Digital Commons Network^™

The Journey Of Chinese Students From English 106 Maintstream Composition Courses To The Purdue Writing Lab: An Institutional Needs Analysis Of Chinese Students, Aylin Baris Atilgan

Open Access Dissertations

According to the Purdue University International Students and Scholars Enrollment & Statistical Report 10-year Enrollment Trends (2014), over the past ten years there has been an 85% growth in the number of international students matriculating at Purdue. As stated in the Purdue University Fall 2014 International Student and Scholar Enrollment & Statistical Report (2013), Purdue University now enrolls 9,080 international students representing 123 countries. This being the case, Purdue University is among the first five top institutions in the nation hosting international students (Open Doors Report-Institute of International Education, 2014). In recent years, Chinese students make up the largest international …

Importance Of School Library Programs, Cynthia Strong

SPU Works

Within the discipline of library science, over 20 research studies have been done in the United States attesting to how high-quality school library programs contribute to improved academic achievement. On the other hand, in the fields of education, school counseling, administration, and school leadership, and so on, there is a dearth of scholarship and recognition of the positive impact librarians and library media program have on student success. This conceptual paper first presents an overview of the empirical research on school library programs and the positive impact they have on the academic achievement of students in the United States. Second, …

Ua64 Cebs Magazine: The College Of Education And Behavioral Sciences At Wku, Charles S. Evans, Dean, Pam Pierce, Editor-In-Chief, Wku College Of Education & Behavioral Sciences

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

Catalogs, 2014-2015, Anderson University - South Carolina

Catalogs

The 2014-2015 graduate & undergraduate academic catalog and introduction to the university.

The Wingman Project: An Exploratory Study Of School-Based Communication With Grandparents, Meghan Eliason

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, I explain the design and implementation of an e-newsletter created to engage grandparents with public schools. A brief literature review, the process for creating the e-newsletter, and my data collection methods are explained. The conclusions and implementations offered provide insight into how public schools can engage grandparents as important members of their school communities.

Google Glass And Education: The Wave Of The Future?, Charles J. Russo, Reece Newman, Chad Brown

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

In the evolving, fast-paced world of technology, a fairly recent development that has the potential to affect instruction, privacy, and cost for school boards is Google Glass, introduced to the public in April 2012 and named by Time magazine as one of 2012’s best inventions of the year. Google Glass devices are wearable headset computers with optical headmounted transparent display screens (640 x 360 pixels) that essentially bring Android and iPhone capacities to eyeglasses. They can be activated by voice or touch and can record video and audio or live-stream events observed by wearers (Miller 2013). They include, among other …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 35, Fall 2014), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Reforming High School American History Curricula: What Publicized Student Intolerance Can Teach Policymakers, Douglas E. Abrams

Faculty Publications

This article concerns the way public high schools teach American history under curricula and standards mandated by state law. “We’re raising young people who are, by and large, historically illiterate,” says David McCullough, the dean of American historians.

The article describes three recent nationally publicized incidents in which high school students belittled lynching and the Trail of Tears, evidently without appreciating the episodes’ legal and historical significance to African Americans and Native Americans respectively. Standards and textbooks typically recognize diversity and multiculturalism, but research and surveys indicate that classroom teachers frequently sanitize or avoid discomforting topics that might trigger complaints, …

An Exploratory Factor Analysis And Reliability Analysis Of The Student Online Learning Readiness (Solr) Instrument, Taeho Yu

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an effective instrument to measure student readiness in online learning with reliable predictors of online learning success factors such as learning outcomes and learner satisfaction. The validity and reliability of the Student Online Learning Readiness (SOLR) instrument were tested using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis. Twenty items from three competencies, i.e. social competencies, communication competencies, and technical competencies, were designated for the initial instrument based on the Student Online Learning Readiness (SOLR) Model as a new conceptual model. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed that four factor-structures of the instrument …

The Effects Of A Humorous Instructional Video On Motivation And Learning, Hans P. Aagard

Open Access Dissertations

This study examines the effects of humor within an instructional video on student learning and motivation. Humor in education has been shown to improve students' perception of the instructor and learning environment, with mixed results on gains in actual learning. Humor has been suggested as a strategy to gain and maintain attention, improving motivation to learn. With the dramatic increase of online multimedia instruction, research on the use of humor on multimedia instructional materials can help us determine if it can be used to improve learning and motivation.

