Digital Commons Network^™

Strength In Numbers: An Exploratory Case Study On The Impact Of Conflict In Multi-Institutional Higher Education Collaborations, Michele Robyn Dinicola

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The higher education landscape is changing. Students seeking access to college are increasinglydiverse, geographically dispersed, socioeconomically challenged, and will require higher education administrators to closely examine their models to ensure they are well-suited to serve the needs of these students. Responding to these shifts will require higher education administrators to shed traditional approaches in favor of innovative, cost-effective, flexible models of education delivery. Many institutions address this challenge through a reliance on higher education consortia and collaborations. In Maryland, one approach to collaboration takes the form of multi-institutional Regional Higher Education Centers (RHEC) like the largest of them, the Universities …

2023-2024 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.

Transforming Teaching & Learning In Higher Education: Stories Of Impact From The Aga Khan University, Jane Rarieya (Ed.), Tashmin Khamis (Ed.), Lucy Spowart (Ed.)

Books

No abstract provided.

Student-Led Learning In Public Libraries, Donica Swann

Library Scholarship

In recent years, the field of library science has developed a competitive, experience-driven hiring culture. Students are expected to graduate with years of varied hands-on experiences in addition to coursework. How can students gain these experiences? In what ways can practitioners provide a productive learning environment for students? With budget cuts and constraints on staff time, how can public libraries make space for library science students to gain practical experience and to engage in self-directed learning? For seven years (2016-2023), Donica Swann provided practicums, internships, and apprenticeships that benefited both The Urbana Free Library and the University of Illinois at …

Meta-Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Project-Based Learning Approach On Academic Achievement In Higher Education Worldwide, Ziyu Meng

Doctoral Dissertations

This research study conducted a meta-analysis to integrate the studies that investigated the effectiveness of project-based learning on academic achievement based on a worldwide higher-education population. The researcher explored the variables that previous meta-analysis studies used to evaluate academic achievements, such as student grade point average (GPA), course grades, and test scores, to explore the use of these variables in project-based learning. There were 17 studies in total included in the meta-analysis evaluating the effect size of academic achievement, which was influenced in moderator variable by subject-matter areas, school location, hours of instruction, technology support, and group size. The researcher …

A Lifelong Network: Perceptions And Experiences Of First-Generation Alums After Graduation, Allison Toney

Theses and Dissertations

As first-generation students transition to college graduates, the question lies in whether institutions of higher education are continuing to provide opportunities for them as alums. As a result of first-generation college students being the first in their family to attend college, students may enter college not knowing what to expect. But institutions have evolved to provide services, resources and opportunities that support their success while enrolled. Upon graduation, the process of transitioning out of college can be a challenging time for students as they seek post-graduation success. Some institutions offer support and resources tailored specifically to first-generation graduates or graduates …

Understanding The Implications Of Work Based Learning For Students Pk-12 School Systems Institutions Of Higher Education And Hosting Organizations, David Naff, Amy Corning, Meleah Ellison, Albion Sumrell, Zehra Sahin Ilkorkor, Jennifer Murphy, Ciana Cross

MERC Publications

This literature review by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) and Institute for Collaborative Research and Evaluation (ICRE), in partnership with the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) and State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) explores work-based learning and its implications for PK-12 institutions, institutions of higher education, and hosting organizations (e.g. employers). The report also provides background information about the foundations of work-based learning and concludes with a series of recommendations for practice, policy, and future research related to work-based learning. There is also an accompanying podcast episode where report authors discuss the key takeaways with …

Affirmative Action After Sffa, Jonathan Feingold

Faculty Scholarship

In SFFA v. Harvard (SFFA), the Supreme Court further restricted a university’s right to consider the racial identity of individual applicants during admissions. The ruling has spawned considerable confusion regarding a university’s ongoing ability to pursue racial diversity, racial inclusion, and other equality-oriented goals—whether through “raceconscious” or “race-neutral” means. To assist institutions attempting to navigate the ruling, this article outlines a set of key legal rights and responsibilities that universities continue to possess following SFFA.

