Education Commons^™

The Roles Of Set Size And Nonexample Type On Concept Formation, Catherine L. Williams, Claire C. St. Peter, Madeleine J. Murphy

Graduate Student Scholarship

Concept formation is demonstrated when a learner responds when new examples are presented (i.e., generalization) but not when new nonexamples are presented (i.e., discrimination). Gradually increasing the number of examples and nonexamples taught together (i.e., set-size expansion) promotes concept formation with nonhumans. Although set size impacts speed of acquisition with humans, concept formation has not been evaluated. Therefore, the primary purpose of the current study was to compare acquisition and concept formation during two procedures: set-size expansion and single set-size. College students were taught two biological concepts, one using set-size expansion and the other with the full …

The Health Sciences And Technology Academy: Re-Imagining Programmatic Delivery During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sherron Mckendall, Alan Mckendall, Summer Kuhn, Catherine Morton, Mary Mcmillion, Sean Freeland

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Out-of-school time academic/STEM programs provide educational enrichment to a myriad of student populations with some designed to assist those underrepresented and at-risk who desire to purse post-secondary studies. One such program in West Virginia (WV) is the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA), which provides hands-on, in person and engaging educational enrichment with the intent to increase the college going rates of Appalachia’s most vulnerable youth. In March 2020, HSTA key personnel encountered the task of redesigning program delivery due to the immediate shutdown of all in person operations resulting from the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. This paper discusses …

High School Students’ Learning During The Covid Pandemic: Perspectives From Health Sciences And Technology Academy Participants, Sherron Benson Mckendall, Alan Mckendall, Ann Chester, Catherine Morton, Sean Freeland, Summer Kuhn, Mary Mcmillion

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This paper examines the perspectives of Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) participants as they navigate through their West Virginia (WV) high school learning environments (i.e., in-person, blended/hybrid, complete virtual) during the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. In March of 2020, the participants in this out-of-school-time (OST) academic enrichment program for exceptionally driven, yet underprivileged, at-risk students, with over 70% living in rural areas, started receiving remote learning instruction through learning management systems or via paper packets. In August of 2020, school systems provided parents and caregivers alternative learning environments for their student(s). In order to understand the learning experiences …

The Health Sciences And Technology Academy (Hsta): Providing 26 Years Of Academic And Social Support To Appalachian Youth In West Virginia, Ann Chester, Sherron Mckendall, Alan Mckendall, Michael Mann, Alfgeir Kristjansson, Robert Branch, Bethany Hornbeck, Catherine Morton, Summer Kuhn, Feon Smith Branch, Charlene Barnes-Rowland

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The Health Sciences and Technology Academy’s, (HSTA) goals are to increase college attendance of African American, financially disadvantaged, first generation college and rural Appalachian youth and increase health-care providers and STEM professionals in underserved communities. Students enter in the 9th grade and remain in HSTA four years. They engage in a rigorous academic program within the nurturing environment of small after-school clubs punctuated by yearly summer camps on multiple college campuses. A distinctive piece of HSTA is its students’ development of research projects under the mentorship of teachers and researchers that examine and address health issues faced by their communities. …

The Relationship Between Campus Recreation Facility Use And Retention For First-Time Undergraduate Students, Sera Janson Zegre, Rodney P. Hughes, Andrew M. Darling, Craig R. Decker

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This study examines the relationship between campus recreation facility access and first-year retention of full-time, first-time undergraduate students at a public university for 2014–2015 through 2016–2017. Authors examine differences between facility users and nonusers by pairing facility swipe card data with student records. Statistical analysis includes logistic regression and matching approaches, controlling for student demographics, academic preparedness, academic goals, family characteristics, and various environmental factors. Results show a positive and significant relationship between recreation facility use and retention, including 7.1 to 8.4 percentage points higher retention for users versus nonusers, holding other variables constant. Subsample analysis suggests the relationship between …

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.

Academia In Anarchy: 50 Years On, Joshua C. Hall

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

In 1970, James Buchanan and Nicos Devletoglou published Academia in Anarchy: An Economic Diagnosis. Even though the book focuses on the industry Buchanan worked in for nearly 70 years, it is the only one of his non-autobiographical, non-textbook, books not included in his collected works. I evaluate the arguments of Buchanan and Devletoglou in light of the past 50 years of scholarship on the economics of higher education.

