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Scielo, Scientific Electronic Library Online, A Database Of Open Access Journals, Rogerio Meneghini Oct 2011

Scielo, Scientific Electronic Library Online, A Database Of Open Access Journals, Rogerio Meneghini

Higher Learning Research Communications

This essay discusses SciELO, a scientific journal database operating in 14 countries. It covers over 1000 journals providing open access to full text and table sets of scientometrics data. In Brazil it is responsible for a collection of nearly 300 journals, selected along 15 years as the best Brazilian periodicals in natural and social sciences. Nonetheless, they still are national journal in the sense that over 80% of the articles are published by Brazilian scientists. Important initiatives focused on professionalization and internationalization are considered to bring these journals to a higher level of quality and visibility.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v3i3.153

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Competence-Based Profile Of Undergraduate Students In Madrid’S Universities: Differences In Terms Of The Gender And Age, Oscar García, Sara Redondo, Gema Santiago, Francisco López, Ana Cruz Oct 2011

Competence-Based Profile Of Undergraduate Students In Madrid’S Universities: Differences In Terms Of The Gender And Age, Oscar García, Sara Redondo, Gema Santiago, Francisco López, Ana Cruz

Higher Learning Research Communications

The aim of this study is to corroborate whether the development of academic excellence is affected by the gender and age of students. A sample of 364 students from different universities in the Community of Madrid were administered COMPEUEM, a test that assesses the extent to which students possess eight academic competencies: communication, leadership, team work, adaptation to the changes, initiative, problem solving, decision making, organization, and planning. All students took the test on site, in the classrooms of the participating universities. The results show that older subjects score higher in the acquisition of skills than younger ones. On the …

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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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Perceived Self-Efficacy Of Licensed Counselors To Provide Substance Abuse Counseling, Nichelle Chandler, Michelle Perepiczka, Richard S. Balken Oct 2011

Perceived Self-Efficacy Of Licensed Counselors To Provide Substance Abuse Counseling, Nichelle Chandler, Michelle Perepiczka, Richard S. Balken

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This nationwide, quantitative study documented licensed counselors' perceived self-efficacy of adequately providing substance abuse services. Despite their lack of substance abuse training, counselors were highly confident in their ability to provide quality substance abuse services. Counselor training implications are discussed.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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The International Baccalaureate (Ib) Programme: An International Gateway To Higher Education And Beyond, Susan E. Saxton, Ian Hill Sep 2011

The International Baccalaureate (Ib) Programme: An International Gateway To Higher Education And Beyond, Susan E. Saxton, Ian Hill

Higher Learning Research Communications

The aim of this article is to present the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme and briefly outline its core components, followed by a review of what authoritative reports identify as skills for the future, esteemed by universities and the job market. There is a striking match between these skills and IB outcomes; thus, DP graduates perform well in higher education and add to the reputation of those institutions. After a review of the literature, the authors found the IB Diploma Programme has been studied in many countries by both consultants and educational agencies, and also by a wide array of universities …

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Editorial, The Editors Sep 2011

Editorial, The Editors

Higher Learning Research Communications

Retention and persistence are at the forefront of attention by students, parents, and state and federal lawmakers. We continue several decades of increasing education costs and the perception of steadily decreasing returns on investment of time and money required to achieve a higher education credential. Thus, a special issue devoted to retention is timely. Included in this special issue of the Higher Learning Research Communications journal are a number of thought pieces and literature reviews that represent diverse perspectives on retention.Dr. Watson Scott Swail provides a provocative essay, A Different Viewpoint on Retention, in which he challenges readers to reflect …

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A Different Viewpoint On Student Retention, Watson Scott Swail Sep 2011

A Different Viewpoint On Student Retention, Watson Scott Swail

Higher Learning Research Communications

Although student retention, persistence, and graduation is a high priority for institutions and policymakers, graduation rates are not improving. Nowadays, more students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds have access to traditional higher education. In this essay, the author argues that an educational system that fails to prepare many students for higher education and the growing costs of attending college are making it more and more difficult for many students to persist and graduate. He concludes by stating that ultimately, we might need to decide, on a policy basis, who we want to go to college, who we want to succeed, …

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Common Ground: Addressing Attrition Across Diverse Institutions In Higher Education, Rebecca L. Jobe, Jim Lenio Sep 2011

Common Ground: Addressing Attrition Across Diverse Institutions In Higher Education, Rebecca L. Jobe, Jim Lenio

Higher Learning Research Communications

Student attrition is an ongoing concern in American higher education, where institutions are being increasingly held accountable for the success of the students they admit. While differences across diverse institutions exist, research suggests that there are many similarities regarding issues related to student persistence and success. In fact, this common ground presents an opportunity for common solutions. The variety of higher education institutions utilizing knowledge gained through institutional initiatives continues to identify new, better ways of serving students. This article sheds light on the known differences between institution types while recognizing the common goals of improving student persistence. The article …

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International Perspectives On Retention And Persistence, Gary Burkholder, Nicole Holland Sep 2011

International Perspectives On Retention And Persistence, Gary Burkholder, Nicole Holland

Higher Learning Research Communications

Access to higher education globally is increasing dramatically; attainment of tertiary degrees is a high priority, as educational attainment is associated with increased personal incomes as well as growth of the middle class in developing countries. The purpose of this essay is to briefly examine retention and persistence issues from a global perspective, review some retention strategies that have been employed at schools outside the United States, and to identify several key factors that related to retention and persistence globally, including access, infrastructure, financial consideration, and readiness for tertiary education. There exists an opportunity to utilize knowledge gained in the …

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Best Practices In Doctoral Retention: Mentoring, Judie L. Brill, Karen K. Balcanoff, Denise Land, Maurice Gogarty, Freda Turner Sep 2011

Best Practices In Doctoral Retention: Mentoring, Judie L. Brill, Karen K. Balcanoff, Denise Land, Maurice Gogarty, Freda Turner

Higher Learning Research Communications

The aim of this critical literature review is to outline best practices in doctoral retention and the successful approach of one university to improve graduation success by providing effective mentorship for faculty and students alike. The focus of this literature review is on distance learning relationships between faculty and doctoral students, regarding retention, persistence, and mentoring models. Key phrases and words used in the search and focusing on mentoring resulted in over 20,000 sources. The search was narrowed to include only doctoral study and mentoring. Research questions of interest were: Why do high attrition rates exist for doctoral students? What …

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Keeping Students In By Sending Them Out: Retention And Service-Learning, Iris Mae Yob Aug 2011

Keeping Students In By Sending Them Out: Retention And Service-Learning, Iris Mae Yob

Higher Learning Research Communications

This review of recent literature examines the research on the impact of service-learning on student retention. The theoretical framework of the review draws on both Tinto’s model of student attrition and Knowles’s theory of adult learning, which together suggest that academic and social integration, active participation and engagement in learning, and application and relevancy of the subject-matter under study are key factors in student success. The role of these factors has been confirmed in a growing body of research around learning experiences in general and, as this review shows, particularly in service-learning experiences. Suggestions are made for how future research …

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People Power – Computer Games In The Classroom, Ivan Hilliard Aug 2011

People Power – Computer Games In The Classroom, Ivan Hilliard

Higher Learning Research Communications

This article presents a case study in the use of the computer simulation game People Power, developed by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. The principal objective of the activity was to offer students an opportunity to understand the dynamics of social conflicts, in a format not possible in a traditional classroom setting. Due to the game complexity, it was decided to play it in a day-long (8 hour) workshop format. A computer lab was prepared several weeks beforehand, which meant that each team of four students had access to a number of computers, being able to have the game …

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