Digital Commons Network^™

Forging Connections In A Digital World: Are Educational Organizations Maximizing Their Position In The Twittersphere?, Ruoxi Qi, Ana-Paula Correia, Chenxi Liu, Fan Xu, Tianqi Li

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study aims to investigate how educational organizations utilize social media, specifically Twitter, to interact and communicate with their audiences. Using text mining techniques, the researchers analyzed messages from top Twitter accounts of educational organizations in the U.S. The study sheds light on which types of messages receive more engagement on Twitter, such as likes, comments, and retweets. Furthermore, the study examines the characteristics of the most popular tweets. The findings of this research provide insights to educational organizations on how to improve their social media strategy for effective communication and audience engagement.

Performance And Perception Disparities In Blended Learning Across Varied Vocational Academic Backgrounds, Yujie Cao, Azhan Abdul Aziz, Wan Nur Rukiah Mohd Arshard

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

With rising popularity of vocational education in China, the study investigates how academic backgrounds influence vocational students’ perceptions and learning outcomes in a blended SketchUp course, guided by Blended Learning framework and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Quantitative data from 71 undergraduate and 71 junior college interior architecture students was analyzed using statistical methods, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and t-tests. The analysis showed no significant differences between academic groups in academic achievements, but differences in several perceptions, suggesting equitable learning experiences in the blended course. Tutorial videos may have contributed to personalized pacing, reducing variations among learners. Applying TAM to …

Are Assignments And Assessments Necessary? — Influence Of Micro-Course Utilization Methods On Blended Teaching Effectiveness, Jing Zhao, Astri Yulia, Mohamed Ayob Bin Sukani, Rina Abdul Shukor

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The increasing convergence of online and offline teaching methodologies necessitates a comprehensive understanding of how to leverage micro-course resources for optimal educational outcomes. This research investigated the effects of various micro-course utilization strategies on undergraduate design students’ learning outcomes through comparative experiments in blended learning. The objective was to ascertain whether structured learning tasks, assessments provided by instructors, and monitoring of student progress could augment engagement and performance compared to an unstructured approach to micro-course content. A single-factor experimental design was employed, involving two entire classes from the same major over an 119-day period. The study concentrated on the influence …

The Role Of District Superintendents In Technology Integration: A Systematic Review And Framework Synthesis, Ebrahim Azarshab, Mohammad Ghahramani, Mahmood Abolghasemi, Esmaeil Azimi

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The necessity to achieve the catalytic advantages of technology is continuously transforming the traditional roles of district superintendents to align with the digital learning environment. A meta-synthesis was undertaken to identify the roles of district superintendents in technology integration within public school districts and to compare them with traditional roles. This research followed the methodological approach outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The eligibility criteria comprised studies that explored the role of district superintendents in technology integration in public school districts. The data search was carried out in March 2023 across various databases …

From The Editor, Sean Schat

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The current issue contains three manuscripts: an empirical research article, a theoretical essay, and a book review.

Catching Up To Yesterday: An Argument For A Practical Application Of Creativity For Inspiring Change From A Content-Based Course Delivery To A 21st-Century Skills-Based Delivery, Darren Chapman

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project is a creative vision for how college-level courses could be changed to deliver the most important skills students need in the 21st century—moving toward an essential employability skills-based delivery process while training vocational (content) skills. Technology is outpacing humans' ability to adapt and adopt to it, making it increasingly difficult to keep pace with technological change. This has wide-ranging effects on each of us – productively, emotionally, and perhaps physically. Colleges are at the forefront of educating citizens about the working world to improve their productivity, incomes and their sense of intrinsic motivation. However, these same colleges are …

Enhancing Rural Science Education Through School District-University Partnership, Venicia A. Ferrell, Alexis S. Tharpe

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

This instrumental case study describes the steps taken to establish and implement a university–school partnership to improve rural science teachers’ content knowledge and teaching practices and students’ achievement in elementary science and high school biology courses. Our research questions explored the impact of professional development and place-based learning on student outcomes, with the study’s methodology involving needs assessments, teacher training, and continuous support through modeling and coaching. The findings include gains in achievement and substantial gains in science education. The findings have implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of university–school partnerships designed to build teachers’ capacity to deliver high-quality …

Empowering Children With Special Needs (Cwsn) In Computer Science: An Interactive Hand Gestures Approach To Number Conversion Teaching, Renjith P.R., Jeeva Jose

