Education Commons^™

Teaching Data Literacy For Civic Engagement: Resources For Data Capture And Organization, Brandon T. Locke, Jason A. Heppler

Jason Heppler

Endangered Data Week emerged in the early months of 2017 as an effort to encourage conversations about government-produced, open data and the many factors that can limit its access. The event offers an internationally-coordinated series of events that includes publicizing the availability of datasets, increasing critical engagement with them, encouraging open data policies at all levels of government, and the fostering of data skills through workshops on curation, documentation and discovery, improved access, and preservation. The reflection provides an outline of the curriculum development happening through Endangered Data Week and encourages others to contribute.

Developing Social And Emotional Skills In Early Childhood Instruction: A Delphi Study, Tess Breen

Tess Breen

The Gaise College Report: The American Statistical Association Meets Sound Pedagogy In Central Virginia, Beverly Wood

Beverly Wood

Research in undergraduate statistics education often centers on the introductory course required for a large percentage of college students. While acknowledging the diverse setting, audience, and purpose of introductory courses, existing research assumes that courses offered by different disciplines share the same goals and teaching practices. The purpose of this study is to examine the objectives for student outcomes and pedagogical delivery of introductory statistics courses in various academic departments to provide explicit evidence for this assumption. The American Statistical Association’s Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) are meant to apply to all introductory courses. The College …

Adapting Practices Of Science Journalism To Foster Science Literacy, Joseph L. Polman, Alan Newman, E. Wendy Saul, Cathy Farrar

Wendy Saul

In this paper, the authors describe how the practices of expert science journalists enable them to act as "competent outsiders" to science. We assert that selected science journalism practices can be used to design reform-based science instruction; these practices not only foster science literacy that is useful in daily life, but also complement practices of scientists that already have been incorporated into science education. We describe and illustrate science journalism practices for educational activities that can be adapted and used. We argue that such experiences enable students to better use science information for personal decision-making and help them contribute meaningfully …

Mcguffey Readers: Elementary School Reading Books, Samuel J. Smith

Samuel James Smith

Teaching Undergraduates How To Analyze, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Rosalind Raymond Gann

Ryan Andrew Nivens

Analysis is typically listed in taxonomies of higher order thinking. Academics consider these taxonomies worthwhile, but they are hard to teach and we are apt to ignore them. Today higher education is criticized for “dumbing down” curriculum or lowering standards. To rectify this, many policies at the state or national level are requiring higher education institutions to change. In K-12 education, Race to the Top and Common Core requirements are placing new demands on K-12 teacher preparation, which include evaluation of the analysis skills of pre-service teachers. But professors do not always view their disciplines as the proper place for …

Teaching Tolkien: Language, Scholarship, And Creativity, Adam Kotlarczyk

Adam Kotlarczyk

Why Tolkien? Let us start with the obvious—if cynical—question, almost certain to come from a skeptical administrator or colleague: why would any serious, self-respecting English teacher want to teach an author whose work is about dragons, fairies, and the fantastic? With all the increased attention to standardized testing and with the demand for rigor in read- ings in the average English curriculum, choosing a popular text might raise eyebrows among critics. The question that an English teacher may be asked (or indeed, may ask him- or herself) is: doesn't teaching Tolkien as "serious" literature just fan those flames?

Teaching Tolkien: Language, Scholarship, And Creativity, Adam Kotlarczyk

Adam Kotlarczyk

Why Tolkien? Let us start with the obvious—if cynical—question, almost certain to come from a skeptical administrator or colleague: why would any serious, self-respecting English teacher want to teach an author whose work is about dragons, fairies, and the fantastic? With all the increased attention to standardized testing and with the demand for rigor in read- ings in the average English curriculum, choosing a popular text might raise eyebrows among critics. The question that an English teacher may be asked (or indeed, may ask him- or herself) is: doesn't teaching Tolkien as "serious" literature just fan those flames?

Teaching Tolkien: Language, Scholarship, And Creativity, Adam Kotlarczyk

Adam Kotlarczyk

Why Tolkien? Let us start with the obvious—if cynical—question, almost certain to come from a skeptical administrator or colleague: why would any serious, self-respecting English teacher want to teach an author whose work is about dragons, fairies, and the fantastic? With all the increased attention to standardized testing and with the demand for rigor in read- ings in the average English curriculum, choosing a popular text might raise eyebrows among critics. The question that an English teacher may be asked (or indeed, may ask him- or herself) is: doesn't teaching Tolkien as "serious" literature just fan those flames?

