Education Commons^™

The Development Of An E-Learning Usability Scale For Higher Education, Zoroayka V. Sandoval

Theses and Dissertations

In order to measure usability in higher education online courses, the E-Learning Usability Scale for Higher Education was developed in this study. After an extensive review of literature, the E-Learning Usability Evaluation Questionnaire developed by Zaharias (2009) was the closest instrument found to be free and available. However, this instrument was designed to measure usability for corporate settings and an adaptation of the items was required for online courses in higher education. The purpose of this study was to design a usability instrument for online courses in higher education from an original instrument designed for corporate settings, and to determine …

Patient Organizations And Primary Care Development: Reflections By Patients With Chronic Diseases, Britta E. Berglund, Irene Westerlund

Patient Experience Journal

To explore how patients with chronic diseases, as well as members of patient organizations, perceive primary care and how they think about how to participate in primary care development. Focus group interviews with 28 patients in three regions in Sweden were conducted. We identified four themes: Availability of care, How to be met by professionals, Information needs and Continuity and prevention in care. Important was to meet the same doctor at every visit and to be met with empathy and knowledge about your disease. Suggestions about better use of technical information services, introduction of a coordinator in the waiting room …

“Whatdunit?” Developmental Changes In Children’S Syntactically-Based Sentence Interpretation Abilities And Sensitivity To Word Order, James W. Montgomery, Julia L. Evans, Ronald B. Gillam, Alexander V. Sergeev, Mianisha C. Finney

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Aim 1 of this study was to examine the developmental changes in typically developing English-speaking children’s syntactically-based sentence interpretation abilities and sensitivity to word order. Aim 2 was to determine the psychometric standing of the novel sentence interpretation task developed for this study, as we wish to use it later with children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Children listened to semantically implausible sentences in which noun animacy and the natural affordance between the nouns were removed, thus controlling for event probability. Using this novel “whatdunit?” agent selection task, 256 children 7-11 years listened to two structures with canonical word order …

Newsroom: A 'Rising Tide' Of Educational Opportunity 9/8/2016, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Introduction To The Special Issue: Leadership In Kansas For The 21st Century, Randy Watson

Educational Considerations

Kansas is currently experiencing a leadership challenge. This is evident both in the number of leaders new to their positions in K-12 school districts and in the methods our state must implement to effectively train those leaders for Kansas’ education to prosper into the 21st century.

North Dakota’S Experience With The Academy Model: A Successful Replication, Tom Hall, Ann Clappe

Educational Considerations

Leadership is a key factor in improving schools and ensuring academic success for all students. At the building level, the leadership role has traditionally been assigned to the principal, but principals cannot be expected to be the sole leaders in their buildings.

Leadership Development And Ethnic Identity Of Latina/O Students At Rowan University, Andrew Montanez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of leadership and ethnic identity among selected Rowan University Latina/o undergraduate students. More specifically, the study replicated Oldham’s (2008) research, which was based on Erikson's Identity Development Theory (1980) and the Leadership Identity Model of Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, and Mainella (2005). In addition, the study probed how Latina/o Rowan University undergraduate students viewed their ethnicity using Phinney’s (1992) Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM).

Students were surveyed randomly via an electronic version of the instrument on Rowan’s Volvici survey software, and by convenience sampling through paper formatted surveys gathered at the …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Charge Nurse Development Project Bundle, Kathy L. Rose

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Charge nurses play pivotal roles in healthcare organizations. Yet, studies related to charge nurse development programs are presently limited. The purpose of this project bundle was to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions to enhance charge nurse leadership skills in a 250-bed acute care hospital. Although the interventions did not result in measurable changes in leadership practice ratings by the charge nurses, the manager and observer leadership practice ratings improved, which were statistically significant.

Development Of Utility Theory And Utility Paradoxes, Timothy E. Dahlstrom

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Since the pioneering work of von Neumann and Morgenstern in 1944 there have been many developments in Expected Utility theory. In order to explain decision making behavior economists have created increasingly broad and complex models of utility theory. This paper seeks to describe various utility models, how they model choices among ambiguous and lottery type situations, and how they respond to the Ellsberg and Allais paradoxes. This paper also attempts to communicate the historical development of utility models and provide a fresh perspective on the development of utility models.

