Education Commons^™

Technology Capacity Development Through Oss Implementation: The Case Of Public Higher Education Institutions In Ethiopia, Nigussie Tadesse Mengesha

The African Journal of Information Systems

The Open Source Software (OSS) literature gives little attention to the study and practice of domain specific end-user OSS implementation in general and in the public sector of developing countries (DCs) in particular. This paper, however, investigates the trajectories of two OSS-based information systems (IS) implementation projects in a developing country (DC) context with the aim to uncover the practice-based learning and resource sharing evident among locally situated and globally dispersed developers and users. The result of the interpretative case study research shows that the OSS philosophy and practice of software development, implementation and ownership, facilitates for the emergence of …

Developing Mathematical Content Knowledge For Teaching Elementary School Mathematics, Eva Thanheiser, Christine A. Browning, Meg Moss, Tad Watanabe, Gina Garza-Kling

Faculty Publications

In this paper the authors present three design principles they use to develop preservice teachers' mathematical content knowledge for teaching in their mathematics content and/or methods courses: (1) building on currently held conceptions, (2) modeling teaching for understanding, (3) focusing on connections between content knowledge and other types of knowledge. The authors share results of individual research projects and teaching approaches focusing on helping preservice elementary teachers develop such knowledge. Specific examples from different content areas (whole number, fractions, angle, and area) are discussed.

An Application Of Vygotsky’S Social Learning Theory On Calculator Self-Efficacy And Calculator Achievement By Gender, Debbie M. Kohler

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine what relationships or differences exist between males and females in calculator self-efficacy and calculator achievement, and if social learning groups better support females in calculator achievement and efficacy. To accomplish this purpose, this quasi-experimental study examined pre-test and post-tests using a teacher developed Calculator Self-Efficacy Instrument and a Calculator Achievement Test. The study involved three treatment classes that were arranged into social learning groups according to Vygotsky’s social learning theory and one control class that was arranged in traditional rows. Four major findings emerged. Males scored significantly higher than females on the …

The Effect Of Classroom Bibliotherapeutic Intervention On Perceptions Of Bullying Among Teachers Of Young Children Aged Four And Five, Patricia Gail Doss

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

This paper investigates how the application of bibliotherapeutic intervention affects teachers’ perceptions of bullying in their young students, ages four and five. Bullying has become a serious global concern that has manifested itself in school dropouts, shootings, and suicides. Bibliotherapy is one way to help children solve problems using books and is advocated by researchers for use with bullying prevention.

Little research has been done on bullying in young children. This qualitative phenomenological study will add to the body of literature regarding bullying in young children ages four and five and will examine perceptions of teachers of young children regarding …

Social Networking In Collegiate Public Relations, Leon Bracey

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

A guide describing the importance of institutions of higher education implement social networking policies and procedures. The project includes a manual and marketing plan that will be implemented by the author of the project at his employer, Georgia Perimeter College.

School Principal Profiles: Comparing China And The United States, Tak C. Chan, Ruiqing Du

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

By comparing principal profiles in China and the United States) this study would contribute to a better understanding of school leadership in the two countries. Participating principals included 144 from two states in the United States and 77 from seven provinces of China. A researcher designed Likert-scale questionnaire covered the principals) profiles in seven leadership areas: character) professional knowledge) professional skill) administrative style) administrative duties) personnel management) and student affairs management. This was supplemented by a survey of three open-ended questions on principal's responsibilities) challenges) and fulfillment. The findings of quantitative data were compared with those of qualitative data. Results …

Student Teaching Abroad Inter-Group Outcomes: A Comparative, Country-Specific Analysis, Binbin Jiang, Debra J. Coffey, Robert A. Devillar, Sandra Bryan

Faculty Publications

As student diversity becomes the norm in U.S. schools, future teachers must be comprehensively prepared to work with the increasingly diverse student population through application of informed instruction that enhances general and individual student learning and outcomes. Teacher Education programs increasingly promote student teaching in international settings as a substantive step to develop teachers who embody these new competencies and instructional practices. The proposed paper presentation offers a framework and analysis highlighting similarities and differences between two groups of student teachers in Belize (2005 and 2008). Findings are comparative and relate to the type and degree of (1) cultural-, professional-, …

