Education Commons^™

The Cuny Academic Commons: Fostering Faculty Use Of The Social Web, Matthew K. Gold, George Otte

Publications and Research

This paper analyzes the implementation of an academic social network that connects faculty members, administrators, and graduate students in a multi-campus university system. Part of a new generation of university-sponsored virtual spaces that foreground social networking, the CUNY Academic Commons has fostered a growing community of members who use the site to collaborate with colleagues across the system. This paper describes the processes involved in creating the site and offers guidance to institutions considering similar projects.

Collaborative Conversations, Andrea Honigsfeld Ed.D.

Faculty Works: EDU (1995-2023)

That effective collaboration benefits students (and teachers alike) is affirmed by the well-deserved attention it has received most recently in the professional literature (see, for example, DelliCarpini, 2008, 2009; Honigsfeld & Dove, 2010; NACTAF, 2009; NEA, 2009; Pawan & Ortloff, 2011) and in the TESOL educational community (e.g., themes of 2011 New York State and Kentucky TESOL conferences). Acknowledging the importance of collaborative exchanges among teachers is not a completely novel idea, though. Close to three decades ago, Judith Warren Little (1982) examined the differences between more and less effective schools and found that the more effective ones had a …

Deconstructing Wikipedia: Collaborative Content Creation In An Open Process Platform, Andrew P. Feldstein Dps

TILT Faculty Publications

Collaboration in Wikipedia articles has widely been touted as a great leap forward and an example of how technology can be leveraged to improve collaborative processes. If we focus on the creation of individual articles, what does that creation process look like? Information was collected from the Revision History Statistics page of thirty Wikipedia featured articles to examine variables such as number of edits, number of editors and total edits by the largest contributors to a given article. This small pilot study suggests that the article creation process may more closely mirror the traditional writer/editor process than it does the …

The Relationship Of Personality Traits To Satisfaction With The Team: A Study Of Interdisciplinary Teacher Teams In Rhode Island Middle Schools, Michele D. Humbyrd, Robert K. Gable

NERA Conference Proceedings 2010

Shared practice in schools has emerged; teachers are moving from isolation to team collaboration where personality traits could be related to quality interactions. Team personality traits and team satisfaction were examined. A survey and interview approach was used for N = 244 full-time teachers from N = 49 interdisciplinary teams at N = 7 middle schools. Descriptive, correlational, multiple regression analyses and coded themes about team members’ personalities and interactions were employed. No significant relationships were found between the BFI traits and Satisfaction with the Team. Team-level analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between Satisfaction with theTeam and Extraversion and …

Building A Successful Partnership Between A University And Local School Districts., Catherine Tannahill, Jeanelle Day

NERA Conference Proceedings 2010

This paper describes the use of the Collaborative/Cooperative Model of staff development as a means for providing content knowledge and pedagogical skills to middle school teachers. The study involved four sequential one-year projects to increase science (and related mathematics and literacy) content knowledge and skills. The research question addressed: What is the most effective staff development model to provide science (and related mathematics and literacy) content knowledge and skills to middle school teachers? The study involved an intensive two week workshop at the beginning with on-going electronic and formal university based follow-up activities. Using pre-and post testing, participating teachers were …

20 Tips On Networking (Or Outreach) And Collaboration, Susan A. Ariew

Academic Services Faculty and Staff Publications

Moving from Outreach to Collaboration: 20 Tips on Networking (or Outreach) and Collaboration.

Teacher Collaboration As Professional Development In A Large, Suburban High School, Marlie L. Williams

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative study explored the impact of teacher collaboration in a professional learning communities (PLC) school on teacher self-efficacy. Through the collection and analysis of personal interview data from 20 teachers in a large, suburban Midwestern high school, the impact of structured teacher collaboration was evaluated for its impact on changes in teachers’ instructional practices, their feelings of responsibility for student learning, positive adult interdependence, and changes in teacher self-efficacy. Experts in educational professional development identify the importance of sustained, collegial learning. This study explored the structure of one high school’s professional collaboration model, the measures in place for goal-setting, …

Building Leadership: The Knowledge Of Principals In Creating Collaborative Communities Of Professional Learning, Chad M. Dumas

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

Research literature is replete with the importance of collaboration in schools, the lack of its implementation, the centrality of the role of the principal, and the existence of a gap between knowledge and practice--or a "Knowing-Doing Gap." In other words, there is a set of knowledge that principals must know in order to create a collaborative workplace environment for teachers. This study sought to describe what high school principals know about creating such a culture of collaboration.

