Digital Commons Network^™

One Font Doesn’T Fit All: The Influence Of Digital Text Personalization On Comprehension In Child And Adolescent Readers, Shannon M. Sheppard, Susanne L. Nobles, Anton Palma, Sophie Kajfez, Marjorie Jordan, Kathy Crowley, Sofie Beier

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Reading comprehension is an essential skill. It is unclear whether and to what degree typography and font personalization may impact reading comprehension in younger readers. With advancements in technology, it is now feasible to personalize digital reading formats in general technology tools, but this feature is not yet available for many educational tools. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of character width and inter-letter spacing on reading speed and comprehension. We enrolled 94 children (kindergarten–8th grade) and compared performance with six font variations on a word-level semantic decision task (Experiment 1) and a passage-level comprehension task (Experiment 2). …

Ensuring Quality In Qualitative Research: A Researcher's Reflections, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

This reflective paper is the outcome of my qualitative research engagement aligned with quality standards. I began with autoethnography in my master's research in mathematics education (see Dahal, 2013), then moved on to narrative inquiry in my MPhil research (see Dahal, 2017), and collaborative autoethnography in my doctoral research (see Dahal, 2023). With the above, this paper aims to clarify the quality criteria used in autoethnography, narrative inquiry, and collaborative autoethnography based on my experiences to evaluate the robustness of qualitative research from various ontological and epistemological vantage points. Likewise, this article offers a comprehensive overview of the key elements …

Standardized Testing And Stress In Teachers And Students, Gretchen L. Spoelman-Delong

Masters Projects

This project demonstrates the relationship between standardized testing and increased stress in both teachers and students. The emphasis placed on standardized testing and therefore potential for increased anxiety and stress for teachers and students is important because stressed and anxious teachers are not going to be teaching to their full potential. Likewise, stressed and anxious students are not going to be able to rise to their full learning potential (Gonzalez et al., 2017). The purpose of this project is to decrease the amount of stress and anxiety that students and teachers feel. This can be accomplished by informing school personnel, …

Equalizing Community Voice In An International Service-Learning Project: A Narrative Inquiry Of A Social Entrepreneurial Peruvian Women's Group, Monica D. Hernandez

Theses & Dissertations

Traditionally, international service-learning (ISL) programs are created and led by host groups, which frequently overlook the international communities’ learning process and perspectives and the long-term impact of service missions on the community. Fundamentally, ISL is meant to address community needs. With the principal focus being on enriching students’ learning, community voice is often eclipsed. The research aim was to investigate the empowerment and efficacy of an ISL project to strengthen relationships between engaged scholars and international communities and improve future service-learning trips. Using a qualitive narrative research design, I investigated a 2021-2022 ISL Based Photovoice Project applying Kolb’s Experiential Learning …

Understanding Administrators' Perceptions Of Gifted Ell Students, Abigail Eaton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Students with gifts and talents are identified in school districts across the nation. However, there is severe underrepresentation of minority groups in gifted education programs, specifically students with ELL backgrounds. This issue is important because students from diverse backgrounds are the fastest growing group of the K-12 population. If the issue is not addressed, many talents will be overlooked and underdeveloped (Peters & Engerrand, 2016). The purpose of this study was to analyze administrators’ perceptions of gifted ELL students.

Participants in this study include six administrators from a small, rural district in Southcentral Kentucky. All of the administrators participated in …

Investigation Of Chinese Students’ Writing Perceptions At An English Young Writers Camp, Jingshu Chen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how a young writers camp that catered to 40 Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, ranging from students entering the fourth grade to seventh grade, mediated the students’ writing perceptions. More specifically, the main objective of this research was to investigate the impact of the camp on the students' perceptions of writing and their self-identification as writers. The study employed the theoretical framework of Cultural Historical Activity Theory to guide the analysis. Various types of data were collected from the 40 participating students, including pre- and post-camp survey questions, classroom observations, and open-ended interviews. By …

Cross-Cutting Skills: The Role Of Major, Maureen Snow Andrade, Eugene Seeley, Ron Miller

International Journal for Business Education

Employers want recent college graduates prepared with skills that cut across majors, such as written and oral communication, teamwork, ethical decision-making, critical thinking, and applying knowledge in real-life situations. What is largely unknown is if some fields of study lend themselves to producing these desired skills over others. This is particularly relevant to schools of business, which strive to help students develop professional career skills and often emphasize a range of practical, hands-on, engaged learning activities. This study focused on obtaining the insights of hiring managers about desired skills and areas of study that prepare students with these skills. Survey …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of Research Administrator Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction In A Central Research Administration Unit At The University Of Denver, Noelle L. Strom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) team provides critical research administration services for the research community at the University of Denver. As research funding continues to rise at the University of Denver, retention of research administrators is critically important. Job satisfaction is key to employee engagement and retention. Higher job satisfaction contributes to several positive outcomes for institutions, including lower turnover, higher productivity, lower costs, and employee loyalty. The need to retain experienced research administration professionals is highlighted by the fact that few formal educational routes exist that prepare employees for a career in research administration; rather, developing expertise takes a …