Pre-Service Physics Teachers And Physics Education Research, David Rosengrant

Faculty Publications

Training pre-service teachers requires, among other things, content knowledge, pedagogical skills and pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher preparation programs have little, if any spare time to add more courses/activities to their program. However, I argue in this paper that we, as educators, must enhance the amount of physics education research in our pre-service physics teacher training programs. In this study, I analyze the results of two different types of exposure to physics education research (PER) from two different groups of pre-service physics teachers in our masters of arts and teaching program. The preliminary results show, for example that the PER helped …

We're All In This Together, Susan J. Schmidt

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article discusses the relationship between library volunteers and the administrative staff in supporting libraries. To foster communication and exchange of ideas, a representative from each group should reportedly be appointed to the board of the other. It is stated that library staff and volunteers should be aware of all plans and their roles clearly defined, that surprises should not be practiced and that people should be advised of any personal agenda that may affect them.

Collaborative Learning And Convergence: Library Strategies And Solutions With An Eye On The Usg Information Technology Strategic Plan, Robert W. Fernekes, Lori Jean Ostapowicz Critz

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article discusses collaborative learning as a library strategy of the University System of Georgia (USG) Information Technology Strategic Plan 2010 and the role of convergence in fostering it. It is stated that collaborative learning enables people to achieve quality learning by way of efficient technologies and its integration with content and environments that will benefit people and institutions. Convergence reportedly refers to the integration of distinct library services that will support the shared purpose of learning.

Active Learning For The Millennial Generation, Amy Harris

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article discusses the need for active learning in library instruction classes that have Millenial or Generation Y students who have short attention spans and prefer education in entertaining forms. To promote learning, such students reportedly have to be actively engaged with the material for them to do worthwhile research. It is stated that one teacher divided her class into small groups and let the students become the leaders, while she took the role of a student, which allowed her to raise points to direct the flow of the instruction.

Gpls, Gla Introduce Continuing Education Webinar Series

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article reports on the partnership between Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) and Georgia Library Association's (GLA) Professional and Continuing Education Interest Group in offering the free bimonthly online Wednesday Webinar Series. The seminars will reportedly focus on Georgia library trends, innovation and best practices. It is stated that library staff from all types of Georgia libraries have been presenters and that participants from other states as well as other countries have joined the webinars.

The Stories They’D Tell: Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Writing Stories To Demonstrate Physical Science Concepts, Jennifer Kreps Frisch

Faculty Publications

Preservice teachers enrolled in a science content-based course wrote stories that could help their future students understand a science concept. First, participants chose their topic and wrote the story with few guidelines to establish a baseline. In the next part, a different set of students were given a choice of three topics (based on force, electricity, and heat misconceptions), and collaborated to write stories with guidance from the instructor. Stories were analyzed for narrative and science units, and test scores examined. Without guidance, many students struggled to find ways to integrate science within a story. With guidance, participants wrote stories …

Integrating Information Literacy Instruction In An Upper-Division Writing-Intensive Class, Ellen K. Wilson, Jeffrey M. Blankenship

The Southeastern Librarian

Writing-intensive courses are a required component of undergraduate education at the University of South Alabama, but often the courses are designed to test students’ writing skills, rather than to teach the research and writing process. In the fall of 2008, an instruction librarian and an assistant professor in political science collaborated to redesign one writing intensive course, Public Administration (PSC 401), in an attempt to address this dilemma. This project was born out of frustration – frustration on the part of the professor about the generally poor quality of writing and research skills by students in the course the previous …

Making Research Make Sense: Guiding College Students Into Information Literacy Through The Information Search Process, Jeffrey M. Mortimore

The Southeastern Librarian

Bennett College for Women is a private, four year college serving approximately 725 African-American women in Greensboro, North Carolina. Because of its unique demographic as one of only two all-female, historically black colleges in the United States, Bennett College attracts women from across the country and the world with a profound diversity of talents and preparation for undergraduate study. The Thomas F. Holgate Library supports the research needs of the college through an active instructional services program at the undergraduate level. While the library has provided library orientation and traditional bibliographic instruction for decades, during the 2007/8 academic year, and …