The Challenge To Educate: An Account Of Inaugurating A Catholic School In Tanzania, Martin T. Connell Sj, Phd

Journal of Catholic Education

In this article, the author examines how some of the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching (dignity of the human person, seeking the common good, and preferential option for the poor and vulnerable) along with the notion of integral formation, a principal belief of Catholic education, helped form a perspective on development that counterposed the neoliberal understandings of development he encountered from government officials as he set about opening a Catholic secondary school in Tanzania. After tracing the various strains of influence, including the thought of Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s first president, the article makes use of the fruits of an analysis …

When Meaningful Writing Reflects Vincentian Values, Michele Eodice, Anne Ellen Geller, Neal Lerner

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

In The Meaningful Writing Project – our study of over 700 seniors at three universities – students describe how education values are embodied in writing projects in and out of school. In brief, our results show that students find meaning when they are invited to tap into the power of personal connection, see what they are writing as applicable and relevant to the real world, imagine their future selves, immerse themselves in what they are thinking and writing about, and experience research for learning. In many cases, the experiences students reported are aligned with Vincentian values for higher education, namely …

English Language Instruction, Student Engagement, And Sustainable Practices In Rural Ecuador, Pablo J. Sanchez, Morgan R. Zajkowski

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

St. John’s University’s Vincentian Institute for Social Action aims to develop student commitment to social justice through required coursework, international travel, and community service. A strong theoretical foundation ensures that administrators and students are consistently reflecting on the dynamics of power and engaging with community members in an ethical manner. Our framework should continue conversations with the community about the value of foreign language education in their particular regional and global context and encourage students to see themselves as part of a sustainable process. Where many universities and organizations provide volunteer experiences similar in theory, we hope to improve on …

From Mission To Scholarship: Welcome To Jovsa, Deanne A. Southwell, John M. Conry

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

St. Vincent de Paul’s devotion to addressing the needs of the poor is rooted in the foundation of a Vincentian education. As a Catholic and Vincentian institution, the University provides a distinctive, value-based education to its students. In addition to this proud tradition, the University continues to enhance its resources to address the needs of a transforming world. In 2008, the University created a new unit to highlight and strengthen the distinctiveness of its mission. The Vincentian Institute for Social Action was created as part of the University’s strategic plan, with a goal of broadening the Catholic and Vincentian mission …

Improving The Mathematical Content Knowledge Of Pre-Service Middle School Teachers, Gregory Hine

Gregory S.C. Hine

The tertiary training of pre-service teachers is pivotal in their professional preparation and formation as qualified educators. Multiple authors posit that teachers require a development of pedagogical content knowledge, or knowing a variety of ways to present mathematical content and to assist students to deepen their understanding (Chick, 2012; Shulman, 1987). Emerick, Hirsch and Berry (2003) argue that high quality teachers must possess appropriate mathematical content knowledge, and must also possess considerable background in communicating effectively to students. There are two aims of this educational research. The first is to investigate the self-perceptions of pre-service middle school teachers enrolled in …

Disrupting Eurocentric Education Through A Social Justice Curriculm, Joanna Cidalia Miranda Dacunha

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

This paper will illustrate the project conducted to disrupt Eurocentric education through a social justice curriculum. Eurocentric education has silenced and misconstrued the history and truth of marginalized communities. There is a need for curriculums that challenge the dominant narrative and help students of color acknowledge the triumphs and challenges their people face. This curriculum was created to assist students of color towards the process of developing critical consciousness and self-awareness. Through Critical Race Theory and other frameworks we were able to conduct a series of workshops. Through these workshops youth began a process of self-awareness and critical consciousness through …

Academic Choices Matter For Collegiate Student-Athletes, Kendra Arielle Berry

Masters Theses

As college athletics has grown during the last two decades, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing institution of college athletics in the United States, has renewed its focus on academic reform and the academic performance of student-athletes (Petr & McArdle, 2012). Athletic administrators and academic support units have started to exert a greater amount of control over student-athletes’ academic lives. However, research with general samples of college students has suggested that having some degree of autonomy is important for academic performance. This raises questions about whether increased control (and reduced autonomy) is actually in the best interest of …

Veteran As Leader: The Lived Experience With Army Leader Development, Michael James Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived leader development experience of Post 9/11 Army veterans while serving in the armed forces. At least $10-$15 billion is spent annually on leadership development in the United States and human resource executives claim developing leaders is their number one priority over the next five years. Simultaneously, companies actively hiring veterans claim the former service member's leadership abilities are their most desired quality. Inspection of the Army’s leader development program offers an opportunity for employers to integrate revised approaches in their own leadership development initiatives.