Focused On Freedom: Exploring The Potential Of Grading Contracts To Support Writers In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Margaret Mcgregor Fluharty

English Theses & Dissertations

Drawing on qualitative methods, I engaged in a practitioner inquiry (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009) to investigate the use of contract grading to promote educational freedom (hooks, 2009; Love, 2020) in the post-secondary writing classroom. In addition, I explored the potential of this practice in the secondary English language arts setting.

To better understand the perspectives of both post-secondary writing instructors and secondary English teachers on the use of grading contracts, I conducted focus groups and engaged in artifact analysis (Billups, 2019). Results showed that post-secondary instructors who utilized grading contracts in their classroom saw changes primarily in their students’ engagement …

Ai For Connectivism Learning: Undergraduate Students’ Experiences Of Chatgpt In Advanced Programming Courses, Swapna Gottipati, Kyong Jin Shim, Venky Shankararaman

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Advanced programming skills are required for computing courses on merging topics, and students often struggle to develop these skills to solve complex problems. To address this challenge, faculty members provide additional lectures, practice sessions, and educational technology tools. This paper discusses the challenges faced by computer science students in developing advanced programming skills and explores the use of AI chatbots, specifically ChatGPT, as a support tool for learning. We study the engagement and effectiveness of ChatGPT in helping students learn advanced programming skills using two engagement learning frameworks (CIE and MELT) for evaluation. The study involves designing a computing lab …

Developing An English Summative Computer-Based Test (Cbt) For Tenth Grade Students, Putro Bagus Wahida Machtowil, Sintha Tresnadewi, Francisca Maria Ivone

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The use of ICT in language testing has recently expanded to more diverse computer-based exams. This includes achievement test like UNBK (Ujian Nasional Berbasis Komputer) and university entrance test such as SBMPTN (Seleksi Nasional Masuk Perguruan Tinggi Negeri). thus, students need to get used to using this kind of test before taking a competency exam. The method employed in this study is Research and Development (R&D). Based on the process and results of the development of this English Computer Based Test, it has many features that can cover the difficulties in conducting online tests such as timers, anti-cheating, and other …

The Effect Of Fifty Percent Minimum Grades On Student Achievement, James M. Mariani

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative quantitative research study aims to determine whether mandating a 50% minimum grade significantly increases student achievement. The setting for this study was one suburban Pennsylvanian high school of approximately 1,250 students. The educational process involves three integrated components: curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Evaluating methods in which schools assign grades is an inherent part of every school assessment system. The Treedale School District and Pennsylvania Department of Education collected data, which the researcher analyzed by performing multiple Mann-Whitney U tests between pre-policy 0%-100% and post policy 50%-100% grade scale groups. The independent variable is grading scale and the dependent …

Development Of Bipa Teaching Materials Daily Communication Goals, Nonny Rulisty Putri Sutikno, Imam Suyitno, Roekhan Roekhan

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Teaching materials for daily communication purposes are needed by BIPA students at the beginner level so they can establish social contact and communicate with native speakers. The development model in this study is the 4D development model. Daily communication material focuses on the use of formal and informal language as a tool for verbal communication. Based on the validation test that has been carried out for the total results of BIPA material expert validation of 67.5%. Practitioners 67.1%, and 79.1% graphic experts. Therefore, this teaching material is quite feasible to use.

Describing The Ele Fresh Graduate Students’ Habit Of Listening To English Songs And Listening Self-Efficacy, Firlyano Fadly, Mirjam Anugerahwati

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Listening is one of the essential language skills, but previous research has shown that listening is one of the most difficult language skills to acquire. There are two main factors that can cause problems when learning listening skills, there are external and internal. Self-efficacy is one of the internal factors. On the other hand, English songs are said to be an effective medium for students to learn listening skills. The purpose of this study is to describe the ELE fresh graduate student’s habit of listening to English songs and their listening self-efficacy. The study is using descriptive study, there are …

Secondary School Efl Teachers’ Knowledge Of Self-Regulated Learning (Srl), Ika Yulinda Fansuriyah, Siti Muniroh

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is an important skill to acquire for students because it helps students to have a better academic achievement, study skills, self-efficacy, and learning motivation in a learning process. Teachers are required to have high level of knowledge about SRL to be able to teach SRL to their students. Thus, this study was aimed to examine teachers’ knowledge of SRL. This study employed a quantitative method using survey design involving 42 EFL teachers from junior and secondary schools in two districts in Gresik Regency. A knowledge test to measure teachers’ content knowledge of SRL (SK-SRL) and pedagogical content …

Empowering Chinese Students To Regain The “Voice” Via Vygotsky’S Zpd Integrated With The Socratic Seminar, Zhengjie Li Dr.