In a pretest-posttest controlled design, students viewed a short multimedia instructional video. …

A Sociosemantic Examination Of Secondary English Teacher Written Feedback, Ryan Angus

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide a functional linguistic based description of teacher writing comments in secondary ELA classrooms. Based within a case study methodology, this study used analytical tools from Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) in order to discover the various meanings that teachers make through their commenting practices. The findings of the study show that teacher comments focus on the content of the student writing, but also, significantly, help teachers to discursively realize various teacher identities. It was also found that teacher comments tended to either be concrete in their reference to …

Exploring Literacy And Technology With Middle School English Teachers: Articulating Understandings Of Knowledge And Teaching Practices, Benjamin A. Boche

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate five middle school English teachers' understandings of literacy and technology. In particular, how do they define literacy, view literacy and technology learning and teaching, and how do they use (or not use) technology to enact their views of literacy in their classrooms. This narrative inquiry qualitative study consisted of three open-ended interviews, written literacy narratives, and multiple classroom observations with each participant as well as the collection of various teacher documents, such as lesson plans, presentation notes, rubrics, and student handouts. Narrative methods were used in the data analysis. ^ Findings were …

The Flipped Classroom: Its Effect On Student Academic Achievement And Critical Thinking Skills In High School Mathematics, Joranna Saunders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effect of the flipped classroom on academic achievement in high school mathematics. The purpose of this study was twofold. The immediate purpose was to determine if there was a statistical difference in student academic achievement in two high school mathematics classrooms once the flipped classroom concept was implemented. This study also examined the effect of the flipped classroom on students' critical thinking skills. This static-group comparison utilized a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design and two null hypotheses were tested. The flipped curriculum was not a significant factor in increasing student academic achievement or in increasing student …

The Use Of Ipads To Facilitate Growth In Reading Comprehension Skills Of Second Grade Students, Joy Reichenberg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The increased accessibility of technological devices has made it easier for educators to make use of multimodal tools in the classroom. Although educational technology has been vastly researched, one area that is not reflected in the literature is the use of eBooks that are read on mobile digital reading devices and their impact on the performance of literacy skills of lower elementary age students. This quasi-experimental, nonrandom, pretest/posttest control group study examined the results of reading an eBook on an Apple iPad and its impact (if any) on reading comprehension skills of second grade students. This quasi-experiment included a treatment …

Learning Commons And Transitions To College And Workplace, Sharon A. Weiner

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This presentation was given at the Wabash Valley Regional Library Meeting on September 30, 2014 at the Wabash Regional Education Center, West Lafayette, IN. It discusses the concept of learning commons, or spaces outside of the formal classroom setting that are conducive to learning; and the transitions of students to college and the workplace through information and libraries.

Arts Of War: Reconsidering Conflict Through Interdisciplinary Artistic Collaboration, John Macinnis

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

CORE 160: Introduction to the Arts is required as part of the core curriculum at Dordt College and is team taught every semester by four professors who each address a different art form: Music, Theatre, Film, and Visual Art. Semesters are divided in half, and students select two art forms for special attention. Additionally, all students meet in two mass sections in which the team of professors address topics spanning all the arts. These mass sections are an opportunity to demonstrate for students that interdisciplinary collaboration around a given topic often produces remarkable insight.

Last year, in recognition of the …

Annotated Bibliography: Altruism, Empathy, And Prosocial Behavior (1998-2013), Erich Yahner

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

No abstract provided.

Annotated Bibliography: Environmental Education (1998-2013), Erich Yahner

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

No abstract provided.

Annotated Bibliography: Moral & Character Education (1998-2013), Erich Yahner

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

No abstract provided.

New Approaches To Problem-Based Learning: Revitalizing Your Practice In Higher Education, Sofie M. M. Loyens

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Barrett, T., & Moore, S., Eds. (2014). New approaches to problem-based learning: Revitalizing your practice in higher education. New York, NY: Routledge. 312 pp. ISBN 978-0415871495. $59.95 (paperback).

Forgiveness Education And Bullying Prevention And Intervention: Benefits For Bullies, Victims And Schools, Amy Carlon, Suzanne Freedman, Nicole Skaar

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Over the past 50 years, attitudes toward incidences of bullying in the schools have shifted significantly. Previously, bullying was seen as an expected and normal part of a child's development and school experience. Some even believed bullying wasn't harmful, that it assisted in character-building, and was simply "part of growing up" (Smith & Brain, 2000, p. 3). In recent decades, however, the negative effects of bullying have been more widely recognized, and there is growing acceptance that experiences of bullying often lead to negative outcomes, such as poor physical and psychological health, for those who are victimized (Due et al., …

Examining Effective Characteristics Of Professional Development In K-12 Education Since The Inception Of The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2002: A Meta-Analytic Investigation, Eugene M. Thomas, Karen H. Larwin

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

With the dire financial crisis facing our national and state economy, schools are forced to reduce budgets while simultaneously improve program delivery. Professional development is the mechanism that is generally used to facilitate improving educational delivery and subsequently student achievement results. This investigation examines the influence of professional development on student achievement since No Child Left Behind. Results indicate that professional development can have a moderate impact on student achievement. A number of moderators were found to have a positive significant impact on this effect including the level of students, the duration of the professional development, the discipline area focus …

Professional Development: The Use Of Nonverbal Communication During Class Lecture, Dustin York

