Education Commons^™

A View On Research In Mathematics Education In Republic Of Srpska During 2010–2015 Through Quantitative Analysis Of Published Texts, Ryan Nivens, Daniel Romano

ETSU Faculty Works

Studies of the publishing practices in mathematics education have situated sets of journals in tiers of quality. These reports document the rankings and prestige of only a subset of the wealth of journals available for publishing in mathematics education. We posit that there is value, quality, and purpose to be found in journals that present studies that are of value on a regional level, and that the studies are extremely important to the field. This is particularly important for journals published in languages other than English, and the studies referenced above are almost entirely English-language journals. In this paper we …

A Philosophical And Evidence-Based Basis For Including Students With Disabilities In The General Education Curriculum, Pamela J. Mims

ETSU Faculty Works

Those of us involved in education – administrators, teachers, parents, students, specialists, policy makers and researchers – must decide on the level of rigour that will take place in our classrooms. Decisions based on the least dangerous assumption (LDA) are providing outstanding results. Donnellan (1984) famously wrote that “we should assume that poor performance is due to instructional inadequacy rather than to student deficits” (p 142). This philosophy has been the foundation of recent research into the access available to the general curriculum and practice in the classroom by individuals who have a wide range of ability levels. As a …

Teaching Communication Skills To Medical And Pharmacy Students Through A Blended Learning Course, Rick Hess, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Reid Blackwelder, Daniel Rose, Nasar Ansari, Tandy Branham

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective. To evaluate the impact of an interprofessional blended learning course on medical and pharmacy students’ patient-centered interpersonal communication skills and to compare precourse and postcourse communication skills across first-year medical and second-year pharmacy student cohorts.

Methods. Students completed ten 1-hour online modules and participated in five 3-hour group sessions over one semester. Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) were administered before and after the course and were evaluated using the validated Common Ground Instrument. Nonparametric statistical tests were used to examine pre/postcourse domain scores within and across professions.

Results. Performance in all communication skill domains increased significantly for all students. …

Student Performance In A Pharmacotherapy Oncology Module Before And After Flipping The Classroom, John B. Bossaer, Peter Panus, David W. Stewart, Nick E. Hagemeier, Joshua George

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective. To determine if a flipped classroom improved student examination performance in a pharmacotherapy oncology module.

Design. Third-year pharmacy students in 2012 experienced the oncology module as interactive lectures with optional case studies as supplemental homework. In 2013, students experienced the same content in a primarily flipped classroom. Students were instructed to watch vodcasts (video podcasts) before in-class case studies but were not held accountable (ie, quizzed) for preclass preparation. Examination questions were identical in both cohorts. Performance on examination questions was compared between the two cohorts using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with prior academic performance variables (grade point average …

Beyond Problem-Based Learning: How A Residency Model Improves The Education Of Pre-Service Teachers, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Renée Rice Moran

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: In 2010, the state of Tennessee embraced the call to overhaul teacher education and required programs to adopt a residency model within K‐12 schools.

Capturing Success! Using Remote Observation Technology For Teacher Candidate Supervision: What Does The Research Say?, Tina M. Hudson, Cathy Galyon Keramidas, Lori J. Marks

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: In response to the shortage of special education teachers in rural areas, many teacher preparation programs are providing supervision to pre-service teachers via distance education technologies.

Impact Of An Interprofessional Communication Course On Nursing, Medical, And Pharmacy Students’ Communication Skill Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Rick Hess, Kyle S. Hagen, Emily L. Sorah

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective. To describe an interprofessional communication course in an academic health sciences center and to evaluate and compare interpersonal and interprofessional communication self-efficacy beliefs of medical, nursing, and pharmacy students before and after course participation, using Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as a guiding framework.

Design. First-year nursing (n=36), first-year medical (n=73), and second-year pharmacy students (n=83) enrolled in an interprofessional communication skills development course voluntarily completed a 33-item survey instrument based on Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies prior to and upon completion of the course during the fall semester of 2012.

Assessment. Nursing students entered the course with higher interpersonal …

A Subgroup Analysis Of The Impact Of Self-Testing Frequency On Examination Scores In A Pathophysiology Course, Peter C. Panus, David W. Stewart, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Jim C. Thigpen, Lauren Brooks

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective: To determine if the frequency of self-testing of course material prior to actual examination improves examination scores, regardless of the actual scores on the self-testing.

Methods: Practice quizzes were randomly generated from a total of 1342 multiple-choice questions in pathophysiology and made available online for student self-testing. Intercorrelations, 2-way repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc tests, and 2-group comparisons following rank ordering, were conducted.

Results: During each of 4 testing blocks, more than 85% of students took advantage of the self-testing process for a total of 7042 attempts. A consistent significant correlation (p≤0.05) existed between the number of practice …

Turning Policy Into Practice: A Case Study Examining The Interplay Between Policy, Research, And Program Design In Teacher Education, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Catherine Paolucci

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt:This presentation will consider the interplay between policy, international research and the design and development of a new mathematics teacher education program in the Republic of Ireland.

