Education Commons^™

Program Evaluation Of Online And Face-To-Face College And Career Readiness And Its Effect On Degree Utilization In Community College Graduates, Tyson M. Riskas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Salt Lake Community College has adopted the Pathway initiative as a part of its long-term strategic plan. Pathway is a student-centered approach to redesigning the college experience by assessing student experience to reorganize and re-present degree programs. Currently, SLCC focuses on adjusting class pedagogy and curriculum to equip students with core college and career readiness (CCR) skills and determine if graduates are utilizing their degree. The Gail Miller School of Business offers students the option of completing their degree online or face-to-face and choosing between degrees aimed at transferring to other institutions or entering a career. However, they are currently …

The Embodied Experience Of Adult Educators, Heather Drew Francis

Theses and Dissertations

This interview study investigates the embodied experiences of adult educators, exploring how they perceive and utilize bodily knowledge in their instructional practice. Through interviews and observations with five adult educators, the study highlights challenges in articulating the role of physical experiences in teaching. The study reveals four major themes: (a) participants perceive or approach instruction as a performance, engaging with various performance tools like voice, sound, proximity, and posture to impact content delivery and classroom management; (b) bodily knowledge informs the educator's improvisational skills as they receive sensory input and adapt to student and environmental cues during teaching; (c) while …

Exploring A Potential Preparedness Gap Between Undergraduate Ministry Programs And Real-Life Ministry In The Southern Baptist Convention, Barton D. Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract The aim of this multicase study dissertation research was to examine the experiences, perceptions, and feelings of pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention who completed their undergraduate degrees from a Southern Baptist Convention higher education institution. Participants of the study had 3–10 years of full-time church ministry experience in local Southern Baptist Convention affiliated churches and had not yet attended graduate school or seminary. These qualifiers were placed on the selection process to allow the discovery of a possible gap between the pastor’s higher education experience and the practical ministry training required for their first local church ministry. Two …

Equalizing Community Voice In An International Service-Learning Project: A Narrative Inquiry Of A Social Entrepreneurial Peruvian Women's Group, Monica D. Hernandez

Theses & Dissertations

Traditionally, international service-learning (ISL) programs are created and led by host groups, which frequently overlook the international communities’ learning process and perspectives and the long-term impact of service missions on the community. Fundamentally, ISL is meant to address community needs. With the principal focus being on enriching students’ learning, community voice is often eclipsed. The research aim was to investigate the empowerment and efficacy of an ISL project to strengthen relationships between engaged scholars and international communities and improve future service-learning trips. Using a qualitive narrative research design, I investigated a 2021-2022 ISL Based Photovoice Project applying Kolb’s Experiential Learning …

A Leadership Laboratory: Exploring The Use Of Case-In-Point Pedagogy To Develop Complex Thinking In Leaders, Erica Corley Jackson

Dissertations

Leadership scholars have identified a growing gap between the complexity of 21^st century organizations and the capabilities of individuals in positions of leadership to adequately address these challenges. This gap has contributed to a so-called complexity crisis—a situation in which the demands placed on those in leadership positions increases “at a rate that significantly outstrips the rate at which” leaders are cognitively developing (Rich-Tolsma & Oliver, 2016, p. 1). One way to respond to this growing need for complex adult thinking is through metacognitive development initiatives. However, finding educational methods to promote metacognitive development has proven to be …

Examining How Entrepreneurial Educators’ Perspectives And Lived Experiences Have Shaped Their Pedagogical Approaches In Secondary Education, Latonya Wiley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study is to explore the perspective of entrepreneurial educators in Southeast Louisiana who teach students in grades 9-12, related to how their entrepreneurial experiences have influenced their pedagogical approaches. There is a gap in our knowledge and understanding of how the lived experiences of entrepreneurs can affect teachers' instructional approaches to introduce the art of entrepreneurship in its many manifestations. The Constructivist learning approach and Kolb's experiential learning theory (1984) are influential in this dissertation. The theoretical framework for this study is an experiential learning theory which helps us understand the impact of the …

Exploring Experiential Education In The Online Learning Environment, Rhonda Sandberg

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that experiential learning enhances learning and increases student engagement. As online education in higher education increases, incorporating experiential learning into the online experience has been occurring. For this case study, interviews with five online instructional designers and three online instructors examined answers to the questions of how online instructional designers and online instructors define, value, and design experiential learning in their online courses. Insights regarding the benefits and challenges of designing online experiential learning are discussed. Online instructional designers discussed coaching online instructors through the process of designing experiential learning for their online courses. Online instructors expressed that …

