Education Commons^™

Theatre As An Intervention For Empathy Development Among Undergraduate Students, Jonathan Stewart

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Empathy is the ability feel into, or put oneself in the place of another. It is the ability to walk in someone else’s shoes. Studies have shown that this ability is decreasing among today’s college students and on the rise as a desired trait for today’s leaders. This dilemma provides an interesting opportunity to explore how institutions of higher education can help develop the leaders of tomorrow by increasing empathy among students. Specifically, this research explores theatre as an intervention for empathy development among college students.

Theatre, as a program of study, is unique within the college experience in that …

Learners’ Perspectives On The Use And Support Of Student Created Video Assignments At James Madison University, Annette Bruff Liskey

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

This research is an exploratory analysis of the use of student created video assignments at JMU, a pedagogical strategy that is increasingly common but not widely researched. The study collected quantitative data via an online survey of JMU students with the objective of examining the use, design, and outcomes of student created video assignments at James Madison University. Survey topics included the requirements of the assignment, the course that included the assignment, resources available and/or used to complete the assignment, students’ perceptions of the learning outcomes, as well as non-identifying information about each respondent’s demographics and academic experience at JMU. …

Facilitated Departmental Dialogues Assessment, Kathryn Kinniburgh, Caitlin Powell

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

In the fall of 2016, PYSC 600 students consulted with James Madison University’s Office of Access and Inclusion to create assessment efforts for the Facilitated Departmental Dialogues. The Dialogues are the result of a collaborative effort among the Office of Access and Inclusion, Human Resources, and the Provost’s Faculty Diversity Council. They were developed following the 2013-2014 Diversity Task Force to give departments the space to discuss crucial matters of values, diversity, access, and inclusion within the context of their academic unit.

Utilizing notions of the Assessment Cycle, the decision was made, in collaboration with Arthur Dean, Executive Director of …

Curriculum Design With Systematic Analysis, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, And Research, Juhong Christie Liu Ph.D., Eric M. Stauffer, Jim R. West, Dominic "Nick" D. Swayne

Libraries

As the instructional design of courses and learning activities become a normal practice of professional development for teachers and faculty members, curriculum design has risen to tag the expertise of instructional design professionals. These curriculum design projects demand a high level of collaborative efforts to look into discipline-specific accreditation standards, to analyze existing resources including course catalogues and technology infrastructure, to update emerging pedagogy and technology, and to evaluate diverse teaching team and student compositions. This presentation will share the practical knowledge gained through several curriculum design projects from the perspectives of systematic analysis, interdisciplinary collaboration, and research.

Creating Good Classroom Activities, Krisztina V. Jakobsen, Laura Madson, Liz Chenevey

Libraries

No abstract provided.

High Impact Practices: Developing A Framework For Integrating Hips At The Individual Course Level And General Education, Jessica Lantz

Libraries

Libraries faculty are in the research stages of developing an instructional framework to map high impact educational practices (HIPS) strategy integration to help build meaningful student experiences in their academic and general education experience at James Madison University. This framework will utilize instructional design recommendations and the wealth of opportunities available to students through the University and the general education program.

Jmu Campus Inclusivity Video Project, Meredith Grace Browder

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

After experiencing a general lack of knowledge at James Madison University (JMU) regarding inclusivity of students with varying abilities, I decided to find the best way to educate the JMU community on how to be more accommodating on campus. I surveyed students served by the Office of Disability Services in order to assess their concerns and needs. My survey data indicated that the students on campus with disabilities have felt isolated at JMU because of multiple factors including both student and faculty ignorance. After researching the significant role played by videos and social media in shaping public opinion, I used …

The Credentialed Workforce: Examining Success Rates Across Short-Term Noncredit Training Programs Aligned With Industry Credentials, Rochelle Fisher

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

A new grant program implemented to provide subsidized training costs for students enrolling in short-term noncredit programs aligned with high-demand industry credentials leading to middle-skill jobs was implemented in July 2016. The grant program follows a pay-for-performance model where students are given a two-thirds discount on tuition but required to pay back an additional one-third if they do not successfully complete their short-term noncredit training. An exploratory study was conducted to provide training program completion and credential attainment rates for the overall program and by student demographic groups (age, race, and gender). Results showed little variation among training program completion …

Failure To Launch?: Advancing The Case For Financial Literacy Interventions In Postsecondary Education, Cathleen Snyder

Dissertations, 2014-2019

For college undergraduates, the thought of managing money is often new, exciting, and terrifying in the same breath. Some students have learned well from their parental and prior academic influences, and yet others may be overwhelmed by a lack of those same resources. As postsecondary institutions endeavor to level the proverbial playing field, helping college graduates launch into meaningful, financially independent lives, it begs additional consideration on the intervention methods that might be most impactful.

This study examined a for-credit, curriculum-based intervention specific to personal finance topics. It attempted to answer several key questions: How knowledgeable are students relative to …

The Perception Of Career Readiness Skill Development In College Seniors, Venus Miller

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

As universities and colleges around the world strive to provide rigorous academic instruction, they are also preparing their students to enter into the world of work. According to research conducted by American College Test (ACT), Americans value education because they believe it will provide economic benefit to those that participate in the system. By the year 2018, the majority of newly created jobs in the United States of America (U.S.) are likely to require a college degree (Matter, Burrus, Camara, O’Connor, Hansen, Gambrell, Casillas, & Bobek, 2014). This fact suggests that in order for students to be prepared to enter …

Increasing Understanding Of Professor’S Adhd Knowledge And Perception Of Adhd And How This Informs Their Behavior Towards Students With Adhd, Rebecca Rosen

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent learning disability experience by 5.3% of students. The behaviors associated with ADHD (hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention) can impact a students’ ability to learn and their behavior and relationships in the classroom. Teachers can help to create a supportive or unsupportive learning environment for students with learning disabilities, specifically ADHD. Unfortunately, these needs are not always met for students in college. Previous research has uncovered primary and secondary teacher’s knowledge, perception, and behavior regarding children with ADHD, but little work has focused on college professors. College professors are likely to have significantly less …