Education Commons^™

A Multi-Institutional Project To Develop Discipline-Specific Data Literacy Instruction For Graduate Students, Sarah Wright, Michael Fosmire, Jon Jeffryes, Marianne Stowell Bracke, Brian Westra

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

What data stewardship skills are needed by future scientists to fulfill their professional responsibilities and take advantage of opportunities in e-science? How can academic librarians contribute their expertise in information organization, dissemination and preservation to better serve modern science? With support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), four research libraries have formed a partnership to address these questions. The aims of the partnership are to identify the data stewardship skills, including data management and curation, needed by graduate students at the research discipline level, to identify trends that extend across the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) …

Advanced Spanish Language High School Students: Perceptions Of Spanish Instruction, Understanding, And Cultural Appreciation, Susan Malanche Smith

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The addition of foreign language study to high school core curriculum benefits learners, society and overlap into the success of other areas of study and critical thinking. The problem in contemporary high school curriculum is that foreign language is disappearing. High school students and educators are failing to see the benefit of foreign language and its benefit to all subjects. The purpose of this study is to identify student perceptions of the importance of foreign language study in high school. The literature review documents the disappearance of foreign language study as part of a high school curriculum. Methodology includes conversations …

Artist/Teacher: Toward A More Creative Curriculum, Matthew L. Auch Moedy

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis investigates the formation of my teaching identity. It seeks language for why I orient my teaching toward artistic thinking in my preparation and content. Features of artistic thinking discussed include students have personal interests, teachers need to expose and build on what students bring to class, artistic thinking is not linear and creativity invites the unexpected, play and creativity require both time and space and are best accomplished through situated freedom, process ought not be separated from product, making process visible and valuing process will make a positive difference in a student’s future. Vignettes from my teaching experiences …

General Education In Health Science-Focused Institutions: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, Peggy K. Rosario

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to describe the structure of general education curricula at baccalaureate colleges of health science in relationship to Bergquist’s Career-Based Model of curriculum. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, the model was tested by examining whether the curricula were both prescriptive and specific. First, the researcher analyzed how prescriptive the general education curricula at 38 colleges of health science were by evaluating the institutions’ catalogs and websites. In the qualitative phase, the researcher interviewed general education leaders at six of the colleges to confirm the quantitative data and obtain information about how specific the …

The Grizzly, November 1, 2012, Jessica Orbon, Sara Sherr, Matthew Johnston, Michael D'Amico, Michael Klazas, Vivek Reddy, Larissa Coyne, Olivia Z. Schultz, Rachel Brown, Allen Weaver, Brett Hillsberg, Dave Muoio, John Parry, Anthony Sierzega, Kaitlyn Ott, Jordan Demcher

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Search for Student Activities • Presidential Debate Wrap-Up • Staff Editorial • Homecoming 2012 • 24-Hour Play Set to Begin Friday • Departments Revise Curriculums • Students Prepare for November 6 Election • Campus Radio Grows • Up 'Til Dawn Fights Kids' Cancer • Opinion: Presidential Candidates Head to Head; No Matter Political Affiliation, College Students Need to Vote; Reaction to Sports Opinion Piece • Football Falls to JHU

Faculty Curriculum Styles: Do Style Preferences Influence The Preparation Of Aspiring Teachers?, Ralph Jasparro, Felice D. Billups

NERA Conference Proceedings 2012

This study explored university education faculty perceptions of their curriculum styles and their influence on the preparation of aspiring teachers. Using Miller’s (2011) curriculum inventory, a sequential explanatory mixed methods design included (N =11) graduate education faculty who self-identified with one of four schools of curriculum design: linear, holistic, laissez-faire, critical theorist. A follow-up focus group was conducted with N = 7 participants, where their views and theories of curriculum were shared regarding effective design and implementation of curriculum, and the transmission of personal theories to aspiring teachers. Results may be valuable to those who prepare aspiring teachers and …

Science Literacy: Exploring Middle-Level Science Curriculum Structure And Student Achievement, Sarah F. Faulkner

