Digital Commons Network^™

Curriculum Renewal: Barriers To Successful Curriculum Change And Suggestions For Improvement, Trudi Cooper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article examines the practical difficulties encountered when a renewed curriculum is implemented in higher education. Attention has been given in the literature to the importance of coherent curriculum and approaches to curriculum design. Less attention has been paid to whether the renewed curriculum can be faithfully implemented within a given university context and how constraints to implementation change the curriculum design. Practical barriers to implementation arose from several sources. These included: how to ensure that all staff understood and supported the new approaches, in the context of a casualized academic workforce; the need for academics to find sufficient time …

The Influence Of Academic Momentum And Associate Degree Credit Requirements On Community College Student Degree Completion, Daniel Knox

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study addresses gaps in the theoretical and policy literature by examining the relationship between associate degree program credit requirements and four student outcomes: associate degree attainment, time to degree, final associate degree grade point average, and persistence. Using student unit record data, a longitudinal quantitative study of a cohort of community college students was conducted for the observational period of fall semester 2011 through winter semester 2016, in order to determine if community college students enrolled in academic programs with higher minimum credit requirements have different outcomes than students in programs with lower minimum credit requirements.

Investigating Student Engagement In Blended Learning Settings Using Experience Sampling And Structural Equation Modeling, Kristine C. Manwaring, Ross Larsen, Charles R. Graham, Curtis R. Henrie, Lisa R. Halverson

Faculty Publications

We investigated activity-level student engagement in blended learning classes at the university level. We used intensive longitudinal methodology to collect activity level engagement data throughout a semester for 68 students enrolled in six blended courses across two universities. We used structural equation modeling to gain a holistic understanding of learning environments, including the influence of personal characteristics, course design, and student perceptions of the learning experience on in-the-moment cognitive and emotional engagement. To investigate longitudinal relationships between emotional and cognitive engagement, we employed cross-lagged modeling techniques. Findings showed that course design and student perception variables had a greater influence on …

Chinese International Students In A Northwest University: Investigating Cultural Academic Learning And Teaching Preferences, Michael L. Bevis

Theses and Dissertations

As Chinese international students on American university campuses continue to rise, the importance of these institutions to accommodate the students in adapting to a different academic culture has become more critical. On a public, coeducational research university located in the Pacific Northwest, a concurrent triangulated mixed method research design was implemented to investigate cultural factors with preferred learning and teaching styles of Chinese international students along with what corroborative descriptions these students provide as effective learning experiences in American college classrooms.

The study brought attention to Chinese international students’ differing cultural values from the previous literature understanding, it supported previous …

University Professors' And Department Directors' Perceptions Regarding Support For Freshman Academic Performance, Karen Sauer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Chile, 50% of students who enroll in Chilean colleges do not graduate, negatively impacting their families' economic situations as well as national development. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions held by math, English, and general education professors regarding the support provided to freshman students in a program at 1 campus of a private Chilean university. Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory emphasizing internal and external motivations and social constructivism theory emphasizing development as a process comprised the conceptual framework. Both theories provide meaningful understanding of the drivers that support …

Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder, College Students, And Identity, Jeanne Vandenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a growing societal problem that has been increasing among college students. Previous research on this population is limited and even fewer studies focus on women. The purpose of this quantitative study is to understand the developmental task of ego identity status for female college students with and without a diagnosis of ADHD based on Erikson's psychosocial theory. The study used the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (OMEIS) to measure identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement status as a means to assess identity status in female college students. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent …

The Supper Effect: Community Engagement As A Path To School And Community Change In A Small Rural Town, Quixada Lea Moore-Vissing

Doctoral Dissertations

Though American public education has promise for leveling inequality and empowering youth, ineffective schools create opposite results. Multiple partners have entered the realm of school reform, including private funders, corporations, foundations, nonprofits, and universities. These reform efforts often overlook the local wisdom and unique needs present in the community each school serves. The United States Department of Education has endorsed school reform methods that engage schools and community in simultaneous school-community change processes, framing communities and schools as partners in educational change. To inform such school change processes, this dissertation is a constructivist grounded theory case study that examines the …

