Digital Commons Network^™

Cultivating Textbook Alternatives From The Ground Up: One Public University’S Sustainable Model For Open And Alternative Educational Resource Proliferation, Jonathan Lashley, Rebel Cummings-Sauls, Andrew B. Bennett, Brian L. Lindshield

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2017

This note from the field reviews the sustainability of an institution-wide program for adopting and adapting open and alternative educational resources (OAER) at Kansas State University (K-State). Developed in consult of open textbook initiatives at other institutions and modified around the needs and expectations of K-State students and faculty, this initiative proposes a sustainable means of incentivizing faculty participation via institutional support, encouraging the creation and maintenance of OAER through recurring funding, promoting innovative realizations of “educational resources” beyond traditional textbooks, and rallying faculty participation in adopting increasingly open textbook alternatives. The history and resulting structure of the initiative raise …

Required Features Of A Virtual Classroom Tool For Use In Higher Education, Arnold Hensman

The ITB Journal

The integration of virtual-classroom systems into the arsenal of e-learning tools represents a major evolution in the landscape of modern distance education. For many courses, standard virtual learning environments (VLEs) provide only a foundation upon which to base a distance learning programme. However, synchronous live online-teaching software such as Microsoft Office Communicator and Adobe Connect allow educators to simulate a real-time classroom environment over the internet like never before. Since these tools are being used more and more within higher education, questions must be asked about how effective they ultimately can be in meeting student learning requirements. More importantly, what …

Effective Teaching And Learning In Higher Education: A United Kingdom Perspective, Pat O'Connor

The ITB Journal

This paper explores the current teaching and learning environment in higher education in the UK, concentrating on England. We ask: Is there a positive and supportive environment for learning and teaching in the UK? The conceptual and theoretical foundations underpinning practice in higher education teaching and learning are examined as is the support and impetus provided by government and policy. The nature of academic identities and the structure and engagement in academic development is also assessed. We pose a series of important questions within this paper, of significance to the Irish Higher Education sector.

Undergraduate Commencement Exercises Program, May 20, 2017

Bryant University Commencements

No abstract provided.

Moving The Needle On Equity And Inclusion, Kris De Welde Ph.D.

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

This article, adapted from an invited lecture given by the author, addresses intersectional inequalities in U.S. higher education, particularly as they impact faculty. With a focus on structure, culture, and climate, current data is presented, highlighting the variety of ways in which academia remains stratified. These patterns contribute to continued inequality, inequity, marginalization and discrimination. A secondary focus is on change, on “moving the needle,” exploring specific strategies for how institutions can transform and individuals can labor as change agents for equity and inclusivity.

The Diversity Challenge For Higher Education In Canada: The Prospects And Challenges Of Increased Access And Student Success, Joseph H. Michalski, Tracy Cunningham, Joe Henry

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

With the shifting demographics of societies such as the United States and Canada, access to higher education presents a variety of challenges to ensure that universities are able to meet the challenges associated with increased student diversity on campus. The current paper reviews first the literature on the linkages between social inequality and education, before turning to an examination of Canadian data with respect to access issues and the possible barriers to increasing diversity among postsecondary institutions. The evidence reveals that first-generation students and those whose parents did not attend university, Aboriginal peoples, and students with disabilities (among others) continue …

Argument Education In Higher Education: A Validation Study, Paul E. Mabrey Iii

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Argument education can play an important role in higher education for leadership development and responding to increasing calls for post-secondary accountability. But to do so, argumentation teachers, scholars, and practitioners need to develop a clearer definition and research agenda for the purposes of teaching and assessing argumentation. The research conducted here contributes to this project by first establishing a definitional construct and observable behaviors associated with learning and practicing argumentation. Second, an argument education assessment instrument was created based off of the literature-supported definition of argumentation. Third, debate and argument education subject matter experts reviewed the definition, behaviors, and assessment …

Student Engagement And Post-College Outcomes: A Comparison Of Formative And Reflective Models, Courtney Sanders

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Student engagement is a complex construct that is thought to be related to positive outcomes during and after college. Previous research has defined engagement in diverse ways and there are inconsistencies in the models that are used to measure this construct. Many studies have used a reflective measurement model (i.e., exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis), wherein changes in a latent construct are thought to precede and in some sense, explain variation in observed variables. Others have argued that engagement is best measured using a formative model in which the relationship flows in the opposite direction. In other words, within formative …

Instructional Math Technology In Secondary Special Education: Teacher-Reported Practices And Perceptions, Joice M. Higa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Students with disabilities often have difficulty meeting established math proficiency levels. Without these skills, students may face increased challenges in transitioning to adulthood, including fewer post-secondary educational opportunities, limited career options, and decreased long-term income. Addressing low math skills is important to improving options for students with disabilities. Research indicates that technology-based interventions have the potential to improve academic outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the math instructional technology used in secondary math classrooms with students with disabilities. The study also examined teacherperceived barriers and desired supports related to the integration of technology. A three-round Delphi method …

Assessing Student Progress And Performance Across The Curriculum, Christopher G. Brown, Jennell M. Talley, Bekah Ward Dr., Christopher I. Brandon Jr., Jill Penn, Elisabeth Javazon

Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (Archived)

Evaluation of student learning is of paramount importance to the educational community and allows reflection on program successes and weaknesses; however, best practices are hotly debated. This project designed and implemented an assessment system in which an identical, mixed-format assessment was given to all levels of students in the Georgia Gwinnett College biology program at the start of the semester for academic years 2014-15, 2015-16 and Fall of 2016. The assessment contained multiple choice and free-response questions, and evaluated lab reports from core courses in the biology program. This system allows for longitudinal assessment of students, provides quick results for …

Eportfolio Adoption's Mediating Influence On Faculty Perspectives: An Activity Theory View, Jonathan M. Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A case-comparative mixed methods approach was used to discover how faculty members’ teaching perspectives changed as they adopted an eportfolio tool (Pathbrite). Ten faculty members took the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) before and after using the tool during Fall semester 2015. Also, systems logs were collected and interviews were conducted after the post survey was completed. Interview data found that faculty members developed a broader view of the potential of eportfolios. Participants also appreciated the long-term benefits that eportfolios would have on their students. However, when use was associated with accreditation standards, gains in student-centered perspectives were minimal. The study …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Apr 21, 2017, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on April 21, 2017.

