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An Institutional Approach To Developing A Culture Of Student Persistence, Gary J Burkholder, Jim Lenio, Nicole Holland, Rebecca Jobe, Alan Seidman, Diane Seidman Neal, Jimmy Seidman Middlebrook Oct 2011

An Institutional Approach To Developing A Culture Of Student Persistence, Gary J Burkholder, Jim Lenio, Nicole Holland, Rebecca Jobe, Alan Seidman, Diane Seidman Neal, Jimmy Seidman Middlebrook

Higher Learning Research Communications

There continues to be increasing focus on college student retention and persistence. This focus is coming from the United States federal government, accrediting organizations, and from students, parents, and the public. Given the spiraling costs of education and the fact that retention rates have not improved over time, various stakeholders are concerned about the value of a higher education credential. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the efforts of a for-profit, distance education institution to focus its resources, in an evidence-based manner, on retention and to develop a culture of retention and persistence throughout the institution. The literature …

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Motivation And Career-Development Training Programs: Use Of Regulatory Focus To Determine Program Effectiveness, Peter John Anthony, Jeffrey Weide Oct 2011

Motivation And Career-Development Training Programs: Use Of Regulatory Focus To Determine Program Effectiveness, Peter John Anthony, Jeffrey Weide

Higher Learning Research Communications

The purpose of this study was to focus on the relationship between career-development training programs and the motivation of employees. The study used a qualitative method and a phenomenological design using semistructured interviews conducted with a script of open-ended questions. Two main components of the research design were the modified van Kaam method for exploration of experiences and the purposive selection of the participants. The 20 participants in the sample were project managers and consultants from south-central Texas, all of whom had experience with governmental projects. Based on interview responses, the findings of this study highlighted a concern from the …

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Share Your Voice: Online Community Building During Reaffirmation Of Accreditation, Brenda Kruse, Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, Suzanne G. James, Shelley Potler Oct 2011

Share Your Voice: Online Community Building During Reaffirmation Of Accreditation, Brenda Kruse, Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, Suzanne G. James, Shelley Potler

Higher Learning Research Communications

Generic University recently underwent a successful reaffirmation of accreditation process with The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. As part of the 3-year process, a committee, named the Education and Communication working group, was formed to inform and engage with the entire Generic community. The aim of this report is to describe the process and strategies this working group employed to achieve those goals in a distance learning environment. The primary charges of the Education and Communication working group were to (1) educate stakeholders about the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the importance of accreditation, …

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Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of Their Advisors: Sociocommunicative Style And Perceptions Of Relational Satisfaction, Narissra Punyanunt-Carter, Stacy Carter Oct 2011

Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of Their Advisors: Sociocommunicative Style And Perceptions Of Relational Satisfaction, Narissra Punyanunt-Carter, Stacy Carter

Higher Learning Research Communications

This study examined the specific interpersonal communication styles and behaviors of advisors and the expectations they have on their advisee’s level of satisfaction, as well as what characteristics lead to higher relational satisfaction in the advisor-advisee relationship. A combination of convenience and snowball sampling were utilized to obtain participants for this study. Three hundred and ninety-seven college students voluntarily completed a survey on their current advisor. The instruments used relied on the Sociocommunicative Style Scale created by Richmond and McCroskey (1985), and on the Relational Satisfaction Scale created by Beatty and Dobos (1992). Results revealed that there is a significant …

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Student Perception Of Content Master And Engagement In Using An E-Authoring Tool, Lin Carver, Carol Todd Oct 2011

Student Perception Of Content Master And Engagement In Using An E-Authoring Tool, Lin Carver, Carol Todd

Higher Learning Research Communications

Examination of student comments and end of course surveys from previous courses revealed two content design themes: request for additional graphics and visuals to support content and improved quality and opportunities to master content. Researchers wanted to investigate if incorporating SoftChalk, an e-authoring tool, would effectively address these expressed design concerns. As such, the purpose of the study was to explore the students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the newly implemented e-authoring tool. A mixed-method survey design, which included Likert scales and qualitative responses, was utilized. All students enrolled in five sections of the three online graduate education courses (N=81) …