NERA Conference Proceedings 2012

Although national and state science curriculum standards are based on an integrated model, there is little quantitative data supporting integration. This study explored and described the relationship between middle-level science curriculum structure and student science literacy. Specifically, it compared Connecticut science curriculum specialists’ characterizations of the degree to which their school districts’ middle-level science curriculum was integrated with their school districts’ mean scale-scores on the standardized Middle School Science CMT. An Internet-based survey was developed specifically for use in this study. Overall, participants reported a moderate level of science curriculum integration, as well as significant inconsistencies in the planning, design, …

Field-Based Experience In Light Of Changing Demographics, Fred Jay Krieg, Joyce Meikamp, Stephen L. O’Keefe, Sandra S. Stroebel

Joyce Meikamp

Due to changing demographics of students admitted to the School Psychology Training Program at Marshall University Graduate College, it has become imperative to significantly expand field experiences beginning in the first semester to address the lack of educational background of most of the students entering the program. This organized sequence of field experiences continues throughout the program, parallel to classroom instruction, affording opportunities for students to put theory into practice and to interact with professionals in the field, while also allowing for exposure to the public school environment. The collaborative field experience sequence provides the students with early and continuous …

Field-Based Experience In Light Of Changing Demographics, Fred Jay Krieg, Joyce Meikamp, Stephen L. O’Keefe, Sandra S. Stroebel

Stephen L. O’Keefe

Due to changing demographics of students admitted to the School Psychology Training Program at Marshall University Graduate College, it has become imperative to significantly expand field experiences beginning in the first semester to address the lack of educational background of most of the students entering the program. This organized sequence of field experiences continues throughout the program, parallel to classroom instruction, affording opportunities for students to put theory into practice and to interact with professionals in the field, while also allowing for exposure to the public school environment. The collaborative field experience sequence provides the students with early and continuous …

Field-Based Experience In Light Of Changing Demographics, Fred Jay Krieg, Joyce Meikamp, Stephen L. O’Keefe, Sandra S. Stroebel

Fred Jay Krieg

Due to changing demographics of students admitted to the School Psychology Training Program at Marshall University Graduate College, it has become imperative to significantly expand field experiences beginning in the first semester to address the lack of educational background of most of the students entering the program. This organized sequence of field experiences continues throughout the program, parallel to classroom instruction, affording opportunities for students to put theory into practice and to interact with professionals in the field, while also allowing for exposure to the public school environment. The collaborative field experience sequence provides the students with early and continuous …

Barriers And Supports To Curricular Innovation, James P. Klock

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Teachers and administrators frequently agree that curriculum is not suitably tailored to their specific students. Using paired interviews with teachers and administrators, this study explores how teacher/administrator and teacher/societal interactions support and impede teachers' ability to express curricular freedom.

A Renewed Approach To Undergraduate Worship Leader Education, Allen Hendricks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The church music degree program at Charleston Southern University, based on a European traditional/classical sacred music degree model, has been attracting fewer and fewer students. The last two students pursuing this degree were graduated in May, 2011. Prior to their graduation, the administration encouraged the music department to investigate current career markets and the worship leadership training strategies of other institutions. The purpose of this project is to design a suitable worship leadership degree and thus assist the university in its mission to equip churches with properly trained ministry leaders. Survey instruments will be used to discover the expectations of …

A Book Review Of Teaching About Hegemony: Race, Class, And Democracy In The 21st Century, Jennifer A. Tupper Dr.

Democracy and Education

A review of the book Teaching About Hegemony: Race, Class and Democracy in the 21st Century, by Paul Orlowski (Springer, 2011).

Gender And Sexual Orientation In The Elementary Classroom: Teachers Negotiating Critical Literacies And Queer Pedagogies, Pamela M. Malins

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Drawing from queer theoretical perspectives, this thesis examines the extent to which teachers address sexual orientation and gender identities in Ontario Elementary classrooms, reflecting recent curricular revisions regarding antidiscrimination education and social justice; moreover, it investigates some of the influences that affect teachers’ pedagogical practices. This inquiry’s significance can be seen through social constructionism which emphasizes the teachers’ role in reinforcing or disrupting discourses of normalcy. Queer Theory offers a method for deconstructing and challenging identity categories such as the heterosexual/homosexual dichotomy or gender normative frameworks.