A purposive sample of ten Army veterans—six males and four …

Effects Of Parent Child Interaction And Language Stimulation On Children's Language Development, Rachel E. Timm, Helen Raikes

UCARE Research Products

Research Questions:

• Does parent positive regard relate to a child’s receptive language development?

• Does language stimulation relate to a child’s receptive language development?

• Does parent bookreading behavior (reading fluency, reading intonation/animation, comfort level, and child involvement) relate to a child’s receptive language development?

Measures:

• Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5)
• Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 (PPVT-4)
• HOME Language and Literacy Scale
• Video Codes from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care

Results:

• Positive regard was not significantly related to the PLS-5 or the PPVT-4.
• The HOME Language and Literacy Scale was a significant predictor of the PPVT-4 and was related to the PLS-5 …

Reflections On Global Competence By Four Design Educators, Philip A. Bulone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This inquiry investigated four design educators’ perspectives and beliefs of global competence teaching and learning, and aimed to inform effective global competence curricula planning and instruction across disciplines. The literature uncovered multiple reasons to warrant design educator reflections: (a) similarities among global competence and design thinking characteristics, (b) design education accreditation emphasis on globally oriented standards, and (c) design thinking as a resource to improve practices across disciplines. Accordingly, the inquiry employed a qualitative design and a multiple case-study approach. Data collection methods included: (a) interviews, (b) image artifacts, and (c) researcher reflective memos. A comparative analysis used systematic coding …

La Creación De Crianza: Un Retrato De La Niñez En Martín Centeno, Sara Dean

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the ever-shifting landscape of rural Nicaragua, how do new developments affect the ways in which children make sense of their worlds and their identities? Taking place in Martín Centeno, a cooperative community near Río Blanco in the Department of Matagalpa that was founded in the 80s for families displaced by the war, the present study borrows the theoretical framework of children’s geographies. Through observation, interviews, and visual research methods, this study paints a portrait of childhood in Martín Centeno today, as well as highlighting ways it has changed over time. The study places particular emphasis on the role of …

The Effects Of Scaling On Trends Of Development: Classical Test Theory And Item Response Theory, Weldon Z. Smith

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The scale metrics used in educational testing are often arbitrary, and this can impact interpretation of scores on measurements. Both classical test theory sum scores and item response theory estimates measure the same underlying dimension, but differences in the two scales may lead one to be more preferential than the other in interpreting data. Mismatch between individual ability and test difficulty can further result in difficulties in correctly interpreting trends of development in longitudinal data. A previous limited simulation by Embretson (2007) demonstrated that classical test theory sum scores result in misinterpretation of linear trends of development, and that item …

A New Group Of Leaders; The Assistant Principal Academy For Instructional Leadership And Development, Katrice M. Cotton

Dissertations

In order to develop the skills needed for the role of today's school leader, providing quality professional development and learning opportunities to administrators is essential. The district created systems of administrative support to provide multiple learning experiences to adequately prepare leaders to serve at the school level. Riverwoods Public Schools invested in professional development that provided instructional leadership support. Professional development sessions provided new assistant principals with opportunities to network and engage in dialogue that provided examples of best practice in instruction.

