Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Learning Streams: A Case Study In Curriculum Integration, Mani Mina, Arun K. Somani, Akhilesh Tyagi, Diane T. Rover, Matthew Feldmann, Mack C. Shelley

Diane Rover

During 2004-2005, the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University in collaboration with educational colleagues in the Research Institute for Studies in Education piloted a new curricula model to improve student learning through vertical integration of educational activities using new program structures. We offered an experimental course sequence during Fall 2004 and Spring 2005, defined as a “learning stream.” A learning stream is a basic element of a novel program structure designed specifically to vertically integrate subject matter across courses. A learning stream merges and re-organizes material to more effectively present and reinforce key …

Best Practices For Facilitating Difficult Dialogues In The Basic Communication Course, Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, Karla M. Hunter

Karla Hunter

Effective facilitation of classroom dialogue can stimulate open discussion and debate, challenge students to consider diverse perspectives, and promote critical student reflection and growth. Unfortunately, some instructors may be hesitant to approach controversial topics, for fear of losing face or risking chaos in the classroom. By learning and practicing established facilitation techniques, teachers can develop confidence and competence in harnessing the pedagogical power of difficult dialogue while maintaining classroom cohesion and community. This article provides 10 best practices for facilitating difficult classroom dialogues. These practices equip instructors with resources for building community, maintaining classroom immediacy, and grappling with disagreements without …

Reflective Essay On Assessment, Kerwin A. Livingstone

Kerwin A. Livingstone

Political Science 202 Introduction To International Relations Syllabus Spring 2019, Dale Gardner

Dale Gardner

This is a sample syllabus for Political Science 202, International Relations submitted as part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Already a course with a global focus, the highlights indicate changes made in instruction that encouraged students to discuss global issues with each other.

Sociology 101 Introduction To Sociology Syllabus Spring 2019, Cristina Prestin-Latham

Cristina Prestin-Latham

This is a sample syllabus for Sociology 101 submitted as part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Highlights indicate changes and additions made that incorporate global studies into the curriculum.

History 105 History Of The United States From 1877 To The Present Syllabus Spring 2019, Aaron Walk

Aaron Walk

This is a sample syllabus for History 105 submitted as part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Highlights indicate changes and additions made that incorporate global studies into the curriculum.

History 105 History Of The United States From 1877 To The Present Course Project Instructions Spring 2019, Aaron Walk

Aaron Walk

No abstract provided.

Global Studies Initiative Final Report: Sociology 101: Introduction To Sociology Spring 2019, Dorie Geissler

Dorie Geissler

In this project report for the Global Studies Initiative at Parkland College, the instructor of Sociology 101 describes the inclusion of a module that focuses on comparing education systems in Finland and the United States and reflects on whether it enhanced the class and improved students global awareness.

Anthropology 101: Introduction To Anthropology Syllabus Spring 2019, Jacob Skousen

Jacob Skousen

This is a sample syllabus for Anthropology submitted as part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Highlights indicate changes and additions made that incorporate global studies into the curriculum.

Global Studies Initiative Final Report: Anthropology 101 Spring 2019, Jacob Skousen

Jacob Skousen

In this project report for the Global Studies Initiative at Parkland College, the instructor of Anthropology 101 describes the addition of three in class activities introduced to the course to enhance global awareness.

Global Studies Initiatives Final Report: Psychology 2017: Introduction To Child Psychology Spring 2019, Jennifer Gleason

Jennifer Gleason

In this project report for the Global Studies Initiative at Parkland College, the instructor of Psychology 207, Introduction to Child Psychology, describes how a global perspective on current topics in child psychology was integrated into the course.

Psychology 207 Introduction To Child Psychology Syllabus Spring 2019, Jennifer Gleason

Jennifer Gleason

This is a sample syllabus for Psychology 207, Introduction to Child Psychology, submitted as a part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Highlights indicate changes and additions made that incorporate global studies into the curriculum.

