Education Commons^™

Banned Or Grand?: Why Graphic Novels Maus And Persepolis Belong In The Classroom, Lauren Volk

Munn Scholars Awards

My capstone essay, “Banned or Grand?: Why Graphic Novels Maus and Persepolis Belong in The Classroom,” seeks to research both the objections to oft-banned memoir graphic novels being incorporated in the secondary school curriculum and the reasons why these graphic novels should not only be incorporated into the curriculum, but also why they assist students in developing necessary skills, such as higher-level critical thinking, a deeper understanding of complicated historical events, and the analysis of form and structure in literature, rather than just content. To enhance my research, I connected my main points to the pedagogical theory of learning transfer.

The Expectations, Experiences And Satisfaction Of Students Within A Nutrition And Dietetics Program Regarding Faculty Academic Advising Using A Prescriptive Or Developmental Advising Lens, Nettie Puglisi Freshour

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This research study examined student’s expectation, experiences and satisfaction with faculty academic advising using a prescriptive vs. developmental lens. The intent was to explore the student’s expectations of academic advising, determine if their experiences aligned with their expectation and if this led to satisfaction of their academic advising. This study utilized the Systems theory to determine how academic advising is performed by the program and if that experience for the student is how the systems (institution, college, department, and program) are promoting the form of advising. This study utilized a qualitative case study approach, guided by three research questions. Data …

Navigating Abrupt Shifts In Contextual Discourses During A Pandemic And Lack Of Mentorship: A Preservice Teacher’S Journey Developing Critical Pedagogical Discourses, Casey L. King

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This study is centered on one English language arts (ELA) preservice teacher’s development of her critical pedagogical discourses (CPD) with the contextual discourses of a school placement for preservice teaching and later shift to a full-time teacher before the placement was complete during a pandemic and in the midst of implementing online learning. Data is drawn from a 4-month interpretive qualitative case study that included classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The objective for this study included how a preservice teacher uses their beliefs and identity about instruction amid changing contextual discourses in a pandemic and with a lack of mentorship. …

Kindergarten Entry Assessment Practices In Pennsylvania, Anne Katona Linn Ed.D.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there is significant variation in kindergarten programs and the entry assessment systems used in school districts. There are no reliable data on the kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) systems used in public kindergarten programs across the Commonwealth. It is well-established that comprehensive KEAs should be part of a broader preschool through third grade (P-3) continuum of early childhood education to assess whole-child skills, include families and community partners, be culturally and linguistically responsive, and developmentally appropriate. This study aimed to understand the KEA practices of kindergarten teachers in Pennsylvania. An online survey was distributed to kindergarten …

The Impacts Of An Entrepreneurial Course On Secondary Students' Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy And Entrepreneurial Intentions, Toi E. Hershman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

There is considerable agreement that promoting entrepreneurship stimulates economic development and job creation, which helps maintain a country’s economic competitiveness. Entrepreneurship education is a key to increasing the likelihood of potential entrepreneurs. While substantial research has documented strategies for enhancing students' entrepreneurial mindset and building entrepreneurial skills in higher education, entrepreneurship is rarely incorporated into or studied in secondary education. This mixed-method study examined the impact of an online ten-lesson entrepreneurship course on secondary students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions. Students took a pre-survey that measured their entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intentions before the course and a post-survey upon completing the …

Fostering Music Performers In The 21st Century: A Contemporary Professional Perspective Toward A New Curricular Agenda For Graduate Study In Music, Andre Januario

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

What if the core curriculum for graduate students in music performance were designed to prepare students to succeed in the world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

This dissertation offers a hypothetical answer: a structured and systematic academic curricular framework for music graduate students of performance of concert music (especially those in terminal degrees, such as doctoral students), along with music instructors, professional music performers, school administrators, and college professors, seeking to prepare such students for achieving and maintaining a music career more in keeping with the current work environment, especially those skills demanded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the …

Examining Changes In Learning And Engagement Of Higher Education Students In A Fully Online Flipped Learning Distance Education Classroom, James David Riel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The challenge of implementing effective online distance education courses for academics and institutions is a centuries-old task. We can look across early developments in the 18^th century with the creation and delivery of correspondence courses; into the 20^th century with teaching and learning across analog methods such as audio and video; and now in the current era of digitized mechanisms that enable the online classroom. This includes advances in internet technologies and computing abilities that are the empowering the backbone processes, bridging connectivity between the student and the instructor. As society has trended toward massive increases in online …