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Dinámicas Tic En Educación Biomédica Y Odontológica, Gleyvis Coro Montanet, Margarita Gómez Sánchez, Ana Suárez García Oct 2011

Dinámicas Tic En Educación Biomédica Y Odontológica, Gleyvis Coro Montanet, Margarita Gómez Sánchez, Ana Suárez García

Higher Learning Research Communications

Ensayo que aborda un espectro de propuestas de nuevas tecnológicas aplicables en el ámbito de la enseñanza biomédica de mayor implicación operatoria, con especificidad en la rama odontológica. Después de un breve repaso de los elementos que han dificultado la inserción de las TIC en las academias médicas, el trabajo ofrece variedad de estrategias para gestionar el cambio y la mejora a través de la aplicación de tecnologías, con apoyo en evidencias de éxito y dependientes de la estrecha relación de lo tecnológico con un modelo educativo -de simulación preclínica y ejercitación teórico/práctica- dinámico y flexible. Todo refrendado por un …

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Online College Laboratory Courses: Can They Be Done And Will They Affect Graduation And Retention Rates?, Eddy Van Hunnik Sep 2011

Online College Laboratory Courses: Can They Be Done And Will They Affect Graduation And Retention Rates?, Eddy Van Hunnik

Higher Learning Research Communications

Online education has been steadily growing during the last decade. This growth has mainly taken place in the non-laboratory science fields. This essay describes some of the best practices to increase and maintain student retention, increase student engagement and increase graduation rates for college running online laboratory science courses. This article further discusses how to run successful, hands-on laboratory courses for your online students. The most common issues are being discussed and what can be done to provide the students with the same hands-on experience online as what they would experience in a more traditional classroom setting.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v5i4.289

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The Role Of Business Agreements In Defining Textbook Affordability And Digital Materials: A Document Analysis, John Raible, Aimee Denoyelles Sep 2011

The Role Of Business Agreements In Defining Textbook Affordability And Digital Materials: A Document Analysis, John Raible, Aimee Denoyelles

Higher Learning Research Communications

Adopting digital materials such as eTextbooks and e-coursepacks is a potential strategy to address textbook affordability in the United States. However, university business relationships with bookstore vendors implicitly structure which instructional resources are available and in what manner. In this study, a document analysis was conducted on the bookstore contracts for the universities included in the State University System of Florida. Namely, issues of textbook affordability, digital material terminology and seller exclusivity were investigated. It was found that textbook affordability was generally conceived in terms of print rental textbooks and buyback programs, and that eTextbooks were priced higher than print …

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Quality Assurance In Higher Education: A Review Of Literature, Tricia Ryan Sep 2011

Quality Assurance In Higher Education: A Review Of Literature, Tricia Ryan

Higher Learning Research Communications

The aim of this paper is to present a general view and a brief literature review of the main aspects related to quality assurance in global higher education. It provides an overview of accreditation as a mechanism to ensure quality in higher education, examines models of QA, and explores the concept of quality. In addition, this paper provides a review of research on the effectiveness of quality assurance practices, with a particular focus on student involvement with quality assurance. In reviewing the concept of quality assurance itself, the author noted there is a need for a common framework for a …

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Editorial, The Editor Sep 2011

Editorial, The Editor

Higher Learning Research Communications

In this edition of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC), our authors present research on quality in the context of higher education, using e-portfolios to encourage responsible feedback, and student gender bias in teaching evaluations.Authors Laura Schindler, Sarah Puls-Elvidge, Heather Welzant, and Linda Crawford present their literature review findings concerning quality and higher education. The authors focus on the difficulties of defining quality, revealing there seem to be four broad manners to conceptualize quality: purposeful, exceptional, transformative, and accountable. They also identified four distinct categories regarding quality indicators in higher education: administrative, student support, instructional, and student performance. One of the …