Journal of English Learner Education

Many Chinese students studying in the United States (U.S.) today report that they do not have a “voice.” They feel marginalized because of a lack of communicative competence in English and their inability to understand Western cultures, especially during their first year in the U.S. (Ching et al.). Some Chinese students are unable to adapt to the academic environment in American high schools, which leads to feelings of exclusion. To smooth this transitional period, this study suggests that the scaffolding (see Bruner, 1978, 1985) from ESL teachers in both verbal and written forms be implemented before students are placed into …

Effectiveness Of English Learners Computer-Based Testing Accommodations: A Meta-Analysis, Tuba Gezer Dr., Claudia Flowers, Richard Lambert

Journal of English Learner Education

With the increased number of English learners (ELs) participating in large-scale state testing, there has been an increased focus on fairness in testing for these students. Test accommodations have shown promise in eliminating barriers and improving accessibility, and computer-based testing (CBT) allows individual customization of tests with built-in accessibility features. Most research on testing accommodations focuses on paper-based tests, but CBT is the most predominant mode of delivering large-scale state assessments. This study aims to synthesize research on the validity and effectiveness of CBT accommodations for EL students. Meta-analysis methodology was used to summarize the findings from previous CBT studies. …

Accelerate Beginner English Learner’S Writing Skills From Day One, Eugenia F. Krimmel Ed.D.

Journal of English Learner Education

This article addresses the customary practice of delaying teaching of writing for Beginner English Learners (BELs) which often results in slowing writing development. Barriers preventing teachers from earlier writing instruction include a belief BELs cannot produce written English before learned orally first, a lack of teaching writing know-how, and few level-appropriate materials for older BELs. The systematic approach ALL Beginner Learners of English (ABLE) Writing Method is a solution to build both teachers’ confidence and BELs’ phonics, spelling, and writing skills from day one. The basic premise of the ABLE Writing Method is that if one is able to think, …

Inclusion Of Muslim Perspectives In The International Baccalaureate Economics And Business Curriculum, Farida Salim

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This paper deals with the idea of inclusion as a means to transform the school culture where all the pupils are cherished and fully represented in the learning experience despite their individual difference. The focus is on epistemic inclusion in the curriculum of international education (IE). The aims of IE reaffirmed by the UNESCO and the essential elements of IE are in-line with inclusive education. However, IE have been critiqued of being western in its construct. IE can neither be truly international nor inclusive if it fails to appreciate and appropriate non-western knowledge in an equitable manner. The paper is …

Developing Speaking E-Book: A Supplementary Materialfor Teaching Recount Text To Tenth Graders, Rhima Holida Nurmala, Nur Mukminatien, Francisca Maria Ivone

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The development of the Speaking e-book in this study was carried out because students and teachers of the tenth grade of Senior High Schools needed supplementary material to study recount text which focuses more on speaking activities and these activities can bridge the gaps in the textbook and workbook. The product was developed based on the model of Research and Development proposed by Borg and Gall (1996). From the process of product validation and tryout, some results showed that the Speaking e-book was effective to be used as supplementary material to teach recount text since the series of tasks provided …

Understanding Computational Thinking In The Gameplay Of The African Songo Board Game, Rebecca Y. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Computational thinking is a necessary skill for the 21st century. While previously examined in computer-rich settings, researchers are increasingly studying computational thinking in unplugged environments such as board games. Focusing on the African board game Songo, this study shows that computational thinking practices are embedded in Songo board gameplay and interact with the cultural context. The study also reveals a computing practice peculiar to Songo gameplay, songoputation. This paper suggests that researchers can benefit from exploring computational thinking and computing practices beyond board games in western contexts.