Exploring The Relationships Between Student Perceptions And Educational Technology Utilization In Higher Education, Ana-Paula Correia, Karly Good

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study examines the perceptions of educational technology use among college students at a small liberal arts university in the United States. Using institutional data analytics, 34,480 survey responses were analyzed to understand how students perceive the use of technology in the classroom and its relationship with teaching methods, progress on learning objectives, and course features. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted, revealing a positive correlation between the use of educational technology and effective teaching methods, progress on learning objectives, and overall satisfaction with instructors and courses. However, it is important to note that the study is correlational in …

Employer Perceptions Of The Skills Gap In College Graduates’ Written Communication, Julie Minnaugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. employers have reported that many college graduates are underprepared in written communication when hired and that lack of preparedness hinders these graduates’ employment success. Higher education institution (HEI) administrators need information regarding which writing skills should be taught across the curriculum to improve student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate employers’ perspectives on the written communication skills gap that hinders college graduates from being successful in their professional practice. Swales’s six characteristics of a discourse community provided a conceptual lens for the study, as graduates commencing employment represent newcomers to a discourse community. A basic qualitative …

Experiential Learning Projects As Assessment In Initial Teacher Education, Renee Crawford, Louise E. Jenkins, Lydia Wan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In a rapidly changing global environment, Initial Teacher Educators (ITE) have a responsibility to role-model contemporary teaching approaches, which develop graduates who think creatively and flexibly in educational workplaces. An important aspect of this work is supporting pre-service teachers (PSTs) to understand how to design assessments which facilitate a deep understanding of student learning. This learning can be achieved through the implementation of assessments which model contemporary practices and enrich student learning in ITE courses. This paper discusses new ways to consider the purpose of assessment by focusing on Experiential Learning (EL) as a form of assessment in ITE. This …

Experiencing Workplace Inclusion: Critical Incidents That Create A Sense Of Inclusion For Professional Staff In Higher Education, Katherine Penn Lampley

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Professional staff make up the majority of employees at colleges and universities in the United States but are rarely the focus of research in higher education. As a result, little is known about how these employees experience the workplace, creating a challenge for educational institutions working to attract, develop, and retain this essential resource. Employees who feel included in the workplace have higher performance levels and are more likely to remain with their organizations, but workplace inclusion is a complex and undertheorized psychological phenomenon. This exploratory study provides insight into the psychological experience of inclusion by examining the experiences, interactions, …

Navigating Conflict During Periods Of Change In Higher Education: Deconstructing Academic Leaders’ Construction Of Meaning, Tyler Guy Olson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Navigating departmental and organizational conflict is an essential function and responsibility of an academic unit leader (dean, associate dean, director, or chair) in higher education institutions (HEIs). During periods of organizational change, conflict tends to increase in complexity and difficulty—in part due to resistance to change—making it more difficult to manage in a constructive manner (Marcus, 2014). Much of the literature that looks at the academic unit leader and conflict focuses on personal conflict styles (or modes), types of conflicts encountered, and training on techniques and skills for conflict resolution and management. Missing from the literature is research that examines …

Moving Forward Together: Reflections Of A National Survey Of Ot/Ota Students’ Perceptions Of Culturally Aware Educational Content Delivery, Adair M. Sanchez, Iris W. Burns, Tina M. Deangelis, Maclain Capron, Abigail Mills, Taylor Kligerman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In June of 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd and the additional atrocities against historically marginalized people and communities across the United States, the Commission on Education (COE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) sought to act within its scope. A retrospective survey (N= 1,692) was developed, deployed, and analyzed in accordance with the COE’s standard operating procedures relating specifically to monitoring trends that impact the education of occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students. This survey aimed to capture perspectives from OT/OTA students regarding the delivery of culturally aware educational content in curricula …

Gender, Vulnerabilities, And How The Other Becomes The Otherer In Academia, Esme Franken, Fleur Sharafizad, Kerry Brown

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article draws on the work of Judith Butler, particularly the notion of vulnerability in/as resistance, to explore the gendered experiences of women in Australian academia. Through employing an arts-based research method, Draw, Write, and Reflect, with women academics in Australia, we explore the ways in which vulnerabilities are identified and navigated in the context of academia. Our study identified three key forms of vulnerabilities: the expectation paradox, the body, and age and experience. Such vulnerabilities appeared to be navigated through acts of othering, denying, and overcoming. We return to Butler's call for the creation of gender trouble in making …

“I Tell My Brothers That It Can Be Done”: Indigenous Males Navigating Elite Australian Higher Education, Garth Stahl, James A. Smith, Andrew Harvey, Braden Hill, Himanshu Gupta, Sam Moore, Jianing Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As Australian higher education grapples with its colonial history, there has been significant attention to recruiting Indigenous students. However, while we have seen increases in Indigenous participation, males lag significantly behind. Very few Indigenous males enter university and even fewer enter the upper echelons of the stratified higher education sector. In this paper, we investigate the experiences of four Indigenous young men who attended an elite Australian higher education institution. Central to our analysis is how their identities are realised in relation to their sense of Indigeneity and Western ways of knowing, being and doing. In capturing the complex identity …