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Using Eportfolios To Encourage Responsible Feedback, Lucia Morales, Amparo Soler Dominguez Sep 2011

Using Eportfolios To Encourage Responsible Feedback, Lucia Morales, Amparo Soler Dominguez

Higher Learning Research Communications

This article aims to look at the value that ePortfolios can add to business studies, specifically in the financial field. In order to answer the question, Do ePortfolios contribute to the development and enhancement of responsible feedback in the classroom?, the study analyzed the work done by postgraduate students pursuing a Master’s degree in finance. A total of 151 ePortfolios were reviewed and analyzed, and a selection of comments from students is presented in order to support the main findings of the literature review. The authors considered this approach to be appropriate in order to offer an objective analysis on …

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Definitions Of Quality In Higher Education: A Synthesis Of The Literature, Heather Welzant, Laura Schindler, Sarah Puls-Elvidge, Linda Crawford Sep 2011

Definitions Of Quality In Higher Education: A Synthesis Of The Literature, Heather Welzant, Laura Schindler, Sarah Puls-Elvidge, Linda Crawford

Higher Learning Research Communications

The aim of this paper is to provide a synthesis of the literature on defining quality in the context of higher education. During a search for relevant literature, the authors intentionally cast a wide net, beginning with a broad search in Google Scholar and followed by a narrower search in educational databases, including Academic Search Complete, Education Research Complete, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and SAGE Premier. The authors identified both peer-reviewed journal articles and publications from professional organizations, such as the International Organization for Standardization. The paper begins with a discussion of the existing challenges and strategies for defining …

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Students' Gender Bias In Teaching Evaluations, Narissra Punyanunt-Carter, Stacy L Carter Sep 2011

Students' Gender Bias In Teaching Evaluations, Narissra Punyanunt-Carter, Stacy L Carter

Higher Learning Research Communications

The goal of this study was to investigate if there is gender bias in student evaluations. Researchers administered a modified version of the teacher evaluation forms to 58 students (male=30; female=28) in a basic introductory communications class. Half the class was instructed to fill out the survey about a male professor, and the other half a female professor. Researchers broke down the evaluation results question by question in order to give a detailed account of the findings. Results revealed that there is certainly some gender bias at work when students evaluate their instructors. It was also found that gender bias …

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Editorial, The Editors Sep 2011

Editorial, The Editors

Higher Learning Research Communications

This Special Issue of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) is dedicated to research in content language integrated learning (CLIL) and English-medium instruction (EMI). A we make our way in the 21st century, higher education institutions are faced with multiple challenges as they try to prepare future professionals. Issues such as globalization and internationalization, technology, access to information, interculturality, and the like pose challenges for future generations. And, higher education institutions play a fundamental role in shaping how that future will look like. In the face of multiculturalism and the communication barriers that are bound to happen, many countries and educational …

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Introduction To The Special Issue On English Medium Instruction As A Major Driver In The Internationalization Of Higher Education, Victoria Bamond, Birgit Strotmann Sep 2011

Introduction To The Special Issue On English Medium Instruction As A Major Driver In The Internationalization Of Higher Education, Victoria Bamond, Birgit Strotmann

Higher Learning Research Communications

This volume of HLRC is dedicated to the emergent and rapidly growing interest in English Medium Instruction as a major driver in the internationalization of higher education. It focuses on sharing knowledge and experience in CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and EMI (English Medium Instruction) from different universities in Eastern and European countries as a means to reflect and improve upon teaching and learning.As editors, we would like to kick this volume off with a review of one of the most comprehensive and relevant publications on the topic in recent times, The Higher Education Language Landscape: Ensuring Quality in …

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Book Overview And Q&A With David Marsh, Victor Pavón-Vázquez, And María Jesús Frigols-Martín: Review Of The Book 'The Higher Education Language Landscape: Ensuring Quality In English Language Degree Programmes', Victoria Bamond, Birgit Strotmann Sep 2011