Problem-Based Learning And Self-Efficacy: How A Capstone Course Prepares Students For A Profession, Joanna C. Dunlap

Joanna Dunlap

Problem-based learning (PBL) is apprenticeship for real-life problem solving, helping students acquire the knowledge and skills required in the workplace. Although the acquisition of knowledge and skills makes it possible for performance to occur, without self-efficacy the performance may not even be attempted. I examined how student self-efficacy, as it relates to being software development professionals, changed while involved in a PBL environment. Thirty-one undergraduate university computer science students completed a 16-week capstone course in software engineering during their final semester prior to graduation. Specific instructional strategies used in PBL--namely the use of authentic problems of practice, collaboration, and reflection--are …

Toward Developing An Academic Discipline, Tim Brady, Alan J. Stolzer

Alan J. Stolzer

It is not often in the life of an academic or of an academic institution that circumstances coalesce to bring about a new academic discipline. But it happened recently, thus a review of the circumstances may be of interest and potentially instructive. Disciplines are typically characterized as a field of study at institutions of higher learning; they have a definable body of knowledge, scholars who contribute to that body of knowledge, teachers who teach in the field, a community of people who identify with the field, a refereed journal, are often associated with a professional practice and, in many cases, …

Dean's Desk: Legal Clinics Cultivate Essential Lawyering Skills, Andrea Lyon

Andrea D. Lyon

No abstract provided.

A Developing Story: The Literacy Demands Of The Curriculum, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

The need for explicit teaching of the literacy demands of the curriculum has been and remains a significant area of interest for all teachers. An example of how this interest has evolved can be seen in Nea Stewart-Dore's careerlong interest in literacy learning. This was a key aspect of her major contribution to professional knowledge and understanding of literacy learning. Nea's story provides a useful retrospective insight into the shaping of the strong current focus of the literacy of the disciplines.

Cultural Vibrancy: Exploring The Preferences Of African American Children Toward Culturally Relevant And Non-Culturally Relevant Lessons, Darlene Sampson, Dorothy Garrison-Wade

Dorothy Garrison-Wade

Despite the laudable intent of various educational initiatives in raising the achievement level of all children, limited progress has been made. In an effort to diminish the achievement gap of students of color, some researchers have examined the cultural relevancy of the curriculum in promoting student achievement. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the preferences of African American children toward culturally relevant and non-culturally relevant lessons, through a six-week series of lessons in an American History classroom. Critical Race Theory and Racial Identity Development provided the theoretical underpinnings of this study. This study takes place in …

Student Learning In High-Impact Practice Mass Communication Courses, Douglas J. Swanson Ed.D Apr

Douglas J. Swanson, Ed.D APR

College and university high-impact practice (HIP) courses involve students in intensive values-focused learning inside and/ or outside of the traditional classroom environment. Much research has documented that participation in HIPs increases student retention and graduation rates. At the same time, the nontraditional learning structure of an HIP course can complicate a thorough assessment of student learning. Anecdotal evidence reflects strong involvement in HIPs by mass communication programs, although communication efforts in this regard are not as well documented in the literature as efforts in other fields. This essay briefly defines HIPs and presents an appropriate theory that would guide HIPs …

The Comprehensive Emergent Literacy Model: Early Literacy In Context, Leigh Rohde

Leigh Rohde

Tanzania Textbooks, Curriculum And Politics: A Documentary Analysis, Mussa Muneja

Mussa Muneja

No abstract provided.

Constructive Alignment And The Curriculum: A Call For Improved Pedagogical Practices In Higher Education, Kerwin A. Livingstone

Kerwin A. Livingstone

From the turn of the century, there have been fervent calls to reform the curriculum in such a way that all students benefit. In light of heated debates, ‘constructivism’ was embraced as the new learning theory that would cause an improvement in student learning outcomes. Much later, ‘constructive alignment’ emerged, which sought to revolutionise the curriculum, significantly modifying pedagogical practices. Consequently, this article seeks to address constructive alignment in the curriculum and the urgent need to improve didactic practices in higher education. To this end, a discussion ensues on the curriculum and its necessity in pedagogy. The different approaches to …

Developing A Curriculum Framework For Yellowstone’S Youth Conservation Corps, Kristen Schulte, Ana K. Houseal

Ana K Houseal

Yellowstone’s Youth Conservation Corps is a youth employment program founded on service learning concepts implemented through stewardship projects. Education is integrated into all projects through the Resource Education Curriculum (REC). To enhance the REC, in 2012-2013 a framework was created and implemented to assist in the development of 17 environmental educational (EE) lessons. Five major bodies of knowledge emerged: leadership, cultural heritage, stewardship, ecological relationships, and sustainability. These acted as a springboard for developing clear participant outcomes and a diversity of instructional strategies. The purpose of this session is to help strengthen interpretation programs by exploring a framework for curriculum …

Curriculum Review: Analysis Of A Spanish Translation Course Curriculum From The University Of Guyana, Kerwin A. Livingstone

Kerwin A. Livingstone

This curriculum review report centres its attention on the analysis of a Spanish course curriculum document from the University of Guyana. The aim of this report is to highlight those areas that are deficient in the current course curriculum, analyse and revise them, and make recommendations for improvements. Information about the University of Guyana, along with its vision, mission and value statements are presented. Then, a discussion ensues on curriculum planning, designing and development, paying specific attention what curriculum entails. An analysis is conducted of the course curriculum, highlighting both the positives and the negatives. Subsequently, recommendations are made for …