The Role Of Museums In Educational Pedagogy And Community Engagement, Katherine E. Weber

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Museums provide exceptional opportunity for experiential and social/emotional learning that often cannot be simulated elsewhere. Schools and communities, however, are not taking full advantage of what these spaces have to offer. Learning science has indicated the need for more progressive education initiatives, making stronger partnerships between museums, schools, and communities imperative. Data was collected through surveys and interviews with museum education departments and K-12 teachers in the Chicagoland area to discuss available programs, usage, outcomes, and feedback for improvement. Analysis of data reiterated the positive role museums play in creating well-rounded, critically-thinking, emotionally intelligent individuals, who are civically engaged and …

Effects Of Telesimulation On The Health Literacy Knowledge, Confidence And Application Of Nursing Students, Susan Patton

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Assessing and addressing health literacy (HL) in patients is an essential role of the nurse and a critical component of nursing student education. Yet, large gaps exist within nursing school curricula with regard to the development of HL knowledge and skills, and the confidence to implement practices that target HL. Furthermore, effective training modalities that examine the transformation of nursing students’ knowledge into practice through the development of confidence during experiential learning have not been well explored.

Purpose: Evaluate the effectiveness of a HL information and a HL telesimulation intervention on the HL Knowledge, Application and Confidence of first-semester …

Nature-Based Education For Elementary Students With Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Kayleigh Morrison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are several advantages to including a nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning into state standards, and the consequences of students who do not have access to outside learning and activities can be severe. The term “Attention Restoration Theory” (ART) was coined by psychology professors Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in 1989 and claims that exposure to nature can improve mental fatigue and concentration. This senior capstone examines Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory and academic studies rooted in its philosophy as it applies to nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning. There are certain advantages for students who are exposed to a nature-based curriculum and …

Changing Perceptions Of Career And Technical Education (Cte): Bridging The Soft Skills Gap With High Quality Cte, Alison Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers’ perceptions of the role and application of soft skills content within CTE and students' career planning. This qualitative multiple case study utilized artifact collection, document analysis, and personal interviews of CTE teachers from three high schools in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Participants had between ten to twenty-three years of teaching experience, either in Business or Technology Education. This study investigated CTE teachers’ perspectives regarding the importance of soft skills within CTE curricula, strategies for soft skills implementation, and examined any differences in the implementation of soft skills in different …

Intentional Undergraduate Leadership Development Through The Establishment Of A Center Of Excellence For Leadership At Gardner-Webb University, James Rennie

Education Projects

Similar to most universities in the United States, Gardner-Webb University lists leadership development in their students as a high priority. The first two sentences in the Gardner-Webb University strategic plan state,

The mission of Gardner-Webb University is to prepare graduates for leadership and service in their professional careers and in their personal lives. Rigorous and innovative degree programs, combined with distinctive experiential learning opportunities, shape students into thinkers, doers, and world-changers. (Gardner-Webb University, 2021a, p. 1)

There are several key words in these sentences that warrant further discussion. First, leadership development is an instrumental aspect of the core mission of …

How And Why Design Education Instructors Use Place-Based Education In Their Courses, Michael Flynn

Online Theses and Dissertations

Place-based education (PBE) is a pedological approach that takes learning outside of the classroom into the local community. Allowing students to not only explore their physical environments but also the history, people, and culture of a place. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the use of PBE by design education instructors in higher education. This focus on PBE in design education is significant because PBE has not been extensively examined in a design context. The results should extend knowledge about ways that local learning environments can create opportunities and experiences for design students that cannot be …

Experiential Learning Versus Microcredentials: Educational Needs Of Undergraduate Students And Working Professionals, Hannah Wirth

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper looks at the characteristic differences between undergraduate students and working professionals and whether experiential learning or microcredentials are more effective in satisfying the educational needs of either group of learners. The characteristics used to define undergraduate students, working professionals, experiential learning, and microcredentials are choices, needs, motivation, learning style, and self-awareness. Based on these characteristics, the study predicted that experiential learning would better suit the educational needs of undergraduate students and microcredentials would better suit the needs of working professionals. The study’s hypotheses were designed from observations of the Business in Practice program at the University of New …

Career Development And Employability Skill Integration Within The Equine Science And Management Undergraduate Program At The University Of Kentucky, Savannah Faye Robin

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

College graduates need to be equipped with career and employability skills that are necessary to be meaningfully and gainfully employed in their future. These skills consist of self-management, career-management, essential-employability, and discipline-specific skills. More responsibility is being placed on college and university academic programs to ensure that students are graduating with these skills when they enter the workforce. However, students are growing less likely to participate in out of course career development activities and resources. Integrating these skills into program curriculum can be an effective way to ensure that all students have the ability to develop these necessary skills.