Level Up! Library Orientation With A Phone-Based Exploration Game, Beth Jane Toren

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This self-paced, reasonably priced, and imaginatively blended activity provides an effective, customizable, and scalable alternative to in-person tours. The Green Door Labs EdVenture Builder is specifically targeted to libraries and museums and has an interface with game mechanics built in on menus, allowing users with no programming experience to independently create games. Students learn about the library in an engaging way and instructors can be provided with game scores to provide credit for the activity.

Individuals or teams new to the library play an exploration game on their mobile phone while exploring library physical and/or virtual locations, services, and resources. …

State Exit Exams And Graduation Rates: A Hierarchical Slx Modelling Approach, Joshua Hall, Donald Lacombe, Shree B. Pokharel

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

The literature on high school exit exams has found both positive and negative effects of these high stake exams on high school graduation rates. To this point the literature has not taken into account the embedded nature of school districts within state education systems. We employ a Bayesian Hierarchical SLX model to account for the hierachical nature of education data in the United States. Our approach also allows us to account for spatial spillovers that influence graduation rates across districts and states. Using school district and state-level data for 45 states and 8194 school districts in the United States in …

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 …

Research For Non-Profits, A Service Learning Class In Grantseeking Research, Alyssa Wright

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This chapter describes Research for Non-Profits a 300/500 level service-learning course that introduces non-profits and grantseeking while teaching research and information literacy skills. Students in the course create a funder research portfolio for a non-profit client with a funding need. As students draft, revise, and polish the portfolios, they hone their research skills as well as engage with larger information literacy concepts, particularly the value of information, information creation as a process, and how authority is constructed and contextual. The chapter describes the course’s long development road as well as how partnerships were built, not only with the campus center …

Confucius Institute's Effects On China's Higher Education Exports: A Perspective From Cultural Difference And Institutional Quality, Donald Lien, Feng Yao, Fan Zhang

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

This article uses a panel data of international student flows to China from 2000–2014 to investigate Confucius Institute (CI)’s effects on China’s educational service exports. We find that CI, as a comprehensive platform for promoting Chinese language and cultural exchange, has a significant positive effect on China’s education exports. The effects of CI on China’s education exports are transmitted through promoting Chinese language, bridging cultural gaps, and reducing psychic distance. We further find that the effects of CI on China’s education exports are heterogeneous, depending on the level of cultural difference and institutional quality in the host country. The effects …

Hidden Figures Class Museum Project, Amanda Benigni, Anna Smith

Museum Assignments

In the secondary English/Language Arts classroom, inquiry-based learning is most often adopted as a method for teaching literary analysis. But teachers too often overlook the fact that literary analysis is not the only means of facilitating inquiry-based learning. Research, particularly archival research, can provide students with yet another opportunity for inquiry and reflective thinking.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (both the mass-market paperback and the Young Reader's Edition), is a text that is especially well-suited to teaching archival research skills to young learners, as it is itself the product of a rigorous, thoughtful, and purposeful research project conducted by …

History Of Desegregation In West Virginia - Timeline 2, Ashley Porter

West Virginia Connection

The lesson plan in this correlates to the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. This plan shows the history of the desegregation in the state of West Virginia and provides facts about what happened during that time. This will give you the ability to give a brief history to fully understand the hardship for African Americans, and also to show students how the education system has changed overtime. This history lesson connects with Hidden Figures because there is a direct connection to the educational system to the real-life people Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. Both had attended schools in …

History Of Desegregation In West Virginia - Handout, Ashley Porter

West Virginia Connection

The lesson plan in this correlates to the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. This plan shows the history of the desegregation in the state of West Virginia and provides facts about what happened during that time. This will give you the ability to give a brief history to fully understand the hardship for African Americans, and also to show students how the education system has changed overtime. This history lesson connects with Hidden Figures because there is a direct connection to the educational system to the real-life people Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. Both had attended schools in …

History Of Desegregation In West Virginia - Timeline 1, Ashley Porter

West Virginia Connection

The lesson plan in this correlates to the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. This plan shows the history of the desegregation in the state of West Virginia and provides facts about what happened during that time. This will give you the ability to give a brief history to fully understand the hardship for African Americans, and also to show students how the education system has changed overtime. This history lesson connects with Hidden Figures because there is a direct connection to the educational system to the real-life people Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. Both had attended schools in …