The Use Of Audience Response Systems In Nursing Education: Best Practice Guidelines, Nicole Mareno, Marie Bremner, Christie Emerson

Faculty Publications

The use of Audience Response Systems (ARS) or 'clickers' as an active learning strategy in nursing education has been steadily on the rise. ARS technology allows the dynamic engagement of students in the classroom by providing immediate two-way communication between faculty and students. ARS can be used to explore knowledge and common misconceptions, act as a springboard for classroom discussions, and can be used for testing or evaluation. The aim of this paper is to present best practice guidelines for both novice and experienced ARS technology users. A summary of the state of the research in this area will be …

Creative Exercises In General Chemistry: A Student-Centered Assessment, Scott E. Lewis, Janet L. Shaw, Kathryn A. Freeman

Faculty Publications

Creative exercises (CEs) are a form of assessment in which students are given a prompt and asked to write down as many distinct, correct, and relevant facts about the prompt as they can. Students receive credit for each fact that they include that is related to the prompt and distinct from the other facts they list. With CEs, students have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and the opportunity to select the information that they believe is related to the prompt. In addition, CEs encourage students to connect concepts because any relevant information presented can assist them in completing the …

Global Learning And The Engaging Questions Of Globalization, Daniel Paracka

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

While universities can act as important mediators amidst the highly disruptive and contentious change processes of globalization, very few institutions are intentionally fulfilling such a mission. Moreover, there are significant ethnocentric and ideological barriers to overcome before intercultural understanding and cooperation may occur. Nonetheless, universities in the global age are increasingly called upon to help prepare students to better perceive, understand, interpret, translate, and negotiate complex interdependent global contexts. This article examines the significance of several common reactions to the challenges of globalization for teaching and learning in higher education. It also outlines primary areas of focus for global educators …

Interdisciplinarity: A Catalyst For Faculty Engagement Win Internationalization, Lisa Kim Childress

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Despite the benefits of international scholarship to higher education institutions, faculty engagement in internationalization remains a major challenge for many universities. This study sheds light on this problem by investigating the strategies used by two institutions to engage faculty in internationalization through interdisciplinarity. This study found that as interdisciplinarity emphasizes comparative approaches, it prompted faculty to advance the comprehensiveness of their scholarship through the integration of cross-cultural perspectives. Notably, this study presents a model to assist institutions in overcoming endogenous obstacles by providing three infrastructural components--time, place, and financial resources--for faculty to engage in interdisciplinary and international scholarship.

Servant Leadership In International Education, David B. Austell

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The objective of "Servant Leadership in International Education" is to explore goodness of fit between Servant Leadership models, stemming primarily from the business and corporate communities (including such organizations as Southwest Airlines), and the service environments of International Education. The article will define the elements of Servant Leadership in its review of the key literature (for example Robert Greenleaf, Barbara Kellerman, John Maxwell, James MacGregor Burns, James Kouzes and Barry Posner, John Gardner, Peter Senge, Warren Bennis, and Margaret Wheatley). The article will define the service areas of International Education, and show strong goodness of fit between the elements of …

The North American Consortium For Entrepreneurship: Lessons Learned And Best Practices On Hosting International Students, Stella Sixing Xu, Gary B. Roberts, Dorothy Brawley, Bob Desman, Kamal Fatehi

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

In 2004, Kennesaw State University became a part of the North American Consortium for Entrepreneurship (NACE). Its mission is to advance the study and practice of entrepreneurship in the North American business community and develop successful entrepreneurial careers in the expanding markets fostered by the implementation of the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA). In spring 2006, KSU hosted students from Canada, Mexico, and the United States as part of the NACE global initiative. Volunteers from an on-campus student organization, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), coordinated the project. This paper presents a descriptive case study of the semester-long exchange, along …

