Education Commons^™

Free Via Library (Fvl) Etextbooks: Enhancing Affordable Learning By Involving An Academic Library In The Textbook Selection Process, Marc Jaffy

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This paper discusses an etextbook initiative which an academic library adopted to support affordable learning. After providing an overview of how textbook costs affect university students, the paper details the library’s etextbook initiative and how the library works both proactively (before/during the course design phase) and reactively (after textbook selection) to identify library etextbooks which courses can use in place of student purchased textbooks. The paper then reviews data demonstrating the use of library etextbooks in courses and the cost savings to students resulting from replacing student purchased textbooks with library etextbooks. The paper concludes by discussing problems and issues …

Developing Scholar Activists: The Role Of The Edd, Valerie A. Storey, Roschanda Fletcher

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

A qualitative descriptive approach was followed in the research, starting with a theoretical conceptualization of scholar activism within doctoral education as a basis for further inquiry. Seventeen doctoral candidates described how they conceptualized and applied the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate's (CPED) Framework for the Emerging EdD Activist to their experiences in an online program. Study respondents gave accounts of growing confidence to engage in active, vocal advocacy, which they attributed to their new knowledge and understandings gained through participation in the program. However, for some mid-career students, increased vocal advocacy in the workplace was perceived as endangering career …

Ai Technology And Academic Writing: Knowing And Mastering The “Craft Skills”, Valerie A. Storey

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Evidence shows that artificial intelligence (AI) has become an essential academic subject, representing about 2.2% of all scientific publications. One concern for doctoral programs is the future role of AI in doctoral writing due to the increase in AI-generated content, such as text and images. Apprehensions have been expressed that the use of AI may have a negative impact on a doctoral student’s ability to think critically and creatively. In contrast, others argue that using AI tools can provide various benefits resulting in rigorous research. This conceptual article first discusses the developing relationship between AI and dissertation writing skills. Second, …

A Framework For Addressing Foster Care Trauma In The Public Education System: Perceptions And Implications, Valerie A. Storey, Fletcher Roschanda

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

BACKGROUND

It is estimated that approximately 90% of children in foster care have experienced a traumatic event, with nearly half reporting exposure to 4 or more types of traumatic events. Educators must remain alert to indicators suggesting a history of trauma and understand the difficulties foster youth may face regulating their emotions and behavior while in school.

METHODS

A framework for foster youth trauma in the public education system identifies the interplay between macro-level forces, such as federal and state policy, and school and teacher micro-level forces.

RESULTS

The framework highlights the inadequacy of educators in identifying the manifestations of …

Challenging The Norm: Raising The Bar For Educators Of Foster Youth, Valerie A. Storey, Fletcher Roschanda

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

An increasing number of foster youth find themselves representing a vast majority of the most academically vulnerable population. The trauma and neglect experienced by foster youth is but one of many factors influencing educational achievement. The role of educators in foster youth educational attainment is critical. It requires teachers and school leaders to understand the complexities of trauma; to positively develop comprehensive knowledge of trauma-informed practices; and the ability to create a learning environment where foster youth feel supported in their educational journey.

What Graduate School Didn't Teach You About Instructional Design Consulting, Joel Gardner, Dawn Snyder, Jim Guilkey, Virginia Abbott, Matthew Barclay

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Instructional design consultants provide learning and performance solutions for their clients. However, it can be difficult for instructional design students and newly graduated instructional designers to adapt to the realities of consulting in a real-world context. This difficulty is magnified by significant technological, social, and other disruptions that often occur in work and learning environments. In our observation, newly graduated instructional design consultants enter the workforce equipped with powerful tools, theories, and models for increasing learning but are less equipped to consult with their clients and other stakeholders. This article is based on our experiences as instructional design consultants, and …

Moving Academic Support Services And Resources Online: Lessons Learned, Alyssa Darden

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

As Franklin University shifted to all remote services in mid-March of 2020 due to COVID, our Learning Commons support services of library, academic support, and testing worked quickly to provide equitable services in an online environment. Services pivoted by offering only online tests proctored by ProctorU, moving all tutoring appointments to the online model, and a dedicated focus to of preferring library acquisitions in e-content only format.

Higher Education – Just How High Is It?, Matthew Barclay

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Some people argue that the nature and purpose of education is to gain a broad range of knowledge. Unfortunately, higher education programs and courses are often afflicted with the myopia of knowledge, or even just brief encounters with it, above everything else. I don’t think knowledge alone represents the true heights of “higher education.”

Practice: An Essential Supporting Cast Member Of Outcomes-Based Instruction, Matthew Barclay

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

I love good movies. Most of us do. Movies represent a complex combination of many elements combined by filmmakers to deliver a viewing experience to the audience that can be very moving, endearing, and memorable. Or the movie can fall flat, or just be mediocre.