The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: A Study On Faculty Perspectives In Universities In Egypt, Farah S. Sharawy

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology that is transforming various aspects of society, including higher education. This paper examines faculty perspectives from five different institutions; The American University in Cairo (AUC), The German University in Cairo (GUC), The Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST), Ain Shams University, and Cairo University, on the use of AI in higher education in teaching and learning in Egypt, with all its challenges and resources available to support it, and how it can be used to achieve equity and accessibility. This research was conducted through a qualitative study using semi-structured one- on-one interviews …

“Pool: A Social History Of Segregation Exhibition” Exploring Social Justice Through The Lens Of Water Safety Awareness And Art-Based Education, Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq Ph.D., Mph, Tiffany Monique Quash Ph.D., Knolan Rawlins Ph.D., Victoria Prizzia, Miriam Lynch Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Art exhibitions, with a focus on water safety and drowning prevention, are rarely seen as a medium to address social justice and public health, or water safety awareness and drowning prevention efforts in communities. Globally, data have shown drowning is considered a “neglected public health threat” (World Health Organization, 2021, CDC, 2023). Additionally, reports have shown that across the globe there are demographic groups of people impacted by drowning, historical traumas, and social determinants, also impacting some communities that are at greater risk (WHO 2021, CDC, 2023). Although there are national and international efforts to address the importance of water …

Peeling Away The Taken-For-Grantedness Of Research Subjectivities: Orienting To The Phenomenological, Melissa Freeman, E. Anthony Muhammad

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

Qualitative research is a multidisciplinary field of practice that acknowledges and values the situatedness and subjectivities of the researcher. Therefore, reflexively accounting for one’s subjectivities is a crucial part of a research report. Less discussed is how subjective understandings are historically, culturally, and socially mediated, often challenging researchers’ abilities to orient themselves critically to this self-reflective undertaking. Phenomenology is a philosophical approach investigating how phenomena such as subjectivity are constituted in experience. This makes phenomenology an essential resource for understanding how complex subjective responses manifest differently depending on one’s orientation to the situation. This paper aims to familiarize qualitative research …

Educator Cultural Proficiency Insight Tool: As We Know Better, We Can Do Better!, Queinnise Miller

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

All across the U.S. student populations are evolving to reflect the increase in diversity. These students are culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse in nature (CLED). Apart from the health field, cultural competence has not been widely assessed in the education field. A purposeful sample of 362 K-12 teachers, who served 50% or more of CLED students, were administered the Educator Cultural Proficiency Insight Tool (ECPIT). The purpose of this research was two-fold: (a) develop and validate the ECPIT and (b) examine the demographic differences regarding levels of cultural proficiency of current educators. Findings indicated that the ECPIT was a valid …

How Do We Respond To Generative Ai In Education? Open Educational Practices Give Us A Framework For An Ongoing Process, Anna Mills, Maha Bali Phd, Lance Eaton

Faculty Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Building Capacity For Quality Teaching Rounds – Victoria. Final Report, Tanya Vaughan, Sarah Richardson, Toby Carslake, Trisha Reimers, Greg Macaskill, Toby Newton, Nathan Zoanetti, Andrew Mannion, Martin Murphy

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned by the Teachers and Teaching Research Centre (TTRC) at the University of Newcastle to conduct an independent randomised controlled trial (RCT), with the goal of examining effects of Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) on student outcomes and teachers’ practice in Victorian high schools. A total of 19 schools participated in Quality Teaching Rounds in 2022, with 20 schools in the wait list control. Data were gathered in an ongoing manner during the evaluation with: Progressive Assessment Tests in Mathematics (PAT-M) and reading (PAT-R) – baseline and follow up; student self-efficacy and aspiration …

A Review Of Ai-Powered Writing Tools And Their Implications For Academic Integrity In The Language Classroom, Jasper Roe, Willy A. Renandya, George M. Jacobs

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Writers have many digital tools available to help them with the creation of text. In some cases, these tools have been in existence for a long time, such as spellcheckers and basic grammar checkers that are available on word processing software. Today, new and increasingly more advanced tools are in use, and the ramifications of their use are not yet fully understood, particularly in the language classroom. Public interest in such tools has reached new levels with the release of artificially intelligent tools such as ChatGPT. In addition to this, the speed at which assistive writing technologies are developing may …

Improving Second Language Learning Through Performance-Based Assessment Practices, Maria Granados

Dissertations

From the time of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) to the present day, standardized testing has become the benchmark measure for student assessment and school accountability in the United States. Multilingual learners are a vulnerable population with more testing and accountability requirements than mainstream students. Not only are they required to learn a second language, but they are also assessed within the same standardized testing paradigms as their peers - native speakers of the English language. This study aimed to examine and evaluate the benefits of instructional practices and assessments that provide multilingual students and teachers prompt and …

French 203: Grammar & Conversation: A Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective & Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Erica Schauer

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The following Benchmark Portfolio is the product of a full reassessment of FRENCH 203: CONVERSATION & GRAMMAR, an intermediate-level grammar course that serves as a prerequisite for students pursuing a major or a minor in French at UNL. Previously, French 203 had been a review course that covered the essential grammar structures discussed in 101, 102, 201 and 202 and invited students to practice these structures orally with peers in class. This new iteration of the course, however, seeks to broaden the reach of student comprehension of French as a functional tool of communication by requiring students to understand and …