History Of Desegregation In West Virginia - Lesson Plan, Ashley Porter

West Virginia Connection

The lesson plan in this correlates to the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. This plan shows the history of the desegregation in the state of West Virginia and provides facts about what happened during that time. This will give you the ability to give a brief history to fully understand the hardship for African Americans, and also to show students how the education system has changed overtime. This history lesson connects with Hidden Figures because there is a direct connection to the educational system to the real-life people Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. Both had attended schools in …

History Of Desegregation In West Virginia - Slides, Ashley Porter

West Virginia Connection

The lesson plan in this correlates to the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. This plan shows the history of the desegregation in the state of West Virginia and provides facts about what happened during that time. This will give you the ability to give a brief history to fully understand the hardship for African Americans, and also to show students how the education system has changed overtime. This history lesson connects with Hidden Figures because there is a direct connection to the educational system to the real-life people Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. Both had attended schools in …

Tuition Increases Geaux Away? Evidence From Voting On Louisiana's Amendment 2, Joshua C. Hall, Serkan Karadas

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

In many states, public institutions of higher education have the autonomy to raise tuition. This has not been the case in Louisiana since a 1995 constitutional amend-ment required a two-thirds majority of the state legislature for any tuition increase. In November of 2016, voters in Louisiana rejected Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment that would have given state institutions of higher education autonomy in setting tuition. We examine parish-level voting on Amendment 2 using an empirical political economy model and find that parishes with a greater percentage of African-Americans and university employees were more likely to vote yes. Student enrollment at …

West Virginia State Employees’ Preferences For Worksite Wellness Programming, Peter Kadushin, Sam Zizzi, Nidia Henderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objectives: To investigate the wellness programming preferences of state employees in West Virginia.

Study Design: A survey-based, descriptive analysis of employees’ preferences

Methods: State employees (n = 18,791) of West Virginia were given a38-item wellness survey. Items assessed employees’ interest in programming, methods for receiving wellness information, and incentives for participation.Descriptive statistics were run to provide a summary of state employees’ preferences.

Results: The survey response rate was 40%. Respondents showed interest in physical activity (81.0%), nutrition (77.6%) and stress management programming (61.1%). A personalized webpage was the highest rated method of receiving wellness information and a discount on insurance …

Changes In Weight Loss, Health Behaviors, And Intentions Among 400 Participants Who Dropped Out From An Insurance-Sponsored, Community-Based Weight Management Program, Sam Zizzi, Jana Lima Fogaca, Tammy Sheehy, Myia Welsh, Christiaan Abildso

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The majority of weight management research is based on data from randomized controlled studies conducted in clinical settings. As these findings are translated into community-based settings, additional research is needed to understand patterns of lifestyle change and dropout. The purpose of this study was to examine reasons for and consequences associated with dropout (or removal) from an insurance-funded weight management program. Using a mixed methods approach with objectively measured changes in body weight and attendance along with quantitative and qualitative survey data, patterns of intention and behavior change were explored. The results from a sample of 400 respondents support the …

Athletic Trainers' Skills In Identifying And Managing Athletes Experiencing Psychological Distress, Marc L. Cormier, Sam Zizzi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Context

Athletic trainers (ATs) commonly use psychological skills during sport rehabilitation. However, little is known about their ability to accurately implement these skills. Objective

To assess ATs' skills in identifying psychological symptoms, selecting appropriate strategies, and making referral decisions for athletes experiencing various degrees of psychological distress. Design

Cross-sectional study. Setting

Participants were recruited using the National Athletic Trainers' Association professional member database. Patients or Other Participants

Of the 2998 ATs who were selected randomly, 494 (16.5%) partially completed the questionnaire and 326 (10.9%) completed the entire survey (mean age = 34.7 ± 10.8 years, mean years of experience = …

Predictors Of Weight Loss Maintenance Following An Insurance-Sponsored Weight Management Program, Christiaan Abildso, Olivier Schmid, Megan Byrd, Sam Zizzi, Alessandro Quartiroli, Sean J. Fitzpatrick

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Intentional weight loss among overweight and obese adults (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m²) is associated with numerous health benefits, but weight loss maintenance (WLM) following participation in weight management programming has proven to be elusive. Many individuals attempting to lose weight join formal programs, especially women, but these programs vary widely in focus, as do postprogram weight regain results. We surveyed 2,106 former participants in a community-based, insurance-sponsored weight management program in the United States to identify the pre, during, and post-intervention behavioral and psychosocial factors that lead to successful WLM. Of 835 survey respondents (39.6% response …

Lyda Judson Hanifan, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Lyda J. Hanifan was one of the original staff members of the West Virginia Department of Education, and internationally celebrated as the first author to formulate the concept of social capital.