Among all the elements that go into moviemaking, the lead talent is key to the success of a show. But so is the supporting talent.

Evaluation: The Bright, Illuminating Principle Of Teaching And Learning, Matthew Barclay

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

A few years ago, the planet Pluto was downgraded to “dwarf planet” status. Pluto is a small body made up of rock and ice, located billions of miles from the sun (Nasa, 2012). In other words, it’s a cold and rocky place, of little significance, far from the center of the system. This sounds like a description of evaluation in the realm of teaching and learning—at least a description of how evaluation is often treated.

Creative Design: Asking “What Is It Like” And “Who Cares?”, Matthew Barclay

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

How do we put creativity into academic courses without getting irrelevant or distracting? Creative design is somewhat of a holy grail in many industries, and this is certainly true in the area of teaching and learning. As designers and consumers of instruction, we seek creativity.

Encouraging Non-Native English Speakers In The Classroom, Marivic Lesho

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

International students are a vital part of the community at American universities. There are innumerable benefits to this intercultural exchange, but for students to have the best experience, instructors need to be prepared to address certain language-related challenges.

Foster Inclusion By Focusing On Student Names, Brandy Bagar-Fraley

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

“To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students,” writes bell hooks, “is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin” (hooks, 1994, p. 13). An inclusive and equitable classroom is a manifestation of that respect and care. Instructors who deliberately cultivate an environment in which all students feel acknowledged and valued can reduce barriers to success and give all students the opportunity to flourish (Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, 2016; Walton & Cohen, 2007). And there are many small, but significant, alterations …

Start With Equity To Achieve Equality In The Classroom, Meghan Raehll

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

“…the direction in which education starts a man, will determine his future life.” – Plato, The Republic, Book IV.

As educators, we anchor our teaching principles in the values of equality and fairness to ensure the success of our students. Yet, layered atop the grounding ideals of equal opportunity for all students is the rugged reality in which, we too, as educators have emerged from our own specific contexts and carry with us deeply embedded beliefs that may transcend intentional thought. These specific contexts may, further, lead to unconscious stereotypes known as “implicit bias,” and can be detrimental to the …

Learning Analytics And Gateway Courses: Keys To Student Success, Constance Wanstreet, Meghan B. Raehll, Yuerong Sweetland

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Franklin University is midway through a five-year federal grant to increase undergraduate retention and graduation by implementing a learning analytics tool and revising gateway courses, among other activities. Initial analysis of grade trends in gateway courses for more than 8,000 undergraduates during a five-year period showed an increase in withdrawal and failure rates by an average of 4 percent and resulted in context and focus for a smaller study. Student outcomes were then assessed in 11 gateway courses over three terms, and results suggest that course redesign alone is insufficient to result in major gains in student success. Instructors were …

Develop A Communicating And Reporting Plan For Useful Evaluation, Jessie Kong

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Stakeholders are key for useful evaluation! Develop a communicating and reporting plan to actively interact with your stakeholders throughout the evaluation process.

Instructional Design Leadership And Management Competencies: Job Description Analysis, Joel Gardner, Lewis Chongwony, Amie Tope

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Researchers in the field of instructional design and educational technology journals usually focus on the practice of instructional design; however, the management and leadership of instructional design has typically received little emphasis. Recent studies have investigated the competencies associated with effective leadership and management of instructional design from the perspective of those they lead, and from the perspective of leaders in higher education. There is, however, little systematic research into what competencies employers require of leaders and managers of instructional designers in higher education. This research would provide the field with further guidance on training and preparing instructional design leaders …

Dichotomies: Lessons From A College Life On Tour, Alexander J. Dontre

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

In this unique memoir, the author reveals his struggles and triumphs as a touring musician pursuing a college education. From 2011-2017, Alex Dontre performed 505 concerts with his band Psychostick while simultaneously enrolled in rigorous online courses. It culminated with a master's degree in Business Psychology from Franklin University, at which time he gave the commencement speech at his graduation as valedictorian.

Cybersecurity Education: The Quest To Building Bridge Skills, Andy Igonor, Raymond L. Forbes, Jonathan Mccombs

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Today's employers differ in what skills and abilities they believe make for a competent cybersecurity professional; however, they concur on the importance of technical and soft skills, which we collectively refer to as "bridge skills" - in other words, skills needed to bridge employer needs and what higher education teaches. Higher education, on the other hand favors producing a holistic and rounded graduate, with soft skills incorporated into the first one or two years of study. Somewhere between these two dichotomies is a missing link which currently manifests as higher education not meeting the needs of industry relative to cybersecurity …

An Instructional Design Primer, Rob Wood

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Much has been written in this forum about instructional design; however, for some followers, the primary concepts and principles of instructional design may yet be relatively new. The goal of this post is to provide a little history and a few highlights about the practice of instructional design with an emphasis on higher education.