Findings indicate an apparent tension for teachers in negotiating personal and parental beliefs and …

Purdue University's Foundations Of Excellence Final Report: A Roadmap For Excellent Beginnings, Office Of The Provost, Purdue University

Office of the Provost Publications and Reports

This report lays the groundwork for a new campus culture focused on excellent, intentional, and integrated curricular and co-curricular efforts for all students, according to their specific needs, so that they can achieve academic and personal success. In addition, it provides a blueprint for coordinating assessment and dissemination of findings to foster continuous improvement among the University’s overall student success efforts.

The Lived Experiences Of 24/7 Connectivity On Secondary Educators, James Patrick Heiden

Theses and Dissertations

Student access to the Internet has dramatically increased during the first decade of 2000. A recent study indicated that over 85% of US teens have regular access to a cell phone (Rideout et al., 2010). The cell phone coupled with an Internet plan has created the smart phone. This technology allows students to decide when and where they want to learn. This new connectedness has created a new phenomenon for classroom teachers; the ability to connect with their students in a 24/7 environment. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of five urban/suburban teachers in the Metro-Milwaukee area who routinely …

The Gaise College Report: The American Statistical Association Meets Sound Pedagogy In Central Virginia, Beverly Wood

Publications

Research in undergraduate statistics education often centers on the introductory course required for a large percentage of college students. While acknowledging the diverse setting, audience, and purpose of introductory courses, existing research assumes that courses offered by different disciplines share the same goals and teaching practices. The purpose of this study is to examine the objectives for student outcomes and pedagogical delivery of introductory statistics courses in various academic departments to provide explicit evidence for this assumption. The American Statistical Association’s Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) are meant to apply to all introductory courses. The College …

The Effect Of Differentiated Instruction On Standardized Assessment Performance Of Students In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Kimberly Gail Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Changing demographics, student diversity, and increased accountability have compelled educators to challenge the uniform constraints of traditional instruction and create an environment focused on individual achievement. Differentiated instruction empowers teachers to target multiple learning styles through varied themes, adapted content delivery, and assessment options. This quantitative quasi-experimental research study examined the effects of differentiated instruction on seventh grade student performance on standardized mathematics assessments using a repeated-measures design. Two independent research trials, controlling for initial group differences with 2011 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, provided inconclusive assessment results. Significant differences between students who received differentiated instruction compared …

On The Nature Of Students' Digital Mathematical Performances, Ricardo Scucuglia Rodrigues Da Silva

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this study I investigate the nature of digital mathematical performances (DMPs) produced by elementary school students (Grades 4-6). A DMP is a multimodal text/narrative (e.g., a video) in which one uses the performance arts to communicate mathematical ideas. I analyze twenty-two DMPs available at the Math + Science Performance Festival in 2008. Assuming a sociocultural/postmodern perspective with emphasis on multimodality, my focus is on the role of the arts and technology in shaping students’ mathematical communication and thinking. Methodologically, I employ qualitative case studies, along with video analysis. I conduct a descriptive analysis of each DMP using Boorstin’s (1990) …

Relevancy=Qsen + Complete Baccalaureate Curriculum Redesign, Charlene M. Smith

Nursing Faculty/Staff Publications

Faculty in the WSON opted to consider a complete curriculum redesign of the baccalaureate nursing program to assure relevancy to practice. A quality improvement process was used to accomplish the curriculum redesign.

Educating For Environmental Literacy In America's Public Schools, Annie L. Stoller-Patterson

Pomona Senior Theses

This paper explores how education for environmental literacy can be integrated into America's public school system. It investigates the benefits of environmental education and how green school buildings, sustainable cafeterias, school gardens and environmental education curriculum can be used to teach for environmental literacy at all grade levels. Includes sample lesson plan.