The researcher combed journal articles, studies and professional literature in order to identify what principals must know in order to create a culture …

Global Project Management: Pedagogy For Distributed Teams, Benjamin Kok Siew Gan, Randy Weinberg, Selma Limam Mansar

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper reflects on pedagogy for teaching collaborative global projects across universities in different countries. Over a period of four years, students at three universities - one in the United States, one in Singapore and one in the Middle East - enrolled in a course called "Global Project Management". In this course, coordinated across locations, students experience a global project with distant team members. We describe the course experience and student perceptions of the requisite skills, collaboration tools and challenges bearing on effective global project work.

Collaboration In The Design Classroom, Rees E. E. Shad

Touchstone

No abstract provided.

A Collaborative Approach To Building A Student Information And Technology Literacy Program, Kenetha Stanton, Julianne Miranda

Center for Academic Technology (CAT) - Presentations

This is a brief overview of the Information Commons program at Butler University presented during an EDUCAUSE Midwest Lightning Round. The Information Commons is professional development program jointly sponsored by The Center for Academic Technology (formerly Instructional Technology) and the Butler Libraries for student staff that provides information and technology literacy support to Butler students through scheduled desk hours and peer-to-peer training and consulting.

Enhancing Collaborative Problem Solving In Distance Education Courses Using Web-Based Concept Mapping, Ludmila Ortegano-Layne, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, Carrie Main

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of web-based concept maps as a communications and problem-solving tool in an online graduate level course. The study used an exploratory-descriptive research design that applied a qualitative methods approach in order to explore how concept maps foster collaborative problem-solving activities in an online learning environment. Three of the five groups participating in the study effectively used concept mapping, which they combined with other communication strategies such as eliciting group suggestions, asking questions, and brainstorming ideas, to reach consensus and solve the CBR project required. These results indicate that concept maps …

Sharepoint Collaboration: Streamlining The Dissertation Process For Online Students, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, Randall Dunn, David Holder

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the era of Web 2.0, document editors and collaborative workspaces have emerged. Primary functions of online collaborative workspaces include the ability to create a documents and document libraries online for others to view and collaborate and share document resources; thus, simplifying and streamlining projects that require collaboration. SharePoint is one such collaborative workspace. SharePoint is a server that has allowed for the simplifying and streamlining of the dissertation process for online students. The use of the various features of SharePoint for collaboration on dissertations are discussed. Benefits of using SharePont are outlined.

Changing The Face Of Student Teaching Through Co-Teaching, Nancy L. Bacharach, Teresa W. Heck, Kathryn Dahlberg

Teacher Development Faculty Publications

In this article, the authors challenge the status quo of current student teaching practice which has remained relatively unchanged for close to 100 years. This four year study identifies the differences between a co-teaching and a non-co-teaching model of student teaching. Quantitative and qualitative results clearly demonstrate the positive impact of co-teaching on learners. This emerging practice of co-teaching in student teaching holds great promise in transforming the world of teacher preparation.

Building Better Scientists Through Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration In Synthetic Biology: A Report From The Genome Consortium For Active Teaching Workshop 2010, Michael J. Wolyniak, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Vidya Chandrasekaran, Theresa M. Grana, Andrea Holgado, Christopher J. Jones, Robert W. Morris, Anil L. Pereira, Joyce Stamm, Talitha M. Washington, Yixin Yang

Biological Sciences Research

A common problem faced by primarily undergraduate institutions is the lack of funding and material support needed to adequately expose students to modern biology, including synthetic biology. To help alleviate this problem, the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) was founded in 2000 by Malcolm Campbell at Davidson College to bring genomics into the undergraduate curriculum. GCAT’s first tangible activity was to serve as a central clearinghouse both for the purchase and reading of DNA microarrays and for information on how to execute genomics experiments at undergraduate institutions. In response to the evolution of molecular biology in the last decade, …

Indigenous Sharing, Collaboration And Synchronous Learning, Michelle J. Eady, Irina Verenikina, Sarah Jones

