Education Commons^™

Using Narrative To Improve Reflection In Technical Communication, Carrie Brkich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores why instructors should use narrative intentionally and effectively with reflection to better understand adult students' perceptions of experiential learning activities in technical communication. The frequent use of narrative in technical discourse reminds us that the tone of technical texts is often appropriately informal, personable, and reflective. A closer analysis of narratives provides instructors with valuable opportunities to learn more about the motivations for and barriers to learning for adult students and to better understand how these students situate themselves in larger social and cultural narratives. Narrative serves many purposes in technical communication. Not only does narrative add …

Transitioning From Student To Teacher In The Master-Apprentice Model Of Piano Pedagogy: An Exploratory Study Of Challenges, Solutions, Resources, Reflections, And Suggestions For The Future, Melissa Maccarelli Slawsky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While many music educators learn how to teach through teacher training programs, the standard mode of transmission in which piano teachers learn to teach applied piano is through proficiency of the instrument under the guidance of a master teacher. This tacit development of pedagogical knowledge occurs through the master-apprentice model of pedagogy. The purposes of this study were (a) to explore how piano teachers learn how to teach from, and independent of, piano pedagogy coursework, overcome challenges, and continue to add to their pedagogy knowledge, and (b) to explore topics that would be most useful in a piano pedagogy course …

Determinants Of A Professor's Decision To Include Service-Learning In An Academic Course, Miriam Lyons Frolow

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Lessons Of Place : A Critical Look At Place-Based Education, Karen L. Lew

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis consists of: a rationale for place-based education; the developmental appropriateness of place-based education in elementary education; examples of place-based education; and a list of place-based education resources. Also included is an overview of the impact of standards based reform on education in the United States and the author's experience of the Bank Street Long Trip.

Transforming Perspectives Through Service-Learning Participation: A Case Study Of The College Counts Program, James O. Peacock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A case study has been conducted on the College Counts program, a well-integrated service-learning program, to examine the experiential learning of 10 former participants. It was the objective of this investigation to view the learning of 10 college students, through the lens of transformational learning, as they reflect on their experiences as participants in the College Counts program. Transformational learning theory was used as a lens to determine if high school students have the ability to engage in transformative learning. Students reported in their own voices transformative learning in one or more of the following forms: increased cultural inclusiveness, commitment …

Investigating The Experience: A Case Study Of A Science Professional Development Program Based On Kolb's Experiential Learning Model, Brian Davis

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

Professional development for educators has been defined as the process or processes by which teachers achieve higher levels of professional competence and expand their understanding of self, role, context and career (Duke and Stiggins, 1990). Currently, there is limited research literature that examines the effect a professional development course, which uses David Kolb’s experiential learning model, has on the professional growth and teaching practice of middle school science teachers. The purpose of this interpretive case study is to investigate how three science teachers who participated in the Rivers to Reef professional development course interpreted the learning experience and integrated the …

Torn Loyalties : The Civil War In New York City And Beyond, Alicia Fessenden

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Presents an interdisciplinary curriculum on the Civil War in New York City and beyond for a fifth grade classroom. The goals of this study are to counter ideas that the Civil War is an historical event that took place far away, and to raise awareness of the myriad resources that are available in New York on this topic. Contains a series of experiential lesson plans.

Japanese Students' Autonomy In Learning English As A Foreign Language In Out-Of-School Settings, Kimiyoshi Inomata

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

A School-Wide Project : Community, Experience And Values, Ilene Harris

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Describes a school-wide integrated curriculum project at Beit Rabban Day School for children ages three to 12 in New York City. The project centers around a five-day, 250 mile bike ride with Hazon (a New York based Jewish environmental group), and Arava Institute of Israel (a center for environmental studies). This paper focuses on the following: shared learning experiences, authentic experiential learning, community, and education rooted in values. Includes lesson plans and work samples.

Cooperative Education As A Predictor Of Baccalaureate Degree Completion, Amanda Celeste Pacheco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Baccalaureate degree completion statistics are surprisingly low. National four-year graduation rates hover around 38%, and six-year graduation rates have remained steady at approximately 63% (Berkner, He, & Cataldi, 2002). At the University of Central Florida, as at many public research institutions, the numbers are even lower. Literature has emerged, however, which suggests that students who participate in cooperative education programs may experience increased motivation to continue the formal education process (Avenoso & Totoro, 1994; Schambach & Dirks, 2002; Somers, 1986). This study investigated the effect of co-op participation on undergraduate degree completion in the context of several risk factors for …

Technology At The Beginning Of The 21st Century: Using An Interactive Whiteboard In Elementary Art Education, Nancy G. Kocen

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether art lessons, provided using an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB), were effective in transferring learning to a diverse student population. The descriptive investigation focused on three main areas; the impact of the IWB on student learning, the time invested in integrating the IWB, and the compatibility of the IWB with my teaching style. The research took place over fourteen weeks starting in late August, 2006, and continued in my art room during the first quarter of the school year. Data were collected through daily journal entries, video taped lessons and interviews. Although long hours were required for training …

Demonstrating Experiential Learning At The Graduate Level Using Portfolio Development And Reflection, David Winslow Rausch

Dissertations

Problem. Various guidelines for assessment have been developed in an effort to promote academic quality and integrity for educational programs that recognize experiential learning. The purpose of this present study was to determine the extent to which experiential learning and assessment, through portfolio development, help adult students in a graduate-degree program demonstrate graduate-level learning and competency.