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

It is essential for teachers to effectively address the diverse needs of students within the classroom environment, encompassing variations in IQ, communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and mathematical proficiency. Ensuring the inclusion of CwSN (Children with Special Needs) is imperative to prevent social division in the classroom. While the department offers accommodations such as scribes, interpreters, or extra time for examinations, these measures may not fully address the specific needs of CwSN. This study explores the efficacy of employing hand gestures as a teaching tool for CwSN in computer science, particularly in the realm of number conversions. A machine learning-based tool …

Incorporating Evidence-Based Teaching Practices In A Civil/Environmental Engineering Course To Improve Learning, Julie Anne Wildschut

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The most important goal of teaching is student learning, passing on information from the instructor to the student so they can apply those concepts and skills months and years after instruction. However, this goal is not easily accomplished. Thinking and learning take significant effort and students often resist putting in the required work. Additionally, the increasingly diverse student population and recent disruptions to traditional classroom learning require instructional design to meet learning outcomes. Three evidence-based teaching practices including retrieval practice, spaced (distributed) practice, and interleaving were incorporated into a hydraulics course to improve student learning and evaluated for their effectiveness. …

Dialogue Over Data: An Interview Study Of Evaluators At Institutions Accredited By Aaqep, Laura Mirochna

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The university supervisor’s role is to evaluate student teachers during the field experience process. The processes for onboarding and evaluation of university supervisors vary widely at universities in the United States but are determined, in part, by the data collection requirements of the programmatic accreditation process. An interview study was done to show how different schools are onboarding and evaluating their university supervisors and collecting evaluation data for AAQEP as the programmatic accreditor. The overarching research question is: RQ1: What is the process for onboarding and evaluating university supervisors, if any is used? The study's results indicate that AAQEP does …

Poc@Fwcd: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Black@ Instagram In K-12 Independent Schools, Chaka Cummings

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The summer of 2020 saw many aspects of American society deal with the racial reckoning that arose in the wake of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Their murders sparked outrage, protests, and calls for action and change in the United States through a critical examination of race relations across numerous facets of society. Structures such as educational institutions were called to perform this critical examination much in the same way that cities and industries were. A catalyst in the calls for change came from students through their utilization of social media platforms.

This study is …

Exploring Elementary Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Propensity For Teaching Stem, Ashley Wilkirson

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

The following research is conducted in the interest in exploring self-efficacy (or the lack of) in pre- and in-service elementary school teachers when it comes to teaching STEM. In order to explore the issue of self-efficacy for STEM in elementary schools, it comes to defining what STEM education is and what self-efficacy is. These definitions guide research collected in building these future and current teachers’ self-efficacy, with factors ranging from resources available, pre-service training, professional development, content area knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, perceptions of teaching STEM, and opportunities to collaborate with other teachers were listed as some of the reasons. These …

Examining High School Mathematics Teachers' Research-Based Instructional Practices And Their Relationship To Students' Learning Outcomes: A Convergent Parallel Mixed-Method Study, Isiaka Busari

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examines the relationship between high school mathematics teachers' research-based instructional practices and students' learning outcomes in Algebra 1 classrooms at a high school in a central region of a Southern U.S. State. The research addresses improving mathematics proficiency in the United States, where national performance remains below average. Guided by psychological and social constructivism, the study involved three Algebra 1 teachers and 171 students. Data were collected through classroom observations using the Mathematics Classroom Observation Protocol for Practices (MCOP²), teacher interviews, and student pre-and post-tests. Quantitative data from tests and MCOP² were …

Asset Mindsets And Blended Learning Environments: A Career Educator’S Autoethnography, Elizabeth A. Buffington

Education Dissertations

This autoethnography explores a career educator's personal and professional journey transitioning from a deficit mindset to an asset based mindset. The author examines teaching practices through critical self-inquiry, reflecting on how technology, including Blended Learning Models (Clayton Christensen Institute, 2013), student-centered learning, and an asset mindset enhance educational experiences. The dissertation integrates key frameworks such as Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Mishra, 2019), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) CAST (2024), and the concept of Funds of Knowledge (FoK) (Gonzalez, Moll & Amanti, 2005) to demonstrate how educators can adapt instruction as reflexive practitioners Cunliffe, 2016) to support diverse learners. …

Understanding The Effects Of Hormone Treatments On The Transgender Singer: A Pedagogical Study And Voice Studio Guide, Erin M. Hannon

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Transitioning from one gender to another can be an arduous and emotionally charged experience, accompanied by many physical and mental transformations. The journey of self-discovery and vocal explorations is both unique and deeply personal. Modifications that emerge in an individual's vocal characteristics have a profound influence on their capacity to communicate and express themselves.