The Importance Of Trust And Authenticity Among Stakeholders Involved In Higher Education Data Infrastructure Redevelopments: An Australian Critical Discourse Study, Elizabeth Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Governments require higher education providers (HEPs) to be transparent in their use of public funds and have developed specialised higher education (HE) data infrastructure to enable the data transfer from HEPs to government departments. In 2018, Australia’s Department of Education, Skills and Employment launched Transforming the Collection of Student Information (TCSI) to enhance HE data infrastructure for student data transfer. This critical discourse study explores the discourses, discursive strategies and perspectives surrounding TCSI. Findings included HEP issues and concerns that the interviewees believed were inadequately addressed or ignored despite the Department’s claims of extensive engagement with HEPs to achieve mutually …

Perspectives On The Mission, Value And Impact Of The Business School, Howard Thomas, Howard Thomas

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The business school has been an important success story in the evolution of the modern university. Yet it is increasingly valued in that context “much more for its managerial expertise, cash generation ability and financial strength than its intellectual vigour and scholarship. Indeed … its legitimacy as a serious academic discipline is critically questioned by scholars in science, arts and the humanities” (Thomas, Lorange and Sheth, 2013, pp 52/3). Rakesh Khurana (2007) argues that business schools have become the ‘hired hands’ of business and have abandoned any pretence of fulfilling goals of developing a cadre of professional managers as proposed …

Business School Sustainability Revisited: Sustainable No More?, Kai Peters, Howard Thomas

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Kai Peters and Howard Thomas reflect on their 2011 Global Focus article, “A Sustainable Model for Business Schools”, and 2018 book, “Rethinking the Business Model of Business Schools”, and update the thoughts and developments since then.

Elara Conference - Techniques And Technologies To Support Sustainable Education In The Academic Sphere Year I Book 1, European Common Laboratory For Pedagogical Action-Research And Student-Centred Learning (Elara)

Publications

This research event seeks to encourage a critical dialogue between students, academics and researchers. We aim to promote the student voice within the context of sustainability with a student-centered approach. We also intend to popularise, inspire and share best practices with the purpose of questioning and exploring how to further enhance the learning, teaching and research experience of academics, researchers and students in a digital environment. The event aims to offer a creative space vibrant with participants’ voices debating over innovation and change, thus building a bridge between past achievements, knowledge and expertise, on the one hand, and further investigation, …

Employer Perceptions Of The Skills Gap In College Graduates’ Written Communication, Julie Minnaugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. employers have reported that many college graduates are underprepared in written communication when hired and that lack of preparedness hinders these graduates’ employment success. Higher education institution (HEI) administrators need information regarding which writing skills should be taught across the curriculum to improve student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate employers’ perspectives on the written communication skills gap that hinders college graduates from being successful in their professional practice. Swales’s six characteristics of a discourse community provided a conceptual lens for the study, as graduates commencing employment represent newcomers to a discourse community. A basic qualitative …

Evaluación De Las Competencias Digital Y Emprendedora En Estudiantes De Una Universidad Colombiana, Luis Eduardo Buitrago Rojas

Theses and Dissertations

La presente investigación tiene por nombre la Evaluación de las Competencias Digital y Emprendedora en Estudiantes de una Universidad Colombiana, el investigador Luis Eduardo Buitrago Rojas realizó la presente investigación en el año 2023 Disertación Aplicada, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Palabras clave: competencias digitales, competencias emprendedoras, estudiantes universitarios, educación superior Este estudio evaluó las competencias digital y emprendedora de estudiantes universitarios en un programa transversal en una universidad colombiana. El objetivo de la investigación fue identificar el nivel de competencias digitales y emprendedoras de los estudiantes. El estudio utilizó dos …

The Well-Being Of A University: The Relationship Between Gratitude And Organizational Commitment On Faculty Members' Intention To Stay, Brenda Merkel, Kristi Bockorny, Amber Henderson, Aaron Scholl

Research & Publications

Retaining good employees can be difficult , and no organization is immune. This study investigated the relationship between gratitude and organizational commitment to determine if they can predict the intention to stay among university faculty. Specifically, this study analyzed gratitude, a construct that has not been researched much in the workplace. There was a significant relationship between gratitude on organizational commitment. Gratitude and organizational commitment were important predictors of intention to stay. Gratitude was supported as a moderator between organizational commitment and intention to stay. Organizations should incorporate posititve reinforcements to express gratitude to increase organizational commitment and intent to …

“Should Wellbeing Be The Same As Perfection?” A Case Study On Student Wellbeing In Higher Mathematics Education, Marcelo Alonso Almora Rios

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Previous research has given the impression that reticent is our hunt for optimal teaching practices, educational goals, and nature of mathematical workings. In this regard, we have (seemingly) ended up with the following inquiries:

• What could the math classroom be for? and
• What has the math classroom been for?

