Education Commons^™

Associations Between Stakeholder Perceptions Of School Climate And Fidelity Of Implementation Of Key Features Of The Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports Framework In Rural Schools, Nathan Florin Anderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

School climate can be complex to measure and to change, but it is clear that it is a critical component of an effective school. One practice that has been shown to positively influence school climate is Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a framework of evidence-based practices and its power for initiating change has been shown to come from fidelity of implementation of its key components. Although there is a lot of research on PBIS implementation, not a lot is known about implementation in rural schools and the unique challenges that setting provides. This study measures baseline levels …

Curriculum-Based Measures In Mathematics: An Updated Review Of The Literature, Gena Nelson, Allyson J. Kiss

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 96 studies that focused on Stages 1, 2, and/or 3 of curriculum-based measurement in mathematics (CBM-M) research. Stage 1 refers to evidence for using CBM at one point in time (i.e., static scores), such as for screening for difficulty. Stage 2 refers to evidence for using CBM repeatedly overtime, such as for progress monitoring. Stage 3 focuses on the instructional utility of CBM (i.e., instructional decisions to increase student achievement). The purpose of the systematic review was to update the Foegen et …

A Systematic Review Of Research Syntheses For Students With Mathematics Learning Disabilities And Difficulties, Gena Nelson, Angela Crawford, Jessica Hunt

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 36 research syntheses (including meta-analyses, evidence-based reviews, and quantitative systematic reviews) focused on mathematics interventions for students with learning disabilities (LD), mathematics learning disabilities (MLD), and mathematics difficulties (MD). The purpose of the systematic review of mathematics intervention syntheses was to identify patterns and gaps in content areas, instructional strategies, effect sizes, and definitions of LD, MLD, and MD. We searched the literature for research syntheses published between 2000 and 2020 and used rigorous inclusion criteria in our literature review process. We …

A Systematic Review Of The Quality Of Reporting In Mathematics Meta-Analyses For Students With Or At Risk Of Disabilities Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 22 meta-analyses focused on mathematics interventions for students with or at-risk of disabilities. The purpose of the systematic review was to evaluate reporting quality in meta-analyses focused on mathematics interventions for students with or at risk of disabilities. To identify meta-analyses for inclusion, we considered peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2020; we searched five education-focused electronic databases, scanned the table of contents of six special education journals, reviewed the curriculum vitae of researchers who frequently publish meta-analyses in mathematics and special …

High Leverage Practices In Special Education Synthesis Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 76 meta-analyses focused on students with or at-risk of disabilities. All of the included meta-analyses provided a summary statistic related to at least one of the High Leverage Practices (HLPs; McLeskey et al., 2017). ). The purpose of the systematic review of meta-analyses was to provide an initial investigation of the evidence supporting the effectiveness of the HLPs for students with, or at-risk for, a disability. This code book contains variable names, code options, and code definitions related to basic study information (i.e., …

Special Education Math Interventions: Meta-Analyses Quality Indicator Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 22 mathematics intervention meta-analyses focused on participants with or at-risk of disabilities. The author drafted this coding protocol based on the meta-analysis quality indicators recommended by Talbott et al. (2018, pp. 248–249); specifically, the author considered the variables presented in Table 1 of Talbott et al. and supplemented the information so that the variables and definitions were specific to the purpose of this systematic review. We coded each meta-analysis for 53 variables across eight categories, including: Quality of Clear Research Questions, Quality of …

Study Protocol For Testing The Association Between Physical Activity And Academic Outcomes Utilizing A Cluster-Randomized Trial, Peter Boedeker, Lindsey Turner, Hannah Calvert, Christi Kay, Adria Meyer, Chuck Truett, Julie Gazmararian

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend adolescents engaging in 60 min of physical activity (PA) every day. Students should spend at least 30 min being active while at school. However, schools rarely provide that much PA time for students. This paper describes the planned analyses for a study evaluating the relationships between PA (measured as average daily minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity [MVPA]) and educational outcomes of standardized test scores and classroom grades cross-sectionally in 4 th grade and longitudinally from 4 th to 5 th grade. Investigations of moderators (both student- and school-level), mediators, and potential …

Faculty Perceptions Of Online Teaching At A Midsized Liberal Arts University, Dana L. Shreaves, Yu-Hui Ching, Lida Uribe-Florez, Jesús Trespalacios

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this mixed-methods study, faculty perceptions of online teaching at a midsized liberal arts university were examined to better understand faculty acceptance and participation in online teaching at the university. Seventy-nine participants responded to a survey that collected qualitative and quantitative data. Content analysis of faculty perceptions of online teaching was employed and resulted in the identification of six themes. An examination of 21 quantitative factors identified 17 factors reported by more than 50% of respondents to influence their decision to teach or not teach online. Study participants perceived online learning as attractive to students but they wanted any online …

Makerspace Culture And Its Impact On Learning, Amy Vecchione

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

"Makerspaces are about community. We need to ensure everyone from the community can participate."