Perceptions And Instructional Practices Used By West Virginian Secondary Agricultural Teachers In Meat Science Education, Kindra D. Carr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A focus on classroom integration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts has resulted in secondary teachers broadening the scope and delivery of STEM principles in their classes. Because agriculture classes allow students to convert abstract ideas into concrete ideas, they provide a useful setting to teach STEM concepts. Using secondary agricultural classes to teach science is effective and has contributed to higher standardized science test scores, as opposed to a science class alone. West Virginia is known for meat processing facilities and meat technology learning activities in its public schools. However, little is known about how the content …

Pandemic Pedagogy: A Zoom Teaching Experiment Using Cognitive Theory Of Multimedia Learning Principles Of Multimedia Design, Kevin C. Knoster

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct an experimental study exploring the applicability of multimedia principles of effective instructional design to Zoom teaching. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators across higher education were forced to rapidly transition from traditional face-to-face instruction to online teaching. One of the most common ways in which colleges and universities navigated this transition in the United States was via mass adoption of the video conferencing platform Zoom. However, best practices have not yet been identified to assist instructors inexperienced with online teaching in adapting to remote instruction via Zoom. This dissertation argued …

Engaging First Year Students With Intellectual Property, Marian G. Armour-Gemmen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Since intellectual property is so important to engineers, creating enthusiasm from the beginning of their engineering studies is imperative. Since first year students have not learned how to apply technological concepts to real life, demonstrating intellectual property could be a challenge. To engage first year engineering students in the concept and the value of intellectual property, students were introduced to basic concepts and applications. Different concepts were applied to real life examples allowing them to interface with technology from an intellectual property perspective. This paper highlights not only patents, but also trademarks and trade secrets.

The Journey Is The Destination: Storytelling In The Cloud, Beth Jane Toren

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

"Storytelling with Archives" is a transdisciplinary Honors College course developed as part of the Honors College Faculty Fellows program. Primarily STEM majors, most students took the course to fulfill a “creativity and the arts” course requirement.

Students developed confidence in their own voice and creativity along with practical digital literacy skills through the practice of digital storytelling. Lessons combined soft skills such as listening, consensus building and historical empathy with digital production, and the theory and practice of story work applied to their disciplines.

Visitors to this poster have the opportunity to critically examine innovative classroom assessment techniques including daily …

Problem-Based Learning And Information Literacy: Revising A Technical Writing Class, Kelly Diamond

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This chapter discusses the collaboration between a librarian and faculty member to revise an online technical writing course using the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy, problem-based learning, and instructional design principles. The chapter outlines three components of course revision: 1) re-design online course to be more engaging to students as well as easier to navigate; 2) create assignments and activities to mirror actual workplace writing tasks; 3) develop research assignments focused on information literacy skills used in the workplace. Using elements from ADDIE (Analyze; Design; Develop; Implement; Evaluate) and Backward Design, the course …

Stockmanship Education And Evaluation, John K. Yost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation documents two separate works. The first is an evaluation of WVU SFMS/SOIDC Large Animal Module and the second is the development and use of the Stockman’s Scorecard. The WVU SFMS/SOIDC Large Animal Module provides foundational information on food animal husbandry and veterinary procedures to SOF Combat Medic candidates. A quasi-experimental design was used to determine if the module content resulted in an increase in food animal production knowledge for the participants. Seventy-five percent of the subjects had no previous livestock exposure and only seven percent had previously participated in 4-H or FFA. Matched pair analysis determined that the …

Identity Formation Of Adolescents Who Are Homeschooled: Mothers' Perceptions, Peggy Joan Mcqueen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Homeschooling is a growing educational choice with very little research about the psycho-social outcomes associated with the process. This qualitative study sought to examine the potential facilitative benefit of homeschooling upon the formation of identity. The participants were 26 mothers of homeschooled adolescents in Pennsylvania. Parent responses were examined using thematic analysis. Constituent aspects of parental motivation and methodology were investigated to assess the presence of elements facilitative in the process of identity formation as identified by Erik Erikson (1959, 1963). In examining methods used in homeschooling, it was found that the mothers in this study are providing the support …