Book Overview And Q&A With David Marsh, Victor Pavón-Vázquez, And María Jesús Frigols-Martín: Review Of The Book 'The Higher Education Language Landscape: Ensuring Quality In English Language Degree Programmes', Victoria Bamond, Birgit Strotmann

Higher Learning Research Communications

The purpose of this essay is to serve as an introduction to the Special Issue on English-Medium Instruction (EMI) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): Challenges and Opportunities. The guest editors provide a general overview of the book, The Higher Education Language Landscape: Ensuring Quality in English Language Degree Programmes, written by Marsh, Pavón-Vázquez, and Frigols-Martín (2013), as well as general impressions about its contents. The book is one of the few publications currently available on CLIL and EMI. It also includes short biographical information about the book authors and a Q&A, where they answer questions about the book …

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Linguistic Outcomes Of English Medium Instruction Programmes In Higher Education: A Study On Economics Undergraduates At A Catalan University, Jennifer Rose Ament, Carmen Pérez-Vidal Sep 2011

Linguistic Outcomes Of English Medium Instruction Programmes In Higher Education: A Study On Economics Undergraduates At A Catalan University, Jennifer Rose Ament, Carmen Pérez-Vidal

Higher Learning Research Communications

Globalisation and international mobility in the 21st century has led to the internationalisation of the English language (Crystal, 2003). Research regarding linguistic gains at university levels is however extremely scarce. This study aims to address this gap of knowledge and provide some answers as to how much linguistic gain can be expected after one year of English medium instruction. Two groups of undergraduate students enrolled in different levels of English medium instruction (EMI) were given a pre and post-test over a 1 year period. Results were analysed statistically; significant gains were found only in the semi- immersion group in the …

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Realizing Internationalization At Home Through English-Medium Courses At A Japanese University: Strategies To Maximize Student Learning, Yukiko Ishikura Sep 2011

Realizing Internationalization At Home Through English-Medium Courses At A Japanese University: Strategies To Maximize Student Learning, Yukiko Ishikura

Higher Learning Research Communications

In 2009, the Japanese government launched the Global 30 (G30) Project, a new initiative to internationalize universities. Selected universities had to create English-medium degree programs at undergraduate level in order to stimulate “internationalization at home.” The G30 Project represented a major shift in the focus of internationalization efforts from quantitative to qualitative outcomes. Using a case study approach, this paper investigates one G30 program and the attempts made to open up English-medium course offerings to the wider student body. It explores two related issues: level setting and student attrition. A mixed methods approach was used with data gathered from students …

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Making The Match Between Content And Foreign Language: A Case Study On University Students’ Opinions Towards Clil, M. Teresa Martín De Lama Sep 2011

Making The Match Between Content And Foreign Language: A Case Study On University Students’ Opinions Towards Clil, M. Teresa Martín De Lama

Higher Learning Research Communications

The present article intends to show the positive evaluation of post-graduate university students at a Spanish university after the curricular integration experience and the application of CLIL scaffolding techniques. It also aims to identify areas of methodological improvements and recommendations in the application of CLIL in the referred programme as well as in higher education contexts. The researchers used a cross-sectional study to survey the students’ opinion on ICL after the integration of the syllabus of one foreign language subject and another content subject in a post-graduate degree at a private Spanish university in Madrid (Spain). The results point to …

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Editorial, The Editors Sep 2011

Editorial, The Editors

Higher Learning Research Communications

This issue of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) features research focused on faculty development from scholars across both sides of the Atlantic. The opening piece, Enhancing faculty performance through coaching: Targeted, individualized support, describes the culture within a US-based higher education institution, where emphasis is given to supporting faculty. One of their latest approaches has been to implement coaching as a means for professional development, with positive results.Promoting critical thinking skills has always been a challenge for higher education professionals. Different models and techniques have been researched and described in different contexts. And, as higher education makes its way into …

