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Full-Text Articles in Education
Questioning In Writing Center Conferences, Jo Mackiewicz
Questioning In Writing Center Conferences, Jo Mackiewicz
Jo Mackiewicz
These researchers examine how questions function in a corpus of eleven writing center conferences conducted by experienced tutors. They analyze the 690 questions generated in these conferences: 81% (562) from tutors and 19% (128) from students. Using a coding scheme developed from prior research on questions in math, science, and other kinds of quantitative tutoring, they categorized tutors’ and students’ questions. The researchers found that questions in writing center conferences serve a number of instructional and conversational functions. Questions allow tutors and students to fill in their knowledge deficits and check each other’s understanding. They also allow tutors (and occasionally …
The Honour House Project: Reservist Re-Entry Program, Sarah A. Rajala, Kevin J. Wainwright, Barbara E. Endicott-Popovsky
The Honour House Project: Reservist Re-Entry Program, Sarah A. Rajala, Kevin J. Wainwright, Barbara E. Endicott-Popovsky
Sarah A. Rajala
Both the United States and Canada invest a great deal of resources in the training of their military personal. Many of the skills and experiences accumulated by soldiers are those that are highly valued by civilian employers. Further, these skills are often embodied in academic programs, suggesting soldiers would have a comparative advantage in such programs; however, despite the efforts of government agencies, many soldiers are unable to convert their skills and training into meaningful careers. While there are several reasons why individuals leaving military duty have trouble re-integrating into work and education, one of the major obstacles is the …
A Holistic Model Of Engaged Scholarship: Telling The Story Across Higher Education's Missions, Nancy K. Franz
A Holistic Model Of Engaged Scholarship: Telling The Story Across Higher Education's Missions, Nancy K. Franz
Nancy K. Franz
Faculty and administrators still struggle to practice and support a holistic approach to engaged scholarship. Many institutions have created a culture of engaged scholarship, yet faculty are looking for practical ways to plan, implement, and reflect on engaged scholarship due to productivity expectations. New faculty are often drawn to the idea of engaged scholarship but don’t know where to start or how to frame their work in a way that appeals to promotion and tenure committees. To address these issues, the holistic model of engaged scholarship presented here provides a definition of engaged scholarship, six practice and storytelling leverage points …
Catalyzing Transformation: Conditions In Extension Educational Environments That Promote Change, Nancy K. Fran, Barry A. Garst, Sarah Baughman, Chris Smith, Brian Peters
Catalyzing Transformation: Conditions In Extension Educational Environments That Promote Change, Nancy K. Fran, Barry A. Garst, Sarah Baughman, Chris Smith, Brian Peters
Nancy K. Franz
Extension faculty and administrators have suggested Cooperative Extension's goal and niche is transformative education—to bring about deep change in individuals, families, and communities. However even though transformative learning appears to be a desirable approach to Extension education, few scholars and practitioners have examined the conditions in Extension learning environments that promote transformation. In fact, Extension agents and faculty ask what they can do to increase the likelihood their work will result in transformation. The research reported here explored conditions that catalyze transformation in two Extension educational contexts: 1) Cornell Cooperative Extension agent/specialist work teams and 2) Virginia 4-H Camps.
Enhancing Accountability: Servsafe™ Impact Template Delivers, Renee Boyer, Matthew Benson, Heather Boyd, Mena Forrester, Nancy K. Franz, Karen Gehrt, Patsy Pelland, Kirsten Roan
Enhancing Accountability: Servsafe™ Impact Template Delivers, Renee Boyer, Matthew Benson, Heather Boyd, Mena Forrester, Nancy K. Franz, Karen Gehrt, Patsy Pelland, Kirsten Roan
Nancy K. Franz
Generating statewide impact data from Extension programs can be challenging. To streamline reporting, Extension specialists, with the help of county agents and administrators, generated a statewide impact statement for the ServSafe™ program in Virginia. This template includes knowledge gain, behavior change, and economic impact from participants generated from current standardized evaluation methods used by all Extension educators across the state. Providing this template for agents resulted in easier, more consistent yearly reporting for those agents administering the program.
How Farmers Learn: Improving Sustainable Agricultural Education, Nancy K. Franz, Fred P. Piercy, Joseph Donaldson, Jessie Deelo, Johnnie Westbrook, Robert Richard
How Farmers Learn: Improving Sustainable Agricultural Education, Nancy K. Franz, Fred P. Piercy, Joseph Donaldson, Jessie Deelo, Johnnie Westbrook, Robert Richard
Nancy K. Franz
This project examines how farmers prefer to learn and what that means for agricultural education, especially Extension educational program development and delivery. Extension educators use a variety of methods for teaching content and processes that enhance farmer learning and adoption of new practices. This research project specifically looked at farmer learning preferences and Extension educator’s instructional methods.
Enhancing Extension Employee Coaching: Navigating The Triangular Relationship, Nancy K. Franz, Robin Weeks
Enhancing Extension Employee Coaching: Navigating The Triangular Relationship, Nancy K. Franz, Robin Weeks
Nancy K. Franz
Coaching Cooperative Extension employees is not easy but provides invaluable results. All three parties in the triangular coaching relationship--the coachee, the coach, and the organization--develop and grow from the process, in turn improving and sustaining the organization. The coaching process helps employees get to know themselves better, be more conscious about their way of being in the world, and contribute more fully to the work around them. This article addresses the importance of coaching employees, characteristics of good coaching, coaching risks, and tips for successful coaching of Cooperative Extension employees.