Assessing The Impact Of Short-Term Study Abroad, Susan Carley, R. Keith Tudor

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Participation in short-term study abroad programs has dramatically increased in recent years. Little empirical research exists on learning outcomes associated with short-duration study tours, however. This study examines the impact of a study tour on the perceptions of American college students following a 2-week tour of Mexico. Based on measures of pre- and posttrip perceptions of the host country, students were found to have significantly changed following a brief overseas stay. Pretrip perceptions were also compared with the perceptions of a control group of students who did not participate in study abroad to determine the influence self selection bias might …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Women's Experiences With Personal Training, Cherilyn N. Hultquist, Melissa N. Madeson, Amy Church, Leslee A. Fisher

Faculty Publications

Personal training is a rapidly growing industry in a country that is in dire need of physical fitness and health improvements. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand women's experiences with personal training. To address the research question, eight female participants ages 24 to 54 years were interviewed using the following phenomenological question: "When you think about your current experience with personal training what stands out for you?" The interviews were conducted, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed to identify themes in participants' responses. The ground that emerged was positive experience within which existed four figural themes: Relationships, trainer …

A Longitudinal Study Of Cultural Competence Among Health Science Faculty, Astrid H. Wilson, Susan Sanner, Lydia E. Mcallister

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to measure the process of cultural competence over time in a group of Health Science Faculty teaching nursing and other allied health students. Faculty (n=28) were administered the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals (IAPCC) prior to a cultural competence workshop, immediately after the workshop, and again at three months, six months and 12 months. The mean scores increased significantly with each administration of the IAPCC from the pretest administration (52.17) to the 12 month administration (59.71) demonstrating new knowledge related to cultural competence as a process.

A Study Of The Relationships Between Epistemological Beliefs And Self-Regulated Learning Among Advanced Placement Calculus Students In The Context Of Mathematical Problem Solving, James Clinton Stockton

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

Secondary mathematics educators advocating constructivist-oriented instruction face the dilemma of developing students’ problem-solving skills. Students’ epistemological beliefs and self-regulated learning (SRL) processing capacity influence mathematical problem-solving prowess. This multiple-case study explored the relationships between epistemological beliefs and SRL processing while advanced mathematics students engaged in problem-solving tasks and investigated students’ SRL strategy use, heuristic strategy use, and problem-solving performance. Data sources included think-aloud and interview transcriptions, student work, and classroom observation protocols. Validity and reliability were enhanced via member-checking interviews, triangulation, peer review, and completion of a case study database. Five major findings emerged from the data: (1) participants’ unique/arbitrary …

Immigrant Students In U.S. Schools: Building A Pro-Immigrant, English Plus Education Counterscript, Christian Faltis

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

Teacher, Researcher, And Agent For Community Change: A South Texas High School Experience, Francisco Guajardo

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

Early Childhood Care And Education For All In 2015: Is This A Mirage In Nigeria?, Esther A. Oduolowu

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper examines the possibility of the provision of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for all children from birth to age five in Nigeria by 2015. In the paper are the history of preschool education in Nigeria) situation of ECCE worldwide in the 1980s) and the, global trends in basic education in the 1990s. The paper also examines the limitations of the attempt and offers probable solutions.

Basic Education And Education For All In Nigeria: The Role Of Multinational Corporations, Mary Plangnan Haggai

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

In spite of the concerted efforts made by the Nigerian government at funding the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in the country, 11 million children of school age are still out of school. To augment the funding, the paper proposes the involvement of multinational corporations. Participation in UBE is seen as a tangible Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project that will have direct impact on the host communities in such a way that will eliminate the hostilities of the host communities towards multinational corporations.

The Process Of Successfully Integrating Communication Technologies Into Short-Term, Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs: Reflections From The Field, Todd L. Goen, Jennifer R. Billinson, Linda D. Manning

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

As advances in communication technologies (CT) continue to shape modern life, it is critical study abroad professionals and faculty leaders contemplate the ways in which such technologies impact study abroad. This essay provides an argument for the value and utility of such contemplation through an in-depth examination of a short-term, faculty-led study abroad program and the three faculty who lead it. The authors provide reflective summaries of their own experiences with CT and study abroad and discuss the ways in which changes in CT resulted in changes to their own study abroad program including the integration of CT into academic …