Digital Commons Network^™

2023-2024 Ursinus College Course Catalogue, Office Of The Registrar

Ursinus College Catalogues, 1869-Present

A digital copy of the 2023-2024 Ursinus College Catalog. It contains details of the curriculum, departmental requirements and courses of instruction as well as the Open Questions core requirements, experiential learning and the Common Intellectual Experience (CIE). Academic policies, special opportunities and scholarships, off-campus programs and graduation requirements are also outlined.

Developing Teachers To Teach English Language Learners (Ells) Via Ell Notebook Strategies, Ebony D. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract This study explored the effect of developing teachers to teach English language learners (ELLs) through strategic professional development utilizing interactive notebooks to enhance the academic achievement of ELLs. Students trying to learn English as a foreign language need extra language support. For this reason, their teachers should be trained to teach them using various tools, such as interactive notebooks. The action research studied two focus areas dealing with ELLs, which included (a) preparing teachers to teach ELLs who face learning English and content area learning and (b) the use of interactive notebooks and their impact on ELLs’ academic growth. …

Helping Frontline Workers In Texas-A Framework For Resource Development, Karima Lalani, Meredith O'Neal, Simone Lee Joannou, Bhanumathi Gopal, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

First responders disproportionately experience occupational stress when compared to the general population, and COVID-19 has exacerbated this stress. The nature of their duties as law enforcement officers, firefighters, and medics exposes them to repeated trauma, increasing their risk of developing a broad array of mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder (SUD), and compassion fatigue. This paper describes the need for resources for frontline workers and provides a framework for creating and implementing resources. A team of interdisciplinary subject matter experts developed two major resources. The first resource was a 24/7 helpline to support first responders …

Creating First Grade Math Learning Materials In The Chinese Immersion Learning Environment, Huishu Jia

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Math is everywhere in people’s daily lives. It is also a universal subject taught everywhere. Research has demonstrated that math education includes many different components, the most essential mathematical skill for younger learners is to establish their number sense. Students’ math fluency will increase and will develop their math automaticity once they have strong number sense. According to studies, the Mandarin Chinese language helps students effectively master basic mathematical skills due to the uniqueness of the language, such as the pronunciation of each Chinese character, the “base ten” number system, etc. The project involved creating a pacing chart that aligns …

An Examination Of Physical Literacy: Learning Through A Technology Integrated, Flipped Classroom Approach., Euan M. S. Frew

Theses and Dissertations

Technology integrated, flipped classroom design offers opportunities to engage students on various levels and through meaningful ways. Introducing this learning environment to students at an early age is likely to change their motivation for learning towards physical literacy and influence their lifelong participation in physical activity. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of a new technology integrated, Flipped Classroom in a physical education class, to increase eighth -grade students’ physical literacy at an international middle school. The following research questions guided this study: (a) How and to what extent does a technology integrated, flipped classroom, …

Elementary Mathematics Curriculum: State Policy, Covid-19, And Teachers’ Control, Mona Baniahmadi, Bima Sapkota, Amy M. Olson

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In the U.S., state guidance to schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was politicized. We used state-level political affiliation to explore whether access to curricular resources differed pre-pandemic or during pandemic remote teaching and teachers' reported control over curricular resources during pandemic teaching. We found that pre-pandemic the percentage of teachers in Republican states reported higher levels of resources overall, and use of core and teacher-created curricular resources in particular. They also reported having greater control over their curricular decision-making during the pandemic. There were no state-level differences in teachers’ level of preparation for pandemic teaching, but teachers in …

Mapping The Delineation Of Practice To The Amia Foundational Domains For Applied Health Informatics, Todd R Johnson, Eta S Berner, Sue S Feldman, Josette Jones, Annette L Valenta, Damian Borbolla, Gloria Deckard, Laverne Manos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: This article reports on the alignment between the foundational domains and the delineation of practice (DoP) for health informatics, both developed by the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). Whereas the foundational domains guide graduate-level curriculum development and accreditation assessment, providing an educational pathway to the minimum competencies needed as a health informatician, the DoP defines the domains, tasks, knowledge, and skills that a professional needs to competently perform in the discipline of health informatics. The purpose of this article is to determine whether the foundational domains need modification to better reflect applied practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using an iterative …

Parents' Perceptions Of The Importance Of Teaching Mathematics: A Q-Study, Ashlynn M. Holley

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics education has gone through multiple reform efforts over the last century and continues to be the target of improvement efforts. Past changes in curriculum and goals have sometimes led to heated debates between various stakeholders. Knowing the views of different stakeholders can help determine what common ground there is between these different groups and where areas of disagreement might arise. Parents are especially important to understand because they have been influential in past reform efforts. Despite the importance of parents' opinions, little research has been conducted concerning their perspectives on the importance of mathematics teaching. Using Q-methodology, I was …