—Participant in a Drexel ethnography about makerspaces

Many library workers want to discuss and reflect on makerspaces. A common issue present since makerspaces in libraries first began revolves around what types of equipment a library makerspace should have. This question often comes up as "What should I buy?" or "What equipment do I need?" or "What should I buy to make my makerspace successful?" Individual library workers who are starting to incorporate makerspaces into their libraries or who are trying to deepen, develop, and reinvigorate their …

Gateway Scholarships In Biological Sciences: Year 3 Annual Report, Vicki Stieha, Julia Oxford, Amy Ulappa, Brittnee Earl, Jennifer Forbey, Laura Bond, Kevin Feris, Jocelyn Cullers

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes grant activities, progress toward goals, and broader impacts of the Gateway Scholars Program in the Boise State Department of Biological Sciences during the 2019-20 academic year.

Variance And Reliability In Special Educator Observation Rubrics, Angela R. Crawford, Evelyn S. Johnson, Laura A. Moylan, Yuzhu Zheng

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study describes the development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET) observation instrument. The study uses generalizability theory to compare two versions of a rubric, one with general descriptors of performance levels and one with item-specific descriptors of performance levels, for evaluating special education teacher implementation of explicit instruction. Eight raters (four for each version of the rubric) viewed and scored videos of explicit instruction in intervention settings. The data from each rubric were analyzed with a four facet, crossed, mixed-model design to estimate the variance components and reliability indices. Results show lower unwanted …

Understanding Second Grader’S Computational Thinking Skills In Robotics Through Their Individual Traits, Youngkyun Baek, Dazhi Yang, Yibo Fan

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigated the relationship between the personal traits and computational thinking skills of second graders within the context of robotics activities. The hypothesized model showed that learning preference, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy were the main predictors of coding achievement and computational thinking skills, while no direct relationship was found between learning preference, intrinsic, or extrinsic motivation. The final path analysis revealed that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation predict self-efficacy, self-efficacy predicts coding achievement, and coding achievement predicts computational thinking skills. Another important finding was the strong impact of self-efficacy on coding achievement as well as computational thinking skills. Results are …

The Influence Of Tape Diagrams And Bar Models On Middle School Students' Proportional Reasoning, Katie Paulding

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Proportional reasoning is an integral component of adolescent mathematical cognitive development and a foundational concept for students to understand in order to be successful in higher level mathematics and science courses. Yet research indicates students struggle to proportionally reason. Task features of proportional reasoning problems are known to influence student cognition and success in problem solving, including familiarity with problem context, problem type, numerical content, and mode of task representation. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of two iconic representations (tape diagrams and bar models) and three ratio relationships (6:3, 8:2, and 5:2) on student cognition …

Developing An Explicit Instruction Special Education Teacher Observation Rubric, Evelyn S. Johnson, Yuzhu Zheng, Angela R. Crawford, Laura A. Moylan

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this study, we developed an Explicit Instruction special education teacher observation rubric that details the elements of explicit instruction, and tested its psychometric properties using many-faceted Rasch measurement (MFRM). Video observations of classroom instruction from 30 special education teachers across three states were collected. External raters (n = 15) were trained to observe and evaluate instruction using the rubric, and assigned scores of ‘implemented’, ‘partially implemented’ or ‘not implemented’ for each of the items. Analyses showed that the item, teacher, lesson and rater facets achieved high psychometric quality for the instrument. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Gateway Scholarships In Biological Sciences: Year 2 Annual Report, Vicki Stieha, Julia Oxford, Amy Ulappa, Brittnee Earl, Jennifer Forbey, Kevin Feris, Jocelyn Cullers

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes grant activities, progress toward goals, and broader impacts of the Gateway Scholars Program in the Boise State Department of Biological Sciences during the 2018-19 academic year.