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Teachers’ nonverbal communication has a vital role within the classroom environment. This literary review examined (1) a historical perspective of teachers’ nonverbal communication, (2) the relationship between students’ perceptions of their learning and teachers’ nonverbal communication, (3) the relationship between standardized measurements of student learning and teachers’ nonverbal communication, and (4) the relationship between students’ perceptions of teacher credibility based on the teachers’ nonverbal communication. Findings in the literary study suggest that teachers’ nonverbal communication is beneficial to students’ academic success. This review has outlined elements of nonverbal communication a teacher could use to benefit student learning. Using the findings …

2014 Fall Faculty Conference: Enacting A Model Community: Our University, Academic Affairs

Fall Faculty Conference

The 2014 Fall Faculty Conference featured breakout sessions by FSDC and Office of Sponsored Programs, Jim Bates, Sarah Bouchard, Patti Frick, Diane Nance, Jane Wu, Kay Ball (Nursing), Michele Acker, Suzanne Ashworth, Danielle Docka-Filipek, Paul Longenecker, Lisa Phillips, Kathryn Plank, Mark Skillings, Kerry Strayer, Melissa Kesler Gilbert, Shirine Mafi, Shelley Payne, Kevin Svitana, Rares Piloiu, Paul Wendel, Anna Young, Jim Bates (Music), Shelley Payne (Health and Sport Sciences), Aaron Reinhard (Physics), Joy Shoemaker (Nursing), and Jeff Smith (Mathematical Sciences).

Social Media Use: A Critical Analysis Of Facebook's Impact On Collegiate Efl Students' English Writing In Thailand, Tharinee Kamnoetsin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In this technology era, a new trend of using Social Media or Social Networking Sites (SNSs) has been recently highlighted. Social media influences people’s lives in many aspects including education and English language learning. The purpose of this study is to examine whether using Facebook online impacts the type (formal or informal) of English EFL students use for in-class writing or not, as well as to understand the students’ perceptions on how the use of Facebook helps to facilitate or inhibit their English writing skills.

The study was conducted by using qualitative research methods to explore EFL college students’ writing …

Providing The Fuel (And Passing The Flame), Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

At the risk of opening with a cliché statement- at the heart of the most effective mentor is a burning passion. The fuel for this passion is a desire to convince, not just try to, but actually convince your mentee that you care about their success (be it in the classroom, career, or personal life). I am guilty of believing in, and living by, this cliché. However, despite passion being my primary motivator, I am not unwilling to admit that rationale for mentoring can sometimes transcend this ethically normative line of thinking. I believe that there are also sometimes quantitative, …

Digital Scholarship: Applying Digital Tools To Undergraduate Student Research Papers, A Proposal For A Freshman Seminar. Part I: Definition Of Student Research Methodology, Charles W. Kann

Computer Science Faculty Publications

There are many digital tools that can be used for research and presentation in nearly every college discipline, including the social sciences and humanities. These tools hold the promise to radically change both the process and products of research. But in their application these tools have failed miserably to live up to their promise.

This paper is based on the hypothesis that one reason these tools do reach their potential is that there is no systemic way to include them in research process, resulting in the tools being seen as ways to improve the final research product. This results in …

A Local Exploration Of Educators’ Perceptions, Collaboration And Usage Of Natural Sites In Introducing The Outdoors To Marginalized Students, Todd Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

A recent trend in social science research has focused on factors that lead to low participation rates by racial groups, specifically the African American population, within outdoor and wilderness settings as a connection to the issue of low participation rates by these same groups in outdoor and environmental careers. Much of the research has relied upon theories that address the marginalization of the African American population in relation to the social context: marginality, subculture/ethnicity, discrimination, acculturation, and opportunity. However, an area of interest that warrants a deeper examination of potential contributing causality is the role of the educator.

The purpose …

Facilitating Embodied Instruction: Classroom Teachers’ Experiences With Drama-Based Pedagogy, Peter B. Duffy

Theses and Dissertations

There is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that drama-based pedagogies significantly contribute to improved teaching and learning. Furthermore, there is important research that demonstrates the impact on teachers when they learn about neuroscience. This research project developed six professional development sessions for six elementary school teachers to provide training on both drama-based instruction and research on embodiment. Combining these two fields presented a problem. Arts-based research is qualitative in nature where cognitive science research depends on post-positivistic assumptions of reliability and trust-worthiness. Missing from these standard measures of research (fMRI studies, STROOP Tests, reaction time tests), however, is the impact …

What Do Students Learn From Participation In An Undergraduate Research Journal? Results Of An Assessment, Sharon A. Weiner

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Like an increasing number of academic libraries, Purdue University Libraries provides publishing support services to the Purdue community. In 2009, Purdue University Press had recently been moved into the Libraries, and there was enthusiasm about exploring new relationships which could combine the publishing skills of the Press with use of Purdue e-Pubs, the institutional repository platform that also featured powerful publishing features. Publishing an undergraduate research journal was particularly appealing because it connected the scholarly communication program of the Libraries with strategic goals around information literacy. There is evidence that undergraduate students benefit from engaging in research experiences, and writing …