Knowledge Acquisition Efficacy Of A Remote Flipped Classroom On Learning About Removable Partial Dentures, Yuka Inamochi, Eiko Yoshida Kohno, Junichiro Wada, Natsuko Murakami, Atsushi Takaichi, Yuki Arai, Takeshi Ueno, Kenji Fueki, Noriyuki Wakabayashi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 has forced the use of remote education worldwide. In 2020, the authors conducted a fully digitized, remote flipped (RF) classroom focusing on removable partial dentures. This study aimed to evaluate the learning outcomes of the RF classroom and compare these with those of the on-site classroom.

Methods: The fourth-year dental students in 2017-2019 attended on-site flipped classroom (OF; n=70) or on-site lecture classroom (OL; n=67), and those in 2020 (n=58) attended the RF classroom. Lecture videos and text were provided online in the OF and RF groups, while only the text was given to the OL …

Being And Becoming Global Citizens: Measuring Progress Toward Sdg 4.7. Phase I: Monitoring Teacher And School Readiness To Enact Global Citizenship In The Asia-Pacific Region, Rachel Parker, Jennie Chainey, Payal Goundar, Sarah Richardson, Anna Dabrowski, Amy Berry, Claire Scoular

Global education monitoring

Substantive work has been undertaken to define and frame global citizenship education (GCED). Global citizenship and related terms are included in the curricula and policy statements of many diverse nations around the world (Parker & Fraillon, 2016; APCEIU, 2020b), however, the education sector often struggles to enact and monitor GCED in ways that reflect the changing conditions of students and schools. This study responds to an identified need for enhanced tools and resources for schools and systems to monitor and evaluate GCED, in accordance with United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7. This need is particularly pressing in the …

The Role Of Faculty In Durable Skills Development In Higher Education, James Hutson, Mark Valenzuela, Shannon Wright, Elizabeth Melick

Faculty Scholarship

Although Emsi and other market researchers have found that employers desire durable skills (formerly known as “soft skills”) in new hires, there have been few studies dedicated to identifying how faculty perceptions of skill development differ in degree and by area, and how that might impact how such skills are embedded in classroom instruction. This study proposes to investigate the perceptions of faculty from different academic backgrounds and how their disciplines and experiences may contribute to their perceived role in curricular, cocurricular or extracurricular offerings that support durable skill development. Results from the study demonstrate the differing perspectives and expectations …

Engaging Young Female Students In Digital Technology Programs: Part One, Sarah Buckley, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Kristy Osborne, Celia Mcneilly, Shani Sniedze, Rachel Felgate

Digital learning research

This report is part of a larger project commissioned by CSIRO and designed to highlight the enablers and barriers to young female students engaging with digital technology. By addressing this function, the report will thereby aid CSIRO to increase the participation of young female students in the digital technology programs offered by CSIRO’s Education and Outreach (CEdO) unit. CSIRO’s Digital Careers team have developed activities and resources to enhance and extend students’ computational thinking skills and to develop other integral skills such as teamwork, critical and creative thinking, and problem solving. In collaboration with industry partners, CEdO are responsible for …

Using Cooperative Groups To Enhance Student Learning In A High School Math Class, Caitlin Mccain

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

There are many ways that teachers can use cooperative learning in their classroom. The literature review found in this capstone dives into the research surrounding cooperative learning, starting with the four theoretical perspectives on cooperative learning identified by Slavin (1995, as cited by Slavin, 2011) and how they work together to enhance learning. Also discussed is a 2003 study by Kramarski and Mevarech which demonstrates the need to expose students to metacognitive training. Liljedahl et al.’s (2021) research on how to group students can also be found in this capstone. The research from this literature review, along with the author’s …

Utilizing Storytelling In A High School Ecology And Cell Energy Unit, Katherine Shealy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this Capstone project was: How is student learning impacted when storytelling and knowledge from Native American tribes are used to create a high school biology unit on ecology and cell energy? The following topics that were focused on during this project were changes to science teaching, culturally responsive teaching, storytelling in science, the effects of using standards and standardized testing, the New Generation Science Standards, and equity and diversity in science learning. The curriculum created for this project included the story of and focused on Minneopa State Park in Mankato, Minnesota, a historically important site …

A Web-Based Collaborative Ngss-Centered Chemistry Unit On The Topic Of Atomic Structure, Paige Condie