Effects Of Policy And Research On The Structure Of Teacher Education In Tennessee, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Catherine Paolucci

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt:Globally, recent discussion has focused on research, policy, and practice in the development and structuring of teacher education programs (OECD, 2005).

Self-Assessment And Student Improvement In An Introductory Computer Course At The Community College Level 1, Jama Spicer-Sutton, James Lampley, Donald W. Good

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this study was to determine a student’s computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students’ improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post-test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class. This study also determined whether there were differences in improvement scores by gender or age group. The results of this study were used to determine whether there was a difference in improvement scores among the three campus locations participating in this study.

Four hundred …

Pharmacy Student Self-Testing As A Predictor Of Examination Performance, David Stewart, Peter Panus, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Jim Thigpen, Lauren Brooks

ETSU Faculty Works

Objectives. To determine if student self-testing improves performance during a doctor of pharmacy course.

Methods. Students were given access to online quizzes with a large pool of randomly selected questions specific to upcoming examination content. Quizzes were electronically scored immediately upon completion and students were provided corrective feedback.

Results. Examination scores following implementation of the practice quizzes were significantly higher in all but the last testing period. The upper fiftieth percentile of students scored higher on both the practice quizzes and subsequent examinations in all but the fourth testing period.

Conclusions. Providing pharmacy students with self-testing opportunities could increase their …

Teaching Undergraduates How To Analyze, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Rosalind Raymond Gann

ETSU Faculty Works

Analysis is typically listed in taxonomies of higher order thinking. Academics consider these taxonomies worthwhile, but they are hard to teach and we are apt to ignore them. Today higher education is criticized for “dumbing down” curriculum or lowering standards. To rectify this, many policies at the state or national level are requiring higher education institutions to change. In K-12 education, Race to the Top and Common Core requirements are placing new demands on K-12 teacher preparation, which include evaluation of the analysis skills of pre-service teachers. But professors do not always view their disciplines as the proper place for …

Ready2teach: Shifts In Teacher Preparation Through Residency And Situated Learning, Ryan Andrew Nivens

ETSU Faculty Works

Residency models for education in the medical profession have existed for many years. Nationwide, policies are being implemented to bring this model to the field of teacher preparation. How this plays out within education programs is less researched, and there is a need to document the transition from traditional teacher education, that is, education that is based heavily in the college classroom, to a residency model, where preservice teachers spend a significant amount of time in an elementary school classroom. This paper describes how a year-long residency model is implemented and presents the changes in curriculum, scheduling and challenges encountered.

Teaching Undergraduates How To Analyze, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Rosalind Raymond Gann

ETSU Faculty Works

Analysis is typically the first of the higher functions listed in taxonomies of higher order thinking. Academics consider these upper categories extremely worthwhile, but they are hard to teach and we are apt to ignore them. Today higher education is being criticized for “dumbing down” curriculum or lowering standards. To rectify this, many policies at the state or national level are requiring higher education institutions to change. In K‐12 education, Race to the Top and Common Core requirements are placing new demands on K‐12 teacher preparation, which include evaluation of the analysis skills of pre‐service teachers. But professors do not …

Self-Assessment And Student Improvement In An Introductory Computer Course At The Community College Level, Jama Spicer-Sutton, James Lampley, Donald W. Good

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt:The purpose of this study was to determine a student’s computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students’ improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post‐test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class.

Market Simulation Programming As A Culminating Experience For Students Interested In Entrepreneurship And Pursuing An M.S. In Engineering Technology, W. Andrew Clark, Craig A. Turner

ETSU Faculty Works

Many of our students enrolled in our Master of Science in Technology program have expressed an interest in learning about entrepreneurship and the development and management of a technology driven company. Students interested in entrepreneurship can pursue a 12 credit concentration that includes classes in developing a cohesive marketing and technology strategy, comparing and contrasting technology strategies for companies within the same market niche, developing an entrepreneurial business plan and coursework in either small business management or entrepreneurial finance. One critical component of this concentration is the utilization of the Marketplace™ Venture Capital simulation game to provide students with real …

Encouraging Student Participation In Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities, W. Andrew Clark, Peter Hriso, Craig A. Turner

ETSU Faculty Works

Social entrepreneurs utilize the traits of commercial entrepreneurs; organizational abilities, opportunity identification, combining resources in novel ways, willingness to accept and manage risk and explosive growth or returns, to create enterprises that return high social value. As educators, we see opportunities where entrepreneurial skills can be applied to education, not-for-profit organizations, government offices and programs and philanthropic concerns and create service learning opportunities for students beyond the boundaries of the university. Many of us involved in higher education are frustrated with students who do not attend class, turn in assignments late or exhibit a lack of effort in classes where …