Principal Leaders And College And Career Readiness Programs, Inna Goretaya Polishchuk

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the intersection of high school principals and college and career readiness initiatives in five high school contexts. Because school principals are responsible for setting the vision in a school, college and career readiness initiatives have the potential to overlap significantly with the principal’s direction of the school. Moreover, studies indicate college and career readiness programs might rely on the active support of the school administrator if they are to succeed. What the school leader cares about tends to be what staff focus on; therefore, this study examines how three factors influence the effectiveness of a college and …

The Effects Of Formative And Summative Assessment On Student's Connectedness, Satisfaction, Learning And Academic Performance Within An Online Healthcare Course, Thomas J. Wing

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The quantitative study presented here evaluates the effects of formative and summative assessment on student’s connectedness, satisfaction, learning and academic performance within a university three-credit 400 level online healthcare course. Literature exploring the role that formative assessment plays within an online environment is currently lacking. Additionally, understanding how assessment practices can help support the goals of online healthcare education is vitally important given the rise in popularity of this delivery format.

This study investigated student outcomes in the form of connectedness, satisfaction, learning and academic performance. Four cohorts of students were included in this study. Two cohorts were provided with …

A Review Of Tools And Techniques For Data-Enabled Formative Assessment, Rob Nyland

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2018

The purpose of this literature review is to understand the current state of research on tools that collect data for the purpose of formative assessment. We were interested in identifying the types of data collected by these tools, how these data were processed, and how the processed data were presented to the instructor or student for the purpose of formative assessment. We identified two categories of data: machine graded and activity stream data. The data were processed using three methods: unprocessed activity streams, descriptive data analysis, and data mining. Processed data were presented to students through reports and real-time feedback, …

Building Conceptual Understandings Of Equivalence, Kelli Rich

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The equal sign is prevalent at all levels of mathematics however many students misunderstand the meaning of the equal sign and consider it an operational symbol for the completion of an algorithm (Baroody & Ginsburg, 1983; Rittle-Johnson & Alibali, 1999). Three constructs were studied through the lens of the Developing Mathematical Thinking (Brendefur, 2008), Relational Thinking, Spatial Reasoning and Modes of Representation. A review of literature was conducted to examine the effects of mathematics instruction on the development of students’ conceptual understanding of equivalence through the integration of spatial reasoning and relational thinking. The Developing Mathematical Thinking (DMT) curricular resources …

Online Course Design In Higher Education: A Review Of National And Statewide Evaluation Instruments, Sally Baldwin, Yu-Hui Ching, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research identifies six online course evaluation instruments used nationally or in statewide systems. We examined the characteristics (i.e., number of standards and criteria) and coded the criteria that guide the design of online courses. We discussed the focus of the instruments and their unique features.

Testing Our Assumptions: The Role Of First Course Grade And Course Level In Mathematics And English, Janet Callahan, Marcia Belcheir

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Methods that provide an early indicator of factors that affect student persistence are important to colleges and universities. This quantitative research focused on the role of level of entry mathematics and English and also on grades earned in those classes as they relate to persistence after one year. The research showed that by far, the variable most predictive of first-time, full-time students enrolling one year later was earning a grade of “A” in English. Compared to those who did not pass their first English course, students who earned an “A” were three times more likely to persist. The variables which …

Social Presence, Identity, And Online Learning Research: Research Development And Needs, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Vanessa P. Dennen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Scholars across many disciplines have grappled with questions of what it means for a person to be and interact online. Who are we when we go online? How do others know we are there and how do they perceive us? Within the context of online learning, scholarly questions tend to reflect more specific concerns focused on how well people can learn in a setting limited to mediated interactions lacking various communication cues. For example, how can a teacher and students come to know each other if they cannot see each other? How can they effectively understand and communicate with each …

Calculus Reform: Increasing Stem Retention And Post-Requisite Course Success While Closing The Retention Gap For Women And Underrepresented Minority Students, Doug Bullock, Janet Callahan, Jocelyn B. S. Cullers

Mathematics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Boise State University (BSU) implemented an across-the-board reform of calculus instruction during the 2014 calendar year. The details of the reform, described elsewhere (Bullock, 2015), (Bullock 2016), involve both pedagogical and curricular reform. Gains from the project have included a jump in Calculus I pass rate, greater student engagement, greater instructor satisfaction, a shift toward active learning pedagogies, and the emergence of a strong collaborative teaching community. This paper examines the effects of the reform on student retention. Since the curricular reform involved pruning some content and altering course outcomes, which could conceivably have negative downstream impacts, we report on …