Transgender vocal students and professional singers must navigate the delicate balance between their vocal and gender identities while considering the possible risks of Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy. Though these therapies may significantly alter one's appearance and overall well-being, they are also capable of causing notable declines …

A Science Teacher’S Experiences When Fostering Intercultural Competence Among Students In Multilingual Classrooms: A Narrative Study, Uma Ganesan, Amanda R. Morales

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

Increased globalization of the world economy, growth in human migration, and rapid devel-opments in science and technology have required people to develop intercultural commu-nication skills. Teachers play a crucial role in developing intercultural competence among students in our globalized, multilingual classrooms. The need for fostering collaborative discourse among students with diverse cultural and linguistic repertoires and building in-tercultural competence among students is a common blind spot in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics teacher praxis. This can inhibit efforts to cultivate safe and supportive learning environments for all students and can ultimately threaten multilingual student success. As part of a larger …

Georgia Elementary Agriculture Education Pilot Program: An Extensive Look Into The History, Development, And Success, Christa Steinkamp

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Georgia Elementary Agricultural Education (EAE) was formally introduced through the 2018 Senate Bill 330 (SB33); a two-part bill passed with unanimous support in both the House & the Senate. The first part of the bill included the three-component model of school-based agricultural education for high schools and middle schools which includes classroom/laboratory instruction, supervised agricultural experience, and leadership development through the National FFA Organization. The second part of SB330 introduced an elementary agricultural education (EAE) pilot program. The three-year pilot program started in the 2019-2020 school year with twenty-five schools; and concluded with thirty-one schools at the end of the …

Guiding Undergraduate Researchers In The Virtual World: Mentoring Experiences Of Globally Distributed Students, Emily Faulconer, Brent Terwilliger, Robert Deters, Kelly George

Publications

The advancement of technology has led to an increase in undergraduate students pursuing degrees online. The translation of undergraduate research to the online environment is relatively new, though gaining momentum, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mentoring is a key undergraduate research support, particularly for those engaged online, as it fosters a supportive environment for online students to develop their skills and knowledge in their field of study. This study aims to explore the positive impacts of mentoring undergraduate research for fully online students. A single case study methodology was used, with interview data collected from four research mentees completing …

Leveraging Leadership To Retain Early Career Teachers In Stafford County Public Schools, Christopher Gannon, Caroline Canning, Andrew Hoyt, Lauren Johnson, Thomas Mcauley

Doctor of Education Capstones

Stafford County Public Schools requested an evaluation of their current support of Early Career Teachers (ECTs) with one to three years experience, and its potential impact on retention efforts. They stamped this request with urgency, noting the COVID-19 pandemic and teacher pay as two driving factors, specifically, impacting retention of teachers within their first three years. Our Capstone team sought a deeper understanding of the following issues in three research questions: 1) types of support across their division and within their school buildings, 2) the impact of current practices of support, and 3) division-wide considerations for enhancing current systems of …

Threshold Concepts In Quantitative Reasoning, Judith Canner, Jennifer E. Clinkenbeard

Numeracy

The idea of “threshold concepts” has been used to identify discipline-based concepts that are critical to that academic area. Threshold concepts are often difficult for students to assimilate in a meaningful way but, once done, can be powerful for the learner. In general, threshold concepts are 1) transformative to learner thinking; 2) bounded by the discipline; 3) integrative with other concepts; and 4) irreversible once understood (Meyer and Land 2003). This paper presents five threshold concepts in quantitative reasoning (QR) developed by transdisciplinary faculty workgroups that may be applicable for non-mathematics disciplines as well. They are as follows: 1) QR …

Visualize Whole-Self Model - An Instructional Design For Occupational Therapy Education, Mark White, Mary Smith, Adebimpe Obembe, Kristin Haas

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Innovative teaching approaches are changing traditional approaches by using a variety of teaching and learning methods to allow learners to succeed. This paper describes a new instructional model for healthcare education based on the science of learning, educational theories, and best practices in lesson design. The Visualize Whole-Self (VW) Model was designed to provide a learning structure for faculty as they guide the instruction of students in health professions. From the beginning of the program, students visualize themselves as professionals while working with faculty to learn content. The Visualize Whole-Self Model requires students to continually assess their strengths and weaknesses …