Chief Student Affairs Officers’ Perceptions Of Institutional Crisis Management, Preparedness, And Response, Heather Studenberg

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined chief student affairs officers’ perceptions of institutional crisis management, preparedness, and response. A goal of this study was to uncover findings that can benefit crisis management protocols or best practices regarding crisis management team training, plan communications, and emergency management personnel on campus, as well as, learn if size of enrollment impacts crisis preparedness and response. Research questions assessed if a significant relationship exists between preparedness in responding to crisis with the number of training topics covered with a crisis management team, the number of modes used to communicate the crisis management plan, size of enrollment and …

Dwelling In The Ruins: Recovering Student Use Of Metaphor In The Posthistorical University, Daniel P. Richards

English Faculty Publications

This article argues that the field of Rhetoric and Composition has long harnessed the active potential of metaphor to change its own practices but has considerably overlooked student use of metaphor--a particularly urgent oversight given the metaphorical battleground that constitutes the discourse of contemporary higher education. Using this exigency, the article 1) explains how a more thorough reading of Lakoff and Johnson's popular work on metaphor theory can re-energize Rhetoric and Composition to be more inclusive of student experiences in classroom coverage of metaphor and 2) offers imaginative but concrete pedagogical approaches and activities aimed at facilitating student learning of …

Improving Response Rates To An Alumni Survey In East Africa, Joseph Mwizerwa, Walter Robb, Carolyne Namukwaya, Mary Namuguzi, Sharon Brownie

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Feedback from students and graduates is essential to inform ongoing quality improvement in higher education. However, African universities often face implementation issues in alumni surveys, including technological barriers and difficulties in tracking graduates, particularly those from earlier cohorts and rural alumni. Innovative strategies are needed to locate alumni and obtain a good response rate across widely dispersed, rural and remote areas. This paper reports on strategies used to increase response rates in an East African online alumni survey in a context of limited computer/Internet access. The survey aimed to assess the impact of nursing graduates over a 15 year period …

Mind The Gap: An Initial Analysis Of The Transition Of A Second Level Curriculum Reform To Higher Education, Michael Carr, Fiona Faulkner, Cormac Breen, Mark Prendergast

Articles

This article details an initial analysis of the transition of a second level curriculum reform to higher education in Ireland. The reform entitled ‘Project Maths’ involved changes to what second level students learn in mathematics, how they learn it, and how they are assessed. Changes were rolled out nationally on a phased basis in September 2010. Students who were taught and assessed through the new curriculum first entered third level education in September 2012. It is important that third level mathematics lecturers are aware of the changes to the curriculum since certain topics such as vectors and matrices are no …

2017-2018 Course Catalog, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Registrar

University of Montana Course Catalogs, 1895-2024

An annual catalog of courses and course descriptions offered at the University of Montana.

Site Joint Sig Symposia: A Collaboration Between The K-12 Online Learning Sig And Distance Learning Sig: How Higher Education And K-12 Online Learning Research Can Impact Each Other, Rick Ferdig, Leanna Archambault, Kerry Rice, Margaret Niess, Trisha Litz, Amy Garrett-Dikkers, Michael K. Barbour

Facilitated by Rick Ferdig of Kent State University and editor of JTATE, this Symposia brings together the work of the K-12 Online Learning SIG and the Distance Learning SIG communities and focuses on presentations from scholars in the field whose work has implications for both higher education and K-12 online learning. This Symposia will have nine panelists who will each present their work and then talk specifically about how their work can inform both K-12 and HE. Included in the list of Higher Education-focused panelists are Trisha Litz of Regis University, Maggie Niess of Oregon State University, Antoinette Davis of …

Using The Frame Information Creation As A Process To Teach Career Competencies To Advertising Students, Megan Blauvelt Heuer

Central University Libraries Research

Because information source types in advertising are dynamic and numerous, teaching Information Creation as a Process represents a critical part of information literacy education for students in advertising and marketing programs. Since these programs place great emphasis on career skills, addressing this frame should be situated within an awareness of professional practice. This chapter will look at how students struggle with the concept of Information Creation as a Process, give an overview of the advertising information landscape, and present progressive lesson plans with suggestions for possible assessments.