Middle School Math Teachers' Perceptions Of Standards, Assessment Literacy, And Professional Learning: A Colorado Case Study, Michael Wayde Brom

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions sixth through eighth grade middle school math teachers in Colorado had of the professional learning they had received related to implementing the Colorado Academic Math Standards (CAMS), and also determine the teachers’ level of understanding in each of the following areas: (a) state standards alignment and curriculum, and (b) assessment literacy. The study was designed to demonstrate how each area complemented the other two areas and their collective impact on instructional practices and student learning. The researcher’s hope was that the findings of this case study may be helpful, at …

Road Map To Becoming A Physician Assistant, Maguire J. Miller

Senior Honors Projects

The field of medicine is under constant change and reconstruction, especially when it comes to healthcare practitioners. When a demand is placed on the system, healthcare providers must figure out how they can satisfy the medical needs of the population. Within the past few decades there has been a shortage of people who are capable of fulfilling these needs. For this reason a new profession has been developed; it is called a Physician Assistant (PA). Professionals with this title have been through a rigorous training modeled after what a medical student goes through, but it is condensed into a much …

Generations: A Family Ministry Curriculum, Bethany Abbott

Honors Program Projects

This Honors Capstone Project created the opportunity to create a children’s church curriculum influenced by the ideas of family ministry. The paper includes an introduction to the writer’s vision and goals, a review of literature focused on what family ministry is and why it is important, a description of the curriculum project, and the creator’s reflection on the project. The first appendix of the paper includes the curriculum elements (philosophy, theology, a two-year curriculum scope and sequence, two examples of Sunday morning curriculum and take-home materials, as well as a curriculum website design and parent event outline). An additional appendix …

Cultural Competence In The Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Curriculum, Angela Elizabeth Silvestri

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Health care providers are members of a helping profession and need to provide quality care to all members of society. As a result of current and projected demographic changes within the United States (U.S.), health care professionals are faced with the challenges of providing culturally competent care and fulfilling the role as the "helping profession." In the past 10 years, minority populations have increased in the U.S. For example, the African American population experienced an approximate 12.3% increase, and the Hispanic population increased by 43%. Just as it is necessary for health care professionals to respond to the increase in …

Creating A Creativity Class In The Elementary School: Research And Development, Alyssa C. Charles

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project researches the need for a creativity class in the elementary school. Through literary research on current best practices in 21^st century education it becomes apparent that schools must alter what they do in preparing students for the future. Changes must be made to foster and value creative expression and creative problem solving. The goal of this project is to investigate how implicit and explicit creativity training and Creative Problem Solving (CPS) work with fourth and second grade children in a private school. The project outlines the steps taken to spread awareness about the importance of offering a …

Huebner's Heidegger: Toward An Authentic Conception Of Learning And "Historicity" For Contemporary Education, James Magrini

James M Magrini

No abstract provided.

Huebner's Heidegger: Toward An Authentic Conception Of Learning And "Historicity" For Contemporary Education, James Magrini

Philosophy Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Civic Participation In National And School Curricula, John Ainley, Tim Friedman

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Civic and citizenship education is increasingly conceptualized in national curricula within a lifelong learning perspective that encompasses formal curricula (that specify content and approaches in a subject or set of subjects), non-formal curricula (through co-curricular activities in schools) and informal curricula (through a school and classroom ethos that embodies citizenship values). One review of education policies in Europe documents attempts to encourage ‘active citizenship’ supported by ‘democratic schools’ offering a ‘participatory school culture’. However, there is evidence of a gap between declarations of principle and the implementation of these principles in schools as well as between policies and practices. This …

Developing A Rural Teacher Education Curriculum Package, Simone White, Jodie Kline

The Rural Educator

This paper documents the development of a new website (www.rrrtec.net.au) specifically designed to better equip teacher educators to prepare graduates to teach in rural and regional communities. The two year study (2009-2011) that informed the website’s creation included three data sources: A literature review of research into rural teacher education, a survey of pre-service students who had completed a rural practicum and interviews with teacher educators about the current strategies they used to raise awareness and understanding of the needs of rural students, their families, and communities. An analysis of the data revealed that teacher educators need to focus more …