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Online learning is progressively accepted in Indigenous communities with the realized potential for sharing, collaboration and learning for adults living in remote and isolated communities. This study used a design-based research approach that provided opportunity to integrate the current literature, literacy practitioners' views and community members' self identified literacy needs to generate ten draft guiding principles which guided this study. A collaborative community engagement project was created by the community members in consideration of these principles and presented in three iterations in a synchronous environment which will lead to design-based principles for working with technology and Indigenous communities. This paper …

Polyvore Collaboration: Innovation In Informal Online Affiliation Networks, Andrew P. Feldstein Dps, Brent Wilson

TILT Faculty Publications

Online communities engaged in collaborative exchange exhibit characteristics of spontaneous communitas as defined by Victor Turner (1982). Interactions taking place in these communities also correspond to Harrison White's (2008) concept of network formation as a tension between identity and control. A social network analysis of activities in the Polyvore community maps the behavior of members as they oscillate between liminoid transactions and structured integration; between creativity and conformity. An affiliation network is a two-mode network consisting of a set of actors and a set of events. This paper studies an affiliation network as it develops within the Polyvore community.

Partnerships For Progress, Higher Education Institutions And External Engagement Conference Proceedings 2010, Roadmap For Employment - Academic Partnerships, Margaret Linehan, Irene Sheridan

Conference Papers

This publication is derived from the presentations and discussions at the Partnerships for Progress Conference on Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and External Engagement organised by the Roadmap for Employment-Academic Partnership (REAP) project in Farmleigh House, 23 September 2010. The Conference aimed to explore the potential scope for external engagement activity and the motivation for partnership as well as how that activity can be supported and managed and how success can be measured and rewarded. The REAP project is funded through the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Strategic Innovation Fund Cycle 2. The Project is led by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) …

Grounded: Practicing What We Preach, Sam M. Intrator, Robert Kunzman

Education and Child Study: Faculty Publications

In this article we explore the challenges faced by teacher educators who struggle with the emotional and intellectual distance between their work in the university setting and the K-12 classroom. We consider the benefits of having teacher educators find ways to teach children and youth in K-12 contexts as part of their role as teacher educators--how living and working across both contexts can help revitalize a teacher educator's identity as well as improve the quality of his or her practice with preservice teachers. Finally, we suggest several models that provide teacher educators with the opportunity to work in both contexts.

Grounded Technology Integration In Mathematics, Neal Grandgenett, Judi Harris, Mark Hofer

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Teachers today can choose from a variety of technologies for teaching mathematics. Drill-and-practice software, virtual manipulatives, real-life data sets, interactive geometry programs, graphing calculators, robots, and computer-based laboratories are just a few of the options available. But it can be difficult for mathematics teachers to know just which technologies to choose to support student learning in particular lessons.

One way to help teachers integrate technologies effectively is to match technology integration strategies to how teachers plan, rather than asking teachers to plan instruction that exploits the opportunities offered by particular educational technologies. For more information, see our previous article ( …

Establishing A Professional Learning Community In A High School Setting, Youness Elbousty, Kirstin Bratt

NERA Conference Proceedings 2009

Although many teachers state their willingness to participate in efforts to establish a Professional Learning Community (PLC) in their schools, the reality is often that a great deal of internal resistance disrupts the creation of a collaborative effort. While teachers may understand that working in isolation, rarely collaborating or conferring about their students and teaching practices, may fall short of optimizing students' learning, and while they may be interested in collaborating with colleagues, our research demonstrates that collaborative efforts meet with a variety of challenges throughout the process.

Comparing Role-Playing Activities In Second Life And Face-To-Face Environments, Fei Gao, Jeongmin J. Noh, Matthew J. Koehler

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This study compared student performances in role-playing activities in both a face-to-face (FTF) environment and a virtual 3D environment, Second Life (SL). We found that students produced a similar amount of communication in the two environments, but the communication styles were different. In SL role-playing activities, students took more conversational turns, but have shorter exchanges compared to the FTF environment. Students generated an equal amount of topic-related concepts in the two environments. They also reported role-playing activities in SL as more interesting and less formal. The educational implications for this study are discussed.

Entrepreneurial Leadership And Teamwork: The Key To Innovation In The 21st Century, Connie I. Reimers-Hild, Susan N. Williams

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Entrepreneurial leadership and continuous innovation are vital components of 21st century communities and organizations. Entrepreneurial leaders must realize the importance of environmental, social and global issues while creating an atmosphere of innovation designed to help followers become more entrepreneurial themselves.

