Education Commons^™

Instructional Design Learners Make Sense Of Theory: A Collaborative Autoethnography, Holly Fiock, Sally Meech, Mohan Yang, Yishi Long, Tadd Farmer, Nathan Hilliard, Adrie A. Koehler, Zui Cheng

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Understanding theory is essential to instructional design (ID) research and practice; however, novice designers struggle to make sense of instructional design theory due to its abstract and complex nature, the inconsistent use of theoretical terms and concepts within literature, and the dissociation of theory from practice. While these challenges are generally understood, little is known about the sensemaking process of learners as they encounter these challenges in pursuit of deeper theoretical understanding. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, six ID learners investigated their sensemaking experience within an advanced ID theory course. Autoethnography, a form of qualitative research, focuses on self-reflection “to …

Conducting A Formative Evaluation On A Course-Level Learning Analytics Implementation Through The Lens Of Self-Regulated Learning And Higher-Order Thinking, Pauline S. Muljana, Tian Luo, Greg Placencia

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Self-regulated learning (SRL) and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) are associated with academic achievement, but fostering these skills is not easy. Scholars have suggested an alternative way to scaffold these important skills through learning analytics (LA). This paper presents a formative evaluation of a course-level LA implementation through the lens of self-regulated learning (SRL) and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). We explored the changes in students’ SRL, HOTS, and perceptions at the end of the course term. Results indicate an increase in some elements of SRL and HOTS, and positive student perceptions. Discussion on implications and opportunities for informing future teaching strategies …

Organizational Analysis In Preparation For Lms Change: A Narrative Case Study, F. Eamonn Powers, Robert L. Moore

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Collaboration and teamwork are concepts routinely attributed to organizational success and successful change management. Yet often the details of these collaborative experiences are limited to participants in the team involved. In this case study we highlight how a learning experience architect, as part of an organizational working group, could leverage human performance technology (HPT) principles to lead the analysis efforts surrounding an LMS platform change at a professional training organization. Human performance technology is the study and practice of improving productivity in organizations. This includes designing and developing effective interventions, processes, and methodologies that are ethical, results-oriented, comprehensive, and systemic …

Orientation Online: The Surprising Benefits Of Virtual New Faculty Orientation, Kristin Herman, Patricia Davidson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This design case documents the reimagination of new faculty orientation for a mid-sized public university due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. This fully virtual iteration was facilitated during the summer of 2020 and is compared both to previous in-person iterations of new faculty orientation as well as a blended modality version of the orientation program offered in 2021. The redesign is explained using language from Puntedura’s (2006) Substitution- Augmentation- Modification- Redefinition (SAMR) model of technology application in distributed learning. Such terminology provided a helpful common vocabulary for a design team pressured to determine which elements of orientation needed to be …

Past Precedent Reconciling Established Multimedia Principles In 3d Virtual Learning Environments, Kristin Herman, Jim S. Shifflett, Courtney W. Schoolmaster, Charles Thull, Noah Glaser

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This design case documents the inception, development, and installation of a virtual exhibit on ethical use of learning analytics (LA) for the Museum of Instructional Design (MID), hosted in Mozilla Hubs. Tension emerged as the design team attempted to negotiate established principles of multimedia design theory (see Mayer, 2014; Mayer & Fiorella, 2021; Richardson, 2014) within an emerging learning environment. A rapid prototyping model, combined with elements of critical museology and dialectics, allowed for ongoing formative evaluation of design fidelity. Exhibit artifacts consisted of scenarios illustrating the ethical ambiguities of LA; a data justice timeline pairing recent peer-reviewed articles on …

Women Students Learning A Stem Subject: An Analysis Of Note-Taking Practices In A Civil Engineering Course And The Association With Self-Efficacy, Cognitive Engagement, Test Anxiety, And Course Achievement, Monica Palomo, Pauline Muljana

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Women students are underrepresented in STEM education. The completion rate of women students in an engineering program are known to be low. Alongside this, the COVID-19 pandemic still occurs, threatening people’s health, leading to anxiety and depression, and influencing students’ learning. Numerous studies have displayed a negative association between self-efficacy and test anxiety, especially in quantitative subjects. All together may distract students from focusing on their cognitive goals. In turn, students may not be able to concentrate, disrupting their cognitive engagement to grasp knowledge. The present case study is aimed to investigate the note-taking strategies used in a fully-synchronous Civil …