While …

Educational Leadership Supporting Faculty-Motivated Professional Development In Teaching And Experiential Learning, S. Richelle Mader Monaghan

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Teaching is one of the primary responsibilities of most university faculty members. Yet, pedagogical training and professional development in teaching and experiential learning are not employment requirements for most Ontario university faculty. This incongruence impacts faculty’s sense of self-efficacy, ability to protect their academic freedom, and their ability to design pedagogically informed curriculum. Additionally, it can negatively impact student outcomes while influencing institutional reputations and funding. In response, recommendations to address this problem of practice (PoP) must acknowledge the faculty prerogatives of autonomy, self-governance, and academic freedom. For that reason, this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) evaluates and proposes educational leadership …

Exploring The Challenges And Barriers Of Professional Practice Experience In Health Information Management Education, Darla D. Branda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Professional practice experience in health information management education provides students with the opportunity to apply theory to practice and prepare for the workforce. Yet, problems exist with placing and precepting students at healthcare organizations. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and barriers that preceptors have with placing and precepting students at their organizations. For this action research study, a qualitative multicase study was carried out. Data were collected from six participants using pre-interview surveys and interviews. The sample population included credentialed health information professionals currently working in acute care hospital settings with a recent history of …

Service-Learning And Case-Based Learning’S Impact On Student’S Clinical Reasoning : A Repeated Measures Design Study, Gordon B. Tsubira

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Clinical reasoning is crucial for the occupational therapy profession to thrive in an ever-changing healthcare environment but is seldom isolated for explicit instruction and outcome measurement in course curricula. A single-factor repeated measures design study was conducted to compare the impact of didactic case-based learning and experiential service-learning on the development of the clinical reasoning of students at a midwestern public university’s entry-level master of occupational therapy program. The participants were sixteen graduate occupational therapy students who had completed their foundation-level courses.

Participants explored modes of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy for eight weeks (the first half of the semester), …

Culminating Capstone Project: Development Of An Experiential Learning Framework For Graduate Occupational Therapy Students, Daniel S. Pereira

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The following capstone project was completed within an educational setting, consisting of education and program development focus areas. The objective was to construct a framework outlining standards and protocols required to implement an experiential learning program. The experiential learning framework would be adaptable to ensure efficacy among various intervention courses. Entry-level doctor of occupational therapy students at Nova Southeastern University were surveyed and identified a desire for experiential learning. Experiential learning for occupational therapy students improved evaluation skills, critical thinking, and inductive and deductive reasoning (Coker, 2009; Doucet & Seale, 2012). Furthermore, experiential learning for occupational therapy students improved student …

Using College Student Learning Experiences And Outcomes To Guide Teaching Modifications In A General Education Choreography Course: An Action Research Study, Kristy Kuhn Donnelly

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to gain an understanding of the learning experiences and outcomes of 12 undergraduates enrolled in Creative Dance, a general education choreography course, in Fall 2019 and the teaching strategies and practices that guided their learning. Research questions that guided this study were: what does student work reveal about their learning and the teaching strategies that guide their learning? and what curricula and teaching changes will more effectively facilitate student learning processes and stronger outcomes? Qualitative data included standard instructional materials created for and utilized in the course and students’ choreographic and written …

An Exploration Of Undergraduates' Intercultural Development : A Case Study Of An Internship Abroad Program, Jennifer Fong

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Students’ Meaning-Making Journeys Towards Self-Authorship Through Self-Designed Gap Year Experiences, Erin Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological, qualitative study addressed student perceptions of their meaning-making process towards self-authorship in a self-designed gap year experience and was conducted in a public higher educational institution in the Southeast. Data was gathered through interviews from a purposeful sample of gap year program participants and program administrators. Emerging themes and categories were identified by coding and analyzing the interview data, such as continual reflection reinforces the value of individual meaning-making, self-expectations versus self-worth, the influence of societal expectations are minimized, and self-designed learning helps to solidify changes in self-authorship. The data showed a strong connection between multiple meaning-making contexts …

Immersive Leadership: Creating An Experiential Curriculum To Build Our Students' Leadership, Kimberly Guzman