The Secret To Successful Projects (Hint: It’S The People), Kevin Stoker

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

A project team collaborating There are literally thousands upon thousands of books, articles, blogs, seminars, and airplane banner ads that can teach you how to manage and complete a project. Many of them are excellent and are recommended reading for anyone wanting to become a project manager, to improve as a project manager, or for anyone who just wants to get stuff done. (The airplane banner is not one of these recommendations, but kudos to that person for thinking outside the box.)

Introducing The Learning Lounge Podcast, Joel Gardner

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

At Franklin University’s International Institute for Innovative Instruction, we design and develop learning experiences for students and clients all over the world. From clarifying learning goals and shaping a learning strategy to integrating quality content and creating effective materials, this work can be complex. Instructional media is one of these components, and if done right, it can increase learning and make a course more engaging. In my experience, however, creating quality media can be difficult, especially when working with teams of faculty, staff, and instructional designers who are dealing with heavy workloads and competing priorities.

Enter Bradd Birmingham, the Director …

Why Is It Difficult To Measure The Roi Of A Training Program?, Jessie Kong

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Many organizations spend a lot of money to provide training programs to improve their performance in today’s competitive environment. Since investment in training programs has been increasing, upper management want to justify the actual costs and benefits of training programs for their various stakeholders.

Why Study Human Performance Technology?, Joel Gardner

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Many instructional design programs, including Franklin’s master of Instructional Design and Learning Technology, include a course on Human Performance Technology (HPT). However, very often, when I work with students or instructional designers who are learning about HPT, they fail to see the connection between instructional design and HPT. In this video, I explain my perspective on why HPT is critical for learning professionals, including instructional designers.

Baby Steps Toward Sleep: Using Instructional Design In Everyday Life, Carolyn Levally

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

As a mom to a little girl who will be turning one shortly, I’ve realized that I’ve quite suddenly become a teacher of basic life skills for her – how to eat, how to go to sleep, how to walk, etc. For the first few months of her life, I used a cold hard approach to teaching some of these skills, such as “let’s just put a bottle in her mouth and hope that she takes it.” When this tactic failed miserably, I started considering applying instructional design to my teaching strategy, especially the concept of “chunking” learning. Having worked …

Creating A Culture Of Wellness: A Call To Action For Higher Education, Igniting Change In Academic Institutions, Megan Amaya, Teresa Donegan, Debbie Conner, Julie Edwards, Christy Gipson

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background: Due to the continued rise of chronic conditions and unhealthy lifestyle choices, more innovative and evidence-based practices are needed for students, faculty and staff to improve population health outcomes and enhance overall well-being. Aim: The purpose of this paper is to inform academic health promotion professionals of key strategies to consider in order to create cultures of wellness on their college campuses. Methods: A review of the existing literature was conducted. Results: The most current evidence-based practices to create a culture of wellness are discussed. Conclusions: Institutions of higher education have an opportunity to create campus cultures that foster …

That’S What Friends Are For, Stephanie Theessen

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Remember in kindergarten, sitting next to your buddy on the carpet squares? Eating goldfish with a friend at snack time? Running around the playground with whoever seemed fun? There was plenty of time for friends. Of course, making friends gets tougher as we get older, but as the old adage says, “Everything I ever needed to know, I learned in kindergarten,” and one of the most important things we all learned was, “be a good friend!”

As adults, friends are just as important to our health and well-being as they were when we were children. Not only in our personal …

Training For Hlc Peer Reviews, Yuerong Sweetland

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

In this article, I would like to share my experiences from the HLC (Higher Learning Commission) Peer Review training that I completed in October 2017.

Modeling: Online Students Need Demonstrations, Too, Matthew Barclay

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

How many times have you seen children pretending to be their sports heroes while playing basketball or soccer? How many teens or adults have you seen wearing a movie star’s hairstyle or adopting the clothes of another favorite celebrity? How often have you observed people mimicking media personalities in voice, gestures, sayings, etc.? Have you ever found yourself doing something because someone else did it and you thought it was a great idea? Of course you have. Whether it was beneficial or damaging in the long run, you have most likely done something only because someone you esteemed did it.

Helping Students Become Better Writers Inside And Outside Of Tutoring Appointments, Natalie Kopp

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Writing tutors provide invaluable resources to students, but writing help can come from all levels of student support on campus, not just in tutoring appointments. I spoke with Elisha Teague, the Assistant Director of Learning Resources at Franklin University, and Shurouq Ibrahim, one of Franklin’s professional writing tutors, to discuss how they help students in the Learning Commons and what we can all do when working with students or course material to help foster stronger and more confident student writers.