A Tailored Wellness Intervention For College Students Using Internet-Based Technology: A Pilot Study, Alessandro Quartiroli, Sam Zizzi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot a theory-based, computer-tailored feedback system for healthy behaviors for college students at a large, public university, aiming to enhance student wellness. A total of 1300 college students were contacted. Sixty–two students completed the eight week intervention. The participants were randomly assigned into two groups and received the survey three times, consistently receiving normative or personalized feedback. The participating sample was generally healthy and mainly comprised of freshman, Caucasian, and normal weight individuals. Repeated-measure ANOVAs were run and small significant interactions were found between the type of feedback received and some …

Psychosocial Variables And Time To Injury Onset: A Hurdle Regression Analysis Model, Jeremy Sibold, Sam Zizzi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Context:

Psychological variables have been shown to be related to athletic injury and time missed from participation in sport. We are unaware of any empirical examination of the influence of psychological variables on time to onset of injury. Objective:

To examine the influence of orthopaedic and psychosocial variables on time to injury in college athletes. Patients or Other Participants:

One hundred seventy-seven (men  =  116, women  =  61; age  =  19.45 ± 1.39 years) National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II athletes. Main Outcome Measure(s):

Hurdle regression analysis (HRA) was used to determine the influence of predictor variables on days to …

Bam! Pow! Graphic Novels Fight Stereotypes In Academic Libraries: Supporting, Collecting, Promoting, Beth Jane Toren

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This study examines the launch of a graphic novel collection in an academic library and presents a study analyzing the increase of titles in Association of Research Libraries with the subject heading “Graphic Novels” between fall 2008 and fall 2009. Statistics show a 40% increase, averaging 62 additional titles, during a year of global financial crisis. Exploring the prejudice against comics lingering in more traditional corners of academia, this paper encourages librarians to counter stereotypes and therefore bring more people, including other librarians, to view graphic novels as literature. This study includes recommended practices for supporting, collecting, and promoting these …

A Mixed-Method Evaluation Of A College Student Fitness Program Using The Re-Aim Framework, Michelle L. Bartlett, Sam Zizzi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: The consistently rising obesity rate in college student population illustrates the need for organized and effective interventions. The purposes of this study were to evaluate an eight-week fitness program implemented at university student recreation center using mixed-methods along the reach, effectiveness, and implementation dimensions of the RE-AIM framework for evaluating health-promotion programs and to illustrate how qualitative data can be used to enhance the capabilities of the RE-AIM framework to evaluate such programs via providing recommendations to improve the intervention not possible with just a quantitative RE-AIM evaluation. Methods: Quantitative (participation rate, changes in % body fat, and resting …

Evaluating An Insurance-Sponsored Weight Management Program With The Re-Aim Model, West Virginia, 2004-2008, Christiaan Abildso, Sam Zizzi, Bill Reger-Nash

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction: Evaluations of weight management programs in real-world settings are lacking. The RE-AIM model (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) was developed to address this deficiency. Our primary objective was to evaluate a 12-week insurance-sponsored weight management intervention by using the RE-AIM model, including short-term and long-term individual outcomes and setting-level implementation factors. Our secondary objective was to critique the RE-AIM model and its revised calculation methods.

Methods: We created operational definitions for components of the 5 RE-AIM indices and used standardized effect size values from various statistical procedures to measure multiple components or outcomes within each index. We used chi(2) …

Deliberation, Dialogue And Deliberative Democracy In Social Work Education And Practice, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Ideas of public talk were central in various aspects of the history of social work and professional education. Social work has never just been a consumer of deliberative ideas. Several fundamental ideas associated with deliberative democracy theory arose directly out of social work education and practice and continue to function in different forms within contemporary social work theory and practice.