Called To Teach: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Community College Adjunct Faculty’S Teaching Self-Efficacy, Christy L. Tyndall

Theses and Dissertations

Adjunct faculty teach over 50% of courses in U.S. higher education but little is known about them as educators. Strong evidence has been found in the K-12 literature demonstrating the link between teachers’ beliefs, instructional practices, and subsequent student outcomes. Teaching self-efficacy, beliefs in one’s capabilities to perform specific tasks in a particular context, is an important contributor to motivation and performance (Tschannen-Moran et al., 1998). This research advances teaching and learning literature in higher education and provides insight into an understudied population of educators by exploring adjunct faculty’s teaching self-efficacy and factors that influence those beliefs. In this mixed …

Graduate Student Perceptions Of Support Services In Online Degree Programs, Lydia Karakolidis Cross

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Increasing enrollments of online students has impacted higher education institutions over the last twenty years. While much of the research related to online learning has focused on instructional design and student persistence variables, the role of student support services is a needed area of research. This study set out to evaluate online graduate students’ perceptions of their satisfaction and importance in three student support service areas: enrollment services, academic services, and student services at one public, four-year institution in southeastern Georgia. Findings from this quantitative study indicated satisfied online graduate students in a majority of the areas, with mean difference …

Speaking Out Despite White Noise: Examining The Leadership Of African American Female Technical College Presidents And Vice Presidents, Ashley Morris

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to explore the experiences of African American female leaders in higher education. More specifically, this study examined the experiences of these leaders who assume the role of presidents and vice presidents at Georgia technical colleges. The study contextualized the experiences of these leaders and illustrated how those experiences influence their leadership methods and the establishment of their leadership presence. The results of this study form a context for understanding the leadership methods of African American female leaders.

Edad 925: Law And Higher Education—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Stephanie Bondi

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio documents three learning outcomes of the EDAD925 Law and Higher Education course taught Spring 2017 in the Department of Educational Leadership. The learning outcomes include (a) understanding the role of the higher education administrator within the legal context, (b) using professional standards to inform decision-making, and (c) examining social justice concepts within professional practice in the legal context of higher education. The portfolio shows what was done and how students demonstrated learning on the outcomes. The portfolio includes suggestions of how to better address the three learning outcomes.

Higher Ed "Do Not Resuscitate" Orders, Matthew Adam Bruckner

Kentucky Law Journal

Congress has effectively precluded all institutions of higher education from reorganizing in the bankruptcy courts because it was concerned about exploitative profiteers opening fly-by-night colleges, defrauding students, and then finding refuge in bankruptcy. This choice harms students, employees, creditors, and communities. As such, this Article advocates that Congress should reverse its decision and allow IHEs to reorganize in bankruptcy without losing access to federal student loan and grant programs. To support this argument, this Article contrasts the bankruptcy treatment of healthcare enterprises to that of higher education enterprises. In doing so, this Article builds on my own prior work and …

A Comparison Between Administrative Leadership In Higher Education And Change-Oriented Leadership In Banks, Glenn King Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational environments continually change. Organizations that do not meet the demands for change do not survive. The required changes differ for banks versus universities, suggesting that leaders in each type of organization need to use unique styles to adapt to their unique environments. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to test a contingency theory of leadership that leaders of banks are change-oriented, whereas leaders of higher educational institutions are administrative in their style. The research questions dealt with differences in the uncertainty of internal operations and the external environment of banks versus universities, and the leadership style most …

Weatherford: Undergraduate Catalog 2017-2018, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Sayre: Undergraduate Catalog 2017-2018, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Using Peer-Dialogue Assessment (Pda) For Improving Pre-Service Teachers' Perceived Confidence And Competence To Teach Physical Education, Narelle Eather, Nick Riley, Drew Miller, Bradley Jones

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Developing effective methods for improving student learning in higher education is a priority. Recent findings have shown that feedback on student work can effectively facilitate learning if students are engaged as active participants in the feedback cycle; where they seek, generate and use feedback in the form of dialogue. This novel study investigates the use of peer dialogue assessment as an assessment for learning tool used in an existing undergraduate physical education course. Our findings demonstrate that when thirty six undergraduate physical education students were provided with instruction and practice using peer dialogue assessment after consecutive teaching performances, they exhibit …