A Field Study To Promote Undergraduate Student Learning Through Inquiry-Based Research, Thomas G. Henkel, James Paul, Debra T. Bourdeau

Tom G. Henkel

The purpose of this study was to explore methods to promote effective undergraduate student learning through inquiry-based research in the classroom and to determine what the benefits of doing so might be. The study begins by outlining how undergraduate inquiry-based research increases the undergraduate student learning model and then lists steps to accomplish this process. The study outlines two options offered as a workable process to promote faculty and student inquiry-based in-class research. The first option is for undergraduate students to engage in inquiry-based research with the assistance of one-on- one mentoring by the instructor. The second option allows for …

Facilitating Advanced Thinking Skills Through Problem-Based Learning, Charles T. Wynn Sr., Richard S. Mosholder

Charles Wynn

We will present a problem-based learning model (PBL) designed to promote postformal problem-solving skills among college students in a U.S. history survey course/first-year learning community and we will review results from two studies in which the outcomes of the PBL model were compared to the outcomes of the same course taught with traditional lecture/discussion. The PBL model was more effective in scaffolding students to recognize and practice postformal thinking dynamics and in facilitating self-reported student perceptions of increased course engagement and content relevance. A procedural overview of one of the PBL activities and the metacognitive reflection guide used in our …

Examination Of An Emerging Community Of Practice For Instructional Designers: A Descriptive Case Study In A Midwestern University, Jiaqi Yu, Connie Hargrave

Constance P. Hargrave

This study examined the functioning of a group of instructional designers (IDs) in higher education through the lens of Communities of Practice (CoPs). The study particularly focused on whether and how the grouping of experienced and novice IDs operated as an effective CoP from the perspective of novices. The findings indicated that a group of IDs working in a midwestern university was able to cultivate a CoP within a clearly defined domain, a well-established community, and the shared practice with a specific body of knowledge. Particularly from the perspectives of novices, they highlighted the positive impact while participating in the …

Examination Of An Emerging Community Of Practice For Instructional Designers: A Descriptive Case Study In A Midwestern University, Jiaqi Yu, Connie Hargrave

Constance P. Hargrave

This study examined the functioning of a group of instructional designers (IDs) in higher education through the lens of Communities of Practice (CoPs). The study particularly focused on whether and how the grouping of experienced and novice IDs operated as an effective CoP from the perspective of novices. The findings indicated that a group of IDs working in a midwestern university was able to cultivate a CoP within a clearly defined domain, a well-established community, and the shared practice with a specific body of knowledge. Particularly from the perspectives of novices, they highlighted the positive impact while participating in the …

Mlearning Device Usage And Self Efficacy By Higher Education Faculty For Professional Activities: A Case Study, Elbert Davis

Elbert Davis

This study examined the level of use and the level of self-efficacy use of mLearning devices for faculty at one university. The study also examined the relationship between use and self-efficacy levels, and the challenges faced by faculty members concerning the use of mLearning devices for professional activities. A mixed-methods model was used to complete the study. A 17-item self-report survey was developed by the researcher to determine the frequency of use, and the self-efficacy level of faculty concerning professional activities. An interview protocol was used to collect additional information from selected respondents. Findings indicated statistically significant differences in mean …

Adulting In The Age Of Neoliberalism Helping Students Explore Their Purpose Post-Graduation By Matthew Dalmeida.Docx, Matthew D'Almeida

Matthew D'Almeida

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives On How The Use Of Toon Comic Books During Guided Reading Influenced Learning By Struggling Readers, Ewa Mcgrail, Alicja Rieger, Gina M. Doepker, Samantha Mcgeorge

Gina Doepker

The study presented in this article examines the use of comic books, specifically the TOON comic books during guided reading instruction. The instruction was provided to struggling readers by the Literacy Center at a comprehensive university in southeastern United States. What most pre-service teachers in this study agreed upon was that comic books served as an effective tool for getting their students interested in reading. Reading comic books with tutors as partners in conversation with the struggling readers in this study was also a powerful medium for facilitating students’ literacy skills development, particularly in the areas of reading fluency and …

Finding The Balance: A Technical Writing Assignment During A Co-Op Work Experience, Lindsay Corneal, Debbie Morrow

Debbie Morrow

Advancing Higher Education As A Field Of Study, Sydney Freeman Jr., Linda Serra Hagedorn, Lester F. Goodchild, Dianne A. Wright

Linda Serra Hagedorn

Where is higher education as a field of study going in this century? How will higher education program leaders design and sustain their degree programs' vitality in the face of perennial challenges from inside and outside the academy? While in 1979 the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) defined standards for student affairs master's level preparation, and while 2010 saw the adoption of guidelines for higher education administration and leadership preparation programs at the master's degree level, there still are, however, no guidelines that address higher education leadership doctoral programs, despite increasing demands for assessment and …

A Student Journal To Celebrate, Preserve, And Improve Beginning Undergraduate Writing, Ann E. Biswas, Maureen E. Schlangen, Heidi Gauder