The Current State Of Youth Leadership Development Programming In Nebraska, Kathryn M. Brock, L. J. Mcelravy

UCARE Research Products

Young leaders are an underutilized resource that can significantly impact a community’s human resource capital, and their development is essential for the transfer leadership through the generations. There is insufficient evidence to prove that youth leadership development programming truly increases young students’ influential capacity; additionally, there is no way to metrically determine programming success. To gain an understanding of the current status of youth leadership programs in Nebraska, fourteen youth programs claiming leadership as one of the top curriculum priorities were interviewed for the purpose of collecting quantitative data to be compiled to make general observations about programming strengths and …

Shaping An Identity: Junior-Faculty Orientation In A Year-Long Seminar, Nelson Javier Nunez Rodriguez, Ernest Ialongo, Jacqueline Disanto, Antonios Varelas, Cynthia Jones, Sarah Brennan

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This one-year seminar prepares new faculty to meet institutional expectations in the areas of scholarship, teaching, and service in a community college. In doing so, the Center for Teaching and Learning harmonizes new faculty with departmental and institutional needs while fostering a safe environment for faculty acclimation.

A Team-Based Approach To Development, Katherine Frank, Kristi Haik, Kelly Jones

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This workshop focuses on strategies for engaging in successful short- and long-term development and fundraising efforts at the program and department level, while remaining aligned with college and university priorities. Facilitators include a chairperson, director of college development, and dean.

Mentoring, Managing, And Motivating Online Course Instructors: Emerging Chair Responsibilities, Mary B. Schreiner Ph.D., Scott Ballantyne Ed.D., Karen Thacker Ph.D.

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

The number of online university courses continues to grow, and instructors of these courses need unique kinds of involvement with their department chairs. The presentation outlines best practices department chairs can use to mentor, manage and motivate online course instructors, based on both experience and emerging literature in this field.

You're Kind Of Just Conditioned: Women And Female College Students' Defiance Of Dominant Social Messages In The Development Of Leader Self-Efficacy, Shannon Darracott Howes

Dissertations

Researchers have consistently found that women have lower leader self-efficacy (LSE) than men, despite being equally capable as leaders. This is problematic because LSE is associated with many benefits that support the development and enactment of leadership. Despite the importance of LSE, there is a dearth of research on the construct, particularly in the higher education context. This grounded theory study utilized semi-structured interviews with 12 undergraduate students who identified as females or women to explore how they developed LSE. Findings were related with four core concepts that were woven throughout the various categories of themes that comprised the grounded …

Educational Development For Online Teaching, Jordanne Christie

Teaching and Learning in a Digital Context

This paper discusses a case study that explores the impact on educators’ teaching practices, particularly their assumptions and beliefs about teaching and self-efficacy, as a result of their participation in an educational development programme designed to prepare college educators to develop and teach online and hybrid courses. The data were collected through an online survey of 34 participants, face-to-face interviews with 18 participants and documentary evidence review of 6 participants, and was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis approach. The findings suggest that the knowledge and experience that college educators acquire when participating in educational development for online …

Cjcheck Stage 1: Development And Testing Of A Checklist For Reporting Community Juries - Delphi Process And Analysis Of Studies Published In 1996-2015, Rae Thomas, Rebecca Sims, Christopher J. Degeling, Jackie M. Street, Stacy M. Carter, Lucie Rychetnik, Jenny Whitty, Andrew Wilson, Paul Ward, Paul Glasziou

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Opportunities for community members to actively participate in policy development are increasing. Community/citizen's juries (CJs) are a deliberative democratic process aimed to illicit informed community perspectives on difficult topics. But how comprehensive these processes are reported in peer‐reviewed literature is unknown. Adequate reporting of methodology enables others to judge process quality, compare outcomes, facilitate critical reflection and potentially repeat a process. We aimed to identify important elements for reporting CJs, to develop an initial checklist and to review published health and health policy CJs to examine reporting standards. Design Using the literature and expertise from CJ researchers and policy …

The (Possibly Negative) Effects Of Physical Activity On Executive Functions: Implications Of The Changing Metabolic Costs Of Brain Development, Steven J. Howard, Caylee J. Cook, Rihlat Said-Mohamed, Shane A. Norris, Catherine E. Draper

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: An area of growth in physical activity research has involved investigating effects of physical activity on children's executive functions. Many of these efforts seek to increase the energy expenditure of young children as a healthy and low-cost way to affect physical, health, and cognitive outcomes. Methods: We review theory and research from neuroscience and evolutionary biology, which suggest that interventions seeking to increase the energy expenditure of young children must also consider the energetic trade-offs that occur to accommodate changing metabolic costs of brain development. Results: According to Life History Theory, and supported by recent evidence, the high relative …