled with the local development of social science standards-based curricula with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

This dissertation is a case study that utilizes multiple sources of research such as archival primary sources, oral history interviews and participant observations to corroborate the evidence. The …

A Mixed-Methods Research Study Comparing Observations During Integrated Curriculum Lessons With Traditional Single-Subject Lessons For Primary-Age Students, Ksenia Sergeevna Zhbanova

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined teacher talk and actions under two conditions: ( 1) subject-integrated lessons of an integrated curriculum unit on African culture ( experimental condition); and (2) single subject-focused lessons of a traditional separate subject curriculum on mathematics time and money measurement (control condition). The study sought to define and compare characteristics of both curriculum approaches. Although the study was primarily qualitative with observations being recorded by the researcher that were subsequently sorted into categories through a constant comparison method, counts of frequency of observations in categories were recorded, resulting in a mixed-methods design.

The observations were collected in two …

A Strategy For The Development Of Lifelong Learning And Personal Skills Throughout An Undergraduate Engineering Pogramme, Gavin Duffy, Brian Bowe

Conference papers

For many years engineering programmes have placed a stronger emphasis on the development of technical knowledge, understanding and skills at the expense of personal skills such as initiative, creativity, communication, teamwork and lifelong self-directed learning. Recent changes in accreditation criteria call for greater competences in these skills to be achieved in the undergraduate programme. An argument is presented that this requires a change from the traditional approach to engineering education to a group-based project driven one as this is compatible with concurrent development of both technical and non-technical learning outcomes. Just as a clear path of progression exists from the …

A Case Study: The High/Scope Preschool Curriculum And Kindergarten Readiness In The Pittsgrove Township School District, Loren D. Thomas

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Dysfunctional Illusions Of Rigor: Lessons From The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning, Craig E. Nelson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

My initial teaching practices were based on nine “dysfunctional illusions of rigor.” Overcoming them required revision of my ideas on the value of “hard” courses, the effectiveness of traditional methods, grade inflation, what students should be able to do initially, the fairness of traditional approaches, the importance of fixed deadlines, the importance of content coverage, the accessibility of critical thinking, and the appropriate bases for revising courses and curricula. I present the initial illusions and some more realistic views. These more realistic views are framed in terms of key research findings and some readily accessible models for improved practices.

Socially Disadvantaged Sudents In Socially Disadvantaged Schools: Double Jeopardy In Mathematics Achievement In The G8 Countries, Traci Lynne Dundas

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Using the G8 countries’ (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) samples from the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this study aimed to explore the phenomenon of double jeopardy in mathematics achievement for socially disadvantaged students. Double jeopardy is a situation of dual penalties where coming from low socioeconomic status (SES) families and attending low SES schools results in concurrent penalties at both the student level and school level in mathematics achievement.

This study examined the phenomenon of double jeopardy in the G8 countries across four school locations: rural regions, …

The Effect Of Text-To-Self Reading Strategies On Reading Comprehension, Cathy Arlene (Legg) Cutright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle-school male students currently face a disadvantage in reading comprehension compared to female students. Research suggests the problem is that more male students score below grade level in reading comprehension because they require more cognitive scaffolding. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of text-to-self reading instruction and to compare the comprehension achievement of male and female students in 6th-grade reading and language-arts classes using guided reading of text-to-self instruction and guided reading using novels. The foundation of this study was based on constructivist theories including Dewey's pragmatist philosophy, Piaget's developmental theory, and Vygotsky's theory of zone …

Multiple Intelligences In The Gospel Classroom, John Hilton Iii

Faculty Publications

In a worldwide training broadcast, Elder W. Rolfe Kerr taught, “We cannot expect our students to learn all that we hope they will learn by just hearing a concept or principle one time. Multiple presentations, utilizing various approaches, often appealing to multiple senses, increase the likelihood of our students actually learning and internalizing the concepts we teach.”

Pedagogy And Primary Sources: Outcomes Of The Library Of Congress' Professional Development Program, Teaching With Primary Sources At Loyola, Michelle Fry

Dissertations

Until recently, few K-12 teachers outside of social studies have integrated primary sources in classroom instruction. Integrating primary sources in educational practice does require an uncommon pedagogical understanding. Addressing this K-12 educator need is the Library of Congress. Recently, the Library implemented a national educator professional development program, Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS).

The TPS program operates at multiple universities and colleges, including Loyola University Chicago. This program aims to educate K-12 educators of all subject-areas to integrate online, digitized primary sources into classroom practices. This study addressed questions related to the outcomes of teacher participants' classroom practices after completing …

High School Teachers' Perspectives On Effective Approaches For Teaching Biology To Students With Special Needs, Agnieszka Kos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The demands of national educational reforms require high school biology teachers to provide high quality instruction to students with and without special needs. The reforms, however, do not provide teachers with adequate teaching strategies to meet the needs of all students in the same context. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to understand high school biology teachers' perspectives, practices, and challenges in relation to teaching students with special needs. This approach was used to develop a substantive model for high school biology teachers who are challenged with teaching students with and without special needs. Data were collected via …

Assimilative Domain Proficiency And Performance In Chemistry Coursework, Scott William Byrnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The assimilation and synthesis of knowledge is essential for students to be successful in chemistry, yet not all students synthesize knowledge as intended. The study used the Learning Preference Checklist to classify students into one of three learning modalities -- visual, auditory, or kinesthetic (VAK). It also used the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (KLSI), which utilizes four learning domains - Converging, Accommodating, Diverging, and Assimilating - to explain the students' maturation process by showing shift from any domain towards the Assimilating domain. A shift approaching this domain was considered as improvement in the assimilation and synthesis of knowledge. This pre-experimental …

Examining Sociocultural Contexts Of Classrooms To Foster Student Mathematical Discourse And Learning, Melva R. Grant

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Mathematics learning and teaching are optimized in classrooms when reform-oriented culture (ROC) is present. This report presents a case study that illustrates how ROC manifested and influenced mathematical Discourses in one sixth-grade classroom. The data was drawn from a study that addressed the question: How do classroom interactions influence mathematical Discourses? The study used interpretive methodology for analysis. One finding was that classroom boundary interactions either enhanced or hindered mathematical Discourses dependent upon sociocultural context alignments. An implication of this research is when “effective” learning and/or teaching strategies are identified, “effective” implementation may require paying close attention to sociocultural context …