Examining The Impact Of Online Math Games On Student Performance And Attitudes, Tian Luo, Catherine Hickman, Pauline Muljana

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Low mathematics scores in the U.S. have been pressing the educators to find engaging strategies and effective tools to promote math performance. While emerging technologies, such as digital math games, show promises in improving mathematical education, existing studies have garnered mixed findings and thereby necessitating further investigation. This study aims to examine the impact of skill-based online math games on students’ math performance and attitudes, as well as students’ perceptions of the games. Thirty-eight students ranging from fifth to eighth grade participated in the study. The results showed a mixed picture of the impact of the online games on math …

Overview Of Standards For Technological And Engineering Literacy (Other), Philip Reed, Tyler Love, Scott Bartholomew, Kelly Dooley

STEMPS Faculty Publications

In 2020, the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) published Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy: The Role of Technology and Engineering in STEM Education (STEL) [1]. These standards open with a clear rationale why all Pk-12 students should study technology and engineering:

Technology and engineering are pervasive in all aspects of our lives. Every human activity is dependent upon the products, systems, and processes created to help grow food, provide shelter, communicate, work, and recreate. As the world grows more complex, it is increasingly important for everyone to understand more about technology and engineering [1, p. 1].

The …

Opportunities For Autism Information Shared Through Professional Conferences, Amelia Anderson, Selena Layden, Crystal Stang (Ed.), Jennifer L. Branch-Mueller (Ed.)

STEMPS Faculty Publications

With prevalence most recently reported at 1 in 44 (Maenner et al., 2021) children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States, school librarians can and should expect to see these children in their schools and in their libraries. However, previous work indicates that school librarians are not being provided with an adequate education about this in their graduate coursework (Layden, Anderson, & Hayden, 2021). This study expands upon previous work to explore the preparation of school librarians about autism by examining the previous five years of state library conference programs.

Fostering Cognitive Presence In Online Courses: A Systematic Review (2008-2020), Robert L. Moore, Courtney N. Miller

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Within the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, cognitive presence has been central to success in higher education settings. This systematic review examined 24 articles published between 2008-2020 that empirically analyzed cognitive presence in online courses. We share the patterns that emerged regarding the interplay between teaching and cognitive presence and social and cognitive presence. We also explore how the four phases of cognitive presence—triggering event, exploration, integration, and resolution—were evident within specific instructional activities. We conclude with implications for practice that will be helpful for course instructors and designers seeking to foster greater cognitive presence within their online courses.

Research In Action: Impacting Library Communities With Field-Based Projects, Elizabeth A. Burns

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Our library and information studies (LIS) program is grounded in the principals of social justice, leadership, and authentic practice. One way candidates of the program meet these ideals is through participation in a required internship. During the internship students complete an independent project on site at their internship location.

Using Elliot’s (1991) steps of action research, the students in the internship course identify an issue, collect or use data to inform action, analyze the findings, and reflect on the results. An initial needs assessment is conducted. This includes establishing a rationale to inform practice. Students then implement a hands-on response …

Blast-Building Leaders For Advancing Science And Technology: A Partnership Between The Virginia Space Grant Consortium And The University Of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, And Old Dominion University, Cynthia Tomovic, Mary Sandy, Julie Back, Vukica Jovanovic, Kim Lester, Edward Murphy, Sueanne Mckinney, Mileta Tomovic

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This paper presents the development and delivery of educational summer intensive programs for high school students that are designed to encourage students’ interests in the STEM-related fields and the motivation to pursue a STEM-related degrees in college. BLAST (Building Leaders to Advance Science and Technology) is designed as a summer-intensive, residential, on-campus STEM-learning experience for rising ninth and tenth graders. With the intention of improving the STEM-related workforce pipeline in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) offers multiple BLAST programs across the Commonwealth. BLAST programs are designed as intensive three-day, STEM-related three-hour lecture-lab experiences that are reinforced …