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project focuses on a high school chemistry classroom with a focus on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). NGSS provides students with a more investigative approach to learning science. These new standards that are being set can lead to improvement in learning, engagement and application of scientific concepts to the real world in high school science classrooms. This changes the way science is being taught at the highschool level. Generally, in the past I have seen a focus on learning from the textbook, memorizing definitions and not really learning how to do science. The NGSS provides a new …

Chinese Immersion Cultural Teaching And The Use Of Authentic Materials, Li Cheng

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As Chinese language and culture education gains prominence in global contexts, the fusion of language acquisition with cultural competence becomes a central pursuit. Through a comprehensive exploration of theoretical underpinnings and practical applications, this study elucidates the significance of authentic materials as catalysts for cultural engagement within Chinese immersion programs. This paper delves into the dynamic landscape of Chinese Immersion Cultural Teaching by examining the pivotal role of authentic materials in enhancing students' cultural understanding. The resource developed consists of a ten-day lesson plan designed according to the Chinese New Year: Students will first learn the text and new words, …

Tying Community Science And Social Justice Together In An Urban Biology Class To Foster Environmental Responsibility, Sarah Graham

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research shows that students who are involved in projects within their communities feel more sense of belonging and connection to their space. This is also true when discussing environmental justice. Students who have been historically marginalized can feel more comfort within navigating science. The unit plan designed for this project addressed the research question: How can community science and social justice be tied together in an urban biology classroom to foster environmental responsibility? The unit plan combined the knowledge of community science which focuses on sense of place with social justice within science or critical pedagogy in order to support …

How To Design And Implement A Maker Space In The K-3 Classroom, Elizabeth Nelson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

A maker space is an area designated to be used by participants to make a product through a hands-on experience. While the term maker space is relatively new to education, ‘making’ is embedded into human history. The research on these spaces relies on the importance of the maker space for a student's social-emotional well-being. Creative hands-on work specifically for children from low-income backgrounds supports the student in their primary years. At the same time, there needs to be more evidence in the research that proves how effective these spaces are in supporting students' academics. The topics explored in the literature …

Dancing Science: Using Dance And Movement As Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies To Increase Motivation, Interest, And Understanding In Middle School Science Classes, Ellis Johnston

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many classrooms are characterized by students sitting in desks. However, research in embodied cognition shows us that the mind is best activated when the body is moving and interacting with the world. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on bringing dance and movement to an eighth grade physical science class in order to increase their motivation, interest, and understanding. Historically, dance and movement have been used as educational methods in many non-white cultures. More recently, incorporating dance into classrooms has been linked to increased executive function in students of color in at-risk and urban schools. Dancing provides students who …

My Work Is Wild — Promoting Career Literacy Of Conservation And Stem Vocations In Secondary School Students, Lauren Salick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As the climate crisis heightens and we tread ever further into the Anthropocene epoch, it becomes imperative environmental educators help recruit young adults to the conservation career force. However, studies show that career literacy education is a complex subject that is often misrepresented in traditional K-12 education. The goal of this project was to create an inclusive and influential curriculum for informal after-school programming for secondary students to supplement the career literacy of conservation professions garnered in the traditional school day. The lesson plans focus on relating conservation professions to our communities and students’ daily lives, as well as the …

Teaching Non-Experimental Chemistry Content Through The Pairing Of Strategically Curated Data Sets And Model-Based Inquiry, Andrew Banker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Historically science education has seemed to be in a pendulum swing battle between prioritizing teaching science content or science practices. The Next Generation Science Standards sought to synthesize both priorities in their Framework. Minnesota high schools will face a new wave of Science MCA tests in the 2024-2025 school year that will reflect the 2019 Minnesota science standards and thereby the Next Generation Science Standards. The curricular resource presented in this project is a valuable template for how high school science teachers can pursue meeting the parallel goals of teaching science content and science practices as the new standards …

Informal Education Builds Deeper Knowledge And Connections With Elasmobranchs To Develop An Understanding For Environmental Conservation, Lacie Ownbey

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Zoos and aquariums provide essential tools and opportunities to help get school aged children out of the classroom for informal education and learning. Using facilities that offer programs where the focus is on both entertainment and education, learning can be maximized to obtain literacy of a subject. That level of understanding can be then used to promote conservation and pro-environmental thinking for animals that could most benefit from a more focused setting, such as a non-charismatic megafauna: elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). Using Backward Design, where the goals of the program were determined first, a two-day Shark Researcher Camp was created …

Teaching Mathematics To All Learners By Tapping Into Indigenous Legends: A Pathway Towards Inclusive Education, Nahid Golafshani