Project Management Through Experiential Learning, Peter Hriso, W. Andrew Clark

ETSU Faculty Works

Classroom-based projects are insufficient, in of themselves, when preparing students for positions in the digital media field today. David Kolb and Roger Fry argue that effective learning entails the possession of four different abilities: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation.2 Encouraging students to participate in community-based projects outside the classroom can help build the necessary skill sets in learning how to work in a real-world environment. Community-based learning teaches the student on three distinct levels: intellectually, socially, and emotionally including feelings, values, and meanings. Digital Media students should involve themselves in community projects to exercise their skills …

Embedding Innovation Process And Methodology In Engineering Technology And Business Management And Marketing Courses, W. Andrew Clark, J. Paul Sims, Craig A. Turner, Jon L. Smith

ETSU Faculty Works

For many business segments, true “out of the box” innovation occurs in entrepreneurial companies where the founders aren’t hindered with the research paradigms established by mainstream businesses. The founders of these companies, many times technologists and scientists, see the application of the technology long before potential customers develop an understanding of the capabilities that the new technology can bring to the marketplace. Many times these “new technology ideas” have been developed though modifying an existing dominant design (product or service) to meet an unforeseen market need or through the development of a new design that may become the new industry …

Linking The University With The Community: An Experiential Learning Project To Promote Arts Entrepreneurship, Peter Hriso, W. Andrew Clark, Tara Maxwell, Cher Cornett

ETSU Faculty Works

Teaching students entrepreneurial skills and the utility of cross-disciplinary teams is difficult if only classroom exercises are employed. In this program, university students worked together with commercial artists and business-persons residing in our declining downtown region to assist in the organization, planning and management of an established regional arts festival and to launch a new feature of the festival based on digital animation. Through experiential learning, students gained an appreciation for “real-life” budgets, deadlines, responsibilities and an appreciation of working on cross-disciplinary teams while the community observed first-hand the benefits of students trained in digital media, entrepreneurship and project management.

Establishing A Technology Based Business Incubator At A Regional University: A Conceptual Framework And Case Study, W. Andrew Clark

ETSU Faculty Works

University managed technology-based business incubators evolved at major research institutions as a mechanism for university professors to pursue commercial applications of their research without having to resign their university positions. These incubators assisted the universities in retention of valuable faculty and also provided for the development of university intellectual property (IP) to a level where commercialization was probable. In addition to faculty retention and the potential for revenue from commercialization of IP, these incubators further developed the universities’ reputations in producing cutting edge research. The physical proximity of the incubators to the universities is crucial because this allows easy access …

Linking Art To Science: Digital Media As A Technology Translation Tool, W. Andrew Clark, Cher L. Cornett, Peter M. Hriso

ETSU Faculty Works

Technology translation can be achieved through the blending of the sciences and arts in the form of digital imagery. Digital animation and video can be utilized to portray molecular events where the mechanism of action is known but the process occurs at a sub-microscopic level. There needs to be a strong collaboration between scientific advisors and digital artists when creating the animation such that the artistic interpretation of the molecular event conforms to the known and accepted confines of science. The finished animation may be used for information, education or persuasion as entrepreneurial biotechnical companies attempt to find markets, customers …

Technology Based Business Incubators: Living Laboratories For Entrepreneurial Students, Andrew Czuchry, W. Andrew Clark

ETSU Faculty Works

Those teaching entrepreneurship to engineering and technology students are faced with the challenge of converting theory into learning opportunities that provide real-world-practical experience. Although the literature stresses the need for experiential learning through group and field projects and case studies, the potential of capitalizing on technology-based business incubators as living laboratories has not been fully utilized. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a conceptual framework for closing this gap. This framework is based upon our experience working with graduate student teams on projects with the Oak Ridge National Laboratories Center for Entrepreneurial Growth and East Tennessee State University’s …

Diverse Cross Functional Student Teams: A Teaching Tool For Enhanced Learning, Craig Turner, Keith Johnson, W. Andrew Clark

ETSU Faculty Works

Traditional engineering and science teaching methodology has been to train like-minded students within the discipline of their respective majors. Curriculum time constraints, however, limit the number and nature of out of discipline elective courses. As a result, students are well trained within their respective fields of study but lack the breadth of experience in interacting with other diverse disciplines. Industry, particularly technology-based companies, has observed that solutions to problems have a greater probability of success when all interested parties (purchasing, innovation, marketing, sales, manufacturing, etc.) have input in developing a plan to achieve a desired corporate outcome. It is through …

University Managed Technology Business Incubators: Asset Or Liability?, W. Andrew Clark, Andrew J. Czuchry, James A. Hales

ETSU Faculty Works

University managed technology-based business incubators (UMTIs) have become increasingly popular. Some universities are forming private corporations and are encouraging professors/researchers to commercialize intellectual property (IP) based upon research conducted in their laboratories. The UMTI provides the infrastructure, access to high-tech laboratories, libraries, students and faculty, and a coalition of like-minded entrepreneurs. Universities face uncertainties when establishing UMTIs and need to minimize risk while maximizing benefits. This paper discusses results of a benchmarking study of eleven technology incubators and their risk mitigation policies. Experience with technology transfer and use of the UMTI as a living laboratory for students is presented.