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

As a higher education professional, I seek to use creative programming to encourage the exploration of alternative learning opportunities and to enhance student success. My action research project explores the process of creating and implementing an immersive leadership experience for students from start to finish. Through a curriculum based on experiential learning and critical reflection, students explored, learned, and developed a social justice lens and leadership skills. Students also reflected on their engagement with leadership in various spaces such as on the University of San Diego’s campus, their home environments, and the Duncan community in Jamaica, where this immersive leadership …

Where's The Learning In On-Campus Student Employment? An Inquiry Into The Experiences Of Undergraduate Student Employees, Patricia Ann Dorman

Dissertations and Theses

Student employees spend a significant amount of time at work. Prior research has primarily focused on the deleterious academic impacts on students, with little consideration of how student employment could be effectively framed as an educationally purposeful activity. This qualitative study explored how individual, social, and organizational factors influence learning while working on campus. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with undergraduate student employees who work within student affairs units. The findings indicate that on-campus employment is a site for learning; particularly competency development in communication, professionalism, problem solving, and leadership skills. Interdependent personal, interpersonal, and environmental factors of campus employment …

Student-Created Videos As Esl Homework Assignments, Griffin Childers

Master's Projects and Capstones

There is a constantly growing number of people around the world who are learning English as an additional language. A lot of innovation has been focused on classroom teaching techniques, but homework pedagogies are vastly underrepresented. In contrast to interesting and interactive classroom activities, homework assignments are often uninspiring, focusing on worksheet completion and memorization. This project is a workshop presentation to be given at ESL focused conferences such as the TESOL conference. The presentation will provide discussion and hands-on training to teachers to learn how to create effective homework assignments in which students will create and narrate short videos …

Here They Are, Send Them: An Evaluation Of The Send Program At Merrimack College, Jordan T. Mason

Community Engagement Student Work

The purpose of this study was to gather a deeper understanding of the SEND Program at Merrimack College. This program evaluation sought to determine if the SEND Program was meeting its short-term outcomes for the program. The current literature highlights the important and significant aspects of alternative break/global service-learning programs as they can provide great educational experiences for students. A survey was sent out to a cohort of alumni SEND participants to gather their perspectives of the program. Overall, the survey respondents noted positive responses of their experiences in this program, indicating that they had some level of a positive …

Development Of An Experiential Leadership Curriculum Using The Absorb, Do, Connect Model, Sarah Norris

Education Projects

Numerous leadership development programs exist in both the educational and workforce sectors. However, many organizations, specifically nonprofit and governmental agencies, do not have access to hands-on leadership development curriculum that fits their needs. Often, they either send new leadership staff to off-site “leadership training” that does not provide a transfer of learning aspect to be practiced and applied on site,or they create “make-shift” leadership training sessions that do not show validated improvements. The purpose of this project was to develop and betatest anexperiential learning curriculum for emerging leaders using the Absorb, Do, Connect model (Horton, 2012). The curriculum is generic …

Remodeled Classrooms: Experiential Learning And Its Impact, Mindy Kinnaman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined how faculty learn how to host and facilitate experiential learning activities for their classes and how the faculty are impacted by the work. Findings based upon nine semi-structured interviews indicated that fewer than half of participants had been formally trained to host experiential learning activities and some received no training at all. Findings also indicated that faculty experienced several personal benefits to hosting experiential learning activities, as did their students. Recommendations that emerged from this project include training programs for faculty, mentoring programs, and funding of experiential learning programs.

Does Experiential Learning Add Value In Financial Literacy Education: A Qualitative Investigation, Abra Akers Endsley

Online Theses and Dissertations

According to Marketwatch.com the lack of financial literacy among U.S. citizens has cost upwards of $200 billion over the last twenty years. Besides racking up student loan debt that averaged about $37,172 per student in 2016 (Marketwatch.com) millennials and those in Generation Z are also the most likely to engage in risky financial behaviors like payday loans, pawnshops and tax refund advances (PwC, 2016; Mottolla, 2014). Being financially vulnerable as young adults compounded with today’s increasingly complex financial environment (Batty et al., 2015), make fertile ground for mistakes that have lifelong impact.

Over the last 20 years, much has been …

Alignment Or Detachment: College Educators’ Perceptions Of Experiential Learning Pedagogy, Wayne D. Finseth

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The main purpose of this study was to investigate how college educators’ perceptions of experiential learning influence the design, implementation, and assessment of their courses. A second purpose of this study was to examine the way’s college educators use experiential learning in their classes. A final purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between a college educators’ prior experience with experiential learning and how they utilize that prior experiences to design, instruct, and assess their courses. A descriptive research design was used in this study. A randomized and anonymous survey containing 29 items was emailed out through Qualtrics …