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explored the use of Indigenous storytelling in the planning and teaching of mathematical content. In collaboration with Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators, a culturally inclusive mathematical lesson was developed, implemented, and reviewed in an elementary school in Northern Ontario. This study used a culturally authentic approach to address the current educational issue of diversity within the Ontario curriculum and education system. The results of this study suggested that utilizing Indigenous storytelling for teaching mathematical curricular expectations could benefit both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Storytelling can allow students to relate abstract mathematical concepts to their own lived experiences, to be …

Peer Review Of Teaching: Et Theory, Deficit Irrigation And Consumptive Use, Derek M. Heeren, Saleh Taghvaeian

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

A BSE Peer Review of Teaching was carried out for a graduate level course on Advanced Irrigation Management. This course has been offered for several years; each time improvements are made, but there is always a need for additional improvement. In particular, ET theory, deficit irrigation, and consumptive use are topics that the students struggle to grasp. These topics involve a relatively high level of math for an MS-level (800-level) Agricultural Systems Technology course, and the available materials on these topics either were not well developed or were not a good fit for this class. The primary objective was to …

Teacher Perceptions On The Influence Of The Amistad Integrated Units On Instructional Practices And Black Female Students' Academic Experiences, Tiffany Wicks

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to understand the thoughts of teachers on the Amistad Integrated Units and the influence of the culturally relevant units on Black female students. The researcher identified if culturally relevant pedagogy influenced teacher instructional practices and the classroom academic experiences of Black female students. The findings helped to explain the needs of Black girls in an urban classroom and possible solutions that can benefit them within classroom environments.

For this study, the researcher used a narrative inquiry research design to examine and understand the perspectives of teachers and the influence of culturally relevant curriculum …

Perceptions Of Nature-Based Educators: A Phenomenological Study, Jessica D. Mashburn

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of practicing nature-based educators and to find how classroom educators can become skilled in providing students with opportunities to learn in nature. In the study, there were 13 participants who represented a variety of individuals, with impressive educational credentials, who are currently employed or volunteering with a nature-based education organization. The data were collected through an intensive literature review, participant interviews, and field observations within two nature-based education organizations. The major findings include the overall difference between nature-based education and the typical classroom setting, as well as the …

The Effects Of A Science Of Reading Professional Development Plan On Teachers’ Perceptions Of Content Knowledge And Self-Efficacy In Instruction: A Mixed-Methods Study, Mary K. Schaefer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a year-long professional development plan designed to support K-3 teachers in two elementary schools in making shifts to align instructional practices with the science of reading. This mixed methods approach incorporated an action research design to answer the following research questions: What was the relationship between teachers’ understanding of the foundational skills of reading and teachers’ confidence in teaching the foundational skills of reading? What impact does strategic and ongoing PD in the science of reading have on teachers’ practice? What are teachers’ perceptions of year-long professional development in …

Designing An Equity-Centered Framework And Crosswalk For Integrated Elementary Computer Science Curriculum And Instruction, Carla Strickland, Andrea Ramírez-Salgado, Lauren Weisberg, Latoya Chandler, Jeanne Di Domenico, Elizabeth M. Lehman, Maya Israel

Journal of Computer Science Integration

As computer science (CS) education becomes more prevalent in K-12 instruction, it is critical for educators, researchers, and curriculum developers to identify culturally responsive and pedagogically inclusive approaches that can increase participation, access, and feelings of belonging for students from historically marginalized communities. In response, we developed an equity-centered curricular framework and illustrative crosswalk that synchronizes three distinct pedagogical approaches: culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and project-based learning (PBL). We describe the framework’s theoretical underpinnings and explain how this framework informed the development of an integrated elementary science+CS curricular unit and provide examples of its implementation. …

Helping Female And Nonbinary Identifying Students Grow Confidence In The Science Classroom, Mari Mcdonald

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone is titled “Helping Female and Nonbinary Identifying Students Grow Confidence in the Science Classroom”. The focus is on finding and sharing resources that will help girls and nonbinary students feel encouraged, interested, and motivated to pursue studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and careers. This topic is influenced by the author’s experience as a female student studying science in school, as someone with two science teacher parents, and as a female high school science teacher. First hand experience influenced this topic greatly. A literature review was conducted to research what has been done to improve this …

Teaching English In Earth And Space Science: Content-Based Curriculum Development For Secondary Multilingual Learners, Laura Gislason

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The number of English language learners in public schools continues to increase in Minnesota. Multilingual high school students having a WIDA English language proficiency level below three tend to experience a greater number of academic challenges and experience lower graduation rates. In order to combat these challenges, many high schools provide sheltered content classes co-taught by licensed content and EL teachers. While these courses help students succeed in mastering content standards, English language development is often relegated to incidental acquisition as a bi-product of the learning process. This capstone uses the connections model of content based instruction to answer the …