These two questions touch on the scary horns of two other charged philosophical dandruffs. Namely:“What are the aims of teaching mathematics?” and “What should be our objectives in learning it?”

The term ‘positive education’ refers to an educational system engendering both the skills of positive wellbeing and traditional, academic achievement (Seligman …

Running The Gauntlet: Barriers For Black Women Academics In Higher Education Research Productivity, Crishana Dionne Benton

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Internationally, research productivity bears significance for an institution’s reputation and overall research ranking. Many previous efforts surrounding faculty issues have focused on individual faculty research productivity. This study reimagined the definition of productivity as an academic’s impact on scholarly research, evidenced by their h-index.

At the same time, the need for diversity of faculty populations is becoming more urgent, even in a time when the number of tenure-earning faculty positions is diminishing and those which remain are occupied mainly by white men. To add to the disparities, it is reported that only 4% of full-time faculty are Black women. Black …

Digital Learning Transformation In Higher Education: International Cases Of University Efforts To Evaluate And Improve Blended Teaching Readiness, Charles R. Graham, Ganbat Danaa, Tserenchimed Purevsuren, Adriana Martínez, Cinthia Bittencourt Spricigo, Barbara Maria Camilotti, Tserenkhand Batsukh

Faculty Publications

The global pandemic of 2019 brought heightened awareness to institutions of higher education of the need to engage in a digital transformation that extends beyond university business operations to the pedagogy of the classroom. This paper is a case study that explores three international cases of universities in Colombia, Brazil, and Mongolia that are at different stages along the path of a digital pedagogical transformation. This article tells each story, including (1) what is driving the local need to engage in digital transformation, (2) what the major challenges and barriers are to achieving a transformation, and (3) what efforts are …

Digital Transformation To Advance High-Quality Development Of Higher Education, Zongkai Yang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Digitization will bring unlimited potential and a new vision for education, and the digitization of education is a historical process and an inevitable trend of education reform. This paper first puts forward the connotation, foundation, core of education digital transformation and the typical stages of development. Then extracts a series of practices launched in China to cope with the demand in digital transformation from four aspects: platform construction, curriculum supply, teaching methods and evaluation methods. Finally, the exploration and practice carried out by three typical universities are presented where the author has served as president, namely Central China Normal University, …

Role Modeling As A Computing Educator In Higher Education: A Focus On Care, Emotions And Professional Competencies, Virginia Grande, Paivi Kinnunen, Anne Kahtrin Peters, Matthew Barr, Asa Cajander, Mats Daniels, Amari N. Lewis, Mihaela Sabin, Matilde Sanchez-Pena, Neena Thota

Applied Engineering and Sciences Scholarship

This paper provides insights into role modeling by educators in computing that is beyond the technical, theoretical and rational perspectives which have historically been described as dominant in computing. Surveying 199 educators in higher education, we have built on frameworks of role modeling, care, emotions, and professional competencies as a lens to see different ways of engaging in computing.

Our quantitative and qualitative findings show how educators model ways of caring (for oneself, other humans and living species, technology, and the planet), emotions, professional competencies and other types of role modeling. Examples of contexts within computing and reasons why an …

United States Accreditation In Higher Education: Does It Dilute Academic Freedom?, Michael H. Romanowski, Ibrahim M. Karkouti

Faculty Journal Articles

US higher education accreditation agencies provide exter-nal quality evaluation for institutions and programmes todeliver quality control and assurance. Although there isample discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of theaccreditation process, this article reviews the academic lit-erature to consider the impact that accreditation mighthave on the academic freedom of the teaching staff.Specifically, this article centres on how standardisation,assessments and the fundamental elements of accreditationaffect academic freedom in higher education and howthese might dilute academic freedom.

A Case Study Of Transformational Leadership Practices Utilized To Increase National Rankings Of An Hbcu Through Strategic Planning, Titilayo B. Evans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single instrument case study was to explore the transformational leadership practices utilized by university leaders in the implementation of a strategic plan first executed in 2011 at Pride University, a pseudonym used for the setting of the study, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The central research question of this study was, “How were transformational leadership strategies utilized in the execution of the strategic plan implemented at Pride University?” Over the years, transformational leadership has been commonly embraced by organizations and has worked well for leaders and followers alike. Although there has been much research …