Longitudinal Success Of Calculus I Reform, Doug Bullock, Kathrine E. Johnson, Janet Callahan

Mathematics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper describes the second year of an ongoing project to transform calculus instruction at Boise State University. Over the past several years, Calculus I has undergone a complete overhaul that has involved a movement from a collection of independent, uncoordinated, personalized, lecture-based sections, into a single coherent multi-section course with an activelearning pedagogical approach. The overhaul also significantly impacted the course content and learning objectives. The project is now in its fifth semester and has reached a steady state where the reformed practices are normative within the subset of instructors who might be called upon to teach Calculus I. …

Exploring Critical Thinking And Negotiation Of Meaning Through Minecraftedu: A Case Study Of Elementary Language Learners, Sarah Rich

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Critical thinking and problem solving are identified as 21^st century skills crucial to the process of foreign language acquisition, and include negotiating and co-constructing meaning in order to effectively communicate with others (Committee for Economic Development, 2006). The purpose of this study was to replicate earlier research in which university-aged French language learners participated in task-based activities within the social game environment of SecondLife to produce discourse representing critical thinking and negotiation of meaning. Through purposeful modifications, this replication study investigated the collective discourse produced by a group of elementary-aged English Language Learners (ELLs) engaged in task-based activities within …

The Curriculum Orientations Of Secondary Stem Teachers And Their Beliefs About Sound Grading, Nathan D. Dean

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study explored two questions: 1) In what ways are the curriculum orientations of STEM teachers predictive of their beliefs regarding sound grading practices? and 2) How do STEM teachers who have received formal training in assessment differ in their grading beliefs from those who have not? A survey instrument was issued to a sample of secondary science and mathematics teachers (n=89) taken from a metropolitan, northwestern school district. The subsequent analyses showed a significant relationship between the self-actualization orientation and the inclusion of non-academic factors when assigning grades. It was also found that participants who had received formal assessment …

Impact Of An Eportfolio Faculty Learning Community On Course Design And Student Learning: A Progress Report On A Case Study, Devshikha Bose

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2016

The purpose of this paper is to present a progress report on a case study which documents faculty perceptions regarding the impact of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on the pedagogical applications of ePortfolios in course design. The study will also document faculty perceptions on how changes made/planned to course design as a result of participation in the FLC may impact student learning. A post-completion electronic survey and a focus group meeting will be used to collect data from nine research participants. Initial observations made by FLC facilitators are reported and implications for future iterations of a similar FLC are …

University Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan & Reporting Guidelines, Vicki Stieha, Kay Wingert

University Presentations

Why are we conducting regular assessment of the University Learning Outcomes in Disciplinary Lens classes?

University Learning Outcomes (ULOs) are the “glue” that holds academic and social learning together in the undergraduate curriculum. Assessment at the course level focuses our attention on the outcomes and lets us answer the essential ULO questions:

• To what extent are our students learning the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind that make up our outcomes?”
• What do we do to support that learning – and what might we do to continually work to improve learning?
• What supports do we need to enhance learning?

Revealing Student Misconceptions And Instructor Blind Spots With Muddiest Point Formative Feedback, Cindy Waters, Stephen J. Krause, Janet Callahan, Barry Dupen, Mary B. Vollaro, Peggie Weeks

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Of interest to all engineering disciplines, well-designed formative feedback has the potential to enhance both instructor teaching and student learning. Delivering fundamental courses year after year, can ultimately lead faculty to use stale notes or slides from past years. This approach may save time, but does not meet the shifting needs of our students who have high expectations from their instructors. One simple method to improve teaching is to employ muddiest point reflections. Muddiest point reflections involve simply asking students to anonymously reflect on what was “muddy”, i.e. confusing, during class and to rank their level of confusion which not …

Integrating Mobile Devices Into The Classroom: A Qualitative Case Study Of A Faculty Learning Community, Devshikha Bose, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite the pedagogic affordances of mobile devices, many instructors are not prepared to effectively integrate them into their courses. “Western State University” has developed a program to support faculty in the innovative use of mobile devices in the classroom. This qualitative case study documents instructors’ experiences and perceptions of integrating mobile devices in their courses. Themes under investigation were the impact of mobile devices on teaching practice, student learning, and course learning outcomes. Results indicate that instructors used mobile devices to create content, communicate, store, and share information. Assignments were modified to take advantage of mobile devices, digital fluency was …