Entrepreneurial individuals and teams have the ability to recognize and capitalize on opportunities, innovate, take risks, adapt to rapid change and marshal resources to achieve their goals. When individuals come together as an effective team, they can produce a synergy to meet the demands of a rapidly changing and competitive work environment. Therefore, entrepreneurial leaders must develop entrepreneurial individuals and …

Using Robotics To Equip K-12 Teachers: Silicon Prairie Initiative For Robotics In Information Technology (Spirit), Alisa Gilmore, Bing Chen, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The Silicon Prairie Initiative for Robotics in Information Technology (SPIRIT) is a unique collaborative effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Engineering, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Education, and the local Omaha Public Schools (OPS) system. With funding from an NSF ITEST grant, from 2006 – 2008 the initiative recruited and trained 97 math and science middle school teachers through summer workshops and follow-up sessions during the school year, with the goal of equipping teachers in hands-on engineering design principles and providing curriculum development support for STEM instruction. The centerpiece of the training was …

Personal And Group Identity [9th Grade], Alice Rasmussen

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit is designed to purposefully set the tone of the classroom at the beginning of the year. As the year begins, I often get sidetracked with the business of starting a school year and the important process of orienting with the classroom, the teacher, and each other gets pushed aside. This unit is designed with the flexibility needed to allow for the business and logistics of the beginning of the year. It is also designed to allow for schedule changes. A student who enters the classroom after the first day will not be lost or behind. The unit is …

Using Co-Planning Time: Strategies For A Successful Co-Teaching Marriage, Lori Howard, Elizabeth A. Potts

Special Education Faculty Research

Recently there has been an increasing emphasis on co-teaching in schools. General education teachers and special education teachers are paired in the classroom to support all students. The nature of the relationship between these two teachers is often described as a “professional marriage.” This article provides specific advice on how co-planning time can be effectively used to foster the necessary foundation for co-teaching success. This advice encompasses standards, assessment, accommodations, instructional strategies, and logistics. A checklist for ensuring that both teachers have identified and communicated relevant information in these areas is also included. This checklist is a useful tool that …

Online But Off-Topic: Establishing Common Ground In Small Learning Groups, Trena M. Paulus

Educational Psychology & Counseling Publications and Other Works

There is not yet a great deal of research in formal online learning environments focusing on the seemingly “off-topic” conversations that small groups engage in as they complete learning tasks together. This study uses the theory of common ground as a framework to explore what participants are talking about when not discussing the concepts to be learned and how participants negotiate common ground in distance learning environments, including their use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools. The email, discussion forum, and chat transcripts of ten small groups comprised of experienced distance learners were investigated using computer-mediated discourse analysis, particularly attending to …

Content Anlaysis Of Computer Conferencing Transcripts, Roisin Donnelly, John Gardner

Articles

Within the field of higher education, there are situations where the learner is not well served in a classroom setting. Problematic issues such as scheduling, critical mass, time, pace and location have the potential to be counterbalanced by e-learning. Within this, the asynchronous nature of today’s online learning environments and computer conferencing tools have popularly been claimed to offer tremendous benefits for learners who are willing to take responsibility for their own learning, to progress at their own pace, and interact with their online teacher to get immediate feedback on their learning and progress. Indeed, increasingly, educators today are very …

Case Study Of Connected Knowing In An Online Learning Environment, Jaya Kannan, John Laurence Miller

CTL Publications

This paper reports a single-subject case study designed to investigate the role of group discussion in student learning. The group discussion took the form of contributions to a series of online discussion boards. And our analysis focuses on the contribution of one group member. We argue that this individual came to serve as a catalyst to learning for many group members because of the concomitant roles that she came to occupy.

Creating Win-Win Partnerships And Adding Relevance To Educator Preparation, Michelle Abrego, Bobbette M. Morgan, Jesus Abrego

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

The authors describe a partnership between two departments, in a school of education that involves educational leadership and curriculum and instruction graduate students sharing their expertise of teaching and learning with student teachers and alternatively certified teacher interns. This project provides graduate students with active participation in delivering workshops to adult learners. The beginning teachers are the participants. Beginning teachers benefit from gaining hands-on experience and research-based instructional strategies to use in their classrooms. Researchers found this activity increased the graduate students’ sensitivity to the needs of beginning teachers. Over 1300 student teachers and alternative certification interns and approximately 530 …