Maureen E. Schlangen

At the end of each semester, composition instructors at the University of Dayton (UD) collected portfolios of student writing for the annual program assessment, encouraging their students to return the following semester to pick up their folders of work. However, the stacks of unclaimed portfolios that piled up in faculty offices each year was an indication that students cared little about what they had written, perhaps believing no one beyond their instructor was interested in reading their writing now or in the future. Nevertheless, academic scholars have recognized that student writing improves—as do a sense of ownership and pride in …

Report Results Of Webex Versus Nonsurvey 30 April 2016.Pdf, Ron J. Hammond

Ron J. Hammond

Extending The Conversation About Teaching With Technology, Marlina Davidson, Timi Barone, Dana Richter-Egger, Ryan Schuetzler, Jaci Lindburg

Ryan Schuetzler

Over the past two years, UNO has increased the number of online course selections by nearly 50 percent, offering seven fully online undergraduate programs, seven fully online graduate programs, and an assortment of online minors, certificates, and endorsements. The need to expand the conversation about teaching with technology and cultivating effective online teaching environments has never been more important, as UNO seeks to maintain our growth in online learning and retain our current students taking online courses. A strategy introduced in 2017 that has been extremely effective has been the Faculty Liaisons for Instructional Design Program, co-sponsored by the Office …

Indiana Social-Emotional Learning Competencies, Brandie M. Oliver, Lori Desautels

Brandie M. Oliver

No abstract provided.

The Gaise College Report: The American Statistical Association Meets Sound Pedagogy In Central Virginia, Beverly Wood

Beverly Wood

Research in undergraduate statistics education often centers on the introductory course required for a large percentage of college students. While acknowledging the diverse setting, audience, and purpose of introductory courses, existing research assumes that courses offered by different disciplines share the same goals and teaching practices. The purpose of this study is to examine the objectives for student outcomes and pedagogical delivery of introductory statistics courses in various academic departments to provide explicit evidence for this assumption. The American Statistical Association’s Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) are meant to apply to all introductory courses. The College …

Guidelines For Assessment And Instruction In Statistics Education (Gaise) College Report 2016, Robert Carver, Michelle Everson, John Gabrosek, Nicholas Horton, Robin Lock, Megan Mocko, Allan Rossman, Ginger Holmes Roswell, Paul Velleman, Jeffrey Witmer, Beverly Wood

Beverly Wood

In 2005 the American Statistical Association (ASA) endorsed the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) College Report. This report has had a profound impact on the teaching of introductory statistics in two- and four-year institutions, and the six recommendations put forward in the report have stood the test of time. Much has happened within the statistics education community and beyond in the intervening 10 years, making it critical to re-evaluate and update this important report. For readers who are unfamiliar with the original GAISE College Report or who are new to the statistics education community, the full …

A Study Of Video-Mediated Opportunities For Self-Directed Learning In Required Core Curriculum, Debra T. Bourdeau, Donna Roberts, Beverly Wood, Johnelle Korioth

Beverly Wood

Improving a required course in our curriculum that has proven to be a challenge for our students was the focus of this study. Surveys of both students and instructors attempted to identify specific problem areas. Using the information from these surveys, the researchers developed a series of videos to explain vital course concepts and deployed these into the course sections. The purpose of the videos is to provide consistency across the multiple modalities in which we offer our courses (including online, classroom and via videoconferencing) and to improve overall student understanding. This project seeks to determine how supplemental content focusing …

Updated Guidelines, Updated Curriculum: The Gaise College Report And Introductory Statistics For The Modern Student, Beverly Wood, Megan Mocko, Michelle Everson, Nicholas J. Horton, Paul Velleman

Beverly Wood

Since the 2005 American Statistical Association's (ASA) endorsement of the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) College Report, changes in the statistics field and statistics education have had a major impact on the teaching and learning of statistics. We now live in a world where "Statistics - the science of learning from data - is the fastest-growing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) undergraduate degree in the United States," according to the ASA, and where many jobs demand an understanding of how to explore and make sense of data. In light of these new reports and other …

Teaching Tip: The Flipped Classroom, Heng Ngee Mok

Heng Ngee MOK

The flipped classroom has been gaining popularity in recent years. In theory, flipping the classroom appears sound: passive learning activities such as unidirectional lectures are pushed to outside class hours in the form of videos, and precious class time is spent on active learning activities. Yet the courses for information systems (IS) undergraduates at the university that the author is teaching at are still conducted in the traditional lecture-in-class, homework-after-class style. In order to increase students’ engagement with the course content and to improve their experience with the course, the author implemented a trial of the flipped classroom model for …