A Multi-Institutional Project To Develop Discipline-Specific Data Literacy Instruction For Graduate Students, Sarah Wright, Michael Fosmire, Jon Jeffryes, Marianne Stowell Bracke, Brian Westra

Michael Fosmire

What data stewardship skills are needed by future scientists to fulfill their professional responsibilities and take advantage of opportunities in e-science? How can academic librarians contribute their expertise in information organization, dissemination and preservation to better serve modern science? With support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), four research libraries have formed a partnership to address these questions. The aims of the partnership are to identify the data stewardship skills, including data management and curation, needed by graduate students at the research discipline level, to identify trends that extend across the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) …

Opportunities For Disaster Resilience Learning In The Australian Curriculum, Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

Schools are an important avenue for youth to learn about disaster resilience. A critical success factor for the uptake of disaster resilience learning in schools is the ability to embed learning activities in school programs that are linked to relevant curriculums. With the introduction of the Australian Curriculum, it is timely to identify new opportunities for student disaster resilience learning and related curriculum development by emergency services organisations. Using a technique called ‘curriculum mapping’, a research project has identified disaster resilience learning opportunities and gaps across the Australian Curriculum.

It Takes A Village: Transforming Students Into Professionals Via Library Research Collaboration, Colleen Boff, Julie Hodges

Colleen T. Boff, Ed.D.

Details about a collaboration between an edcuation faculty member and a librarian are offered. They worked together to show students how to identify research studies that addressed instructional strategies for use by teacher practitioners responsible for making adaptations to the learning environment.

Demographics Of Undergraduate Students In Game Degree Programs In The Us And Uk, Monica M. Mcgill, Amber Settle, Adrienne Decker

Amber Settle

The Immortal Spirit Of Harriet Tubman: Scholarly Reconceptualization Of Human Trafficking And Slavery, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

I propose a presentation in which I will describe my personal and professional experiences developing and teaching university level courses on human trafficking, including both sex trafficking and forced labor.

Although I have read about historic slavery all my life, my research, writing, and teaching has focused on contemporary human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking. Seven years ago, I developed and started teaching a course on sex trafficking and a course on human trafficking, which included forced labor. I have taught these courses every year since 2006.

For some time, I did not include historic slavery in the curriculum. My research …

Library Tools For Connecting With The Curriculum: How To Create A Professional Development Workshop For Teaching Faculty, Sonya S. Shepherd, Debra Skinner, Robert W. Fernekes

Sonya S. Gaither

The article focuses on ways taken by librarians in linking library tools with the faculty curriculum in Georgia. It states that librarians Sonya Shepherd, Debra Skinner and Bob Fernekes from Zach S. Henderson Library have formed a team that would push students into library resources required by their faculty. It also mentions the creation of linking tools tutorials to improve student and faculty use of the resources.

Demographics Of Undergraduates Studying Games In The United States: A Comparison Of Computer Science Students And The General Population, Monica M. Mcgill, Amber Settle, Adrienne Decker

Amber Settle

Field-Based Experience In Light Of Changing Demographics, Fred Jay Krieg, Joyce Meikamp, Stephen L. O’Keefe, Sandra S. Stroebel

Joyce Meikamp

Due to changing demographics of students admitted to the School Psychology Training Program at Marshall University Graduate College, it has become imperative to significantly expand field experiences beginning in the first semester to address the lack of educational background of most of the students entering the program. This organized sequence of field experiences continues throughout the program, parallel to classroom instruction, affording opportunities for students to put theory into practice and to interact with professionals in the field, while also allowing for exposure to the public school environment. The collaborative field experience sequence provides the students with early and continuous …

Field-Based Experience In Light Of Changing Demographics, Fred Jay Krieg, Joyce Meikamp, Stephen L. O’Keefe, Sandra S. Stroebel

Stephen L. O’Keefe

Due to changing demographics of students admitted to the School Psychology Training Program at Marshall University Graduate College, it has become imperative to significantly expand field experiences beginning in the first semester to address the lack of educational background of most of the students entering the program. This organized sequence of field experiences continues throughout the program, parallel to classroom instruction, affording opportunities for students to put theory into practice and to interact with professionals in the field, while also allowing for exposure to the public school environment. The collaborative field experience sequence provides the students with early and continuous …

Field-Based Experience In Light Of Changing Demographics, Fred Jay Krieg, Joyce Meikamp, Stephen L. O’Keefe, Sandra S. Stroebel

Fred Jay Krieg

Due to changing demographics of students admitted to the School Psychology Training Program at Marshall University Graduate College, it has become imperative to significantly expand field experiences beginning in the first semester to address the lack of educational background of most of the students entering the program. This organized sequence of field experiences continues throughout the program, parallel to classroom instruction, affording opportunities for students to put theory into practice and to interact with professionals in the field, while also allowing for exposure to the public school environment. The collaborative field experience sequence provides the students with early and continuous …