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Faculty Perspective On Competency Development In Higher Education: An International Study, Paloma Julia Velasco, Begoña Learreta, Claudia Kober, Irene Tan Sep 2011

Faculty Perspective On Competency Development In Higher Education: An International Study, Paloma Julia Velasco, Begoña Learreta, Claudia Kober, Irene Tan

Higher Learning Research Communications

The purpose of this research is to establish common ground on how faculty development should be instituted and the needs it should address on an international level, with its major focus being the development of competencies. A survey was developed and distributed to a sample of 764 university teaching professionals. Results show that 90% find that it is either important or very important to develop competencies in higher education, and that 73% find they are well or very well trained in developing and assessing competencies, particularly with regard to applying theoretical knowledge in practice, teamwork, and oral and written communication …

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Instructional Design And Facilitation Approaches That Promote Critical Thinking In Asynchronous Online Discussions: A Review Of The Literature, Laura A. Schindler, Gary J. Burkholder Sep 2011

Instructional Design And Facilitation Approaches That Promote Critical Thinking In Asynchronous Online Discussions: A Review Of The Literature, Laura A. Schindler, Gary J. Burkholder

Higher Learning Research Communications

Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are often used to promote critical thinking in online courses; however, recent research suggests that levels of critical thinking in discussions remain low. Furthermore, there is a lack of consensus in the literature about the definition of critical thinking and many of the existing studies focus on one specific cognitive construct. Therefore, it is unknown which instructional approaches have the strongest empirical support for promoting critical thinking across multiple cognitive constructs. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the literature related to instructional design and facilitation approaches that promote critical thinking in …

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Enhancing Faculty Performance Through Coaching: Targeted, Individualized Support, Laurie Bedford, Melissa Mcdowell, Lyda Ditommaso Downs Sep 2011

Enhancing Faculty Performance Through Coaching: Targeted, Individualized Support, Laurie Bedford, Melissa Mcdowell, Lyda Ditommaso Downs

Higher Learning Research Communications

Coaching in higher education is a relatively new field; although, it has been taking place in educational institutions for some time, even if it was not labeled as such. This paper describes the faculty development filosophies of a US-based higher education institution with a strong culture of supporting faculty and promoting social change. A coaching model was implemented as a means for professional development. It was designed to be facilitated through a peer relationship and it offers problem-focused, contextualized opportunities for faculty to collaborate, thus making the experience and outcome more meaningful. The coaching model is individualized, confidential, non-evaluative, and …

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Motivational Issues Of Faculty In Saudi Arabia, Peter John Anthony, Akram Abdulcader Sep 2011

Motivational Issues Of Faculty In Saudi Arabia, Peter John Anthony, Akram Abdulcader

Higher Learning Research Communications

This study focused on the factors that affect motivation of faculty in Saudi Arabia. It included two surveys and open-ended queries to a focus group of five academic managers and 25 faculty members of varying nationalities, rank, and institutes in Saudi Arabia. The research showed that the faculties in Saudi Arabia’s higher education industry feel disconnected from the program development. The faculty members did not feel motivated to participate in the development and improvement of the academic program due to: (a) lack of monetary and non-monetary incentives, (b) management not involving faculty in decision-making, and (c) lack of recognition and …

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Communicative Differences Between Domestic And Foreign Instructors, Narissra Punyanunt-Carter, Jason Wrench, Stacy L Carter, Daniel Linden Sep 2011

Communicative Differences Between Domestic And Foreign Instructors, Narissra Punyanunt-Carter, Jason Wrench, Stacy L Carter, Daniel Linden

Higher Learning Research Communications

The objective of this study was to investigate college students’ perceptions of their foreign and domestic classroom instructors. Two hundred and eleven college students participated in the study. The potential participants were approached and offered extra credit to participate, and all needed to have at least one domestic instructor and one international instructor during the semester of the research study. Participants filled out a series of measures first examining their personal levels of individualism/collectivism and ethnocentrism, followed by a set of questions related to the participants’ perceptions of their international instructor and then about their domestic instructor. To ensure that …