Method. This qualitative single-case study used the assessment processes and outcomes elements of the Jackson and Maclsaac process model to analyze the use of reflective practice and the use of portfolios in a graduate education program. Data were triangulated using individual interviews and the …

Bridges To Change: From The Classroom Community To Weeksville An Integrated And Thematic Curriculum, Pamela Jones

Graduate Student Independent Studies

"Bridges to Change" is a curriculum designed for use in a third grade inclusive classroom. This curriculum serves a dual purpose: (1) to provide teachers and students with activities that are designed to build and forge a sense of classroom community and (2) to provide teachers with built-in modifications and adaptations-thereby making the curriculum accessible to students at all levels. A wide array of sources was used in the creation of this curriculum. Understanding by Design and Universal Design for Learning were instrumental in laying the foundation for this work. Understanding by Design's "backwards design" approach was instrumental in the …

Faculty Training Manual-- Academic Component: International Student Volunteers, Jessica Sue Niven

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to develop a training manual that will provide a common foundation for all faculty, regardless of their academic field and to take a comprehensive approach to teaching and understanding environmental education within the context of different cultures. It looks at what shapes environmental attitudes and how these attitudes vary between cultures.

Teamwork And Place-Based Curriculum And Instruction In Teaching English To Speakers Of Other Languages, Mary Kay Bider

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to apply the theories of John Dewey's experiential learning, providing the foundation of place-based curriculum incorporating community investigation, outdoor education, and project-based learning into an EFL curriculum.

Don’T Be Afraid To Communicate With Americans: Research About Low Self-Esteem Japanese Students In The United States. How Esl Teachers Can Build Students’ Self-Esteem In The Class., Mami Tanaka

MA TESOL Collection

This project is a research paper about low self-esteem Japanese students who have a hard time communicating with Americans in spite of the fact that their English ability is high enough. It is based on my private teaching experience with one of many Japanese students in Boston. This paper is composed of two sections. The first section shows that low self-esteem can be one of the main obstacles to foreign language acquisition for Japanese students. The second section is about what we can do as ESL teachers.

Perceptions Of Interns And Mentors About The Yearlong Internship In The Central Washington University Masters/Certification Program (1997-2000) Wenatchee University Center, Tracy Mills Day, Sara Joanne Ferry

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to determine the perceptions of the yearlong internship by Interns and Mentors in the Central Washington University Masters/Certification Program (1997-2000) at the Wenatchee Center. To accomplish this purpose, questionnaires were sent to all Interns and Mentors of Central Washington University Masters/Certification pilot Program at the Wenatchee Center. Additionally, related information from selected sources was obtained and analyzed.

An Experiential Curriculum For Elementary School In Japan, Tomoko Seki

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Objective: To promote a curriculum encouraging experiential education in a safe environment for learners in Japan.

Method: This study discusses the history and background of experiential learning, its practical examples from Western countries, the Japanese education system, problems in schools, the current status of experiential learning in Japan, and strategies for its introduction into schools. In addition to the discussion, concrete lessons designed for public elementary schools are presented.

Results: Prior to the initiation of comprehensive learning, student-driven approaches like inquiry-based learning were not prevalent, and issues such as student apathy were observed. Therefore, methods to enhance their engagement were …

The Experience Of Flow And Learning By Designing Interactive Multimedia Software, Leonie Ramondt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As computer technology is increasingly adopted in education, some students continue to have little context for its use. This is particularly true of tertiary drama education students, of whom many still remain computer illiterate. Constructivist pedagogy proposes that a learner constructs knowledge through active participation in their learning. An approach that is gaining currency which applies this principle is learning by designing. This approach was adopted for this study, with the premise that the process of designing multimedia software for their peers would not only motivate these students to use computers but could also lead to a deepening of their …

Service Learning: Students Benefitting The Community, Nancy Jean Pesta, Patricia Ubrun

Theses Digitization Project

Service is a powerful tool for the development of youth. It transforms the young person from a passive recipient to an active provider. When combined with formal education, service becomes a method of learning known as "Service Learning." Service learning enables teachers to employ a variety of effective teaching strategies that emphasize student-centered, interactive, experiential education.

The Tacit Dimension Of Organizational Learning, Thomas Reeder Robinson

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research was conducted to observe the self-reflections of an organizational participant group to further understand the organizational learning phenomenon. The participant group consisted of the 15 managers, spanning three levels of management, of a large engineering group in the southeastern United States.

The intent of the research was to generate theory, rather than to test theory. To accomplish this objective, a qualitative research methodology in a participatory action framework was modeled from Keating's (1993) Organizational Learning Process (OLP) to co-construct participants' organizational reflections. The methodology included individual interviews designed to elicit spontaneity that co-generated organizational perspectives. These perspectives were …

Responsibility - A Foreign Perspective On Four Issues In The Master Of Arts In Teaching Program, Margaret Elizabeth Mcdonald

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a foreign perspective on four issues: Responsibility and Student-Centered Learning, Group Process, Experiential Learning, and Culture and Individuality in the Master of Arts in Teaching Program at the School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vermont. Personal Experiences as a student and student-teacher are combined to address these issues as they relate to foreign students at the school. The central theme is responsibility. Each section marks a disctinct stage and describes the author's development of the ability to take responsibility for learning in a system that is fundamentally different from her own. The author concludes with the view that …

An Experiential Learning Seminar For The Master Of Arts In Teaching Program, Rosalyn R. Bennett

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.