Reporting Program Impacts: Slaying The Dragon Of Resistance, Nancy K. Franz, Mark Mccann
Reporting Program Impacts: Slaying The Dragon Of Resistance, Nancy K. Franz, Mark Mccann
Nancy K. Franz
Virginia Cooperative Extension has responded to today's environment of enhanced accountability by improving the organization's program impact reporting. Successful strategies to enhance the quantity and quality of program impact reports include new hires, training faculty and administration, individual and small group technical assistance, development of reporting tools, and tying impact reporting to performance and recognition. This holistic approach resulted in enhanced reporting and use of program impacts as well as improved program design and evaluation.
The Development Of Undergraduate Distance Education Engineering Programs In North Carolina, Sarah A. Rajala, Tom Miller
The Development Of Undergraduate Distance Education Engineering Programs In North Carolina, Sarah A. Rajala, Tom Miller
Sarah A. Rajala
The College of Engineering at North Carolina State University has a strong track record in providing distance education to the citizens in North Carolina through credit-based courses and degree programs. To provide increased access to engineering education on the undergraduate level and enhance the success of the student transfer population, the College of Engineering developed two new 2+2 engineering programs and a distance education bachelor of science in engineering program. The 2+2 programs are designed to provide students enrolled at institutions without engineering programs the opportunity to take some of the fundamental engineering courses in addition to their general education …
Adult Education Theories: Informing Cooperative Extension's Transformation, Nancy K. Franz Dr.
Adult Education Theories: Informing Cooperative Extension's Transformation, Nancy K. Franz Dr.
Nancy K. Franz
As the largest adult education institution in America, Cooperative Extension should ground organizational operations in adult education theory. This connection with theory is especially important as Extension systems work towards organizational transformation to create more participatory and democratic learning. Adult education theories of transformative learning and critical reflection from a critical theory perspective are especially pertinent to inform this type of transformation. This requires that Extension create opportunities for learners to experience disorienting dilemmas, critically reflect on their assumptions, and facilitate how to learn not just what to learn.
Preparing New Faculty Members To Be Successful: A No-Brainer And Yet A Radical Concept, Rebecca Brent, Sarah A. Rajala, Richard M. Felder
Preparing New Faculty Members To Be Successful: A No-Brainer And Yet A Radical Concept, Rebecca Brent, Sarah A. Rajala, Richard M. Felder
Sarah A. Rajala
A multifaceted program at North Carolina State University involving workshops and mentorships helps prepare new faculty members and graduate students for successful academic careers. This paper describes the elements of the program, reviews assessment data for each element, and offers recommendations to engineering schools wishing to establish their own programs for new and future faculty members.
Transformative Learning In Extension Staff Partnerships: Facilitating Personal, Joint, And Organizational Change, Nancy K. Franz
Transformative Learning In Extension Staff Partnerships: Facilitating Personal, Joint, And Organizational Change, Nancy K. Franz
Nancy K. Franz
Partnerships can enhance individual and organizational success through more effective problem solving and improved adaptation to change. Learning is often required for successful collaboration that may transform the partners. This article discusses a study that explored learning in Extension staff partnerships that transform the individual, the partnership, and the organization. Three types of learning and eight types of transformative learning are identified. Conditions that promoted transformative learning in successful partnerships included strong partner facilitation, critical reflection, critical events, partner difference bridged by common purpose, and independence with interdependence. Recommendations for nurturing transforming Extension staff partnerships are shared.
Succeed-Sponsored Freshman Year Engineering Curriculum Improvements At Nc State: A Longitudinal Study Of Retention, Matthew W. Ohland, Sarah A. Rajala, Timothy J. Anderson
Succeed-Sponsored Freshman Year Engineering Curriculum Improvements At Nc State: A Longitudinal Study Of Retention, Matthew W. Ohland, Sarah A. Rajala, Timothy J. Anderson
Sarah A. Rajala
NC State’s involvement in the NSF-sponsored SUCCEED Coalition has led to a number of changes to the freshman year of the engineering curriculum as reported previously (e.g., ASEE 1999, Porter, et al.). An explicit objective of these changes was to retain in engineering those students who were qualified and interested in engineering, but were leaving engineering for other reasons. While a number of isolated innovations have been studied and have demonstrated positive benefit, this study looks at each freshman cohort from 1987 through 1998 to evaluate changes in retention in engineering during that period. Eleven cohorts were studied; five (1987- …
Extension Workers As Orchestrators Of Civic Renewal Through Civic Professionalism, Nancy K. Franz
Extension Workers As Orchestrators Of Civic Renewal Through Civic Professionalism, Nancy K. Franz
Nancy K. Franz
I have a passion and a bias. I am passionate about the important role of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in civic renewal. My bias is that extension workers (also known as agents or educators) are the key to civic renewal throughout the United States. No other institution has the same ability to reach all of America with education and organizing efforts. With extension workers in every county in the nation, this group of professionals and their work cut across age, race, ethnicity, religion, geography and many other demographic characteristics. Extension has a long history of being active in civic …