2016 Annual Report Of The Graduate School Of Engineering And Management, Air Force Institute Of Technology, Office Of Research And Sponsored Programs, Graduate School Of Engineering And Management, Afit

AFIT Documents

The Graduate School's Annual Report highlights research focus areas, new academic programs, faculty accomplishments and news, and provides top-level sponsor-funded research data and information.

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Apr 7, 2017, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on April 7, 2017.

Exploring Student Learning In Post-Secondary General Chemistry: Novel Tools For Measuring Linked Concepts And Study Habits, Li Ye

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents novel tools to help instructors measure students linking of content knowledge and the actions students perform for studying in the context of post-secondary General Chemistry.

The first tool described in this work is Creative Exercises (CEs), an open-ended assessment that has the potential to promote students making connections across the content covered in General Chemistry. Students are given a simple prompt that describes a chemistry situation, and asked to write as many statements as they can that are correct, distinct and relevant to the prompt and the course content. The written responses to CEs from both in-class …

Pacific Review Spring 2017, Alumni Association Of The University Of The Pacific

Pacific Magazine and Pacific Review

No abstract provided.

The Revolution Will Be Televised But Not Supported: Student Protest At Marquette University, T.M. Bridges

3210 English Undergraduate Research: Ethnography of the University

This project examines the factors that affect the presence of student activism and student protest at Marquette University. The current social and political environment of the United States has created an exigence to discuss how students at Marquette critique their surroundings. Data is collected from a variety of sources including the author’s auto-ethnography, a review of historical and scholarly data, institutional data, and student and faculty interviews. Overall, the data shows that student protest and student activism at Marquette University exists amid a series of conflicting influences. The prioritization of donor-based funding and positive publicity, the ambiguity in the meaning …

Civil Rights Remedies In Higher Education: Jurisprudential Limitations And Lost Moments In Time, Lia Epperson

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Mar 31, 2017, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on March 31, 2017.

Perceived Academic Control And Academic Emotions Predict Undergraduate University Student Success: Examining Effects On Dropout Intention And Achievement, Lisa Respondek, Tina Seufert, Robert Stupnisky, Ulrike E. Nett

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

The present study addressed concerns over the high risk of university students’ academic failure. It examined how perceived academic control and academic emotions predict undergraduate students’ academic success, conceptualized as both low dropout intention and high achievement (indicated by GPA). A cross-sectional survey was administered to 883 undergraduate students across all disciplines of a German STEM orientated university. The study additionally compared freshman students (N = 597) vs. second-year students (N = 286). Using structural equation modeling, for the overall sample of undergraduate students we found that perceived academic control positively predicted enjoyment and achievement, as well as negatively predicted …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Mar 3, 2017, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on March 3, 2017.

Inspire-On: Stereotype Threat Taught As A Motivation For College/Success, Benjamin Concepcion, Coral Maack

Senior Honors Projects

Stereotype threat refers to being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one’s group (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Stereotype threat is the idea that a person from a stereotyped identity needs to conform to stereotyped behaviors of their identity group. The identities one holds may hinder or enhance performance in many aspects of life.

According to Collegeboard.org, “The gap between earning the opportunity and seizing it is most pronounced among traditionally underserved minority populations. For example, only 3 out of 10 African-American students with high potential for success in AP science course work take an AP science …

Reframing Readiness: Through The Cracked Looking Glass: The Framework For Success In Postsecondary Writing As Assessment Model, David Hyman

Publications and Research

The Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing (Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, and National Writing Project) describes experiences and habits of mind that will equip students for success in college writing. This column highlights examples of the values espoused by the Framework and aims to increase understanding of this statement, advocating for its rich conception of writing.

What Gets Lost In The Numbers: A Case Study Of The Experiences And Perspectives Of Black And Latino Faculty In Academic Medicine, Sylk M. Sotto Santiago

Higher Education: Doctoral Research Projects

The doctoral research examines the experiences and perceptions of underrepresented minority faculty in academic medicine through a case study approach. The study focuses on several stages as presented through a model referred to as the faculty life cycle. Specifically, the study addresses the socialization, mentoring, and professional development experiences of URM faculty in academic medicine. How do URM faculty experience their environment, culture, and climate in academic medicine? And what is their perception of the impact of diversity and inclusion initiatives and offices in academic medicine? This study utilizes the conceptual frameworks of Inclusive Excellence (IE} and Culturally Engaging Campus …

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, Aimee Whiteside, Michael Barbour, David Marcovitz, Antoinette Davis

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

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 …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Feb 17, 2017, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on February 17, 2017.

Gec Meeting Minutes For Feb 9, 2017, General Education Committee

General Education Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Feb 3, 2017, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on February 3, 2017.

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Jan 20, 2017, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on January 20, 2017.

Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2016 - 2017, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

SMU has come a long way since we opened our doors to our first students in 2000. We have adapted and grown as we created and seized new opportunities. As a result, today we are blessed with a world-class campus in the heart of Singapore’s city centre, six schools offering both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as many other postgraduate, professional and continuing education programmes; and close to 10,000 students on campus. All this was brought into focus this year as we opened the splendid new School of Law building, with its jewel-like Kwa Geok Choo Law Library and …