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A Teaching Model Proposal For Adult University Students, Ana Cruz Chust Sep 2011

A Teaching Model Proposal For Adult University Students, Ana Cruz Chust

Higher Learning Research Communications

Due to the increased enrollment of students over 25 years of age in higher education institutions, this study focused on interviewing faculty members in order to understand the characteristics and special aspects related to teaching and learning adult students. Two data gathering techniques were employed: individual and group interviews, both semi-structured. In selecting participants, purposive sampling was used. Results revealed that college teachers have been updating and modifying their teaching strategies to meet the needs of these nontraditional students. Findings suggest teachers are sensitive to these students’ needs, and their teaching strategies seem to incorporate adult education approaches. This study …

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Editorial, The Editors Sep 2011

Editorial, The Editors

Higher Learning Research Communications

This issue of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) features research focused on some of the challenges colleges and universities are facing in this new century, as the world becomes more and more technology focused and internationalized. New learning and teaching paradigms in higher education institutions across the globe highlight the need to constantly innovate educational programs in order to remain relevant and accessible across disciplines and frontiers alike.An entity that has been ahead of its times for decades has been the International Baccalaureate (IB). As Dr. Ian Hill and Dr. Susan Saxton explain in their article, “The International Baccalaureate (IB) …

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Blended Language Learning: An Effective Solution But Not Without Its Challenges, Christopher Johnson, Debra Marsh Sep 2011

Blended Language Learning: An Effective Solution But Not Without Its Challenges, Christopher Johnson, Debra Marsh

Higher Learning Research Communications

The study discussed in this investigation is part of a larger collaborative initiative between Laureate Education and Cambridge University Press (LEP-CUP collaboration). This second phase of the research, completed in 2013, aimed to further explore the conclusions from phase 1 and set out to identify effective and appropriate best practice blended learning models within the network. A study was set up with 36 teachers, all experienced ELT teachers with differing levels of experience in blended language teaching, who took part in extended focus groups discussions sessions prompted by a series of questions. Responses from these groups of teachers indicated that …

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Comparing Student Perceptions Of The Classroom Climate Created By U.S. American And International Teaching Assistants, Kevin R. Meyer, Yuping Mao Sep 2011

Comparing Student Perceptions Of The Classroom Climate Created By U.S. American And International Teaching Assistants, Kevin R. Meyer, Yuping Mao

Higher Learning Research Communications

Previous studies have revealed that American undergraduate students complain about International Teaching Assistants’ (ITAs) lack of English proficiency and rate ITAs lower than American Teaching Assistants (ATAs) on teaching evaluations. This study investigates student perceptions of classroom climate to discover how ITAs might overcome students’ ethnocentric preconceptions. Survey results from 485 undergraduate students found that student perceptions of classroom climate differed significantly with ITAs as compared to ATAs. Student perceptions of classroom climate also differed significantly by the biological sex of the student. The biological sex of the TA did not have a significant impact on student perceptions of classroom …

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Education For Sustainable Development In Higher Education: State-Of-The-Art, Barriers, And Challenges, Gonzalo Fernandez-Sanchez, María Olga Bernaldo, Ana Castillejo, Ana María Manzanero Sep 2011

Education For Sustainable Development In Higher Education: State-Of-The-Art, Barriers, And Challenges, Gonzalo Fernandez-Sanchez, María Olga Bernaldo, Ana Castillejo, Ana María Manzanero

Higher Learning Research Communications

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a new educational paradigm that allows Universities to lead and respond to social needs towards a more sustainable life. The ESD is a global preparedness and complex phenomena in relation to the effects of human activity on the environment, society and economy in spatial (global, regional and local) and temporal dimensions (learn from the past, act in the present and anticipate the future). This essay provides an important synthesis of the vast literature in recent years in relation to ESD. It analyzes the areas and elements to be integrated into the application and integration …

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