The Perceived Effects Of Peer-Assisted Learning In A Collegiate Instrumental Pedagogy Classroom, Hannah Wagoner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is an approach that teachers can use in the classroom to increase students’ ownership of their learning. Besides increased autonomy, PAL can provide several other academic and social benefits, such as increased achievement and fostering a sense of community. This study aimed to examine the effects of PAL on college students’ performance on a secondary instrument. Five students in a collegiate instrumental pedagogy course experienced PAL activities in class while learning secondary instruments. After a statistical and content analysis of all the data, results showed that 1) all but one of the participants improved in their performance …

Reformed-Based Approaches To The Teaching And Learning Of Science, Sahar Vali

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This qualitative practice-based study explores the efficacy of reformed-based science teaching approaches in fostering meaningful student engagement within elementary science classrooms, framed within the science-as-practice paradigm. Utilizing three theoretical frameworks, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Ambitious Science Teaching (AST), and the Teacher Noticing, this research investigates how these frameworks influence student engagement in scientific disciplinary practices. The study draws on data from an NSF-funded project on teacher noticing in fifth-grade classrooms in West Virginia. Through a practice-based research approach, the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical practices and student engagement in science and engineering practices as outlined by NGSS and …

Choir Teacher Agency And Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Kaitlyn Schramm

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) (Paris, 2012) is an educational framework that nurtures and sustains students’ cultural competencies and identities. Scholars have recognized the need for practices that sustain and nurture cultural identities and ways of knowing music in the music classroom (Abril, 2009; Bond, 2014; Good Perkins, 2018; Salvador & Culp, 2022; Shaw, 2016). Culturally sustaining teachers reimagine curriculum entirely and place students' cultural assets at the center “as targets of learning to be sustained” (Lee, 2017, p. 262), explored, honored, extended, and critically problematized (Lee, 2017; Paris, 2012; Samy Alim et al., 2020). In choral classrooms, this often involves …

Introducing Flexible Assessment Into A Computer Networks Course: A Case Study, Joe Meehean

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

With overall positive results and limited drawbacks, I have adapted modern pedagogical techniques to address a common difficulty encountered when teaching a computer networks course. Due to the tiered nature of the skills taught in the course, students often fail unnecessarily. Using mastery learning, competency-based education, and specifications grading as a foundation, I have developed a course that allows students with varied skills and abilities to pass. The heart of this approach is the flexible assessment of programming assignments which eliminates due dates and allows students to have their work graded and regraded without penalty. Flexible assessment also defines an …

Higher Order Thinking ‘On The Go’, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Educators of gifted learners often teach in non-traditional spaces and need to be adaptable. This essay shared five cognitive models that support higher order thinking which can be implemented anywhere and with few materials.

Dueling Abilities, Behaviors, And Characteristics Of Gifted Learners, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Using the Star Wars’ characters, R2-D2 and C-3PO as analogies, educators can better conceptualize the diverse ability, behaviors, and characteristics of gifted learners. Gifted learners do not fit a single profile and this essay aims to help challenge stereotypes teachers may have of gifted learners and highlight the diverse cognitive, social, and emotional needs gifted learners may have.

Unlocking Understanding About Giftedness, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

The goal of undergraduate teacher preparation programs is to prepare future teachers to work with all learners. Gifted and talented learners are likely found in every classroom regardless of where they reside, however, according to Rinn et al. (2022), Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nebraska do not require undergraduate teacher candidates to take university coursework on gifted education. The goal of this presentation is to provide a general overview of gifted education specific to Kansas. This presentation aims to address myths and misconceptions about gifted education and gifted learners, characteristics of gifted learners, a basic overview of a general identification …

Language Learning Simulation Using Duolingo Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

It is likely that preservice teachers will work with students learning English as their second (third, fourth, etc.) language. For preservice teachers to better understand the language learning process, Duolingo was used to simulate the learning experience. The assignment description outlines how preservice teachers can reflection pre-simulation and post-simulation about what they learned about language learning.

Moving Through: Supporting Preservice Teachers’ Transition Through College To The Profession Using Homerooms, David Wolff, Mark Diacopoulos, Alexis Durman, Alexis Monks, Madison Adamson, Kim Ballew

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Preservice Teachers at Pitt State undergo a significant transition from student to professional. Faculty in the College of Education created a weekly Homeroom to support this shift, covering topics like goal setting, power dynamics, generational differences, self-care, identity charts, and time management. Preservice Teachers’ experiences will be shared.