Leadership Traits, Divergent Thinking, And Innovation In Higher Education, Barbara S. Marini

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The topic of leadership is critical today as leaders’ decision-making processes affect political, social, and economic conditions globally. Considering market fluctuations and shifts, political uncertainty, environmental threats, and global societal issues, the question of leadership is at the heart of issues faced today as leaders impact people at all levels of society. The discussion regarding leadership has centered on the need for high-level critical and creative thinkers and has shifted towards academia as a source for innovation. Educational institutions are under a high level of scrutiny and pressure to prepare graduates effectively for a volatile and unpredictable global market, yet …

Reflector Magazine, Georgia Southern University, Student Media

Reflector Magazine

• Gnat's Landing: A Place You'll Always Want To Come Back To
• Food For Thought
• A Town For Recovery
• Basics of Birth Control
• Hop Into This Spring's New Trends
• Basics of Birth Control
• Hop Into This Spring's New Trends
• Kratom: The Lesser-Known Herb Fighting for Equality
• Traveling in Your 20's
• Career Tips For College Students
• Paying the Price for Higher Education
• Pros vs. Cons: A Glance at Business vs Liberal Arts Degrees
• Underground Statesboro
• The Art of Fiction: The Importance and Relevance of Political Media

Exploring The Use Of Computer Based Exams For Undergraduate Accounting, Anne Hurley

Irish Journal of Academic Practice

This paper explores the use of computer-based exams (CBEs) for undergraduate accounting. The primary objective of writing this paper was to establish whether CBEs should be integrated with paper-based exams as a summative assessment in undergraduate accounting modules. Professional accounting organisations and universities and colleges in Ireland were contacted to establish whether CBEs had been adopted and, if so, to take relevant lessons from their experience. The literature reviewed the experiences of students, academics, institutions and professional accounting organisations using CBEs worldwide. Findings from this desk-based research indicated an overall positive experience with CBEs. The professional accounting organisations are continuing …

The Dynamic Curriculum:Shared Experiences Of Ongoing Curricular Change In Higher Education, Jean Hughes, Eloise Tan

Students Learning with Communities

No abstract provided.

Analog Tools In Digital History Classrooms: An Activity-Theory Case Study Of Learning Opportunities In Digital Humanities, Kalani Craig

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Digital humanities is often presented as classroom savior, a narrative that competes against the idea that technology virtually guarantees student distraction. However, these arguments are often based on advocacy and anecdote, so we lack systematic research that explores the effect of digital-humanities tools and techniques such as text mining, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and network analysis have on learning outcomes. This study applies activity theory in a case study of a history classroom in order to understand how introducing digital-history methodology using analog tools like posters and whiteboards can improve student appropriation of history-specific disciplinary skills. The end goal is …

Reflecting On Reflecting: Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning As A Tool To Evaluate Contemplative Pedagogies, Alexis T. Franzese, Peter Felten

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Although interest in contemplative pedagogies has grown considerably in higher education, faculty have relatively few resources available to help them make evidence-based choices about the use of different contemplative pedagogies in particular disciplinary or course contexts. We propose adapting a framework from the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) to serve as a heuristic for assessment of the design and implementation of these practices. After outlining this framework, we provide concrete examples from undergraduate courses to explore how a SoTL-informed design, implementation, and assessment process could be applied to the utilization of contemplative pedagogies. The examples suggest that there are …

Decision-Making, Tacit Knowledge, And Motivation In Semi-Professional Practice: Humanizing The Environment Through Anthropomorphism In Clinical Laboratory Science, Teresa Mortier

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The clinical laboratory science field requires an abundance of technical knowledge; however, the importance of implicit or tacit knowledge gained through observation and practice is often discounted in this field, even though it is a critical part of reflective thinking, critical thinking, and reflective practice. The “de-skilling” of laboratory practitioners may be a result of limited training opportunities in an overtaxed system. A deeper analysis of the decision-making skills by interviewing practicing medical laboratory scientists in this study may illuminate, for practitioners and the public sector, the complexity of the profession. This study adds to the body of knowledge in …